This is a really long story, but i will try to make it short.

My Mom went in the hospital and died back in Dec. My Dad lives next door to me and I have totally had to take him under my wing. Let's just say the stress has been tremendous. Back in (I think) Jan. I wasn't too tight, but the stress would cause me to get really tight and PB all the time. I knew it was a bad thing, but it kept happening. I had a slight fill done about a month ago because I haven't lost any weight recently. I still find myself throwing up if I get the slightest pressure because it's so easy to do and makes me feel better instantly. I KNOW it's wrong, and I know I can make my band slip, but for some reason I keep doing it. I will eat too fast or drink something too soon and up it comes. I finally came to terms with the fact that this is an awful lot like what bulimics do. I am scared. I go for a barium swallow to make sure everything is ok in a few weeks, but I need a good kick in the butt. Please don't make me feel any worse than I already do, but any advice would be appreciated. It took alot to come here and admit this.

Michele

I think that most of us agree from our own experience that stress is no good for our bands, so even knowing that it is easier to be said than done, we must really focus when eating and avoid at all times to be under stress at mealtime. There are so many bad things going on which we can't control, that at least things like eating, chewing and swallowing properly is something we must believe that we can do it correctly. It's in our own hands, and I must believe everyday, at every meal, that I CAN DO THIS!

Even if you have to unfill your band, it's best to keep it in you than having it removed, knowing that some time later you can always have it filled in again.

best of luck to you.

niki

Well, I went Tuesday for my swallow test and the barium didn't move...just sat in the pouch. I told him I had thrown up the day before and was probably swollen, but he took out over a cc. I went from 2.3 to 1 and feel 100% better. He told me he would see me back in 3 months unless I started gaining weight. This is a time for me to get my head back on straight. This may sound funny, but I already feel better just being able to enjoy a small meal. I feel like some of the stress has already lifted.

For those of you going through the same thing.......why take a chance? I was petrified that I had hurt my band when I went in, but God was watching out for me and it was sitting perfectly (special thanks to the wonderful Dr. Ortiz). I will never put myself in that position again. As time goes by and the stress lessens, I will start very slowly getting fills again. I still have a little restriction, but not enough to stop me from eating 2/3 of a 6" sub yesterday.......YUMMY!!!!! LOL!!!!!

Man this post really scared the bejezee's out of me! It REALLY made me think about the decision I am making to have this done.

I remember the surgeon telling me that being too tight can actually cause you to gain because you end up drinking milk shakes and liquids with empty calories just to get full or eating stuff like cake, chips and Cookies cuz they at least go down easier. I put that little talk in the back of my mind and it came back to my rememberance while reading this thread.

Gosh...maybe I should just post a new thread titled "scared to death now"...I mean, if this were a rare case, no biggie...but it seems to be fairly common.

I'm sorry Michelle, I am in no way finding fault with you. Believe me, I totally sympathise. I just know that I am a stress eater...I have an unhealthy obsession with food...and it seems like people struggle more with the band than with RNYbypass... :phanvan

Miper70, I am glad you had some fill removed. It doesn't help you long term when you PB all the time. Good for you. Keep up the good work.

I agree musical momma, I just got approved and have a surgery date of 04-26-07, I have second thoughts every day, that why I am here reading!

Please don't let this scare you off. I truly don't think it's a problem with emotional eating as much as the stress just closed me up. Stress I'm used to, but for my Mom to go into the hospital on the 7th of Dec and die on the 22nd really took it's toll. I had to go to the hospital at least every other day (35-40 min drive), shop for Christmas, try to talk my Dad into the fact that she was dying and to let her go....etc. Now I have to literally baby him and cook for him everyday (he does't like the foods we do so it makes it really hard). You can see this isn't "normal" stress.....this goes way beyond. I could literally feel my band snap closed if I tensed up. That was my problem.

I just found it very easy to throw up instead of being in pain. I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I did it anyway. I didn't want to have to start all over again. Now I'm glad I had some saline removed because I do get that chance to start over and teach myself better eating habits. With RnY, I think I would have been up the creek.

Do you really think 2/3 of a 6" sub (turkey on wheat with no mayo) is that bad? I haven't eaten bread in a long time. I just wanted a sandwich....that's it.

I have been going through the same thing, and isn't it ironic that even when you are throwing up all the time you don't lose weight??? I got really tight fromflying and stress a month ago, and have lost 2 pounds. Since my last adjustment in December up until a month ago, I lost 8 pounds.

I have been under a lot of stress lately due to work. I am in the mortgage industry, which can be very lucrative but all you have to do right now is turn on the news and you will hear about how lenders are shutting down and investors aren't buying. When you are the sole source of income for your family it's scary and stressful, because we don't know how long this slump will last.

I simply got sick of PBing and went in yesterday for an unfill to .5CCs. I still have restriction, but I can get some food down.

Anyway, don't be discouraged, get a slight unfill so you can be comfortable until the stress eases a little.

And if you PB and see anything tar-like or bloody, call your surgeon IMMEDIATELY.That could indicate a slip or torn esophagus. Luckily that did not happen to me, but it could have!!

You are so smart to get that unfill. I was banded in TJ with Dr. Ortiz but get my fills in KC with Dr. Malley.

He told me that some patients will be throwing up for months and not sharing it with the surgeon. These folks tend to be the one's that get a slip. I was self pay and I sure don't think I can handle a slip. I can't handle it emotionally or financially.

WE are now trying to creep up on my sweet spot if there even is such a thing.

I have actually gained since my last fill. I had an unfill prior and it took me down to zero restriction so we added .15 being conservative and now I am still loose from 11 a.m. and waaaaay loose at dinner. I know I should have more willpower in the evening and I have missed my "tool" but I still think it is better to be safe. I get a fill Monday and let's hope it is the MAGIC fill.

Does anybody out there have the perfect fill that they call the "Sweet Spot"? If so tell me how much you can eat and can you eat all 3 meals?

Thanks everybody!

It is VERY hard now. I catch myself wanting to eat all of the foods I missed before when I was tight like bread and pasta. I am going to have to be on my best behavior to keep from gaining.

My fill surgeon dismissed me for 3 months unless I start gaining. I figured I would wait it out for a month or so then give him a call. Hopefully by that time I can have some issues worked out. Today is my last day of cooking and taking care of my Dad. I can't do it anymore and he is plenty capable. He may get a little peeved, but he'll get over it. My husband is going out of town for a month (coming home on weekends) so that gives me some time to teach myself to eat better without worrying about what everyone else wants. Maybe by the end of April some of my stress will be diminished.

im starting to totally feel bulemic, in fact o take a towel to bed with me, if i have a shake or a 100 calorie pudding at night it comes up and comes through my nose its gross, i ate a big cookie on the pkane yesterday and ot all came up, im restricted pretty lightly and have been really siccesful since december losing almots 50 pounds , but my portal is sticking out like a giamt wart and i keep upchucking , i dont want to be BULEMIC, its the last thing i bnargained for, but the weight loss is soooo addictive,

np im not that famous by the way to the popel who are im ing me im juts an actress in hollywood who most of you have barely heard of.

people keep asking me if im star jones or othe rpeople and im really no biog deal im just an average actress trying to get down to actress size.

im not some uber famous tabloid person.

i dont go on tv and im just not THAT famous, im well known in the community thats it.

okay wellthank god thi site exists because the privacy is very important to me what little i do have i need to keep quiet, and i think thats my right!

thanks

gonna be almost am!

banded dec 21

im starting to totally feel bulemic, in fact o take a towel to bed with me, if i have a shake or a 100 calorie pudding at night it comes up and comes through my nose its gross, i ate a big cookie on the pkane yesterday and ot all came up, im restricted pretty lightly and have been really siccesful since december losing almots 50 pounds , but my portal is sticking out like a giamt wart and i keep upchucking , i dont want to be BULEMIC, its the last thing i bnargained for, but the weight loss is soooo addictive,

np im not that famous by the way to the popel who are im ing me im juts an actress in hollywood who most of you have barely heard of.

people keep asking me if im star jones or othe rpeople and im really no biog deal im just an average actress trying to get down to actress size.

im not some uber famous tabloid person.

i dont go on tv and im just not THAT famous, im well known in the community thats it.

okay wellthank god thi site exists because the privacy is very important to me what little i do have i need to keep quiet, and i think thats my right!

thanks

gonna be almost am!

banded dec 21

Okey dokey...........

I have been having the same problems for almost a year. I thought it was because I got an IUD that was the only thing that I could figure out was different. I just read all that has been said on this thread and I think now that it was stress too. I was in home health care working all hours of the day and night caring for the elderly or disabled, single mom with 2 girls (11 and 3) and I also got married and not only have to share my closet but my bathroom too. lol he has 3 boys (11,8,5) the 11 has aggressive anxiety and has lashed out at my little girl more than once. A week after I was married I started a new job. I work for a quilting machine company in Utah. (I love it!) But it is a hole new world of stress, and my hubby is always sick. I was not wanting to recognized that I was having any of this stress at all I have been saying I'm just busy this is my life. The ladies I work with made metion the other day that I have a ton of stress in my life and wondered how I handle it. Little do they know I spend a lot of time in the bathroom PB'ing. I have had to stop and look at what I have going on and slow it all down I just got a small fill .3cc on 4/2/07 and so far I feel great no PB'ing. In fact it has been 2 weeks so I feel like something is changing for the better.

Ashlee

Do you really think 2/3 of a 6" sub (turkey on wheat with no mayo) is that bad? I haven't eaten bread in a long time. I just wanted a sandwich....that's it.

Looser is much better than over-filled...

And no - eating part of a 6 inch sub is perfectly OK. When in doubt, look at the skinny chicks around you. If you are eating the same as, or less than they are, you are probably fine.

Don't worry about weightloss until you get that little stress relief in April. If you eat like a normal thin person, you will probably maintain.... and you will FEEL a whole lot better if you aren't hurling every day.

You will know if you are sliding over the edge into food madness.

Hugs!!

What is physically happening that causes stress to tighten the band? I'm a little confused about this. Does your stomach tighten up, therefore tightening the band, or ??

Wow that sounds so much like me. It's such a hard thing to admit. I feel like I have had a surgical eating disorder. I vomit 90% of everything I eat. The only thing I can really eat is chips,tuna w/ tons of mayo,crackers and thats all I pretty much eat. Sometimes I even vomit liquids. Its not tramatic when I vomit. It's very smooth, no noise or force. It is almost like I just bend over and it will come out with a small cough. Its so hard to stop doing this because I've lost so much weight. I only have 20 more pounds to go. I don't feel like I can stop myself. Did you gain weigth when you got your unfill? I'm glad im not the only one. I know its not good but it works for me.

Hi gonnabeskinny!!

I think I met you at Dr. Liu's office. Acutally, it had to be you because you told me that you just got it done and I thought you looked great and had it quite a while. (you have blonde hair and were wearing red that day...I think) LOL!! Anyways, you showed me your port site so I could see it because I was concerned about the surgery. That was so sweet of you to do that for me. And, isn't Hollywood ridiculous in some ways...because you were totally beautiful at the weight you were. But, living here myself, I totally get it! I'm a singer and all my friends are dancers, actors and singers. So, being the fat one in the bunch wasn't fun...but, they all accepted me anyways. Now, they are really proud and supportive of me. I've lost 30 so far. YEAH!!

But, I got another fill on 6/12/07 and it's kicking my butt. I called Dr. Liu's office today to let them know that I'm pretty much throwing up everything. They reminded me to really slow down on eating and drinking and to act like my surgery was just performed. I have to admit that it has helped a little. But, a few bites and I'm done otherwise, I PB. I hate that and it hurts!!

Anyways, best of luck to you and your career.

Charlotte

im starting to totally feel bulemic, in fact o take a towel to bed with me, if i have a shake or a 100 calorie pudding at night it comes up and comes through my nose its gross, i ate a big cookie on the pkane yesterday and ot all came up, im restricted pretty lightly and have been really siccesful since december losing almots 50 pounds , but my portal is sticking out like a giamt wart and i keep upchucking , i dont want to be BULEMIC, its the last thing i bnargained for, but the weight loss is soooo addictive,

np im not that famous by the way to the popel who are im ing me im juts an actress in hollywood who most of you have barely heard of.

people keep asking me if im star jones or othe rpeople and im really no biog deal im just an average actress trying to get down to actress size.

im not some uber famous tabloid person.

i dont go on tv and im just not THAT famous, im well known in the community thats it.

okay wellthank god thi site exists because the privacy is very important to me what little i do have i need to keep quiet, and i think thats my right!

thanks

gonna be almost am!

banded dec 21