Starting over with a complete unfill

[duckydoom 128]

I haven't been on the forums since I got my band... I'm bad at keeping up with stuff like this, but I'm needing resources at this point.

History: Banded 8/21/12. Roughly 18 months. Was at 6.5 ccs in a 14cc band. Back down to 2.5 ccs so I can hopefully start over and get back to a positive place where I have restriction, but can actually get things down. The fullest I'd been was 7ccs, but was having trouble with sliming and getting stuck on a daily basis. With 6.5 I was still getting stuck weekly, having symptoms of inflammation, and generally being frustrated and feeling like a failure. Turning to sliders because they were easy. My highest weight was 233, I got down to 203, and now I'm back up in the 220-ish range.

I've tried to work with the band, but my doc has convinced me that it's one of the finicky ones, and that we apparently just have to start over. I was ready to ask them to take it out, but I'm willing to start over again.

Does anyone have any advice? Motivation? Suggestions? Anyone been through a similar situation and had a positive outcome? I got to the point where I never knew what would trigger my band. One evening I could have Pasta and still be starving with no feeling of restriction, and a few days later, wouldn't be able to eat a basic salad without getting sick.

I hope to be better at keeping track on here... lord knows I need the motivation 98 days until my 5 year wedding anniversary cruise, and I want to be able to feel good, and lose some weight again so that I can keep up with hubby on the hiking trails we're scoping out.

Thanks for reading!

[Lady VS 1,147]

I haven't experienced what you're going through but will say just take it one day at a time. Keep following your doctor's orders and remember to chew, chew, chew. Good luck and you will get there.

[2muchfun 8,928]

I believe banders have to be nimble to be successful. I think most everyone suffers from symptoms similar to yours. One day we can eat anything and another only Soup.

The standard question is always, do you chew your food to a mush and do you allow about 30 seconds between bites so that you're not overloading your pouch?

Do you feel the satiety signals your pouch is sending when it's working properly?

tmf

[duckydoom 128]

I definitely don't feel the signal when the pouch is full, and that's what gets me, I think. I used to be an emotional eater (may as well be 100% honest) and would gorge myself to the point of pain, and occasionally eat through said pain,so I'm not sure if that's part of it. Its something that I've definitely worked on, and now in my reaction to stress I run for the treadmill rather than the refrigerator, and working against boredom eating is something else I'm still struggling with. I always have to make a conscious effort to chew as well, since part of my emotional eating was basically gulping... but I get to the point where I feel like a cow just chewing on her cud. Portions are definitely smaller, but calorically I'm still at around 1200-1600 depending on if I've worked out that day or not.

Thank you both for your kind responses. Seeing again that people HAVE actually made it with the band is definitely reinvigorating. I'm just hoping that I can make peace with my pouch and have my own success again.

[Bandista 7,466]

Hi Ducky, just sending you best wishes. I am new at all of this but it sounds like you're doing really well with noticing what's going on -- we can all identify with the emotional eating, boredom and missing gulping, etc. You are in good company! I think it's great you're running for the treadmill in times of stress. And identifying that you were going for sliders -- so easy to do. But you want this weight loss more than anything, that's the thing. You are on way! And just one other thought, some people do a five-day pouch test or all liquids for a few days to get back on track. You can google five day pouch and see information there.

[PJ Geeser 108]

I can relate well to you. I have had a LONg battle also with this band...well not years and years but the same issues.

I was banded oct 22, 2012 so a not a year and a half yet but....

I got 11 fills and on the 11th fill there was a glimmer finally that I had a lapband placed ...not much but a little.

I thought there is hope for me yet ...hehe! Anyway 1 year had passed and i was very frustrated as it seemed everyone else was experiencing such great results from about 4 months on and me ...nothing. Well very very slow and I dieted like I never dieted before with not much for results...I think i was at the 42 lb loss at the 1 year mark...not great at all but I guess something since I had no help from the band at that point yet.

Couple more fills all was well...was at 10 1/2 cc....loved it. Wasnt hungry and I thought this is awesome. 2 weeking in with feeling great, choked on something and threw up and swelled alot, causing a pattern of sliming steady, this alone must have been enuf to keep swelling and swelling and swelling despite going to liquids etc. Eventually I was able to eat only 2 bites like every 3 days and liquids the rest of the time but it got to the point of not being able to get liquids down so I went in had to get it all sucked out. felt great the minute it was out. Let myself heal for 3 weeks and then back for a fill. I wasnt filled to where I was but I then and things were great for a week... choked on a piece of brocolli again...same thing happened over the next 3 weeks again as in the first time....when I couldnt get liquids down..back in and had it half sucked out,, had to heal for another month and now just filled again...back to 9 1/2 and honestly cant tell that anything is there again or should I say very slightly notice anything.....going back for some more but dont want to over do it. Mine must be a very fine line between not much feeling and too tight. With that said... had finally hit the 65 lb loss only to gain 8 back thru all the unfill process.

I will say....i believe it is all my fault for not chewing or taking small enuf bites and just plain being too tight.

I want to get to that perfect spot and hope it is a reality for me...someday anyway. At this point Im not so concerned with how much I lose or how fast...just for the fact that I keep losing...slow is fine as long as I keep losing. I have a ways to go and want to get there some day so will keep plugging away. I am going to try and be very careful this time around so I dont have to go thru the unfil again.

Just keep at it and hopefully you will find that spot too.Ke

ep in touch

Edited March 5, 2014 by PJ Geeser

[duckydoom 128]

At what rate did your doc fill your band? You've done pretty spectacularly, it seems overall, even with the fussy band and starting over. I'm really hoping that it ends up positively for me. I found myself on a couple of the "lap band complication" boards and threw myself into a tizzy... but reading stories of people who have actually lost the weight (and I agree, I just want to keep losing even if it's only half a lb a week) and have had any success are bringing me back up. I have two friends who have the sleeve, and I know if it had been covered by my insurance I would have done that instead. I think the worry that I made a mistake in having surgery at all is what really gets me. I haven't gone past my highest weight, and for that I am thankful... but I want my health back, and that involves the scale moving down!

[PJ Geeser 108]

well I feel my fills were way too slow...haha...but I understand why she did it the way she did. As everyone usually will feel something by the 3 to 5 fill as a whole. So the first one was 3 cc and then slowed down. At about month 10 seh did get more aggressive but still so frustrating to be a year out with no help but I definitely dont want to go back for an unfill again...yikes...that is really a set back and yet alone twice.

I hear you on wondering if you made the right decision...i too felt that way as i divide out how much i spent vs how many lbs I lost...well lets just say its not cheap but even at 53 or so lbs now...that is still better than where i was when I started. I also think that maybe losing it slower will be easier to keep off in the long run....fingers crossed anyway...maybe not but thats the way Im gonna think about it.

Good luck and see if you can find the sweet spot first...it should be there somewhere too and hopefully you will start losing again

[Chickie D 76]

I was constantly at the doctor's office. A little in, a little out.

What has worked for me is acting as I'd I just had surgery and getting back to basics. All liquids for awhile...let everything heal and get my head in a different place.

[duckydoom 128]

I almost went to the ER Friday night... I was being really gentle with my band, liquids only while adjusting back to full capacity, and then Friday at lunch (11am for reference), I had an oz of salmon. Chewed well, had it on its own. Very filling. Had some liquids a couple of hours later (I do 80 oz of Water minimum a day). Soon after I started bloating horribly. My entire abdominal cavity felt like it had initially after surgery (that really awful full feeling where there's so much gas that the skin is tight and you can barely move). Took a gas pill - this was about 4pm. By 9pm, I was miserable. So full of gas that I was nauseated, visibly bloated, and near tears. I wasn't feeling full from food at this point, and I hadn't had anything since the salmon. I went to bed, and woke up at 1am in excruciating pain. I tried tums this time, and immediately got sick. Turns out all of the salmon that I ate hadn't gone down at all. I was throwing up until about 3am, got two hours of sleep, and then got up to work at 5 for an 8 hour shift. SO happy I work from home.

I'm so close to giving up. I'm terrified to eat solid foods. I actually went as far as to buy a week's supply of Soylent, a new nutritional product that's coming out (fascinating premise, seems legit), just to have something different than my muscle milk and yogurt. I called and left a message for my nurse this morning. I want it out. Now I just have a hoarse voice from vomiting and my port site is sore, two days later. I have an appointment to go in next Monday, so I guess I'll see what she says then. I'm certainly not getting another fill.

Not meaning to seem ranty, though I know I am. Thank you for reading and replying to my thread. I'm just so frustrated at this point. I figured with an unfill I'd have less fussiness - salmon wasn't a problem before when I had Fluid in my band!! I've been miserable almost constantly since having the band - I don't understand why it isn't working for me.

[Chickie D 76]

I'm sorry to hear you're having these kinds of problems and hope you can get in to see your doctor today.

I know it's frustrating - I had some very difficult days/weeks/months with my band.

Consider sticking with liquids until you're seen - you don't want any stress (on you or the band).

[duckydoom 128]

Definitely sticking with liquids and yogurt as the most solid food I'm doing until I get to see her next week. Thank you for your kind words