I got my band 6 years ago. The first year it worked ok but fills were a nightmare. About a year and a half in, it got to the point where I couldn't get fills because I would not be able to keep down my own saliva. It has not been filled since. I am thinking it needs to be removed. From the beginning, I could no longer eat healthy food. Everything gets stuck! I can eat all the junk food I want but virtually no veggies or fruit and I don't understand that. I have also had constant pain at my port site. At times, it hurts for my shirt to touch my skin where the port is. Does anyone have any advice? It's almost as if my body rejected the band. When I mentioned it to my doctor he acted like I was crazy. He is no longer practicing in my area so I have to find someone new. Has anyone experienced any problems like this?

Have no idea what may be your problem.....all I can say, for me and my experience, I have to be very selective with fruits and veggies, not all are band friendly for me.....so I cannot simply eat anything I want in that area....

Second, when my band gets irritated for whatever reason, possible from eating the wrong foods, or right after a fill, (I was told to wait 24-36 hrs before solid foods) to continue to try to eat only prolongs the problem, never giving it a chance to calm down and heal....and yes, if I don't stop it will get to the point where I can't keep anything down....not to mention the pain!.....so during that time it is nothing but the softest, gentlest foods I can find, including Soups...perhaps cold things like ice cram also...

Like spraining your ankle, if you want it to heal you simply have to stay off it....

For me, one of the most important lessons is really getting to know my band, how to pick up and pay attention to the smallest signals.

When he band says stop eating, I stop eating...or else...does not matter how much or how little I ate.

When the band says slow down, I say slow down....and most importantly, when I take a swallow of a particular food, the band will let me know if that is a type of food I want to continue with...some foods i avoid for good...and that can include foods that are healthy...just need to find other foods that are healthy....

But again, cannot tell what you are doing or experiencing through the internet......

Edited March 29, 201511 yr by B-52