Complete unfill...now what?

[mybandandme 1]

So sad that this is the out come when s n infill occurs. ..I hope all goes well ..

[maygoddess 53]

Hi! Sorry to hear you are in same shoes. The dietician and surgeon think it is just me going hog wild right after my fill. Wanted to punch her. I was starving myself and still gaining. I don't know if wise to get a fill so soon. If your esophagus is stretched it won't heal in a few weeks. My fill surgeon gave it three months. My band surgeon in Mexico patient coordinator advised longer. I recommend going to as low of calories as you can. Eliminate liquid calories. I went strictly to Water. Really watch your calories and get in some exvercise. You may not stop it but hopefully slow it.

Best of luck. Hating life with this extra 50lbs.

[andreadly 2]

Hi, I have never heard talk of a stretched esophagus before in australia.I did get 1.2 taken out in May. As of today I have only gained 2kg which I am trying to lose through attending WW. I have had the 1.2 put back in and don't have as much restriction as I did before I got it taken out. So it would seem that everything is fine with me.

Can someone explain this stretched esophagus to me and what are the symptons when this happens? thankyou

[mybandandme 1]

I think I felt it shrink, two times already. ..!!!lol !... I felt pain like when your uterus is shrinking after child birth!! Lol..

I just excersided with y son's, and am really watching my food intake..but the weight gain is fast....and Totally scary..(and uncomfortable)

[maygoddess 53]

Hi, I have never heard talk of a stretched esophagus before in australia.I did get 1.2 taken out in May. As of today I have only gained 2kg which I am trying to lose through attending WW. I have had the 1.2 put back in and don't have as much restriction as I did before I got it taken out. So it would seem that everything is fine with me.

Can someone explain this stretched esophagus to me and what are the symptons when this happens? thankyou

HI! I really did not have any symptoms that the esophagus had stretched. I had not had a fill for I think 3-4 years at that point..decided I probably should just get a routine check since I had not had a flouroscopy since my last fill in Mexico..I had gotten my last fills done "blind" by a doctor here in California. He got me restricted enough to get off the final 40ish lbs and then from there I maintained my weight for those last 3-4 years. I was probably living with whatI just considered quirks of the band rather than thinking I was too tight all that time. Since I didn't have time to get back to my band surgeon in Mexico and realized my Kaiser would cover me seeing a local surgeon or at least getting a flouro done to make sure all was okay, I scheduled it for August of last year. WHen I swallowed the barium, it would not go through.. AT ALL! He had me walk around for about 10-15 minutes and still..a trickle if that. He then also noticed my esophogus was twice the size it should be..so basically I just turned my esophagus into an "upper stomach". I obviously had been getting fluids and food down all this time, so was shocked to see no barium going through. The fluoro doctor then passed my results on to the band surgeon who about two weeks later said my band would have to unfilled and allowed a chance for esophagus to return to normal. If it didn't, the band would have to come out. After three months and another flouro, the esophagus had returned to normal and the refills began.

I am not fill to where I was..but still could use a little more..I think. I waffle about it because I don't want to get too tight again..I want to get this weight off but more importantly keep it off.I also need to decide because I am moving soon to new area with no Kaiser and will be self employed and most likely have togo on Obama Care..so not sure when I would be able to revisit this and get a fill if I don't do in next 30-60 days!! Decisions!!

Anyway..hope that helps. I HIGHLY recommend you get the band checked under flouro on regular basis so you and your doctor can SEE what is happening in there. If I never got this checked out, I would be 50lbs down from where I am now, but still have a stretched esophagus and cause permanent damage to it. I would just be dealing with the "quirks" of the band with no pain or symptoms otherwise..

[andreadly 2]

Hi, I have never heard talk of a stretched esophagus before in australia.I did get 1.2 taken out in May. As of today I have only gained 2kg which I am trying to lose through attending WW. I have had the 1.2 put back in and don't have as much restriction as I did before I got it taken out. So it would seem that everything is fine with me.

Can someone explain this stretched esophagus to me and what are the symptons when this happens? thankyou

HI! I really did not have any symptoms that the esophagus had stretched. I had not had a fill for I think 3-4 years at that point..decided I probably should just get a routine check since I had not had a flouroscopy since my last fill in Mexico..I had gotten my last fills done "blind" by a doctor here in California. He got me restricted enough to get off the final 40ish lbs and then from there I maintained my weight for those last 3-4 years. I was probably living with whatI just considered quirks of the band rather than thinking I was too tight all that time. Since I didn't have time to get back to my band surgeon in Mexico and realized my Kaiser would cover me seeing a local surgeon or at least getting a flouro done to make sure all was okay, I scheduled it for August of last year. WHen I swallowed the barium, it would not go through.. AT ALL! He had me walk around for about 10-15 minutes and still..a trickle if that. He then also noticed my esophogus was twice the size it should be..so basically I just turned my esophagus into an "upper stomach". I obviously had been getting fluids and food down all this time, so was shocked to see no barium going through. The fluoro doctor then passed my results on to the band surgeon who about two weeks later said my band would have to unfilled and allowed a chance for esophagus to return to normal. If it didn't, the band would have to come out. After three months and another flouro, the esophagus had returned to normal and the refills began.

I am not fill to where I was..but still could use a little more..I think. I waffle about it because I don't want to get too tight again..I want to get this weight off but more importantly keep it off.I also need to decide because I am moving soon to new area with no Kaiser and will be self employed and most likely have togo on Obama Care..so not sure when I would be able to revisit this and get a fill if I don't do in next 30-60 days!! Decisions!!

Anyway..hope that helps. I HIGHLY recommend you get the band checked under flouro on regular basis so you and your doctor can SEE what is happening in there. If I never got this checked out, I would be 50lbs down from where I am now, but still have a stretched esophagus and cause permanent damage to it. I would just be dealing with the "quirks" of the band with no pain or symptoms otherwise..

[andreadly 2]

hi I think what you have described is basically what had happened to me, the unfill of just 1.2 has given me time to get better and now they put the 1.2 back in is still not enough to completely stop my hunger. But I am happy I can eat healthy and have gone back to some of the basic rules of the band. It is always a tough decision getting a fill because going too far causes months worth of problems and eventually the reversal means more weight on. I'm at weight watchers and although losing very slowly, at least I am eating healthy and losing weight whilst still having some restriction of my band.