Ok so here is the deal! I had surgery 10 months ago and have lost all but 13 lbs to get to goal weight. I am really happy with the loss. I haven't lost anything for about 2 months and I am ok with that too. I now know that I will start to lose again when my body is ready! I exercise, drink my Water and eat about 1200 calories a day! That works for me,,,my problem is this :

I get up in the morning and I drink hot tea or coffee. I cannot eat anything at all not even a Protein drink for hours (3 or 4). I use to be able to eat a drink in morning and then some lunch by noon but that has all changed. I now can not even eat in the afternoon unless it is Soup or believe it or not popcorn. I gagged even on the smallest amount of food before night time even Protein drinks are too thick. I slime, pb, gag, foam, and sometimes vomit at least once a day lasting between 15 mins and 2 hours depending on the day,,,not the choice of food or quanity. When I first got the band, I lost the weight without this happening. I could eat oatmeal or Protein Drink for Breakfast, chicken salad and avacado for lunch and a regular meal (albeit small) for dinner. Now all bets are off. I cannot even eat ice cream most days (not evenings)without sliming for a good 20 minutes. I can however eat dinner without pbing most days. I get full at about 1 1/2 to 2 cups at dinner and then that is it for the night! I can eat low cal ice cream too if I choose to. So dinner is under control but the rest of the day and I mean even into 3 or 4 in the afternoon, most days pb, slime etc when I try to eat (6 out of 7 days) . I eat slow, I don't drink and I cant even eat just a small little chucks Carrots etc in soup Soft ones and cause I still slime at the very least. It sometimes is so fierce I vomit a little. So my question is: does this mean I am too tight? or is this what others do to stay thin? I don't think I can live pbing most days and staring into a bathroom toliet in a restaurant while others are enjoying a meal. I am sick of public restroooms let me tell you. I carry around cups and paper towels in my car and run out there if I eat during the day. The weird part is sometimes after I go through all of that, I can eat without a problem the exact thing that caused the pbing an hour before. What is the deal, is this what others do? I am thinking on getting a little taken out. I want to go back to the time when I could eat a small breakfast and chicken salad for lunch. This doesn't feel normal. Advice please. I gave this time, haven't had a fill or anything since Oct 07. Do you all have this issue,,,isn't eating suppose to be ok just little bites and good choices? I am eating soup soup and more soup during the day and that isn't right,,I lost all that weight doing it different. Why is it too tight now when it wasn't before on the same fill amount? Ok thanks for taking the time to read

this and thanks to all who reply. PS: got band in Mexico and now cannot get a response from one coordinator for help so I cannot just run to call the Dr. to ask,,,also, I have had a lot of problems with fills but found a good nurse to do it and haven't had any problems since so I feel like I at least have that going for me.

Susan

Thanks for the thoughts! I guess what throws me is that I can eat dinner,,,,no choking most of the time...about 1 cup or 1 1/2 cups of food without problems if I eat slow etc...the fact that it is just during the day is what confused me to be honest! I didn't know if it was normal to not be able to eat solids without pbing during the day,,,,I know now that it is NOT normal and although we do have more restriction during the day, not to the point of pbing on everything including Protein shakes.,,,,I know this because others are saying this isn't happening to them. Thanks to you and everyone,,,I feel convicted in my removal of Fluid,,,

Susan

I am glad to hear you say that. There are many people who don't pb at all. I only did when I was too tight.

Right now I can eat anything I want, at any time of the day. I just can't eat very much, and I have to chew very well. In my opinion, that is the way the band is supposed to work.

I have the exact same problem since my fill a 1 1/2 years ago, my girlfriend does the same thing. I don't do it all the time mainly if I go out

in public, since the surgery my nerves are horrible, but I know if I get it

unfilled or reversed I will be miserable because of weight gain, so what

do you do?!!!!!!!!!!

Anniemay

You don't have to get completely unfilled. You just need to have a slight unfill. The smallest amount can make a huge difference. Since I did that, I have not thrown up in months. I can only eat a piece of meat about the size of the palm of my hand, so I know I have good restriction, but not tight enough to throw up.

I worry about getting an unfill of any kind although I know I have to! I ate last night 2 cabbage rolls (Healthy ones) which added up to a cup of food plus 1 1.2 cups of salad without choking at all. Night seems to be fine most days without much restriction at all,,I do control my choices at night,,I also feel so deprived from lack of solid food during the day that it makes it harder. I feel abnormal compared to most b/c once I stop choking for the day I can almost eat what I want so I am not sure about restriction (meaning I can eat a larger quanity then others it seems),,,,It is really a catch 22 as to stop choking all day I have to get a slight unfill but then I will be able to eat too much at night. Anyone else have this going on in the evening? I do watch it at night b/c I don't want to stretch anything or overeat too much but still others say that good restriction is getting full fast and if I unfill to stop pbing etc, I won't get full that easy when I do eat! What is a person to do!!!!!

Susan, you are doing the right thing by getting a small unfill. I too PB quite often but am trying to slow that down but eating smaller amounts and bites, so far so good. Let us know how you do. Having a band too tight can easily lead to a slip so you are making the right decision. Good luck.

I agree. The tiniest removal of saline can make all the difference in the world.

Thanks so much for all your concerns. I am going at 10:45 tomorrow to have some saline removed. I think 1cc might be in order. I tried to eat brocolli and a small amount of hamburger (both of which have never been a problem at night before)and gagged for an hour tonight..this is crazy! I am beginning to hate my band and that is not what I want to feel. I loved having it for so long and now I just have to change this mess. Do you all think 1 cc is too much! I have 4.8 now in the 9cc band. I am just thinking that I need to be a little more aggressive then I was thinking to really let my stomach rest! At least 1/2cc seems to be in order! I would really appreciate your thoughts on this,,,I can afford to go back in a few weeks and refill if I want to but I hate the waste of money! However, I want to do the right thing and give myself a true break,,,I am so close to maintenance.

Hope to hear from you before tomorrow!

PS: Julie,,,congratulations you have done amazing,,,it puts faith back in me that the band can be ok!

Susan :mad2:

HI! I believe going for the unfill of some of your saline to be a move in the right direction. But I would not stop there, I would personally treat it like they do if they know you have a slip. I would go back to my liquid diet for a week minimally---full liquids. Cream Soups etc. Then I would slowly add some mushies....see if the combination of a small unfill, and giving your stomach a real rest from all the PB's might restore normalcy.

I would get some good Protein drinks, and shakes, and put my stomach on some SERIOUS restriction of food, and let it rest! See if it does not resolve itself.

If at that time, nothing has changed, then it is time for a swallow study or a scope. Serious problems can result---you need to have answers...if not from your surgeon, then from a new Dr. Have you ever heard anything from the original surgeon? I would hound them, then let them know the facilitator is making life difficult! Tell them there is a HUGE website, you will post on if you don't get help!!! Just kidding----but would be nice to get some help from your surgeon!

Good Luck----and I LOVE your screen name, that is perfect!

Kat

Thanks for the insight! I already bought the Protein shake stuff today and I am going to TRY to stay on liquids,,I have been doing that daily (not evenings) for so long that another week and adding evenings won't hurt me a bit! It is a great idea! I did not hear from the surgeon in Mexico since I wrote him a few weeks ago and I use to go to Dr. Aceves for my fills which I might need to do as going back to Monterrey is just too expensive. I use to deal with a wonderful coordinator of the drs in Monterrey that is out here but one day she just stopped speaking to me. I have never found out why as she never has returned my calls or messages so in lieu of begging for her guidance (she was my connection to learning about the band) I started writing to all of you. Thank goodness you are all here! :cool: I wrote to the Dr. recently but haven't heard back,,,my support system kind of dumped me,,,so to speak,,,probably this problem drove them crazy! I had a lot of problems with my fills for a while! Who knows,,,misunderstandings can really be a mess when people don't communicate,,,,anyhow, it hasn't been easy without the support they promised me! But I have moved forward and reached out here...and so many of you have helped! I am very grateful! I will go and see Dr. Aceves if I need to get a scope it is just scary for me to think of going there alone,,,,,but I will do what I need to! Hopefully I won't have to! I also have 3 more people that want the band and I am not sure at this point if referring them to the coordinators for my Dr. is the right decision after the shun that I have received but then there is one who still responds occassionally! I guess this is part of going out of the Country for some! :mad2: I will keep a close eye and thank you for all your suggestions! This is a big forum you are right,,,, :tt2:

Take care

Susan

PS: I loved the name too! thanks!

We will be waiting to hear how things turn out. I don't think you can yourself how many or a portions of a cc will be taken out. Your doctor should know after he evaluates you, where you need to be.

I am surprised to hear these things about this dr. I know someone that is crazy about that dr.

wow thats intense

I agree, let the Dr. help you decide how much to take out, but I think you're on the right track.

Let us know how you make out today.

I am so glad that someone else is letting people know about this problem. I am experiencing this same problem. I have been contimplating going back for a check up because I can't eat in the mornings till about 2pm and then I can eat more in the afternoons and I have had my band for almost 2 years and in the last 3 months I haven't lost anything. I pb almost everyday. My last fill was probably about august of last year. When you eat at night you feel like you might need a fill but when you get up the next morning and you can't eat anything or drink anything you know you don't. I would love to know what you do and what the doc says. Please let me know. I am within 20 lbs of my goal weight and I don't want to screw anything up. thanks. E-mail me at j.d.burch@sbcglobal.net

Denise,,I LOVE my Dr. It is just too far to go to see him. He may be out Teaching or something for all I know.....He is the BEST and I trust him completely,,,,my point was to respond to Kat regarding hearing from them and that I had a falling out so to speak with the coordinator, who I also believe to be amazing and informative but something just went wrong. My reason for not wanting to refer is the coordinators are the most important part of the journey and that is not ok in my book not b/c I don't think they are all wonderful and skilled..also it feels awful to not have someone as important as a coordinator respond to you and I don't want my friends to feel alone like that especially when going out of the Country is already a bit of a lonely feeling,,, Having said that, I wouldn't hesitate to return to my Dr. and have this and most any surgery by him...he is a great man! I got my fills over the boarder by my home b/c I could drive there,,,it was no reflection on my Dr. Just wanted to clarify,,,,the person you know that loves him is right on! PS: How did you know what Dr. did my surgery, I don't recall using his name? Just curious,,,,anyway have a great day, thanks for all your sound advice and I will let you all know what happens today! I am seeing a nurse not a Dr. today so hopefully she will have the answer!

Susan

Edited March 17, 200818 yr by luzin susan
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