Cleo's Mom

BSG: I am so sorry you had to go through this ordeal but am glad you will now be on your way to recovery. The part of the story that I can identify with is the doctor's attitude. Though I didn't have anywhere near the degree of problems you had, my former doctor overfilled me and then blamed me when I immediately had pain, reflux and heartburn for how and what I was eating. However, when he saw the results of my upper GI, he saw the trouble I was in and called me in immediately for an unfill. His attitude was completely different then. Very concerned, etc.. Having a good relationship with your doctor, having him listen to you and having confidence in him is so important. My doctor's lack of experience (I was only his 23rd band) showed when I had problems. I promptly got a second opinion and switched doctors. Should you ever decide to do another surgery - don't go back to this doctor. He obviously doesn't listen. Also, if you think there was medical malpractice, get a good attorney and your healthy insurance should be on your side, too, as they have had to pay for all of this. Good luck and I hope you get better. Take care.

I think the band works differently for different people. Some get to their sweet spot where their restriction reduces hunger and allows a small amount of food to satisfy them. They do not have any problems with pain or reflux or heartburn. There are others who seem to be willing to put up with a whole host of problems and complications to lose weight and reach some magic number on the scale. Theirs are the posts that begin with all the pain and problems that they are having and then saying.. but I love my band..I have lost "x" amount of weight. The band is suppose to make you healthier than you are now by helping you to lose the weight that you need to in order to improve your health - whether it's joint pain, sleep apnea, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesteral or high triglycerides among other things. The band is not suppose to create health problems, make you sicker or cause heartburn, reflux, vomiting or pain - provided you are following the eating rules. You need to find an experienced doctor whose philosophy about the band reflects this. Some doctors won't listen to patients when they have problems. Then you'll need to find a new doctor, like I did. You also must have realistic expectations about the band. You might still be hungry. You might not be able to reach your sweet spot. You might not be able to eat some foods. Each person is different as to what their band won't tolerate. You will have to exercise. But it seems like you have done a lot of research and I wish you the best of luck.

I agree with the two other posts. If for some reason you are unable to change doctors, tell your doctor you are coming in for a complete unfill. And if he refuses, contact the hospital administrators or the patient advocate. Demand that you get an upper GI to see what is going on. If all else fails, go to the ER where they might find a doctor who will unfill you. And then find another doctor. Your infections and fever might not be band related but your inability to eat and drink properly and having reflux at night is. Don't be passive about what you need. You have the right to feel and be better. Good luck.

Find out what the 5 years success rate is for the Kimkims diet. Overall diets fail about 95% of the time. Obviously Kimkins wants people to buy their diet and products, not have weight loss surgery. What makes them think that those who go on their program won't fall into the same bad habits that they outline in this article? I would bet that almost everyone on these boards has tried weight watchers - especially if they are older and have been overweight/obese longer. It is a program that is usually given good overall ratings by the medical profession. But have you ever seen any statistics on those who join and long term weight loss? After 5 years, almost everyone who joined has quit, and regained the weight. While I do agree that WLS won't rid you of emotional eating or change bad habits overnight, if you had to do a pre-op diet for several months, it does teach you about healthy food, good nutrition and portion size. The band is a tool that when it works properly can help you to feel satisfied with smaller amounts of healthy foods. I use xenical (prescription alli) and I think of it as another tool. Why shouldn't we avail ourselves of all the tools we can? Aren't we trying to build a better and healthier body? And with the high percentage of diet failures, ask Kimkins about what yo-yo dieting does to the body. I would dismiss this article for what it is: an infomercial for it's diet and products. Contact Kimkins and ask if they will accept your health insurance as payment for their products if they are so much better than WLS.

Reflux and heartburn can lead to changes in the cells in the esophagus which can lead to Barrett's esophagus which can lead to esophageal cancer. After many years of GERD and heartburn then Barrett's my husband died of esophageal cancer almost 4 years ago. It is not something to tolerate in order to lose weight. Contrary to others on these boards who think it is whining to complain about heartburn, I know it is serious. When I was overfilled I developed these problems and had a slight unfill. Problems resolved. I don't care if I lose another ounce. I got the band to get healthy not create new medical problems.

I just want to say something about those magazines like People's and my most recent issue of Good Housekeeping that show people who have lost half their weight or similar loses - and then they show them afterward with their height and weight and size - all I want to know is where they shop to be 5'5" and 155 pounds and a size 4 - and all the similar claims of clothes sizes. I have been every weight from 122 to 248 and I know what size I was at every weight. I never wore smaller than a size 7 at my thinnest. Isn't it time for a little honesty in these stories?

Viki - I would have to question why you thought throwing up 3 times a day was something to be tolerated and only became concerned when there was blood. If you've had the band for a year, I would assume that you understand how the band works. Did you ever discuss the throwing up with your doctor? If not, that was your first mistake. Your second mistake was not going to the emergency room when you started throwing up blood. I hope that you get this resolved and develop a better understanding of how the band works and what is normal. Pain, vomiting, reflux and heartburn are not part of the healthy band experience. Don't tolerate any of that to get to some number on the scale. Good luck and I hope you get well.

This happened to me. I was too tight and everything was backing up. My esophagus became slightly swollen as did my pouch. It also caused a small slip. I was experiencing pain, reflux and heartburn. After a slight unfill, I felt much better. My follow up upper GI 6 weeks later showed an improvement, but it still was a little swollen. You need to give your esophagus a rest. Good luck.

Throwing up can cause the band to slip. Aside from that, is this what you signed up for when you got the band? To only be able to eat slider foods? Of course not. You are too tight and need an unfill. I refuse to put up with any pain, reflux or heartburn or any other complication. And I don't care if I lose another ounce. Those who do put up with vomiting, heartburn and reflux to achieve that number on the scale do so at their own peril. Good luck.

I was closer to being 80 pounds overweight when I started the 6 month pre-op diet. Before I started the 2 week pre-op liquid diet my BMI was 34.8 - just under the required 35 but my insurance approved me anyway.

jenzea: You do not have to tell anyone about your banding if you choose not to. That is personal, medical information. Keep in mind, however, that your unsupportive friends might not be your friends after you lose the weight. They sound jealous and not like true friends. Obesity is a disease and diets fail 95% of the time. Would a doctor or anyone else promote something that failed 95% of the time? WLS is the only thing that has shown long term success for obesity. But it is still hard work. Good luck.

This from the transcripts from the Mayo Clinic on how they do c-sections: Narrator: Once the anesthetic has taken effect, your abdomen will be prepped for delivery of your baby. Your doctor will make two incisions, one through your abdominal wall, and another into your uterus. There are two types of abdominal incisions: vertical and horizontal. Vertical incisions are usually done only in an emergency, from just below your navel to just above the pubic bone. Horizontal incisions are also called Pfannenstiel incisions, or more commonly, bikini incisions. The horizontal incision is made across the lower abdomen, near the pubic hairline. Bikini incisions are used in most C-sections because they typically heal well, the scar is not easily seen and they may cause less post-delivery discomfort. The initial incision is about 6 inches long and cuts through your skin, fat and muscle to get to the uterus, where your baby is. Your doctor uses a special knife that burns, or cauterizes, the tissues to help control bleeding

Plus every time you have surgery you develop adhesions and scar tissue. Then should you need some emergency or scheduled abdominal surgery -this could present a problem.

Obesity is a very complex conditions and not nearly enough research has been done to find out all the mechanisms that go into it. Obviously we eat more calories than we burn. But thin people get hungry and eat snacks, too. They don't eat protein for every breakfast, and some eat at night, too. We all know people like that and we also know people who have been overweight/obese practically from birth. It's like they never had a chance. The video made some good points. But basically it was about food choices and portion control. That's a diet and who wouldn't lose weight if we followed what he proposed? But I also think he had a book and products to sell and he managed to inject them into his video. So, again, I think things like leptin do play a role, but much, much more research has to be done. Some day, maybe 100 years from now they will figure it all out and those people will be shocked that we used to band or remove part of the stomach or reroute the intestines to deal with this problem. Thanks for sharing this information with us. It was interesting.

Cindie: I think missing your favorite foods is a common and legitimate concern among those who have been banded. You have been given some good advice by the previous posters. You do sound too tight and I'm sure you'll have that addressed by your doctor. Good luck.

And I guess we can all agree that you are in total agreement with 2FlyGuys. So when are you going to stop your postings? And if 2Fly didn't want responses, she shouldn't have made the original post.

To extrapolate the original post further - I guess it would be nitpicking for a woman diagnosed with potentially life-threatening breast cancer to be worried about hair loss when she starts chemo. I mean what's a little hair when your life is on the line? And yet the medical community recognizes that this is a big concern to women. And it addresses it. And being a breast cancer patient, I know of what I speak. I would NEVER judge anyone who posts about ANY concern on this forum. To them, it is important or they wouldn't have posted it.

I agree. There is one poster, in particular, that practically writes in code. r u listening? Lots of unnecessary punctuation!!!!!!!!!!!!lol!!!!!!!! Very difficult to read. But then again her posts don't offer much worth reading.

Restless: Couldn't agree more. Why even start a thread like this if the point isn't to belittle what could be legitmate concerns of others? If they are at a weight loss seminar or already had the surgery, they've already made the committment. What concerns they have after that is legitimate to them. Who is anyone on these boards to say it isn't? What is knitpicking to one is important to someone else.

I'm also sure that the 300 lb. woman who was at a weight loss seminar and thus taking the first step to getting healthy already knew about her heart attack risks. She just wanted to know about heartburn from this procedure (which is real, frequent and a medical problem). As for scars - yes, that is a cosmetic question, but for those who plan on wearing stomach revealing clothes, it is a concern. Who is anyone to say whether it is legitimate. And by the abundance of photos posted on this site, I would say a lot of people are concerned about apprearance. Shouldn't this be a forum where we can ask questions and seek help and those who want to offer it can reply and those who don't can just stay out of it?

I did take it personally because I developed heartburn (and reflux) when I was overfilled. I knew that it was nothing to mess around with. My former doctor did not address it to my satisfaction, I got another opinion and changed doctors. I posted about my heartburn and reflux and my doctor's inexperience and got a lot of very good responses from people that I appreciated. I don't think anyone's concerns are nitpicking to them. Every problem can't be slippage, erosion or surgery risk. I've read many of your posts and they are not all about these area that you call valid worries. Your posts may seem trivial to others. So, don't be so quick to criticize others for what they perceive as important to them.

So what's your point 2 Fly? That concerns about heartburn aren't legitimate? That only imminent death from heart attack is worth worrying about? Obviously everyone on these boards wants to lose weight and get healthy. Vomiting, heartburn, reflux and pain when eating is not the way to do it. No one should accept those conditions as part of the band experience. And for the people who post on here, their problems or concerns are legitimate and worrisome to them. They shouldn't be trivialized by you or anyone. Now, back to heartburn. Heartburn is a sign that stomach acid and/or food is entering the esophagus. The esophagus was not meant to handle this and over time this can causes cellular changes. This can lead to Barrett's esophagus which is a precancerous condition. My husband had GERD & heartburn for most of his life and developed Barrett's esophagus and then esophageal cancer. He died of it almost 4 years ago at age 56. So don't dismiss concerns about heartburn to me.

Get a medical records release form from the hospital at which you had the surgery. Call their medical records department. On the form ask for all records including: operative report; make, model and serial number of your band, doctor's progress notes, fill schedule (dates and amounts); all pre-and post surgical tests (including disks of upper GI's), nutritionist visits and notes, and anything else you can think of. You might have to pay for some of this, but if you find another doctor and have all these sent to him, then you might not. It is your legal right to know all of this information. That is your starting point. Depending on what you find out with a new doctor - you might also need a good attorney. Take charge of this situation and don't be passive. Demand answers and change. Good luck.

Having gone for a second opinion and changing doctors because of it, I am a big proponent of getting second opinions. My former doctor was inexperienced especially in follow up care and it showed when I developed problems. You need to feel comfortable with your doctor, have things explained to you and have your questions answered. If you weren't having problems - why did he do an unfill? Were you eating high calorie slider foods that can cause weight gain when you are too tight? Or were you just able to eat too much of regular food without problems of reflux or heartburn or pain? When was your most recent upper GI? Did it show that you were too tight? But as far as dieting - that is something that you will have to do for the rest of your life even with the band at it's proper fill (sweet spot). It just means that smaller amounts of healthy foods will satisfy you and cause you to lose weight. Many with the band continue with weight watchers or some other program. The band is suppose to help you with that by causing satiety with smaller amounts of food. But dieting and exercise is a part of the whole band experience. That being said, I know from my experience that the band will never work like that for me and have accepted that I will just have to calorie count and use willpower and exercise. I am unable to reach my sweet spot and will not tolerate pain, reflux or heartburn. How I think the band will work for me is to keep me from being able to eat the amounts of food I ate before, but as far as causing me to lose weight - well not so much (maybe a pound a month). I was banded in Sept. 08 and have lost 13 pounds from the band but my overall weight loss is 70 pounds (most from my own and all that pre and post op dieting - especially with liquids only). So each of us have to reach a point with the band where we can work on being healthy and feeling good. I hope you find that point. Good luck.

As someone who went for a second opinion at a center of excellence, I think that is a great idea. I ended up switching doctors after this second opinion. Get copies of all your test results, including the disks of your most recent upper GI's (that show all your problems) and take them to the second opinion. It never hurts to have a new set of eyes look at things. I hope this gets resolved for you.