lmtorb

I've been experiencing difficulty with my band for over 9 months. Some days I can't eat anything, including liquids, other days I can eat a horse. I have NOTHING in my band now due to nothing passing through during my last x-ray session. Now my doctor says my band has slipped and needs to be replaced. He also said the reason I can eat so much is that all the food stays in my esophagus, which has essentially turned into a 2nd stomach. I feel like a cow with multiple stomachs!! However, my insurance will only pay to have the band removed and not replaced. Am I in danger by waiting to have this done? I'm afraid what will happen when I am bandless...... I initially lost close to 100 pounds and have gained about 30-40 back. HELP! Anyone else ever gone through this??? :help:

Does anyone else wake up with a "sour" stomach? I had been having trouble with reflux and have helped that a LOT by not eating anything after dinner and taking Prilosec. But I still seem to waken with a sour feeling in my stomach. Any suggestions how to prevent this? Anything I can eat/drink to calm it down? I've tried chewing Tums or Rolaids, etc., but would like to just eliminate this completely rather than have to treat it every day.

I was also told that allergies can make the band "tighter", but it's sort of misleading. With allergies, you generally produce more mucous (mostly in your head!) and a lot of that can accumulate in your pouch. This can form a sort of plug around the stoma and make the opening much smaller. Mine is worse in the morning. My doctor and dietician suggested taking a swig of Robitussin or something with Guaifenisin (sp) in it and that should help that mucous thin out and relieve some of the tightness. Makes sense if you think about it!!! Anyway, I tried the Robitussin (generic works fine) and it has REALLY helped me. Drink it about 20-30 minutes before a meal and see if that helps.

Hi--I live in Weatherford, which is about 15 minutes west of Ft. Worth. I was banded July 17th, 2003, by Dr. Adam Smith of Ft. Worth.

First, CONGRATULATIONS!! I know how difficult it can be, but sooooo worth it!! I had my surgery July 17, 2003, just shortly after yours. And I'm right on track with you with only 3 pounds to go to hit MY "century mark"!! Isn't it a GREAT feeling!?! Hang in there and let's lose our last "half-century" together!!

Hi, I also started rather slowly, but now after 6 months and 3 fills, I've lost about 75 pounds!!! So, as you've read before, just be patient and let yourself heal and slowly get used to this new way of life. Once you start getting some fills and restriction, you should be well on your way to a decent weight loss. The ONLY complaint I had about my pre-surgery meetings and information from my doctor was that he didn't stress to me how I probably would NOT lose weight right at first. I, like many others, came out of surgery thinking....."OKAY!! Let's start LOSING!!" But in reality it took a couple months before things really started happening. I would have felt better emotionally if someone (my doctor!) had told me this was "normal" so I wouldn't have gotten so impatient and frustrated at first. So, difficult as it may be, just hang in there, do what your doctor tells you, get some fills, then go shopping for smaller clothes!! It will happen!!

I just want to add one more thing. I also seem to have a lot of problems when drinking anything cold (non-carbonated, of course!). It seems like a good swallow "sticks" and causes a lot of pain. I know cold causes constriction, but will I go through life having to drink room temperature Crystal Light??

This post was very timely for me!! I was banded 6 months ago and have lost around 70 pounds. But lately it seems nearly every meal is unpleasant and difficult. Food seems to stick and I PB quite a bit. But then, all of a sudden, I'll have a couple days with NO problems. Then the cycle begins again. Anyone have any ideas why this is happening? I can't go on dreading meals, but if I get some taken out will it give me TOO much freedom??

Before I was banded last July, I was told that generally (not always!), the "bulk eaters" tend to do better than the people who like to just snack on and off all day. The reason being that the bulk eaters now get that same feeling of satiation they crave with a MUCH smaller amount of food, whereas the people who snack all day can still do so to a certain extent. The band is a tool, and CAN be misused by those who continue to have the need to always be eating a little something. They can keep eating all those little snacks and sabotage their weight loss. I was a bulk eater and have lost 70 pounds in 6 months, with the loss not really starting for a good 6 weeks after banding. But again, this is just something someone told me.....don't know if it's always true! Everybody is different, as all "experienced" bandsters will tell you!!

Thanks so much to everyone who replied to my initial letter. I HAVE talked to Larry about this some, but I don't think he realizes how much it's bothering me. I just feel like more of a failure than ever standing next to his obvious success!! And when people say "He's an inspiration to all of us to do the same and lose weight" I just want to TELL THEM about the band, but would never do so. He's used the band correctly as a tool and deserves all the credit in the world for hanging in there and going through the good days and the bad days, and I don't want to take that credit away from him. But at the same moment, I don't want people to think I'm just a weakling with no willpower who can't/won't try as hard as my husband. It's the proverbial rock/hard place situation, I guess. Again, thanks for your support. This website has helped us both more than ANY other resource through his/our whole journey. Marcia

My husband had lap band surgery last July, and 5 months later, has dropped 70 pounds!! I am SOOO proud of him and he looks and feels soooo much better. That's my main feeling about this whole journey. But......I'm having problems I would like to bring to this forum. I am overweight with a BMI around 34, so don't qualify for my insurance to pay for the lapband surgery for me. I've been on every diet known to mankind and do the typical yo-yo dieting. My issue here is that my husband has NOT told any of his family or mine that he had the surgery. He says that he is just eating smaller portions and slowing down a lot. While that is true, it's also a half-truth! He has the wonderful tool....the lap band!! So now our families oooh and aaah over him and say how GREAT he looks, then ask me "Are you doing the same thing?". Well, that makes me feel like total CRAP. I am very uncomfortable in this body but just cannot seem to get the wt. off and keep it off. My family hasn't said those direct words to me, but I can feel it on the tip of their tongues right after they go on and on about him. His family are the ones who are asking if I'm "doing it, too". They don't ask it in a demeaning way, but it hurts my feelings and makes me very, very sad. I want nothing more than to just feel HAPPY for my husband, but my emotion of feeling guilty and frustrated seem to be prevailing lately. I almost don't want to attend our family dinners, etc., because I know the same thing will happen over and over. Again, I am THRILLED with his weight loss, and that's the main thing!! But are there any other spouses or kids or friends out there who might be in the same boat as I?? If I had the money, I'd get the surgery done and pay for it, but that's not possible. If anyone has any words of encouragement, I'd sure appreciate it. This is really making me depressed and I'm struggling with feelings more and more. Which makes me EAT more and more!! Thanks for listening to all this rambling!! Marcia (Larry's wife)

My job requires me to be in the car driving all day and I carry a protein bar with me at all times. I get hungry between meals sometimes, and it's better to keep a protein bar with me than risk driving through Wendy's for a Frosty!! They DO help me and get me through 'til the next meal (the bars, not Frostys!!). Just be sure you get the ones without tons of carbs. I've tried several brands from Sam's and like quite a few of them. Just gotta keep an eye on the ingredients rather than go by how attractive the packaging might be!