criss

I'm a 47 year old female originally from New England and transplanted to Florida. I've lived in Florida for the past 15 years and am a professional chef. I chose the lap band purely based on the quick recovery time as I was a self pay and had to do the surgery during vacation from work. I had the surgery in August of 2006 and weighed 330 pounds the day I went in. It is 6 years since the initial surgery and I weigh 308 pounds, I have recently developed some complications. I blame myself for the challenges I am currently facing as I did not stay in touch with my original surgeon or the support team provided me. Fortunately, I was able to connect with the doctor who took over my original surgeons practice and have since been placed back on track. That said, I am currently suffering stomach pain that may be related to acid reflux. I had an upper GI that showed no indication of band slippage, no signs of erosion and essentially looked good. If my symptoms do not improve, the next step would be an endoscopy. I am scheduled to see a nutritionist and hope to avoid such a procedure. During the lapse in support and follow up, I had dropped down to 268 pounds, my lowest, and back up to 308 my highest weight since having the band in place. Furthermore, during the time since my surgery in 2006, I lost a total of 3cc's of fluid in my band which allowed me to consume larger volumes of food than originally intended by the restriction. During the past six years, I have experienced an onslaught of health issues all of which were not related to the band until this most recent problem. A quick list of health issues are as follows, L5 disckectomy 2007, right ovary removal 2008, gallbladder removal 2009, torn miniscus left knee 2010. The good news? I quit smoking after 30 years, changed jobs and am now seeking a more spiritual, less stressful life that will encompass proper nutrition and excercise. I welcome questions and seek support and guidance.