taarific

I got my band on August 1, 2008. It was the BEST thing I could've done for myself! I lost over 100 pounds and had ZERO regrets. In the last year and a half, I've gained up to 40 pounds (lost 10) but have felt no restriction, and my Dr. and I were stumped. It wasn't until my THIRD upper GI (this week) that revealed my band has eroded and shifted. I'm so terribly disappointed. My Dr. Suggests band removal (of course!) and then switching to the gastric sleeve. When I asked about rebanding, he said his experience with everyone he's rebanded is the erosion again. So now, I have a difficult decision to make. I chose the band b/c it is completely reversible. I did amazing with it. My Dr. told me his patients that do well with the band, do well with the sleeve after band erosion and is convinced I will do great as well. I'm apprehensive. Most of what I read ob GS is positive, but it's the irreversible part that bothers me. Advice?

I got my band on August 1, 2008. It was the BEST thing I could've done for myself! I lost over 100 pounds and had ZERO regrets. In the last year and a half, I've gained up to 30 pounds, felt no restriction, and my Dr. and I were stumped. It wasn't until my THIRD upper GI (this week) that revealed my band has eroded and shifted. I'm so terribly disappointed. My Dr. Suggests removal (of course!) and then switching to the gastric sleeve. When I asked about rebranding, he said his experience with everyone he's rebanded is the erosion again. So now, I have a difficult decision to make. I chose the band b/c it is completely reversible. I did amazing with it. My Dr. told me his patients that do well with the band, do well with the sleeve after band erosion and is convinced I will do great as well. I'm apprehensive, but most of what I read is positive. As far as advice, I'd go with the band 100%. Best of luck to you in your WLS journey!

I was banded on August 1, 2008 (5 year anniversary coming up!!!) and lost over a hundred pounds! Went from a 265 lb gal to a teeny-weeny size 6...never in my life did I expect such success. It was awesome! Well, all was wonderful until about a year ago. I've since gained about 30 pounds and have had ZERO restriction. So my doctor kept filling my band, and now I'm filled to the max and still have ZERO restriction...clearly, my eating has gotten out of control (the problem with introducing BREAD and JUNK back into my diet...dumb mistake!) and now we're thinking perhaps my esophagus has stretched due to my bad decisions, thus the no-restriction...Plus to add insult to injury, my head hunger is back, so the satiety that I used to feel with my band is no longer... So now I'm scheduled for an Upper GI (the barium swallow & X-ray, yippee!) to see if that is indeed the case. My doc will take out some or all of the saline from my band in order to allow my esophagus to "shrink" back to normal and then we'll start the fill process again. SO my questions are: Has this happened to anyone? What happened? How long will it take for my esophagus to go back to "normal?" Will I gain a ton of weight? Thoughts? Advice? Help please, I need some support...

No you won't be refused, the docs just want you to lose something before u go in. Good luck with ur surgery!!! Helpful tip: bring a pillow with u for the ride home and keep it against your sutchers (sp?) it will absorb the shock from driving cuz if you don't, u will feel every bump in the road!!!

Well, I had a pretty good day yesterday. I woke up to find I lost another pound!!! Day 4 I could begin to add firmer proteins to my diet. Didn't feel terribly hungry, head-wise anyhow...and below is my what I ate. For breakfast, I stuck to coffee with sugar free creamer. About mid-morning, I made a protein shake for a snack (I mixed unjury's chocolate flavor with almond "silk" and it was SOOOO good!!!) For lunch I visited the school cafeteria's salad bar and had a scoop of egg salad, a scoop of cottage cheese some fresh pineapple and some orange jello. For my afternoon snack, I had a sugar free chocolate pudding with lite whipped cream. For dinner I tried the Cajun shrimp reciepe on the 5DPT website. It was pretty good! I had another sugar free chocolate pudding with lite whipped cream on the top for desert. I went to bed at the usual time, not feeling hungry at all. Day 5 - Something happened becasue I actually gained .04 of a pound. (I really shouldn't be weighing myself every day either so....) This morning I had coffee with sugar free creamer in it. Snack was a sugar free chocolate pudding, no whipped topping. I'm having lunch now, which is a small scoop of tuna, a smaller scoop of cottage cheese, fresh pineapple and some of the shrimp I made last night. I am planning on weighing in at my doctor's this afternoon so I will be sure to post what my actual weight loss has been since starting htis diet, according to their scales anyway...

Well, it's Day three, and I'm still losing (slowly...this reminds me of the first few days after surgery, watching the scale go backwards!!!!) It's not a large loss, but I do feel like I'm down and my "belly fat" is surely shrinking! Well one thing I have noticed is my energy is BACK...The extra protein in my diet is really working wonders. This morning I had a cup (OK 3) of homemade coffee with sugar free hazelnut creamer. No extra sugar, which I LOVE but sadly must give up...I wasn't hungry for breakfast so I just stuck with coffee. I was SO excited to have a homemade tuna salad for lunch, but, as the 5DPT states: I must eat what I have - Day three: soft proteins (in increments of 1 cup) in 15 minutes. I also cannot drink anything 30 mins before or after I eat. (A very good tool to start beginning banders!!!) Anyhow, I didn't even finish my allotted 1 cup of tuna salad. I wasn't even hungry. Oh! I also must note that we must keep up on our intake of water throughout this process. (I've noticed that when I drink more water, I need chap-stick less...chapped lips is a sign of dehydration, right?) BONUS! Well dinner time rolled around and I met a friend for dinner at Bertucci's (ARGH, resisting the bread was TORTURE but I did and watched my friend eat FIVE ROLLS!!!) ugh, anyhow I stupidly ordered the Mediterranean Pesto Salad with Salmon with NO CROUTONS thinking I was doing a good thing. Turns out this entree salad is FILLED with calories, so it was pretty delicious. I didn't finish it though, so YAY me!!! Went to a work function and got myself a medium black iced coffee (added my own sugar-free creamer) and drank it. That pretty much sums up my day...Looking forward to tomorrow, SHELLFISH DAY and I've got a bunch of shrimp in my freezer. (Of course if you don't like seafood, there are plenty of alternatives to eat days 3 and on...check out the site: http://www.5daypouchtest.com there are a few recipes, I'm excited to make the Cajun shrimp tomorrow night!) Well, hope this helps someone...it's sure helping me!! Tara xx

The liquids STINK!!! Don't give up, find ANYthing to do that will keep your mind off of food. Get a mani/pedi, go for a walk, take a nap, read a book...Good luck peeps and keep in touch!

Eeeek well, I'm glad your'e feeling better. Good luck!!!

Thanks so much!!! I am just ready to lose this 20 pounds even if it means I have to exercise. LOL. Keep in touch!

OMG!! OK I want to know EVERYTHING. How did you figure out the band slipped? Were you not able to eat/ keep anything down OR did you just stop feeling restriction? May I ask what band you have (lap Band or Realize?) I've lost 110 but gained 30 because I haven't felt any restriction...My doc put me up to 11CCs...I'm freaking out here!!!

Congrats, looking GREAT!!