Scorpio Girl

Dr Keshishian is a well respected bariatric surgeon who is well practiced in all types of WLS. In his own words :
Adjustable Gastric Banding
The adjustable gastric banding was approved and became widely used in the United States starting in 2002-2004. The early resulting data was acceptable in regards to the excess weight loss and the complications rate associated with it.
As more and more scientific data was published, it became clear adjustable gastric banding was not as benign or effective as initially thought. The associated weight loss was significantly less for the majority of patients. This information was even present in the literature provided to the patient by the manufacturer. Additional patients started developing Delay complications associated with the band, which includes esophageal dysmotility, a worsening of reflux, and continuous nausea and vomiting, in addition to inadequate weight loss.
In my opinion, the adjustable gastric banding procedures are inferior to the alternatives available. The specifics of different surgical outcomes are outlined on the poster available on our website. Adjustable gastric banding should be considered as a last resort, if at all, as a surgical procedure for treatment of morbid obesity and its associated comorbidities. Other complications that continue to plague adjustable gastric banding include slipped band, erosion, esophageal dilatation, and the required need for frequent adjustments.
The LAP-BAND AP® System
http://www.dssurgery.com/procedures/adjustable-gastric-banding.php?subnav=2
http://www.dssurgery.com/images/weight-loss-surgery-poster-large.jpg

Your lack of sensation could be nerve damage from diabetes, stomach virus, surgery or even an unknown cause. Usually with nerve damage there are other symptoms, besides absence of sensation. Disorders like gastroparesis and other motility disorders cause pretty severe, quality of life altering symptoms and can be debilitating.
In the absence of these symptoms, I wouldn't worry too much, but by all means talk to your doctor (band, PCP or gastroenterologist) if you are concerned or are having signs of dismotility.
Hang in there!

Often, especially early on in a bandster's journey, they will post, frustrated by a stall or small gain...here's an explanation of why this happens:
Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet.
As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a sabertooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored.

You can't stretch your band or tighten your stoma. You can stretch your pouch and esophagus if you overeat. The 5 day pouch test will help you to get back on track, determine if you need a fill...
It's great that you take responsibility for your regain and are getting back on track! Congrats on your marriage!

Always remember, "Nothing taste as good as skinny feels" Something I learned at a ww meeting. I work in a hospital, today they had the entire break room full of Snacks and goodies. I turned around and walked right back out. Then one of my friends/coworkers said," I'll go get you a donut if you want one, I wont tell anyone" I wanted it so bad. I told her no but thanks anyway That would only be cheating myself... You made the right choice! Hang in there!!!

Don't feel bad about crying. It is a stress relief. I cried because my husband got me the wrong kind of Tomato Soup. Now we laugh about it. You can get through this and you will. I also used to work in the healthcare community. It amazes me how as healthcare professionals we are all telling our patients to be healthy but then we eat stuff drug reps bring us or have pot lucks with bad food in them all the time. Just shake your head at it and think to yourself when your scrubs start falling off your butt you are going to have fun shopping for the new ones.

First, let me congratulate you for sticking to your liquid diet despite all the temptations. Seriously, you obviously have some major determination and I have no doubt you're going to be very successful with your band.
The emotional crying? It's a lot more common than you realize. Not only is being on a liquid diet downright brutal but there is something in anesthetic that makes people very emotional and even depressed. So, it's no wonder you've had a rough week.
You really are doing incredible. Just remind yourself this post op diet is temporary and soon you'll be healed back on real food.
You can totally do this. Best wishes

It's difficult to be in that environment at this stage. It will get better, I promise. Just keep thinking of your future, all those things are part of your past, for now. Hang in there!

Me too...

Heck, I would pick Christie over Cheney any day, and it has nothing to do with their respective physical conditions.

Thank you. You raise a lot of questions about the effect physical fitness has on ability to perform the duties of office. No one questioned FDR's leadership because of his physical limitations. The difference between Cheney and and Gov Christie is that Christie's issues are visible. When 100% of the populous is obese, these conversations will cease...life expectancy will shorten. The bigger problem is the control of our food supply by big business. It's a sticky wicket...free enterprise or government managing business. There is no easy answer.

Since we have one great article today from Dr Roslin, why not add a link to another.

With the wide variety of pre-op and post-op diets and food progressions required, you should still follow your doctor's orders. The most important part of the preop low carb diet is avoiding carbohydrates. The chicken cheat was fine, the potato, not ok. Low carb reduces glycogen on the surface of the liver, making it easier to hold up and out of the way (it's over your stomach) so the surgeon can access the stomach. Glycogen is slippery and as the name implies is derived from carbs (glycemic). If the liver slips out of the instrument, the surgery CANNOT be done laparoscopically.
Many of the same people we see posting about cheating on the preop diet, end up posting that they cheated on the postop diet...there is a connection. Many "test" their bands, eat slider foods, graze and wonder why they're not losing. It's very important to understand that WLS requires a permanent lifestyle change. To succeed you must adopt these changes willingly, accept that you should never eat the way you did as an obese person and commit to these changes permanently. There's a saying, "If you want to look like a thin person, you need to eat like a thin person." The band supports that by keeping hunger pangs away between meals. You control how much you eat...
As a successful banded person who is most likely losing my band very soon, due to an autoimmune disorder, I can tell you, it works, but only if you use it properly. Like any other tool, if you leave out one component, it will not help you...imagine an electric saw you don't plug in...not much good. You are the power source for your tool.

I think that when our bands are working great, we're losing, complication free and enjoying doing things we haven't done in years, we are willing defend our tool and our choice vigorously against "band bashing".
The problem is that often the signs that things are getting off track are confusing, feel like other minor issues, until we hit a wall, so to speak. The problems I'm hearing about with bands and motility often feel like something else (esophageal spasms feel like angina) or something commonplace, such as Constipation. The other big red flag is when you hear of someone stuck on Water or other liquid. They think their band has randomly tightened, though they haven't had a fill in months or years. In this case, they might be experiencing what I am...achalasia, failure of the LES to open in response to swallowing. This is above the band, food, liquids back up in the esophagus causing dilation and damage.
When I post of complications I've had, it is purely to educate, inform and help someone else who might not realize they're experiencing the early warning signs of band complications. Knowing these signs, reacting quickly could mean they reduce the pressure in their band, lessen the damage and save their GI tract from permanent and painful damage. The intent is not to bash, just to inform.

One of the issues with WLS in general is there are unscrupulous surgeons out there willing to take our money, rush people thru the paperwork and not fully disclose the risks. This seems to be especially true of Lapband due to the $$$ to be made with aftercare.
I think Jackie's intent was to inform those who might be taken advantage of by these types of surgery mills...

Thanks so much for your responses, info, and sentiments! I have seen my surgeon and consulted with my obstetrician. Tomorrow morning I will have Fluid removed from my band,the port removed, and the are treated for infection. Although, there are no signs of infection, just a precaution. The port will be replaced after I deliver the baby.
I will keep you all posted. Thanks again!!!

A port infection can be a sign of more serious band problems. An infection of this duration and resistance should have been cultured long ago and dealt with aggressively. I would insist on being seen by a different band doctor, since yours doesn't seem to be alarmed by your situation. If your band doctor isn't cooperative, get your PCP/OB doctors involved, since this is an issue of overall health of you and your baby. Surgery to deal with this is a lot easier now than it will be in another month, when the uterus reaches the umbilicus.
Best of luck, please keep us posted.

Actually, that is exactly what the band is supposed to do. You're not hungry all the time. That means the band is working, and in your case, it's working without a fill.
Again, as stated above, the fact you can eat whatever you at whatever quantity you want has nothing to do with needing a fill. The band is not supposed to physically stop you from eating. It will always be your job to monitor your portions, not the band's job. This is why it's so important to stick to band sized portions.
Have a look at the link I originally posted for Draven, it will help you too: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and support.
I'm ok with where things are now, I don't think I'm one of those that doesn't need a fill as right now I can eat whatever I want and in whatever quantity I choose. My lack of hunger with no fill is eternal, I feel nothing from my stomach, no hunger, no fullness, no aching when I have the flu, it's like the nerve has been switched off around my stomach. This is how it was for the 6 months after my surgery right up until I had my first fill.
I have had fills both blind and under scope, don't think anything was done incorrectly, just think that my body doesn't tolerate the added pressure from a fill. Even when I was at 8cc, I could eat pretty much unlimited once things settled from the first few bites.
Surgeon and I believe that it's an issue of regulating gas pressure in the upper pouch. I've never, even before surgery, been able to belch and vomiting is nearly unheard of, so the theory is that once I started filling, the opening was small enough that food would prevent the air in the upper pouch from moving into the lower as it was being displaced. That was the cause of pain, once it pushed it's way into the lower stomach where the displacement was less, everything was fine and I could resume eating. Not sure if that's the case, but it's the theory we came up with based on the symptoms and my history. Don't know if this is still the issue after the Fluid was removed as I have absolutely no feeling from my stomach.
Also I was told first bite syndrome was the tendency to take too large of bite or eating too quickly when starting a meal.
Like I've said, I'm not anti band in anyway, shape or form, I would strongly encourage anyone looking into WLS to look at the band. Just pointing out my struggles with it.

Josh, if you're not feeling hunger, that is restriction. When a fill is given without considering satiety there is a risk of causing damage. It's better to be a bit cautious with fills, fully understand how the band works with your body. Many people are too aggressive with fills because they think restriction is the band stopping them from overeating or eating the wrong foods. When I go to my band doctor they ask me the following questions:
How much can you comfortably eat? (1/2 to 1 cup)
How long are you taking to finish your meal? (20-30 min, stop at 30 even if there is food left)
How long after eating do you feel hunger?(4-5 hours)
Do you find yourself looking for food? (Head Hunger)
Are you drinking at least 64 oz Water per day? (I drink about 90 oz Water per day)
This is how my doctor determines the need for a fill, along with weight loss. If I'm losing a pound per week, no fill is needed. I don't exercise and due to band complications, all my fill was removed last June. I still eat band friendly foods to the extent my motility disorder allows and per my GI doctor's instructions and I'm still losing slowly.
First bite syndrome has nothing to do with the band itself. It's an irritated LES that spasms the lower part of the esophagus closed. When it relaxes, you can eat. My doctors are finding a correlation between first bite syndrome and later esophageal issues. The first bite is retained in the esophagus, feeling a lot like food isn't passing thru the band...it hasn't even reached the band. Just my $.02

Our family has eaten quinoa for years. I toast it in a tiny bit of oil, add broth (1c quinoa:2 c broth), cover, cook 15 min on med heat and serve with a dollop of ff Greek yogurt as a side dish. I've made muffin cups with it, eggs, chicken Italian sausage, broccoli and cheese. They end up being about 15 gr Protein each.
There are tons of recipes on Pinterest.

Ask you doctor.

LB symptoms you might mistake for something else, causing delay in treatment and subsequent damage.
1) returning heartburn: many of us obese folks had heartburn/reflux and hiatal hernias preop. After surgery, losing weight or HH repair, our symptoms resolve, we go off our meds and carry on with the business of losing weight. IF your reflux symptoms return or increase at any time, at any level, call your band surgeon and consider a small unfill. This early warning could save you from further complications, lifelong damage and misery. It might allow you to lose more weight, since you will tolerate raw veggies, salads better with a bit less fill. It might save your band.
2) chest pain, mid-back pain that radiates to left shoulder, neck or jaw is a sign of trouble; vagus nerve irritation, esophageal spasms, etc. this was my first sign of trouble. I'd waken during the night, with mid epigastric pain, radiating to my left arm, neck, jaw and teeth. Drinking a little Water and/or changing positions helped...over time, it did not.
3) change in bowel habits. I had IBSd most of my life. This last year, it changed to IBSc. I became so constipated, I was having a BM only every 10-12 days. I attributed it to intolerance of salads and fibrous foods. Turns out, I developed a motility disorder affecting my entire GI tract. This is a serious and potentially life threatening disorder.
4) regurgitation of food. If you're eating and feel like you might get stuck, then regurgitate food, your food might not be getting out of your esophagus. This is true, especially if you've had the above mentioned symptoms. If you are burping a lot and regurgitating up small bits of an earlier meal, this is a warning that you have retained food in your esophagus. I have had tiny bits of food from meals days before just come up...
5) random tightening of band (without a recent fill), getting stuck on liquids or soft foods: this is a sign of an esophageal issue. The food isn't getting out of your esophagus, so it's not necessarily your band tightening, it might be psuedo-achalasia, a recently recognized complication of banding. If treated promptly, it can be reversed. If allowed to continue, you risk losing your band and potentially damaging the esophagus permanently. It's amazing to see this on ex ray. The Fluid goes into the esophagus, distending it, while the esophogeal muscles contract violently, trying to force it through. In my case, the entire distal portion of the esophagus was tightly contracted, the mid portion dilated 4x normal and the liquid sloshing around in there. My heart rate increased a lot, since all of this was happening directly adjacent to the heart, hence the name "achalasia cardia".
6) feeling tight with an empty band. This is also a sign of trouble. Empty bands slip more easily. Food getting stuck in your esophagus feels like food stuck in your band...no way to tell without an Esophogram.
Any one or combination of the above symptoms is cause to call your band doctor. I'm posting this to bring awareness of these symptoms and prevent someone else from suffering the pain and anxiety I have for the last year. I also believe that had I recognized these symptoms sooner, had some saline removed early on, I might have saved myself a lot of misery and lost more weight. I only had 3.5 cc in my band, was compliant in all respects with diet, nutrition and hydration, but since I saw people posting about their "fickle bands", random tightening, getting stuck on liquids and these things being chalked up to a "normal" consequence of banded life, I wasn't alarmed.

I got a new appointment for manometry on 4/9

Great job! Please work on the smoking...I know it's hard to quit, but you can do it! Congrats on your success with the band!