QWINNER

I don't mean to freak you out, but that is how my problem started. I thought it was a sore throat that wouldn't go away. I thought it was a lot of different things before facing reality. I even got an endoscopy and the Gastro said my band was fine. They can't tell from the inside. If you are having these problems, go immediately to your band doctor for an upper GI and drink the liquid and watch it go in your pouch and down into your stomach. If everything is fine, great. If not, you have caught it in time. DOn't put yourself thru what I did. It was awful. Let me know how you make out. Good luck.

I apologize for not telling the entire story over again. I need to not think about it so much as I am hoping the situation corrects itself. Please read my past few posts for a more detailed explaination but here it is in a nut shell. After becoming too comfortable with my weightloss, I lost sight of how I got here. 80lbs doesn't come easy but sometimes we forget the challenges we faced along the way. I had a fill about 8 months ago and should have realized it was to much. I didn't though and went on for months and months and I began to push my limit, over eating probably more than I realized. A month or 2 back, I developed severe reflux that no medication would cure so I went to my band Doctor and a upper GI revealed that my band was too tight and my pouch was dilated. We are hoping that a couple of weeks of liquids and mush will reverse it. There was no damage or slippage of my band, so I am hopeful. This past few days have been hard. Like starting all over again 2 years ago, but I am determined not to lose my band. So, learn from me and treat you band with dignity and truthfulness and be kind to it so it can help you reach your goal and keep you there.

Congrats on your weight loss!!! You are absolutely right on what it takes to lose the weight. We all get off track, but the we need to renew our commitment to our band and do the things we did in the beginning, get a new goal and be accountable to someone. How did your pouch dialate and what were the symptoms? That is a good question regarding the pouch dilation. It may be different for everyone but this is how I believe it happened. I ATE TOO MUCH TOO OFTEN. Bottom line, I look back over the past year and I can put it all together now. I had become very comfortable with my "new" self. My husband and I were going out more, taking more vacations with the kids and I was very active with the Moms from my kids schools. Meeting for breakfast, lunch....very fun but not really realizing how much you eat while talking and each time I over ate, I stretched my pouch. I also ate very band like most of the time but began to notice that I had less restriction. Ha, I could eat chinese food again without PBing. That was my favorite. Long story short, I knew I had slipped into a bad place when I started getting reflux at night. So badly that I would almost choke on my own vomit. At the beginning, I didn't want to think it was band related cause then I might lose my band so I went to a GI and went on every reflux medication under the sun. Nothing helped. I finally found a DR. that took my insurance and went for a check up. An upper GI showed that my pouch was dilated and I had 2cc's in my band that it wasn't allowing food to go down so it would sit in the pouch for hours and not move. That was it. Being able to eat more and more, less restriction, very bad reflux that wasn't fixed by medication. It's been 5 days since my doctors visit and I have been on liquids. From the time she unfilled my band on Friday, POOF, reflux gone. I am hoping that a couple of weeks on liquids will correct the problem. I am willing to be on liquids for as long as it takes to save my band. I hope it will help. I feel soreness and tenderness and I am not as hungry as I was last Friday. Perhaps I am being overly optomistic but I don't want to lose my band. I learned my lesson and heed my advise....if you can over eat, it isn't a good thing.<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

I posted yesterday regarding my pouch dilation and I was wondering how common it is for a pouch to go back to it's smaller state once you have the dilation. I think i caught it in time. My band is still well positioned and I am on liquids for the next week. What have your experiences with pouch dilation revealed to you. Is there life after dilation or have I caused irreversable damage. Thanks for your reply.

I am born and breed in NY. Got my band 2 years ago, PortJefferson, Long Island. I never even considered mexico. Don't know why, just didn't. Haven't had any problems other than the ones I created myself. See my post under complications. If you take care of the band, it will work for you. I have confidence in our medical care and NY rules. Good luck.

The beginning was hard for me too. I made up my own rules for eating. I measured my food, put it on a small plate and put the rest away from me. Cut everything up as small as possible before you start eating and talking cause that is when we forget to chew and eat slowly. If you go to a restaurant, share a dinner or order and appetizer, put what you can eat on your plate and ask for a togo container right away and pack it up. I did that for the first year and it was great. When you start losing, you will be excited and you will change your bad habits slowly but surely. The band is a tool, I repeat, a tool and it can be tricked. Weightloss surgery only works if you play by the rules. It is suck a struggle but I believe we can be stronger than the evil forces that push us to eat that icecream sunday or that 3rd plate of chinese food. No amount of restriction is going to make you lose 20 lbs a month either. We have to change our eating habits and stop focusing on food or the lack of it in our lives and find other things to occupy that space in our minds. I haven't found the answers yet but I now know that the band won't work if we don't work at it. Keep trying what you are doing. You can do it. Thanks for replying to my post.

I guess I fall into the low BMI club. I have to say that I feel people don't get us or why we got the band but I am glad I did. I am 5 feet tall and weighed 204 when I was banded two years ago this month. Honestly, I was the healthiest fat person my doctor had seen in a while. I had no comorbids but my dad has diabetes, hi blood pressure and heart issues. So, I was at risk but in a different way. What helped me was the fact that I was so depressed after my 3rd kid that I couldn't lose and keep weight off, that I had started seeing a therapist a couple of years before I got banded. Long story short, my insurance company approved it and here I am. 2 years later and 70 lbs gone, I now have pouch dilation. See my post under complications that I just posted. It is hard to stay on and get back on track once you are 1/2 the size you were 2 years ago. You couldn't tell now that I ever had a weight problem. This is the time when it gets harder and harder to stay on track. Regarding what you can do or eat to help you lose faster? THe answer, in my opinion, is as simple as this: you have to burn off more calories than you take in. You take in 1000 calories of healthy fruites, veggies and protein, and you walk 20-30 minutes a day, there you go. 2-3 lbs a week easially. I did that for almost a year and a half, then I got lazy. I began to eat a little more and a little more until I started having reflux.....and here I am today hoping I don't lose my band. I know that it is a tool to help lose weight, not the answer to every overweight person around. You have to work at it and it will come. I will, from now on, be on my best band behavior. That is if I dont lose it.

I hadn't been visiting the sight for many months but lately I've come on to see if anyone has had the same problems I've been having recently.I've been having bad reflux for the past 6-8 months on and off and extremely bad for the past 5 weeks. I have tried nexium, zegerid, you name it. othing helped. Funny thing was, I didn't have any heartburn during the day, just reflux at night. I had an endoscopy last week and the gastro told me that my band looked fine. Gastro's can't tell what is going on outside the stomach, only inside. They were pretty quick to prescribe the meds though. So, after suffering thru this, I realized I better go see a doctor To make matters worse, my original surgeon stopped taking my insurance. I found a Dr. that would treat me and went today. What I saw was eye opening. Before I say what that was.........a few points I want to make. For us bandsters who have gotten comfortable with our weight loss - I lost 70 lbs and am 30 away from my goal, we don't realize how easy it is to resort back to our old eating habits. We almost don't realize that we subconsciously find ways to "trick" the band like eating slowly but more and more and we push and push. Or things happen in our lives that prevent us from going to the gym or walking and we close our eyes to the fact that our eating habits have gone back to the old ones that we tried so hard to break. Anyway, after the reflux got so bad, i was vomiting every night from the reflux even after not eating for 5 hours. I couldn't imagine why the food hadn't digested yet. After every meal, i would have terrible pain in my left shoulder. DOn't know what caused it but it was always there. Today I went for an upper GI. It was very cool cause I never had one before aside from the day after surgery. I drank a small amount of liquid and i could see it going down, into the pouch, no problem, but then it just stopped. It was dripping out slower than an IV drip. I couldn't believe the size of my pouch. Yes, pouch dilation. It happens when we consume more food that we should and with that, i kinda folds down over the band, like a mushroom if you will. That causes the hole to get even tighter and all the food stays in the upper pouch. After the Dr. unfilled my 2cc's, i drank again and it went down much better. What does all of this mean? Well, I am now on liquids for the next week atleast. Another upper GI next week to see if the pouch shrunk at all. The good news is that the position of the band is exactly where it should be. It hasn't turned in the other direction which is a good sign nor has it slipped. Exact words from my Doctor. The reflux and shoulder pain are the beginning signs of pouch dilation. If that is ignored, the band will eventually slip, errode or the pouch will fall so far over the band that it will have to be removed. I got a rude awakening today. I would do this surgery all over again. If you are good to the band, the band will be good to you. Bandsters need to eat small portions at all times and not think it is great when you can stuff yourself and you don't PB. We need not eat the junk food which goes down so easially. If you can't tolerate protein or fruit or veggies for what ever reason, drink a protein shake. I am hoping I will not lose my band from the recent abuse I put on it. I can only hope that my pouch returns to a smaller state and I can eventually get a fill again. Lessons learned, obviously not to overeat. Also, if you get a fill and you know deep down that it is too tight, get it unfilled like yesterday. Being overly tight will not help you lose more weight. It is only the beginning of bigger problems. Hope this helps and I am sorry for rambling on but I am still amazed at what I saw. It was a slap in the face and I learned my lesson. I am going to treat my band and body with kid gloves from now on. Thanks for listening.:omg: :faint:

Hi Alex, I've been having the same problem as well. It can simply be the heat and humidity coupled with low blood sugar. OUr bodies tend to get funky in this heat and huumidity I'll bet it is nothing. My Dr. said that occassional dizzyness for a usually healthy person is quite normal. Good luck and get up slowly.

Hi everyone, I am too familiar with the pain you are speaking of. I was banded in January and the pain in my left shoulder was worse than my son stepping on my port incision. lol. Although you may not believe it, gas is a possibility. There is very little you can do to get rid of it and it could take up to 6 weeks before it subsides. As for the horrible shoulder pain, hamu, I had the same thing. I had my hand on that shoulder for weeks and would rub it on every door jamb I could find. I thought it was bursidis (sp) but my doctor said this.....Sometimes, after surgery, when we are totally dead weight, we are moved very roughly from the Operating table to the recovery room bed. Often, the caring staff may not be too caring or not realizing how we may land should they put us down the wrong way. Many times, a pinched nerve is the culprit of the shoulder pain. I stuck it out for weeks and finally couldn't take it anymore. It ached 24/7. Atleast it took the focus off of my incision pain and hunger. lol. Anyway, my doctor gave me a script for inacet which is a pain killer but it contains tylenol, not motrin. You can take them if you break them up in half. It didn't make it go away, but it was tolerable. I am now 5 months out and have no shoulder pain. Well, some times I feel a small ache but that is if I have eaten too much and I think it is gas then. Good luck and time does heal all wounds.

Nykee, As you can see, people who are losing weight, with or without restriction, are not eating junk food. They are not eating junk food on a daily basis because they are making healthy choices. I can eat a shit load of junk all day long without a problem and I am pretty well restricted. I have to fight the cravings, the urges, the emotional eating to make the right choices. Perhaps you should start to cook and not use that as an excuse. What do your kids eat if you don't cook? It sounds to me like you are hoping that having restriction willl prevent you from eating junk. That is not going to stop you from eating fast food all day. You have to change your lifestyle if you want to lose weight. Again, the band is a tool for all of us. It lessens our appetite so we can eat less food. Less healthy food in moderation, not junk food or anything we impulsively choose to put in our mouths. It is apparent how much effort people put into preparing and making healthy choices to work with the band and make the right changes and choices to lose the weight. Many bandsters have lost close to and over 100 lbs. Some do it without restriction, others have less restriction but the main thing is that they have committed themselves to a new way of eating. It is alright to have a junkit day once in a while, but not processed, hi fat/hi calorie foods each and every meal. The only way the band works for people is if they work the band.

I didn't want too many people to know because I didn't want to feel like a freak show. I felt like people would constantly be watching me - how much I eat, why aren't you drinking, eating chips and salsa? OR if you have a band, how can you eat that?, Can you have that? I only told my immediate family, my 2 sisters and 2 close friends. For the most part, only my dad asks food questions but I think he is secretly thinking of WLS. I am glad I didn't tell many people and when they ask how did you lose 36lbs in 4 month I say "I eat right and exercise every day" and that is not far from the truth I just have a little help from my band. I am sure you will make the choice that is right for you.

I have a question that I have been thinking about since I got my first fill. If there is a smaller stomach on top of the band and our original stomach part below the band, and if the food we eat so slowly and chew so well is supposed to stay in our smaller stomach pouch for a few hours and slowly filter down, then what makes a PB. That big chunk of food is trying to go thru the smaller pouch, thru the band and into the lower stomach?? Does the stop, stuck and go feeling work the same way??? I haven't had many PB's. Actually only 1 and that was from a piece of shrimp, but I always feel the food going down. Does that mean that it isn't even staying in my pouch, that it is going directly past the band?? What do ya think??

Nykee, Maybe they want you to be eating the right foods before they fill you. Perhaps showing them that you can make the right choices (Protein, veggies, salad) they will consider a fill. Getting a fill won't make you eat the healthy foods. You can't lose weight eating cheetos and KFC even with restriction. You will stay fuller longer if you eat protein. Try adding Protein powder to your milk if you have to drink it. Atleast it will boost up the protein. From what I see, you are not eating a lot, just not the right foods. With the proper food choices you could be eating more, more often and still be losing weight. Try to plan a menu and add eggs, meats and Protein shakes to replace the milk. I'll bet you would feel pretty full then. Don't give up.

I had my surgery 4 months ago and I have had goods and bads. The good thing is that the band works for our stomachs but not our brains. People are overweight for a reason and that is because we over eat - even when our brains whisper "you are full" but we don't always stop there. With the band, your brain has to be retrained to stop eating when you are full. Personally, I have had an emotional problem of feeling like I had eaten too much because I've felt so full but in reality, feeling full doesn't always mean you have eaten too much. Pre-band maybe, but post band, it doesn't take that much to make me feel full. Also, there are days when I can eat too much even though it hurts a bit. Those times are often related to emotional eating. Making the wrong choices doesn't go away when you get weight loss surgery of any kind. You have to change your way of life and always be prepared for healthy eating. The band will curb your appetite that is for sure but it is just as hard to lose weight with the band as without it. I think it is important to keep reality close by when considering WLS as we are still the same person before and after the surgery. Make sure you are prepared for a life style change and have a realistic idea of how you have to eat to lose the weight and feel good about your choice. Good luck

Regarding fills, has anyone had the taste of saline after getting a fill. I had my fill end of March and I can't remember if this was prefill of not, but sometimes It tastes like I am swallowing salty stuff. I am also wondering if it is a sinus issue/allergy thing. Has anyone experienced this. Thanks

Jenna, I am a BMI of 40. I had to really jump thru hoops to get my insurance to cover this. My doctors were very helpful and thanks to them, I got my band. I weighed 204 on the day of my surgery. I weigh 170 now. I would like to get to 115 or so and that is close to 90 lbs of excess fat to lose. I can't even imaging how much higher my weight would have climbed if I didn't get the band. I was so unhappy, I looked like a frompy old fat lady and my kids looked disappointed when it took me so long to hike up the path. I saw the look in their eyes and I can't even imagine what it would be like if their friends started to say mean things about me like your mama is soooo fat. It would break my heart. There is a long history of heart disease, HBP and diabetes in my family and I didn't want to be the one to keep the history going. In addition, what kind of example are we setting for our kids if we allow ourselves to become and stay fat cows. I understand people have real issues with food and they can't help themselves as they are eating 2 value meals and a gallon of icecream, but there are people who have overcome this addiction. Drug addicts and alcoholics get sober and give up their drug of choice, and so can food addicts. It is just easier to not. Also, why get the band if you are going to continue to eat pre-band. Anyway, I didn't want to wait until I was 300lbs. Frankly, I can't understand why anyone would. Lower BMI people are being proactive about their weight and are truly courageous to do something as drastic as the band to keep their dignity and improve the quality of their lives. I admire you for posting your photos. You obviously feel very strongly about the lower BMI thing. I am not sure why it should matter. After all, isn't it a personal preference?

keep in mind that you may be hungry but you don't have to act on it. Try doing something in the place of hunger. Walk, read, listen to music. Do the protein shakes, even if they don't taste so great. Try pastina. Believe it or not, it has a decent amount of protein. Also, homemade chicken broth is great for healing and has some fat in it for staying power. Just boil up some chicken parts with carrots, celery, turnips, dill, parsley, etc. and you have instant healing agent. It worked for me. Anyway, remember that even with restriction, the band will not prevent you from making bad choices so perhaps you shouldn't start now. Stay away from any fast food or anything that doesn't take time to prepare. Eventually, the band will help you eat less but it will not prevent you from eating too much of the types of foods that got us here in the first place. Hang in there, the hunger will pass. good luck.

I have oxford and family history of all the big ones - diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. My BMI was hovering between 38-40. I am 5'1 and was 204. Never would tell if you looked at me though, people thought I was crazy to have the surgery. Even my Lap surgeon was surprised when I got on the scale. Don't give up hope. This is why we have insurance. Keep trying. What do you have to loose. Good luck

I'm in too. I just started walking at a nature trail by my house. I started alone and now my sister and 2 friends come along. It is 1 mile at 3 times around. Pretty too. Thanks for the challenge. I have been hovering at 170 for a couple of weeks and will do anything to get to 169. I am going to get a pedometer today. Good luck everyone.

You will feel a heck of a lot better now that you are getting some protein in. Before you know it, you will be eating Fat free yogurt and pudding. Keep in mind that even these things must be eaten slowly. I am glad to hear you are feeling better. The next few days will be a welcomed change. Before you know it, you won't even remember this time post op. I still can't believe I felt the same way you did. Now, I feel great. You have a lot to look forward to. Good luck.

If you have costco or priceclub close by, they have a mango salsa with peach in the fresh refridgerated section, by the guacamole. You can use in on shrimp, chicken, pork and any type of fish. Hot or cold it is a great food lube

I was banded on January 12th, 2005 and felt the same way as you did. I felt horrible, like I made the wrong decision from the moment I got home. I was sick for atleast a week and my husband was going to take me to the ER if I didn't start coming around. My incisions hurt, I slimed all day, I was dizzy and sad. I think people react differently to surgery especially as we get older. I am 41 and I had my gallbladder out 12 years ago and that was a piece of cake. I remember feeling like there was no end to feeling so miserable. I couldn't even worry about food or drink. It takes quite a bit to dehydrate a person so just sip liquids as best you can. I think it took a good 6 weeks before I felt totally like myself again. I began to stop thinking of the band and about how good I was feeling. Now it has been 3 1/2 months and the only time I think about the band is when I eat too fast or too much. It doesn't take much to remind me that I have to eat small amounts and very slowly. I like ordering a salad from Chilis and having it for dinner and lunch the next day too. That is sweet. The best advice I could give you, is give yourself some time. Try to focus on getting well and not so much on what you can and can't eat. Try ice pops and campbells soup at hand is good too. Soon you will look back on the past couple of weeks and find it hard to believe you are feeling so fine. Good luck and hand in there.

Dallas, You are doing well. We are in the same boat, although I have a good 11 years on you. I have to loose only 80 lbs also but that 80lbs on someone 5'0 looks and feels like 120lbs. You are doing the right thing with your eating. Follow your doctors orders and stay on liquids and mushies as long as possible. That promotes the best results. You will slowly gain more strength, have lots of gas and start thinking less of food. Keep yourself busy with other stuff. You can do this and you are so young. I am glad you got the band. Your insides are still in one piece and the band will work well for you. Keep up the good work.

I was always a small kid. In college I gained the freshman 20 but lost it before my wedding. Over the next 17 years of marriage, 3 children, bad eating habits, lack of exercise and tons of stress, I felt like crud. I have tried every diet there is. I lost and gained like everyone else and I finally got sick of being so unhappy with my weight. I couldn't run around with my boys, I couldn't wear the clothes I wanted to wear and I felt unhappy alot. I began to feel self conscious about being the fattest person in my social circle and that really bothered me too. Personally, my main goal was to find something that would make me not hungry all of the time. When I got the band, it was like a miracle. I am very rarely hungry and I feel a sense of freedom from food. It is very liberating to go to a restaurant and not focus on the meal. I watch my family and enjoy their company more. I can have my dinner for lunch and dinner the next day and that is very cool. If I want to have a desert or if I am pms and crave chocolate, I eat it but I now eat it in small amounts. I can't tell you how happy I am with my band. It has been a very pleasant experience for me and I would do it all over again. I still have to make the right choices and listen to my body when I've had enough to eat and sometimes it is uncomfortable when something gets stuck but if I follow the band rules - small bites, chew, stop when full, no drinking during meals, it really does work. I have 84 pounds to lose and since my band in January, I have lost 34 pounds. That is only 50 more. I know it will get slower and harder to lose, but I am hoping I can continue eating right and kicking up the exercise to continue on my journey. I knew before I got the surgery that I was committed. I was fed up with being overweight and the feelings that go with it. My only suggestion to people who are considering the band is to make sure you are committed to changing your lifestyle and making your band your priority. Follow all Doctors orders and change your relationship with food. It works if you work with it. That is why the band has been good for me.