ladyg

Hi guys, I'm new on here, and I'd just like to tell you all first how thrilled I am with how well ur getting on. I am in the UK, and my sister has had a band in for around 7 years, and has had nothing but problems. Her port keeps moving and bands have broken, it's been hell. I'm so proud of her tho, she's just kept going, and has lost approx 13.5 stones since she first started. But she still can't eat normally, she vomits almost everything. She's been coping really well tho, and doing what she can. But she recently had a stroke(age 34!!) and isn't coping so well. Nothing's staying down, and I feel like she's fading away from me. I've been researching, and reading your posts, and I thought you were the best guys to help me help her. Do you have any tips on how to help her keep the food down? She's even throwing up soup and liquids a lot of the time. Do you have any suggestions on how to get good energy into her without too much sugar as she's also diabetic? And has an intolerance to milk too. She just doesn't look healthy anymore, and I'm scared. Please can you help me?

Thank you for taking the time to do this. This is truly a tragic story. Believe me, I am keeping a very close bond with my sister right now, because the thought of something like this happening just terrifies me. I am trying my hardest to help her, and am considering getting in touch with her doctor myself, whether she'd forgive me for it or not!!

Thank you all so much for your support, you guys are fantastic. I'll try and get in touch with Audrey, thanks. In answer to your questions, I'm not certain whether the stroke was band related, but I doubt it. She'd been excercising an awful lotand her bloodpressure was sky high, so I don't really think so. One doc did say that losing so much weight in such a short period of time may have contributed, but personally, I wouldn't think so. Nothing was ever officially said about it. Finances would prohibit a trip abroad for a second opinion. I have to say, I'm not really getting anywhere with her, in trying to get her to a doc. Although she has taken on board the things I have been saying, and has followed some of your advice in earlier posts. I'm still trying with her, and she's actually looking a little better. Didn't have much luck finding powdered protein or liquid vitamins in our chemists, only available for children. I'm going to try the health food shops next time I'm in town. On a positive note tho, she's managed to stop smoking also! 8 days now, and she's doing great with it!

Thank you, this has been my worry, that her body isn't getting what it needs to help her recover. I wish someone would come and kick her butt for me!! lol I'm sorry, but it's hard to remember time scales from so long ago, I was only in my late teens at the time she had it done. I think it had been eroded/broken for quite some time as she regained quite a lot of weight and could eat a pretty much normal sized portion of almost anything,. Thanks for all your concern guys

well, she was told she wouldn't see 40 if she didn't do something drastic about her weight, and with 3 kids at home it was a scary thought! She lots loads of weight initially, but then ended up putting it back on as it hadn't been filled enough. Then it eroded. Then the next one i think it was broke, etc, etc. So her weight's been up and down over the years. This time, all seemed to be going really well, even tho she couldn't eat much in the way of "real food". She was looking great, and the weight loss was fantastic. But since the stroke and the last fill, it's seems to have been all downhill for her. I'm sure her mental state can't be helping either, she's got so much to try and adjust to right now, it's overwhelming. I just wish she was doing so well as most of the other cases you hear of.

Personally, I can't see past Kodak. I have a DX3600, which is probably a little dated now, but was very reasonably priced, easy to use and excellent quality. Great advice from Donali, that's exactly the things you should be looking for

I think it's been 3 different bands in total, she's had to have so much done its hard to keep up! She's had to have the port moved a few times too, they ended up tying it to her ribs last time to try and keep it in place!!

sorry, ignore the one about the upper GI, i know what you mean!!

I think the doc did a full check but I couldn't be certain. Sorry to be such a pain, but what's an upper GI? I just want to know what I'm talking about when I sit down to talk to her.

The stroke affected her left side, but not her speech. She hasn't had as much time with the specialists as you all seem to have had. It was done on the NHS so perhaps that's why, but she doesn't have regular contact with the docs, and the GP's in Scotland don't seem to know an awful lot about these things as yet, hence my presence here asking for your help!!

Thanks for a reply, its so good to know there are others out there. This is still fairly new in Scotland, she was originally part of the first trials. I quizzed her about needing some fluid removed and she's adamant that its ok, as the surgeon removed some after filling as he said it was too tight with what he originally put in. I think I'll keep on at her tho as she's not managing as well as she did. She's always had major problems with vomiting and burping(PB's?) but this is worse. She had her last fill about a week after her stroke in July but it hasn't settled at all really. Would you have any ideas why she has never really been able to eat normal food like the rest of you guys? I know there are always some problem foods, but you all seem to be doing so well with most things. I recently discovered thru the net that you shouldn't drink whilst eating either, she's finding this very hard to stop as she seems to have a constant salty, metallic taste in her mouth, especially while eating. Should I make certain that she stops this? I'll try and get her on here as i think it would be very good for her to have the extra support, but its difficult for her after the stroke. Plus she's dyslexic, which doesn't help!! Thanks so much again