GonnaDoIt

The third week since surgery is halfway over. I'm just about completely healed, which is great. I am able to eat regular foods and I get full after eating half as much. So the band is working great. So why does the weight loss seem to be stopping?

I was banded over eight months ago. Doing well. Lost nearly 30 lbs. One fill back in maybe September. Ok, so I regurgitate some, but not too big a deal. But starting I guess on Thursday or Friday (today is Monday) I started getting a shooting pain in the area above the band - around the upper pouch/lower espophogas - whenever I eat or drink. Even Water will make it hurt. Sometimes saliva. It does not feel like heartburn. We're talking shooting pain like a cut, though I've noticed no signs of bleeding. Other than the pain, no change in my ability to pass things through the band. I've felt pain around the band itself before and this ain't it. Is it an infection? My gums were swollen at the onset of the pain and are now recovering. A few months ago I got a viral strep-like infection in my throat and mouth in which my gums were swollen at the onset. Could this be a relapse with infection in different location? But last time I also had fever and chills at the onset and no fever this time at all. I don't know. Thoughts? Similar experiences? I'm trying to take it easy on the band and give it a week, but even water hurts.

My unfill was four days ago. I pretty much ate mushies for 2 1/2 days and started on solids. I know NaturalBeauty recommending liquids, but I'm feeling good and don't see how I can stay on liquids for a few weeks, let alone a month (I know, I know, why ask for advice if I won't take it). The pain is gone except for a little discomfort around the port. Don't know why I would have pain there. Nausia is gone. No restriction. Eating normally and not having problems, except that I can't eat much simply because I'm not used to eating much. I had gotten down to 187.5 the morning I got the unfill, but I know I was dehydrated. I expected to gain at least a pound when I rehydrated. Now I'm around 189.5. I'm worried about gaining a lot. But then maybe I should look at this as a test to see if I can maintain weight or maybe lose a bit over the next four weeks. If I can, then I'll hold off on getting a fill. I am going to keep looking for a different local doc, though, since I think I need to find out for sure whether I have a slip. If I did have a slip, then would I be feeling as good as I am right now? Considering the progress I've made, I'm wondering whether it was, in fact, an infection that caused swelling.

Hey guys. I need a doc in Houston (not College Station) to do an unfill. Had my surgery in Mexico. So far the docs I researched either won't take you at all if they didn't do the surgery or they want five hundred friggin' bucks. I need someone reasonably priced. Having trouble and need an unfill soon, preferably tomorrow. Suggestions greatly appreciated.

So, I went to the first doc on the list and ... well ... see my other post: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f78/pain-above-pouch-when-eat-drink-35415/ Absolutely not going back there. Both doctors Spivak and Spiegel have refused to take me because they didn't perform the surgery. An assistant in Dr. Spiegel's office just told me to go back to College Station, but the fill doc in College Station is just too far. I have too small children and for a 4-hour round trip on a Saturday - the only day she does fills - its just too hard. From the other ones on the above list, can I get a good recommendation from someone who has been to the doc? I think I need someone with the x-ray, fluoroscope equipment.

I think I should be behaving as though its slipped, regardless of what the dumb doctor said. What is one supposed to be eating for the weeks following unfill if one has a slip and is hoping it will slide back in place? I see different things on the forum. Some say similar to post-op diet while other say it really doesn't matter.

I was banded in Mexico by the late Dr. Sanchez. I got one fill in College Station in October. The doc today was shocked that I had a VG band as he said that's really for big men with big organs. It has a max fill of 10 cc's. It had eight in it today. Today's doc said that was all wrong. I gave him the notes on the surgery after he did the unfill.. Prior to the unfill, the doc said that the pain might be caused by a bacterial infection, but insisted that the restriction was caused by stress. He said that if the unfill didn't make the pain go away in a few days I might need to get tested for an infection. After the unfill he seemed to think maybe the problems were caused by too much fill for me. He said I should take it easy on my stomach by only having mushies for a few days, but that I didn't need to be on all liquids. That's the end of the good part of the visit. Now for the bad. I was unhappy that we didn't do an x-ray. So, I still haven't confirmed no slippage. Doc insisted on doing 20 minutes of psychotherapy to start since I was a new patient. He presented the following opinions: - too much restriction on the band is nearly always due to stress - The 30 pounds I've lost in the last 9 months is not enough so I must not be following the program [note: I had read to expect to lose half my excess weight in the first year, so I think I'm pretty close to on-target] - Obesity is 100% caused by lousy childhood - Since I'm a single mom and the kids' are fatherless, they will be fat - Since my daughter (now age 3) doesn't have her dad around she will probably be promiscuous I nearly walked out during his tirade of offensive opinions, but I needed that unfill. I will not be going back there. So, now I'm AGAIN looking for a good local fill doc. I'm feeling much better now. Some nausia, but not too much. The pain is more like muscle soreness at this point. No vomiting. Getting stuff down. Eating mostly liquids and mushies. Taking it slow. Even though the band is unfilled, I can't eat much just because I'm not used to eating much.

The doc I saw today unfilled it completely. I thought I had two cc's, but actually had eight. The doc said it was the wrong kind of band for me and had too much saline in it, but he said I didn't need surgery to replace it. I'm concerned that he didn't have an x-ray, so I'm still not convinced it didn't slip. I still have some pain when eating and drinking, but not as bad and nothing's coming back up. Probably just swelling. I didn't like the doc's bedside manner (more on that later) so I won't be going back to him. But at least I got the unfill and am starting to recover. I'll look for yet another doc in a month, which is how long this doc wanted to wait before doing anything else.

Thanks Laura. I've been worried sick thinking I'm going to have to have surgery again. Don't have the time or money, don't want to go through the pain and discomfort, don't want more nasty ass scars, etc.

The pain is different now and I'm becoming increasingly convinced that the band has slipped. AnotherMe gave me a list of docs so I'll be showing up unexpected at the door of one of them first thing in the morning to try to convince him to unfill me immediately. Hopefully its something we can reverse without surgery. I really hated the surgery ya'all. If I need to be rebanded, I'm not sure I'll do it. Tough decision since my weight loss has been going well.

Thanks so so much. The first doc on your list isn't too far. I'll be at his office waiting for him when he opens in the morning to pressure him into unfilling me immediately.

The one in College Station is also only opened Saturdays.

I did manage to finish that shake without any more pb. Even so, yes, think I need an unfill and exam. Trying to locate a doc.

No longer sure I'm getting better. Finished that cup of coffee at about 12:45. At 2:45 picked up a milkshake (since I'm having trouble getting anything down I thought I should intentionally get a highly caloric liquid). For the first half and hour every sip of milkshake came right back up. And that intense pain came back. Now at 3:45 I'm starting to keep it down and the pain has subsided. I think I can finish the shake. If my band slipped than I still wouldn't be able to get stuff down after an hour of trying, so what's up? I think I need an unfill and exam. Houston docs anyone? Someone who will take me when the didn't perform the surgery. Not too, too expensive. I'm self-pay.

The pain seems to be subsiding today, so I'm starting to feel more confident that it is/was an infection of some sort. But the band is very tight today. I've had one large cup of coffee over a period of four hours and regurgitated four or five tablespoons altogether. But I've hardly eaten for a few days and sometimes the band gets tighter when I don't eat, so not ready to panic just yet. If it persists I think I'll need an unfill. For my one and only fill I travelled to College Station, which is an hour and a half from here. Very inconvenient. I tried to get Dr. Spivak in Houston to do it, but he only does fills for his own surgery patients and I was banded in Mexico. Can anyone recommend a Houston doc for fills/unfills who takes patients who weren't his/her surgery patients? I'll give it another couple of days to see if things work themselves out on their own, but I'm concerned that I may need an unfill and/or examination of some sort and I want to get started finding a doc.

I'm not sure how to change my ticker so it reflects my progress. I'll have to look that up. Ok, a little timeline: 2000 - weighed around 193 lbs, which was my 'set point' for many years. Prior to the birth of my first child, this was about the weight I had been for every relationship I'd had. Height 5' 6". Size 16/18. 2001 - first child born. Six months after baby born, weighed around 215 lbs. Size 20/22. Frustrated, joined Jenny Craig and managed to get down to 185 lbs. 30 lbs was the the most I had ever lost on any diet ever. Size 14/16. 2003 - another baby with new boyfriend. Six months after second child born, weighed around 225. Size 22. Frustrated, joined Jenny Craig again. Lost ... 8 lbs over the next 3 years. Very frustrated. 2006, end of August - banded. Start weight when banded: 217. 2006, near end of year - decided my relationship was bad and wanted out. 2007, beginning - informed boyfriend of decision to break it off. It was tough because I think the reason I stayed in the bad relationship so long was because I was afraid I would never find anyone else. I guess I still have that fear. 2007, May (now) - 189 lbs. Size 16. Life with the band has not been easy. I still have a strong drive to binge. You really realize how much you want to binge when you have the band. Its been tough. But the weight has been coming off. Its still coming off. Now I think its time to look for a new honey. I need to come to terms with my current appearance while I start looking and shouldn't think that I'll wait until I lose more weight before looking. I've never even been as thin as I am now when I've found boyfriends I've liked in the past. The only thing holding me back is me. Its just that since I was 217-225 for several years, its hard to accept that I'm already much smaller than that now.

Figured out the ticker!

FYI everyone - the day of your fill you CAN go swimming as long as its in a chlorinated pool. Its not about whether you "feel fine", its about infection. Getting an injection of about any type will increase your chances of infection ever-so-slightly and you should not swim in a lake or the ocean the day you get an injection. As for my fill, I nearly passed out. It was not especially painful, just a prick really. And I don't consider myself to be any more 'afraid' of needles than anyone else. A little nervous about needles maybe, but nothing I would consider a panic attack. But for some reason I got really dizzy. I had to lie down three times during the fill, at one point my ears started ringing and things started to go black. What should've taken five minutes took at least 30. The doctor said that next time we would do as much as possible lieing down, but I have to stand up for the X-ray to make sure the Barium is going through. As soon as the needle was out I was fine.

Can I go swimming later in the day when I get my fill? I'm travelling an hour and a half to the fill doctor and just figured I'd take the kids another hour and a half to the city my sister and mother live in. We're going to stay in a hotel with a pool (long story why I don't stay with sister or mom). I want to know if I'll be able to jump in with the kids or have to just watch from the sidelines.

Diet may be the issue, but really it could be any number of things. Try some variety to spice up your love life. If that doesn't work and the problem persists, contact a sex therapist.

Had the band done in Mexico. Now looking for a good fill doctor in or near Houston. Dr. Spivak won't do it for people for whom he didnt' do the band in the first place. Loser.

I have to admit, I would never try sodomy with one former lover in particular because he was just too big for that. That's one activity where size matters and smaller is better.

My mother apparently had a bad experience once and warned me NEVER to let a man tie me up, so I've followed her advice without asking for details. If my lover and I want to be a little naughty, I let him hold my hold my wrists down and bite me gently, but that's as far as we would go on any kind of restraint. On the other hand, I do recommend trying sodomy. Just be sure to use KY Jelly or some other lubricant!! It may not be your favorite thing as the woman, but its not that bad and the man really enjoys it. Use it as a treat for special occasions.

Today marks the end of week three. I stepped on the scale this morning after using the bathroom. 209.6. I waited a bit, used the bathroom again. 208.6. Hmm. I don't think I excreted a whole pound that second time. We'll compromise on 209. That's a loss of 0.4 since last week. A bit disappointing, but as you all tell me, right now its about healing. I'm certainly eating more now than I did the first two weeks, so I suppose its not a surprise that I lost so little, but I just couldn't stay on liquids and mushies! I think I'll focus on maybe maintaining weight or losing just a little bit between now and my first fill. I've been thinking about going back on Jenny Craig. Maybe the combination of the band and Jenny will give me more success than I could have gotten with either one alone.

So glad to hear its back on! See, sometimes complaining helps! Especially when lots of people all complaint to the right person at the same time!