born2swim

I do best when my band is loose enough to let me eat solids at night. 2 slices of pizza... that is not too loose for me. I would be happy at that level. If you can eat pizza, you could probably eat meat, veggies, fruit and other filling things. Oh I so long for real food! I'm sick of "baby food" type things.

I am dealing with the exact same problem... I PB or vomit all day long but dinner is USUALLY ok. I had a slip repaired a few months ago, so all the PB's kind of scare me. I might be able to do room temp water for the first few hours in the morning. A hot Carnation Instant Breakfast is doable during the day... but the problem is that I am so hungry by that time because I had been 'starved' all morning, that I over do it the rest of the day. I'm not even losing weight because of this. I do much better if I have 3-4 small meals/snacks spaced out. I used to do a protein shake for breakfast... but not a chance anymore! That comes straight up! I think what I am going to do is ride it out and just do liquids for a week or two and see if that helps the swelling to go down. If it doesn't I guess I'll ask for a partial unfill... but I am not at risk for dehydration... but I just don't want to cause another slip with all these PB's!

I didn't have pain or anything with my slip. Now remember that I also had a hiatal hernia, but I couldn't keep a fill. I kept getting obstructed and would have to remove some fill. Then remove some more when I obstruct. Then more, then more... then just left it empty. I eventually couldn't eat anything solid and lived off oatmeal and milkshakes. I became deficient in Protein and B12. Some people when their bands slip, they feel it and go to the ER with pain and vomiting. Now, I did have to go to the ER due to salad getting obstructed (when my band was empty) and that was very painful and the vomiting wouldn't stop. I was in the hospital for 2 days. When the vomiting stopped and I could get down clears, they did a barium swallow and found no slip or hiatal hernia. It wasn't until February that my hernia was seen and the slip was evident ONLY in surgery. Go figure. After I left the hospital, I gave up veggies, meats, and breads/pasta/rice. My story is rather different because I had my band slip A LONG TIME AGO and it just tore up my body. I was so sick by the time surgery came along. I looked horrible (no color in my face, hair breaking off and falling out due to lack of nutrition). It sucked! I am on the mend now

Well, I had my slipped band repaired over a month ago. I had a difficult recovery because the surgery was pretty traumatic to my stomach. I had a lot of pain where my band was (I also had a hiatal hernia repaird). So, my heart wants to believe that the pain was from the hernia... not the band. I was getting better, but then I got a fill last week and was cleared for exercise. I followed the post-fill diet and did some moderate exercise (weight lifting, but not overdoing it). Well, the pain is getting worse again. It's like this burning/pulling pain under my sternum... then if I take a deep breath or lie down funny, the pain radiates up my left neck to the level of the thyroid... and if I cough hard or something, the pain shoots up to my jaw. I don't know what to make of this. It is worse since the fill and that worries me. My surgeon said that if the pain persists after surgery, the band is coming out. So... I haven't told him I still have the pain. I was terrified it was the band and I was praying it was the hernia instead. Now, I don't know what to make of it. I will tell my surgeon soon... but I am so scared he will want to remove my band! :huh2: Has anyone else had this pain???? :thumbs_down:

Yeah, the stomach can slide back down through the band! Some don't need to surgically repair their bands (while others do). I hope yours responds to the unfill!

Dear God... revision, HH repair, and lap. chole all at once?!?!?! OUCH! I bet the weight lifting restriction is for the tummy tuck. I hear that you need 2-3 months sometimes before you can lift weights (just form what I hear). The Prevacid has pretty much stopped all the acid reflux (and the surgery stopped all food regurgitation). I should be getting another fill the first week of May... but if the surgeon doesn't like the pain that I still have, I don't know what will happen. I get the pain when I lie down (every time I take a deep breath) and sometimes when I am sitting/standing. It really hurts (say a 7 on a 1-10 scale... but right after surgery it was a 10). We'll see if the surgeon thinks it is normal to have that 2 months out. It will be 6 weeks this Friday! Sorry you have gained weight. Yeah... um... I am exactly the same weight I was when I had the repair (and I could be a couple of pounds heavier but I have been afraid to step on the scale for the last 2 weeks). Sigh... starting over is SOOOOO HARD!:tt2:

The Prevacid is helping with the burn! :tt2: Thank God! I don't know how long I will stay on it, but I know it is not uncommon for band patients to need live long acid blockers (or at least until goal weight). I'll be on this for a while I bet!

So many things can cause nausea (such as pregnancy, dehydration, constipation, too much sugar, etc). I'd suggest you look at those things and if I had to bet... the more nauseated you feel, the less you want to drink, and the more nauseated you feel as a result. Your surgeon can prescribe phenergan or some other anti-nausea med. It may not be a bad idea to call tomorrow. You don't want to vomit with the band! Oh... BTW, my biggest complaint with my gallbladder disease was nausea. I did have pain, but I had incessant nausea. I lived on phenergan or scope Patches for 3 months. It took that long to see that my gallbladder was dying. They did an early HIDA scan and found it to be working find, but extremely painful and as time went on, I had some pain constantly with flare ups, but the nausea was horrendous. The second HIDA scan showed my gallbladder barely contracted/ejected. They removed it and I was wonderful! So... just another example of nausea.

Yeah, I suppose I should talk with the surgeon. I have also been having a terrible amount of time with burning (like acid burn), but no food regurgitation. The radiating pain really hurts sometimes. I have an appointment soon, so if I still have the pain, I will bring it up then. For the acid burn, I just got a script for Prevacid and hope that it helps...

I have had fill-unfill so many times this past year. I throw up too often. I have reflux and am on 2 GERD meds. I had GERD per-op and this is really bad. I feel nauseated all the time. I gravitate to soft cold things like ice cream, milkshakes, slush drinks, because they don't hurt as much going down. I am getting over esophagitis and my 3rd episode of gastritis in the last few months. My surgeon and I are going to give my band another shot and see if I can tolerate a fill. I am gaining weight due to the liquid calories, but when I try healthy food (veggies, meat, etc) they reflux much worse becasue they take longer to digest. I am so tired of this! We did a scope and it doesn't seem like there is anything to worry about (except it showed esophagitis and gastritis). Fluro didn't really show much (one time it looked more vertical than the second time done a week later). I got violently ill after the last fluro (vomiting/wretching and I don't know why). Do people just stop tolerating the band? The first year I had the band was bliss. Now, it is hell. Anyone else out there feeling the same thing? I am already researching VSG. If I obstruct with this last fill (like I did with all the last fills this past year), I am tempted to "give up" on my band. I'm just so sick of being sick! :faint::sick:rolleyes

You know, I have been like that for the last year. I can only do liquids and mushy foods on good days. There are days where I can't even keep water down. My band has been empty for months. It started out as not tolerating fills, then not tolerating an empty band, now not tolerating the band at all. It turns out, after 14 months of tests, imaging, and appointments, I have a hiatal hernia. It was missed on 8 fluro's, 2 scopes, and by 2 other bariatric surgeons. It finally performed for them and without a doubt I have a hiatal hernia. They said once I get that repaired, all my symptoms will be gone. Unbeliveable. After this long, they finally saw the hiatal hernia. It is a sliding hernia, so it wasn't "performing" at the previous tests I guess. I'm just glad to know it can be fixed. I can't tell you how band I have missed salad!!! Last time I ate it, I landed in the hospital for 2 days for intractable vomiting. 5 weeks after my repair... I will be eating salad again!!!

Hey! I have been thinking a lot about my band, possible VSG, etc. I just know myself that I can't lose the weight on my own. My hunger is too severe and I can't control it. I am going to talk with my surgeon about all the problems I am having. He knows about all of them, but I don't think I can give my band another shot at filling. I have horrible, HORRIBLE reflux today. The burning is insane and my 2 GERD meds and tums won't help. I tried drinking milk and things to coat my stomach... but it won't go away today My band was wonderful for the first year, but it has been torture this last year. I really think I am going to get the VSG if my band comes out. My dad is looking into insurance coverage and I will be talking with my surgeon this next week. I just can't control my hunger on my own. I have had a satiety problem since I was born and I grew up with it. My doctors have tried to fix it with meds, therapy, tricking me, etc. Nothing worked. The band worked when it was tightened well, but I can't tolerate a fill anymore (I can't tolerate it empty anymore).

Thanks for the feedback! I had a GI doctor tell me that I was "addicted to food" and will invent symptoms until my surgeon removes the band. He didn't think that I had problems! Now that he actually saw gastritis and esophagitis... he STILL said that I was making it up. WTF! He told my surgeon all that and my surgeon is leaning more on my side now, but he still "trusts" this other doctor. I will give it some more time... but frankly, I am so sick and tired of this and... believe it or not... I don't even like ice cream! I'd much rather have a bagel than ice cream. So... the band still stops me from eating stuff like that, but ice cream actually soothes the irritated stomach/esophagus, so I resort to that. I am so tired of it! I don't want to get a fill because I am vomiting now... but I dont' want to give up yet... I am, however, researching VSG because I cannot control my weight without controlling my hunger. My band is empty and hunger is out of control. I have gained 60 pounds in the last year, 40 of which has been since July, when the gastritis started and I began to eat ice cream and milkshakes. I am so frustrated! I'm glad that I am not the only person feeling this way!:think

Ok... so my question is... why did your doctor agree to deband you? Was it the port pain? I am so tired of my band. I vomit too often. I have had fill-unfill for the last year. The first year was bliss with my band but now it is hell. food hurts most days (I am empty) and I have had 3 bouts of gastritis and am getting over esophagitis. I have to take 2 GERD meds, but my band surgeon feels that things will improve. I am just so unhappy with my band... and I am considering VSG... but he won't take out my band. He thinks I need to "mentally" cope with food addiction. Well, when it hurts to eat, I resort to milkshakes and ice cream. Can you blame me? I am still ravenous, but it hurts to eat. Ice cream feels better than other foods, so I go for that. I hate being nauseated too. Sorry this is more of a vent. I guess I just wanted to know why your surgeon agreed to take out your band in the end?

Anthony, Well it is Nov 2007... I was just wondering how you are doing with your sleeve!

Even though I am not happy with my band lately, I have to agree with another poster that the pars flaccida technique was a likely culprit. Also, earlier on, they were shy on filling bands and didn't know how to do them successfully. So, the success rates would reflect that. Now... I do think the band is a wonderful weight loss surgery tool, but yes, it does have its faults. If I knew I'd obstruct when my allergies get bad or if I get a cold I'd obstruct or that I'd obstruct when I swim or that I'd obstruct after flying or... etc. I might have reconsidered the band...

I was banded May 2005 and have had fill/unfill for the last year. I am miserible. Some days I can eat ok, but I generally feel nauseated. Sometimes I take a couple bites of food and I vomit... or I have to drink with my meals so it doesn't hurt. I know that is a major no no... but how else to make food not hurt? I do have some esophagitis (that looks like it is finally clearing up) and I have gastritis in the bottom of my stomach. I am on 2 GERD meds for this and if I tried to get filled again, I will have to stop the meds and I'm terrified my GERD will worsen and I will wake up choking again... My surgeon and I agreed to fill my band again... but if I obstruct again... I don't know if I can deal with this anymore...:tired