Jean McMillan

If he removes some and you still can't swallow some water, he needs to take some more fluid out, a little at a time until you can drink clear liquids. Don't leave his office without testing the fill by drinking some water. Especially on a Friday! You could have a really miserable weekend with a band that's too tight.

For me, reflux/heartburn often feels like hunger. Left shoulder pain is from the gas they pump into you during surgery. Eventually it dissipates. I suppose that a horizontal body position could affect the shoulder pain. It definitely affects reflux. Raising the head of your bed 8" is supposed to help (I tried that and couldn't sleep), or you could try sleeping in a recliner. When you have the reflux, do you have sour bile liquid backwashing into your mouth? How soon before going to bed do you stop eating? Did your surgeon give you a prescription for a reflux med like omeprazole? If not, you can buy omeprazole over the counter, but I wouldn't take it until you check with your surgeon. When I was first banded, my discharge instructions told me to call my surgeon if I experienced reflux.

When my band slipped, I had a complete unfill first and an upper GI study the following week (long story about that - I'd be glad to recount it if you can stay awake long enough), so by the time my surgeon saw the images from the upper GI, my band's position was better though not "correct". My surgeon seemed more concerned about its angle than its position up or down my esophagus and stomach. I've been told I should've had the upper GI before having the unfill, but even if that had been possible, I think the unfill was the smart move, especially considering how hard it was for me to even drink Clear liquids.

Lots and lots of slapstick!

I'd be majorly confused too. I don't think anyone here is qualified to explain your symptoms or tell you if it's OK to drink alcohol (though with everything else going on, I'd say you should pass on the alchohol for now). Yours is an awful and unique situation and I hope your doctor can guide you through this as you heal and adjust.

Popping a staple would've been for a good cause, though. Laughter is the best medicine!

Oh, dear, I just had a mental image of a flying ham, wearing goggles, helmet, and scarf just like Snoopy in his Flying Ace persona...

Ain't that the truth! And I should be using my post-op down time to write the Great American Novel instead of playing on the internet. Oh, for the good ol' days, when I had to write by candlelight using my own blood for ink and the back of the Emancipation Proclamation for paper. Not.

OK, OK< I've got it all figured out. Let me try to explain it. BRAVOGOLFTANGO is an aviator's lingo for his plane's registration numbers, which in this member's case would be something like BGT1234567. This is the number the pilot radios to air traffic controllers on the ground or other planes in the air. It's his "handle", so to speak. Now, just who is this aviator and where is his airplane headed? Well - oh, excuse me, my genuine Maxwell Smart Shoe Phone is ringing. Let me just quickly answer it. [brrrring, brrrring. Brrrrring, brrrrring], Hello? Lieutenant McMillan speaking. Certainly, sir. Let me just advise my crew members to stand by. [Lt. McMillan covers the shoe-phone and turns to her crew.] Men, women, please stand by. Brigadier General Huffenpuffen has some important new Lap-Band intel for us. [back on the shoe-phone] Yes, sir, what can you tell us about this emerging situation? Do you have any new intel on the identity of BGT1234567? Really? No sir, I'm not doubting you, sir. It's just extremely startling news. Yes, I understand. No, we'll stay on the alert until you issue the command. And thank you, sir. It's an honor to serve you. This is why I joined the IAF (Internet Air Force) in the first place. Roger, over and out. [Lt. McMillan turns off the phone, puts her foot back in the shoe, and with a single gesture commands the silence and attention of her crew] OK, this is it. the intel we've been waiting for. Brigadier General Huffenpuffen informs me that BGT1234567 is registered to an individual using an alias of Big G Troll. "BGT" believes he is the reincarnation of Secret Agent John Drake (played by Patrick McGoohan in 1964-1967) and has, under the guise of a Procurement Agent for Her Majesty's Secret Service, been stockpiling Moon Pies, RC Cola, and Evans' Pork Rinds since May of 2011. His physical address is located approximately 3.249871 miles from Bessy's pizza and Bait Shop in Bessemer, Alabama. Bessy is believed to be BGT's mama but since she hasn't left the shop in 17 years, that has not yet been substantiated. We have further intel that BGT dropped out of Jefferson County Technical School in November 2009 because of conflicts with his instructors in the highly-respected How to Get a Life Program there. It is believed that BGT is planning a bombing raid on the Bandwagon Airfield in an unspecified location in Tennessee. Anyone who witnesses the Raining Frogs or Devrom Swamp Gas phenomena is to report it to me immediately. Brigadier General Huffenpuffen assures me that a counter-strike is in the works and that a specially-trained squadron will be dispatched in the next 24 hours. Any questions? Corporal Missy? Ma'am, what does any of this have to do with the Lap-Band? Good question, Corporal. In point of fact, none of BGT's activities have been proven to be related to the Lap-Band or anything bariatric at all, but a team of investigators is hard at work on verifying that as we speak. And Ma'am, no offense, but do you realize you have just spent 47 minutes and 39 seconds spinning a tale about a troll? Is it possible that you're due for some badly-needed R&R? Affirmative, Corporal, but if it's good enough for Hans Christian Anderson, it's good enough for me. Very well, men and women, please stand down. That's all for now, soldiers. Stand down.

Hey, Elcee, get with the program!

My pleasure. It's the least I can do for all the entertainment I got the other day when a troll called you a troll. Some comics might judge their success by getting a million-dollar contract to perform in Vegas. Me, I judge it by how often I can make a beverage come out someone's nose. I get double points when the victim - I mean, audience - showers another person with the beverage.

I'm pretty well qualified to address this because in April my beloved band was removed and just last Thursday I revised to the sleeve. I'm not sure what's behind the suggestion that someone who failed with the band is going to fail with the sleeve. It's really hard to draw a firm, clear line and say, "This is where the patient failed," or "This is where the band failed." Then you throw in dumb luck, shake vigorously, and get nothing intelligible or palatable out of the mess. I do think that someone who struggles to lose weight with the band (for whatever reason) might not be a good sleeve candidate because the sleeve, like the band, is a chiefly "restrictive" procedure (I hate the term restrictive, but it's the best we've got at the moment). That person might need the malabsorption of RNY (gastric bypass) or DS (duodenal switch). I know several people who've revised from the band to RNY and DS and their weight loss has improved, but it's not breaking any records, either. On the other hand, someone who struggles with the band because of side effects & complications (as opposed to poor weight loss for unknown/unspecified reasons) but otherwise is on board with the lifestyle changes (making good food choices, portion control, exercise, resisting head hunger), is actually a good candidate for the sleeve. Your struggles make mine seem insignificant. If I were you, I'd want to revise to a procedure that's basically done when I leave the operating room. No adjustments, no searching for restriction or the mythical sweet spot. If that sounds appealing to you, then your surgical choices need to be evaluated using other criteria. For example, the DS provides excellent weight loss but can also cause serious medical problems because of the extreme malabsorption (to visiting trolls: please do not waste your virtual breath on lecturing me about DS and malabsorption. I personally know a great guy who lost a ton of weight with DS, has extremely serious health issues despite all the supplements he takes, and has regained 75 lbs.) So let's say you're the parent to a young child who depends on you for everything. Can you afford the risk of serious future health issues? If not, then you need to drop back a step, and maybe another step, to a "safer" procedure. I originally chose the band over the sleeve because I actually liked the idea of adjustability, and that fit with my lifestyle at the time (in 2007). Permanently removing a big part of my stomach sounded too scary to me, but now I can't really say that the part of my stomach that got flushed last week was really doing me any favors. People have survived and thrived gastrectomies for decades. In the 1970's, I worked with a lady who'd lost much of her stomach due to bad ulcers. She was active and healthy and died of natural causes in her late 80's. The VSG is only new as a stand-alone WLS procedure. It's been used as a first stage for DS patients (who were often too heavy to safely have the intestinal routing done at the outset) for years. (Someone else can jump in to quote statistics and all that stuff as soon as I'm done with my speech. I'm not going down that road because I know perfectly well that figures can lie and liars can figure.) The other thing to consider about the sleeve is that it is not strictly restrictive. It has neuronal/hormonal aspects that greatly reduce the patient's physical hunger along with reducing the amount of food it takes to satiate the patient. That's a big plus for me. That's what my band did for me, except that my band also reduced my appetite (my desire) for food. Speaking of trolls and statistics (which go together like Soup & sandwiches), someone will no doubt point out that the sleeve poses a terrible risk of leaks along the staple/suture line. Guess what? So does RNY and DS. There is no such thing as a risk-free surgical treatment for obesity, nor is there any such thing as a permanent cure for obesity. Sometimes you have to choose the lesser of several evils. Finally, your own surgeon, who has guided you through all your band struggles, thinks the sleeve is a good choice for you. That counts as valuable input to me. The fact that he started out favoring RNY and changed to favoring VSG for you is a good sign that he's really thinking about what's best for you instead of just what's best for him (making $, giving him a challenge, etc.). When my surgeon told me my band was going to have to go, my response was to ask about revision surgery. I told her, "I am NOT going back to obesity. I refuse. I have worked way too hard to get here and I'm not going backwards." My life was very confusing and upsetting in the months that followed as I slogged through medical tests and weight regain, but one thing that I knew then and I know now kept me on track: I AM NOT GOING BACK TO OBESITY. I REFUSE.

Missy, Come on, now. It's been scientifically proven that trolls don't even have intestines. But in spite of that. I agree with your response to the OP.

I don't know about "normal", but it's not unusual. I don't recall how long it took my original port site to stop bothering me. After my port was repositioned (after flipping), that incision hurt for at least 2 months. It got easier every day, though, and it wasn't the kind of pain that makes you scream or cry. In the almost 5 years I was banded, occasionally I would aggravate my port site while doing abdominal exercise or housework or whatever. I asked my surgeon if my exercise program could have contributed to my port flip and she said maybe, but that's not a good excuse for avoiding abdominal exercise. The Lap-Band port is usually sutured into the fascia surrounding the abdominal muscles (I think the Realize Band is clamped onto the fascia). It's very hard to do anything without involving your abdominal muscles - bending over, getting in and out of a chair/car/bed, etc. While it is possible that you unwittingly did something to pop a suture, that doesn't necessarily mean that anything bad has happened or that you won't be able to get fills. If you were to call your surgeon's office, they'd probably suggest that you baby your abdomen for a week or so, put an ice pack on it, and call them in the morning. Having said all that,though, I need to add that if your port site is warm, reddened (not bloody like the hematoma or a bruise), or hot to touch, call your surgeon ASAP because those are signs of infection.

See, now that's a helpful contribution to this thread. It proves that it is indeed possible to make negative comments about the band in a clear, informative fashion intended to help rather than confuse or frighten the listener.

I'm 59, does that count? I'm very fortunate that as I lost weight, the burden on my body (especially my hips) was reduced enough to allow me to exercise a lot more than I ever dreamed possible. I belong to a great fitness studio (locally owned) that offers 2 classes a day for seniors, and I heard a rumor recently that someone was going to refurbish our town swimming pool and start giving aqua exercise classes there. I did Water aerobics while on vacation a few years ago and it was great fun, so I join in recommending it for you. Also, our senior center offers exercise classes that you can do while seated or standing, depending on your needs and abilities. You might surprise yourself! Also, I have chronic pain from fibromyalgia (sometimes called the disease of fat, middle-aged women) and one of the best things I do for pain reduction now is to exercise 5 days a week.

Little did you know that a perfectly innocent question asked on a "support" site forum could stir up a hornet's nest of controversy that has nothing to do with you personally. I'm a veteran of the online support forum wars and first want to tell you that on the whole, the members of LBT are very kind and helpful people.

\LOL! I have friends who would call that statement a far worse heresy than any band bashing statement a troll could ever dream up!

He must have me blocked too. Heaven forbid that the voice of reason be allowed to be heard.

Takes one to know one!

It also depends on the type of slip - whether the band slides up on the esophagus, or further down onto the stomach. Other things that can affect the outcome include the surgical technique (including how many sutures are used) used during the band placement. Techniques have changed a lot since the band was was originally approved for use in the USA. My band slip was fixed by a complete unfill and 6-week rest period. I have an acquaintance who needed additional surgery to fix hers.

I was diagnosed with PTSD and major depression about 20 years ago. Since the coping mechanisms I used to deal with the PTSD symptoms generally didn't involve food, I can't say that my PTSD affected my WLS recovery in a significant way. What did help was (first) 7-8 years therapy with a trauma specialist and (later) periods of counseling with a therapist experienced with WLS and eating disorder patients. In my mind, the drawback to dealing with WLS as well as PTSD is that my PTSD contributed to several psychotic episodes. Pyschosis and impulse-control issues are considered contraindications for any kind of WLS. Finally, I have to say this. I used my excess body fat to cushion me against other people, especially men. Five years into trauma therapy, the idea of losing weight scared the bejeezus out of me because I felt so vulnerable and unprotected. Now I'm glad I took both healing routes - trauma therapy and WLS. I had no idea before that life could be as wonderful as it is now.

Actually, is is all worth it. Sojourner's a smart cookie and she did you a favor by being so honest with you.

No, mental health issues like depression and anxiety will not disqualify you from surgery. And one of the reasons that band surgery is suitable for those of us on psych meds is that the band doesn't cause malabsorption of medication or nutrients. On the other hand, your surgeon is probably going to want to see you stay in therapy because WLS doesn't cure mental health issues any more than it cures obesity.

When you're dealing with a serious health issue like congestive heart failure, it's easier to feel overwhelmed. I strongly recommend choosing one behavior to work on at a time, and that you have talks with your cardiologist, bariatric surgeon & dietitian to figure out what to put at the top of your to-do list.