jillypie

Hi all! I had my surgery on 10/9 and didn't feel much restriction until my fifth fill on 1/13. I had only lost about 15 pounds until that point and was kind of disappointed. Since then, I have dropped another 20 pounds and am very happy about that. However...about 3 1/2 weeks ago, I ceased being able to hold much of anything down. I had enjoyed my last fill for a few weeks, but then it seemed like everything I ate came up. Everything caused me pain. It was even difficult to get down an entire Slimfast. I was losing weight though, so I just chalked it up to maybe choosing the wrong foods or eating too much, even though I could barely finish 3 chicken nuggets. Last Thursday I had 1 snack pack of chocolate pudding for Breakfast, 1 cup of mashed potatoes for lunch and about 1/2 cup of Soup for dinner. I just wasn't feeling right and pretty much threw up everything. (Not giant throw ups like when you have the flu, but little by little spitting everything out until its all gone and there's no more pain). I went to a play that night and sat in pain for 2 hours, knowing I needed to continue throwing up...at intermission, I went outside and went to spit out whatever was bothering me and out came 2 large chunks of a dark brown material. I thought I must have gotten down to the bottom of my stomach and was throwing up the pudding I had eaten earlier that morning. The next day, I was also unsuccessful at holding anything down and at about 7pm, up came some more of the dark brown liquid/gel substance. I hadn't eaten any chocolate pudding that day so I started to worry that it might be blood. I went to the ER and sure enough, it was blood. They gave me an IV and did some x-rays but found nothing wrong. My doctor's office was closed until Monday, so I stayed with liquids all weekend and went in first thing Monday morning. I thought maybe she would remove 1/2 of whatever she had filled me with last time, but instead she took out 4cc's (I had a total of 6, so I am left with only 2) and did a barium swallow so she could see what was going on. Because of all of the vomiting, my stomach was all swollen over the top of the band, although the band had not slipped at all. She put me on liquids/mushies for 2 weeks and I will go back on 3/31 to do another barium swallow and see if everything has gone back to normal. If not, they may need to do another procedure which scares the hell out of me because I was a cash pay and already forked out $17,000!! I was just hoping someone else had gone through this and could give me some insight because a) I am scared that I will need another procedure and :ohmy: I am so pissed that I had to have 4cc's taken out because I am STARVING now, just like before I ever had the surgery!! I am going to a family party next weekend and certainly didn't want to gain any weight back between now and then, although I know that it is preferable to puking in a bottle the whole weekend. Anyone wanna tell me everything's gonna be all right???? Thanks for listening. Any input or advice will be appreciated.

Thanks for everyone's replies...turns out I had a hiatal hernia. They only figured that out in mid-July after many months of horrible pain, vomiting and severe esophageal burning. I had the hiatal hernia repaired on 8/5 and finally, in the last few days, I am able to hold down food. I have no fill whatsoever and will be going in possibly in the next few weeks, to get one. It's been a rough road.

That's what I thought, too. It seems like common sense. I'm not very happy with my surgeon right now.

I have had months and months of back and forth with extreme pain and vomiting every time I get a restriction. I got a scope last week which revealed a hiatal hernia...so I was on liquids for a week until I could get in to see my surgeon yesterday. He told he me it "wasn't a big deal", removed the last 1.5cc from my band and told me to stay on Clear Liquids for yet another week (which SUCKS!) and then come back next Monday for an upper GI/barium swallow. Even if this week on liquids calms the hernia down and I am able to eat food again, what will happen when they try to restrict the band again? Won't the pressure from the restriction irritate the hernia again? So frustrating.

I was banded on 10/9/08 and am down about 40 pounds. It took me a long time to get up to a restriction that had me losing weight (6cc's), but after a few weeks, that was way too tight and I ended up getting 4cc's taken out because my stomach was swollen over the top of the band. After a week of being unfilled and on liquids, we did an x-ray and I was back to normal. I had 2 more fills over the course of a month, bringing me up to 5.5cc's. That felt too tight and I couldn't keep a lot down, so I got .5cc taken out, bringing me down to 5cc's. Now I can't keep down most solid foods at all. So I switch to liquids and mushies...on those days I am hungry and can snack all day! So its either eat regular food and puke it up...or eat liquids and mushies and overeat calorie-wise because I'm hungry all day!! WHAT THE HECK????????????? Anyone have any suggestions???????

It can hold up to 10cc's.

I was banded on 10/9/08 and am down about 40 pounds. It took me a long time to get up to a restriction that had me losing weight (6cc's), but after a few weeks, that was way too tight and I ended up getting 4cc's taken out because my stomach was swollen over the top of the band. After a week of being unfilled and on liquids, we did an x-ray and I was back to normal. I had 2 more fills over the course of a month, bringing me up to 5.5cc's. That felt too tight and I couldn't keep a lot down, so I got .5cc taken out, bringing me down to 5cc's. Now I can't keep down most solid foods at all. So I switch to liquids and mushies...on those days I am hungry and can snack all day! So its either eat regular food and puke it up...or eat liquids and mushies and overeat calorie-wise because I'm hungry all day!! WHAT THE HECK????????????? Anyone have any suggestions???????

I have just been through the exact same thing you are talking about! I ended up in the hospital after I started throwing up blood. I never would have gone to the hospital if I hadn't seen chunks of thick blood come flying out of my mouth. Thank God I did. I was completely dehydrated and the x-rays showed that my stomach was bulging over the top of my band like an opened can of biscuits!! I just thought I was overeating or eating the wrong things...I'd PB for hours. As soon as my stomach was calm again, I would try to eat because I was starving for some real food! Then I would throw that right up and get back into the same cycle. I went to the doctor and they took 4cc's out of my band. (I had a total of 6) She had me do liquids and soft foods for a week which I TRIED to stick you (just like you said!) but was STARVING because I had no restriction! I gained back 8 pounds that week! But when I went back to the doctor a week later, my stomach was no longer swollen and I was able to start from scratch, adding Fluid to the band and moving up to a restriction that's comfortable for me. I am going in today to have a little taken out because I am again having trouble keeping solids down. But you MUST go into the doctor and have them do a barium swallow x-ray so you can see exactly what you're doing to your stomach and band with all of this vomiting. Its extremely enlightening. Now every time I need to PB, I imagine my stomach bulging and its much easier for me to stick to liquids until I can get back into the doctor for a little unfill. I was also a self-pay and so I am determined to prove to my family that this thing is going to work! But it can't work if you fight it! GOOD LUCK!

Thanks so much for all of advice! I called the nurse last night and she recommended the same thing, so BRAVO! What is confusing is that I am at 5cc's right now and I know that when I was at 5 back in December, I did not feel a restriction...but now 5 is too much. I guess it doesn't matter what was before-as long as I can feel comfortable now because this throwing up thing is for the birds!

I have been trying to get this procedure done for almost a year, but insurance turned me down. I finally realized that I was going to have to self-pay. My dad lent me the money, so now I will just pay him back, instead of a bank at a high interest rate. I had the surgery and am SOOO lucky!! I had no nausea whatsoever, no oozing incisions, no gas... I feel so good, with the exception of not being able to sit up too quickly or for too long. I was hoping to get some advice on what exercises are best for preventing loose skin. Does anyone know?? Thanks in advance!

Really? But what could I say in my next appeal? "Look, I know you've denied me twice, but come on, give a girl a break." Thanks for the advice!

I can't seem to find the "PM" button... I have been calling 1-800-633-0636 and get through to the complaints and appeals dept with no problem. Is there a special magic number where the answers will always be "YOU ARE APPROVED!"????

I also was denied for this reason. My doctor did the peer-to-peer and they still said no. I'm not sure what was involved in that peer-to-peer phone call, but it was like they basically said, sorry, she wasn't at the right BMI for 2 years straight. I submitted another appeal on my own, indicating 10 different errors I noticed in my doctor's records. I asked them how they could base a denial on records that were inaccurate. I am praying they have a change of heart.

Yeah, but be careful...I submitted everything to Aetna, was ready to rock and roll...until they denied me because I hadn't been at a BMI of 40+ for 2 years. I dipped down a little bit back in January of 2006 (I was taking phentermine) so they denied me. It so hard to grasp the concept of, "We see that you have struggled since at least 2000 when your medical records start, but since you were able to lose some weight at one point, too bad." I am totally devastated. If I had gone through my paperwork and taken out the one that showed me at a lower weight, I would have already had the surgery and be on my way to good health. But since I was honest, I am being punished. I can't afford self-pay and would need a co-signer if I got a loan, which would be a struggle to pay every month but I would have to do it if I want the surgery. I wrote an appeal letter yesterday and I am praying they have a change of heart. Otherwise, I have to find a way to get $17,000. Please keep me in your thoughts if you would!