wallisj

Well... its 3 years since i had the band and all i can say is that i am simply at the end of my limits with it. I was really fired up at the thought of having finally made a firm decision to get things fixed but now i am simply done with it and am going to make an appointment to have it emptied. The inconsistency of it is driving me to despair ... some days i can comfortably eat decent food and enjoy it .... yesterday for example i can't eat even simple liquid stuff without feeling like its getting stuck. Right at this moment i am sat here writing this with the most excutiating stomach ache which i believe is caused by the fact that i missed lunch by an hour (due to something unavoidable) and now i don't know what to do to make it not hurt.... I don't think i've lost any weight beyond that of the settling in period .... i certainly don't feel happier or more in control .... if anything i feel i'm more of a victim of food than ever before as it is totally out of my control day by day as to what i can eat. I have been regularly invited to support sessions from my surgery company but i've since moved several hundred miles away and have precious little spare time to do anything since our baby came along let alone spend a day driving across the country. Just needed a vent but i guess i won't be likely to be around much longer (on the forum i mean) since i'll effectively be band-less Thanks J

Not so long ago i had a full blood work done to test for a series of problems and came back clear on everything. Depression .... maybe Anyway ... update as of 22nd December... Went to see my band doctor and they basically said that they couldnt find my fill record and therefore felt i was probabily suffering more than i should and therefore should more or less start again by having an empty ... it would also allow them to know how much actually was in there... Well.... 6.7cc (in an 11cm band) extraction later and i feel 100% different. I ate xmas lunch ... i went out to some friends and enjoyed a few buffet items... food has never tasted so good but i am concious to try and not go wild and just eat for eatings sake.... My doctor wants me to have an x-ray but wants to charge £250 for it ... with travel on top that makes it £300 and so close following xmas i don't have it free so i might have to delay ... this was after they originally just wanted to do a free-fill on the 12th jan. They said they wanted to check the positioning of the band and other things before they fill ... i guess they're being genuine but i don't have the cash this month so it will have to wait until feb. THanks for the ongoing support ... happy new year folks. Jamie

I have managed to secure an appointment to see the support staff and nurse (for an adjustment) next tuesday... so at least i might get to actually enjoy a christmas dinner and then see about getting my life back on track in the new year.

Indeed i haven't totally given up ... but in terms of my patience i am really at the end of my tether. I am mentally exhausted due to several other life factors .... i am ending up going to bed earlier and earlier .... getting to the point of being up 12 hours, bed 12 hours but i still feel totally exhausted all the time. The band just feels like my nemesis lately rather than something to help ... I am calling the medical company who did the surgery today and will get the band emptied or close to.... that way it might just give me the break i need to try and refocus on other things before trying again. It just really angers me that i feel like i spent £8000 on something which doesn't feel like its helping me to lose anything other than my sanity. Thanks for the kind words .... i guess i might not disappear quite so soon .... we'll see.

I think I can relate to this 100%. I am on the brink of having it emptied because I simply can't tollerate the exreme fickle nature of the band. Whether I am suffering simply with an overtight band I don't know but I am calling my "provider" tomorrow to get a good % or all took out asap

What I am saying also is Pre-op I was hoping one of the things the band would offer would be the feeling of control. Instead I feel helpless go the whim of am inanimate ring of plastic. As before, I am writing this post STILL with severe stomach cramps because I missed lunch by a short while and today didn't manage to get the normal Breakfast I try to get. I have been to see a doctor and she suggested depression might be a possibilty but isn't really prepared to offer more than a CBT course. I do know and recognize that I am under a really large amount of mental stress from multiple factors and I think the band is just making me feel punished. I am simply getting to ( or most likely have reached ) the point where food is just a total enemy. Most days I live on Soups and shakes and little else.... It wasn't supposed to be like this.

For me ... i associate them as being the stages of eating the wrong thing ... If i eat (try not to) something that gets stuck i start to get gloopy saliva in my mount which i associate as sliming ... this usually is followed by hiccups that are more painful/strong than normal....this means that somethings trying to get out ... a PB (productive burp) means that this piece of food actually comes out ... Trying to not be too graphic but suffice to say its a very unpleasant experience which i try to avoid but sometimes instinctively if i take a bit of something and i end up swallowing it before chewing to death for whatever reason it can happen Hope this helps ... others will comment i'm sure Jamie

Hi all... Weight loss has slowed right down for me lately ... been struggling to lose...there are many factors in this i am aware of and don't need advice on this (i know what needs to be done to fix ... just current sit is proving tough) Anyway ... on to my main topic ... I am wondering whether or not i should need/have another band fill....i have only had 1 so far ... i'm now 4 months post-surgery.. Reason i am asking is that i feel i am in a little bit of a catch 22....if i eat the wrong food in the wrong way (stuff like chicken in chunks without chewing properly) i cannot eat more than a single piece without knowing instantly that i am gonna suffer big time with PB etc However, if i eat something better or more appropriate (some soft slow cooked meat or whatever) and chew like there is no tomorrow i can eat quick a substantial amount without really feeling restricted .. The way i see it is that if i stick to food that suits the band and work with it properly its not really affecting my consumption and it basically ends up almost like eating puree food. So my question is...should i even with pureed food feel a restriction and therefore feel full for the time it needs for the signals in the pouch to hit my brain to make me satisfied. Sorry for long post but its been playing on my mind for a couple of weeks now.

I guess an overall problem is that i feel slightly afraid to eat solid food ... if i go out to a restaurant i tend to choose meat cooked in sauces or things like chili con carne.... I mostly eat (being british) cottage pie (minced meat cooked in meat gravy with mash on top), slow cooked meat, fish I avoid the following: Plain cooked Steak/Beef , chicken (all kinds), pork, bread, cheese All these feel like they will get stuck....also i am not 100% sure i know the difference between "full" and "stuck pending" .... i guess i need someone to present me with a plate of band quantity and compatible food and see if i can eat it ... i just don't feel i know my own band .. For Breakfast i can eat 3 (1/2 slices) pieces of toast .... if i ate something like a croissant it would stick after the first bite . Help me!! i'm just going in circles i feel

Living in a hotel and working all day (up to 13 hours) at a computer keyboard isn't the best career in the world for promoting weight loss ... having said that its finally started again (albeit slowly) I do need to take up some more excercise but try telling that to my brain after a 13 hour day! I am going into my clinic on monday to have a good chat about how i feel, what i can eat etc .... get some professional advice/opinion....just wanted a moan in a way .... you all know how it is sometimes

Ok ... i'll expand a little more ..... i am not *always* picking mushies .... i am mainly avoiding chicken/pork/beef I am eating some salads and wraps etc .... but if i have a chicken curry for example which has been cooked for say 20 minutes so its not mush i really struggle to eat more than say a single cube 1 inch even if i chew really well...it just seems to stick....same with most meats and Pasta, breads etc So i end up having softer choices or low resistance things which i agree would seem to defeat the point a little since its not really restrictive. Even when i manage to eat something more solid i end up chewing it so much its mush and doesn't really sit as solid .... if i don't chew so much i find i can hardly eat anything before i feel get that lovely slimy feeling and start hicuping and wanting to get rid of it. I'm just getting a little confused my lunches are now made up of ready made (by my surgery company) soft veggie meals or Protein Bars and then i end up having a Protein Shake (or a self made milkshake with fresh fruit) for my evening meal rather than go out (i live for 5 days in a hotel)

Thats one of the single worst aspects of the laproscopic surgery is that they blow you up like a baloon... Took about a week for me for the air to disipate ... was very uncomfortable at times ...walking helps a lot .. . hope it settles

Hi all.. I went out on saturday for a thai meal (wedding anniversary) and made some intellegent choices... I had 3 small veg spring rolls with some chilli dipping sauce for a started which i ate slowly and chewed well no problems... Main course was a little more interested and revealed to me an unexpected side effect.... I had a thai duck salad....now i said in my previous post that i can't eat meat....this is still true but with a difference... This was thinly sliced ... well cooked (ie tender) and i cut it small. Problem is that thai salads are the hottest food they make .... so i'm eating this lovely fresh duck, with raw onions, garlic, corriander and other things like loads of chilli.... delicious .. but as i had to chew really really well .... i was chewing chillis for ages ... which makes for more intense experience that i was used too... Still lovely though and was perfectly satisfied with it... Normally i would eat the spring rolls, the salad, a thai curry....loads of rice and noodles and a good desert.. Plus beer etc ... this time it was a lovely refreshing light meal....actually more enjoyable Cheers all Jamie

I don't even try to eat chicken anymore unless its been cooked in a stew for like 4 hours Same with steak/beef and most other meats I just cannot eat pre-cooked/grilled meats at all without severe PB I'm only just daring to eat toast 3 months after banding ... don't eat bread otherwise which is annoying cos i used to love Subway What annoys the hell outa me is that i can't eat good healthy foods but i still find myself cheating myself and eating junk occasionally .... whats wrong with me? i spent £8000 on something fix me and still it hasn't hit home....i'm seriously thinking about seeing a shrink or something to figure my weird wired brain out

Hi all... Another jan bander ... 26th for me (i think it was anyway )... My weight loss for the pre-op and the 1st 2 months was great ... i have now hit a month of basically up a couple of lbs ... down and couple of lbs ... Just can't seem to break the cycle...getting agro from the health consultant who works at the place i got my surgery done. My life on the road doesn't help but is that just an excuse? I'm basically eating a Protein bar (220cals/16g protein) for Breakfast (maybe a slice of toast too), a pre-made ready meal (designed for banders) for lunch and something light for dinner... I think i am lacking my Water intake though and i know from past experience that water helps weight loss especially on a low-carb high protein diet...so need to start fixing that. Oh well ... whinge over ... lets keep this thread alive and going. Cheers Jamie

I certainly have discovered that my love for my wife and her love for me have grown stronger since the op... She knows i did it for her as much as myself as i don't want to be a fat dad (we're planning to start having a family in around a year) and i want to be a part of it for the long term I also deeply miss her ... shes away at home (she's from a different country to me) and i am working in the south of france and i'm just miserable cos shes not here with me. I know its love ... gotta be

The main causes of hunger are the lack of Protein....i know when i have had a couple of meals in a day with low protein i am hungry no matter even if i have made myself almost to the PB stage. 2 weeks pre-op and 4 weeks post op i ate NOTHING but protein soups/shakes which my surgeon gave me and i was NEVER hungry and i lost around 20 lbs with it. The hardest part of it was that there was an occasional day which i felt i could not take it any more ... but it wouldn't last more than a few hours. I'm actually finding life harder now i am back to "normal" since my job makes eating decent food difficult But if i make the effort i can lost almost 4lbs a week with no hunger. Just keep eating high protein foods ... 60+g a day

ISn't it really hard to eat popcorn alone without needing a drink after ... which isn't really the best thing to do unless you're just going to ignore the washing it through point. I would think popcorn dries the mouth out and makes you thirsty otherwise

Hi all, I think i went the other way with regards to last suppers... The band support team from the medial company i had the band through gave me a ton of shakes and Soups as a 2 week pre-op so i had no excuses to help make the liver smaller to ease surgery. This actually helped me as i was scared enough and didn't want to make the surgery complecated so it kinda feared me into behaving (which had good days and bad days....ask my wife ) Same post op...now i am back on the road for my job and i am struggling a little for lunchtime nutrition as i can have a shake for Breakfast ok and i can get a decent meal at night but during the day i am stuck for food ...

I bought some Diet Fuel plus .... i DON'T recommend it ... taste disgusting .. avoid.. I'm now going to try the Lean Body stuff.... My difficulty is that i am in a hotel for 4 nights a week and during the day i am on a site that doesn't really do anything but sandwiches so i'm stuggling for good nutrition during the day ... so far been drinking the shakes my surgeon provided

For me, i cannot eat bread products....tried a croissant the other day and even had a really small bite and chewed really well it just seems to get stuck or expand in the pouch and i immediately start feeling bad. I used to love bread ... it was my number 1 thing but i haven't had a single slice of bread since xmas. I have other things now which keep me happy ... like losing weight

Another male perspective .... i'll be blunt ... when my wife is on top sex is fantastic (especially in the early days post op) but even now, 2 months in i had a bit of an extended session last weekend and was also a little "vigerous" and i did feel rough for a couple of hours after.... Just take it easy and all will be well ... i'm hoping once the pounds start leaving EVERYTHING in life will be easier, not just the sex

Been bad this last couple of weeks in terms of weight loss so they called me in for a fill ... it was about the right time anyway I have an 11cm band and i think i got 4cc's ... was done under xray and had a lovely barium meal to watch the band working on the tv screen...was quite cool in a way The needle was a bit painful going in but they didn't give me anything to numb it ... just had to be brave.. Hardest part was drinking 5 mouthfulls of barium sulphate ... its thick and slimy and just made me want to throw up and i had to hold a mouthfull in my mouth until they said swallow ... its not pleasant but they watched the band work and made a couple of adjustments to get the flow rate as they wanted to prevent frequent adjustments 1st years fills were included in the package costs Back to drinks only for a week again....oh joy Cheers all Jamie

Hi all Wanting to restrict this to UK people since products on both sides of the atlantic differ....no offence... Just wanting to know what any UK people use as a Protein shake/drink etc Looking at things like whey protein mixes in health shops...they are quite pricey and i wanted to know if anyone could recomend a brand/flavour that you have used .... really looking for one that doesn't require too much in the way of mixing or uses Water rather than milk as i live 5 days a week in an isolated (from shops) office and a hotel. I've been using slimfast stuff before but their pre-mixed shakes a expensive...so looking for something i can bulk buy and mix in hotel room or easily in the office without needing a blender etc Thanks everyone ... please help !!! Jamie

Since the pre and post op diets i have been losing weight ... i've only had the band for a month and last week moved onto mushy food. I have lost about 2lbs per week....this week i don't seem to have lost anything I know i don't get that full feeling as much anymore, Soups etc don't seem to satisfy much either ... I guess its because things have healed and settled down but i am a little disappointed. Work may also have been a factor, this last week i have been assigned to a very stressfull project and have been working 13hours straight all week including yesterday and today so walking has been out the window. Just wanted a bit of a moan ... you all know how it is i'm sure. Thanks Jamie