DragonSingapore

Had a very interesting consultation with my doc today and want to share and seek other opinions or similarities. I have been banded for 4 years now and had relatively good success. However for the past 7-8 months now, I have been putting on small amounts of weight and my answer has always been to rush in for a little top up fill and thinking that my restriction was fading, I was eating more and thus putting on the weight. Recently it seems I could eat more than ever and bigger portions than ever and yet not experience the "full" sensation I recall getting previously. So I asked for a review and barium under the fluoroscope to check how much was actually flowing through my band. The doctor confirmed the band was in fine position and that it was very tight and he was not happy with how little liquid was flowing through and in fact that it was backing up into my esophagus more than it should (or at least more than he would like to see it). He went on to explain to me that he suspected I was actually in what he called the "red zone" with the band. He said that we should actually unfill the band to allow better flow and improved weight loss. He said when one is too restricted the food actually fills up the esophagus and sits there and gets digested there and actually doesn't get to the stomach to make you satiated. The result is you can actually eat bigger portions, you eat more often (because you are not satiated) and you tend to gain weight. He said also that I would typically be experiencing greater indigestion these days (which is true) and that I wouldn't necessarily ever get that full feeling I used to get where you feel it between your shoulder blades (like when the band is working the way it should). So I agreed and we took out a full CC. I have a 10cc band and he said he rarely has success with bands filled over 8cc. I was at 8.6 so we took it to 7.6. This is so counterintuitive to me. More fill means more weight loss right? Maybe not. Maybe it is a placebo effect but I swear already from one meal I feel more satiated and could feel the food sitting in the place I used to feel it (the right place). Anyone else had to have an "unfill" to get things working better?

Thanks for all the wonderful responses and feedback. Always reassuring to know that you may not be the only one out there with what you think is a "unique problem". When I am really tight and can't seem to get enough food for the energy I need to exercise or daily routine, I resort to easy "cheat" foods. chocolate, sugary liquids etc. While that is not healthy by any means, I guess when that is ALL you are getting, you can see weight loss and results (because you are not eating anything else for calories). The problem then really begins when you CAN eat more or normal food again. I find that rather than dumping the bad habits (sugary drinks, chocolates, ice cream) I simply do BOTH. And of course now I am getting way more calories because I am actually consuming the good AND the bad together! I think the key is getting to a comfortable band restriction and then cutting out, as much as possible, the cheat foods so that it never becomes a habit one can fall back on. Keep sharing the stories please. Very helpful.

I am 18 months out from surgery. All has gone well. I was a low BMI bander so my goal was to lose about 20kg total. I am getting very close to that now. My question to all of you who may have experienced this is as follows; do I consider reducing my fill level now so that I can eat a more REASONABLE amount of food? I have been what I would consider quite restricted for about 12 of those months, which was great and achieved its goal. But I do feel that I am a ways from even a "normal meal" especially when I go out. For example, if I join friends at a fast food joint, forget the meal deal, forget the drink, forget the fries. Good luck on a small burger. I would be lucky to get 4-5 bites of the burger down and maybe 2-3 french fries. No drink of course. But I have to think that if I exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle, that it would be reasonable to have a small sandwich or the like for a normal lunch. Or am I just plain wrong about this and I shall forever be restricted to 5-6 bites of my meals and then DONE!! Thanks to anyone who has experienced this stage of the band.

I play ice hockey all the time with no problems at all.

Here is how I have dealt with it, after being addicted to Diet Coke and then quitting cold turkey. I enjoy a glass of cranberry juice with a small ounce or two of 7-Up/Sprite mixed in it. It allows me to drink socially with friends before dinner or during a night out and gives me that occasional fizz craving I need to satisfy without having the pain and problems of a whole can of soda. Maybe it could work for you.

I was exactly the same. I thought that the band had slipped and insisted my doctor give me an xray! Well we watched on the screen together while I swallowed some white liquid and we could see the band and the liquid passing through as it should. After about 5 days the pain and symptoms went away and it has been fine ever since. But I was sure worried. It just seems that all these things are par for the course.

Dear Long2 It was "normal" for me. I think a result of the swelling inside. It subsided and then oddly enough it came back about 2 weeks later for 3-4 days for no apparent reason. Went in for an x-ray thinking the band had moved but nothing was wrong. My doctor reassured me these feelings fell within the normal realm. Hope yours goes away.

I was a bit nervous about my first fill, especially after reading a few of the notes on this site. But honestly it was a non-event. My doctor didn't give me any numbing because as others have said he said this needle would hurt as much or more than the fill needle. I didn't even feel a thing. However, I would preface my comments with the fact that I think it really depends upon the amount of fat one has and their overall size. Some fills require a very large needle to penetrate through to the port, while other people are a different size and their port may be more easily accessible. So I think this is why people have varying experiences especially when it comes to some of the comments in regards to "poking around" or the size of the needle used.

I would like to draw on everyone's experience. Overall I am feeling great and things are going well. With one exception, despite following my doctor's orders to a tee on liquids and mushies, I am experiencing what I can only describe as a constant feeling of tightness in the area where I think the band is located (in my mind?). Up until about 4 days ago, this didn't exist and so I went to the doctor to have it checked out as I was paranoid in thinking the band had moved. We did an xray and I swallowed some stuff where we could watch in real time that it flowed right into my stomach and that the band was in the right place. So no problems there. It is not really pain, just a tightness. I think it is worse when I am sitting at my desk. Gas medicines don't seem to alleviate it. And it comes and goes, sometimes worse than other times. But almost ever present for the past 5 days or so. I find this strange that I feel this now as I was not experiencing it for the first 10 days which one would assume would have the most pain. So a few thoughts for your feedback; 1. Would it make sense that creamed mash potatoes would cause this? 2. Would it make sense that walking and some light exercise would cause this? 3. My doctor said my esophagus could have been "a little irritated inside"...does this make sense...and for 5 days? 4. Could it really just be some chest congestion from the start of a cold? Strange timing. Anyways, appreciate the benefit of anyone's experience as always.

Jodi, if I could describe where it is, I would say it is pretty much in the middle of my torso, just at the base of the rib cage and in my mind I am thinking...oh this is where the band meets the stomach/esophagus!! It is definitely not pain, but rather a tightness and a feeling like it would be hard to take a deep breath (even though it isn't and it doesn't hurt to do that). I expect it will go away and as you suggest it is all just part of it.

Amisha, have your nectarine, just get creative. Use a blender and puree it nicely. Same taste. Not quite the texture you are used to but you do not have to be deprived.

Agreed with the others. Don't feel guilty. First of all, you will be allowed to eat that kind of food once your stomach heals. So it is not like you were eating some forbidden food that packs in the calories. Just get back on track. I am on my 16th day of liquids and I have experimented ever so slightly here and there with a little thicker stuff....or today I had to break down and have a very runny boiled egg to get some Protein in me before my workout. The main issue with the first few weeks is to allow proper healing to take place more so than the number of calories you are taking in. You will note that most doctors say that ONLY in the first few weeks can you have certain drinks/liquids that are higher in calories that you should not consume following your healing. This is to allow you to have enough energy on a very reduced diet so take advantage of this, enjoy it and view it as the start of a longer journey. From a view of 30,000 I think we can all agree that 2 oz of Beans barely registers!

I am on day 12 following banding. Things have gone very well thus far and pretty much according to what I would say is 'routine' from everything I have read on the site. I have remained loyal to my doctor's orders of liquids only for the first two weeks (he wants me to do 3). Last night I 'experimented' a little and had a small little ice cream bar with a thin chocolate coating. Well, ever since that time (it is now morning) I have the feeling back in my chest again that the band is tight (it had been going away and non-existent). Even thought it is half a day later, I can't help but think I have injured myself or heaven forbid...that I will need to eat liquids for the rest of my life. In your experience can the after effect of such a small deviation into soft food, early in the recovery, cause such a feeling for so long? All the best.

Dear All, Well I finally took the plunge after fighting to keep my weight under control with diet and exercise for over 20 years. I am a low BMI bander (36 at banding) but I chose to use this tool after years of failure and in anticipation of deteriorating health and more weight gain as I aged. I am one week in and very excited about the future, while at the same time very apprehensive. I chose to use the band to assist me primarily with portion control. I have decided after many years of assessment that I love exercising and I love my unhealthy foods and that my main issue was lack of portion control with bad foods (i.e. eating the whole pizza instead of just one slice!). So my goal is to lose weight slowly but try and live a relatively normal life with a wide variety of food selections, just eating much less of them. So I am not too concerned about making sure my diet is perfect and healthy, just reasonable. Perhaps I am naive but given that I exercise 5-6 days per week and don't mind that and given that over the next couple of years I only want to lose 50 lbs, I think the balance and trade off can work. So that having been said I want to ask all of you (and this forum has proven to be a fantastic resource I must say) for your guidance and experience on the eventual diet (after recovery); 1. How do you find eating melted or sliced cheese? Can you? 2. How about a piece of garlic bread? 3. How about some potato chips while watching a sporting event? 4. Can you EVER go to a fast food restaurant and have a hamburger again or do they always get stuck? 5. I hear so many conflicting things about Pasta? Can you or can you not eat pasta? 6. What about rice dishes? Can you have those? I look forward to hearing from the many of you who have taken this positive and life changing step.

Jachut/Bandme08, What is readily apparent is that this major decision means different things to different people. Of course I will plan on making lifestyle changes and I am in agreement that the band alone cannot change things for me. But at the same time, I am 100% with Jachut in that I need the safety net of being 'allowed' to have some lifestyle choices in moderation. After assessment I have always felt that my attempts at dieting in the past have been sabotaged not because I could not control the type of food mix I ate, but the fact that I ate too much of the bad stuff. I am hopeful the band will help me control this. I know I can handle the exercise. I know I can handle eating less of the bad foods. What I know I CANNOT handle on my own is the portion controls. So I figured the 2 for 3 trade was worth it long term.

Mica, fantastic to hear. It sounds like you, as with myself, were looking to have a permanent portion control solution rather than a fully restrictive dietary tool. Can I ask if you get fills regularily or do you keep your band fairly loose? My doctor has discussed that in my case, full fills may not be required and we will monitor based upon weight loss. Thanks.

Dear Julia, First off thanks for taking the time to write. I am not a big user of forums to be honest and yet I have found it comforting that so many people out here are in the same situation. You know what I mean? There is something about thinking you are the only one in the world with this issue but then finding out that is not the case. To answer your question, the days following surgery, in my case, seemed to fall in line with what most people report on this site. The gas was definitely present and you can feel it in your shoulders. But the pain was not overwhelming. I used analgesics for the first 3-4 days and then went off them as I don't like having drugs in my body. I have stayed on the strict liquids for 7 days now and my doc wants me on them for 2 more weeks. So I am going to listen and give myself every chance to heal. I have done two 50 minute walks as well which seemed to be a nice combo of both gas relief and a little bit of exercise. 7 days on now and it is true that each day gets exponentially better. Getting in and out of bed is not really a problem now (the pain from the wounds is what gets you there, not the actual banding). Today for the first time, in the morning, the band does not feel as tight (or perhaps the area around it is not as swollen and healing now) which is good news to me. The last few days it had felt pretty tight in the morning. Anyways, I can certainly say the trade off has been worth it as I have lost 7 kg in the first week. I have always lost weight quickly (and put it on the same way!!) and knowing in my mind the permanence of the solution is a real motivator. Best of luck with yours and I look forward to hearing about your big day.

Sassygirl, thanks so much for sharing your experience. And congratulations on the success thus far. I went out for dinner with friends tonight and being still on Clear liquids, sticking to the broth from the minestrone Soup and ignoring the bread and calamari was a tough test. But after, and when I was not stuffed full, I felt strangely calm knowing where this might all end up (positive). May I ask how full you keep your band and if you have had fills, how many? I have discussed with my doctor keeping it fairly loose so that I have flexibility, but enough control to manage the portions. I sincerely hope I am one of the lucky ones who can continue to eat pretty much everything, only now in realistic portion sizes!