S@ssen@ch

I'm in SW Arlington in the pre-surgical phase. Hoping for insurance approval in the next few weeks.

When I had lap band in 2005, only those in my "inner circle" knew. I tend to be a very private person and didn't feel the need to advertise. After a while, I didn't really feel the need to hide it anymore and if the subject came up, I didn't hide the fact that I had lap band. Now that I'm planning on being sleeved, I am again holding this information very close to my chest. Only my husband and the person who has encouraged me to pursue the sleeve knows. I don't even plan on telling my normal "inner circle". Knowing myself, I will probably ease up as time goes by as I did with the band. But for now, this is my personal journey and I do not feel that anyone else needs to weigh in (pardon the pun) on the subject.

I had my band out 7 years ago. My surgeon at the time offered to convert me to a sleeve. I declined out of fear. Now, years later I have regained all of my weight and am pursuing the sleeve I probably should have had when the band failed me. I wouldn't recommend you wait. It's not a matter of the 35 lbs. It's a matter of all the weight you lost in the first place. Sent from my SM-G935V using BariatricPal mobile app

I have 4 pairs of Vibrams. Love them. Even my son has become a Vibram fan. I keep an eye on websites like Woot.com They occasionally have clearance specials. Sent from my SM-G935V using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm seeing Dr. Colleen Kennedy in Dallas. A friend referred me to her and can't say enough wonderful things about her. I'm glad that she accepts my insurance.

Well, after 5 years of struggling with reflux issues I broke down and had my band removed yesterday. I did it out of fear of long term esophageal damage. I did it to feel "normal" again-whatever that is. It was a tough decision because I kept reminding myself why I had the band and kept thinking that I could overcome the negative side effects. Now, I'm faced with life without the band. The little helper that reminded me not to over eat. (it certainly didn't stop me from eating Cookies and chocolate, but it did stop me from eating a whole pizza!) Whats a girl to do without a friend like that? In the last 2 years I've gained 30 lbs. I've tried diet after diet because I didn't tolerate fills only to see small success with easy return of the minimal amount weight that I'd lost. My fiends tell me that I've learned good skills in the last 5 years that will carry me through. I have my doubts. What's a girl to do? Any advice for when the hunger monster returns in a few days?

I had my band out on 9/7 and I can honestly say that my stomach size is smaller. I simply cannot eat large, out of proportion sized meals. For at least the 1st month post op, I often noticed physical pain if I ate even as much as I did with the band. I don't get the pain anymore, but I am truly satisfied with the small meals. I find it easy to stop with small portions and I do not find myself fighting a raging hunger. I suffered with reflux issues for nearly all of my 5 years while banded. My biggest fear at having the band out was struggling with my weight more than I already was and having some wild appetite that I couldn't control. None of those things came to reality. I've learned some good eating habits and am very self aware. So, I guess my point is...If you have to have your band removed for whatever reason, there is no need to panic. You can do it!

Thanks Cathy, but actually that's why I came on the forums today. I decided over the weekend to contact my surgeon to discuss having my band removed. I'm not comfortable with the gastric sleeve, so I guess I'm goin' it alone. Which now that I think about it since I've never been able to tolerate a fill..........maybe I've been with very little assistance all along? Who knows? I have a pouch, but not much of one I guess. My current doc is not the one who placed my band. I left the original guy when he tried to tell me my symptoms were the result of psychological problems. And when my current doc did an EGD (esophageal gastro duodenoscopy) he said my band was placed higher than he would have liked but that things looked OK. That was more than 2 years ago because I have avoided the doctor. They all tell me that despite my symptoms "everything is OK." I finally broke down and saw him a month ago. That was when he said that I probably fall into a small category of patients who have motility issues and will probably need to have the band removed. My doctor is good about email contact so I emailed him tonight. Hopefully I'll be on the road to feeling better soon. It's been so long since I felt "normal" I don't even know if I'll recognize it. All I know is I can't live with this constant burning anymore.

I agree, that your band doesn't sound like it was placed correctly, BUT............. My band was also placed slightly higher than it should have been. I've been living with the issue now for 5 years. I wouldn't recommend it. I had some initial success but have really struggled with some side effects that I probably shouldn't have. I cannot sleep on my back-I wake with pain and pressure I nearly constantly have something like reflux but without any choking. It's more like a slight stomach acid regurgitation that sits in my esophagus and gives me a sour taste/sore and burning throat. I have lived with this thinking I have caused it by overeating, eating the wrong foods, positional errors (sleeping on my back). Now, 5 years down the road the symptoms are nearly constant unless I am shoving food down my throat and I have gained 30+ lbs. Advice: if you have identified the problem this early, take care of it NOW! My doctor told me last month to try one more round of Nexium but to think about removal with a conversion to the gastric sleeve.

OMG! It's amazing the nightmares we endure! I was also told I may have "motility issues" and may have to have my band out. I was banded in 2005, had initial success then my gall bladder went to hell and it's been downhill ever since. Every day, for the majority of the day I have a sore throat. The kind you get after you've vomited. I do not vomit. I do not PB, but I have this lingering sourness, sore throat, burning that really only goes away WHILE I'm EATING! then comes back with a vengeance after I eat. I've had it now for 5 years, I'm tired of it. Tired of trying to sleep strategically. Worried that I'm ruining my esophagus. And I'm ready to move towards removal. Thank you for your post. The timing couldn't have been better for me. I wish you the best in your recovery.

Thank you so much for posting this. Your story is inspiring for me and the timing couldn't have been better. I have been told today by my band doctor that I may have mechanical failure and I have to decide whether to remove my band. My story: I was banded 4/4/05. Initially I did very well, lost weight, felt good, no complications. About 6 months into it I starting having what the doctor told me was esophageal spasms and after several months of recurrent "spasms" that made me want to commit suicide, we discovered that they were gall bladder attacks. Since the gall bladder removal my weight loss has essentially stalled, maybe 20 lbs over 3 years then in the last 6 months or so I have gained 30! YIKES! From the time I was banded I have not been able to lay on my back for extended periods of time or sleep on my back. I wake with chest pain and pressure and I nearly always wake with a sore throat. All doctors tell me it's reflux. After 5 years of this "reflux", I started getting worried about the health of my esophagus so I contacted my band doctor. He says that some rare cases of "mechanical failure" occur where the esophagus just doesn't have the motility to deal with the device that's been implanted. We could try Nexium and if the symptoms do not improve, the only way to solve the problem is band removal. *I've done the Nexium thing before and haven't noticed any change. I'm willing to try again, but I think I'm headed for a tough decision here. It's like I'm losing a friend and I really fear gaining all of my weight back. He offered the VGS as an option, but I chose the band because I didn't want my anatomy altered. I want to cry.

As an "old timer" feeling full banded feels the same as feeling full non-banded. You will have to slow down your eating to recognize the subtle cues that you are satisfied. For me, my nose begins to run. Others, it may be as subtle as a sigh. If you continue to eat after these signs of satisfaction into being full, I'm talking Thanksgiving Day full, you will experience an unpleasant situation. That could be anything from sliming, pain to a PB. Note: If you are feeling things moving through your chest or getting "stuck", you are either too tight or you are eating too much, too quickly.

Pay attention to when the pain is at it's worst. Is it about an hour or so after you eat? Pay attention to what you are eating. If it has a higher fat content (not even excessively so) but like cheese or an egg, you may be experiencing a gall bladder attack. The location sounds right. Individuals who have struggled with obesity and weight loss are at a higher risk for gall bladder disease and stones. You may want to discuss this with your doctor.

Wallisj, You may find that having an unfill, either slight or total will relieve some of your suffering. In the first year and a half of my banding I also felt that banding may have been a mistake. I felt like I was fighting my own body and suffering. My band doctor completely unfilled me to "give me a break". It was the best thing I have ever done. I felt so much better. I remain completely unfilled today. For the first year I maintained my weight and only recently have gained a little weight. I think I'm ready for a slight fill, but have hesitated for financial reasons. Advice: Get that unfill to give your body a break. Do your best to deal with those stresses in your life you have mentioned. Those stresses will affect how your band works. It may be a year or so before you can get a fill, but the band was not meant to make you suffer but to be as a tool to help you reach your goals.

4me, I know it's disappointing and certainly frustrating, but I'm finding this is more common than we are told prior to banding. I kept having terrible reflux throughout the night. I didn't have the coughing but for some reason the reflux was going into my nose and I kept getting sores in my nose. I saw 2 band doctors (the first I would NEVER recommend because they kept telling me it was all my fault or in my head :wub:) The 2nd did an upper GI and another fluoroscopy and noticed that I have a little regurgitation (stomach contents that go back form the larger stomach into the smaller stomach when I'm laying down). The placement of my band (which was a little higher than the 2nd doctor usually places it may have also played a part here. Anyway, I don't tolerate fills because of this. Even when I'm fully empty I still get the burning feeling in my chest and throat. There's lots of strategies "they" tell you: don't eat after 7pm. Make sure you drink something between that 7pm and bedtime to flush out your pouch. Don't eat highly acidic foods. Sleep with your head slightly elevated. yada, yada, yada. I CAN say that if I eat sometime after 8pm I do have greater problems but otherwise I notice no significant difference. I slept with my head elevated on a wedge pillow for nearly a year and it seemed to be worse. So.....know that you're not alone and this is just one of the many struggles that bandsters have to learn to overcome during their journey to better health...did I say better health when this seems to be a symptom of something? Yes I did, but hey I feel it's a small price to pay at this point. Ask me in 10 years when I'm developing Barrett's esophagus.

I got them post op and I still get them once in a while. They seem to stick around FOREVER. The thing that I do to get rid of them is timed breathing. I relax, breathe in very slowly and deeply then breathe out also very slowly and deeply. If it helps, count to at least 3 while you're doing the breathing. You may hiccup during the breathing but it will eventually go away. It's a little like meditating. A hiccup is the diaphragm having a spasm. So, you need to relax and breath very controlled and slowly so that the muscle will relax.

Do you still have your gall bladder? If so, it could be a gall bladder attack. When I was having my gall bladder attacks I mistook them for problems with the band because they were in the center of my abdomen and felt like pressure, pressure so bad I felt like I was going to blow up! But yet I couldn't do anything to relieve the pressure. Gall bladder issues are common for individuals undergoing weight loss. *Also, if the pain is that bad you should absolutely consult your doctor. Pain is an indicator that there is something wrong.

lin2, Before I had my surgery I felt the exact same way. I mean, if I couldn't stick to anything BEFORE why should I think I can do it after if everyone keeps telling me that the band is "only a tool"? SO....I spent months educating myself and training myself to be able to eat the way I thought a bandster should eat. Not drinking before, during or after my meals. Taking small bites, chewing well, eating slowly, eating Protein first, etc. The first 6 months was a piece of cake. But slowly those demons that got me to where I was slowly came in. I wanted the snack foods, Cookies and breads that I had avoided. So, slowly I tried them. And you know what? There is nothing......NOTHING that I cannot eat. I only eat it in smaller quantities now. Instead of eating a whole pie, I only eat a piece. I can eat pizza but I can only eat a piece, maybe 2 if the crust is thinner. After more than a year out, my doctor's dietitian told me that I could probably start drinking carbonated beverages-that it has not shown to stretch the pouch. I don't drink them a lot, but I occasionally sip at a root beer and don't have any problems other than a little extra burping. *I would recommend if you can swear off of them, do so. (artificial sweeteners, caffeine, carbonation=bad choice) I eat out regularly at restaurants, but I choose carefully because the portions are so large and I KNOW I won't be able to eat it all. I stay away from fried foods-and I've learned to make healthy choices I love. I can eat salads but I rarely do because they fill me up. Although I never have enough room for a whole dessert, I can share one with my family which is fun. If someone didn't know I was banded, they would never suspect. I don't look or act any differently (other than not drinking with my meal-which no one really pays attention to anyway) and I don't draw attention to myself. I just go about my business. I don't regret being banded. It was the best decision I have made for my health and my life. It saved me and helped me in more ways than I could ever explain in a brief paragraph. Good Luck to you in whatever decision you make,

On a full liquid diet you should be allowed creamed Soups, puddings, custards and..........ice cream. Now, that's not a license to go wild with empty calories. Choose those things low in calories, sugar free and high in Protein. You can add your protein supplement to all of those things although when it's heated, most protein additives change their potency. Custard is naturally higher in protein because it's made with eggs. Be creative and remember: THIS TOO SHALL PASS. But this period brings with it skills you will need for a lifetime of band knowledge. Remember also that you can eat the things from the clear liquid diet. Like: Popsicles and jell-o.

You'll find that all surgeons and their staff (dietitian) have varied advice on what you should and should not eat. But keep in mind that that's "should" and "should not" versus "can" and "cannot". A good rule of thumb when you're first banded, if you feel that a food is something you absolutely cannot live without.........when you feel ready, give it a try. Eat it, without anything else so you know it's that food and not something else that you're tolerating/not tolerating and eat it SLOWLY. Statistically, bandsters have trouble with breads (especially doughy breads) and pastas. The way it was described to me was that the bread forms little dough balls in the top part of your stomach (your pouch) and has a rough time trying to pass through the banded part of your stomach. Besides, these things really do fill you up. Get the most of your food. Eat nutritious things that your band CAN tolerate versus filling up on bread. Other bandsters have trouble with dry meats (think overcooked turkey) and even bananas. It's very individual and you'll find that the tighter you are the more foods you may have an intolerance for. You won't have anything like dumping, but it generally causes pain and often results in seeing that food again. I was told by my original surgeon I was never to drink carbonated beverages again. I swore off of them. I never drank a lot of them before, so it wasn't hard. But a root beer once in a while sure sounded good. And what if you needed something like "Alka Seltzer"? Anyway, I had to change doctors about a year out and his dietitian told me "well you're more than a year out. You should be able to tolerate carbonated beverages without trouble. Just remember that they can hold empty calories." Good Luck,

I knew ANY bypass procedure was not going to be for me by simply looking at those around me who had it. They look so pasty pale and ill while they're in the "successful" weight loss mode. Those who are not "successful" are gaining their weight back. Besides, I wasn't willing to do anything permanent to my insides. If I had side effects that I couldn't live with, I could have it removed. With LapBand, I knew I would HAVE to participate and I was willing to try even though I had failed countless times before. I went through a similar phase like what you're describing right now. "What if I fail at this?" "What if I go right back to what got me here in the first place?" What if, What if, What if. So, what I did was research. When I had enough information to have me satisfied, I literally began training myself to live the LapBand life. I carried a sport watch with a timer to train myself not to drink while eating (before and after). I got a small fork and spoon and started eating on a salad plate. Small steps, but very valuable and habits I am glad I learned because I'm not so eager to wolf down my food and I have no problem with no drinking while I eat. Advice: unless you're absolutely sure...........don't do it. Feel comfortable with your decisions because if you are not, the struggles you face may be overwhelming. I don't regret what I did, but I have certainly gone through periods where I have wondered "what the hell have I done to myself?"

Ang, When you've made the decision and you know it's right for you, it's so hard to jump through all the hoops that the system presents for you. Hang in there, take this time to prepare yourself for post banding life. Educate yourself on what it's going to be like, imagine yourself having to eat like a bandster. If you're a planner, take the time to plan how you're going to change yourself and your behaviors after you are banded. This is your strength, use it to your advantage. You'll find a well prepared bandster is a successful bandster. We all have our challenges getting to the "big day". But that's really only the beginning of the journey. Once you are banded, you'll have different challenges. Learn, prepare, know and be confidant. Good Luck,

Strangle Hold-Ted Nugent Closer-Nine Inch Nails

I eat at least 4 small meals per day. B=either unsweetened cheerios w/organic skim milk or oatmeal cooked with Water, brown sugar splenda and dried fruits. S=nuts, granola, dried fruits L=usually Soup (preferably Lentil as it has protein) but I will occasionally have left overs from home only in small portions. D=Whatever my family has except I NEVER eat deep fried anything and I do my best to reduce the amount of bread that I eat as it fills me up too much. EX: If the family is eating something on a bun, I'll have it either without bread or on a slice of whole wheat bread. I RARELY drink carbonated beverages, but I do occasionally. My original doctor told me never to drink carbonated beverages and I didn't for a year. I had to change doctors, for various reasons and my 2nd doctor's dietician told me that I'm "out far enough" that it shouldn't hurt but remember the empty calories. I feel that aspartame in most diet sodas is harmful, so I stay away from it and indulge in a regular soda once in a great while. I participate in regular exercise at least twice a week called Egoscue. It's kind of a combination of Yoga and Pilates. I try to walk daily, but am not 100% faithful to that. Note*I have been unfilled for over a year and have maintained my weight by doing this. I'd like to lose more and probably could, but I like how I feel and have no desire to be further restricted.

Nina, The initial post op phase is what's generally known as "bandster Hell". It's where you're transitioning back to solid foods, you're grieving your previous eating habits, you may feel a little (or a lot depending on your strategies) like you're starving and you want to see those pounds drop off but they may not be going as fast as you'd like. Bandster Hell. Throughout this whole thread, I kept thinking "She's just not getting enough protein". I was warned prior to banding that if I didn't get enough Protein within the first few days post op I could feel dizzy and weak. I'm glad you found something you like. Now, you need to find some variety. Personally, I made myself Protein shakes with sugar free carnation instant Breakfast, added unjury Protein powder (I suppose another brand would do, but I liked Unjury) and then went from there. I could add fruit, Peanut Butter. I don't like coffee, but I saw others doing instant coffees and having a frappacino (sp?) kind of shake. Protein puddings are good (sugar free instant pudding with fat free milk and a scoop of the protein powder). I even made some custards, they're higher in protein than standard pudding and taste great. Both fall in the full liquid category. Try some soups that may have protein in them like lentil or Beans, blended of course. I really liked refried beans with a little sour cream and melted cheese to flavor them. Get creative, learn what has protein and what doesn't. Go online and find recipes, ask your friends. Whatever it takes. I would anticipate that the spasms will go away. It's your body's way of reacting to this foreign body in it. Once it gets used to it I would think that the spasms will get better, but that's a question for your doctor. But definitely take the meds as prescribed. The loopiness will get better, too. Fortunately, this period is temporary. Hang in there.