Vampyrvet

HI everyone! After 6 months trouble-free since being sleeved, maybe I was getting a little too cocky? 5 days ago, feeling fine, I ate half of a fresh coconut. I ate slowly, chewed well, and stopped long before I had any discomfort & went about my business. I have not been able to hold anything down since then! For the first 2 days, I was in agonizing stomach pain & vomiting everything I tried to eat or drink. I felt like I had a rock in my stomach. The following day I felt better but kept to liquids just to be safe & everything was fine other than still feeling like there was a lump in my stomach. The day after that (yesterday) I tried to have some chili & got about 3 spoons into my stomach before I felt nauseous again. The vomiting resumed with a vengeance. So last night I elected to do a barium study on myself (lucky to have access to radiology at work!) and after 5 hours there was still a perfectly round mass in my stomach that the barium was stuck to. Showed this to my doctor this AM & he sent me for endoscopy. He said I had a bezoar, which is a concretion of undigestible material in my stomach, basically from the cellulose Fiber of the coconut. The endoscopist is telling me that this is a common finding in people who have had gastric surgery. This is the first time I've heard anything about it!!! Has anyone else had this experience? Can anyone provide me with a list of foods I should avoid, so I don't have to go through this again? I asked my doc, but he basically just said coconut, pumpkin seeds, and celery. There has got to be more to it than that! Any advice or input is appreciated! Thanks, y'all! Natalie :001_wub:

Hi everyone. I'm not sure if anyone is still monitoring this discussion (forgot about it myself for a while), but just in case anyone else has issues with bezoars I would like to report that I successfully dissolved mine by sipping Coca Cola, all day & all night, for about 10 days. Dissolved my bezoar and made me so sick of Coca Cola that I'll probably never drink it again. So, double success! About a year later, I thought I would try eating a smaller amount of coconut just because when I had my original bezoar, I felt like I had a rock in my stomach and was not hungry for a week. I thought if I just ate a smaller amount of coconut maybe I could kill part of my appetite without getting obstructed. Sadly, the attempt was a failure. I successfully re-formed my bezoar but also successfully re-obstructed myself. I was too embarrassed to go back to my doctor, so I started back on the Coca Cola and was normal again a week later. So my advice is... don't eat coconut. But if you do, keep a case of Coca Cola handy. Cheers! Natalie

Hi Jane, Nice thought, but I am not taking PPI's nor any other kind of acid-blocker. I guess just having so much of my stomach removed is enough to reduce the acid production. I wonder why these things don't form in people who take antacids chronically but have not had stomach surgery?? Natalie

OH, and I also found this little snippet of information: "Chewing on or eating hair or fuzzy materials (or indigestible materials such as plastic bags) can lead to the formation of a bezoar. The rate is very low and the risk is greater among mentally retarded or emotionally disturbed children." I guess the 2nd sentence is an accurate statement, in reference to me! Natalie

Thanks for your support everyone! I did a little more reading on bezoars, and found out that they are associated with people who have had gastric surgery because of decreased acidity and decreased motility (ability of the stomach muscles to contract) of the gastric pouch. I guess the Coca Cola makes a lot of sense! The jury is still out on whether or not this works for me... the studies I read said the subjects needed in excess of 3 liters of Coke before the bezoars broke up, and since my stomach only holds 4-6 ounces at a time, that could take quite a while! There is another option if this doesn't work: enzymatic dissolution. There is an enzyme called Cellulase that dissolves the plant fiber (wonder why my doc didn't mention this yesterday???). Anyway, I'm still a work in progress but thank you for all your help & support! love, Natalie

I've been researching on PubMed, and they actually report successfully dissolving these things with Coca-Cola! Why not? They clean car engines with the stuff!

Hi everyone! Looks like I'm the first one here. So let me be the first to welcome you all and invite any questions or comments you may have. Here is my story, in all it's revolting detail: I was banded (Realize) in June 2008 and received my first fill in July. (3cc's). I followed my post-op diet to the letter, but began vomiting shortly after my fill. *I thought it was my fault for overeating/under-chewing, etc. I tried to change my eating habits & put up with the vomiting. I was always hungry, and never had that "early and prolonged feeling of satiety" that I was promised. When I tried to eat anything it didn't matter how slowly and carefully I chewed, I went from being hungry to being in agonizing pain with no warning whatsoever. The vomiting would follow anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours later. *When this didn't get better, I got the band completely deflated, but that only helped for a couple of weeks. *By September, my stomach had herniated up through the center of the band and I was fully obstructed. This required an emergency 2nd surgery to reposition & re-secure the band. *I decided to give the band another try because my surgeon told me he had never heard of anyone slipping twice, and I felt that I had come through too much to give up yet. * I had my first fill (3 cc's again) in November '08 and began vomiting again in early February '09. I ran to my surgeon to get deflated, got re x-rayed and he informed me that my band had slipped AGAIN. Time for surgery #3. * For the majority of the time that I had my band, I walked around with some degree of obstruction, and my diet was limited to liquids & puddings. *I had to go out of town one weekend & tried to eat a small sandwich & ended up vomiting so hard that there was blood in it. *I was deeply concerned about the damage that I was doing to my stomach, esophagus, and teeth. *I lived in constant fear of choking on my own stomach acid as I refluxed in my sleep. (There are documented cases of band patients actually dying from this!) *I had to buy a wedge-shaped pillow to elevate my torso, but it didn't work all the time. In the last 6 months that I had my band, I did not lose a single pound despite all the vomiting. *This is because I couldn't eat anything but Protein shakes, some kinds of soft cheeses, and pudding. *The port never stopped hurting, for the entire time I had it. I couldn't wear jeans or shorts with a firm waistband, because it felt like I was being jabbed in the guts with a broom handle. Whenever I tried to exercise, I could feel it ripping into my muscles and I would be sore in that spot for days after. I felt like I had a knife sticking out of my gut for 10 months. For a weight-loss procedure to actually REDUCE your ability to exercise is unacceptable.* For a band to slip TWICE in only 7 months is unacceptable.* I don't think I could ever recommend the band to anyone.* I regret my decision immensely, not just because it was a miserable experience, but also because it ended up costing me nearly $50,000 for 3 surgeries, all of which came out of pocket since I am self-pay. I had to beg & scrape for the $13,500 for the first band surgery, and this ordeal has pushed me to the brink of bankruptcy. In March '09, I finally got my band removed and converted to a sleeve. What an amazing difference! I can now eat real, healthy food again. I am hardly ever hungry. I eat 3 or 4 bites of something and I am full for hours. I am no longer in pain from the port digging & ripping into my abdominal wall. I am not vomiting anymore. I can sleep lying down like a normal person. I no longer need to have a bucket in my car or on my nightstand. I can exercise as hard as I want and wear anything that I want. I have lost 17 lbs in the 2 months since I was sleeved, because I can finally eat healthy & nutritious food instead of Protein Shakes all the time. I am a veterinarian, not an MD. *But I have enough medical knowledge to draw the following conclusions about the band. *This is only my personal opinion. 1: There is no real way for the surgeon to secure a band to prevent it from slipping. *It cannot be sutured to your stomach. *Really it's just friction, gravity, and/or prayer that holds it in place. 2: The band sits so high up on your stomach that it is practically wrapped around your lower esophagus. *This essentially forces any solid food you eat to back up into your esophagus, causing pain, vomiting, and reflux. *Enough exposure to your stomach acid will cause ulcers in your esophagus. *This can lead to scar tissue formation, which will cause PERMANENT narrowing and/or obstruction of your esophagus. *In the medical community, this is what we call "a bad thing".* 3: The stretch receptors in your stomach that tell you you're full are located in the bottom part of the stomach. (called the Pylorus). *Because of the band, these receptors never get stretched. *Therefore you have to rely on other signals to tell you to stop eating. *Like the searing pain in your esophagus. *In my case, the first twinge of discomfort that I felt while eating meant that it was already too late and I could expect to be vomiting within the hour. 4: The purpose of any weight loss surgery is to help you lose weight. *This depends on you eating a healthful diet. *In my experience, the band actually FORCED me to eat high-calorie "slider" foods. *I could not eat rice, Pasta, bread, vegetables, meat, fruits with skin, or anything with Fiber. *One does not lose much weight on a diet of protein shakes and ice cream, but that is pretty much all I could swallow without puking. In hindsight, I really wish I had gone with the VSG to begin with. *I didn't because I was afraid of actually cutting my stomach, and the adjustability of the band appealed to me. *I thought it was the least risky of the options. *Sadly, it has turned out to be the least effective. *The more I research, the more I find droves of banded people with similar stories as mine. *Prior to receiving my band, I was told that the rate of band slippage was something around 5%. *Since then, numerous studies have been published documenting that it is more like 25-35%. *That means 1/4 to 1/3 of banded people will experience a complication requiring a 2nd surgery at some point. *A device with such a high rate of failure/complication has no business being on the market. Had I known this, I never would have chosen the band. In considering my options for revision surgery, I chose the VSG for the following reasons: 1: there is no re-routing of the intestines and hence no malabsorption. (translation = no nutritional deficiencies). *Since my family has a history of osteoporosis, the last thing I want to do is limit my ability to absorb Calcium. *Also, menstruating women will frequently develop life-threatening Iron deficiencies with malabsorptive procedures. *Also not appealing. With a bypass or the duodenal switch, you MUST take your Vitamins religiously or YOU CAN DIE. 2: With the sleeve there is little to no risk of obstruction because your pyloric sphincter remains intact 3: the stretch receptors that tell you you're full are located in the pyloric area of your stomach, and they are stimulated quickly with a long/narrow stomach pouch 4: the part of the stomach that is removed is the part that secretes the hormone "ghrelin", which is the hormone that makes you hungry. *So there is better appetite suppression than with the band even though the stomach capacity is similar. 5: there is no foreign device implanted in your body to slip, erode, or cause pain. 6: this procedure carries the least risk of bleeding & leakage compared to the bypass or duodenal switch. There is no way I could maintain the weight I lost if I*just had the band removed, either. *As soon as I was deflated, my appetite came back with a vengeance. *Even so, I could still feel that my stomach was being pinched off and I was constantly at risk for progressing to a complete obstruction, or heaven-forbid a band erosion. * If there is anyone out there who's had a gastric band for 5+ years, and isn't having problems, I'd love to hear from you. I do NOT feel like I failed the band. The band failed me. It did not do what it was supposed to, which is make me feel full and stop eating sooner. All it did was slice up my stomach, shred my esophagus, burn the enamel off my teeth, and give me a constant sharp pain in my abs. And since all I could keep down was protein shakes, I didn't even lose that much weight. And if you are one who thinks it won't happen to you because you are a model patient who follows all the rules, then think of me. I am a doctor. I researched the crap out of the band & thought I could make it work. I followed all the instructions to the letter, and my band slipped anyway. TWICE. So my advice to you is, don't be afraid of cutting your stomach. Think of it as getting a new & improved stomach that actually works the way it's supposed to, like a normal person's. I wish you the best of luck. This is a decision that only you can make. I'm sure there are some people out there who have gotten banded and are enjoying good success. I am not one of them, and I am not alone. Educate yourself and learn all you can. *If there is anything else I can do for you, I'm happy to try. Be well, Natalie

Hi, Lan2K I'm glad you found this forum and I'm especially glad if I had some small part in helping you decide AGAINST the Band! You will not regret the sleeve! Not only is it low-maintenance and extremely effective, in the long run you will actually lose more weight with the sleeve than you would have with the band (according to statistical averages). I am so glad that you are taking the time & trouble to educate yourself beyond just the literature provided by the various band companies! Good luck to you on your WLS journey! Natalie

It's really amazing the things we had to do to cope, and accepted it as a normal part of our lifestyles! Thank God for the Sleeve!:juggle:

Wow, you are freshly post-op yourself! And it took all of ONE day to cure your gastric reflux, imagine that! How are you feeling now with your sleeve?

I'm glad you are taking the time & trouble to educate yourself before making a decision. If my experiences can save even ONE person from making a bad decision, then it wasn't for nothingll! As bad as my run was, it wasn't nearly as bad as some others I've read... permanent lung damage or death from aspiration, weeks in the ICU and near-death experiences from band erosions & perforated stomachs... it's amazing to me that bands are still legal, IMHO. Good luck to you Natalie

Wow, all I can say is WHY on Earth would you ever want another band, after a near-death experience like that??? :rolleyes2: I had 2 band slips in 9 months and finally had to get mine removed (converted to a sleeve 4 weeks ago), and even though I was in constant pain & misery, my suffering was nothing compared to your horror story. Maybe your surgeon would let you convert to another procedure and pay in installments? There are also options like CareCredit or other medical line-of-credit alternatives. I am not surprised to hear you say that you are regaining your weight. I had the same experience both times I got my band deflated. The appetite comes back with a vengeance. Once your feeling of fullness is gone, there's no signal to stop eating and you get exactly what you got with your original eating habits, which is weight regain. If another surgery is ever an option for you, I encourage you to look into the sleeve. In my opinion, it offers all of the benefits with less risk and no negative impact to your lifestyle. Since being sleeved, I no longer need to keep a puke bucket in my car or on my nightstand. I can sleep lying down like a normal human instead of propping myself up into a sitting position to keep from refluxing in my sleep. I have no esophageal pain, no pain from a port digging into my abdominal wall, no worries about burning the enamel off my teeth. I can actually eat healthy food that contains Fiber, instead of having to limit myself to shakes, pudding, and ice cream. I can enjoy a nice meal at a restaurant without having to excuse myself to run to the bathroom and puke. I feel full after a few bites of food & stay full for hours without having to run back & forth for fills & unfills. I no longer find myself obsessing about food 24/7. My sleeve just works, all the time, every time. Yes, I had to learn the hard way, and I too am now $60K in debt. I wish I had done it right the first time but we all travel different paths and have different experiences. I'm glad you're still around to share your journey with us. Good luck to you! natalie

Hi Dianne Your story sounds exactly like mine and so many others. My advice is that you need a sleeve and you will never regret it. Here is my story (sorry it's so long, but I've been through hell this last year) I was banded in June 08. I liked the idea of the band because it seemed less invasive, less drastic, and I was in favor of something that was adjustable and removable. I "only" had about 60 pounds to lose, so I didn't want anything that would permanently alter my insides and I didn't want anything malabsorptive. Almost immediately after receiving my first fill (3 cc's), I began vomiting. I thought I was just overeating, or maybe not chewing well enough, so I tried to modify my eating habits. The vomiting escalated. I began to reflux in my sleep, with the result that I would wake up choking on my own stomach acid, terrified that I would aspirate and die (this has happened!) I would stop eating 3 hours before bed, but it didn't help. I bought a foam wedge to elevate my torso while I slept, but even this didn't entirely solve the problem. I never felt a feeling of fullness no matter how slowly & carefully I ate. I just went from hungry to pain with no warning, then the vomiting. I had to sleep with a bucket on my nightstand, and I also kept a bucket in my car because I could be overcome with the urge to vomit at any time with no warning. I should also mention that the port never stopped hurting since the day it was implanted. Every time I coughed, sneezed, or god-forbid tried to exercise... I could feel it ripping through my abdominal muscles. I walked around for months feeling like I had a knife sticking out of my gut. I couldn't wear jeans or anything with a firm waistband, because it felt like I was being poked with a broomstick. By September, things had gotten so bad that I couldn't even hold down liquids. I ran my own upper GI study (I work at a vet's office) and e-mailed my films to my doctor, who told me I was obstructed and to get my butt to the hospital first thing in the morning for emergency surgery. By this time, I'd lost about 25 pounds, most of which was because I was obstructed. Now, my doctor told me he'd never had a band slip twice, so he suggested that we reposition it and try again. I felt that I had come too far to give up, so I agreed. We let things heal for a full 8 weeks before attempting another fill (3 cc's again). That was in November 08. By February 09, I was puking after every meal again. Sometimes even with blood. Nothing would stay down except Protein shakes and ice cream. I RAN to my doc to get an un-fill, bringing another upper GI study with me. Doc told me that my band had indeed slipped AGAIN and I would need a 3rd surgery. There was no way I was about to spend one more minute with that cursed thing in my body, so I elected to convert to a sleeve. I chose this procedure because it seemed to have everything I wanted: minimally invasive, no re-routing of the intestines, no disruption of the pyloric valve, no messing with my absorption of nutrients. I liked the fact that the part of the stomach that gets removed is the part that secretes the "hunger hormone". I liked the fact that the "full" receptors would actually be allowed to do their thing again. I liked the fact that the sleeve carries the least risk of bleeding or leakage. So I was sleeved 2 weeks ago. My only regret is that I didn't do the sleeve in the first place. In the last 2 weeks, my life has changed dramatically. No more vomiting. No more pain. I actually feel full like I'm supposed to after a few bites, and it lasts for hours. Wearing jeans doesn't hurt anymore. I can sleep lying down like a normal person. I no longer have a bucket in my car. AND I've lost 13 pounds in these last 2 weeks, compared to ZERO pounds lost in the last 6 months with the band. I finally have my life back. This is the way things were SUPPOSED to work with the band. I only have some residual soreness where my doc had to dig the port out of my muscle wall, but other than that I feel perfectly normal. The sleeve was absolutely the right choice for me, and I wish I'd done it sooner. I'm looking forward to a long and happy relationship with my sleeve! I do NOT feel like I failed the band. The band failed me. It did not do what it was supposed to, which is make me feel full and stop eating sooner. All it did was slice up my stomach, shred my esophagus, burn the enamel off my teeth, and give me a constant sharp pain in my abs. And since all I could keep down was Protein Shakes, I didn't even lose that much weight. If anyone out there is weighing their options between a band & a sleeve, consider this: despite what the band companies tell you, recent studies have been published documenting that 25-35% of all band patients will experience complications requiring a 2nd surgery. That means that 1/4 to 1/3 of bands will fail. Is this acceptable to you??? And if you are one who thinks it won't happen to you because you are a model patient who follows all the rules, then think of me. I am a doctor. I researched the crap out of the band & thought I could make it work. I followed all the instructions to the letter, and my band slipped anyway. TWICE. So my advice to you is, don't be afraid of cutting your stomach. Think of it as getting a new & improved stomach that actually works the way it's supposed to, like a normal person's. Good luck to you Natalie

Hi everyone, I just joined this forum, so it's nice to meet you all. I was banded in June 08. I liked the idea of the band because it seemed less invasive, less drastic, and I was in favor of something that was adjustable and removable. I "only" had about 60 pounds to lose, so I didn't want anything that would permanently alter my insides and I didn't want anything malabsorptive. Almost immediately after receiving my first fill (3 cc's), I began vomiting. I thought I was just overeating, or maybe not chewing well enough, so I tried to modify my eating habits. The vomiting escalated. I began to reflux in my sleep, with the result that I would wake up choking on my own stomach acid, terrified that I would aspirate and die (this has happened!) I would stop eating 3 hours before bed, but it didn't help. I bought a foam wedge to elevate my torso while I slept, but even this didn't entirely solve the problem. I never felt a feeling of fullness no matter how slowly & carefully I ate. I just went from hungry to pain with no warning, then the vomiting. I had to sleep with a bucket on my nightstand, and I also kept a bucket in my car because I could be overcome with the urge to vomit at any time with no warning. I should also mention that the port never stopped hurting since the day it was implanted. Every time I coughed, sneezed, or god-forbid tried to exercise... I could feel it ripping through my abdominal muscles. I walked around for months feeling like I had a knife sticking out of my gut. I couldn't wear jeans or anything with a firm waistband, because it felt like I was being poked with a broomstick. By September, things had gotten so bad that I couldn't even hold down liquids. I ran my own upper GI study (I work at a vet's office) and e-mailed my films to my doctor, who told me I was obstructed and to get my butt to the hospital first thing in the morning for emergency surgery. By this time, I'd lost about 25 pounds, most of which was because I was obstructed. Now, my doctor told me he'd never had a band slip twice, so he suggested that we reposition it and try again. I felt that I had come too far to give up, so I agreed. We let things heal for a full 8 weeks before attempting another fill (3 cc's again). That was in November 08. By February 09, I was puking after every meal again. Sometimes even with blood. Nothing would stay down except Protein shakes and ice cream. I RAN to my doc to get an un-fill, bringing another upper GI study with me. Doc told me that my band had indeed slipped AGAIN and I would need a 3rd surgery. There was no way I was about to spend one more minute with that cursed thing in my body, so I elected to convert to a sleeve. I chose this procedure because it seemed to have everything I wanted: minimally invasive, no re-routing of the intestines, no disruption of the pyloric valve, no messing with my absorption of nutrients. I liked the fact that the part of the stomach that gets removed is the part that secretes the "hunger hormone". I liked the fact that the "full" receptors would actually be allowed to do their thing again. I liked the fact that the sleeve carries the least risk of bleeding or leakage. So I was sleeved 2 weeks ago. My only regret is that I didn't do the sleeve in the first place. In the last 2 weeks, my life has changed dramatically. No more vomiting. No more pain. I actually feel full like I'm supposed to after a few bites, and it lasts for hours. Wearing jeans doesn't hurt anymore. I can sleep lying down like a normal person. I no longer have a bucket in my car. AND I've lost 13 pounds in these last 2 weeks, compared to ZERO pounds lost in the last 6 months with the band. I finally have my life back. This is the way things were SUPPOSED to work with the band. I only have some residual soreness where my doc had to dig the port out of my muscle wall, but other than that I feel perfectly normal. The sleeve was absolutely the right choice for me, and I wish I'd done it sooner. I'm looking forward to a long and happy relationship with my sleeve! I do NOT feel like I failed the band. The band failed me. It did not do what it was supposed to, which is make me feel full and stop eating sooner. All it did was slice up my stomach, shred my esophagus, burn the enamel off my teeth, and give me a constant sharp pain in my abs. And since all I could keep down was Protein Shakes, I didn't even lose that much weight. If anyone out there is weighing their options between a band & a sleeve, consider this: despite what the band companies tell you, recent studies have been published documenting that 25-35% of all band patients will experience complications requiring a 2nd surgery. That means that 1/4 to 1/3 of bands will fail. Is this acceptable to you??? And if you are one who thinks it won't happen to you because you are a model patient who follows all the rules, then think of me. I am a doctor. I researched the crap out of the band & thought I could make it work. I followed all the instructions to the letter, and my band slipped anyway. TWICE. So my advice to you is, don't be afraid of cutting your stomach. Think of it as getting a new & improved stomach that actually works the way it's supposed to, like a normal person's. I have no regrets this time around, and no doubt that this is going to work GREAT for me. Good luck to you all Natalie