christiana

Hi All, I am a new de-bandster as of Tuesday. I was having a lot of acid reflux for the past year or so. First my PCP thought it was an ulcer and gave me nexium. I had an endoscopy done and no ulcer. I know that nexium isn't good for me so I was trying to find natural cures but they weren't helping me either. Then the last couple of weeks I have hardley been able to eat or drink and I started feeling sick to my stomach and the acidy burning sensation was right at my band location. Then I couldn't even keep my saliva down so I went in and had a fluoro done and my band had flipped and wasn't letting anything pass. They told me I needed to go back to Mexico ASAP so off I went! I'd love any advice on maintaining and continuing weight loss if anyone's been successful! I am back on the liquid diet now but would like info for after. Thanks!

Hey! Sorry to hear about your band too. I wanted to go to the ER to have mine out but I do not have health insurance so I hurried back to Mexico and had it removed there since I am sure it was cheaper to go that route. I was feeling pretty bad too but it was weird. Sometimes I couldn't eat or drink and one day I couldn't keep my saliva down and it was starting to really take effect on me especially with the hot summer weather. :biggrin: But just days before I was eating and drinking. I think maybe it flipped/slipped more or something because I was feeling pretty bad when I got to the hospital. Did you have to go back on the liquid diet? I am on it again and it is so weird to feel hungry again! It's been awhile since I have had that feeling and to hear my stomach growl! I feel much better now that it is out. They asked me before surgery if I wanted them to try and fix it but I had thought about it and I really don't ever want to go through this again and since there are no guaruntees it won't happen again I just told them to remove it. I can't say I miss it or not yet since I am still on the liquids but time will tell. I really don't think I will be getting banded again. The whole having a foreign object inside wrapped around the stomach just doesn't sound like a good idea to me anymore! I wouldn't be able to go through all of the complications again either. My mom told me how much it hurt her to see me in pain from this. If I decide to have something else done I will probably consider the gastric sleeve but I am going to try and maintain as much as I can by myself for now. I can't wait for my stomach to relax to it's normal self and get rid of the impression the band left! It still kind of feels like the band is there. Did you have that feeling?

So I have had problems with my band. I have had it completely unfilled for over a year due to it slamming shut on me and bad heartburn and acid reflux. I went in today and had a flouro (my first) done since it seemed to be getting worse and I wasn't able to eat and the other day I couldn't even get spit down.... Well, my band has flipped and my medical staff has never seen anything like it. It's in the opposite direction it's suppose to be! The barium I drank during my flouro went up over and then down to the band and stopped at the band and wouldn't pass through. They told me I needed to head to Mexico tomorrow and have it fixed but I am probably going to have to have it removed. :tongue2: It's just a horrible time! I was a self pay patient and financed my surgery, got a blood clot in my leg after surgery which ended in me losing my job. I sued and settled and was able to pay my surgery off around then but now I still have no health insurance and I only make my gas money at the job I have now. It is now going to cost me at least $4000 to have my band fixed/removed plus plane tickets are WAY up since I don't have much notice and I have to go ASAP. I don't know what to do but obviously have to go and fix it. So, if I have a choice to keep the band should I??? I can't decide if I would want to or not... I don't want to gain my weight back but I have had so many issues that I don't know if I want to keep it and risk having it done again...

Hi, So I had my band taken out on 7/28 and feel so much better already! The doctor said it slipped quite a bit and made my stomach into a swervy shape which will take a couple of weeks to relax. I was on an IV for dehydration the whole time I was in the hospital (Mon-Wed) as well and my surgeon was a saint and is only charging me for the hospital fees which they told him he had to charge me! I am not really all that sad to have lost my band. I gained most of my excess weight when my boyfriend and I started dating and we went out to eat a lot and cooked big meals (As he was skin and bones when we met!) so I am hoping I can keep the weight off as I am only like 40 lbs from my goal. We shall see though. Thanks for all the good thoughts! And good luck to all of you on your journeys.

Thank you both! If I have a choice to keep it or not I think I am actually leaning towards not keeping it. I for sure don't want to gain my weight back but I have had problems from the get go and have never really been able to focus on my weight loss it was always on the blood clot, or having the band close on me and all of a sudden horrible heartburn.... Plus, having had my surgery done in Mexico no US doctor will touch me and trying to find someone to fill/unfill me is hard and is always a hassle and a very long drive to get there. So I think I shall try life without it... MAYBE! :tongue2: I will keep ya'all updated when I know what is going on. I am going to try and fly to Texas tomorrow and have my surgery on Tuesday morning... Oh and I have no passport!!!! Mine expired YEARS ago... I had no idea that I would have a medical emergency and have to go into Mexico. Ha... We shall see how this works out.

Hello, So last June I started getting really bad acid reflux while I was sleeping-thought it was an ulcer. I had my band unfilled all of the way but it still didn't help. I had an endoscope done and everything was normal. I am still having acid reflux and I want to cure it not just treat the symptoms with the Nexium my doctor gave me (which can even make it worse)... I have been taking enzymes and they seem to help but last night I was up every 20 min. because of the reflux was so bad and I ended up having to take a Nexium. :thumbup: I have never had this problem before and it started all of a sudden back in June. I have no idea what started it! I really want to get a fill as I have gained back about 20 lbs. from having it empty but I am scared that it might make my reflux worse-do you think so??? Has anyone cured their reflux??? I am SO sick of it!! :scared2:

Hello! So I am wondering if anyone can help shed some light on what I am experiencing. Back in June I was getting really bad acid reflux at night and stomach pains. I had all the fluid taken out of my band which helped with the reflux but my stomach still hurt especially after I ate. I had all the symptoms of an ulcer and I went to my PCP and he diagnosed it from my symptoms as an ulcer and put me on nexium. That helped my symptoms but after 2 months of being on it my symptoms were still there. I went back to my PCP last month and he said that it should have all cleared up by then so he sent me to have an endoscopy done which showed everything was normal in my stomach and on the way down. Now my stomach doesn't hurt anymore but I am now occasionally experiencing a heart burn type sensation just where my band is placed.... Any ideas??? Thanks!

Hello, I am on nexium still. I have been only taking it every other day as my pain and bad relux has stopped. There's just a trace of burning sensation occassionally around where my band is. I think maybe it is just a little sore from the whole ordeal! :thumbdown: It is getting better though. Good luck to you with your problem and your scope. The scope's not bad at all. My throat was sore the next day from them going down it. They gave me pics of the inside of my stomach and there was a little bit of my dinner still in my pouch from the night before! At least I know I still have some restriction with no fill.

Yup I was checked for H Pylori and it was negative. I was so disappointed when the doctor said that everything looked normal after my scope because now I don't know what is going on!

I'm having an unfill tomorrow and I am SO excited! The last few days have been rough and I haven't even been able to drink water. I am chewing on ice chips now and taking tiny sips of water!! I can't wait for tomorrow!

Hi, I am a self-pay bandster. I had my surgery in Mexico and about a month after I developed a blood clot in my leg (doc said from surgery/flying). My insurance covered all the problems due to my blood clot. However, I ended up losing my job because of missing work because of the clot and now I'm in way deep trying to pay off my surgery! I think insurance will cover any issues that aren't directly related to the band (slippage, erosion, etc).

I have the same problem! I had 4cc's in my band and it was fine for months! Then in November it started getting tighter and eventually I couldn't even get liquids down. I had 1cc taken out and it felt amazing! Right after my unfill I felt like I could even breathe better. I haven't really lost any weight since then though but now my band is doing it again!!! I'm trying to get in to have another unfill ASAP now!

I am having the same problem! My band is normally pretty close to being perfectly adjusted (maybe a smidge too loose at times) but the last couple of days it is SO tight!!! I can barely get liquids down as well or other easy to eat foods. Today the my period started and I hope my band will losen back up when it's over!!!

I just PB'd and there was a tiny splash of blood in there! I'm a little worried... Has that happened to anyone else? I don't PB very often at all. But it kinda freaked me out!!

I feel better after reading this... Well kinda... I've been having problems with the level of restriction in my band lately and I thought maybe something is stuck but thought it'd dissolve after awhile. But after reading this I know it's not something stuck. I'm sure I'm swollen from pb'ing but I haven't even been able to keep liquids down so I guess I have to have an unfill. :think I'm self pay and it's killing me to know that I have to pay another $200+ to have an unfill of what I paid $200+ to have done a few months ago!! :angry Oh well, at least I'll be able to eat and drink again! I just hope that they can get me in tomorrow!!!

I had my last fill mid April so my level is 4cc. I was tight but I could still drink normally and eat small portions and I thought I was at my sweet spot. But I'd say about two months after the fill it seemed to get tighter and tighter and the last week I haven't been able to eat and only drink very small amounts. I'm going to my doctor's ASAP to get an unfill but I was wondering if anyone has had that problem of the fill either taking so long to restrict or maybe something got stuck... (But wouldn't it eventually dissolve??) I have been trying to get a hold of my doctor's office and I am praying that I'll be able to get into see him tomorrow because I'm SO miserable and thirsty!! :confused: I was also on coumadin (for a blood clot that I got from having surgery) and stopped taking it 2 months after my last fill. I wonder if that might have something to do with it... Do you think stress plays a factor in anything going on in there? Because I've been having acid reflux while sleeping and I've never had that before and I don't eat before bed so I was just wondering... Thanks all!

Hi, I was wondering if anyone's had the problem I've had... I'm currently filled to 4cc and that was done back in April. Before I had that fill (I can't remember what I was at-3cc or so) I could still eat a Big Mac (I know it's horrible!) But a couple of months after my last fill eating even drinking became a problem. I am now struggling to keep even liquids down. But it's weird because somedays it's not bad and other days it is. I was just wondering if I'm over filled too? I developed a blood clot in my leg after surgery and ended up losing my job from it because I missed work so I can't afford to go and see my doctor!!! It really stinks!

I have a question about my current fill level too and am hoping you guys can shed some light. I had my last fill done in the middle of April and am at 4cc. I thought it was good and I could eat small amounts and PB'd occasionally when I tried to eat too much. But about 2 weeks ago it seems like it got tighter. I try to eat approx. 1/4 cup and I PB like every time I eat now (not all the food but a good portion). Has anyone had this happen to them after so long after a fill??? I got a blood clot in my leg after surgery and it resulted in me losing my job and I am a self pay patient so I cannot afford to see my doctor right now. I was stuck with losing any weight but I weighed myself yesterday and I've lost 6 more pounds so that's good. I just hate PB'ing all the time and I know it's not good for my innards... Think I just need to use the 'uber small tuperware' too to measure out my food better? My mom's super worried I am going to become anorexic.

I need some help getting back on track. I developed a painful blood clot in my leg after surgery. It was scary and the treatment lasted a few months. Then a couple of weeks ago I was fired from my job because of missing time at work because of doctors appointments for my leg. I don't want to sound like I'm making excuses, but it's been a hard time for me so my weight loss took back seat to everything else. I really can't eat a whole lot with 4cc's in my band, but during this time I discovered Ben & Jerry's!!!!! :phanvan I never really ate ice cream before my surgery but that stuff is good and I found I can eat a wole pint with no problem with my band. Now, my boyfriend keeps buying it for me, but I told him not to anymore. I've lost about 40 lbs. total and have stopped losing and I know it's that darn ice cream and milk! I just need some advice to get back on the wagon. Also, maybe some sample daily meal plans that are successful I would REALLY appreciate since I'm still kind of a new banster and I don't know what I'm doing!! :cry Thanks!

Thanks for the info guys! The job search isn't going all too well. I've been out of work for a month and things are starting to get scary! Hopefully something will come through soon. I have decided to "start over" tomorrow. My doc said that I'm at my max fill give a smidge or two. I think the band is adjusted fine because I can only eat very small amounts of food. It's the bad stuff that's holding me back... So tomorrow I'm getting back on track and hopefully things will start to get better! Thanks again for the support!

I am right there with ya! I haven't gained any weight back but I haven't been losing it either. I haven't lost weight in probably about 2 months and I know it's because I started eating ice cream and milk again! Grr... It's hard to get back on track but I know we can both do it!!!

Oh I am so glad there's others like me!! I had my second fill done on 4/17 and for the first 5 days it was perfect! I wasn't hungry at all and when I did eat I only ate very small amounts. But then it loosened up... I have a 4cc band and my fill level is 3.13cc (i think...) so does that mean there's not much room left to be filled??? I am very worried that this isn't going to work for me and will just be a HUGE waste of money... I am starting to get discouraged and hungry!!!!

I'm glad to see you guys are in the same boat as me! I lost about 14 lbs. and have actually gained about 4lbs back since my surgery. I had my first fill yesterday and the doctor watched me drink water and asked if I felt any restriction and I didn't feel anything!!! He gave me 2.5cc and wouldn't go anymore than that but I don't feel any different than when I went in there. I am starting to feel like the whole band is going to be just another failed diet!!! I have to keep reminding myself that this is different, but I still worry that something's not right etc. Good luck to you both!

I hope so too!! I can't until I hit my sweet spot. How many fills does it usually take to get there-any one know??

I'm glad that I'm not alone! I lost a little over 10 pounds during the liquid phase and I'm worried that I'm going to gain it back now that I can eat like before I had the surgery. It kind of makes me feel like this is just going to be another failed attempt to lose weight! I have to keep telling myself that it's not! I also read in my paperwork that my doctor gave me a fill when I had the band put on. Is this normal? I felt restriction earlier but not really anymore and I definitley can eat. I'm getting my first fill on 3/13 and I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!