JaffreyChick

Band slipped after 3.5 years. Initially lost 75 lbs in first 9 months. Been slowly gaining about half of it back. Would like to hear from others who have gone thru second surgery and kept the band. Any surprises? What was your weight loss experience the 2nd time around?

It was the small bottle of miralax split between 2 32 oz Gatorade bottles. Much kinder than some others I've used

my prep was miralax with Gatorade. No carbonation. Much nicer prep than others I've done in the past.

Went to dr today. Band slip. Swallow study showed nothing going through until more than a minute went by and then very slow. Let me repeat what was said earlier. Nothing stays down. No food, no liquid nothing. Repositioning surgery scheduled for later this month. Band emptied. Feel good. Lost 9 lbs in 3 days. Dehydration but can drink and keep it down now.

Great news. I was at 10.5 in my 14 cc band. Maybe it will be put back. But my stomach just doesn't feel right. One should not be aware of one's stomach any more than any other internal organ. Stay well.

Right there with you. I've had my band for two years (next week). I could eat a meal and then not eat for a day and then eat a meal and then not eat for a day. My esophagus was contracting. What a mess. And pain!! They've taken all of the fluid out. Go back for a second scope on Monday. Then to the surgeon the following week. Dont' want to see the surgeon unless he has a syringe of saline in his hand to put the fluid back. If they have to take it out, I won't qualify for a new one. I lost 75 of my hopeful 88 pounds within the first nine months and had been maintaining ever since (surgeon said I would not lose more than 50 pounds over the first 3 years). Overachiever I guess. Struggling to not eat but it sure is nice to eat something I haven't been able to eat for 2 years

I was surprised by MsAnn as well. I don't remember eating those items a week or two out. As far as what to order, if your husband likes to share, one entree and one appetizer and you are golden. I eat about 1/4 of whatever we order, he eats the other 3/4. It works for us. I've been banded for nearly 2 years now. Lost 75 of the 88 I wanted to lose the first year. Haven't lost any since. But that's OK. I'm still nearly 20 pounds below where the dr thought I would be 3 years out. I didn't have any problems with bread the first year -- now, I can't tolerate it. I have never been able to do eggs and chicken can sometimes create a problem. I try not to drink with meals. I usually ask for a glass of ice. Drink whatever melts. Works for me.

This must be the week for it. Having the same issues. So I backed off regular food, moved on to yogurts and Soups. Felt fine after 24 hours so went back to regular diet. Next day - couldn't keep anything down again. So I went back to yogurt and soup. Then, they wouldn't stay down. Called doc. He said as long as liquid was staying down, I'd be OK. Just let things relax and calm down. Told me to drink Protein shakes. Within 12 hours, felt like a new woman. I think it is the coating from the shakes. Going to stay on this through the weekend and start Monday with real food again. I do have a question though -- hard crunchy foods are much easier for me to eat and keep down than "regular" food. I can eat tortilla chips and hummus with no issues. Let me try an egg, chicken or any type of potato - and I'm in agony until I bring it back up. So, if everything is irritated, why wouldn't "pointy" food irritate it? Also, if I haven't kept food down for 3 days, why am I gaining and not losing one would have to ask one self? Don't get me wrong - I love the band. With a total of 88 lbs to lose, lost 75 the first year and literally have been gaining and losing pounds 70-75 for the past year. Time to get serious and EXERCISE! Have a great weekend.

Having same issue. Banded 8/09 - done extremely well. Actually lost 75 lbs the first year and haven't lost or gained since. But now I'm feeling water logged. We had a week of family visiting and of course more food than any one should eat. That was 2 weeks ago. Still having issues with tightness. Today I've had a half a bowl of cereal, a yogurt and a little soup. I'm feeling filled to the gills but almost like I did as a kid when I would be so hot and then drink as fast as I could. Never thought about sinus, but that's been gone a week now too. Could it be the OTC allergy pills have done a number. I hate taking anything that's not liquid -- never sure what it's doing while lying around in there.

Been on that roller coaster a little myself. I'm sorry that your weight went up. It could be a combination of many things -- clothes you wore, scales were recalibrated, different shoes, timing of meals and bathroom breaks, time of day you were weighed. The way you feel and the way your clothes fit are more of a measure. Had surgery in August 2009. Life was great. No issues -- lost more weight in the first 6 months than the doc told me I would lose in 3 years. (238 to 165). Then no weight loss for next 6 months. I was OK with that. I like the way I look and feel at 165. The week before Thanksgiving my band suddenly became too tight and I was having raging heartburn (you know the kind, ripping open packages of heart burn meds and bottled warter while standing in line at Target heart burn). Went to dr next day. He took out all of the Fluid and kept it out for 2 weeks. Then only put half of it back in. In those 4 months (November to March) I gained 10 lbs. I could eat anything, everything, and then some. This guy was not my original surgery doc. He was not a believer in the band and never recommended it to his patients. But I worked for the organization and he was the guy I had to go to. I begged him to put all of it back in. I have a 14 band and was filled to 10. He put in 6. His original plan was to only put in 5 but somehow there was an extra cc in there when he was done. I told him I needed more, I needed it to be back to what it was or just under. Nope. He wouldn't do it. Went back this week for a fill -- changed jobs, different hospital system, different doc. This one listened. Said I had done so well before, knew how to work the program and knew my body. What did I want. I said I wanted to go to 9. Felt that would give me restriction without running the risk of it being too tight again. He agreed and scheduled me to come back in 2 months -- sooner if there is a problem and we (get that WE) will decide where to go from there. I can feel the biggest difference. But oh did I quickly relearn the bad habits that come with being able to eat whatever you want. So, now I am back to the basic rules - no straws, no soda, no drinking before during or after meals and stop when you are no longer hungry, not when you are so full you can feel it. And no snacking. Snacking becomes grazing for me so I don't do it. I can already tell the difference in my jeans (and this was just done on Tuesday). Let me say, however, that I do have Water beside me. If something is very dry, I will sip water rather than douse it in gravy to make it go down easier. Did I mention that my poor husband is a gourmet cook who loves to try new recipes and is trying hard to keep it under 500 calaories for dinner. I've learned that cottage cheese with pineappe is just as good as moose tracks ice cream -- just different. You will get there. The journey is just a little different for each of us. Life is good.

Well, it's only been 2 days since total unfill but I feel wonderful. I even have color in my cheeks again. Not suffering the hunger I thought I would. I did actually enjoy a spinach and beet salad (no dressing) yesterday. I usually struggle with greens -- forget it if they are shredded. I am hoping that if I continue to closely monitor what I eat using the food diary and don't go over in calories, it will be OK. It's all about choices and portions (for the record, I did have one spoonful of hunka chunka -- but it was enough, I just wanted a taste). Don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to getting that fill on 12/1 as a safety net - but I will ask to be 2cc below where I was. I don't ever want to have that kind of pain again. The oddest thing, to be able to drink and not sip. I will continue to sip most times, but every once in a while, a good swig of something is heaven. Have a great weekend!

I went to dr yesterday with unbelievable stomach pain. After relaying how the night before I was standing in line at Target ripping open a box of Pepcid AC and a bottle of Water because I couldn't wait until I paid for them -- he decided a total unfill and a UGI today were the ticket. I had 10cc in a 14cc band. I don't go back to see him until Dec 1. That leaves me with no restriction and Thanksgiving a week away. The evil bandster in me says - Yes!! An early Christmas present!! The more mature bandster says - how do I get through the next 2 weeks without undoing the progress of the past 14 months. Any tips from those of you who have done it? I know that 14 months is a long time to develop good habits. I also know that a double dipped cone of hunka chunka peanutbutter fudge ice cream would really taste good right about now. Help!

I've learned that stress limits my ability to eat and keep food down. Funny coming from someone who used to handle stress with food. You definitely have some stress going on in your life. I agree, find a doctor, but don't fret about a slip-99% of what we worry about with the band (and much of life) never happens. I wish you peace!

Hi everybody! I am moving in less than 2 weeks (job change) to York, PA. I had surgery on 8/20 and have done quite well. I adore my current physician but 8 hours is a long way to go for a fill. Any suggestions for the Harrisburg/York/Lancaster area?

Hi Anni, I haven't updated for a while. I see Dr. Monk (same practice). I've lost 75 pounds since surgery in August 2009. Actually lost those 75 by May of this year. Then I started having issues with being too tight -- coughing at night when I laid down, losing 2 or 3 pounds a week because I couldn't even keep Water down. Dr. Monk took out 3 ccs and has only put 1/2 back so far. I think I need a little more because I haven't lost any thing since the partial unfill. I'm well past the dr's goal - 45 pounds in 3 years. I wanted to get to lose 88 pounds, but I'm thinking I am just fine at 75. I'm healthy - went off all meds within 2 weeks of the surgery - and loving life. Good luck. Brenda

Can I make a suggestion? Change your screen name. It is a terrible statement to make about yourself. It isn't who you are. Our bodies simply are the container for the us inside. Take a few minutes and think about all the good things you are and do. I'm sure you will be able to come up with a more fitting name. Losing weight is difficult. If it weren't, we would have all done it years ago. Glad to hear you are back on track.

For me, it's more about how much you swallow at a time. When I eat, I like to take a semi-normal size bite, and then enjoy the luxury of chewing it, and then swallowing just small bits at a time. Mentally, it feels like I am eating normal and not like a bird. It works for me. I was banded in mid August and have already lost 55 of the 88 pounds I need to lose.

I have made the big move to York and have actually seen Dr. Monk already. I really liked him. I did learn that the process I had in NH is different from the way they do it -- size of fills, port placement, etc. Of the original 88 pounds I had to lose, 51 of the blessed pounds are gone. Surgery was 8/20. Dr. Monk (and Dr. Ormont who originally did the surgery) are very impressed with my progress. Although Dr. Monk does have 2 rules -- no snacking, and find something else to do with your hands (like pottery, mud pies, or anything that keeps you away from food -- the messier, the better). Have a great New Year!!! P.S. My husband will probably be taking a job in the Poconos, so I may be moving there as well in the next year or two.

I am moving from NH to Harrisburg. I will be working in York. I was banded 8/20 of this year. I've lost 44 lbs to date with 44 lbs to go. It's pretty exciting. I was interested in finding a support group in the area. Is there one?

At 54, soda was my drug of choice -- no coffee, no tea, no alcohol. But give me a 2 liter bottle of diet coke a day and I was happy. I drank that much up until the day of surgery. I have not have even a sip, nor have I wanted a sip since. I think the post op diet did it for me. First, they tell you that soda will cause pain and burping -- not something I wanted to sign up for. Second, it's hard enough to get all the calories in without taking up space with zero calories. Third, now you can't eat and drink at the same time -- and that was primarily why I drank it. It went really well with all the things no longer on my list of foods -- potato chips, pork rinds, taco chips, etc. So, start weaning yourself onto caffeine free (say every other soda) and by surgery day caffeine will not be an issue. Then remember, the reason you liked it so well is it offset the bad calories you were consuming. Now that you are making smart food choices, it won't be an issue.

Thanks. Any opinion on one over the other? I see the entire process is different. I had to attend a 2 hour seminar, meet with a psychologist, a nutritionist, take a mental health assessment, and meet the doctor. There were no classes. There is a support group but I don't go. Find that because I am doing great, those that are struggling don't appreciate those of us who are doing well. I see my doc on Wednesday for the last time. I'm not sure he will be very happy with the news.

I recently had labs done 6 weeks after surgery. I stopped taking my cholesterol meds two weeks before surgery because the prescription ran out and I knew the surgery would make a difference. My cholesterol is normal. Good is up, bad is down, total is normal. Triglycerides are lower than they have been since I've been having the test done. Stopped taking my metformin because I can't swallow them (they are time released). My A1C came down from 6.4 to 6.1 and I know that once I get a full 3 months to measure, it will be normal. My sugar is around 105 no matter when I take it. I'm still on my BP medicine because the docs aren't ready for me to give that up yet. I had it measured at work last week, it was 105 over 62. Life is good. I'm down 29 lbs since surgery six weeks ago. Gotta love that band!

I was banded 8/20 and am doing well. I've lost 25 lbs since surgery and am going today for my 2nd fill (first one was 10 days ago). After my first fill I felt nothing for a couple of days (duh, I was on fluids), but also went through a short period where after 3 or 4 bites I could would get a strong full sensation. That has backed off and I'm where I was pre-fill. So, it's time for another. I don't get hungry, I just can eat whatever I want when I sit down to eat. I am big on weighing, measuring, and tracking--that has made all the difference for me. Dining out is my downfall, because (1) you don't get all of your food in 20 minutes, (2) servings are so big, and (3) who knows how much hidden butter lurks in that amazing veggie dish. I find myself either sharing or dividing out what I can eat and putting the rest in a to-go box right away. It's going to be a long journey (I tried to tell my husband all of this before I had surgery. I came out of surgery and he was spouting bandisms to me when I got back to my room. Seems conversations with the doctors and recovery room nurses made him an expert--well, at least made him appreciate that this wasn't the easy way out.)

It is oh so worth it. Banded 8/20. Four weeks out, I have lost 20-23 lbs (depends upon whose scales you believe). I am off diabetes meds, checking next week to get off of cholesterol meds, and I'm thinking BP meds can't be far behind. I had my first fill today. Clear liquids today, full liquids tomorrow, regular diet on Sunday. I had no pain associated with the surgery at all -- but I was tired. Really, really tired. But I am 54 years old, so I'm thinking part of that was age related. Hang in there. It will be better. The only time I second guessed my decision was when my temp spiked in the hospital. (I have a compromised immune system due to chemo). But, hey, I am on the green side of the grass. Life is good!:biggrin:

I was banded on 8/20 and go for my first fill tomorrow. I am down 23 lbs since surgery. I have not experienced Bandster Hell. I followed my doctor's directions to the tee, track my Protein and calories and have not had an issue. Drink the fluids, eat only every 3-4 hours -- works for me. Now, it may get tougher as I go from fill to fill, but the initial period has been a honeymoon phase for me. (Maybe because I have to drink liquid potassium and I stretch that out during the day. You will not be hungry after that wretched stuf.)