Lisa99

Yep, having surgery tomorrow to replace my 4cc band that I've had for 7 years. I have a slip and a hiatal hernia. Doc is changing me to 10 cc band. He made no mention of possible future problems.

Thanks everyone for the well wishes. I was a constant poster here years ago, but so glad to be back and to get the great wishes you guys are sending. B-52, I think the hernia is new. I've had mild to moderate heartburn ever since I had the band put in, but about two weeks ago I was sick with real vomiting (not PBs). Based on not feeling the same since I think that's when it happened.

I have a 4cc band and after years of problems including a small slip at year two I'm finally having to have surgery to fix a hiatal hernia and a major slip. The barium swallow showed zero Fluid making it through today, so the doc is fitting me in tomorrow. He's changing to the 3rd generation band and we'll leave it unfilled until all is calmed down. So glad to be getting this fixed. I haven't slept through the night in several weeks and haven't been able to eat anything but liquids now for a couple of weeks.

Complication here as well. Three years ago my band slipped. A complete unfil got it back in place but each time any amt of fill is added it slips again so I've been unfilled now more than two years. After being at goal, I eventually gained back 40 pounds. The band itself provides some restriction so I've given up on having fills and have joined Weight Watchers. I've lost 10 pounds in about a month, so weight is headed in the right direction.

Not necessarily anything. I can't each dry meats, grapes, lettuce, oranges (just about all fruits are a no go). But everyone is different; you'll just have to find what works for you.

Lettuce regularly causes me a problem.

I've completely replaced sour cream in all recipes with fat free FAGE greek yogurt. Mixed with salsa it makes a great salad dressing for chicken fajita salad, it works in in beef stroganoff, great on tacos, etc... It's taken a bit to convert DH to yogurt instead of sour cream but when I showed him the calorie and fat difference he was good with it. You can get a 32 oz tub of it at costco for about $6 so it's a great buy.

definitely. I've had no fill for the last two years and still make sure I know where the restroom is when we go to a new restaurant.

I can definitely relate. My surgeon's nurse was a wicked witch of the west clone. I've moved from Dallas to Vegas though so will be looking for a kinder, gentler experience with my next after care doc.

I felt the same about my surgeon. He was great before surgery, not great afterward. He could be dismissive and he kept increasing his after care office fee. The last time I went just to see him for a checkup was $250. It's interesting how many of us oldsters are having the same issues. This thread has confirmed for me that if the band ever has to be removed I'll convert to the sleeve.

Been banded almost five years and still have a Protein shake every morning. The shake has frozen blueberries, a scoop of Protein Powder, my daily liquid Vitamins (orange flavor) + scoop of Fiber. Very filling, about 25 grams of protein and lots of energy from the vitamins.

I've been banded since September 2006. I had one of the last 4cc bands put in before surgeons switched to the 10cc. I've had several slips and each time an unfill fixed the slip. However, I've decided to have no more fills. The band is so small that I can't handle any level of fill. I ended up gaining back about 20 of the 60 pounds that I originally lost (my starting BMI was 32), but I've been at a stable weight now for a couple of years so I'm ok with where I currently am. New issue now is recurring heartburn. So even though I have no fill, I need to get to a doc to check it out. We've recently moved to Las Vegas so I have to find a new doc for follow-up.

Yes, the Wii Fit will track time spent (via Fitness Credits) and progress. You do this by setting up a profile for each person using the device. Your daughter would set up her profile and then use the different 'games' in the Fit. The time spent and progress to goal is tracked by the system memory and can be graphed.

Was cured of binging until I had to have the band unfilled. Four months later and I've gained 20 pounds. I have a small band (4cc) and even with no fill I have some restriction, but I can still eat way more than I used to.

There is a possibility that DH's company is transferring us to the Middle East (don't know what country yet). Does anyone know how to research fill centers or fill doctors overseas? We're both banded so I need to do some research before we make a decision. Thanks!

Hi all, After months of on and off night-time reflux I finally went to my surgeon. I have a badly stretched pouch caused by my fill being too tight. Now for the weird part...my last fill was October 2007, but over time the fill has gotten tighter instead of looser. In the same period of time (Oct to now) I've lost 15 pounds. I don't understand the mechanics of how that can be possible, but the barium swallow showed that liquids are barely getting through and there is a large bulge on the right side of the pouch....yet no PBs, no sliming, nada. So if something just doesn't feel right PLEASE go see your surgeon even if you are self-pay like me and don't want to spend the $150 cause you know nothing is wrong (which I was sure of; I only went to the doc because my husband - who is also banded - begged me to). I avoided a slip, thank heavens, but I will never again think "this can't happen to me".

Hi Terry, Sorry for my delay in responding. Yes the barium swallow showed the pouch dilation. Best $150 I've spent in quite a while.

Congrats on your long-term banding and success! Last time I saw my surgeon he said he thought that I should consider myself at goal and to change my fill to a maintenance fill (my BMI is 23). I would like to eventually lost another 10 pounds or so, but I'm fine where I am if I don't. My husband has left the decision completely up to me.

My pouch is stretched from being too tight as well. Symptoms included being able to eat at least double what I could before, night time reflux if I ate after about 6pm, heartburn if the food I ate was acidic and SERIOUS burning in my pouch if I drank red wine. Yet, I never PBd, slimed or got anything stuck so it never occurred to me that I was too tight. I've had an unfill and am on liquids and then mushies, but only for a week. Doc says it will correct itself with time. I'm at goal, so when he puts a fill back in he wants to keep it loose at about 1cc in a 4cc band to make sure it doesn't happen again (I only had 1.8 in a 4cc band and that was too tight for me).

Thanks Candle. It was definitely a wake-up call!

Is it worth $15k to lose than 50-80 pounds? ABSOLUTELY For me the reason that it's worth it is that the weight is staying off. I only needed to lose about 60 lbs. but after years of losing the same 60 pounds and gaining it back I had the surgery and have never regretted it. I'm almost two years out and am at goal (I wanted to lose another 15 lbs, but my surgeon recommended yesterday that I stop losing. He didn't want me to become a "shadow" and since I'm at a BMI of 23 I agreed with him. I feel better, look better, and have way more energy. Even better, I don't obsess about food like I used to. I'm rarely hungry even though I have no fill right now. It seems that the band has switched something off in my head regarding my attitude toward food. So in all, I lost "only" 56 pounds but those pounds have made a major difference in my quality of life.

Hi lcain, I didn't have the back pain, but I too could sometimes eat a lot (which is what the stretched pouch allowed) and other times I could eat almost nothing. I also didn't have reflux nightly. It probably only happened five times over the course of two months, but I also had a "tugging" sensation in my upper chest that was super uncomfortable and a gurgling noise when I laid down at night. My doc did a complete unfill and for the next week I'm on liquids then mushies so the swelling and dilation can resolve itself.

My surgeon also used the 4cc band. This was in September of 2006, but at the time there were larger bands available. He based his decision to use the smaller band on my physiology. Sounds like your surgeon did the same.

I don't have specific suggestions about a shoe, but if you'll go to a store that specializes in running they can fit you. Here in Dallas we have "Run On". All of the store personnel are trained in how to properly fit a shoe. They'll have you try on several pair and have you walk or run in them while they watch your feet. They've never failed to find a great shoe for me. Good luck! Lisa

I take the Centrum chewables. To me the liquid is even more disgusting than the chewables. I know some people buy the gummies Vitamins and I've seen Vitamin gumballs.