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Anthony: what a great read!! Congratulations...what is the update? How are you feeling? Weight? I had the band in 2001 and have had two port repair surgeries and now my band has slipped AND have hiatal hernia. So, after waiting since Dec 2006 - today, my insurance approved the removal of the band and resurgery of bypass or sleeve (I am not sure which one is approved). I am hoping for the sleeve (is that VG?) I looked at the pic on the website you posted....I think it is a sleeve. Anyway, I have to wait until Monday when dr. office opens to find out for sure. However, I am so grateful!!! Every single night, I go to bed with an empty glass (10 oz) for throwing up in, and rolaids (with the antislime-agent in it - about 4) and a cup of Water - just in case. Not to mention prescription of prilosec and the phenegran. I have been doing this since December! I have learned to not eat or drink even water past 5pm - if I want to get a few hours sleep that is. And when I do that, than I don't throw up as much, but have terrible bile. And don't forget when the stuff gets into the lungs before you wake up gagging!!! So, on May 1st...that will all come to an end. Hopefully. I understand that my esophagus has to be in perfect condition before they will go in...so....what about that hernia???? I am scared to ask! I just want the band out. I really want the sleeve - but I read something you stated Anthony....with the bypass AND the sleeve, the patient will experience stretching of the stomach...eventually???? Pls explain. I have 2 friends that did gas.bypass and both have gained about 20 lbs this year. They had their surgeries about 2.5 yrs ago. Which is better gastric bypass or sleeve??? I think the sleeve is less invasive???? Any advise would help. I no longer look forward to bedtime - it is a job all night long, to keep myself from choking to death!!

Long story short: I have a slipped band (probably over 2 yrs old) and a hiatal hernia. Symptoms: esophagus always feels "swollen", vomiting fluids in the night time, have to sleep elevated. I am completely unfilled; however, have restriction. After seeing new dr (because we moved from FL to SC), we decided to ask insurance for resurgery. We are waiting on answer but what decision should I make??? 1. Fix the band 2. Get gast. bypass (not) 3. Do the sleeve instead. When I first got the band in 2002 I lost 120 lbs. And slowly, I have regained it through complications, unfills, 2 surgerys to fix broken ports. The list goes on. To top the list, I, of course, am my worst enemy... How did I let this slippage go on for so long: During all these problems, my dr kept asking me to get a upper GI. I would just shrug it off, get unfilled and go back after 6 weeks and fill again. He always just did what I asked. Anyway, now I am in SC with a different dr and awaiting insurance answer......and vomiting every night!!!!! I want to fix the band, because I remember when I lost all that weight, successfully and I think I remember the "full satisfied" feeling. However, all I really remember is a) feeling full and throwing up. What if I get the band fixed and I mess it up again or it messes itself up again? I'm really scared. Why not just do the sleeve? I have heard a lot about the sleeve being used on band patiences and not just the 1st phase of another surgery but instead a great alternative to the band. Anyone heard of it as a way of weight loss and not just the 1st of 2 surgeries? I want to feel accomplished again. I want to feel good about myself again. I am just afraid that I will mess up the band if I repair it. Any thoughts?

I have read a few threads about this...but here goes again! Need to finda fill dr in South Carolina. The closest one I found was in Columbia (which is 2 hr drive.) Just in case, are there any closer? I live in Berkeley County which is near to Charleston, SC. Just moved from Miami, FL where Dr. Gomez (and Dr. Moises Jacobs) did my surgery and fills.

Hi Sunsett: We live near Charleston (west about 1 hour) in Berkeley County. Nearest largest town is Summerville, SC. I have been banded since 2001. Have lost 120 lbs and gained all but 40 lbs back. Up and down through the years, mostly distended band - my fault with food and throwing up. I think anyway. Everytime my dr would take out fill and tell me to make an appt for an upper gi to make sure no slippage, I would just shrug him off and leave and return about 6 weeks later to get re-filled again. Now I have been unfilled for about 3 months and am ready to give it a try again. I have an appt to, once again, get banded in 2 weeks. I only hope I stick to it this time and not overeat. I am my own worst enemy. But thought that maybe I would try the support thing this time and not go it alone like I have since 01. How about you. Are you enjoying the banding? I am just wondering if maybe I have indeed gotten "slipage". Will speak with new dr. this time and find out. Have you had any complications?

I married late in life - 37 years old to the love of my life who is 17 yrs older. We had our only daughter a year later. I left the hospital happier than I had ever been. Then the weight would not come off. Prior to getting pregnant I was SOOO successful on PhenPhen! Went from 280 down to 223 in less than 1 year. I just never thought about food. It was great. I suffered very bad dreams, but loved the weight loss. I started soul searching after the med. was taken off the market. After years of so-so dieting I started really paying attention to my relationship with food and realized I depended on it too much for emotional support. As the scale crept up I realized I had to do something about the weight and it had to be drastic. I didn't want my daughter to go through weight issues like I have all my life. September 2001 I had my surgery at 341 lbs. I did sooo good the first 2 years. A few ups and downs, but lost 120 lbs. Then I crashed and burned. The pouch got distorted and I had to get it unfilled numberous times throughout the next three years. Fill, unfill, fill, unfill....and by myself. No support, no one to talk to. I went back up to 301 lbs and felt like such a failure. I cried at my last unfill appt. and agreed with dr. that I would continue psych appts and perhaps try Overeaters Anon. I kept the psych appts and went to 2 OA meetings and was scared to death of what I realized. I was addicted to food. But I didn't want to listen so did not go back. Then recently, I found this website and have found so much love and understanding amongst everyone here. I don't have to feel bad for the past years. I don't have to feel like I failed. I don't have to feel like I got this major surgery for nothing. I don't have to hide out so no one I know sees me and feel like they are laughing behind my back. Every day now, since I found this website, I log on. I read, read, read. And feel good about myself. I know for today, I doing OK. I am listening to my band and 80% of the time, I do fine. Sometimes, I do something stupid like eating boiled eggs in my salad KNOWING my band does NOT like boiled eggs and I suffer until it all comes up. But I sleep at night. I no longer throw up all night long. I no longer wake up in the morning realizing I CAN'T eat because I can't even swallow my own spit. I use to get so scared of what would I do without food????!! Now, I keep myself in check so I don't get to that point. I remember when I lost +100 lbs and I said, I would never put it back on. Well here I am at 299. But you know what? I love myself more today than before and I accept myself no matter what I do. And I know each day will get easier and easier. I even went for a walk in the mountains yesterday! Me, exerting energy!!! Thanks for listening.....and thanks for always being there!! My fellow-banders! TB

2 weeks after my band surgery I had to go back in for port revision. Port busted. Another surgery this year 2006, port broke again. My doctors office told me it "just happens", but then I asked again last week and their response was a little more honest. THey said it can break for many reasons; mostly being the was I eat. So ....now I wonder, did I do something to force the port to break, like throwing up or something. So if anyone else had it done because it "broke" let me know what you know. THx,

I married late in life - 37 years old to the love of my life who is 17 yrs older. We had our only daughter a year later. I left the hospital happier than I had ever been. Then the weight would not come off. Prior to getting pregnant I was SOOO successful on PhenPhen! Went from 280 down to 223 in less than 1 year. I just never thought about food. It was great. I suffered very bad dreams, but loved the weight loss. I started soul searching after the med. was taken off the market. After years of so-so dieting I started really paying attention to my relationship with food and realized I depended on it too much for emotional support. As the scale crept up I realized I had to do something about the weight and it had to be drastic. I didn't want my daughter to go through weight issues like I have all my life. September 2001 I had my surgery at 341 lbs. I did sooo good the first 2 years. A few ups and downs, but lost 120 lbs. Then I crashed and burned. The pouch got distorted and I had to get it unfilled numberous times throughout the next three years. Fill, unfill, fill, unfill....and by myself. No support, no one to talk to. I went back up to 301 lbs and felt like such a failure. I cried at my last unfill appt. and agreed with dr. that I would continue psych appts and perhaps try Overeaters Anon. I kept the psych appts and went to 2 OA meetings and was scared to death of what I realized. I was addicted to food. But I didn't want to listen so did not go back. Then recently, I found this website and have found so much love and understanding amongst everyone here. I don't have to feel bad for the past years. I don't have to feel like I failed. I don't have to feel like I got this major surgery for nothing. I don't have to hide out so no one I know sees me and feel like they are laughing behind my back. Every day now, since I found this website, I log on. I read, read, read. And feel good about myself. I know for today, I doing OK. I am listening to my band and 80% of the time, I do fine. Sometimes, I do something stupid like eating boiled eggs in my salad KNOWING my band does NOT like boiled eggs and I suffer until it all comes up. But I sleep at night. I no longer throw up all night long. I no longer wake up in the morning realizing I CAN'T eat because I can't even swallow my own spit. I use to get so scared of what would I do without food????!! Now, I keep myself in check so I don't get to that point. I remember when I lost +100 lbs and I said, I would never put it back on. Well here I am at 299. But you know what? I love myself more today than before and I accept myself no matter what I do. And I know each day will get easier and easier. I even went for a walk in the mountains yesterday! Me, exerting energy!!! Thanks for listening.....and thanks for always being there!! My fellow-banders! TB

Yea, I am not big on rice. I recently found out that I can't handle eggs. I was forcing them for a while now and am finally listening to my band. I tried boiled (white part only), develed, scrambled, etc. No can do!!! And popcorn. I can eat it anytime...any day. EXCEPT, in the evenings. I forgot and ate popcorn last night 2 hrs before bed and was up all night with a cup and rolaids!!! I won't make that mistake again!!:hungry:

Has anyone had their surgery with Dr. Jacobs? Actually, it is Dr. Gomez that does most of the surgeries. What a wonderful staff. And Dr. Gomez is soooo cute and sooo sweet! Anyway, they are great, located at Mercy Hospital in Miami (they use to be in the Gables but have moved). Great staff too!

See if your company has a Employees Assistance Program (EPA), it is a free inhouse program that you can go to during working hours without being penalized for taking time off of work. I know your situation is very difficult and you are doing great hanging in there. One day your mom won't be there and you will be so happy you were there for her. Being an only child brings so many responsibilities. We chose to have one child and she is the center of our world. But I can see where she won't want to be that center when the tables are turned. Anti-depressant would really help your mom. Cause I am wondering with her health issues is she also mean? My mom is and it is very difficult to be around her. So I pray A LOT!!! Sometimes I find myself praying every 10 minutes while I am with her; just so I won't say anything negative back to her. And when I get quiet she gets angry and I finally told her one day that I was praying. She said, "whatever gets you through it!" in a really sarcastic voice. IT could have hurt me, but I chose to thank the Lord for providing me the time to be with her cause it was teaching me patience. (of course, I am not always that gracious. :heh: - I am human after all!!! Remember, everything happens for a reason and you are right where you are suppose to be. Take care of yourself (no fill) and be patient and loving to yourself and in turn, you will find you are getting through this very difficult time of your life. I will pray for you and your mother. :angel:

Has anyone heard of the sleeve surgery? My dr's (Moises Jacobs and Eddie Gomez) in Miami, Flordia do this surgery. In a nutshell, it is a surgery they do before lap band (it is considered part of a 2 part surgery, first sleeve than lapband) for those that have to loose at least 100 lbs before surgery. Anyway, they have been doing a study and research and found out that the sleeve surgery is recommended (by them) to those that have failed with lapband. They have done it on many banders with great success. They wanted me to consider this surgery but because my health insurance ran out, I put it in the back of my mind. I found this explanation: The sleeve gastrectomy is an operation in which the left side of the stomach is surgically removed. This results in a new stomach which is roughly the size and shape of a banana. Since this operation does not involve any "rerouting" or reconnecting of the intestines, it is a simpler operation than the gastric bypass or the duodenal switch. Unlike the Lap-Band procedure, the sleeve gastrectomy does not require the implantation of an artificial device inside the abdomen. ANyway,anyone heard of it or experienced it?

My dr has discovered that this is a good surgery for when band isn't working. ANyway, I think when I get my health insurance back I will try to have it. Any suggestions on which health insurance is easier than others on WLS? I will be purchasing insurance via einsurance probably.

If I knew then what I know now..... We put our house on the market April. Got a buyer (or so we thought) and was to close at end of June. On June 20th our realtor (very inexperienced but we didn't know that at the time) told us the buyers wanted to close on June 23rd. We asked him if we could "rent" for another month since we were not ready to move out. He said the new buyers wanted to move in the day of closing. So we finished packing and was prepared to leave on the 23rd. We had recently purchased land in SC and were going to purchase a double-wide to live in while we built our home. OF course, all was contingent on the sell of our home. Anyway, title company told us that buyers were not qualifed after all. Something our realtor did not check into because he was too green! After 3 extensions we have cancelled contract. We borrowed a camper to live in on our land in SC because couldn't afford anything until sell of house. We just now got running Water, sewer and electricity. House is back on market and will sell, I am sure of it. But this waiting game is a killer. Penniless and no health insurance...but by the grace of God we are happy. We have our health, I have this website for support that I just found. My experience: we put everything "personal" in storage while showing the house. Our rooms were small too so we took most all furniture out so rooms would look larger. Also, opened most windows for daylight. my home, and virtual tour: http://keyes.com/search/properties/residential/results.aspx?sCode=SzAW97tkmH&waited=1&currentPage=1&sortBy=11&Size=10 We made sure yard was very clean and always put out fresh flowers on showings. Also, I made Cookies before showing so house smelled, "homey" When showing was scheduled, I put air condition down so house was cool and turned on ALL lights and opened blinds, curtains in ALL rooms. Just make sure all storage items, personal belongs, etc are gone from house. You will see in this virtual tour we had most all items removed. AND...one more thing, my husband slipped and fell and tiles came up (you don't see new tiles in this picture) so we had to put all new tiles in house, of course this was done after the price of the house was advertiseed!!! Good luck, I could write a book on what not to do. Also, if we sell before 2/07 (God willing) we will have to pay a penalty on our refinanced loan becuase it will have been less than 3 years since loan begin date. Hope some of this helped. Taterbugs!

I would love to join! I am a true slow loser. Got banded in 2001 and did great (-120 lbs) but put all but 40 back on due to problems with my mouth! I would say due to problems with band, but am being terribly honest here! I know qualifications were losing slow the first year, but I have 5 yrs under my belt (or band) and would love to become a member.:clap2: I am back on track because I found this website. Until now, I have done this band thing alone not knowing there was a support group. So, slow. Yes. FInally willing to try, while conscious? Yes. Can I be a member???

The clothes exchange sounds great. Also, maybe more info on computer-related stuff. I thought I was computer savy, but can't for the life of me figure out how paste my ticker into my signature. I typed "ticker" in the search field, = 0 results.Still trying! One more thing, Maybe a quick view on front page of age of bands, etc. Example: Taterbugs: banded 2001 @ xxx lbs, today @ xxx lbs. But in a table of some sort.

I tried it for 2 days. I just bought syrup at Publix (grocery store). Not the Aunt Jam. stuff, but the grade b stuff. About $4/bottle. Also used the Lemon juice and not real lemons. Anyway, it worked well. Besides missing food, it went well. I couldn't go more than 2 days....didn't have the will power to go further without real food. But....I can say, that it worked so well. Felt better, no bags under my eyes. BUt the most important thing is to drink the laxative tea in the evening. My husband and I did it and was so surprised at the stuff that came out. Will save the graphics! My husband has done it again for 2 days and felt great afterwords.

Thanks soooo much for all of your support. I am now viewing this website daily for more information. Update: slept better last night. Will get that upper GI asap. Spoke with dr here in Ga, he would only see me if I went through the emergency room, forcing me to get the upper gi (which was only $148, but the emergency room charges would have been too much) We are planning a trip back to Miami in the next two weeks. I will stay on liquids (with Protein shakes - thx for that info) and if anything, I will HAVE to lose weight that way!! Thanks again everyone, God bless you all and I am hoping to keep the communications up! Because I NEVER knew there was so much help out there.

Got surgery in 2001. Lost 125 lbs. Then the complications began. Never went to support group, today is first time I even went on the internet to find out about other band'ers. Been doing it all alone up until now. Please help. For the last 3 years, I have been filled, unfilled, lost weight and gained weight. Every time I "unfilled" it was because band distended. And I would unfill for about 6 weeks. I did all of this in Miami, where my surgeon is. Have just moved to South Carolina (and am this week visiting my sister in Georgia). Health insurance stopped and am in between jobs. Here is what happened: Got filled before I left Miami 4 weeks ago. Restriction good, but one day a few weeks ago ate 2 Pringles and all the trouble started from there. I was throwing up the Pringles for the next 2 hours and have been throwing up ever since. Yesterday, I realized, that I could finally listen to my band and realized I could eat mushy food at around 4pm and it would stay down, a little burping, but it went down. Then I tried to eat a salad at 7pm and started throwing up again. Heartburn set in an hour later and kept throwing up. By the time I went to bed at 11pm, I had to sit up all night and throw up fluids in a cup. I am exhausted this morning. Now, 12 hrs drive away from my dr, that would not charge me for a unfill, I don't know what to do. I found a dr. here in the Atlanta area but he won't unfill me cause he also wants me to to a upper-gi and I can't afford that too. SO I am wondering, could I just try to drink Water today and tomorrow and not eat to see if things would settle down back to normal again? Something a little strange. If I try to drink my cup of coffee, it takes forever to go down, but if I eat a cracker with seafood spread, it doesn't have such a hard time. or so it seems. Any way, help! I just want to sleep at night....laying down!. I can handle the heart burn, which by the way, I do not have heart burn when I am unfilled, want to bandaid this thing until I can get it unfilled. Thanks for any advise.:cry TB

Thanks guys, here are some answers: I got 1 upper-gi since 2001. We don't do barium think at my dr's office. He just fills/unfills. We did the barium thing back in 2001-2002. hmmmm! Now that I write this down, I can now see where things started going wrong. Anyway, one upper gi in 2003 and all was fine. So we unfilled waited 8 weeks and filled again. I will get the simeticone tonight and hopefully have a better nights rest. Ijust wish I would stop being my worst enemy.