Awkward customer

I have been banded for some time and doing relatively well on it - the band is sometimes tighter for no reason at all and so I do occasionally have to vomit, but generally all is OK. But over the past week, I have had reflux virtually every night and even during the day. It is not an acidic, heartburn-style reflux - it is not painful. It is just that I can taste some liquid, usually tasteless white liquid, in my mouth. And during the day my mouth never feels clean - it is like there is a mucus or phlegm all the time, or a file of liquid in my mouth all the time, but no actually indigestion. My only solutions are to use indigestion tablets, which briefly rein it in - and to drink a lot of Water. Have other people experienced this non-acidic reflux? Will it go? Or do I need an unfill? I feel so embarrassed to talk about matters like my mouth not feeling clean and having a layer of gunge in it, I don't know whether I could talk to the doctor about such a thing. Thanks for any comments.

I have unsubscribed from notifications from this thread due to politically motivated provocations from Cindy. But noticing this - another deliberate distortion - I have to say - read it. Then read it again. Then read it gain. It says Congress. Cindy have you heard of the US Congress. Do you know what it is? Congress means Congress. It should be straightforward. That Amendment says Congress. What is unclear about that? The amendment is about what the US Congress can do. I suppose you don't even know that some states - (the states are not the US Congress - do you know the difference? do I have to labor and belabor and belabor it - the states are not the US Congress - the US Congress is a federal body - the state bodies are state bodies - do i have to repeat this further?) had established churc hes until well into the 1830s. See this link for a list. See note 4: "Until 1877 the New Hampshire Constitution required members of the State legislature to be of the Protestant religion." See note 5: "The North Carolina Constitution of 1776 disestablished the Anglican church, but until 1835 the NC Constitution allowed only Protestants to hold public office. From 1835–1876 it allowed only Christians (including Catholics) to hold public office. " The USA was a collage of states that had rights (states rights), and had their cultures and traditions going back to the early 1600s, and the constitution was designed to allow very different states to cooperate together in a union. Some of the states had laws (laws that were not unconstitutional - as the First Amendment refers to the Federal Congress) that specifically discriminated against non-Christians until at least as late as the 1870s. The fact that the US Congress could not establish eg the Congregationalists, or the Presbyterians, or the Episcopalians as the state church for the whole USA allowed Christians of various denominations to enjoy the union - America was until the 1960s almost exclusively (95%+) populated by people of Christian religion/heritage, but they didn't war with each other on the exact version of christianity. The states were allowed to enact their own laws on the subject. Cindy, if your ancestors came to a country that was almost wholly Christian, it was incumbent on them and you to fit in.

You have taken the subject well off-topic. America **is** a Christian society. it was founded as a society for more than one denomination, as there were various denominations in the various colonies, and so there was no state church like in England, but the founding people were nearly all of Christian heritage. John Jay (one of America's Founding Fathers) in the 2nd federalist paper said: With equal pleasure I have as often taken notice that Providence has been pleased to give this one connected country to one united people -- a people descended from the same ancestors, speaking the same language, professing the same religion, attached to the same principles of government, very similar in their manners and customs It is a considerable distortion to claim the USA is not a Christian country. It was founded by European people of Christian heritage, not all of whom believed in all the tenets of Christianity (hence the Deists). America is as Christian a society as Israel is Jewish - not all Israelis believe in the Torah, but it is undoubtedly their heritage - put it that way. Not everyone in China believes in Buddhism, but it is in their heritage, and even if they were to admit many millions of adherents of other religions via immigration, it wouldn't change the fact that China was and ought to be Chinese in heritage. Cindy, you seem to be stuck in divise identitarian politics. These have nothing to do with this forum, and in fact boil down to hatred of America's mainstream culture. Reading between the lines, you are seething with hatred - and that's not healthy.

"Not being judgmental" is not an excuse for negating the words of Christ. Not being judgmental was always meant to mean that we acknowledged we all failed, but as Christians, and especially as the Church, we were right to encourage moral behaviour. Jesus helped the woman fallen in adultery being stoned by the people - but did you notice he did not say "carry on being a prostitute". He told her to go her way and not to sin again - which you Melissannde would describe as "judgmental". Have you even stopped to think that there are other people affected by family breakups? The husband? The children? The fact that marriage breakup in one of the strongest links in the social sciences is linked with crime, delinquency, drug abuse, and the sexual and physical abuse of the children (often by the mother's string of boyfriends)? How come none of these people are deserving of your love? In fact, in the real Christian religion, not this non-judgmental-approve-of-crime-abortion-and-everything version (which actually approves of and encourages maltreatment of others), you might give the children a second thought - oh, let's push the boat out - let's give the children a third thought.... You might remember to show them love too.

The different colonies had different religious backgrounds. Do I need to explain further? There most certainly were colonists who weren't Deists!!!!!!!!!!! You need a history lesson fo some type. Oh, and some of the early colonists were extremists who did come to America to found cultist colonies. None of this is of any relevance, but what is of relevance is that it is socially destructive to tell people to leave their families if they feel like it. For a start, you are harming the person you are telling that. How do you know the Original poster will not post in a year's time saying she has left her family, her children don't want anything to do with her, her new boyfriend gave her AIDS and left her, and your advice, Cindy, destroyed her life? Cindy, you are making yourself feel better by trying to destroy MzHawkins' life! I tell it how it is!

Dear all, I have lost around 100 pound, and my port used to not hurt at all, but now I often feel it. Not a sharp pain, but there is something there. I am thinking that as the weight has been going, it has been getting closer to the top of the abdomen? I would hate it to start becoming a problem. Also, after months of not exercising, I am now swimming every day and joined the gym - maybe my port has moved during exercise? For new bandsters, my only advice is to follow a diet. My hospital told me to leave weightwatchers and that the band would work on its own. I did not find that. I was on Atkins and then WW, and have lost loads, but as the band only gives restriction for some foods, and not runny foods or liquids or a large list of foods, I find that the band has helped me to an extent (by limiting intake of crisps, potatoes etc), but does not do the whole thing for me - and you need to follow a diet. Also for me fruit can be among the most problematic food, because of its fibry nature. I often have to vomit after eating grapes or oranges too quickly...

you seem to have done well in just a month - I found I didn't start losing weight until 6 months after banding - I needed many fills...

No, religion is not just about Sunday worship. In fact, Sunday worship is the least important aspect of it. It's about how you lead your life, so it is relevant at all times. If we continue down the route of everyone feeling entitled to do whatever they want and feeling no sense of duty to others, we will create an awful society. It's about that and not about singing hymns on a Sunday.

Well maybe it is the right thing for her to discuss her feelings with her family - and ideally with her children too - before it goes too far. They may persuade her that having 4 children is a gift from God - and that her life is actually wonderful - and nothing should be done to jeopardise that!

No. MzHawkins, you are in the wrong here. You live in a Christian society, and the church has taught for 2000 years that marriage is for life. Now over the past 50 years or so the church has been adapting to secular values, and many pastors will not openly tell you that divorce is wrong. But it is. You are the problem. You are 100% in the wrong, and you are trying to rely on political correctness to get out of it. Many people here will not tell you what you are planning is evil. My heart bleeds for your husband who has supported you while you were fat, and suddenly, now you're thinner, you want to find a new model. And the 18 years of marriage? And the children? Do you even give a damn about your children? The correct Christian way is not to tell you that doing evil is right; it is to tell you not to do evil. You made a commitment to your husband and children. Stand by it. I don't know why divorce is legal in the modern world - it seems the politicians are trying to encourage weaker families - and the result is misery all round. You might even find that your children, with a good deal of justification, never go near you again after betraying your husband and breaking your marriage vows. You seem to think someone telling you not to do the wrong thing is nasty. You have it all wrong. What you are proposing is evil - pure evil. It is the right thing to tell you that. You could end up a lonely old woman whose children never approach her - and I cannot say that you would not deserve that fate. I am male not female. What makes you think all posters are female? But I refuse to relativise moral values so far that dumping your husband and kids who have stood by you when you were unsightly becomes "relativised". Why don't you just throw yourself under a bus? It would be kinder on all involved. You are proposing spoiling your husband and children's lives simply because you think now you are thinner you deserve better. If I were your pastor I would tell you you could not take Communion until you repented. You said: "I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep our marriage together". OK, do that. If you're expecting me to be non-judgmental about evil, you are quite wrong. I expect you are one of these American women who has had countless abortions and expects to do whatever she likes no matter who is hurt. If it feels good - do it - no matter how evil.

I must say I am hostile to the very concept of divorce, as if people are throwaway commodities. if you say you love your husband, then don't get divorced. How hard is that? And your husband loved you and stayed with you when you were fat? And all for a person who as soon as she lost a bit of weight started to think of cheating on him? Er.. yuk! Maybe he is best rid of you, though. Honestly, this is one of the nastiest posts I have read. "Now I am not so fat, is it OK to get rid of my husband who I claim to still love and who stayed with me all while I was fat?" Which part of "till death do us part" did you not understand?

yes, I think that is it.

Thanks that makes sense. I was hoping once I reach my goal to aspirate the band and leave it in there, and keep my weight stable for the rest of my life via exercise. I could always refill it in the future if I started to regain weight. But if the band is going to get troublesome, I might leave it in till I reach goal weight and then get it removed - I don't like operations!

I think you have to follow a diet. Expecting the weight to come off automatically, as my hospital said it would, won't work.

Well, I have had my band for a year and lost around 42 pounds - I hadn't expected to lose so little. So, I started the Atkins diet today. I am having a whole roast chicken including all the skin today, 4 ounces of cheddar cheese, a couple of fried eggs, decaffeinated coffee made with full cream, and if I get peckish some burger patties.... I'll let you know how I get on. My goal is to get into ketosis. The gastric band makes it a little difficult - it is difficult to eat the skin of the chicken - but I cut it up small and had it bit by bit.

I think you should definitely try to avoid constant reflux - for one thing it can lead to oesophageal problems as that acid is not meant to leave the stomach. Look up Barrett's oesophagus for one thing that can develop. I was without reflux for months, and then suddenly it is back - and I now avoid eating anything after 9pm just in case I get reflux at night. I don't get reflux during the day, just around 5am. And sometimes I have hardly had anything to eat that day. One day - I am on the Atkins diet - I just had 2 rashers of bacon and a fried egg during the day and nothing else - and felt hungry, and so I had a Brazil nut half a nut before bedtime. That is all I had that day - and I had terrible reflux because of that Brazil nut. Last night I made sure not to have anything near bedtime, and I still woke up at 5am gagging with acid - although it quickly went away, as I hadn't actually had any food.... I don't think it is one to mess with - you need to stop the reflux.

I found that I was not able to eat a whole chicken a day. In fact in my 5th day on Atkins, I am now in ketosis and burning fat and not glucose. What I am having every day is eg 2 rashers of bacon and 2 fried eggs fried in fat, for Breakfast, and then maybe 2 salmon burgers for lunch and if I still feel peckish a few ounces of cheddar cheese and/or a chicken leg later on. The worse thing about Atkins is that you can only drink Water. Or decaffeinated coffee with no milk and sugar. You can have wine when you're out of the induction phase. But anyway, I have lost 7 lbs this week and am now burning fat - how many bandsters here could say a) they lost 7 lbs this week; and they're definitely burning fat, as shown by the ketosis reagent test trips? I'm fed up of burning carbs and then finding my fat stocks untouched.

Dear all, I haven't had much of a problem with gastric reflux since I had the band, but I have had it once or twice recently, and since the last time I can kind of feel something in my throat or oesophagus. It is not actually a pain as such, more like a tickly thing I can feel that I don't think should be there. And it's kind of intermittent - a few seconds on and then a few seconds off. I read somewhere that people with gastric bands can develop oesophageal problems, and that acid reflux can actually cause an oesophageal ulcer due to bacteria that are normally in the stomach coming up into the oesophagus. I don't have an actual ulcer, as I am able to swallow normally, but I am wondering whether this means I could develop one and need to take antibiotics to stop the spread of these bacteria? Or maybe it is the beginning of throat cancer or oesophageal cancer? It is really just nothing at the moment - something I could even not notice - but I am wondering if I should do something. Does anyone know what I'm referring to?

I am not getting any email notifications of replies to my messages, despite setting them to "instant notification" in the user control panel. How can I fix this?

I have a serious bout of flu at the moment and am feeling very bad. I am coughing every 2 seconds, and sometimes I cough so much my port hurts. Is that anything to worry about? I have had almost no food for days, but this flu bug makes me feel like vomiting, and it is a strange feeling to try to vomit, and for nothing to come up, as there is nothing in my stomach. is the flu a problem for the band?

Hi, I was told by the nurse to eat something, and that the dry heaves are only dangerous when you have an empty stomach...

don't have ice cream. Eating ice cream is like saying publicly, "I don't care I had this operation, I wanna be fat".

I weigh myself about 10 times a day. I know you shouldn't, but I can't help it.

I used to buy a packet containing 6 bags of crisps (which is what we call potato chips in England) and eat them all in one go, sometimes as sandwiches with bread and butter and crisps in the sandwiches. Now, although I can eat 6 bags if I want to, it feels uncomfortable. I can feel the crisps just sitting there in the pouch and not going anywhere, which encourages me not to have too many.