outside*looking*in

Hello Everyone - I am on here to re-intorduce myself. I actually had a band put in 2 1/2 years ago now. I was doing really well until my gallbladder started acting up and I had it removed. Then I went through a long journey of bile reflux and problems (not band related but try conviencing doc's of that when you have a band and reflux issues!) (You may still find old post about it on here) . Anyhow, I was unfilled completely for a year. I managed to keep losing and eventually lost a total of 98lbs. I will say that A LOT of that was from being unable to eat due to the bile reflux problems. Earlier this year I decided that I had been symptom free for long enough that I would try fills again. I am up to 6cc and I feel like a newbie. The main problem is that the excitment and commitment with getting the band is no longer there. The other problem is that I am having to teach myself the rules all over again. I eat too fast, too big of bites and so on. I used to measure out portions and now I don't. The band does keep me from over eating but I have made many wrong choices lately. I spent almost six months unable to do anything but drink ensure because of the reflux. So when I could eat I would take whatever my stomach could handle! I found that sugars where the easiest to digest, I guess they break down easy. I went on meds for depression and after switching around (under doc supervision) and finally finding one that agrees with me, I am learning that it gives me the munchies like a pot head! AND mostly a sweet tooth! I spoke to the doc today about coming off of that med. I am recommiting myself to this band. Do to the muchies, bad choices and such...I have put back on just over 15lbs. My doc says that is not bad considering I was unfilled for a year. It is bad for me. I started low carbing last sunday. Until I get to a fill appropriate for me. That is one of the problems. I can't gauge it. Sometimes I feel wide open and at other times I get stuck (I imagine from eating too much or fast). I do feel hungry in between meals but sometimes have to figure out if it is head hunger or med munchies. Right now I am having a fight with a piece of steamed brocolli and it is winning! Sometimes I can tolerate things and others times the same thing will not go down. This is a fical little device I have. I should also mention that before my gall bladder surgery when all was going normal and I had already lost about 50lbs, I had 8cc in my band, had NEVER had a stuck issue AND there where NO foods that I could not tolerate. Now the list of foods is long and I get little "sticks/stuck episodes" a lot. ... Sorry for such a long re-intro..... Would love to hear from some old timers about when and how you KNOW you are at the right fill for you and what type of foods you have problems with. Absolute no's for me are potatoes or eggs. (Try doing low carb with NO eggs for breakfast!). Thanks Outside-looking-in (again).

Has anyone had to pay to have your band removed? I paid nearly $19,000 to have it put in a year ago (2/3/10) and may have to consider having it out. Self pay again! I have been dealing with espohagitis and bile reflux since the removal of my gall bladder and have not been well for nearly 4 months. It seems the band irritates my esophagitis. I have been unfilled since mid December and have had some improvement but nothing close to being normal. I take prilosec twice a day and carafate 4 times a day. Thanks.

Has anyone had to pay for an endoscopy? I may have to have one and would like to know a ball park price if I can't get the insurance (who did not cover my band) to pay for it. Thanks

So I get a call from my docs office today and they want to discuss taking out the band. This after 6 months of complaining of stomach pains and being told it is not the band. I have been to the GI and told that I have esophagitis and gastritis and now a small hernia. This is the same diagnosis as 6 months ago so why is there a need to take the band out now??? I go for an appointment on Thur to discuss this with the doc. If anyone of you were told that the doc thinks your band should come out what questions would you include in your visit with the doc. I am NOT going to make this a snap decision! I paid close to 20 grand to have it put in 14months ago and WHO knows what it will cost to take out! That will be one of my questions~~! Thanks for the help.

I had my gall bladder removed and within 2 weeks of that I started getting symptoms. Long story short - I was having bile reflux, gastritis and esophagitis. I was on meds for a long time. This all started in October of last year and lasted well into February. I feel much better now and am off all of my meds although I do sometimes have gastritis still. Depends on what I eat. I still have no fluid in my band (all was taken out last December) but I am doing okay with the weight -about staying the same. I see the doc again at the end of next month to re-evaluate everything.

I explained to my doc that, although not completely back to normal, I have been feeling better. He said we would make an appointment for another three months and see where we are. Let's face it. This is his way of covering his bottom should something more serious with my health happen. This way he has it on recored that he suggested removal. The problem is, I have no "normal" band problems like slime/PB'ing, getting stuck or vomiting. All the test showed that it wsa in proper place and does not show erosion. All of my symptoms started after removal of my gallbladder. They can't tell me that the band is actually causing my problems and if it is removed that my symptoms will vanish.

Hello - I have been having problems with gastritis symptoms for a while now. I too have the pressure/lump feeling in my throat. Especially after I eat. My symptoms do not sound as bad as you described. I have found that chewing gum when I have that feeling in my throat helps me. My problems started after I had my Gallbladder removed. I developed bile reflux, gastritis, esophagitis - one symptom caused another symptom type of thing. I have not had Fluid in my band since last December. My band shows no signs of slippage, I do not PB, slime or throw up and rarely get stuck. Yet- my doc suggested I have my band removed. I was a cash patient and developed these problems within 6 months of having the band installed. ONLY after the gallbladder was removed though. I had no problems prior to that and had 8cc in my band. The GI says I have reflux yet I have never had anything come up at night or have trouble sleeping as you mention. Mine started as a constant burning in my stomach. Now it gurgles and has a slight burning feeling when it is acting up. I was put on prilosec twice a day and carafate 4 times a day. I have managed to come down to just prilosec once daily and tums/pepto when my symptoms start. Sometimes it helps and other times not. I also at one time (not lately) had horrible pain in my chest as though someone was pressing their knuckles in my chest. That does not happen as often now. I found that certain medications make the symptoms worse. I am finally able to eat regular foods (I was only able to drink Ensure for 3 months when it was really bad = sort of like you are doing with shakes). I still have not figured out what causes my symptoms completely but things that are harder to digest seems to trigger more symptoms. Unfortunately, those are usually the more healthy things. I triggered it last night with a spinach, tomato, mozzarella and chicken salad. Not sure what my stomach didn't like but it is still upset this morning and gurgled at me all night. I measure out my food and only had 5oz in weight off that salad. I have to make a decision about having it removed yet none of the docs can say for sure that the symptoms will go away once it is removed. Please keep us posted on your journey. I am curious to see what your doc says.

So - I had my surgery on 2/3 and the doc found and had to repair a hernia. My husband decided to call the insurance to see if they would pick up any of the tab because of the hernia. Their response was "maybe" it depends on how the doc wrote his clinical notes?? So, I have to have the insurance person at the surgeons office submit the notes for a claim. I will keep my fingers crossed my not get my hopes up. We paid a total of about $18,000 for the surgery.

Has anyone who has been banded a bit know if your bra has caused your port area to hurt??? Mine has been hurting mildly for two days and it seems to jump all around my port area (not in one particular spot). I have tried repositioning the way I am sitting, where I am sitting and so on. I finally took off my bra and now I notice there is not a single pain! It could be a coincidence and I am still going to bring it up to the doc, but anybody have this happen?????

Just a quick note for those who HAVE NOT had your surgery yet.....ask how much it will cost to remove it should the need arise. I know it is not something you like to talk about and figure "that will not happen to me" but I am now in the position just over a year after paying nearly $18,000 to have it put in! I have been having issues that never came up as a possible problem that will possibly require removal. Espophagitis/gastritis for the past 6 months. I had a good 6 months of the band then had to have my gallbladder removed. It has been problematic every since! I am not convinced it is my band and will see the doc tomorrow about it (his office called me to come in and discuss removal ~ that is not a fun call to get!) Here I sit feeling like I made a bad investment. I worry about weight gain (glad I did not get rid of all my clothes!) I will not opt for any other surgery. WE will see what he has to say tomorrow.

I have been having a burning sensation with lots of gurgling in my stomach. The burning is painful and I am uncomfortable all the time. I am hungry but afraid to eat because that is when the burning gets worse. I have an ensure and feel a little better but then I almost feel too full (makes no sense). I had been getting better but went in for a fill last Thursday and the pain was back by that night. I went for an unfill yesterday and felt some relief but not enough. My doc don't know what to make of it. I saw him again today and he did not want to completely unfill me because I am not showing symptoms of being too tight. I have had an endo and an upper GI and everything comes back normal......I have been on liquids since my fill on Thursday. I have been given carafate and now pervicid to take daily as the GI doc thinks it is acid reflux although I explained that I do not have any acid coming up my throat, the burning stays in my stomach. I don't know if I should have the band removed since I don't know if it will fix the problem, especially since the docs truly don''t know what the problem is. It is very draining. I can't take care of my kids, house or even get out of bed when it is at its worse. Hopefully someone will have an answer for this soon.

I have been dealing with bile reflux and esophagitis for 4 months now. If I don't heal soon I am afraid the next recommendation will be to remove the band. I have been completely unfilled since mid December. I was self-pay and have only had it in for one year. I paid nearly $19,000 to put it in. Is there anyone out there(self-pay) who paid to have it removed and how much did it cost? Thanks,

Is anyone disappointed with the REALIZE website? I thought there would be message boards like this, I can't find a place to daily journal & their food list is a bit short. Maybe I just have not found everything on the site through all of the fluff yet, but so far I am not impressed enough to go back daily.

So I started setting the appointment for the pysc eval and the surgeons office thought it might be around $400 to $500! OUCH! So - I decided to call my ins and ask if it was covered. I explained that it was for clearance for bariatric surgery (which is not covered) and she said it IS COVERED!!!! So now I only have to pay a $40 copay. So I called and set up the appoinment, gave her my ins info and before ending the call ask her "just out of curiosity, How much would this cost for self-pay?" $600!!!!:biggrin: Holy COW! I hope the person I was speaking to from my insurance was giving me the right info....

I have been dealing with esophagitis/gastritis which all started from bile reflux. The pain is bad, especially the burning in your stomach. Not able to eat even when you are hungry. I had ALL of the Fluid removed from my band and have been on carafate and prilosec. I found that when it was bad tylenol and pepto helped more. You actually feel well enough that you chance a few bites of something and them realize what a wrong move that was. I did not have symptoms of slimming, vomiting or a hard time getting food down. It was when it actually hit my stomach that the pain started. Another symptom I had/have is everything taste sour and my tongue has a lingering sour taste on it. I also feel like my band is tight (although there is no fluid) and the feeling of a lump in my throat just after I try to eat a little. I lived off of ensure for over a month and I am finally able to eat some softer foods. NO meats or hard to digest foods. If any of this sounds familiar I would see a Gastro doc. Hope you feel well soon.

I am posting this because I had such a hard time gathering info on these doctors. So, if in the future someone wants to know my experience, they can find it. I went to the seminar, it really peeked my interest, I looked into the Gastric band more by reading the forums, internet searches and attented a support group meeting of another practice in Jax. I was leaning toward U.S Bariatrics because its close proximity to my home, professionalism and most importantly it is a, "Center of Excellence" approved center. I decided to check out one of their support group meetings before making an appointment for a consultation. Here are my feelings based on the 1 meeting. They may change in the future. Upon walking in I was surprised at how many people were there (at least 60!). This was way different from the SG I went to in Jax (I really meant to go to a seminar, but got the support group instead, my fault) there were only about 15 ppl in that one. The U.S. Bariatric is so large because ALL of their pts, no matter what bariatric surgery they have had, attend the same meeting. I did not really like this. I wanted to talk to someone about the BAND and I was not sure who to talk to. It seems too crowded and the people in front of me were talking to whole time so I could not hear the nutritionist or questions from others some of the time. I feel the pts have different issues and need to discuss things that are more specific to their needs. I will see how it goes in the future. So, I made my appointment for a consult. I got in rather quickly with no problem. I met with Dr. Koppman. HE IS SO NICE! We went over medical records that I brought. He asked me which procedure I was interested in and my reasons for that particular procedure. I explained that I wanted the band (because less risky, and I don't need to drop weight fast since I have no other health problems at the time) and he felt that was the better choice for me. He sat with me for near 40 minutes explaining the band and answering each question I had. He was very imformative and professional, yet at the same time so friendly I felt I could ask him anything. I felt vvery assured when I left that I had made the right choice. Also, I found out that he went out of the office after talking to me and found my husband outside (watching the kids) and sat and spoke with him for a few minutes. This made my husband really confident with him as a great guy, not just a great doctor. (I had sent my husband to the seminar the night before my appointment so he could hear the info himself and feel comfortable. He had introduced himself to Dr. Koppman that night) I will continue to post as I go further along in the process for anyone who is considering this practice.

TN - please keep me posted on what you find out about your situation. I feel like the docs just don't get it. I have really had to figure this out on my own. I am finally able to eat some soft solid foods again and the burning has turned into a some what sour feeling. I still have no fluid in my band and plan on keeping it that way. If that is what it takes then that is how it will be. I have found that pepto and tylenol help me more than the prescriptions they give me. I worry that pepto may eventually give me an ulcer though. I have given up all caffeine and basically can tolerate some Soup, toast, ensure, pudding and stuff that is easily digestible. I hope your docs are able to give you some answers. My GI doc said slight esophagitis but I can't imagine that it is slight with this amount of pain. Best of luck.

I have been trying to get answers to this. I have seen PCP, GI, and Band doc many times. I have constant burning in the middle of my stomach! I am on carafate, prilosec twice a day, and sometimes still have to take pepcid and tylenol. I am unable to care for my children or home as I am in constant pain. HAS ANYONE HAD ANYTHING LIKE THIS! This does not come up into my chest or throat. I had my Gallbladder removed back in July and started noticing upset stomachs periodically off and on since then. I am begging for help. The band doc does not thing it is the band and the GI wants to say it is esophagitis but does not listen to me when I say the meds don't help and that it stays in my stomach. I have had an endoscopy and an upper GI series, nothing found! I am 2.5 pounds away from onederland and NOT even happy because I have suffered the last 16lbs off. Will a complete unfill help? I would make the decision to take out the band (not lightly as I have to pay myself and paid to put it in less than a year ago!) if I could get a definite answer that it is the cause of my problems. Please, if anyone has had this happen would you please talk to me. Desperate. I just want to feel normal and I don't care if it means not losing more weight or even gaining weight!

I got the unfill today. Not sure how I feel yet but I think it is a step in the right direction. My doc said to me, that "maybe my body/esophagus just can't handle the band and maybe it should come out". I don't get it. I had NO PROBLEMS until I had my gall bladder out and then all heck broke out. I am hoping that the unfill will let my esophagus and stomach heal. I don't mind if I gain a little weight and have to keep it unfilled. Taken it out would be a last resort financially speaking. I paid $18,000 to have it put in LESS then a year ago! I was tested for the h.pylori and it was negative.

This morning I broke 200. I think this is my first time under 200 since I was 19! I wish it were under better circumstances. I have not been able to eat for the past 2 1/2 weeks due to burning in my stomach (not reflux). Docs can't figure it out so I have really suffered the last 10- 15 lbs off. It may come back on once I can eat solid foods again. That is okay with me....I know it won't take another 20 years to get back in onederland if I do gain a little back. I figured I should recognize the goal that I set though. Blessings to all.

Michelle - You seem to have a good attitude about this. I am glad to hear that your ability to eat without reflux has returned ( I am currently having problems with burning in my stomach every time I eat but not actually coming up - I am thinking of having more or all fluid removed). I wish you well with weight watchers. Best of luck. BTW...not for or against personally but with my recent problems and seeing a GI doc, she gave me very clear warnings about NOT doing any kind of bypass in the future due to all of the problems she see's with them. If you should ever consider the switch - perhaps talk to a GI and get their input, of course they only see bypass patients when they are having problems and not the healthy ones. Just a thought. Please keep us posted on your progress. Bless you.

I asked for a complete unfill and my doc did not think that I needed it. I am making him do it this week though. I can't take it. I don't know what you mean about looking on the outside??

I have been dealing with burning in my stomach for a few months now. I have also noticed a "lump" / hard to swallow feeling in my throat. I've been to the band doc and a GI numerous times. Band doc says not the band. GI says maybe reflux (not having anything come up in my throat - even when I lay down) Meds they gave me do not help. I have been searching for answers like crazy! PJD - if your docs come up with somthing I would love to know what they find. I am literally unable to care for my family because it is painful. I have had an endo and upper gi series with the gi doc and nothing was found except for bile reflux (lost gallbladder back in July) that started getting better then after my last fill- I went downhill fast. Had them remove that amount and now wanting all the fluid removed just to see if it helps.

hi - I see it has been a while since your post but I am hoping you will see this. I am curious about what has happened with you. I have been having problems as well (banded 2/3/10). I have had the endoscope, upper gi and everything "looked normal". I have been have burning pain in my stomach. My GI doc says it is reflux even though it does not come up my throat (thank goodness - I am sure that is NOT FUN). I get this pain as soon as I eat and it can last a hours or minutes. Just constant burn and stomach gurgling. I was getting better, went for a fill and it started all over. I got an unfill but I am still suffering. Please let me know if this sounds familiar. DId you have your band removed? If so, did your symptoms improve? If I decide to have mine removed I will have to pay and I paid $18,000 already to put this thing in. Now honestly, when I feel like this, I regret it. I would rather be fat and happy then thinner but so miserable I can't function. Thanks for any reply

Hi - I am not sure if we are experiencing the same thing (I am about to put a post out for any help I can get). I have been having a burning sensation with lots of gurgling in my stomach. The burning is painful and I am uncomfortable all the time. I am hungry but afraid to eat because that is when the burning gets worse. I have an ensure and feel a little better but then I almost feel too full (makes no sense). I had been getting better but went in for a fill last Thursday and the pain was back by that night. I went for an unfill yesterday and felt some relief but not enough. My doc don't know what to make of it. I saw him again today and he did not want to completely unfill me because I am not showing symptoms of being too tight. I have had an endo and an upper GI and everything comes back normal......I have been on liquids since my fill on Thursday. I have been given carafate and now pervicid to take daily as the GI doc thinks it is acid reflux although I explained that I do not have any acid coming up my throat, the burning stays in my stomach. I don't know if I should have the band removed since I don't know if it will fix the problem, especially since the docs truly don''t know what the problem is. It is very draining. I can't take care of my kids, house or even get out of bed when it is at its worse. Hopefully someone will have an answer for this soon.