finallyonmyway

Hi all, I need some advice. After my 2nd fill I started experiencing nightly aspiration. The contents of my pouch would come rushing into my mouth (sometimes my nose) in the middle of the night. I would wake up coughing and sputtering and often would cough "stuff" out of my lungs in the wee morning hours. After a couple of nights of this, I went in for a partial unfill. That solved the problem. Now, after my third fill, (a very small one) I am having the same problems. I am careful not to eat or drink after 6 pm, yet sometimes I still have problems. I've tried sleeping sitting up, but that is difficult. After a rough night of these symptoms, I wake up and I'm am achy all over and my chest hurts. I hate to have another unfill, because it quickly becomes too loose and i have no restriction for weeks. I've been reading this thread and am now aware that this is very serious and I should be worried about aspiration pneumonia. I need to know....does anyone else have this problem? Am I too tight? Has the band slipped? Am I not chewing my food well enough? (BTW- how long should it take for a meal to clear the band?) I appreciate any feedback/insight you all can share. Thanks.

All, I wanted to correct my stats that MimIn posted. They are incorrect. Starting Weight: 230 Current Weight: 188 Pounds Lost to Date: 42 Sorry to seem vain, but I've noticed my stats have been wrong for the last few weeks regardless of my attempts to correct them. Great job everyone! Keep going!

Gbags, Based on my experience - I think you need an unfill because you are too tight or your eating habits are causing you to irritate your band and swell. I am struggling with the very same problem. I was filled in November and started experiencing these problems, so I had an unfill and the problems disappeared. So did my weight loss. My last fill was in late January, and it was a very small fill. I do okay sometimes, but now find that unless I skip dinner and drink no fluids, I have aspiration problems at night. I am usually too tight to eat much during the day so dinner is the only meal I can really get solid food in. I'm struggling with this. I keep hoping my fill will loosen up so I don't have to have an unfill. I don't want to get an unfill because I don't want to gain, but I don't know if I can realistically put up with this much longer. My husband is complaining about my coughing. Think about what you are eating and if your eating habits have changed. If I am honest with myself, I have to admit that I may not be sticking to the rules as closely as I should. I have had a few rough days where I ate too fast, or ate the wrong thing and I have to vomit. That generally causes irritation and the result is a long night of aspiration and coughing. I have only myself to blame when I don't use good judgement. If my symptoms don't improve I will have my doctor do a partial unfill. I suggest you talk to your doctor about this, too.

Hi MimIn, Just checking in on the weight loss challenge. I've lost a couple more pounds in the last few weeks. Tapering off....but still feeling really tight, so I did not go for a fill this month. I've lost 42 pounds total.

Hello all September Bandsters, I'm just checking in and reporting weight loss. I haven't checked in for a while, but I'm down to 191 pounds as of this morning. My last fill really kicked things into high gear again. I have great restriction and it's showing on the scale. Incidentally, I think everyone is doing great. Look how far we've come in 6 months! I would never have lost nearly 40 lbs in 6 months without the band! Stay strong and God bless everyone!

Karen, Alexandra, Thank you for the advice. I agree with you that I don't want to lose my band or end up with lifelong esophageal problems. Thanks for your help and support!

TruBluSue - Glad to hear you are doing well. I understand your struggle. I have rid my house of goodies to eliminate tempation, but it is still hard. My head hunger is always in high gear :hungry: - especially this time of year when the weather sucks and there is nothing to do. I get so bored when I'm sitting in front of the TV. I find myself staring into my healthy pantry and wishing for chocolate. I guess there is no cure for that. Thank god for the band. I have never had my physician give me any trouble about losing too much weight between fills. That's interesting to me... I hope he never does. I can't lose this fat soon enough! Isn't it adequate punishment to have carried it around and regained it this long? You might consider another doctor for fills.... You should feel great about your loss, though. You've done very well! TamifromAL - Jazzercise is a lot of fun. Mostly I just wanted an inexpensive exercise option and the classes always motivate me to work harder than sweating it out on my own in a gym. I love dancing, so that makes the classes interesting for me. The moves aren't too difficult, but I used to dance in high school so it's alot like learning a dance routine for me. Jazzercise isn't the corny 80's class that people still remember. We do body sculpting with weights and killer ab workouts in our classes. I can really feel the difference. After each class I feel really good about myself having worked out for an hour. It keeps me motivated to keep trying to get this weight off. Can't wait for summer - really hope to have that body worth flaunting! Let's keep thinking those positive thoughts! :clap2:

Hey there September Bandsters, I have been away from this website for a long time, but happy to be checking in after the holidays. How is everyone? I see I missed the start of the St. Patty's Day challenge, but just put me down for a starting weight of 200 lbs. I've lost 30 since my surgery and have started going to Jazzercise classes since the first of the year. I'm hoping to accelerate my weight loss in anticipation of summer. I'd like to shout out to TrueBluSue, who I think was in surgery the same day as me with Dr. De La Garza in Mexico on September 1. Hang in there. We can do this! Happy New Year September Bandsters!

Hi all, Just wanted to post to this thread and say hello. I am a lower BMI band patient. I've been banded since Sept. 1 and have lost 30 pounds so far. Everyone things that is great progress, but I feel it is a little slow. My next fill is Jan. 24, so I'm hoping that will speed things along again.

Hi everyone, I've been banded for one-month now (9/1) and am scheduled for a fill on 10/16. I've been enjoying the discussions, but am puzzled by two terms that I don't understand. Since I haven't had a fill yet, I don't know what "sliming" is. Also, don't know what "PBing" is? Can someone please explain? I would appreciate it. :help: :help:

Thanks HoneyBunn! That really helps me understand the threads I read in this forum. I appreciate the clarification.

Hey everyone, I'd like to join the September Bandsters discussion.. I was banded on Sept. 1st. I am now two weeks post-op, and am doing well in week 3 of my banded lifestyle. I'm starting some mushy foods (cottage cheese and yogurt) and have lost 10 pounds since being banded. I had no pre-op diet to follow, so I ate everything I could get my hands on. LOL. I'm looking forward to watching everyone's progress.

Hi Everyone, I was banded 9/1/06 and have lost 10 pounds post-op. How many calories should I be eating? It sounds like some of you eat a lot. I've been writing down everything I eat and have been averaging about 600-700 calories per day with solids like yogurt and cottage cheese now in my 3rd week. I have to admit that hearing some of the stories about no restriction and being able to eat whatever I want is scaring me a bit. I want this band to work for me, so I realize it's just a tool, that I have change my lifestyle. Still - a scary thought that it might not work. Appreciate any thoughts on this.

Hello everyone, This is my first post. I was also denied by my insurance. Turns out the surgery was an excluded procedure on my plan, so I did not attempt to fight it. I had researched having the surgery done abroad, and that's what I did. I was banded in Monterrey, Mexico on 9/1/06 for less than half the price of what it would have cost me in the States. For anyone who can afford to finance the procedure - I would recommend this hospital and can refer you to their web site. Overall it was a very positive experience, and I'm doing very well two weeks out.