laurigee

Good or bad experiences should be encouraged! There are no experiences that are the same, whether they are good or bad!!! It's important to be educated on both when making an important decision! No one should ever feel they need to hide their story!

Definitely see a doctor! I was having this trouble in December so I went on the 5 day pouch test and for some unknown reason it went away and I haven't had trouble since! The band can be very unpredictable some times! Hope you find the reason for your problem soon. Your not drinking anything carbonated are you? I think that may have been my problem.

Hope you feel better soon! Sending my thoughts and prayers!

So sorry that your having problems! It just goes to show us that everyones body is different! I know it probably sucks to feel like the exception! However, it sounds like you are on the right path with a surgeon you trust! Good luck on your surgery and keep us posted!

I have been banded almost 7 years and no real problems except I can't tolerate fills! Not the ideal, but not the worst! I actually left this forumn because it was annoying to hear how "perfect" some were! If you had a ligitamite question or concern you would get blasted about how unworthy you were of the band! Then you would get blasted again by that person starting a thread about you and how they felt about your topic! Got to high schoolish for me! Now that I have returned I've learned to take the good and learn from the mistakes others have made. I'm glad to hear others problems. If I listen to EVERYTHING I feel informed, if I would listen to only half, I feel that would make me ignorant and arrogant! There is enough of both on here if you look! Just my opinion?!

Have a little removed, obviously your not adjusting to the fill. Having the band should not make your life miserable! Hope everything gets better for you!

I've taken nyquil. I can't see why it would hurt, it's not like your going to use it daily on a regular basis. Like I've said, I use it on occasion and have had my band for 6 years with no problems!

The 5 day pouch test isn't about losing weight. It's about feeling your band again and it's restriction! I do this on occassion when I start feeling like Ive disconnected with my band. After 5 days I will start feeling restriction again. It gives me the boost I need to regroup. It's only 5 days, it's worth a try!

I have always been able to swallow pills! Please make sure that if you crush pills that you get the okay from your doctor or pharmacist! Some pills are extended release or just not meant to be put into the bloodstream all at once! This can cause an overdose or problems with your liver!

I'm going on 7 years with my band and everything is okay with mine! I guess it's just like everything else we purchase, you know ahead of time it may not last forever. Just like my refrigerator, it's over 10 years old, it looks like brand new, it runs like the first day I purchased it. However, I make sure I care for the stainless steel on the outside, I have it serviced regularly, and I have gotten my money's worth even if it would break down tomorrow(I'm knocking on wood). I guess you have to jump into it with some faith! If your information is correct I guess i am counting on being part of the 40%!

I can honestly say it was almost pain free for me! I did have some shoulder pain due to gas, but nothing that was horrible! You will probably sleep during most of the plane ride home! Good luck!

Glad to hear you didn't give up and let the scale determine your outcome! It's the people like yourself that are an inspiration! You have committed yourself to a healthier you and you knew that it is achieved by healthy eating and exercise! Even though the scale didn't move, you knew you were doing what you needed to do for your body and you were persistent! Congratulations!

I'm an exception to the rule possibly but you never know what can happen. I have had the band for over 6 years and haven't been able to have even the smallest fill without severe shoulder, neck, back, ear, and headaches. Therefore, it is very easy to overeat without getting uncomfortable. If I want to eat or overeat I know that all I have to do is eat faster, and not follow the band rules! I can still eat any food I want without problems. I did this when my dad and niece passed away a year ago and gained back around 40 pounds. Emotional eating! Eating for comfort instead of hunger! However, prior to the band I think I would have gained more before I came to my scences! I'm doing better now and down 18 pounds since January but I have to fight the urges almost everyday! Not as strong as before the band, but still there. I think the best thing any of us could do for ourselves income to terms with why we eat like we do. Counting on just the band to do it could be very disappointing some day if for some reason we had to have it removed! I know we have all added exercise to our daily regimen, but trust me, that isn't enough when you start falling off the food cliff! I'm a perfect example! When you have no hunger at all it's easy to resist temptation. I am going to try at the beginning of next month to see if I can receive a fill yet, I haven't tried in the last 5 years. Hopefully I will be able to give you the same answer as some that I CAN'T overeat nor do I wish to! We will see! I guess my best advise is start working on yourself before and during and the band will be beneficial while you learn. Then if something were to happen to your band in the future you will not have to figure out something new, it will already been adressed and solved! Good luck on your decision! Even though my band doesn't work the same way as others I still feel it has given me the strenghth I needed to save my life!

If you have "specialists" that are calling you obese, I would have to consider finding new people to help you with your issues. If they can't even read their own charts that they pigeonhole people in to I would not have much confidence in them solving problems that exsist beyond their pages of their books! Find someone new! Sounds like they are added more psychological issues to your life than helping to alleviate the ones that already exsist!

Thanks so much everyone for all your support, it means a lot to me! I have to stay positive and keep my goal in site. I don't want to wake up a month from now and be pissed at myself for giving in to my pity party and be further away from my goal instead of closer! I'm less than 20 pounds to my goal and coming on this site and talking with all of you really keeps me on track! Again, thanks to all of you!

I had a complete hysterectomy 3 weeks ago. I felt so great after less than 1 week that I guess I got carried away. I started doing to much and ended up on total bed rest for 4 days! After 4 days I felt so great that I decided to get some housework done! Well, I tripped over laundry in my bathroom and fractured a rib! Now instead of getting back on track with exercise I am being told no excersice for up to 2 months! I finally got my head back in the game, now my body isn't in agreeance. I know other people have a lot bigger problems than mine. That's kind of why I feel like a big jerk for having this pity party for myself! I just never seem to be able to lose weight without exercising and was hoping to get rid of the extra pounds I have gained over the last 2 years. I apologize for being so shallow and self absorbed! Has anyone started exercising sooner than 2 months after a fractured rib? This is my first one, and it actually is really irritating!

Mine is the vagus nerve, some have this problem with lap-band.

I had this but it had nothing to do with overeating. They said it had to do with a nerve. I've been banded for over 6 years and have this problem every time I try to get a fill. Unfortunately, it doesn't go away until I remove the fill. Therefore, I am "fill free" in my band!

Is the doctor that prescribed you the midodrine aware of your kidney failure? That's one of the meds that are not suppose to be given if you have any kidney problems! My doctor said that it shouldn't be used if you have any kidney problems, but could be used if you were having kidney dialysis. I'm definitely not a doctor, but have been dealing with low blood pressure most of my adult life. I know when we tend to go to a several different doctors that they all may not talk to each other, and we tend not to remember everything at the moment. I just want to recheck with you that your doctor that prescribed the meds for your blood pressure are aware of your other issues! Please stop worrying about your weight right now and start thinking about your health! Who cares what a doctors chart says. You can be unhealthy at any weight! If your health keeps declining, does it really seem that important that you fit within a doctors guidelines? I suggest you throw out your scale and the doctors chart! Then start eating and exercising right and your body will tell you where you need to be because you will feel strong and healthy. Don't exchange an overweight unhealthy you for a average or underweight unhealthy you! I'm very concerned for you!

You really need to get help for your eating disorder! The band alone should have been able to get you to your goal weight. Because you purge, this takes it to another level! You have a certain need to purge your food for other reasons than weight loss! Why would you be embarrassed about having lap-band surgery? My opinion is you need to look at your reasons for getting the band and then be honest with yourself and see if you have accomplished what you intended to do. If you were looking to just lose weight, you have been successful. However, if you did it for a healthier you, you still have a long way to go! Some times the weight comes off fast and our minds take longer to catch up. I did have kidney stones a few years ago and they said they were caused from dehydration. I haven't had any since I have been careful about staying hydrated. Your doctor can test them to see what they are made of, and advise you of what causes them. Please do whatever you need to do to be the healthiest you possible!

What kind of medication are you on for your low blood pressure? I have the same problem and depending on what your doctor prescribed you can kind of tell what he/she is thinking the cause. I was also anorexic and bulimic for over 10 years. If you are consuming less than 600-800 calories a day, every day, and are obsessed with food and your body you may have a problem. It's a very involved illness that takes over your physical and mental well being. It's so important to be honest with yourself and the people trying to help! It's not more honorable to die from being to thin than it is from dying from being to heavy! Dead is dead! Isn't this journey suppose to be for better health? Or is it just about a Jean size or a number on the scale? Take a good look at the truth! No one, not even the best doctors or surgeons can help a person that isn't willing to receive the help! I hope you find the answers to your problems soon! Please keep us updated!

I have had the band since 2006. I have never been able to get fills! It causes headaches, shoulder, back, and neck pain! I have not been an extreme success because I gained back 40 pounds of the 100+ pounds I lost within the last 2 years! However, since January I have lost 16 of those pounds. I will say that It's been kind of difficult for me. I do feel hungry between meals and I do eat more than a cup of food per meal. However, I do not go over my 1200 calories a day anymore. I would say that if I didn't have it, I probably would have gained back more than 40 pounds. It sucks that my band doesn't work as hard for me as it does for other, however, it's the hand I've been dealt and I need to deal with it and not dwell on it. I've just had to work differently than some to get there. And I will get there!

Are you diabetic? My husband was having the same problems. He had his gall bladder out also. Then had a hard time recovering. Then he got an infection that started at the cuticle of his finger and toe that wouldn't clear up. After months they found out he was diabetic. He went on meds and everything cleared up immediately! We can tell when he needs to see the doctor to change his dosage because he will get infections on his feet or hands that won't heal.

1....Going out ANYWHERE 2....Being able to go to the bathroom at my sons sporting events. I wouldn't stand up and walk across the gym in front of people. 3....People 4....Getting dressed in the morning 5....Looking in the mirror 6....High Heels 7....Vegetables 8....Doing my hair...didn't want to look in the mirror that long! That's just some of mine. There will be more when I get rid of this extra weight I put on over the last 2 years! I still can't get use to my picture being taken! As you can see, I have no photo! Maybe that will be my next big step, putting a face to my name! Lol

This should not be a thing you should feel you need to live with! Go to see your surgeon, chronic heartburn is a symptom of something else! Not treating heartburn can lead to many serious conditions so you should not pass it off as just annoying! My dad died a year ago from esophageal cancer. The doctor said it was a result of having chronic heartburn that wasn't treated for many years! See your doctor!