Rubyjade

Exactly. I had my port replaced in December 06 after the doctor tried to give me an unfill due to severe reflux. He poked around for an eternity and I was in tears. They put me under ultrasound with the needle in me still and showed the port was inaccessible. Lucky me.

I understand you should NEVER drink with your meals. It defeats the purpose of the band. That 'stuck' feeling is your band telling you to stop eating and to see what happens, not to wash it down. Both of my doctors cannot stress this enough. I have been drinking with my meals for the last year or so and have lost hardly any weight as a consequence. When I follow 'the rules' my weight loss starts again at a good rate. Just my two cents worth but it's what my banding doctor in Australia and now my current doctor in the US both say.

Hi All It's been a while since I have been on here. It's good to be back!! I Just wanted to get some advice from other people who may be in the same situation. I keep cheating. I keep sabotaging myself and I have NO idea why. It's upsetting me because my weight has hardly changed in the past year. I keep mostly drinking with my meals to fit more food in. I feel totally out of control during these times. I beat myself up about it because I dont believe anything has changed emotionally for me. I have been given this tool, so why the heck can't I just appreciate it and make the best of it??? I have lost 140 pounds over the last 3 years and have about 60 to go. I just assumed that it would all 'fall in to place' mentally but I honestly still think exactly the way I did when I was 360 pounds. Any similar experiences you might wish to share with me and offer some advice would be very much appreciated. Thank you

Yes yes yes, that is EXACTLY it!! Darr, I know you mean well but what Wasabubblebutt said is exactly where I am coming from. I would not be on here asking for advice if I could just do that. Heck, I wouldn't even have a lap band in the first place if I could just 'do' what I should!!!! I had a dilated pouch last year and severe reflux caused by this very behaviour and by having a way too tight band. Since I have had the band loosened, it has been much much better and the acid problems and pouch dilation has gone away. That scared me enough for a while but seems the cause of the dilation was mainly a too tight band. Anyway since I started that thread I have been remarkably well behaved and have been absolutely following the rules like nothing else!!! I had a long talk with my husband and being the wonderful support he is, it really brought home to me how much of a great opportunity I have to get rid of this weight and get healthier. He is a sober 10 years alcoholic so he can certainly relate to a lot of my food issues, only his are with other substances. Thank you all for your support. I find it so much easier to deal with this day in , day out when I visit this board regularly. You inspire me and give me that kick up the a** when I truly need it. Thank you

Good luck with everything, Val. Remember you are doing this for YOU so YOU can feel good about yourself and have a long healthy life. I hope you work things out with your husband so very much. That kind of support is priceless. Though obesity is a mystery to my husband, he is the most supportive person I could ever have the good fortune to be with. This journey would be so much harder if it wasn't for him. I wish you the same and hope all goes perfect during your surgery. Take care, Suzie

I had this issue also. I was banded in Australia and moved to the US(Washington State also) almost 3 years ago. When I started having complications with my band (severe reflux mostly) it was a bit of a process to get a surgeon here who would even touch me due to liability issues. Apparently it doesn't matter who or when the band was installed, as soon as a surgeon touches anything to do with the band, they assume full responsibility. I don't know how true that is, but I was told several times. I didn't even know what kind of band I had or how much fluid was in it. Doctor Billing at Puget Sound Surgical in Edmonds contacted my surgeon in Australia and got all my records sent over before he examined me. It's not an issue now as he knows my history and has my records. It was a nuisance but soooooo worth finding a local doctor you can go back to. He performed my port replacement surgery and ongoing follow up care also.

I can totally relate to the entitlement issue. That is exactly how I feel as well. Along with that, I feel a sense of rebellion also. Growing up as a fat child with a skinny sibling around the same age reinforced this. He was allowed to have the fattening food (which he didnt even want half the time) and I was always on a diet, even as a very young child. My parents wanted nothing but the best for me - they are wonderful people - so I don't blame them but now I can totally see where this restriction at such a young age has had the opposite effect on me. Being told you can't have something time and time again all through your childhood is bound to have some kind of influence on the way you think as an adult. I think it's still with me today. Now I can afford my own food and don't have to be accountable to anyone, I feel like I am entitled to do whatever I like and 'you can't stop me'. This for me, has a lot to do with my adult obesity issues.

I had a BMI of 61.8 (360 pounds) before surgery in 2004. I now weigh 220 and have a BMI of 37.8. I didn't realize it had come down quite so much!! It sure does get harder the lower you get but it's worth every second. My goal is to be 160 - for a total loss of 200 pounds. I know I can do it :confused:

Brisbane, Australia. I now live in the US though and my doctor is now in Edmonds, Washington.

I absolutely would do it again, in a heartbeat. Only I would have done it 10 years earlier had I have known how amazing the results would be. However, I would have done it differently. I was not prepared with the emotional side of it all. I am still not totally at peace with that side of it, but I am getting there. I would have made visits with a psychologist for sure had I realized how tough the emotional part of it was going to be. I was not at all prepared for that.

Oooooooooh I loved the loopy drugs they gave me while I had my port replaced HAHHAHAA. Felt like the best tequila in the world minus the hangover LOL Congrats on a successful revision. Yer gonna do just fine :-)

My port area was always sore. Always. Only when I went to get an unfill due to some major acid problems in the US last year (I was banded in Australia) did the doctor detect there being a problem with my port. He thought my port had flipped so I went in to have it fixed with surgery. When he got in there he could see that it wasn't flipped, but over a couple of years, had come unstitched so there was nothing behind it. Kind of like bobbing for apples if you know what I mean. The needle would just push the port because there was nothing behind it - it was floating, in a sense. He replaced my port and put it in a more comfortable spot. I am aware of it still but it doesn't HURT like it used to. Putting it higher was a good move because the first one used to sit right where my waistband of my jeans would be. NOT good!!!!

You must get an unfill. When you are lying down and the acids wake you up, choking you, it can lead to a form of pneumonia if left untreated. Trust me, I have been there but thankfully was treated before I got pneumonia. This can be very dangerous and I don't want to scare you but this is NOT the way it is supposed to be. I'd be reporting him to a medical board somehow and going to the hospital immediately.

My tolerance for different foods has definately changed over time. When I was first banded, I could not eat red meat or bread under any circumstances. I can manage them now but it has to be tiny amounts of thoroughly chewed bread and super tender cuts of steak. I know as soon as I bite in to it whether it will be ok or not. Scrambled eggs, watermelon and potato chips are almost impossible for me to eat. Oranges are hit and miss but usually miss. Some days I can tolerate a food and the next day, no way. I take this as a sign that it probably irritated my band the day before so try to steer a bit clear of it for a few days. Also for me, much easier to eat later in the day and less risk of blockage.

The left shoulder pain is caused by the fact your stomach's shape has been altered since you were banded. When the stomach gets full, it touches a nerve in your diaphragm and that nerve apparently connects to your left shoulder. I have been banded over 3 years and thought I was a total freak having this condition, until I discovered this site. My doctor (not the one who banded me) also confirmed how it was caused. Sometimes I feel like I can eat more but the shoulder pain is a big deterrent. It's a sharp stitch like pain which will not go away until my stomach is no longer full. Not something you want hanging around, that's for sure!!!!!!

Thanks Julie, I think you might be on to something there. I probably need to fix this one thing at a time so it isn't so overwhelming. Once I have gotten the drinking at the same time as eating thing sorted out then I can move on to the next step. I never thought of it that way, thanks so much for your input. I was banded by a Dr who works with Dr Fielding in Brisbane, Australia. Such a small world!! Thanks again

Hi All I had my port relocation surgery yesterday and I am doing great. The area is pretty sore but I am on some good drugs so I am feeling pretty good. My port was actually replaced so now there should be no problem with my surgeon finding it when i go in for fills!! :clap2: Thankfully, my husband is a wonderful man who has already come home from work three times today (he works nearby thankfully!) to check on me and to check I am taking my medication at the right time!! (This stuff can make you a bit vague and forgetful!!). Thanks everyone who sent me messages of support. I am now just excited that with this problem fixed, and the apparent healing of my dilated pouch, I can start to lose weight again and buy more (smaller) clothes!!!! The surgery was a breeze!!! Thanks again for all your wonderfully supportive thoughts. Suzie

Because I am obsessed with food and eating. Because too much was never enough. Because I was happy or sad or angry or bored. Because I have a food addiction and ate enormous amounts of very high calorie food. Because I got virtually no exercise. Post band I realize those mental fixations don't go away. That was my biggest misconception about the band. It brought my emotional obsession screaming blindly in my face. I am working on it and am slowly getting there, thanks to the most amazing husband a woman could wish for, who has alcohol addiction issues and is almost 10 years in to winning his battle. The two are so similar and we share many thoughts and feelings about our addictions. He is a god send and is by my side every step of the way.

Don't worry too much - it totally slows down. I noticed hair loss within the first year and it freaked me out ALOT!! Not that I was bald or anything but I noticed a definate thinning out and thought it wasn't going to end!!! I am almost 3 years post op (next week!!!) and I had totally forgotten about the hair thing til I read this forum. My hair is now as thick as it ever was and I have not taken any special supplements or anything. Just a daily multivitamin and making sure I get healthy food. It is not an issue at all now, so hopefully that goes for pretty much everyone this far after surgery!!!

Hey Pauliegirl Sorry I cannot help you with any answers as this has not happened to me. I just wanted to say to keep your chin up and though this is not great news, you will be okay and everything will work itself out. Congrats on such an amazing weight loss!!! I bet you look and feel fantastic!! Complications are a pain and costly but at least they found the problem before it caused too much damage and you will be fixed in no time. Good luck with it all. Will be sending positive thoughts your way!! Regards Suzie x

The port relocation surgery was much much less painful than the original banding surgery. I was not under a general anaesthetic, just conscious sedation with a local. The area was quite sore for about 3 days and then significantly less painful and after about 10 days, no pain at all, even with my doctor check up yesterday where the area was pushed in very hard. It was a breeze compared to the banding surgery, which I remember I was in a lot more pain. Sounds like they put your port way high up. I have never heard of that. My port was sitting just below my waist and was moved slightly higher because it was annoying me when I wore fitted waist/hip pants. I am only 3 weeks from having it replaced and it already is way less annoying than how it was for the last 3 years. No regrets at all!! (apart from the cost, but that is beside the point!!) Good luck Suzie

Hi Beversman I believe pouch dilation is something that occurs over a period of time. I have had this twice (both very recently) and it occurred when I was over 2 years out from being banded and had been 'cheating' regularly for at least a year. Cheating as in drinking with my food to eat more, eating too fast and consuming large amounts of liquid at one time very quickly. Also, my band was far too tight which contributed greatly to this problem. After a few complications and a minor surgery (with my port - NOT related to the dilation issue), it scared me enough to go back to following the rules. The alternative was a slippage which would have been devastating both financially and emotionally for me. The major symptom I had from my dilation was being able to eat noticeably more, and constant severe reflux. It certainly pays early on to form good habits and stick to them or you may suffer severe consequences down the road. I took my band for granted and thought I could push it and push it and not look after it and I got a big warning. Hope this info helps you and good luck on your journey Suzie

Of course there can be complications with ANY surgery. I am experiencing some of those right now as I type this (I had port replacement surgery 24 hours ago) and had I have known before I got my band what I know now? I WOULD HAVE DONE IT ALL AGAIN TEN TIMES OVER!! The complications with the LapBand are much less severe than those with bypass. Simple as that. I am not comparing success rates, I am just comparing the extensive research I had done on complications and mortality rate of both procedures before getting my band. I know, from experience, you really really MUST look after your band. I took mine for granted and thought I could push it and push it and now I am paying the price (partly, though not totally, due to my own fault). Yeah, it's a nuisance and it's expensive..............but NOTHING compares to how I feel now versus how I felt 3 years ago when I weighed in at 360 pounds. I am a totally new, healthier person thanks to my LapBand. Good luck with your decision.

Yes yes yes!! I have this also. It is caused by the fact that when I had my band fitted, it altered the angle of my stomach slightly. When I get full or drink anything carbonated, my stomach touches a nerve in my diaphragm giving me a dreaded sharp stitch-like pain in the tip of my left shoulder. Sorry to say it is still with me and has been since I had my op almost 3 years ago. It ain't no picnic but hey, it tells me to stop stuffing my face. I get it when I chew gum too much as well. I hope that solves part of the mystery for you!!! :hungry: <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

I too have dilation in my pouch and esophagus caused by a too tight band. This is the second time I have had this and it was fixed previously by eating very small meals and liquids and pureed food only. I have it now again as my band is still too tight and my port cannot be accessed because it has flipped and I now need surgery to correct this first before they can fix my ED problem and empty my band. Fun eh?!!