Cautionary tale: Don't live with an overfill!

[eve529 0]

I originally posted this as a response to another question, but I'm re-posting here for better visibility. This may help somebody.

I am posting this so none of you make the mistake I did. I suffered for 18 months with a band that was too tight. I "slimed" most days after a single small bite, and could only eat soft foods and liquids, but the thing was that I was still hungry and gaining weight!

I was ashamed to go back to my doc since I was gaining weight, and I foolishly assumed that if I was gaining weight the band wasn't tight enough. I knew that overfills were bad, but I figured if I were overfilled, I'd be loosing weight. I tried working out more and even fasting --nothing was working. I felt like such a failure, and just tried not to think about it.

Some time ago I learned that frequent vomiting can cause fatal issues with the esophagus, and the potential harm I was doing to my body became too much to bear. I finally went back two days ago, with my tail between my legs. The doc was very understanding, and she said that I had probably switched to a soft food diet out of necessity, and thus was unable to eat most protein-rich foods --you know, the kind I'm supposed to be eating 60g a day of to help me feel satisfied. She was right. My diet started deteriorating into higher calorie, less satisfying soft foods because I was trying to work around a too tight band, with little success.

So despite the fact that I have gained a substantial amount of weight over the last 18 months, my Doc LOOSENED my band.

It's only been a couple of days, but I can't tell you what a relief it is. I can't believe I lived like that for a year and a half! I can actually swallow chicken breast and fish now! I am much less hungry and feel much better.

My doc's having me return in a month. I have high hopes that with my concentrated effort and a properly inflated band, the scale will move in the right direction again. it may be coincidental, but I'm already down two lbs, even though it feels like I'm eating more.

I am so glad I finally stopped the foolishness and faced the music at my doc's office. I'm not normally not an idiot, but there was this weird psychological ballet of shame going on that caused me to stick my head in the sand. I hope that none of you will ever feel too ashamed to see your doc. It's just silly and I deeply regret the damage I've done.

Edited August 5, 2010 by eve529

[Mimilou2004 13]

Thank you.

Mimi

[labandster 0]

Thank you so much for this post. I was banded in 2006. Initial weight was close to 400 lbs. I lost down to 258 by my second anniversary. I was in Destin on vacation and got stuck - and started throwing up. That went on for 2 hours so I had to drive back to Mobile, AL (3 hours away) to meet my surgeon at the ER. He removed all saline and it immediately stopped. Over the next couple of months he gradually added back the saline. But, I never lost another pound. After a year of that plateau the old "I might as well eat if I'm not losing weight" started in my head. I had two more fills but just did not seem to make a difference. I had not seen my surgeon in the last 15 months because I have gained 38 lbs. I started having awful reflux at night. Severe choking and coughing. I knew I had to go face the reality and see my surgeon. I was so scared the band had slipped. He order upper GI and they said it was too tight. food was gathering in my esophagus and to me looked really large above the band. My surgeon suggested the "too tight" and eating soft foods also. He took out some last week and I am hoping this will help. I have tried to start back on the "bandwagon" of how to eat. But, I had really started developing my old habits that got me to 400 lbs. I'm also hoping the "too tight" theory gets me back to losing again.