I Think I'm A Lap-Band Failure!!

[volleymom 1]

I am 2 1/2 years post-op and have not had great success. I lost 50 pounds but have gained 20 of that back. I went Tuesday to get a fill and felt great the rest of Tuesday and all day Wednesday; but yesterday and today I can barely swallow. I usually start out my day by having a sugar-free Carnation instant breakfat with a cup of milk, but after 1 swallow of it I feel bloated and uncomfortable as if I need to throw up. I absolutely cannot find the green zone!

I didn't expect to feel so uncomfortable so often with the lap band. I thought I was prepared with all of my research and pre-op testing but now I'm not so sure. All you hear is how great it is and you get caught up with everyone's success stories - no one tells you how uncomfortable it really is.

I guess I'm a little down today because I can barely breathe after taking just one small swallow of the milk....please believe that I'm not usually so negative/dramatic

[Jen75 33]

Sorry your having a bad day.... Even in the green zone, it is difficult to eat or drink anything in the morning...I personally have to wait several hours to have anything cold or solid...

[volleymom 1]

I think that's what I'm doing wrong - trying to drink too early in the morning. Maybe tomorrow I'll wait until I have a strong urge for food before I try to eat/drink anything. That's one thing I miss about pre-band days - being able to eat Breakfast with my family.

Thanks for the sympathy

[honk 780]

Are lactose intolerant? If your problem is after drinking milk you may be.

[lo11i 2]

Don't be disheartened. I'm just over 3 years and decided to have a fill 4 days ago, I've had to have it unfilled today as couldn't keep liquids down. You're not a failure. Having a band isn't an easy fix, it's hard work. Keep your chin up x

[volleymom 1]

Are lactose intolerant? If your problem is after drinking milk you may be.

I've never had a problem with milk before - it's something to do with this last fill. I think I'm trying to drink too early in the morning. I'm going to tough it out these next few days and only drink clear fluids until I get a strong craving for food and see how that works out. I've been reading a lot of other posts today and it seems like a lot of people have problems eating or drinking in the mornings.

[Jeffmaurine Pollock 5]

Hi,

I'm 6 years post op. Been having my band tightened back down for the last couple months. This is why we have the band. We can always have it tightened back down if we start to put on weight. It really sounds to me like your band is too tight or you have an existing slip or blockage, but call your doctor and let him know what's going on. I don't think you can get enough food down to keep your body going. It could go away in a few days to a week, but I would call your doc just in case he wants to have it looked at. Before I started having my band tightened down again they found a slip. The slip had been there for years and I had been living with it and not knowing it because I was not dieting. They had to fix that before I could start tightening it down again. You might need a barrium swallow test to see what's going on. I would, just for my own peace of mind. That is the best advice I can give with the information you provided We have to take care of these little bands because they mean the world to us and it's not worth losing it to stay uninformed!

[chrissylu 153]

Volleymom...I agree that you may need a slight unfill. I've also read other's posts about drinking something warm first thing in the morning helps to loosen the band some. I don't know as I'm not that far along post-surgery..but its worth a try. My surgeon also told me to be careful of milk, something about lactose and the band. I don't really remember because the only time I was using milk was with my Protein Shakes so I just switched to unsweetened almond milk. Saying a prayer for ya!

[bushbaby 8]

Let's go first to the positive... You have kept off 30 of the 50! Celebrate that. Before the band you prob would have gained that plus more... Now I am old school... Banded back in 04' I haven't had a fill since 05' so who knows if I still even have liquid in my band... I drink hot tea in the morning... Now probably more from habit and like of it then by necessity. It loosens things up so I can eat my Breakfast later in the morning... Jamie (that's what I named my band) is still very sinsitive to mornings... She and I have fought over the years and on many times she had to remind me she is my trainer and I am the person who has to go the work... " I am only a tool for a better you" she say after I would whine that I had not lost enough weight. "Did you walk today?" she'd nag until I got up.

I say this because I have been where you were... But I made it to where I am because I stopped relying on Jamie and realized that she just helped me not over do it so I could exorcise and yes succeed at weight watchers... Now I can follow the plan and loose the weight because I can stop... I say use weight watchers because you will track what you put in your mouth... The truth of weightloss is it is calories in... Calories burned that get you to lose the weight... And before you say but why did I get surgery if I still have to go to weight watchers... My answer is do once you learn how to eat you can keep it off... But it seems to me that you have not learned how to yet... Just my 2 cents... Hope it helps!

[Cheryldee 13]

I have found that many times I sabotage myself because after a fill I will eat something too quickly and get it stuck and have to purge.Or I fail to wait the whole 24-48 hours on liquids.. stupid me.. I know... But then I have irritated my band and it will swell up on me that starts a viscious cycle of liquid days to soft food.... to absent mindedly sticking something in my mouth and not chewing it properly and having to start completely over again when it irritates my band.

This has been MY issues... and since I KNOW what im doing I have no one to blame but myself when I screw up like that.. but I was just wondering in your case if you tried to eat something too quickly following the fill.. or maybe you were doing the same cycles as I did.. but definitely if you can not get ANY liquids down, you need to get in a get some taken out so you dont do any damage! I always start my morning with first a Hot Green Tea.. then about an hour after that I drink my Protein shake.. but I have never had much luck with eating in the mornings.. .. Best of luck to you... Im going in next week to have just a small amount put back in.. . I tend to be able to eat way more than I should in the evenings... and have been bad about my portion sizes for that evening meal since it tends to go down easy. So Im hoping that will help! I have not gained much back, but dont want to either!

[Kelly Mckinnon 1]

sorry to hear ur sick......i have a friend that had it done 2 years ago and she has only lost 50 lbs too.....i think that is still a sucess at least u didnt gain the 50 lbs.......please keep in contact i have just had it done and i am waiting for my first fill in april..i have lost 20 lbs since march 1.2012......

kelly

[DesertDog 2]

I have heard that drinking something warm or hot in the morning will usually open you up like coffee or tea.

[volleymom 1]

I appreciate all of your comments and suggestions - thank you! The fill that I had three days ago was under flueroscopy and I was told everything looked great. She added .4 which puts me at 5.6 in a 10 cc band. I think I'm going to call today and see if they can take out .2 - maybe that will be the magic number!

Cheryldee - your comments were so right on the money! You would think after being banded this long I would have the hang of it but I don't! It's so darn fickle! Oh well, taking baby steps

[kathy111 0]

Hi there

Like volleymom, i am about 2.5 years post op and never had much success with the lapband. After the first six months where I had lost around 30lbs I have just had trouble the whole time, i either can't eat and so I eat rubbish then take a bit of Fluid out and I am hungry. i seem to be very sensitive to fills and can't get the amount right, the band has been stretched and unfilled and so I gained most of the weight back. i am leaving it unfilled for a couple of months because honestly I need a break I have been miserable during this process and never go out anymore because of food getting stuck etc. I wonder whether I should try and get it out and have gastric bypass surgery but the cost would be a real issue for me. Has anyone come back from this point and turned it around and suceeded? I would really like some hope right now. Cheers folk

[amandacoop 6]

Kathy111,

I am not one to talk because i am only in this three weeks. But I would try to give it another go before you decide to convert to bypass or sleeve. Just so you can say you gave it everything you had. In my opinion, it would be fine to unfll for one month, but set an end date so you are not tempted to stay unfilled, and eat healthy during the unfill, don't go hog wild. Then think of it as a DoOver, when you get filled again try to forget everything from before, reteach yourself all the things they tell us to do to be successful. Pretend you are a new patient get yourself worked up with excitement and tell yourself it will WORK. reteach yourself the eating methods, try some new bandster foods, prepackage your portions, etc. Just give yourself another chance with it before spending the bucks for a conversion.

Kathy111,

I am not one to talk because i am only in this three weeks. But I would try to give it another go before you decide to convert to bypass or sleeve. Just so you can say you gave it everything you had. In my opinion, it would be fine to unfll for one month, but set an end date so you are not tempted to stay unfilled, and eat healthy during the unfill, don't go hog wild. Then think of it as a DoOver, when you get filled again try to forget everything from before, reteach yourself all the things they tell us to do to be successful. Pretend you are a new patient get yourself worked up with excitement and tell yourself it will WORK. reteach yourself the eating methods, try some new bandster foods, prepackage your portions, etc. Just give yourself another chance with it before spending the bucks for a conversion.