Still Upchucking After 2 Years Banded!

[PennaPandora 0]

Hi to all - been off for a long time - now I am hoping to be regular on this talk forum to get and give

support. I had my lapband 2 years - was very careful and no slippage first 6 months - not much

trouble in beginning due to fear of slippage. But for rest of time I throw up more that I think I should

be and even had fills in and out to try to adjust. Still lately back to upchucking too much.

I know sometimes I eat too fast if have gotten too hungry. I know sometimes I eat too much.

I don't usually get back onto all soft foods if I to upchuck sometime during the day - for rest of day.

I've become an ice cream at night person since it does stay down and soothe - a typical lapband

thing I'm told. I have tried doing smoothies with Protein for Breakfast and doing ok.

Big problem for me is that some days I'm open enough to eat a fair amount - no more than the

1.5 cups volume - and other days like this morning I got a bit clogged up with morning coffee!!!!

Does this extreme heat affect our openings? Am I inflamed and thus more closed from

the throwing up to be actually not able to finish the cup of coffee? (That is not common, please know).

I have an elem. age child and my husband works crazy mixed up hours so I don't get to the

once a month evening support group at my surgeons.

Hoping you all can help me. Am I a slow learner? Could something be out of alignment with

my lapband? (The first 2 days after surgery it could not even swollow Water - so they took

out some fill - and then I was ok - when x-rayed, one doctor said it was in a bit cocked -

I wonder if that would have remained and I'm still not quite right - does that make sense -

I guess I should talk with my doctor about that - I thought I'd ask for an xray next doctor visit to

make sure all is ok - or again - am I just not getting it yet - heaven forbid I follow the rules! ha

Some days I can eat ok after upchucking in the morning, for example. Others day no way.

Is this just the lapband perhaps - I think so, eh?

Thanks for your help and letting me know if you relate to any of this?

Appreciate your feedback!

[barbie64 5]

Hi Penna, I can identify with some of your experiences. I was banded April 2009. The first year was ok. I lost about 50# slowly, but would throw up 1-2 times a day. This lasted for about 7 months. I had xrays, swallow studies and just about every test you could imagine. Nothing definitive. I continued to loose weight, but never felt 100%. I eventually lost 148# over the two year period. Finally all Fluid was removed from my band. This was fantastic but not feeling totally geat and daily vomiting is no fun. Keep seeing your surgeon. Don't just believe that it can't better. Good luck.

[jennifer1 180]

I am about 14 months out and I feel you...I got a fill 2 weeks ago and have lost 15 pounds in that time...to me that's too fast...I can usually keep liquids down..and everything else is hit or miss..I had a slight unfill about 11 days after my last fill and i'm still not convinced it is enough out....my problem is I am self pay so everytime I go I pay $250..take a half day off work (unpaid)...so far my job has been accommodating but I know I can't continue to do this...so i'm praying once it cools off here in chicago that my band will give and allow me to eat more consistently.

[PennaPandora 0]

Jennifer - thanks for replying. Were you inferring that

this intense heat is affecting our lapbands - perhaps

swelling our stomachs and making tighter? Makes sense

to me. Do you know what else affects us - I read

earlier salt, some medications, blood flow (not sure what

that meant), stress - I'm thinking also a big factor would be

from throwing up and the inflammation that would create - plus

the inconsistent nature of the band. For me seems more

'all over the place' than usual. I think your fill/unfills should even

out soon - the first 1.5 years seemed like always wondering - plus

the weight loss was affecting. It does slow down - although here I

am 2 years and 1 month out and wondering what to do - I'm thinking

I'm ok but the other influences like heat, salt, stress and my own

lack of discipline is making things upset. I can't believe I've been

eating a good amount of Costo's vanilla ice cream each night - just

staying same weight for about 6 months - counterbalanced by throwing up

too much - or would be gaining weight. This is not the way to go - like I gleaned

from a post - a lady would turn to 'sliders' when tight - yet when too loose may

eat too darn much. Balance is the key once again. Hmmm. May give a few more

weeks to calm down and then go talk with the doctor - now that's a novel idea - kidding!

Hard to be sure, isn't it. Trial and error is expensive like you said - and frustrating.

Thanks for you feedback - keep writing. Good luck. PennaPandora.

[PennaPandora 0]

Barbie - I see you just joined this forum, too, yet banded for some years now.

Thanks for your feedback. So are we just eating too much or too fast?

Are you still throwing up after taking all fill out of your band?

Why aren't you feeling so well? Are you getting enough Protein with

supplements in a shake or other way? Thanks for writing. Thanks

for the encouragement and to not give up thinking this is what I have

to get used to forever - you hit the nail on the head - it was what I was thinking

down deep. Thanks very much!