Starting over, 5 years after surgery

[HilaryInRC 116]

I tried the 5 day pouch test. It didn't do anything for me. But, if I am too loose, doing just liquids is like torture. At least in my opinion. I was sooo hungry. Even on soft and mushies, dang I was hungry.

But, it seems to work for some people. Give it a shot. It is only 5 days. What can it hurt?

[HilaryInRC 116]

Oh, one thing I want to mention. There are a lot of things I have forgotten over the years, a lot of things I've done wrong, and a lot I didn't know. I've started watching BandedWendy videos on www.youtube.com and have found them extremely helpful. Those of us getting back on track might want to take a look at them. They are pretty inspirational too.

[Nykee 13]

Hi All,

I've had an account here for a while, but haven't ever really been active. I was banded in June of '08 and had a serious rollercoaster ride with my band, almost from the start. About six months after surgery, I started having problems finding the proverbial "sweet spot." I either had too little restriction and wouldn't lose weight, or I had too much, and would start upon a horrible cycle of sliming, throwing up, and eventually being so swollen that I couldn't eat or drink. I had difficulty eating meat, and most fruits and vegetables. salad was a total no-go. This was often the case even when I didn't seem to be too tight and had no problem eating other foods. I couldn't eat carrot sticks or chicken, but had no problem scarfing down ice cream or a bag of cheetos. In fact, at one point that's *all* I could get down, and I would eat them just to get SOMETHING in my system and get my blood sugar off the floor. (Oops... yeah, I'll own that I made some bad eating choices!)

I even had trouble sleeping. After three years, I'd lost almost 50 lbs, but I was so miserable that I couldn't take it anymore. My band was too tight, I had constant heartburn, and I could barely get liquids down. I didn't want to give up (especially after financing my surgery out of pocket.) but I just couldn't do it any longer. By the time I was unfilled, I couldn't get down broth, much less any of my daily medications. (Which in my case is BAD.) I had my band completely unfilled, and haven't been back to the clinic since. Every once in a while when I eat the wrong thing or eat too fast, I'll get a stab to the chest and remember that the old girl is still in there, but otherwise it's been pre-surgery eating as usual, with both good and bad choices, and everything in between.

Now, a year and a half of yo-yo-ing later, I've regained most of the weight I'd lost, and I've decided to try it again. I'm hoping for a better result, but I'm afraid I'll end up facing the same issues. I feel like I have to completely re-acquaint myself with proper band eating, and after my history I really don't know what to expect. I'm nervous and uncertain of what's ahead.

Has anybody else been in the same boat?

wow this is my same exact story. Its been 8 years for me and I have Not had the unfill - Im scared to death of gaining weight. Ive lost 140 pounds BUT I have over 140 left to go- For years its just pain, stuck, choke, cant take my meds, malnourished, eating is a joke, constant heartburn, etc etc... but no weight loss to show for it. I KNOW if I got the unfill, I would gain the 140 back, soooo I cant risk it.. Im even thinking about getting a fill to see what happens. I wish I could get a gastric bypass. - Good luck on your do over! Let us know how it goes!

[dreamers 27]

wow this is my same exact story. Its been 8 years for me and I have Not had the unfill - Im scared to death of gaining weight. Ive lost 140 pounds BUT I have over 140 left to go- For years its just pain' date=' stuck, choke, cant take my meds, malnourished, eating is a joke, constant heartburn, etc etc... but no weight loss to show for it. I KNOW if I got the unfill, I would gain the 140 back, soooo I cant risk it.. Im even thinking about getting a fill to see what happens. I wish I could get a gastric bypass. - Good luck on your do over! Let us know how it goes![/quote']

You should check for a slip? Don't mean to alarm you whatsoever, but it pays to be safe right?

From what I gather, those kinds of things are are warning signs that your band needs some attention. You should be able to eat at least 3 small Protein meals without all that trouble. Tell your dr's what's going on before getting another fill.

Best of luck. We can do this!

[HilaryInRC 116]

wow this is my same exact story. Its been 8 years for me and I have Not had the unfill - Im scared to death of gaining weight. Ive lost 140 pounds BUT I have over 140 left to go- For years its just pain, stuck, choke, cant take my meds, malnourished, eating is a joke, constant heartburn, etc etc... but no weight loss to show for it. I KNOW if I got the unfill, I would gain the 140 back, soooo I cant risk it.. Im even thinking about getting a fill to see what happens. I wish I could get a gastric bypass. - Good luck on your do over! Let us know how it goes!

Nykee,

You are too tight, which of course you already know. If you get a an unfill (not a complete one, just take out a cc or two) you will probably feel better. Lots of people get unfills and don't gain all the weight back.

-Hilary

[laurigee 545]

Has anybody tried the 5 day pouch test?? It sounds like a great idea but the food choices are a little strange and I'm not sure if it will really help...

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!

[Jackie07 5]

You guys are right. It's only 5 days and it can't hurt! Thanks for the encouragement and also for the tip about Banded Wendy. Those videos are great!

[Suziecat 379]

Last night I was laying in bed just surfing this web site and came across the post here and I have to tell you guys, it touched my heart. It made me do some deeper soul searching then what I have been doing.

I was banded in Oct. 06. I fought long and hard for my band. I wanted it and wasn't going to let the insurance company stand in my way. I beat them. But I had started Weight Watchers before attempting to get the band and I continued to follow WW's while I was on my Quest and even after I got my band.

So I was on my way to loosing the weight that I had let get out of hand. I had a long road to go and I was well on my way. I walked almost everyday and even joined Curves. I even ended up getting a job as a trainer at Curves. People were impressed with my journey. I had got to about 3 pounds away from having lost 200 pounds. And then all hell broke loose. I ended up having 3 surgeries within a year and a half. And now another one back in January. It has really taken the wind out of my sails. Through all of it I managed to put back on about 90 pounds. I am totally pissed at myself for letting it happen.

During this last surgey, one thing that I have always feared had happened. I had to be transported from one hospital to another to have surgery. I have always feared having to be picked up and possibly hurting someone. The two EMT's couldn't have been more gracious and luckily I was able to get on and off the stretcher by myself. So after the surgery the Doc comes in and talks to me about my surgery and that when I lose another 100 pounds to come see him and he will do more surgery because he was not able to do all of it then. He said that he felt the band had let me down and that I need to look into having the sleeve done.

I talked to my husband and we both agreed that I was not going to get a sleeve. My band didn't let me down, I let my band down. I'm the one who chose to eat around it and not follow the band rules.

So after reading your post here, I have gotten the courage to call my band Doc and go into see him. It's been over 16 months since I have had a fill. I'm not going to lose a thing if I don't get myself back to the restriction I had prior to all of my surgeries. I need to get back to that girl that was so gung ho about getting her band and so proud of my accomplishments with it.

Thank You so much guys for posting. I really hope that we can come here everyday and encourage each other like you guys have with me. Thanks for posting and I will do my best to let you guys know how I am doing.

Thanks, Suzanne.

[HilaryInRC 116]

Suzanne,

Thank you so much for posting your story! You are not alone. Sometimes it can be hard for us bandsters that have been around the block a few times and have put some weight back on to speak up in the forums. Another great forum, that I love, is "I have failed my band support group." I'm not saying you have. But, it is a very supportive space on this website. Since I have recently just decided to give my band another shot (been waffling on revision surgery for a while), I've also done some poking around on www.youtube.com. There is a strong support network there for bandsters too. I like to watch the BandedWendy posts. But, I think there is a channel called WLSworks, or something to that effect. Anyway, if this thread keeps going, I'll likely keep posting here too.

I go in for my first fill on Wednesday since, um, maybe late 2011. I'm practically bursting with excitement. I keep telling myself, this is going to work this time. I'm a little scared too though. If it doesn't go well this time, I'll start moving forward with revision surgery.

Keep posting, girl! We are here for you!

-Hilary

[Suziecat 379]

Hilary, thank you so much for the kind words. I'm a strong believer in if I can't make the band work for me then what makes me think I can get the sleeve or GB work for me. All of them are mind workers. You have to be in the right frame of mind for them to work.

I have several friends that have had the band and recently switched to the sleeve. Yes they lost weight but within months of having the surgery, their weight loss has slowed down and they are now questioning having the new procedures done. At first they were only able to drink and then slowly add food to their diet. But we all know that if we eat, we want to eat it all. Just a few bites aren't going to make us happy. But with the band I know that if I am eating too much, that I can go back in for a fill. What do you do if you have had the other surgeries. There is no going back in and tightening a GB or sleeve.

I came here right after I had my surgery. I found out about this site from a girl I knew that had a band. I met the most amazing people and we still chat everyday. I have come here again looking for that support when I first came here years ago. It's a huge part of my weight loss journey. I need to get support and to give support.

Like I said in my earlier post. I was 3 pounds short of loosing 3 pounds. It was at that point when I had to go in for surgery on my spinal cord. The Doc had put me on a walking schedule to help my surgery site heal. I followed it to the T. Within 2 months of that surgery my husband and I were off on a 3 week vacation to L.A. for a wedding. It had been 25 years since I had been back home and I told myself that I didn't know when I would be back again so I was going to enjoy the foods that I hadn't eaten in 25 years. I didn't really over do it. ut it was the start of my downfall. By the time we got back from our vacation, I was headed back in for some surgery that I had to postpone for the spinal surgery. So here is my second surgery in 4 months. That is a lot for anyone to do. I don't know how those poor people do it that have to have multiple surgeries handle it. Bt I lost my focus on my weight loss but kept telling myself that I can get back on track, I did it once I could do it again. And then Bam. The old gallbladder said it was done with me and I was headed back into surgery.

The this last December I was admitted to the hospital and was put into a drug induced stupor while I waited for the Doctors to enjoy their holidays and then get with me to decide what the were going to do. On Jan. 4th. I was headed back in for surgery again. I came out a broken woman. This last surgery knock the wind out of my sails and I am so trying to bounce back as fast as I can. But my body isn't letting me.

So I was laying in bed searching websites when I found this posting and it was just what I needed. It has given me enough push to get me to call the band doc and get back in and get my band filling back to where it was before I started all of the surgeries. I need to remember I can't do this by myself. I need support from people like you and my band docs support.

Have a great day.

[Suziecat 379]

I really need to send out a huge Thank You to all of you. I talked to my husband this morning and then went right to the phone and called my band Doc. I have an appointment for this Thursday to go have a fill. I am over the moon. But I'm still alittle scared. They will be seeing the weight I have put back on. I'm still down from my surgery weight but I have put on some of the weight I had lost.

So because of you guys, I have taken the first step to get back to myself.

Thank You. Suzanne.

[HilaryInRC 116]

I really need to send out a huge Thank You to all of you. I talked to my husband this morning and then went right to the phone and called my band Doc. I have an appointment for this Thursday to go have a fill. I am over the moon. But I'm still alittle scared. They will be seeing the weight I have put back on. I'm still down from my surgery weight but I have put on some of the weight I had lost.

So because of you guys, I have taken the first step to get back to myself.

Thank You. Suzanne.

Yes! I am sooooo proud of you for making that appointment. Even though I have been known to do it, I'm trying to teach myself that I cannot, CANNOT hide from my surgeon! Yes, they will see the weight we have put back on. And, they will give us some tough love. But, they are there to help us on our journey to success. And, a journey is just that. It has ups and downs. The band is not magic, and because of that our journey is probably not going to be perfect.

I go in for my fill on Wednesday. I'm super excited and also scared.

Also, regarding back problems. I used to be a ballet dancer and injured my back one day in a dance class. For the next decade I would have mild-ish back problems on and off. Last March, I tore a disc in my back pretty severely. The disc Fluid oozed out and pressed on my sciatic nerve making me unable to fully empty my bladder for a while, unable to walk, and have numbness in my foot and ankle area. It wasn't until July that I was able to walk again without a limp or without dragging my right leg behind me. It took a while after that before I could even work up to walking a mile. Now, I walk on average for 30 to 60 minutes a day on soft sand out in the desert in barefoot shoes to keep my legs and feet strong. I tried yoga, which I used to love, but found it aggravates my back too much causing it to go out for a few weeks. So, for me, walking is my exercise of choice. So, I kinda feel your pain on the back situation, although mine was not as severe as yours - no back surgery for me.

-Hilary

[Suziecat 379]

I won't be seeing my band Doc. It will be his assistant. But I might run into him there. I just want him to know that I haven't given up on this journey.

Once a month there is a support group meeting and I used to go to them all of the time. The girl that was in charge of it was also the girl that did one of his commercials. Well I haven't been to a meeting in about two years and I recently found out that the girl went and had the sleeve done. She had a problem with her band and they removed the liquid so the band could heal. During that time she gained back alot of weight. I'm not sure about what time she decided to go with the sleeve.

I just don't want him to feel like I let him down. He was just as excited about me getting the band as I was. His whole staff are some of the most understanding people. They even all went on the 2 week pre-op diet just to see what everyone was going thru. They didn't last very long. lol.

My first back surgery was about 3 years ago. I was walking everyday and I kept noticing that I was having a slight limp every now and then. It eventually got worse and I noticed that my hip was buckling underneath me. I made an appointment to go see my Doc about it and he sent me to the hospital to have an MRI done. We left there and by the time we walked in our house, the hospital was calling. They wanted me to immediatly get in to see a neurosurgeon. So I went in to see my sisters Spine Specialist. He took one look at the MRI and asked when I could go in for surgery. I had a tumor growing on my spinal cord and it was taking up room in the disc. They had to go in and remove all of it. Luckily it turned out to just be a cycst. I recovered fast and within 4 months I did my very first 5K.

This last surgery has knocked me for a loop. Dec18th. I was in the shower and had poured some Shampoo in my hands. I then reached up the wash my hair and BAM. It was all overwith. I managed somehow to rinse off and got out of the bathroom and told my husband that we need to go to the ER. Very long story here, but I will give you the shortened version. 3 trips to the ER. On the 3rd. trip we went to a different hospital and they finally did an MRI and found that I had 2 very seriously herniated disk. L3 and L4. They admitted me to the hospital on Dec.24th. On Dec. 28th. I was sent home because the Pain Doc was out of town and I wouldn't be able to get into see him till Jan. 4th. All they did was keep me in a drug induced stupor and sent me home with more drugs to keep me comfortable till I could see the Doc. By monday the 31st. I was readmitted to another hospital and they kept me comfortable till the surgeon got in. Not a good thing to get sick during the holidays. Anyway the surgeon came in the next day and talked to me about surgery. Said he would be in the next day to see how I was doing. The worst part for me was sitting. That is what brought on the excrutiating pain. I mean horrible, I would never wish this on anyone, Pain. So each time I had to go to the bathroom by the time I got back into bed I was balling like a baby. The next day I had just got back from the bathroom when the surgeon walked in and was shocked to see the amount of pain I was in. By 4:30 that afternoon I had been transfered to another hospital and was in surgery. Woke up and absolutely no pain anywhere. It was all gone. But what I had to deal with now, was almost 3 weeks of being bedridden and then surgery. My poor legs had taken a beating. I just about had to learn how to walk all over again. I don't have good days. I have days where I try to do the best I can with getting around. I hate it. But I'm sure if I could start loosing weight again that it would be a great help to my recovery.

Sorry for the book. But there is so much more I left out. Like the 2 near falls from the nurses. But I'm home and ready to get back to getting the weight off and back to walking again. I have kind of given myself a goal to reach for. My uncle is suffering from Alzheimer and the kids had walked in the 5k a few months ago. So I'm going to use that as my goal to reach for. To be able to walk with them in the next 5K.

I wished I lived by the ocean so I could walk in the sand. But we do have some really amazing walking trails here.

Hope you had a good day. We are now under a Blizzard warning for our area. We got 10 inches of snoa last Thursday and now they are calling for us to get almost 12 inches of snow tonight. No walking for me. But glad they will have the roads cleaned by the time I go to see the band doc.

[Suziecat 379]

I did a couple days of Water pills, so I ready for my weigh-in tomorrow. They even called to confirm my appointment. And the roads are all clear for us. It's about a 35 minute drive to get there.

Hillary, How did you appointment go? I hope very well.

[HilaryInRC 116]

Well, my appointment didn't go as planned. I'm not sure if I mentioned on this thread, but my usual nurse doesn't work at my surgeon's office anymore. So, I met with a physician's assistant who I've known through a different doctor's office for about a decade now. His name is Andrew Duncan. So, I go in to see Andrew. We spent an hour together talking.

He asked me how everything was going. I told him my life was going really well except for weight loss. He took a few minutes to review my paperwork and asked me if I have sleep apnea. I said yes. He then asked me if I was using my CPAP. I said no, that I hate it. He told me that my untreated sleep apnea is causing my night time eating. He went into a really long scientific explanation at my urging. At one point I told him I really wanted a fill. He told me that he doesn't think I need a fill and he wants me to 1) wear my cpap, 2) wake up at the same time every morning and put on a bright light, 3) eat a Breakfast of 300 calories and 20 grams of Protein within an hour of waking, eat a lunch of 400 calories and 20 grams of Protein, and a dinner of 400 calories and 20 grams of protein. He told me that after 3-4 weeks of doing this routine that my body chemistry/metabolism would change. He says because of the sleep apnea my ghrelin is double, my leptin is nearly non-existant, and my cortisol is high as well. He also reviewed my sleep study and said that I have very severe obstructive sleep apnea and he thinks I am severely sleep deprived. He also made a very big point of me eating Breakfast (which I don't) and said that I don't eat breakfast, I can expect to gain weight that day, that is how important it is. He almost went into a big speech about my current breakfast of coffee with milk, but said he wasn't going to go there.

So, the plan is that I will follow his rules and see where I'm at at 4-6 weeks. If I then feel that I need a fill, he will give me one. After I get to an amount of fill that I am comfortable with, if we don't see weight loss, he thinks we should move forward with revision surgery.

So, I am in Los Angeles for a few days before I head home. On Friday night I start wearing my cpap. Tomorrow, I start trying to eat breakfast (which I think is going to be a real struggle). I am looking forward to seeing how I feel at the end of March.