Longterm nutrition and health with a band

[Cedar Brett 0]

I have had my gastric band since December 2006. I had my first “fill” in May 2007. I lost a lot of weight (280 lbs down to 149 lbs) and am VERY happy with that. My weight is now ideal for me. But the price has been that I have not really been able to consume anything but liquids (smooth liquidized Soup, coffee which keeps me going) and even those things in very small quantities. I have always puked back about half of what liquid I consume. I have felt happy as I lost weight, and I kept going on this starvation diet of liquidized soup and coffee, but I ,often felt weak and exhausted.

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Then in August this year, fifteen months after having the fill, I began to feel not only weak and exhausted but actually really ill, as if I had flu. I knew I couldn’t cope any more. I had had the band put in at a private clinic, but there was no after-care plan with that clinic, and anyway I couldn’t afford any more treatment. So I delivered myself to Emergency at a public hospital (in England the National Health Service is free). They responded to the crisis by removing 5 milli-litres of ‘fill’.

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Since then I have recovered my health and am coping more or less OK, but am worried about long-term nutrition. I don’t want to lose more weight, but don’t know how to maintain this weight, how to keep myself nourished and healthy. Because… I not only continue to puke back a lot of the liquids I take, but am also sometimes actually vomiting quiet violently, a little while after attempting to eat more solid foods, even if I only ate a small quantity. The only way I keep going is by eating tiny amounts of very high calorie but totally unhealthy foods like chocolate, icecream etc. Even then, not much stays down. I absolutely can't eat bread, or rice, or fruit, salad or vegetables.

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Has anyone had similar experiences, and got any advice for the long run, please? Does anyone know if there is a "thread" or a "forum" for people with my problem as described above? Thanks for any info.

[gentylwind 1]

It sounds to me like you need follow up with a bariatric surgeon desperately.

[Carrie_C 9]

Have you only been able to have liquids since last year? You really need to find a doctor.

[noosagirl 0]

You need to see a bariatric surgeon first of all. Your health, physically and emotionally are the most important things in life. Maybe email the surgeon with your problems first. Hope everything works out for you!

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

Are you completely unfilled? You need to get in and have some tests taken. This is not normal. You need to find someone who is experienced with bands to have the right tests done and find out what is wrong.

[Jachut 487]

Quite simply, there's something wrong. This is not the way being banded is supposed to be. You need to follow this up urgently with a surgeon.

I am not in the least bit worried about long term nutrition because my daily menu might look like Cereal and fruit for Breakfast, a tuna and salad sandwich for lunch (Ok, not ALL of it) and meat and 3 veg for dinner. I eat normal foods in smallish but still normal quantities and i eat from all food groups. There may be foods you cant tolerate, like bread, but you work around that, but you should be able to eat a pretty normal diet.

If you cant even eat solids, you might be slipped or there may be some other problem and you need to have this checked out.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

I agree Jacqui. I can eat anything I want. I can eat fruit with skins, bread if I want to, basically anything I feel like eating. I haven't thrown up in months. I can't even remember it's been so long ago.

Please get yourself checked out.

[jjsmiles 3]

I agree totally with what everyone else has said - get yourself checked by a dr who works with the lap band asap. To me it really sounds like your band may have slipped - if that is so, unfilling any more won't help. As well, since you didn't get any relief from a 5 cc unfill - I don't think another unfill will be all that helpful.

This is no way to live - you are putting your health (and possibly even your life) at risk. I have had an electrolyte imbalance before and I was told that I was at risk for heart attack and other awful things, althouth I didn't have any heart issues.

I don't know how your health care works, but if your situation is life threatening, maybe they will help you out for free? You were able to get an emergency unfill - could not the same dr or er look at the band placement? Even if not, is your life not worth the expense?

Let us know how you make out.