Follow up with doctor about an unfill

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Update for those who don't know my story: Banded 9/08 - 2 fills - developed reflux after second fill - also pain when eating some foods. Have had a sore throat since then.He didn't want to do an unfill because he said the second fill should not cause liquid to come up in my throat at 5:30 AM -that all food/liquid should be in the stomach,not the pouch. So he is ordering an endoscopy. He knows I don't want to mess with esophageal problems. My beloved husband died 3 years ago from esophageal cancer after a lifetime of heartburn/reflux. Esophageal cancer is deadly. You don't survive it.

He said if I want to be successful I have to learn that food can't be that important and to just eat the Protein food and I might not get to veggies or fruit. And as soon as I feel pain (often after a few bites) to stop. I said I am still hungry - and he said I shouldn't be since that means the pouch is full. Well, that pain lasts from 5-10 minutes which means the pouch is no longer full so why shouldn't I be hungry then? Basically he just wants me to keep eating less and less until I lose another 30 pounds (I am 181 and have lost 65 pounds - most of it from pre and post band dieting - maybe 5 from the band). I told him I am not willing to eat less or do more than I am now. I feel I have been so compliant with everything, done everything that was asked of me, now I am done. The band is either going to work for me or it isn't. It has never, ever reduced my hunger. And I know the difference between hunger, thirst and satiety. And I don't think it's healthy to eliminate whole food groups.:thumbup: I also posted this in the post surgery forum.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Update for those who don't know my story: Banded 9/08 - 2 fills - developed reflux after second fill - also pain when eating some foods. Have had a sore throat since then.He didn't want to do an unfill because he said the second fill should not cause liquid to come up in my throat at 5:30 AM -that all food/liquid should be in the stomach,not the pouch. So he is ordering an endoscopy. He knows I don't want to mess with esophageal problems. My beloved husband died 3 years ago from esophageal cancer after a lifetime of heartburn/reflux. Esophageal cancer is deadly. You don't survive it.

He said if I want to be successful I have to learn that food can't be that important and to just eat the Protein food and I might not get to veggies or fruit. And as soon as I feel pain (often after a few bites) to stop. I said I am still hungry - and he said I shouldn't be since that means the pouch is full. Well, that pain lasts from 5-10 minutes which means the pouch is no longer full so why shouldn't I be hungry then? Basically he just wants me to keep eating less and less until I lose another 30 pounds (I am 181 and have lost 65 pounds - most of it from pre and post band dieting - maybe 5 from the band). I told him I am not willing to eat less or do more than I am now. I feel I have been so compliant with everything, done everything that was asked of me, now I am done. The band is either going to work for me or it isn't. It has never, ever reduced my hunger. And I know the difference between hunger, thirst and satiety. And I don't think it's healthy to eliminate whole food groups.:mad2: I also posted this in the post surgery forum.

Why don't you try this, instead of 3 meals daily, for a week or so what if you eat three bites every hour? Small bites and THREE ONLY. If you can't help yourself and you eat more than three then you have one answer, you are overeating. If you can't stop at three bites that might be your problem.

How is your dental work? Do you need any work done? Could you not be chewing well enough?

I'd try the three bites an hour for a few days and see if your reflux and pain go away. You might be one that has to eat several smaller meals vs. 3 meals daily.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

I don't get pain with every meal or every food. And I can't be tying myself to food all day like that. I do have a life and other things to do. I don't think that plan is realistic for most people. I don't want to keep reheating food or throwing it away. And more importantly I don't want to do something so time intensive to solve this reflux. I didn't have it before the second fill so it is band related. Also I don't believe that four bites constitutes overeating. The band for me is not what it was advertised or presented to be. I have lost 65 pounds with about 5 due to the band. If eating this way works for you, that's great. But if the band got you to goal why couldn't it keep you there? Why did you need a sleeve? Thank you for your input.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I don't get pain with every meal or every food. And I can't be tying myself to food all day like that. I do have a life and other things to do. I don't think that plan is realistic for most people. I don't want to keep reheating food or throwing it away. And more importantly I don't want to do something so time intensive to solve this reflux. I didn't have it before the second fill so it is band related. Also I don't believe that four bites constitutes overeating. The band for me is not what it was advertised or presented to be. I have lost 65 pounds with about 5 due to the band. If eating this way works for you, that's great. But if the band got you to goal why couldn't it keep you there? Why did you need a sleeve? Thank you for your input.

Look, I was just offering a suggestion to try and identify the problem. I never suggested this was a way of eating for life. I thought I was pretty clear it was for a few days. If it isn't possible to try this for a few days then I really don't know what to tell you.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

After reading your 3 page post about how much you hated your band and how you could never suggest it to others and how much it sucks and details of all the problems it caused you - I don't know how you could say I would be overeating after 3 bites. I would think that someone who hated their band and had reflux would not blame the patient. If I have to eat only 3 bites every hour to control reflux - that is not reasonable. However, I am very glad you found something that works for you and that you are pain free and successful. I wish you continued success. Good luck.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

After reading your 3 page post about how much you hated your band and how you could never suggest it to others and how much it sucks and details of all the problems it caused you - I don't know how you could say I would be overeating after 3 bites. I would think that someone who hated their band and had reflux would not blame the patient. If I have to eat only 3 bites every hour to control reflux - that is not reasonable. However, I am very glad you found something that works for you and that you are pain free and successful. I wish you continued success. Good luck.

Total crap. I never once blamed you for a bloody thing. You can slide off that pity pot now. I never said you were overeating but your drama is amusing nonetheless.

What I suggested was changing your eating habits for a few days, it would help determine what the problem actually is. I also asked if you needed dental work as perhaps you aren't able to chew properly. Until you are willing to give a little and try new things to determine what IS going on there is no way to determine if it is something you are doing, if it is a band problem, or if it is band intolerance. I am not going to assume that everyone who PBs has band intolerance until all issues are ruled out one way or another. You are completely and totally unwilling to help yourself so there is little I can do for you.

You didn't want suggestions, you didn't want anything to help you determine what IS wrong, you refuse to change your eating habits for a week or less to help yourself, you just wanted to complain so you should have made that clear to begin with.

Edited February 19, 2009 by WASaBubbleButt

[Cleo's Mom 257]

I wasn't asking for anyone's pity and you can get off your freaking high horse. There were some posters who wanted to know the results of my doctor visit - thus the thread title. If you weren't one of them you should have moved on to another thread. And you said "If you can't help yourself and your eat more than 3 bites, you have your answer, you are overeating". That's total crap! I've done a lot to make my band successful and even before the band to lose weight. 65 pounds is 65% of my excess weight. But I will not tolerate reflux. And what if eating 3 bites every hour caused me not to have reflux at night? - that is an insane way to eat to avoid something. And proves nothing. I am a highly motivated and compliant person. I have survived cancer and buried a husband. I have dealt with a lot and I will have the tests needed to diagnose what is going on in this case. I have received and used many of the friendly and helpful suggestions on these boards. I don't need the kind of "advice" you have to offer. Keep it to yourself.

[coltonwade 27]

I think you misunderstood what Wasa said. I am not sure why you are so upset. Other than frusration and I can understand that. But let me first say I am sorry you are having problems . I have had several issues myself , i am sensitive to fills have had more unfills than fills. Get reflux from occasion ( have it now actually , i think it some something I ate )

I have to say that what you describe sounds like first bite syndrome. which although I have not brought it up with my doc yet I am pretty sure I have. Have you heard of it ?

One of Wasa's suggestions "Why don't you try this, instead of 3 meals daily, for a week or so what if you eat three bites every hour? Small bites and THREE ONLY." I believe ( I could be wrong) could be used to rule out first bite syndrome as well.

Her suggestion was to try it for a week and a week only not the rest of your life. I am one that has to eat several smaller meals several times a day . Sometimes I have to eat a few bites , i get some pain and have to wait 10-20 mintues and then finish eating and I am fine. But the only way to figure that out is to just do it and see how it works for you .

Sometimes the band is trial and error .

Wasa as she documented has had many isssues with her band and along with that came trial and error to rule things out . Sometimes our docs do not give us the answers we need and we have to rule things out on our own or go to other bandsters who have had some issues and ask how they did things ?

I think Wasa was only trying to help .

I realize your going through a hard time however, I do not think it warrants the kind of response Wasa got. She was only trying to help .

As was I . I hope you find some relief and they find out what is going on ? I am sure this is somethign you have done but it does help me quite a bit do you take something like Pepcid at night ?

Good luck

Mindy

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Thanks, Mindy for your response. My anger over Wasa's response was saying I was asking for pity - I can only assume that she means because I posted the info about my husband's death. No one -and I mean no one- gets to question me about my response to my husband's death or my discussing it. And my second objection was to her saying that if I eat 4 bites I am overeating and I have my answer. My objections to this resulted from my reading her 3 page rant about how much she hates the band. She chronicles all her problems. Had she replied with something like that to me I would have accepted that. I agree with everything she says about her band in that post. I think more people comtemplating the band should read it. Doctors sure don't tell you those things. But I never said I PB'ed just that some foods cause me some pain. But I will talk to my doctor about first bite syndrome. I do take nexium. I have spaced my food out over the day more and that seems to be helping (but not with the reflux). You seem to be doing very well and have had a lot of fills and unfills with trial and error. Thanks for your suggestions and help. I appreciate it. And I will write another post to WASA. Okay? Good luck to you and thanks again.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Wasa: I will give you the benefit of the doubt with your original reply to me. Okay? You were trying to help in your own way. But after reading your long post about the band and how much you hate it and how you wish no one would contemplate it - I wish you would have just responded with that. I TOTALLY agree with that post. It is full of the dirty little (and big) secrets the doctors don't tell you about the band. They never want to think the band itself could be the problem. You are so right to be angry about it. So, I may have misunderstood your original post. But your second post about pity - well I wasn't asking for pity when referencing my husband's death. That is a sore spot with me and I become defensive. And justifyably so.. So, why don't we call it a truce and just say that I will work with the band and get the proper tests and wish you continued good luck with your sleeve and your journey with all of this.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Wasa: I will give you the benefit of the doubt with your original reply to me. Okay? You were trying to help in your own way. But after reading your long post about the band and how much you hate it and how you wish no one would contemplate it - I wish you would have just responded with that. I TOTALLY agree with that post. It is full of the dirty little (and big) secrets the doctors don't tell you about the band. They never want to think the band itself could be the problem. You are so right to be angry about it. So, I may have misunderstood your original post. But your second post about pity - well I wasn't asking for pity when referencing my husband's death. That is a sore spot with me and I become defensive. And justifyably so.. So, why don't we call it a truce and just say that I will work with the band and get the proper tests and wish you continued good luck with your sleeve and your journey with all of this.

No. This is not acceptable. I will not let you play this game.

I wrote absolutely nothing about your husband, I did not refer to him, I wrote absolutely nothing that had anything to do with your husband in the least.

You have a problem with your band. I suspect it is band intolerance but it is not acceptable to just assume everyone who is having problems has band intolerance. You have to rule out everything else first because there is nothing to do for band intolerance but to remove the band. It makes no sense not to try to make the band work since you already have one in you.

The three bite rule helps to identify first bite syndrome, overeating, bites that are too big, chewing issues, band restriction, a great number of things. I suggested you try it for UP TO A WEEK. You refused, you suggested (after I wrote twice, "a few days", "a week") that I suggested you eat this way for the rest of your life. I suggested no such thing. Nowhere did I suggest or imply that you would eat three bites an hour for the rest of your life. I have no clue where you got that. You went on to inform me that you have a life, blah blah blah.

I took the stance that fine... it would appear you don't want to try to resolve potential problems with your band and that is your choice. I wasn't going to waste my time.

Now... now you are suggesting I was referring to your husband. Let's revisit what I DID write:

What I suggested was changing your eating habits for a few days, it would help determine what the problem actually is. I also asked if you needed dental work as perhaps you aren't able to chew properly. Until you are willing to give a little and try new things to determine what IS going on there is no way to determine if it is something you are doing, if it is a band problem, or if it is band intolerance. I am not going to assume that everyone who PBs has band intolerance until all issues are ruled out one way or another. You are completely and totally unwilling to help yourself so there is little I can do for you.

You didn't want suggestions, you didn't want anything to help you determine what IS wrong, you refuse to change your eating habits for a week or less to help yourself, you just wanted to complain so you should have made that clear to begin with.

Where in the world do you get that I was suggesting you are complaining about your HUSBAND?? Could I have BEEN more clear? I don't believe I could.

I tried to offer suggestions to help identify the problem. You clearly don't want that help. So be it.

I am sorry about your husband and I cannot begin to imagine what you are experiencing. But I will not take the blame for words I never spoke, typed, or even thought about. I didn't imply anything about your husband, I was writing about your band. Period.

Good luck, I hope you are able to resolve your band problems.

Edited February 21, 2009 by WASaBubbleButt

[Cleo's Mom 257]

I am not going to waste anymore time replying to you. I have better things to do. You can continue with your replies to me but I am done.