Is this really worth it??

[MrsBerggren 6]

Ok, I am not sure if I am too tight or what is going on. I have 6.5 cc's in my band and things have been going well for me.. But in the last few days everything seems to get stuck.. I have hardly eaten today and tried to have dinner with my family and ate one pickle slice and one fry and it got stuck.. completely RUINED my whole meal as I was unable to eat a lick of anything else so I sat there and watched everyone else enjoy their meal.

I am getting discouraged with this band and am honestly wishing I had done gastric instead. I want to enjoy my meals with my family.. I hate this getting stuck crap and watching everyone else eat. Is this really worth it to me?? I am seriously asking myself that a lot lately.

I am definitely going to make an appt with my doc and have some taken out because this is no way to live.. at this point I am sure my stoma is swollen thus making things worse. I used to worry about over-eating and now I hardly enjoy a meal anymore and it just sucks.

[happy2lose 0]

That's awful! Perhaps you are too tight. Being too tight is miserable and no way to live.

I sincerely hope you get this straightened out soon.

Donna

[jenriley 2]

"Is this really worth it to me?? I am seriously asking myself that a lot lately."

Im ashamed to say this, because I feel so fortunate to have had the lapband when others couldnt, but Im with ya!:thumbup: As of right now I have 6ccs, but dont get stuck too often. Still, I have very little enjoyment from food, and like you I never get to enjoy a meal with my family, not to mention my weight loss seems to be consistant, but so SLOW! I was banded on Aug 9, and have lost 26 pounds so far, 10 of it from the presurgery diet. I often find myself thinking maybe I should have had gastric as well.

[happy2lose 0]

It's my understanding that with GB your stomach size is greatly reduced to the size of the tip of a thumb. I really don't think GB patients get as much enjoyment from food as you are assuming.

You made a great choice for your health. Give it some time and I believe you will come to realize this.

[LollyMoe 1]

GB patients have problems with food too. They also have severe episodes of dumping. They have to deal with mal-absorption, taking B-12 injections for the rest of their lives and it's not reversible. They also have a high rate of gaining the weight back.

I went out to eat with a friend a few years ago. She had a problem with dumping that night and had to lay on the floor of a bathroom stall next to the commode until it passed. I stood watch for her for over an hour!

Think long & hard about wanting GB. Talk to your doctor about it. It isn't the easy way out either.

[thebandedgirl 0]

Only you can decide if the surgery was truly worth it to you.

The truth is, nobody who has WLS (any type of WLS) is going to be able to enjoy food in the same way as they were able to before.

Had you gone with an RNY procedure, your diet would probably be more restricted than it is now. Eating the wrong thing (sugar, processed carbs, too much fat...) can cause "dumping syndrome," which does not sound like a pleasant thing to me (you can look it up on Wikipedia for a quick, bare-bones explanation).

It's an adjustment. And it can be really frustrating. But ultimately, it doesn't matter that I couldn't eat that whole burger with fries. Or the fries at all. Or the bun for that matter! My body is still nourished and, when I'm following the rules and chew well, I can eat with my friends and SO with no difficulty whatsoever. Yeah, there are foods I have to avoid, but I know what they are and just stay away.

Talk to your surgeon and maybe get a slight unfill. But know that what you're feeling isn't uncommon and it's definitely not uncalled for. Lean on the people at LBT for support if you need to!

[meikobobo 0]

I can understand your frustration believe me the band is no picnic.....however I was talking to a lady who had the sleeve and while they dont have the same problems we do they have others ( as previously mentioned) plus she said the fact she can eat so little it makes going out almost impossible and like me with the band she still feels hungry but pain and vomiting stop her and while I get the pbs her's sound horrendous. Plus once you get used to it and the old chew chew thing happens you can eat a satisfying meal where she will never be able to do so, even drinking a cup of tea she now has to have it in a expresso cup. We discussed whether we both suffer from head hunger...not sure...probably. But she wishes she never went this way. I was shocked because I was sort of hoping that as I feel no restriction maybe this was the way I could go to but now I think I will keep perservering. And you know maybe it was just pickles that you cant have. I find there are all sorts of strange things that seem to slide down with little or no chewing ( ie for me popcorn) yet steak no matter how much I chew until I think its paste still seems to cause trouble. Go figure. The other thing too I found was the while I was getting used to the band i really couldnt eat and talk with people. I'd subconciously not chew enough engrossed in talking and a food that i normally tolerate would cause problems. Until I got the chewing thing ( I have always been a gulper) a little under control i couldnt trust myself with others. Hope this helps. and all the best. You know what I wish is that the media and everything would stop making this sound so easy it really isnt and I think if you arent one of the lucky ones who's appetittes immediately disappear it is really hard hard work being hungry esp when I thought this was going to end that. Best of Luck and my hope is after intial probs you become one of the lucky ones...the stats are in your favour

Cheers

M:thumbup:

[Pegsinthewoods 8]

I'm not going to get into whether it is worth it or not to be banded, I'm just going to share something that works for me. I have found that sometimes I irritate my pouch and I need to revert to full liquids for a day or so. It seems whenever I get stuck, I get sore. :confused:

[thebandedgirl 0]

I'm not going to get into whether it is worth it or not to be banded, I'm just going to share something that works for me. I have found that sometimes I irritate my pouch and I need to revert to full liquids for a day or so. It seems whenever I get stuck, I get sore. :bored:

Yeah, I've had to go to liquids a few times after getting stuck, too. That's a really good suggestion

[txspatter 0]

It's life changing...if enjoying meals is the priority, I have to wonder why you chose any of them? We're here because of weight...no one said it would be easy. And, it's never over, even if/when you reach goal. Hope you can sort thru your frustrations. At least you'll be around longer with weight loss and can enjoy family.

[LJB 0]

Oh yes! I have been in your shoes. I would say things started to get much better for me around the 6 month mark. I now have a much better understanding on what foods work for me and what do not.

Wow! This has been hard work and giving up certain foods and only able to get a few bites at the diner table is hard when it tastes so good. But that's ok because I have weight to lose and it is coming off sometimes fast sometimes very slow but its working and now at 8 months with the band I'm having a wonderful time shopping for smaller outfits.

I'm at 6CC's now and yes it is tight.

Best of everything to you and keep your eye on the prize. You are worth it.

[Bonnie_Lass 1]

Ok, I am not sure if I am too tight or what is going on. I have 6.5 cc's in my band and things have been going well for me.. But in the last few days everything seems to get stuck.. I have hardly eaten today and tried to have dinner with my family and ate one pickle slice and one fry and it got stuck.. completely RUINED my whole meal as I was unable to eat a lick of anything else so I sat there and watched everyone else enjoy their meal.

I am getting discouraged with this band and am honestly wishing I had done gastric instead. I want to enjoy my meals with my family.. I hate this getting stuck crap and watching everyone else eat. Is this really worth it to me?? I am seriously asking myself that a lot lately.

I am definitely going to make an appt with my doc and have some taken out because this is no way to live.. at this point I am sure my stoma is swollen thus making things worse. I used to worry about over-eating and now I hardly enjoy a meal anymore and it just sucks.

Give the band a chance, definately see your doctor and maybe have some taken out if it's not just temporary swelling. It does sound like you are too tight - at least the band is adjustable, imagine if you had GB and still felt like this. I've been too tight and it did ruin my enjoyment of meals, I got 1/2 cc taken out and what a difference. I did just get a little tight again during my monthly visitor, but other than that I have been able to eat comfortably and savour what I can eat. Hope you too are feeling better soon.

[MrsBerggren 6]

Thank you all for your replies. I have been fine with the surgery until recently and I think it just may be that I am a tad too tight and am probably swollen yet from getting something stuck last week and I havent let it fully fix itself. I understand I HAVE to take a step back and stick to liquids to let this get better.

Up until last week, I have been fine with not 'eating' as much as anyone else, that has never been the problem for me because I do still enjoy my smaller meals with my family. It was just that night during dinner that those two bites did not go down well. The same thing happened to us at the casino last Friday as well and I've come to realize both of those times were when I was eating out with a group of people. I am still pushing myself to eat the better things out there and while at a buffet Friday, I got caught up with the good food I saw and wanted to try it out with everyone else. Then, as a person sits at the table and you are talking to everyone else, you take a bite and do not fully chew like you should and there it goes...

I have always gone in spurts with my diet my whole life.. I can really kick ass and it feels so easy to live healthy and then the next day I can't take it anymore, its like a switch that flips on and off. I guess its something I will always go through.

But I have to say this.. I AM happy that I have a band rather than the latter. I realize I was just releasing my frustrations on the band when it is myself that needs to change. I need to be more aware of my eating habits when Im with others because its easy to get caught up in the moment and forget that Im banded and am not able to chow down like everyone else. Thank you all again for your replies.. I do realize I am fortunate to have the band and I am thankful for it.

[Valieb43 0]

Speaking for myself, and I am sure many of the people who have had WLS, the problem with our weight stems from our unhealthy relationship with food. I was just banded on Nov 16th, and think that I definitely made the right decision. As a society we focus too much on food as a way to entertain ourselves, not a way to survive. My grandmother used to taunt me about my weight when I was growing up, saying we should eat to live, not live to eat. That is the purpose of the band, and unfortunately it sounds like WLS wasnt a good choice for those who feel that they can no longer "enjoy life." To me, being 30 and taking blood pressure meds and testing my blood sugar is no way to enjoy my life, so if I never eat at a buffett or have a dozen chicken wings in one sitting again, I am ok with that. The money I save on Co-pays for meds and testing supplies can now be spent on clothes and accessories to make my new, thinner self happy. I am fortunate enough to have such supportive friends and family, who dont care that I am not chowing down at the table with them, but instead just there to enjoy their company.

[ParrotheadCathy 0]

MrsBerggren, I do think you are a tad too tight. At 6ccs, I got stuck at least once every meal, was uncomfortable when I did eat successfully. I had just .2cc removed -- yeah, just two tenths of a cc -- and magically, the problems stopped. I needed to lose a total of 134 pounds and I've lost 80 so far. It's not as fast as it used to be BUT it's about a pound a week and I'm happy with that. Remember that 1 to 2 pounds per week is the goal of the surgery and a healthy rate of weight loss.

As for enjoying the food you eat, that's a head thing AND a selection thing. I read a post elsewhere on here just in the past couple of days where a man said that he eats only the things he truly enjoys. In other words, if he could have a hamburger steak or sashimi (which he says he loves), then he would have the sashimi. He suggested aiming for those quality dishes that offer a great taste and/or texture. I'm not gonna say "why even mourn a french fry" but I'm gonna say think about the foods you truly, absolutely love and don't want to not have. Then plan how to have them.

If you have to have a smaller portion of something you adore versus a larger portion of something that's "just something to eat", then you see my answer.

If you get really stuck, it can irritate where your esophagus joins your stomach and at the stoma. If you're really uncomfortable after a bad stuck episode, have liquids for the rest of the day. That hasn't been a necessity since the little bitty unfill I had a few weeks ago. If I get stuck now, if I hold my arms up over my head and sit up straight, it moves.

Your band isn't there to punish you. It's to help you. I still eat a slice of cake at the monthly office birthday party. But it's about 6 bites instead of a huge chunk of cake. I'm okay with that. A GB patient might not be able to eat that bit of cake without an unpleasant reaction.

I have a friend who had GB and she has had nothing but problems from Day 1. If it were reversible, she'd go tomorrow. She hates where she is now. Yeah, she's lost 15 pounds but she's living with problems that can't be fixed. You have some problems but they are things that can be adjusted away. So, go to the doc's office, talk about the stuck episodes and how you often find you can't eat the amount of food you SHOULD be able to eat and ask for a slight unfill. If that doesn't get you there, get another slight unfill. Don't go drastic. A little change can make a huge difference in your daily life.

And, let us know that it's better!!