Possible Band Replacement

Hi Fellow Banders, It's been a long time since I've been to this site. I hope you can help me. I had my last fill two years ago and right after I started getting heartburn. I figured, I'm 50 and heartburn is a part of getting older. WRONG! It turns out that the band was too tight and I've stretched the pouch. Everything was taken out and I'm on liquids for the next month. UGH!  If the pouch doesn't go down then they will replace the band. Has anyone else had this issue and what were your results? Any advise you can give would be greatly appreciated. P.S. I got my band in Jan of 06.

 There have been many that pouched stretched and they healed and they were able to keep their band without surgery, my pouched was slightly dilated about 4 years ago and I healed but it took me about 1 year before my band felt right and I got good restriction again, but again, I was never too tight longer than 1 month so everyone is different, If you heal, you have to be very careful going forward with your band and avoid being too tight too long. Good luck.

Since the band is the LEAST effective WLS and since it hasn't worked the first time...............just wondering WHY you would want another one???

I do know it isn't for everyone but it has worked for me. I got 75 lbs of the 85 that I needed to get off in the first year and until this year I was able to keep it off. I put on 10 lbs this year which I was chalking up to menopause but I really think that I went back to my compulsive eating habits.
I'm sorry it didn't work for you. Have you found anything to work? I would like to know. Also let me know how to resize a picture so I can post a profile one. This site is aggravating in some ways!

Very glad theat the band is working well for you.

I am really not sure about how to resize the pics for here. :-( Sorry.

 Sounds pretty close to my story!  I was banded just a few months after you.  I had my last fill a year and a half ago, and always knew it was *snug*, but justified to myself that I wasn't too tight, even though I had heartburn.  I kept telling myself that I'd get a little unfill as soon as I got back down to my lowest weight, but that just never happened!  I was taking OTC PPIs on and off for over a year.  In January, I started having breakthrough heartburn, so went to my bariatric doc.  I had a barium swallow, which actually showed the fluid moving through the band OK, and that the band was in good position with no slip.  So, then I had an endoscopy which showed an ulcer.  I'm now completely unfilled for at least two months, and on a new time released PPI, called Dexilant.  
I had gained some weight over the holidays, so I've been working on getting back on track.  I went low-carb for a few weeks, and now I'm doing my best to eat like a bandster even though I have very little restriction with no fill.  (Actually the only time I really noticed any was when I took a few bites of cold chicken right out of the fridge.  3-4 bites, and the band said stop!  But, they *were* pretty big bites.)  I've actually managed to lose the holiday weight, and I'm getting back to exercise.  I would dearly love to go back to the doc for my first fill with a nice drop on the scales.  (I love a challenge!)

I try to think of this as just a bump in the road.  I'm not going to worry about "what ifs" in the meantime, but am trying to keep focused on a positive outcome.  I hope the same for you.

Tami

Hi Tami, Thank you so much for your reply. This has been such a wake up call for me in so many ways. One, I realized that I am still a compulsive eater, DUH! But it's something I really need to get a grip on. I will keep you posted and I wish the best for you as well and would love for you to keep me posted as well. I'm not really sure how to navigate this site. Let me know if there is a way for us to chat or for me to post my email to keep in touch. Thanks, Judy

 I know what you mean. I really slacked on on my better habits over the past year, but still ate less than I did before being banded.  I know that in the past I would have regained a significant portion of what I'd lost.  

Motivation to change bad habits and maintain good habits is soooo challenging.  Sometimes I have "it", and wish I could bottle it up and take a dose when I need it later!  

Feel free to send me a private message, and we can keep in touch.  Just click "contact" below this message.  When you receive a private message, you'll see a red number at the top of the screen.  Click that and it will take you to the message.  

Best wishes,

Tami