The Slime Ball Effect...???

I am more then 10 year post op with the band and have not had a fill in over 8 years.  I still get the slimmies quite easily.  I can not eat most fruit or veggies without getting stuck and getting the slimmies.  I can not eat any pasta or rice at all with out them.  Most meats also get stuck.  I can eat a nice big sandwich with no problem but give me a small piece of chicken and I will get stuck 75% of the time.  And yes I do chew very well an eat very slow.  I know this will sound crazy but i can even get stuck on ice cream...yes I said Ice cream...very gross slimmies then.  I am not lactose intolerant.  I love milk and drink it all the time.   I personally have never seen anyone banded as long as I have been banded and and I am planning a revision soon.    

Hi Dawn,

Out of curiosity why are you planning a revision?

Thanks,

Lori

Multiple reasons...I only lost about fifty to begin with, still had another 50.  I kept my weight off for about 5 years.  Slowly been gaining it back for the past 5 years.  When I was banded 10 years ago it was advertised differently and after care was almost non-existent.  It was advertised as any one can lose 100, 200 lbs or more.  It would work on anyone.  Wrong.   I currently don't have any major problems that I know about.  I will say I am scared to death of what they might find when I am scoped.  When I was banded  I was basically told if you are not having any problems you are OK.  They never mentioned anything about being scoped annually or even semi-annually.   I did have surgery in Mexico with probably the best band surgeon they have.  I went thru a Dr here in the states.   The Dr. here, looking back sucked.  No after care.  Never saw him again after returning home.  When I went for a fill a nurse did it.  No big deal.  They would give you a fill and if you were too loose you could come in within the next  7 days and get more added for no charge.  Great except for a week later you would be too tight and then would have to pay to have some removed.  As a self pay I couldn't afford to keep on going back and forth.  I also had a very very verbally abusive husband who hates "fat" people and thinks you are even more disgusting if you take the "easy" way out.   He would ridicule me for having surgery.  He wouldn'****ch our daughter so I could go to any support groups.  I had $3000.00 put aside for fills or if anything  went wrong.  He stole all my money.   I answered a post awhile ago and I said that I failed my band,  and my band failed me.  Now I would say I failed the band, the band failed me, the surgeon failed both me and the band.  I never would have got banded if I knew you had to be scoped every year.  Too expensive.  Times are different now.  They know more.  I was one of the early banders and the knowledge just wasn't there.  I wouldn't get banded today.  No matter what.  I wouldn't go into a surgery knowing that eventually it would have to be revised.  If a band had been in too long there can be so much scar tissue that they can't revise to anything.  You can have so much damage to your esophagus that you can't get revised to anything.  Yes, I know you can have problems with any WLS long term.  With the band I think long term you have a way higher chance of needing a revision because your tender, soft tummy is being squeased tightly with a semi hard object, yes the inside is soft and flexiable but the outside is not flexable.  Eventually somethings gotta give.  Usually it is the soft stomach.   I will say I think I am extremly Lucky to have not had any major problems.  I think that is mostly because my surgeon was top notch and the fact I have not put my stomach thru much trama with getting a lot of fills.  I didn't reply to this so a bunch of banded people can hate on me.  I only posted this to answer Lori's question.  I have told a couple people that they need to really think about it or to please not do it, but i have never hated on anyone and would like the same respect.  Also is there anyone on OH  who has been banded longer then 10 years?  Curious.            
          

Hey Krystie

I also slime - have done it a number of times - even when I have been careful and eaten slowly - the next week I can eat the same thing and it doesn't happen.  The band is unpredicatble in some ways.  But I wouldn't go back for anything - I am very ahppy with my results and will put up with a little slime every now and then

Take care,

Lori

This has happened to me too -- miserable huh? I recently got a small unfill and my two years of small bites went right out the window and now after a small refill I'm trying to adjust to small bites again. So... long story short, I'm STILL learning : )

You also might find that this gets worse during sinus season.  All that mucous that one normally  would swallow becomes too much to handle. 

I knew my band was too tight when I coughed up a "slimeball" onto my plate while out to dinner one day.  Not attractive in the least!

 I had a lovely liming session last night and am still paying for it!  I made a lovely garden salad (from my garden) and grilled a hamburger.  I ate too fast and didn't chew up the lettuce enough and BAM... I slimmed the night away!  No hiccups though.  Hiccups are caused when the diaphragm becomes irritated... bandsters have this happen more often because the small stomach pouch we have is so close to the diaphragm that sometimes food stays in the esophagus too long.  In order to avoid hiccups you can measure your food and eat slowly.  I am only allowed a 1/2 cup of food at a time.  Not sure what your surgeon has you on, but you might be eating too much.  ALSO, when I eat chicken or other poultry, I need to make sure I have some sauce with it, like salad dressing or a dip of some sort.  I have heard many on the board call it food lube.  It helps.  Hope all is well for you now.

Paid more attention today... And yes. Wetter is definitely better. Had some Wendy's chili and a side salad no problem. Had some tuna mac with the kids. No problem. Chicken last night was uncomfortable until I mixed in some garlic sauce. Thanks for all the help folks.