My tool is broken and so am I

Hi Y'all back after a LONG time gone.....

I was banded 10-20-2010 lost a total of 55 lbs as of Dec 2012 from Dec to current I have gained all but 10 lbs back I feel horrible I have 6.2cc in my 10 cc band with NO restriction, I have had many "stuck" episodes with my only relief is to vomit.

 My insurance has changed and have found a Dr. 250 miles from my town that takes the insurance but.... doesn't cover fills! UGH so frustrating!!! This Dr. doesn't feel comfortable filling a band he didn't place.... So I'm thinking of having the band removed and doing Bypass....

What are you thoughts on all of this???

Sorry. Sent twice!

How difficult for you. I can understand your frustration. But how can you have no restriction and yet get stuck regularly and have to vomit? And if you are doing, a fill is the last thing you need.

I'm not sure why you feel you have no restriction when you have many stuck episodes. And I don't know what your expectations of your band or restriction are. If you lost 55 lbs, something must have been working for you at the time. What has changed since then? What's been going on to make it possible for you to regain 45 lbs?

I understand what it's like to have to start over again with a new surgeon because I went through that myself. Just finding a surgeon willing to take on another surgeon's patient was a challenge, and I had to pay a patient transfer fee out of my own pocket. Fortunately my new surgeon was willing to fill a band she didn't place. Have you checked with your new insurance company to find out if your plan will cover band removal and revision to the bypass?

I know my questions are all loaded ones, so I don't expect quick answers to them. While you're thinking about them, I strongly suggest that the next time you have a stuck episode, you immediately stop eating, and follow a liquid diet for 24 hours. Then follow a puree diet for 24 hours, then soft foods (that you can cut with the side of a fork) for 24 hours, then carefully try solid foods. That will give your upper GI tract a chance to calm down after the irritation and inflammation caused by the stuck episode. Doing this will help you get out of the endless cycle of stuck episodes that you seem to be in. Until you can go for a few days without stuck episodes or other eating problems, it will be hard to accurately judge your restriction and whether you really do need a fill.

Jean

ETA: I also wonder if your frequent stuck episodes have gotten you into what we call Soft Calorie Syndrome. When eating solid food is too hard, you can start eating soft and liquid calories that are easy to eat but are often higher in calories and offer no satiety. That's happened to me a few times and I've gained weight at those times. Something to think about, anyway.

My story is like yours.  I was banded two years ago and lost about 20lbs, and no matter what I did filling and un-filling and so on for over a year, I never was able to lose any more.  I never felt restriction, but just had random sticking events and lots of gagging. Over the Christmas break, I went in and had a gastric bypass.  Best decision of my life.  I'm down 55lbs in under three months and feeling fantastically better.  In my opinion, and from my experience It has been a far better course of action to just admit to myself that it wasn't working and try something else.  If your band is as finicky as mine was, the likelihood that you will reach the perfect fill and keep it there is pretty low, so I say go for it.

Hi guys thank you for all your thoughts, guess I should clarify sum stuff....

My feeling of NO restriction is that I can eat pretty much anything and am always hungry with hunger pains that I haven't felt in a long time.

The stuck episodes are mostly from what I eat and how fast I eat.( self sabotaging... MAYBE) I have forgotten how to eat with a band.

(totally my fault I KNOW! The last year has been hell in my personal life and I am just realizing how it has affected me)

 I have tried may times to start over get back on the wagon it just hasn't been working for me i have been trying for 6 months and only gaining still.

 I thought a fill was needed cuz I hadn't had one in over a year and even with 6 cc I don't fell the band. I asked the new surgeon to check and see how much was in there he didn't want to....

The reason I would choose bypass is it is cover and done by the surgeon who takes my insurance....I had no choice with the band and have no other choice but the bypass...

After re reading my post and responses.... feeling my question should be: I need help RESTARTING my tool? I have a tool and i need to make it work for me, but what I've been doing is not working so new ideas would be great!

If you are wanting to try again with the band I'd say your best changes would be to be more aware of your eating habits. I imagine you know what to eat but need to remember how to eat. Cut all food in pencil eraser sized bites, chew until liquid, put your fork down while you chew(so you aren't scooping another bite too soon and shoveling), swallow and wait till you feel it pass thru the band, then and only then take another bite and repeat the above steps. Do everything possible to have a relaxed setting and try not to rush. You should be able to finish in 20 min. or so if you have a bandster size portion. Remember eat your protein first, then non starchy veggies and IF you are still hungry a tiny amount of a carb. This should keep you satisfied for 4-5 hours. Notice I said satisfied not full, we often look as satisfied as Thanksgiving full, but it isn't, it just means you aren't starving. Good luck but do be aware that many of us have had to revise so it isn't unusual for this to happen.