siesta

Yo, Nita, What wonderful progress you have made! I remember the first few weeks when you were into the usual "What did I do to myself?", followed by the "Do you think this will really work for me?" stages of this experience. It looks like the last question has really been answered well, which I was sure it would be for you. I have thought of you often and we need to go private and catch up. I take it you survived the school year. When you have a minute, drop me a line and catch me up on what you have been up to. Thanks for the kind words, but my point in telling the story was to say that, even with the setbacks, the band experience has changed my life is so many positive ways for which I am so grateful. Believe me, if I can do it, ANYONE can. Take care, Penny

For some reason, my band kept getting tighter, not looser, after a fill. When we refilled, we only put back 1.4cc (.5 cc less than I had had in the first fill). The plan was to "sneak up" on the optimal fill level, which I do believe was the right thing to do. All seemed good for two weeks, then I got tighter and tighter. I SHOULD have come back immediately and had the fill backed off, but I was busy and thought I would just tough it out until it was more convenient. Well, this was a bad move on my part. It clamped down suddenly and by the time I realized that it wasn't going to abate, I was in bad shape. Even if I had tried to get into a local doctor, they are booked for two weeks and only work when the mood strikes them, so I doubt that trying to deal with the locals would have made much difference. It was really easier (and cheaper--and I was dealing wiht people I trusted) to hop down to TJ, which I had found I could do pretty easily in one day, but I just waited too long. By the time I got to TJ, I was vomiting even water. In retrospect, I should have waited longer to refill, probably started with a smaller amount (even tho the fluro looked good and I didn't feel much restriction right after the fill), and certainly should have returned immediately when I got too tight. I have had difficulties with sensitivities to textures, odors, etc., all of my life (but not many known allergies). I didn't "abuse" the band by stuffing or trying to eat things that would stress it, but my system just reacts differently than most to some things. The bottom line is that it was a combination of my unique physiology and my bad decision to put off dealing with being too tight until I went critical. If I have a take-away message for others, it is to do your part and address issues quickly. From other boards and discussions with people banded in the US, it is the norm to have to wait days and weeks for a response to a concern, so the outcome would have been no different if I had used US doctors. However, this team has an outstanding system that gives us no excuse for not communicating in a timely manner, which I should have used. By the time I made it down to TJ, all the doctors could do is keep a bad situation from getting substantially worse, which they did in the most expedicious and humane way. My recovery was quick and uneventful due to their quick action. As I said in my original post, the unique part is that my emotional response to the band loss could have been entirely different if all they had done was attend to the medical situation and then pack me off as quickly as possible (or try to talk me into a more expensive, more invasive procedure) as they often do in the US. Penny

I got your private message and sent back an answer. In case you didn't get it, my best advice is to get back down to TJ immediately for an unfill. I had the same symptoms but put off doing anything about it until it went critical. Don't mess with the amateurs up north--go to the experts at OCC. I was only at 1.4cc when mine got too tight. Listen to the docs and then go SLOWLY on the refills. Penny

I don't know if this group wants to deal with the topic of band loss, but I am one of the lucky 1-2% who lost mine to a severe slip. So why don't I get my quota of "luck" when I play the lottery instead of investing in a self-improvement procedure???? If I promise not to WHINE, will you keep reading? I got my band 4/5/06. I got one fill, under fluro near my home in Idaho, and seemed to go along okay for about 4 months. Unlike most, however, my band tightened over time until I was having trouble keeping down much of anything. For reasons that are too complicated to go into, I couldn't go back to the fill doctor, so just decided to come back to TJ. At that time, I hadn't slipped, so was completely unfilled to let things settle down. At that point I had lost almost 50# and was anticipating white-knuckle time for the month I had to wait for a refill. To my complete amazement, I could once again eat foods that were just a memory (salad, steak), but nowhere near what I had pre-surgery. In that month I didn't gain any more weight and even lost a few more pounds. I considered putting off refilling, but then decided to do so on schedule. I returned to OCC in November and got a smaller fill, and all seemed to go well for a couple of weeks. Then, the band started getting tighter. I MEANT to get back down to TJ, but other obligations kept me from doing so. Then, within a day or two, my band closed up. By Sunday, I couldn't keep liquids down. The docs in this area don't work on weekends, and I didn't want to just land in an ER and have to educate someone on this gismo. I called OCC, left a message and hoped that I would get a call back from SOMEONE sometime the next day. Within 15 minutes, DR. MARTINEZ called me back. We talked and he told me that if I could get down to San Diego that afternoon or evening they would see me as soon as I got in. I flew in, got whisked to the clinic, and Dr. Martinez was there. I was immediately unfilled and felt better, and it looked like maybe that would be enough to let the band settle back in place, so I was taken to the Lucerna for the night. At first things looked promising, but by the next morning it was clear that another surgery was needed. I was pre-opped and taken to the ER before any of the other patients. Unfortunately, the slip was bad enough that my band had to be removed. The REAL story starts now. From the moment I awoke, one by one all of doctors came in to see me and sat down to patiently answer my questions, offer encouragement and reassurance and talk about follow-up. I was in the clinic for three days, where I was checked and rechecked by the nurses and Dr. Martinez several times a day (no pain, got lots of sleep and read a couple of good books). Dr. Miranda came in and spent time talking to me about what food management things I had done while my band was working correctly (as well as what I did when it got cranky) and gave me lots of good info. In addition, Mrs. Ortiz stopped into my room several times a day, chatting and asking if there was anything she could get me, etc. Though I was trying to stay positive, I have to admit that I was really bummed out that I had come this far and feared that I would regain the weight now that the band is gone. Without being in any way intrusive, she gave me multiple opportunities to express those concerns and deal with my new "reality". In discussing the situation, all of the doctors and Mrs. Ortiz reinforced the idea that many factors contribute to weight loss, but in the end it is the commitment to change that makes for substantial success. The band journey forced me to become aware of my old habits, learn positive ones and make different choices than I had in the past. Because the band limited the amount I could eat, I realized that I had to use my capacity for "good" stuff or my overall health would deteriorate (at 59 I didn't need any MORE deterioration). In the six months I had the band, I had learned what a "real" portion was, pretty much eliminated carbs, took my vitamin and stuck with the bandster rules (most of the time). Each of the staff, in their own way, told me that my weight loss was because of those lifestyle changes--we all know that it is altogether too possible to "eat around" the band if we don't make good choices. Mrs. Ortiz went on to tell me that the key to maintaining the 70+lb loss that I had achieved at that time was to continue to "...pretend you are a bandster...". I appreciated her encouragement, but am thinking "yeah, right...". When my band was removed in early December, I was within about 12 lbs of my goal weight. I decided at that time that I was grateful to be at that point--something I had given up hope of ever doing again. I came home determined to NOT regain the weight and vowing to return at the first opportunity to reband if I couldn't do that. I have followed Mrs. Ortiz's advice and continue to "pretend" I am a bandster for the most part. Interestingly, while I can now eat more than when the band was tight, I still can't eat anywhere near what I did pre-surgery. I don't know if this is actually physical or psychosomatic, but I am just going to ride that horse. I do eat more variety--lots of salad, watermelon, etc, but still do very little carbs. For some reason, I still can't look at a soda and after looking at some of the new research coming out am wondering what role my multiple Dr Peppers (diet, of course) played in my appetite pre-surgery. I have not suffered or obsessed about food, but I manage it rather than letting it manage me. Most of all, I realize that band or no band I am NOT on a "diet", but rather committed to an entirely different way of dealing with food than before. I am now 3 lbs. BELOW goal weight (107# on my 5' body). I cannot say enough about the doctors and other support staff at OCC. I have absolutely never had better care and have yet to see or hear of anything comparable in the US. Can you imagine talking to your doctor within 15 minutes of a call on a Sunday anywhere in the US???? The time that each and every one spent with me after the band removal turned a frightening, discouraging situation into a positive experience that left me hopeful and determined. If Mrs. Ortiz didn't sincerely care how I was doing--emotionally as well as physically--then she deserves an Academy Award for faking it...LOL I believe that this team is the best and recommended them to others at every opportunity. In summary, getting the band was the best thing I ever did and helped me change my life dramatically. At my age the issue is quality, not quantity, of life and losing the weight has given me years of GOOD time that I had almost lost hope of ever having. Ironically, losing the band may prove to also be a blessing in that I realize that I am truely in control of my destiny. I would strongly recommend that bandsters read "YOU, ON A DIET". It goes into detail about the chemical/hormonal aspects of weight management and explains--sometimes in eye-crossing detail--why so many of the bandster "rules" work. The book has some good support strategies and is not WLS-bashing like so many are. Good luck to all on this journey. Penny Steward Idaho

HI, I just dashed down to TJ last Monday for a fill. When I got to the airport, I found that the bus ("Airporter") picks up right outside the baggage claim area of the main terminal. I took that bus to the AMERICAN PLAZA trolley station, and then caught the BLUE LINE trolley to the end of the line at San Yasidro. There, I walked across the border and got a cab to the office. I popped in for my fill, and the office called a cab for me when I was finished. The driver dropped me off about a block from the border (I had to go past the shops--oh, darn...). On a weekday there was virtually no line at the crossing, and I got the trolley for the return trip. Since I was early getting back, I got back to American Plaza, got off and walked a few blocks down to the harbor area. There, I went to a nice seafood restaurant, got a bowl of clam chowder and sat out on the deck overlooking the bay. I walked back up to AP, caught the bus and got to the airport (the commuter terminal for the return trip to LA). The bus/trolley was about $6 for the day and the taxi rides to and from the border to the clinic were $5 each. Lunch overlooking the bay on an 80 degree day: priceless...LOL The transit system in San Diego is outstanding, and really easy to figure out, even for this small-town person. I live in a rural area where our idea of mass transit is a pickup truck with 3 cowboys and 4 Australian Shepards in it! If I can do it, anyone can. Rene had emailed me directions from the border to the office, written in English AND Spanish. I had been told to get this in case I got a driver who wasn't billingual, but the one who took me to the clinic spoke better English than I do... Once again, I had a quick but outstanding trip to the clinic. Penny, Idaho here's a link to the great post by Marys about bus/trolley rides Bus/Trolley Info. Don't forget if you can coordinate with other patients to arrive at the airport at the same time, you can share the cost of our fill transport. Its $130 and can carry up to 6 passengers. Just get yourselves coordinated and schedule with Rene at the clinic.[/color]