dietingqueen

Hi everyone, may have finally figured out what the burning is...i'm now seeing an actupunturist and he said basically i am acidic - did ph urine strips and i was bright yellow off the charts acidic. Been on special ph balanced water (kangenwaterusa.com) and doing actupunture 3x a week and finally have a few hours of relief every day (and it corresponds to when my ph is closer to normal). I still have a little throat clearing even switching with decaf but it seems to be only in the morning. will give it one month to clear up completely or back to occ for possible band removal. i also want to wait until my burning in mouth is gone so that I 'm healthier in case i need surgery.

Hey Hey Hey- I am so glad to hear from you! How are you and your sister doing? I hope OK - was hoping I would run into you at the Lucerna but we left pretty early. Yup that was me. Not sure about the scars but I had the surgery in 2005 and I think they just faded. Even my local docs say that - I didn't do anything to them in particular - just didn't mess with them with any special creams, etc. Did you post somewhere else of your experiences? Hope the surgery wasn't too bad. Going to some more docs this week - took a break - had a few days without the burning but now back so going to Ear Nose and Throat doc today - it's getting on my nerves now! I was getting a B-12 shot every week for 4 weeks than stopped when the band problems (which I guess weren't band problems) started but have been taking a multi, a b complex and calcium supplement since back). Maybe a sinus or throat infection? Hopefully will check that out this week. Good luck on your lapband journey... take care. mary

Dr. Martinez used to do the fills (may still do them) but the last few times I had Dr. Romero and/or Dr. Acosta. Dr. Acosta did my last unfill in February and left a little in (unfill due to refulx and being too tight) - I still had a little throat clearing the night after the unfill so to be safe I went back ON SUNDAY MORNING AT 9;00am and Dr. Acosta met me at the office. Then he dropped me off at the border! Again, very impressed with that type of patient service. The office is closed on Sundays but I spoke to both Dr. Martinez (late Sat. night) and then met Dr.Acosta early Sunday morning so I could fly home later Sunday... I had surgery in Nov 2005! They are always going to be there for patients. You will feel very safe and be in good hands for your fills. My only advice is trust them on the amount - don't try to be too tight so 'the band does the work' - as this will backfire. Better to be loose with a teeny restriction to remind you to stop or to help you eat less. A too tight band will only cause problem.s Also, don't rush coming home too much to see how you react to the fill. My last fill was in July (in Utah) and it was fine until around December and it just tightened up (I think for a lot of reasons but mainly work stress.....?) and I waited too long to get the unfill (trying to find a local doc). Good luck with your fill - you are in good hands. mary

The current cost for band removal is 3500 - which is only hospital costs - they don't charge surgeon fees. Since I didnn't have surgery they will charge me for the transportation back and forth for me and my husband (it would have been included for me and for both of us if we had been traveling together) and they might charge me for their services - I haven't settled the bill so to speak with Rene but he said they would most likely be mailing me a check (or wire, whatever). I have no concerns at all re: getting my money back - they are very ethical and I am happy to pay for whatever fees they charge for the surgery prep, exam, etc. I don't think I will 'owe' anymore than 500-600 at the most. mary

I just returned from OCC due to what I thought was reflux/problems and most likely a band slip. Unfilled Feb. 18 totally but still experiencing this burning in throat and mouth (tongue, sometimes lips)..that I THOUGHT WAS HEARTBURN. local lapband quack gave me nexium and never called me back when I was in distress. Dr. Martinez (saint), Dr. Romero (saint), called me back quickly several times to try to help me. We all pretty much were sure slippage so I came down last Friday. Prepped for surgery in case then sent for endoscope and comprehensive barium swallows to find out MY BAND IS FINE! Had another gawd awful test where they stick a tube thru your nose down to jesus' (so to speak) and YOU ARE AWAKE AND NOT PLESANT. THEY SEnd you another doc for the endo and this test - the second test was my choice to check esophogus and he is sweet as pie but I love it when I ask him - If we need to stop can we" and he says "No,we don't stop, just remain calm' LOL My undying respect and love for Mrs. Ortiz - an absolute angel who carted me around all day to the doctors - so kind and nice to me - like my mother - even took me to the bank! Rene in the office who could not have been nicer to me too and so on top of all my last minute arrangements and helping my husband make it to the Lucerna to be with me. The drivers - the office staff - and all the doctors - as I sat there boo hooing like a baby - holding my hand - comforting me like you can not believe. The nurses are also angels - so gentle - loving - caring. If ANYONE HAS DOUBTS ABOUT GOING TO THE OCC - GET OVER THEM QUICKLY. You are in better care than I think you can ever receive in the states. And, even if you have good after care in the states - whenever you need Occ THEY are there for you. 24 hours a day/7 days a week. Anyone can email me privately but know this - OCC is beyond number one in my book. The patient is everything to them - you are number 1 in their eyes and you feel it. I still don't know what is wrong with me but Dr. Martinez suggested some additional tests to have done in the states and i can eat solids again, etc. I did not see Dr. Ortiz on this trip but he also called me during my earlier distress and he is also a saint in my book. Honestly these docs and nurses are sooo competent and caring. The competency is critical but the caring is hard to come by (in the states IMO). Just wanted everyone to know. mary

I had HORRIBLE EXPERIENCES WITH THOSE LOAN COMPANIES - DO NOT USE THEM UNLESS DESPERATE AS HELL. Try for home equity (best) if you can /own a home - then i would go for credit cards - use 2-4 if you have too - just try for the lowest interest rates. try your bank - even if not home equity - better service and rates. so sorry - i know it is hell. good luck.

I suggest you call OCC and speak to one of the doctors - I don't think what you are describing sounds good - maybe you have something stuck in your pouch that hasn't gone through...why not call - they always respond almost immediately. I had the worst pb experience with apples =- i learned later to cut the skin off but almost died from that pain. I know it's bad. hang in there - it's all a huge learing experience that never ends. good luck

Hello, Been banded three years and have lost about 25lbs - so you have 'beaten' me there. Been there and gone/still going though a bit of what you are going through. Sometimes you have to stop looking for 'restriction' and that sweet spot that others refer to. I've never really had it - only felt that full feeling two times when I needed an emergency unfill so for some of us - it may not really exist. You are successful - you've lost a LOT of weight and you've kept it off. I've changed my definition of band success - sure I want to lose more weight and now I am working with a local bariatric doctor - (who has a lot of band patients and understands obesity is a 'complex' problem - more of a problem for some of us!) I'm unfilled due to reflux and even now i am struggling and i mean struggling to not eat. Has the band kept you for yo yoing and gaining weight? Has the band kept you for pigging out and binging? I for one have to also deal with hunger although I know now being unfilled that hunger is a lot less when filled. This is a lifelong journey with ups and downs. If you eat a tv dinner - and are still hungry - try drinking BEFORE the meal - add in a salad or other veges - or more protein and try to ride it out. being a little hungry isn't horrible - sometimes if you focus elsewhere that will help. Do you really have no restriction - if no restriction you could probably eat eggs.... not saying this to be bitchy sounding but believe me you would feel a difference with no fluid in you - If possible - get a fill, wait a day, and if not enough - go get some more in - right away - just be careful as a little goes a long way. Also, try to relax - up your exercise - make good food choices - make sure you are eating solid protein first - etc etc. good luck.

Hi Everyone - I never had heartburn in my life and always heard/thought it was burning in your chest/throat, etc. Well about 3 months ago - I started with this drainage and throat clearing that just kept getting worse. First with food then with liquids. Went to an allergist cuz i thought it was food allergies. The doctor listened and immediately said that isn't food allergies - that is reflux! Since it originally started after eating out - I admitted I was probably over eating which I tend to do when eating out. I also know overeating can cause me to experience drainage -the sniffles. I vowed to watch it - etc. etc. To make a long story short - I ended up at my surgeons and have a complete unfill - not only was my situation very serious - any type of reflux is very serious and should be taken as such - please don't wait if you are experiencing these symptoms - My fill was fine and tightened up for no particular reason - I had gone almost 6 months with this fill before this started happening. I am so thankful my band hasn't slipped and I have a chance to fix this problem. I've been banded almost 3 years and am still learning =hope this help someone else. If you are experiencing this problem - please see your doctor immediately. Mary

if interested, email me at thefacilitator@hotmail.com I am staying at a cheap (relatively) hotel overnight and leaving sunday morning at 6:00AM - SHOuld be a brutal trip. You are welcome to share my hotel room if needed too,.

Anyone going for a fill on the 16th - i'm arriving at the airport at 10:40 and would share a ride - otherwise will do my usual - bus and trolley run! let me know. mary

I admit I don't have time now to read every post BUT No worry Have you lost 96lbs in 3-4 months If so, I'm seriously missing something. The average loss is 1-2 lbs per week with hard work - anything extra is extraordinary. I think your fills are working. I've had over 10 fills/2 unfills since Jan 06 (surgery Nov 05) and lost 10lbs. I would be thanking everyone and everything if I had your weight loss. The band has kept my weight stable which never happened without it. Yes, I still want to lose weight but I don't obsess about it too much anymore. You will have this band for life hopefully and it's a journey with many ups and downs. goodluck

Hey Chelley - my soul sister! You and I have communicated and we are in the same boat. I had surgery nov 05 and lost 16lbs. On June 6th I went back to Mexico for a slight unfill. Doc Romero was out and the new doc didn't seem as experienced. He talked me into going to 1.9 (I was at 2.3) and I immediately could eat everything and everything and did. Certainly not his fault but I should have only gone to 2.2. ANYWAY as of today I gained 6 lbs (felt like 20) and had a local fill thru fill centers with a Dr. Muse in Utah. He said I had .02 practically empty and I'm now supposed to be back at 1.7 which is probably still no restriction for me but he couldn't go any higher based on fill center rules and caution since I'll be traveling and have access to no body! Now I MAY have a leak but I hope and pray I don't but I don't know what happened at my last unfill in Mexico - I knew when I ate a subway sub the next day I had no restriction. How could he think I was at 1.9 and I was at .02?? And yeah I know that's not 'good bandster food" but I felt I had been on a starvation diet for two years and kinda exploded into food. And I haven't had a yogurt or soup for the last month and loved it. I ate breakfast every day, lunch and dinner too -we went to restaurants and i didn't pb once. Sure hated getting fat but certainly enjoyed feeling like a normal person. Restriction has NEVER made me 'feel stuffed' with 1/2 cup of food - even restricted (chewing well and eating next to nothing) I would still pb - I sure wish I knew what everyone else seems to know. I ate the same things my band sister did for a month and I had no change - she lost tons. I could go on and on and I'm sure you can. It is frustrating as hell. This was my 10th FILL (includes two unfills) all but this one and one other one done in Mexico. I too have spent actually almost 20,000 with the surgery and all my fills and at my best - was only down 16lbs! Now after the last unfill and seeing how I continue to eat, I am not sorry I got the band - I'm sure I would weigh 300lbs by now without it and up to the unfill my weight was pretty stable BUT I share your extreme disapointment and pain. We should be toothpicks dammit and I too no longer go to any of the boards because there is absolutely no place for us failures. However, even though I said failure - I hope we both find some peace with this - we didn't fail - we just don't have a support system to help us succeed. This Utah doc is a bariatric surgeon and has struggled with weight his whole life - If I wasn't moving out of state tomorrow I would have welcomed working with him and he may have helped. He would have prescribed phentermine or other drugs (yeah i know what some people think of that) but he said weight loss is tough problem and sometimes needs many modalities to treat. I have eaten under 1000 calories and day and he swears it just isn't possible to not lose weight like that but you have to keep it up for a long time and most can't do it. I will keep you in my thoughts and hope that you too at least won't gain weight. If anyone ever helps me I will pass it along to you and I pray that both of us will one day have what most others get from the lapband. Good luck to you and peace, mary

hey deb, i am with you but the yo yo comment is the most important. I've been banded for over 2 years and complained bitterly about my 16pound weight loss - no matter what i did/do it wouldn't change (and I don't want to go into it all again) but I have food diairies, I exercise, i ate between 600-1500 calories blah blah blah. Well, I went to Tijuana for a slight unfill and let the doc talk me into a major unfill and have no restriction at all - every bad habit came back immediately and i've gained all 16lbs back. I am a head case, food addict, you name it and if i ever get a fill again i won't complain about not losing weight - i am happy to maintain even a minimal loss. At least if i do everything right i won't weight 250lbs again. I did complain the almost 20k it's cost me with the surgery and fills wasn't worth it but now being as fat as i was at surgery and knowing i will only be fatter over time, it was worth it. so yeah, if you never lose another pound but don't gain another that's pretty good in my book. and if you are eating right and exercising you are still healthier than if you are not. I don't agree you should make yourself tighter if you already feel good restriction - that just leads to trouble. the people that look to restriction so they don't eat will end up with problems. its better you just stay the course and be honest with yourself about what you are eating. it is very easy to trick ourselves so keep an accurate food diary - also, most of us need to exercise a lot more then we think we do to lose weight - at least 1 hour of cardio 7 days a week won't kill you -