Re: Stuggling with pain, suggestions?

August 4, 2006

Friday, August 4, 2006, 9:24:29 PM, you wrote:

> I've met with the program

> nutritionist at the hospital and she thinks that the band is tightened

> just fine because I can drink liquids and it " should hurt " . I

> literally ate healthier when I was on Weight Watchers! I can't eat

> fruit or many vegetables (which I love both). How do people really

> know if it is too tight? Is it only when liquids won't go down?

She's an idiot. You can quote me. It shouldn't hurt to eat like a

bandster...meaning small bites and chewing very carefully and fully

and stopping when you've only eaten a little. I've had it hurt when I

got something stuck (like meat gristle that I shouldn't have

swallowed) or when I've eaten too much. But eating correctly should

never hurt. If you can only take in liquids you ARE too tight, and

your doctor should know that. Why did you get a fill? Didn't you

have any restriction? Some of us don't need fills for many months,

all depending on the band and on our stomachs.

dan

--

Dan Lester, Boise, ID honu@... www.mylapband.tk

Dr. Ortiz, Tijuana, 4/28/03

323/209/199 Age 63 The road goes on forever.....

August 5, 2006

I wish you had written before! Your band is clearly too tight, and

this can cause serious problems and damage if not unfilled.

Banding should NEVER NEVER be painful.(except maybe briefly when we

made a big goof) This is not an illness or disease!!--We're not

being punished with pain for having become obese!!

this nutritionist should be FIRED!!!! She doesn't know sh**. (Sorry,

I;m tired too ! :-)

With a good fill, we should be able to eat decent small meals of

maybe 2-3 oz of chicken and 1/2 cup steamed veggies - about cup's

total. With no pan!! I'm sure you come nowhere close to this. you're

probably existing on fluids and not even losing.

If you cannot eat meals like this, you are too tight, and cannot get

in the minimum nutrients to lose well and keep it off. You can't

possibly be getting in the solid preotin you need, and this is

causing muscle loss, not fat loss.

PLEASE make an appt with your sugeon on MONDAY and get in for a

fluoro to be sure the band is still ok, and then an unfill so you can

rest and heal. you'll probably need it all out by now, and please

don't refuse this. You MUST heal and re4cover from all this traum,

before you start again slowly later. the stomach is very sensitvei

and easily damaged. Yuo'll probaby need an RX medication to help heal

the damage too. (But you will heal in a minth or so, so don't worry)

Please be **certain** your doc knows how much trouble and pain you

have been in, and that the nutritionist said this was " normal. "

He should be talking to this nurtitionist before she harms someone

else. If he does NOT agree that what she is telling people is both

dangerous and wrong, you really need a whole new group of people

helping you - meaning a new surgeon too,

This makes me VERY angry that you have been out thru this.

SAndy R

at goal-

In , " Sharon " <tomnshar@...> wrote:

>

> I have to preface this by saying that I am writing it while in pain

and

> am frustrated. So any suggestions would be really appreciated even

if

> I sound so negative. Thanks. I had my band placed on April 5th

and my

> first fill on May 12th. Since then I have had numerous occasions

of

> PB'ing, and severe pain. Recently the food seems to go down but

then it

> feels like it gets " stuck " much lower, and it sits in the stomach

just

> gurgling and causing pain. It feels like very bad cramps and my

back

> hurts at the same time. It is the weirdest thing. I follow the

rules,

> eat slowly, very small bites, and chew, chew, chew! It really is

> affecting my quality of life, depresses me and makes me wish at

times

> that I had never had this band placed. I've met with the program

> nutritionist at the hospital and she thinks that the band is

tightened

> just fine because I can drink liquids and it " should hurt " . I

> literally ate healthier when I was on Weight Watchers! I can't eat

> fruit or many vegetables (which I love both). How do people really

> know if it is too tight? Is it only when liquids won't go down?

What

> is the deal with soft sides vs. hard sides? There is so much I

don't

> know! Help please!

>

> Sharon

>

August 5, 2006

>

> I wish you had written before! Your band is clearly too tight, and

> this can cause serious problems and damage if not unfilled.

> Banding should NEVER NEVER be painful.(except maybe briefly when we

> made a big goof) This is not an illness or disease!!--We're not

> being punished with pain for having become obese!!

> With a good fill, we should be able to eat decent small meals of

> maybe 2-3 oz of chicken and 1/2 cup steamed veggies - about cup's

> total. With no pan!! I'm sure you come nowhere close to this.

you're

> probably existing on fluids and not even losing.

>

> If you cannot eat meals like this, you are too tight, and cannot

get

> in the minimum nutrients to lose well and keep it off. You can't

> possibly be getting in the solid preotin you need, and this is

> causing muscle loss, not fat loss.

>

I will be calling my surgeon on Monday. I have not been able to eat

what you have described as a regular meal and you are right, I

haven't been losing. I mean, I'm down from where I started at but I

haven't been getting solid protein in at all and I literally exist on

liquid calories and if I'm desperate, the wrong liquid calories and

anything soft that will work. I keep trying though. When I went to

the nutritionist I was actually crying in the office because I was so

stressed and upset by this. Maybe I got this whole band thing

confused though. It could be me. What I wanted was a tool that

could help me and give me a better clue as to when I was full. That

meant, I thought I would eat a few ounces of chicken and that would

be good, I would feel satisfied. Now, I literally ate two bites of a

skinless, boneless breast,(simmered in a red sauce so it was soft),

and I literally wish I could throw it up. The nutritionist said

that's what happens when you eat too much. That's the sign, " you

were looking for a sign and a tool, that is it " . That's what she

said. I wanted to feel full, not in pain. Anyway, thanks for the

support and I will let you know what I find out!

Sharon

August 5, 2006

Why did you get a fill? Didn't you

> have any restriction? Some of us don't need fills for many months,

> all depending on the band and on our stomachs.

>

> dan

>

I had absolutely no restriction after my surgery. I could eat anything

and that was getting discouraging too. I had my fill under flouro(?)

and it was 3.5cc. I have no idea what band size I have and my doctor's

office couldn't tell me when I called them. I was 230 prior to surgery

so I don't know what size band they use or if it matters. Now that I

know that it shouldn't hurt to eat I am calling my doctor on Monday. I

may also research other doctors in the area. Thank you so much!

Sharon

August 5, 2006

I really feel for you! every word out of that nutritionist's mouth makes me

want to kill her. Ihope you never speak to her again except to tell

him/her they are an idiot and should be fired. I would tell every patient

you know of your experiences starting with the doctor. She has personally

caused you further harm endangering your health and band and obviously does

not know what she is talking about. I agree with others if your doc does

not support you 100% I would quickly find another - if needed, let us know

where you live, etc and all will help you find someone else that is

knowledgable, caring, etc.

you will feel better almost immediately with an unfill but will probably

need to be on liquids for up to 72 hours to further heal the trauma of the

unfill. After that, eating the way you described will be heaven and you

will know what it is like to utilize this 'tool'. Unlike your nutritionist

who seems to think it is a torture device.

oh i am fuming for you and soooo sorry you had to go through this - you

have support here and you will be better soon with that unfill. Stay away

from that nutritionist and print out all these emails and put them on her

chair if that makes you feel better (AND give them to the doctor) She is

probably way to aragant (sp?) to admit she is clueless but we can only pray

the doc gets rid of her quicker then i can hit the send button. good luck,