Re: Constant tightening of band

[Guest guest]

Hi all

I've had my band now for about three years and I am glad that I have

it, but it certainly hasn't been an easy ride. I always knew it was

a tool, but god it certainly seems to have a mind of its own and no

two days are the same.

At the moment I am having real problems with my band, I have a mid-

band which was fitted by Dr Frering in France and it was a good

experience. He was very professional and then Sharon put me in touch

with a Doctor in London who has been amazing.

Just wondered if anybody can give me some advice because my band

keeps self -tightening every few weeks. At the beginning of this

year when it tightened, I had an x-ray and they thought my band had

slipped and took all the Iopamiron out of my band. Then they decided

it hadn't slipped and that it was just too tight. So I had a couple

of fills after my band had had a little rest, and I was given two

fills over a course of time. I still had less in than before, but my

band keeps self tightening every four weeks or so. Any suggestions?

Tomorrow I am going for my fourth unfill, I am so uncomfortable,

can't eat, can't drink, bringing up bile and I have a slight burning

in the middle of my chest.I have been awake all night throwing up

bile and felt terrible.

I either seem to be too tight or too loose? And why do I keep self-

filling. My doctors at the hospital think it is because I have had a

lot of stress to deal with (but I think must people these days seem

to live with stress) and say they have never known anyone's band to

be as sensitive as mine. If anybody can give me any advice, I would

be really grateful.

I have lost altogether about five stones (70 1bs) and still would

like to lose another twelve pounds but it is so hard. I do go

running four times a week for about thirty minutes and also do a

little walking.

If anybody could help, I would be most grateful. Thank you

[Guest guest]

Hi, Penny - welcome! I love that we have so many people here from so

many different countries! I hope you'll hear from many of the other

great Brits here.

Your Midband is an excllent band, but a bit different than the US

bands. all bands work about the same, though, and require the same

things.

I'm sorry you're having trouble. but one paragraph you wrote worries

me a lot - this one:

" Tomorrow I am going for my fourth unfill, I am so uncomfortable,

can't eat, can't drink, bringing up bile and I have a slight burning

in the middle of my chest.I have been awake all night throwing up

bile and felt terrible. "

Who are you seeing for fills? It surely cannot be dr Frering, as i

know he would be concerned as well. have you called him to discuss

this? I'd urge you to do this.

NO reflux like this is ever safe, and it cannot be allowed to

continue. It's easy to inhale the caustic stomach acid and get a

terrible aspiration pneumonia - and also suffer stomach damage from

the too-tight fill.

I don't believe bands ever " self-tighten " . There is always a reason!

common ones include:

1. not-so-great food choices - the band only works with good band

foods. If we have liquids and soft foods, these will never be

restricted. if we think they will, and keep going for more fill based

on this (and if docs do not do a good assessment before giving s fill

to find OUT what we are eating) - we easily end up too tight.

2. Dehydration - we need a minimum of 80-100 oz a day of fluids -

3. women's menstrual periods also cause tissue swelling around the

band, nd this makes the fill SEEM tighter. For this reason, never get

a fill during or a few days before a period.

4. stress - stress releases hormones that make the band feel tighter.

There will always be stress in our lives. we annot change that, but

we CAN change the way we choose to respond to it! Learning good

stress-control techniques is very important for bandsters. there ARE

things w can do ! I discuss this and work with this usse in my

Bandster Success Guided Imagery CD's - more info here:

www.BandsterME.com

5. taking meds incorrectly - all meds must be smaller than an

aspirin, cut up if they can be, or liquid. the stoma is about the

size of a baby aspirin and larger meds just do not get thru, and can

sit against he stoma and cause damage and swelling, making us feel

tighter.

6. vomiting, pbing, reflux - all swell the stoma and make the fill

seem tighter. any time we vomit or have trouble, w should go back to

liquis only for a mealor two (more if the episode was very bad)

toallow the stoma to rest andf heal.

7. many docs are way to agressive with fills. As little as 0.1 - 0.2

cc in or out can be the difference between a good fill, or one too

tightor too loose. What amounts are you getting?

When was your last fluoro exam, to assess the band's position, andthe

status of the pouch and esophagus? The band may not have

really " slipped " butyou may have a pouch dilation, an esophagus

dilation, a new hiatal hernia, or other things that would explain the

reflux.

Again, i'd urge you to call Dr Frering to discuss all this. something

is not quite right here.

When you can, please take a look in ther files here to learn more -

- the band Guide - for foo choices, eating techniques, and med safety

issues

- the WATER document about why we need lots of fluids

- the FILL documents (3) about fill needs.

Glad you're with us! please stay in good touch and le us know how

you're doing!

Sandy r, BSN, MN

band educator

at goal 4.8 yrs

"

>

> Hi all

>

> I've had my band now for about three years and I am glad that I have

> it, but it certainly hasn't been an easy ride. I always knew it was

> a tool, but god it certainly seems to have a mind of its own and no

> two days are the same.

>

> At the moment I am having real problems with my band, I have a mid-

> band which was fitted by Dr Frering in France and it was a good

> experience. He was very professional and then Sharon put me in touch

> with a Doctor in London who has been amazing.

>

> Just wondered if anybody can give me some advice because my band

> keeps self -tightening every few weeks. At the beginning of this

> year when it tightened, I had an x-ray and they thought my band had

> slipped and took all the Iopamiron out of my band. Then they decided

> it hadn't slipped and that it was just too tight. So I had a couple

> of fills after my band had had a little rest, and I was given two

> fills over a course of time. I still had less in than before, but

my

> band keeps self tightening every four weeks or so. Any suggestions?

> Tomorrow I am going for my fourth unfill, I am so uncomfortable,

> can't eat, can't drink, bringing up bile and I have a slight

burning

> in the middle of my chest.I have been awake all night throwing up

> bile and felt terrible.

>

> I either seem to be too tight or too loose? And why do I keep self-

> filling. My doctors at the hospital think it is because I have had a

> lot of stress to deal with (but I think must people these days seem

> to live with stress) and say they have never known anyone's band to

> be as sensitive as mine. If anybody can give me any advice, I would

> be really grateful.

>

> I have lost altogether about five stones (70 1bs) and still would

> like to lose another twelve pounds but it is so hard. I do go

> running four times a week for about thirty minutes and also do a

> little walking.

>

> If anybody could help, I would be most grateful. Thank you

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Sandy

Thank you so much for your advice. I had a small unfill - I think .3

and hopefully this will be okay. I will try to take your advice and

make good food choices and try to drink more water. Because my band

had self-tightened so much, it was really hard to make the right

choices, now I am going to really try. I am so frightened about

putting on weight, but hopefully now I will be able to make better food

choices - watch this space!!

Once again thank you for your help - I really appreciate it.

Kind regards

Penny

[Guest guest]

Hi, Penny - we're all here for you!

You've found out something that is hard for many to understand. Some

think that being as tight as they can possibly stand is the way to

go. Then they can barely eat a thing.

But what actually happens is that we choose the only things we can

get down - soft foods and liquid calories. we can always get down ice

cream, pudding, smoothies, juices, protein drinks other high-cal

things - and since thes things just don't keep us satisfied, we eat a

lot more in both volumn and calories. Then we either stall out or

even REgain.

Glad you got that unfill - so now you can erat the good band foods

that will progress your wt loss!

Sandy R

, " pennywatson121 " <Pennywatson@...>

wrote:

>

> Dear Sandy

>

> Thank you so much for your advice. I had a small unfill - I

think .3

> and hopefully this will be okay. I will try to take your advice and

> make good food choices and try to drink more water. Because my

band

> had self-tightened so much, it was really hard to make the right

> choices, now I am going to really try. I am so frightened about

> putting on weight, but hopefully now I will be able to make better

food

> choices - watch this space!!

>

> Once again thank you for your help - I really appreciate it.

>

> Kind regards

>

> Penny

>