Anxiety Attack--stretched pouch or leak???!!!

[reebs26]

Hi all,

This is the first time I've posted on this board. I had surgery in April 2006 and have dropped from 292 pounds to my goal of 145. I need to have plastic surgery, but that'll happen soon enough.

I'm having a heart attack b/c I feel I can eat ANYTHING at ANY TIME. For the duration of my band, I've kept it quite tight. I've been extremely, extremly restricted in the morning and afternoon, and I haven't been able to eat "real food" until dinner time. I've maintained good nutrition from steady protein shakes, fresh fruit, nuts, avocado, yogurt, etc. This system has worked great for me for the past 2.5 years.

I got a fill 2 months ago—right when I was hitting my goal weight--and my pouch showed a slight stretch at the top. I got overfilled and vomited really badly. Then I got unfilled a bit, but felt no restriction. I've gone back twice and gotten re-filled. I am telling you, I have NO RESTRICTION. I can breakfast, pizza, rice, shrimp--you name it, it goes down just like pre-surgery.

I'm terrified that I have a terrible stretch or a leak. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow, but I'm scared. I've worked so hard to get where I am, and I just do not want to go back to the person I was. I never felt bad about myself ever, but I also didn't realize how people perceived me. Now I am aware how differently people can perceive someone who is thinner, and I don't want to be fat again.

I've said for the past 2.5 years, that the lap-band has made eating healthly a daily discipline, not a daily struggle. Now, with no restrictions, it is certainly a daily struggle. If I could moderate my eating without the band, I would've done it in the first place! I'm just frustrated and scared that I've stretched my pouch (how do they fix that?) or that I have a leak (as a self-pay person, would insurance ever cover that??)

Thanks for listening.

Martha

[Kittycat]

Martha, good luck at the doctors, I hope everything works out for you!

I thought that when you reached your goal, you get a little unfill, so that you don't lose anymore weight and just maintain? Would this not take the feeling of restriction away?

[reebs26]

I'm not sure what the standard protocol is, but they didn't remove any from my band (until I had the overfill). Then they just removed .5 cc. I've been filled 2 or 3 times since then, but now I don't have any feeling of restriction. If I don't have some sense of restriction, then I eat more than I should. I really haven't quite figured out how to function otherwise. I mean, I can control my eating 90 percent of the time, but it's the 10% that adds on the extra weight. Know what I mean?

M

Martha, good luck at the doctors, I hope everything works out for you!

I thought that when you reached your goal, you get a little unfill, so that you don't lose anymore weight and just maintain? Would this not take the feeling of restriction away?

[feefee]

I feel the same way as you ever since I had an unfill. It has been going on like that since July. I have had a fill every 2 weeks and still have no restriction. I can also eat anything I want and it is so hard. I have between 6-7cc in my band (it holds 14cc) and still nothing.