***I've been hearing some disturbing things***

Those people really have serious problems.  I have only PB'd 2 times in over a year. Both times were from something I ate that was too dry and it was my own fault. I have changed my behavior. There is no other way to make this work!

It's a byproduct of folks who don't do basic research, or *****fuse to address their psychological issues. And I bet they don't talk to their surgeons about these issues either. There's something sick about someone who thinks weight loss is worth any misery in day-to-day living. Common sense SHOULD tell someone that vomiting every day means something is not right. But we all know how rare common sense actually seems to be. But some folks would rather puke all the time than be at risk for gaining a pound. There's something inherently wrong with that mentality. I've seen the same types with every type of WLS...it's not exclusive to bandsters at all... It's why I didn't stick around that board for long after most of Spotlighthealth.com migrated there...there was no helping those types and it was too frustrating to keep trying. They don't want to hear it. Nancy

Just mentioning that when the esophagus goes south--in my case because it just didn't like the band and reacted accordingly--food does not go directly down the esophagus towards the stomach, but rather bounces around like a vertical tennis game until it either comes back up (sometimes with help because you can't stand it any more) or, if you wait long enough, or finally makes its way to the stomach.  (Sometimes, a little water can take 15-20 minutes bouncing around and "threatening" to come back up at any minute.  How you deal with it depends on what you had been planning to do right before that happened.) I never used the term "PB" because it didn't strike me as a reasonable term...but what I'm describing MIGHT be described by others as that. (I revised from band to DS and have friends who are RnY patients.  I've seen post-op bulemic tendencies from people with all three surgeries.   Having food-related issues can happen to anyone and the surgeries can make those issues more obvious!  I have RnY friends who "plan" their dumping and  I have had bariatric surgeons tell me of one or two bariatric surgeons who take the saline out of their own bands and pig out at bariatric surgeon conferences.  Go figure.) Sue

Oh yeah, I can understand an occasional slip up, forgot to chew well enough for example... but when someone does it repatedly (without a complication like you had), that is setting them up for a complication.  At least the band surgeons emptying their band for a day aren't hurting their band.  It would be worse to go to those conventions and pig out to the point of pain or vomitting.  It's not something I'd do, but at least they arent' hurting themselves band-wise in the process.  It does amaze me to hear about RNY'ers and DS patients planning to dump, so they can have their treats... the ones they hoped dumping would stop them from having post-op. I just wish that the bandsters would get a slight unfill or something.  I assume they've been to their doctors, which could be wrong on my part, but why haven't they if they didn't.  They could have an esophagus problem or maybe an overfill.  Maybe a slip... Maybe it is 100% behavioral, but they gripe about the band and don't try to change.  Now, this is about the ones years out (newbies, not you!  Just don't let it become you!... and yes, we all have moments... hormones, stress, tiredness, etc all mess with your band.  If you slime or bring up food here and there just pay attention to why...) Anyways, this was not to make anyone feel bad, I just wanted to point out a dangerous behavior and see if people here do have that daily problem (or more like that problem with every meal).

Just for the record, there is no dumping related to the DS...it's an RnY thing.  (Although ANYONE can have dumping syndrome, with or without wls...and some people who have had DS say they have dumping syndrome, but IF it is related to DS ist very rare because the DS doesn't do anything to the parts that CAUSE dumping.)  Each surgery seems to have its own less-than-charming side effect, though!  Dumping, barfing, stinky poop...and each one SEEMS to be related to less-than-ideal behavior on the part of the patient.  If we could all just be perfect patients...

Perfect patients... every doctor's dream!  LOL!

I am almost 8 months out and never have vomited or slimmed, I follow the bandsters rules and I eat 4 times a day, get my vitamin in, I am trying to get all my water in, and so far Ive lost 110 pounds (in 10 months total, because I started my pre op diet 8 weeks before surgery). I try my best to go to the gym and get my exercise done but not always I am so strict with it, and thats one thing I want to do better.  I HATE vomiting, all my life I have been like that, so I  try my best to chew very well my food. And by the way... there is not even one food that I can say it bothers me.. I can eat EVERYTHING, but of course, in moderation.  

This thread reminds me of a comment made by Nancy or Sandy (forgive me, I can't remember who):  "I can often tell who's going to have complications on down the road..."  They are the ones who complain about not losing weight fast enough, and say they're "eating less", but don't weigh or measure their food or keep a food and activity journal.  They don't really want to hear how to make the band work, but just want others to commiserate with their misery, and tell them to "get a fill".  They keep getting fills, hoping the band will stop their bad behaviors, until they're to the point of being over-filled and throwing up regularly.  That's a perfect set-up for a band slip. Tami

I don't think that the majority of people who complain or want to comisserate are going to have problems down the road.  Some people take a longer time to start cooperating with their band.  Eveverybody is differenent on how they will react to being banded.  Especially in the pb department.  I pb from time to time.  Mostly it is because I forget the rules.  I have gotten better about it and I pb a lot less.  I don't intentionally overeat and then plan on puking it up.  I usually pb on the first few bites,   There is usually no discomfort at all.  The only times I have gotten stuck and repeatedly pb'd was on these huge metformin pills that I take.  Even when I cut them in 1/4's they would still get stuck.  I take a long time to get used to a fill because I have a sensitive esophogus as I am sure many people do. There is a difference between the type of behaviour that Alyssa was talking about and someone pb'ing because they still haven't gotten the knack of eating with the band.  I don't think people should be made to feel like they are less than anyone else just because they pb.  As long as they are working to eliminate such instances bravo for them. I never ever was even remotely bulemic, ever.  Pbing is not the same as forcing yourself to vomit.  It is a rejection of food because of the changes that have gone on from being banded.  Some people are lucky, yes lucky that they don't have a problem with it.  Some people are also better at following rules, good for them. So all of this holier than thou talk about never pbing is not helpful.  If it wants to come up it is much better to let it than to try to keep it down.  It isn't a sin or any kind of mark of an inferior bandster.  It is just something that needs to be worked on and improved with time.

Well said and so true.  We are all just human creatures doing the very best we can. Cassandra