It has been 2 1/2 years since I was banded. I got down to size 10 and my lowest weight was 155 lbs. My husband and I were traveling in March to May this year. I got sick with a kidney infection on our drive to Florida. My stomach got upset with my IBS and I was nauseated. My band got really tight in the middle of all that and the end result was MILKSHAKES!

My stomach was so upset and my band so tight that I was living on very little food but could drink milk and milkshakes felt very comforting. They settled my stomach and filled me up. I got antibiotics when I got to Orlando but they made my stomach more upset. I was throwing up a lot and had terrible heartburn, throwing up if I laid down. I spent most nights sleeping sitting up.

I was in misery. It was not caused by my band but my band got into the middle of everything. I needed a defill but was out of my country. I tried everything - bland foods, eating mushy or liquids, using antacids constantly. Nothing helped.

We got home from our trip to Florida and I got more antibiotics because I felt like the infection was still there. I also got a small defill. We were leaving again only 10 days later for Hawaii for our 40th anniversary.

When we got to Honolulu for the first week, I got really sick again. I was very nauseated and throwing up. My band felt very constricted again and I stopped taking my antibiotics. My stomach settled down but the band stayed very tight.

When we got home from Hawaii the first week of May, I was sick again for about 4 days, vomiting and nausea. My band seemed even tighter and I could hardly eat anything. It was hard to even drink tea. My band seemed to have tightened on it's own again.

Then I started having choking episodes and I felt like my stomach/pouch was up in my throat. I had a few episodes where I couldn't breathe and had to concentrate to relax my throat and let the food or drink go down so I could get my breath.

I was terrified. I could not understand what was happening. It seemed like the band had slipped.

I phoned and talked to my clinic and they advised me over the next few days to get a big defill. I did that and my stomach and band settled down.

I had severe gas pains for about three days following the defill that doubled me over and I was in agony, pacing the floor and crying with the pain. Bandster hell. Finally that stopped.

I then felt no restriction and was eating too much and too much junk. I started gaining weight and felt so upset with myself. I tried to stop overeating and watch what I was consuming but continued. I needed my band refilled.

A month after my defill of 2 cc, I went back for a fill of 1 cc. that gave me back some restriction but I was still gaining weight.

We had our 40th Anniversary party on Aug 7 and I felt self conscious and fat. I changed dresses to cover up my 14 lb weight gain. Other people didn't notice but I could feel the extra weight around my middle especially. I missed feeling svelte and beautiful and in control.

I have had a lot of company and been too busy to spend any time on my Curves program or eating patterns.

I am feeling more restriction now but have had another setback.After all the problems with my stomach, my doctor sent me for tests. One test I had on Monday this week was a barium swallow. The radiologist asked me questions before the test about what had been going on. He was not knowledgeable about lapbands but could see it in the xray. He told me that it was sitting on top of my stomach not like the picture on my lapband card I showed him.

I guess my band has slipped and I am anxious to get it back to normal again before I gain too much weight. I wish I could control my eating and lose some weight through just diet.

I really love my band and how wonderful it made me feel to lose all that weight in the first place.

Wish me luck!

:wink2::glare: