Hi there, I was banded Oct 15 2010 and I've lost 44 lbs (100 more to go). Normally as I'm eating a meal I get tightness even with shakes, little bites, 1 minute between intake, etc. It's a good pressure gauge and helps me be vigilant about eating less than a cup of food at dinner. Breakfast and lunch are typically Protein shakes or tuna.
However, while on business travel the team grabbed a burger and I ate the bottom part of the bum. I confess, I was testing the band because I have really missed hamburgers. 1/2 a bun only has 100 calories and being that I'm at about 900 a day I figured I can take a testride.
Well ... I was in awful pain for about an hour, even considered going to the ER, and went to the hotel. I got on the treadmill and walked off the pain. I'm sure it was the bread passing through. Then suddently, the pain was gone. Later that evening and through to today (5 days now) I have a dull and acheing pain in the left side of my abdomen. Mornings are the worst. It's a pain like I've pulled my muscle. Not enough for me to buckle over, but I do notice it. I have no vomitting, and no acid reflux.
Even though the pain is there, I'm most concerned that I no longer have that pressure gauge that I used to have. I've scoured this forum about the band "slipping" and that sounds like it goes downwards causing the stomach to bulge over. But folks describe severe acid reflux. But can the band slip upwards where it's not restricting anything at all???? I'm just curious as to why I have no pressure even in the morning with my egg/whey-protein shake like I used to.
I'm not testing the band ever again and resumed my normal eating patterns. Since I'm not in any awful pain I'm waiting to get an appt with my doctor. But I'm just curious now if other bandsters have experienced this and what their solutions were. I'd feel like a total fool if I broke my band.
