Liz Dee

Hi, where to begin?? the band has never worked for me. banded in 2006, the first 6 months I called myself 'lava girl' due to constant painful gnawing heartburn of doom. shortly after this, doctors decided my band was too tight and completely unfilled it for 4 months. any weight I lost, I regained back. it was filled and unfilled, and never hit the sweet spot. either hungry and open or tight, constant heartburn, PB, sliming, vomiting. lose weight, band mysteriously tightens, gain back, lose it all over again and repeat literally ad nauseam. fast forward to this year, February 2013. got my period and the band tightened which it does durin those times. but then kept tightening, then tighter and tighter and just pain, hurt to touch stomach or near port and loud, belching and burping. got to the point could only get down liquids, no food, no medication, not even Jello. Emergency unfill at ER on March 3. after band was unfilled, was able to eat again thankfully, but there is still a feeling of some restriction and pain. the pain has not stopped! a few days here and there it has lessened. but most of the time, my stomach hurts! couple days ago I was in bed all day due to the pain. debating going to the ER but they cannot find anything, test after test!! so far the doctors have tested me for erosion, slippage, uclers, pancreatitis, enlarged spleen, kidney stones. it is NONE of those things!!! (not gallbladder as I had that removed in 2009). was given upper gi, barium swallow with fluroscope, 2 ct scans, xrays, gastric emptying study. again, the tests show there is NOTHING wrong with band, stomach, nearby organs, yet I am in constant pain and agony. band is completely unfilled and tonight I threw up part of my dinner as if I was recently tightened?!! food sometimes hurts when it goes down like I have to force it down. WTF is going on?? anyone have any clue? advice? solution? please, help?! I am getting to the end of my rope, i cannot continue to live with this pain without any solution. I am scheduled for a colonscopy July 1st but that is still 2 weeks away!! any clue to what this is, or anyone that has had similar issues, PLEASE contact me.

I have had issues with my band since I got it in 2006. was too tight for first 6 months, nothing but constant heartburn. Had to have it unfilled and let my stomach heal for 3-4 months, pouch was distended from all the throwing up and heartburn. I gained everything back I lost because honestly, I was starving when it was that tight. the amount of food and calories I could get and keep down with the band that tight was below what I should have. Having put my body thru months of starvation mode, any and all food I ate afterwards made me regain it all back. it made my metabolism go nuts. it send a message to my body to store anything you eat as fat. This February started to have stomach pain and band so tight I could only get down liquids. after quickly dropping 15 lbs because I was again starving, had the band completely unfilled in an ER and gained the 15 lbs back plus another 25. KABOOM. wanna know what I was eating?? in the day lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Lean steak or boneless skinless chicken for dinner with a side salad and a small potato. I was not binging on Cookies, cakes, pizza pies. I was so glad I could finally eat lean meats and fresh veggies and fruit without throwing up til I saw stars. Yes, you can eat healthy foods and not overeat and still gain the weight back from being unfilled. it does happen because my metabolism is now reset and the 'normal' amount of calories way less then I am now eating.

ok so did not go to ER it's not cause ME or my life is a waste, but they waste my time. they shrug, throw pills at me and then xray or ctscan me without finding solution. the meds they give is like a bandaid over a bullet hole. not doing too much to get to the cause of what is wrong with me. have been sick as a dog since Sunday. nauseous, dizzy, no appetite, no energy, just laying in bed all day with stomach pains. forcing myself to drink, eat and/or take meds at the very least. when I say stomach pains, I mean on the lower left side of my ribs, near my port. i know this is where my tummy is. this is same place when it is empty it growls. hard to explain but it's not my chest, it's not esophageal spasms, I have had those too, those are high up near center of chest. that is not this. this is my stomach or band or maybe intestines that connect to the stomach.

ok so update, did not go to ER. have been sick as a dog since Sunday. Just stomach pain with nausea, dizziness and no appetite. have to force myself to get out of bed to at least drink Water or eat something. twice now this month I have been completely just incapciated due to wtf this is with my band/stomach. this is bad, whatever the hell this band is doing to me. btw when I say stomach pain, I mean on the left side, close to my port but higher up. it is my stomach. sometimes it gurgles. i know that is where my tummy is because when I'm hungry that is where I feel it too, like when you stomach growls. so not in my chest.

I am completely unfilled, yet there is pain. there is also pain when I am not eating. like now, I have a sharp pain but also like a spasming, pulsing, throbbing pain. it's like a toothache but in my stomach. no other way to describe it. it never goes away! might dull down a bit but never goes away. stomach hurts to touch, hurts to touch near port area as well. it is left side bottom of ribs by port and stomach. should I be having any difficulty with bite sizes of my food or the texture if I am completely unfilled?? I mean honestly, should I be doing liquids if the band was unfilled?? I have been unfilled since March 3! I just don't understand why I am getting no answers or diagnosis. has anyone had this pain maybe from diverticulitis or adhesions or scar tissue? that is my best guess right now. sad when Harvard Medical educated gastro cannot figure out wtf is wrong. I have been to the ER three times since February. I do not want to go, have them xray me, give me pain pills, shrug their shoulders and say belly ache. seriously it's like a waste of 4-6 hours of my time.