2005 I was banded. I loved my band. I was able to have two healthy children in 2007 and 2009. I got serious about my health and weight in 2010. I hit my goal weight early February 2011. February 12, 2011 my band "slipped" when I tried to eat and I instantly threw up. I knew instantly something was very wrong with my band as the pain was so severe I couldn't walk. I was writhing in pain. 10 out of 10 pain... I had never experienced pain like that before. Ambulance took me to the ER. Dr's ordered a plain X-ray as well as a CT scan. Same radiologist read both scans and reported that there were NO abnormalities. In the X-ray my band was at the base of my stomach.... my stomach was up in my chest, and the band was at 130 degrees NOT the typical 45 degree mark. My stomach had actually prolapsed up through the band and the band was cutting of the blood to my stomach. They tried to send me home. I refused. They transferred me to another hospital hours later, where the doctors also relied on that report of "no abnormalities". But unfortunately my scans weren't sent with me when I was transferred. The next hospital didn't do there own scan for over 24 hours. I had 2 endoscopies while I was there. The first one showed my stomach full of blood and that my tissue looked purple. Second one my tissue was black. I was there for about 37 hours when my vitals all changed. Blood started coming out from my nose and mouth. They rushed me into surgery. I had to have 4 blood transfusions and I almost died. My stomach was black when they opened me up. Dead. 98% of it. 22 staples from my belly button to my sternum. They were barely able to piece me together with a roux en y bypass. I have EXTREME dumping. EARLY AND LATE. I am constantly in the hospital with my blood sugar in the 30's and 40's after I eat. I have reactive hypoglycemia and it's only getting worse. I used to have it fairly under control with my diet.... but it's been getting harder and harder to do. My entire life has changed. I'm scared of food now. I struggle to keep my weight UP now! It's such an emotional roller coaster. I'm very thin now... I typically weigh in at only 115.... and I've been as low as 105. If I had to do it all over.... I would never have been banded. My kids suffer because mommy is too sick. I'm scared to drive because my blood sugar tanks so quickly that I have no warning signs. I'm at risk of seizures and comas when it gets that low. I can't keep a job, since I'm not reliable. I get sick constantly. I'm desperately trying to find a way to afford a service dog that can help scent when my blood sugar is tanking so I can eat sugar and prevent the awful episodes.... but they are extremely expensive and insurance doesn't cover it. I get dizzy, sweaty, my heart pounds, I can't talk or walk, I can't form complete sentences, my tongue, hands and feet go numb, my body basically starts to shut down. I can't eat too much sugar or simple carbs, as they set off these episodes. But if an episode occurs, I have to eat a lot of sugar for my body to get back to normal.... BUT not too much.... or it will send me into another episode. I was only 29 when my band slipped. I just want people to know what can happen. That they know the TRUTH of it all.... and that hopefully the doctors treating us can take it seriously. If they had diagnosed me right away, any surgeon could have removed my band instantly and my stomach wouldn't have died. PLEASE educate yourself before making your choice about weight loss surgery AND make sure you are educated if YOU ARE banded. Most doctors know very little about lap bands... so if you experience a slip, you need to be your own advocate and demand an x-ray, ct scan AND a barium swallow study in real time. THEN you should ask to see the scans yourself and have them explain what they see. Chances are that you will know more about lap bands than the doctors :-( I wish I had educated myself more about the risks, and I wish I had learned that my obesity was much more of an emotional issue for me, rather than a physical issue. If I had only figured out my emotional addiction with food and stuck to diet and exercise...........x-ray.pdf
