Susan58

I had a scope and have found out that lap band has eroded into my stomach and I have to have it removed. waiting on call from doctor office to schedule and was just wondering if anyone ever had this problem and how it was handled. thanks.

I had my band removed on Friday. It turned out to be way bigger deal than was anticipated. They were able to do it endoscopic but had to intubate me and it took almost two hours. I can safely say I will not be getting another lap band. This has been almost a year of hell. Not to mention all the expense and time off work. I had been telling my doctor for months that something wasn't right, but of course he was the doctor so knew more than me. Lol.

I am having the band removed tomorrow. Hopefully they can do it endoscope so I won't have to have surgery. The dr. Said he really doesn't know what caused it. He said this is just one of the complications. I will post more after it is removed. Thanks for all the support.

I have had trouble since day one- the lap band was just a good fit for me, back in November I had to have all the Fluid taken out because I got where I couldn't even hold down sips of Water. anyway I went back to my doctor in March to get a fill and try to start over and he wouldn't do the fill until I had a scope done to make sure the band was still in the right place.... that is when I found out it was eroded into my stomach. so now I am just waiting to have it taken out. my doctor said all this would have to heal before he could do a sleeve or anything else, so another surgery..... I think I am just done!

I had some problems with my band and had it completely unfilled a couple of months ago. I would throw up every time I tried to eat and I could barely drink Water. I feel now that I am ready to start over again, but was wondering if it would help to do some sort of preop diet or maybe a liquid diet for a while before I get a fill or just go for it. I was banded 5/19/2014 and it seems like I had trouble from the start, but I feel I owe it to myself to give it another try. any suggestions would be helpful. thanks.

I meant that I had complete unfill, had to heal and now ready for a fill

DO MOST OF YOU BANDERS CONTINUE TO TAKE MEDICATION LIKE PRILOSEC OR NEXIUM AFTER LAP BAND AND IF SO, HOW LONG DO YOU CONTINUE TO TAKE IT. THANKS.

I am so stressed and frustrated about this band and with my doctor. I use Nicholson clinic in Dallas if anyone has any comments about that. I am 12 weeks post op, and have really had a rough time. at about 4 weeks I started having chest pain and throwing up. went to dr. after a run around all day from my dr. I was told to go to ER, they did CT of Chest and Abdomen. and then the next day had endoscopy. They said all was well. then had some other medical issues.... so after a couple of weeks all was well. then 2 weeks ago I started throwing up even Water, so went to Dr. they did an UGI, said I was just swollen and irritated and to do liquids for a few days and then slowly up to food. followed those instructions and all has been great . so I went today for a fill-- finally my first one. this is the part that I am so frustrated with my Dr. that I could just scream. I have to drive 3 hours to dr. and I get there and a PA is getting ready to do my fill and he goes to look at the upper GI results before he does the fill and he comes back to the room and says he can't do it. he is reading the results to me and it says the band should be at 1'oclock and it was at 3'oclock and he didn't feel comfortable about doing a fill, I would have to see the Dr first. so I say ok lets do it, WELL there was not a DOCTOR in the building. so started asking questions like what did that mean, like could it be fixed without surgery,... he didn't know. I asked would it hurt me to leave it like it is for a while..... he didn't know. so basically I drove 3 hours for nothing. and I asked him to call one of the doctors on the phone and he said he couldn't do it . that they were unavailable. I think I need to change doctors but I am already in debt up to my ass with him. and now I'm worried about if this is dangerous since it has slipped. thanks for letting me get this off my chest and if anyone has any advise or suggestions it would be greatly appreciated.

thanks everyone for your comments. I am going to call the doctor first thing in the morning. the odd thing is that after I had the UGI and did liquids for a few days and then moved to mushy foods, etc, I have had no problems eating. actually it is like there is not even a band there. that's why I went for a fill, because I can eat with no full feeling or anything. I just can't get over that there is no access to a doctor when you have an appt. and if the PA doesn't know enough to handle any situations with the band, then he shouldn't be left unattended. I think I am just ready to have the thing taken out. we have a vacation planned starting tomorrow, going to the beach at surfside for a few days, so I guess if the doctor can't discuss it with me on the phone. I will have to wait a while before I can make an appt. I just hope I am not causing damage by eating. the PA couldn't even answer my questions about what I should eat or if this could cause damage. anyway thanks for listening and I will post after I speak with the doctor.

The PA showed me the pictures. the sad thing is after the UGI the doctor said it was just a little swollen and all would be fine. he told me to come back in a couple weeks for a fill... so that is why I made the appt. I didn't find all this out until I was there today. that is really what made me so mad. and now I have used all my sick time taking days off to go there and still nothing has been resolved. I am so worried that there will be a problem if something is not done to fix the slipped band. I'm curious to know if anyone else used Nicholas Clinic and what they think of them. thanks for listening to a mad woman ramble on !!!

i was wondering if anyone has any trouble eating salad? sometimes lettuce is a little hard to digest and i am a little hesitant to try it? but i would love a salad with grilled chicken. i am not much of a meat eater and mixing it in salad was always a good way to get my protein- before banded. thanks.

I HAD TO GO BACK TO LIQUIDS FOR A FEW DAYS AND NOW BACK UP TO MUSHIES. THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF IS YOGURT AND PROTEIN DRINKS. ANY SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT I CAN EAT? AND I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL PEOPLE ON HERE SAY THEY CAN'T EAT SCRAMBLED EGGS. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE FOODS SO JUST WONDERING WHY THEY WOULD BE TROUBLE. IT SEEMS LIKE THEY WOULD JUST SLIDE ON DOWN. THANKS FOR ANY INPUT!!

i am 9 weeks post op and have had a lot of trouble. for the first 4 weeks everything was great. then I started having bad chest pain and trouble swallowing. went for tests and everydthing checked out ok. then 4 days ago started sliming and throwing up no matter what I ate. went to doctor, they did an UGI and he said it was really tight and said to only have liquids for the next 3 days and then go back to mushies for a few days. so today I am sliming even if I eat a sugarfree popcicle. I just don't know if this is worth it. I have not even had a fill yet and am having this much trouble. can anyone offer any advise, and does it get better or am I just going to be one of those that can't tolerate the band???

no ibuprofen at all. what is TOM?? and I think I will try hot tea in the mornings. thanks.

thanks everyone for the great words of wisdom. you have helped me much more than my doctor ever has. I am going to stick with it for a few more weeks. I am on liquids now and will move ahead slowly. I was doing so well, I hope I just was not paying attention and irritated the band and doing the liquids will help and get me back on track. I definitely am going to find another doctor. it seems like this clinic only wants to run the patients through like cattle, and you are a problem child if you have any kind of difficulties. thanks again!!!! I am so glad I have found this site!!

i am 8 weeks post op and have not had a fill yet and was doing fairly well until 3 days ago i was eating some string cheese and it got stuck. for the rest of the evening i could only take sips of Water. but it has been 3 days and i am only doing mushy foods like banana and thinned down mashed potatoes, but still every time i eat, i get the pain in my chest, start sliming and it comes back up. i even have to drink very slowly. can this still just be from irritation or does it seem like something more serious. i called my doctor but cant get in until next week. any suggestions??

I have never had any sensitivity to food before, but I will start a food diary and see if I notice anything. I was doing so well for about 4 weeks and now all this has started. my band is totally empty. no fill at all. I am a pretty picky eater so I was mostly eating tuna fish, scrambled eggs, fajita chicken, and green Beans, cottage cheese and yogurt, mashed potatoes, and cream of wheat. I would eat slowly and chew, chew, chew. I am going to try only liquids for a couple days and then on to mushies. if it doesn't get any better I will find another doctor. I do feel like I deserve better treatment than this. thanks for the good words !!!!

thank you for the support. I just didn't think I would have this much trouble. I am only eating what I'm supposed to and I will do well for a week and then can't eat or barely drink. I am losing weight but don't won't to be miserable from now on. I have not even had any fills yet and my doctor seems like he just blows me off. for example I told him I was eating sugarfree popcicles and he said " popcicles or ice cream bars?" he said I was a problem child and I must not be following the rules. I even talked to my primary care doctor and she knows I am a very compliant patient and she has tried to talk to lap band doctor and he kind of blows her off also. I wish I could change doctors but I have already invested so much money in this one.

just to follow up... I went to the doctor today. I had a upper GI and evidently the stoma is swollen and tight. so now I am on liquids until Monday and then move back up to mushies and go from there. I am really getting discouraged. this is the second time I've been to the doctor will trouble swallowing. and I feel like my doctor is not really very supportive. he more or less accused me of eating a bunch of food and I can promise I hate to throw up so I eat very slowly and chew, chew, chew.

the cheese eventually went on down. what I don't understand is I can eat cheese crackers all day with no problem, but tonight I take 2 bites of scrambled eggs and start sliming and throw up. I did call the doctor back and they are going to see me tomorrow afternoon.

I am four weeks post op and was doing great. no problems at all and then starting 2 days ago I started really having gas pains really bad in my chest area. it hurts to even drink Water. it feels like when you take a big drink of coke and get that pain before it goes on down. I went back to just liquids today to see if maybe it was just irritated. has anyone else had this problem ---- and any advise before I call the doctor tomorrow.

I was banded on 5/19/14. progressed well and everything was going great until 3 days ago. i started having pain even after drinking Water. it felt like i had a huge gas bubble in my chest and like i needed to burb but couldn't. i am going back to liquids for a couple of days to see if that helps. any suggestions???? thanks.

no... i am not drinking coke, i said it feels like when you take a swallow of coke too fast and you have that pain for a second or two. i had already experienced all the post op gas pains and was done with it. i felt really good, except still a little tired feeling. this just started 3 days ago. if feels like i need to burp but i can't.

I will be 3 weeks post op tomorrow and I can start eating soft foods, but after all I've read about food getting stuck and all the pain and nausea, I am so scared to eat. for the last 3 weeks I have been eating thinned down mashed potatoes, sugar free pudding, etc, now tomorrow I can start on tuna, green Beans, eggs, and thinned sliced deli meat. how will I know how much to eat? the paperwork says 4 oz at a time but that really doesn't give me much info, especially the deli meat. can anyone give me any advise. thanks.

thanks so much everyone for your input. this makes me feel a lot better. i have always had a horrible fear of choking so i was a little nervous about the stuck feeling. today some real food!!!!