esmomy

Good Morning: :crying:so - I have not posted on here before but i have read a lot of the posts - i have had my band since July 13, 2008 - at first I loved it and i have managed to lose about 60 pounds - but since March of this year - i have lost nothing - had a fill - had terrible coughing, reflux, choking, vomiting, sliming (all only at night) had a defill - waited 5 weeks - had a slight fill -immediately restarted the night coughing - did not let it get so bad - had a defill. As soon as I have a defill I am perfectly fine. Still have a bit of restriction but no reflux or anythin. On the 15 of July I had a barium swallow and it shows that the band has slipped upwards and is sitting at the join of the esophogus to the stomach - and the stomach is below the band in it entirety :biggrin: - i am not in any pain. My question at this time is has anyone else experience this kind of slip and what are my best options at this time. I am really leaning towards a removal because I am afraid it may slip again. Thanks

Hi All - I live in Brooks, Alberta. I originally had a lapband in July 2007 and a revision to a VSG in Sept 2009. Make sure that you get your out of country doctor to fill out a form for you that you can get from the Alberta Health Care website - submit it and your detailed receipt to Alberta Health Care - it takes about 12 weeks but the will reimburse you some of your expenses. I received $1280.00 for my lapband and $1926.00 for my revision - the rest of the expenses can be claimed on your income tax under medical expenses.

My band worked well for a while and then in Feb. I developed severe Bronchitus - long story short - I coughed so hard that I believe at that time my band stitches ripped and my band moved upwards. For the next few months I had a couple fills and defills - when I had fill I could not sleep at night - constant coughing and puking. Finally in July I had a barium swallow which confirmed the slip. I chose to have a sleeve instead of a repair cause I was tired of trying to find fill people in Alberta (not easty) and the cost of them and getting to the appointments. Also I had read that one slip often leads to another. I was self pay both times but as a returning client I was treated very fairly financial by Dr. Almanza. 10 days out and feeling great!!

Dr. Almanza did my original sleeve in July 2008 and just did my revision on Sept 3, 2009. I really like him and all the staff - we received top notch care and attention. I would not hesitate to recommend him or his facility and associates.:lol0:

I was a revision on Sept 3 - short time out but very happy with the results. Lots to learn but I know I will be successful - when my band was working properly I was having great success - then it slipped and I lost nothing for months - was able to overeat - gained some weight back and I am now on the way down again. I love not being able to overeat - I feel so much better. Good Luck to Everyone!!:biggrin2:

What a beautiful poem -I hope your rebirth turns out to be everything you are hoping for. I am having a revision from lapband to sleeve on Thursday - Sept.3. I too am very excited. I look forward to sharing our sucesses on the other side.

Hi all: I think that the band slipping upwards from what I understand is rare. My band is sitting where the esopogus joins the stomach and usually the stomach will slip up through the band and then it is further down on the stomach. I am after much thought and reflection leaning towards a revision to the sleeve. I know that without something to restrict my eating I will be back where I started in no time. At this point I have zero restriction and find myself eating way to much of everything - which is why I had the band in the first place. I guess at this point I could have the band repositioned but I have been told that if your band has slipped once that you will be prone to that again. I am a self paying Canadian and it is becoming very hard to find someone to do fills for us here in Alberta - so I am thinking maybe I should just go for a sleeve and be done with continuing expenses and the possibility of a slip and an another trip and surgery :thumbup: