My band has slipped

[Buffie 1]

Hi everyone, it's been a long while since I've been on here. I've just been going along and BOOM. No restriction and pain. Constant, nagging left upper quadrant pain. I live in SK and nobody around here knows anything about the band of course, so I'm kinda screwed. I had an upper GI series done and the report makes no sense, Dr. Yau needs the films. So hopefully this week it will all be sorted and I'll probably have to go back to TO and have a revision. I was always a "it'll never happen to me" kinda girl, apparently it CAN. And I'm scared ****less. Has anyone else had a slip and what kind of symptoms did you have? I can eat, drink, no reflux, no restriction whatsoever and I just have constant pain. The worst part about all this is that I'm so far away from TO. Nobody around here knows anything about it, I work for surgeons here in S'toon, we've had a couple of lap band pts come through here with complications, the only thing they know how to do is remove it. I'm so scared that something is going to happen in the meantime while I wait for surgery (or whatever else that can be done, I was told to remove 2 cc and leave the rest) and they'll just remove my band completely. YARGH. Just had to vent.

[Doddie63 6]

Buffie. Remember me Doddie. I am so sorry you are having trouble. Last time I saw you were just a few pounds from goal. If you go to CanadianLapbandtalk.com and post, Heather or Greeneyes might respond. They have been through everything the band is not supposed to do and they still love their band.

I am totally with you about being out in a Province where the thought is to only remove the band. Shows the predjudice or igorance out there in the medical community. Oh were you aware that the TLBC now has updated their website? Good luck and keep posting.

[susieq321 31]

Hi everyone, it's been a long while since I've been on here. I've just been going along and BOOM. No restriction and pain. Constant, nagging left upper quadrant pain. I live in SK and nobody around here knows anything about the band of course, so I'm kinda screwed. I had an upper GI series done and the report makes no sense, Dr. Yau needs the films. So hopefully this week it will all be sorted and I'll probably have to go back to TO and have a revision. I was always a "it'll never happen to me" kinda girl, apparently it CAN. And I'm scared ****less. Has anyone else had a slip and what kind of symptoms did you have? I can eat, drink, no reflux, no restriction whatsoever and I just have constant pain. The worst part about all this is that I'm so far away from TO. Nobody around here knows anything about it, I work for surgeons here in S'toon, we've had a couple of lap band pts come through here with complications, the only thing they know how to do is remove it. I'm so scared that something is going to happen in the meantime while I wait for surgery (or whatever else that can be done, I was told to remove 2 cc and leave the rest) and they'll just remove my band completely. YARGH. Just had to vent.

Buffie,

I have slipped many many times.... so symptoms include the acid reflux at night, the vomiting eating nothing, the ability to eat anything.... along with a few others.

Now this is going to sound harder than it is but take a deep breath and relax.... wait for Dr Yau to look at the films it could be big it could be small. Fixing a slipped band is easy they go in and replace it I know it sounds bad but it isn't it is easier than the initial band surgery and they can fix it usually pretty fast yes it does mean a trip to Toronto. I understand the expense of that and the pain in the ass it is... I had to fly in for all my complications and it was not fun.

The good news... you can get the band fixed and continue with your journey right after your band is fixed, the harder news is until you figure out what is wrong and what it takes to fix it you might need to exercise some will power and stay away from the junk food... my advice is keep on track as much as you can. If you want to email me privately or talk my email is susieq321@hotmail.com.

Dr Yau is my surgeon too and I know how good he is.

Good luck

Heather

[Buffie 1]

Thanks for the words of encouragement you guys. It's the not knowing that's the hardest. I have no reflux or vomiting or anything. Just pain and NO restriction. The pain is getting worse and more frequent every day, I'm on Tylenol all day long. I have been working out harder since this all started so hopefully I won't gain anything.

How are you doing Doddie?

Heather, could you please tell me what happened to you and what Dr. Yau did to fix it? Did you have sharp pain with your slips?

[susieq321 31]

Buffie,

Pain will a slip is unusual, not unheard of but unusual... there are no pain nerves on your stomach the same way there are under your skin so when you pinch it hurts... mostly my slips had affect the reflux, vomiting etc.

When are you getting the information to Dr Yau the faster he sees it the better off you are if you can't email it I would be overnighting it as fast as possible to him.

[Doddie63 6]

Buffie I am doing very well. Steady is the weight loss. Getting better at eating.

I am so sorry to hear you are in pain and I hope Dr. Yau sorts out the problem asap. Does your doctor have any idea?

I will be going to Toronto to get my port repositioned as it has turned making it very difficult toget a fill in. Just waiting for an appointment. You have been doing so well so hopefully it won't be long before you are on track again.

[Alex R. 0]

Has your doctor ruled out gallbladder?

[Buffie 1]

Wow Doddie, you're doing great! Keep up the good work!

I had my upper GI series films sent overnight courier on Thursday to Dr. Yau, Canada Post has lost the films. Lovely. So tomorrow I have to go for another upper GI series (the place where I had it done doesn't make, and can't make extra copies) at the hospital here that I work in, they'll put the films on an online film library so Dr. Yau can look at them quickly. I had abdominal/pelvic ultrasound done, everything (including gallbladder) was normal. The pain I'm having is on the left side, gallbaldder is on the right. I was hoping it was my gallbladder and not my band! So I'm popping Tylenol every 4 hrs and trying to be positive. I'm sure it will all work out in the end. I keep thinking that if for some reason I have to have my band removed, I want to go for gastric bypass. I don't know where, how, or even if they would do it on a person with a BMI of 27, all I DO know is I CANNOT GO BACK to living my life as a morbidly obese person again. That scares me more than any surgery or anything else.

Thanks again for all your words of encouragement!

P.S. I had my breast augmentation done 6 weeks ago and I love it! I look a LOT more proportionate now. It's amazing what a little plastic surgery can do!

[susieq321 31]

Wow Doddie, you're doing great! Keep up the good work!

I had my upper GI series films sent overnight courier on Thursday to Dr. Yau, Canada Post has lost the films. Lovely. So tomorrow I have to go for another upper GI series (the place where I had it done doesn't make, and can't make extra copies) at the hospital here that I work in, they'll put the films on an online film library so Dr. Yau can look at them quickly. I had abdominal/pelvic ultrasound done, everything (including gallbladder) was normal. The pain I'm having is on the left side, gallbaldder is on the right. I was hoping it was my gallbladder and not my band! So I'm popping Tylenol every 4 hrs and trying to be positive. I'm sure it will all work out in the end. I keep thinking that if for some reason I have to have my band removed, I want to go for gastric bypass. I don't know where, how, or even if they would do it on a person with a BMI of 27, all I DO know is I CANNOT GO BACK to living my life as a morbidly obese person again. That scares me more than any surgery or anything else.

Thanks again for all your words of encouragement!

P.S. I had my breast augmentation done 6 weeks ago and I love it! I look a LOT more proportionate now. It's amazing what a little plastic surgery can do!

Buffie,

Don't think the worst, and look at all the options... there is also the sleeve which is much easier on the body than the bypass. Dr Yau is in my opinion the best weight loss surgeon in the country he can do any of the surgeries, the DS, the sleeve, the bypass and the band...

The pain makes me wonder though, the stomach in the middle, where is your port could it be pressing on a nerve close to the surface did you plastic guy move the tubing at all and could that be hitting a nerve?

Pain is really unusual with a band complication... involving the stomach slips, erosions usually don't involve pain (I am sure there are some that do I just haven't heard of them) Could it be a hernia from surgery those are holes in the muscle walls and depends on where the trochar punches through on lap surgery or what the PS is doing but they won't show through on an xray... and hernias can hurt like a dickens.

Getting him the films fast is the key, I am hoping it has nothing to do with your band at all... and it is simple to fix and diagnosis keep us up to date.

Dr Yau's policy now is unless the stomach needs to heal from trauma to it the band comes out and a new band goes right back in same surgery... it used to be standard procedure to take it out and wait 6 months and that was my joy when I slipped.

Heather

[lyndalafe 1]

My band has slipped a couple of times....it can go two ways: 1) pain and inability to even swallow Water or 2) pain and no restriction....so better get somewhere and have Fluid removed so your band can go back in place and then get refilled in a month maybe.

[Tyler883 0]

ok, please forgive the newbie question,

how long does it take a slip to reposition itself? ie is it 1 trip to the doctor, or more?

[argon 3]

Yikes Buffie... please keep us updated!

[mica 0]

I hope all goes well for you Buffie!

Mica

[Doddie63 6]

Buffie I will be in Toronto June 4,5 & part of 6th. Surgery for 3:00 on the 5th to be there at 2:00 in the afternoon. If you are there at the same time, hope to see you.

[Donna D 1]

Hi Doddie

I will be moving on those days but if I can, I will come to see you.