Question/Advice... No fill... constant chest pain????

silry · November 3, 2008

It's been a long time since I've been here.

Long story short, I had ZERO success with my band despite having awesome restriction (lost almost no weight). Then I got pregnant. I had my gorgeous healthy baby boy in May (with no complications!!!). I was unfilled in my 6th month of pregnancy. (I gained 30 total pounds with the bebe, in case you were curious.)

Anyhow, so I've been unfilled for several months. A week ago I started experiencing chest pain in the center of my chest along with extremely wicked heartburn/acid problems that OTC acid reducers cannot seem to really help. I have been on liquids for a week in case I irritated my band. I haven't had any restriction since getting unfilled so I've been basically eating normally. I've never had even so much as a twinge of discomfort. Even when I was 10 months pregnant (oh yeah, 10 months. LOL.)

I scheduled a fill literally the day before the pain started so I will be heading out to MX to see the doc in 2 weeks.

I've been researching slips/erosions to death and I just don't have any clue what could be going on. Does that sound like a slip? Or erosion? Am I having the worlds slowest heart attack?! Sometimes I can't catch my breath, I'm not sleeping very well as a result of the constant worry. I feel like I have a lump in my throat as well. When I swallow hot or cold liquids, I can feel it go down. I'm not throwing up or anything.

I'm terrified! Especially since I have this amazing little baby boy at home... I wish I never got banded. I keep reading that the band CAN kill if there is a slip and the stomach gets damaged. The idea of leaving my son motherless because I didn't want to be fat eats at me. I'd rather be fat and alive. My ins won't cover anything band related here in the US so I feel like my hands are tied - I can't go to a regular doctor right now?

Does anyone have any words or advice or ideas about what could be happening to me? Or anything?!

shortgal · November 3, 2008

Congratulations on your baby!

When you scheduled the fill did you tell the Dr's office the problems you were having? Maybe if you tell them you are having problems you can see them sooner, so you can stop worrying.

I would think it is harder for an empty band to slip b/c I believe most bands slip from being too tight????

molinomama · November 4, 2008

I have to question if this is all band related and maybe you should let your regular doc determine that. If it is then obviously you will need to follow up with your lapband doc, but it may well be a problem unrelated. I think we tend to assume everything is related to our band, just like before it was all related to our weight. Good luck! Congratulations on the baby!