At Risk for Erosion or Slipping?

[MamaJava 1]

My doc has never once mentioned being at high risk for band erosion or slipping. I've only ever heard about these things by coming to this website...where now I am scared out of my wits.

I PB a LOT. I'm not too tight...doc has checked. I've lost 50+ pounds and am 1-year out...a little over 1 month past my 1 year Bandiversary at this point. Some days, my band is perfect and I can eat and feel perfect restriction, get proper signals from my body, and all is well. Other days, it's hell. I can't eat a thing without feeling pain or getting stuck. Even weird things have gotten stuck, like oatmeal or shredded cheese or even green pepper after being chewed to mere pulp (they are juicy and watery and never have problems with them normally). bread is pretty much gone from my diet completely - and so is any white flour substance, especially tortilla shells or chips. No problem, I can deal with that.

So should I fork out the cash to request an Xray from my doc? I PB probably an average of 3 times per week, though I've had really bad days where I've PB'd 3 times in one day. Other days, this band is pure perfection. So I know I'm not too tight. Doc has never suggested checking. Not sure why. I'm very concerned...yet he doesn't seem to be.

I'm a good patient. My bites are teeny-tiny. They really can't get much smaller unless I stop eating completely. I avoid sticky foods cuz I've learned my lesson and I'd rather not make myself miserable. I don't enjoy the pain of getting stuck, or the disgusting act of PB's...so trust me when I say I'm following all the right rules.

Are there any signs that I can check myself for that might indicate band erosion or slippage? Should I be concerned or should I just carry on as I have been and not worry about anything until something really does happen that I know for sure? :biggrin:

[gentylwind 1]

As far as I know the only way to tell is by X-ray.

[SuzanneG 1]

I think if it was me, I'd want to ask for the x-ray to be sure. Does your doctor know how much you PB?

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

My doc has never once mentioned being at high risk for band erosion or slipping. I've only ever heard about these things by coming to this website...where now I am scared out of my wits.

I PB a LOT. I'm not too tight...doc has checked. I've lost 50+ pounds and am 1-year out...a little over 1 month past my 1 year Bandiversary at this point. Some days, my band is perfect and I can eat and feel perfect restriction, get proper signals from my body, and all is well. Other days, it's hell. I can't eat a thing without feeling pain or getting stuck. Even weird things have gotten stuck, like oatmeal or shredded cheese or even green pepper after being chewed to mere pulp (they are juicy and watery and never have problems with them normally). bread is pretty much gone from my diet completely - and so is any white flour substance, especially tortilla shells or chips. No problem, I can deal with that.

So should I fork out the cash to request an Xray from my doc? I PB probably an average of 3 times per week, though I've had really bad days where I've PB'd 3 times in one day. Other days, this band is pure perfection. So I know I'm not too tight. Doc has never suggested checking. Not sure why. I'm very concerned...yet he doesn't seem to be.

I'm a good patient. My bites are teeny-tiny. They really can't get much smaller unless I stop eating completely. I avoid sticky foods cuz I've learned my lesson and I'd rather not make myself miserable. I don't enjoy the pain of getting stuck, or the disgusting act of PB's...so trust me when I say I'm following all the right rules.

Are there any signs that I can check myself for that might indicate band erosion or slippage? Should I be concerned or should I just carry on as I have been and not worry about anything until something really does happen that I know for sure? :ohmy:

Why are you PBing so much? Are you not chewing well? Eating too fast? Eating too much?

For most people the "full" feeling is different with a band vs. preband. Some people try to continue eating until they feel overly full sensation but it isn't going to happen because that sensation drives.

Could it be that you are looking for the "old" full feeling and you are overeating?

Restriction... Absolutely everything can affect restriction. Time of day, time of month, hydration, food temp, weather, swelling from PBing, stress, etc. Everything affects restriction. It's not unusual to be able to eat anything and everything and then the next day you get stuck on foods that should go down well.

Do you have major medical insurance? If so, talk to your doctor about having a fill on fluoro for a diagnosis of something like reflux. Something unrelated to the band.

I doubt you have eroded, there are so few symptoms with erosion. Usually the #1 symptom is no restriction at all regardless of fill level. A slip is possible but so is a dilated pouch. I'd get the fluoro.

[plain 12]

My doc has never once mentioned being at high risk for band erosion or slipping. I've only ever heard about these things by coming to this website...where now I am scared out of my wits.

I PB a LOT. I'm not too tight...doc has checked. I've lost 50+ pounds and am 1-year out...a little over 1 month past my 1 year Bandiversary at this point. Some days, my band is perfect and I can eat and feel perfect restriction, get proper signals from my body, and all is well. Other days, it's hell. I can't eat a thing without feeling pain or getting stuck. Even weird things have gotten stuck, like oatmeal or shredded cheese or even green pepper after being chewed to mere pulp (they are juicy and watery and never have problems with them normally). bread is pretty much gone from my diet completely - and so is any white flour substance, especially tortilla shells or chips. No problem, I can deal with that.

So should I fork out the cash to request an Xray from my doc? I PB probably an average of 3 times per week, though I've had really bad days where I've PB'd 3 times in one day. Other days, this band is pure perfection. So I know I'm not too tight. Doc has never suggested checking. Not sure why. I'm very concerned...yet he doesn't seem to be.

I'm a good patient. My bites are teeny-tiny. They really can't get much smaller unless I stop eating completely. I avoid sticky foods cuz I've learned my lesson and I'd rather not make myself miserable. I don't enjoy the pain of getting stuck, or the disgusting act of PB's...so trust me when I say I'm following all the right rules.

Are there any signs that I can check myself for that might indicate band erosion or slippage? Should I be concerned or should I just carry on as I have been and not worry about anything until something really does happen that I know for sure? :ohmy:

I second what wasa said. Also, here is some food for thought.....

How exactly can your doctor tell that you're not too tight? This is a very subjective feeling. I suspect he probably gave you some radiographic dye to swallow, and when that went through, he pronounced you "not too tight"......well, that would be all well and good if all you subsided on was the xray dye. However, you eat real food....and no matter how much you chew, real food isn't going to be the consistancy of the dye.

Are fill costs killing you financially? I think I'd probably try a bit of an unfill and see if that helps resolve the PB problem. If the small unfill doesn't help, then you can always opt for more testing.

[MamaJava 1]

Well, he determines that I'm not too tight due to my report of my "good days". He declares that if I were "too tight", there would be no good days...or...he says most all meals would be a struggle.

The PB's are not from being full. They are immediate and right at the beginning of my meals. Any that have happened in the middle of my meals have been my fault. I have modified my patterns and fixed those. I no longer PB in the middle of eating, nor do I PB from being too full. That happened once and I learned a big lesson.

My bites used to be the size of a dime. Doc said he figured THAT was the reason for my PB's. He said "change that. Nothing bigger than a kernel of corn." So, I changed it. Now my bites are the size of a kernel of corn when I eat food that has to be chewed.

So it's not my bites. Sometimes I'll think it's a certain food, but then other times that food will go down just find. My band is *the* most tempermental band I've ever known. My banded friends don't even understand what is up with my band.

Yes, I've talked about all this with my doc. He doesn't do anything about it. He has never made it seem like my PB's are a big deal at all. I'm more concerned than he is.

I'll just wait it out, see what happens, and I'll make an appointment to go in if it continues in a month or so. Otherwise, I really don't want an unfill because there are days when there is virtually no restriction. Wouldn't an unfill make those days more frequent, thereby hindering my weight loss efforts and successes thus far? This is my biggest fear. I like how my band feels most days.

This week, I've only PB'd once!!! Woo hoo! That's a record for me. So maybe it was just a good week, or maybe I did something better that I totally was unaware of. I just don't know.

[luluc 6]

Wouldn't an unfill make those days more frequent, thereby hindering my weight loss efforts and successes thus far? This is my biggest fear. I like how my band feels most days..

everytime i had an issue with certain foods, feeling too tight - i've had an unfill. funny thing each time i've done that, while i have eaten more - i also started back losing weight.

are you not able to get a flouro test? you really can't tell if there is a problem w/out a diagnostic test of some kind. describing your restriction can't determine any issues - i'd push your dr to have some tests done, if a slight unfill doesn't help.....my opinion.

good luck!