Terrified...have I had a slippage? Can you tell?

EnderAsha · July 31, 2009

Hey all, I'm really new to this forum but I'm in need of some feedback. It may be long winded so bear with me.

I had my surgery back in Debruary of last year, i was 315 then i went down to 230. Along the way though, mostly since say 245 and below I've noticed some things. I've also since gained back 20 pounds up to 250 so I've had a fill. My second one ever. Prior to this fill I felt like I had very very little restriction from my band. I've also had some problems. While eating sometimes I felt like food would get stuck, and it would be uncomfortable. Occasionally if it was really bad I forced myself to throw up, not like a full on throw up since I've never known how to purge, just some of what might be stuck. I've also had times where I've over eaten I think but it wasn't me pushing past feeling "full". I've only eaten till i was super full a couple of times and it is almost always when I've gone out to eat and people keep putting food in front of me.

So I just had my fill and I'm feeling optimistic I'll lose that 30 pounds and get down to 230 again and be ready for another fill....but what if my band has slipped? How do I know? I know I don't have reflux or any of the symptoms of the painful one but I've read people talking about how if it slips the other way you get a big stomach pouch even while the band is restricted. Is that why I have had a high appetite but can still get food stuck on occasion? I'm confused, terrified, and just plain freaking out. I was to feel positive but a slip means problems right, i need ot have it unfilled and filled again?

ParrotheadCathy · July 31, 2009

You just had a fill ... only the second one. Did you talk to your doctor (or physician's assistant) at all? That's the best time to express questions. Second best .... get on the phone. You certainly aren't the only patient they have who has questions so relax and ask away.

A few comments. "Full" without a lap band and "full" after being banded are two different feelings. You shouldn't ever eat until you have that Thanksgiving dinner Full feeling. That's over-full. "Full" now should be that you eat a meal within your eating plan and you are no longer hungry. And you should not feel hungry again for 4 hours. If that's not what's happening you, need to schedule another fill.

Getting stuck happens. Maybe the bite was too big. Maybe you didn't chew it quite enough. I've gagged myself a couple of times to just get a stuck bite to move.

Slips do happen but they aren't so common. Like I said, you need to call your doctor, ask your questions and answer any they may have for you. IF (and that's an all-capital IF) you were to have a slip confirmed (probably with fluoroscopy or a barium swallow), the first line of treatment is an unfill with liquid diet for a couple of weeks. But don't worry about that yet. Talk to the doctor first.

EnderAsha · July 31, 2009

It's tricky. I did a lot of checkups over the first year and a half with the band but I was doing really well i only had one fill before now. This is my second fill I had recently cause I gained back weight.

I know the stuck happens, and it happens less when I take it easy and pace myself when I eat. I've been trying to keep tabs on things and I admit I have have over eaten till the thanksgiving day sensation a couple of times. I just worry can accidentally eating till that sensation be something that risks slipping? I heard it can happen from over eating and that terrified me. I also was worried that if I ate, and something got stuck, and i took a swig of Water and it went down and I ate a tad more have I risked myself? If i gaged up a chunk of food that was stuck have i risked a problem?

I'm just really scared about that whole. I want to be successful but I just wish i KNEW if i had a slip. I didn't think of it at all honestly while i was at the doctors. It's just now that I'm reading stuff online and peopel talk about slips and symptoms...maybe i'm being psychosemattic (sp?) but I want to know if i'm there. One of the symptoms is that you have little to no restriction with one type of slip. How do I know? It lines up bad that I was in need of a fill too but I worry that my VERY little restriction was a combination of needing a fill and a slip.

ParrotheadCathy · July 31, 2009

Eating too much a couple of times won't cause a slip. For those that consistently overeat, it becomes more of a risk. I think if you were to really assess those who have come on here who have actually had a slippage versus how many posters there truly are you would see that it is a very, very small percentage.

EnderAsha · July 31, 2009

At the risk of being inquisitive...and not flippant...what is consistantly?

Even while I was losing lots of weight there were a few things I made every so often that may have pushed my envelope. I made this Tomato based Soup with chicken, mushrooms, and a little cheese (non fat) that wasn't bad for me...but given the amounts used it often left me feeling really really full...maybe even feeling mildly boated. I know it was bad...this is the dish actually that I'm most worried risked me slipping. Other than that I don't stuff myself really that much. This Soup dish i did make myself once, sometimes twice a month.