shortgal

Thanks Foofy, I have been trying to find someone else that this has happened to. I posted on obesity help and did not get any response. I'll check it out. It does not scare me to find other people that this happened to and is actually re assuring ( not the part about the erosion, of course) but I am so early in this banding thing, I'm not yet worried about erosion. I just want to understand how this can happen and it seems to relatively few people, as far as I can tell. Judy

Cindy, that is what he implied, but when I e-mailed the PA, she explained that he has to do the "wrap" all over again. That is when they suture the band in place. I'm sure that extra step must cause extra pain/ swelling etc. This extra step also requires me to follow the entire post op diet all over again, requires me to have all the same four incisions again. the only one that he should not have to do is the port incision. My smaller incisions are getting so small and light pink, so it is annoying to have them become bright red again. So other than the port incision its like having the surgery all over again. I never really had port site pain the first time anyway. My concern remains the unknown things, like scar tissue where the band is already sutured, will that be a problem? Things we won;t know until he gets in there ( and I'm asleep). I also truly need to understand how a band gets unlocked along the way or was it ever locked. If he goes in and the band lock is defective and broken, then will he place a new band and will that require a new port incision? Hoping my doubts and questions will all be answered on Thurs.!!!

Sades, It's not as easy to get a second opinion for bariatric. Once you are someone else's patient and have had the surgery, other Docs aren't really interested in the problems you might have that are caused by another Dr. I am going to get a copy of my x-ray though and if I am not happy with the answers I get on Thurs. I will decide from there on how to proceed. You were lucky your Dr. was honest with you. Mine MIGHT be telling me the truth but until I can alleviate any doubts, I need to keep asking questions until I understand this whole mess. Sounds like you're doing fairly well, all things considered. I'm glad you're not having a terrible time of it and hope once my turn comes, it's easier the second time around. Thanks for checking in with me. Judy

Thanks everyone, I am feeling a little down about the whole thing. It just feels like one more battle to face in the war of losing weight. If I feel I understood how this happened, then I might feel better about it. I have yet to see one other person anywhere on the forum talk about an unlocked band, but my Dr says this is his second. Is that an excuse he uses to go back in and fix a different problem that he did or does he just forget to lock some bands? Very confusing for me and he has made light of the second surgery, like it's no big deal. Yeah, well for him, it's not. I have the appt to see him and ask questions on Thurs. so hopefully I'll have more answers and feel less doubt about this whole thing.

No gas pain Sades? That is great. That was the worst part for me, felt like an elephant sitting on my chest, plus that awful shoulder pain. Any incision pain? That was one thing that did not bother me last time, hope it's the same the second time around. At least you are on the road back to being normal again, in a week or two you'll be feeling great and will have lost weight. Exactly where we both wanted to be from the beginning. I am packing up in RI to go back to Connecticut today. Then unpacking the two cars again when we get home. Already dreaming/planning next year's beach time. I am golden brown, even though I don't sit in the sun much ( I use an umbrella, a lot). Think I got some of the color while walking. Take care and rest. Judy

Sades, What a relief to hear from you and hear that's things went well. You finally have a working band! The recovery wil be a drag but will soon pass, the weight will drop off and later the ordeal will become a distant memory. Your Twin November Nymph, Judy

Cindy, Your weight loss has been incredible and you should be proud of yourself. Great Job. 16 pounds in 2 months after already losing 100 pounds is unbelievable!

I have not had the second surgery to fix the band yet. I have an appt next week with my Dr. to ask a LOT of questions. They stitch the band to the stomach, so I am assuming that is what is holding it in place at this point. I wanted others to be aware of this problem because if it can happen once , it can happen again. I have a thread in complications and I will add info to that after the appt with my Dr.

Thanks everyone for the support. I have an appt with my Dr next Thurs. as I have a long list of questions to ask before I have the second surgery. My incisions are just starting to disappear and lighten up, so to be cut open again and have all that gas pain will not be fun. Plus I will have to go through the post op diet stages again (just like Sades has to endure). I am happy that I am going into this surgery lighter than I was, that's for sure. I lost most of the weight after surgery and after the fills while I was doing liquids for two days. this is one complication that was never mentioned to me and I doubt that the possibility of the surgeon missing her stomach completely was ever mentioned to Sades as a possible complication. What kind of informed consent do we sign, when these things are not mentioned? I'll let you know the outcome of the appt. next week.

Have you had an x-ray to check your band? I was at 9cc in a 10cc with minimal restriction (fruit goes down slow) and was just told by my Dr that my band is unlocked. Please anyone that does not think they have the right restriction or does not feel full please aks to have your band checked. For seven months I went for fills and waited for restriction. The last two months I have not lost a pouund ( despite my walking regularly) and now I found out why. If your band is working, great, but if you think something could be wrong, please ask for an x-ray or other test. Starting the exercise is the hardest part, once you start even a little it gets so much easier. Just start with a mile walk (everybody can find 20 mins).

Sades wil be having her surgery tomorrow afternoon ( Thurs) which I think is our Weds night (tonight). I know how much she has been worried about going under for surgery again. Please all November Nymphs, let's send lots of good thoughts and energy to our Australia band friend for a speedy recovery. Judy Next month you can send those thoughts my way, when my band is fixed!

There will be lots of people here on the forum with suggestions to try to help you. How about giving more info: How much fill do you have and what size band? Do you have any restriction? If yes, what type of food do you have trouble with? How much in quantity can you eat at one time? When was the last time you saw the Dr or had a fill? I think you'll get more help with more info. Try not to blame yourself until you know you're at fault. If it turns out you need to work harder on your band journey, then you'll get that support here, too.

I will post after this mess is sorted out in the hopes it will help someone else. Thanks.

I have the Allergan/Inamed 10 cc band. Hope it's as easy a fix as the Dr is telling me.

I have to say I am suspicious that my band is really unlocked. I plan to ask the Dr more questions before the surgery date. I want them to show me what a normal locked band looks like compared to mine on an x-ray. And I never had an xray at anytime to confirm band placement. And the office PA wanted to send me for an endoscopy first. I pushed for a less invasive test first and happy I did. Why does fruit go down slowly for me, if my band is unlocked, is that possible and how is it possible? I just need to understand so my doubts don't linger. I let you know what the Dr. says when I see him. Hopefully I'll see him next week. Thanks for the support!

I think the band came unlocked somewhere along the line, so I think I had help from the band earlier. Fear of getting things stuck after each fill, kept me from trying foods and being good, so who knows. I never lost over forty pounds before I got the band, so I think it was working for awhile. I am still proud of the weight I've lost and I do feel I was working with my band, if it was helping me. I obviously wasnt' waiting around for it to help me all by itself. That's an accomplishment for both Sades and me. Hope it never comes unlocked again!

Thanks Tyman, that's why I posted so if anyone else had a problem with getting restriction with a lot of fill in their band, this would be one more option for them to have checked. I would have be so much closer to my goal by now, so it's kind of discouraging, but hopefully it will all work out in the end.

Yes, that is how I would describe it. The band is secured to the stomach but the diameter looks larger on the x-ray b/c it's not locked. I'm probably one in a million, so why couldn't I be one in a million with a lottery ticket instead? And my Dr. says I'm the second patient he's had with this problem. I guess I wonder if he is forgetting to lock it or the locking device on my brand band has some issues.

I have the one of the latest style bands, so if everything looks good he'll just lock this one. He had one other patient with same problem and she's doing well now. Hope that is my outcome, too!

Hi everyone, I have not been on the forum much in the last two months as I have been busy with seasonal work. In many of my posts along the way, you might have noticed I was always waiting for restriction and the right fill amount. Well, I had nine fills and 9cc's in my band and still had hunger and lacked restriction. Had an x-ray last week and the Dr. believes my band is unlocked! I don't know if it has been unlocked the entire time or came unlocked along the way. I have a surgery date for him to go in and lock it. Hate the idea of being opened again and recovery etc. He says recovery should be easier as no port incision or stitching, just lock it and get out. Fingers crossed he's right about it all when he gets in there. At least I know why I was struggling to lose any more weight and I know it's not my fault. Fortunately my walking has prevented any weight gain and I have been able to maintain what I lost previously. I guess I will have to start all over again with the fill process however and that I am not looking forward to. I will discuss the option of at least one fill with floro with the Dr. I have been checking new posts on the forum, so I am kind of following along with everyone still, just haven't had a lot of time to reply to many.

Thanks Apples, I hope it turns out to be as simple as just locking it. Who knows when the Dr gets in there what can happen. The thing is the Dr. makes it sound simple, but we are not cars that they simply lift the hood to make the repair and close the hood. New scars, new healing, possible surgery and anesthesia risks all over again. I have no choice but to try this, if I want to keep my band and have it work. Thanks for the reply.

I don't read the complications section much, but just posted my own complication and read your post. I'm sorry you lost your band. I hope you have gained some insight, while being banded, that helps you on your journey without your band. I wish you the best. Good Luck.

After an x-ray was taken last week due lack of restriction, hunger and no recent weight loss, my Dr. has diagnosed an unlocked band. The physician's Assistant wanted to send me for an endoscopy, but I kind of persisted on a less invasive route first, so I was scheduled for a fill with floro first. The first step the day of the appt was an x-ray and that's where it stopped. The Dr looked at the x-ray and tell me he "thinks" my band is unlocked. Whether it has been unlocked since day one or it happened along the way is unclear, but he wants to go back in and lock it. I have a date for surgery, but now that I've had some time to digest all the info, I will meet with the Dr. first and ask a few more questions before the surgery date. Anyway, I am posting in case the info helps anyone else that has a problem reaching restriction and thinks they are failing. Here is one more thing to have the Dr check out. My surgeon said I am the second person in his practice that has this problem. He claims the band locking device has changed.

Hi November Nymphs, Time for me to come out with my problem, too. Sades and I have been in touch with each other as we have each had similar problems of lack of restriction, still have hunger and eat too much at one sitting. Last week, I had an x-ray and the Dr. says my band is unlocked. He wanted to go in right away and fix it, but my schedule did not allow me to go back into surgery until Aug 5th. Like Sades, I am sad that I have to be cut open again, go through the anesthesia and the gas pain from being filled with gas, not to mention the recovery again. Since Sades has found out her problem, I plan to meet with the Dr before my surgery to try to be sure I have the right diagnosis. If my band is unlocked, was it locked at surgery or did it come open? If it came open, will it again and I guess then it could happen to any of us with the same type band. I knew I was not losing weight fast enough and wondered why it was such a struggle for me. If it were not for the walking I've been doing right now, I would have gained weight back. Anyway, I just wanted my friends to know in case you ever have a problem, this would be one thing you'd know to check out. I will post in the complication section to try to help anyone else that does not have restriction and feels the band is failing them. Judy

Congratulations TXArcher and Happy belated Father's Day. Your "MANCAVE" plans look impressive. Keep up the good work and none of us would be surprised at the "looks" you are getting. My hubby has been very positive about the changes in my appearance and how much better I feel about myself and my new level of activity. BandPal: You will be amazed at how much better you look and feel when you wear clothes that really fit your new body. So get rid of those old baggy ones and splurge on a few new ones. Hope to check in on the forum again more often, been kind of absent for the last month.