ms_efflorescent

My band has been off for about a month now. It is scary being without but it is good to be living without the problems that it caused. Best of luck to you with your removal.

It was a gastric volvulus not an intestinal volvulus. Glastric volvulus is rare and can occur in children as a result of a congenital diaphramatic defect and rarely occurs in adults under the age of 50 and even above that age, it is still rare. Still it is usually case by diaphramatic defects which, at this point, they have not found in me.

My problems started back in the beginning of January with days when I couldn't eat anything and had severe pain when I would try and would vomit up anything that I attempted. By the end of January it progressed to most days not even keeping liquids down. I was sent for an upper GI, ULtrasound, CT scan and then finally last Monday I went in for the EGD. Everything looked normal in all these tests. I awoke Tuesday morning in pain and was in pain constantly for the entire day. I couldn't take a single sip of Water or a single bite of food without vomiting violently and sometimes I would vomit violently without even having tried take anything in. The pain worsened on Wednesday and still I could consume nothing and spent a lot of the day doubled over the bathtub vomiting nothing. Once Lon, my husband, got home from class I had him take me to the ER. After many hours I was admitted and Thursday the did another upper GI and another EGD which both showed that my stomach was twisted and nothing could get through. I was rushed to emergency surgery where the problem with my stomach was corrected. They may have said something about tacking the stomach into proper position but I was really drugged and will have to verify. They do not know what was causing this only that it has been happening for some time and then correcting itself only to twist again. I was finally released from the hospital today but will have more tests in the future to try to make sure this doesn't happen again and to check thoroughly for anomalies. I can now drink water again and eat which is a relief though portions are small at this point so still haven't gotten in much in any one day but things are improving and I am relieved that at least some resolution has been found. In cases of gastric volvulus (twisting of the stomach), it cuts off blood flow to the stomach, but we were lucky and they got to correct the problem before any of my stomach tissue died so none of my stomach had to be removed. Because of this condition my band did have to be removed though they did not believe that the band actually caused it though they say that they cannot be certain. Dr C, if you see this, I guess you won't be needing copies of all my tests anymore but I wanted to thank you once again for all of your kindness and assitance.

I'm in Greenville.

The doctor was not Dr Strickland. This doctor that I saw has never even done a lapband surgery but was a bariatric surgeon before he retired. Now he does follow-up care.

Battleweary, I went to Dr Kuri and have absolutely nothing bad to say about him. I also wanted to take this time to wish you a very happy birthday!!!:happybday2:

I went to Carolina Bariatric in Lexington this past Monday. They weren't able to access my port but still charged me. Also I was stuck seven times and he doesn't use a numbing agent. He finally gave up. Just an FYI to anyone else who might consider going there. $300 is a lot of money for nothing especially since I have little abdominal weight and the other two people that have given me fills got it on the first try.

I have found that after a fill I can't drink anything dairy, including protein drinks, until all the swelling has gone down because it creates a lot of mucus which totally fills the pouch area and causes me problems.

I don't know if this will help you at all but: I got hives all over my body about six months after being banded. I had done nothing that wasn't normal in my everyday life; no new foods, beverages, soaps or anything else. Mine itched though. They lasted about two weeks and went away and I haven't had them again since then.

I go to Dr C for fills and he didn't use flouro for me though he will and does if needed. He had to do one fill and two slight unfills on me and found the port the first time every time. Admittedly I do have very minimal abdominal fat though and my port is quite easy to feel so not using flouro might be easier on someone such as myself.

The closest doctor to the DC metro area that is willing to do patients banded in other countries that I have heard of is Susan Brinkley, MD in Frederick, MD. Her number is 301-668-2800. I have not gone to her so I don't really have any more info than that but I do know that other patients of the surgeon that I went to have used her. Good luck.

I am in Simpsonville so I am about an hour away. I travel to Dr C for fills. If you want to go that far, maybe we could travel together for the next fill.