KayleighsMommy

Right before Thanksgiving I started having really bad gas/pressure pain that went up into my ears. I called my band doc's office and was told to come in for a total unfill. Had a unfill, but still pain. Went to the ER where I was told my band was fine but my stomach was distended. Went to a different band doc (the one the hospital called) the next day and he looked at me CT scan and said "Your stomach is HUGE!!!" He ordered a upper GI and it turned out my stomach wasn't emptying, though again, my band was "fine". Still had restriction but pain got worse. Still had the gas pressure pain on a regular basis, but also developed a "ball of pain" in my chest when I ate. Finally got into a gastro doc last week (new insurance, 3 week wait) She did a endoscopy and found out I had a large erosion. :cryin: . I saw the surgeon today and am having my band removed next week. :cry_smile: He told me (and I alreay knew this) that a bypass will usually fix this problem. I am going to apply for bypass as soon as I get up to a 40 BMI (I am around 38-39) I have Kaiser and it is about 9 months wait for surgery. I am planning on doing everything I can do on my own, but I am sooo afraid of gaining all this weight back. I worked hard for it. It took me over 2 years to lose 100 pounds. I just sit and cry.

Not to be an alarmist, or scare you. But if it keeps up you might want to ask for a endoscopy. This is one of the main symptoms of an erosion. I had a CT and barium swallow that both showed my band as fine. No slip, no issues. Had to have a endoscopy due to extreme pain and delayed emptying of stomach. Turns out I have an erosion. Having my band removed next week. :cryin:

Sorry. I left out something. The erosion caused something called gastroparesis (delayed emptying of the stomach) this can happen when the vagus nerve is damaged. There are very few cures for this, but bypass seems to be one of them. An erosion just means my band eroded a hole right into my stomach. At this point it needs to be removed. It is not working, since it is basically sitting in my stomach. This is a possible complication, though fairly rare. From what I have read it is usually due to an inexperienced doc not quite doing it right.

:cryin: Right before Thanksgiving I started having really bad gas/pressure pain that went up into my ears. I called my band doc's office and was told to come in for a total unfill. Had a unfill, but still pain. Went to the ER where I was told my band was fine but my stomach was distended. Went to a different band doc (the one the hospital called) the next day and he looked at me CT scan and said "Your stomach is HUGE!!!" He ordered a upper GI and it turned out my stomach wasn't emptying, though again, my band was "fine". Based in this I was diagnosed with GP. Still had restriction but pain got worse. Still had the gas pressure pain on a regular basis, but also developed a "ball of pain" in my chest when I ate. Finally got into a gastro doc last week (new insurance, 3 week wait) She did a endoscopy and found out I had a large erosion. :cryin: . I saw the surgeon today and am having my band removed next week. :cry_smile: I asked about a sleeve and he said I can NEVER have one. He said it would totally paralyze my stoamch and I would be on a feeding tube for the rest of my life. He told me putting a band on me would be malpractice!!! He said when I ate anything I would drool. Sounds crazy (and none too pleasant) but I did believe him. He told me (and I alreay knew this) that a bypass will usually fix this problem. Have you had an endoscopy?? Perhaps your doc will give you a different (and better) answer than this.

I still have some weight to lose, but I have been told by a couple of local surgeons that I will have optimum results with a lower body lift. I still want to lose about 50 pounds but carry almost all my weight in my pannus. My upper abdomen has no excess flesh whatsoever. I have been told surgery will take off 25-30 pounds. Did anyone have a TT or LBL at a bit higher BMI?

Hi girls. Well, looks like I'm probably gonna lose my band :hurt: . I'm still in a lot of pain, only now it is 2 very distinct types of pain. One is what I have had all along... the crushing, spreading pressure/gas-like pain, the other is what I call the "ball of pain" that is the feeling that someone punched me in the right boob and left their fist in there. This occurs when I eat or drink anything and lasts for hours. I ended up going to the ER 2 weeks ago for this new pain. They told me my stomach was still distended (like I didn't already know that). They also called Dr Metz about this. He called me back about 4 days later (nothing like customer service, huh?) And told me that he thinks the band is pressing on the vagus nerve and is probably is going to have to come out. This scares the HELL out of me!!! I still have at least 50 pounds (my goal) to 90 pounds to go (where the BMI charts say I should be). I am so afraid I will put all this weight back on. We just started with Kaiser, evidently so did Dr Metz, so he recommended I call the head of the bariatric program at KP and ask for a referral to see him. I did this and she told me she had no problem referring me, but she wanted to talk to him first to see what his plan of action was. I am still waiting to hear back from her, too. I finally got into a gastroenterologist, it took me 3 weeks to get an appointment, while I was steadily geting worse each day. I have gotten to the point that I am barely eating/drinking for the pain. Now I am so weak I can barely stand for more that a minute or two at a time. I figured they were going to jerk me around... "Here, try this med and come back in a month" type of thing. But she was like "I can get you in tomorrow for an endoscopy" This would have been at St Joe's but admitting was already closed for the day, so we made an appointment for tomorrow at 11 AM at the Kaiser office downtown. She will be looking for an ulcer or stricture, though she told me she doubts it is either of these things. I told her of my weight gain fears without a band and asked her if I truly have gastroparesis (basically your stomach muscles aren't working to push the food through... it just sits there and rots) if a bypass would fix it (that seems to be one of the few things that works for people). She told me that if she doesnt find anything tomorrow she is going to call Natalie (the head of bariatrics) and suggest she refers me to Dr Metz for exploratory surgery <Yikes> and a bypass. She said she feels that this is being caused by something structural, and I will definetely have to have exploratory surgery, so they "might as well do a bypass while they are in there". I am reallly freaked out about needing X surgery. And if I can't have a band I will take the bypass. Now I'm stressing thinking that Kaiser will not want to pay for the bypass, since they tend to have a lot of hoops to jump through before they will pay for bariatrics. I am hoping that they will not deny this since: 1). This would be done to alleviate a very real, dangerous stomach condition. And, 2). I have "proven" myself and my commitment already by losing 113 pounds with the band. Of course, now (for the first time in probably 20 years) I am under a 40 BMI. This may come into play also. I didn't elect for bypass in the first place because of the risks and more danger associated with it.... but I guess the risks of ballooning up to over 350 pounds are pretty high too. Figures..... I decided on who I was going to go to for my PS, and to have my boobs done too. Now this is most likely going to be put on the back burner for quite awhile. Best case scenario: She finds an ulcer, and I am all better after 6 weeks of meds. I can get my band refilled and have my lower body lift. Second best case scenario: Kaiser pays for a bypass, I quickly lose even more weight, and look even better after my LBL. The last scenario: Kaiser refuses to authorize the bypass. Dr Metz removes the band and I see how much it would cost for me to pay cash for a sleeve while he's in there. There goes my plastics money..... OR ..... I go to Mexico for a sleeve or the new sleeve plication. Again, bye bye plastic surgery. :broken_heart: Sorry for the long post, and I'll post back tomorrow after my test.

For anyone who is feeling challenged or down, feel free to take a look at my blog (and leave a comment or sign up as a follower if you'd like). I am down over 100 pounds. I still have a way to go. I have had many challenges and issues since I started my journey. But still, I KNOW I am a success at this.

I can relate. I have been very challeged in this band journey. I know you can do it, though. Just don't quit quitting. Use your band and you will succeed.

Congrats!!! :Banane03: Feels great, doesn't it???

I'm so sorry for your frustration. I fully understand it. My insurance company was just as bad. I finally gave up and paid cash (which is what they want you to do :cursing: ) A lot of people come here to CO and pay cash.

Just wondering what the Drs. name is?? I am probably going to go with Dr Murphy (he is in the Swedish med building) He seems uite caring and his price is reasonable.

I'm looking forward to it! :Banane45:

I had to get a total unfil on Monday. :cryin: I had been having terrible gaslike (though worse) pressure/pain that kind of billowed out... starting in my chest and going up towards my ears. It was quite unbearable. I called Dr Metz's office in the morning. His NP told me to come in for an unfill. She told me if the pain did not go away she would get me in for a for a upper GI Tuesday, then if all was well she would give me some fill Wednesday. I am going to MI tomorrow and did not want to go with a empty band. I went to a support group at Dr Snyder's Monday night. (He is at Rose) The pain was getting worse so I went to the ER there. They did a CT and said my stomach was dilated (though the band looked fine) They called Dr Snyder and he said I could come see him the next day. I went to see him yesterday. He left the exam room to go look at my CT in his office. He came back, opened the exam room door and said "Your stomach is HUGE!!!" He said it was the size of a football. :eek: He ordered a Upper GI and they got me in right away. Turns out my stomach was not emptying. The good news is the band is fine... no erosion, slip or dilation. :purplebananna: The radiologist had me lay on my right side for 45 minutes in the X-ray table. She told me that if it didn't empty they were going to send me to the ER so they could get gastro in for me. It emptied very little (if at all) in that time. They had just gone to get a wheelchair for me when the radiologist called and told me she had just talked to Dr Snyder and he siad I should be able to go home, that there was not much they could do for me in the ER. She told me she did not see anything obvious in my CT or UGI. No masses or anything. This made me feel MUCH better. Everyone agrees there is definetly something wrong.... just have no freakin idea what <sigh> Before I went for the test Dr S said no fill until this is taken care of. So.... I guess I will be white knuckling it for the next month or so in Michigan. I am praying I don't gain too much weight, though the full stomach is a lot like a full band. Hopefully I will do OK. Hopefully this clears up so I can start re-filling it when I come back.

congrats!!!! Good for you Great feeling, isn't it???

Marie- No problem on the 9th. Sorry it took so long to reply back to you. Had to make sure the hubby could pick up K after school. He said sure. I am looking forward to meeting you. We'll talk before then.

What day and time are you coming in? I can most likely do it julie

Would anyone like to get together at RR in the next few weeks?? Dee... when are you available? I would love to see the new you! Ron starts new shift tomorrow, so I am actually free in the evenings. Yayyyyy.

Awesome!!!! I am soooo proud of you girl. :wub: You so ROCK.

yayyyyyy, Congrats

You sure will!!!! I'm gonna check out your blog!!

Congrats :party:It took me 2 years, 2 months and 2 weeks, so you have me beat. Doesn't it feel great???

Works for me. I'll be late, though. K starts her swimming classes tomorrow. It's 6:30-7. I'll give you a buzz if it looks like I'll be running too late to make it :smile:

Wow, good for her!!! I have the same regrets about not having this done when I was younger. Hope she realizes what a gift she has been given. Any time you want to do RR just let me know.