jillagin2000

Starrgirrl -- I'm not sure but I think I slipped about 2 years out after a particularly tight fill. Rather than go straight back to my Dr I spent a long weekend out in the heat doing sports but not able to keep so much as a sip of Water through. I threw up 5-10 times a day for 3-4 days, I was miserable. I thought I was OK when I finally got into my Band Doc and he partially un-filled me but my symptoms started then even after un-fill after un-fill. I'm OK now as I have nothing in the band right now but I'm eating like a paroled felon. I can't wait to get this band out and get started on my bypass journey :-)

JeanneC -- I'm scheduled for mid-July. I'm not interested in the sleeve simply because I want the added benefit of malabsorption. I don't think I can get this weight thing busted with a purely restrictive option anymore. My Mom had RNY 7 years ago and I'm basing my expectations on her outcome. I should be close to or at my ideal weight within a year or two and I'll be able to keep it there, or within 10-15lbs of there. And I'm hoping for no more complications, my Mom's had only one that being anemia. Which she probably could have avoided if she'd take her Vitamins. Good luck everyone!!

I'm just full of advice today LOL. If it were me, and it pretty much is, I'd opt for revision to RNY. It's what I'm doing and my Doctor agrees. Apparently, according to him, you're more likely to slip if you've slipped in the past. Even with a whole new band. I can't afford to pay for any future surgeries should I lose my insurance so I'm going for the more "permanent" wls.

I don't want to be an alarmist but it sounds like a slip to me (from my own experience with the same symptoms). Get thee to a Dr my dear!!! Especially with the hair falling out, bruising, and severe reflux at night. Those are not something you want to fool around with and could signal all sorts of problems!!!

Hello -- I don't think it has much, if anything, to do with your eating hot foods. It's a slip, slips usually result in a weird cul-de-sac in the pouch just above the band. That little pouch on a pouch creates serious reflux, think of a tide pool at the beach. With that I'd say avoid spicy liquids during this period, keep it very bland while you're trying to get the slip to self-correct. I've dealt with this for a long while but mine didn't self-correct with a total un-fill so I've decided to get my band revised to an RNY Bypass. I've heard that most slips will self-correct though. Oh -- and take this FWIW as I am not a medical professional in any way, don't even play one on TV

Vic -- I wish I could help you but I really have only one thing to say, "You need to find a new Surgeon!!!" You're in Dalas according to your profile, I'm sure there are several Bariatric Surgeons!

OK -- I've been slipped for close to two years now and due to several things I've been trying to get my band to self-correct but have finally stepped out of my state of denial (ain't just a river in Egypt). So, I've spoken with my revision surgeon and he's agreed to remove my band and revise me to RNY. I'll have to jump through all of the hoops a first-time patient would have to do; I've decided to start my food journal tomorrow LOL I'm scheduled for mid-July but still need to get approved by insurance. I'm only slightly concerned it may not be approved. My mom had her RNY 7 years ago and is in a size 12. I'd kill to be in a size 12. I only made it down to 16 before my band slipped even though I'd managed to lose 100lbs. I'm hoping that I'm the 1 in 10 revision patients that will lose all of my excess weight, and again the 1 in 10 that regains none of it :-) but I am trying to be realistic. I'd love to hear from other AGB->RNY revision patients!!! Are there any of you out there?

Hey guys -- I've been banded for 5 years now and for most of that time my band acted just as it should. It's slipped right now so I'll be going in for revision surgery in July and I'm certain my band slipped because I had a too tight fill and waited an entire weekend before getting the fill taken out. But I thought that I'd offer my advice as an experienced bandster. I am not a doctor or any other type of health care provider. Call around to some local urgent care centers and/or emergency rooms tonight. Ask if they have anyone on staff who is willing to take your fill out (I'm assuming that you have some fill in there now). Tell them that it's the same kind of port as a port-a-cath for chemotherapy (I know from personal experience with those), fairly simple to access. They don't need flouroscopy to to un-fill you. I'm betting that with the fill out the gum will pass -- then just treat your pouch carefully for a week to 10 days -- Clear liquids to mush before trying solids again. Go to your fill Dr for a re-fill after you're all healed up.

Thanks guys -- I'll keep you all posted!

Well -- I'm not really interested in a purely restrictive surgery anymore. I feel I'll do best with by adding malabsorption to my plan LOL. I really didn't like the stats on weight loss and the complications of VGB. My mom had RNY 7 years ago and has really great results -- I'm hoping to follow in hers and CM's footsteps!

OK -- YAY!!! I really hope I have the same experience!!! Thanks again!

I never experienced anything like that at all and I've flown plenty in the 5 years with my band.

Oh thank you CM -- I was starting to feel so alone out here :thumbup: And WOW, what awesome results for you! I'm so proud!!! So, if you don't mind my asking, what's been the biggest difference in life and eating between the band and the RNY? Did you have a "proximal", "distal", or "extended" bypass - or does it even matter or do you even know? My surgeon says that statistically I should expect about 50% excess weight loss which would have me losing 50lbs -- as long as I'm under 200 I'll be OK but if I could get into a size 10-12 I would be even better. Ideally a size 8 would be more my style though and would make me ecstatic!!! :thumbup:

Good luck Lady Zique!!!

Yes it is that involved, they want to be sure you're healthy enough for the surgery. If you're an experienced rider and you're horse is sound and sane then trail riding at your present weight should pose no problems. Especially if it's one of your only modes of exercise. You're horse is fine, check out the pro reiners, ropers, and cutters- they're often huge men and their horses are little but they work together well. Get out there girl!!!

well, fwiw, even the skinniest dressage queen should use a mounting block to mount because it's better for the horse's back and the saddle. I started my late BS Paint myself when I weighed 290lbs and I weigh 250 now (having band complications that will require band removal and hopefully a revision to RNY). I ride 3-4 days a week on my 7yr old Thoroughbred and am learning Dressage now. I asked my dressage trainer whether my weight was hurting my mare and he said no basically because I know how to ride. I'm not a sack of potatoes that can't balance in the saddle. So, don't let your current weight stop you. It took me a while to get my surgery but my initial weight loss was significant (40lbs in 3 months). You'll be fine!!!

I completely understand. Us horsepeople are CRAZY and addicted to the activity LOL.

I'm a horseperson -- have ridden forever and only took like 3-4 weeks off after surgery to heal. I've had my band for 5 years now and it's never posed a problem in riding. Good Luck!!!

My insurance paid for my band 5 years ago but then I lost my job. I had to pay for fills/unfills myself (which in my experience can run from $250 to $1500 depending on your doctor and what part of the country you're in). And when my band slipped I had no insurance, I didn't realize my symptoms were from a slipped band and I suffered for almost 2 years before I could afford to be seen by a surgeon. Then last year, my new job's insurance had an exclusion. It's the same employer more or less and the same insurance company as had paid for the initial placement but I was still paying for my own fills/unfills. But now, same employer/insurance company but a new plan, it's covered and I'm going to get a revision to RNY. The main driver for that rather than getting my band fixed or replaced is the continued follow up. Even if my band doesn't slip again or some other complication happens I'd still potentially be out of pocket for all of the inevitable fills/unfills. I just thought I'd share my story if that helps you with your own decision making. I do love my band and lost 100lbs with it before it slipped but I'm looking forward to my bypass too.

Thanks Judy I really appreciate that. I'm almost 5 years cancer free so that's all behind me (though I'm still mid-reconstruction on the new boobies LOL) I just am hoping like crazy that insurance will approve the revision.

I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer just 3 months after banding so had very little fill. I had bilateral mastectomy and lots of chemotherapy. That chemo usually causes folks to gain like 30lbs and I only gained 3 but the whole experience as well as the follow up drugs really plateaued me, it's taken me a long time to lose the weight I've lost because of it. Now I'm slipped and will be trying to get revised to bypass this month. ask any questions you like, I have no secrets LOL

Gee Thanks! It's so comforting to know it WAS all my fault! :thumbup: Really, the band can slip because you're not following the rules. But it can slip for other reasons too. I lost slightly more than 100lbs with my band so I know I was compliant, I followed the rules. I just had a too tight fill that caused me to throw up EVERYTHING, even my own spit, for a weekend and it caused my band to slip. Sometimes they just slip! I'm not saying to absolve yourself of all guilt, that it's always some outside influence that causes it. But I am saying that it's not always the patient's fault and to listen to your Dr. luckygirl. She knows if you did something wrong. She says you didn't so quit beating yourself up. I hope your surgery went well and you're recovery is uneventful :thumbup:

Hey Peggy! I've not been on this board long but have been banded for 5 years. My band slipped and what you describe sound like my symptoms. But now that the fill is taken out you may be like me and be much better off. From what I hear that sometimes will correct a slipped band. Just stick with fluids for now, do the regular post-fill diet plan fluids to mush to solid over the space of a week. Good luck!!! Jill

Thanks Socalgal -- I am under a doctor's care and will see him this Thursday. I'm going to ask him to take the band out -- I can't continue to live like this :purplebananna:

My band is slipped and I can't keep anything solid down. Here's a good day... Get to work around 9am -- open a bottle of Water and take a small sip wait about 15 minutes to make sure it passes (if it doesn't it'll make me feel "full" or will cause pain/reflux) if it passes then I'll take a few more sips and keep sipping as long as the water goes down heat up some Campbells Soup-to-go (creamy with no chunks) around 11am and sip it slowly, very slowly and if I'm lucky I get the whole thing down if not I throw it up. keep sipping water try another Campbells Soup-to-go around 6pm If I feel too full after too few sips of Soup I'll wait at least an hour or two but if it's still too full I "know" it's just gonna stay there and NOT go down -- and by then I have awful heartburn but I know that I can't take even a Rolaids as it will not go down -- so I stick my finger down my throat and throw it up. After that I stick to Clear liquids for a couple of days, sometimes throwing that up. I'm at the point now where I can't even take a Zantac 75, and that stuff tastes awful after it's been sitting in your pouch for any length of time.