chicamam1

My band First slipped this year and i got total unfill for a month. then we tried refilling and two months later I slipped again and had to do complete unfill. My band has not been removed or surgically fixed. Im self pay so unless leaving in the unfilled band is causing complications it will just stay there. I can eat normally now tho. So yes, I am just living with a slipped band currently. They have told me to never get it filled again as the same thing will concurrently happen. Im pretty much at goal, and may consider a sleeve when I can come up with the money for revision.

So i was banded 9.15.08 all was well and I did get to goal in 10 months. which is so wonderful. In Aug out of nowhere couldnt eat or drink, Went to ER and had slip where stomach came up through the band. I got complete unfill and waited a month and then started the fill process. Finally got back to where I was and out of nowhere same thing happened, reflux pain, cannot drink or eat. Went to Er, got complete unfill and they say my band is sitting too horizontal so it slipped again or never really fixed itself the first time. My options as self pay are ( from surgeon) if removal of fluid thereafter, there are no complications can leave the band in deflated since I cant cough up the money to remove it. Or if i have major complications I will get band removed as an emergency surgery which could cost me an arm and a leg I dont have. So for now the band will remain unfilled forever, and Im hoping I can get money someday to go to Mexico and get a revision and removal for less than half of the cost here. After a year, my band is rendered useless. Thank Goodness I was at goal when all this started to happen and im so scared of gaining the weight back but I got to be strong and know I can maintain right?

well i do hope all goes well. Hopefully your port being angled and shifting ( which means it has moved from the original place it was sewn which means stitchings came loose) doesnt cause any problems with fills in the future for you as that would be a major PITA for you for sure. but Im sure all will be well. Good luck with your future fills.

my only concern regarding this is what is going to change waiting a month? Are they thinking the port is going to magically be put back into place. If they had such trouble they should be looking at options for a port revision IMO to avoid any delay for you for fills in the future. I only say this as my port as flipped and thank goodness its so close to the surface it can be fiddled with to get in the correct position. I just dont see the logic of the surgeon there. I am sorry you have gone through this I would be disappointed as well. :drool: I hope next month the same problem doesn't occur.

First of all hang in there you will be ok I promise. Its hard at first when you are trying to get the proper restriction and still are eating more than the 4 oz they ask us to eat. Second you only have 45 to lose. I can tell you from personal experience, when I only had that amount left to lose the weight was Stubborn!!!! A glass of wine now and then wont kill you. Its like 200 cals and neither will a dessert. IN FACT its good to treat yourself once in awhile so you dont binge. Everything in moderation is key. THe things I would look at right now is how big are your portions? are you weighing, measuring? What is the exercise intake? with only 45 to lose you may have to exercise and kick that up more to start weight loss. I do understand your frustrated but I would suggest calling your doc and reviewing a plan of action so you can start seeing some results! I wish you the best of luck

we are a non profit health insurance company

Not all insurances are greedy, I just wanted to point this out as I know we are all considered evil. Right now the company I work for only makes 3 cents to the dollar and that money goes back into the reserve to pay for claims. Cost of health care is more than insurance companies driving premiums up. Some may be greedy but not all. Its a big picture. Pre existing waiting periods, yes I agree need to be fixed the problem to fix is if an insurance company now has to cover the conditions of all these really sick high cost claims, they will end up not having enough to put in reserves, even with the extra premiums that would be paid. Gotta figure out how to solve that problem it is important, without us the taxpayers footing that whole bill. The cost of medical care is outlandish, including here are the big drivers Our company saw 28 million more dollars being paid out in prescription medicine. Doctors and hospitals jumping to high cost medical treatments first when a less expensive test or procedure could of solved the problem. which is why we are now back to prior authorization to try and reduce those costs to try and keep premiums lower for our customers. We are trying! There may be some insurance companies who rake in and dont run their business ethical but that isnt true for most. 3 cents on the dollar that is it. and that is going into reserves to pay your claims.

i got diagnosed with slipped band friday that my stomach was coming through teh band. when all unfilled, they told me to wait to see if it goes back into place. Im still having reflux but its not coming up in my throat i can feel it trying to and a slight burn in m lower stomach along with some minor cramping, I havent gotten a clear answer if i am to wait through these symptoms or if it will be fixed.

My last period was a month long. Now a week and half break and bad cramps have shown up again

To say its mostly the peoples faults who had complications I will nicely disagree. I just found out band slipped almost a year out and I feel I was a good patient most the time a complication will arise out of nowhere I agree woth someone who said tired of pbing stuck being nauseated. Right now I feel the band takes center stage in my life it did a wonderful thing for me and I hope if oi go through fil process again and don't have it removed it will come with less complications

Wow we are in the same boat. I too worry about being fat again. I guess what is done is done. For the person who asked why. I dunno. But my stomach entered up through the band. I'm not real hungry yet but imsure I will be soon.

So, in the beginning of my journey I loved my band. I lost most of my weight yes, Im grateful for the band. However lately I hate it. ( im bearing my true feelings right now) I wish I could revise my surgery to sleeve but cant. Im self pay. I have had problems in the past with my band being overfilled before not being able to swallow my own spit and lived through it ok. But at some point its becoming really nagging. This week really put the topper on the cake. Yes my band slipped. Went to Er because of severe reflux and got the bad news. Surgeon came in and wanted to do another upper gi ( i got diagnosed by cat scan) and said if it wasnt little, she would take me straight back into surgery to remove it. Thankfully it wasnt that bad, and she completely unfilled me and we will wait two weeks to SEE if it will settle back in place. if so great, ill get an endoscopy to check for ulcers and can start the fill process. if not then well, my band will be taken out. My Love Hate relationship. Funny I dont want to lose it, i just wish all the complications would go bye bye. I miss so much work because of it. Anyway really, I just needed to vent. Im scared to get my hospital bill because im self pay and its not covered my insurance and they admitted me overnight for observation. All this right after we get our bankruptcy discharged. Maybe one day ill love my band again Its done wonders for me. but for now. I hate it.

20 pounds in lil over a month is 5 pounds a week. First of all your losing at a very fast pace. This is rapid weight loss actually. U are being too hard on yourself. Its up to you to do 7 days of liquids but really that isnt how the pouch is designed to work. Its designed to work with solid foods being held so you stay full longer. BUT this is really up to you. I think seriously tho you need to understand the surgery makes it clear you would only lose 1-2 pounds a week as normal. and you are twice or more than twice above that! First six weeks really are for healing too. so now your journey begins to finding restriction and My best advice to you, is to realize how much ur losing really is a great success so far.

lst poster is right. u need to make more calls. are the surgery centers ur calling that are contracting asc?(ambulatory surgery centers) whate about an outpatient surgery in clinic? these types of surgery centers require less payment and do not have the high expectations of costs like a hospital facility charge which is really high. you are also a blue company which means u have access to any doctor or facility that is contracted with a local blue in another state. have u considered that?