I sit here struggling with the notion to write this or not...but something someone said to me yesterday is very disturbing. I think her words were "A Slipped Band is not a BIG Deal, quit your whining it can be fixed."

I followed all the rules the Doctor gave me and for 18 months have had phenominal success with my band. I eat right and I excercise and within this time have lost 129 lbs...putting me 5 lbs under my original goal. Two weeks ago I came down extremely ill with the FLU and my world changed. I've never been so sick in all my life and the vomitting was non-stop. It landed me in the ER for two days, my LAP-BAND® slipped, they unfilled it...hoping it would fall back into place. Unfortunately it didn't and surgery was scheduled. My Doctor was not sure what they would find. Could I have been so sick that it could of caused a possible errosion. I was lucky...but it is a VERY BIG DEAL! I was in surgery for 4 hours to fix my Slipped LAP-BAND®...and a 3 day hospital stay. It just really angered me yesterday when someone told me to quit whining about surgery. Surgery is risky no matter who you are or how healthy you are. Don't get me wrong I LOVE my LAP-BAND® and I love the success I've had with it...but surgery of any kind is scary. Things like "throwing up" shouldn't be taken so lightly or carelessly. A slipped band can and will happen if you don't take care of yourself properly.

I thought this forum was for sharing your stories and helping and supporting one another. If I can help one person not go through what I did, then its a success. Obviously I couldn't stop the Flu from happening, but I wish I would of gone to the Doctor at the first sign of being sick and had my LAP-BAND® unfilled. Maybe then I'd be out running today instead of being on day 7 of recovery.

I will however not let this stop me or drag me down. I'm loving life and love the "new me". Everyone has a story and deserves to be heard!

I am so sorry that you had to go through such a traumatic ordeal with your slipped band. Hopefully you will be on your way to recovery and good as new. I know exactly what you are saying about people telling you that is no big deal for a slipped band. The chat forum on here has some really misinformed people that think they are doctors and are not as supportive as we would expect from them. I hope and pray that since my 2 year bandiversary is coming up that I never had to go through that. I never had a fill and hope that maybe that could be what saves me from such a horrible experience like you just had. Have a speedy recovery and good luck.

A flu ( influenza) shot will not protect you from an intestinal virus or food borne illness.

This may be more information I need to share, and I certainly DO NOT endorse or recommend this to anyone....

We travel a lot...many times outside the country....

I am always afraid I will get food poisoning or some bug....and fear uncontrollable vomiting....

So I carry a syringe with a large bore needle with me when I travel to remove the saline from my band in an emergency.

Let's just say I am more than qualified to do this, and If you think you are, you may want to speak with your Dr. about it....

Also I should say my port sticks out there under a thin layer of skin having no belly fat....a blind man could do it with one hand. tied behind his back.......

A slipped bad is a BIG deal! I have had to have fluid removed once and 1 1/2 years later have a revision. I am better since, but if the revision didn't work, it would have had to be replaced! Best wishes to you! Karen

Whoa...

I can't believe that insurance won't cover a slipped band procedure. I never really inquired about this before my surgery, but reading about it is really scaring me