hello folks! my husband and i will be traveling to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia soon to meet the baby girl we are adopting. my doctor and i are considering unfilling my band for the trip for a couple of reasons...1.) the high possibility of getting sick and throwing up, which could cause a slip. 2.) medical professionals there have no idea what to do with the band, so if i were to having problems, i'd be out of luck with getting help.

has anyone else done this while traveling? does the hunger come of fast? i have 6 cc in a 10 cc band and have lost just over 80 lbs. i'm scared of gaining weight, but near as scared as what could happen in Ethiopia with my band if i got sick.

any advice is greatly appreciated!

Are you at restriction? If not how oftern do you pb or have things get stuck? I have 6 cc in a 10cc band and only have partial restriction. I would feel comfortable traveling because I have not had any issues when eating.

I went to South Africa without an unfill but that is a totally different kettle of fish to Ethiopia. South Africa has 1st world medical facilities plus I organised travel insurance that included cover for the band and searched for and found contact details for bariatric specialists in case I needed them.

With the low level of medical care in Ethiopia plus the high risk of contracting some kind of stomach bug I would be inclined to go for an unfill before the trip. Oh and don't forget the HIV/AIDS risk so if you do need an unfill whilst you are there I would advise you to take your own needle.

How long are you going to be there for?

Congrats on the adoption, you must be very excited.

I would suggest a slight unfill. Better to gain a few lbs than have serious issues while there.

And I think you'll be way to busy with meeting your new daughter than to overindulge in food!

Congrats on the upcoming adoption! We too are adoptive parents of 3 beautiful children, so I know you're joy!!