Is Something Wrong With My Band?

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

As a new bandster, it's natural to wonder if every little (and big) thing that happens to you now is somehow connected to your band. Every hiccup, every twinge, makes you ask, “Is something wrong with my band?” How do you make sense of all these new experiences without making yourself crazy (or in my case, crazier)?

ADJUSTING TO BANDED LIFE

Having weight loss surgery is a huge project. You spent months, even years, in research, education, preparation, recovery and adjustment. No wonder you're obsessed with it. But it is not the only thing going on in your body and your life. It is not the cause of every adverse - or favorable - event.

When I buy a new car, I go through phases similar to the ones I experienced as a new bandster. I look around, do research, study and compare before I buy. With all of that foremost in my limited-capacity brain, I cherish my new possession, and suddenly I see that same vehicle everywhere. Like magic, the same make, model, and even color is on every road, in every parking lot. It’s as if the 2011 Toyota Camry has become my world. Gradually the novelty wears off, things shift back into position, and the Camry becomes transportation again – at least until it suffers its first scratch or dent.

Adjusting to life with a new band can be a lot like life with a new car, or even more so, because an adjustable gastric band isn’t something (I hope) you’re going to tire of and trade in one day. It’s a lifetime commitment, and even if your insurance pays for all or part of it, a band is a huge investment in terms of time and energy.

It’s not surprising that everything that happens to you as a new post-op gets filtered through the AGB lens. We suddenly tune in to every little whisper of AGB stories, especially scary ones. As we move forward in the shiny new vehicle that we hope will take us far from the land of obesity, we listen carefully for any suspicious creaks, squeaks or whines, while cringing at every little bump in the road. After months of preparation and anticipation, we’re now in a hyper-vigilant mode that rings an alarm bell every time something even mildly unfamiliar happens in our bodies. We’re so alert that even a sore toe could be a sign of something insidious happening to our bands. We analyze every sneeze, every burp, asking, “Is this normal? Is something wrong with me or my band?”

The answer to that is almost always, “Completely normal, and nothing wrong.”

Although there's a tendency to interpret every post-op experience (especially physical ones) as band-related, chances are that the pain in your big toe has nothing to do with your band. It's easy to "awfulize" things when you have a pain, symptom or experience you didn't expect and can't explain. You're sure that's something's wrong. You haven't lost weight in three days, or you found hair clogging your shower drain, or you puked up your spaghetti dinner.< /p>

You’ve probably had more practice at dealing with this kind of worry than you give yourself credit for, because it applies to many other aspects of your life. It's extremely difficult to make a good decision when you're in a panic. Your vomiting might be band-related, but it could also be the result of a garden-variety intestinal bug. Your teenaged daughter's failure to return your phone call could be because she was in a terrible accident, or it could be because her cell-phone battery died.

WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG

First, take a deep breath. Panic will not solve the problem, and it might make it worse.

First, have a look at any discharge instructions or other written post-op information you were given before or after your surgery (if your surgeon or the hospital doesn’t give you anything like that, ask for it!). Then ask yourself: Is this an emergency? Is it life-threatening, disabling, or just inconvenient? What will happen if I don't do something about it right now? Can I deal with this myself, or do I need help? What kind of help (medical, emotional, spiritual, financial)? Who can help me (my surgeon, therapist, best friend, minister)? Be careful how you choose your helper(s). I know you love your sister, who might tell you that everyone in her family has been sick with a bug since you saw them (and their germs) on Sunday, but she cannot tell you whether or not your band slipped. So please don’t ask her, me, your hairdresser, neighbor, personal trainer, or a casual Internet acquaintance for medical advice. We may be well qualified to sympathize, but we’re not qualified to give you medical treatment, so call your surgeon instead.

But first, make a list. I like list-making because it gives me the illusion of control and because it helps jog my memory when I finally get a doctor, nurse or dietitian on the line. If nothing serious (a temperature over 101°F, you can’t drink Clear Liquids, you can’t stop vomiting) or life-threatening (you can’t breathe, can’t move, can’t speak, are bleeding profusely, etc.) is on the list, consider waiting to call your surgeon for an hour or two, or until you have a list of at least three questions. Use that time to think of the answers to some basic questions your surgeon is sure to ask: how long the problem has been going on, whether it’s constant or intermittent, and whether it seems related to a particular behavior, time of day, or other event.

If your list includes something life-threatening (see above), leave a brief message like “This is Jane Doe. I’m on my way to the ER at Hometown Hospital because I’m having severe chest pain” and don’t wait for your surgeon to call you back. Call 911 or have someone take you to the emergency room. But once you’re there, remember that you can’t expect the average ER doctor to know how to treat a problem related to bariatric surgery. The ER will rule out and treat things like cardiac arrest, infection, pneumonia, stroke, and the like, and will give you palliative care to make you more comfortable until your surgeon arrives or tells them what to do next.

While it’s always okay to ask your surgeon or his/her staff about your worries, it’s important to remember that you are not the only patient under their care. If you don’t get a return call within a few hours of leaving a message, it may be because they’re overwhelmed with other patients’ problems and/or because they didn't understand the nature of your problem. Leave a clear, simple, but specific message. If you’re running a temperature and have a bad headache, say, “This is Jane Doe. I’ve had a temperature of 103°F and a bad headache for 5 hours. Please call me back as soon as possible at 123-456-7890.”

NOT EVERYTHING IS RELATED TO YOUR BAND

Now that you’re at least somewhat prepared to deal with medical emergencies that might arise, you need to hear this: not everything is related to your band. While it’s appropriate to be concerned and alert after any surgery and in adjusting to life with an implanted medical device like a band, don't let fear cloud your thinking. You will wear yourself to a frazzle if every event becomes a crisis, and you don’t want to neglect other important things in your life (like family, job, etc.) because your band has somehow taken over every waking thought..

I may sound unsympathetic, but I'm really not. I can whine with the best of 'em. I’m not saying that your confusion and struggles as a new bandster aren't important. They are. But it will be easier for you to handle them if you do it with a clear mind and a calm heart. I know from personal experience that worry and self-pity are deadly traps because they tend to paralyze you. So while it's good to keep your little buddy in the back of your mind when trying to figure out what's going on, remember that you are still vulnerable to the bacteria, viruses, accidents, exhaustion, bad habits, and dumb luck that ambushed you before your band surgery. Try not to let a three-inch ring of plastic hold you hostage. Your post-op life includes much, much more than just your band, eating, and weight loss efforts!

[marfar7 1,528]

NOT EVERYTHING IS RELATED TO YOUR BAND

This is so true. Almost a year post op, I woke up in the am with excruciating abdominal pain. I knew I had slipped my band. I vomited up my morning coffee and any Water that I drank. I panicked thinking that I needed surgery and I was all by myself with 2 cats and a dog to care for - knowing not a soul in the new state I lived in. At noon, I decided to head to the Urgent Care. The dr in there agreed with my "diagnosis" and sent me to the ER with a note that said "possible surgical candidate". After 3 very painful hours in the waiting room, they started an IV and gave me pain meds. Got my CT scan and waited to hear that my band had indeed slipped and I'd need surgery. I was suprised to hear that my band was fine - I had a bad case of Diverticulitis. I was sposed to take pain meds and eat clear liquids for the next 3 days + antibiotics. Whew. What a relief. ad to call an aquaintance I barely knew to take me ome cuz they wouldn't let me drive all gorked out on pain meds. I swore ever since then to take care of my band and not let it slip. I didn't do a very good job cuz a few months ago, I finally had a slip (after 2 1/2 yrs post op).

So, you're right that everything doesn't have to do with the band. Some things would have happened whether or not we ave a band.

Marci

[SageTracey 608]

Great article and a very important message. I had to see a dr on Saturday morning and actually managed to NOT mention my band because it was pretty obvious to even me that a head cold that had led to an ear infection was in no way related to my lapband.

On the other hand, when I presented at the ER twice in a month with severe abdominal pain, I did tell them that I had a lapband because they could have been related. Unfortunately the ER docs didn't understand the relationship (it's very difficult to explain more than the basics when you are in severe pain!) When I made an emergency follow up visit to my surgeon the next day, he was furious that the ER staff hadn't called him, especially as he operates from that hospital.

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

I had to see a dr on Saturday morning and actually managed to NOT mention my band because it was pretty obvious to even me that a head cold that had led to an ear infection was in no way related to my lapband.

LOL!