This is kind of long, but please read.......

I have been a lurker on lapbandtalk for awhile now, I don't post much. I had something happen to me while on vacation that was very scary, so I thought I should share.

I know a lot of us who have been banded have experienced the restriction when we eat something we know we shouldn't. I did, I ate nachos and I got inflamed, or whatever you want to call it. A few days of liquids, I was back to normal. Then my family and I flew from California to Illinois for a 2 week vacation to visit relatives. I got a coffee in the airport before boarding the plane and all was good. As soon as I got in the air, I was experiencing more restriction just drinking coffee! Got to Illinois, and I just couldn't eat, I just put it off, thinking, great, this is the first vacation where I won't gain weight!!!:eek:

Well then I started to barely be able to drink Water, but I was getting water down. The way I felt it didn't feel like it was related to the LapBand, my stomach really hurt everytime I ate, so thought it was stomach related.

We rented a car and drove to Ohio to visit friends. Got to Ohio, and I was sick. I was very lethargic, but I'm on vacation, I refuse to be sick! Standing by the pool, I just passed out, right into the pool. Thank goodness my friend was there to save me!

So, off to the doctor in Ohio, I go. They diagnosed me with a UTI and heartburn and gave me antibiotics and zantac and sent me on my way. I told them I had the LapBand and the doctor said my symptoms were not related to the LapBand. Okay, but now I can't even get water down, how in the hell am I supposed to get a pill down? I called Dr. Martinez in Mexico and he said I need to get unfilled ASAP. I had my LapBand surgery in Mexico, self pay, and I am 2500 miles from home, what do I do?

We drove back to Illinois and I told my husband, I am getting scared. I need to go to the ER when we get back to Illinois. We still had another week full of activities and things to do!

So I went to the ER, told them my situation and the doctor looked at me like I was an alien! He had never heard of the LapBand and was asking me all sorts of questions. At this point, I hadn't eaten for 8 days, and barely taking in any water. So they did the normal, blood testing, IV, xrays, etc. The doctor comes back and said I have bad news. We cannot do the unfill here, nobody is experienced to do it and they are unwilling to do it. Give me some time, I will call around.

The doctor comes back a few hours later and said "I have good news, and bad news". He said that he found a doctor that is willing and able to unfill me, but I have to go to Madison, WI!! At this point, I'm willing to go to the North Pole, I was miserable, grouchy, hungry, thirsty, etc.

So, off to Madison we go. The doctor there was very late and a little testy. This was fourth of July weekend and he had the weekend off and had to come in on his time off to unfill my LapBand, so he took his time. Which is understandable now, but not then ha ha. 14 hours in the hospital, about 20 attempts at finding the port (I am not sure how experienced he was) and 100's of miles of traveling, I got unfilled. I drank a whole bottle of water immediately upon being unfilled! I felt so much better!

A week later, I went to Mexico to get a fill. I asked why this happened, and the tech said sometimes, not always, the pressure of going up and down in an airplane can affect the lapband. I am not sure I understand why, but it does. This is what happened to me.

So, my point in this long story??? Be prepared when you go on vacation. Do some homework. Next time I go anywhere, I will make sure if it's far away from home, that I will find a specialist nearby to help in a case of emergency like I experienced.

Looking back, I was very anemic, very dehydrated and could have died, had I not been able to get help! Learn from my experience and be prepared for these types of emergencies!

Before I moved, I obtained a needle from my fill doctor. He also said the needle used for the mediport would work.

According to my surgeon, the cabin restriction can also be caused by air in the band or tube to band. I have not really had a problem. In the 15 months I have been banded, I have been to Africa 2 times (and then moved there), France, and Mexico.

When I went to France, I delayed a fill. When I went to Mexico, I had my fill reduced. I know getting fills and unfills isn't cheap, but vacations aren't either and I don't want to spend my trip looking for a dr, going to a clinic, etc.

Remember, many things can and will change your restriction. Last summer, I rode motorcycle home from Idaho to ND in temperatures over 100 and could barely tolerate Water. So I just sipped it as much as possible and drank it warm.

Its 3:30 am right now and I work up about an hour ago with major gurgling just drinking water. So I am sitting up and drinking tea until my band calms down. I am sure its stress related tonight.

Yes, when we go places we need to do our homework up front. But I live 2 1/2 air hours away from the closest dr (not fill dr, just any sanitary dr) and I wouldn't give up my band. I'm loving being within 2 pounds of BMI = normal!!

No problems when I went flying cross country.

Experienced Frequent Flyers...Would it help to not eat anything before a flight? I do a lot of international flying and am scheduled to be banded 8/9, so am concerned.

I didn't mean for this post to turn into a "don't go on vacation" thread at all, and I am sorry if I mislead some. Heck, I am going on vacation again to Hawaii in September! I just wanted to post my experience because it was miserable to try and get an unfill while out of state, etc. I learn a lot from others experiences on here and have found many answers to my questions and concerns by searching. I think we all have differences with the band and if we can learn from others, great! I don't regret having the band at all and I am glad to be filled! I lost lbs on vacation and gained it back plus some after the unfill, but now I am back to losing since my fill.

I'm not sure if this will help, but you may wish to carry this with you at all times. I found it on the Inamed site.

If you're in need of a fill and they're willing to do x-rays to locate the port, this may assist the medical professional.

http://www.triciakutz.com/lbt/accessportfillguide.pdf

I fly every week with work.. .and I've had to be unfilled twice we think due to flying... both times I've been fine and then a couple of days later I get so tight I can't keep stuff down. It's so incredibly frustrating.

I also got unbearable restriction one time from flying, but not other times. It totally ruined my holiday as I couldnt eat, but could drink. I lost a lot of weight!!

Since that one flight my restiction never worked out, either too tight or too loose. Now I know that my band has slipped. Im wondering if it was because I was too tight during my holiday, or maybe I was too tight because the band was already slipped.

Its something I will never know.

Check with your doc.....I think the barimetric pressure is wreaking havoc on you. It squeezes you...so your band could slip..or maybe not slip but your insides got squeezed and aren't quite where they were...no a huge difference...i just mean slighly.

I know when you fly they tell you to keep your legs moving so that you don't get blood clots....so that altitude can do some freaky stuff to you!

Happy Flying!!!!

okay I was worried enough about this one, I talked to my doc. First the blood clots are not cuz of flying itself and the altitude, but the fact that you are jammed into a chair for hours on end with no movement. As for the band, i told them what i was reading on this website and they have had no experience with it with their patients but they said usually on vacation most would not be filled as they are on VACATION< so that was a lesson for me

Wouldn't you get blood clots while in bed then???? (not everyone moves in their sleep---I just learned that from the sleep apnea tech) Hmmmm. Just a thought. I think I will ask again next time I see my Doc.

I think the theory there is that while lying down, your blood doesn't pool as much as it would while sitting bent at the hip (think kinked Water hose). As a person who developed their first clot on their very first plane ride, I tend to think there are other factors at play as well. Such as compression/decompression, close proximity, not being able to move much, hydration/dehydration. I suspect if you get enough of the factors going all at once you can cause a clot anywhere. I think I've posted an article stating that sitting at your puter for too long is also conducive to clotting and cautioned just as much as 'economy class syndrome'.

Unfortunately, my second DVT and later PE DID develop from sitting at the computer for too many hours.

See link http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2988&highlight=blood+clot

Ah yes, I forgot about the kinked water hose effect....makes sense!!

and in bed, you move your legs, you never stay in one position,,,while you sleep you move.

Hi, just a small point here, we do actually move a lot in our sleep ie roll around etc. My auntie with MS needs to get someone to help her do this at night. I am not sure why we are compelled to move in our sleep but our body forces us to!!!

Also, with me, I fly a lot & only got greatly effected once. Im thinking I was too tight anyway & this took me over the edge. My last flight I was empty & had little consequences from the flight.

My surgeon believes that some people definatly are effected, its not a myth.

I think that I wil stick with TBLC's advice and unfill before vacation, so no probs and can enjoy.I mean ..mexico and margaritas and nachos.. once a year can't be that bad!