Help!!! distended again and penniless!!!

evcase · August 7, 2006

Got surgery in 2001. Lost 125 lbs. Then the complications began. Never went to support group, today is first time I even went on the internet to find out about other band'ers. Been doing it all alone up until now. Please help. For the last 3 years, I have been filled, unfilled, lost weight and gained weight. Every time I "unfilled" it was because band distended. And I would unfill for about 6 weeks. I did all of this in Miami, where my surgeon is.

Have just moved to South Carolina (and am this week visiting my sister in Georgia). Health insurance stopped and am in between jobs.

Here is what happened: Got filled before I left Miami 4 weeks ago. Restriction good, but one day a few weeks ago ate 2 Pringles and all the trouble started from there. I was throwing up the Pringles for the next 2 hours and have been throwing up ever since. Yesterday, I realized, that I could finally listen to my band and realized I could eat mushy food at around 4pm and it would stay down, a little burping, but it went down. Then I tried to eat a salad at 7pm and started throwing up again. Heartburn set in an hour later and kept throwing up. By the time I went to bed at 11pm, I had to sit up all night and throw up fluids in a cup. I am exhausted this morning. Now, 12 hrs drive away from my dr, that would not charge me for a unfill, I don't know what to do. I found a dr. here in the Atlanta area but he won't unfill me cause he also wants me to to a upper-gi and I can't afford that too.

SO I am wondering, could I just try to drink Water today and tomorrow and not eat to see if things would settle down back to normal again?

Something a little strange. If I try to drink my cup of coffee, it takes forever to go down, but if I eat a cracker with seafood spread, it doesn't have such a hard time. or so it seems. Any way, help! I just want to sleep at night....laying down!. I can handle the heart burn, which by the way, I do not have heart burn when I am unfilled, want to bandaid this thing until I can get it unfilled.

Thanks for any advise.:cry

TB

NewSho · August 7, 2006

Wow, this is just overwhelming.:phanvan

You'll survive these next days, taterbugs but you have to really focus.

For right now, try liquids & mushees only.

Don't irritate the band with anything tough, dry or fibrous/crunchy (not even salad :cry )

Get yourself some Gas-X or any Simethicone-based tablets. Try at least 125 to 200 mg worth of simethicone to keep the slime down.

In fact, any kind of Rolaids Maximum Strength-type chewables that have both Calcium (to soak up the acid) and Simethicone (to prevent the fluidy sliming will probably give you some real relief fast. You need something to handle the acid heartburn and something to prevent the 'fluids coming up the esophagus' thing.

If you follow these steps and don't further irritate your band, this should get you a couple of days of enough relief to keep you out of the ER. Then go immediately when you find someone in South Carolina.

My first suggestion - find a Bariatric surgeon that does LapBand in your new area. Immediately - one that's in South Carolina, where you'll be back in a few days. Start making those Long Distance calls now so you'll have someone lined up when you get back home ASAP. Don't bother with the Atlanta surgeons now - you'll probably really need someone who will follow you long-term.

When you say you've been "filled & unfilled" - where are you now? And also when you say you were unfilled due to "distended" band - are you saying it was dilitated, expanded, changed position? Can you describe it for us?
Check the Phone Directories, check ObesityHelp website, do a Google search but find a LapBand doc in SC as soon as you possibly can.

Trace Curry · August 7, 2006

Lots of fills and unfills is one of the hallmarks of a slipped band - have you had an upper GI to check the position of the band?

Dr. C

Cincinnati, Ohio

www.TheBandDoctor.com 877.442.BAND

DISCLAIMER: I am not your surgeon, any comments made by me are not meant to be taken as medical advice, just general guidelines. Contact your surgeon about your specific problem!

Alexandra · August 7, 2006

Taterbugs, NewSho has given you great advice. Going on liquids will help things settle down, but you definitely need more care and testing to figure out what the problem is. Take it EASY and get thee to a band doctor for more than just an unfill--you really need some diagnostic testing to see what's going on.

Good luck and be good to yourself!!

evcase · August 7, 2006

Thanks guys, here are some answers: I got 1 upper-gi since 2001. We don't do barium think at my dr's office. He just fills/unfills. We did the barium thing back in 2001-2002. hmmmm! Now that I write this down, I can now see where things started going wrong. Anyway, one upper gi in 2003 and all was fine. So we unfilled waited 8 weeks and filled again. I will get the simeticone tonight and hopefully have a better nights rest. Ijust wish I would stop being my worst enemy.

sunsett · August 8, 2006

Taterbugs-Sorry to hear about all of your problems. Where abouts are you moving to in SC. I live on the border of NC & SC by Charlotte. If your near Rock Hill my Dr is wonderful.

Good luck with everything. If there's anything I can do to help you let me know.

Jachut · August 8, 2006

Do I read this right - that there is a nearby doctor who could unfill you but he is withholding treatment in order to force you to have an upper GI?

He should be encouraging you to have the GI but unfill you immediately for some relief!

I'd be jumping up and down and doing headstands insisting that I get unfilled and that I would have the upper GI when I could afford to do so and remain unfilled until that point in time. You're risking your band by continuing to irritate it. If I had to I'd drive the 12 hours to your own doctor.

2003 is a long time ago, anything could have happened since then. You really will need to have your band looked at to ensure all is OK in there, as soon as you can afford to.

Elisabethsew · August 8, 2006

Stay on liquids but make sure you get in 60 grams of Protein a day... Protein Shakes. After a night like you had, I would do ONLY liquids for at least 2 days before trying soft foods. Lastly, get some over the counter Pepcid for the heartburn and ask your MD for a prescription for an acid blocker.

I'm an RN, the dose of Pepcid we use is 20 mg twice a day. I'm not sure if the over the counter stuff is 10 or 20 mg but you need the 20 mg. Try a warm cup of tea before you go to bed.

IsabelSofia · August 8, 2006

If you're in Charleston, Dr. Byrne at MUSC is now banding patients. I hope you feel better soon!!

evcase · August 8, 2006

Thanks soooo much for all of your support. I am now viewing this website daily for more information. Update: slept better last night. Will get that upper GI asap. Spoke with dr here in Ga, he would only see me if I went through the emergency room, forcing me to get the upper gi (which was only $148, but the emergency room charges would have been too much)

We are planning a trip back to Miami in the next two weeks. I will stay on liquids (with Protein shakes - thx for that info) and if anything, I will HAVE to lose weight that way!! Thanks again everyone, God bless you all and I am hoping to keep the communications up! Because I NEVER knew there was so much help out there.