I was banded 2 years ago. this past summer I had a slip so the band was emptied, I was put on liquids, and my slip/pouch corrected itself and it moved back into place. since then, the pain/pressure I experience when not chewing well enough, braving bread/chicken, etc is much, much lower. its almost as low as my belly button and radiates through the areas to each side, its hard to pinpoint exactly where. its hard to breathe and very difficult to bring the offending gunk up, whereas the pressure used to be in my chest and I could bring up food pretty easily if I was feeling stuck. my doctor assures me the band is situated in the correct spot and while I know the band itself could not possibly be sitting as low as the area im experiencing the pain, everything feels far too low and I cant figure out why. i get some relief when i force myself to burp so my doctor's inclined to blame gas for my pain but i feel like im just dislodging whatever is stuck. i really don't think its gas. the only thing i can guess is some kind of referred nerve pain or something?

has anyone experienced this? overall i don't have much restriction so it doesn't happen every time i eat (usually just in the morning, when ive always been a little tighter), and id like to continue getting fills but not if its going to give me this pain in this area more often. its really unbearable at times. i want the pressure back in my chest where it belongs.

please let me know if you have any theories for this!

mary

Have you ever thought it might be your appendix

My doctor poked and prodded me looking for tenderness, and there was none.... I think he ruled it out but ill check out the symptoms. It definitely only starts hurting when im eating and feels like a tugging, stretching, clogged mess. I just want the pressure sensation back up in my chest.

I get that tugging/pulling sensation sometimes too. Would be interested in what you find out. Mine only started once I started in big time with abdominal exercises -- I do a lot of Pilates and crunches... I thought it might have something to do with that or just gas. I would not call mine pain, though, just a very strong "awareness" of my port area after I eat. I am two years out from surgery. Doc checked my port in Nov and said it was nice and flat and he could feel the tubing just fine. (I had thought port may have twisted). Are you doing a lot of crunches or ab work lately?