I got to spend Mother's Day miserable and in the ER. Now, I'm not new to the band, I've had it for 15 months...but what I learned is the rules are in place for a reason. I don't usually eat breakfast because my band is tight in the morning. I drink my coffee and later I eat something. But yesterday my husband and I went to the gym early because we had a lot of things planned for the day. Needless to say I was STARVING by the time we were done. Two hours in the gym will do that. He took me out to lunch and I ordered a salad with small steak cubes and a corn mixture from Chipotle. Now, I've eaten this before now problem. What I ran into was I didn't CHEW it well enough because I was so hungry. 3 bites into my meal and I knew that feeling. I was stuck. Went to the bathroom and got it out. Went back to the table. Still felt stuck, went back to the bathroom and got more out. Still felt stuck. Which was weird cuz it's never taken me more than a couple times to get unstuck. I went back to my husband and told him we have to leave...now. All the way home I was "throwing up" and spitting in a cup. Got home 25 minutes later and tried again to get it out. No success. Hours go by and I try EVERYTHING I've read about and still nothing. I had to cancel all my plans. I called the doctor and she said come in for emergency unfill. So I made the trip with my husband back to the city. She took all 6cc's out of my band. I immediately felt relieve. I could swallow my own spit finally. But I was still in pain so she sent me down to the ER for a CT. Pain meds, anti nausea meds, a KUB, and CT later I was okay'd to go home. They said that the gastroenteritis I had 2 weeks ago that sent me to the same ER for violent vomiting and dehydration caused a lot of swelling in my band area and I still had some lingering in my bowels and that plus me not chewing caused me to get stuck that bad. So chew your food and don't waiting until you are starving. I knew better but I didn't follow the rules.

A good reminder...thanks. Hope you are feeling better and can get a fill soon...

Omgosh! So sorry you had to go through this! This is a good reminder for me because I find myself doing the same thing when I'm staving. Since I'm almost a year post op some times I think I feel too comfortable with the band and I forget to chew. I hope you're feeling better today!

Thank you, I am feeling better today. A little sore and weak but better. I can start getting my fills again toward the end of the month. It's like having a new band all over again. Just glad it wasn't worse. I got very lucky.

I went to the er on mothers day for an un fill too. I had got my last fill and was ok than I got sick with strep throat and the drainage really got to irritating my band I had heartburn almost constantly couldn't eat or drink at all so the dr wanted to drain it completely im at 7.2 I just couldn't do it I couldn't let them start me all over so he took 1 and a half out instantly was better. When he did that he also pulled air out of my band! I couldn't believe it some how air got in it through fills or when his nurse had to do an un fill I had to get in the past.

Gastroenteritis + the band = HELL! I had this same problem and made the mistake of getting a fill just 2 days later! DUMB! Won't make that mistake again!

Edited May 19, 201412 yr by ErinMarie