Hi Ladies! I'm new here but joined a bit ago. I got my band in April 2012. I initially did well and lost 40. I have maintained it so I'm happy. But from the start...I ate and drank whatever...even pop. Same amounts too. I didn't have problems but about 8 or 9 months ago...I was starting to have pain swallowing. Very much pain. No vomiting but pain. However now...the pain will stop me in my tracks...mid chew. Real issues swallowing...and now if I can't swallow then I can just vomit it up. Then I'm fine. Even during these episodes I can't drink water to get food down. I'm fine with soft foods. My surgeon can't stand me and I'm still paying my bill so I'm afraid to call him. Do you think my band has slipped??? Help!!! Thank yous!!

My apology to Angel and any others that I may have offended with my recent post. My slippage and surgery has really sent me into orbit. I was extremely ill and it happened in a matter of hours - not days or weeks - hours. I had my band 2 1/2 years and I miss it terribly. I only wish I had known what was happening to me sooner so I could have kept my band. This is also very fresh on my mind as this just happened to me on 4/25/14. I am still recovering from the revision surgery. Angel, I hope you are doing better and that your doctor is able to give you some relief/help and that you are able to keep you band. Again, I am sorry if my comments were insensitive.

Melinda in Florida

Awe thanks Melinda! I accept your apology and also apologize for getting a bit crappy myself. Again, the first time I felt offended - I was over it. LoL! Being online, you don't know what people are really trying to achieve sometimes! I'm sorry to hear about you losing your band. I hope you continue to recover from it! If you don't mind my asking, what is it that you miss about it? Again, my hope is that others will simply learn from all of this as I truly have!!!

"You saw day one when the other person made a foul" ???? I wasn't offended by the responses.

"But unless I know a full story...I won't assume or judge"

Angel...I am new here so you also know nothing about me and I was NOT trying to offend you but offer no apology. I guess it was my version of tough love for someone who should know better than what you said you were doing. I didn't see it as making a foul, I see it as pointing out that your post, your own words made it look like you were not even trying to abide by the band rules! And then you complained that something was wrong.

I have had my band since 2008 and am now scheduled to have it removed because of problems it has caused. And yes, I DID follow rules, religiously. I lost a total of 80 pounds before the worst happened with me, a 12 hour vomiting session. I went to the ER but even with xray, they couldn't find the port to remove liquid. So, I had to wait till the next morning to see the surgeon on call at the bariatric clinic.

Did I sound rough to you? Yes! Did I "take it easy", NO. This is a serious issue and having a silicone tube with ballons wrapped surgically around your stomach is no joke. In carefully re-reading your post, I still feel the same and still read it the same way.

However...if you knew me, you would see that I am in my late 50's, very intelligent as I assume you are, and rarely(!!!) do I EVER make a negative post about anyone's issues! When I do, it is to make a point and try to get someone to see what is happening. I am not trying to expand the argument here, but you made the statement about what supposedly happened to me on the first day post, I feel I had the right to respond.

I truly do hope that going forward, you have better luck with your band But you have to follow the rules! Good Luck!

I will respond to you by saying this: I don't need your apology and if you still read and comprehend things the same, so be it. Now here is how I feel about you: You come off as prickly - say you are "new" - tell me that I should be able to read all of your (5) posts and know you are trying to not be negative. Well here's a newsflash...I still don't know you. Not ONCE, have I blamed anyone other than MYSELF so I could give you a piece of an applause if you could tell me where I said that. Not only do I still think your initial response was "foul" - but now your second is just not even needed. You come off as if me or anyone has fallen off the wagon then - they best not talk with you - the perfectionist who did EVERYTHING right. I can tell you from visiting other threads, that I am not the only one who has fallen off. This is not a competition on who has it worse. Heck, I will even give myself kudos for even telling the TRUTH as to how I got "here"!

The only way I would need "tough love" is if it were because I was an "askhole" and always did the same thing not taking heed of others advice. Do not come to me saying that I am "complaining" as, I came here to ask if others have done the same, and what the outcome was with the band. I don't need you to tell me about the stomach being a serious issue. I already know this. You can be rough all you want but I simply didn't ask ANYONE "WHY" this is happening. That's just silly to me, to have someone put words or questions into my mouth. You act as if I have blamed the universe and if you knew me - which YOU DONT - and since you evidently haven't read anything else - not one time, did I place blame on anyone but me. I merely put my story into words about my difficulties. How you interpret it, is all on you.

You started off saying that if you were my surgeon, which you ARE NOT, but if you were, you would "RUN FAR AWAY FROM ME!!!!!" So I have to question why you felt the need to do the opposite, and run in here again for no other reason BUT to expand the argument. I couldn't care any less of how old you are, what I care about is others' journey that hasn't been perfect like my own again - TO NO FAULT OF MY OWN. Let me be clear about that!!

I'm also not "complaining" about my situation, I came here to vent, and to learn. My band has given me all the "tough love" that I need. If you read my posts - you would know that I did in fact, see my doctor who has been up on all of this. You also jumped to conclusions instead of simply "asking" for clarification and that is the bottom line here as I see it. You made a crappy statement and cut out, then days later...come back to explain that you won't apologize for coming off as you did. So bit it.

You end by saying that I have to follow the rules and to that I can only say "Well no kiddin?" To me that is an issue where one thinks I would turn around and keep doing the same thing over and over again, then coming here to ask why it's happening. I'm just not that stupid. Thanks for the well wishes as I have now officially spent too much time responding to this because I know it will not make an ounce of difference in how you perceive things. I'm just done with pointing out the difference in being someone who is supportive and willing to help as opposed to someone who initially came off posting as if my situation - is a lost cause and that I am not one to be dealt with.

Now I hope you heal because believe it or not, I am KEENLY aware of the issues that even poking around in your gut can cause. Trust me. That's part of why I came here in the first place - as my initial post lead to. Lets just not start pointing fingers about "knowing better" because we should ALL KNOW BETTER - but that's why some of us are here...cuz we overate knowing full well that cupcakes and fried foods is not the way to lose weight. It's just that simple to me. Nobody needs to have anyone here act as if we don't know what the issues are. I just don't work that way.

@@2muchfun I've had at least 6 bariatric surgeons tell me that a band cannot move up. If it's high, it was placed there...just want to let people know that a slip is the STOMACH slipping up through the band.

@@2muchfun I've had at least 6 bariatric surgeons tell me that a band cannot move up. If it's high, it was placed there...just want to let people know that a slip is the STOMACH slipping up through the band.

Wow!! That is good to know! Thanks for that little tid bit of information!

@@2muchfun I've had at least 6 bariatric surgeons tell me that a band cannot move up. If it's high, it was placed there...just want to let people know that a slip is the STOMACH slipping up through the band.

Been doing a little research prior to the lawsuit have ya?

@@2muchfun

No, not suing. I have two options; sue and get tied up in litigation for years or let go of it and live my life. I choose the latter. Life is too short. My surgeon is well respected and has never had a malpractice complaint, so I see this as simply a mistake. The fact that the support team at the hospital/clinic hid the fact that it was mis placed is unconscionable.

Angel - You asked what I missed most about my band. After having it for 2 1/2 yrs it became part of "me". The new me. I was used to getting "soft stop" message - Stopping putting food in the pie hole ! I would get a little hiccup or burp or twinge that was my signal that I was full/satisfied and not to eat anymore. I am having to learn how to eat all over again. Sure, I still eat off my little salad plate and use the small utensils. I also don't drink before, during or after I eat, but I miss my signal...I think I am eating more. I am having cravings again (that is all in my head I am sure) and I have given into them because the band is not there to tell me NO. I am so scared of going back to the FAT ME. 124 pounds are gone - that is an entire person - I don't want to find that person again. The problem, is my self-control button doesn't work all that good - that is why I got the band in the first place. I really wish I could have kept it, had it re-positioned, replaced - something, but he said I had too much scar tissue around the top of my stomach. I feel like a part of me is gone - almost an empty feeling. You work so hard to adjust to the "new you" when you get the band and then in a flash it is gone. My recovery is moving along and so far, I still weigh the same - not up, not down. So I guess, that is all a good thing. I am about 20 pounds away from my personal goal weight. I only hope I can find the "excited me" that once would have never smelled a cookie much less eaten one.

I hope your appointment went well and you are feeling better. It is so scary to know you have the "alien" around your stomach but it sure does help with the weight loss. Would I have one again??? YEP, in a heart beat. Take care..

Melinda in Florida

Angel - You asked what I missed most about my band. After having it for 2 1/2 yrs it became part of "me". The new me. I was used to getting "soft stop" message - Stopping putting food in the pie hole ! I would get a little hiccup or burp or twinge that was my signal that I was full/satisfied and not to eat anymore. I am having to learn how to eat all over again. Sure, I still eat off my little salad plate and use the small utensils. I also don't drink before, during or after I eat, but I miss my signal...I think I am eating more. I am having cravings again (that is all in my head I am sure) and I have given into them because the band is not there to tell me NO. I am so scared of going back to the FAT ME. 124 pounds are gone - that is an entire person - I don't want to find that person again. The problem, is my self-control button doesn't work all that good - that is why I got the band in the first place. I really wish I could have kept it, had it re-positioned, replaced - something, but he said I had too much scar tissue around the top of my stomach. I feel like a part of me is gone - almost an empty feeling. You work so hard to adjust to the "new you" when you get the band and then in a flash it is gone. My recovery is moving along and so far, I still weigh the same - not up, not down. So I guess, that is all a good thing. I am about 20 pounds away from my personal goal weight. I only hope I can find the "excited me" that once would have never smelled a cookie much less eaten one.

I hope your appointment went well and you are feeling better. It is so scary to know you have the "alien" around your stomach but it sure does help with the weight loss. Would I have one again??? YEP, in a heart beat. Take care..

Melinda in Florida

Omg!!! Thank you for sharing!!! That would be hard to get used to again but I'm proud of you for maintaining!!!! You can do this!!! I believe in you!!!

I don't want to lecture you about your band but those issues you listed could become worse if you don't seek medical attention. This is a $$$$ for the physicians and we "folks" who will do anything to get out of obesity-usually- often fall "prey" and become so passive. Take a "stand" for your health condition because "only" you will lead yourself out of obesity. Get your head in a good place and fix the problem and work your tool. PS look on you tube we all have channel's who have walked the path out of obesity. All the best to you "fight" to get healthy!

Thanks all!! My band has been adjusted now...it has not slipped and I'm back on track!

Angel - Woo Hoo...so glad your band has not slipped. I am very glad you are feeling better too. Nothing is worse that band pain/band issues..it is such an unknown thing. Have a great weekend.

Melinda in Florida