LapBand ER visit - can't drink water

[meggs353 118]

So here I am in the ER :/

I had my LapBand placed 13 months ago and mostly things have been great. A couple of times I've been too tight. When I have the adjustment at the docs office I'm fine, I can easily drink Water before I leave. Then days or weeks (sometimes many weeks later) I have a few stuck incidents, which create inflammation and get worse and worse until I can't comfortably eat or drink. Once before I couldn't swallow my own saliva which was very worrisome. Luckily all of these incidents happened on week days when my doc's office is open so I could get in same day or early the next day for care.

Unfortunately this time it happened on a Saturday. Friday evening I could eat fine, but Saturday I got stuck eating ricotta cheese in the morning and couldn't eat or drink a thing after that. (Now that I think about it, the last time this happened I also got stuck on ricotta in the morning, yikes, need to remember to never do that again).

I thought by taking it easy I would feel better by Sunday morning. But today (Sunday) I still can't drink, and am constantly needing to throw up. I searched Google and these forums looking for tips to ease the tightness and all I read was to see a dr asap.

Since my dr's office isn't open until Monday I didn't want to risk dehydration. I really, really REALLY didn't want to spend my Sunday in the ER but what's the alternative?

I'm not in any severe pain, and I don't think my band slipped, but to make sure I'm not putting continued stress on the band I want to make sure I'm taking care of everything.

I'll let you all know how it goes. So far I had an X-ray taken to check for a slip and the hospital is checking to make sure they have the correct needles for an unfill.

Self-care first, even when it's not fun!

[meggs353 118]

As an update, the X-Ray was good and the band is still in place (no slip). The bad news is the hospital I'm at doesn't have the needles needed to do the adjustment. I'm in NYC so I came to the hospital nearest my apt, but I need to visit the ER of the hospital where I had my surgery (and if this ever happens again I should go straight there).

Am waiting for discharge and then will take a taxi over there.

[gowalking 10,790]

As an update, the X-Ray was good and the band is still in place (no slip). The bad news is the hospital I'm at doesn't have the needles needed to do the adjustment. I'm in NYC so I came to the hospital nearest my apt, but I need to visit the ER of the hospital where I had my surgery (and if this ever happens again I should go straight there).

Am waiting for discharge and then will take a taxi over there.

Glad to hear no slip. Sorry you're spending a Sunday in the ER. One of the few places I haven't been at NYU. Been to almost every other part of that hospital though.... Keep us posted.

[WLSResources/ClothingExch 3,443]

@@gowalking, the new ER at NYU is amazing. (I was there in May after being injured in an accident.)

@@meggs353 -- I'm certainly not qualified to advise on whether you should go straight to NYU today or if you can wait for Monday. It occurs to me, though, that you might want to call ahead to be sure the ER has the needle and someone who is able to extract some of the saline. If not they may want to keep you overnight in order to put you on IV for hydration. I have no idea how long a person can be without hydration.

It's a Huber needle, isn't it?

[meggs353 118]

I finally got an unfill, and I drank 2 glasses of Water (yay!)

The ER doc here had the right needles but he couldn't get them into the port (ouch!). He called someone at my practice and she came over to the hospital to do the unfill.

It turns out my practice has someone on call 24/7. I didn't realize that! The woman who came said that sometimes they will advise us to go to an ER but they can also tell us which ER to go to. Now I know!

Calling ahead is probably a good idea for others who are in a similar situation (or just got to your surgery hospital) to make sure they have the right needles. I called an Urgent Care center first and they confirmed they don't do it, but I assumed any fully staffed emergency room in NYC would be able to handle it. But I was wrong!

So glad to be on the road to recovery! Having the LapBand means not living in discomfort, so I'm glad I got medical attention even if it took 5 hours to sort.

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

I learned a lot from your post. So glad you're feeling better and thanks for sharing this.

[Julie norton 2,850]

Thanks for the info Meg. I learned from it.

Please don't let this get in the way of your awesome weight loss over the past 1+ year.

( someone else whose band tightens over time ... I'm not alone with that issue thanks )??still don't understand it but I guess I don't need to

[meggs353 118]

Thanks for all the support! I think a key learning for me is to take it easy after I get stuck. After a stuck incident I would keep trying to eat again until I finally could. I think that by not giving myself time to settle the inflammation just kept compounding until it gets to a "point of no return" where I need an unfill to relieve the pressure. Now that I'm looser I need to be careful not to gain. When my band is a little tighter I eat slowly because I HAVE to eat slowly. Now I need to do it because otherwise I'll skip right past the point of satiety and become "too full". I was just messaging with another bandster and saying that even though it's been over a year, I'm still learning!