I just had my yearly ob-gyn appointment, and was talking to my doctor about the band. My question is this, does it affect the pelvic/external exam? My pcp and the gyn have always sorta mashed around on my stomach and ab area. How long will I be sore after the port is in? Can they still mash around there after? Also I know that after a gbp they say no ng or scope of the stomach, is this also the case with banding? Will I need a medical id bracelet for this? I am full of questions and my seminar isn't until the 21st. So I thought I would ask here and the informed could explain it to me using little words :phanvan and easy to understand lingo as opposed to the big words the doctors office will use.~Mandy

Hi Mandy,

Banding doesn't affect your physical exams in any way, except that your doctors will be thrilled with your weight loss. At my recent physical I had to remind my PCP what that hard thing was in my abdomen, but it wasn't in the way or anything. How long you'll be sore is hard to answer--a few weeks?

Whether you want to wear a medical ID bracelet or carry around a card post-banding is a personal decision. I don't. My thinking is just that if I'm not conscious I'd have bigger worries than whether anyone is putting a scope down my stomach. Wearing a bracelet would be a constant irritant to me--a reminder that I'm not "normal"--and it just doesn't seem worth it.

I have a card with a diagram of the band and some explanation as well as my doctor's office and cell phone number. Whether anyone would find it amongst the dry-cleaning receipts, credit cards, coupons and business cards is another question!!

I have a card in the same area of my wallet as my medical insurance card. It's the same as the one Scotty described. I have a medical alert keychain attached to my purse, but I doubt if anyone would notice it. From what I understand they are supposed to check wallets for cards, but even still, if they are going to use a tube or a scope they aren't going to keep jamming at it if they hit a block, you know?

I wouldn't worry too much about it

Mandy, Ive had some gyn problems and have had several pelvic exams since banding - by 2 different docs. I did caution them and remind them about the band being there. No problem - with any of the exams/docsl!!!!

I was kinda worried about this too, but like Alex said, they focus on a lower part of your abdomen - away from the band!

Good question!!