the saga continues...

The top picture is of the pouch above the band full of the fluid, with some having already passed through, and the next picture is what happened next, my pouch squuezed and tried to get the fluid down, and instead it went back up into my esophogus.

If anyone (a moderator? Penni?) knows how to get these pics posted rather than attached, I'd be grateful...please go ahead.

The ER that you went to - were they familear with banded patients??? and if so, what was their conclusion?

The ER was much more familiar with Gastric Bypass problems (frequent) and I had to do alot of explaining about the band (sigh) but they wer SSOOOOO nice and actually listened. Noone was able to look at these pics and see if it's slippage, as opposed to a band doc, who can probably see it at a glance. I am taking these to my local band doc, which is why they gave me the pics, their conclusion was only that I am not completely blocked.

Are you still having a hard time taking sips of water?

my pouch squuezed and tried to get the fluid down, and instead it went back up into my esophogus.

Yikes girl, I dont like the sounds of this!

You bet I am, it was neat to se the pics of what I was feeling, makes perfect sense to me. Still having trouble unless it's the tiniest of sips.

Kathy I am no expert but it almost looks like the band is too high up on the stomach. IT looks like it is right at the opening between the stomach and the esophagus. That would mean it has slipped or it was not placed properly. Again I am no expert but that is my humble opinion.

Kathy,

I can't make heads or tails out of x-rays but I'm truly sorry that you're going through all of this. Hopefully your band hasn't slipped and there is an easy solution to your problem.

I'll keep you in my prayers.

Take care!

Tricia

Thanks for posting the pics Penni (I assume you are the responsible party ) It's hard to see the actual band in the first pic, you really just see the effects of it, with the pooling above the band and the trickling through below it. Just wondering if the shape of the pouch indicates slippage, as in too much pouch on the one side, or not enough pouch on the other. Let me check some other x-rays I have scanned and see what we can see. It's really interesting, huh? Let's see...Oh gosh, how come these pics won't post? Penni!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (sorry:) )

do u have pics from doc kuri when u had just had them done to compair them to?

Yes, but the barium is really feathered for some reason, so it's really hard to compare, the barium didn't pool like this other stuff does, because I wasn't as tight and it flowed on through...

Dr Kuri has called and is going to his office to read my e-mail and will call me back...today I have a big crush. He called me on a Sunday from his cell-phone...the adoration goes just a bit deeper...will keep you posted

Kathy, we're obviously not qualified to determine whether your band is positioned correctly or not. But I can say that the barium flowing upward is just reflux. I've seen that happening to me via fluoroscope when my band is closed too tightly. When the fluid can't go down, it has to come up.

Yup I am the responsible party for the pics. LOL!!

Are you able to keep liquids down Kathy without vomiting or PBing?

One thing Dr. Ortiz & Martinez told me a sign or symptom of slippage was when nothing will stay down, if I vomit liquids or food constantly with nothing going down.. to be concerned about slippage. However some here have had slight slippage without these symptoms, I believe it was Leatha if my memory serves me correctly. You are doing the rightthing by going to the ER and having your local band doc take a look tomorrow...I'm hope you get good news and your band is fine

I have pics of my slipped band...I'll try to scan and post and then we can all try and compare. To this day, I still can't quite "see" it. Which is why I'm not in the medical professional.

Elizabeth

Thinking about you Kathy! I hope you get some good news today! Sending hugs and prayers your way!

Penni, you are computer picture extraordinaire! Thanks for making them easy so see.

Dishdiva...it would be SO cool to compare. I know we're not all band doctors or certainly not qualified to read these pics to a diagnosis...but if there is something about my stroy and pics that is familiar...well, it helps. Plus it's good for future researchers? I hope anyway.

So, it's Monday morning and Dr Kuri has not called back yet, so I guess he didn't go to his office Sunday (bummer) and I'm assuming he had surgeries scheduled for this morning, plus it's 3 hours earlier there...waiting patiently. So I have not left for Winston to the local doc yet. I'm thinking, if Kuri can look at these and say, "yep, slippage" then he will have saved me hundreds of dollars and a wasted day of travel to Winston (just an hour away, no worse than going clear across town in Charlotte). If Kuri cannot tell by the pics, or if he says "no slippage" then I'm headed to Winston. I am not eating typically for being 10 days out from surgery. SOMEthing isn't right. I'm preparing for slippage...kinda hope it is even if it means getting it fixed and over with. At least it's an answer with a solution.

I'd love for Leatha to see these pics, maybe I'll PM her and ask her to look here.

I'll keep you all posted...