Sister In Law

Bandmesoon · August 8, 2005

My sister in law was banded two weeks ago, she had been doing fine up until yesterday. She hasn't been able to swallow Water without PB'ing it back up, she also said that she has a pain in her chest. Well she called her Dr last night and he ordered her an upper GI today, the technician indicated that it's taking the water way to slow to get down, and that her Dr may want to adjust her band....we are now waiting for the dr to call. Has anyone else experienced this. She has not been filled yet

Alexandra · August 8, 2005

Postop swelling can be a bear, indeed. If Water is going down, that's a good thing. She may just need to take two steps back and get back on Clear liquids for another few days to give it time to subside. If the swelling is really bad there may be something the doctor can do, but time is probably the best healer in cases like this.

Please wish her luck from us, and tell her to TAKE IT EASY!! Baby that new tummy and don't eat anything solid at all. Not yet.

paula · August 8, 2005

Kathy (Best Me) had something similear. But it happened to her around a week post op.

Because the esophgus hasnt had time to rest and unswell, it often becomes a vicious cycle, drinking ANYTHING comes back up (and forget about eating) which keeps everything swollen and irritated - even pbing their own salvia. Most of the time these patients need to make an emergency visit for an IV of fluids so they do not get too dehydrated... .

Not a commen thing, but definately something a few here have experienced.

Bandmesoon · August 8, 2005

Weird thing is that she is able to keep food down, just the liquids are a problem, Dr mentioned it could be slippage...were still waiting to here back, if it was slippage couldn't they have seen that when she went for the upper GI?

itsyvonne · August 8, 2005

Is the technician experienced w/bands? If so, then one would think he/she should have been able to tell if it was slipped.

barbaraann · August 9, 2005

Has she tried warm liquids - especially tea? I am tighter in the morning and cold Water gets stuck. I have to use room temp or warm water to take my meds. I was told that warm liquids relax you more and go down easier. Also, you must start out with small sips - not the gulps we are so used to. Celestial Seasonings just came out with a great line of dessert teas and not only do they smell great they go down easily. My favorites are vanilla Hazelnut and English Toffee. If your grocery store doesn't have them I'm sure you can buy them from the web site.

Be patient but keep drinking to avoid dehydration! Sip, sip, sip!

Bandmesoon · August 10, 2005

I went with my sister in laws yesterday to the dr, she still is not able to keep Water down. My sis-in-law has not been filled but, he did remove almost 1cc of Fluid, he said the port has fluid already in it prior to surgery....he was hoping this would make a difference, he also stated that this is quite the mystery. She is miserable, and is thinking about having the band removed. The dr did say that if she in not better in a couple of days that he might want to go back in and move it to another area, or put a larger band in.

vinesqueen · August 10, 2005

Wait, he filled the band WHEN he placed it????? No wonder she had problems! She was already filled! How much did he put in it??? Plenty of folks have restriction right off the bat, and AFIK, there is no way to determine who will have initial restriction and who won't.

I sure hope he pulled out all the fill!

the best me · August 10, 2005

Kathy (Best Me) had something similear. But it happened to her around a week post op.

Yep, that was me! thanks Paula!

My trouble was at about Day 4 post-op and lasted another week or more until about 2 weeks post-op. I basically had to start all over at week 2 with the Clear Liquids, hot tea, broth, etc then move to the thicker egg drop Soup and the like.

In my opinion, my trouble started when I added Tomato Soup to my diet. I had already been sipping coffee and I think it was just too acidic for me. I swelled (didn't know it) and then I gulped a small chunk of Jello without liquifying it in my mouth first (old eating habit). It had some of that "skin" in the bite, you know, the bottom of the bowl thick Jello? , and I PB'd it. Downward spiral from there. The swelling caused the jello PB, the PB caused more swelling which caused more eating discomfort and a few more PBs, yada yada. I had no fill so I couldn't get an unfill. I wasn't slipped, had to get IV fluids over the weekend, then slowly, slowly, sip after sip I came back to life. It was terrible, miserable, and I promise I wondered what in the heck I had done to myself. I wanted that band out at moments. I'm glad I stuck it out though.

Tell her to take a sip, and swallow that sip in 2-3 swallows. You have no idea just how small a sip shoudl be when you are that tight. And from my perspective, even looking back, wallowing through the pitiful misery was better than subjecting myself to a revision, or removal surgery. Just my opinion.

A day at the hospital on IVs would do wonders as well. I will swear on my deathbed that the fluids I got over the weekend assisted my healing and helped the swelling to go down. I don't know whether or not a doc would agree with that but I'm convinced of it. Those IVs were the best thing I did.

Anyhow, hope that helps some. Keep us posted. OH! What size is her band?

Bandmesoon · August 11, 2005

Update: as of today dr ordered lab work to be done, hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for my sister-in-law. My sister in-law believes her ulcers in her espohogaus might be flared up

As far as what size it, I beleive it's what they consider to be the average one, I am not fimiliar with the sizes, however I do remember from my own band.

Bandmesoon · August 12, 2005

well my sister in law ended up in the hospital today, and she is still there. They are still running tests, and keeping her on IV. Tommorow they will be checking for ulcers.

banded_for_life · August 12, 2005

I hope everything goes well and she starts feeling better.

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Bandmesoon · August 12, 2005

Well it sounds like my sister in law is having the band removed on monday morning, the dr's have discovered that lesions have grown in her stomach which makes it very difficult to drink liquids, liquids aren't forceful enough to get thru this now very small opening, food can pass more easily because it's more forceful. The dr is leaving the decision up to her as far as her options which are gastric bypass, or a larger band ( this doesn't guarantee it wont happen again). Has anyone else experienced this. She must make a decision prior to Monday morning HELP