Hey everyone,

I was initially banded in 12/07 and at the time I weighed 386 pounds. It's now 14 months later and I was down over 100 pounds when I discovered that I couldn't keep anything down. I went in for an esophogram and there it was--a slipped band. They wanted me in for surgery very quickly to remedy it. In the meantime they took all of the Fluid out of it so I could eat and drink.

I had my revision surgery on Friday, 2/27...it was much like the first surgery. He basically had to fix the position of the band...so he went in through the same incisions (the big incision that he initially used to put the band in wasn't completely reopened, just a small incision there this time). The recovery hasn't been half as bad as the first time...but it's still rough at times.

I guess I just want to offer some advice to you guys. This is an amazing tool, a tool that has helped me to lose 100 pounds so far...and I am still very overweight and still need to lose at least another 100 pounds. I am confident this band will help me do it, but we all need to be aware of the fact that it is a tool, a foreign body in our systems...and according to my surgeon, Dr. Fielding (one of the top three specialists in the country), this happens in 1 in 50 cases. When you think about it, that's really a lot. I asked him if it was anything I did, and he said that because I lost so much weight the layer of fat around my stomach got thinner and caused the band to loosen. That coupled with eating and digesting, the normal motion your stomach makes when it digests, caused the slipped band.

Thinking back, I didn't pay attention to the signs. I thought it was "normal." A few months ago I was able to eat more. I was focused though, and I ate healthy, so I didn't think anything of it. Now I realize my band became loose and therefore opened up more... And then about 2 months after that it became tighter...and it took me longer to digest. And I thought, oh, just normal for the band...I'm losing weight it must be fine.

Please don't do that. Get everything checked out. You don't want to end up having surgery again... and I met some girls who had the same procedure as me done on Friday, some of whom because they didn't follow the rules...

I won't lie, I sometimes sipped carbonated soda. And drinking while eating, it was a tough habit to break. I definitely didn't do it often, but who knows if these things could have contributed to what happened to me?

All I know is I feel like I've been given another opportunity to start over and I am going to take full advantage of it. And I am going to make sure that I listen to my body. When something changes on its own i am going to have it checked out because it's NOT normal. Don't talk yourself out of things the way I did....all it's going to do is make you end up back in the OR.

I'm not trying to scare anyone...I want you to be excited. I am half the person I was...and I can't wait to divide myself again! And I NEVER would have done it without this band. I can sit in an airplane seat now, or in a theater seat, and I feel more normal. I feel myself emerging from inside...I was so shy and withdrawn when I was close to 400 pounds. I know many of you feel the same! But never take it for granted. Always listen to your body and do what's best by it...even if it's difficult sometimes.

Best of luck to all of you...I wish you all the best new journey your life will ever lead you in.

It sounds like you are WAY too tight, and if you haven't slipped already it sounds like you will if you keep this up. The first thing you need to do is call your doctor and schedule an appointment and you need to get an esophogram as well so they can make sure you haven't slipped.

The weight loss is nice, but you have to remember that this is a tool. You need to make the right choices in addition to eating smaller portions. And if you have a setback, then have the setback and then move on. But please don't jeopardize your health because this is an internal organ we're talking about here and if you are PBing constantly and not digesting at night, you might be doing some damage so please for your own sake go to the doctor and have it checked out. And remove some liquid! Good luck to you...

Elisa