My Band Saga....To Be Continued!

I have been unfilled for almost 2 weeks and so far have been on the road to nowhere.  I had been experiencing severe acid reflux with only 4ccs in my 10cc band.  I got completed unfilled and it took two days for the symptoms to go away and have been on PPIs.  Soon after the unfill, I know my portions increased slightly but I started experiencing upper and mid chest pain.  The feeling I’ve had on occasion before but only when I felt like I overdid it and ate a bit too much.  Now the chest pains have been occurring as a regular thing.  ANY time I eat, no matter what it is, I have this horrible chest discomfort – like this dull aching pain as if an elephant is standing on my chest.

 

After my unfill and the reflux of course the next step was an upper GI to see if the band had slipped and truthfully with all my pb-ing I wasn’t going to be surprised if it had.  I had that done Friday and sent some of the images to the Dr. via email but he needed to review them further on the disc that the radiologist provided.  Because of my chest discomfort I was on liquids since Friday after  I spoke to him.  So with 3 days of liquids, still completed unfilled – NO CHANGE!  Still chest discomfort. 

 

Finally got a call back from him later in the evening last night.  NO SLIP! Nothing evident from the upper GI and my band is in the correct place.  However,  with the bad reflux when filled and now these, what he suspects to be, esophageal spasms I am on my way for an upper endoscopy!  No he is looking for an erosion, damage to the upper part of the stomach from the band, and damage to the esophagus.

 

He said we will talk options after the results of the EGD.  All I know right now is something is going on and my band is just not agreeing period.  Obviously if anything shows up on the EGD then we will move forward with whatever is necessary but if nothing shows up on the EGD then I’m like WTH now?   Long term reflux is not healthy, chest spams are not healthy and to me an empty band is useless.

 

All I can say is that it’s frustrating to have a slightly filled band, with major reflux and little restriction or to have a deflated band and still have discomfort eating. It’s as if at this point it’s just not agreeing with my body anymore!  What is the sense of having this tool if it can’t be used the way it suppose to.  It’s like having a damn electric screwdriver and still using it like a manual one ….the electric part makes it easier to use and get the job done while the manual way is just added work – i.e., if I have a band I can’t use to its potential I am just going to struggle like every diet I have ever been on EVER in my life before.

 

My 18 months of my band journey have not nearly been as happy and ideal as many others who have positive experiences to share.  My reflux has persistently gotten worse over the last 6 months, in the months preceding the reflux I battled with ER visit after ER visit because my gall bladder was destroyed but in a way that not one single test provided evidence to remove it.  Instead of stones that normally show up, or functionality HIDA scans that show something adverse going on, I ended up with a GB full of sludge and only after so many attacks, hospital visits, test after test and blood work that showed elevated liver enzymes is when I FINALLY had a Gastroenterologist agree that it was time to go.  The GB stuff started 2 months after I was banded.  Not only was a I dealing with trying to change and follow the band rules and “new lifestyle"  I had all this other crap distracting me from focusing 

 

I’m not trying to make excuses for myself here but I have certainly had a lot on my plate since surgery.  I’m not the best or “ideal" bandster.  I don’t follow low carbs like a carb nazi and sometimes when you are hungry and sliders is all that is working it’s a no brainer you are going to eat what you can when you are hungry.  I’m pretty sure others in my shoes would admit to making less than desirable food choices when eating real food is difficult.  I tried my best to adopt the policy to let the band work for me – a few others have that same philosophy on here and they have been successful – meaning no counting calories, weighing food, county carbs and so on.  Just eating what the band will allow until satisfied.   Clearly I’ve done some things right with the loss of close to 90lbs.  Regardless of issue after issues I’ve himmed over, I still do not consider myself WLS failure!  I just expected more of myself being further out.  Perhaps if I didn’t have these other hurdles I would have been my own superstar and got to my 1yr – 100lb goal.  That didn’t happen and I’ve not lost really lost steadily or consistently in a long time.  And truthfully I do not think long term I will be able to any more significant amount of weight off with the band.

 

I am by far a not band basher.  Hey if it works for you great.  But it’s not all peaches and cream for everyone in every situation.  Not from my beginning struggles with food choices and changes and certainly not now with pain, discomfort and other adverse affects. This forum is sometimes is hard to read and follow because people are always on the defensive about the band.  I would never tell someone to get it out or not to get it.  And unfortunately some of us don’t know until we try if we made the right choice with how the band works and unfortunately no one who even thinks they made the right choice wants to deal with a band working against them and not for them. Trust me if the band is my only option, it’s staying in come hell or high water because I refuse to put back on the weight I lost.  But there has to be some resolve to people who are having problems – both self induced and just otherwise with band issues period.  It is a foreign object in one’s body and things can happen both naturally and unnaturally.  No one chooses to have WLS and fail whether it’s on their own accord or other medical problems with their “tool" that caused failure – whether it be a band or a pouch or a sleeve and so on.

 

I will say that without the help of the band I would be in a much worse place but knowing what I know now about the band and the band life, if I had the option to revise I would.  I personally feel with my starting weight, and personal history weight loss history and food issues – malabsorbtion would have been the better choice for me from the start.  No one can predict their long term fate of WLS.  I’ve seen from one end of the spectrum with long term post ops – again something that differs for everyone.  All I know is with the band the fills are quite a bit of maintenance especially if you get in a situation like mine, fill, unfill, fill, unfill, surgery, fill, unfill, more problems, total unfill, this test, that test blah blah and so and so forth…then you have other things that come in to play like the insurance and financial cost of the upkeep.  Time off work and out of your life for everything associated with it.  If I could take back all the hours I have spent at the Dr. or at the hospital or at the lab …man I feel like maybe I’d be a year younger.  Again all things to consider.  All the while everyone one of my local WLS friends who had a different surgery are way into getting on with their lives, new bodies, plastic surgery, feeling and looking fabulous and haven’t had a damn problem since.  I’m one of the few of my group of “bariatric friends" who have had the band and the one with the most ongoing issues.

 

Again, I will reiterate this is “MY" own story about my own experiences.  Newbies and those considering the band take it for what you will.  For others who struggle with one thing or another….know you are not alone – it’s very evident all over OH.  And to those who are on the “bandwagon" with success and living without issues, at goal, etc,  kudos and congrats to you too.  I truly feel we are all our own unique cases and we all came here with the same intention to be free from obesity, some of us a lifelong battle with it.  We all deserve, whether it is more than 1 chance, to get to that free place!

 

Thanks for letting me vent and share my story…more to come after my EGD!

So sorry to hear about all of your problems.  My heart goes out to you.  I have been reading posts on this forum for five years now and have to admit that too many are posts about band failure.  You are not band bashing, you are being truthful about your experience and need not apologize for being honest.  There really needs to be more research on pre testing all applicants for all weight loss surgeries.  Some lives are ruined because of  WLS on people (we never know how the body is going to react).  But as of now it seems more like a hit and miss thing.  I hope everything works out for you.  Please keep us posted.

Since we have been communicating via email, you know how I feel, sweetie.  I am very sorry that you are going through all of this.  I hope that you don't have irreversable damage and are able to get a revision to something your body more agrees with!!  (((HUGS)))

Your upper GI should have been taken with your fill in place (before unfill) as your band might have now moved back into place.  The problem is you may experience the same issues immediately once filled.

Oy, sorry you are experiencing troubles.  Real pain in the ass!  Extreme disappointment!

Best with everything resolving without action.  I really wish your doc would have taken film before your unfill so that a slip could have really been ruled out and you possibly would not have to look for more like an erosion.

(((BIG HUGS)))
Leila

So sorry to hear of your band woes Nikki but congrats on the 90 lbs! I had a similair experiance to yours. I was having bad chest pain and the doc did an endo found nothing then I wasnt able to get food down for the past 10 days . Getting stuck on everyhitng from chili to cottage cheese. I couldent take it any longer and I went to the e.r he did exploratory laproscopic surgery and found I had severe adheasions that were wrapping around my stomach and esopahgus. He removed them and said I would be feeling great again. Don't give up if you feel somthing is wrong you make sure your doc invetigates and if you don't get an answer find a new one. it is your body. Good luck with everything
Amanda

(((hugs))) I am so sorry you are having all this to go thru. Try to stay positive ! Thinking of you.:)

Thanks very much for posting your story.  I can only imagine your disappointment and frustration at this point, especially after having had a good measure of success by losing 90 lbs.  Clearly the band doesn't agree with everyone and unfortunately the only way to find that out is by having the surgery (after careful research) and ultimately discovering that it doesn't work for you.  I admit that, while I have been successful thus far and find life with the band a wonderful thing, reading a story such as yours reminds me that, down the road, I may or may not have issues with my band.  If I do, having read a story like yours on this board will have me questioning any odd symptoms that I have and seeking treatment immediately.

You say  "This forum is sometimes is hard to read and follow because people are always on the defensive about the band."  I would counter that when people who are having difficulty with their band post in a respectful and intelligible manner (such as you have, without histrionics and maniacal punctuation), then you won't find anyone here responding to that post in a defensive way.  We are all capable of understanding and empathizing with what you are going through, and everyone DOES care.  Please let us know how things develop.

I feel your pain Nikki, I have two friends who had the sleeve the same time as my band and they are both down well over 100lbs and i've had problems with my band and a leaky port. But as you are, I am very grateful for what i have lost and don't ever want it back. Several times I have second guessed my decision, but I'm going to try and do my best with my band now that my leak is fixed. I really wish you didn't have to go thru all of these frustrations, we usually don't think any of all the possible symptoms and side effects will happen to us. I truly wish you the best and I hope you are able to finish your journey! :o)

My heart goes out to you!  I'm so sorry to hear of all that you have gone through.  Please let us know how you are doing.

Hugs,
Kristi

very well said. I believe that more and more of us will be a percentage of the population of where the band has failed us.
There isman intersting article on bloomberg.com about a study done on the band with ppl that has had the band for 12 years. Half of those studied had to have the band removed due to erosion. I wish I had known this before making this decision.