going for an UGI today

so, going for a follow up, UGI today at 2. 

I've been on the phone with my surgeon who says the xray from Sunday "looks" ok, but it's an unclear picture due to the inflammation.  My symptoms are definitely sounding like a slipped band though (he says). So we're repeating the UGI today and if it's slipped, in the OR I go.

I hope to God it shows slipped.  Cuz I can't stand this much longer.  Can't even keep water down, it hurts to drink it, this pain up in my left shoulder is ******g me off, etc...

I'm ready to feel better.  I hope the test 'shows' something so they can fix it.  

I wouldn't let them "fix" the band.  If you can revise when they take the band out I would do that.  The sleeve is a great alternative if you do not want malabsorption.  If you have to wait to heal, I would look into another surgery that you think you can live with.

Good luck

I don't know what that means really?  Why not let them fix it if they can?  If it does need to come out then so be it.  I likely would not look into having any other type of WLS if it comes out.  

But if it's a minor slip and can be fixed easily, that's a happy ending too. 

I hope things go well for you today and it's a minor fix for you .

Im like you also Seg if something happens to the band then that is it for me , I will not be having any more WLS done on me .

Good Luck today !!

It doesn't sound minor no matter what it is.  Once a band has slipped, it has a higher chance of doing it again.

I hope it all works out to the best for you.

Phyllis,

I'm on the fence right now.  Part of me feels like they're beating around the bush becuase they don't want to admit the band failed for me.  Personally, though I don't look at this as a failure if it does need to come out.  I would not have lost 161 lbs w/out it.  I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.  I didn't have a hard time the entire time I've been banded, just this past month or close to it.  And a REALLY rough time this past week. 

So to me, that's a success.  I hope though, that my surgeon isn't like this and hope he doesn't try to convince me to save the band if it really is doing significant damage.  The problem is, I can't read their tests, so I don't know if what they tell me is accurate.  

I mean I suppose all of this could be from an illness elsewhere in the body.. I guess I really have no way of knowing.  It just seems exacerbated by the band - to me, whether or not the tests 'show' anything.  But I can't 'prove' it otherwise.  It's a tricky situation.  

I do not think they would beat around the bush "becuase they don't want to admit the band failed for me",,, They know slippage and erosion is a possible compication.
I cannot imagine any doctor playing games with lives like that........
It would be very dangerous to your health if you had a slip or erosion and they waited
for that reason..


Well of course it is a success and of course it would not be a failure.. but the reason behind getting the lapband is what would make me possibly consider another procedure...
I do not know if I would be able to maintain my weight loss and continue to lose if I had to have the band removed right now...

..my friend has the sleeve done so I might think about that if I had to change..

 " But if it's a minor slip and can be fixed easily, that's a happy ending too.  "

The problem with a slipped band is that it puts you at a greater risk for

Peritonitis
Esophageal Distension or Dilatation
Erosion.
Band slippage
ETC

Due to incorrect band placement. The band can no longer be placed in the optimal location on your stomach because of scar tissue formation around the older existing banded area. Now your surgeon must place the band higher up the stomach therefore increasing your risks for all of the above and more. He cannot place it lower because that would put you at a greater risk for obstruction.

Both my daughter and I had our bands replaced with the  "newer and improved band "  her second band slipped and my second band slipped and eroded.

With all due respect I encourage you to really re think getting your band replaced with another band.

Pumpkin, I don't know what to think yet cuz the earlier test was inconclusive.  I am convinced this one will indicate my position is just fine.  Because that's how my luck goes. 

If it doesn't show anything wrong with my band I don't know where to go from here.  I'm anticipating him telling me it's all fine though and my problems aren't related.  

At that point, I'm not sure what the next step will be.

I remember that all tests showed that my band was in the " correct position ", but once they went in they found the slip, the erosion, and the mucosal cracks in my esophagus. IMO the tests they perform on us for diagnosis do indicate that there is " no problems " because our problems fall into their parameters of  " normal " I can only advise you to research and become the very best advocate that you can possibly be for yourself.

Left arm pain and chest pain can be indicative of a slipped and/or eroded band amongst many other band related issues. So many of their diagnostic tests " appear " to be normal.

Follow your instincts on this and if you feel that you are being harmed by the band then insist on them removing it.

You said,
" He said all that inflammation caused an obstruction at the opening which is where the vomited blood came from."

This doesn't make sense to me What exactly caused you to bleed " Being obstructed doesn't cause you to bleed unless there is an injury to the soft tissue.

Prior to having my band removed, I was spitting up bloody mucosa but that was because the band had eroded into the soft tissue of my stomach. The band has to " wear through " something for it to cause a bleed right......right.

Just being obstructed is like an over inflated balloon that deflates and falls over the opening of the top portion of the banded stomach. Did you obstruct to the point of your " balloon " causing a tear in your upper stomach ?

I may have this wrong, but it just doesn't make sense to me that being obstructed would cause you to bleed.

Can you ask him about this because I would really like to understand exactly where the bleed originated from ?