lap band pain. want your take on it.

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AlyAnnesBack
Just when I had forgotten that I had the lap band it reared its ugly head. I woke with a sharp pain under my breast bone. Had this pain many times before, but it always goes away and it's not going away. Been a long time since I've had this pain however. Haven't had any fluid in my band since last April. My surgeon is retired and I'm calling all the people I can find. I keep hearing "next week". I'm this close to a meltdown.
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npaulick Sending prayers that you can find comfort VERY soon.
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mondriantree I'm sorry you have to go through that kind of pain ): I hope you find a surgeon soon!
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Asherah29 Breathe
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Asherah29 Its ok
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AlyAnnesBack Thanks guys. It's starting to work out a bit. It's still not ok though. It cut out 4 hours of my day. Had to cancel my plans to volunteer at a horse rescue today. Felt terrible. I'm waiting to hear back from staff from a drs office thats kinda far away. But the local drs assistant was a complete lack of help. I pretend that I don't have my band, because the other option is removal and I'm scared of the side effects from that just as much as having it. But maybe it's time. I don't feel like I have it as far as eating goes so I can do it without it
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I'm so exhausted with my band. While successful, the band/diet just didn't work with me/my lifestyle. I just don't like it. I gained 40lbs when I did a complete unfill (for med/back reasons) but learned what control really is and I'm back on the right track finally. But now I'm faced with this. I'm scared of leaving it and I'm scared taking it out. Do you guys have any ideas what I might be experiencing? Also are there people out the that have successfully removed their band?

Replies

  • AlyAnnesBack
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    Pain is easing slightly but now my left arm/shoulder is hurting a bit.
  • Tristaan
    Tristaan Posts: 126 Member
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    Aly please call your Doctor if your pain does not go away shortly, or if it gets worse or spreads. Call emergency if you start to feel nauseous or sweaty in addition to chest and/or arm pain. Better to talk to an expert, Chest pain could be from multiple things, some of them serious. Hope everything is okay.
  • AlyAnnesBack
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    Aly please call your Doctor if your pain does not go away shortly, or if it gets worse or spreads. Call emergency if you start to feel nauseous or sweaty in addition to chest and/or arm pain. Better to talk to an expert, Chest pain could be from multiple things, some of them serious. Hope everything is okay.

    The for the reply. I'm setting up an appointment with a new Dr as we speak. For the 20th (my b day. :() I has to be band related. I've had the pain off and on since I got it in Jan 2011. It's not a heart attack for sure. It is easing. I almost wish the pain would stay though so somebody could get to the bottom of it. No nausea or sweaty...well a little sweaty but that's because I'm guzzling hot tea.
  • AlyAnnesBack
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    Pains gone. Anxiety isn't.
  • Daisyrn
    Daisyrn Posts: 22 Member
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    Aly I have had this pain may times. My surgeon said it is due to irritation of the band. I did not have any fluid in mine either. I went on a very I mean very bland diet for a week, drank hot tea and took Pepcid. It went away. I had very sharp pain in the middle of my chest that radiated into the center of my back and shoulder. I too thought I was having a heart attack. I have had my band for almost 9 years and sometimes it has a mind of it's own :) My friend just had her band removed and it took the surgeon two and a half hours to remove her band and then 30 minuets to revise her to gastric bypass. Her surgeon told her the longer someone has the band in the more difficult it is to remove because over time adhesions form around the band and the port site. She recovered very well and is extremely happy with the bypass over the band. Good Luck !
  • AlyAnnesBack
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    Aly I have had this pain may times. My surgeon said it is due to irritation of the band. I did not have any fluid in mine either. I went on a very I mean very bland diet for a week, drank hot tea and took Pepcid. It went away. I had very sharp pain in the middle of my chest that radiated into the center of my back and shoulder. I too thought I was having a heart attack. I have had my band for almost 9 years and sometimes it has a mind of it's own :) My friend just had her band removed and it took the surgeon two and a half hours to remove her band and then 30 minuets to revise her to gastric bypass. Her surgeon told her the longer someone has the band in the more difficult it is to remove because over time adhesions form around the band and the port site. She recovered very well and is extremely happy with the bypass over the band. Good Luck !

    I am seriously considering removal. No revision . Scary to have another surgery with all its risks again though.
  • minibandit
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    I am really new to this so...

    I know this might not be popular but your comment, 'I forgot it was there' stands out for me. I don't think you should ever forget your band, even when you can't feel it and are settled in your eating habits. Forgetting it's there may mean your are eating more than you should and risking band slippage or dilatation. Eating consistently just slightly more than you should causes problems and on another site I'm on it does seem that people do forget - and then wonder why they've run in to trouble.

    Pre-op I was hitting Youtube like a fiend for band video's and one lady on there really gives it like it is - your stomach prior was a football - post, it's an egg.

    Maybe the pain was your band telling you you've over-eaten one too many times and your hurting it. You could try going back to basics - three/four table spoons of food at any one sitting. Maybe slightly softer than you are used to, chew well etc.

    I think the trick is that you can never become complacent, never forget and always respect the band. I hope I can remind myself years from now too. Good luck with this x
  • AlyAnnesBack
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    I am really new to this so...

    I know this might not be popular but your comment, 'I forgot it was there' stands out for me. I don't think you should ever forget your band, even when you can't feel it and are settled in your eating habits. Forgetting it's there may mean your are eating more than you should and risking band slippage or dilatation. Eating consistently just slightly more than you should causes problems and on another site I'm on it does seem that people do forget - and then wonder why they've run in to trouble.

    Pre-op I was hitting Youtube like a fiend for band video's and one lady on there really gives it like it is - your stomach prior was a football - post, it's an egg.

    Maybe the pain was your band telling you you've over-eaten one too many times and your hurting it. You could try going back to basics - three/four table spoons of food at any one sitting. Maybe slightly softer than you are used to, chew well etc.

    I think the trick is that you can never become complacent, never forget and always respect the band. I hope I can remind myself years from now too. Good luck with this x

    I understand what you saying HOWEVER, I eat like a normal person. I don't feel any restriction. Honestly I wasnt into the whole "fill it so you can't eat" thing. How the hell does that help you in the long run?I plateaud for almost a year and then gained and I own up to it. It was my old eating habits coming back with a vengeance, but prior to that I lost 80lbs not following the lap band diet. Even with a fill I never felt that restriction( though I had to eat slower. I'll give you that.) and when I got the fill out I ate the same as before. Maybe that's bad on me, but how can I "respect" the band if I feel it never did anything for me? The ONLY thing the surgery did for is give me a mental jumpstart (combined with the preop and postop fasting). So even though my band has never been my friend I can't say I regret getting it. I know for many of you that love your band this probably makes no sense, but just understand what works for somebody in there journey may not work for another. Whether thats physically or mentally. Personally I feel I sit in the middle and have a bit of both. I don't believe in the diet (for me). About the pain: you could be right. Sometimes I do overeat, but the pain has never corresponded to a large meal. Also its something I wake up with when I specifically sleep on my stomach and I think I am doing something there.
  • dolphintattoo
    dolphintattoo Posts: 33 Member
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    Are you certain it's even from the band? Sounds like it could be gallbladder or something else. If the pain is that bad i would make a trip to my primary care, urgent care or ER
  • AlyAnnesBack
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    Pain slowly lessened after about five hours then disappeared. I don't know what it is but I never had the pain prior to the band. I had an ultrasound yesterday and have an appointment tomorrow with new doctor. Well see. I didn't want to go to a hospital, because most of the doctors there wouldn't have experience with the band, and it costs more money. Still curious if there have been people that have successfully removed their bands?
  • calicat40
    calicat40 Posts: 37 Member
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    had a friend get hers removed and then she had the sleeve. thinking if I can get myself under control and continue my boot camp and lose weight I'll get rid of it too. It worries me that it will erode my stomach or have other complications. always aware of it as the port bugs me when I touch it. blech. there are doctors who will remove it and you should have no problems. basically your band is flat anyhow so you should be fine. :)
  • dsjsmom23
    dsjsmom23 Posts: 234 Member
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    One of the girls in my bariatric program had the band, and she also had it removed. She is now in the program so she can have either the sleeve or RNY. I'm not sure which she is hoping for.

    Good luck to you! I hope you're not in any pain now.