Thanks for the information, my doc found out I have a duodenal ulcer, I am much better since starting treatment for that, the testing to see an actual slip isn't covered unless a life threatening event goes on, so am hoping I will heal.  Take Care

Using your Exercise Log Tutorial

 

Let me step in and give you the other side of the band life. I had my band for 7 years and self paid to get it removed last year because of so much pain from it. The first 3ish years were pretty good, I lost hardly any weight but it wasn't causing any particular problems, then it started feeling tight so I had several unfills. Well that got old really fast so I decided to have it completely emptied and that was pretty good until a couple of years later.

It was getting tighter again because scar tissue does indeed grow between the band and your stomach so even empty it continues to get too tight. By Feb. of last year I thought I was having small hear attacks or something because I would get horrible pain in my rib cage like an ice pick was jammed in there and being wiggled around. It was a pain I can't even really describe it was soooo bad I finally ended up going by ambulance to the hospital because I thought I was having a heart attack because my heart was "fluttering" too. Well turns out I do have a-fib something else the band can do to you, don't know for sure if mine was from the band or not because while I was in the hospital I told them to get the band out of me or I'd take it out myself!! The sharp pain did go away but since then I have had so many problems.

I got the band to supposedly get healthy and I'm in the worst health of my life! I have horrid stomach and bowel pains from gastroparesis, another problem that has gotten more prevalent lately with the band. This is where your stomach doesn't empty right and doesn't digest your food properly. So there is this constant pain like someone is squeezing your guts while pulling and ripping them all at the same time. There aren't even words to describe this pain, it is constant and awful. I already take narcotics for arthritis pain but I can feel the stomach pain like I wasn't taking anything for pain. I will have this for the rest of my life and there is nothing that can fix it.

Getting a band was the worst mistake I ever made in all my 60+ years. I barely lost any weight, only 20 lbs despite following every single "rule" for success. I kept my band loose and hardly ever got stuck or slimed but the human stomach is not meant to be squashed. It can't survive unharmed when it is under that much pressure. I have also lost some of my swallowing ability because of the band.

I wouldn't advise anyone to ever get a band, certainly not when there are better more successful surgeries available now. The band is not a life long tool like the other surgeries are. If you are wanting help with diabetes you need something that will last forever not just a few years.

The band is not very successful with weight loss so may not even help with the diabetes. Just know for every successful band there is at least the same number who have had no success whatsoever even tho they followed all the rules for being banded. It is a very poor weight loss tool. Please don't cause yourself a life time of pain!

This sounds EXACTLY like what I was dealing with recently only I know I have an anterior band slip. Wasn't obvious through an EGD but the upper GI was clear - slipped almost horizontal position and dilated pouch. Anemic episodes and other annoying malabsorption issues. I think if you had the proper tests it would be easy to diagnose the issue so you could make an informed decision. Best of luck.

Thank you so much for your honesty. I've been researching for the longest and i hear so many different stories good and bad. But reading your totally changed my mind. Thank you 😀