Buffalo Band Recieved 6-30-08 HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE!!

NoPBJ · 07-03-2008, 08:35 AM

Hi everyone....I recevied the band this past monday at Buffalo General in Buffalo and it was literally the WORST day of my life. I felt like I was in a nightmare and couldn't get out! I am posting this b/c people need to know that it's not all a big bowl of cherries like many people make it out to be! I was wretching and heaving and sick out of my mind. At one point I told my husband I was ready to jump out the window b/c I could get no relief from this sickness and heaving. No medicine seemed to work and the anestetic made me SOOOOOO sick. I never had an adverse reaction to anestetic before, I just believe they gave me TOO much!

I was supposed to be in the recovery room for 1-2 hours and they could still not wake me up after 5. I was throwing up, BEGGING for someone to help me and this is what I heard from one of the nurses "Oh, I heard her talking before she went into surgery how she was prone to motion sickness, I think she just talked herself into being sick. There's nothing worng with her!" CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??????? SHe had the NERVE to say this while i was actively throwing up!!! Hello!! I was so out of it though I couldn't even open my eyes to see who it was.

It has been 3 days since the band and the good news is that it hasn't been as bad. I have gotten a little better each day. If I could go back, I definately would not do it again. Maybe I will feel differently in a few weeks. My experience was so awful that I can't even imagine going through one minute of discomfort for a fill. I am considering not even getting a fill.

THanks for letting me vent here!

**coltonwade** · 07-03-2008, 08:46 AM

I just sent you a private message. I think its good to also post the not so peachy side of WLS . Everyone is SO different and people need to know IMHO all sides of it to be educated and know what can happen to them .
thank you for posting .

Mindy

lovingheart · 07-03-2008, 08:57 AM

I am sorry you had such a terrible time with the lap? Who did you surgery? What did they say about you being so sick fromt it?

NoPBJ · 07-03-2008, 08:59 AM

Thanks Mindy for the message. The encouragement surely helps at this point. Can you tell me a little more what you mean by the fills small and slow? And what did you mean by the fact that you can't tolerate fills well?

Thanks

Renee

**coltonwade** · 07-03-2008, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoPBJ

Thanks Mindy for the message. The encouragement surely helps at this point. Can you tell me a little more what you mean by the fills small and slow? And what did you mean by the fact that you can't tolerate fills well?

Thanks

Renee

Sure .. I have a 4 cc band . When I got my first fill it was 1.4 cc , pretty standard fill. I was fine no problems . My second Fill I believe was .5 cc .
I got tight right away . So we took some out . ok. No problem .
I had my third fill , .5 (again pretty standard or "Normal" not too big) went home and a few days later I was too tight again . So after this my doc determined that I am sensitive to fills and that those are too "large" for me. So now i get .25 cc's or less when i get fills.
The reason I cant tolerate them is because I have had migraines for so many yrs I throw up very easily . So when i get stuck I throw up , instead of just getting stuck . So my esophagus gets swollen very quickly and easily . 3 weeks ago I had a total unfill. I had gotten stuck and threw up , my stomach and or esophagus got swollen and i began to not be able to keep things down , by time i got in to see my doc ( a few hours ) i was unable to keep liquids down . So he totally unfilled me to allow me to heal completly . Again goes back to how easily i become swollen .

My point for you : I love my band still. Even though i have had issues. I have lost over 100 pds in 10 months. I take the issues as they come. People freak when they have to get unfills, unfills are not big deal. I WILL admit I freaked a little bit w/ the total unfill , but im ok now im even remaining unfiled through my vacation . which will leave me unfilled for 2 months nearly . I have gained 4 pds . But im good.
It would be a shame for you to have gone through the surgery and NOT get fills. You might as well have them take out the band now , becaues your band is USELESS w/ out a fill ! It wont work . I can eat 100% normal being total unfilled which is what you will be able to do w/ out a fill once you heal from surgery . Basically you will be going on will power . So what's the point to go through surgery to go on a diet again to lose weight ?
when you dont have to ? So i suggest if your nervous about fills, which is understand able , if your doc wants to give you say 1 cc fill the first one ask him to please give you .5cc's . It might take you longer to get restriction but you will probably feel better. Until your comfy w/ how fills go.
Do you know what size band you have ?
Sorry this is so long .
Love
Mindy
PS feel free to email me .
click on my name and hit email

lindatatu · 07-03-2008, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoPBJ

Hi everyone....I recevied the band this past monday at Buffalo General in Buffalo and it was literally the WORST day of my life. I felt like I was in a nightmare and couldn't get out! I am posting this b/c people need to know that it's not all a big bowl of cherries like many people make it out to be! I was wretching and heaving and sick out of my mind. At one point I told my husband I was ready to jump out the window b/c I could get no relief from this sickness and heaving. No medicine seemed to work and the anestetic made me SOOOOOO sick. I never had an adverse reaction to anestetic before, I just believe they gave me TOO much!

I was supposed to be in the recovery room for 1-2 hours and they could still not wake me up after 5. I was throwing up, BEGGING for someone to help me and this is what I heard from one of the nurses "Oh, I heard her talking before she went into surgery how she was prone to motion sickness, I think she just talked herself into being sick. There's nothing worng with her!" CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??????? SHe had the NERVE to say this while i was actively throwing up!!! Hello!! I was so out of it though I couldn't even open my eyes to see who it was.

It has been 3 days since the band and the good news is that it hasn't been as bad. I have gotten a little better each day. If I could go back, I definately would not do it again. Maybe I will feel differently in a few weeks. My experience was so awful that I can't even imagine going through one minute of discomfort for a fill. I am considering not even getting a fill.

THanks for letting me vent here!

I am so sorry you had a bad experience. Hopefully things will continue to get better and you will feel more positive about having the band. Anesthesia can be really hard on some people, even worse than the surgery. Good luck and take one day at a time.

NoPBJ · 07-03-2008, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coltonwade

Sure .. I have a 4 cc band . When I got my first fill it was 1.4 cc , pretty standard fill. I was fine no problems . My second Fill I believe was .5 cc .
I got tight right away . So we took some out . ok. No problem .
I had my third fill , .5 (again pretty standard or "Normal" not too big) went home and a few days later I was too tight again . So after this my doc determined that I am sensitive to fills and that those are too "large" for me. So now i get .25 cc's or less when i get fills.
The reason I cant tolerate them is because I have had migraines for so many yrs I throw up very easily . So when i get stuck I throw up , instead of just getting stuck . So my esophagus gets swollen very quickly and easily . 3 weeks ago I had a total unfill. I had gotten stuck and threw up , my stomach and or esophagus got swollen and i began to not be able to keep things down , by time i got in to see my doc ( a few hours ) i was unable to keep liquids down . So he totally unfilled me to allow me to heal completly . Again goes back to how easily i become swollen .

My point for you : I love my band still. Even though i have had issues. I have lost over 100 pds in 10 months. I take the issues as they come. People freak when they have to get unfills, unfills are not big deal. I WILL admit I freaked a little bit w/ the total unfill , but im ok now im even remaining unfiled through my vacation . which will leave me unfilled for 2 months nearly . I have gained 4 pds . But im good.
It would be a shame for you to have gone through the surgery and NOT get fills. You might as well have them take out the band now , becaues your band is USELESS w/ out a fill ! It wont work . I can eat 100% normal being total unfilled which is what you will be able to do w/ out a fill once you heal from surgery . Basically you will be going on will power . So what's the point to go through surgery to go on a diet again to lose weight ?
when you dont have to ? So i suggest if your nervous about fills, which is understand able , if your doc wants to give you say 1 cc fill the first one ask him to please give you .5cc's . It might take you longer to get restriction but you will probably feel better. Until your comfy w/ how fills go.
Do you know what size band you have ?
Sorry this is so long .
Love
Mindy
PS feel free to email me .
click on my name and hit email

I have no idea what size my band is. I didn't even know that they came in different sizes! how do i find out?

**coltonwade** · 07-03-2008, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoPBJ

I have no idea what size my band is. I didn't even know that they came in different sizes! how do i find out?

You will probably find out what size band you have at your first post op appt. If they dont tell you ask , they will tell you then .
There are several different size bands from a 4 cc to I beileve a 10 cc is the largest But I could be wrong . I want to say there is a 15 cc ? But I am not sure ?
But just ask your doc they should tell ya .

Mindy

tarheelluv · 07-03-2008, 10:14 PM

I agree that the first 24 hours is ROUGH!!! I flew from NC to Denver to get mine. I was up in terrible pain the night of the surgery and was supposed to fly out the next morning. I told my sister (who traveled for the surgery with me) that there was no way I could fly the next morning. I begged her to delay the flight one day until I could feel better. But as it turned out, the morning after surgery I hobbled in and took a shower and I was feeling just well enough to be wheeled through the airport in a wheelchair and to barely make it on the plane home. But a few days later, I was feeling like a champ.