Bye-Bye Band

I had my band for 7 months. I've lost 138 lbs. With my band about all I could eat was saltine crackers and a smoothie (milk, oj, yogurt, banana and an egg) I couldn't do anything else. Last month I had about 3 weeks where I thought I kept getting that horrible flu that kept going around at the end of the 3 weeks I couldn't even keep water down, my family doctor was so worried that she contacted my Lap Band doctor and a barium swollow was ordered. I couldn't really keep it down either, and the pictures looked like it just sat in the pouch above the band no even a trickle would go down into my stomache. So I went to see my Lap Band doctor and he took the fill that is in the band originally out and had me try some water and again it came up. He decided I had to have emergency surgery to have it taken out. The thought was that the band was just too tight. He gave me the option of putting a new one in in the larger size but after living on crackers and smoothies for 6 months I'd had enough and since we were paying out of pocket for the surgery I really didn't want to cost my parents that much more money. Around midnight I finally went into surgery after having 6 bags of IV fluids pumped into me.

My doctor found that he couldnt put a new band in any way, the band size was just fine but my stomache had slipped above the band and then folded over blocking the opening, the probe could go through but just barely. My stomache was also erroded. He told us that he wouldn't have put a new band in at that time even if I'd wanted one.

I'm now two weeks with out the band, and eating normal food, mostly fruits and veggies which was what I came to miss the most. It took me a week to get to feeling better, I'd been very dizzy during the 3 weeks I'd been sick and even fainted a few times and it took that week to get over that completely. :faint: I'm going to be starting Weight Watchers and joining Curves next week to loose the 47 lbs that I have to go to reach my goal. So :p to you weight you are still gonna go away!

So sorry about all you've went through but am glad your on your way back to recovery and than your still determined to not let the weight win. You go.

I've always worried about that sort of thing happening. Do they know what causes it. Is it too much fill, not enough fill or just luck of the draw. I have the mini lowprofile band that holds 4cc's and just got a fill of .3 now I have 3 cc's and can't hardly eat any food yet.

Just wanted to say, I have just had my band removed. I have had the same problem as you with the opp. My band was removed because i had mrsa.FAY

Jules, sorry this happened to you. I wonder if you were just too tight from the beginning or something? Sounds like the band wasn't placed correctly or something. You lost a ton of weight so fast, OMG. Hope you do well on WW and with Curves. Good luck. Julie

Hope your recovery is going well. Do you know if your band was stitched in place when in was installed? One of the key point my surgeon made was that without securing the band with stitching, it could slip.

Hi Jules, I am sorry you lost your band but it appears that your body may have rejected the band from the start. No one should have lived on saltine crackers & smoothies, that's just not healthy.

You are blessed to be around to even share your story & I wish you nothing but success with weight watchers. It's a great program & you should do great with it. It's properly a relief for you at this point.

Anyway, not knowing all the details of your journey, I am just glad that you are OK.

Jules,
I too have had my band removed. One week ago today as a matter of fact. It was an emergency surgery in which I ended up on life support and a medically induced coma. Its a miracle to me that I am home now and actually typing on this board. Have you noticed big change in your appetite? Thats what is freaking me out the most. I can tell I am eating more than I was, but then again over the last month, I was eating almost nothing because of my slippage and when I did eat, bringing it right back up again. I really would like to keep tabs with you and maybe we could just kinda keep track of one another. I was able to get past my goal weight before I had it removed, but now I fear putting my weight back on. your stomach kinda sounds like mine was. 3/4 of my stomach was up above my band and nothing was getting thru.i havent been able to get back to the gym yet, imstill pretty swollen, especially my feet and my mid section. Anyway, Im really glad you are doing ok and that there are others going thru what we have to keep us going.

Sorry to hear of these difficulties from all you Bandsters....hope the NEW 'new life' goes well for all of you.....

I'd be very interested in hearing how your appetites and eating behavior proceed over the next year or so.

Thanks for sharing your experiences and I'll be looking forward to updates on your collective as well as individual experiences.

Wow - Jules and Eathansgrandma have been through so much. I haven't been banded yet and I worry about slippage and erosion too. I actually read it a lot on here. Jules, I hope that you have a great success story to share with us on your WW and Curves regimen. I am sure you will do great, you have already done so well. I hope that both of you heal wonderfully and continue to maintain your weight! Best wishes!

I've been unbanded for two weeks now, and have definitely put on a couple of pounds. But I think it's totally understandable that after denying our bodies certain types of foods (bulky, fibrous, etc.) for so long we crave them. I know I've been almost gorging on salads with raw vegetables and have scarfed down a cheeseburger or bagel occasionally in the last couple of weeks.

But today I'm determined to get my mind back in the game. I know I'm not really hungry so much as just desirous of certain things. But these things are what got me where I was four years ago, and mindlessness is my particular demon. So I'm taking another go at being mindful, since I know I'm capable of it.

alexandra,
I agree with you. I realize i am still a little swollen but after getting on the scale today, i just wanted to cry. i have definitely noticed a difference in my appetite and have gained. but again, some of that is because of not having for so long, i thought, well, im gonna try this. wrong thing to do. we do need to get our minds back on track and not let this get the best of us.

Here I am a day out of the ER met with a new surgeon and am scheduled to have my band removed tomorrow at 3pm. I too can not keep ANYTHING down and am losing it. I will be rehydrated again tomorrow morning before my surgery. This has been a tought year to put in nicely and I have lost 62lbs, but it has been crazy. What makes me sad is I used to be able to eat some stuff. I too think I will be downing salad like there isno tomorrow- havent had a piece of lettece since last june 15th! I too want to be rebanded and will wait it out for my insurance to approve. I am putting this is Gods hands and if he wants me to have more than just removal it will happen ( we put in the request and are awaiting approval!). I just know I am mentally out of it as I can not even drink water and saliva is becoming an issue. Pray for me and know I will let you all know how it goes. Thanks for all the support!

Hello Jules and Ethansgrandma! I have a question for the both of you. I to went thru the same thing. My small intestines had pertruded up into my stomach which was on the opposite side of the band. I was totally blocked for three weeks. When the problem was finally discovered, my doctor said he had never had this to happen before and that by simply pulling everything back down, I would be fine. I am two weeks out from the emergency surgery and am able to eat absolutely anything that I want. I don't feel that restriction of the band any longer. Of course, my band is empty at this point. I am feeling a little discomfort in my abdomen around my port. My question to each of you is when the surgery was performed, was your band removed at that time or did they try to make it work. At what point did the doctors decide the band had to go?

Wow. I thought I had complications. Thanks for sharing your story.

I didnt have surgery until 8:30pm last night and am home today. I woke up feeling instantly better in regards to the horrible reflux I had as they put me to sleep! I was able to eat regular food today as my stomach went back to its normal shape instantly! He said my band was too tight, my original doctor who put it in said my body couldnt tolerate the band and I was rejecting it?? Have any of you heard of this?? I feel if I was rejecting the band wouldnt I have had other signs/symptoms? There was a time I could eat, a variety of things, and drink everything, but those days left in May. My doc said the band had a slight slip, but that was causing total obstruction. This was a scary road. My new doc says I need a bigger band and he will be happy to put it on. What do you all think? I know I will need it, but could the idea of me rejecting it be something to consider? Let me know. Thanks,:nervous