TaniaG

It's been a long while that I have been off this forum but thought I'd come back for support and information. Can anyone tell me if they had a hernia after bypass. What symptoms did you have & did it need to be removed?

Hi!! I was banded in 2011. Went from 240 to179. In went back up to 240. Had similar problems as you regarding the fills and acid reflux. My doctor also suggested converting to bypass. I did that this June. This was my experience with the conversion. Two days after surgery I wasn’t able to keep down liquids or soft food. My follow up appointment was a week later where my doctor removed my drain. After that it went crazy! I immediately felt extreme pain and was admitted into the hospital. The next day I had emergency surgery to fix the leak that caused the pain. I woke up in the ICU with a stomach tube. there was so much scar tissue from the lap band that the leak couldn’t be fixed. I went on to get an two infection that required drains. I had two laparoscopic procedures in hopes of getting a stint. There was too much damage to place one. I stayed in the hospital for 2 1/2 weeks. The leak healed on its own thanks to God. During that 2 months of healing I was being fed by the stomach tube. I wasn’t able to eat or drink orally for 2 months. At this point I’m looking at getting a dilation because it’s difficult to eat and drink some liquids. I’m weighing 166 from 240. This ride continues and I hope the dilation ends it all with Gods help. Think about this decision long and hard. Had I removed my band then waited a few months for the bypass I don’t think the outcome would be the same. However, God only knows. Hope this helps you. Please send a message if you have more questions. By the way I’m 47.

Hi Paigepatches! I was banded in 2011 and was very similar to you. I lost 60lbs. in 5 months. All was going well I was getting my regular fills but the last fill I got in April 2013 was an over fill. After that point my band stopped working well for me. Over the next 4 years I've have several upper GI's, fluid taken out little by little, all fluid removed, and now I'm at the point where my doctor wants to remove my band in exchange for the gastric bypass. I'll be having surgery I'm hoping at the beginning of June. Lap band failed for me. I'm now at the weight I was in 2011, time of my lap band surgery! I'm hopeful this procedure will give me more weight loss and maintaining it. Hope this helped. Good luck!

I honestly don't know why I left the support of BPal but glad I'm back. I'm thinking that's why I struggled for this whole time. New year new hopes right? I have my band filled to 7cc and I go back to my dr later this month gonna get some added in I know I'm not in my green zone yet. I added a ticker to my post in hopes that will make it a lot more real for me. I plan to weigh myself once a week. I've been on winter vacation for two weeks, go back to work Monday. Looking forward to it being at home messes up my eating properly and my workouts not to mention we just finished two food filled holidays lol! My plan is to workout daily climb mountain twice a week maybe three, treadmill nightly, and cardio in the morning I tell you its hard to get started but once I see even the slightest result I am committed. My plan for eating is to measure, measure, measure!!! My doc told me a long time ago to stop eating after five spoons full and well I didn't take his advice. My outlook is to make my band work for me and get the weight off the way the band was intended to work. Ok, sorry I think I rattled on enough. Enjoy your wknd

Well it'll be 3 years since my lap band surgery and honestly it's been an up and down climb. I haven't been online for almost three years!!!!! I started off strong and lost 55 lbs. and since have gained some and lost some. Didn't think i"d still be up and down with my weight after getting the band. After almost 3 years I still haven't found a way to make my band work for me. This is the year however!!!!

Hi there! Boy can I relate!!! I got my band in 2011 and started strong and continued that way with loss and gains along the way. I'm still trying to get to my goal, 30 lbs. to go, its a struggle and I know I need to workout and follow a strict diet to lose even with my band. Don't give up it takes time to make the band work for you I'm still learning that. Tania

Hi Atlantak I'm just returning after being off for close to three years. I gained 6 lbs since Oct. My dr had to remove the fluid in my band due to some complications. I went in before the holidays to get 7 cc and I'm back on track! I've had my band for almost 3 years and have lost 55 lbs within 6 mths but have put back on 30 of those lbs!!!! This is why I decided to get back online for support. I need to find a way to make my band work for me. It seems like your doing great!

Hi, My first fill was this past Wednesday. Dr. put in 4 cc's and I have some restriction but I am looking forward to more restriction. I'm hoping my next fill I will have the same results you are having. Thanks for your info.

Hi I had my first fill today too @ 4:00 pm. My dr put in 4 cc and then I had a drink of Water and did just fine. My dr even told me to come home and eat something to make sure I can keep it down and I did just that and I was fine. Sorry your first fill didn't go smoothly for you. I hope you can get it fixed tomorrow. I hope your weather clears up too Good luck.

Hi Fellow Lap Banders, I'm new to this forum and glad to be part of it. I was banded last Thursday 4/21/11. I went in for my folllow up appt. yesterday and dr. told me I could start solid foods. That was great but should I really be eating solid foods already? I mean he's the doctor, right? Another question, for the past two nights I have had nausea and a little gas. Will that pass with time? I am only a week post op.

Hi there, I have the exact same problem you do. Thursday will be 4 weeks post op and I can eat anything BUT don't. I measure my food and the food I eat is low in fat. Measuring saves me!!! I get my first fill on the 26th but need to call and try to schedule for this week, hopefully Thursday. I want that filling of fullness that I felt 2 weeks post op. At that time I could eat 1/2 cup of food and get full, now cup and a half to 2 cups!!!! Totally don't like that. I assume the swelling around the band is gone and that's why I can eat more??? Is that true?

Hi All, I hope everyone is doing well. I tell you I had a rough start...I was banded 3 weeks ago tomorrow and had a hard time dealing with the decision I made. However, I got through that first tough week and I am going STRONG!!! I worked out Saturday, took a spin class and no pain at all!! Monday another spin class, Tuesday climbed A Mountain (thats a mountain close to NMSU, called A Mountain after the NMSU Aggies). It takes about 30 minutes to climb up. Its so great, I tried a different trail up and loved the challenge. It was actually easier to climb than before I got the band and I have only lost about 15 pounds!!!! I'll be running it in several months!!! Today I did the dreaded yard work, I hate yard work but its a great workout. Tomorrow back to the mountain and Friday and Saturday spin class. WooHoo!!!! I'm very happy with my decision to get the band and look forward to weight loss and becoming healthier and stronger!!! Good Luck to all of you

Hi Friends, I have a question....I was banded on April 21, 2011 and when I drank and/or ate I would get full very quickly. I could eat 1/2 cup of food and fill full. Now, almost a month after surgery I don't get full as fast, can eat cup/cup and a half of food. Is this because the swelling is going down around my band and am needing my first fill? Has anyone ever experienced this before their first fill?

Hi there, I love the Firm series!!! Which ones did you get? I started doing the Firm about 3 years ago (that was my workout at home). I really loved them, a great workout and in a short time. I'm not using them any more though I wanted to try and do different forms of exercise. I hope you enjoy them because you will surely see results!!! Good Luck!!

Hi All, 16 days post op and back to working out. Before surgery I would spin and thought why not try it this morning. It was awesome!!! No pain at all. Did 50 minutes of a pretty hard spin class...so proud of myself. I'm looking forward to the weight falling off now that I'm back to spinning and eating healthy and LESS!!!! Totally happy......I don't regret gettin the lap band anymore Good Luck to you all.

Hi, I had the same horrible hunger pains. I got the band on April 21 and I couldn't stomach the Protein shakes but I did have the broth, condensed Soups, jellos, and cream of wheat and couldn't get rid of the hunger pains. At my follow up appt. my doc said I could start eating scrambled eggs, cereal, even chicken as long as I chewed the heck out of it, lol. Hunger pains went away, YAY!!! I'm pretty much eating healthy food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner but I get full very fast. I can eat about a 1/2 cup of food and get full, I love that!!!! Maybe you should check with your doc and ask if you can introduce some foods that will fill you for longer periods of time. Might work. And yes I can eat anything but its takes some super willpower to control that bad habit and chose healthy foods over junk foods. Before my surgery I bought a cookbook, Comfort Food Diet Cookbook and it is loaded with great, simple recipes that I make now for lunch and dinner. It also has diet Desserts that taste great but are super lowfat, low sugar Good luck

Hi, What state are you in? I had my surgery done in El Paso, TX which is just miles away from Mexico. I have a great dr, Dr. Ben Clapp. Are you considering Mexico to save money? If so, this is not the time to think of saving money. If something should go wrong there is really nothing you could do.

Hi All, Feeling GREAT!!!! I know I lost 10 lbs when I went to dr. office on 4/27 but have lost more since then. Not sure how much because I have a lousy scale. Need a new one...already on list of things to buy. Still have some gas after I eat lunch and dinner but food is going down good. Its funny how I get full so quickly....love that!! I just created this weight loss ticker and copied and pasted it and hoping it will stay every time I write a new topic or reply to someone. Did I do this right? P

Hi trish1 I'm glad to hear your happy and congratulations to you. Although I have only had the lap band for little over a week I did experience alot of anxiety 3 days post surgery and I actually told my doctor I wanted it removed, he told me I had to wait at least a month because it could be dangerous to remove so soon. He also told me to give it time and see if I could adjust to it. I told him if in a month I felt the same I wanted it removed, he agreed. I am doing better and am willing to try. Its not so much that I have something foreign in my body but the nausea and gas. I rarely ever suffered from nausea prior to surgery and if that does not go away with time I will have it removed, nausea will be hard to live with on a nightly basis! How do you feel now that it is out? Did you have to be on a liquid diet after removal? Is your stomach back to its pre lap band state?

Hi LoriAnn81, Yeah my doctor pretty much said the same thing, I did follow his recommendations and some solids are going down better than others. But I gues thats to be expected. Good Luck and let me know how it all went