morningoasis811

Elizabeth, thank you for your post. this is inspiring. I've been without my band for about a year. I'm eating normally and wondering why i'm gaining weight. Arg, i'm NOT open to having any other kind of WLS or surgery in general (I've had too many besides this already). I need to hear more about people living beyond band removal. It's not perfect. I really thought I could at least keep it off... but i'm human. Thanks again for sharing.

hey there, so glad I jumped back into this forum. I had my band removed almost a year ago and had gotten down to 150 lbs... now i'm back up to almost 220 and freaking out. I havn't been excercinsing and I know that's the peice i've been missing. It's the only CHANGE i havn't made yet. this is really inspiring. I was feeling very alone and very detached. We can survive with out it. I'm tierd of feeling like a failure. I went through a lot with the band and was really sick before it was removed. I can't handle the idea of having another surgery for the sleeve or anything else as it's just too much and I want to get pregnant and start a family. No more elective surgeries for me. reading your stories today has made me feel so much better. thank you all so much for sharing and coming back to help support each other.

Hi, I had my band removed on 2/28/09, almost been a year. I too had suffered greatly in the months before having it removed. Up all night, reflux, pain, extreme weight loss from not eating anything, getting "stuck" on everything. After months of suffering, my surgeon ordered an Upper GI and they found right away that my band had slipped and scheduled me to have it fixed/removed. I begged them to fix it and not remove it. I woke up from surgery without a LapBand. Surgeon said it was just too damaged inside to repair or affix a new band. I trust him with my health and know he made the best decision. However, Here i am a year later, regained some weight, thinking that i'm super woman and could totally maintain with out the band. I am just now coming to realize that I had way too high of expectations on myself that I could do it all alone. I'm currently going through Binge Eating Disorder treatment and continue to gain weight back. I have been feeling like such a failure but am starting to see the light and get back on track. I felt that the band had been a gift and it worked as a tool and now it was my job to just maintain. But it's been a lot harder and a lot different than I imagined. My pain and suffering was all GONE as soon as the band was removed. After healing from surgery, back to normal and my digestion was better than it was before the band. For all of that I am greatful! sometimes i forget how bad it really got. Let me know if you have quesitons or needs support. I'm a year out and feel like I should have stayed connected to Bandsters but felt I didn't belong and no one could relate. Keep reaching out for help and stay greatful for what you learned and what the band gave you. Em

Hello Bandsters, It's been a really long time since i've been on this site. I had my lap band removed almost a year ago on 3/3/09. I was determined to be able to keep maintaining my weight loss and felt I had really changed my life and have been addressing my issues. About 3 months after the band came out I about lost my freaking mind. I was riddled with fear and the inevitble feeling that I was destined to gain ALL my weight back. My primary care doctor referred me to a Binge eating disorder outpatient treatment center locally and i've been going since July 2009. I'm working through some serious shit emotionally and learning how to eat intuitively and not diet. Since band removal a year ago and even while in treatment for Binge disorder, I have regained about 70 pounds total. I'm haivng a really hard time accepting that I couldn't keep the weight off myself. What's wrong with me? I had surgery and in treatment and I can't figure this shit out? I'm working on accepting the fact that I can't do it alone and they removed the band so my chances of regain are pretty high. I didn't want to be a statistic, I really thought I was better than that. But i'm not. I'm looking for some humility, some experinece and some hope from those of you who have had the band removed and who are surviving and struggling without it. I look forward to hearing from you. thanks,:cursing: Emily

I had my band removed on 3/3/09. I felt IMMEDIATE relief from the months prior of constant reflux, all day and night, getting stuck on everything. My band slipped and caused all of this outrageous reflux that no medicine could control. The Dr. went in to fix my slipped band and ended up having to take the whole thing out. Said I was too damaged and inflamed, he didn't think it was wise to fix or replace. Just having mild heartburn like I did before the band.

Hi Tango and Dr. Pleatman, I found out in early January after an upper GI barium swallow, that my band had slipped. My surgeon took out 1.2cc's of Fluid which left me with 3.8cc's in a 10cc band. Highest fill level I had was about 6cc's. Two unfills over last summer and I had been perfectly fine all fall until christmas eve and have been suffering ever since. I felt better after the unfill for a couple weeks, then the reflux, pain an heartburn all kicked back in again. I got an appointment with my surgeon this past Wednesday. From reading on here I was expecting that next step would be remove all fluid, wait to see if it fixes itself... then consider surgery for a fix. He said, no unfill because I would just be back to see him in two more weeks with the same problem. I'm now scheduled for surgery this next Tues 3/3 for a fix or worst case removal. I advised him that I would strongly prefer to keep it. I've been really successful to this point. He said that if he had to remove it, he would most likely have me wait 6 months to heal and then consider doing a gastric sleeve. He thinks that would work great for me. I'm at my goal weight pretty much right now. I've lost another 6 pounds this last few weeks from not being able to eat much. 15 pounds total since christmas when i first noticed the pain. I'm worried about losing more after surgery if I keep the band. I'm worried about having it removed and instantly gaining all my weight back. I'd like to think that i'm stronger now and wouldn't regain, but it seems the odds are against me no matter how hard I try. :confused:Dr. Mark Pleatman, Do you think it's odd that my surgeon skipped a complete unfill and went straight to a fix surgery? What are the chances of me being able to maintain my weight loss after removal? If I got the gastric sleeve at goal weight, could i maintain because my volume would be the same or would I lose more? Your posts here are very helpful. thank you all for sharing. This has shook me this week with thinking i was having an unfill and then having surgery within 1 week. Crazy.

Hi Needto and Marsha, Thank you for your replies. I was so baffled by all this weird abdominal pain. so good to know i'm not a lone. my GP referred me to the GI specialist because my band dr. didn't think it was related. I am so glad this forum is here. My revision surgery on Tue 3/3 is being planned as a fix/reposition my existing band or worst case removal. I still don't know if my insurance will approve it or not. I find out on monday i guess. My surgeon says that another band or the gastric sleeve would be a viable option for me as a replacement in the future if they end up having to remove it... ugh. Now i'm worried that wouldn't be approved, as someone mentioned... I'd have to gain 100lbs back to qualify or something crazy. Anyhow... I am trying to get used to the idea of life without the band and all my fears with that. I've made some pro's and con's list that have helped. If it does get taken out, there is less chance of more complications down the road or while i'm pregnant (would like to start trying this year). But i've grown to be friends with my band. I pleaded to my surgeon about how I've really adapted to living with it as a tool and working with it. I rely on it to keep me in line. good luck gals, keep us posted.

I just found out yesterday from my surgeon that I'm having revision surgery next tuesday on 3/3/09 to have my slip fixed, worst case scenario removed...

I just found out about 2 weeks ago that my band has slipped. This is what lead up to finding out and the problems I’m having and facing now that I know.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> I had the band placed on 10/25/07 and have lost about 120 lbs so far. During last summer I was filled too much and had crazy reflux and two months in a row I had unfills. Then I was fine for 6 months. Then this past holiday season, between xmas and new years I started having weird symptoms. It started with weird side pains when I ate. I'd have the tight pain in my left chest/shoulder, felt short of breathe from the side pains, couldn't breathe very deep. (I actually passed out around new years once). Over the course of three weeks it lead to reflux on everything even water, just burping up a little bit of everything all day. Then progressed into 24/7 uncontrollable heart burn. On Fri 1/9 I called the hospital because I couldn’t sleep at all or eat any solid food. I had to wait until the following Wednesday to see my surgeon. I was on liquids for nearly a week until I saw him.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> On 1/14 my surgeon removed just over a CC of fluid and ordered a full blood panel and an upper GI. He said it could be one of 3 things. 1) mega esophagus 2) slippage or 3) erosion. He thought it was #1 for sure since I wasn't throwing up, I could keep food down. It just reeked havoc on me until it passed. He said if it was the esophagus problem, worst case would be band removal. (freak out!) I had the upper GI done on 1/16.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I felt great after the unfill and the upper GI. The Upper GI found that my band had indeed slipped. My surgeon isn't concerned with it as is unless it keeps causing me problems. Now he says that I might just need a revision surgery, he didn't speak of removal. His plan if it keeps acting up is to remove all fluid, then if worse, schedule a revision surgery. I’m set to see him again in 8 weeks, but he said that if the reflux returns or any other symptoms to come back and see him.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> In the last week my symptoms have started flaring up again. I’m hoping to get in to see him next Wednesday. My poor husband can’t sleep at night when I’m up pb’ing, choking on acid reflux and coughing up spit foam (I can’t seem to throw up even when I try because I hope to get some relief, just sliming and pb’ing).<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Note, I’ve also had other weird abdominal symtoms that I’ve checked with my GP with, she then referred me to the GI specialist. Whenever there is food in my stomach at all no matter what it is, I get these weird side pains, still short of breathe, crazy abdominal cramping and weird uncomfortable radiating back pain. They don’t seem related to the band other than it only happens when food is in my stomach. My lapband surgeon didn’t seem to know what those pains were from and how they were related. So that’s why I’m going to see the GI specialist. Who knows!<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> I'm so scared. I don't want another surgery, I don't want it removed. It's done for me what I can't do for myself. I've made drastic changes to my life and food habits, but I still don't trust myself without it. I want this band to work. I want to be able to live with it.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> <o:p> If anyone has experience with slippage like this, please continue to share. All of this informaiton in this thread has been really helpful. I noted the smoking, coffee, chocolate, mint and articicial sweetners as triggers. This week I am going to cut out these items (coffee has already been reduced to 2x's per week from daily.)</o:p>

Hi this response is directed to Dustkicker and LoisinStA In my experience with the band, when my reflux kicks up, the band is too tight. Even though I can still eat and sometimes feel I could be a bit tigher... messing around with reflux and recognizing the signs are very important. Early last sommer I had been filled up to 6 cc's in a 10 cc band. thought I was doing great. Then all of a sudden this crazy reflux started, keeping me up all night no matter what. Two months in a row I had .5cc unfills and after a full cc was removed I felt relief. (I had just hit my 100 pound mark around this time). Then 6 months later during this holday season the reflux kicked back up bad. Even on Water, anything I ate came up my throat. All night long no matter how many hours before bed I stopped eating. I have been sitting sleeping up right since christmas. This last episode then progressed into crazy 24/7 heartburn and nothing would help it. I'm already on 40 mg's of Aciphex daily. I added 150 mg Zantac twice a day and was still in burning hell. I was on fluids for a week while I waited to get in and see my dr, and that seemed to quell most of it. I went to see my surgeon in early Jan and he removed 1 cc of fluid and ordered an upper GI. He thought I had Mega Esophogus (where my stomach uses my esophogus as an overflow resivoir basically) Mr surgeon said if this was the case, it would need to be removed. The upper GI came back and showed that my band had actually slipped. I'm dealing with that now... and working on getting unfills to see if that releives the reflux and heartburn, now i'm just at risk of having a revision surgery. The esophogial cancer threat scares me. I was so worried about damanging my espohogus as I know you can't fix it. My advise is not to mess with and just suffer through the reflux at the sake of wanting a tigheter stomach to eat less or be more restricted. It's not worth it. I totally felt I could control the reflux and I couldn't. I don't want unfills and I don't want another surgery. But I have to do what I have to do not to damage myself at the sake of keeping my weight loss.

Hi Everyone, it's been a while since I've been back here and active since I made this post a while back. I have continued to go to OA meetings at least once a week, I have only told a few friends in OA about the suregery and I mentioned it once in a share. After the share I received warm hugs and support. I too had been feeling like I was keeping this huge secret or not being completely honest. But I've been in OA for 5 years now and I know discussing in depth is definitly an outside issue. Where I was really struggling was people in OA seeing me lose weight (120lbs in the last 1.5 years) and from my shares they know i'm not abstinent. I feel guilty about this. I had success in OA with a 90 lb weight loss over 2 years working with a sponsor and it was amazing, I truly lived the miricle of this program. I'm really gun shy and had been using my band as an excuse for not getting a sponsor and working the steps. My first sponsor basically let me go for two reasons, 1) she did not have experience with relapse and encouraged me to find someone and 2) she was shockingly opinionated about WLS and basically told me I was going to die and it was rediculous to consider it because of the dangers and it goes against oa. So in the back of my head i'm thinking that no one will be supportive and I was scared to look for a sponsor who would work with me and accept my band decision. I am a raving food addict. I feel that since i've reached 160 which is only 10 lbs away from my goal, I have lost my mind. I can't stop eating. It's like everything i've worked on for the past 1.5 yrs is out the window. I'm eating way too much sugar. I'm grazing during the day. I haven't been gaining weight but my disease is getting a sick high off of getting away with getting around the band. I feel really fucked up right now. Everyone looks at me like i'm so awesome now and i've conquered my problems, i'm so thin.... they don't understand i've only conquered the fat. I still really suffer inside. I have a sponsor now, she knows about my band but really doesn't understand. I'm still not certain she'll fully accept me. we'll see how it goes. I'm also searching for a Therapist who is knowledgable in the 12 steps and who has worked with wls patients. I know I need the help. I'm trying to work one day at a time to find the strength and willingness to ask my HP to help lift me out of the obsession so I can stop abusing my self with food. I've come too far. I don't trust myself right now. I know OA is the answer for me. It is the ONLY thing that ever worked for me in the past. I'm just not working it. I wish I had the spirit of a new comer, it seemed so much easier then. Now I feel like I should know better and beat myself up for not "getting it".

I started to experience hair loss at it's worse around 3-6 months post op. I already had Thin hair, all over my head. But it was really starting to thin out, like my bangs, and the sides above my ears. My pony tail looks like a 5 year old little girls. Hair is kind of a big thing for me and I had some mild "body/identity" issues with it. I was hitting my protien mark every day. Excercising, losing weight consistantly. I started reading on these boards. I started taking Biotin and Folic Acid. I cut my hair a little shorter than normal because you could tell my ends were thin and straggly looking. It's growing back in now, I have about 4 inches of new growth and it's thickening back up. For me I think it was just a shock to my system with the rapid weight loss. My dr. said it can be a normal side effect, every body is different. I continue all my Vitamins and biotin daily.

Oh I'm going to go check out that Lipo in Box right now online! I've been wearing tummy slimmers for years (since i hit my top weight.) I wear the high top panties that go up to your bra. Where most women have the "apron" I have the opposite. My lower belly below my waist is normal and chubby but smoothes out nicely under jeans and was never a concerns. between my boobs and waist I feel like I have another rack of tits. It permanently looked like my fat belly was spilling over my pants all the time. I still wear them now to smooth things out after losing 100+ pounds, but looking for something better than I pick up at Target. -Leena - I experience the chubby mons! my lower belly is all flat and saggy now, and my mons is chubby and swollen looking. I actually wondered once if I could get that lipoed or do a mons/labia tuck... I've had droopy boobs since i got boobs at age 8. Totally got jipped on the perky tits. On topic of the pencil test... in my younger more shameful years while I was up at 280+, I demonstrated to my friends that I could hold a full 2 liter of soda under each breast. There is a picture somewhere I may have burned already. Now my boobs are flat, like without a bra, i look flat chested until you see the boobs sitting on my tummy. I'm 28, no breastfeeding yet. This is not self depricating at all, I'm always pretty light hearted about body issues. I look bad ass all tucked into my tummy slimmer and bra so I dont' worry too much. Getting thin didn't look like I thought it would naked. But even though i'm saggy, I totally love my whole body more than ever. It reminds me where I've been, and being fat made me who I am, i'm just getting better now. (sorry this got so long, i've been up with reflux all night and just got a second wind)

I have been up since 2am (it's 7am now) with the worst reflux of my life. It's been going straight now for a week. I already take 20mg of Aciphex twice a day (that seems to have been working). Last weekend I added 150mg zantac 2 x's a day. And if anything it's just gotten worse and is now 24 hours a day for the last 4 days. I've been sleeping sitting up... when I can sleep. Right now I have terrible burning, lump in my throat, reflux during the day, worse at night. F@#$k why didn't I call the Dr. earlier this week. I thought I could manage this! So at 6am in misery I called my hospital, they page a dr. who calls me back within 5 min. He just tells me that I need to call the surgery clinic first thing monday and make an appointment. MONDAY!!! I asked what to do in the mean time, he said it sounds like you're doing it all already. Just wait. After he hung up I started balling (i'm delirously tierd and am in so much pain.) -Gall bladder removed at age 23 -Lab band surgery at age 27 -I had heartburn(no reflux), ulcers, gerd, gastritous and a hiatal hernia before suregery. -Since surgery it calmed way down. I went down to just taking 1 aciphex a day and sometimes could skip a few. -I had 2 unfills over the summer (because some reflux started up, spitting up and choking on acid burning my throat). I felt 100% after the unfills. I hit a weight plataue at 170 from Aug till Dec. Reflux was fine. -Now since xmas eve I have been miserable!!! I've started losing weight again, but I think it's because i'm eating so much less because i'm in so much pain. In two weeks I've lost 8 pounds. -I know I was overeating during december and having too much sugar. I go to Overeaters Anonymous and treat my food addiction. I'm not binge eating anymore, just test my limits sometimes. I'm all about following the rules and my surgeon says i'm his star patient, never had a lap band patient lose 100lbs before. I'm doing something right. But this december I got a little loose. Was it the overeating that caused it? Why all of sudden am I having reflux from HELL? Guess I just need an ufill. I can't imagine having to wait till Wednesday (his clinic day) to get an unfill. Any suggestions, I'm totally open? and miserable...