I was banded in 2007; it worked lovely for me, I lost almost everything I wanted in 1 year -- then I got pregnant & it broke, gained it all back, had a baby, revised band -- lost it all again, got pregnant again & it broke again -- gained it all back again, had a baby, revised band. Worked again, but slower... broke again.. gained it back... this has continued on and on.. I have had a total of 2 replacements & 6 revisions. The last revision didn't take, I don't feel the same as I use to, and that revision was early 2015. This is between 2 surgeons. Back to my original 2007 pre-op weight, my band has been bothering me... Found out it is slipped & has to go.
They had to move my port from belly, chest, belly... port has flipped 4 times... port disconnected once... tubing broke once... and now slipped.
Keep in mind, since day 1 I am self-pay, so I could have bought a house by now with all I have paid.
Doctor said we either revise the band again, remove it, or convert it.
I refuse to revise the band again, I hate the booger at this point.
It will be $9k to remove it -- $22k to revise it to a sleeve. I am too afraid of GP, even after all this time as a bariatric patient. In 2012 I wanted to convert to the sleeve, but the price difference was too much to justify everytime I had to go under the knife (if I only knew how many more surgeries I'd be paying for since then because of the band!!).
This time, I decided -- remove it, and be done. When I can eat 'normal' again for the first time in years, I'll work on eating things like fruit, veggies & salads -- which I can't eat now. I thought a little more & talked with family, and we've all decided I should just take out a 2nd mortgage and bite the bullet, because I'm not healthy anymore and would very much like to be, and if I decided later on I want the sleeve, it's going to be another 20k+ the 9k I pay now.
So, I have it all scheduled now. Surgery first week of January 2017 (for tax purposes, I asked to wait until the new year).
I've been absent from the forum for years, feeling that I have nothing to contribute as a lap-band failure, and the great friendships I made through this forum, I talk to all the time.
But I am back, now that I am going to be a 'newbie' in the sleeve world. I am very excited now that I've gotten over the initial shock of how much money I'm going to be shelling out..... again.
Here's to my new success, and good riddance to the band!!!!
I made a group called "December 2016 Sleevers!" I would love for everyone who has a surgery date in December to join! lets be a great support system for each other and go on this journey to a better us with great friends. Share our success and failures along the way, cheer each other on, wether you already have support from your family and friends or from nobody at all like I've unfortunately seen from some, lets make sure we definitely have each other to lean on! btw they say you normally gain weight around the holidays, are we crazy?! haha
cary2238 got a reaction from InspectorJensen in December 2016?