A_new_sara

So are unable to lose any weight with it? I agree with you that it doesn't necessarily without issue. I just meant you can actually lose weight with it if you are able to stick to the dieting rules. I also had trouble eating lean meat a lot of times as well as a lot of vegetables. So I resorted to sliders which kept me from losing. I guess I should've worded that differently. [emoji6]

The band will work if you don't break the rules. It's just got its issues you will learn to deal with.

Hi! I have been banded for around 5 years and I have a lot of the same concerns. I am getting more and more excited and comfortable with the idea of the sleeve after reading the posts on here, going to my nutrition classes, and dealing with my stupid band which is even now as I type stuck after trying to eat lunch. I can't wait to get this stupid thing out of me. What happens now that i can't eat my lunch is I will still be hungry, leading me to grab something unhealthy that I know will not get stuck.. At this point I think my band is actually preventing me from losing. Good luck!

If there was to be a Class Action lawsuit against lap band and related companies, would you join it? My surgeon really believes its going to be yanked off for the market because as a medical device its failure rate is extremly high with high rate of complications that are way outside the margin of accepted standards for the FDA. I'm not sure I would though. I'm not the suing type.

Tentatively scheduled for surgery on July 14th in Cabo Mexico I have an endoscopy on Tuesday and as long as those results come back okay regarding my lapband I will be scheduled and looking forward to joining the losers bench. Can't wait to get this lapband out of me and really truly embrace a new tool for weight loss.

Would love to follow others being sleeved in July and others revising to a sleeve

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Are there any bipolar 'losers' out there who've had problems losing weight post op due to drugs that are needed to stabilise moods? One major problem mood stabilizer is Seroquel (quetiapine)
I'm concerned that my weight loss is going to be tough due to this drug in particular.

I had a cat scan where they found the leak and the size of it they also drained out the Fluid. They moved me back to the hospital where I had the surgery done and I met with the attending surgeon last night about what they will be doing for the next couple days. I just really didn't want to hear him say that if the antibiotics and drain tubes don't fix the problem then I have to undergo another surgery the gastric bypass I feel this is to much. I left the hospital from having the surgery wondering how come this wasn't found before I left. I actually stayed a extra day due to me not being able to eat on my second day cause of pain and they let me go on the third day cause I ate one spoonful of broth and didn't complain I should have been checked to see why I couldn't take the food. I guess the should of and why they didn't is to late now cause I'm back in here for the leak. I just pray they get it fixed where I won't have to undergo another surgery. But I sure will ask why I would I have to go through another surgery to fix this. Thanks for the support.

So sorry this happen to you and my prayers going up for you.
My surgery was 3/27....no complications at all other than dehydration. Thus week I have been feeling very tired and.l notice I have a small leakage in my naval and it has an order. Don't know this is normal or not. Calling Dr today.

Hi Sara! I'm doing well. Tomorrow will be two weeks since my revision. I've lost 7 pounds, but I'm still retaining some Fluid and swollen. I weigh 157 today. I'm not hungry. The soreness was pretty much gone after 6-7 days, and the part that seemed to linger the longest was the place where my port used to be.
I'm having Gatorade Low Cal and creamed Soups mostly, and I notice a difference than with the band. At two weeks with the band, I felt huge restriction, and I vomited quite a bit-slime and all. I feel full with the sleeve, but no urge to vomit-not "stuck" or over-full. I hope this doesn't mean I won't feel any kind of restriction when I graduate to regular foods. Any advice on that hermione53?
My doctor recommended a Protein powder, and I'm liking it so far. I can't get 60-80 grams any other way. It's called GENEPRO. There's some debate about it online because they claim to use some science to pack 30g of protein into 1 tbsp. My doctor says it's good. I add it to creamed soups, and I can't taste it. And only 1 small tbsp!
How are you all doing?

Sara, i feel your pain. As much as I prayed I would come out with removal and sleeve done in one surgery, it didnt happen. My Endoscopy only showed inflamation, but my doctor removed my band and closed me up. He felt it was too high risk and that my stomach needs to heal. So im bandless and im waiting till july to have GS surgery. My insurance is covering both, but in my case.... that still leaves me with a 50 % co-insurance for 2 surgeries. It is what it is.. better safe than sorry. Best of luck to you.

On 4/12/2017 at 3:12 PM, Peggypja said:

Thank you and found out today, doctors visit, that his not being able to perform the sleeve after lapband removal was very LOW too. Am hoping once he gets in my stomach on Monday, all be be a thumbs up and proceed as planned moment for him and I.

@Peggypja how did your surgery go?

On 2/25/2017 at 1:38 PM, AnneElliot said:

I cant eat bread, Pasta, red meat, or rice.

I have NEVER been able to eat any of that. I think if you are revising, looking to eat whatever you want then you are looking for trouble. I'm going into the sleeve with the same mindset of a lifestyle change forever. The only difference is that I will actually be able to eat healthy instead of whatever will go down.

On 2/21/2017 at 6:05 PM, My3angels031703 said:

Hi! I've had my band for 12 years and it's time to say goodbye. I'm waiting for a date for surgery, but was just informed today that this revision sometimes can not be done in one surgery. I did not know this. I was slightly disappointed.. my surgeon said he discussed this, but I don't recall. I thought I was almost there. The thought of me possibly waking up with no band and no sleeve is freaking me out. Then to wait months before being able to have the sleeve done!! What's the norm? What's the chances it can be done in one surgery? Anyone? And how did it go?

I'm kinda in the same boat.. I have been banded since 2010. I am revising to the sleeve in Mexico. He will do it in one surgery as long as my endoscopy shows no erosion. I have it next Tuesday. I am petrified that I will have to find a way to have my insurance cover the removal (since at that point it'll be deemed medically necessary) and then have to wait three months to get sleeved. I have been miserable for 7 years, I suppose a bit more time won't kill me. But I'm praying for it!!!

On 4/30/2017 at 5:47 AM, hmm33502 said:

Yes!!! Me too! I was sleeved in December and haven't looked back! The band has its limitations, but worked decently well for me. When I would near my TOM, my stomach would swell and everything would get stuck. Absolutely NO eating anything healthy. I would eat only slider foods. My teeth were eroding due to vomiting. Acid ruled my life and I would have a panic attack thinking about how many times I would need to run to the restroom when I would go out to dinner with anyone who didn't know the "situation." Since being sleeved in December, I have vomited twice. Once was because I ate too much and one was because I ate rice and it expanded. I only stick to riceless sushi now!


Banded 2010. Sleeved Dec 2016
122 lbs lost

I literally feel like I am readying my own story through all of these posts! I'm so glad to know I'm not alone!!

On 10/8/2016 at 0:41 PM, futureskinnybtch said:

Just got the band done and I also know a lot of successful people with a band, why the drastic change? Does the band stop working after so many years, even if you stay on top of your fills?! Just curious.

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I was banded in February of 2010. The first year I did really good. I was unable to eat most foods, but I was so determined to lose the weight that I just dealt with it. I lost almost 60 lbs and then slowly it just stopped coming off, and then the pounds came creeping back on. I have tried fills and unfills and no matter which way I go I either can't eat at all, can't get full, throw up nearly ever single day, sometimes even just Water. Unless it's a slider food, I can't eat it. After spending the last 7 years of my life living with a failed LapBand I am getting a revision to a gastric sleeve.

That's the date Im hoping to get. I work in education so I have some weeks off during summer. That's the day school ends so Im hoping to do it then for maximum recovery time.

On 1/23/2017 at 7:02 AM, strawberryparty said:

Hey gryffen, feeling much better now thanks, the situation was - CT showed band was awkwardly placed & that was causing problems, and also I'd mistakenly thought that my band was empty when in fact it still had saline in it, so having any fill in wasn't helping matters.

I'd been fine with the band for the last 5 years since my last unfill, but acid reflux and nausea had been getting worse over the course of the last year, until last week or so where it was becoming unbearable and was keeping me awake all night. Then, the last couple of days before going to A&E, I was getting horrible discomfort in my chest like a fist squeezed tight, and I was "feeling" the band like I never had in all the time I've had it since 2009.

Went to my GP first, she felt my stomach, said v unlikely to be slip or erosion, prescribed me proton pump inhibitors, told me to come back in a month and we'd see how I was. But that night & the next morning I felt worse, pain in chest/oesophagus/top of stomach was worse. I called up THG, the lady I spoke to said she'd have nurse call me back, and she said I could pay to come in for them to check my band was empty, could also pay £450 for an X-ray with them, but I just don't have the money right now. So I was waiting for their nurse to call me for a while, but in the end I was just feeling worse & worse, felt something was very wrong.

Went to A&E, had x-rays and CT & kept in overnight. I found out the band still had some fill in, they took that out, and also CT showed band was a bit awkwardly placed & that was what was likely giving me the discomfort. I feel better without the fill in, but still acid reflux/nausea at night & in morning at the moment. So possibly/hopefully I will be having the band removed with nhs rather than THG, which would have cost me £5,000. If the band wasn't giving me any problems, I'd have been ok to leave things as is, but losing sleep with the reflux & the pain in the chest sensation of "feeling" the band like it's not sitting right - this makes me really want to have it out. Will be having follow-up with nhs surgeon soon to see what will happen.

How are you doing now?

On 4/30/2017 at 6:03 PM, rcm1216 said:

Hi Marisa! My surgery was 3 days ago and yes, he removed the band and did the sleeve at the same time. I know how scary it is to think about losing the restriction the band gives you. I wouldn't have removed the band if I didn't have the money for the sleeve. Insurance paid a portion because of the hiatal hernia part, but between my surgeon and the facility, it cost me 6,000 up front. Recovery from the sleeve is definitely harder for me than from the band. I've only been consuming 400-600 calories a day for a week, but I haven't lost weight. I was 164 pounds the day of surgery and the same today, but my belly is really swollen, so I'm sure that's the reason. Let me know how you're doing.

How are you feeling now? How was the port area after removal?

On 5/4/2017 at 6:29 PM, hardwork&dedication said:

Having had galbladder surgery and other health problems that Ive been hospitalized for,Im scared of the pain because Ive had some complications before. I wake up in the middle of the night scared about it, and I havent even been approved or have a date yet.. However, I just figure I will do what I usually do and leap before I look.

Is your ticker correct? You having surgery on July 21? I'm scheduled for July 14th.. Scared and excited at the same time

So great to hear this!! Can't wait to hear how your surgery goes!!

On 4/26/2017 at 0:29 PM, Paul Bahr said:

I kept it pretty close telling only those people very close to me. Once I was in the airport (had mine done in Mexico), I posted on Facebook what I was doing. That way I didn't have to hear from a bunch of people all the crap that you're worried about hearing. I heard it from one, but EVERYONE else has been very supportive. Of course, there were and are gobs of questions regarding my choice to go to Mexico.

I'm in the same boat.. I think people hear "Mexico" and freak out, but if you've done your research as a patient then you'll be in good hands. I'm wanting to tell a few.. mostly my co-workers because they all know me as the girl who pukes every time she eat.. (thanks lapband) plus, I'll be out of work for 10 days. But I won't tell my family, they aren't supportive at all

I am also doing a revision to a sleeve. I am encouraged by these positive outcomes