Nanook

I would suggest joining the forum at www.obesityhelp.com because they discuss all forms of WLS there and have a revision section also which I found very helpful after my band was removed and eventually revised to my RNY. So far I've been happy with my revision but learn as much as you can prior to moving back to the states and finding a new doctor. Good luck to you, Nancy.

Married, Good luck to you in your recovery, Nancy.

Hammer, I gave my self a shot at the lap band and if it didn't produce results or caused any physical damage it would be removed. I think it was just under one year where my doctor and I decided it was not the right procedure for me and I had it removed. I also was very distraught about it and thought it was "my fault" once again but that was not true. I turned around and a few months later revised to gastric bypass surgery which was the right procedure for me. I won't over analyse why we are "fat" but we have to stop blaming ourselves and just get the right help to fix our problem. I do believe it's much more of a physical problem than an emotional one or lack of self control that many people tend to put on us! We get it every day by watching TV and seeing how many products there are out there to "fix us fat folk" and do they work no they don't! If they did we'd all be thin! Anyway don't be so hard on yourself! The lap band is not for everyone so look at other positive options for yourself if this is what your really want it's achievable but don't look at it as a lack of self control or character it's just not the right procedure for you! Take care Nancy.

jst4kel, I did not have the same issues as you did but have revised from lap band to RNY and have been very pleased with the results so far. Hopefully you have a good doctor/support system to help you look into your options for revision. Also there is another wl forum called www.obesityhelp.com that actually has a revisions section where people revise from and to every WLS out there and it was very helpful to me when I was making my decision. Anyway good luck and health to you, Nancy.

I think there are many misconceptions about RNY surgery but the fact is it affects individuals differently. Some cannot tolerate any sugar, some to a degree, some never have an issue with it. But for me personally it has been a big saving grace to actually be affected by sugar intake and has helped me put my diabetes II in remission so to speak. I vomited all the time when I was banded, I've never vomited once since I've had RNY surgery. It's a totally different feeling to have the gastric bypass and not at all like having a band. I feel more in control because it's more of a consistent situation. Anyway I am only one person who has had RNY surgery but because I also had the lap band for a year+ I feel like I can compare the two through my own experiences and possibly contribute to discussions regarding the pros and cons of each, Nancy.

As one who has experience both surgeries I'm glad and lucky I had the opportunity to revise to RNY. As a "sugar eater" and having type 2 diabetes those cravings never went away with the lap band for me and mine actually got worse because sugar foods went down so easily and were always craved. I'm able to control it much easier now due to my dumping syndrome which basically just makes me feel ill if I eat too much sugar. I never lost any weight with the lap band and maybe that's rare but it happens to some people. So anyway I'm grateful for my revision to RNY, good luck to anyone else who has problems like mine! Nancy.

When I had mine removed it seemed like recovery was much easier than when I had it put in. Also there weren't any restrictions about food intake after it was removed except for the day of removal. I don't know your situation and but I'd think as long as it is done laparoscopically and you don't have any complications going to a function in ten days shouldn't be a prob. Good luck, Nancy.

willbaskinnygirl, I've personally seen these types of discussions become very emotional here at LBT. Some people have success with the band and some don't. Doesn't mean they're weak or not dedicated or have enough fairy dust. To analyze why it works for some and not for all would take too much time and sometimes a lot of judgement goes along with it and some of that judgement is self induced. To me it looked good on paper put band on stomach, tighten band, makes stomach smaller, eat less, lose weight. It looked and sounded good but in my reality that didn't happen as I had thought it would. I gave it my best shot and after almost of year of just starting to gain back the weight I lost on my preop diet and started having pain from GERD which sent me to the ER my band was then removed within two weeks after that trip. I felt like a failure because I had it in my head that it was alllllll my fault, once a gain another failed attempt at losing weight and not only that my diabetes II was worse than ever, developed HBP and high cholesterol. Not things that are condusive to a healthy life. Because I felt like a failure I decided not to revise to any other surgery I was really down about it. Problem was after they removed my band the weight really came back on and fast and I was up to an even higher weight my highest ever, go figure. Isn't that what happens when you diet and gain weight back it usually comes with a few extra pounds just for good measure? Anyway so I change my mind after that and started the process of revising to gastric bypass. My younger daughter had one previously and had dropped 140 pounds and I thought what the heck I didn't go through all of this for nothing I deserve another shot. Went through a whole gamut of tests again and another pysch eval, which was more painful than the first one, and was finally approved and had my Gastric Bypass in June of last year. I think it's finally tapered off for me now, the weight loss I mean but I lost a good chunk of weight and am happy where I am now. I know what it feels like to feel satisfied with a set amount of food and can't eat around the bypass like I could with the band. Even drinking while eating for me is impossible because it only makes me fuller. I also cannot tolerate high sugar foods which is also something that I really needed with a weightloss procedure and was lucky enough to get! Anyway don't beat yourself up. I know it's difficult when you're on a site that caters mainly to lap bands and you feel like you're the only one not succeeding but believe me you aren't the only one. They just don't hang out here very long! So know there is a right procedure out there for you! Nothing is perfect but you should expect to at least get some positive results! Take care and good luck to you with your revision, Nancy.

I have due to GERD and the fact that I never lost weight with the band. You can PM if you wish, Nancy.

Good luck Felisity, My removal was covered by insurance and hopefully yours will be too! Nancy.

Go to www.obesityhelp.com. I used that site a lot when I was revising to my RNY. They cover all surgeries there and can be very helpful. Good luck with your decision, Nancy.

I haven't been retested yet and have had my machine for two years. I know I need to go through another sleep study but I don't really feel like it! I also am afraid that I'm now addicted to the CPAP machine and won't be able to sleep without it, lol. I don't know if I'm the only one out there that feels that way. Nancy.

This is how I feel I look with it on but I don't have or dare have an actual picture. This is the actual mask I have to wear. So as you an see the two pics are very similar. Anyway I do sleep better and have a very tolerant husband which helps a lot! Good luck with yours Nancy.:blushing:

Emily like the others have said you're beating yourself up! You wouldn't have gotten the band in the first place if there wasn't a medical reason for needing it and since it was removed what you were left with was a much larger stomach again and one you were not used to having and intuitive eating is different when you go from being banded to having your old stomach back. I had the same issue after mine was removed and months later gained even more weight and revised to RNY and now have a true sense of intuitive eating as I have a real sense of fullness due to the size of my stomach and also my re-wiring. I'm not one who necessarily believes it takes "therapy" to deal with this physical problem. Good luck to you and I hope you have more choices out there for yourself. Nancy.

Well said Cleo's Mom!

I think I waited about 9 months before I discussed removal with my surgeon and I never lost weight after lap band just on the liquid diet prior. I was 47 at the time and had type 2 diabetes and couldn't figure out why losing was so hard for me. I also struggled eating the healthier foods and would vomit a lot and ended up eating mostly sliders which never helped my diabetes. Also developed GERD which helped with my approval for removal and eventual revision. Anyway much happier and healthier now that I've revised to RNY. Good luck with you all it's not always the right procedure for us, Nancy.

Jill, I don't want to sound like a broken record but I had the lap band and wasn't able to lose the weight like you had and also my diabetes was worse during that time and went back on my metformin. I ended having my band removed due to GERD and the fact I was gaining instead of losing and a few months after that decided to revise to RNY after gaining even more weight. I was never insulin dependend like you but was probaby heading in that direction. They took me off my meds when I was banded because they assumed I would get better and didn't. They did the same thing after I had my RNY and my sugar levels have been normal. I'm also lucky in a way that I experience "dumping syndrome" if I eat too much sugar. Basically I feel very sick to my stomach if I eat too much sugar and it's not a good feeling. Anyway sorry about your car accident and the fact you had to have your band removed when you didn't want it to be but I'm just letting you know that RNY doesn't mean the end of the world if you decide to go in that direction. It's made a positive change in my life and my daughter's also. Good luck with whatever you decide to do, Nancy.

BJean I had it done last June and am a happy camper so far! I hope things work out for you and you're able to revise at some point, keep us posted, take care, Nancy.

I'm one of the original "failed bandsters" who thought the band would work for me and got it a couple years ago when there still wasn't enough information out on it. I actually "thought" it would restrict me from eating sweets and junk and that was the type of food that went right through. Being a type II diabetic, perimenopausal, hypothryroid etc...just added to the problem, also on antidepressants. Anyway my GERD pain was so bad it put me in the ER one night and after that with the weight "gain" instead of loss and the GERD hospital stay I was able to have my insurance cover it's removal and becuase I felt like such a failure I didnt' revise. I learned more information about lap bands on this site after I was banded but by then it was too late. Anywho long story short I gained a bunch of weight after my band was removed which made me feel even better:thumbdown: so I decided since my daughter had RNY and was successful that I'd give myself one more shot as long as my insurance would cover my revision which I'm lucky enough to say it did.. I'm not saying it was a breeze, longer recovery, more pain and you're restricted from the very beginning no guesswork there or "bandster hell" but it worked for me. I'm never going to be a "Tiger Woods' mistress" but I've lost a chunk so far and I'm off my diabetic meds and keep up with my vit/supplements and appear to be healthy and happy. Anyway the band is a great tool if it works for you and stays in good working order if not well there are always other options. Good luck and health to all of us! Nancy.

Thanks Indiogirl, I really needed to have this procedure done to get the results a lot of bandsters can have. Hope you're doing well, Nancy.

Good luck with your impending surgery! I've had both surgeries and had no luck with the lap band but have been successful so far with the gastric bypass. I hope you will be too! Nancy.

My insurance covered the removal due to reflux and the fact it wasn't working as intended. Although I'm still looking for itemized bills I do believe the actual cost of a lap band is quite expensive. Especially since each of my "fills" were charged as $445.00 a pop I'm pretty sure the band itself was thousands of dollars. I just found it listed as "implant - $19,125.00" which is a lot of money. My bill to have it removed just from the hospital was $7,598.32, that doesn't include the surgeon's fee and was done as out-patient. Good luck and hope you can get it covered under insurance if possible, Nancy.

I thought about DS when my lap band wasn't working and was considering revision. I had heard that with DS there would be no question that I would lose weight. I don't know that much about DS or BPD-DS but I know many people have definite opinions on the matter and probably a better crowd to discuss might be found at www.obesityhelp.com My surgeon wouldn't reccomend a person for DS unless they were in the 400-500 lb range. There was a surgeon north of me who I was going to see and discuss it with but he was 2 hours away and I didn't want to be that far from a surgeon in case I had complications which can happen with any weight loss surgery. Anyway wondered why you were considering the DS route as opposed to RNY? Good luck with which ever surgery you choose, Nancy.

Well I was part of that "small percentage" that gained weight after banding. It took a few months of never losing and then most of the weight I lost rapidly on the 4 week liquid diet prior to surgery all came back on. I never lost my cravings for sugar while banded and had a difficult time eating only protein and veggies and ended up consuming more things like yogurt and sometimes the forbidden sliders that I had no idea at the time would go right through the band prior to my surgery. Anyway we're all a bit different and it just wasn't the right procedure for me. Nancy.

I'm not sure why you have such a large lump, it maybe scar tissue that I didn't have around mine. I always felt my port while it was there and it showed a bit but not a ton. I had mine removed months before my revision to RNY and I really only have minimal scarring so hopefully someone else around here can help you with your problem. Good luck to you, Nancy.