FabBy50

Well I'm home!! I have to tell you that I'm so glad that this is over and behind me, it was a VERY hard surgery and I have had many. Well instead of just an easy band out sleeve in turned into 4 hours of surgery to repair the damage from the band! Can you say PAIN! The day of and the day after the surgery were pure hell I did not think a person could have so much pain. The good part of all of this is that I made 3 new friends! WingRider, Thinasiwant from this forum and another lady from Obesityhelp. It truly did make it easier, thanks guys for watching out for me! The new recovery house for Dr. Almanza was GREAT!! very very nice, and comfy. They make sure that your needs are taken care, and it is just so much better than any hospital is! Well Kira and Bill I hope you made it home safely! Thanks for your support and friendship, it means alot. Post when you can, Bernadette

Thank you Molly for your response, I have yet to understand why coming to these boards has to become such a drama!! I first started posting back in January when I was still doing research. I mentioned thinking about going to my surgeon and I was viciously attacked!! There are a few people that have a vendetta against him and they have NEVER been there, so go figure. Just happens that EVERY one of them had the same Dr!!! Just a little fishy to me! Anyway I came back on here once again to get support before surgery, but not sure if it is worth the hassle. I only post what I know is fact, I don't say "so and so said" I don't believe in that. I posted my wonderful experience I had and when I get done with surgery on Wednesday I will post again on my experience. Thanks for listening! Bernadette

Constipation is a serious issue, trust me I have battled it for so many years I can't count! I do eat right, excersize and still nothing works. I just went through a huge battle with a bowel obstruction my bowels just don't work!! Don't know why, but my mom was the same way. I have 5 sisters and none of them have the same problem. I don't have a problem eating fruits but some veggies make me gassy. I just wish for once in my life I could be "normal" like everyone else. Good luck Stephanie and maybe an unfill is in order, I have never gotten heartburn from fruit! Bernadette

What bank account????? LOL

OMG here we go again, this guy has been banned before for doing this exact thing!! Do any of you honestly believe any of that??? Do any of you believe a person would fall off of a table during surgery? I actually tried to go back and find some of his original posts and they along with his original screen name are gone. He did not even remember who his surgeon was?? How many of you go into a surgery and don't know the surgeons name? This is exactly why I quit coming to the boards a while ago, too many people coming up with out of this world stories and others believing them. It all starts when someone posts something good about my Dr the haters come out of the woodwork to discredit it. Anyway I WILL NOT go down this road again, it has caused me way too much stress in the past. PS read the "story" for what it is worth: how many Dr's feed you a huge Breakfast and then do a bypass on you the same day???? And how many patients would eat a breakfast knowing they were having surgery that day!!!!!

Thinasiwant I will see you at the Jet Blue gate at 7am!!!!!! Yeah, yeah, yeah I'm finally getting excited!! I think I had to get past the shock of having to have the band removed before I could get excited!!! I'm also scheduled at the new hospital, I thinks we will be some of the first to go through there. Bill AKA WingRider will be having his the day before us so he will be at the hospital too. Everyone else, thanks for the good vibes/well wishes being sent my way!

2 more days and I will be a sleeve sister! Yeah can't wait to have it done!

Ryansgirl I hope that reply of yours was not to Greg! He has been posting his crap on here before and got banned from the site. I'm really surprised that he has been allowed back, well he does have a different screen name so that is probably how he slipped thru the cracks. Don't mean to be so blunt but we go way back and it has not been a happy friendship.

Hi again girls!!! I have everything booked my papers signed and just waiting for Wednesday to get here!! I actually fly out Tuesday afternoon and will spend the night in San Diego, then go into Tijuana in the morning fro the surgery. Can't wait to get this done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thinoneday, you are the day before me!! I will send you all sorts of good vibes! and a couple of cyber hugs!

OMG Greg is coming out of the woodwork with his tall tale again!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOW An amazing transformation, you should be very proud of yourself!!!!!! You go girl!!

I so what everyone else has said. The band is just short of being dangerous!! I did follow the rules and still had tons of sliming, p'bing and just very uncomfortable. I have a weekly lunch date with 2 of my friends and I can't tell you how many times I spent most of the lunch in the restroom!!! I also get sick of having my family staring at me every meal, and asking is it going to go down! That is not a life! I was not ready to do this quite yet but I'm very happy that Iam!! Oh another thing is all the adjustments!!!!!! I spent way over $1000 getting fills. I never did have an unfill but it is a pain trying to get just the right restriction. Anyway for what it is worth, I would never recommend the band! Bernadette

The smoothie thing sounds good but too much trouble for me. And the raisens they don't work for me either, I have eaten pounds of cherries at a time and nothing, my husband is always amazed at how irregular Iam!!!

WOW Tiffykins I just looked at your before and after pictures WOW!!!! You look wonderful!!!

Hi Thanks for the reply's and I just hope this sleeve is a better option for me. I thought the band would be it but I guess it was not meant to be for me anyway. Tiff, so you had troubles with your band too? I have been in a lot of pain again the last couple of days so Wednesday can't get here quick enough. Was your pain right at the port spot? mine is right there and below it. It feels like it has moved to the right some and is sticking out which it did not do before. I just want this behind me, I'm 25lbs from goal so I'm hoping the sleeve will do it for me! Take care, Bernadette

I would never recommend the band to anyone! I have followed all of the rules and still have to have the band out. I thought I would be one of the ones that had the band and rode off into the sunset to live happily ever after!!!! NOT! I put up with alot but just kept saying it's not that bad, I can live with this! Well it does work but what you have to go thru for it to work is just too much!

Hi all I just wanted to check in and say hi, and to say goodbye to my band! I had my band done in March and I did very well for a few months and then the troubles started. I have been in a constant state of pain for 2 weeks now and they finally figured out that I had torn the port away from the wall. So I'm headed back to Tijuana to have the revision. I did actually look into just having the band repaired but it would be the same amount of money so sleeve here I come!!! I'm actually getting excited about all of this now. Wish me luck!! Bernadette

Thank you BJ And I hope that very soon you will be able to do the revision too!! I hope it all that they say it is because the band is not! Take care, Bernadette

Yes they are thanks goodness because I really can't afford to do this at all! Still not what I expected to have happen to me!

I have battled constipation for as long as I can remember but since the band it is worse, way worse. I have tried everything under the sun too. My Dr reccomends taking fiber, that does nothing for me. I wish I had a magic bullet for you. Good luck and maybe someone will give all of us a good remedy! Good luck, Bernadette

I had my band done in March and already it has to come out, to say the least I'm a little upset! Especially considering I'm self pay and I will be having 2 surgeries within 9 months. I tore my port away from the stomach wall so I had my choice of repairing it or doing the sleeve, so sleeve here I come!!! I started out loving my band and being able to work with it but it got harder and harder as it went on. I couldn't eat and if I did, it would not stay down. If I was even slightly upset about anything not even Water would stay down. I tell you this has been a bad dream. And I did everything I was supposed to do. Anyway I'm going back to Tijuana to see my surgeon again. My surgery is scheduled for Wednesday!! So sleeve life here I come. Wish me luck! Bernadette

Hi everyone I just had to jump in and tell everyone about all of my problems too. I was banded in March and at first everything was great. Then I had a few fills and my life has not been the same since!! Most days I can't eat, or if I do most of it comes back up. I was one of the original cheerleaders for the band and now I want to scream DON"T do it!!!!!!! I followed the rules and still my band has to come out. I'm scheduled Wednesday to have the revision done. The bad part is I'm self pay and I have to pay for 2 surgeries in less than a year!! My problems started with pain on my left side all around the port site. At first I thought I had pulled a muscle, and in hindsite I know what I did to cause the problem. I was trying to move a box that was way over my head (and heavy) and I pushed it a little too much. I pulled the port away from the wall. So for 2 weeks I have been in severe pain. Oh well I wanted to do a revision eventually but I was not planning quite this soon. So good luck everyone!!

I have to have my band removed because the port has torn away from the stomach wall, I have been in severe pain for 2 weeks now. I had my band done in Mexico so I had to wait to have it removed there. Unfortunatly if you have the band done in Mexico you have few options about problems afterwards. I did talk to several Dr's offices that would take me on as a patient but the lowest price was $8000!!! I really enjoyed my surgeon the first time and this is not his fault, so I'm returning there to have the revision done. I'm upset but what can you do?? It happened and now I just have to deal with it. Bernadette PS Please don't get mad at me for saying so but I would never get the band again, even before all of the troubles.

I did follow all of the Dr's orders and had the best attitude and still my band has to come out! I'm scheduled for a revision on Wednesday, so it is the luck of the draw who keeps theirs and who does not. I don't want to rain on anyone's parade but the band is a great tool that comes with it's share of problems. I have talked to many people who have had no problems what so ever and then lots who have. I wish everyone could have a wonderful experience but if you read enough you will find that is not always the outcome. Good luck to all! Bernadette

Hi New I wish I were at your weight loss amount, I have been stuck at 40lbs. Not that I'm complaining I have not looked this good or felt this good in years!!! It is wonderful to be able to put on normal size clothes!!! I wear a medium top, can you believe it!!! I'm between a snug 12 or a loose 14 bottom I started at a TIGHT 18!!!!!! Life is good, but I still need to get back on the wagon and loose that last 25-30. I know what you mean when you get a fill, I don't have restriction until usually a week or more. My last fill was harsh I got stuck alot and did alot of pb'ing and slimming. I don't have any problems with that now, but I'm not sure about anymore fills. I have 4cc's in a 4cc band, my fill place said they would do a floro and see if I could take a little more if I wanted it. I have put it off because I don't want to get stuck all the time again. Take care, Bernadette