Hi, I am new here so bare with me. I had lap band surgery on November 13th, 2009. I initially lost 35 pounds right at the beginning. I attribute that to the liquid diet I had to be on for two weeks before the surgery and one week after. I only lost maybe another 15 pounds after that, but I have put some back on. My weight goes up 3 pounds and down 3 pounds. So I have never lost what I set out to lose. I still have another 45 pounds that I need to lose but it doesn't look like that is going to happen. When I had my lap band "installed", the doctor also repaired a hiatal hernia. I have found out that my hernia now needs to be repaired again. I am having trouble keeping my foods down as well as having great pain when the food is trying to pass through that small opening. My doctor removed all the fluid from the band about 6 months ago, but that hasn't helped at all. I don't enjoy eating at all. I also am one of those people that cannot tell when I am full. I have to make myself stop eating. Of course, I just put a little food on my plate, but after eating that, I am not satisfied. And, of course, when it all comes back up, I am hungry again. I do get hungry to the point of shaking and feeling faint, and if I don't eat something sweet (it's not a sugar problem), I will get really bad and just about pass out. I want my lap band removed, but I can't afford the money I would have to put up front, so I am stuck. I am not satisfied with this lap band and I wish I had gone with one of the other surgeries, but it's too late now. I am having many other problems also, but I won't go into those. I will say that I have a thyroid disease, so that makes it even harder for me to lose weight.

Welcome to LapBandTalk!!

Do you have a hernia or did your band slip? What you are describing sounds like a slipped band. Do you have any health insurance at all? If you do, they will sometimes pay for band removal even if you don't have WLS coverage. They will pay if it is a life-threatening complication, but you might have to fight for it.

Is your thyroid being treated? If not, you should do so. If you get it treated and stabilized, that should not be a big issue at least! I've had thyroid disease since i wast 24. I finally had it radiated and now have very little function in gland. I take medication daily to stay alive.

Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for hernias to come back. They are caused by a weakness in the muscle to begin with and fixing them is often a catch 22. You pray it works and that's the end of it, but there's always the risk of another hernia where the surgeon fixed the first one.

If your band is empty, you have a hiatal hernia, and thyroid issues- it's no wonder you're not getting the full signal and having so many issues. Do you have any insurance? As Denise stated about, a lot of insurance will cover band removal even if they don't cover WLS because at that point it's considered a medical necessity not an elective surgery.

Is your thyroid disease being treated? Did you ever have good restriction in the band before the hernia came back?