I see that there are some people on the board who have had there bands removed. Im wondering if you would share your stories with us newbies who havent been here for very long and dont know what happened. Could u tell us HOW u realised something was wrongin the first place? and did they ever figure out WHY it happened or what caused the problem?

I realise i may me a topic that was covered in the past...but i feel that it probably will always be realivant and its something we should revisit from time to time.

Careful what you ask for. I know this is long but I just copied it from my post when I had my band removed in Dec last year.

It was hard day for me finding out Tuesday and then jumping immediately from the gamut of emotions to thinking about surgery all in the same day.

I left our house Tuesday morning at 5:30am headed to Ventura for the Endoscopy so Dr. Billy could check out the band. None of us thought I had eroded. Even Dr. Billy was surprised. I did hear him say, "I don't know how she knew but she did." I had not been "feeling" right for the last month. But I couldn't put my finger on it. Then a Michelle was diagnosed with Erosion and that got me scared. I immediately called Billy's office and asked for the Endo. They got it scheduled right away.

OK so after the Endo is done, he takes the tube out of my throat and I say, "Did I just hear you say I am eroded?" He said yes. I then just shut down. I cry immediately and never heard another word for a few minutes. I then had to have a silent talk with myself and get it together. I had a decision to make and quick. Billy told me that the band was eroded but it was not a life-threatening situation. He did say we can take it off that night. He said we can work you into the schedule and take it off. He also told me that I could wait till after the holidays if I wanted. I told him to go ahead and schedule the surgery. I did not want to wait hoping there would not be any complications later. He was also leaving town on the 15th and I would have to go to Tahoe and have the procedure done there if I developed complications and wanted him to do it.

Mind you all these thoughts and emotions I was experiencing while I was still on the table after the ENDO procedure. I hadn't even left the room yet. When Billy left the room to check on something for me I just broke down and bawled my eyes out. I was facing losing the ONE thing that had worked for me in my weight loss battle. I was scared, mad, angry, frustrated, hurt, disappointed, discouraged, deflated, why me, why now, every negative emotion you can think of I think I experienced it while I was on that ENDO table.

Billy came back into the room and said for me to stop by his office before I left to make sure I knew what I was making a decision about. He was concerned that since I was under the influence of the ENDO sedation that I might not be making an informed choice. Believe me when he said I was eroded I was very alert and aware of what my decision would be. It had to come out. And it had to come out that night.

So, John and I stopped by Billy's office and he told us to go home if we wanted and to call him at 4p so he could tell us what the plan of action was. So John and I headed home. On the way home, we briefly discussed the options and I wanted the band removed that day. I barely was home long enough to send out a few emails and make a couple of calls to let people know what was going on.

At 4p on Tuesday I called Billy. He said to go to Admitting and he would have paperwork ready for me. Initially the surgery was set up for 7p but I was a work in remember so I didn't get into surgery till 9p. I got back to my room at around 2am on Wednesday. Don't know how long the surgery was, but Billy said it typically takes 2 hours. That would make sense. Two hours in surgery and at least an hour to an hour and a half in recovery. I don't remember much about that night.

Wednesday after I woke up, I was sore and had to go for an upper GI to rule out any perforation before they would let me drink anything. The UPPER GI was all clear, so I started on a clear liquid diet that day. I was able to get up and go to the bathroom and to walk some.

Thursday, Billy came in and took out my drain and sent me home. THANK GOD!!

I am now recuperating and getting stronger every day. It has been a struggle and I am adjusting to the notion that I don't have this tool anymore. I can't really feel different yet because I am still on Clear liquids. I can start on mushie foods after tomorrow, Saturday.

IT will be a hard battle, but with the knowledge I have learned thus far with the band I will use knowing I don't have the band. SIGH!!

It has been a long time since I could eat large quantities of food. Just tonight I was eating some Soup and was concerned when I went to regular food how the band was going to react. Weird like some phantom is hovering over me still. I would compare it to when someone loses an arm or leg. The arm or leg can still be felt but logically you know it isn't there.

Billy used 3 of my old scars and used a 4th scar from my tubal ligation from years ago. I am really not in alot of pain but every now and then I feel a tug or a burn and I am reminded that yes I did just have the band removed. So I take a half of a pill and that quiets the pain.

With my history of depression it would be so easy to slip into a dark hole but I can't and won't allow myself to even look inside that hole. If I start to fall I am afraid I won't come back out. I have fought too hard to get to the point I am now. I won't let myself regress.

My parting words:

When you don't "feel" right, check it out.

When you know something is off but you can't put a name to it, check it out.

Be Proactive in your how health care, check it out.

Don't let someone else tell you "it isn't necessary", check it out.

I say all this with all the love and compassion I can muster cause I don't want any of you to look back and wish you had and didn't.

I am mentally accepting of the outcome. I am physically healing and taking it slow. I can have another band in 6 months. I will go see Dr. Billy in a month for a check up. He said we will discuss my options at that time. He also said he would support me in whatever decision I made whether it be surgery or not. What a great and caring Doc. I have said on here that I might consider the DS operation. I now know that I will NOT have any other surgery. I am through with surgeries for now. I am gonna fight the good battle with nutrition and exercise.

Shoot you might see me on the next "Biggest Loser". LOL!!! Still waiting to hear on my submission. At this point I am sure I did NOT get chosen. But life goes on.

Mine slipped and I was unable to eat or drink for 5 days, I kept thinking that I was just swollen from throwing up, so I had a barium swallow done which showed complege blockage. I had horrible reflux and was not drinking nothing, so I knew something was not right. I found out in the morning and had emergency surgery that night and had it removed.

My port incision never healed and was infected from right after surgery. They removed the port a month later, but the incision stayed open and infected for 8 months. Then I got a new port, which also became infected. After about 18 months I started feeling really strange and knew I was eroded. I was eventually given an endoscopy, which revealed erosion, so I had the band removed.

I still feel like something's wrong with my belly.

This question (and the replys) make me very glad that our unbanded sisters and brothers are still among us. No one who comes to LBT can ever say they didn't hear all sides of banding.