I am a 61 yr old female. I never had much support( nor did I demand it) from my doctor's office. When they realized (after a year) that I never had any dietary counselling, they sent me to a food nazi! I am a nurse and I feel that contributed to the lack of counselling and support. Medical personnel frequently are thought to "know the system". That is very wrong. When we are patients,we should be treated like patients.

Anyway, My Lap Band was 2006. I lost about 60 lbs but that was it. In 2010 I became ill and was found to have an impacted kidney stone and a seriously infected kidney. It took several months to diagnose it. I was given gentamycin(IV) which knocked out my good kidney. I spent 4 months on dyalisis and with the grace of the Almighty, I was able to get off of the dyalisis.( I lost nearly 100 lbs while on dyalisis and have since gained much of it back) I now have Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 3. My Protien is limited, and now they have me on a reduced citric acid diet as I have another stone. I have never been able to hold much down anyway. I have my band wide open. I am at my wits end! I eat the things I am not supposed to eat just because I can keep them down. i think it's time to get the band out! My primary does not agree. I am really feeling alone lately.

Sorry to hear you have been through such a tough time. I'm not going to try and offer medical advice or anything because this isn't the place for that. I just hope you are able to get the care and support that you need to get some improved quality of life.

I am so sorry that you had to go through all of that. I can't believe your doctor won;t let you get it out. It seams like the doctors tell you when you get the band that it can always be taken out, but the difficulties of taking it out, they don't want to mention. I wish you the best of luck. If I were you, I would find a doctor that will take it out for you. The sickness that you mention is not what you signed up for when you got the band.