I had my band put in in 2009. At first I did well with it and lost about 50-60 pounds. I definitely take responsibility for allowing myself to get back into some unhealthy eating habits but ever since I had the band put in I have had issues. I did decently with the band for the first year though I definitely got stuck often. In summer of 2010 I ended up in the ER after a fill gone wrong. Turns out my port had flipped so that required a second surgery. I never found a sweet spot in terms of restriction. I had fill put in and taken out numerous times but never got to a spot that both helped with hunger and allowed me to eat anything without being stuck. In Sept 2012 I had all of my fill taken out and I still get stuck at almost every meal. I had been thinking about getting my band removed for a while and then the final straw occurred this week. I ended up in the ER because of intense pains under my sternum and nausea. Doctors still aren't sure as to what caused it but I made the choice to have the band removed once and for all. I completely understand that the band is a tool and that had I kept to a better diet I'm sure I wouldn't have gained weight but at the same time I've just had poor quality of life since the banding. I'm in pain at nearly every meal and constantly get stuck even with no fill at all.

I'm getting my band removed in about 3 weeks and I wondering if anyone out there has had success post band? I'm so fired up about having to have it out that I'm starting over fresh because I don't want to gain anymore weight and want to get healthy again. Any thoughts or suggestions for people who have had it removed?

Thanks!

I have had nothing but trouble and the throwing up and pain at port site. Ready to get removed! I do not think its normal for the port to be this huge knot under my skin. With pain all the time??

I had my band put on in 2005 and had problems from the beginning. I told the surgeon I had extreme hunger and my port area was very painful. He assured me as I had more fill the hunger would subside, but it didn't, my stomach growled like crazy, it was embarrassing and my port area hurt so bad nothing could touch it. As I started to eat more normal food choices I found the healthy foods were off limits as they caused me to choke, foods like chicken breast, lettuce, fish, brown rice. I choked so bad once I pulled muscles all over my body, including in my armpits and broke blood vessels in my eyes and the food was blocking my airway and I almost passed out at the toilet. I should have had the band removed then, but I kept it in for 8 more years and eventually I had 6 of those years with no fill, however I still would have a problem eating. I told the surgeon I would sometimes take just a couple bites of food and the stoma of the band would block and I would get chest pain and not be able to swallow water and a thick mucus would come up. I was hospitalized a couple times when I went to the hospital with chest pains but my heart was fine. My primary care doctor finally sent me to an gastrointestinal doctor that did some test and found my body had been trying to push the band off of my stomach by giving me esophageal spasms my body had rejected the lapband and developed a motility problem which means the muscles in my esophagus have weakened over the years of fighting to push the band off. It happens to people, but not as young as I am. I started in a long distance walking group 18 weeks ago, we started out walking 2 miles on our long day and 1 mile 3 days during the week. About a six weeks into the program I had my lap band removed. Yesterday I walked 8 miles and over 4 bridges and have lost 30 lbs. You can make it if you want to. Good luck!!!

Sounds awful , glad that you are now feeling better.

However I do not see how the band had anything to do with food blocking your airway. If food blocks your airway it is known as choking and it can happen to anyone.