Failed Band , Problems Eating , Consdiering Sleeve ?

[coltonwade 27]

I have had my band for about 6-7 yrs now. I initally did really well, model patient lost 125 pounds in 10 months. I went from 250 to 125 pounds . I was loving life etc !

The day I hit my goal weight i discovered I slipped my band. It was a pretty bad slip , had my band not moved back into place on its own I woudl have had to have surgery with in a couple hours .. Luckily It did .

I waited a few weeks came back for another fill, in that time I had gained a little bit of weight. I did ok for about a year then started to have problems again , went back in found out my band had slipped again .

By this time i did not have the money to go back for a fill , so i waited nearly a year to go back , In that time i gained about 40 lbs. When I finally went back for a fill i went back got a small fill w/ in a few weeks I was back having issues again , Found out ( long story short)My band is now worthless. The doc thinks scar tissue built up around my band and its not possible to fill it anymore.

If he does It could cause my esphogus to close off. SO here I am a year or so laster 200lbs again and do not like to eat much because Its not comfortable. I dont admit this to many people but i dont eat " normal" foods because they hurt so I will then go eat high calorie, things like ice cream etc becuase it goes down easily. I am at this point tired of not being able to eat normal .

Even w/ nothing in my band ! There is a possiblity if my husband gets the new job he wants soon , i could get my band converted to a sleeve in the next year or so , So i am just starting looking into this process.

SO my questions are...

1. IF i get converted will my pain ful eating contiune ?

2. I have seen some people can have a hard time gaining weight after the sleeve ?

3. anyone who has gone from band to sleeve regret it ?

4. anyone glad they did and why ?

Thanks so much

Mindy

PS I am also from Lapband talk years ago as coltonwade if anyone is from there lol !

[IowaAndy 95]

I got rid of my band after 2 years as I stopped losing as was at the max fill. I also was vomiting all the time due to the amount of Water in the fill. I had it removed and had the sleeve and I wish I had never heard of a lapband. I would get rid of the band and get the sleeve. It is like night and day for me.

[Tiffykins 672]

Here and welcome!

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I'm over 2.5 years out from my band to VSG revision. I'll answer your questions based on my experiences.

1. IF i get converted will my pain ful eating contiune ?

Early out, I struggled with solids, my band really screwed up my stomach tissue, my scar tissue was bad, and I lost more tissue during my revision. However, by 4 months out, solids were not an issue. I ate soft solids, and mushy type food until my stomach could tolerate more than 1-2oz of solid Protein foods. This helped my stomach heal and relax, and I was able to get my Protein from food since I couldn't tolerate shakes. I have zero pain with eating. The only thing that really bothers me is brown rice. I wasn't a fan of it pre-op so I don't miss it. Scrambled eggs and porkchops sit heavy in my stomach, but I can eat those foods if I choose to do so.

2. I have seen some people can have a hard time gaining weight after the sleeve ?

Nope, not a problem at all. There's stories of regain out there, we can still suck down junk food without issues, so gaining isn't a problem if people make the wrong food choices constantly.

3. anyone who has gone from band to sleeve regret it ?

Not one single regret.

4. anyone glad they did and why ?

I am beyond grateful that I revised to VSG over the other options. I eat what I want, when I want, just in small quantities. I eat like any other normal human. I do not ever have any stuck, sliming or foamie episode. I live a very normal life. I'm onto my 2nd pregnancy post-VSG and I seriously love life with VSG.

If you are on Facebook, we have a group for Failed LapBand and Realize Bands and you can peruse the topics there as well if you're interested in joining, I'll share the link. It's a great group of bandsters who have revised or are looking at revision options.

[coltonwade 27]

Thanks for your help y'all. I would love the link to the Facebook group . I just feel like i cant eat normal meals, food now , Set aside bread rice pastas, I cant eat meat very well w/ out it hurting, I cant eat eggs, Must of anything, I have been considering becoming a vegetarian becuase i seem to have less issues with that at this point .

Did anyone have this issue w/ their band before the VGS surgery ?

[coltonwade 27]

Also another question , for those of you who had the converstion dont in the US .. did you have 1 or 2 surgeries ? One to remove the band then one to do the sleeve or was it all done at once ?

[AmberK1026 9]

I would love the link to the Failed Lapband FB group!

If you are on Facebook, we have a group for Failed LapBand and Realize Bands and you can peruse the topics there as well if you're interested in joining, I'll share the link. It's a great group of bandsters who have revised or are looking at revision options.

[AmberK1026 9]

Hi Mindy! Good to see you here. Looks like we will be going through this sleeve journey together. I didn't realize that you have been having so many problems with your band.

[coltonwade 27]

Hi Mindy! Good to see you here. Looks like we will be going through this sleeve journey together. I didn't realize that you have been having so many problems with your band.

Hey girl. Yep I have been for well over a year now I guess. I Just dont talk about it much . Even my family doesnt know how much of an issue eating is. They see me eat and think I am eating too much again probably , which I may be but I think it has more to do what im eating then how much , and that's mainly becuase i just cant eat much solid foods w/ out pain .

[Tiffykins 672]

I would love the link to the Failed Lapband FB group!

Here's the link to the Failed band group on FB:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/199537600106847/

[Tiffykins 672]

Also another question , for those of you who had the converstion dont in the US .. did you have 1 or 2 surgeries ? One to remove the band then one to do the sleeve or was it all done at once ?

My revision was done in 1 procedure. It couldn't be done in 2. The damage was too extensive and the VSG had to be done at the same time.

Here's the link to the FB group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/199537600106847/

[coltonwade 27]

My revision was done in 1 procedure. It couldn't be done in 2. The damage was too extensive and the VSG had to be done at the same time.

Here's the link to the FB group:

https://www.facebook...99537600106847/

Was your revision done in the US ? Im curious if it depends on the damage , if its a US vs Mexico thing to have them done in one or 2 steps ?

Thanks for the link i asked to join .

[Tiffykins 672]

Was your revision done in the US ? Im curious if it depends on the damage , if its a US vs Mexico thing to have them done in one or 2 steps ?

Thanks for the link i asked to join .

Done in the US at an Air Force base hospital.

[IowaAndy 95]

When I went to my surgeon here in Des Moines he told me that I would have to have 2 seperate surgeons. He did not even do any test to see what condition my stomach around the band area appeared. He just said that I would have to have 2 surgeries....one to removed the band and then wait 4 months and then the second to have the sleeve performed. I tried to go through my insurance but they would not pay for either procedure. So I started to check into surgery in Mexico and went with Dr F Garcia and had my surgery on Dec 11. 2011. I was told that if the area around the band did not have any major erosion that they could probably do it in one surgery. They had to do a scope of my stomach to make sure that there were not any major problems such as erosion from the band but I was fine. They did the lapband removal and the sleeve all in one procedure. I have not had any trouble since my surgery and continue to lose.

[coltonwade 27]

I had my band done here, my band doc told me he would do it in 2 procedures. I think that maybe because he's concerned about the amount of scar tissue I have built up but he also i think does them all like that ?

The condition Mexico is in right now that's not an option , its too dangerous ( no im not a paranoid person ) however I live in Texas and when people you know live there or lived there and they wont even go over there now, i wont LOL ) Im hoping when my husband gets his new job the insurance will pay for one or the ohter ? not sure ?

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

Hi Mindy! I do remember you from LBT in fact. I'm so sorry to hear about your issues with your band. Though I can't say I had slip or erosion issues with mine, I was never able to find a sweet spot. I ended up having well over 20 adjustments in the little over 2.5 years I had mine.

Sweetie you are not alone with the "soft food syndrome". It is more common than lots would like to admit with the lap band. I had it simply because after so many fills/unfills I kind of just gave up on them and chose to stay tight. Too tight I guess and that was the beginning of the end for me. I became reliant on ice cream, chips, candy... all that just to get food in. Everything else was like torture. Then I started getting night coughs and I had no idea that was due from my band being too tight until it turned into full fledge acid reflux. So sad...

I gained nearly all my weight back as of course that's what happens when you live off ice cream and chips. But I finally decided to end the insanity and get on board with taking my band out and revising to the VSG. I can't say it enough, I thank GOD daily for my Sleeve!!

Here's the answers to your individual questions. All the best and welcome to VST!!

1. IF i get converted will my pain ful eating contiune ?

In the beginning I did have some pain with eating. I'm not sure if mine was more so due to being a revision, but it was the case. It took about 3 weeks for me to start swallowing more comfortably. However, since the day I've been sleeved I was free from slimies, being choked, night coughs, and just downright miserable eating ever again. I think a lot has to do with being accustomed to how a WLS patient should eat. We do have that going for us, there is no training period. I always say, if there's anything positive I can take from being banded it was that I was prepared for sleeved life!

2. I have seen some people can have a hard time gaining weight after the sleeve ?

I think what you might be seeing is that there are a few who might take a little longer to slow down to a stop once goal is met. I did lose more weight than I'd initially intended, in fact though my ticker says 15 Lbs it was more like 30 Lbs. I was adding after my 2nd goal from that point. Anyhow, I intentionally kept losing weight. I was doing it on purpose because I just didn't feel done yet. Either that or I was so used to being in weight loss mode I was afraid of what life would be like not needing or wanting to keep going.

I have since then come back down to Earth and even though I have never given up on the idea of general good health, I have stopped trying to make the scale move. I'm always going to do my workouts and do my best to eat healthy, but actual weight loss... no more. This is my maintenance which I consider a lifestyle change. It never truly ends.

Anyhow that's just my story, but for the others who continued on for whatever reason, they ultimately were able to stop losing too. And be assured you absolutely can gain weight once goal is met. I've been going up and down around 5 Lbs on the scale on a monthly basis. But that's my normal and I'm starting to get used to it.

3. anyone who has gone from band to sleeve regret it ?

Well I'm certainly not one! I don't regret my sleeve one bit.

4. anyone glad they did and why ?

This was the best decision I've ever made in regards to my health and well being. I got to goal and quickly, with minimal effort. Yes, I did put the effort in but as long as I was following the sleever rules and getting my workouts in, I was losing the weight and inches.

I'm glad because the sleeve saved my life and my sanity!!

ETA: I had one surgery and I had mine done in Mexicali by Dr. Aceves. He typically does his surgeries all in one if he can, however he does say that if he has to, he will do two seperate surgeries.