Dying To Be Thin...

[LifeLiver 22]

My journy started in 2004 with a Lap Band. I had great success...well vomitng all the way...loosing 190 lbs over 5 years. During the last three years I had real issues of severe left internal pain- transvaginal US showed nothing. Constipation with ribbon stools...colonoscopy- just increase my Fiber. Cardiac issues...I could go on and on...and always in the back of my mind I thought It was the band. Fast forward to June of 2013...slowly I was gaining weight, and my abdomen was distended and firm. I went to a new PCP who ordered an upper GI. My first ever. Well...my esophagus was completely occluded...and the doctors wondered how I was getting anything in. Emergently 3 ccs were removed from my band...and in 5 days I gained 30 lbs. The surgeon said my body was in starvation mode for so long, by liver was just shooting out fat cells like crazy. I waited for insurance approval for the sleeve, working out each day and keeping my calories around 1400. By the time surgery was scheduled Oct 22, I was up about 50lbs.

Surgery...lets say my abdomen was a war zone. Severe inflamation, and acute allergic response obviously by body rejecting the band. It took the surgeon 5 hours to clear the adhesions,and work around the inflammation. My spleen was nicked...no big deal. 12 hours after surgery I was crashing, and brought back to surgery. 2 liters of liquid blood and large clots were found in my abdomen. 5 hours and 4 surgeons in my case examined each area of my battlezone belly...and the bleed was discovered under my liver- about a 50 cent peice of liver was lacerated. Turned out the band had grew into my liver (remember the pain I was having 3 years prior...yup) and when removed took out part of my liver. I will spare you the rest of the recovery details..but glad to be alive.

I will be reporting my complications to the FDA. I cannot believe bands are still put in. I will also be publishing my case, eventually. I am down about 25 lbs, but have been at a stall for the last week...I hear this is common, and hoping each day it will pass. I am very happy with my sleeve. I am hungy, which I was hoping would go away. I have no difficulty eating anything, and as a risk vs. reward kind of girl..I have tested out bread, and yep no problem. I am so grateful to be alive, and my story will be told to stop the madness of the band. It is no way to live.

[Threetimesacharm 1,400]

Thank you for sharing and so glad to hear you are doing well. I am so glad that I had my band removed; the best thing I could have done for myself. I believe the band is a money grab, lots to be had by placing these bands. I hope you have a safe sleeve journey.

[FieryRed 55]

I am SO glad you made it through that nightmare! {HUGS}

Have a friend who is getting a band this week and was trying so hard not to be negative about it...wanted to tout the virtues of the sleeve to him instead but he's so excited. For me, the band is not only ineffective for a lot of people but dangerous...have heard so many more stories of slippage, erosion, etc. than anything negative I've read about VSG. And for those who have some success with the band, it's typically slower and they need constant "fills" that most insurances don't cover. And I can live with staples but not with a fairly big foreign object in my body that I (and my husband) can feel!

Just got over my 3-week stall (last 9 looooong days) and am back to losing. Have faith, it will pass and you'll be back on track.

Keep up the good work and glad you're still with us!

[Butterthebean 8,146]

Wow, that's terrible. Glad you're doing so well now. Yes your stall is normal and it will pass on it's own. About the hunger, mine didn't go away either but it is more manageable. Not eating breads and other starches helps control my hunger.....focusing on the Proteins. Getting in ample amounts of Water. I go way over 100 oz per day. A few bites of starches or sweets increases my hunger for days. I also battle head hunger, which I define as anytime I want to eat food, yet I'm physically not really hungry. I often don't know the difference in the moment. Simple self evaluation though tells me that I just ate therefore cannot really be hungry, so why do I want that pecan pie? Stress, loneliness, fatigue, discomfort....all those feelings drive me straight to the kitchen.

Good luck to you. Hope your recovery continues to go well and the war zone heals with time.

[Fluffnomore 1,235]

Crazy story and I'm sorry you went through that. So glad you're on the mend and will look forward to hearing about your progress.

[kklittl 9]

My surgeon DOES NOT even place bands any more. Way too many complications involved. I opted for full gastric bypass because the long term results are so much better. Good luck to you and I hope all of your troubles are behind you now!

[BKLYNgal87 503]

What a journey you've endured! Glad you have healed and were able to get the sleeve. It's proven to be a safer option, especially in the long run. As Butter said, stalls are normal. You can try switching the food and exercise up a bit, but mostly it's just being patient and trudging along and the scale will start moving down again! I only got a 3 month reprieve from the hunger postop. Now it's back, but not as unmanageable as before. Self-control plays a huge part in my daily life.

Wishing you continued success!

[LifeLiver 22]

Thanks all! Today, 3 weeks out...I feel better So excited to start living again.

[loveelaura 52]

I'm so glad to read that you're recovered and doing much better!!

I started out really interesting in the band but the maintenance and fills wasn't for me because I'm paying everything out of pocket. Then I started reading complications and weight gain when issues. I found about the sleeve and researched the crap out of it and have made my decision. I'm traveling out of state for it and when I first spoke to my surgeon out there, he told me he won't even do the lap band to anyone not in his area due to complications that arise. My brothers gf has a band so I just hope and pray it continues to work for her!

[GoingforGoal 1,734]

Hello all you sleevers It's been fun getting acquainted with everyone from all the different forums.

I am a bandster and wanted to reply to this post

In no way am I going to minimize your experience- at all. I feel horrible that you have undergone so much pain and complications. That is not what you signed up for and I get that.

I also understand that when we have poor experiences and outcomes we have nothing but our own experiences to share and typically use that experience to advise, educate and mentor others.

But I want to stress that these severe complications are still in the minority. I don't know what it is, but our bodies are unique enough that some will accept while others will reject everything from foreign objects, organ donations, and a long list of surgeries. It's complete crap when our bodies don't 'cooperate' but for many, these procedures are still live saving and they suffer no complications. It's how the dice rolls as they say.

I will not try to sound off as any expert when it comes to the sleeve or bypass procedures. But they too pose their own risks and issues, some temporary some long term and some unique unto themselves that bandsters would never suffer. Not trying to compare/contrast, nor take the position the band is better/best. Just that no matter what surgery we have, we must be diligent to the fact that complications can arise.

I wanted to chime in mostly because after speaking w/ many sleevers this past week, I have an impression that they have heard nothing but the horror stories with the band. But with this site merger, I think it's important that everyone understands that there are many successful bandsters (me me me lol) and newbies who are either getting or have recently had a band placed and we are in need of support just as much. Please take the time to listen to their stories, their successes and understand that there are just as many good stories, if not more.

(One last note of the day (snicker) Also remember that many band failures are not band related, rather patient induced. Just like with other wls, if you are noncompliant you can't blame the doc, can't blame the apparatus/procedure. Each surgery has rules. We were all educated on the rules, the risks etc and despite this, some will fail themselves in the process. So please let there be a distinction between random and patient-induced complications because I feel there is a huge gap between the two).

Thanks for listening. Best of luck in all your wl goals.

[LifeLiver 22]

Thanks for your thoughts Hazel. I like you, was very proud of my band...however I was on year 9...and complications are very real, and very under-reported to the FDA. Until about a year ago, I was supporting the band, and encouraging others. As a masters prepaired nurse, I am a patient advocate, and very involved in literature and evidence based practice. All I know is my acute allergic response at year nine, started about year 7...I need to make sure the public is informed of potential complications. As an advocate in healthcare, I was still lost in the system...until I knew I was dying on the inside..and indeed I was.

[5.0junkie 770]

Since the topic of bad bands has come up, it should also be noted that great strides have been made in today's bands versus the early ones. Most of the horror stories that are heard come from the early banders, those being pre 2007 or so. The other bad thing is most people that are successful with the band don't stick around the forum for support or to mentor so we don't get to hear about the thousands of success stories.

I don't mean to hijack your thread about band talk. Just feel it should be known that bands are different then they were.

[GoingforGoal 1,734]

Thanks for your thoughts Hazel. I like you, was very proud of my band...however I was on year 9...and complications are very real, and very under-reported to the FDA. Until about a year ago, I was supporting the band, and encouraging others. As a masters prepaired nurse, I am a patient advocate, and very involved in literature and evidence based practice. All I know is my acute allergic response at year nine, started about year 7...I need to make sure the public is informed of potential complications. As an advocate in healthcare, I was still lost in the system...until I knew I was dying on the inside..and indeed I was.

Hello Again

I too am a Master's Prepared Registered Nurse, Nurse Educator, and patient advocate. As nurses, we understand the importance of unbiased evidence and educating the public on complications to ensure they make the best medical care decisions for themselves.

I am very receptive to learning about all the complications pertaining to the band and am aware these can arise at any moment. However, what we don't have going for us is strong or comprehensive statistics to truly gauge the following:

1) # of complications patient induced (noncompliance issues, preexisting conditions etc)

2) longevity of the band (old bands vs new bands) etc

These forums are not an appropriate gauge for frequency of complications as most bandsters (and patients of any surgery for that matter) are not participating. So I am just inserting that there can be an offset in good vs poor outcome stories especially if you are only exposed to the stories from ex bandsters getting revised.

Again, I have no qualms about any procedure. I do not claim the band is the best, just the best for me. I have alot of information to share, just want a fair opportunity to share it

And if it makes you feel better, I know all about getting lost in the medical system (snicker). I reside in Canada, can we say socialized medicine was created to lose patients. (snicker)

[No game 14,436]

My journy started in 2004 with a Lap Band. I had great success...well vomitng all the way...loosing 190 lbs over 5 years. During the last three years I had real issues of severe left internal pain- transvaginal US showed nothing. Constipation with ribbon stools...colonoscopy- just increase my Fiber. Cardiac issues...I could go on and on...and always in the back of my mind I thought It was the band. Fast forward to June of 2013...slowly I was gaining weight, and my abdomen was distended and firm. I went to a new PCP who ordered an upper GI. My first ever. Well...my esophagus was completely occluded...and the doctors wondered how I was getting anything in. Emergently 3 ccs were removed from my band...and in 5 days I gained 30 lbs. The surgeon said my body was in starvation mode for so long, by liver was just shooting out fat cells like crazy. I waited for insurance approval for the sleeve, working out each day and keeping my calories around 1400. By the time surgery was scheduled Oct 22, I was up about 50lbs. Surgery...lets say my abdomen was a war zone. Severe inflamation, and acute allergic response obviously by body rejecting the band. It took the surgeon 5 hours to clear the adhesions,and work around the inflammation. My spleen was nicked...no big deal. 12 hours after surgery I was crashing, and brought back to surgery. 2 liters of liquid blood and large clots were found in my abdomen. 5 hours and 4 surgeons in my case examined each area of my battlezone belly...and the bleed was discovered under my liver- about a 50 cent peice of liver was lacerated. Turned out the band had grew into my liver (remember the pain I was having 3 years prior...yup) and when removed took out part of my liver. I will spare you the rest of the recovery details..but glad to be alive. I will be reporting my complications to the FDA. I cannot believe bands are still put in. I will also be publishing my case, eventually. I am down about 25 lbs, but have been at a stall for the last week...I hear this is common, and hoping each day it will pass. I am very happy with my sleeve. I am hungy, which I was hoping would go away. I have no difficulty eating anything, and as a risk vs. reward kind of girl..I have tested out bread, and yep no problem. I am so grateful to be alive, and my story will be told to stop the madness of the band. It is no way to live.

Thank you for sharing this!

I am glad that you have decided to report this to the FDA. Really I'm shocked that these devices are still being used.

Wishing you all the happiness in your new healthy life

[Ms.AntiBand 2,984]

Lap band has a very high complication rate compared to other WLS. I agree it should be banned.