I've had my band for 7 years and think it is probably going to come out. I have horrible acid reflux and get spasms in my esophogus. I also experience horrible cramping in my legs and feel very tired all the time. I've seem numerous doctors and none of them came really pinpoint what is going on. I've always thought in the back of my head that it could be related to the band because i never experienced problems like this until I got the band. I go see the doctor in 8 days and if he recommends the GB revision I want to say yes but hubby is scared for me to have the surgery. I told him I am very worried that I will gain all of my weight back if I don't have something to help me but he's scared. Does anyone have any words of encouragement for me?

I was just able to get filled this past Tuesday since I got unfilled a couple of months ago. It was determined I didn't have a slip so we are going to go with fills to see how I do. I'm on my third day of liquids and start soft foods tomorrow. So far I'm not too hungry so I hope to be able to jump start the weigh loss since I've put on pounds since not being filled. I going try my hardest to make this work but I told hubby that if it doesn't work, then I'm going for the bypass. He's very supportive but the bypass scares him because of the complications we've heard people can have and the death rate, which was the initial reason I decided against it in the first place. I told him there is no way I'm going to live my life as a fat person, and after seeing me gain without a fill in my band made him realize just how hard it is.

Long2Bfree,

Do you have acid reflux?Have you had a upper GI series and ct scan?An endoscopy?I found out these are tests that need to be performed....the CT scan pshowed that I had a mild hiatal hernia....you definitely gotta keep watching this band...bypass has come a very long way since I elected to have my band in 2004...leaps and bounds!

I also can't go on being this fat....no way....

Following up.....I'm now three months from revision and I am SO HAPPY!!!! I'm 48 pounds down. It feels like it's going so slowly, but clearly it's not number-wise. My reflux and pain are completely gone. I was worried at first because in the beginning I felt mildly heartburn-y, but it must've been surgery related because everything is so comfortable now. I have had no trouble eating and advancing my diet. I think (and the nutritionist agrees) that I was so well trained by the band to chew and whatnot that that's why I have no troubles whereas a lot of newbies have trouble. I also think my pouch is fairly stretchy from the band having been there so long and having food sitting on top of it because I can eat far more than most bypass patients. But my energy is great and I feel so much better with bypass than I EVER did with the band. I think my max weight loss with the band was 70 pounds after two years, which I didn't maintain for long, so I am getting close to that number already!! (I had gained all my weight back with the band.)

Verona ...girl you are on your way!!!!Thanks for sharing truthful information regarding" life after the band"!!!! I know the bypass is rather right choice....I can't go for the "new flavor of the month" procedures....I did that with the band.It was the hot WLS procedure back in 2004.No way.

Veronda I am 7 weeks out from my revision and I feel exactly the same as you!!! It must be band related, because I feel amazing since having it removed. No food intolerance issues and I can actually eat healthy foods without trying to work around the band and reflux issues. I can sleep without choking and my cough is just about gone, from my years of reflux.

Yes'!i can't follow a diet....my band dictates when and what it feels like having....tonight I have awaken at 2am because of band tightening /spasms and indigestion.The Omezarapole is having no effect.

I definitely want to band to RNY.....it's the tool that I need to get it right

Veronda I am 7 weeks out from my revision and I feel exactly the same as you!!! It must be band related, because I feel amazing since having it removed. No food intolerance issues and I can actually eat healthy foods without trying to work around the band and reflux issues. I can sleep without choking and my cough is just about gone, from my years of reflux.

YAAAASSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't eat anything healthy with the band, but Cookies were no problem. WTF?? Now I can eat veggies to my heart's content without getting stuck. I had this weird dance I'd do in my seat to try to get stuff to go down, and I'd always have my hands over my head because it felt better to be stretched out...but it looked ridiculous!! I can eat more than a typical bypass patient, but I can eat very normally with other people and not have to make a quick escape to get something dislodged. And sleep is wonderful now. I have several band friends and most of them are jealous of my revision. We all had our surgeries around the same time. One made it past goal, three are still struggling through it, and I'm now revised. So it does work for some people (though the one who made it past goal did it by being so tight all she could eat was Soup and she takes Nexium twice daily and still has issues, but she's willing to put up with it.....I wasn't). I wish I'd had the foresight to know I wouldn't be one of them.

Veronda I am 7 weeks out from my revision and I feel exactly the same as you!!! It must be band related, because I feel amazing since having it removed. No food intolerance issues and I can actually eat healthy foods without trying to work around the band and reflux issues. I can sleep without choking and my cough is just about gone, from my years of reflux.

YAAAASSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't eat anything healthy with the band, but Cookies were no problem. WTF?? Now I can eat veggies to my heart's content without getting stuck. I had this weird dance I'd do in my seat to try to get stuff to go down, and I'd always have my hands over my head because it felt better to be stretched out...but it looked ridiculous!! I can eat more than a typical bypass patient, but I can eat very normally with other people and not have to make a quick escape to get something dislodged. And sleep is wonderful now. I have several band friends and most of them are jealous of my revision. We all had our surgeries around the same time. One made it past goal, three are still struggling through it, and I'm now revised. So it does work for some people (though the one who made it past goal did it by being so tight all she could eat was soup and she takes Nexium twice daily and still has issues, but she's willing to put up with it.....I wasn't). I wish I'd had the foresight to know I wouldn't be one of them.

I had the same issue! Any junk food was no problem but give me a salad and I'd throw up!

I get it, good food is hard to eat but give me cookies, chips, or any other junk and i could eat piles of it!

Yep!!!never had a problem with a cupcake!

Thats why I am so excited about bypass, I'm addicted to sweets so I am hoping to have bad dumping.

Thats why I am so excited about bypass, I'm addicted to sweets so I am hoping to have bad dumping.

I don't have dumping syndrome. I had one episode of reactive hypoglycemia, which is considered late dumping, and I had that before revising to bypass. I've also thrown up once but I didn't have the sweats or shaking, so I think it was more related to eating too much. I think the current way they do the surgery actually minimizes dumping, so don't count on it. But the good news is that it still makes it difficult to eat too much of the bad stuff and doesn't allow full absorption. So you still need to make good choices, but it's very possible to still enjoy bits of indulgences.

YAAAASSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't eat anything healthy with the band, but Cookies were no problem. WTF?? Now I can eat veggies to my heart's content without getting stuck. I had this weird dance I'd do in my seat to try to get stuff to go down, and I'd always have my hands over my head because it felt better to be stretched out...but it looked ridiculous!! I can eat more than a typical bypass patient, but I can eat very normally with other people and not have to make a quick escape to get something dislodged. And sleep is wonderful now.

Veronda, I agree with everything you wrote.

It's so empowering to be able to eat broccoli and green Beans instead of junk food all the time. When I go to the restaurant I can order the healthiest item on the menu...instead of having to order something that will "go down''.

I finally feel human again now that I can sleep through the night. When I finally had the band completely unfilled I was so relieved. I'm so glad the RnY is nothing like the band.

I just got converted after 7 years and it sucked but it was worth it. There is some tightening where the band was and it felt like I was still banded for about 6 weeks after. It loosened up by now, 12 weeks out, and I'm so glad I did it! The surgery was rough, though. Was in the hospital for 3 days. The first day, surgery was at 6, they didn't let me eat, drink, or sip anything--not even ice chips until the next day at breakfast because they wanted to be sure everything was good because of all of the calluses. Just want to give you a realistic picture.