So here I go starting all over again.

Lap Band installed 2005 - Starting weight 430

Port removed 6 weeks post install

Lap Band eroded 2010 and removed - end weight 232

7 Years later I regained 88 lbs - been very steady at 320 for about 4 years, just can't do it anymore.

Surgery Date 5/1/2017 - for the gastric sleeve.

Nervous, excited, scared about going through everything I went through with the band.

My journey with the band was a complete and utter failure and success all in one. I had my band installed in 2005. I knew something was wrong almost immediately, but the surgeon didn't believe me, he thought I was just making it up, the pain and the fevers. I went to see my general practitioner (a band patient herself,) she took one look at me and knew I was not faking it, she put her hand on my belly, stormed out of the exam room, came back 15 minutes later and told me to drive right to the hospital, that the surgeon was on his way there to meet me. I was taken into surgery the next morning and my port was removed. The tubing that connected the port to the band was looped in my stomach muscle, and so every time I moved, turned or twitched it rubbed against the muscle wall - it caused a huge infection. I spent a week in the hospital on antibiotics and then went home with an open wound and a drain for the next 9 months.

I never had a port put back, I never had a fill, my band was wide open and it worked, and I lost weight at the right pace - 200 lbs in 5 years.

Toward the end of the five years, I had some discomfort, a little pain but it was manageable. I was getting ready for an international business trip, my wife was driving me to the airport on a Saturday, I was really not feeling too hot, thought I just had a bug, my wife knew better and we ended up in the emergency room. I was taken in with a fever, I was dehydrated, and I explained I was a band patient, they did an ultrasound, and said they could not find the band. They then did an x-ray, and said the band is not where it is supposed to be. I was released, with pain meds, and told to follow up with the surgeon the next morning. I went to see the surgeon, they did a fluroscopy that afternoon, that evening I was in surgery to have the band removed.

The pain was not from the band, but it was from the leftover tubing floating in my abdomen, it had punctured my stomach, and I know had peritonitis. When the surgeon found the tube he traced it back to my stomach and found that the lap band was completely inside my stomach. He removed it, and left me with a 2" open wound so that I could heal from the peritonitis - it was about 1 year for the wound to close fully. The physical scars were nothing - the mental scars remained.

So I went seven year and I found the weight gain - i fought it hard - but it has been a life long battle. So now I have a new surgeon, a new procedure and a new plan forward - hope to GOD its nothing like the last plan.

You are not alone, lap-band complications almost took my life too before it was removed. I too gained the weight back, and was sleeved last November.
Basically it's the same drill, you got this.

EGD Tuesday surgery 5/1. Can't wait

I know a lot of lap band to gastric sleeve revisions and it seems gastric sleeve has been great success. I got mine March 27th. Good luck you got this!

So I am 1 week away from surgery, getting excited. Started my pre-op diet 2 weeks ago, the doc wanted me to loose 5 lbs prior to surgery, I am down 10lbs as of today. It was not easy, but worth it.

Will pray for you and your surgeon. All the best for you.

So surgery was Monday, Pain pump came out today - I would tell everyone to ask your doc for the OnQ Pain Pump - Brilliant. Did my 3 days of clear liquids now sitting here sipping a premier protein drink - Not hungry, very little discomfort, minimal referred gas pains, this is so different than when I had the band - such an opposite experience. I guess this is partly what happens when one has a competent surgeon doing the procedure. Thank you all for the prayers and thoughts - I am happily on my way.