Breaking up with my band and mourning the loss

[SkinnyKathy 99]

Hello all,

I was a lap band success story at one time, surgery in 2008, losing from 433 to 178, keeping most of that off for years. But life and acid reflux have taken their toll. I’ve had my band unfilled and refilled several times over the past years, but it’s no use. I can’t get to a sweet spot again where the band helps me lose weight and the acid reflux is manageable. The band is coming out on Monday. I’m depressed and worried. For me the band was magic, it made it easy (or at least possible) to lose so much weight. Now with an empty band for several months I’m struggling so much. I’ve regained 100 pounds in the past four years. Although I don’t have much restriction now, I’m worried about further weight gain. And also feeling like a failure, although I know that the band failed me. I did lose 250 pounds! I’m thinking of getting a RNY but I still don’t like the idea of cutting myself up like that. I’m trying to lose weight without further bariatric surgery but I’m not feeling confident. I’m mostly feeling depressed that this thing I loved at one point has turned out to be such a disappointment. Like a relationship gone bad. I’m breaking up with my band but still mourn the loss.

[chulachichi 7]

Hi!
I can semi relate a lot to u n yes unfortunately I slowly but surely gained all the weight I had lost with the LB. Which, overall it’s been very upsetting.😩😞

So now, I’m getting ready for a possible RNY in about 6 months cuz I again refuse to let myself go without exhausting all measures for BETTER HEALTH. Also, ever since I entered menopause arnd a year ago; my body has been going through lots of unpleasant changes n weight gain is one of them.

Meanwhile, I’m already being monitored/treated by a Bariatric specialty team n too pray to God for His will over my body/health.
Therefore, I too recommend u do the same in exhausting all measures for better health n cuz it’s better to BE IN PEACE instead of IN PIECES. Agreed n God bless. 🙏🏽

[AJ Tylo 1,398]

Get the sleeve it seems important to you - They make great meds for the acid reflux

[JRT Mom 919]

The Lap Band was a great tool, until it wasn't. About 50% of the people that have had them for over 10 years are now having problems with them and getting them removed. Many WLS docs wont even do them now.

I also was one of those statistics--it worked great for about 6 years and then the problems started...slow weight gain, constant vomiting, reflux, etc. I just got it out three weeks ago--it had slipped--and got a RNY revision and I have already lost 20 pounds. The band should be working for you, not you working for it. Whatever what you decide to do, good luck! We are here for you!

[Fatboyslim1 204]

Most insurance companies will no longer pay for the band. It worked for some, but the science wasn't right.

The sleeve takes out the ghrelin peptide, as well as gives you a restrictive pouch that fills quickly and holds for a period of time. As I understand the old bands, anything that got past the band just dropped into the old large stomach which holds up to 8 times more volume, to feel full.

Get the sleeve

[elcee 3,340]

I could be you , I had a band in 2009 lost all my excess weight, kept it off for ages and then it stopped working.

I had a band to bypass revision in Jan and haven’t looked back. All my excess weight has come off - I now sit around 49kg and my diet is so much healthier. I can eat steak and chops and salads and there are no stuck episodes. I no longer waste nights out in restaurant loos because my first bite of food got stuck. To me my RNY does what the band was marketed to do. I know when i’ve had enough, I don’t get stuck, full is in my stomach not my throat and I can eat small amounts of healthy food and be satisfied.

Sugar causes me issues if I’m not careful but that is a good thing.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do but when deciding don’t write off the RNY, it is so much better than the band.

[SkinnyKathy 99]

Well it’s all over now. At least the band part of my life. Band removal surgery was two days ago. I’m healing ok except for a seroma under one of my incisions. I have a call into my doctors office to see what to do about that. Doc said I had a lot of adhesions that he had to remove, and also that the valve between my stomach and esophagus was shot due to the band. So definitely no sleeve in my future, but RNY is still an option. I have to wait 3 months and lose 20 pounds on my own first.

[LadyVS 75]

On 12/18/2019 at 1:00 PM, SkinnyKathy said:

Well it’s all over now. At least the band part of my life. Band removal surgery was two days ago. I’m healing ok except for a seroma under one of my incisions. I have a call into my doctors office to see what to do about that. Doc said I had a lot of adhesions that he had to remove, and also that the valve between my stomach and esophagus was shot due to the band. So definitely no sleeve in my future, but RNY is still an option. I have to wait 3 months and lose 20 pounds on my own first.

Glad to hear you are doing well. I was banded for 8 years and I just had mine removed 4 weeks ago and had the sleeve done all in the same surgery. I too had a lot of scar tissue. I don't miss that band at all. It is so nice eating and not getting stuck anymore. Good luck to your future weight loss.