MCOBandita

I was having tons of complications and had my lap band removed at the end of last years at the end of 2011 and revised to the gastric sleeve. Even though the recovery from surgery was tough I am very happy with my decision. No more PBing for me and I am actually able to eat fruits and vegetables - something that was virtually impossible with my band. My gastic surgeon said that current research indicates that 8% of people's bodies reject the lap band, but that he estimates there are probably much more that just put up with the complications. I am very lucky that this time my insurance paid for the removal and revision. One of the hardest things for me is that I felt like I was a failure and I was embarrassed that I did not have more success with the band. However, after reading countless other people's negative accounts about life with the band, which I found on gastic sleeve forums, I realized that I was not the only one and wept with relief. So to anyone who might read this in the future - you are not the only one - just look at some gastic sleeve or gastric bypass sites and you will find many former banders' tales of woe. The rest of my story is on an old post here: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/88303-would-i-do-it-again/

As a follow up, after years of struggling with the band I had it removed at the end of 2011 and revised to the gastric sleeve. Even though the recovery from surgery was tough I am very happy with my decision. No more PBing for me and I am actually able to eat fruits and vegetables - something that was virtually impossible with my band. My gastic surgeon said that current research indicates that 8% of people's bodies reject the lap band, but that he estimates there are probably much more that just put up with the complications. I am very lucky that this time my insurance paid for the removal and revision. One of the hardest things for me is that I felt like I was a failure and I was embarrassed that I did not have more success with the band. However, after reading countless other people's negative accounts about life with the band, which I found on gastic sleeve forums, I realized that I was not the only one and wept with relief. So to anyone who might read this in the future - you are not the only one - just look at some gastic sleeve or gastric bypass sites and you will find many former banders' tales of woe. Best of luck and good health to everyone!

I have a condition called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and I came across a woman on Facebook who was looking for feedback on people with PCOS who had the lapband done. I emailed her the following email and thought it might benefit others on this site as well. ___________________________________________________ My best friend and her sister (neither have PCOS) both had gastic bypass. I was not heavy enough to qualify for gastric bypass so the lapband was my only option. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Because of the amount of weight you have to lose and because of my experiences with the lapband I would highly recommend the gastic bypass over the lapband. I do not know enough about the gastric sleeve (and do not know anyone who has had one) so I cannot give you any feedback on it. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> My best friend and her sister both lost over 100 pounds in a year. Her sister is down to her goal weight and already went and had plastic surgery to have her excess skin removed. My best friend lost the 100 pounds quickly but has found ways to "work around" the surgery to continue to eat and has gained about 30 pounds back. She is a snacker and likes junk food so she would eat little bits of junk all day (she is a chef which complicates matters!). Also, with both surgeries you can stretch out your new stomach/pouch over time if you slightly overeat all the time, thus over time you can increase the amount of food you can eat. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The disadvantages that they have experienced with gastric are: You must make sure you are getting enough protein (particularly in the beginning when your pouch is so tiny) because if you don't you can get sick and you will start losing your hair (not going bald - just losing hair). Because you will be losing weight so quickly be prepared for people around you to 1) know you had the surgery 2) ask you about how much weight you've lost constantly 3) scrutinize what you eat and verbalize it when they think you are making less than stellar choices. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> No matter what you choose I would highly recommend NOT telling everyone you have had the surgery. I told very few people and I have experienced some of the above. It is beyond frustrating and people have no idea how hard this process is. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Overall they both had success with the gastric bypass. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> However, it has taken me two years to lose 55 pounds. The reason why is because I have such difficulty finding things that I am "able" to eat without choking/PBing on them. I have always been a pretty healthy eater; I have never been a junk food eater or snacker, but I would typically skip breakfast and then overeat at lunch and dinner - it was always a quantity issue with me. Now I am eating much smaller portions, however, because I have such difficulty eating so many different foods, I have started eating things that I know are not good for me just so I can eat something.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> For example, I basically cannot eat any pork whatsoever - I choke on it every time. One day I can eat chicken just fine and the next day I choke on it. Virtually anything fibrous (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) choke me. I have to overcook these items in order to eat them and even then often times cannot eat them. I have learned that things with sauce on them help make things "slide" down. The problem is things with sauce are typically more fattening! There have been many times that I have just eaten mashed potatoes as a meal because I was too frustrated to try to find something else I could eat without choking. I can say with absolute certainty that I am eating worse foods now than ever before. It is not so much what I can't eat that I struggle with - but what CAN I eat?!? :laugh: The only thing that never chokes me is sushi and fish. Let's just say I am beginning to resemble a salmon with all the fish I am eating! <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Before you think that my band is too tight and I should get an unfill that is not the case. When I eat things that do not choke me I can eat plenty of food. I just have to CONSTANTLY be aware of food. I think about food more now than I ever did pre-band. Food is a huge source of anxiety for me now because I am always dreading whether or not something will choke me. There have been many times when I have tried to eat "normally" - like at a business function - when I start choking and have to excuse myself to go to the bathroom to throw it all up. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I could go on and on about this issue. Ultimately, I am happy that I have been able to lose weight. However, if someone asked me, "Would you do it all over again?" the answer would be "No!" <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> If I hadn't paid for the band 100% out of pocket I would have had the band removed long ago. I would have opted for the gastric bypass. I know that even though I have lost weight I am not as healthy as I was because I am not getting adequate nutrition from the foods that I am "able" to eat. I feel like my band controls too much of my life.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> No matter what you choose please realize that none of these "solutions" is an easy fix. It is really very hard work...I never dreamed it would be this hard. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> - Sara

No, I really do not find myself eating when I am not hungry anymore. I eat three meals a day, am not a snacker, and do not eat junk food (unless I have PMS :biggrin:). I got fat not based upon what I was eating, but the quantity of food - which is why I thought the band would be a great choice for me. I try to stick with the South Beach diet as closely as possible even with the band. Even though I have been having more Pasta than what I used to eat pre-band it has been 100% whole wheat pasta so it has a lower GI. (As an aside, The South Beach Diet was the only diet to ever work for me and has made me feel much better physically.) Thinking back on when I seem to be having the most PBs it is almost exclusively when I am eating around others. I chose to only tell a couple of people I had the band done because a friend of mine had RNY and people were constantly asking her how much she lost, would ask her, "should you really be eating that?", and watching her disapprovingly whenever she ate. I travel frequently and have to go out to business lunches and dinners all the time and have gotten curious looks when I have cut my food in miniscule pieces or have chewed each piece endlessly. There have been several times where the rest of my party is done eating and it looks like I have barely eaten anything. Over time I think I have probably have begun eating more than I should when I am eating out with others. I have been asked, "Wasn't your entree good?" "You ok? You barely touched your meal." I think I am just trying to "keep up with the pace" and "not be obvious" about how differently I am eating compared to others. I just don't want others to know I had the surgery - I don't feel it is anyone's business and I don't want to explain my decision to anyone. Wow, it seems so obvious now. I am definitely going to start logging when I PB, what I was eating, and if I was eating around others. Thanks for your help, guys! I think this might just be it! What a relief that will be!:hurray:

Thanks, Laura. Yes, the feeling is in between my breasts. It starts hurting and I feel a big pressure in my chest. It always precedes a PB/slime. My real concern is that since I am having this problem so often I wonder whether I should get another fill. Feeling like I am only eating about 25% less than one I ate pre-surgery is a bummer...yet the PBing has prevented me from getting another fill up until this point. I am wondering if I should just get another fill and completely give up on the foods that give me problems all together. I have the most problems with poultry, meat, and pork - all Proteins. If I eliminate those items I feel like I would be sustaining myself on fish and Pasta (two things that don't seem to give me problems.) I did not expect to have to become a vegetarian from having the band! UGGG! :tt1: I put a call into the person who coordinates my fills and she said that a lot of people have issues with certain types of foods but "thinks it is unfortunate that I seem to be having problems with so many of them." Considering I have only lost 30 pounds and was a self pay I am pretty upset at this point - that equates to $317 a pound!

I had my surgery almost a year ago (2/20/07) and need some advice... I have only had one fill (1.8cc) yet I am constantly choking on food. One day I can eat a certain food and the very next day I choke on it. I feel like I can eat almost as much food as I did pre-surgery (I would guess I might eat 25% less) but am scared to go get another fill because I do not want to choke on EVERYTHING I eat. I have tried chewing my food to mush and I still choke. I have only lost about 30 pounds in a little less than a year. I now feel apprehensive when it is meal time. I am embarrassed when I have to excuse myself because I need to go "slime". I have been at business lunches where I have dealt with the pain of the "choking feeling" until I feel like my chest is going to burst and tears well up in my eyes - while I am sitting there hoping that it just goes down - not very professional. While I knew this was not going to be an easy journey, that the band is only a tool but that it would require my commitment and lifestyle changes...but I did not think I would be this miserable. Things that I normally eat such as chicken, broccoli, asparagus, bread, eggs, and steak have had to virtually be eliminated from my diet. I am eating more Pasta and things with sauces so that it "slides" down. I have found one of the few things I seem to be able to eat is sushi (something I never liked before) - now I eat it all the time because I never choke on it. I find that I obsess about what I am going to eat, to try to avoid choking, all the time. Part of me thinks I need to get another fill but another part of me thinks I will be unable to eat anything. Can anyone give me some insight into what I might be doing wrong or what they think I should do? Thanks in advance for any help!

Thanks, Stacy. I do have insurance, but was also a self-pay, so I am not sure if they would pay a portion of it. I will find out though - any little bit helps. I know that most people have not had the type of experience I had today - by simply reading this board. However, I felt like I should tell others of my experience so that they weren't as naive as I was going into it. It helps me to be able to share things on this board. :think

My fill was horrific. The "Fill Center USA" location (Tampa, FL) was in a nasty ratty strip mall in a ghetto area. When I pulled in I literally looked at the address twice to make sure I was in the right place. I decided to go in to see if it was clean inside (since I drove 2 hours to get there). It was an old place, did not really look clean...it looked kind of third world. I was given three pages of information which basically said that they would not be held liable for anything going wrong during the fill. The thing is...had I read these three pages of negative statements before I had the surgery I probably never would have had it. It was very negative about the band, complications, and expectations. It was disturbing to say the least. I told the receptionist that I felt uncomfortable signing the papers because it referred to written information being given to me about possible complications when it had not been given to me. I admitted to him that I was very weary of the surroundings and told him it made me wonder about the sterility of the place. He stated that the nurse administering the fill was his Mom and that she was very clean. There were two other people in the waiting room so I asked them if either of them had been there before. One had and one had not - the one that had said that she hadn't had any bad experiences there. By this point I was in tears...I really didn't want to stay, but where else was I going to get a fill with fluro? Ultimately, I stayed. I spoke to the nurse when she came in and she assured me everything was going to be ok. Once I was called back she couldn't really determine where my port was by hand. I literally said, "It's right here." I was glad that I had chosen to do the fluro because she could not find it. She numbed it slightly with some sprayable substance (I think it was lidocaine) and stuck the needle in. The initial needle prick wasn't bad, however, once she was in there she wasn't hitting the port. She proceeded to dig and scrape around inside trying to find the port. This went on for probably five minutes. Sweat started to roll down my back because it was making me very nervous. It hurt and at one point I think she might have scraped a portion that hasn't completely healed because I had to call out in pain, "It's hurting, IT'S HURTING!" By this point I was crying profusely and even said, "I think I made a big mistake! (Getting the band.)" She took the needle out and said she would have to get a longer needle but that she would numb me up by injecting lidocaine in the area surrounding the port. I thought it would mean one additional shot, but she actually poked me several times all around my port. She was finally able to get it into the port after some more scraping around. At this point I must have been as white as a sheet because she kept asking me if I was ok. I just told her to please hurry. I was a mess - crying, sweating, and almost shaking. When it was finally over she gave me a glass of Water to drink. She said she had put 2 cc's in, which she said was the max she could put in during an initial visit. I drank the water and felt no difference. She said, "Does it feel like it is going down slower?" I said, "No, it feels normal." She had me drink more and I still didn't feel any change. 2 cc's is a lot - I would think I would have been able to feel that immediately. I believe that with all of her scraping around she probably punctured my tubing. Why else would I feel no difference? I am very upset. I took a picture (attached) because I am going to complain to Dr.Ortiz. Frankly I feel like I went to a butcher today. While her bedside manner seemed fine, she obviously doesn't know what she is doing. All of the poking and scraping were what made it horrendous. At this point I never want to have another fill again. I hope that you all will have a much better experience than I did.

I didn't realize it was under the Canadian Support page; I saw it under the recent posts section. Excuse me for trying to be helpful! Geesh!

I did have to do the pre-op diet. I had to do 10 days of protein shakes for breakfast and lunch plus a Lean Cuisine for dinner. I know that the diet each person is prescribed is based on their health and start weight. However, the day of my pre-op testing the nutritionist, Dr. Miranda, said I could have a light dinner that night and recommended the carne asada. Hope that clarifies my previous statement!

Dame J, I am not sure what part of the country you live in but I recommend Planet Fitness. It is $49 to sign up + $10 a month thereafter - with no contract! It is clean, with new machines, and doesn't have that meat market/show off factor that a lot of gyms have. I usually go duing the busiest time of day 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. and almost never have to wait for a machine. You can see if they have a location in your area by going to www.planetfitness.com.

Whatever you do don't eat the Carne Asada that Dr. Miranda recommends from the Hotel Lucerna restaurant (that's in the lobby). It was so fatty I couldn't even eat it. Yuck!

I was banded on 2/20 and had gass pain that got progressively worse after the surgery. I started noticing it on Day 4 and it got so painful it hurt to breathe. :think I walked, took Gas-X, Rolaids for Gas, hung out with a heating pad...nothing helped. Unfortunately, I just had to wait it out. I had read an old post on here saying some ladies dealt with residual gas pain for up to two weeks post op. I consider myself lucky mine only lasted 10 days! I feel for you!