losing_the_band

Backstory: I was first banded in 2007, then had to have it replaced in 2011 with a different surgeon because of a massive slip. I didn't qualify for conversion to another type of surgery at that point, but since I've gained more weight since then, I'm trying to convert to RNY now. I've moved across the country, though, so I can't use the surgeon I used for the replacement band. The first surgeon I checked out down here, I liked personally, but didn't like the "surgery mill" feel that his office had, and that he wanted me to do all the work of referring myself to other specialists and making appointments (radiologist for an upper GI series, nutritionist, etc.). The second surgeon, I really liked the nurse practitioner I was dealing with, but wasn't happy with the rest of the office staff. The office was better about referring me to other specialists, but was bad about communication. Took six weeks to even get a call from the coordinator. The last straw has been the past few days. On Friday, the coordinator called me and wanted me to call her back about figuring out my options and the course of action to get the revision approved. I call back a couple hours after the message, and she's left the office already. The guy I talked to (didn't bother to introduce himself), told me to come in on Monday (today) for a nutritional assessment at 9:30. I write down the date and time, and everything. He said that he needed to see a patient, but he'd call me back afterwards to set up some more appointments. Of course, that never happened, which should have warned me about what was to come. So, today I show up for my 9:30 appointment, and no one at the office knows what the heck I'm talking about, and the nutritionist isn't even there. The guy basically denies making an appointment for me, and says the next available appointment is May 6th. It was pointless to argue with him since the nutritionist wasn't even there, so I went ahead and made the appointment and left. On the way home, though, I was so angry I was about to cry. They jerked me around for 6 weeks, and now they expected me to wait another two months to even get started with the nutrition appointments. They leave me with no fill, no communication, no one bothers to tell me what the next step is, nothing. I should have known then to find another surgeon. So, as soon as I got home, I started looking for surgeon #3. I've got an appointment next Monday at another surgeon's office, so hopefully that one goes better. Third time's the charm, right? Both in surgeons and surgeries!

The good thing about being around the block a time or two with bariatric surgery is that I know what to accept and take at face value and what not to accept. I live in a major metropolitan area, so I don't have to put up with unacceptable and/or inconvenient practices. There is more than one bariatric surgeon within a relatively short drive. I'm not advocating that people become "nightmare patients," but I'm a strong advocate of patients sticking up for themselves. Fact is, these practices are businesses, and it is our patronage that keeps them going. If the doctors and their staff aren't performing to your satisfaction, in most cases they can be easily replaced. And yes, how you are treated before the surgery is a huge clue to how you're going to be treated afterwards. If it's difficult to reach someone when there is a potential for you to be paying them thousands of dollars, how hard is it going to be after they've gotten your money?

Both the previous practice and the one I've got an appointment with on Monday are centers of excellence.

So far, I've talked to the new surgeon's coordinator several times, so I'm already getting more communication than I did with the group I dropped. She seems very nice and very much "on the ball." The surgeon seems to be very well reviewed, too, so hopefully it will be a good experience. I should have known what was coming with the last group, since I was never allowed to meet the surgeon at all, and it took six weeks (!) to even get the coordinator to look to see what I was going to need to do. I feel like I've made progress this week, too, since I found a PCP and had a physical done. He ordered lots of blood work (CBC, cholesterol, thyroid, etc.) and will be writing the letter of medical necessity for me. Now I've got an official diagnosis of hypertension, which has been a relatively recent occurrence. I've been on Spironolactone for my skin for years, and it's usually one of the first medications prescribed for hypertension, so I must have an issue with blood pressure if it's still running high (was 157/104 several weeks ago, and has been running in the high 130s-140s since). I'm still pretty upset with the other practice, though I think a lot of it is hormones right now. The fact that I've gained about 5 pounds in the last 6 weeks and my work uniforms are a little tight hasn't helped, either, lol.

You're likely sensitive to the flavor of artificial sweeteners. For example, some people think Diet Coke tastes exactly like regular Coke, but to me, the Diet Coke (or any diet soda) has a horrible metallic flavor to it. I can't tolerate anything with artificial sweeteners in it, so I can't drink any of the additives that people put in their Water or shakes. My aversion to the artificial sweeteners is so strong that I even have to drink Protein drinks that are sweetened with stevia instead of artificial sweeteners. I can't tolerate any of the sucralose-sweetened mixes (the Syntrax Nectars, for example), and that's the majority of the market.

Dkh, no matter which surgery you choose, you're going to need supplements for the rest of your life. With the sleeve, your stomach capacity is so small that it would be virtually impossible for you to get all the vitamins and minerals that you need through diet alone. With bypass, it's debatable about how many supplements you'll take and how often (each doctor has their own requirements), but it isn't something that is exclusive to the bypass.

To be honest, I refuse to read the books or watch the movie. The books started as Twilight fanfiction. I refuse to read badly written fanfiction based off of badly written books and terrible movies with horrid actors. There is some amazing fanfiction out there in pretty much every genre, including BDSM, but 50 Shades of Grey is a less than mediocre example. It's embarrassing to fandom, IMO.

I had the same thing happen with my first band. Unfortunately, repositioned bands are at a higher risk of slipping again. You're also at a higher risk of slippage with a new band, too. I would strongly urge you to consider a conversion to a different type of bariatric surgery. I didn't qualify with my insurance to convert to bypass or sleeve (ironically, I had been TOO successful initially, so I no longer had the 2 years of 35+ BMI that they required), so I had to just go with having my band replaced. I've found that the second time around is much harder. I can't achieve a good restriction level. I recently had to have a complete unfill because my surgeon thought the band might have slipped (really bad slime/PB session and bad reflux afterward), but before that I was (un)lucky enough to be both too tight and too loose at the same time. Mornings were very tight, to the point where I had difficulty eating anything. Evenings were very loose, to the point I was a bottomless pit. I'm actually about 20 pounds heavier now than I was when I had my band replaced four years ago. Sometimes, I think that we (banders) think that if we have to work harder for weight loss, it means more. It's basically the same thing as people telling us that WLS is the easy way out. Really, all it means is that we're having to work harder to achieve the same results. And unfortunately, statistically, most of us aren't even going to get the "same results." After eight years of this, I honestly don't really understand why we do this to ourselves. I'm at the point where I'm tired and I just want to see some lasting benefit for the crap I've put myself through. I should hopefully be able to get a conversion to RNY or VSG approved by insurance, but it's going to take a lot of jumping through hoops. And unfortunately, I have some additional issues now because of the band that are likely going to make losing harder, no matter what surgery I go with.

I'm on my second band, so my advice would be to go with either the sleeve or the bypass. I was actually successful with my first band, too, lost 90 pounds and achieved a normal BMI (around 23). The problem was that in order to do it, I had to have quite a bit of restriction, which meant that although I was unable to eat the things that got me fat (carb addict), I also couldn't eat a lot of foods that were actually good for me. Fresh fruits, fresh veggies, lean meats? Nope, stuck 75%+ of the time, sliming and regurgitation. I lived with it until the good didn't outweigh the issues anymore. I was having to literally sleep sitting upright because of the acid reflux, and even then I was still waking up choking because I'd inhale acid. My chest and throat hurt constantly. I finally had to go in for an emergency unfill, which of course then lead to weight gain because I'd never learned how to eat a properly balanced meal, just the stuff that would go down. Several months after being unfilled, I moved across country, and wasn't able to find a new surgeon for a while. When I did, the first thing he did was do a fluoroscopy, which revealed that I'd had a massive slip. Even mostly unfilled, there was only a space about the size of a pencil eraser for food to pass through. I had to have my band replaced. I wanted to revise at that point, but even though I'd gained quite a bit of weight, I no longer fit the requirements for conversion to another surgery. Ironically, if I'd NOT been successful with the first band, I would have been able to convert, but since I was initially successful, I didn't have two straight years of 35+ BMI anymore. With the new band, I've never been able to reach "the sweet spot." It's either too loose or too tight, and usually both in the same day (too tight in the morning to eat anything, but am an empty pit later in the day). I'm now hopefully able to be approved for a conversion, but I'm having to jump through hoops to do so. Yes, there are some oldies out there that still have their original bands, but they are getting fewer and farther between. I honestly don't understand why people would willingly subject themselves to the band anymore, when there's more than enough evidence at this point to show that it's not the best option anymore. There's a really high complication rate, you're almost guaranteed to need surgery again down the road (removal, repositioning, etc.), and the excess weight loss statistics aren't nearly as good as the sleeve or the bypass. You have to constantly worry about getting sick, food poisoning, etc., because vomiting can lead to a slip. To be honest, even though I'm looking into both the sleeve and the bypass, I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with the bypass. The band taught me that I shouldn't just blindly trust what the future outcomes are projected to be. When I was originally banded, it was being said that the band would have better long-term outcomes than the bypass, fewer severe complications, etc. Most of us know how that turned out. I don't trust projections anymore. And to be honest, after living with the severe acid reflux for so long with my first band, I'm really scared of the possibility of reflux with the sleeve.

Ugh, I'm going to have to jump through hoops to get this revision done! Surgeon says I'm going to need to get a letter of medical necessity from a PCP, problem is that I haven't had a PCP in years. Can anyone recommend a good one that is easy to work with? Prefer Dade/Broward area, but will drive if necessary.

Why exactly does someone have to "own" having this surgery? Does someone have to "own" having a breast augmentation, or "own" having their prostate removed, or "own" having eye surgery? By saying that someone needs to "own" a decision, to me that implies that the decision to have surgery is something that needs to be justified publicly because otherwise we'd be "deceiving" people. Someone should never have to "own" a medical decision, to justify making that decision in the eyes of their peers. And guess what? Telling my coworkers never made a single bit of difference in how much they talked. Humans gossip. It's what they do, and telling or not telling doesn't change that fact. By telling them, instead of gossiping over whether you have surgery, they gossip about whether you should be losing more or less weight and what you're eating and whether (they believe) you should be eating it. And what's worse is that now they think they have the right to openly question you about these things, because (they think) obviously you value their input or else you wouldn't have told them. Point blank, no one should ever be bullied into disclosing personal medical information, least of all by someone on a support website.

You're implying that by not telling people, someone isn't proud that they've taken charge of their life. One has nothing to do with the other. Some people just aren't comfortable in the spotlight, so to speak, or just don't care for their medical care or weight to be the topic of discussion. Someone can be very proud of their accomplishments and still be a private person.

I didn't have a catheter with my first lap-band surgery, and I was really wishing I had one. Since I had an IV, I had to get up every 10-15 minutes to pee (I spent the night), and it was a whole ordeal because they had me hooked up to the leg pump things. I had to call a nurse every time I had to get up, and wait for her to come unhook me before I could get up. When I had my tummy tuck and breast lift, I was in the hospital for two nights, and I had a catheter for at least the first night and the day after. It was so wonderful not to have to worry about getting up! They placed it after I was out in the operating room, and I didn't experience any discomfort from it at all, not even when they removed it.

Many of us have addictive personalities. I'm sure that if they studied people with other addictions (narcotics, cigarettes, etc.), they'd find similar results. If you have an addiction to one item, whether it is cigarettes, a narcotic, etc., there is a vulnerability towards addiction, and that can easily be transferred to another item/action if it fills a psychological need. Our addictive drug of choice just happens to be food.

Let them talk. They're going to do so whether or not you tell them about the surgery. Telling them about it does nothing more than let them feel entitled to their nosiness and invasive questions. If they get too invasive, tell them to knock it off or you'll file a harassment complaint. You are absolutely entitled to have privacy when it comes to medical decisions, and the people trying to shame or bully you into sharing your private medical information just for their own gossip should be ashamed of themselves.

I don't know if I'm naturally this cynical, or if it's a product of 8+ years, 2 lap-band surgeries, and currently trying to convert to RNY. Bear with me, because I'm thinking as I type. Hopefully, this will all make sense, lol, and I won't unintentionally offend anyone. I think when we first have WLS, we subconsciously think that if we're open about having it, it will somehow be more acceptable to people and that we're being "honest." Let's face it, though. People will know whether or not we tell them (it's hard to miss someone losing 100+ pounds), and us telling them isn't going to make them gossip about it less. On the contrary, it makes them feel like their nosiness is acceptable and that we welcome their input. This type of surgery is like religion and politics: trying to "educate" the people around you rarely works. And for being "honest," well, is failing to tell someone that you've had a mastectomy and breast reconstruction somehow not honest? Is not telling everyone around you that you've had a colostomy or breast reduction or spinal fusion dishonest? I think we need to get past this world of Facebook and Twitter, where we believe that every person out there somehow deserves to know every little thing about us. We are all entitled to our privacy, especially when it comes to our health care decisions, and wanting to have some part of your life remain private doesn't mean that you're ashamed about it. I feel that this surgery is exactly like religion and politics, wherein everybody has an opinion about it. And just like religion and politics, I don't generally discuss it outside of topic specific forums, because I don't give a flying rat's patootie about Joe Blow's opinion and I know that he doesn't give a flying rat's patootie about mine. And to be perfectly honest, I don't feel like it's my responsibility to educate the masses about the joys of WLS. If someone wants to know for their own benefit, they can approach me and ask. If they do not have it in them to ask, then they aren't ready for surgery, anyway.

Even if it were an easier way, what's wrong with that? Most people don't walk to work if they've got other options, they don't hand wash their clothes, they don't build a fire to cook over, and they don't heat their bath water on the stove. Why are people so critical of us taking an easier route when everyone does things "the easy way" in every other aspect of their lives?

Some of you are much more positive than I am, lol. I look at the Nosey Nellies as just that, nosy. To me, they don't give a rat's behind whether I'm successful, they just want something to gossip about. To be honest, I think most of them would prefer that we aren't successful, because that would give them more fodder for gossip.

As I've not had either surgery (I am trying to revise to another procedure from lap-band due to a slip, though, so I'm doing a lot of research), the only advice I can give is to take predictions of how good the sleeve is going to be with a grain of salt. After all, researchers were saying the same thing about the lap-band back when I was first banded. It was supposed to be the wave of the future and it had a predicted long-term success rate that rivaled or exceeded that of the bypass. We all know how that turned out. I can't tell you which procedure is best for you, that's up to you and your surgeon to determine. I can share a few things that I've found while researching: Malabsorbtion of calories with RNY lasts for 12-24 months, Vitamin malabsorbtion lasts forever. There are new transdermal vitamin Patches on the market that mean you don't have to worry about malabsorbtion of those nutrients since they aren't passing through your digestive tract. "Dumping" is not a guarantee with RNY. VSG can cause severe GERD, so if you already have GERD, it's not recommended that you have that surgery. You can succeed or fail with either procedure. Success with either one depends on your particular food issues, on how successful you are at resolving those issues, and how you've changed your lifestyle. There are a lot of people out there that are trying to revise from sleeve to bypass and from bypass to DS or band-over-bypass.

Have you thought about looking into an appeal with the Lindstrom obesity lawyer group. Supposedly, they will do appeals for a set price, and it's usually very reasonable. They've got a very good success rate, so it might be a well-spent few hundred dollars.

Had my consultation, and I'm glad I decided to find another surgeon. I didn't meet the surgeon this time, but I really liked his staff. I didn't feel like the place was a bariatrics mill, either, and they took my concerns about my band seriously. They did a complete unfill, and I've got an appointment for an upper GI series with barium. Hopefully, we'll be able to document a slip so I can get a revision.

My consultation is in 2 days! I hope I click with this surgeon. I had a consultation with another surgeon a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't like how his office was run. It felt like a surgery mill, honestly, and left me wondering what kind of support I'd be getting after my revision surgery. When I tell a bariatric surgeon that I've been having issues with my band and that I'd already had replacement surgery once, I shouldn't be left on my own to find a radiologist that is familiar with the band in order to get an upper GI series done. About a week before that consultation, I had a severe sliming/PB episode while I was at work (I made the mistake of eating a raw carrot). It was the last straw for me. I'm having more issues with my band since then, and I'm honestly starting to think I've had another slip. I hate to say it, but I'm actually hoping I have, since it will make getting a revision approved a little easier. I'm having acid reflux (with which I only had issues when my last band had slipped), my esophagus and chest aches off and on, and my port area has been a lot more tender. I'm sick of not being able to know what I can or can't eat until I try to eat it, and then getting painfully "stuck" and suffering projectile sliming. Always having to know where the bathroom is when I go out to eat, so that I can rush there if my band has decided to be restrictive. I want to be able to eat fresh fruit and vegetables and not have to spit out the fibrous parts. I want to be able to eat at work without having to wonder if I'm going to have to run to the bathroom (really embarrassing when you work in a very small group). I'm just so tired of this.

This is what I'm worried about. I need a revision from band to bypass or sleeve (consultation with a surgeon tomorrow!), and I'd like to tell my mother and father about it. The problem is, they seem to think my private medical business is everyone else's business, too. That's what they did with both of my band surgeries. They told my brother, they told my aunts and uncles, they told their employees and their customers, etc. We apparently have different definitions of "private information," lol. Part of the reason I don't want to tell people is that I've had issues with the band, and I already feel like enough of a failure, even though I was able to reach goal weight before regaining due to issues). I don't want the pressure of everyone judging me and watching me to see if I succeed with this one. I'm a very private person and it makes me uncomfortable to know that people are constantly watching what I put in my mouth (and yes, they do that when you tell them that you've had surgery).

WLS again? Absolutely yes! Lap-band surgery? Absolutely NOT! I'm currently on my second band (first one was replaced after I'd unknowingly lived with a profound slip for several years, and insurance wouldn't cover a revision to a different surgery), and I'm having problems with it now. My band decided out of the blue that it wouldn't tolerate me eating a raw carrot and I had a severe PB/sliming episode, and I'm pretty sure my band slipped as a result. I do not have it in me to go through a third band surgery, knowing what I now know about the success rates of the band. I want to not worry about getting sick and needing to vomit. I want to eat fresh fruits and vegetables and not worry. I want to not have to locate the bathroom in every restaurant I go to, in case my meal doesn't agree with me and I have to rush and go slime it up. I've got an appointment tomorrow to meet with a new surgeon and hopefully get a revision to either bypass or sleeve. I just can't do this anymore. I'm not saying that people can't be successful with the band (heck, I reached a normal BMI with my first one, then started gaining when I started having trouble), but I think people are more likely to be successful with another type of surgery. I will say that I'm definitely determined to succeed this time, so at least suffering with the band gave me that!

I feel for you! I've had a bunch of issues, too, and have actually had my band replaced once already. The second one has started giving me trouble (I'm pretty sure it's slipped), so I'm at the point where I just want the damned thing out of me. I'm meeting with a surgeon tomorrow to see about getting a revision to either the sleeve or bypass. I'm leaning toward the bypass because between my PCOS and the way I had to eat with the band, my metabolism is completely messed up.