My Gastric Band was eating me alive!
It was December 2009 when I was at my heaviest, 18sone 8pounds appox 119 kg, i won’t bore you with my medical problems/history but, after one heart attack, type 1 diabetes, and a stroke I was a walking time bomb ! You get the picture
My BMI was not enough to have a Gastric Band on the NHS. I tracked down a surgeon who was supposedly the best in the UK.
After a few consultations he stated a lap band would help. He would not entertain any other option
Surgery was performed no real problems, a bit sore but nothing unexpected i was in hospital for two days and was discharged.
I had a few problems post surgery, vomiting because I was eating and drinking at the same time (my brain wasn’t in total sync) I was going to the gym and weighing myself every week. The weight came off very slowly. I could NOT get under 99 kgs for many months. I still had my appetite.
I stayed a steady 99 kgs, it was a great day when i got under 99kg. In January 2011 i moved to Thailand for a short break. Whilst in Thailand my weight dropped to about 85 kg. I put this down to a change in food etc. Whilst in Thailand I had consultation with a Lap band specialist, i asked him to “loosen” the band as I felt I was losing a bit too much weight, I looked rather gaunt and felt very tired.
He agreed and a week later I attended the hospital where he removed 2ml from the band. He told me that I had 8 ml in the band which in his opinion was far too tight and was very restrictive.
I left the hospital feeling ok and carried on with normal day to day living.
One day I felt unwell and attended a local doctors surgery, The Thai doctor who could not speak good English told me I needed a blood test (the results would be back it 24 hours) The following morning i had a phone call the doctor telling me to go straight to his surgery. I knew by the tone of his voice all was not well, I just had that feeling.
I attended his surgery and he thrust a piece of paper in front of me. It was the blood test result. It was obviously in the Thai language but he carefully tried to explain the results.
He said very calmly “Cholesterol good, INR good, indication of stomach cancer, everything else OK”. Somewhat shocked I asked what he meant “stomach cancer”. Indication of stomach cancer he tells me, you must go now to hospital for endoscopy and colonenspoy.
I was somewhat shell shocked to say the least!
I went to the Bangkok hospital where i was met by another doctor who performed the dreaded endoscopy and colonspoy. After coming round from the procedure my first question was “is it cancer”
The doctor tells me she is 99.99% it isn’t cancer. She says that “something not right in your tummy plastic thing in colon and tummy”.
It dawns on me that she must mean my gastric band. I am immediately sent to see the Gastric Band expert. I sit down and he scratches his head” Not seen before” he calmly smiles and I ask him what does he mean? He tells me “the band is eating into you must come out soon”
What does he mean “eating into me” he tries to explain but with the language barrier I had difficulty understanding exactly what he was telling me? I asked again what had happened, he shakes his head and keeps looking at a DVD of the procedure, he was pointing at a small yellow tube saying “ it goes into your colon should not be there never seen before”
I question him as one would, “what happens now” We remove, very complicated operation, me do for £16.000, you stay in hospital for about week.
Whoa hang on, no way am I letting him near me, it wasn’t the money or lack of confidence in his ability it was maybe a second opinion was needed? He told me in his very charming way that this “not life threatening -yet”. What does that exactly mean I queried He says “Ah you could get fever; poison in body then very serious, could die if not removed”
I thanked the kindly doctor and made my way home. I was in a daze, my head was spinning, what do I do. I had no insurance for this type of operation I didn’t particularly want to stay in Thailand and wait for the worse.
Mind made up, no option back to UK ASAP. My flight was booked for two weeks later.
During this time arrangements had been made for me to have a consultation with the surgeon in the UK who performed my initial gastric band surgery.
At the meeting I explained everything that happened in Thailand and the findings/opinion of the Thai doctor. My surgeon seemed “sceptical” at this point, he wanted to do his own investigations and another endoscopy was booked for three weeks time.
Come the day I attended hospital and was met by the surgeon, the endoscopy was performed and he confirmed that all was not well. The gastric band had eaten into stomach and the colon was invaded by a tube from the band.
Erosion of the band is not uncommon, but eating into and through colon really is.
There have only been two other people in the world who have had this problem I am told by my surgeon, he has never seen this condition before. This is a real eye opener for him! I am glad he finds this interesting!
Last week i had the gastric band removed. The operation lasted two hours, no complications I am told. I was in hospital for 6 days.
I don’t feel any different now at all. The ticking time bomb has been defused!
I know weight just under 12 stone, still look gaunt, no appetite. BUT IAM STILL ALIVE!
I do not blame anybody for this problem, it just happened to me
