LeeAnnfromNC

I had a lap band for 7 years. Initially very successful. I didn’t like the side effects and eventually we just couldn’t get the fill level exactly right. I ended up gaining about 2/3 of my weight back. I started having problems with stomach pain. When no other cause was found we decided to remove the band and the stomach issues immediately stopped. I had a separate gastric sleeve surgery 2 months later. I absolutely love my sleeve. Weight loss has been great , I feel great, and I have had no side effects. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I'm right there with you. I also got a lap band in 2013, lost 98 pounds, then started a gradual regain of over half of what I had lost. Eventually developed abdominal pain issues. Testing showed no other possible reasons so my band was removed July 31 of this year. Pain gone immediately so had to have been the band. On Oct 9th I had vertical gastric sleeve surgery. I am down 35 pounds and 2 pant sizes so far. I hope I learned an important lesson over the past years....that the same actions (excess carb intake ) always equals the same result (weight gain) . At 63 years old I'm getting too old to keep starting this journey over again.

I also had my revision from lapband to sleeve on October 9th . Band was put in place in April of 2012 and removed July 31, 2019. Sleeved on Oct 9, 2019. I love my sleeve. None of the procedures was particularly painful. I expected the sleeve to be more painful but it really wasn't. I think the worst of the three was having the lap band removed, at the incision site where the band came out.

I had a lapband for years. I did well, lost 98 pounds. Still had another 20 pounds or so to go to my goal . I gradually regained about 60 pounds, couldn't get back to losing and eventually started having problems eating and had abdominal pain issues. Testing didn't show anything wrong with band or with anything else but I knew just from the way I felt that the band was the problem. I had my band removed on July 31st and had gastric sleeve surgery on October 9th. All is well now. Abdominal pain was gone immediately after band was removed. Weight loss resumed when I started my pre-op diet and all has been great since the sleeve surgery. I am down 30 pounds so far. Loving my sleeved stomach.

My experience is similar to yours. I had my lap band put in six years ago. Did great for three years then hit a plateau. The photo of me here is at my lowest weight after having lost 98 pounds with my band. I never could get the two pounds I needed for 100 pounds off ...and I wanted to lose around 25 - 20 more. Over time I started gaining weight and having problems with food getting stuck, reflux, etc. Doc took some fluid out of my band. Still had bloating and abdominal pain. This has been going on for more than six months. After having a barium swallow, 2 endoscopies, a CAT scan, MRI, and colonoscopy we have pretty much determined that there is nothing else wrong so the band is most likely the culprit. I will be having surgery to remove it on Wed, July 31. Hopefully that will end the abdominal pain and I will be able to have revision to another weight loss surgery in a couple of months. I am still down 40 pounds from where I started which means I gained back 58 that I need to lose again and still want to lose that additional 15 - 20 pounds to get to my goal. I wish we could do it all in one surgery but my doc wants to make sure the removal of the band solves the problems I've been having instead of doing additional surgery now only to find that the pain issues are still there. I'm 99% sure the problem is the band so I'm researching other surgical options now while I wait. ****For those of you who have had their bands removed , did you have internal soreness from the surgery or just the soreness from the incisions ? Did you have to follow any special diet while healing from the removal of the lap band ?

A friend of mine had gastric bypass surgery in Greenville NC. She did so well that I started to think of it as an option for myself. I mentioned it to my family practice doc in New Bern NC. He told me that he had heard really good things about the weight loss surgeons in Morehead City NC which is a lot closer to my home in Havelock NC. I checked into it and attended a seminar . I decided on lap band and the rest is history. It was a great decision for me. I have lost 98 p but ounds so far and am getting close to reaching my goal. I look and feel better than I have in years. I still have the fibromyalgia that contributed to my weight gain but it's easier to deal with without all of that extra weight ! My surgeon and his PA and the rest of his staff are really helpful and supportive !

I think there is a lot more to happiness than just size or weight BUT I am very happy to feel like me again. Most of my life I have been a normal or slightly overweight person. The last few years prior to my lapband surgery I grew to almost double my normal size. My band has helped me to look and feel like myself again. I am happy to be taking less medication and to fit into a lot of my old/saved clothes again, to be able to cross my legs and move freely , to shop in the regular jr/misses dept. instead of the plus/women's dept., to bend over and tie my shoes easily and put on pantyhose without struggling... so many things to be happy about. I am close to my doctor's goal for me and that makes me happy because I feel strong and capable again, like I'm in control of my life and no longer helplessly trapped in someone else's obese body.

Now, 9 1/2 months post op, I have lost 82 pounds. I'd love to lose another 44 pounds over time. My doctor says he'll be satisfied that I have gotten the maximum health benefit from my surgery after 26 more pounds but he'll work with me to help me reach my goal because it is reasonable and still a healthy weight. I've been getting kind of hungry lately so I think it's time for a small fill. I've had three so far. Non scale victories are awesome.........like being able to cross my legs again, shop in the "regular" instead of plus size department for clothes, wear a lot of old clothes that I had packed away as I outgrew them...and fit my legs into my boots !

Congratulations on your success! It does sound like you might need a small unfill. I hope you'll post again about how things go for you. I think a lot of us could learn from your experience.

I have had three fills so far. I was really scared before the first one and was pleasantly surprised that it didn't hurt at all. The second one was a larger fill and took longer. I was not so pleasantly surprised that it did hurt that time. It wasn't horrible but not at all pleasant ! I had my third one this week. I told him that the last one hurt and I wasn't at all looking forward to the experience of another one. He took his time and waited a few seconds to let the numbing shot work before doing the fill and it wasn't bad at all. The needle for the numbing shot is very small so it doesn't hurt. I think the reason the second fill hurt is that the fill needle went in immediately after the numbing needle. Waiting a few seconds made the difference for me.

I am 57, was banded in April , and have lost seventy pounds in six and a half months. I love my band ! I have hopes (and plans) of losing another 56 pounds . It's nice to have a forum like this one so we can see how others in our age group are doing.

Great idea to use a hand warmer ! You're off to a great start. I hope you'll be as happy with your band as I have been with mine !

Hi Julie. I hope you get your approval. If you do have to wait six months don't get discouraged. I had to but I used the time to learn everything I could about the procedure and to prepare myself and I actually think it helped. Once a month I had to go to see my doc's PA so he could give me the same little speech on how I needed to eat after being banded and it really helped. I have heard the instructions so many times that it's in my head forever as a constant reminder. I think it has made it easier for me to be successful.

Are you taking a multi vitamin too ?

I do. I have been watching since Season 3. I always hate it when the season ends and we have to wait weeks or months for the next one to begin.

I'm not a breakfast person either, at least not when I first get up. I take a couple hours to drink my morning cup of coffee . Later on I have either a protein shake or Greek yogurt mixed with fruit and oatmeal or a Protein Meal Replacement Bar. Since it's usually ten or eleven o'clock by the time I have breakfast I don't eat lunch until mid afternoon and it's usually a real light meal so that I will be ready for supper at a reasonable hour. I'm finding that I am getting up earlier in the mornings as time goes on and staying up later at night (more energy) so sometimes I get hungry around bedtime . If that happens I eat a low fat cheese stick or a protein bar . So far this seems to be working for me. It doesn't seem to matter what time I eat my meals as long as I make sure to eat the right foods to fuel my body.

I'm almost six months out. The first couple of months I lost 10 pounds. Since then it's been a slow but steady 6 - 8 pounds . My doctor is really pleased with my progress and so am I. I'd love to lose a little faster but the end result is all that matters . I'm alittle over half way to my goal and hope to be there by sometime next summer. As long as I'm consistently losing and making progress toward where I want to be I'm happy.

My doctor sees his patients two weeks post op, then once a month for the first year, and then once a year after that (unless we feel like we need to see him more often).

I'm feeling excited this morning....got on the scale and I'm half way to goal ! I have lost 63 pounds since starting my pre-op diet on April 3. My surgery was April 17. Hoping to reach my goal by the end of next summer. I already feel so much better and lighter and have started working out again...Love being able to cross my legs again and what a thrill to be able to shop in the regular part of the store instead of the plus size section. So glad I got my band !

I carry Atkins or South Beach Protein bars with my everywhere I go. I also carry canned chicken and canned tomato soup. That way I never have an excuse for eating the wrong foods because the right ones are not available to me. Any foods that you can comfortably eat that are good for you and don't require refrigeration would be good choices for you.

That would depend on what kind of instructions you have for pre-op. Some doctors have their patients do liquids and some do high protein. Mine had me do high protein/low carb so I basically did Atkins for my pre-op.

I don't count calories. By eating right and focusing on protein first the calories take care of themselves. I was told to use a saucer size plate and fill half of it with protein. The other half is 1/3 starchy carbs or fruit and the other 2/3 of that half is low starch/good carb veggies. That system works well, no need to count calories or measure food.

It will take some time. My port area was very sore for a couple of months. I know you don't want to stay in a recliner for that long. I'd use some extra pillows on your bed to help keep you from rolling over onto it if it hurts when you do. I thought I was going to be sore "forever" but it went away and yours will to, once you've had enough time to heal.

Fantastic ! I'm so happy for you ! Congratulations !

The Genie bra is very comfortable. I have quite a few of them and wear them 24/7, for sleep and working out and everything in between. In regard to the comment about not being able to pull anything over your head, the Genie bra is actually designed to be put on by stepping into it and pulling it up. It can be removed the same way. I highly recommend it.