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Have you lost your lap-band? Trying to keep the weight off or lose more on your own? Please join us here! We CAN do this!

Hi Wasa! As you know, I lost my band 5.5 months ago due to erosion. I'm currently looking into getting rebanded. However, I would definately consider a VSG if money wasn't an issue.

Hi Belinda! Welcome to LBT! :thumbup: You know, sometimes the waiting is the hardest part. Who's doing your surgery?

Hey, bigdog! Congrats and welcome to bandland! How are you feeling?

Christina, It's good to hear from you again and I'm glad you are doing well. Keep up the good work. :thumbup:

Hey! You're back! :biggrin2: I'm so glad it went well. I've been wondering how you were doing! Thanks for sharing your story. I agree the "band police" should mind their own business. The band doesn't work for everyone and you should only concern yourself with those who can be supportive of what YOU know is right for YOU. I can't believe someone actually told you to chew more.....really?

Wow, Patricia, thank you for the kind words. That really means a lot to me. I'm actually not in Bama. I live in Arizona and just happened to notice your post today. I've spent some time in Alabama, though. I have relatives there-- mostly in the Mobile area. I was awarded a nursing scholarship to the University of Alabama (Roll Tide!) many, many years ago, but I messed that up by running off with my then-boyfriend in the military. Life has a way of working out, though, and we're always better off for the lessons we learn along the way. :thumbs_up:

Hey, all of my southern friends! I just thought I'd share a very short version of my story with ya'll. I'm one of the few people that had complications. In an eight month period of time I had three surgeries, three blood transfusions, several infections, and 23 nights combined in the hospital. In the end, I lost my band due to erosion. You know what? I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I wish things had turned out differently, sure, but I have never regretted the decision to have my lap-band. In fact, I'm hoping to get re-banded within a few months and risk going through it all again. You take a gamble either way, but which hand do you want to bet on? First hand: You continue to gain weight and live the rest of your life in the same or worse state than you are in now. You develop more life threatening co-morbidities, take more medications, and your quality of life decreases. Second hand: You have a surgery that has a high success rate/low complication rate, most likely lose weight, your health improves, your quality of life improves, and you live longer. This is just my experience and my opinion. Good luck to you in your journeys. I'm wishing you much success.

Oh, Laura! Woo-hoo! That is the best news ever! :behindsofa: Congrats to all of you.

Oh, Jodie! That is GREAT news! I'm sure that is a huge relief to you and I'm happy you got that out of the way. :behindsofa: Oh, the waiting.... I'm so tired of waiting. I hope the summer goes by quickly for all of us.

Hello to both of you! :biggrin2: I was originally banded last year but had to have my band removed due to erosion. :biggrin: Anyway, I'm now in the waiting and wondering phase and hoping to have another lap-band surgery in August and start this process all over again. I'll keep my fingers crossed for all of us! Good luck!

LOL, AZChick..... Yes, they will "arrest" you if you don't follow the rules! I like that. Thanks for the kind words, BTW. I'm not brave, though-- just trying to get by. I don't know for sure when I'll be going back for my next appointment. Right now I'm in the process of waiting and wondering, waiting, and wondering.... remember that part? :tongue2: I'm just wanting to get through to the next phase of my journey, whatever that may be. Do you think you might make it to the support group on Saturday?

Hey, KristieBandy! Sending good wishes your way. I hope your surgery went smoothly and you are healing quickly. :tongue2:

Hey, AZChick! The fills are not bad. I assume you'll be going to Dr. D for your fills, right? They'll take you back into the room, do an ultrasound, and mark your port. Then Dr. D comes in, numbs the area, pulls out a big needle (don't look!), checks the saline level, and adds saline. It doesn't hurt but you can feel a lot of pressure. Then they'll have you stand up and drink a bunch of Water to make sure it goes down. That's it! How are you doing with eating now? Are you hungry at all?

AZChick, I'm so happy to hear your post-op went well! :biggrin2: KayBee-- thinking of you and wishing you the best of luck with your upcoming surgery. You are almost there!

Good. I'm glad you talked to the psych and got some good feedback. I'm sorry this has happened. Right now we just need to focus on the overall picture and our health. Are you doing anything to prepare for surgery?

Hi melody_mary, If you look at post 52, you'll see a description I gave another poster. You should know, though, that erosion is a rare occurance. I wouldn't let it scare me. And I can say that having been through it.

Jennifer, You are not alone. I felt the same way about losing my band. After I had my band removed, I'd come home from work and see a lap-band commercial on TV and break into tears. I see from your signature line that you had an emergency surgery along the way-- so did I. Frustrating to go through that, still have problems, and still have to lose the band, isn't it? YOU are not a failure. It appears to me your band failed you. It sucks. It's disappointing. It's frustrating and not comprehendable. But, YOU did not fail. Remember that. Do you know why you are having problems? What was your emergency surgery for? Good luck with your surgery and please let me know how you are doing. ((Hugs))

Great idea, BadgerMom. And it's great to know you are supportive and care so much about the well-being of your SO.

Hey, all! I just wanted to check in with you all and see how you're doing. My weight is slowly starting to creep back so I need to get my butt in gear. How's everyone else doing? What helps keep you on track?

Yup, sure am! I'm also self-pay. It looks like you are making amazing progress-- nice job! :scared2:

Hey, azbanded! Welcome! I am also a patient of Dr. DeBarros. Please keep us updated on your progress. Good luck!

I'm confused. I thought we all had the right to put in our 2 cents.:sad: We all have different opinions and different perspectives. If we are a newly banded person our perspective is going to come from that of a newly banded person. There's nothing wrong with that. Frankly, I read a lot of posts that I think are not applicable to me. I just move past them and pay attention to the ones that are. And from what I can tell, there is nothing in the rules excluding banded people from posting in the lap-band removal forum. Frankly, it seems a little more offensive to me that a 2 day old poster comes to the board and starts belittling and attacking someone else for their opinion. I've had my lap-band removed and I certainly didn't feel "attacked" by mstrina. Aren't we all enthusiastic when we start our journey? We didn't go into this thinking it would fail. Why try to squash someone else's enthusiasm and hope?

Hi Linda123! 1. My band was removed because of erosion. Erosion is where the band migrates itself inside the stomach. It was identified through EGD. Some symptoms of erosion include: inadequate weight loss (because the band is not functioning correctly), port site infection, (the infection travels down the tubing to the port site), or abscess. Often times, though, there are no symptoms. 2. In my case, I don't think there was anything I could have done to prevent the erosion. Nobody knows exactly why it happens but the most popular theories are that the band is too tight or the stomach lining was compromised in some way. I ate the way I was supposed to and never took an NSAID. I don't think I was filled too tightly, either, as a good portion of the time I was unfilled. I do think it's possible that my band was either too small or stitched too tightly at the time of my initial surgery. Also, my band came unbuckled inside of me. I don't know if the band came unbuckled because of the erosion or if the band came unbuckled and caused the erosion. 3. I was initially a self-pay. The insurance did cover some of my complications and band removal, but I was still responsible for a large portion of it. 4. I'm not quite sure who you mean by "they". My insurance has a WLS clause, so certainly they wouldn't cover anything. As for the doctors, they aren't required to do anything for you after your initial surgery, but some of the more reputable docs on this board have stepped up to help patients from time to time. Good questions and good luck to you!