GilliGirl

I was banded in January of '06. Lost almost 100 lbs in 9 mos which was awesome, but then something happened? Not sure what, but things just changed. Food started getting stuck all the time, I was having trouble even eating minced, moist chicken. I was PBing a lot and getting constant esophageal spasms....OUCHIE!!! All this and it started out of nowhere. I didn't have any sort of adjustment. After about another six months of struggling with it and having fill removed/added, my pshyche was just done....I guess I sort of gave up. (I know...shame on me!) Now it's 2010, I still have this useless band that's unfilled and I'm still having esophageal spasms and getting food stuck. I told my surgeon and they didn't do anything. I'm worried I may have adhesions or the band has slipped. I've gained soooo much weight. I weigh 75lbs more now than I did before my banding and I am just crying. I'm fairly young and I have been wanting to get revised to an RNY, but I am terrified of the mal-absorption and vitamin deficiencies that come with it. The restriction of the band, when it was working like it was supposed to, was great and very helpful....but then it just went all ape-sh*t on me. I learned about VSG recently and have been doing a lot of reading about it. I've read many people's comments and suggestions and been to many sites and I have not heard anybody say the regret getting revised to the Sleeve. I know after reading everything that I want the Sleeve instead of RNY. Although the thought of another surgery scares me, the fact that there isn't any bypassing of intestines is a relief for me. I just started with a new employer. I'm a Nurse and the Surgeons at the hospital I work for down in San Diego, CA do the VSG. My insurance kicks in in two months and I am HOPING that they will cover VSG. Some insurances will only cover banding and RNY. I am crossing my fingers and toes. Any suggestions, tips, or comments are welcome. By the way....a question for those of you who have or do have the band still. Do any of you experience a numbness and/or pinching sensation where your port is? Sometimes when I am sitting down, I get this pinching sensation beneath the port site and then the whole area goes numb? Just wondering.

Deleted....posted twice...Sorry!!

Thanks I'll check it out!!

Hi, I'm new here. I currently weigh in at 330lbs! :-( I had a lap band placed in January of 2006 and for the first year I did great. In 2007, I had some family and emotional issues that knocked me off balance which led to a slow in weight loss and I was struggling with the band to find that "sweet spot" where I would have good restriction but would still be able to eat my proteins without the food getting stuck. I think the band and I failed each other because I got so paranoid that I was going to keep throwing up after eating that I had the band unfilled eventually. Now, four years later I've learned new skills to cope and learned what works and what doesn't. I am wondering if it is possible to have success in weight loss converting from the Lap-Band to the VSG. I am 34 yrs old and have been contemplating the RNY for the last four years and I always get scared off about the possibilities of mal-nutrition and vitamin deficiencies. I just started reading more about VSG and found that it is covered through my insurance and it feels more comfortable to me knowing there is no bypass involved which could lead to mal-absorption issues. So....to all of you who have been around this block, is it possible to convert a Lap-Banding to a VSG? Thanks a bunch!! : ~ )