Lynn B

Found the "life after band removal forum" thanks! Boy has it been a while!

Hey all, its been a couple of months and a lot has happened. I just had a quick question. When I was researching the band back in 2005 there was a rash of band removals going on here (maybe I should have paid more attention). Is there anyone around still from that time frame and do you still have your bands? I had mine removed 6 weeks ago and converted to VSG, just wondering how many old times are still on the boards?

Pouch dilation - revised to VSG at year 5.

Wow, I guess this is why my recovery is taking a little longer. My surgery took just about 5 hours. :thumbup:

Hi all - so I'm 12 days post op and kinda surprised that I am not feeling better than I do. My sleeve is great but it feels like my body had decided to fall apart on me. Day five I started with real bad itching around my incisions, by day 10 it was unbearable - I peeled off the steri stips and had big welts under them. The incisions were fine, dry healing well but it appears that now I'm allergic to steri strips as the itching stopped as soon as they were off and the welts are slowly fading (I've been putting benedryl cream on them). One crisis averted now I've started with muscle spasms. I don't know if anyone else has had this happen. I can't tell if I did something to throw out my back or if its related to the port site but I had the first episode Thursday morning - the pain shoots from my back to front (or front to back?) right at the old port site. I can breath, I tense up and wave after wave of contracting muscle just consumes my left side. Friday it happened once in the morning and twice in a row at night - this forced me to open the pain killer that the hospital prescribed which helps immensely. Did anyone else have spasms and how long did they last. I can't lie in bed or recline to far in a chair or it sets them off so I've been sleeping practically upright for two nights (glad I have a comfy chair). Thanks

Thanks all for the responses. I'm still on liquids and have zero issues with eating/drinking. No pain in any other part of my body, I've thrown my back out before and that is exactly what it feels like. Luckily I haven't had a twitch since Sunday morning but I'm still moving a bit cautiously - I will discuss with my doctor when I see him Wednesday. Thanks!

thanks - I see him this Wednesday and I'll be sure to ask.

The last 6 before I was totally unfilled I had the same problem. Filling my band over half way caused reflux and vomiting in my sleep. When my band was unfilled the reflux went away completely. I've only been sleeved for 12 days and I'm on liquid Xantac for a month - don't know if that changes to a regular pill after that or if they take you off but I've had no problems yet. Good luck!

Sharilynn, the research I did pointed to the fact that once you have a band problem it tends to repeat. There are people here that had a second band surgery only to have the new one do the same as the old. There are people on OH that have had multiple band corrective surgeries and the same problem comes back again and again. That is why I switched to the sleeve, I knew once the band went south it was more likely to do it again. Good luck!

I had my successful revision on 9/7. My doctor did perform the surgery lap. I went in at 8am and was out at 1pm. I haven't talked in detail to my surgeon yet as he left town the day after but I spoke to one of his partners who said they did remove some adhesions and part of my liver was encapsulated which they corrected also. I've been in the hospital since (its now Friday) everything went well and I had an upper gi yesterday that showed no leaks. I have been running a low grade fever of between 99-100.8 so they don't want to release me until it resolves. PITA. My temp has been fine all day long 98.7 but I got so bored that I took a nap. The nurse just woke me from my nap to take my temp 99.3 WTF they better not say I can't go home tomorrow because of it - I'm going out of my mind here. I woke up from surgery with an NG tube and a JP drain. I was freaked when I was told that I would have a drain well guess what? Give me 10 JP drains over on NG tube any day - nasty little buggers. That came out yesterday and my throat still kills every time I swallow. JP is still in but they will remove it right before I leave....which I'm hoping in tomorrow. I cried when I found out I had to stay another night...WAAAAAA

Alls well. I am home, showered and catching up on life.

Just got back from preop testing - so now the nerves are really kicking in - 2 more days of work - a long weekend and then I'm sleeved (hopefully) I'm still kinda nervous that my band will have its revenge and will be so F'd up that I'll wake up with nothing - I would be so devistated. Fingers crossed!

I second that eeeeekkkkkkkk! Nerve wracking and exciting all at once!

Just got a reminder email from the hospital - preop testing on 9/1 - its getting close - major butterfly stomach!

Hi all, Sept 7th band to sleeve here - I can't wait. I'm getting very excited and nervous at the same time - a little over two weeks to go. OMG.:tongue_smilie:

congratulations, I am having my band removed and sleeve done on 9/7 so I think about you while I'm wandering the halls!! Good luck!

congratulations!!

I asked my doctor if I could have it and he said I wouldn't want it. I guess there may be some kind of health issue involved?

Laura - isn't that amazing - for the first month after my unfill I would get on the scale and every day I'd be up 1-2 lbs - every freaking day no matter what I did. I can't wait to have the VSG done - this extra weight is horrible - I don't understand how I lugged around the whole extra 100lbs???

bummer... I've been unfilled for 8 weeks and have another 4 to go before surgery. I know what you mean about the hunger - it seems like its worse than before the band - I've put on 30lbs. Trying to get myself under control but its very hard. Good luck

OK - quick recap - banded almost 5 years, stomach dilation, converting to Sleeve - Insurance approved and surgery scheduled for 9/7/10. I made all of these plans before really getting to question my surgeon about the sleeve so I had an appointment on 7/14 and we spent quite a bit of time talking about sleeves. He usually uses a 36f bougie and oversews. I'll be in the hospital for 2-3 days and I will have a drain - yuck. I will be his 6th or 7th sleeve but as he put it "in Boston that may be the most any one surgeon has done", now I don't know if that is true but I do know that my surgeon is GOOD. I have full confidence in his surgical abilities - he is the Cheif of Minimally Invasive Surgery and Bariatrics at BIMDC in Boston. Am I a little nervous - Yup - but he has done hundreds if not thousands of lap RNY, the guy knows his stuff and was very fluent in explaining the Sleeve process so I know I'll be OK. We discussed the possibility of switching from lap to open if there was a problem and that I may end up with a modified sleeve (a little larger on top) due to scarring from the band. All in all the risk seems very acceptable and I'm really starting to look forward to my new stomach. In the mean time being unfilled in murder and I've stopped gaining but I am sitting about 25lbs heavier then when I had Fluid - our goal right now is to pamper my stomach and let it resume as much of its normal shape as possible so that I can has as close to a normal sleeve as possible. Fingers crossed - the up side - 3 weeks off of work!!!!

:thumbup: I'm Sept 7th!!! I'm very excited - I've been under before so that is OK with me - I handle anesthesia very well - its like a very deserved nap - I wake up feeling warm and fuzzy and sleepy (they wrap you up in heated blankets....sighhhhh) You are going to do great - I wish I had picked sleeve as my original surgery and was having it done on a virgin stomach - my complication rate is statisitcally higher because I've had a band for 5 years but you know what.........its still worth it!! You'll do great and can tell me how easy it was when I go in a few days after you!!:w00t:

Wow - that is a lot of in and out. The good news is you are alive and well. Its storys like yours that made me decide on the sleeve immediately after finding out my stomach was dilated. It appears that once there is a band problem it is very hard to ever get a band to act correctly again (I know of other that had a second band place that also failed). Thank you for sharing. I wish you the best of luck!

I'm also preop but just wanted to say congrats on your approval!!

Thanks Ellisa - now that you mention it I don't know if I've "officially" posted my approval and surgery date! I'm so happy everything went through!