nosilla

My surgery is also on the 11th! I’m in Atlanta and am getting both excited and nervous. I can’t believe it’s almost time. Best of luck to you.

Hi Kay! I’m in North Atl and getting my sleeve on the 11th. Where in GA are you?

I’m a former bandster as mine was removed in October. Mine was placed in 2006 and was never able to be used (long story). My experience was very out of the ordinary and awful. I do hope everyone here does well! It sounds like you are all doing great so far.

Wow...I logged back in to this platform as my journey continued and forgot this thread was here. I can’t believe I’ve been in this band nightmare for over 12 years!!! In 2007 I finally got the port removed. My doctor very nonchalantly said “it tested positive for MRSA infection”. I had NO idea the implications. He handed me a card for an Infectious Disease doctor and told me to go across the street to their office. Again, NO idea what was ahead. Suddenly I had a nightmare of a PICC line (took 2 excruciating days to insert) for Vancomycin and a wound vac system. I had both of these for weeks, my home was a virtual hospital. I even took that show to work a few times. Crazy. That was over 10 years ago. In those 10 years I had just the band. I’d never been able to get it removed because it wasn’t presenting obvious negative effects and my insurance wouldn’t cover it. After a decade I finally started the path to revision to a sleeve. I had the band removed on 10/26. It was very complicated. My outpatient procedure turned into 6 days in the hospital. The band had eroded into my stomach (common) but also had RAVAGED my small intestines. The new surgeon said he had never seen anything like it. He had to get the band out of several spots in the intestines and do a lot of repair work. While recovering, about 24 hrs after surgery, things went south. BP low, breathing shallow, heart rate up, fever...ugh. Many tests later and we determined that my chronic Diverticulitis had flared up and was causing the additional pain and infection. It was a very long 6 days, and the fevers kept coming. After being released and on a better coarse of oral antibiotics, things are finally better. It’s been 3 weeks and I am almost not in pain. It was a miracle I didn’t have a blockage, or major infections with that band. I now think my bowel perforations and infections may be related to the band. I had no idea and I guess the band was never visible in the CT scans. Anyway... I wanted to finish my 12 year saga. I’m almost second guessing the sleeve surgery. I feel like I am 4/4 with bad surgery issues...but the reality is that a lot of things (if not all) were caused by that awful band. I may have the surgery, but it will be after the New Year. That bums me out because it will very VERY expensive with out of pocket costs...but realistically I need more time to heal...and I am unable to miss a wedding on Dec 29th. Not sure anyone will read this...but that’s where I am. Xx

My lapband removal yesterday. Ive no port so the tubing was floating freely. It not only eroded into my stomach, the tubing imbedded itself into several places in my small intestines. The surgeon had to do a lot of repair week. My outpatient procedure turned into a weekend long hospital stay! I’m not in a lot of pain, just some tenderness. Waking around a bit, but still on ice chips. Some time today I will get a barium year to see if there are any leaks. The doctor was shocked that I’d not had a ton of fevers and infection from the damage being done by that band. It was a nightmare, but it’s over. I hope my sleeve isn’t impacted by all of this, but tome Will tell. Allison

Hi everyone!!! I just got my sleeve date of Dec 7th!!!! I am so very excited! I get the lap band out this Friday (10/26) also :) The port came out many years ago so it’s just the band piece. Hopefully it is easy breezy. I’ve waited so long for this surgery, both of them, and the reality of it happening soon is starting to click. This year has been dreadful health wise. Plagued with diverticulitis flare-ups, severe sciatic nerve pain, and general malaise with not feeling well. I feel like I’m ending this year on a good note and feel empowered to have a kick-ass 2019! I’ll be Turning 45 this year and I’m going to make it as amazing as possible. xx

I had a terrible lap-band surgeon who legit abandoned me after telling me i had a MRSA infection on my port. He was a nightmare and my anger has not yet subsided (it’s been 11 yrs). All I can say is that on the positive side, as awful as he is...him cutting you loose is a GIFT. You don’t need that toxic attitude in your life. I self-paid for my surgeon to mess me up and then ditch me. Take this opportunity to find a better doctor and to calm the doubt. You’re never going to feel right until you get the endoscopy. Push for it, demand it, settle for nothing less. Until you get that off your mind you will not be ready to move forward fully. I get my sleeve soonish and I’m sending you all the positive thoughts I can. Keep us posted on this thread. You aren’t alone. xx

I am “fortunate” that my port was removed in 2007 after it developed MRSA and that giant incision never healed. This will only be the band. I’ve not had any bad complications that I’m aware of beyond things getting stuck... but it’s been a source of worry for 10 years and completely useless. I self paid for the band in 2006, so I didn’t have Insurance coverage for Bariatric until now. Such a relief.

I’m so glad I found this thread. I already suffer from diverticulitis and will have my sleeve surgery by the end of the year. This will be a major battle for me as constipation is my enemy. I’ve already planned on IV therapy for a while, but I’ll make sure I am diligent with adding miralax into my daily routine when the time comes.

@jendkopp I just got scheduled for the band removal for next week. I’m beyond excited. :)

Hi everyone! I just got approved to get the band out and the sleeve ASAP. I really haven’t spent a lot of time researching what to expect and it just dawned on me to come here! My band was a disaster and never was viable. The port came out after 2 revisions and I had MRSA. 12 yrs later it’s coming out. So excited for that. Did everyone have the revision to sleeve in multiple surgeries? Reading about the intolerance to artificial sweeteners has been interesting ...I’ve been trained since WW in the mid 80’s to have fake sugar. Any major advice for someone who is about to start this journey again? allison

Hi Coco, My issue with the aftercare isnt with the doctor or surgeon, its the cost of the hospital. Just becase the surgeon will do the fills ... and do the port revision surgery as part of the aftercare doesnt impact that the hospital has charges from the or, anesthesia, etc. So, thats where the money comes in. the Surgeons fees are cheap compared to that. allison

hello .... the short answer to why the removal of the band is due to constant and costly port problems. After my inital surgery in 06 everything was great. I had my first fill... the the port had flipped. At that time I had a revision surgery to correct the issue. That was over a year ago. Essentially the wound has never healed due to constant "weeping" or a seroma. That aside, I did go in for a fill after the revision, and the port was 100% flipped again. When researching the band my feelings were that I can try and control some of the negatives, the pbing, sliming, and possibly slipping by following the rules. What I havent been able to control is the fact that that my port and my body do not seem to have reached the same agreement that the rest of me has with the the band My surgeon on Friday of this past week gave me the option of removing, then putting a new port in somewhere else or taking it all out do the RNY. He has not yet entertained the idea of getting it all out. I cant make the decision within the next 2 weeks of having the RNY or any other surgical revision at this point, i just need my body to be back to "normal" with no incision that has been open and not healed for well over a year. I'm sure my surgeon is great for 99% of his patients ... I just think i am that 1% that hasnt had the best luck. allison