Hello fellow lapbanders, My name is Lisa. I was banded origianlly in 2004. At that time my weight was 250# at my height of 5 feet 5 inches. I went through the lap band procedure in Port Huron, Michigan. My initial exeprience was great. I felt the surgery was a breeze. The weight loss was slow, but I was told that up front. I did research on the lap band compared to the gastric bypass and felt that the band was the best option for me. I was having a great deal of difficulty working the long 12 hour shifts as a RN in the emergency department. I needed to do something. Well over the next two years I lost a total of 120#!!!! I was so stoked! I went from a size 22 to a size 6! Thank you, Dr. Behsania! But then one night I woke up with acid washing back up into my throat and coughing. I could not get anything to go down, so I contacted my doctor. The UGI confirmed that I had a prolapse of my stomach, but how? I had no other symptoms before that at all. So, July 27, 2007, I again went through the lap band procedure. The second time around seemed a little more painful than the first. I was afraid that they would not be able to re do the band or something. I was fearful because I know that without the band I would gain my weight back again. Now, since July the ride with the band has been up and down. I've had fills and unfills with flucutations in my weight. As of today, my weight is 135# which is still great, but I unfortuantely over the weekend I had a bout of the GI flu and after that I had great difficulty eating or drinking. So, under the recommendation of my surgeon I had everything removed from the band and another UGI. Thanks goodness, the band is fine. Now, I have to wait 2 weeks and then we can begin the fill process again. I know that this whole experience sounds overwhelming and at times it has been, but I could not have gotten where I am today without the lap band. I owe my life to the lap band.
