I was among the first people in the Baltimore area to get a lap-band after they were approved by the FDA in 2002. A week after it was installed, it slipped and I had to go through the surgery all over again for it to be put back where it belonged. Then, a couple of months later, the port disconnected from the tube and I lost all restriction. So, I had to have surgery again to reconnect the port. I began to lose steadily after that.
I went from 238 pounds to a low of 175 in a year. I was too restricted at 175 - I was vomiting after eating and had heartburn if I slept flat. I had a little Fluid removed and plateaued at 185. I maintained 185 from 2003 to January of 2008, and looked like a normal person at 5'6".
However, in January of 2008, I had a gall bladder attack and lost most of my restriction. My gallbladder was removed but my appetite returned. I started regaining my weight at the same rate I had lost it - about a pound a week.
I went back to getting fills again, but they are not nearly as effective now that my lap-band is close to full. I can only tighten it a little more until it reaches it's maximum. My food is dropping straight through rather than getting stuck in the pouch.
It was so wonderful to experience looking normal and not stick out as a fat person for a while! It really feels awful to be hungry all the time again and to outgrow all the beautiful clothes I bought when I plateaued. I'm at 210 now.
My doctor tells me that others whose lap bands stopped being effective also regained their weight. Just like some people regain their weight even after gastric bypass. It's just amazing how the body adjusts and finds a way to get back to what it was before.
My doctor is offering me gastric bypass, but I don't think I want to take the risks associated with it. That's why I chose the lap-band to begin with. And maybe I'll be one of those unlucky people who regain weight after bypass surgery since I regained weight after lap-band surgery.
