wjbluv

I feel for you, and I'm about to go through what you have. Though I haven't had burning, I have had nausea, and vomiting shoulder pain and some of the worst headaches I've ever had in my life. I've been through the whole gammit of tests, and my doctor is very unsure of what is causing everything. I've made the decision, but I'm revising to VSG. In 3 weeks, I should find out if the band is what is causing all this misery. I will keep you in my thoughts while you keep looking for your answers. w

Can anyone who has had experiance with VSG tell me about how they are doing and if they feel this is the best choice after the band? I am looking into it but I'd really love to hear direct comments from those with experiance.

I just have to say this is totally wrong. NOT anyone will remove the band.

I got the lap band over a year ago and since then I've felt hungry AND full after I eat. THe pouch fills up but the stomach below still growels, it's the most miserable feeling ever and I really want it removed but my doctor has flat out refused...does anyone know a good doctor that might help me remove this miserable thing!

I am unfilled and don't think I should still be feeling restriction that creates that feeling. I have had my band for more than a year and it's never gone away. My doctor keeps telling me it will go away...but he also says my constant shoulder pain for a solid year is from ingesting things that are too hot or too cold...like I hadn't tried room temp water, and fasting for a day because he said I was eating too much...I don't know...

Thanks for all the support, and yes it has been hard. I am on cymbalta and been in couseling since the sucide and the other deaths. It's been a full year of counseling so don't worry about my mental health, thats undercontrol. But...No amount of counseling can get ride of how lonely it is after everything like that. Being in such a small town there is nothing within 100 miles as a banding suport group. I know some get VGB after or gastric bypass. Has anyone had that done? and if not has anyone been successful after a full removal and no revision? It seems people in this forum keep getting told that band removal is an absolute death sentance. Shouldn't this be a place for those to be supported?

:confused2: This is a place for people considering removal options now or in the future, right? Wheather it's complete removal or revision surgery? For people to talk to others who've had their bands removed for various reasons, right? I want to talk freely without offending the happy banders, but I'm afraid this is the wrong forum.

I understand, I think I was a little to relieved to find the forum and posted too enthusiastically in the wrong thread to compound the problem. I think you're right, about the original poster. I'm sorry I learned the hard way I have to becareful where I post. And try to be as clear as I can when I post anything.

Thank god because after my luck in another thread I was seriously confused. I had people who weren't considering removal or revision just shooting down my desire to learn more about my options.

Again I have said I thought I was in a forum/thread for those who have been unhappy and are considering removal...a place where I could openly complain...you aren't considering removal so why are you even in this area?? How is my complaint in anyway reflective on those who are able to get through this and have been successful? I am unsure of my ability to cope...again how is that refective on you. You say; "however one person's norm is another person's odd." yet you don't practice what you preach. You and I are to different people with vastly different lives, how can you compare your 'journey' to mine beyond you used to be fat. Suffering is relative, I in no way said my hardships were greater or more important than anyone else's. They were just that: MINE. Those are the things that shaped MY journey. Why am I being told I can openly complain to get over my problems then in the same breath being told that in the complaint I am rude you? It makes no sense and you can't have it both ways. Again, you have had success and I'm glad you have, but it makes no sense for you to even be in this area if you are happy and are not seeking any information on removal. I made no remarks against any successful bander being silly or stupid for deciding to keep their bands for life(nor would I!) I did what I was told I could; complain about MY experiances and hopefully find someone with similar feeling or complaints, yet I have been personally put down. No, I have no indication that my band is faulty. How does that remove the right I have to talk about and yes 'complain' about the troubles I have had? I am sorry for your troubles, but in no way was my compaint in an area for people considering removal ment as an affront to a happy bander who went through bad band troubles. Or do you look for people so you can say "This is what I went through so your problems mean nothing..." I went through what was hell FOR ME, not you. Nor did I complain just to offend you and other happy banders. I think most understood that.

I have never said I hadn't seen a grief therapist. I only turned to my comfort foods for about two monthes after the deaths. I have since been trying to do damnage control AND cope with my losses. I have posted this before. I am angry because it seems everyone thinks I have been on a bender of self distruction until I came to this forum several days ago. That I have been completely helpless and done nothing assertive and just hid in a closet for the past year. I have been living WITH the band for longer than I worked against it. On my doctor's orders I am working with an unfilled band.

First, thank you for your wish of luck. Second; What you had to said was not helpful or supportive, blunt or not. You were commenting on an issue of false assumption not on fact. (Band removal for the sake of eating?) What you are not hearing is that I AM working to get a hold of my life again, even if that is working with the band. I am merely looking at options that you obviously don't agree with. Again thats why I'm in a forum for those talking about the option of removal. Obviously you don't need to be here...you are very successful and happy with your band. Congrats.

I was never seeking help, just understanding. I know in some twisted way putting me down was the other posters way of "helping" yet you knew it was going to sound heartless, so why did you post it? I still don't understand where you got the idea I wanted the band removed to eat. Even I know (as screwed up as I seem) that would be a rediculous idea. I know I have been on the defensive, and I'm sorry for getting angry, but can you blame me?

Yes I am seeing a doctor for my discomfort...and all they can tell me is stay unfilled and keep my foods soft. So please don't talk about me seeing a doctor for my pain. The closest band doctors are a two hour drive a way and I'm a student full time and I work full time. Plus they won't take on patients they didn't band. NOw I sit and wait for you to make me feel like an idiot for trying to explain myself yet again...I must be a masochist.

I apreciate you not WANTing to sound like a cold heartless a$$, but you are only reading what you want to read. Does nobody actually read an entire post? I have said many things in my posts but I don't recall talking about wanting to EAT. I said and I quote "I am looking for options on removal, but in no way am I looking for imeadiate removal. " and the reason: "One less thing to cope with and one less thing to learn to function through one less kind of pain." Which means I AM IN PHYSICAL PAIN from the band, the gas is one thing, but everytime I eat I IF I get solids I have to take TINY bites and chew VERY slowly, more so than what the doctors have explained over and over to me. THEY (meaning the doctors) unfilled me because of this... it has helped but not entirely. Nausea and shoulder pain are STILL a daily thing for me ON TOP of everything else. This has been going on Since the first day I was banded. NO WHERE DID I SAY I WANTED THE BAND OFF TO EAT!!!! Where do you get this??? I know I haven't been as successful as the rest of you but why do you think I would get it off just to EAT!!!???? I lost 35lbs my first month...I went from 292lbs - 257lb...yay me...everybody dies then unfortunatly I began drinking alchohl and fruit juice...whole milk....ice cream...mashed potatos...because A.) those were the foods I could keep down and, B.) Yes they were comfort foods. I gained back up to 278lbs and I stopped all the foolishness once I realized what I was doing...I switched to healthier semi-solid foods...I am back down to 270lbs( have since been mantaining that weight), however the weight gain I am most disapointed about was the gain of FAT and Loss of Muscle that is what really worried me... lifting weights had to stop because of port pain. stretching my arms over my head or twisting, crunches all resulted in feeling like my port was being ripped from my muscle. Curves hurts but if I start to over tax myself (unlike other gyms) no one puts me down or looks at me in disgust for taking it easy til the pain gets to an easier point and I can begin again. BUT I KEEP GOING! I have also said that I have been working to correct what I've been doing...instead of a milk and Ice cream I'm now just sipping slimfast. I can keep that down. THAT is also a baby step in the right direction is it not?? I know how big I am I know I could gain more weight with band removal...thats why I am just taking in OPTIONS. Being on the band isn't the easy way to lose weight...so why would you attack me for wanting the option of removal which is Obviously a harder way??? Instead of trying to talk me into keeping the band users attack me and call me stupid and lazy and to top it off you think I want if off for the sole pleasure of EATING? I could have kept eating the ice cream and mashed potoatos and shakes if all I really wanted was to eat because those were my comfort foods before the band anyway. But I haven't...I am 22lbs down STILL from my heaviest. What are banders who are happy with their bands doing on a thread for people who aren't happy anyway? Do you get a sick kick out of making people who probly already feel like failures feel THAT musch worse about themselves?? Do you feel better? You said come here to vent and scream and whine...I thought thats what I was doing...but as of yet you and the others have not allowed me to do so without feeling like a complete A$$. Like you said, this is MY LIFE and MY experiance how could you take what I said so personally when I've been spending all my time defending your attacks? Better question; why would I want to be a part of such a judgemental community? I thougt I was in a forum where I could complain and discuss removal without judgement. I am grateful for those who have given me the little kind support I have recieved. I'm hurt and disapointed in those of you who think I'm looking for an easy way out...by now there is no such thing as the easy way, I am damned if I remove (no tool to help in my weightloss) and damned if I leave it in (constant physical pain)

I didn't mean to sound like I was blaming my band for my failure, I find I am unable to cope with my life AND living with the band. Being banded is a lifestyle you must adapt to. It is hard work and I was successful in the begining, it was only after my trials did I fail. I was hoping to make that clear. I must work on my writing skills. I am looking for options on removal, but in no way am I looking for imeadiate removal. I am not a victim, I don't even see where that word was mentioned by me. My telling you of my struggles in the first year of being banded was to illistrate why I am seeking removal, one less stressor. One less thing to cope with and one less thing to learn to function through one less kind of pain. I too joined curves at the urging of a friend who was trying to open me up more and hoping to ease my depressiong, and yes it does help. Shouldn't I be proud I kept going after everything? Why would anyone say that was lazy? The band is just an added stress while I'm adjusting to life after the death of four people who ment the world to me, one in particular the man I wanted to marry. He loved me no matter my size. I was not prepared to lose that support especially in the month after my surgery. I am not blaming the band for my failure in anyway. The failure was my inability to cope. I still am unsure of my ability to cope.

Does anyone know of a support group in Jamestown? I've looked but never found anything, is there a hotline or something I don't know about?

At 5'3" and nearly 300lbs any movment is uncomfortable. And yes curves makes me sweat, I am not proud of this fact that it takes so little to wind me. Why would you, again, want to post just to be cruel to someone who is just trying to be honest?

People post only bits of a story... I didn't begin to think the original poster was giving me the whole story but I understood when under tons of pressure from the people you care about you go through with it because I believed they were right. They loved me and only wanted what was best for me. It went bad for me because the month after the operation (to the day) the man I loved killed himself after comming home from Iraq... cancer claimed an aunt, an uncle, and my grandfather in the next few weeks. I was left alone at school without the means or resources for support. I slipped up badly, along with all the emotional pain I was in, the physical aspect of the band being in my body was a little more than I could take. I admit to eating wrong and with my grief I dank too much. When I realized I was starting to have a problem I stopped drinking. That was a wasted month and a half. I got back on the diet so I could find what you call the sweet spot. after monthes of never finding the 'sweet spot' for a fill and nausea being too much I had the band unfilled, that is why I gained weight. That solved the nausea but not the physical pain and discomfort of the band it's self caused. I never got my energy back either, whether or not that was just because of the surgery or a combination of depression and surgery the doctors nor I can tell. I never said it wasn't my fault, I was frustrated that it was so hard to correct, once done. I am scared I have/am doing damage to my stomach and had x-rays taken but the doctor here said he could see no slippage or damage. But with the severl months of out eating and drinking the band I am not confidant on a simple x-ray. I am currently trying to get better scans and test beyond an x-ray because I am scared of what I've done to myself while I was working agaisnt the band. I do want it out, the first post I made here was one of relief that someone had a semi-similar experiance of allowing themselves to being talked into it. I admit I was a little gungho with the exclamations and capitalization. This was the first place I had found that had people on it that spoke of removal let alone had a separate place for people that wanted removal or had removal. I'm sadden I was attacked by people who didn't even bother to understand me, I understand why the origianl poster never came back to explain. You were very harsh. I have come back to explain my position, am I wrong to do so? I am happy for those that have had success. If you have had support through it you may not beable to comment on me with accuracy, but if you've been doing this alone without propper support, like I have, I admit; you are stronger than I.

It's not about the doctor's in Mexico, they are fantastic. Its the doctors attitudes in my AREA, they seem to think that removing a bend from mexico is a huge no no. Why? I'm not sure, they will fill me so none of their attitude on the removal makes sense.

You put sad girl in a vunerable postition, you doctor is telling you this is the best way, your family is telling you this is your only chance, your friends are telling you this is the best thing. But no one asks you if you are ready for something like this. They look at it as a thing that will'force' you to take better care of yourself...nor do they support you when your BF kills himself and three family close memebers die ALL in the same month. They tell you about the dangers of slippage, but not about the gas, the strange full but still hungry feeling after you've eaten when the lower part of your stomach still growls after you've filled the upper pouch, on the constant pain by the port that feels like you are continually being poked by a pool stick. do you realize you make criticizms on people without asking the right questions? I was and am still severly depressed, and have been trying to correct everything I've been doing wrong...this doctor as new at the procedure and has since apologised for not giving me other options...but he doesn't remove them. I have been going to curves three days a week for two years. but you didn't ask that did you?

Can anyone give me contact information on doctors who remove bands?

I made the mistake in getting my band in Mexico, while Doctors here will fill and unfill me (a horribly painful thing) constant stomach aches, constant port pain, no one will agree to touch me for removal in North Dakota. I am willing to travel, anywhere, I want to feel normal again, I can't even tell anymore whether or not Im full or hungry, my port hurts, and when I drink cold Water too fast I get sharp pains in my shoulder and side. I'm miserable, If anyone could give me the name of the doctor that took theirs out it would be a blessing to me!

I was told I HAD to get the band by my doctor to lose weight...I've lost ALL my musle AND Gained even more weight because I had no muscle and no engery. I WANT IT OFF!!