hopeful93

I will try to get to the point...i had the band placed 9-13-2007-- nothing but trouble since it was placed. the day i had my band placed after my dad left the hospital from visiting me he dropped dead of a massive heart attack. i have had restriction problems ( never feeling full) since it was placed. the only restriction i would feel would be food backing up in my throat. 11 months later i had a leak in the port which was replaced still having NO feeling of fullness. so i gave up and went about my life as if i never had the band. a few months later went to a gyn appt. and my dr. encouraged me to seek a 2nd opinion so i did . i went to a different hopsital and diff dr. did i mention i am an x-ray tech and would take x-rays on occasion and was noticing my port starting to flip and did mention this to my dr which wasn't really concerned. i went to the 2nd dr. tried to access the port and he couldn't so he also thought it was flipping, i had to attempt a fill in IR (interventional Radiology) where the radiologist said that it was starting to flip and he was able to access the port but instead of the needle being verticle to my port it laid horizonital on my stomach. after having a fill i said that i felt overfull he said wait a few hrs and it will ease up so i did and ended up in the ER at 10pm that night totall occuled i could not even swallow my own saliva. so after my er visit and taking everything out of my band i gave up on the whole band gig and went about my life as if i never had it. which brings me up to today.. for the past 5 months i have been having intermitting port pain which is happening now almost all the time. i do have an appt. back at the 1st dr office in 16 days but the dr. who did my opweration is not there anymore he opened a practice in another state. so now i have to present my nightmare to almost a whole new group...Any opinion as to what the pain could be??? any help would be greatly appreciated....Thanks hopeful93

Hi! My name is nancy, i have been banded on 9-13-2007 with nothing but problems. I feel like a failure. Let me tell you about my bad experience.... After surgery my mom, dad, husband came to visit me in my room. Two hours later my husband came back to the hospital to tell me that my dad dropped dead of a massive heart attack and was down stairs in the e.r. So i am thinking this is a sign that the whole band thing is cursed. Because my father never wanted me to have surgery he said i was fine the way i was (he's my dad he has to say that). I did lose 7 lbs. 5 days post op so i guess the band curse was in my head. So i went for al fill ( 4cc band) in oct. Another fill in nov another in dec,jan,feb,march ... I never felt full or restricted still able to eat the same and no weight loss.( the curse is back) i am an x-ray tech so i would take pictures of my band before and after i would eat. With and without barium no food would stay above the band. I did have an ugi on the books and my radiologist said that the band wasn't working properly so 3 months later i was having my port replaced (? Leak )( alot easier than the orginal surgery) that was aug/08 still till this day i have no weight loss. I do know that the band is working i have to chew my food alot. But no full feeling. It's weird my stomach is still hungary but i have to take it real sloooow (30min) to eat a meal because the well chew food backs up in my throat.so kick me when i am down on 9-20-08 my mom dies of heart failure and diabetes . Oh by the way i have diabetes ( this is why i need to lose weight) so sometimes i wish i could just like myself the way i am but i know that i am following in the same footsteps as my mom just alot sooner. So now thinking about bypass??????? Your not alone i guess keep trying???? -------nancy

HI ALL! WELL I HATE TO BE A DEBBIE DOWNER BUT UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE NOT SEEN THE WEIGHT LOSS. I HAVE BEEN BANDED ON 9-13-07 AND TO DATE I HAVE ONLY LOST 18 LBS (7 LBS 5 DAYS POST-OP). I FOLLOW ALL THE LAP-BAND RULES ,STARTED WALKING 3 MILES PER DAY AT WORK STILL NOTHING. I HAVE HAD 11 FILLS IN 11 MONTHS WITH LITTLE OR NO RESTRICTION. I HAVE KEPT A FOOD JOURNAL,MET WITH THE NUTRITIONIST AND SHE SAID THE QUALITY OF FOOD WAS FINE BUT THE AMOUNT WAS TOO MUCH. I GUESS THE NEVER REALLY FEELING RESTRICTED COMES INTO PLAY. I HAVE A 4CC BAND AND JUST RECENTLY WAS FILLED TO 4CC AND ONLY THEN DID I FEEL RESTRICTION BUT ONLY FOR A FEW WEEKS THEN IT WOULD EEASE UP. I ALSO HAD AN UGI,(I AM AN X-RAY TECH SO I WOULD TAKE PICTURES OF MYSELF OFTEN WITH AND W/O BARUIM) WHICH SHOWED THAT THE BAND WAS IN PLACE. EVEN THE RADIOLOGIST I WORK WITH SAID THAT THERE SHOULD BE ALOT MORE RERSTRICTION. ANYWAY AFTER ALL THAT ON 8-28-08 I HAD PORT REPLACEMENT SURGERY BECAUSE APPARENTLY I HAD A SLOOOOOOOOOOOW LEAK. SO MY BAND IS COMPLETELY EMPTY FOR 5 WEEKS. THEN A FILL AGAIN. HOPEFULLY REPLACING THE PORT I WILL FINALLY START LOSING SOME WEIGHT. EVEN THOUGH I FEEL THAT I JUST WASTED A FULL YEAR. I CONGRATULATE ALL YOU PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST WEIGHT WAY TO GO!!HOPEFULLY I'LL BE THERE SOMETIME. IN CLOSING I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THIS WHOLE BAND THING MAY NOT BE A QUICK FIX. IT MAY TAKE AWHILE TO FINALLY GET TO YOUR SWEET SPOT IF SO HANG IN THERE I STILL HAVE HOPE !

HELLO, I HAVE HAD A DISAPPOINTING YEAR WITH THE LAP-BAND AND WISH I CHOSE THE BYPASS INSTEAD.I HAVE BEEN BANDED 9/13/07 WITH ONLY 18LBS WT. LOSS SO FAR (7 LBS. WAS 5 DAYS POST-OP). MY ONE YEAR BAND ANNIVERSARY WAS HORRIBLE. DID I MENTION THAT THE DAY I WAS BANDED, 2 HOURS AFTER MY DAD VISITED ME IN THE HOSPITAL HE DROPPED DEAD OF A MASSIVE HEART ATTACK, SO NEEDLESS TO SAY THAT 9/13 IS A VERY EMONTIONAL DAY FOR ME PLUS BAND FAILURE DOESN'T HELP. I HAVE A 4CC BAND I'VE HAD 11 FILLS IN 11 MONTHS NO RESTRICTION UNTIL I WAS FILLED TO 4 CC WHICH ONLY LASTED A FEW WEEKS. BOTTOM LINE I HAD PORT REPLACEMENT SURGERY ON 8/28/08 BECAUSE MY PORT HAD A SLOOOOOOOOOOOW LEAK IN IT. BOY DO I WISH I WENT THE BYPASS ROUTE, I MAYBE WOULD OF BEEN DOWN ALOT MORE WEIGHT THAN PRESENT. I CANNOT GET A FILL UNTIL 10/7/08. SO NOW MY BAND IS COMPLETELY EMPTY FOR A MONTH....NOT A GOOD THING.I THINK I'LL WAIT UNTIL THE NEW YEAR AND SEE HOW THINGS GO WITH THE NEW PORT, FILLS AND RESTRICTION THEN MAYBE I'LL DECIDE ABOUT BYPASS. SO BEFORE ANYONE DECIDED TO GO LAP-BAND ROUTE PLEASE RESEARCH IT FULLY BECAUSE LAP-BAND IS A VERY LONG PROCESS AND YOU DON'T HAVE SURGERY AND IMMEDIATE LOSE WEIGHT FOR MOST PEOPLE IT TAKES TIME TO FIND THE RIGHT RESTRICTION. ANYWAY GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!:embaressed_smile:

HELLO, CHECKING IN FROM PHILLY. I WAS BANDED ON 9-13-07 THAT SAME DAY MY DAD DROPPED DEAD OF A MASSIVE HEART ATTACK TWO HOURS AFTER HE LEFT SEEING ME. NEEDLESS TO SAY THAT THIS WHOLE LAP-BAND EXPERIENCE HAS NOT BEEN A VERY POSTITIVE ONE TO SAY THE LEAST. MY DAD REALLY NEVER WANTED ME TO HAVE THE BAND HE SAID I DIDN'T NEED IT ( ISN'T THAT WHAT DADS ARE SUPPOSED TO SAY) ANY WAY I AM APPROACHING MY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY BAND/DAD AND TO DATE HAVE ONLY LOST 18 LBS. ONE WEEK AGO I HAD MY PORT REPLACED ?LEAK.... I LOST THE 18 LBS FROM SEPT-DEC 2007 NOTHING SINCE.I NEVER FELT SATISFIED,I COULD EAT ANYTHING WITH NO PROBLEMS AND EAT MOST OF THE TIME LIKE PRE-BAND. I HAVE A 4CC BAND. I HAVE HAD 11 FILLS IN 11 MONTHS LAST TIME TOTALLY 4CC IN 4CC BAND THEN FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS I FELT RESTRICTION THEN IT WOULD DISSAPPEAR.I HAVE KEPT A FOOD JOURNAL. MET WITH THE NUTRITIONIST, HAD AN UGI ( I AM AN X-RAY MYSELF) DID MANY X-RAYS ON MYSELF JUST TO MAKE SURE THE BAND WAS STILL THERE CAUSE IT DIDN'T SEEM TO BE WORKING. WHAAT DETERMINED SURGERY WAS WHEN I WENT BACK FOR MY 11TH FILL THERE WAS ONLY 3 OF THE 4 CC OF SALINE IN THE BAND. SO FINALLY WE ARE BACK TO PRESENT DAY ONE WEEK POST-OP PORT REPLACEMENT SURGERY (HOPEFULLY THIS WILL DO THE TRICK). MY DOCTOR WHO I TRUST WHOLHEARTEDLY (BESIDES THE FACT HE IS REALLY CUTE) SAID THAT HE INJECTED METHELINE BLUE INTO THE PORT/BAND TO SEE WHERE AND IF THERE WAS A LEAK. HE DID SEE THE BLUE LIQUID OUTSIDE THE PORT SO YES THERE WAS A SMALL LEAK. I CANNOT HAVE ANY FILLS UNTIL 10-7-08 MY INCISION NEEDS TO HEAL AND APPARENTLY THE PORT IS A NEW ONE ALOT FLATTER THEN THE OLD ONE( IT DOESN'T FEEL FLATTER).....HAVE YOU BEEN CHECKED FOR A LEAK? WRITE BACK I'M REALLY INTERESTED .I KNOW ITS HARD BECAUSE ALOT OF TIMES I WISHED I WOULD HAVE DONE BYPASS TOO:unsure: BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. WELL STILL TRYING TO BE POSTITIVE ABOUT THIS WHOLE THING I'LL POST SOON SEE YA :confused_smile:LATER.............NANCY

Hi lisa, i totally understand the not feeling good restriction. I have been banded for alittle over 11 months now with 11 fills (1 a month)with no weight loss ( atleast you have that) i have a 4cc band and now filled to 4 cc and i am not sure if i am too tight or good reastriction . The whole band thing has not been a positive thing for me so far. Unfortuneately the day i got banded (9-13-07) my husband mom and dad all visited me. Two hours later my husband comes back to the hospital to tell me that my father dropped dead of a massive heart attack and was down in the er at the same hospital i was at.i think my father has something to do with the whole negative band experience.(he never wanted me to get bariatric surgery).since 9-13-07 my life has been completely changed. I always follow the band rules which were very hard the first few weeks post-op because every time i turned around another food tray was being delivered because of my dad.i did get through that part even though i was staaaaaarving. I did lose 18lbs. From sept-dec.since then nothing. By the time feb. Came my doc was questioning a leak. Apparently it is a slow because i would go back 2days after a fill and it wouldnt show up .then 2 weeks after a fill and still no leak but by the time a month came around i would be down 1cc. I have kept a food journal, had an ugi and have taken alot of x-rays of my abdomen (i am an x-ray tech) just to make sure i still have a band. I could eat anything maybe i had 2 stuck experiences,a few sliming but never a full or satisfied feeling with only 1/2-1 cup of food. Until now. Which brings me back to presernt. Again i have a 4cc band filled to 4cc at first it was very tight where i could only eat a few bites of well chewed food then i would have to stop not because of feeling full but the food would back up in my throat. A few weeks have gone by and the leak is noticeable because my restriction is easing up and i can eat more i still dont feel full or satisfied but need to stop because of the food in my throat. I am having surgery in 2 days to replace my port. This could be step 1 of a 2 step process. Since the leak is slow they will inject methyline blue in the band to see where the leak is,if not spotted then the port is still replaced get a fil in a month go back the following month to see if the band is not leaking if so then he will assume it is the band and then that weill need to be replaced (the whole band surgery again). Unfortuneately after this long story i am unable to help you but if you find answers to our problem i would love know .. Good luck keep up the great work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nancy

I HAVE BEEN BANDED FOR 11 MONTHS (11 FILLS) ONLY LOST 18LBS ,HAVE A 4CC BAND AND FILLED TO 4CC. I AM HAVING MY PORT REPLACED IN A WEEK DUE TO A VERY SLOOOOOW LEAK.I HAVE BEEN FILLED TO 4CC FOR ABOUT 10 DAYS AND 85% OF THE TIME HAVE TROUBLE WITH FOOD. I FEEL LIKE THE FOOD IS BACKING UP IN MY THROAT ANY INPUT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.................NANCY:confused2:

I WAS WONDERING IF THIS SOUNDS RIGHT---- I HAVE BEEN LOSING FLUID OUT OF MY BAND VERY SLOWLY SINCE DECEMBER ..MY DOCTOR SAID HE THINKS THAT MY PORT IS LEAKING A VERY SLOW LEAK THAT WOULD NOT SHOW UP UNDER FLUORO ( I AM AN X-RAY TECH) WHICH IS RIGHT. I NOW NEED PORT REPLACEMENT SURGERY ON 8/28. MY DOC SAID THAT HE WILL INJECT METHALINE BLUE INTO MY PORT TO CHECK WHERE THE LEAK IS IF HE DOES NOT SEE IT HE WILL STILL REPLACE THE PORT. WAIT A MONTH GIVE ME A FILL WAIT ANOTHER MONTH TO SEE IF IT IS STILL LEAKING IF SO THEN IT IS THE BAND ITSELF AND ANOTHER SURGERY IS REQUIRED. HE SAID THAT HE NEEDS TO DO IT THIS WAY BECAUSE OF INSURANCE REASONS. ALSO IF I DO HAVE TO GO IN FOR BAND REPLACEMENT THEN I CAN DECIDE IF I WANT BYPASS SURGERY INSTEAD. ANY OPINIONS......:confused2:

HELLO I HAVE BEEN BANDED FOR 11 MONTHS NOW UNFORTUNATELY NOT MUCH WEIGHT LOSS (18LBS) IN 11 MONTHS. I HAVE BEEN HAVING A PROBLEM WITH MY BAND( NOT FEELING RESTRICTED)11 FILLS IN 11 MONTHS. ?LEAK. I WENT TO THE DR. ON 8-5-08 AND HE SAID THAT MY BAND/PORT IS LEAKING FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS THERE WOULD BE LESS FLUID IN THE BAND THEN WHAT WAS RECORDED.I AM GOING IN SURGERY THE END OF AUG. FOR PORT REPLACEMENT BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE HE SUSPECTS THE LEAK IS COMING FROM. BUT WHAT I AM USURE ABOUT IS I HAVE A 4CC BAND AND AM PRESENTLY FILLED TO 4CC (I WAS FILLED TO 4CC LAST MONTH BUT SOME LEAKED OUT) LAST TIME I HAD NO PROBLEM FILLED THIS MUCH THIS TIME I AM HAVING A HARD TIME EATING SOLIDS. I AM NOT SURE ABOUT THE PORTION OF FOOD I AM SUPPOSED TO BE EATING. UNTIL NOW I COULD EAT ANY AMOUNT, NOW I EAT A FEW BITES AND I HAVE TO STOP BECAUSE THE FOOD IS BACKING UP IN MY THROAT NOT BECAUSE I AM FULL. ANY ANSWERS WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED. THANKS NANCY:unsure:

CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND YOUR WIFE ON THE WEIGHT LOSS!!!!! I ALSO HAVE BEEN BANDED IN SEPT O7. I AM SORRY TO SAY THAT I HAVENT EXPERIENCED THE SAME LUCK. I HAVE ONLY LOST 18 LBS. 7 OF THEM ARE FROM 5 DAYS POST OP.THE REST HAVE BEEN FROM OCT-DEC 2007. NOTHING SINCE. I HAVE A 4CC BAND AND AM FILLED TO 4CC PRESENTLY. STILL NO RESTRICTION . I AM AN X-RAY TECH AND HAVE TAKEN PICTURES OF MY ABDOMEN OFTEN. IF I HAVE NOT SEEN THE PICTURES OR FELT THE PORT THEN I WOULD OF BELIEVED I DIDN'T HAVE SURGERY. I HAVE KEPT A FOOD JOURNAL AS PER MY NUTRITIONALIST WHICH SHE SAIN THAT QUALITY OF FOOD WAS GOOD BUT THE QUANITY IS TOO MUCH . I SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO EAT THAT MUCH AT ONE SITTING (I DON'T EAT AND DRINK).I ALSO HAD AN UGI ( upper gi/ fluoro) AND THE NURSE PRACTIONER SAW THE DVD AND SAID IT LOOK FINE, THE DOC WASN'T THERE HE GOT STUCK IN SURGERY. I HAVE AN APPT. TODAY AUG 5 SO WISH ME LUCK I HOPE TO GET ANSWERS!!!!!!!!!!!!

I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE HAS HAD 10 FILLS (1 PER MONTH)ON A 4CC BAND. I AM CURRENTLY ALMOST 11 MONTHS POST OP I HAVE A 4CC BAND AND FILLED TO 4CC WITH NO RESTRICTION. I CAN EAT ANYTHING MY PORTIONS ARE LIKE PRE-BAND . I AM AN X-RAY TECH AND TAKE X-RAYS OF MY BAND OFTEN ,I HAVE EVEN TAKEN SOME FLUORO PICTURES OF ME SWALLOWING THICK BARIUM ,EATING BARIUM LACED SOLIDS AND WATCHED MYSLEF SWALLOW IT DOWN ,NOTHING IS BEING RESTRICTED BY THE BAND. I DID HAVE AN UGI ON THE BOOKS BY A RADIOLOGIST AT MY WORK AND SHE SAID THE SAME THING, FOOD SHOULD BE RESTRICTED BY THE BAND WHERE MY PORTION SIZE WOULD BE SMALLER.I DO HAVE A DOC. APPT. ON AUG 5. AND I HOPE TO GET ANSWERS. I ONLY LOST 18LBS AS OF TODAY. THE FIRST 7 WERE WITHIN THE FIRST 5 DAYS POST OP THEN THE OTHER 13LBS CAME OFF BETWEEN OCT-DEC OF 2007. NOTHING SINCE. I HATE FEELING SO FRUSTRATED ALL THE TIME. MY MOM AND DAD CAME TO VISIT ME ON THE DAY OF MY SURGERY A FEW HOURS LATER MY DAD DROPPED DEAD OF A MASSIVE HEART ATTACK SO NEEDLESS TO SAY THAT MY BAND DATE IS NOT AN EXCITING DAY. ONE BECAUSE MY FATHER DIED AND TWO BECAUSE NOT MUCH WIGHT LOSS.IT MIGHT SOUND STRANGE BUT MY DAD MIGHT HAVE A PART AT THIS BECAUSE HE NEVER WANTED ME TO GO THROUGH WITH THE SURGERY HE SAID I DIDN'T NEED IT (I GUESS THATS WHAT A FATHER WOULD SAY). ANYWAY I HOPE I WILL GET SOME ANSWERS ABOUT THE BAND AND MY DOCS DON'T BLOW ME OFF TO MAKE ME THINK I AM A BAND FAILURE. ANY ADVICE WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED.:biggrin:

Hi! My name is nancy i was banded almost 11 months ago (9-13-07) i have only lost 18lbs as of this date. I have had 10 fills in 10 months since surgery. I have no restriction or maybe very little for only a few days. I have a 4cc band and filled 4cc still no restriction. I have kept a food journal for 2 weeks as per my nutritionist and she said the quality for food was fine but the amount i should not be able to eat at one time(like pre-band). I am an x-ray tech. And have taken alot of pictures of my abdomen because if i didn't feel the port i would actually think i had no band placed.i also drank baruim and baruim laced food and watched it go down to see if it gets hung up on the band but it doesn't. I also had an ugi on the record and the radiologist said that the band isn;t working properly because it is not restricting anything. I went to my dr. Appt in june and the nurse practioner said that she looked at the disc and everything is fine i just need another fill,so i was filled to 4.5cc in my 4cc band and i could not even swallow water so she pulled .3 out. I did feel some restriction for about 4-5 days now nothing i can eat anything ,nothing is a problem. I do have another dr. Appt. On aug 5 with the doctor so hopefully i will get some answers ?leak ?malfunctional band wish me luck