tinsleytown

I am having my lap band removed and I cannot wait! I was banded November 20, 2008 and did well only for the first couple of months. I have had so many problems and pain that I have been unfilled more than i have been filled--every time that i try to get filled back up i start pb-ing constantly and cant keep anything down--sometimes even water! I have a constant pressure/sharp pain at the site of the band. I am having the band removed and the MGB (mini-gastric-bypass) done by Dr. R in Las Vegas on October 1st and I cannot wait....I am looking for other previously banded that have had this revision! Please if you are out there i would love to hear how your mbg has been and how life is now without the band (since I cannot remember being able to live in comfort!) thank you! Renee :thumbup: (this is my so excited to get this band out of me!)

Hello, I was banded last November...I did really well until April when I started having similar problems. I have spent most of the time since then with no fill because every time i try to get back to the point of restriction, i start having the problems again and end up getting my fill taken back out. I cannot take it anymore and I am having revision to MGB on October 1st. The one thing that concerns me is that they would make you wait to be seen, if you are having complications, you should be seen right away--it could be causing more problems. I hope you are ok, but know that you are NOT alone! after I had so many problems I have found more people that have problems than actually are a success! Good luck to you!

Is there any reason why you will wait until Jan to have it removed? Do you have to pay for the removal as well? Where did you have your band done? What were your first symptoms that you had a problem? I am curious since I am having some problems. I had a barium swallow today--I was totally unfilled a couple days ago (this is the second time, I was unfilled in April for a couple of weeks too). I had pb'ing for the past few weeks, almost everything I ate, but somedays, not at all? It was strange, one day I could eat a banana, the next day NOPE! They took out 2cc last week, which stopped all pb'ing or vomiting but I still had pain, so I went a couple of days ago and had the band drained totally--and my pain got worse...I feel the pain where the band is (and I know exactly where since I felt sharp pains when the fill was removed). I am sorry for you what you are going through. Good luck to you, as for myself, if my band has to come out, I am going to have the MGB done at the same time.

I have had the same problem, once in April and then again within the past couple of weeks. I had to be completely unfilled in April for a couple of weeks, then again now...last week they took out 2cc (left me with 4 inside), the pbing stopped but the pain continued...then a couple of days ago, I had to go back in to have it drained to 0cc, the doctor said I need to give it a rest for a couple weeks again, but since I am still having pain, they are running some tests. I think I am swollen in there, that is why I still have some restriction with no fill. I think maybe it was something I ate, or maybe I didn't chew well which caused the swelling (like you, it started about three weeks after my last fill). Maybe you are swollen? That will cause the band to seem tighter than it did-you should see your doctor, before it causes more problems....best of luck to you :tongue:

I had my band unfilled in April due to pain at the site of the band, then a couple of weeks later they started slowly refilling. Before my unfill, I was doing well, i was at about 8cc and pb'ing occasionally, but not every time i ate. After being totally unfilled for a couple of weeks, I got up to 4cc for a couple weeks, then up to about 6cc. I was a little tight when I got that fill, but that seemed to be normal for the first couple days on previous fills, I would be tight for a couple days then i was great. This time, however, i started pbing after eating--sometimes it was with every bite and other times i could eat a whole meal just fine! A week ago, I had some removed (he took out 2cc, leaving me at 4). Since then I had NO MORE pbing or vomiting, no restriction at all. Yesterday I had to go back in to get the rest of it drained since I am still having pain in the pit of my stomach (where the band is)...now i know exactly where my band is, because both times that he removed fill (yesterday and a week ago), i felt pain as he drew out the saline. has anyone else felt pain when getting unfilled? I am going to have an endoscopy next week...right now, I am fully open, no fill at all...i still feel pain in the band area, feels like heat---and i feel like I am full, but still hungry if that makes sense!!!! I am so afraid that something is very wrong (slippage or erosion, i am terrified that it is erosion, why else would I have pain when being unfilled? Because it has eroded and it is pulling away???). I have not lost any weight for the past 3 months, this is too much pain and stress for a mere 35-40 lbs lost! I go up and down 5 pounds repeatedly! Any familiar stories with a happy ending would help me sleep at night, rather than scour these forums looking for answers! I have to wait a week for the scope, that is going to be a LOT of lost sleep :wink:

Hello, I am a Marine wife, and a mother of three as well. I am 34 years old and my only regret about having the band is that I did not do it sooner! I was banded on Nov 20th and I have lost 30 lbs since. I still have a ways to go, but I feel fabulous! Best of luck to you, and I totally understand EVERYTHING you are going through, I had ALL of the same concerns, I was terrified, but I knew I had to do something and so I just went for it. The surgery wasn't so bad, it only took a few days before I was back to my old self. I am happy for you that you are taking the first steps and I wish I had heard of this site before my surgery. Again, good luck! RT

Hello, I started WW yesterday, I am not losing much weight (Im not quite adjusted yet) so I figured it would help to be on another program. I am just wondering if anyone else had taken this step as well?

I was banded on 11/20/08 and I am also not losing any weight...I lost about 20 pounds in the first month or so but I have gained back about three. I have had 3 fills so far and am just now feeling some resistance but my scale is not moving either...I eat less than ever! I just started weight watchers yesterday, hopefully that will help??? Best of luck to you!

you all are too funny...thanks for the laugh (sorry violet)...I do like fish by the way...I have a great fishbowl in my living room...I rescued all three goldfish from my kids school festival, they were all alone in those little dishes getting ping pong balls thrown at them, it was soooo sad

I had my surgery on Nov 20th, 2008...just one week before Thanksgiving, and I also ate some solid foods (but very little bits) on Thanksgiving dinner. I was worried and talked to my doctor, he said not to make myself sick worrying about it, but to get back on the very soft foods...He progressed me a little quicker thank some doctors do, however, I feel fabulous. He also does adjustments sooner and more frequently which has been great for me, since it took me three fills to start to feel some resistance and to really notice my food portions to be much smaller. I hate that some people are really being so horribly rude and mean to you, you need support right now and not to be treated like an idiot. First of all, there are many doctors that do the surgery for people who only need to lose 50lbs... like someone said, it is a tool...if I had had this tool when I only had 50 lbs to lose, my weight would have never gotten this out of control and my health would have been so much better, so I applaud you for taking this step before you ended up morbidly obese. (Why wait until you have many other weight related diseases??? Hello!!!!) Please call your doctor and discuss your diet with him or her. Be patient, once you are adjusted completely, you will begin to lose the weight. Also, take that time with your doctor to ask all of the questions that you hadn't had answered before your surgery, it is never too late to get educated. I hope that this helps, and I am sorry that other people have been so rude to you...Best of luck to you.

I also ate normally after my first two fills...I had my 3rd fill a week ago today and am feeling a little restriction but I think I will need a fourth and possibly 5th fill before I am fully adjusted...It is normal, I have talked to many other patients in my doctor's office and they all have had the same experiences. I was afraid the surgery was not working too but I can surely feel I am getting close to where I should be. Best of luck to you!

The shoulder pain is pretty much gone, but I am still achy in my upper back...getting better. As far as pain, the worst pain is where they placed the port, so trying to turn when I am sleeping wakes me up with sharp pain (almost a tearing feeling) but the doctor said that is normal and can sometimes stay for up to a couple of months. All of the pain has been so worth it...18 lbs now...and its only been 10 days today! Best of luck to everyone!!!! :cursing:

My mom is tall (and not plus size) and she gets all of her pants from jc penny's, almost all styles come in tall (sometimes by catalog). Hope this helps!

How is your blood pressure and cholesterol? Diabetic? These are a few health problems that the insurance will make exceptions for if the bmi is not what they consider "high enough". Good luck on your sleep study, I did not have to have one of those done so I have no idea what it will be like. I was banded, however, last thursday (its been 5 days) and I have already lost 14 pounds. As my weight had crept up to its max, I had begun to have problems with my hands falling asleep and breathing difference. Both are already gone now. It has been an exicting few days to say the least. Best of luck.