CJBD

Hello. I had a lap band put in in NJ in May of 2005, lost 103 pounds and was so happy to get my life back. I never planned to give up the band, but I had espophogeal swelling and pains, so went up to NJ to have the same surgeon. He had to take my wonderful band out, and I've gained over 50 pounds back since June 29th, 2006! I just bought a NuStep so I can exercise at home, but I miss my band terribly! Because I'm 66 now, I'm afraid medicare won't cover another surgery, and I'm finding that many surgeons won't take on someone my age. I'm desperate. I live in south western VA now, and lap band isn't well-known here as it was in NJ. One surgeon at UVA was so nasty and rough, and said my band was all twisted and upside down. It wasn't -- he just didn't know how to read the x-ray! Obviously I won't ever go to him again!!! How can I find a good, experienced lap band surgeon near by?? I'm almost considering the BIG gastric bypass. But that scares me so, especially at my age. Suggestions, anyone??? CJBD 1-25-07

Hello, Ddee. My band was in from May 16, 2005 until it had to be taken out the end of June 06. It hadn't slipped, but I had a lot of esophogeal swelling and erosion. The surgeon removed my beloved band and did not replace it, sadly. He took out my gall bladder though, which is a good thing... I've put on a lot of weight since my band was taken out, and I am struggling the same way I was before having lapband surgery in the first place. The assistant surgeon told me, on the phone, that I had "lost a tool." He just doesn't "get it." To have bariatric surgery of any kind is a last resort after all else has failed, so to say I had "lost a tool" was, to me, a disparaging remark showing no compassion. I'm thinking seriously about trying to have a gastric bypass, or evenb another band put in if a surgeon will be able to do so in such a way as it can stay in there for good! My main concern now is if I'll be disqualified due to my age (66) since I had the first operation a couple of months before I turned 65. Your progress looks wonderful, and I'm so happy for you! Maybe you could e-mail me directly? gran2trisnbg@ntelos.net... CJBD

I am having trouble navigating this website. I never could find the introduction page when I first joined... I tried to find where to introduce myself and could not. I wish someone could make this process easier for those of us not as computer savvy as many others are! CJBD

Hi. I too am wondereing if I should try for another band -- or even the gastric bypass. I have the name and number of a surgeon but wonder if at 66, he won't want to operate. I had my band removed in June o6, and have gained over 50 pounds back, and feel awful. I plan to go on an all-liquid regimne for a few days, using the protein drink ISOPURE that has 40 grams of protein per 20 oz bottle. GNC carries it. Rather than surgery again (which my age may prohibit) I hope to shrink my stomach back down again the way it was just after my band was put in. I've been making my own (healthy) soups and freezing small batches in prep for an all liquid few days. I was told that the non-laproscopic gives the surgeon a much better view of everything and can thus be more precise! My bariatric support group people have had several variations of surgery which is very informative. Good luck to you. CJBD

My band saved my life and I had it for a year, losing a bit over 100 pounds. Suddenly, this last May, I started having pains, and saw a surgeon who obviously did not understand this surgery at all, so I traveled back to the state in which I had had my band put in (I had moved right after original surgery). My esophogus was badly swollen, and the surgeon removed my band, saying that it wasn't safe to put in another at this time. I gained 27 pounds in 6 weeks and have been having a very hard time since losing my band. I cannot decide if I should try for another band in 6 months, or try to resume losing, thinking of the band for a year as being a fabulous "jump start." Gastric bypass terrifies me and I cannot imagine having it done to me, being irreversible and so invasive. I'm trying to start each day off with a hot drink (even home-made soup with no sodium) and also to only drink ice water after 5 p.m. -- that part is hard! I didn't realize how many complications the band could have when I had lapband surgery in May of 2005, but even so, that one year made such a difference in my life, and I'm still glad I had it, even though only for a year. "C.J." banded May 16, 2005 top weight 319 unbanded June 26, 2006 weighed 211 September 2006 --- had gained 27 lbs; lost 5, gained 5... am trying to restart the losing process without the lapband tool

Hello, Jenny. I was very interested in your allergic reaction, and that you had seen warnings about this in the manufacturer's brochures. I was not aware of any such possible complications, and had planned to keep my band in for the rest of my life. This past May, I started having severe pain and feeling generally rotten. One doctor (who obviously knew nothing about reading CT scans and x-rays, but who does install lapbands!) said my band was "upside down and out of place, and had to come out). He tried to take the saline out of my band and only succeeded in hurting me. I elected to go all the way back to NJ to the surgeon who had put the band in before we moved. The band was not "upside down," nor out of place, but my esophogus was badly swollen, part of my pouch was above the band, and I needed to have my gall bladder out, plus I was full of infections and had to be on antibiotics before and after surgery. He said he'd try to keep my band in, but had to remove it because of the swelling of my esophogus. I gained 27 pounds quickly and have been filled with panic. However, in one week, I managed to lose 5 pounds, and have been going twice a week to a cardiac rehab class working out on machines. I still attend a bariatric support group which also helps. The one thing that has really helped me food-wise is making homemade Soups, and having a mug of hot Soup to start the day. Somehow, this seems to keep my hunger level down! Plus, making the soupos myself, I know what's in them, and can keep the sodium level way down. I cook a whole bunch of veggies (some frozen, some fresh, depending on my mood) and 3-5 chickn thighs. Then I use a slotted spoon to take out all the solids and dump them with a little of the liquid into the blender. Blend, then dump back into the liquid still in the pot. After it all cools down, I pour some into about 5 containers to put in the freezer, leaving just one out for immediate use. Sometimes, I add a jar of baby food (like chicken,rice and veggy meal) too. It tastes better than the store soup, has almost no salt at all, and I know I have a constant supply in the freezer in 2-day amounts. After hearing what some others have gone through, I am thinking twice about having another band put in after 6 months of healing. Now I think I should use that one year I had (lost 100 pounds) as a wonderful jumpstart, and have lots of soups and drink lots of ice Water, plus several small meals daily. My hope is that I can lose another 75 pounds and learn to live this better way. My NJ surgeon had wondered if I wanted to consider gastric bypass, but I have heard too many horror stories about that to think about doing such a drastic thing and possibly dying in the effort to lose the weight! I too have a lot of allergies but not as many as you have. It has taken me about 2 months to recover from the surgery when my band was removed and at the same time, my gall bladder. I'm starting to feel human again & am determined to do the few exercises I can do (I'm in a wheelchair some of the time, and use crutches to walk the rest of the time, so I can not work out the same way as most people can, but there are some good exercises I can do.) Also, I'm training myself to use commercials on TV as an exercise time -- when the ads come on, I can do all sorts of arm exercises and even rotate my feet back and forth until the program comes back on. Stretching a few minutes upon waking up in the morning seems to calm my hunger too; I have always awakened RAVENOUS! I do hope you will gain strength back soon and maybe find a bariatric support group where you live. Being with people who have experienced this is so helpful. Doctors may have lots of knowledge, but few of them understand at a gut level what this Life Battle is really about for us. Try the soup routine? Take care. "C.J." (user name CJBD)

Hello. Is this esophogus problem common with lap band patients??? I had a band put in about 15 months ago, and had to have it removed due to bad esophogus swelling. I thought my case was odd, but maybe this is more common than I thought. I still have some hope that in about 6 months I can explore the possibility of having another band put in; I am having the same trouble I had when I went to the surgeon in desperation. Now the surgeon's assistant tells me I have "lost a tool" but I can continue to lose weight. How? Since the band was removed, all of my original symptoms are back -- constant cravings and hunger. Part of my stomach had gotten above the band somehow, plus my esophogus was badly swollen. I wish I knew just what caused this to happen, since it caused me to lose the band that was helping me like nothing else ever had... CJBD of VA

Hello. Like you, I had my band removed after losing 100 pounds. This was emergency surgery (pains brought me to the E-R in NJ where I had had my band put in in May of 2005. I did not want the band removed, but when he went in, my surgeon had to remove it anyway, and I have been very upset about this, which was done at the end of this past June. I miss the band a lot and don't know if I can ever have another put in. In just one month, I gained back 27 pounds! I am so frustrated and fighting constant urges to eat, the way I was before the band. My user name is CJBD.