timetobefree

Despite following the rules 99% of the time, my band slipped and flipped two directions, dragging my stomach up and through in twisty way that caused some pretty severe damage, including esophageal dilation that is still there a bit more than 6 months after having my band removed. If you are struggling with either of these issues, I strongly urge you to address them sooner than later. I really thought that removing the band would equal issues also being removed. I initially got the band because I liked the idea that it was not permanent, but it turns out the damage can be permanent if left untreated long enough. Whether you fix your band, go WLS-free, or opt for another WLS, I wish you the best of luck!

Hmmm, my first slip was accompanied by TONS of pain. My second one was completely surprising, as I had no pain and no problem eating.

That's how I felt when I had gallstones. I explained it as I couldn't tell if my back hurt so bad that it was upsetting my stomach, or if my stomach hurt so bad it was bothering my back. Hope you figure out what it is soon!

I had a pretty similar situation. First slip in Jan of this year after 2 years of being banded. Complete unfill, waited nearly four months to start filling, went slow and cautious, and then had another slip within two months. Band was removed a week ago, and like christiemr, I am having to wait about 4 months to revise to the sleeve due to the damage caused by the band. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but according to my surgeon (and this is just one opinion), slips very rarely truly fix themselves by unfilling, and once you have a slip, it's likely to occur again. Again, this is just one opinion, but it was true in my case and the case of many others I know. I hope your outcome is much better!

I'm a day late to this, but in case anyone else is reading and wondering. When I went to the ER for an unfill, they insisted it was all or nothing. It was their protocol, although no one told me that until I waited all night for the bariatric surgeon to come in and see me in the AM. I opted to wait and see my own doc a few hours later for a 1cc unfill.

I, too, understand your fear. It's always scary going under, but the odds are very, very, very likely that you will be fine. I had mine removed less than a week ago, and I am here to tell the tale. Good luck to you!

My first slip was accompanied by severe pain any time I drank even a sip of liquid, no way I could have eaten. Being unable to keep food/liquid down can definitely be a sign of a slip, however, it could also just be that your band is too tight. I highly recommend you get it taken care of immediately, as regardless of what it is, it's not good for your band to be slipped or too tight. Good luck!

When I had constant nausea, it was a slip. I absolutely would NOT let a regular doc mess around with your band - they typically don't know enough about it to even diagnose a slip on x-ray. Please find a band doc and get seen!

While the delivery could have been a bit kinder, I will say it gets tiring being blamed for my slip, so I get the frustration. I read these boards regularly, and there is definitely an attitude that if you have a slip, you somehow earned it yourself. It HAS to be your fault. Like I said earlier, I used to feel that way, and I had to eat some major crow. My slip came about after a serious upper respiratory infection with an unending cough. I took medicine, went to my doctor, did everything I could, but I still coughed relentlessly for days. I can't say for sure it was the cough, but I feel in my heart of hearts it caused the slip. And once it slipped, it just would not go back, even going four months completely unfilled. I know the temptation to believe that others cause their slips, because that means you can prevent it from happening to yourself, but the truth is, bands slip. Sometimes it just happens, even to those of us who were totally successful and total rule followers.

YES! My guess is because it is normally sewn to the muscle wall, which has nerve endings. Thankfully, our stomachs don't have nerve endings, so they don't hurt after the band removal. At least that's my understanding!

Hi, I'm sorry for your struggles. I can really relate. First of all, please don't blame yourself (assuming you followed the rules). I was banded in Nov 2007, followed the rules to a "T", lost 198 lbs in 2 years, and then had two slips and a leak. I used to be totally pompous, thinking that people who struggled with the band were to blame. Then it happened to me, and I quickly learned that it can fail through no fault of the user. Let me just say, I learned a real lesson in humility. I had my band out Friday. There was a fair bit of damage done by the band - scarring and pulled my fundus (left part of the stomach) through the diaphragm. I am healing for the next four months and revising to the sleeve. If I were you, I would think long and hard, and be honest with yourself, about how well you followed the rules with the band. If you were able to follow the rules and think you could again, the sleeve would likely be a good option, as it accomplishes weight loss in a similar fashion to the band (restriction). If you struggled, I would consider RNY, as it uses malabsorption. I would personally not consider another band, based on the damage it caused despite me following the rules. Good luck with whatever you decide!

While my surgeon couldn't determine exactly what kind of leak I had in my band, I did have two slips and some type of leak, as it just wouldn't hold Fluid. After a lot of soul-searching, I have decided to revise to the sleeve. I lost a TON with the band, but it was a long, complicated road to get there. The slightest fill would send me from no restriction/no relief from hunger/no lasting satiation to unable to swallow my own saliva. It was a back and forth game that got tiring. And expensive, since I'm self-pay. I followed the rules to a "T", and worked out a ton, but I was miserable for a big portion of the last almost three years. My band was removed Friday. It caused a significant amount of damage, including scarring and pulling my fundus through my diaphragm. I'm onto my four-month healing process before revising to the sleeve. No WLS is guaranteed, and none is right for everyone. You just have to go with what you think will work best for you, follow the rules, and hope for a little luck!

BCF, I am sorry - I had a very similar situation. I actually had my ex-surgeon tell me that bands can't and don't develop leaks. Really?! Then why should my band have 9 cc in it and you can only extract 4 cc? And why did I have good restriction, you add 1 cc more, and suddenly I have ZERO restriction? He kept telling me that we'd just keep trying to fill it. Um, no, we won't. It's expensive, it's time off work, and I am self-pay. His office would neglect to call me back for weeks on end, despite numerous messages and promises. I finally gave up on them. I found another surgeon who removed my band on Friday. I am revising to sleeve in November. This level of maintenance along with the issues the band was causing (slips causing scarring, etc.), and I am just done with it.

At just over 2 years out and 198 lbs lost, my band slipped. It did reposition itself after a complete unfill, only to slip again after a few more fills, about 4 months later. It also developed a leak. According to the two surgeons I saw, once it slips, the chances are it will likely slip again. I ended up opting to have it removed (yesterday as a matter of fact) and will revise to the sleeve in a few months. I couldn't do it one surgery because of the extent of damage caused by the band. I don't really regret my band, as I lost a lot of weight and am going to revise. I don't know if I would have been brave enough to go with a more invasive WLS had I not started with and had such success with the band first. However, I was virtually the model band patient, followed the rules to a "T", and I still ended up with two slips and a leak.

Hi! It's been a LONG time since I've been on, but I figured it was time to stop by and update. I had my surgery 11.25.09 weighing 374.4 lbs. 20+ months later, I am down 162 lbs to 212 lbs. My first goal is 190 lbs (I'm 5'10") and from there I will reevaluate. I'm one of the weird bandsters whose band gets tighter as I lose, so I've not had a fill since 05.05.10. Yes, over a year. I had a slight unfill in September 2010 and have been cruising since. I had a few months after my unfill where I didn't lose, as I was eating totally wrong, but I finally got back on track and have lost 50 lbs in the last 4 months. I'm down from a size 30W to a 16/18. I ran a half-marathon in Feb. I have no problem with amusement parks or airplane seats anymore. I no longer fear rickety chairs or having to get up off the floor. I do have lots of loose skin, especially upper arms, thighs, and belly. But it's far from a problem, considering all I can do now. I may get plastic surgery in the future, but I'm not too worried about it right now. My band can be very fickle, but I have learned to just do liquids for 24-48 hours when it feels tight. I don't like it, but I know it's the best when it's acting like that. I also am rarely hungry anymore and am amazed at how 3-5 bites of food can seriously take away my hunger. I so do love my band! I hope everyone is doing well!

Hi, All! Long time, no check in! Things are going well. 10 months since banding, and I've lost 61% of my excess weight, 33% of myself, 109.75", and 122.2 lbs! I have on a pair of size 20 jeans from Old Navy today. Not 20W, just plain ole' 20. I started at a very, very tight 28W. I couldn't be happier! Slight issue finding a surgeon to take me on, as we moved from OH to FL a few months ago. This has been the biggest challenge so far. Surgeons sure don't want other patients! I signed up for a half-marathon next Feb! I am anxious to start training, but I need a slight unfill. I'm scheduled for Monday, and I can barely wait. 4.5 months since my last fill, 60 lbs lost, and my band has gotten progressively tighter?!?!?! I know it makes no sense, but it is what it is. Hope everyone is doing well!

Hi All! Best of luck to everyone who's on their way to being banded. Foods that cause me trouble: scrambled eggs, rice, too tough meat, thick Pasta (angel hair is fine, but fettucini is tough). That's about it...I can't complain! Complications: I don't know if you'd call this a complication, but my band has gotten tighter instead of looser as I've lost. Since we moved since my banding, I am having trouble finding someone to unfill me a bit. I tried the ER and they would only do a complete unfill, which I refused. But I finally have an appt on Monday with a place through Fill Centers USA. I hope I am happy! Other than that, no complications. Today is my 10-month bandiversary, and I've lost 61% of my excess weight, 33% of myself, 122.2 lbs, and 109.75". Believe me when I say that banding was the best thing I ever did for myself. Other questions, anyone?

I had 201 lbs to lose. 9.5 months out, I've lost 117 lbs with about 85 lbs to go. I've worked at it, certainly, but not WORKED at it, if that makes sense. I love my band, and highly recommend it, even to people who need to lose 200 lbs. However, in your shoes, I would at least research and consider the other options. It seems lots of people are very happy with the sleeve. Best of luck to you!

Glad to help! I gained so much from all the people here when it was my turn, I'm glad to give back. Which shakes did you use pre and post? My fav is BSN Lean Dessert. It's available on amazon, at GNC, and lots of other places. I also like the ready-to-drink shakes from costco, Premier Nutrion. To make the shakes more palatable, try blending with ice and adding a low-cal/cal-free mix in, like decaf coffee crystals, Jello mix, pudding mix, etc. Helps a LOT! Also, how long did it take for you to return to work? I had my surgery on a Wed and went back to work on Tuesday. I probably could have gone back Mon, but I had the time off, so I took it. I did have a desk job, but also have two little ones, one who was a baby, when I had the surgery, and I was able to care for them after just a few days. My biggest hint is to really, really accept that you will most likely not lose weight for a few months unless you are willing to diet. I didn't lose weight until 4-5 months post-op. It sucks at the time, but as you can tell, it hasn't slowed my over-all weight loss down. I'm still doing well (at least I think), so don't get down about it. It happens to 99% of bandsters! Even though I thought I'd accepted it, I hadn't and spent many months being unhappy. Had I just accepted that it would take 5-6 fills to get to restriction and dieted even a little, I would have been a much happier camper!

I just wanted to pop in and say hi! I had my lap-band last November, so it is exciting for me to see people who are doing it exactly a year after me! My life has changed so much in the last (almost) 10 months - most significantly, 115 lbs gone. You guys are in for a wild and wonderful ride! I'd love to answer any questions anyone has...November is a great month to get banded. Best of luck!

Technically self-pay, although my parents generously paid the $11,000 for my surgery. I feel an obvious level of responsibility to them to make it worth their money. And it has been. I was a slow starter, but once I hit my stride (about five months post-op), I've been losing very steadily. 115 lbs in 9.5 months. I still have about 85 lbs to go, but like someone else said, it's more about not fearing gaining the weight back than losing it. I have discovered such freedom around weight loss and food that I never thought I could feel. It's incredible!

My BMI was 53 or 54, and my surgeon never batted an eye about it. If you are willing to travel, I used Great Lakes Weight Loss in Detroit, MI. I know they operate on lots of people from out-of-state. Good luck!

I liked the Premier Nutrition ones as well. The other stuff I liked (and DH, too, since he was nice and did it with me) was BSN's Lean Dessert. We like the chocolate and vanilla the best. I mixed it up by adding stuff to it - sugar-free Jello or pudding powder, instant coffee (my fav), and so on. Congrats on doing so well! I'm glad to hear it. I am so excited for you - this is such a great journey. Yes, it has its own set of obstacles and hurdles, but in general, it's awesome! It's amazing to me that I am already 9.5 months out from my surgery, and even more amazing that I've lost 115 lbs. I can't even really wrap my head around it. Keep up the good work! Amy

Debbie, you're welcome! 24 days...you really can do this. It is soooooooooooooooooooooo worth it, I promise. Just take it one meal at a time, and keep your eye on the prize. And when you are 9 months out from surgery and down 100+ lbs, you will look back and think about how proud you are of yourself for doing the liquid diet and setting yourself up for success. My life is so different now. Yes, the weight loss, but moreso the fact that I am not constantly beating myself up about not losing weight. And I'm not constantly hungry. And I'm not constantly planning my next meal. It's very liberating! Good luck to you!

I started at a BMI of 53.7 and am now at 37.8, so I understand where you are coming from. I really do. I didn't have to lose weight for my surgery other than for the fatty liver, but in two weeks of a pure liquid diet, I lost 23 lbs! In some ways I would think that a pure liquid diet vs. one where you have some leeway (one meal per day) would be easier. There's no 'should I or shouldn't I' about what to eat. It's black and white. Keep on! You can do this. I've lost 112 lbs in 9 months. Every bit of struggle on that liquid diet was worth it. It really was. I know it will be for you as well!