montanagirl_2010

I had my lap band surgery in 2003, when I was only 21 years old. I had struggled with weight my entire life, and I felt like I had no other option than to resort to surgery. At the time, the band wasn't very common in the U.S. In fact, there were only a handfull of doctors in the U.S. that did the operation and the fills. I had never even heard of the surgery until I was surfing the inernet one day and happened upon a website that offered an all inclusive lap band package in Mexico, including the round trip flight and a 2 night hotel stay. I was sold! My mom came along to Puerto Villarta, Mexico with me for moral support. The first day after the surgery I felt fine, but the next day I felt something strange happen inside me and it caused immense pain. The doctor assured me that it was normal and that everything was okay. I insisted that there was something terribly wrong - so he agreed to do an x-ray the morning before I was supposed to fly back home. I had the barrium swallow (the icky pink stuff they make you swallow before an x-ray) and the Doc said he didn't see anything unusual. So, I got on the plane, against my better judgement, and flew back to the U.S. The pain was unbearable, but I just figured it would pass. Well, it didn't pass, and I was unable to even swallow a sip of water. I was even spitting up my own saliva because it wouldn't go down. I was admitted into the teeny tiny hospital in the middle of nowhere Montana, where I'm from. I was suffering from severe dehydration and had lost 20 pounds in just 5 days because I was unable to eat or drink anything since the surgery. Of course our family doctor knew absolutley nothing about the lap band because it was such a new procedure at that time (not to mention, he was a small town doctor living in Montana). They hooked me up to saline IV's to re-hydrate me. Then they did an x-ray, and found that the band had slipped and the barrium I had swallowed had turned into a cement-like substance in my stomach because of the odstruction the slipped band had caused. They then had to take a scope and stick it down my throat and into my stomach to break up the barrium. (very very very unpleasant experience!) Long story short: I was flown back to Mexico for another surgery, to have the band removed and replaced again.
I have a love/hate relationship with my band. It has been the source of so much trouble and pain: slippage, nausea, vomiting, severe chest pressure, etc. But on the other hand, it has givien me the opportunity to lose weight in a way that I don't think I coud have done on my own. In the 6 and 1/2 years since the surgery, I have lost 100 pounds - kept it off for 4 years, then gained 20 back in the past year and a half. I have also had a tummy tuck. I really need to work on taking off the weight I've re-gained, plus a little more. My goal is to lose 30 more pounds before my wedding in July of 2010.