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I decided to get weightloss surgery after being over 250 lbs for 5 years with several failed diet attempts. I had hypertension, GERD, and fertility issues. I started off weighing 285. By the time I had surgery I was down to 268 lbs from my pre-surgery diet. Had my 4cc lapband done on 5/17/2006 in Omaha, NE. First fill 6/2006. .5 cc. Lost 30 lbs. by 6/2006. Got pregnant 7/2006. Yay fertility issue solved....faster than I had planned....but yay!! Had my son 3/2007. 228 lbs. postpartum. Had second fill done 6/2007. 1cc. Got pregnant AGAIN 11/2007. Um fertility issue solved...yay? Another baby? Really? Ok. Had to empty band this time due to complications. Moved to Texas 2/2008. Had my daughter 9/2008. Postpartum weight 238 lbs. I didn't have insurance that would cover Lap Band in TX so I had to find a new doctor that wouldn't charge me a ton out of pocket. By then I weighed 291 lbs. Had 3rd fill of 1cc done 7/22/09 for $150. Btw the doctor tells me, "I would have never done LapBand on you. You come see me when you have better insurance and I'll do a revision gastric bypass on you." I should have walked out right then and there but got the fill anyway. Well 1cc was too much too fast and my stoma swelled shut. After a week, I couldn't even swallow my saliva without throwing up. I had an ER visit and fill removed a week later for another $150. I was down to 279 by then. 12 lbs in one week! Yikes! 9/2009 pregnant AGAIN! GDI!!!! Really!? Fertility issue can go to hell!! So can the breast feeding myth!! 6/2010 had another daughter. 270 lbs postpartum. Ok so most of you will gasp when you hear the extremes I went to to have my band filled, but here goes....I worked in an ER as a secretary. A nurse did my fills for me. She was honestly better at doing them then the clinics were. We started slow. By 11/2011 I had filled to 1.75 cc. Great restriction, no problems. Now I'm down to 245 lbs. I moved back to NE where I started my journey. My problems: 1. I don't follow a good diet. When you go through the preop screening you get educated, motivated, supported, to eat right. Its been so long....I don't know where to start again. 2. I was diagnosed with adult ADD. My meds make me never want to eat. I could go all day so I often go for junk just to get some calories in. 3. I just got tested 6/2013 for vitamin deficiencies and I'm vitamin D and Calcium deficient. No doubt as a result of my bad eating habits. I feel like crap. My hair is falling out again. Bad skin. Fatigued all the time. Irritated, moody. 4. I started smoking again. Ugh. I know I know!!! I'll smoke instead of eat. Bad bad bad!! But I'm being honest here. 5. My life has fallen apart. In the small span of time I went from being happily married, spouse working making good money, going to school, making good money, good insurance to....having a horrible marriage with a husband who is mentally ill and had a back injury (yes same guy as before. hitting 11yr anniversary July 26) he only makes disability, my son was diagnosed with autism, part time work, government assistance.... I have Medicaid. I go to school again full time. I only have 2 years left for my bachelors of nursing degree. I have a band that I abuse. How do I get back on track? Where do I even start with all the other things on my plate (no pun intended)? I'm a horrible example of a Lap Band patient. I feel like such a lowlife. I need help. What can I do on my own to get healthy? Besides the obvious, to quit smoking.... Thanks I forgot to mention I was up to 304 lbs when the nurse started filling my band. So since 9/2010 I've lost 59 lbs.

We are here for you! You don't live far from me, as I am from Houston. You absolutely should do this for yourself! You are worth it. Message me anytime. I am in the process of revision from a failed painful lapband to the sleeve.

First of all, welcome! Please fill out your profile, too. Look, it sounds like you have been having a tight band, and then getting sick with a slip and then the surgeon takes drastic step of taking all the fill out. I have been there. But after having a slip, my surgeon did a revision. I,also , gained,but not my whole loss. I am now at 5 cc and living in the "green" zone. I never have kept a too tight band. You don't say if you have been going back to your surgeon for follow-ups. Even after getting to goal, I have kept close contact with my surgeon. I am now seeing him every 4-6 months but if need be, I would schedule sooner. Take it easy, and try not to get to the too tight not eating place this time. Best wishes! Karen

Hello I just found this forum. I was banded over 1 1/2 years ago. I have lost 100+ lbs so far. I know after reading I lost that much weight you will be surprised to hear that I have had to struggle with this band. Especially since I have another 75 lbs to lose. It took forever to get restriction. Finally after my 9th fill felt that I was restricted enough. I think I might go for a fill in January. Just a little tweek. Recently (I know I should done this all along) I started an exercise routine. I workout 90 minutes, 5 days a week. I do cardio on the treadmill, I weight train, and I stretch. I love the stretching. It feels so relaxing. Since I have started this routine two months ago I have lost 24 pounds and 14 1/2 inches. I cannot stop talking about the importance of working out. On a more personal note. I am a single mom of a 23 year old daughter. She was the center of my universe. Now that she is grown and graduated college, I have been focusing on myself. She is my biggest cheerleader and support. She is sort of a health nut (which I'm thankful for) she is a vegetarian and she's a runner. She is very much into eating healthy and natural. I am trying to listen to her. She tells me to start making my food homemade at home. Alot of the stuff at the stores is full of chemicals and preservatives. Anyway, I'm just glad she's not following my "fat" foot steps. I work as an accounting manager ( I hate my job). My life consists of working and working out. Who has time for much else??? I thought of dating but I keep waiting to lose more weight. Also, let's face it I'm scared. Dating scares the crap out of me. I have a best friend that had lap band surgery 3 years ago. Unfortunately, she had complications at the beginning of the year and she lost her band. Due to scarring they couldn't replace her band. The worse part is that she has already gained back 100 lbs. I feel so bad for her. Also, I am afraid that something like that could happen to me. I have been trying to convince her to consider a revision. we will see what she decides. Well that's about all. That's me in a nutshell.

Hi I'm Teri. I'm 40 yrs old. I gave myself the gift of a new start for my 40th birthday. Timing was perfect, I'd had my surgery long enough before my 40th birthday I started on puree's on my birthday. I went into my lap-band believing that was the tool that was right for me. Learned very quickly it wasn't. Started seeking a revision before 1 year was up. Had a long talk with my surgeon at one year. Said I had to wait until June (lap-band was placed 9-16-08) 2010. I started doing the appointments I'd need to get approved as soon as June started. Was approved for the bypass pending the results of an EGD in September. The EGD couldn't get done before November 17th. So then it was waiting on the results of the biopsy. Then it was scheduling. I could have been done the week of Christmas, but nope, I said no thank you. I had 3 small children I wanted to enjoy the holiday with them. So my magic date was January 11, 2011.... yup 1/11/11. Love that date. I went into revision surgery at 260.8 pounds. Most days I am at 183.0. So not quite where I wanna be, but 10000 times more healthy. My diabetes is cured. My sleep apnea is cured. My boarder-line high blood pressure is now low. I'm so much more active, and so much more able to enjoy my children. Have NO regrets. teri

Hi Susan, thanks for responding. I can keep liquids down but yesterday I had some real trouble with some noodles. I was keeping record of intake on the weight watchers web site but it was expensive. I think I will look at the daily plate. I noticed that you went to the sleeve revision. Did you like the band? I am wondering about if my band is going to be the best choice. I was told to take in about 1200 calories to see weight loss. I havent had reflux. So good to hear from you. Thank you

Welcome to the forums. There are several people on heee getting revised also. Lota of support and advixe. Best of luck!

:confused::thumbup:Tiffany I am so very happy for you :smile: I remember the exact moment I found out I was finally going to be banded and I actually started crying on the phone LOL at work!!! I have been asked if I have regretted it - because I am a slow loser and I have to have a port revision done very soon, but honestly no - I don't regret it - I have lost 15 pounds in three months and that is just fine with me Good luck to you and I will be thinking of you along the way Yaayyyyyyy

Praying for your recovery, and for this to work for you. Thankfully you have a surgeon that will do what needs to be done to help you be successful. Take each day one at a time, and know you are not alone, we will keep in touch and pray for you. I am going to revise from the band to RNY, hopefully soon if my insurance will approve. keep us posted.

I am having my revision to sleeve on Tuesday the 28th.i am 5'4 and 180 pounds. I am excited and scared at the same time. I keep asking myself what are you about to do, then I read these awesome stories from people on here and I can't wait for my turn to come. The anxiety of what's going to happen after surgery scares me.

Dr. Nick Nicholson in Dallas, Tx is a great surgeon from his patient testimonials on this site and various other boards. You can google his name and contact his office for revision costs. I'm sorry your band is giving you issues. I revised after having mine for just 8 months. There's several great surgeons in Texas. Houston, and San Antonio also have some really great surgeons. Dr. Alanis in Houston is one off the top of my head that is highly respected with great stats. Best Wishes in your search for a great surgeon.

I met with the psychiatrist last week and I meet with the surgeon tomorrow. The psychiatrist spent a lot of time explaining that the lap band is all hype and advertising and to get results you need to to the bypass. I want the band for obvious reasons including less invasive, slower weight loss (I see this as a good thing), can remove if there is a problem, etc. She kept telling me that the band is almost always revised with bypass and the patients in general are so unhappy. I have been stewing on this for the past week. Everything I've read tells me to do the band, everything. Yes, I know that the results take more effort, which is a good thing I believe. We're changing our lives we should be working for it. The band is a tool only. I don't know, can I get some thoughts from all of you? I plan on having this discussion with the surgeon and the more I think about it, they psychiatrist was very unprofessional saying things like this. I'm having my surgery at the Cleveland Clinic so this is totally unexpected. I have to lose about 120 lbs. Thoughts????

I was banded for almost 4 yrs and got my revision on July 16th with a bmi of 29. While I only need to lose 45 lbs, in the 2 wks since my sleeve, Im down 13 lbs! My family (not local, in another state) all wanted me to get my band out and continue losing weight on my own. I know myself. I know I can't do this myself. Good luck to u

My pain was pretty bad through my hospital stay so I was having to have the pain med dispenser button thing. That helped a ton. I almost finished my pain meds that I took home but not quite. My incision sites were sore for about a month, but I had my lap band removed and was revised to the sleeve so that's probably why I hurt more.

Try anyway to see if your insurance will cover something, even as a revisions from balloon to which ever procedure you are going with. Check for hernias, GERD, everything EVERYTHING...VSG2017 HW 249 SW 238 CW 169

Most surgeons will repair the hernia at the time of wl surgery. Mine was detected during my upper Gi and the Egd. Since gerd/reflux is common with the sleeve, repairing them will lessen the chances of you developing it. My surgeon said in severe cases revision to the bypass is needed. Knowing this I'd say insurances are eager to pay for the repair than to pay for a second surgery.

I did pretty well with my band (the first year), since then its given me nothing but problems. I'm now to the point everything I eat gets stuck in my throat, I end up sneezing, and coughing and then throwing up (most solids). I know we aren't supposed to drink with our meals but the only way I can get my food (even mushies) to go down is to drink a soda with my food - it expands my pouch enough for the food to go down. It is the lesser of the two evils. My esophogus has stopped working and I have horrible gerd (which the soda doesn't help) - but at least I can eat something that way. I can't wait to have it removed and get on with my life. I was lucky for insurance to pay for mine - but am now trying to come up with all of the co-pays for the hosptail and my doctor. Are you going to get a revision to band?

I sent you a PM. Had the sleeve a little over 2 years ago. Fell back into old habits, now i can eat anything and everything just like before. You have to have discipline with either one. Im #refat as i call it. Lost 98, gained back 70+. (I was going through a divorce anf im an emotional eater.) Trying to see if i can get a revision to bypass. UGH...... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using the BariatricPal App

Hello, I'm due for my sleeve on 10/11 as well check in time for me is 6:00 am, and surgery is scheduled for 7:25~ I'm excited and scared at the same time, I keep waiting for the phone to ring and the doctors office saying "oh sorry we have to reschedule" this is surgery date number 4 for me, and I'm hoping it sticks. I started my pre-op diet on 10/1 first 7 days I did great but not so great on day 8 not sure what came over me but I couldn't stop eating, back at it on day 9 and today- I was banded in May 08 and had it removed in Dec 09 one of the hardest days of my life, I had an erosion and my than doctor told me there was nothing he could do to help me keep the weight off. so since Dec 09 I gained back the 70 pounds I had lost with the band, its been a living nightmare to say the least In Feb I contacted my doctor who put me in contact with a new doctor who has done revisions from Band to sleeve and he says he can do it I have an 18% higher rate of complicatoins due to all of my scar tissue but i'm willing to take the chance I want my life back. I have avoided telling anyone other than my 27 year old daughter, everyone knew I had the band and it was horrible the judgement from people made it really hard to be happy about my new healthy life- of course they all said I would fail.,,, ( Best of luck to all October sleevers- can't wait to read how everyone is doing.

2days till band revision and sleeved

I want to wish you the best of luck tomr. I had revision surgery April 19. Got out of hospital April 20 th and currently on clear liquids.

Hi I received my lapband 12/07 and I mainly eat pureed foods sometimes very soft foods. In the morning its coffee and yogurt or protein drink. Lunch I puree soups or make up mashed potatoes with cream of chicken soup or gravy with meat that is pureed. I still have a hard time with meat. sometimes I can have crackers. I have lost 45 lbs so far. Don't give up go for softer foods. Sometimes my meal is a smoothie or a shake. I even had to go in to get revised in Feb because I got the flu and it slipped which caused me not to hold anything down, not even liquids. So don't give up.

That is exactly the position I'm in right now. I never told anyone about my band. My revision is coming up so soon - 9 days! But I don't want to tell anyone about the sleeve, either. I don't want to be that big fat loser that failed, and is doomed to fail again. My aunt had her band removed and had DS last year. That surgery is NO joke. I hope I'm as successful as she is. She's lost almost 150 lbs since last January. It's nice to have someone IRL that understands this struggle. OP, you are not alone!

I post my meals (usually low carb) on instagram. I am a bandster who is revising to sleeve on 7/21! I have a lot of low carb concoctions on my IG. Add me if you would like, @wendydarling19

Embrace, Do you mind me asking about your weight history? Starting when you got your revision and current, for example? I have a consultation in the works and am just wanting to be sure I'm making the right choice for myself. Thx!!