Starting over with 2nd Band

[pennreporter 12]

Just got my new second band, but still thinking positive. New surgeon much more experienced than first surgeon. So I'm back on the liquids again, whoo-hoo. First band was June of '09. Totally unfilled in June of '10 because of multiple slips. Gradually filled again almost to complete capacity with no restriction until it was completely blocked again. Went in for revision in November '10 when surgeon found that my stomach had adhesed to my spleen...yippee. So now I have a hundred little titanium staples, and my band was removed to prevent any infection from a foreign body. His suggestion immediately was the sleeve. Went for second opinion to a much more experienced surgeon. My original surgeon had done four...thank you very much...but lots of bypasses. New surgeon even recommended the sleeve because of complications but at the same time was pretty confident that problems very well could have been from inexperience of first surgeon...of course, he didn't come out and say that in direct quotes...gawd forbid they speak ill of another doctor...Insurance approved either band or sleeve again...I was shocked. Over the course of June to November I had gained 40 lbs, but so much of my weight loss had been from vomiting all the time.

So I signed on for the sleeve until the last minute when surgeon popped his head in the door before anesthesia hit me with the Michael Jackson happy juice and doubled checked which way I wanted to go, band or sleeve...so I opted for the sleeve again. My main concern with the sleeve is that I don't have that much more weight to goal...50 lbs and everyone I know that's had it has lost weight very very quickly and a lot. Wasn't sure about the maintenance.

So Im a bandee again but it's gone so much differently than the first time around. They did x-rays before I left the hospital and a swallow test...didn't happen first time until much later. Came home last Thursday and just a little sore at this point, no pain meds since I've been back home. So I have a great feeling this time around plus I plan to be a much better bandee this time. I threw up so much the last time that ice cream was my go-to food and not sure if I always ate as slowly as I should have but having been through it once, I feel like I know the signs to look for that aren't normal.

New surgeon is an hour closer so easier to get in if I need to quickly.

So it's been a journey!!! My daughter is a bandee, of course, without any complications...I never like her anyway...lol

Trisha

[Mimilou2004 13]

I wish you a whole lot of success and great wt loss.

Mimi

[Teacher07 3]

Just got my new second band, but still thinking positive. New surgeon much more experienced than first surgeon. So I'm back on the liquids again, whoo-hoo. First band was June of '09. Totally unfilled in June of '10 because of multiple slips. Gradually filled again almost to complete capacity with no restriction until it was completely blocked again. Went in for revision in November '10 when surgeon found that my stomach had adhesed to my spleen...yippee. So now I have a hundred little titanium staples, and my band was removed to prevent any infection from a foreign body. His suggestion immediately was the sleeve. Went for second opinion to a much more experienced surgeon. My original surgeon had done four...thank you very much...but lots of bypasses. New surgeon even recommended the sleeve because of complications but at the same time was pretty confident that problems very well could have been from inexperience of first surgeon...of course, he didn't come out and say that in direct quotes...gawd forbid they speak ill of another doctor...Insurance approved either band or sleeve again...I was shocked. Over the course of June to November I had gained 40 lbs, but so much of my weight loss had been from vomiting all the time.

So I signed on for the sleeve until the last minute when surgeon popped his head in the door before anesthesia hit me with the Michael Jackson happy juice and doubled checked which way I wanted to go, band or sleeve...so I opted for the sleeve again. My main concern with the sleeve is that I don't have that much more weight to goal...50 lbs and everyone I know that's had it has lost weight very very quickly and a lot. Wasn't sure about the maintenance.

So Im a bandee again but it's gone so much differently than the first time around. They did x-rays before I left the hospital and a swallow test...didn't happen first time until much later. Came home last Thursday and just a little sore at this point, no pain meds since I've been back home. So I have a great feeling this time around plus I plan to be a much better bandee this time. I threw up so much the last time that ice cream was my go-to food and not sure if I always ate as slowly as I should have but having been through it once, I feel like I know the signs to look for that aren't normal.

New surgeon is an hour closer so easier to get in if I need to quickly.

So it's been a journey!!! My daughter is a bandee, of course, without any complications...I never like her anyway...lol

Trisha

Hi Trisha! I read you post and can completely relate. I also just found out I had a slip that can not be fixed without surgery. I am in a lot of pain and have been scheduled to have it fixed on the 22nd. I hope I can last that long. I had thought about having it revised to the sleeve but I am not sure if my insurance will even cover that. I have an appointment with the surgeon today so I guess I will find out. I wish you the best of luck and hope we can keep in touch.

Trisha (also my name;)

[pennreporter 12]

I wasn't in so much pain as much as I just couldn't get food down and was throwing up all the time. So once they removed the fill, it was all fine and dandy. It sounds like you may have something else going on. I'm assuming they've removed your fill, right? Sometimes the band can erode. I was shocked when my insurance company agreed to pay for it again, but the way my first surgeon explained it was that the only way I lost the weight to begin with was with weight loss surgery and would clearly need it to continue. If they deny you, you can always appeal their decision, plus there are attorneys out there that do specialize in insurance denials. Both first surgeon and new surgeon are very much sleeve proponents. They both think it's going to be the wave of the future once insurance starts approving it. With my company, it's almost unheard of that they will approve two procedures. But the surgeon went with the argument that he didn't know what he was going to find once he got in, as to what the first surgeon had left behind.

Good luck, and hope all goes well. Please let me know what happens. I will say I was expecting to feel much worse, with it being my third time around...but feel much better than I did after the first surgery.

Trisha