Need Advice

[asherje 81]

So I was banded March 2008. Since its been a bumpy road, had a very hard time losing any weight until feb 2009 when I went through a rough break up and drop a ton of weight (no pun intended lol) and got down to 149lbs. Wahoo! Then meet the man of my dreams an ladies you understand how that goes your running goes out the window and you are happy and eat again. I ballooned up to 193lbs. Meet with my surgeon and was told though I was working out and found weight watchers that I apparently dont know how to count calories ect. I've had nothing but bad experience with this doctor since the surgery and found a new doctor. At this point we found they had me so tight the barium couldnt even pass and was told at that time that if my start weight was 230 and I wanted to be 125-130 that I should have had gastric. I cried. I was self pay and as a single mom was so hard to do. But I'm strong and took matters into my own hands an figured band wasn't for me.

Oct 2010 I started seeing a nutritionist and taking phentramine and got down to 158lbs it's be hard with the band I'm always sick. Almost ended up in ER in November because of GI issue and have been trying to find out what's going on. Last week went back to Lapband doctor after a night of constant vomiting to find that the band had slipped. And that's why I was gaining and am back up to 170lbs. They've unfilled me to heal and talked about options of correction if the band has to be removed. A) complete removal new band C) gastric

Im so torn on what to do, continue my battle with the band but under their supervision whither it be with my current (if still good), having them replace it, remove all together or allowing them to do gastric. In so terrified of dying and leaving my 5yr little boy with his idiot father.

Has anyone one else been there or anyone have any advice.

Misreable mommy

[elcee 3,341]

I think you should switch Drs, it sounds as though the support that you have been getting is not what it should have been.

They should not have made your band so tight that you were always sick, that is what would have caused your slip. You also should not have needed phentermine - it shouldn't be necessary with a properly adjusted band.

I also do think that there may have been some expectation on your part that the band was a magic wand that would magically make all the weight disappear. This is not true, in order to lose the weight and keep it off a person has to do their part. Stick to the rules, make healthy choices, exercise etc. And this is true no matter what type of WLS you have. It sounds as though your Dr is antiband and would have preferred you to have the bypass from the beginning which may explain their abysmal aftercare.

I would not be having my revision surgery with this Dr. I think you need to examine what you want, look at the pros and cons of each and then decide what kind of surgery to have. With bypass yes you will lose weight quicker but once the initial period of 1 to 2 years is over if you have not changed your eating habits then you can put it all back on. That is why many people end up having a second surgery such as band over bypass.

Good luck in coming to the right decision for you

[asherje 81]

Sorry think I was writing while still stressing so cams out jumbled.

I changed doctors when I kept being told that I wasn't losing because I apparently don't know how to count calories & was told to join weight watchers, which I did for support & still wasn't losing. By the time I stopped using that doc I was gaining still even on no breads/pastas, lean Proteins and veggies.

When I saw the new doctor they found that the band was so restricted liquids couldnt pass and he advised that I was at the weight I should be at for Lapband surgery, that based on y start weight and my weight at the time I was at the % that most patients lose to. That had I wanted more of a weight loss I should have had gastric. They adjusted my band so it wasn't so tight and at that point being told that I spent $13,000 for thus surgery & those were the results I would only be able to obtain using the band I started seeing the nutritionist for more support and taking phentramine and was able to get my weight down 20lbs.

Since July started having health issues we chalked up to stress until November when the GI problems really got bad nearly landing my in the hospital but testing had to wait for my insurance with the new company to kick in in Jan. at that time they started checking my gallbladder and intestines to see what was making me do sick. Plus blood panels for thyroid again (waiting on those results done last week) Those issues started neausa and vomiting which caused my band to slip and the irritation cause swelling and I wasn't able to swallow Water at that point so last week when they found that they unfilled my band and stated that the doctor who initially did my surgey has a history of not implanting the ban a the correct angle and they end up doing a lot of his revisions. I go back in Thursday for a barium swallow to see of the band corrected its self.

Luckly the new insurance will cover if I need a revision due to medical needs which I qualify for so if needed they can remove his work and inplant a new band, remove this one all together and no band or gastric is another option. Because I've had such rotten luck with having complications since the surgery I was debating having it removed all together, but then all my hard work and money is gone and I may start gaining back even more weight, go for gastric or attempt the band again and see if I take to it better this time.

It's not so much a matter of junk foods, pastas breads. I've always tried to avoid those as much as possible because we have weight issues in my family. It's not being able to eat almost any vegetable or I bp, have to drink them, most meats can't eat. So I end up sick from throwing up or not getting enough nutrients ect. We laugh at tw irony of a woman who can't keep down almost anything half the time stays the same weight or gains ha! Wasn't so bad till I tore a ligament in my toe at Christmas so working out has been more of a challenge but am able to more around better now.