Lessons Learned ... 1 Year Post-Op

[Amanda Mae 22]

The last two weeks have been particulary difficult and have really given me an opportunity to reflect on the last year of having the band. I wanted to take the opportunity to get my thoughts down in writing but also share my experience. I'm not a fan of long posts - for those of you who read this thank you and your feedback is welcome - for those of you who don't - I don't blame you!

I was banded on April 11, 2011. For the first six months things were great!! I was losing weight steadly, getting my fills every 6 -8 weeks and was rolling right along. In October 2011, I had to have my gallbladder out - again no major problems. From there things seemed to start getting problematic. In early November, my band was too tight and I had some Fluid removed; December held the same results - more fluid removed. It seemed like I was going to the doctor every two weeks to get more fluid removed and was continually getting sick - i wasn't getting any answers on why the band kept getting too tight. I would expalin that I was coughing at night until I would get sick - even throwing up brownish liquid at points. Hindsight is always 20/20 but the doctor had the nerve to suggest that maybe I had an upper respiratory infection. I had upper GIs done to check for slipping and it didn't appear that was the problem. Mid-February 2012 I went in for my regular check up and had gained some weight so the doctor decided to do a fill - he put in 3cc in one visit!!!!! I immediately went back as soon as they opened the next day but my regular doctor was in surgery all day - one of his associates tried to remove fluid but after 6 - 7 attempts with no lidocain to numb my stomach I had to ask him to stop. I went to the emergency room and met up with my surgeon in between his surgeries and he removed more fluid - this was a Wednesday. By the weekend, I was throwing up blood and horribly sick - I felt like I had been hit by a mack truck. There are two offices in our area that do bariatric surgeries so i called a completely different group of doctors. I explained the situation i was in and they asked me to come immediately to their office - this was early March.

My band was completely emptied in March and I started over with the new doctor. We went with an empty band for a few weeks to let my body settle down. Then we slowly started adding .5cc at a time every two weeks. The new doctor numbers your belly before he does a fill - that is nice!!! He was also insistent that I drink a Protein Shake everyday - the first doctor said NO Protein shakes - there are too many calories in them. The same problems started again - anything more than 1.5 cc in the band and I was getting sick. So ... last week I had another upper GI - the new doctor explained he was going out of town for a couple of days but that on Monday, April 30th to come to his office to review the results. Sunday, April 29th I get a call at 9:30 in the morning from the doctor - I couldn't believe a doctor took the time to call me at home on a Sunday. He was concerned because he was reviewing my upper GI and my band had slipped. I told him not much had changed from the previous week - I was keeping down fluids but that was about it.

Well... This past Tuesday, May 1st - I had my first band removed and a new band placed. I also found out that during the first surgery I had a hernia repaired and was never even told!!! I am on the liquid post-op diet right now, I get to start purees tomorrow, and after my follow up on Monday we'll see how I can progress onto mushies.

I have reached out to several different support groups on here and Facebook over the last week trying to decide if I should get another band, give up on weight loss surgery, or change to gastric bypass. I have met some amazingly supportive people and I have met some exteremly negative ones as well. The one thing that it definitely forced me to do was look in the mirror and be honest with myself and the question was - did I do everything right, follow the rules, could I have done something different to prevent the slip?

So what did I learn in really being honest with myself?

• I rushed myself off of the post-op diet last year which made it more difficult for me when my band was tight
  
• I wasn't always honest with the doctor on how often i was getting sick because I didn't want him to take fluid out
  
• I was using the band as a starvation diet not as a tool to help me eat healthier
  
• I have to have a doctor I can be open with and trust
  

What I am doing to differently this time?

• I am following the post-op diet exactly as the doctor laid it out - NO CHEATING!!!
  
• 
  My doctor and I are going to have a very open and trusting relationship - he needs to know everything that's gonig on
  
• Eating the right foods is key to success - weight loss is never going to be easy for me- it never has been - the band is to help me - it's not a cure all
  
• 
  I am going to participate in the support groups at the doctor's office and build a support network - I don't have to do this on my own
  

Well - if you took the time to read this - thank you - writing it alone has been very therapeutic for me.

[this sucks 557]

Great job figuring this whole thing out! I am almost two years banded and have traveled an equally challenging road. Like you, I have learned that honesty with my doctor ( and MYSELF) goes a long way towards success. The band is just a tool and I have to make the right food choices. If I listen to my body and stop eating when I get the FIRST sign that I am full (strangely enough, a hiccup!) things go well. A too tight band doesn't do anything but make me eat unhealthy slider foods.

I have a very boring eating routine( I.e. Procal Protein Shake for Breakfast since I have never been able to eat in the morning) and keep the non- Protein Snacks to a minimum.

Keep up the good work and hang in there. You already know that it's worth it!

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

Amanda Mae, I have to tell you, I have so much respect for you. Your attitude and self introspection is wonderful. Your honesty is so refreshing- you know where you made mistakes and you admit them and know what not to repeat. I have no doubt you'll do great with the new band.

As for your first doctor, I'm sorry, but he was a moron. He definitely did you far more harm than good and had a big factor in band slipping. I am so glad you have a good doc now.

Best wishes to you, you're an inspiration

[Jen75 33]

I am proud of you! I too had to learn the hard way and when i finally got honest with myself and the doctor everything has been wonderful. Keep it up girl! I agree with both miss 73 and and what they had to say!

[gottobeme 81]

Thank you for sharing your story with us!

[ASunniDay2012 0]

Thank you for your post, I needed to hear this because I am only 3 weeks out and have been rushing to get off the Pre-Op diet. I realize I need to re-evaluate myself and remember why I had the surgery in the first place. Once again thank you banded 4-18-12.

I wish you the best and admire your determination.

[puracriolla 0]

I really hope you get better. Always have the same things on my mind, I'm new to this support group. My family only a few knows about it and still don't understand what I go through. I have lost the fun on food even chicken. That is great that the new doc numb you to do fills mine don't and believe me they hurt more than the surgery. I had my band on may 2010. With ups n downs as all. My band is located on top of my belly button n this sometimes is very uncomfortable. A month ago had breast redux n all my body is crazy including the band I place myself after two weeks of surgery on a light diet bc everything was hurting still is but less as time goes by, but when I stretch even my stomach hurts, my body is off so I have to take it easy. Everyone's heals diff so since I'm a little older takes longer, lol. I hope you the best I will continue reading very informative.

[c945105 16]

Thanks for post. It really helps us new people. I'm shocked at how some Dr take our health and life so casually. Glad you found a better one.

[auntielle 42]

Excellent post! All the best!

[bandready 0]

The last two weeks have been particulary difficult and have really given me an opportunity to reflect on the last year of having the band. I wanted to take the opportunity to get my thoughts down in writing but also share my experience. I'm not a fan of long posts - for those of you who read this thank you and your feedback is welcome - for those of you who don't - I don't blame you!

I was banded on April 11' date=' 2011. For the first six months things were great!! I was losing weight steadly, getting my fills every 6 -8 weeks and was rolling right along. In October 2011, I had to have my gallbladder out - again no major problems. From there things seemed to start getting problematic. In early November, my band was too tight and I had some Fluid removed; December held the same results - more Fluid removed. It seemed like I was going to the doctor every two weeks to get more fluid removed and was continually getting sick - i wasn't getting any answers on why the band kept getting too tight. I would expalin that I was coughing at night until I would get sick - even throwing up brownish liquid at points. Hindsight is always 20/20 but the doctor had the nerve to suggest that maybe I had an upper respiratory infection. I had upper GIs done to check for slipping and it didn't appear that was the problem. Mid-February 2012 I went in for my regular check up and had gained some weight so the doctor decided to do a fill - he put in 3cc in one visit!!!!! I immediately went back as soon as they opened the next day but my regular doctor was in surgery all day - one of his associates tried to remove fluid but after 6 - 7 attempts with no lidocain to numb my stomach I had to ask him to stop. I went to the emergency room and met up with my surgeon in between his surgeries and he removed more fluid - this was a Wednesday. By the weekend, I was throwing up blood and horribly sick - I felt like I had been hit by a mack truck. There are two offices in our area that do bariatric surgeries so i called a completely different group of doctors. I explained the situation i was in and they asked me to come immediately to their office - this was early March.

My band was completely emptied in March and I started over with the new doctor. We went with an empty band for a few weeks to let my body settle down. Then we slowly started adding .5cc at a time every two weeks. The new doctor numbers your belly before he does a fill - that is nice!!! He was also insistent that I drink a Protein shake everyday - the first doctor said NO Protein shakes - there are too many calories in them. The same problems started again - anything more than 1.5 cc in the band and I was getting sick. So ... last week I had another upper GI - the new doctor explained he was going out of town for a couple of days but that on Monday, April 30th to come to his office to review the results. Sunday, April 29th I get a call at 9:30 in the morning from the doctor - I couldn't believe a doctor took the time to call me at home on a Sunday. He was concerned because he was reviewing my upper GI and my band had slipped. I told him not much had changed from the previous week - I was keeping down fluids but that was about it.

Well... This past Tuesday, May 1st - I had my first band removed and a new band placed. I also found out that during the first surgery I had a hernia repaired and was never even told!!! I am on the liquid post-op diet right now, I get to start purees tomorrow, and after my follow up on Monday we'll see how I can progress onto mushies.

I have reached out to several different support groups on here and Facebook over the last week trying to decide if I should get another band, give up on weight loss surgery, or change to gastric bypass. I have met some amazingly supportive people and I have met some exteremly negative ones as well. The one thing that it definitely forced me to do was look in the mirror and be honest with myself and the question was - did I do everything right, follow the rules, could I have done something different to prevent the slip?

So what did I learn in really being honest with myself?

[*']I rushed myself off of the post-op diet last year which made it more difficult for me when my band was tight

[*]I wasn't always honest with the doctor on how often i was getting sick because I didn't want him to take fluid out

[*]I was using the band as a starvation diet not as a tool to help me eat healthier

[*]I have to have a doctor I can be open with and trust

What I am doing to differently this time?

[*]I am following the post-op diet exactly as the doctor laid it out - NO CHEATING!!!

[*]

My doctor and I are going to have a very open and trusting relationship - he needs to know everything that's gonig on

[*]Eating the right foods is key to success - weight loss is never going to be easy for me- it never has been - the band is to help me - it's not a cure all

[*]

I am going to participate in the support groups at the doctor's office and build a support network - I don't have to do this on my own

Well - if you took the time to read this - thank you - writing it alone has been very therapeutic for me.

The best thing of all was admitting where you went wrong,don't beat up yourself,just brush off and keep it moving,you can do it,I claim success.

[Imanurse 27]

Wow, I haven't been banded yet, but I love this forum for do's and don'ts- learn from others, honesty is THE BEST policy! Good luck!

dionaw- Sent from my iPad using LBT

[Amanda Mae 22]

Wow - I have to say one of the best things about LBT is the support you receive! Your responses have been even more motivational for me to think that people can learn from my mistakes. Thanks for all of your support! There are some days I just sit and read the posts and it really helps to keep me on track!

[phatkatblue 45]

Thanks so much for sharing your story...think I'm gonna call my doc as my band has been tight lately and I've been trying to hold off thinking it will get better...Thanx again

[bigenuff 302]

WoW thank you !!