Secondary Achalasia due to AGB (warning, complication post) :). The Why??

[lellow 1,713]

I think there are issues with the band, and then there are issues with those who are 'selling' the band and those are two separate things. Like anything that starts gaining popularity, you will then see the extremes of human behaviour. In that I mean you will have the over-cautious providers who will make you do a 4 week liquid diet before and after, and then you will have the ones who will swear blind that lapband surgery is a walk in the park.

That's an issue of the differences in medical providers. That doesn't just apply to the lapband, but all medical providers. In the end, if you choose to listen solely to your provider and don't educate yourself, and it's not what they said it was, well, that's kinda between you and them to resolve.

Band issues are another thing altogether, and I don't and won't pretend they don't exist. But again, with anything (including walking down the street) there are risks. I go into surgery next week knowing my risks and choosing to do it anyway. That's pretty much any of us can do - decide whether you can live with the level of risk to achieve your goals. And for anyone who is banded, that's exactly what they did.

[lellow 1,713]

Wanted to add though that it does bother me when all possible risks are NOT explained to me. I asked my surgeon what seemed like 1000 questions about what might go wrong, PLUS I did a tonne of research. It was why it took me 18 months to decide to get the lapband in the first place - for a long time, the risk profile of the band wasn't worth what I wanted to achieve. But then one day, it did become worth the risk. So I had the surgery.

Again, now with the replacement, I've done the same thing. I've weighed it all up over and over, and decided that the risk is worth it. Of course, if the risks eventuate, that would suck, but I go into it with my eyes open.

And I think that's part of the problem - many people go into this without their eyes open. But that's not going to change. It's as valid a choice to choose to know nothing as it is to know everything you can find out. You can't make people behave the way you do, so all you can do invest in your own choices, and own them.

[mrsto 2,925]

They make getting a band (and a lot of other surgeries) sound like a trip to the dentist. I was exhausted for about 3 weeks post banding.

SO true! I was told that my band, plication, gallbladder removal and hiatial hernia repair would be outpatient. Well....I stayed one night. I was also told that this would be a piece of cake compared to my total hysterectomy. WRONG! I'm a little over three weeks out, and just starting to feel back to my normal self. I still have abdominal pain where the port is, which seems to carry down to (what used to be) an ovary. I have my fingers crossed that all of this resolves in the next 3-4 weeks.

Regarding the issues in your post; they concern me a great deal. I'm going to demand screenings once a year as a proactive measure. I don't want any of this silent sh-it going on, only to bite me in the ass down the road. I'm happy that I'm losing weight, and that I did the procedure. But I can't honestly say that I'm skipping through the garden without a care in the world. I have concerns (and fear) that something might backfire. I'll just take it a day at a time, but I WILL make sure that I'm screened for these things you mentioned, at LEAST every 12 months.

Thanks so much for the info.

[KiTTi 1]

Getting my band was the best experience and I've had no complication in going on 2 years. Dr. Ortiz But that's me and I can't speak for anyone else.....I need more fills but so far so good!

[balbuquerque 85]

Kitti thank you for sharing in a nice manner. Mrsinto that's what it's all about sharing information. I'm 25 days post op and I'm not feeling well yet. I think that it will get better and I am doing everything the right way. But I'm also concerned. And we make our decisions based on the information that we have. Hope you feel better soon.

[mrsto 2,925]

Kitti thank you for sharing in a nice manner. Mrsinto that's what it's all about sharing information. I'm 25 days post op and I'm not feeling well yet. I think that it will get better and I am doing everything the right way. But I'm also concerned. And we make our decisions based on the information that we have. Hope you feel better soon.

I'm right behind you at 22 days. I did so much research on the bypass and the band; close to a year before I actually pulled the trigger. I read many online forums; heard all the ups & downs, complications, read studies ad nauseam, etc. Though my doctor favors the bypass, I didn't want to rewire my plumbing. I knew that I had to do something, but didn't want anything so.....permanent.

These online forums can be very helpful, but there is also a downside. I was forewarned to be careful what I read online. I try & take what I need & leave the rest, and know for a fact the the percentage of people without major issues, is far greater than those with the types of problems we've been reading, lately. As terrible as some of the issues are for those who are experiencing them, it doesn't mean "the sky is falling".

I hope you feel better soon, too. It's a lot to take on, and we can only hope that we get to where we wanted to be when we set out on this journey.

[balbuquerque 85]

Mrsinto yes I agree with you 100 percent. The way you worded it makes a huge difference. We just must be vigilant in our after care, and pray that if something goes wrong our doctors don't hesitate to help us. Enjoy the journey and follow the rules. My hardest one to follow is to eat slower. I write down and repeat it constantly even if I'm not eating. Have a good night sleep.< /p>

[mrsto 2,925]

Mrsinto yes I agree with you 100 percent. The way you worded it makes a huge difference. We just must be vigilant in our after care, and pray that if something goes wrong our doctors don't hesitate to help us. Enjoy the journey and follow the rules. My hardest one to follow is to eat slower. I write down and repeat it constantly even if I'm not eating. Have a good night sleep.

You too.... It's 8:20pm here on the west coast, and I feel like I'll be sound asleep by 9 :-)

[mrsto 2,925]

You too.... It's 8:20pm here on the west coast, and I feel like I'll be sound asleep by 9 :-)

PS: Writing is a great tool. Keep doing it until the "action" becomes a normal part of the way you eat. Not easy, but changing old habits never is......

[Angelizz10 76]

SO true! I was told that my band' date=' plication, gallbladder removal and hiatial hernia repair would be outpatient. Well....I stayed one night. I was also told that this would be a piece of cake compared to my total hysterectomy. WRONG! I'm a little over three weeks out, and just starting to feel back to my normal self. I still have abdominal pain where the port is, which seems to carry down to (what used to be) an ovary. I have my fingers crossed that all of this resolves in the next 3-4 weeks.

Regarding the issues in your post; they concern me a great deal. I'm going to demand screenings once a year as a proactive measure. I don't want any of this silent sh-it going on, only to bite me in the ass down the road. I'm happy that I'm losing weight, and that I did the procedure. But I can't honestly say that I'm skipping through the garden without a care in the world. I have concerns (and fear) that something might backfire. I'll just take it a day at a time, but I WILL make sure that I'm screened for these things you mentioned, at LEAST every 12 months.

Thanks so much for the info.[/quote']

I don't know of one single clinic anywhere around my area (North Carolina) that will give you all these tests on a yearly screenings you mentioned? With ObomaCare encroaching on all of us I think your dreaming of a Perfect World. Perhaps your self-pay and can afford it, but most of us can't. I can just hear them now telling me, if I demanded all those tests, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!" At present my insurance pays for fills @ $100. A crack. It's coded as maintenance. and I am pretty sure my insurance will cut the weigh ins and fills out. No one knows, especially the Government, what they will do a month from now. Right now they are hurriedly spending money from this budget, so that they can get more for next term.

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