My band was removed

[Guest j. lynn]

After almost 18 months of being a successful bandster, I have been de-banded. My band was starting to erode. Here's my experience:

Saturday (June 3rd):

Woke up at 3:30 AM in a lot of pain around my bellybutton. It was excruciating to move at all. Waited 2.5 hours and called my mom to figure out what to do. I knew I needed to see a doctor - the question was which doctor and which hospital. I didn't suspect the band, which would make me go to my primary doctor, who has privileges at Methodist Hospital. But I knew that if they even suspended the band, they'd send me to him at Creighton Hospital. Erroring on the side of caution, we went to Creighton where my surgeon is.

We got to the ER about 7:00 AM where I was seen by an ER doc. The pain was about a 6, but as long as I sat/lay down in a certain position, it was totally tolerable. They ordered a bunch of x-rays (chest and abdomen). They could tell that my small intestines were inflamed, which was the cause of the pain, but they couldn't tell why.

I did an upper GI and the band looked great -- the Fluid went through the band as it should have and none leaked out into the abdominal cavity. They decided to admit me for 23 hours to do more testing. My surgeon's fellow was called in and neither he nor the ER doc suspected the band. They did suspect either an ovarian cyst or the beginning of appendicitis. Because they suspected appendicitis, they didn't want to put me on pain meds so that the pain meds wouldn't mask any changes in pain levels or location. The pain was tolerable at that point anyway.

Sunday (June 4th)

They wanted to do a CT Scan because the pain wasn't really getting any better and wasn't moving towards looking like appendicitis. I had to drink the nasty contrast stuff (that stuff really is nasty and gross and hard to tolerate), and then they did the CT Scan. This is when the pain started getting pretty bad-- it was getting tough to find a good location to sit/lay down where the pain was tolerable.

At any rate, they wanted to do surgery on Monday: either to fix whatever the CT Scan would show or exploratory surgery to see if they could find out more information. The CT Scan showed them what they needed -- there was a large area of "infected" Fluid in my abdomen, which was causing the small intestines to be inflamed. My ovaries looked fine as well as my appendix. At this point, they started talking about the band needing to come out because it looked like the tubing from the band to the port was infected causing the pain. I couldn't just take antibiotics to cure the infection because it won't remove infection from a non-organic (plastic) piece.

They ordered an EGD based on these results. They emptied my band first (the least of my worries) and moved me in. They sedate you, so I don't remember a thing. When I woke up, they told me the bad news: it was the band and it was starting to erode into my stomach in one little area. It was enough such that it needed to be removed.

Monday (June 5th)

Now that I was on morphine, the pain was much better. The surgery was scheduled for that evening when the first OR opening was available. Surgery didn't actually start until 8:30 PM and was finished a little before midnight. My band was gone! They removed the band and "cleaned up" the infected liquids that were pooling in my abdomen. Unlike my original band surgery, I woke up feeling so much better. The pain wasn't bad at all. The 103-degree fever I had been running was gone, my abdomen wasn't even that sore. This time, I also had a drain to collect the fluid in my abdomen and I had a NG tube to collect the fluid in my stomach.

Mom slept on a sleeper bed type of thing in my room this night rather than moving me to ICU since surgery was finished so late.

Tuesday (June 6th)

The difference having surgery 100 pounds lighter makes! The pain was easily managed with Morphine, but that NG tube was a serious pain. I wasn't on oxygen anymore, and my oxygenation levels were where they needed to be. After my banding 18 months ago, I was on oxygen for a while and even then, my oxygenation levels weren't where they should've been.

Wednesday (June 7th)

The catheter was taken out in the morning and the NG tube in the afternoon. I came off Morphine, as I didn't really need it for the pain levels I was having.

Thursday (June 8th)

First day of liquids - Water, a little Crystal Light, and some Jell-O. Tolerated it all fine. Took Tylenol a couple of times for a headache (maybe due to morphine withdrawal).

Friday (June 9th)

Knew I'd be dismissed today, but needed to get the IV out, the drain out, and possibly the staples. They wanted to make sure I could get a Protein drink down, so I had a Carnation Instant Breakfast for lunch - no problem. Seemed to take forever, but eventually the IV came out, then the drain. They decided to leave the staples in until Monday, when I'll go see the surgeon and get them out in his office. Dismissed at 4:00 PM!

Of course, one of the first things that I did when I came home was to weigh myself -- it was a little higher than when I went in a week ago. A week of no eating and my weight basically stayed the same!?!? Goes to show you that the liquids they pump into you do make a difference. I am not worried about it at all.

That night I slept in my own bed. In my own house. With my own pillow. After taking a shower in my own bathroom. That's luxury!

Going Forward:

I've lost my band, but I have no plans to get another one. I was self-pay to begin with and insurance won't cover the band for anyone, much less someone with a BMI of 30.1. I will kind of have to re-train myself on how to eat...I am sure I can tolerate breads again! But I stand here a person who exercises 6 times a week, who hasn't had a single soda (or carbonated anything) in 18 months and who knows that it is possible to lose weight. I have 30 pounds to go and I will get there. It will take some work (but hey...banding took work too), but I am willing to put in the time and effort.

Good luck to all of you!

Jayme

[Anwyn 0]

Wow Jayme - to have such a great attitude after what you've been through is truly inspiring. Please keep us posted on your progress. There's a whole forum on here for people who have lost their band but haven't given up the fight. ((((HUGS))))

[pugmum 0]

I'm glad you're okay!!

Your attitude is AWESOME! Blessings to you in your journey!

Kelli

[Penni60 45]

Jayme I moved your thread to the Life After Lap-Band removal forum.

I feel your pain. I too was disbanded after 18 months. I too had eroded to almost 40 to 50% I think is what the doctor told me. I was lucky though and had no infection but it was headed in that direction. I practically diagnosed my own erosion. My Band doc didn't think I had erosion but he was surprised when he did the Endo. LOL!! LUCKY ME HUH?!!

I am 6 months post band removal. I did gain 20 lbs back but that was my OWN doing. I just went for it. Now I am paying the price. I am not struggling to get back on track.

Keep that exercise regimen and keep the eating habits you developed while banded and you will do just fine.

[S@ssen@ch 745]

Jayme,

What an inspiration you are. To have such a positive outlook on things after what you've just experienced. I hope that if such a thing happens to me that I can say the same.

Here's to your speedy recovery and all my best wishes to you achieving your goal.

[ms_efflorescent 0]

I had just read this on your blog and came to see if you posted here, as well. I have been following your story for the last 7 months and I am so sorry that this has happened to you.

You have a wonderful attitude and with all that exercise that you get combined with the great attitude I am sure you will be successful at losing those last pounds and keeping them off.

I am glad that your surgery went went and that it wasn't as difficult as the banding surgery.

take care,

[Iluvharleys 15]

Glad to hear you are much better, and I'm so sorry you had to lose your band. You have a terrific attitude about the whole thing, I just know you will succeed. Good Luck!:biggrin1:

[Guest j. lynn]

Thank you to everyone for your support. Even knowing what happened this week, I wouldn't do anything differently. I changed my eating. I changed my activity. I changed my outlook. Those changes will be with me forever.

One of the reasons I went with the band was the fact that 10 years from now, it would be at work to help me maintain the weight. But, these are the facts and I can work with them.

I had family think that I couldn't make the band work and I did. There are those who think that I won't be able to make it without the band. I'll show them wrong too.

jayme

[Elisabethsew 50]

Thank you for sharing your experience and I'm happy to hear that you're on the road to recovery. Don't push yourself too much and congratulations on your success.

[Alexandra 55]

I agree with others that your attitude is absolutely inspirational. You may have lost your band, and that's sad, but you have your health! Nothing is more valuable.

[Guest ASPHALT ANGEL]

You have came a long way and you have a great attitude about all of this. I have faith that you will lose that last 30 pounds and show all those disbelievers. You go!!!

[the best me 6]

Dang. I'm so sorry you lost your band, but your attitude is phenomenal! I know you will reach your goal. Keep us posted on your progress. You always have great advice, so I hope you will continue to post here often. Once a bandster, always a bandster. Pass the inspiration! (((hugs)))

[Kelliebelly 13]

I am sorry to hear about your band, but I to agree that your outlook and attitude is so inspirational.

Youll always be a bandster!!!

Big Hugs

[adoorme9 0]

your experance just blows me away, with so much to have to go throught with the band. to also be aware, of every other pain, when you think is gas , or 45mins later, you get a pain from the food you eat.. i'm so glad you posted your experience in this site, it will help me be careful. and more aware...thank you so much..and so glad your feeling so much better, and are going forward with your determenation, and your life..God Bless.

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margie,

band 4/5/06

295,-51 gol140

THE HARDER THE TASK , THE STRONGER WE BECOME:messenger3: :dog: :cat:

[seemo 0]

u do inspire me,Its been 2.5 yrs on my banding lost around 60 pounds ,including 1 pregnancy in between with stillbirth 32 weeks,and now Iam 6and a half months pregnant,still chronic hypertension and the past few days I was so scared ,till now actually since I have this pain in my chest and cant tlerate Water and solids nearly at all,taking zantac and having to deal with fears of losing baby for erosion or slippage now: (But when u describe that those things come with tremendous pain I hope Iam just abit irritated and it will go away,since I cant do anything seriuos about it now,for the baby's sake!

I hope things get better for all of us.