weight gain Scared Shitless-8 years out banded rapidly gaining weight

[LifeLiver 22]

Ready for some RAW confessions-I have spent the last 8 years living (or dying to be thin) with my band. For the most part I have lived a life of chronic vomiting, severe restriction, with a trade off of loosing 190 lbs at one point. About two years ago, my weight has been creeping up, at 6ft tall I can hide pounds pretty easily...but after 20 lbs the battle was on. At 205 I started to panic and got a trainer, and really watched my food. For the most part, because I could not eat alot without vomiting...I was always eating. And because I was always vomiting, I thought I could eat whatever I wanted...because I would throw it up after all. On June 15th of this year, I managed to gain 10 lbs over a weekend. I thought this is crazy, what is happening with my body? I found a trainer, and began working out every day...still doing my daily gig of eating and vomiting. Well, I went to see a new PCP, and admitted to my band problems and concern with weight gain at very high rates. All labs have come out normal...and I thought this is it, I am going to eat well and get my life in control...so off I went for my first upper GI since banded...and guess what, total restriction, nothing getting through & my esophagous was 3 times the size it should be. The radiologist was wonderful, and being a Clinical Nurse Specialist I am pretty wise in medical stuff, and can talk my way (or manipulate) through most things. So I told him I would go get it assessed and unfilled. I did, I was following the rules to be healthy. I weighed in at 207 (working out, eating well) and was actually really excited to eat normal for the first time in 8 years. I felt like I was freed from survivor and off the island and could eat! I guzzled Water, I ate...and did not binge but enjoyed every meal. On Monday getting ready for work, my pants were TIGHT...got on the scale and in FIVE days gained 23 lbs. I freaked, called my PCP, ran blood work, all normal. I had a theory my fat cells were trying to blow up again. Yesterday I met with a new surgeon and he confirmed that exactly that....that my body was trying like hell to reset to 360lbs. SO my question for you all, can you relate to anything I am saying? I am scared to death, crying, sobbing and grieving this weight nightmare. He has recommended a conversion to the sleeve...Please help me understand the good & the bad? He went ahead and filled me with 2.5 cc to stop the rapid weight gain...and so now my puking has resumed. I have never been so open about my experience, but I am ready to live again...and cannot believe I have destroyed my metabolism...I thank you in advance for your help.

[Kimbaru 10]

Oh dear, your story is very similar to mine. I started with my 1st band on 2005. I proceeded to vomit my way from 330 down to 235. Soon after that I had to have my band repositioned. Then although I still threw up fairly often, I never felt full. I had at least 30 fills/unfills until a doc convinced me to take all of the Fluid out. That was about 3 years ago and when I finally got my band out in March I was back to 340. 3 months later I got sleeved (at 345). I'm 2 months out and down 48 lbs. It hasn't been a bed of roses, but I'm very glad I did it. I am full on very little and have only thrown up 3 times. The sleeve is what the band promised to be. Best of luck, Kim

[Amanda626 153]

Bless your heart! Never banded but 5 months out ands thankful for my sleeve! I have throwed up twice in 5 months.....

[Kami63 215]

I'm so sorry! I have a similar story. I was unfilled for 3 years due to not being able to keep anything down. Most of that time I had crappy insurance and they would not revise me. I got up to 315 and then had bulging discs in my back so I had to lose weight or it was going to kill me. I managed to lose quite a bit on my own then got approved for the sleeve. I am down to 250! I am so happy and my quality of life is so much better. I have not thrown up at all post sleeve. If I never lose another pound the surgery would be worth getting that darn thing out. Of course though I am losing slow, I plan on losing a lot more and now I have an EFFECTIVE tool that helps me feel full on very little without vomiting everything I put in my mouth. Good luck and know that you are definitely not alone!

[Hynita 113]

Get that band out!! You will love the sleeve its 100 Times better! !

[PrettyPuffy 6]

I am sort of a similar situation and I definitely understand. My choice right now is to get refilled and just deal with the side effects of vomiting, etc. or remove the band and hope that my insurance will cover me for the sleeve three months after. It's so stressful, I completely appreciate that. The thought of gaining weight rapidly once the band is removed is so depressing. I wish you all the best and deep down know that for me, I need to get this band out..

[chinamama 104]

Sounds familiar. I still remember getting ready for my band and a friend telling me to get ready to barf. I told her I DON'T throw up. I had probably thrown up 10x in my life. 5 1/2 years later something's stuck up it came.

I also know that anytime my Fluid came out the weight flew back on! I kept telling my sister (a doctor) I'm not really eating that much....

That said the best decision I ever made was to get my band out and my sleeve (My doctor prefers to do both in one step), I love it!!! I too am a slow loser, 3 1/2 mo out and down 25 lbs! I just passed my lowest weight with the band, 1 lb away from 100 lbs from my highest and 8 lbs away from wonderland! I haven't been under 200 in 30+ years!

A difference I discovered the other day for ME is that with the band I could eat sweets all day long, they just slipped right thru. I bought a piece of cake when I was out of town. I ate about 1/4 of it and was FULL!

I've said the same thing many times, the sleeve is what they promised us the band would be like.

Good luck with your decision!

[LifeLiver 22]

Thank you all for your support, means the world

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I had the crapband for 10 years. Unlike you, once I started having problems i gained weight, I didn't somehow keep it in check. I was banded at 267 pounds, got down to about 200 or so, and regained to my all time high of 332. By the time of my preop diet I was 308, day of sleeve surgery 300. In the 2.5 months between my band removal and my surgery I did gain some weight, but i worked hard to keep it in check. It was tough though, really tough.

This morning I weighed 155 - have been maintaining since Feb. No vomiting, no pain, no suffering. I am not saying it is easy, but the sleeve is so superior!!!!

Good luck and know that that the band is flawed and there are other, better options out there!

[JewelJ 29]

I'm new here tonight Cowgirljane, This was a great story, i'm so nervous about this, and now I feel great. I go Oct 9th to remove my Band and the Doc will do the Sleeve in Jan. He said it is better to have good tissue to work with. We did get approval for both surgeries already. He wrote them about both and wanted approval on both. I am nervous about weight gain when the band comes out after reading all these, but i'm so glad their are so many of you here to talk to. This is great. Thanks to all of you.

:wub:JewelJ :wub:

[genepha 47]

I had the band placed in 2001. Had a port revision in 2010. Then had a slip so I had to replace the band (at the same time I had a plication done) in 2011. My plication wasn't performed correctly and I had another band slip so I had to have my band removed. Although my stomach had a lot of scar tissue due to all these issues, my doctor was able to remove my band, take down what was left of the plication and perform a sleeve.

I've lost almost 40 pounds in 2 months. For some perspective, it took me almost 11 months with the band to lose 40 pounds.

For me the sleeve has been so much better than the band. I considered it in 2011 but decided on plication. My only regret is that I wish I would've done the sleeve then. But now that I have the sleeve, I definitely appreciate it!

Good luck to you!

[M2G 1,836]

I had the band placed in 2001. Had a port revision in 2010. Then had a slip so I had to replace the band (at the same time I had a plication done) in 2011. My plication wasn't performed correctly and I had another band slip so I had to have my band removed. Although my stomach had a lot of scar tissue due to all these issues, my doctor was able to remove my band, take down what was left of the plication and perform a sleeve.

I've lost almost 40 pounds in 2 months. For some perspective, it took me almost 11 months with the band to lose 40 pounds.

For me the sleeve has been so much better than the band. I considered it in 2011 but decided on plication. My only regret is that I wish I would've done the sleeve then. But now that I have the sleeve, I definitely appreciate it!

Good luck to you!

Good to see you around Jenn! I remember when you had the plication done...I'm sorry it didn't work out for you and glad you got the sleeve. Best of luck to you!

[MaddieJ 82]

I had a band for 8 years and I agree with Kimbaru... the sleeve is what the band promised to be. My wls finally works correctly for me!

[Fixerupper 335]

Banded five years here. Sleeved now for three months. I told my doc that if I never lost a pound with my sleeve it would be worth it if I could just stop throwing up all day every day. I'm down 48 pounds today and loving sleeve life!

[BellaHugz 331]

Wow, Isn't is amazing how much our bodies will take after beign banded. I too was in the banded and went through all the vomiting and not being able to eat Protein and keep it down. My body would just reject everything and I would never know when it was gonig to come back up..Sometimes it was immediately and sometimes 20 minutes later.

I am so glad to hear you are sleeved and doing so well, your story has helped me fight to get sleeved. Congrats on 48lbs lost and to being able to keep the food you eat, it really is a miracle!!