Revision from Lap Band

[JustFluffy 122]

I just realized I'd hyjacked Junipers thread !! Sorry....

I was banded in April 2008, 259 lbs with a BMI of 41. I lost almost 70 pounds in the first year. I had a flipped port within a month of being banded - which should have been a light bulb for me. Went through a painful divorce, moved back home (and away from my doctor), missed almost two years of follow-up, got pneumonia, got defilled, took a long time to find a band-doctor in my area to see me. It was a long two years...

Good news, found a wonderful doctor (John David Nye in Pensacola). Found out he can't access my port - which is in my chest and he hates it there (says it is dangerous). Went to get my port moved, started having reflux and abdominal pains. Got an Upper G.I. - found out I have GERD and my esphagus is no longer working properly (back in March 2011). Have been waiting for my insurance to approve me (had to wait on pre-existing condition law) for the revision. Well after Dr. Nye got my results he said that the band has to come out. We discussed my options and decided on RNY revision. I found out three weeks ago my insurance approved me in two days!

Last Monday I went to the hospital and got all my pre-op work done and I'm having my band removal and revision to RNY on Monday week, August 1st ....

I'm nervous, exciting, nervous and SO ready for this band to come out. I'm to the point now I can't eat anything and he can't access my port to let any Fluid out (I have about 3 in a 10cc).

All those out there just browsing - please jump in and tell your story! I know I will have a ton of questions...especially as my day approaches and the lifetime change that is coming...

[salsa1877 10]

I just realized I'd hyjacked Junipers thread !! Sorry....

I was banded in April 2008, 259 lbs with a BMI of 41. I lost almost 70 pounds in the first year. I had a flipped port within a month of being banded - which should have been a light bulb for me. Went through a painful divorce, moved back home (and away from my doctor), missed almost two years of follow-up, got pneumonia, got defilled, took a long time to find a band-doctor in my area to see me. It was a long two years...

Good news, found a wonderful doctor (John David Nye in Pensacola). Found out he can't access my port - which is in my chest and he hates it there (says it is dangerous). Went to get my port moved, started having reflux and abdominal pains. Got an Upper G.I. - found out I have GERD and my esphagus is no longer working properly (back in March 2011). Have been waiting for my insurance to approve me (had to wait on pre-existing condition law) for the revision. Well after Dr. Nye got my results he said that the band has to come out. We discussed my options and decided on RNY revision. I found out three weeks ago my insurance approved me in two days!

Last Monday I went to the hospital and got all my pre-op work done and I'm having my band removal and revision to RNY on Monday week, August 1st ....

I'm nervous, exciting, nervous and SO ready for this band to come out. I'm to the point now I can't eat anything and he can't access my port to let any Fluid out (I have about 3 in a 10cc).

All those out there just browsing - please jump in and tell your story! I know I will have a ton of questions...especially as my day approaches and the lifetime change that is coming...

Good evening!

I had band to bypass revision on May 3 and I LOVE IT!! I am so happy with my "decision". Mine wasn't so much of a decisions as it was...if you ever want to eat again you need to get the stupid band out of you. I was very successful with my band and lost 110 pounds in 9.5 months but then right around my 3 year anniversary I started having major problems. I was completely unfilled but I kept throwing up quite regularly. Any time anyone would question it, I just made one excuse after another without realizing it: The food was too tought, I ate to fast, I didn't chew enough, etc. Finally I had resorted to eating three things: Hershey's with almonds, cheese puffs, and Pasta with alfredo sauce because those were the only things that would go down with out being rejected by my band...which we soon nick-named the "anti-gravity band"...cuz what went down was inevitably coming up!!! (TMI...but any of us revisioners have been there and done that!)

After craziness with my insurance company I finally had my revision done by Dr. Stowers in Decatur, TX. The recovery was very easy for me. I was back to work as a high school science teacher 6 days after surgery. The first two weeks were pretty easy because it was just liquids. Weeks 3-6ish were a little more difficult as I transitioned to soft foods and then to real foods. I was getting nauseated all the time. Every time I ate I felt like I was getting car sick. However, that has seemed to fade unless I eat too much fat. I have avoided sugar at almost all cost except for the piece of cheesecake on my birthday which sent me over the edge. Dumping for me is a lot less about running to the bathroom (though I was in there for a while) and more about my the heart pounding in my chest. From what I have read everyone's experience is a little different but for me I know when I have too much fat or sugar because my DH can put his hand just barely touching my shirt and feel my heart beating. I can feel it in my ears and it is awful.

This might sound bad but I am done counting calories, grams of Protein, and everything else so I don't. I eat things that are healthy (though I am having a really hard time even wanting meat...it disgusts me right now!) and I eat small amounts but I don't fret like I did with my band. I have lost 27 pounds in just under three months. However, I was fairly close to goal and only have 13 pounds to go to get to goal so my BMI was not very high. Both my doctor and I agreed that I would take the weight off slowly because my rapid weightloss with the band caused me some medical issues.

I will tell you that your tastes buds are going to change. I thought they were crazy when they said you wouldn't crave sweets, but I haven't wanted a candy bar, doughnut, or ice cream since surgery. Salt on the other hand...that is my new "transfer addiction". I can't get enough!

Please let me know if you have any questions. I still feel like a newbie myself but I will do my best to answer any questions you might have. Good luck!

[JustFluffy 122]

I had my surgery on August 1st and am finally healed, well almost healed. I go next week to the doctor for my final checkup then hopefully won't have to go back for a while.

My revision was tougher than what the doctor thought it would be. It took him an hour to remove my port from my chest (because it was sewn by the org surgeon to my ribs)...long story! then another two hours to finish my surgery. I'm not sure all that happened although it should have only taken about 45 minutes and took 3 hours...

I've had problems healing from surgery from my incision site/drain site. I was a mini-open and for whatever reason aferwards I kept ripping my internal sutures and it took about a month before he finally stitched up my external incision....I drained for about seven weeks from the drain area below the incision (between my breasts)...it finally stopped draining week before last and is finally closing up...

food is going well...portions got me when I originally started on solids a few weeks ago but finally have that demon licked. Still learning my pouch is very finicky and kinda has a mind of its own. Some days it likes what I eat and some days it doesn't...seems to be a learning process.