I would love to hear from anyone who has had a similar journey with their lap band. Did you end up having another surgery?

[Connie S. 0]

I had my lap band surgery on October 9^th, 2012! The surgery and recovery went very well, but the year with the lap band wasn’t fun for me. I threw up once or twice every day with lots of mucus. I kept my lap band on for the year, hoping and praying that it would get better and it didn’t.

The typical response that I received was that I wasn't chewing long enough but I was. The doctor decided that it would be a good idea to take all the saline out of my band and see how I was feeling after.

After having the saline removed and still having the same problems. The doctor decided to do another scope. During the scope, he discovered that I had ulcers in my esophagus. Thinking that this might be the problem, he prescribed a medication to see if they would clear up. A month later I went for another scope and the medication worked, but I was still throwing up.

After having a long discussion with my doctor, I explained that I could no longer handle the throwing up and that I wanted to have the band taken out. He also at that time referred me to the Bariatric clinic for surgery.

On June 12^th, I had my lap band removed and from that day on I have not thrown up. I can finally eat normally without throwing up.

I am now in the Bariatric program awaiting the surgery and I would like to talk to anyone who has been down the similar journey with the lap band and now had the gastric bypass surgery? Which surgery did you have and how are you handling food after the surgery?

Thank you in advance for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

Connie

Edited October 20, 2014 by Connie S.

[Abby513 2]

Hi, Connie. I originally had lap band surgery in 2005. Starting weight was 265 (I'm just a hair shy of 5'5") and I lost (and kept off) 100 lbs. I had to have the band removed (emergency surgery) about 2.5 years ago due to scar tissue building up between my stomach and the band (completely closing off the band). It felt really good to get the band out of my body - I had always said that I had a feeling that I wouldn't have the band forever. I was back at work within a week following the removal surgery (having the band put in was a real bear - I think it was 3 weeks before I could go back to work). After the band was removed the hunger came back with a vengence and I started re-gaining the weight (max'd at 235).

I recently under went sleeve (belated) conversion. Weight on the day of surgery was 216; today I'm at 201. They kept me in the hospital for two nights following surgery. I wasn't nearly as uncomfortable following this surgery as I was following the insertion of the band (my torso was sore) and I did it without any paid meds. I'm starting to get back to an exercise program - mostly walking (my last incision just stopping seeping about 5 days ago and every pair of pants I had would rub and tear the scab off almost as soon as it would form).

I'm still on the soft food diet and will be for a little over two more weeks. Some of the food feels a little like it did going through the band - where you can feel it - but not everything. Fluids are easier for me to get down than they were with the band (I had a little of the mucus issue with the band - espeically, first thing in the morning - I haven't experienced anything similar with the sleeve). I do have to be really diligent about not drinking 1/2 hr. before and after eating (I didn't have to worry about that with the band, I couldn't get anything down with the band if I wasn't drinking something), or it just flushes everything right through. I haven't had any problems with nausea (since just following the surgery) and I haven't thrown up at all. My digestive system was initially a little sensitive and I experienced some diarrhea. At first I thought it was the lactose in the Protein drink I was using, but ultimately I believe it was a sensitivity to an artificial sweetner. I changed my brand of Protein Drink and it's been much better since then.

Is there something specific you'd like me to try to address (given that I'm still pretty early into this new process)?

Abby