My Lap Band Journey

[Susie Taake 4]

Hello Everyone,

I am here to tell my lap band story.I was banded in 2003 in Wisconsin.I was almost #300 pounds, and was so miserable.I was so excited to get this device and it changed my life for the better in the beginning.I lost #140 and was very good at sticking to the rules. I worked out 5 days a week and had tons of energy. In 2006 I was starting to experience pain on my left side and back. I was living in Arizona by this time, and had established with a bariatric doctor here. Insurance was covering everything, and we found out it was broke.The tubing had become disconnected from the port.I was experiencing a lot of back pain,and what felt like a hernia wanting to push my port out,very painful when I would have what I called a episode, which meant standing up,and pushing on the port to stop the pain.Not fun when I was driving ! A sneeze or cough could bring a episode every time. Then I had to make a emergency move to Colorado, and I had insurance, but this new insurance would only approve removing the port and not replacing it. What was the point in that ? So back to Wisconsin I went to the original surgeon in 2008, and I had surgery to fix it. They found no hernia and replaced the port with a smaller port, thinking that was the problem. About two months later I returned to AZ. I tried to get in to the Bariatric doc I had seen here, and I got in once to get a fill. I told them to check if I had Fluid in my band, and when the doc pulled fluid out it was yucky looking not like the clear saline it should have been. They gave me a fill anyways. After that,because I had it repaired in Wisconsin, they wanted a $500 fee up front,and I didn't have it. Then in the episodes started again. Lots of pain on whole left side. I had then lost my job and my insurance.I couldn't get help anywhere, I went to the ER my old doc practiced at,and they refused to even call a bariatric doc in. I then took the advice of people in our Facebook Lapband Failure group and called around to different clinics. I was advised to go to a specific hospital,and and that they will call a bariatric doc in. So I headed out and within 15 minutes I was having a cat scan, and the findings showed a broken lap band again and the hose wrapped around my spleen. My spleen appeared to be bleeding so the doc said the band must come out. It turned out that my spleen was not bleeding, that is has some weird scar tissue buildup. A friend of mine in the group was experiencing terrible pain as well and headed over to the hospital I went to and she ended up getting hers taken out too. The doc thought it was funny we were facebooking over our phones from different floors of the hospital. He said he was going to use our stories at his seminars. His clinic NO LONGER places the band, as they see too many complications, and are removing at least 1 or 2 a week. Anyhow, I had developed a hiatel hernia,and come to find out a inflamed stomach and esophagus. I had regained weight when my band broke, but was losing weight now that it was out, because I could not eat. Yeah I was digging the weight loss but being sick everyday has been terrible. I had my band removed Oct 1st 2013, its been well over a year. I am still having stomach problems, and the place where my port was still is giving me those episodes, although they are constant and I am experiencing shoulder pain, and popping in my left ear. I believe this is due to vagus nerve damage, and or gastroperesis. I am going to see the gastro doc next week and I want a gastric emptying test done. As my whole digestive system is screwed up over this band. I don't know if this pain by my ex port area is part of that,but I need to find out,because it is constant pain now. It turned out that the surgeon didnt think my spleen needed to be removed. They have never seen a spleen like mine. The bariatric doc said that he figured that from the haitel hernia pushing my stomach up caused the hose of the band to rub against my spleen therefore causing the damage. In all honesty had I of known that this device could do such damage I would of never elected to have it. They said it was reversible with minimal damage. THEY LIE !!! We have people in our group who have to eat with feeding tubes, perforations to their stomach, attachment to heart, liver, and other organs,and suffer tremendously with other issues they did not have before the band. Never again will I have weight loss surgery ! And I wouldn't recommend getting the band. All we can pray for is a class action law suit someday.This device has been reported to the FDA for its failures,and we can only hope we see justice. I'm just so very glad that many surgeons are not placing it anymore due to its serious complications. Thats my story ! wish me luck in finding a solution to the damage the band left behind. Thank you !

[ABLOND 92]

Sorry to hear of your trouble...may I ask what the picture you attached, is of?

[Susie Taake 4]

That would be my spleen, as of right now the surgeon doesn't think it needs to come out. Yes its damaged but they dont think the scar tissue is harmful I guess or affecting it. But scar tissue can cause pain. But I am trying to find answers to this pain and problems I am having. I am suspecting gastroperesis, with vagus nerve damage. And thank you

[Susie Taake 4]

@@ABLONDThat would be my spleen, as of right now the surgeon doesn't think it needs to come out. Yes its damaged but they dont think the scar tissue is harmful I guess or affecting it. But scar tissue can cause pain. But I am trying to find answers to this pain and problems I am having. I am suspecting gastroperesis, with vagus nerve damage. And thank you