Date is Set! Bye-Bye Bandie.

[Daisalana 33]

I was banded in 2007; it worked lovely for me, I lost almost everything I wanted in 1 year -- then I got pregnant & it broke, gained it all back, had a baby, revised band -- lost it all again, got pregnant again & it broke again -- gained it all back again, had a baby, revised band. Worked again, but slower... broke again.. gained it back... this has continued on and on.. I have had a total of 2 replacements & 6 revisions. The last revision didn't take, I don't feel the same as I use to, and that revision was early 2015. This is between 2 surgeons. Back to my original 2007 pre-op weight, my band has been bothering me... Found out it is slipped & has to go.

They had to move my port from belly, chest, belly... port has flipped 4 times... port disconnected once... tubing broke once... and now slipped.

Keep in mind, since day 1 I am self-pay, so I could have bought a house by now with all I have paid.

Doctor said we either revise the band again, remove it, or convert it.

I refuse to revise the band again, I hate the booger at this point.

It will be $9k to remove it -- $22k to revise it to a sleeve. I am too afraid of GP, even after all this time as a bariatric patient. In 2012 I wanted to convert to the sleeve, but the price difference was too much to justify everytime I had to go under the knife (if I only knew how many more surgeries I'd be paying for since then because of the band!!).

This time, I decided -- remove it, and be done. When I can eat 'normal' again for the first time in years, I'll work on eating things like fruit, veggies & salads -- which I can't eat now. I thought a little more & talked with family, and we've all decided I should just take out a 2nd mortgage and bite the bullet, because I'm not healthy anymore and would very much like to be, and if I decided later on I want the sleeve, it's going to be another 20k+ the 9k I pay now.

So, I have it all scheduled now. Surgery first week of January 2017 (for tax purposes, I asked to wait until the new year).

I've been absent from the forum for years, feeling that I have nothing to contribute as a lap-band failure, and the great friendships I made through this forum, I talk to all the time.

But I am back, now that I am going to be a 'newbie' in the sleeve world. I am very excited now that I've gotten over the initial shock of how much money I'm going to be shelling out..... again.

Here's to my new success, and good riddance to the band!!!!

[Travelher 915]

There are less expensive options if money is an issue. I considered Mexico briefly but settled on Montreal. The whole thing was 23k canadian which is probably 17k Usd. It included removal and revision. I went with the bypass, but I think lots of people end up with the sleeve due to scar tissue. He was able to do it all at once. He indicated that in the case of an erosion, it would have to be 2-stage (probably 2 costs).

My band stopped working properly after my pregnancy and eventually stopped holding a fill at all. I used to have to take off my bra to eat. Now I'm wearing underwire again!! Woohoo!

[Daisalana 33]

I originally went with my first surgeon that was hours away from home due to a cheaper price, and I found it terribly inconvenient for when I ended up having to go back & forth. While I'm not against going to Mexico, my generally supportive family is, so I don't consider that an option.

Interesting that pregnancy made yours wonky too! Pregnancy flipped/disconnected etc. my band every time. I begrudgingly wear underwire now, I'll be glad to be back into all the old clothes I've held on to. Good luck with your continued success!

[shedo82773 1,236]

MAN O MIGHTY you have had your share of it for sure!! My hubby had the Band for 13 years, they punctured it during his fill. Back to surgery he went. Now, he did lose 100#'s with his band. But his beginning weight was 520#'s. Now I'm not saying it was all from the band at that time. Fast forward to 2012ish he could not hold down even Water. He is a VETERAN so he went to the VA who sent him to a Bariatric Surgeon 2 hours from home. So in Sept they had planned to remove his band and his gallbladder, due to gallstones. Then revise him to a RNY. (which I had done July 2, 2013 and I have been very successful with mine) His band had eroded into his liver so they couldn't do the RNY. But told him that in 3 months they would finish the RNY. He developed abscesses and was so deathly sick for 9 months, 3 of which he doesn't even remember!! Oh course the Surgeon wouldn't do his surgery after all. He went to Portland, Oregon to an awesome Bariatric Center. By this time we found out that he has Kidney Cancer and they can't do anything for it until he loses 150#'s. So last June, we went to Juarez, Mexico. He went for the RNY but due to all of his past surgery's and his messed up band, his whole right side was solid scar tissue so he ended ugetting the Sleeve. He has lost 60#'s but he just can't fight the head hunger. The saddest part of all of this, was the Surgeon that talked him into the Band said he wasn't strong enough for the RNY. That man was so very strong and had just retired from his job!! I wish we al had a crystal ball back then it sure would have helped him out!! Now I didn't tell you all of this to scare you, I just wanted to vent AGAIN and to make sure that if you decide to go t0o Mexico for WLS please don't go thru BeLiteWeight. I have sense heard of many others having AWESOME AMAZING surgery's in Mexico just not where we went. It sure is much cheaper than the US but if we knew all about JUarez we sure woud have changed. The other sad thing is he has insureance that would pay for WLS, but he couldn't lose the amount of weight they wanted him to and get his A1C (diabetes 3 month of Blood Sugars) down to a 7 or 8. Good Luck and I look forward to following your post and watching you get healthy!! Thank you for listening.