Newly Debanded

[amywynn217 0]

I had my lap band removed two days ago after having it in for 2 years. I intially lost 20 pounds and then went on the fill/unfill roller coaster and eventually unfilled about 6 months post surgery because could never get the sweet spot. Because I was unfilled, I over induldged (which is easy to do) and PB'ing was a part of everyday life for me. I spoke to my original surgeon and a new surgeon about getting it out - insurance denied the removal. Months later my port site started hurting and the pain got worse, visited dr on Tuesday and he said that he can file an appeal. By Friday (11/16) I couldn't stand it and went to the ER. He did an emergency removal and said I had a lot of scar tissue. He gave me a big waist band type thing to wear while walking and Lortab for pain (which has worked good). I had a lot of pain from the intubation tube (apparently I'm a fighter) but that has subsided somewhat. I've eaten scrambled eggs, cream of wheat and milk. Kept it bland and soft as per instructions. I was given carafate to prevent ulcers and have experienced Constipation. All in all I'm very pleased with the removal and am looking forward to a life without that band in me. My DH was worried I will start over eating, which I honestly don't think that's a problem. One thing that did change while banded was I became a vegetarian, so when I indulge it's on the good stuff. If anyone has any words of wisdom after being debanded and liking it. Please let me know.

Thanks for letting me share.

[Banded Bandit 0]

I have a question for you. I cannot answer questions about being unbanded until tomorrow. I am having mine removed (after 3 years and lots of pain and vomiting) tomorrow afternoon. My question is -- what did your doctor tell you about eating after band removal? Do you have to do liquids mushies for so long or is it just a matter of going slowly and seeing what you can tolerate? I can see how the place in your stomach would be a little swollen after surgery but it seems like it wouldn't necessarily take as much time to heal or for the swelling to go down as it did, for example, after the device was implanted.

Thanks!

[amywynn217 0]

I was on liquids for about 8 hours in the hospital, then the morning I went home they gave me cream of wheat, milk, pudding, etc. By Saturday afternoon I was eating scrambled eggs. You should just take it slow for a few days with soft foods. I figure by Thanksgiving I should be able to eat what I want. Good luck with your removal. :hungry:

[born2swim 1]

Ok... so my question is... why did your doctor agree to deband you? Was it the port pain? I am so tired of my band. I vomit too often. I have had fill-unfill for the last year. The first year was bliss with my band but now it is hell. food hurts most days (I am empty) and I have had 3 bouts of gastritis and am getting over esophagitis. I have to take 2 GERD meds, but my band surgeon feels that things will improve. I am just so unhappy with my band... and I am considering VSG... but he won't take out my band. He thinks I need to "mentally" cope with food addiction. Well, when it hurts to eat, I resort to milkshakes and ice cream. Can you blame me? I am still ravenous, but it hurts to eat. Ice cream feels better than other foods, so I go for that. I hate being nauseated too.

Sorry this is more of a vent. I guess I just wanted to know why your surgeon agreed to take out your band in the end?

[Banded Bandit 0]

Well i am not the OP but I did have my band out this past Monday. Life is good now! I was exactly like you with the whole, "I'm so frustrated I can't eat real food, let's go get ice cream" I gained back 60 of the 90 pounds I lost because all I could eat was crap. The worst part was that I was UNFILLED completely for a year and a half and still got stuck all the time!

To answer your question -- I didn't have my original surgeon take mine out. I went to a completely new doctor and explained all of the problems I was having and how I couldn't eat the way I should, etc... and they submitted it to insurance to be paid for (completely) due to complications. My suggestion -- if your surgeon will not do it, find another who will (if that is what you want to do, of course). Good luck!

[born2swim 1]

Well i am not the OP but I did have my band out this past Monday. Life is good now! I was exactly like you with the whole, "I'm so frustrated I can't eat real food, let's go get ice cream" I gained back 60 of the 90 pounds I lost because all I could eat was crap. The worst part was that I was UNFILLED completely for a year and a half and still got stuck all the time!

To answer your question -- I didn't have my original surgeon take mine out. I went to a completely new doctor and explained all of the problems I was having and how I couldn't eat the way I should, etc... and they submitted it to insurance to be paid for (completely) due to complications. My suggestion -- if your surgeon will not do it, find another who will (if that is what you want to do, of course). Good luck!

Thanks for the feedback! I had a GI doctor tell me that I was "addicted to food" and will invent symptoms until my surgeon removes the band. He didn't think that I had problems! Now that he actually saw gastritis and esophagitis... he STILL said that I was making it up. WTF! He told my surgeon all that and my surgeon is leaning more on my side now, but he still "trusts" this other doctor. I will give it some more time... but frankly, I am so sick and tired of this and... believe it or not... I don't even like ice cream! I'd much rather have a bagel than ice cream. So... the band still stops me from eating stuff like that, but ice cream actually soothes the irritated stomach/esophagus, so I resort to that. I am so tired of it! I don't want to get a fill because I am vomiting now... but I dont' want to give up yet...

I am, however, researching VSG because I cannot control my weight without controlling my hunger. My band is empty and hunger is out of control. I have gained 60 pounds in the last year, 40 of which has been since July, when the gastritis started and I began to eat ice cream and milkshakes. I am so frustrated! I'm glad that I am not the only person feeling this way!:think

[Banded Bandit 0]

I was scheduled to have the VSG Monday when I had my band out. I did the liquid diet, etc... all the way up to the end and was planning on it but I really began doubting myself. This is a very personal decision so I am NOT trying to talk you out of it whatsoever. But I will tell you why I decided not to have it done. Back when I had my band put in (2004), everyone was very positive about lapband. I couldn't really find any negative stuff and of course there was not as much info (message boards either) out there at the time. It was about as new in the U.S. as the VSG is now. With the VSG it just scared me how much of the stomach they remove and the fact that it is completely permanent. I thought, "what if I start having similar problems and I can't ever do anything about it?" I could NOT live the way I was living for the rest of my life. I think chances are more slim with that happening, but I think it was just the whole "once bitten, twice shy" thing. I was scared to death, so I told the surgeon I just wanted my band out and nothing else. I guess it is POSSIBLE that down the road I will change my mind if this has as much success long-term as it has in the short-term. I just don't know. I am not going into it thinking I will though. I am so excited to be able to eat 'normal' foods again. In fact, just last night, we did go and buy Bagels and some fruit in the store. All things I love having for Breakfast and couldn't even DREAM of eating with the band. I intend to get this weight off the old-fashioned way. I am so tired of the junk that I WANT to eat healthier things. Without the "control" of the lapband I feel like I have so much more control of my life now. Strange, I know....but it's like I tell everyone else in my life --you won't understand me unless you've truly been through this. Good luck to you. Please PM me anytime if you just need someone to listen -- I DO understand!

[born2swim 1]

Hey! I have been thinking a lot about my band, possible VSG, etc. I just know myself that I can't lose the weight on my own. My hunger is too severe and I can't control it. I am going to talk with my surgeon about all the problems I am having. He knows about all of them, but I don't think I can give my band another shot at filling. I have horrible, HORRIBLE reflux today. The burning is insane and my 2 GERD meds and tums won't help. I tried drinking milk and things to coat my stomach... but it won't go away today

My band was wonderful for the first year, but it has been torture this last year. I really think I am going to get the VSG if my band comes out. My dad is looking into insurance coverage and I will be talking with my surgeon this next week. I just can't control my hunger on my own. I have had a satiety problem since I was born and I grew up with it. My doctors have tried to fix it with meds, therapy, tricking me, etc. Nothing worked. The band worked when it was tightened well, but I can't tolerate a fill anymore (I can't tolerate it empty anymore).

[condanchri 0]

Reading these posts has, at times, felt like dejavu. I used to keep track on the boards regularly, but being somewhat of an "old timer," I fell out of touch. I have been banded since Oct. 2004. In the first year, life was good. I lost 90 lbs., and felt good about myself. I began to gradually notice, however, that the healthy foods I had always loved began to not work well with my band, i.e. fruits, veggies, breads, meats. I started PB'ing regularly, which caused even more irritation with my band. It was (and is) a vicious cycle. With the irritation, I couldn't even touch any food or liquids until around noon each day (this was without any fill). After that, I would fall into the "ice cream trap" - the only foods that felt good on my stomach, and which I was able to have go down well, were ice cream. I had all the Fluid removed from my band to try and ease the irritation. I began to gain weight back, even though I was consistently trying to make healthy choices. I've now gained back 55 lbs., and am miserable. I've recently experienced night-time heart burn, and internal pain just above where my band is. My port is sore. It feels good to write all this down, because I just don't have anyone to talk to about it. My band was self-pay, and it really put my DH and I in debt at the time. We've talked about having it removed (my dream!), but we can't afford it - my insurance will not pay for removal (although I would have to check with them further if there are complications involved). Because I had my band installed via a very reputable Dr. in Mexico, I haven't had much in the way of local follow-up. I have gone to a Dr. locally to have fills and unfills done, but I have a feeling that asking him to remove it would be VERY costly (I've also heard that, since my band was installed by a Dr. in Mexico, many American Doc's wouldn't touch me). I have a quote from last year from my Mexican Dr., and I've been trying to save up to pay for it. I just wish I felt better. I wish I had known then what I know now. I know that the Lap Band has been a wonderful success for so many - it adds to my frustration, considering what I go through on a daily basis, that this has not been the case for me. I guess I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice for me in my situation. Chances are I will have to wait until we have the money to go down to Mexico (if my health will wait that long - the new reflux and chest pain are freaking me out though, I must admit). I stay at home with our kids, so I don't have any way to speed up the money process. Thanks for letting me rant a bit - it's been so good to get back to the boards, and see how others are dealing with similar situations. Thanks in advance for any advice/comments.

:phanvan

[shauns11 0]

Hello, what is VSG?

[Banded Bandit 0]

First of all, VSG is Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. It is another form of WLS where they remove about 80% of your stomach (which includes the portion that produces your hunger horomone - ghrelin) and create a small banana-shaped (long tube) pouch as your stomach. You can't eat much, as this portion does not stretch easily, and you have no hunger due to removing the ghrelin horomone. It is VERY new.

To Condanchri-- I feel your pain. I am VERY VERY lucky to have insurance that paid for my removal, otherwise I would be up a creek right now. I will say however, that even if they had not paid for it, with the problems I was having (constantly) I would have found a way to pay for it. Even if it meant going into credit card debt for a few years. I am not sure about the whole insurance thing as far as what they will cover when a Doc in Mexico does the surgery but it seems to me a lot of them will cover removal in "emergency situations." Mine would have been considered just shy of a true emergency. I didn't have any slip that could be seen or erosion, etc... it just wasn't compatible with my body anymore. I was getting sick so often that my teeth were affected. I couldn't eat healthy if I wanted to. It was awful and I couldn't continue to live my life in that state. I truly hope you are able to find the funds to have your band removed -- if that is what you decide you want of course. I know it's awful --I hate to be so pessimistic about it, but I don't sugar-coat well to begin with, and having been there, I KNOW it sucks! Please feel free to PM me any time, even if you just need to vent!

I guess I should change my name to De-Banded Bandit!

[Madam Medusa 0]

Well, I can't believe I found this forum! I didn't know that such a group existed and I am so thankful to have found you all. I am getting my band removed next week after having it since April 2006. I actually don't have a choice, the band itself has a "leak" so out it comes! I have had problems the past year with throwing up everytime I eat, pain, being able to only eat crap food and after losing 40 pounds I have gained back about 30. I guess I am fortunate that insurance basically has to cover it but I'm depressed and uncertain about replacing it. I don't really want to and was kind of relieved when the surgeon said that she wants to take it out, let my stomach rest, and then if I want it back in she would do a separate surgery. I absolutely do not want a gastric bypass or anything, it is the band or nothing however I'm scared about going it alone. I can tell myself that I've hit rock bottom, this is it, I will have to get on track, etc. but I feel like I'm just fooling myself since I've been overweight for 23 years and tried everything. Anyway, I have to run but I'm looking forward to reading more and getting advice from you all.

[toniteach 0]

MM~

I'm sorry your band didn't work for you, but think you're going to sail right through your removal surgery: no worries! I must say: I'm really envious that your insurance will be paying for it. I'd like to have mine removed, too (electively) but I'll be paying out-of-pocket.

I hope that everything will go smoothly, and that when the time comes, you will do what's best for you on this wild and willy journey!

Take good care,

Toni

[KarenB 0]

Hi all; I should have responded here, but please look @ my post on the "Band Removal/Mini bypass" thread. I just want to add that the VSG is new and not usually covered by insurance, but RNY is. Hope my post helps someone, and I completely agree with the advice: "If your doctor won't remove your band, find one that will!"

[Removal 0]

I had my lap band removed two days ago after having it in for 2 years. I intially lost 20 pounds and then went on the fill/unfill roller coaster and eventually unfilled about 6 months post surgery because could never get the sweet spot. Because I was unfilled, I over induldged (which is easy to do) and PB'ing was a part of everyday life for me. I spoke to my original surgeon and a new surgeon about getting it out - insurance denied the removal. Months later my port site started hurting and the pain got worse, visited dr on Tuesday and he said that he can file an appeal. By Friday (11/16) I couldn't stand it and went to the ER. He did an emergency removal and said I had a lot of scar tissue. He gave me a big waist band type thing to wear while walking and Lortab for pain (which has worked good). I had a lot of pain from the intubation tube (apparently I'm a fighter) but that has subsided somewhat. I've eaten scrambled eggs, cream of wheat and milk. Kept it bland and soft as per instructions. I was given carafate to prevent ulcers and have experienced Constipation. All in all I'm very pleased with the removal and am looking forward to a life without that band in me. My DH was worried I will start over eating, which I honestly don't think that's a problem. One thing that did change while banded was I became a vegetarian, so when I indulge it's on the good stuff. If anyone has any words of wisdom after being debanded and liking it. Please let me know.

Thanks for letting me share.

I am planning on having my lapband removed in about 10 days. I had it put in July 2003 and have found that ability to lose more weight is being prevented by the band. Any thoughts since you had it reemoved?