Lap band not working out like I thought

[brandyII 9]

I got my lap band last August 2007 and have had problems ever since. The surgery was fine, no problems there. The problems started with my fills. They misjudged the size of my band so for the first four months I barely had any thing in my band and I could eat whatever I wanted but in my head I thought it was all my fault.

Then by the third fill they realized I needed more because I had the large size band they gave me the correct amount for the time and that's when I started having problems with food.< /p>

I had no problem with "liquids" which for me were things like sugar free Jello mixed with sugar free or fat free "Coolwhip" and fat free yogurt.

If I tried to eat Protein and veggies they filled me up too fast no matter how much I chewed or how slow I ate. So of course I would end up eating more of the "soft foods" and what my body really needed protein and fruits and veg etc...

Anywho I then began to gain back the weight that I had lost prior to surgery when I was on the liquid shakes, which was about 25 lbs back in July/August.

I met with the "filler" of my port and explained my probs and got another fill which again made it more difficult to eat the "good" foods.

Once more met with "filler" and then mistakenly put in too much fill and had about 12 hours of vomiting up my own saliva, went to ER to have the excess fill removed.

Long story short I'm at the point now where I know that I'm eating wrong because I can't eat the good foods and believe me, I actually want to eat a salad and protein but now the thought actually makes me feel ill.

I knew prior to surgery that you can't drink your diet afterwards, meaning eat ice cream or milk shakes etc... but I honestly thought that I would not be able to eat chocolate like it was Water or even Cookies or cake or chips even. Why is it that I can eat all the bad foods but can't tolerate the good foods? I wish someone would have told me that or I would have found a site a year ago so that I would have had the gastric bypass instead.

I am in my mid forties so I wasn't in a rush to lose the weight and had gotten down to around 225 when I had the surgery so I thought it was a slow proceedure but I still thought it/I would be successful. Anyway I'm back up to 245 now and it's been seven months since the lap band surgery and I feel terrible, has anyone else had an experience like mine, thanks for letting me vent.:thumbup:

[lindazx43 0]

HI BRANDY,

I was banded 9/28/07, about 6 weeks later my port site opened and started oozzing pus. To make a long story short, it took 6 months before the port was finally removed. I feel much better, but I can eat all the bad things and have trouble from time to time with good foods. Would they do a gastric bypass on you it sounds like your bmi is below the 40 that my doctor requires for gastric bypass. Anyway, I think we just have to hang in there, holding on to the knowledge that we will sucessfully reach our weight loss goals

[brandyII 9]

My BMI was just above 40 when I started the presurgical liquid diet so that wasn't the problem and I had sleep apnea and type II diabetes and also of course that old thyroid is under active. Did they remove your lap band or replace the port? I'm still very down about this whole thing but don't think my insurance would pay for a second surgery.

[catzintj 1]

sorry to hear your troubles. i know a couple people who have the same trouble as you. i dont know the answer. i would like to here what others think too.

[brandyII 9]

Thanks for your reply, I just started this website today and have read a lot of postings but I still feel like the only one out there who has had such a problem. I'm in my late 40s and am on meds for anxiety and depression also so I don't know if that hinders my progress at all. Maybe someone out there knows, God if I do!!!!

[mummybandit 0]

I know just how you feel. I am so regretting this surgery. I had mine in October 2007 12 weeks after the birth of my second son and to date have only lost around 11 kgs. (Most of it during the liquid phase of the process) I had my port flip and so required a second operation so have only had my first fill in for around 4 weeks. I am finding it so easy to eat the wrong foods and so difficult to eat the right ones. I sat down to eat some grapes for dessert - (I am a sweet tooth) and struggled so badly. I would love to be able to have a salad sandwich for lunch - the amount of time and effort it takes to eat really puts me off as with two little ones, I don't have that time. I am back into my basketball again which is helping but I feel everything I lose is due to my effort and nothing to do with the band. I feel it has taken all pleasure out of eating and the worst thing is the lack of knowledge that I had about this band before getting it. I found this site post band and would not have got it if I had. I have never been an overeater, my problem is what I eat - so the band is not helping me in that regard at all. My surgeon has the personality of a rock - I had a 10 minute consultation when I was 6 weeks pregnant and he just booked me in for surgery 6 weeks after my baby was due. He never spoke to me again before the surgery even though it was almost a year later. It is my own fault for not looking into it further myself, but I guess I trusted that he knew what he was talking about and was very positive that this would work for me and would get my weight off very quickly. I am now having shocking pains in my left shoulder and am wondering if my vagus nerve has been damaged during surgeries. If I have any more problems, I will definitely have this thing out - I have always been the healthiest person aside from weight but have now had 2 surgeries in less than four months. I feel that I am going to have to conquer my food demons on my own because the lap band is not being the tool for me that it seems to be to others. Hang in there, don't get too depressed and keep coming to this site for support.

[Hastings 3]

The band won't conquer your demons, nor will it keep you from eating the wrong foods. It will help you to fill up fast, and you have to learn to be satisfied with what fills you up.

I'm sorry you are both having such issues. I hope it gets better for you.

[bafranco 0]

I had surgery two weeks and two days ago. I developed a large bulge about the size of an orange underneath the port incision about 10 days after the surgery. The surgeon said is was Fluid build up caused by the open cavity where the port was inserted. He drained it two days ago, but it is starting to build up again. The surgeon said this could happen 3-4 more times. Has anyone else had this experience? If so how many times did it have to be drained before the fluid build up stopped? I would greatly appreciate any other information you can provide regarding this problem.

[mummybandit 0]

Barfranco - you probably need to post this as a new thread rather than a reply - that way people who have had experience with this well see it rather than only those who are looking at the thread about the band not working out. Hope this helps and someone can give you some advice.

[brandyII 9]

I know just how you feel. I am so regretting this surgery. I had mine in October 2007 12 weeks after the birth of my second son and to date have only lost around 11 kgs. (Most of it during the liquid phase of the process) I had my port flip and so required a second operation so have only had my first fill in for around 4 weeks. I am finding it so easy to eat the wrong foods and so difficult to eat the right ones. I sat down to eat some grapes for dessert - (I am a sweet tooth) and struggled so badly. I would love to be able to have a salad sandwich for lunch - the amount of time and effort it takes to eat really puts me off as with two little ones, I don't have that time. I am back into my basketball again which is helping but I feel everything I lose is due to my effort and nothing to do with the band. I feel it has taken all pleasure out of eating and the worst thing is the lack of knowledge that I had about this band before getting it. I found this site post band and would not have got it if I had. I have never been an overeater, my problem is what I eat - so the band is not helping me in that regard at all. My surgeon has the personality of a rock - I had a 10 minute consultation when I was 6 weeks pregnant and he just booked me in for surgery 6 weeks after my baby was due. He never spoke to me again before the surgery even though it was almost a year later. It is my own fault for not looking into it further myself, but I guess I trusted that he knew what he was talking about and was very positive that this would work for me and would get my weight off very quickly. I am now having shocking pains in my left shoulder and am wondering if my vagus nerve has been damaged during surgeries. If I have any more problems, I will definitely have this thing out - I have always been the healthiest person aside from weight but have now had 2 surgeries in less than four months. I feel that I am going to have to conquer my food demons on my own because the lap band is not being the tool for me that it seems to be to others. Hang in there, don't get too depressed and keep coming to this site for support.

Hi Mummybandit,

That's weird you brought up the vagus nerve as there was something on the news just yesterday about people having it cut and it seems to curb their appetites. I doubt it would work for me so it's not something I'd consider but I really have no idea exactly where it is or if they cut them during the surgery or not. I think having the surgery during such an emotional and hormonal time as just having a baby was something your surgeon should have taken into consideration and am suprised didn't.

Sometimes surgeons seem to be very unemotional but very bright people and are trained just to do that part of the job and have others handling all other aspects of this surgery. I'm sure you must have gone through the screening and testing that most lap band patients have to go through prior to surgery if not that's pretty crazy. The pre-testing was very good for me as I was found to have a thyroid and a sleep apnea problem. They psychological testing is not done in a way to screen out people who are emotional eaters.

I spoke with someone today who basically agreed with me that the fact that I can't eat the "good" foods makes me overeat the bad ones to compensate in a way. Maybe it's my body telling me I'm not getting what I'm supposed to be getting. I'm sure part of it is in my own head too but still obesity is a very complex problem and having one solution and locking everyone into it is not the answer! If obesity is such a problem in the US then they really need to be studying it more and quit blaming everyone for their obesity and actually working with people as individuals and not putting us all in the same pigeon hole. Sorry I was venting:ohmy:

[brandyII 9]

I certainly know now that the surgery won't conquer my "demons" but I had a different impression on what the lap band was to do prior to surgery and think it's reasonably to be disappointed. I now have to deal with more issues than I thought I would as do most people who have it and are also disappointed. It's nice to know there are others like me who are having issues with it and are not alone. It can be quite embarrassing when you think you're having a procedure done that will somewhat change you for the better and seven months later have put back 20 pounds and you just spent $30,000 on surgery that should have helped and not hindered the problem. In some ways gaining 20 pounds I feel lucky compared so some of the complications I've read about with some people in these forums. Bless all who do well and bless all who don't!

[brandyII 9]

Excuse My Misspells

[mummybandit 0]

I know you guys in America will be amazed but there was no pre operation anything here with my surgeon in Australia. I was referred by my GP (General Practitioner) because I asked to be. I drove 2 1/2 hours to where the surgeon is - spoke to him for 10 minutes and that was it - was booked in for surgery after my son was to be born around 8 months later. No tests, no pre-op diet, no psch counsel - nothing. He didn't even ask me what my specific food problem was. Just knew that I was a former elite athlete (6 foot tall basketballer who already weighed 92 kgs (around 202 pounds which was quite a good weight for me) who had put on a huge amount of weight with pregnancy and not being able to exercise as much and told me this would work wonders - there would be no problem with breastfeeding etc etc) Since the surgery, no dietician, nutritionist, nothing - just sent on my way and told to come back whenever I feel I need another fill. Then of course when I went to have the first fill - my port was flipped - he did admit this was probably because the abdominal walls were so thin because it was done so soon after giving birth. I then had to have another op to have the port restitched which he did into a muscle to try and hold it in place. The fact that there has been no follow up nutritional support I find incredible, particularly as I am still breastfeeding so obviously need nutrition. Despite the incredibly uncomfortable feeling I get with eating some really good foods - I force my way through it because I know I need that extra nutrition - but it makes eating such a chore - everything is cold by the time I get through it because I have to BLOODY chew so much. (meanwhile I have two little boys wanting attention who can't understand why mummy takes 30 -45 minutes to eat her meal when they finished ages ago) But I know that my problem is the type of food I want to eat and the lapband has made that worse for me because most of it is now so much easier to eat than salads etc, which are foods I also really love. As for the vagus nerve - I've done my research into that and apparently it is not cut with lap band sugery but often is with gastric bypass - one surgeon actually said that the lap band often contributes to producing more of the hormone responsible for hunger - you may not be able to eat more but you are certainly still hungry - some people obviously don't find this but others do. However, there are also problems with cutting the vagus nerve though such as vomiting, stomach irritation etc. All in all - I just wish I could get this thing out of me without having to go through another surgery and recovery time - my children deserve to have me functioning at 100 per cent particularly as my husband works away for 3 weeks at a time. I then wish I could just do this myself - limit the amount of junk I eat and do as one of my favourite people on this site says - shut my mouth and move my ass. Oh how I wish!!!!

[*susan* 1,709]

Brandy,

First, I am assuming because they didn't know the size of your band, that whoever does your fills is not the surgeon that placed your band?

My concern is this, you say you were having problems eating "the good foods" but not the things that traditionally get by the band easily. Then you say you went to your "filler", explained your problems and got another fill. Where are you getting your fills? It sounds to me like you were probably too tight to begin with, and then they made you even tighter.

Perhaps you need to find a new fill doctor. Also, I have had the experience of being overfilled and know the effects it can have on you. You might need to get a complete unfill to give your body time to heal. Possibly liquids only for a few days after that unfill would be helpful as well. Then, be a little less agressive with the fills and slowly work your way up to optimum restriction.

If you are at proper restriction, you may be a little tight in the mornings, but the rest of the time you should be able to get most foods down comfortably so long as you are following the rules of bandster eating.

I hope you get better soon.

[brandyII 9]

Mummybandit,

I really think that you need to get better medical support, maybe that's obvious but I know when you breast feed a baby it takes a lot from your body and you're not able to give yourself enough food to sustain yourself during breast feeding. Could you possibly have the fill removed during breast feeding and give body a break until you've weaned your baby? It worries me a bit that you have a lap band and are breast feeding. I'm sure I'm not alone in this feeling. Think about it for your health and your babies. And don't be so hard on yourself. You are an athlete and are probably much tougher on yourself because of that but taking care of yourself and your children come first and worrying too much about your weight now might not be in your best interest. I am going to have my fill removed in about a month when I can my next appointment with my surgeon and give myself a more balanced diet for a while. Good luck to you, we're pulling for you!