MY STORY-getting and losing my band

ABelew · May 11, 2009

HI!! my name is Alyson and i thought i would tell ya'll my lap band story. its going to be kinda long...It took me a year to get the insurance to pay for my band but i finally received my band on Aug. 18,2008. I had some chest pain after the surgery but it went away in like a week. i was doing good with it i had lost 20lbs at my 5 week fill. the doctor was really proud of me. i had my fill on sept. 22. On sept.28 i woke up in severe pain in my chest. I took a pain pill and went back to bed hoping i would wake up better but i didnt. my mother finally said that i need to go to the er and when i got there they were checking my heart but being 22 at the time i knew it wasnt my heart. they said they didnt know anything about the lapband and said to go to my surgeon.(i had the surgeon done at a hospital 2 hrs away) The next day we went to my surgeon and he took out my fill and said i would have instant relief but didnt. he did an upper gi and catscan and everything normal. I went home and didnt get better so 2 days later i went back and he did an endoscopy and everything was normal. at this point i had not have anything to drink or eat in 4 days. i felt horrible. my surgeon said he didnt know what was wrong and was ready to take it out. this was the last thing i wanted to happen. i told him i wasnt taking it out til i knew it was the reason i was hurting. he gave me steroids and said that that would help. i went home took the meds and it did no good. at this point it was extremely painful to swallow anything and could barely keep Water or food down. my stomach right below my left breast was visibly swollen and tender. It hurt to even wear a bra, my mother had to take the underwire out just to be able to stand to wear it. i was determined to keep the band and find out what was making me hurt. i was doing my student teaching at this time and was extremely tired and worn down each day. i couldnt eat at school because when i ate i usually threw it right back up. my cooperating teacher was really worried about me said i looked sick. after about 3 weeks of not getting better i went to my medical doc for help because my surgeon kept saying to take it out. my medical doc refered me to a gastroentertolgist(cant spell it) he did another upper gi and discovered that my esophagus was swollen to half the width and another endoscopy and discovered that i had an infection inside my stomach. i was relieved to hear this because i was thinking i can take antibotics and it would be over. i went back to my surgeon and showed him the endoscopy results n he gave me antibotics. i went home in high hopes. i soon found out that i couldnt swallow the pills. i got on here describing this and someone suggested iv antibotics. i went back to the docs and received a pic line in my left arm. i had to give myself antibotics 3 times a day. but i learned that i was allergic to the tape covering the pic line. so i had to wrap my arm in guages which was a pain. but i did it to keep the band. i had the pic line for 5 weeks. all the while i was going through this i was basically unable to eat. i would go 2-3 days without eating anything. my mother would make me eat even tho it would come right back up. i couldnt even keep a Protein Shake down. i even had a hard time keeping water down. i went through all of this n student taught and would go to school with a smile on my face for the kids. most of the teachers knew what i was going through and would keep up with how i was doing. on dec. 12 i went to school feeling absolutely horrible..i hadnt eaten in 2 days and we were gettin out of school early due to weather. at lunch we were having christmas dinner and there were soooo many parents there and i had to keep a smile on my face. i was standing watching as my students got there food and felt like i was going to pass out. i was leaning against the wall. i told myself i had to get to the teachers table and sit down and it would pass. when i sat down i didnt feel any better and one of the teachers looked at me and said you look horrible whats wrong. i said i thought i was about to pass out. i went to the nurses office and called my mother to come get me because they wouldnt let me drive home. when i got home my mother took my temperature and it was 102.3. the next day it was 103.3 and we were debating on going to the hospital but decided to wait til the next day. the next day i woke up and was feeling better but that night i got worse and started vomiting and having extreme abdominal pain. i laid in my bed and thought i was dying cause i didnt think i could be in so much pain and live through the night. my temp had gotten up to 104.4, my mother called the ambulance and went to the nearest hospital. they did several test and when they came back the doc said she wanted to talk to my surgeon. when she came back in she said that the surgeon to come straight down there that the band had to come out that day. when we got down there he said that he thought i had become septic. they took my band out and nothing got better. i spent the night then went home the next day. i had an open wound because he was afraid to close it with all the infection in my body. the next day i developed a rash all over my body and was still sick as a dog couldnt walk. went back to my surgeon and he put me back in the hospital. at this point i had not eat or drink in 7 days. they decided that i had become allergic to the antibotics i was takin that caused the rash. after getting 2 days of iv fluids and a little food i was sent home and felt better. i had to have a home health nurse to come to my house everyday for 6 weeks to clean my wound in my stomach. i still dont feel normal and its been almost 6 months. im still very nauseated every morning. and still have stomach pain. they day i had my surgery i had lost 67lbs. in 4 months. i know a lot of you are thinking that i was crazy to go so long in pain just to keep it. it took me a year to get the band and i wasnt going to just take it out without doing everything possible to keep it. i prolly would still have it if i wouldnt have gotten so sick. i cried soooo hard when i had to have it taken out. to this day we dont know what caused this and the surgeon says he hasnt ever seen anything like my case. i have only gain 12lbs back but im trying hard to lose the rest of my weight but i dont know if ill be able to. i have done alot of research trying to find another case like mine but have not found one yet. i just thought i would share my story with ya'll. i dont regret getting my band i just wish i would have been able to keep it and have it work correctly.

Fae · May 11, 2009

Sometimes infection develops inside the stomach, near the band, or around the port. There is no way to stop this and it does happen occasionally in some people. One woman in Colorado had an infection develop after her surgery and she didn't survive from it. Considering you lived with it for so long, you should consider it lucky something more serious did not happen to you. I'm sorry about what happened to you and I can't really offer any advice on how to keep weight off without a band. However, you should know what you went through, your not the only one.

Jaffa · May 11, 2009

Well, someone else on here recently said a lot of the same things, but claimed it was her body was rejecting or allergic to the band, not an infection. Of course her surgeon let her believe that, probably thinking she was less likely to sue them. At least someone was honest with you. I think your original surgeon knew what was wrong, or is imcompetant, either one of which he doesn't really want to admit to most likely.

WASaBubbleButt · May 11, 2009

HI!! my name is Alyson and i thought i would tell ya'll my lap band story. its going to be kinda long...It took me a year to get the insurance to pay for my band but i finally received my band on Aug. 18,2008. I had some chest pain after the surgery but it went away in like a week. i was doing good with it i had lost 20lbs at my 5 week fill. the doctor was really proud of me. i had my fill on sept. 22. On sept.28 i woke up in severe pain in my chest. I took a pain pill and went back to bed hoping i would wake up better but i didnt. my mother finally said that i need to go to the er and when i got there they were checking my heart but being 22 at the time i knew it wasnt my heart. they said they didnt know anything about the lapband and said to go to my surgeon.(i had the surgeon done at a hospital 2 hrs away) The next day we went to my surgeon and he took out my fill and said i would have instant relief but didnt. he did an upper gi and catscan and everything normal. I went home and didnt get better so 2 days later i went back and he did an endoscopy and everything was normal. at this point i had not have anything to drink or eat in 4 days. i felt horrible. my surgeon said he didnt know what was wrong and was ready to take it out. this was the last thing i wanted to happen. i told him i wasnt taking it out til i knew it was the reason i was hurting. he gave me steroids and said that that would help. i went home took the meds and it did no good. at this point it was extremely painful to swallow anything and could barely keep Water or food down. my stomach right below my left breast was visibly swollen and tender. It hurt to even wear a bra, my mother had to take the underwire out just to be able to stand to wear it. i was determined to keep the band and find out what was making me hurt. i was doing my student teaching at this time and was extremely tired and worn down each day. i couldnt eat at school because when i ate i usually threw it right back up. my cooperating teacher was really worried about me said i looked sick. after about 3 weeks of not getting better i went to my medical doc for help because my surgeon kept saying to take it out. my medical doc refered me to a gastroentertolgist(cant spell it) he did another upper gi and discovered that my esophagus was swollen to half the width and another endoscopy and discovered that i had an infection inside my stomach. i was relieved to hear this because i was thinking i can take antibotics and it would be over. i went back to my surgeon and showed him the endoscopy results n he gave me antibotics. i went home in high hopes. i soon found out that i couldnt swallow the pills. i got on here describing this and someone suggested iv antibotics. i went back to the docs and received a pic line in my left arm. i had to give myself antibotics 3 times a day. but i learned that i was allergic to the tape covering the pic line. so i had to wrap my arm in guages which was a pain. but i did it to keep the band. i had the pic line for 5 weeks. all the while i was going through this i was basically unable to eat. i would go 2-3 days without eating anything. my mother would make me eat even tho it would come right back up. i couldnt even keep a Protein shake down. i even had a hard time keeping Water down. i went through all of this n student taught and would go to school with a smile on my face for the kids. most of the teachers knew what i was going through and would keep up with how i was doing. on dec. 12 i went to school feeling absolutely horrible..i hadnt eaten in 2 days and we were gettin out of school early due to weather. at lunch we were having christmas dinner and there were soooo many parents there and i had to keep a smile on my face. i was standing watching as my students got there food and felt like i was going to pass out. i was leaning against the wall. i told myself i had to get to the teachers table and sit down and it would pass. when i sat down i didnt feel any better and one of the teachers looked at me and said you look horrible whats wrong. i said i thought i was about to pass out. i went to the nurses office and called my mother to come get me because they wouldnt let me drive home. when i got home my mother took my temperature and it was 102.3. the next day it was 103.3 and we were debating on going to the hospital but decided to wait til the next day. the next day i woke up and was feeling better but that night i got worse and started vomiting and having extreme abdominal pain. i laid in my bed and thought i was dying cause i didnt think i could be in so much pain and live through the night. my temp had gotten up to 104.4, my mother called the ambulance and went to the nearest hospital. they did several test and when they came back the doc said she wanted to talk to my surgeon. when she came back in she said that the surgeon to come straight down there that the band had to come out that day. when we got down there he said that he thought i had become septic. they took my band out and nothing got better. i spent the night then went home the next day. i had an open wound because he was afraid to close it with all the infection in my body. the next day i developed a rash all over my body and was still sick as a dog couldnt walk. went back to my surgeon and he put me back in the hospital. at this point i had not eat or drink in 7 days. they decided that i had become allergic to the antibotics i was takin that caused the rash. after getting 2 days of iv fluids and a little food i was sent home and felt better. i had to have a home health nurse to come to my house everyday for 6 weeks to clean my wound in my stomach. i still dont feel normal and its been almost 6 months. im still very nauseated every morning. and still have stomach pain. they day i had my surgery i had lost 67lbs. in 4 months. i know a lot of you are thinking that i was crazy to go so long in pain just to keep it. it took me a year to get the band and i wasnt going to just take it out without doing everything possible to keep it. i prolly would still have it if i wouldnt have gotten so sick. i cried soooo hard when i had to have it taken out. to this day we dont know what caused this and the surgeon says he hasnt ever seen anything like my case. i have only gain 12lbs back but im trying hard to lose the rest of my weight but i dont know if ill be able to. i have done alot of research trying to find another case like mine but have not found one yet. i just thought i would share my story with ya'll. i dont regret getting my band i just wish i would have been able to keep it and have it work correctly.

Sorry this all happened to you. A few things I do not understand, how could you go so long without ANY fluids and not die? You are quite lucky.

Also, they sent you home septic? How did you survive that?

There are several that have had severe infections. Might want to look up TJWood, he just had surgery last week for the 2nd time to remove pockets of pus from his abdomin.

Steve is correct, there was another person here that said her doc told her she was rejecting the band because she was infected. That isn't rejection, that is infection.

I feel for you, I lost my band too but for very different reasons. I self paid for the band and then self paid for a revision to a sleeve. That might be a better option for you once you are fully healed and back to the life of the living.

Linds · June 6, 2009

Alyson you poor love...what a nightmare you have been through...but please be thankful that you have lived through it. I have almost died twice with related problems caused by my band over the past 6 years and to top it all I have regained a lot of weight. I still have to go through a surgery to have it removed but I understand why you wanted to hang on to it as it became your lifeline....I know that feeling...it has been mine for 6 years but no more....it has let me down now (whereas I had previously always blamed myself). I really feel like John Hurt in Alien and that this thing will explode out of me.....don't laugh but I have dreams about it and it looks like a band with teeth!!!

I wish you luck with your continued journey wherever that may lead you.....God bless x x x

Adalgisa Saraiva · June 30, 2009

HI!! my name is Alyson and i thought i would tell ya'll my lap band story. its going to be kinda long...It took me a year to get the insurance to pay for my band but i finally received my band on Aug. 18,2008. I had some chest pain after the surgery but it went away in like a week. i was doing good with it i had lost 20lbs at my 5 week fill. the doctor was really proud of me. i had my fill on sept. 22. On sept.28 i woke up in severe pain in my chest. I took a pain pill and went back to bed hoping i would wake up better but i didnt. my mother finally said that i need to go to the er and when i got there they were checking my heart but being 22 at the time i knew it wasnt my heart. they said they didnt know anything about the lapband and said to go to my surgeon.(i had the surgeon done at a hospital 2 hrs away) The next day we went to my surgeon and he took out my fill and said i would have instant relief but didnt. he did an upper gi and catscan and everything normal. I went home and didnt get better so 2 days later i went back and he did an endoscopy and everything was normal. at this point i had not have anything to drink or eat in 4 days. i felt horrible. my surgeon said he didnt know what was wrong and was ready to take it out. this was the last thing i wanted to happen. i told him i wasnt taking it out til i knew it was the reason i was hurting. he gave me steroids and said that that would help. i went home took the meds and it did no good. at this point it was extremely painful to swallow anything and could barely keep Water or food down. my stomach right below my left breast was visibly swollen and tender. It hurt to even wear a bra, my mother had to take the underwire out just to be able to stand to wear it. i was determined to keep the band and find out what was making me hurt. i was doing my student teaching at this time and was extremely tired and worn down each day. i couldnt eat at school because when i ate i usually threw it right back up. my cooperating teacher was really worried about me said i looked sick. after about 3 weeks of not getting better i went to my medical doc for help because my surgeon kept saying to take it out. my medical doc refered me to a gastroentertolgist(cant spell it) he did another upper gi and discovered that my esophagus was swollen to half the width and another endoscopy and discovered that i had an infection inside my stomach. i was relieved to hear this because i was thinking i can take antibotics and it would be over. i went back to my surgeon and showed him the endoscopy results n he gave me antibotics. i went home in high hopes. i soon found out that i couldnt swallow the pills. i got on here describing this and someone suggested iv antibotics. i went back to the docs and received a pic line in my left arm. i had to give myself antibotics 3 times a day. but i learned that i was allergic to the tape covering the pic line. so i had to wrap my arm in guages which was a pain. but i did it to keep the band. i had the pic line for 5 weeks. all the while i was going through this i was basically unable to eat. i would go 2-3 days without eating anything. my mother would make me eat even tho it would come right back up. i couldnt even keep a Protein Shake down. i even had a hard time keeping water down. i went through all of this n student taught and would go to school with a smile on my face for the kids. most of the teachers knew what i was going through and would keep up with how i was doing. on dec. 12 i went to school feeling absolutely horrible..i hadnt eaten in 2 days and we were gettin out of school early due to weather. at lunch we were having christmas dinner and there were soooo many parents there and i had to keep a smile on my face. i was standing watching as my students got there food and felt like i was going to pass out. i was leaning against the wall. i told myself i had to get to the teachers table and sit down and it would pass. when i sat down i didnt feel any better and one of the teachers looked at me and said you look horrible whats wrong. i said i thought i was about to pass out. i went to the nurses office and called my mother to come get me because they wouldnt let me drive home. when i got home my mother took my temperature and it was 102.3. the next day it was 103.3 and we were debating on going to the hospital but decided to wait til the next day. the next day i woke up and was feeling better but that night i got worse and started vomiting and having extreme abdominal pain. i laid in my bed and thought i was dying cause i didnt think i could be in so much pain and live through the night. my temp had gotten up to 104.4, my mother called the ambulance and went to the nearest hospital. they did several test and when they came back the doc said she wanted to talk to my surgeon. when she came back in she said that the surgeon to come straight down there that the band had to come out that day. when we got down there he said that he thought i had become septic. they took my band out and nothing got better. i spent the night then went home the next day. i had an open wound because he was afraid to close it with all the infection in my body. the next day i developed a rash all over my body and was still sick as a dog couldnt walk. went back to my surgeon and he put me back in the hospital. at this point i had not eat or drink in 7 days. they decided that i had become allergic to the antibotics i was takin that caused the rash. after getting 2 days of iv fluids and a little food i was sent home and felt better. i had to have a home health nurse to come to my house everyday for 6 weeks to clean my wound in my stomach. i still dont feel normal and its been almost 6 months. im still very nauseated every morning. and still have stomach pain. they day i had my surgery i had lost 67lbs. in 4 months. i know a lot of you are thinking that i was crazy to go so long in pain just to keep it. it took me a year to get the band and i wasnt going to just take it out without doing everything possible to keep it. i prolly would still have it if i wouldnt have gotten so sick. i cried soooo hard when i had to have it taken out. to this day we dont know what caused this and the surgeon says he hasnt ever seen anything like my case. i have only gain 12lbs back but im trying hard to lose the rest of my weight but i dont know if ill be able to. i have done alot of research trying to find another case like mine but have not found one yet. i just thought i would share my story with ya'll. i dont regret getting my band i just wish i would have been able to keep it and have it work correctly.

It does not matter the country...I am brazilian and had same problems with the band. I am just curious to know what happens now...one thing i am sure.. i will go back to yoga, acupucture, complement medicine, go nature and discover the reason for the obesity to begin with.Good luck, please continue your story. I think it was worth usint the band for 3 years,lost only ten pounds but my bloodpresure is normal, as well as other levels.Adel