Jean McMillan

My beloved band was removed on 4-27-12. I had hoped to revise to VSG at the same time, but my surgeon couldn't pass the "bougie" calibration tube through my esophagus into my stomach because of a stricture. At first my diagnosis was primary achalasia, a congenital dysfunction of the esophagus ([i]not [/i]caused by my band, but aggravated by it). My band was an old 4 cc Lap-Band, no longer used in the USA, that my surgeon said was too small and too tight even without fill in it (she's not the surgeon who gave me that band in the first place).

In May I had my stricutre dilated by a new gastroenterologist who says I don't have achalasia at all. What I have is stenosis (thickening of the tissues) from long term "silent" reflux (that started in the 1980's). He OK'd my sleeve surgery, which my insurance approved on June 22, 2012, and I was sleeved on August 16, 2012. I hated losing my band, but I'm just trying to make the best of the situation. I know myself well enough to know that I need major help to manage my weight for the rest of my life. And I'll always be a bandster at heart.