CALGARY ....NOT DOING WELL WITH LAP BAND. HELP!!

 

I WAS BANDED IN CALGARY 18 MONTHS AGO AND HAVE LOST SOME WEIGHT ( ABOUT 40 POUNDS) BUT IT HAS BEEN A CONSTANT BATTLE TO EAT "REGULAR" FOODS BECAUSE I JUST COULDN'T KEEP THEM DOWN.  I HAVE RESORTED TO EATING SOFT FOODS LIKE SOUP AND SMOOTHIES BUT OF COURSE THEY DON'T KEEP ME FULL AND SO I HAVE TO EAT MORE OFTEN, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE CALORIES DOWN.

THEY HAVE CHECKED TWICE FOR  SLIPPED BAND AND IT IS FINE.  THEY HAVE DEFILLED ME SLOWLY, HOPING IT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.  NOW I HAVE NOTHING IN MY "LARGE" BAND, AND I AM STILL NOT ABLE TO KEEP SOLID FOODS DOWN.  I CAN NOT SWALLOW PILLS BECAUSE THEY GET "STUCK", DISSOLVE AND THEN I BRING THEM UP.

I SAW THE SURGEON YESTERDAY AND HE HAS REMOVED ALL THE FLUID FROM THE BAND AND HAS ORDER SOME ESOPHOGEAL STUDIES AND HAS TOLD ME THAT I WILL LIKELY HAVE TO HAVE THE BAND REMOVED BECAUSE IT'S JUST "NOT WORKING" FOR ME.

HAS ANYONE HAD THIS EXPERIENCE?  I AM SO DISAPPOINTED.  :(    I  DO EAT THE RIGHT FOODS,  SMALL PORTIONS, CHEW WELL AND STILL CAN'T KEEP FOODS DOWN.

I DON'T KNOW WHETHER I SHOULD TRY TO PERSERVERE, HAVE IT REMOVED  AND TRY AND DO IT ON MY OWN OR WHETHER I SHOULD LOOK AT ANY OTHER SURGICAL OPTIONS.

I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY INPUT ANYONE WOULD HAVE.

 

KRISTA

 

Maybe try posting this on the surgical form for Lap Band..... You will probably get a ton of answers

I have yet to meet anyone that is happy with their band...... most either have been converted to a RNY, sleeve, ect..... or are waiting to do a revision 

Hope you can resolve the problem easily and soon 

Sadly what you're experiencing seems to be fairly common. If you come ask questions on the VSG forum you will get to talk to several people who got a band, had a miserable time, had it removed and a sleeve done and have done super well since.
Their stories are part of why I chose to go with the VSG.

If it helps - this is NOT your fault. It's just the way a band works compared to a sleeve. (Which is a normal stomach with small capacity and much reduced hunger)

Kelly-Anne

Thank you both for your feedback!  Much appreciated.

 

Krista  :)

I wish I could say something more positive but I had the same experience for three years with the band. I never hit my "sweet spot". I could never tolerate meat like steak or chicken, even in sauce and even with the band totally empty. I developed the most maladaptive eating patterns in my life. I was ALWAYS hungry because I could never really eat anything solid. Was never full, always hungry because the band never made me feel satisfied, it just prevented me from eating enough. Oh yeah, and I vomited at least three times a week. I could go on and on about how bad the band was for me, but you get the point. I had it put in February 2009 and out February 2012 at almost the exact same weight. The most I ever lost was about 30 pounds.

In August I went to Mexico and had the DS done with Dr. Aceves. Best decision I have ever made. I can't eat a lot, but its not like I am blocked from eating...I actually feel full and satisfied with a small amount of food. I lost 14 pounds during the pre-surgical fast and another 55 in the 11 weeks since the surgery. I lose about 3 to 4 pounds a week and I don't feel like I am suffering at all. I could eat like this for the rest of my life, which is totally different than any other diet I have been on where I just couldn't wait for it to be done.

I'm not sure if you are considering a revision, but I would look into the DS if you are. I didn't get the RNY because I was worried about food getting stuck just like it did with the band, and I knew I could not go the rest of my life like that. Now I eat a really high protein, low carb diet. Too much sugar or flour upsets my stomach and makes me gassy, but I can live with that since it deters me from eating too much of that crap. I can tolerate healthy sugars like fruit really well. If I really do want a treat I can have one, I just have to put up with some pretty nasty gas for 12 hours or so afterward.

Good luck to you...I hope things get better.

Hello.  Thanks so much for your reply.  Wow ....your story sounds so much like mine! So happy for you that things are finally going well for you.  :)

 

Question ....did you consider the sleeve?  If  you decided against it, could you give me some feedback??  I know I am going to have to have the band removed and am looking at other options.  I am actually feeling like I have "failed".  I honestly thought that with the band and making better choices that I would finally be able to lose weight.  I have found, like you, that because I can't eat the foods that are good for me ....I have developed a horrible eating pattern.  I eat alot of soups and smoothies that can be calorie rich and don't keep me full very long.  

 

I definitely don't want another option where food will get stuck.  The thought of spending my life throwing up is horrible.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply to me.

 

By the way .....are you in Alberta, too?  It probably says somewhere where you are from but I am not that familiar with this site and so I've probably missed that!

 

Have a nice day.

 

Krista

Hi Krista,

Yes, I'm a fellow Albertan. I live in Calgary. When I had the band put in the wait list around here was like 8 years long so I just went to Ontario and self-paid. What a waste of $16,000.

I considered the sleeve. I was worried that I just wouldn't lose enough weight, or would gain it back. I hear stories about the sleeve stretching (which apparently is a normal thing to some extent) and I wanted the weight off for good. I had 200 pounds to lose, so I also thought that the sleeve just might not be enough. The first part of the DS is the sleeve--the DS is actually a sleeve plus a bypass. The sleeve is very tolerable. I do get full fast, although I don't find that I stay full as long as they say I should. As a result I graze on healthy snacks like nuts and cheese to carry me through the day (these healthy but fatty foods are okay for us DSers since our bodies only absorb about 20% of the fat we eat).

Try not to get too discouraged or blame yourself. I blamed myself, too, until I found this board and saw how many other people were struggling. You are not alone.

Good luck!

I've seen people lose 200 and even 300# with the VSG and if you're willing to fight for yourself you can have it done here in Alberta through Alberta Health. (They'll likely push the RNY, but it sounds like that isn't what you want) The Sleeve is sometimes done as the first stage of a DS or people with very high BMIs sometimes go directly to the DS with excellent results, BUT I see 2 issues of concern.

The first is that you need to be prepared to be exceptionally compliant about your supplements and have a local doctor prepared to monitor your levels of a bunch of nutrients (I'm not saying it's a bad choice at all - just that you really need to know that going in - there are no do-overs with a DS) The second is that I don't THINK there are any surgeons in Alberta currently doing the DS. (Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong)

JennyRenny went to the same surgeon I did - Dr Aceves in Mexicali, who has a truly fabulous reputation as a skilled and compassionate surgeon. I can't say enough good about him and his team - but we are talking self-pay. (My VSG was $8750, JennyRenny or Dr Aceves' site can tell you the price on a DS) There are many surgeons in Mexico doing WLS, but only few that I'd feel comfortable recommending - especially for a DS, which is considerably more complicated than a VSG.

Read and ask questions on both the VSG and DS forums. Ask more questions here. Only you can decide on your own best path.

Hi same happened to me. Got ent 6 months ago, feel fabulous. Lost 75 pounds. [email protected] email me there, I'm never on here anymore. I'll answer any questions u have.

Any update? Have you been reading the RNY, VSG, DS, Failed WLS and WLS Regrets forums? Asking questions of others in your situation? Have you talked to your surgeon about options? If there isn't much damage from the band he may be able to do a revision to VSG or RNY in one operation, which would certainly be easier on you.