Question on success after lap band removal

I had my lap band installed back in July '11 and it has been a hate hate relationship.  I thought I was prepared mentally for this band and I did ok at first, however, after initially losing 70 pounds (with 60 left to go), I started gaining back everything I lost as I started getting stuck more and more often and was told by TR that it is a mucus build up from my allergies and to take musinex twice a day every day (forever I guess)

Well this is not working anymore for me.  I hate soup, and I am sick of my basic diet of eggs, string cheese and nuts, with any junk thrown in to curb the hunger in between.  I eat way less healthy and I eat way more junk and sweets then before. I hate every single day that I have this band. I have only put this off this long because I did not want to admit that I have failed, which I have. 

I have been looking in to removing, not necessarily revising.  My question is this, has anyone had any weight loss success after removing the band?  I still want to lose weight, but not like this.

While waiting to get the lap band they always said nothing tastes as good as thin feels.  I now think that is not true.  I think that fat feels better than stuck and tired and deprived!

Thanks all!

Amy

 

I hope whatever you chose makes you happy.
Even when I was at my sickest with the band, passing out, dehydrated, vomiting daily, burping for days on end, and getting stuck. I would have never let them take it out if they could not have revised me to something else. For me I was unwilling to accept that I went through hell for nearly five years for nothing. Everything I have heard about people going back always ends in gaining all the weight back and then some.
Good Luck on whatever you decide.

I know that I will most likely gain back.  At this point I have lost next to nothing, due to my own poor habits that have developed.   I know that means that all the pain is for nothing, but at this point to me, it already has been for nothing.  I am leaning towards removal, waiting to see what insurance will cover. :)

I am having my lap-band removed this morning. I had it exactly 5 years and I am the same weight I started out at. I will not have anymore weight loss surgeries. I will do it the old fashion way exercise and diet.  I am just going to be happy and live my life. I don't have any medical issues and I am 41 yrs old and weigh 270 lbs. 

5 years is long enough to know if some thing is working or not. I also have real bad re-flux from this band.

Thanks

I just had my band removed April 25th.  I was banded in 2010 and lost 69lbs.  The most I had in my band was 5cc.  Last year I started having problems with stuck episodes after eating things I had tolerated well before.  I went through multiple unfills and fills trying to resolve the issue.   I spent most of last year with just 2-3cc in the band but still never felt quite right.  I even had a complete unfill after ending up in the ER feeling weak and dehydrated.  I started feeling better and we slowly started filling again.   I got back up to 4cc this year before having issues again.  In April I went back for an unfill and saw a different dr in the practice.  He took some out but said he wanted an upper GI to "take a look".  Thank goodness for him.  After the test they found that I had a bad slip. Where the normal band placement is on a slight angle at the top of the stomach, my band was almost completely straight up and down & parallel to my spine.  It looked like there was as much stomach above the band as it was below.  They also saw a small sliding hiatal hernia that I didn't have before my band.  My band had to come out.  We discussed the option of revision to another wls but I'd never wanted bypass or sleeve.  I just had a feeling that more surgery was not for me.  I asked my dr about weight gain after removal because all I ever hear is the "you'll gain all your weight back if you remove the band" statements.  He told me it's true I could regain-if I went back to my old habits.  But if I kept up with the good eating and exercise habits I've learned he felt I could maintain my weight loss.  That whole weekend I was anxious, thinking about gaining weight again.  But even so my thoughts about revision never changed.  I talked with my family and they have been a great support.  Everyone was willing to help me maintain.  Finally I realized that I just wanted to feel normal again-not tired and sick all the time.  I joined Weigh****chers the Saturday before my surgery because I felt I'd need some accountability and started following the plan immediately.  I weighed 198lbs on the day of my surgery. It's been 2 weeks since my band was removed and I feel so much better.  I had some tuna with lettuce and tomatoes and it tasted so good.  I had an orange and I swear I thought I'd died and gone to heaven lol.  I have lost 10lbs.  I can now eat fruits and veggies again and not live off of mashed potatoes and cream soups.  I wrote a lot but I just want to say that I know I will regain everything if I start eating six chicken wings and fries, four slices of pizza at a sitting, big bags of chips like I did before.  But I believe I can maintain and even lose more if I can stick to healthy habits.  The band helped me.  It forced me to learn good habits.  I know I learned because even with complete unfills I didn't go crazy eating and I didn't gain weight.  I'm more motivated now than I was at 266lbs because now I know the feeling of being small and I like it.  If you are having band issues definitely have an upper GI just to rule out any slip or other issues.  If you are feeling bad don't just live with it.  I know I have to work at it but for the first time in a long time I feel back in control.  I didn't fail and neither did you because we did lose weight with the band.  It just wasn't the right tool for us.  And that's ok.  Check out this forum and see there are lots of people just like us.  Best wishes!  http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/failed_lap_bands/

HELP PLEASE... I AM SOO CONFUSED!!!  Your story was such a help to me. I also had the band put in about 5 years ago. I lost 65 pounds then began having the same trouble with food getting stuck, etc. I had the band removed one month ago and was scared that I too would gain a crazy amount of weight. As to this day, in two weeks I have managed to lose 8 lbs without even trying!! I have not gone back to my "bad habits" but enjoyed my meal of ribs, a steak & cheese sandwich, along with nutritional food also. I am scheduled to have a full gastric bypass in two weeks but am having second thoughts about it. I had seen their psychologist which was no help at all, she basically talked about her seminars and other people. I really enjoyed eating again!!! Like "Journeynotover" I thought I was in heaven!!! I have been eating oranges and many other foods that I could not eat while having the band. I went to the pharmacy yesterday to look at meds which I would have to switch over to anything "no bigger than a tic-tac" and I'm already beginning to see problems. I am anti depressents which I don't think they make in liquid formula, but that's a whole other story. (Sorry this is getting a bit long) but first, how is it possible that I have lost weight without trying? It's like the pounds are "falling off." I also seriously don't think that I would be able to go the rest of my life with no, or very little sweets let alone only certain types of seafood and pray that they don't get stuck. The band was reversible, this is not. I guess I basically know that this surgery is not for me. The last time when I spoke with the PA that I wanted to get the bypass and then changed my mind, it was if they were "upset" with me, then made little comments like "oh changing your mind again." I am embarrassed to tell them I have changed my mind yet again, but then it is MY BODY AND MY FUTURE. I am already anemic and suffer with anxiety and depression. I know that I shouldn't be feel like I LET THEM DOWN. I am supposed to meet with the PA and the Dr. this Friday, 11-22-13 but right now especially after typing this I don't think I really want to do this!

Then don't. Your body your choice

I am scheduled to have my band removed next week and I am terrified. Oct 2010 I weighed 261lbs I have a gastric band in April 2011.  The most I had in my band was 5cc also.  For the past 11 months I have been sick every night, I am unable to lie down to sleep and feel very weak and dehydrated all the time. In total I have lost 98lbs and dropped 6 dress sizes.  I am still anxious but not as terrified as I was after reading your post. I will post an update after my surgery and will also keep a diary. Thank you so much

If you are going to have surgery anyway to remove the band you should consider revising at the same time to a sleeve.  A sleeve does everything the band is supposed to do and doesn't.  With a sleeve it is your stomach just smaller.  No more getting stuck, no aftercare, no maintenance, nothing.  Far easier than a band.

The band has left me to skittish for any other surgical intervention.  I am going to have it removed and try WW or another tool to help.  Hopefully I do not fail at that also, but I am prepared if I do.  I am also prepared for an initial weight gain after removal.