VBG Ruined My Life
I'm 15 years post op and have lived a life of hell as a result of complications from the surgery. Excessive vomiting began about 7 months post op. Hardly a day has gone by without getting sick as a result of scar tissue growing around the band. I've had two procedures to repair the problem but the vomiting hasn't stopped and worse yet caused the staples to come undone. I've gained all my weight back yet I'm malnutritioned and have many other health problems. I have no doubt I've shortened my life as a direct result of the surgery. I would do anything to turn back the years and not have it done. There are so many healthy foods I can't keep down. The past 15 years of pain, shame and regret outweighs my pre-op days 100%
Hi Jenny,
Thanks for your response. I don't have insurance to have the surgery undone. Yes I realize my life is worth more than the cost of it but one of the issues of my emotional eating has been putting others before my own needs. With that in mind, I've felt too guilty to spend that amount of money on myself when there are so many other expenses to consider.
This website ended up having a profound impact on my life. When I was done with my profile tangent, I surfed around the site a bit and stumbled upon the memorial section. I sat mesmerized as I read story after story of people who had the same hopes and dreams I did when I had the surgery. It broke my heart when I read a couple of them who wrote their lasts words in here as "See you on the other side." That sent chills down my spine. Here I've been feeling sorry for myself for all these years but I'm actually one of the "lucky" ones.
When I was done searching the site, I did a web search for eating disorder treatment centers. I'm happy to tell you my insurance will cover the treatment and the success rate of the program I'm looking into is 92%. The program is specifically for emotional eaters/binge eaters/compulsive eaters but they'll also address my bulimic tendencies because since the scar tissue has been removed, I no longer have a logical excuse for that behavior.
The treatment is for 30 days and cost about $22,000. I'll only have to pay $1700.00 of it. For anyone who wants to consider that, the treatment isn't considered for weight loss but rather for the mental health aspect of it. (the diagnostic code is ED Nos-Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified) I've never had a normal relationship with food, not even when I was losing weight (and complication free) from my WLS.
I have new hope today that I didn't a week ago. It's hard for me to believe my food obsession is capable of going away. I've always known my obesity was not about the food, it's about my reasons for using it as a coping mechanism. Surgery can never take that away.
Thank you for your prayers Jenny. I know my pain will soon be taken away and am so thankful I don't have to put my life in jeopardy to be free once and for all.
God Bless You!
Kelley
Jenny,
I am sorry to hear about your serious medical conditions.
I too had the VBG in Jan of 2001, and last Oct of 2004 I had to have an emergency surgery done in Okinawa, Japan. Since the day I came out of the hospital I had been throwing up. My doctor said I was over eating. Maybe I was. For the most part I don't have any other answers. I do have a good friend who had the same doctor, we weighed the same and she had her surgery 9 months after me. But she always ate much more than me and rarely vomitted.
To make a long story short, the surgeon here cut a huge hole in my stomach into the area of the pouch where the staples were and now that side is where the food passes. Well after eating less for 4 years, as you can imagine, my weight is creeping back on. I started out out of 404lbs and got down to 240lb. I felt good but could not enjoy food or eat much of it.
Anyway I just wanted to let you know that I feel your pain. I am considering having the bypass surgery. I don't think I can find a doctor who will touch me.
God Bless you,
Deborah Bynes
Okinawa, Japan.
I had a VBG back in March, 2001. I vomited a lot and it caused my staples to come undone. I gained back almost all of the weight I had lost. Just three months ago I underwent a revision to the RNY. I've got 9 lbs to lose to get to where I was before I started gaining weight back. I'm so happy with the surgery and the control I have over food. I'll say a prayer for you that you find what you're looking for.
Hi, another option is to convert to a VSG. Come check out our VSG board and the FAQ for VSG. I think this is a good option for those who want to use surgery as a tool to help loose weight. Of course as has been said, the "head hunger" is a mental health thing, but with this tool I feel much more able to deal with this. Good Luck and we will be praying for you!
I am currentlly 3.5 years post op on my VBG. Although I have had the constant vomiting I have lost close to 100lbs and just had the excess skin removed. I went from 265lbs to 160lbs.
I also realized that when I do vomit its usually a result of my eating to fast.. to much.. and not chewing enough...
when I cut all my food into smaller pieces and really chew I can eat a fairly decent amount and feel ok..
I knew coming into this that there was a high risk of regaining the weight.. but if you look at statistics I don't think they are really much different for either surgery.. ultimately it comes down to this... the along with any other surgery is a tool... often times we jump on to have this done without really dealing with our underlying issues of emotional eating, depression etc..
I have noticed that many of us who have been obese live with guilt and this making others happy at our expense.. because we dont' want to hurt anyone.. but who are we hurting most?? ourselves.
My mother had this surgery done 17 years ago and had the same problems, she had it done by open incision at 326lbs after a year she was 115lbs! She was only able to keep down 1oz jars of baby food 3 times a day and could barely take her vitamins. Her hair fell out and was haveing "little" heart attacks due to low potasium. Finally at 13 months she had it reversed...But heres the thing because of the closeurs the stomach grew together and formed kind-of a half pouch at the top. So now 16 years after haveing it reversed she still can not keep food down, is not nearly as healty as she should be and has gained back to almost 240lbs. To be perfectly honest when I myself started looking in to WLS I was astounded that the VBG was still done! I was only 14 when she had it done but I have still never seen someone that miserable on a daily basis.
My advise for you after watching her go thou this is to have it reversed but make sure the your stomach is "rebuilt" (far lack of a better word) correctly, or you could just be looking for more heartach. hopeing the best for you!!
I had my op done i***** and ever since I have vomitted every day of my life. Within the first two months of surgery I had to have my stomach dilated and there after over the years another 7 times. When I first started having problems I tried telling my doctor how sick I would get but he always insisted that I was eating too much. I could eat one cracker a day and yet keep vomittng but to him it was too much food. I stopped going to him and tried for years to get help from another doctor with no success. Finally after staying away from the original doctor for 7 years I went back. He performed endoscopy on me but just before he did as I was lying on the table he introduced me to his new associate. He told him that I stopped coming to him for some reason and because I got fat again I came back. Well I almost walked out of the hospital right there, I told him that if he read his records he would know that I did not gain any weight back I just never lost all my weight. Now Im hoping to find out the truth, hes telling me that my intestents are kinked and solids do not pass thru thats why Im getting sick and everything has to be reversed, but will that help my vomitting at this point.
Lori
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