LapBand out Tuesday Feb. 3rd 2015 what should I expect when I wake up?

Getting my LapBand out Tuesday Feb. 3rd 2015 what should I expect when I wake up?  How long should I expect to miss work?

I got my lap band May 2008 and lost about 25lbs at first (9lbs of that being from the diet 10 days before the band).  The band never did work for me other than to make it difficult to eat.  I never threw up, and only a time or two got something stuck.  I tried to make the band work for me.....going back for fills and unfills many times.   

In June 2014 I ended up with phenomena.  My lap band doctor said it was caused by the lap band.  Apparently I aspirated something and didn't know it.  At that point I wanted my band out!!! I had it unfilled and found out then that insurance would pay to have it removed.

If I had it to do over there is no way I would do it again! Any weight I lost was because of my hard work...not the band.  I feel ashamed that I have messed with my insides for no good reason. Now I have to go under the knife again to get it taken out.  I just hope I haven't done any real damage.  I have watch the removal videos online and seen how the body grows scar tissue around the band and in some cases the area turns white and hard.

My insurance will pay for the sleeve but I am not doing that.....I just want my band out and nothing more.  

I would love to hear from people who had their band taken out and nothing else done.  How did you feel when you work up?  I am hoping I won't have the pain I had when I got the band....I think it was from the hernia repair they had to do.  

Thanks!

I felt like death when I had the band. And I woke up in the recovery room after band removal and was very relieved. I was trying to put my shoes on to go home before the anesthetic even wore off! I was so excited to feel like a human being again. 

I took it easy for a couple of weeks afterward, of course, and it felt like I had done an infinite number of situps, my abdominal muscles were so sore. But it was great not having excruciating pain. 

Good luck to you. I hope all goes well. 

I've heard of quite a few people getting pneumonia from aspirating food into their lungs. It's not that uncommon, unfortunately. I hope you heal up well after surgery. Take care! 

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post.

The band is out as of yesterday!!  Yay!!  I was able to come home couple hours after surgery (unlike getting the band).  Feeling good with a little pain, nothing bad enough to speak about.

Would you believe that the anesthesiologist asked me if I was coming back in a few weeks to get the Sleeve and when I said "No! absolutely not"  he looked at me like I was stupid and said "Well Ok"  I went on to tell him I could have got the Sleeve the same day I had the band removed but still didn't want it.   My Doctor also tried to talk me in to the Sleeve.....which disappointed me because I'm about 40lbs over weight and if I was able to lose 25lbs I would be happy, I think he should have encourage me to diet and workout instead of pushing the Sleeve which would be more $$$  in his pocket.

I got the lap band because it was the least invasive and I was told that it would help control my hunger.....which it did not.  Even at the beginning I thought it was pretty barbaric if you think about it, purposely tightening  the entrance to your stomach and having a foreign object on the outside of your stomach rubbing against it.  Not to mention the port and the tube floating around inside.

In May 2008, lots of people at my work got the lap band because our insurance paid for it.  I only know of one person who has the band and actually gain more weight than ever WITH IT and went and had the band tighten to the point she can not hardly eat (causing pain in her chest after eating....like we all have had) , in turn lost over 80 lbs and is now skinny.  I recently asked her if she would do it again looking back....she said Yes, BUT told me she recently had to go have a bunch of test done because of reflux and pain in her chest.  

My good friend passed away after having reflux for years, which went on to contribute to esophagus cancer.  He got the hiccups which caused him to go to the doctor and two weeks later he died.  The esophagus cancer had spread through out his body without him even known he had it until the hiccups started.   So that has been on my mind to.....reflux can't be good for you!! 

Well I will stop now and get off my high horse  I'm just happy to have the thing GONE and feeling good so soon after surgery!!!!

Thanks again for lessening my fear before my surgery 

Glad you're over and done with the surgery. I know that after going through complications with Lap Band, having a revision is the last thing on your mind, usually. You're not the only one who opted against revising. 

I'm sorry about your friend's passing. How awful.  After band removal, I had hiccups and what is called, "machine gun sneezing" that would cause me to sneeze so nonstop and so forcefully that I'd often pass out from it. It went on for more than a year. It was attributed to damage to the diaphragm from being banded (and surgeon error.) 

Heal up well and I hope things go well for you. 

Take care,

Nic

First thing I felt was relief that it was gone, I could feel that the sharp pain was gone that I'd had for months. I had to self pay because my insurance doesn't cover bariatrics or complications from them. Other than that I just felt normal except that I now have alot of acid from my stomach, still trying to figure out what is going on with that and how to get rid of it.Other wise I'm doing great now a year after getting it removed. It was about the same pain coming out as going in. Best wishes to you and hopefully you won't have any long term damage.

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post.

The band is out as of yesterday!!  Yay!!  I was able to come home couple hours after surgery (unlike getting the band).  Feeling good with a little pain, nothing bad enough to speak about.

Would you believe that the anesthesiologist asked me if I was coming back in a few weeks to get the Sleeve and when I said "No! absolutely not"  he looked at me like I was stupid and said "Well Ok"  I went on to tell him I could have got the Sleeve the same day I had the band removed but still didn't want it.   My Doctor also tried to talk me in to the Sleeve.....which disappointed me because I'm about 40lbs over weight and if I was able to lose 25lbs I would be happy, I think he should have encourage me to diet and workout instead of pushing the Sleeve which would be more $$$  in his pocket.

I got the lap band because it was the least invasive and I was told that it would help control my hunger.....which it did not.  Even at the beginning I thought it was pretty barbaric if you think about it, purposely tightening  the entrance to your stomach and having a foreign object on the outside of your stomach rubbing against it.  Not to mention the port and the tube floating around inside.

In May 2008, lots of people at my work got the lap band because our insurance paid for it.  I only know of one person who has the band and actually gain more weight than ever WITH IT and went and had the band tighten to the point she can not hardly eat (causing pain in her chest after eating....like we all have had) , in turn lost over 80 lbs and is now skinny.  I recently asked her if she would do it again looking back....she said Yes, BUT told me she recently had to go have a bunch of test done because of reflux and pain in her chest.  

My good friend passed away after having reflux for years, which went on to contribute to esophagus cancer.  He got the hiccups which caused him to go to the doctor and two weeks later he died.  The esophagus cancer had spread through out his body without him even known he had it until the hiccups started.   So that has been on my mind to.....reflux can't be good for you!! 

Well I will stop now and get off my high horse  I'm just happy to have the thing GONE and feeling good so soon after surgery!!!!

Thanks again for lessening my fear before my surgery