My Lap band Journey March 06 to Dec 07

Here is my weight story June 2004 to now

I have been overweight my whole life. I eat when I am sad.. I eat when I am happy.. I eat when I am stressed. I eat very fast.. and I snack all day. if you gave me a loaf of bread I could eat it in one sitting.. So June 2004 I went to my GP and talked with him.. I told him I needed help. something that took a lot..i was 260 pounds and in a size 24.. He put me on some meds that were like speed and I started walking. I lost about 20 pounds that year.. But then nothing else.. the weight just stayed.. I got unmotivated and had no outlet....:

January 2006 I was told by a friend that she had just had Lap band by Dr Billings.. how things were going and such.. By Feb I had decided I needed to do something. I went to a seminar. signed by with Melanie..

March 9th 2006 I had surgery and got the 10cc Lap Band in at Stevens hospital with Landerholm.. Billings with the assisting surgeon.I was about 240 pounds. . I lost right away a ton of weight. I was strict with myself.. no breads. no junk. no snacks. I did the program..

June my body started to change. I lost my cousin in a car accident and the stress was very bad on my body. I started getting tight.. pretty soon they were taking fluid out of my band. and by October I had nothing in my stomach and I was on soft foods.

By December we started working on getting a date to get the 11cc Band put in. They found the smaller band have had more slips and the small band are less flexible.

January 18th 2007. I had just returned from Hawaii 2 day prior and I was ready. I got up at 4am.. got to the hospital at 5am. and got into surgery about 6am. I got my 10cc band out.. and the new 11cc band in.Dr billing was the assisting surgeon... I was discharged about noon.. got home and rested and relaxed and hoped for the best from this band.. I was 170 pounds at surgery...

Wednesday night December 5th 2007.. I felt great.. I hadn't had any health issues in quit some time. I went to the mall with mom and had a great time. got an Americano and shopped some more. came home and Phyllis had the chicken stroganoff all ready.. We sat and had dinner. and the got into bed and off to sleep about 10pm.. About midnight I woke up with the worse pain. could not sleep.. Could not lay still... could not sit up... the pain was in my back. it was in my side. by 2am I was puking in the toilet..

(Thursday Dec 6th 2007)By morning I had puked the chicken from Wednesday and the spaghetti from Tuesday.. I get up and get on the freeway and head to Edmonds. I get pulled over for speeding and I really didn't care as I was in soo much pain and felt soo crappy. got their and they took my fill out..I was about 184 pounds. Went to Steven's hospital and they did an ultra sound and said my gall bladder and other organs looked great. by Thursday night I was puking up what looked like tobacco water or used coffee grounds.I learned this is old blood.... called Landerholm and he gave me some meds too make me not soo nauseas.. I went to bed puking all night.. It got worse... could not keep popsicle, pedialite, water, Gatorade, etc down... everything made me sick..

I woke up Friday and called mom... told her to come get me that I knew I needed to get to the hospital... something was really wrong. got to the clinic and Joy looked at me and said we need to do a Floura with you to check your band... Landerholm came in and what they saw was not pretty... my band was 100% slipped. they rushed me to the hospital. got me direct admitted... and I was hooked up to an IV from 10am to 5pm. they gave me lots of pain meds.pepcid.. Anti nausea meds.. Finally Landerholm was done with his normal schedule and over to the hospital. I was down in the OR. he came and talked with me and said they would try to repair the band but they might have to remove it... In my head I was thinking if you don't remove it I am going to die. so they put me under. Landerholm removed the band.. I was in surgery for 1.5 hrs. then in the recovery room about 20 min.. My mom, dad, and Phyllis were in the hallway when I got up to the floor. they kept me overnight.. Landerholm told my family how bad it was and that the band had cut off the blood supply to my stomach.I was very lucky.. they wanted to make sure everything was working right before I was released. I was only allowed ice chips all night long... Phyllis stayed and watched me sleep as my blood pressure was soo low and they were trying to do everything to get it up. I needed the top number over 100...

By mid day Saturday Landerholm came in and checked on me... told me I could have full liquids. I begged him to let me go... he finally said after 4pm. so I got some soup, ice cream, juice.. It felt odd in my tummy but I wanted something in it.I got home and dealing with a new beginning. I get cramps when I eat.. but I know that I am going to make it. I am strong enough and have learned enough the last 23 months to loose my last 30 pounds. I also know that I am still apart of a great team that is supportive...

Monday I went back to work for 3 hrs came home and slept all afternoon.. and Tuesday worked 3 hrs then slept the drove my hour to the office for the best open house.. I saw a lot of new faces some odd faces. I felt I was still apart of a team even though I didn't have the band.. Landerholm made me sit the whole time.. then Melanie gave me the best gift. she gave me a band. now I can have a reminder of where I have been.. and where my goals are.

What I have gotten out of the last 23 months means a lot to me. I have lost 70 pounds. I have gone to eating junk when I am down to doing better things for my health. I have lost 70 pounds and no longer have to shop in the large women section or the store. I have become more confident of who I am.I walk prouder. I no longer try to hide who I am..

I am now looking into getting in with Melanie to get a food plan. getting a personal trainer to work on toning my body.. And getting into weigh****chers to get on the scale and be accountable for my weight..

I am soo thankful to Landerholm and his team in helping me become a new person... and if I had to do it again I would.. I do not blame any of the issues on the band. I have a very unique body. i am the 1% the commercials talk about.

Thanks to Dr Landerholm who has taken such great care of me for the last 23 months. never letting me down. giving me life again..

Thanks to Dr Landers who helped getting me healthy on Friday night in surgery..and talking to me on Tuesday at the open house letting me know all the details.

Thanks to Joy for listening to me and helping me get through the tough times..

Thanks to Melanie who has helped me remember to eat slow, eat healthy, and listen to my body

Thanks to the rest of the team who has listened to me whine, complain, laugh, cry..

I have enjoyed life the last year... But i am back to my old habits of eating pasta.. bread.. eating fast.. eating when i am bored.. I am back drinking alcohol after being almost sober for 8 yrs.... I have gained all my weight and back with health issues... not happy in my skin...

I went back to my nuitritonist and my doctor and have decided to get the sleeve.. i have talked with many about risk, happieness, regrets... and i know this is what I need...

I love my band.. I would do it again if i knew my body was not gonna reject the foreign object inside of me..

Shelley Lynn Johnston

Dr Landerholm

10CC band March 9th 2006 - 240 lbs

11CC band Jan 18th 2007th - 170 lbs

Band removed Dec 7th 2007 - 180

Sleeve June 4th 2009 - 240 lbs