Band Success Story!

You will see  people on the band forums that are happy with their bands b/c they are losing weight and make it to goal. But at what cost? I saw this post from a bandster on another forum. She lost 178 pounds and made it to goal. If you are considering the band, please take the time to read her post:


It's been very long time since I've written. I'm really interested in talking to anybody that ever
experienced having erosion of realize band. My surgery date for banding was July 2008. My
realize band removal date was September 2010. Everything was awesome till 4 days prior to
removal. I began hurting so bad to the point of having to roll out of bed onto floor to get up.
Went to local emergency room September 21st/ 2010 and was then rushed to Vanderbilt
Medical Center. They basically at that time began many pain meds. many antibiotic bags, and
many test which was shortly followed by emergency removal of my band September 24th/
2010. No lies to tell, this was the worst day of my life. I had lost a total of 178 lbs. and had
reached a goal weight of 165 lbs. I've been to emergency room since removal 10 times and
hospitalized three times for a total of 30 days spent. I've had an enlarged liver, still enlarged
spleen (3 times larger than suppose to be), and have suffered from major blood issues,
infections, and fever as high as 105.6 degrees. It is without a doubt a miracle I'm still living
and am so thankful to GOD for that but I really need to talk to someone that may have
experienced what I'm going through. I'm waiting now till middle of this month to find out if I'm
gonna have to have my spleen removed. To date I'm still not able to look at scales.Pretty
certain weight gain is close to 35-40 lbs. This is just a guess cause I can't stand the thought of
knowing for sure. Truth to be known I'd put it back in today if I could! Now how sick is that???
Unfortunately, I've been told by surgeon that removed my band, it's not possible for me to
ever have any kind of weight loss surgery because of my stomach being in such a shape from
erosion. Test showed before removal that my band was visible from inside my stomach
almost the full circumference of band. At this point I'm just waiting to get this spleen thing
taken care of and fighting hard to keep every pound off me. That I might add is a
battle I fear I'm losing slowly. Before last two hospital stays I'd already resorted to diet pills
again. It's not that I don't know what I'm suppose to do or not do as far as food goes, it's just
that I'm never full. Understand me, I'm not saying I'm always hungry, but instead never have
the feeling of full like I got so use to having with my band. Oh I need to be sure to mention
that the surgeon that put my band in no longer worked at Vandy when I went for removal so I
was left with no choice but to have the surgeon that took over his patients. They were
colleagues!!! Needless to say I was failed by both of them!!! One put the sutures on
too tight (or so I've been told)and the other didn't remove all the infection before sending me home thus this
horrific story I'm left to tell. Like that's not bad enough, the doctor that removed my band was so
arregant he wouldn't listen to me any when I went back for check-ups. I'd say, I'm hurting so
bad from gas that I cry and I can't have bowel movement. His answer was metamucil!!! I was
at ER every week for major pain and finally one doctor gave me gas spasm pills that helped
some. It was discovered during another ER visit that I needed protonixs. I will take these apparently for the rest of my life along wt. who knows at this point what else. I'm really just needing to talk wt anyone that might have experienced any problems wt band and removal like me more or less just for some support and hope for light at the end of the tunnel. As I'm sure has been noticed by now, I'm pretty messed up from all this not only physically but mentally as well!!! It's so bad with weight gain that I can't even look at myself in mirrors. When I was fat at least every lb. I noticed leaving while standing in front of mirrors made me feel wonderful vs now every lb gained is sickening!!! As far as spleen removal, can anyone give some insight on how my health might be afterwards. Finally last but most definitely not least, does anybody have the name of a weight loss surgeon they would recommend from around my area(Tennessee or Kentucky)? Sure enough, if I could find a top notch surgeon willing to do surgery for me after all this is over I would consider it if it's even possible. I'm truly needing to find a surgeon that at least might be willing to check me out and give their opinion. To date I've not had a second opinion from a weight loss surgeon. I've dealt wt all er doctors, infectious disease specialists, and blood disorder drs that truly don't won't to even go into my stomach if they don't have to. I've probably had to date 50 test over and over but all wt pictures from machines. They are afraid of what damage they could do if they puncture through flap that was just laid back over at band area on stomach. If they have to remove spleen though at that time they'll know cause I've been told they'd probably do it by opening me us vs laparoscopic. Anyway if anyone can help please reply!!!

That is a tragic story.  I'm very sorry he/she is in such distress and going through such medical crisis.

It sounds like a band erosion and those can be bad.  Very bad.

Not everyone has them though.  I speak regularly to people who've had their bands 10 or more years and no erosion, no slips, etc.

I understand you don't like your band and that's fine.  You are entitled to your opinion and entitled to share it all over here and anywhere else.

But not everyone has a horrible time with the banding and that should be known too.

~But not everyone has a horrible time with the banding and that should be known too.~

That is very true. And there are many post on this forum from happy, successful bandsters. My posts just kind of even it out a little and give a more realistic view of the band. I feel anyone pre-op should know both sides of the band.

Btw..........Your band has worked amazingly for you! Congrats on all your success!!!

Maria, The band does work for some and we can see in this very thread that happy bandsters do exist, but.....I have seen too many people who have been hurt from the lap band to justify it's use for weight loss any longer. There are too many of us that have been permanently damaged from the band whose desire was only to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle.

Now I live my life in chronic pain because I had a lap band. I lost over 70 lbs...but at a huge cost

My heart goes out to ppl like you, N.M. and the many others that have permanent damage from the band! As unhappy as I am about my band experience, I do realize it could have been a lot worse!

Hugs!

My band eroded and Nicci's band eroded. Come to think of it I believe Dawns band eroded as well There are many people on OH with bands that have eroded. Most of us have had our bands slip. A huge percentage of us have suffered from esophageal dysmotility.  Some have already revised, some have lost their bands with no plan for revision in their future. Some have only shared their experiences off this particular forum for their own personal reasons.

Some bandsters never even had a chance. I have seem ppl with slips, esophageal dysmotility, and even erosion at just 1-2 months out! The lady from this area that had the esophageal dysmotility start at 4 weeks. Wouldn't revise after that. She was devistated. She had insurance, but spent all her cash and vacation time on her co-pays for the 2 surgeries!

Things like this DO happen. And these are things that potential bandsters need to consider before having WLS.

My heart goes out to this person!

I do find it distasteful that you labeled the thread deceitfully. I probably would have read the thread regardless of the title but there maybe someone who had surgery yesterday and might not want to read the horror stories right now.

Well really the label wasn't fully deceifull. By band standards she is considered a band success. Correct?

And although I understand that someone banded yesterday might not care to read the post, anyone that is pre-op SHOULD read posts like this also b/c they need to be informed on BOTH sides of the band.

" but there maybe someone who had surgery yesterday and might not want to read the horror stories right now. "

I do believe that those same people who had surgery yesterday more then likely are already aware of our " Horror Stories "

Can I just say that I find it offensive that you would label our real life band experiences as,
" Horror Stories "  First off they are not just stories. They are our real life experiences of how we have suffered great pain and injury because of the lap band.
Secondly...The word " horror " seems to imply that we are making this stuff up simply to scare pre-ops and the newly operated on.

I find your reply to the OP extremely distasteful and incredibly disturbing.