Lap Band/Realize Band Questions Please help!
That is just not fair that you suffer while he is still practicing on other poor, unsuspecting patients..... I'd get the word out too if it had happened to me.... God Bless you and help you with the pain and complications you still have. I'm so sorry that something that is supposed to help you hurt you... I'm sure you went into it nervous but excited like most people... only to have it go miserably wrong. How sad...
First off, wow what a story. It sounds horrible.
Second, regarding the diaphram damage and left shoulder pain I want to make sure that I understand what you are saying. I believe you are saying that because it was damaged it is basically touching other organs and making the left shoulder hurt??????? What about left side pain at the same time? I haven't heard anything about this from others although I do admit that I haven't really asked either. I have had this pain quite a bit in the last year or two. I have noticed it all the time if I eat too much but also other times too.
Second, regarding the diaphram damage and left shoulder pain I want to make sure that I understand what you are saying. I believe you are saying that because it was damaged it is basically touching other organs and making the left shoulder hurt??????? What about left side pain at the same time? I haven't heard anything about this from others although I do admit that I haven't really asked either. I have had this pain quite a bit in the last year or two. I have noticed it all the time if I eat too much but also other times too.
Stephanie
Sioux Falls, SD
Height: 5'5.5"; Beginning weight 253
Educational seminar - 09/05/07; First consult - 09/17/07; Insurance rec'd submission - 10/01/07; Insurance approved - 10/05/07; Surgery - 11/21/07 (253 pounds of the morning of surgery); Mini goal met of down to 225 - 12/23/07.
Hi Stephanie,
Well, the band can damage or irritate the diaphragm at any time and often does. Its close proximity to the diaphragm and the Vagus nerves that run through it cause a lot of problems for a lot of people.
You can see how the top of the stomach where the band is placed is very close to the diaphragm. If there is gas in your gut, you might get the left shoulder pain. If your stomach is too full, it might hurt, as well. But, the more often the Vagus nerves get irritated, the more often they're likely to stay irritated, unfortunately. The diaphragm moves with each breath in and out. If the tubing or the band itself is anywhere near the diaphragm, it touches the nerves and causes the pain.
How it was explained to me was that the diaphragm doesn't actually "feel" pain, so it refers it up into the left shoulder. That's why pain relievers don't seem to do anything for referred pain in a lot of people.
The stomach is situated on the left side of the body, so if it hurts, there's probably something not right and should be checked.
Take care. Hope this helped at least a little.
Nicci
Well, the band can damage or irritate the diaphragm at any time and often does. Its close proximity to the diaphragm and the Vagus nerves that run through it cause a lot of problems for a lot of people.
You can see how the top of the stomach where the band is placed is very close to the diaphragm. If there is gas in your gut, you might get the left shoulder pain. If your stomach is too full, it might hurt, as well. But, the more often the Vagus nerves get irritated, the more often they're likely to stay irritated, unfortunately. The diaphragm moves with each breath in and out. If the tubing or the band itself is anywhere near the diaphragm, it touches the nerves and causes the pain.
How it was explained to me was that the diaphragm doesn't actually "feel" pain, so it refers it up into the left shoulder. That's why pain relievers don't seem to do anything for referred pain in a lot of people.
The stomach is situated on the left side of the body, so if it hurts, there's probably something not right and should be checked.
Take care. Hope this helped at least a little.
Nicci
Avoid kemmerling, Green Bay, WI
Hmmmm very interesting. I just might ask about then when I go to my appointment. Thanks.
Stephanie
Sioux Falls, SD
Height: 5'5.5"; Beginning weight 253
Educational seminar - 09/05/07; First consult - 09/17/07; Insurance rec'd submission - 10/01/07; Insurance approved - 10/05/07; Surgery - 11/21/07 (253 pounds of the morning of surgery); Mini goal met of down to 225 - 12/23/07.
On January 9, 2012 at 1:00 PM Pacific Time, N. M. wrote:
I'm going to reply honestly and hope that you see that it's in the spirit of trying to help you avoid a huge mistake.I had my band done about 9 years ago. I came out of surgery with a damaged diaphragm. I was in so much agony that I went into shock. I don't remember the first week after banding, the pain was so blindingly intense.
I went on for 6 full months being in excruciating pain from morning til night. My surgeon told me that there was nothing wrong with me, I needed to get a hobby. I found a new surgeon... one who teaches other surgeons how to do the lapband.
He immediately diagnosed me with a slipped band. Well, actually, he exlaimed, "What the f*ck did they DO to you?!" And then he told me that my stomach had twisted into a figure 8, my bowels were obstructed (I had told my original surgeon that I hadn't been able to poop for almost 2 weeks... nothing, the pain was ungodly!)
They rushed me into surgery and attempted to do repairwork.
It didn't work. I kept the band but still had indecent amounts of pain.
I visited chronic pain clinics, was put on fentanyl patches and morphine. Neither did a thing for the referred left shoulder pain. I had abdominal pain ALL the time, constipation, lightheadedness, dizziness, malnutrition due to the complete inability to eat solid foods, and worst of all, people made me feel as if it was something I was doing wrong. I lost weight... but I also became shockingly anemic, malnourished and developed a hiatal hernia, gastritis, ulcers among other problems. ((I also have tons of adhesions from the multiple "corrective" surgeries.)
The band was finally removed when I was so weak I couldn't lift my head off the bed. My son (who was a teen at the time) sat and held my hand and cried, helpless. He kept saying, "Mom, don't die, please. I love you." And that was when I decided that it was stupid to NOT get the band removed... in spite of my belief that the damage had been done and removing it wouldn't help my situation. In hindsight, I can see how foolish that way of thinking was. But at the time, I was so scared of having gone through all that pain and just gaining the weight back. I wasn't living, though. I was thinner but in SO incredibly much pain that I would have been better off fat.
This is enough to have turned me off the lapband... BUT, I also have watched dozens and dozens of my friends... real life and online... go through similar situations. The band is NOT a good LONG TERM solution for obesity. And more important, it often leaves us with a LOT of permanent physical damage. If I had it to do over again, I'd choose a surgery that might SEEM more "drastic" but is more likely to work the first time around without the hindrance and health risks of subsequent surgeries.
Good luck to you. I hope you'll take my post as an attempt to honestly direct you away from something that could very well be very harmful to your health. I hate watching people going through the same things over and over.
There you go again! Being NEGATIVE! Don't you know this is a SUPPORT forum?!
I'm sorry N.M.! I couldn't resist. I just had to see what it was like to be on the other end of it for a change!
NanaB.
on 1/9/12 5:40 am, edited 1/8/12 5:47 pm
on 1/9/12 5:40 am, edited 1/8/12 5:47 pm
What the surgery itself was like?
My surgery was pretty quick, it only took about 1 hour for my surgeon to install my band, I was sore and my port area was a bit sore, but nothing extreme, I just took GasX and liquid Tylenol for minor pain for the first 2 weeks.
What process you had to go through to get the surgery before hand?
My insurance paid 100 percent for my lap band, I had Blue Cross Care-first, but it strongly depends on what your employer pays for, the employer mandates how much they will cover and what the cover.
How did you feel after surgery? Etc...
I felt pretty normal, and I was a bit swollen from the surgery and I did not requre any fills until about 4 months post op, and the only difference was, I could not eat much and I had to be careful with my eating to avoid food getting stuck to cause vomiting because I did not want to damage my band before I got fills.
How you live after the surgery and keep the weight off?
I have had my lap band now going on 7 years, and the first few years was very easy for me, but of course I walked daily and I never really followed a diet plan, I just ate mostly lean proteins, veggies, protein drinks most of the time and on the weekends I ate my favorite foods so it balanced out. I lost about 130 pounds within 18 months after surgery. I had a hernia repaired in my uterus in 2008 and I stopped exercising for about 1 year and I gained some weight back, but of course I was eating sweets and candy like crazy also due to hormonal issues. But up until then, I kept my weight off easy for over 5 years. I love my restriction. I am beginning to start walking again and losing weight again. -- NO SURGERY WILL KEEP WEIGHT OFF, unless you keep your carbs low or eat good green carbs and exercise, even the gastric bypass.
How do you eat day after day on a regular basis?
It depends on my how tight my band is, right now I have moderate restriction and that is how I like it, I eat every thing I want, I get satisfied on about 1-2 cups of solid food, we don't get sick like RNY, or Sleevers do if we eat too many carbs or sweets, so we don't have any food ad-versions.
Does it conform to your lifestyle? (meaning social settings and get togethers... do you feel as if you are constantly dieting or can you truly live with this??)
The main reason I chose the lap band was because I work as a professional and I did not want to risk days off from work or being in and out of the hospital, or worry about any long term illness, if I suffer band unforeseen complication, it can be removed. Again, I never dieted with my band because I walked daily, I ate exactly what I wanted to eat and still lost weight. But I would think if you never walked or exercised you would probably have to be a more vigilant dieter.
Is it hard to stick to(the diet)? Again, I never dieted.
Do you feel full most of the time? Once your band is fully healed after surgery, ideally after 6 weeks post op, you can began the fill process and it usually takes the average person about 3-5 fills before they reach a good level of restriction where they are getting satisfied on about 1/2 cup or 1 cup of solid food, usually the band will keep you sawdusted for about 4-5 hours between meals.
Does it truly help you and how?
If you are truly looking for a weight loss surgery to do MORE than limit your portions you need to research the gastric bypass, since there is malabsportion to help absorb calories, but that is the trade-off, you will have to deal with malabsorption issues the rest of your life and take vitamins, they are NOT required with the band, meaning you will not get extremely ill if you don't take vitamins with the band, but you if you get a more invasive surgery they will require vitamins and labs for life, but most people take a multi vitamin and calcium with the band since they are eating small amounts of food especially in the first two years post op.
Once the lap band is Properly Restricted, IT DOES WORK, but again, this is where you do your research and FIND A LAP BAND SURGEON that will give you excellent fills and aftercare, everyone unforunately do not get excellent aftercare and many suffer unnecessarily complications and band slippage if their surgeons do not fill them properly, so you must make sure you FIND THE RIGHT SURGEON and ideally someone who has performed over 500 lap bands.
Do you feel as though you are starving most of the time since you eat such small amounts of food? Nope, that is the beauty of the band, once you get a good fill level you will not feel hungry and you be amazed that you get full on very small amounts, example you can eat 1/4 of a plate of food and feel like you eaten two plates of Thanksgiving food.
Do you experience many side effects and if so what are they and are they worth putting up with to be rid of the other health issues you had before surgery? Nope, no side effects at all, those who keep their bands adjusted too tightly experience all sorts of nasty side effects, like vomiting, reflux, heartburn, coughing, etc, but when I eat the food funnels down slowly and gently and feels good actually.
If you had it to do over again, would you still have surgery or would you just commit stronger to eating healthy and exercising without it? I would still get the lap band, it changed my life, and I feel totally normal, the only difference is I can't eat much. The lap band does not make food choices for me, nor does it make me walk or exercise, those of the things I have to do MYSELF to lose weight and be successful.
My surgery was pretty quick, it only took about 1 hour for my surgeon to install my band, I was sore and my port area was a bit sore, but nothing extreme, I just took GasX and liquid Tylenol for minor pain for the first 2 weeks.
What process you had to go through to get the surgery before hand?
My insurance paid 100 percent for my lap band, I had Blue Cross Care-first, but it strongly depends on what your employer pays for, the employer mandates how much they will cover and what the cover.
How did you feel after surgery? Etc...
I felt pretty normal, and I was a bit swollen from the surgery and I did not requre any fills until about 4 months post op, and the only difference was, I could not eat much and I had to be careful with my eating to avoid food getting stuck to cause vomiting because I did not want to damage my band before I got fills.
How you live after the surgery and keep the weight off?
I have had my lap band now going on 7 years, and the first few years was very easy for me, but of course I walked daily and I never really followed a diet plan, I just ate mostly lean proteins, veggies, protein drinks most of the time and on the weekends I ate my favorite foods so it balanced out. I lost about 130 pounds within 18 months after surgery. I had a hernia repaired in my uterus in 2008 and I stopped exercising for about 1 year and I gained some weight back, but of course I was eating sweets and candy like crazy also due to hormonal issues. But up until then, I kept my weight off easy for over 5 years. I love my restriction. I am beginning to start walking again and losing weight again. -- NO SURGERY WILL KEEP WEIGHT OFF, unless you keep your carbs low or eat good green carbs and exercise, even the gastric bypass.
How do you eat day after day on a regular basis?
It depends on my how tight my band is, right now I have moderate restriction and that is how I like it, I eat every thing I want, I get satisfied on about 1-2 cups of solid food, we don't get sick like RNY, or Sleevers do if we eat too many carbs or sweets, so we don't have any food ad-versions.
Does it conform to your lifestyle? (meaning social settings and get togethers... do you feel as if you are constantly dieting or can you truly live with this??)
The main reason I chose the lap band was because I work as a professional and I did not want to risk days off from work or being in and out of the hospital, or worry about any long term illness, if I suffer band unforeseen complication, it can be removed. Again, I never dieted with my band because I walked daily, I ate exactly what I wanted to eat and still lost weight. But I would think if you never walked or exercised you would probably have to be a more vigilant dieter.
Is it hard to stick to(the diet)? Again, I never dieted.
Do you feel full most of the time? Once your band is fully healed after surgery, ideally after 6 weeks post op, you can began the fill process and it usually takes the average person about 3-5 fills before they reach a good level of restriction where they are getting satisfied on about 1/2 cup or 1 cup of solid food, usually the band will keep you sawdusted for about 4-5 hours between meals.
Does it truly help you and how?
If you are truly looking for a weight loss surgery to do MORE than limit your portions you need to research the gastric bypass, since there is malabsportion to help absorb calories, but that is the trade-off, you will have to deal with malabsorption issues the rest of your life and take vitamins, they are NOT required with the band, meaning you will not get extremely ill if you don't take vitamins with the band, but you if you get a more invasive surgery they will require vitamins and labs for life, but most people take a multi vitamin and calcium with the band since they are eating small amounts of food especially in the first two years post op.
Once the lap band is Properly Restricted, IT DOES WORK, but again, this is where you do your research and FIND A LAP BAND SURGEON that will give you excellent fills and aftercare, everyone unforunately do not get excellent aftercare and many suffer unnecessarily complications and band slippage if their surgeons do not fill them properly, so you must make sure you FIND THE RIGHT SURGEON and ideally someone who has performed over 500 lap bands.
Do you feel as though you are starving most of the time since you eat such small amounts of food? Nope, that is the beauty of the band, once you get a good fill level you will not feel hungry and you be amazed that you get full on very small amounts, example you can eat 1/4 of a plate of food and feel like you eaten two plates of Thanksgiving food.
Do you experience many side effects and if so what are they and are they worth putting up with to be rid of the other health issues you had before surgery? Nope, no side effects at all, those who keep their bands adjusted too tightly experience all sorts of nasty side effects, like vomiting, reflux, heartburn, coughing, etc, but when I eat the food funnels down slowly and gently and feels good actually.
If you had it to do over again, would you still have surgery or would you just commit stronger to eating healthy and exercising without it? I would still get the lap band, it changed my life, and I feel totally normal, the only difference is I can't eat much. The lap band does not make food choices for me, nor does it make me walk or exercise, those of the things I have to do MYSELF to lose weight and be successful.
Are you overall Happy with your Band and want a postive environment to stay on track? Join us and become a member of our Happy Lap Band Group Keep it bookmarked! http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/Happy_Successful_Banders/
Wow! Love your story! 7 years! And no complications! Hallelujah! Great to a hear a truly wonderful story! So wow... no dieting really? Amazing... so you pretty much eat what you want, but just ALOT less?? And yes, see that's me... I'd be a walker... I have always wanted to run... but with my weight it would be too hard on my body... so that would be nice to be able to do every once in a while too. Thanks for sharing your amazingly positive story! I appreciate the feed back! God Bless you!
Also trying to understand all the lingo... and what I should suggest or what would be best going into this surgery? I see Everyone has so many mL, so many cc's filled, and are they always empty when first placed in... or do you request that or a certain fill level or does your surgeon decide that... I mean how does it all work. As you can tell I haven't even been to a seminar yet. So what do I want to ask the surgeon and what do I want to request or do I want to request anything? And look at the number of lap band's he/she's done and/or ask for the number they've done. Anything else surgery/surgeon wise that I should wisen up on for a better outcome? Don't want it too tight... got that.. .
"Nana's response is total nonsense considering she has had 70 plus fills and she previously stated that she only lost weight b/c she became addicted to exercise. She states things like that and then either delets the posts, or starts a different screen name to use. Most of the regular ones on here can give you the history on Nana.
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