"That won't happen to me"!

Hello! My name is Tonya. Some of you may remember me from my pre-op and soon post op activity on the board. I have not been very active recently, but I have spent some time reading posts. I just want to share my story with you to hopefully help you in making your decision for lap-band or to let you know if you've already had band and have not been successful, you are certainly not alone!

I had my band in October 2008. This board was hopping at that time and there were so many people excited about the band and many that had been successful. However, there were the few that were saying, "Don't do it"!! I thought eh were just being jerks - mad at the world, mad at the band, just mad and spreading the misery!! I said so many times, "That won't happen to me!! I am going to be successful"! Well, if I could eat without throwing up - I'd be eating crow!! It DID happen! Sliming, getting stuck, throwing up - all the time!! I have vomited so much it has effected my teeth..... Like a bulimic! Life with the band has been a crap shoot!! I never could get restriction because my esophagus could never tolerate the fills. I would get esophagitis and not be able to get anything down. I would have to go back to get fluid out. This was a back & forth journey until my surgeon switched to a hospital not covered by my insurance & I had to start paying for fills!! They removed a lot of the fluid, and yet I still have horrible issues. At one point, all I ate was Pringles, because they would pretty much melt away and I didn't get stuck. I was eventually able to eat better food choices like cottage cheese or nuts, or Greek yogurt - but some days even that is painful. It has been a long, strange, painful journey with little to no weight loss to make it worth the trip!!

I know people who've had the band and been relatively successful and then there are those of us who have had ongoing issues! I know now that aside from the structural issues with my band - I don't have the discipline to make the band work. I need something more reliable & the band is just too variable! It's not my place to tell you what to do for yourself, only to share MY story and my struggle in an honest, open way. All I ask is that you be honest with yourself and know that it can absolutely happen to you!!

I am actually getting my band removed and I am happy about that! I hope the revision to sleeve can help me be successful!

Good luck!
T-Bug

Best of luck to you Bug I so hope the sleeve works better for you than the band did, I know you struggled for a long time with it and tried your hardest!

 

Good luck to you on your surgery :)  I was banded in Oct 2006 I felt the same way you did this board was actually informative and fun " back in those days " !! but unfortunately fate reared its ugly head and like you I have had problems . I am sitting on the fence now wondering what to do . I want it out but at the same time don't want to let it go. I am on the second week of a two week liquid diet then I go back to the Dr. next week and here what he has to say  and hope to come to a decision by then . ~ Cindy 

First bite syndrome, fickle bands, am tightness are all signs of a potential problem.  A couple of years ago, these were regarded as normal.  We know better now.

A friend of mine on Facebook had a band and revised to sleeve only to realize she was having continued trouble with solid food. Turns out the band did so much damage to her esophagus, she has no motility and cannot eat anything! So sad!

I have no motility.

Best of luck with your revision! Revising to the sleeve was the best thing I've ever done for myself and I hope your experience is similar!

Lindsey

I'm sorry that you're having so many issues with your band Tonya, I hope you are able to get the help you need before your band causes you further damage. THANK YOU for coming back and sharing your life after lap band journey with us. It's so very important for those of us who were once excited about our decision to have a foreign object surgically implanted in our bodies, to come back to THIS FORUM...

The same forum where we shared our concerns and then excitement about becoming banded with pre and post ops alike. It's important that we come back and help " Pay It Forward " to those that are in need of help, and those that are considering the LAGB.

I chose the lap band because I didn't want to alter my anatomy...If only I'd known how badly it was going to alter my esophagus, or my entire nervous system, not to mention how it eroded into and altered my stomach...

If you haven't already joined my Failed Bands Group, please click on the link in my siggy. There is a lot of very helpful information in the group, and I can assure you...you will not feel alone...trust me.

 

I had a lot of the same issues and ended up revising to the sleeve.  I just want to throw some words of caution to you.  My story might not have any reflection on you, but just in case....

The last couple of years with the band, I ended up regaining half of my 100 pound loss.  This was mostly due to eating sliders, like chips, candy, etc.  My band was so fickle that getting in healthy food was a major crap shoot and I eventually got tired of trying. 

I was so blessed to be approved for a revision and excited about getting my sleeve.  I  had seen many people revise and be a huge success.   Oh, the sleeve IS wonderful.  I never worry about getting stuck, throwing up or sliming.  I can eat ANYTHING, bread, rice, potatoes with no problems....which is a problem.  LOL  Granted, I can only eat a small amount. but even a small amount of bad carbs, is detrimental to my weigh tloss. 

For me, it has been extremely hard to keep on track and lose weight with my sleeve.  I think after having had the band since January 2008, the newness, dedication and awe of WLS had worn off long before.  I pretty much thought my sleeve would get me there without a lot of effort.  Why, I don't know.  LOL  I know better, or I should, anyway. 

The sleeve works JUST LIKE THE BAND WAS ADVERTISED.  It truly is wonderful.  But, just like life with a properly filled and fully functional band, YOU have to make the right choices by avoiding sliders and grazing.  If the dedication isn't there on your part, success will be hard to achieve. 

Luckily, I pretty much have my head back in the game right now.  I am a "loser" once again.  Hopefully, you won't have as thick of a head as I have had.  When you say, " I know now that aside from the structural issues with my band - I don't have the discipline to make the band work.", it just reminded me of ME.  Please keep all of this in mind. 

Much luck and positive vibes to you!

I went through the same thing with my sleeve Melly, and luckily I was able to beat myself back onto the wagon. It's hard, but I think you worded it just perfectly.

" Oh, the sleeve IS wonderful.  .  I can eat ANYTHING, bread, rice, potatoes....which is a problem.  LOL  Granted, I can only eat a small amount. but even a small amount of bad carbs, is detrimental to my weight loss.

For me, it has been extremely hard to keep on track and lose weight with my sleeve.  I think after having had the band since January 2006, the newness, dedication and awe of WLS had worn off long before.  I pretty much thought my sleeve would get me there without a lot of effort.  Why, I don't know.  LOL  I know better, or I should, anyway.

The sleeve works JUST LIKE THE BAND WAS ADVERTISED.  It truly is wonderful.  But, just like life with a properly filled and fully functional band, YOU have to make the right choices by avoiding sliders and grazing.  If the dedication isn't there on your part, success will be hard to achieve. "