Hi Michele,

You are definitely not alone with your band woes. I too have not been in the office for years - 7-8 years.

I have been successful in losing weight, but it took a very long time for me to educate myself on losing weight naturally (diet and exercise). I struggle to eat literally everything good for me. Processed foods are about the ONLY things that go down with ease (chips, cereals, bars, cheese, pizza, fried snacks, etc.) and I struggle to eat REAL foods (leaner meats, veggies, even eggs barely pass)

It was then I learned to eat small bites and drink carbonated water. Yeah, I know it's a CRAP BAND no-no, but it works and helps the food bubble and pass to the lower stomach and relieves the pain. It still takes me about 60-90 minutes to eat a meal. Using this methodology I've lost the weight and keep it off, but even my morning coffee has started to make me over-salivate and gurgle. I am heading in to a surgeon soon to see what things look like internally and discuss my options for removal/revision. I cannot take the torture anymore.

Hopefully your July appointment went well and you have some hope.

Hi A.C.

I have a very similar story. I was banded in 2010/2011 and failed at losing weight on the lap band restrictive diet. I have vomited after nearly every meal since day 1 regardless of my efforts. I am currently seeking a surgeon to get mine removed. I did end up losing weight, but I had to start drinking with meals to get my healthy food down. It's taken me 8 years to lose 155 lbs. I am in Florida, so I do not know of anyone in your area, however there is a really great facebook group called "Failed Lap-bands and realize bands" that offers a few things:

1. a sense of community and support through the painful insurance approval/denial process

2. 3,500 banded people to ask for advice and referrals

3. A regularly maintained document with surgeon suggestions by state

I hope you are able to find what you need to get rid of this awful band.

Hang in there.

-Amanda

Hi There, I just relocated to Seattle and need my lap band adjusted. Any doctors suggestions, please?

• Hi! I recently started having the shortness of breath since around March. I did have pneumonia and that was cleared. Then they thought it was my heart and ended up having a heart cath, only to find out that my heart is healthy. Still at point nobody could tell me what was causing my shortness of breath. Saw a pulmonologist and of course they said it was asthma/COPD and was put on inhalers, prednisone which has not helped much. I go to bed wheezing and wake up in the middle of the night coughing, wheezing and short of breath. That's when I happened to think about my lapband and could it be causing these issues. Now after researching I see there are others having the same problem.
• Nancy

Oh, they had to cut. Laparoscopic surgery for in and out.