Lap-Band is OUT
Oh thank you for that sweet compliment! Yes, I teach sixth grade English! Still doing it! I just ended my most rewarding year of teaching. I requested to teach the lowest quartile of students! Others thought I was crazy, but I loved every single minute!
You may or may not remember that two years ago, my mother died. Around the end of May (she died in early June), I began to have a terrible pain that started on the left side of my body and continued up my neck to my jaw. I laid it off on the fact that I was very stressed by the impending death of my mother. I stayed with her for the last two weeks of her life. After she died, I was tested initially for heart problems, but that was fine. My stomach hurt terribly and so constipation was the diagnosis. It appeared I was constipated because I couldn't eat so there was NOTHING coming through the pipes! I literally lived on ice cream and cokes. I got thinner and thinner but sicker and sicker. I would go to the doctor or hospital ER sometimes twice in a day from the pain. In the end, I would find myself somewhere and wonder how on earth I'd gotten there. I couldn't focus and eventually was unable to stay awake.
The US doctor who was overseeing my fills was consulted by my PCP (no one in our town had any experience with the band and I really didn't want to believe that was my problem) and insisted I be transferred to his hospital asap. He even came off vacation a day early to tend to me. To make a long story short, I spent eight days in the hospital with band erosion which had caused an abcess on my spleen, other infection in my gut, a collapsed lung, and severe malnutrition. I lost my band and was immediately put on antibiotics and a feeding tube. Needless to say, I lost even more weight. The real scare came when my doctor said if I had waited another two days, there wouldn't have been much hope if I'd even made it to the hospital.
I am thankful for my band. It helped me lose a tremendous amount of weight. It just didn't work with my body. Another band was NOT an option for me obviously! I was self-pay and opted for the sleeve. After losing my band, I gained 60 lbs in 5 months. I definitely needed something. I haven't lost much with my sleeve, but in its defense, I haven't worked it at all. It has held me steady.
I know you and your doctor will make the right decision. I wish you much luck in this journey. It's a rocky road sometimes, but take care of things and don't wait too long. Hugs!
You may or may not remember that two years ago, my mother died. Around the end of May (she died in early June), I began to have a terrible pain that started on the left side of my body and continued up my neck to my jaw. I laid it off on the fact that I was very stressed by the impending death of my mother. I stayed with her for the last two weeks of her life. After she died, I was tested initially for heart problems, but that was fine. My stomach hurt terribly and so constipation was the diagnosis. It appeared I was constipated because I couldn't eat so there was NOTHING coming through the pipes! I literally lived on ice cream and cokes. I got thinner and thinner but sicker and sicker. I would go to the doctor or hospital ER sometimes twice in a day from the pain. In the end, I would find myself somewhere and wonder how on earth I'd gotten there. I couldn't focus and eventually was unable to stay awake.
The US doctor who was overseeing my fills was consulted by my PCP (no one in our town had any experience with the band and I really didn't want to believe that was my problem) and insisted I be transferred to his hospital asap. He even came off vacation a day early to tend to me. To make a long story short, I spent eight days in the hospital with band erosion which had caused an abcess on my spleen, other infection in my gut, a collapsed lung, and severe malnutrition. I lost my band and was immediately put on antibiotics and a feeding tube. Needless to say, I lost even more weight. The real scare came when my doctor said if I had waited another two days, there wouldn't have been much hope if I'd even made it to the hospital.
I am thankful for my band. It helped me lose a tremendous amount of weight. It just didn't work with my body. Another band was NOT an option for me obviously! I was self-pay and opted for the sleeve. After losing my band, I gained 60 lbs in 5 months. I definitely needed something. I haven't lost much with my sleeve, but in its defense, I haven't worked it at all. It has held me steady.
I know you and your doctor will make the right decision. I wish you much luck in this journey. It's a rocky road sometimes, but take care of things and don't wait too long. Hugs!
Bridget A pessimist is a man who thinks all women are bad. An optimist is a man who hopes they are. ~Chauncey Mitchell Depew
SW: 275 CW: 225 GW: 150
Total lost: 50 lbs.
Hi Mechelle,
I had my revision to RnY-Proximal (lap) during the same surgery when my band was removed. .. keep doing your research .. I knew I needed restriction and malabsorption .. and my stomach was too damaged for the DS w/o waiting 6 or more months ...
there are great resources here .. it is easier said than done, but don't beat yourself up - just because one tool didn't work, it may be time to try a new tool.
Be well, be kind - especially to yourself
I had my revision to RnY-Proximal (lap) during the same surgery when my band was removed. .. keep doing your research .. I knew I needed restriction and malabsorption .. and my stomach was too damaged for the DS w/o waiting 6 or more months ...
there are great resources here .. it is easier said than done, but don't beat yourself up - just because one tool didn't work, it may be time to try a new tool.
Be well, be kind - especially to yourself
Bridgett,
I am sorry for the loss of your mother. I do remember your mother being sick and I remember praying for you and your family.
Thank God you went to the hospital when you did.
I too have been going to the ER with pain. I have been hospitalized two times in the month of June. I often sit and rock and cry with the pain in which nothing seems to relieve, not even IV pain meds. I am terrified that another band will cause the same pain. My husband thinks I am crazy for getting it in the first place and even crazier to consider another one.
The doctor's office says the band has come a long way since mine was invented. But they do not know what kind of pain I am dealing with.
I fear when they get in there that something more will be wrong. Did they do your sleeve in the same surgery as the band removal?
I am sorry for the loss of your mother. I do remember your mother being sick and I remember praying for you and your family.
Thank God you went to the hospital when you did.
I too have been going to the ER with pain. I have been hospitalized two times in the month of June. I often sit and rock and cry with the pain in which nothing seems to relieve, not even IV pain meds. I am terrified that another band will cause the same pain. My husband thinks I am crazy for getting it in the first place and even crazier to consider another one.
The doctor's office says the band has come a long way since mine was invented. But they do not know what kind of pain I am dealing with.
I fear when they get in there that something more will be wrong. Did they do your sleeve in the same surgery as the band removal?
Mechelle
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding" Proverbs 3:5
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding" Proverbs 3:5
Mechelle and Bridget,
I am happy to find you both on this board. My band has slipped and I have no symptomes whatsoever. Very strange, I know. I thought everything was fine and we looked at it under fluoro and the slip was very, very bad. So, it has to come out. I am debating between the sleeve and the bypass-I have to get insurance approval before I can move forward. I plan to have the band out and the other surgery at the same time. I now have a 10 month old daughter and cannot do two surgeries!
Bridget, like you, I am happy to have had my band and just trying to decide on the right surgery. Why did you choose the sleeve? When did you have the sleeve?
Shelley
I am happy to find you both on this board. My band has slipped and I have no symptomes whatsoever. Very strange, I know. I thought everything was fine and we looked at it under fluoro and the slip was very, very bad. So, it has to come out. I am debating between the sleeve and the bypass-I have to get insurance approval before I can move forward. I plan to have the band out and the other surgery at the same time. I now have a 10 month old daughter and cannot do two surgeries!
Bridget, like you, I am happy to have had my band and just trying to decide on the right surgery. Why did you choose the sleeve? When did you have the sleeve?
Shelley
I can relate to what you are all saying. I had my first band of 9 years removed in February and replaced with a 2nd band. I need to have the 2nd band removed due to damage to esophagus and am awaiting insurance approval to revise to RNY which I should have by next week. We all make choices. I wish back in February I just did the RNY but I thought I could work with the band and I can't. Good luck to you all.
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