I am not here to scare anyone, but I feel I must share my journey. I was diagnosed in 2001 with Bi-Polar disorder I, The medications that I had to take to save my sanity caused me to gain more than 100 lbs in a little over 2 years.  I became desperate and had lap-band surgery in 2005 and after quite a few fills, I ended up loosing 100+ lbs.  Sounds great, right?  Not so fast.  I was so tight I literally threw up everything I put in my mouth, even water. At first, I was so grateful to lose the weight that I was on an emotional high.  I began avoiding social settings that involved food, if my husband and I had to attend functions, he was my wing man, explaining to everyone why I didn't eat anything, or ran off to the bathroom in the middle of a great conversation.  Eventually, both he and I got tired of making excuses for my behavior.  

In 2009 while on vacation, I decided that I was going to be normal despite my condition.  I ate everything in sight, and this led to an obstruction so bad, it caused the band to slip after violent vomiting for 24 hours straight.  I was put on a plane, sent to a hospital via ambulance, and put on IVs and injections for 7 days before my heart was strong enough to have revision surgery.  The surgeon replaced the band and I was so ill that they left it unfilled for 9 months.  In that time I gained 60 lbs back.  I had a fill, and worked at getting some of the weight off, then in 2011 I went back for more aggressive fills.  I lived in constant pain and misery because I was so tight for the next 2 years.  Then in 2013 I went to a new surgeon and asked him to take all the fluid out because I simply couldn't take the terrible restrictions any more. 

For the next 3 years, I struggled with vomiting, severe pain when eating, and just feeling like death every day.  I wasn't sleeping because I would wake up in the middle of the night choking on my own fluids, I would run off to the bathroom at the most in opportune times in social settings and I was literally afraid of putting anything in my mouth for fear of the results.  As it was, I lived on processed chips like Doritos and Cheetos, Ice Cream, and Ensure shakes, which I would down 4 or 5 a day.  I lost no weight, felt exhausted and terrible every single day.  Finally, this week I called my original surgeons office, told them I needed an immediate appointment, and went in for an esophogram.  At this point, since I believed my band was completely clear, I feared the worst. Either my band had slipped again, or I was dealing with cancer.  

I had a panic attack in the Drs office, which did not make things any better, but by the time the Dr came in I shouted "I need this damn thing out of me!"  Luckily he was patient, looked at the xray, and announced that I was as full as you can get on an old band.  WTF? was my response.  He patiently told me that the other Dr I saw must have assumed that I had a newer band which could hold 10cc, instead of the 4cc the old band i had.  I was at 3cc, which is as tight as they will fill someone. He then told me that I needed a "band vacation" and unfilled me completely.  Since then, I've slept very well, I feel great, I have more energy than I've had in years, and have not had to run off to the bathroom every few minutes.  I'm craving vegetables and good protein, fruit and whole grains.  I'm eating very healthy and I love it.  I feel so great, I actually had an adverse reaction to just the smell of someone eating Cheetos in the office.  

The moral to my story is know your body, know your medical situation, and never, ever take what a professional says at face value. I hope that someone out there will benefit from my story.

Cheers!

I really really really want to talk to you about this.  I was IN your shoes and I do understand.  I just wanted the dang thing out and some relief.  

I was also self pay and I had to think long and hard about a revision. I knew that although I was at goal i would never in a million years stay there without restriction. I was equally as afraid of surgically making my medical problems permanent with a revision.

I cannot stress to you how much easier a sleeve is vs. a band.  Bands should be taken off the market.  Matter of fact, if the original band maker, Inamed, would have told the FDA the entire truth regarding their studies with the band in France, it would have never been approved for use in the US anyway.

A sleeve is your stomach, just smaller.  That's it.  It's that simple.  It's the safest surgery type of all major surgery types available today.  It does what the band was supposed to do.  The band has as many complications in number as bypass and as you can see, it is temporary.

Look, you are self pay.  Get it all done at once.  Don't waste more of your life fighting obesity and band complications.  Life is too short.

I don't know what the cost is in the US for band to sleeve revision but in Mexico for a stellar revision doctor and not a Tijuana freakazoid, it's $7K in and out the door.  You will be spending almost that much in the US just to get the dang thing taken out.

I had a band in 12/06, goal 10/07, revision to a sleeve (at goal) 6/08.  Take control of food issues and move on with your life.  A sleeve is NOTHING like a band, nothing!

Reflux is enough of a problem! Look into a revision !!

Thank you! I appreciate the comment! I hope it isn't a fight to get it out! When did you get yours out?

I have a very limited income and my nutritionist suggested muscle milk, cytosport.  It only has 18 grams of protein per scoop but we are making it with milk.  I love it!  My favorite is chocolate made with frozen dark sweet cherries, raspberries, or strawberries.  Now I am on my pre surgery diet so drinking it plain and still looking forward to drinking it..