Sacred to fail again.....

Hi Everyone

Just thought I would pop in with an update..... Monday is the day when I find out when I get the sleeve done I recovered really well after having the band replaced but the full feeling only lasted a week, but what a week! I lost 1kg after I left the hospital (lost .5kg in there too). If thats what it feels like to have a sleeve, I want it and I want it now!

I am sooo hungry now that I have had to go back on Duromine to try and curb my hunger, as well as hitting the gym for 1hr a day. I am also trying to cut back on caffiene and sugar but not always succeding. Before I started the duromine I had slipped back into old habits and the 1 1/2 kgs was back and brought a couple kgs with it! I decided to go back on the Duromine after finding myself so hungry I just ate and drank all day. I find it helps with both head and real hunger but its no long term solution.

So fingers crossed I won't have to wait tooooooooo long, because I am starting to stress about the weight I have already put on and the impact that it is having on my health. I am only 33 and I feel like I am 80! Some mornings my hips hurt that much I can hardly walk. My shoulders, neck and back are just as bad, the exercise is helping but this weight has got to go! :[img]http://sm

Hope you are all having a great weekend

Cindy

HI Cindy, thanks, my surgeon has talked about the problem they have had with leaks but they use a glue now and apparently haven't had any problems since, still no guarantee but reassuring. I read something the other day that talked about leaving the sleeve too big so will ask about that also. I'm like you and I want it done now, last appointment I said OK when can you do it and he gave me a date 4 weeks away. I will go on the optifast, see the dietician and the psychologist. Have already told them at work that I may be having surgery so will need time off (not what its for however).
I just read about someone else have both done at once under General Chat so that is also reassuring. Cheers for now

hi Purplehaze

Good luck with your op...not long to go now!!! I am happy that you are going to get it sorted out...not a nice feeling knowing that its not doing what its supposed to!

Dr Thomas prefers to do it in two ops to allow healing of the scar tissues etc... the theory is that is will reduce possibility of a leak... But like I said its his preference and he said that other surgeons do it all in one and the leakage rate is still quite low....I think he likes to err on the side of caution, which I understand and I am all for being cautious lol. I just want it done NOW!!

Cheer Cindy

HI Cindy
I recently had all the fill taken out of my sleeve but still felt some restriction though could be part of my body rejecting the sleeve. I'm booked in to get the band removed and sleeve done in the one procedure in December. so far I haven't hear of anyone having both done at once. Did Dr Thomas say why he was doing it in separate procedures. I am getting a second opinion next week re the sleeve just to cover all bases though feeling OK about it all.

Hi Magic Princess

I am sure you are right and that its just swelling :) BUT....I really hope not! Its awesome.......I never felt like this before hehehe....if this is whats its like when you are sleeved....I can't wait to see Dr Thomas and see when he will sleeve me!

Cheers Cindy

Yah Cindy that's fantastic. I'm sure that the restrictions are just due to some swelling and it'll soon settle down. Good luck with your recovery and with the doctors date on 8th.

Ok phase one complete! I had my band removed on Tuesday. The weird thing is I now have more restriction to what I can eat than I did with the band in!

Seeing Dr on the 8th of December to organise my sleeve date....woooohooooo

Yay for me :)

Cindy

Hi Cindy
That's great news. It's amazing how we look forward to these operations, isn't it? LOL
Chris

Hi Kitty,
I glad it worked out with Dr Thomas, he is lovely isn't he.

I'm sure you will do fine over christmas.

Update! I saw Dr Thomas today....he is soo nice.

He has said that he would remove my band and do a sleeve.....but not at the same time. It was interesting to hear his reason....and in his words...its just common sense!

We were in there for nearly an hour and my head is still kinda spinning. Oh my date is 11th of November for the band removal...phew. Now all I have to do is convince myself that I can get through christmas without the band lol I might be getting the sleeve done at the end of January...have to wait and see what happens next.

I got him to remove all the fluid out of my band so I can start eating properly again, I am getting excited....going to start making more of an effort now that I know I am can real food!

Its all good! Now for the gym...anyone up for a 6.30 start lol

Cindy that is great news.

Hi Shanna

Thanks for that, I will add it to my growing list of questions.

Cheers Cindy

Dear kitty - please be careful. I love my sleeve and so far it is working but at least ask the doctor about a malabsorptive restriction- It may conflict with your liver or it may help it, but at least please, please ask the question. What you have gone through is so difficult - we only want to see you go upwards - or do I mean downwards from here. :<a href=htt

Hey, kitty, I'm glad you're feeling good about that. What the doc said to you was wrong, but now you know, you can move forwards.
Best wishes
Chris

Hooley Dooley, don't I feel good....I am NOT the failure I thought I was!

Had an appointment with my GP to get my referral for a second opinion and guess what!!!!! There in black and white was a copy of the letter from my lap-band Dr saying that the band is positioned too high and the pouch is too small.........helllllllllllll o I spent the last 2 years telling him it didn't feel right! And he told me after my endoscopy that there was nothing wrong and nothing he could do, it was up to me to eat right!

Anyways I have a referral and an appointment on the 9th of Oct. Its onwards and upwards from here.

hehehehe sorry, very excited!

I have had borderline thyroid readings and blood works consistent with autoimmune disease for years now Chrysalis never enough to go on meds although one doctor wanted me to, apparently it is just a matter of time for me. I wish I had known Jon Armstrong was a endocrinologist as well. Oh well.

Cinni

Yeah I have been to a few of the bandits meets. :)

I am glad you feel you have a path at least, you are right it may just be a little different from other peoples lol (story of my life) :[img]http://sm

Cinni

I had Dr Jon Armstrong, he is also an endocrinologist which may be helpful for you. I found him to be an excellent doctor. He is in Subiaco.

Hi Cinni

Did you ever got to any of the bandit get togethers? I did last year, not so mch this year. I used to talk alot to the banded ones but I felt that once I was not successufl, no one answered any of my posts..... and I just thought I was being paranoid lol.

As for medication, I only take Duromine now (cause I am so hungy I could eat the whole buffet without it!) I am not sure about the hypoinsulinemia and weight gain, I think it just makes weight loss harder.... plus my liver doesn't function properley just to make life more fun!

Thanks for the Dr recommendation, I will ring him tomorrow. I have made an appointent to see Dr Alan Thomas aswell, so it will be good to see what they say.

I will get there, might just have to look for a different path than the one I am on.

Cheers Cindy

Hi Cindy, seems we are neighbours and I have a feeling we may have met before also but we can discuss that face to face one day if you come to our meet. :) (I could be wrong).

I am really sorry to hear what you have been through, I would be absolutely heartbroken if I followed a diet and found that it hadn't worked.

Does the hypo insulinemia cause weight gain? Have you checked your thyroid? Also could you be taking a medication that is preventing you from losing weight?

I think you are sensible to go down the metabolic road and try and sort that out, but I don't think that would rule you out from further surgery. It is obvious the band has not worked for you.

That is your experience and the truth! I have heard a lot of others expressing regrets about the band also but they don't seem to get the support they need from the other bandits who are successful. I am not sure why, I guess unless people experience it themselves they are a little sceptical.

I hope that you do not give up in your search. there will be an answer.

I can recommend my surgeon Gordon Padovan but I am not sure he does reversion from band to sleeve, probably does though. He has also done over 800 wls without any leaks a lot of those were bypass surgeries which are technically harder than the sleeve operation so I knew I was in safe hands.

You could ring his office and ask his staff if he does the revision (they are all lovely). The number is 9527 6244.

I hope you find a solution soon.

Cinni

Hi Everyone

Just wanted to say hi and thanks :) Please don't ge me wrong, despite feeling judged by my D, I still think he is a great surgeon (I have had him for other minor ops) and he is always kind but I think he thinks I am not being 100% trutfhful....coudl explain his lack of compassion!

Anyways, I am looking into MetabolicMedicine in Perth. I have hypoinsulinemia (?) and the liver of an alcoholic ( don't drink, never have) and it seems the more research I do, the more I am covinced the band was a bad choice for me. I say that becase I got really really sick and my liver went blah and I had a sinus infection for 3 months! She said that I have multple problems going on and this was confirmed by another naturopath and they both felt that I had a major blockage..... then I told them about the band :) So as you may guess I kinda fell into the big black hole and gave up, and yes after over a year of trying I ate whatever I could keep down for about 3mths but I have been 'good' (80%) for the last 2mths and seems like the fat has gotten really comfy where it is and needs an eviction notice!

Well thats life and I gave it a go. So now I am going to look forward and do what I tell my clients "think positive, act positive"

Cindy I so hope we, or me mainly has not scared you off in any way. I so am not trying to put you off a sleeve, just not wanting to see you go though yet another mess like you have had with your band. If you had come here and said nope I could not follow the rules of the band, or I could not stick to optifast hence I had not lost weight then I would have said straight up that the sleeve might very well work for you. It just will not work for under lying medical conditions. BUT I know that people feel if they have failed and feel it is their fault in any way that people will point the finger or judge them. Nothing can be further from the truth here. It is all about trying to help you get the help you need to get where you want in life. Some people just can not make it work with a doctor they just clash and nothing no matter what they do makes it work for them between them. Being able to be honest and forthright with them becomes VERY difficult as you feel so judged you just do not need to feel that here. I just wanted to make sure that was not the case and that the questions I was asking was to try and help, not judge you in any way :)

applesauce

Hi Cindy,

Welcome to the site. Hope that find the support and solutions that you need.
I also had had no luck on optifast in the past - in fact when I came off it - the weight came off. Thankfully I don't need to
do the optifast stage before surgery.
I'm also from the Southwest and catch up for coffee with the other ladies when I can and as Nicole said - your welcome to come along if you would like.
Emjay

hi cindy

I guess you need to make a decision on whether you keep seeing him or you try a dr in perth....cinni has just had her sleeve done in perth maybe when she is feeling better you could ask her about him.
Yep that is me on the bunbury lapband site...i still pop my head in there every few days and quite often catch up with the ladies for coffee or lunch...your welcome to come along if you like.

Nicole

Hi Kitty and welcome
I'm so sorry to hear that you've had such problems and no success so far with the band. It sounds as though you've been doing everything as well as you possibly can, and I can only imagine the heartache that you're currently going through.
I haven't used a band, so I'm no help there, but I agree with some of the others that it might be time to seek a second opinion, especially since it seems that you've been having some problems with your current doctor. There must be a reason why this is happening to you, and it'd be great if you could find a doc that will help you discover what it is, and find the right solution for you.
I truly wish you all the very best luck in your trials, and hope that it will shortly be a problem that has been resolved to your satisfaction.
Chris