Starting the Band to sleeve transition - my story

Good luck with your op in December, Kelly. I managed to eat my way from 85 to 103 and wished I'd had the courage to do the sleeve earlier so I didn't put on that much weight!

Hi all
The stories in here are so familiar! I had my second band out in September and scheduled for sleeve on 6 December. It was a relief to have it out as it had become quite painful even just to walk and sit in certain positions! I discovered earlier this year that it had slipped sometime ago but it took me several years to see my doc as I just adjusted to a different diet so I wasn't in pain.

With my first band (2002-2007) I went from 106kg to 58kg however the port developed a leak and I had a revision in 2007. The second band slipped at some point but I ignored the signs (too busy was a great excuse) and nommed my way through all the high fat/sugar soft food options. Attempting to eat an apple was never going to happen unless I wanted to be crippled over in pain for several hours. I finally got the courage to see my doc again this year, after tipping the scales around 80kg and unable to deal with the pain. So after various tests, having all fluid taken out (with no restriction I ate my way to 88kg) I opted for band removal and sleeve in Dec.

It has been lovely to eat real food but my bad habits remained (I love choc etc) and when I weighed myself at 94.5 kg recently decided enough was enough. Don't want to buy more clothes and develop health issues! I have put myself on the Dukan diet for the time being and so far it's working (protein emphasis diet). Have lost 3kg so far. The main thing is my weight is not going up! Will see what my doc has to say about that next week. I also have an appt with dietician.

So roll on December! I want to get back to the beach and go diving again! This site has been terrific for information and support. While there are some horror stories and I was nervous about the permanency of sleeving, my docs words about what the future holds for me (health probs) really resonated! Plus I would love that feeling of fitting into a nice little dress or jeans again!

All the best to you all.

Cheers Kelly

Congrats Cathode!

Wait until you have your first chicken and salad roll (or similar). It feels like christmas to be able to eat healthy food again after the band comes out. I have been trying out a few foods the last week which I never would have managed with my band (like tuna) and grilled fish, and they went down beautifully and I am still on mushies! I cringed as I swallowed them as I was waiting for the pain (like with the band) but it never came. Thank God.

Enjoy, and good luck with your sleeve operation.

Hey all!
I had my band taken out yesterday. I feel better without it already!

Downsides?
My belly is sore and swollen, my glucose levels are way out of control (? from meds) and my liver split while they were trying to get to the band (because it is so massive). So, had a liver scan today (had a biopsy of it during operation).

Will have to be really strict with intake in lead up to January sleeving!
Looking at 2 mths of strict diet - little to no fats, low sugar intake, followed by one month of optifast. All in view of shrinking that massive liver (lower lobe is down to my belly button! )

Hey Everyone,

Sounds like we all have something in common!

I had my band for 16 months and it was a hellish nightmare. I never had enough restriction and then i all of a sudden couldnt eat and couldnt drink anything till atleast 4 in the afternoon! After appointment upon appointment my surgeon here blamed be for my lack of success and constantly had me in tears so i seeked a second opinion -when he left me after doing a ct which said it had slipped- and went to perth to do so. Met one surgeon who said i just didnt have enough fill and it hadnt slipped so gave me more, i was back the next day at the hospital having been vomiting up even my saliva everytime i swallowed for over 16 hours. They removed the fluid and then the journey of gradual quarter mil increments began. One thing after another. I then started to get quite severe chest pain and ended up in hospital -here in geraldton- being told it had slipped and i would need to have it removed by a surgeon in perth as my surgeon here wouldn't remove it and pend having the sleeve done. I met one surgeon and he said the removal wasn't needed immediately. I didn't feel completely comfortable with him, i then spoke with a few lovely girls on here and started emailing a suggested surgeon who was away holidaying at the time and replied to my emails. About three weeks later my pain was quite significant i had been on quite strong pain killers, the wednesday i'd emailed him mentioning how bad i was feeling and his office called me the next day - the day he returned to work- and he had me in perth a day later added to his list to have my band removed! I ended up being in 5 days instead of the "overnight" i'd be told, but now i've been band free for 3 months and feel so much better for not having it in me. In 3 weeks i am scheduled to have my sleeve done with the same surgeon who was absolutely lovely and didn't use my stomach as a slaughter ground. I'm praying i'm making the right decision, i feel like a failure. At the end of my banding i'd lost 30kgs but most of that was spend sick and through hard work with no restriction. Since having the band out i've gained about 7 kgs back and i hate it! I start shakes tomorrow and i should be able to lose that again before the op as they tend to make me quite unwell!!

I hope everyones procedures have been going well! It's definitely not a fun time, but surely there has to be light at the end of the tunnel!

All the best today Emma.

Good luck for tomorrow emma1989..you will be fine... big((( hugs)))

Good luck with your band removal tomorrow Emma
I had mine removed in April after having it for 10 years. I'm now getting sleeved in just over a month! I chose to wait 6 months due to Long Service Leave but my surgeon would have done it after 3 (although he said the longer you wait the better as it gives your stomach more time to get back to normal).

It has been great having the band out & generally I have been eating a lot better because I don't have to worry about food getting stuck or constantly being hungry as I sometimes couldn't eat more the a few mouthfuls at a time and then would be hungry again really soon.

I have put on a few kgs since the removal (but only a few) and I was terrified that I would put on soooo much weight in the 6 months before the sleeve. Once I was back on normal foods I let myself have a few weeks of silly eating (enjoying myself without any restriction) but then got back on track. Knowing that the sleeve isn't too far away is quite motivating in itself.

I hope it all goes smoothly for you. I had very little pain with the removal and hope it is the same for you.

Good luck
Heidi x

Emma1989 wrote:

... Plus my port moved, so the doctor's found it very difficult to give me a fill, even after they eventually found it (after numberous poking and proding) they weren't sure if they actually did give me a fill.... I have to admit the first 4 months went really well, I wasn't being sick either! But that all changed.. being sick daily, not fun!
Emma :)

Yeah, my port has moved (and still is - hurts like hell). To do a fill/remove fluid they have to press down above it to force it to roll up so they can get to it as it has rolled out and under.

Good luck for your OP tomorrow :)

Hi Cathode,

I know how you feel! I have had my band for just over 18 months and have only lost 18kg, I put on a couple of kg's in the past couple of months though.... Plus my port moved, so the doctor's found it very difficult to give me a fill, even after they eventually found it (after numberous poking and proding) they weren't sure if they actually did give me a fill.... I have to admit the first 4 months went really well, I wasn't being sick either! But that all changed.. being sick daily, not fun!

I'm having my band removed tomorrow

So hopefully I shall be able to get the sleeve 3 months later... depends if the band has done much damage or not *finger's crossed it hasn't!*

Best of luck!
Emma :)

Thanks guys and thank you for sharing your stories :)

tbf, the 1ml I had removed was at my request for that volume. I needed a large difference so I could try and reset the maladaptive eating that I had developed.

4 weeks till the bloody thing is out! So. Cannot. Wait.

Hi Cathode.

I too have had a band in the past and it did work well for the first year and a half I had it but the last 6 months were pure hell. As much as it worked well the first year and a half...I did vomit regulary and food got stuck but then I put alot of that down to the fact that thats just what happens with bands. But the last 6 months I suffered bad indegestion and acid regurgitation. At first medication helped with it but then it got so bad that I was literally living on antacid tablets as well as my medication. I was getting filled and unfilled and then filled by .1ml at a time and then some more out...just filled and unfilled constantly. I ended up having to go to Murdoch ED once to get my fill removed because my surgeon was in surgery and couldnt do it himself. After that I had the smallest amount they can possibly put in and I still couldnt keep anything down. I spent my daughters 3rd birthday unable to enjoy it with her in so much pain and felt so sick. The next day I went to see my surgeon and that morning I couldnt even keep soup down. He said it had to come out and come out that day and I was added to the hospital theatre lists that afternoon.

As much as the hell I went through I was devestated to lose it because despite the hell, I still lost wieght on it, luckily I never put weight on but I cant even describe to you the releif I felt when it was out. The very minute I woke up in theatre after it was out, depsite feeling generally post op crappy and post op vomitting, which I always tend to do do because of aneasthetic...I felt so good. I came to the conclusion that for me that band inside of me was a foriegn body. My body sure thanked me for having it out. You will be amazed at how good you feel when its out.

Its sounds like you have just had a hellish time and that doctor sounds terrible. It doesnt sound like he has the right to put bands in if he doesnt give the after care to his patients that bands need...that includes even just listening to them and not treating them like idiots. Anyone can tell for whatever reason your band is not working for you. I hope it all improves for you.

During the week after I had my band out I found out I was pregnant with my 2nd baby so didnt see my surgeon for a year, after my follow up appt. My pregnancy went great without putting much weight on at all and even left the hospital almost the same weight as when my band came out. I was so proud of myself and thought that I had finally beaten this battle. But a year later I was back at the surgeons office with almost all my wieght back on and talking about the sleeve. I was booked in August last year but unfortunately had to postpone it. I am only now in a position that I can go back, and will be making an appt today. From what I read and hear when talking to people, there is just not many issues at all with the sleeve once it's done.I would never ever have another band or even recommend them when the sleeve is an option. I always tell people looking at the band to just make sure they consider the band before making a final decision. For me though, I am concerned about the increased risk of a leak because I have had a band before but thats still rare. I cant wait. I cant just ride the rollercoaster of weight and dieting anymore.

Keep us posted on how things go for you. xx

Cathode, hello! I've seen you around EB. I too have had a gastric band (well 2 actually but one was only in 9 weeks due to it being infected) and now have a sleeve. I find that they are not comparable; for ages I was avoiding eating fruit because that was just something I couldn't have much of with the band but I can actually eat it now and not vomit! It's amazing! Also I used to be a family sized block of chocolate girl in one sitting and although I could physically cope with that now, I find that the drive is completely gone. I sat there in front of the telly not long ago in the night with all the kids (and husband) in bed and thought 'I'm going to rip into that chocolate block tonight' but I truly didn't want any more after I had one row. I pray that this lasts, I was sleeved 5 months ago and have heard that this tends to wear off, but I soooo hope it doesn't! In saying how good the sleeve is, your band certainly hasn't been managed well at all. 1ml is quite a leap, my doctor, when we got near the 'sweet spot' used to creep up by .1 to .2 of a ml until I reached my optimal spot for restriction, and it doesn't sound like yours has been given a good go. Best wishes to you, hope it all goes well xx

Ah, Hi!

Your story sounds similar to mine, I shared a bit on EB ;)

I, too was scared I'd fail with the sleeve but it's completely different. The first thing I did when I had my band out was to go and eat a salmon salad, lol. I craved it. Now? I eat everything, just in manageable doses.

Quote :

I went to my surgeon to tell of him that I couldn't eat normal food. He
looked at me with disgust, for I had put on 5 kilos, and said "
obviously from looking at you, you're eating something".

Heh, sounds like we had the same surgeon. Was your put in at Mercy Hospital?

Quote :

How about you?

I have 4ml in at the moment, so I have no issues eating anything. At 5ml everything got stuck, so I developed maladaptive eating. I still have a fair amount of bad eating pattern because of part fear of things getting stuck. But on the whole I am eating healthier than I was at 5ml. Volume is now the problem because I don't seem to register when the top pouch is 'full'. Some days it takes one sandwich, some days 1/2 a pizza. If I tighten the bad, I can only eat stuff that is very soft or 'melts' because anything else jams and hurts and then I have trouble vomiting and spend 1/2hr with head in loo trying to dislodge whatever is stuck whilst trying to not choke on the gastric fluid 'ropes'.
1ml causes so much drama. I just don't get it.

I should also note that I am Type 2 Diabetic with NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) - so the maladaptive eating is really playing havoc with my health.

I guess that from what I've read on here, and I imagine you have as well, that there are a lot less problems associated with the sleeve once it done. Apart from eating badly, like living on chocolate, cream and sugar, or stretching it by over eating, I am hoping it is painless and effective!

My eating with the band got very bad at the end. I was depressed by the pain I was in when I tried to eat well, so I found the things that went down easily and they tended to be, chocolate, milkshakes, ice-cream, pate, rice crackers ( litlles ones that taste like potato chips) , biscuits, weetbix made soggy with warm milk and covered with sugar.

I went to my surgeon to tell of him that I couldn't eat normal food. He looked at me with disgust, for I had put on 5 kilos, and said " obviously from looking at you, you're eating something".

Sigh. Still I don't think that will happen again. I only lived on that stuff because I truly couldn't eat real food. I craved Subway with salad and tuna. I craved chicken with veggies. From whatever read, that will be possible, just in tiny portions.

How about you?

Thanks Catherine :)

yeah, the first surgeon was, erm, well...

I hear you about the permanent sleeve thing.
I feel like such a failure with the band that part of me is thinking what if I 'fail' with the sleeve as well? what if I have worse problems?

Wow, your surgeon (first) sounds just like my lap band surgeon. He had no people skills either.
I'm sorry that you have had such a hard time with your band. I had lots of problems also. For every success story I hear at least 4 stories of pain and distress.

I also hated the thought of the port sticking out. Yuck. I am getting sleeved soon and pray my experience is better than with the band. Bit stuffed if it's not given it's permanent!

Good luck with your progress!

Well, in 2006 I was banded. I had an initial weight loss of 9kg in the first 10 days. And that was it. Nothing else. Every time I went to see the Dr I asked for a fill or such and he refused - telling me that he had put in the most that he could visually see it would take while he was installing it (5ml he told me). Ha. But more on that later.
I spent the next 4 years miserable because I had absolutely no restriction in my eating. I had heard all these stories about people getting pain, things stuck etc. Friends and family with the band looked horrified that I could eat anything in any volume still.
I had stopped seeing the Dr that installed it 8 mths after having it in. I felt he was useless, and after he bashed his index finger against my forehead one day and told me it was all in my head, I had had enough.
By 2010 I was just feeling like a huge failure. I had regained the 9kg, and I was feeling that there must be something wrong with the band. So, I finally got off my ass and went to see the surgeon of a family member.
He referred me for xrays and all looked fine.
They stuck in the needle at another appointment and discovered that I had only 0.5ml in my band (out of a possible 10ml).
They put in 2ml and sent me away for a month. All of a sudden I was able to feel fuller, and start with getting things stuck.
At following appointments it was established that the band was not leaking.
We gradually built up to me having 5ml in the band and I found it quite restrictive. I lost 9kg over that time.
Then I started maladaptive eating. Beginning of this year my weight had crept back up 3kg.
I went in and asked for 1ml to be removed so I could try and tackle the maladaptive eating issue. That seemed to have rectified most of it. Trouble is that I can eat just about anything again. This is also when the port (mine is to the left of my belly - in line nearly with my belly button) started burning and feeling like it was tearing (is a few mm under skin and situated in only fat).
After doing research and other bits and pieces I made an appointment to get this looked at and discuss the possibility of a sleeve.
Well, yesterday he weighed me and I have gained back the original 9kg again - so back to pre-op weight of 2006.

He has agreed that it probably should come out and that I might be a better candidate for a sleeve.
Soooooooooo, I am all booked in to have the band taken out in approximately 5 weeks or so with a view to having a sleeve done early in the new year provided my stomach looks okay for it.

I am looking forward to getting the band out. The port really annoys me no end, and I have never gotten my head around being able to feel the foreign body under my skin ... and some times it just fraking hurts!
I will not miss the constant feeling of a lump in my chest area.
I will not miss not being able to vomit properly and without ropes of gastric fluid.

I have joined here for support, and somewhere to discuss my journey.