band issues and going to sleeve?

Mandy what Surgeon are you using?????????????

I am a Justin Greenslade gal, a man of few words, but I have to thank him for my 31 kg loss. Great Surgeon.

Good Luck

Val

Shiloh86 wrote:

Im a mum of two and dont work atm, so Hubby had a week off to mind the littlies for me to recover from having he band out, i was in hospital for the 1 night, but was asked to stay for a second which i refused, had alot of pain where the port was attached and he horrid shoulder tip pain, wasnt pleasent and it was worse than having the band put in, But we are women and we are strong, so you`ll be fine!

Just remember Shiloh86 also refused to properly REST after surgery and up every day cleaning and racing around after kids - even discos and baking gourmet Dora cakes! Shoulda offloaded them to the inlaws & stayed with me to recover xoxo

I on the other hand offloaded onto the ex and spent 2 weeks in bed and by the end going crazy with so much energy I bounced off back to work

Hi Mandy, I had my band removed on the 19th of this month, was a year of hell. Wasnt many days that went by where i didnt vomit ! Towards the end, i was vomitting in my sleep and having severe reflux all day and into the night, and almost everything but fluids were getting stuck and take triple the time to dislodge! So i marched to my surgeons office and demanded he take it out and give me the sleeve, I even haggled him on the price!

He suspected with the reflux and vomitting in my sleep. That my band had slipped. Fortunately it hadnt. My body just had enough of the forign object inside me! So you Maybe the same or have a more serious problem Like slippage or a pouch has formed, so better to have the little bugger out !

Im a mum of two and dont work atm, so Hubby had a week off to mind the littlies for me to recover from having he band out, i was in hospital for the 1 night, but was asked to stay for a second which i refused, had alot of pain where the port was attached and he horrid shoulder tip pain, wasnt pleasent and it was worse than having the band put in, But we are women and we are strong, so you`ll be fine!

Be firm with your surgeon hun, you know what you want and whats better for your body and Lifestyle. Goodluck and cant wait to hear how you go step by step :)

Thanks Garfield

Everyone has been awesome, thank you. I've certainly made my mind up now, and will be calling mr dr to make the appointment tomorrow :)

I want this band out. And will definitely considering the sleeve now.

Again thank you to all for the info and support :)

Mandy

My girlfriend has a very similar issue to you and had a barium swallow, the result was a huge pouch above the band, because the band slipped. She suffered with it for over 3 years!!

It's not normal what you are suffering from and you should insist on a barium swallow to ensure no pouch or internal damage done. When things go wrong - it can go badly wrong and it would be better to picked up and fixed early on.

Don't let your Doctor tell you what to do and tell you what is normal, you know your own body and if you are not coping, taking laxatives, having severe reflux or unable to eat properly, then that is clearly not normal, so take action and do what is right for you!

All the very best for your success :-)

Thanks Nicky,

I too am now in Admin so I sit at a desk for most of the day.

Lots to think about, I guess first step is going back to my Dr (face the barriage of you should be this and that by now) and ask to have it removed. And talk about the sleeve. And will just have to tell him NOT to put me down cause that is no incentive. lol

Thanks again

Mandy, I didn't have too many issues with the band itself, I lost 36 kg. I managed to maintain for a few years without having food getting stuck, mainly because I chose to eat softish foods with lots of sauces, but slowly the weight went back on and I did not go back to have it tightened as I didn't want to go through the whole sliming/choking thing again. I have regained 10kg.

In the end my body rejected the port after I had a tummy tuck last year. My plastic surgeon tried over several months to stop this, but could not. My body had other plans !!

I could have gone home after 1 night in hospital but when my dr offered another night I took it as I was exhausted having not slept much.

I was operated on the Wednesday and went back to work on the following Wed. Pain was not too bad, hurt around the top of my stomach when I burped. But other than that it was just the incisions that were slightly uncomfortable. Oh and of course that dreaded shoulder tip pain from the gas.

It all depends on the type of work you do as to how long you will need off. I'm admin so had no problem going back after a week.

Any other questions just ask, we're all here to help!!

Thank you Trish!

I appreciate your reply. you have certainly given me more food for thought forgive my pun ;) I actually never heard of the sleeve until I spoke with the girl from my health fund, I kinda wish I had done that proceedure instead of the band.

May I ask since March how much have you lost ?

Im fluctuating between 97-100kgs Size 18-20 some 22 pending on the make.

Thanks again look forward to talking with you more

Mandy I had my band for 4 years I had it removed just befor Xmas and was sleeved in March.

I too worried about the stuck feelings etc and if they would continue with the sleeve...short answer is no they dont... my full responce is exactly that...full. I feel like a normal person when I eat and get full except that that happens on a 1/4 to half a cup of food.

I wont lie to you over eating is painful...just as it would be if you ate 2 chickens and a turkey at Xmas. You learn very fast to eat 'enough".

I dont get sliming... pain , that stuck feeling in the throat or still feel hungry after I have eaten ( with the band I would feel discomfort and know I had had enough food but I was still hungry under the band so still wanted to eat)

I was sad all the time with the band... dissatisfied. I am content with the sleeve.

I can drink alcohol but just one glass. I can not drink anything fizzy but many can. I do feel hunger but very little and most days none at all.

I suffered horrendous acid reflux with the band and I have none with the sleeve.

The rules with eating with the sleeve are the same as the band...eat slow and protein first. You will not be able to eat and drink at the same time...it just doesnt happen and you will feel very uncomfortable.

I do suffer from dumping if I eat anything too sweet... not an issue for me as I shouldnt be eating sugary things anyway and its a deterant. I am also lactose intolerant now... I was caseing intolerant before now I cant take lactose but the doc said this will pass.

I do get constipated but if I get enough fluid I am fine. I find Osmolax fantastic stuff and you put 1 teaspoon in your tea in the morning and it keeps the movement soft and you dont get backed up. Doc said you dont become dependant on it and can take it daily if needed.

Anything you wanna know ask away

Trish.

Nicky thanks so much for your feedback. Did you have similar issues with the band to me?

And I'm hoping that damage will be minimal. Were you in jsut for a night after the removal or how was the process for you? I'm interested as I'm trying to guage how much time i will need off work.

Thanks so much and look forward to others who've been through this or are going through it :)



Mandy

Sorry to hear you've had a bad time with the band.

I had my band for 7 years and had it removed 11 days ago. I now have to wait about 4 months for my stomach to heal from any damage caused by the band, which in my case was minimal before I can become a sleever.

My surgeon has told me that compared to the band I will absolutely love the sleeve. He said that you can eat most foods just smaller portions.

Obviously everyone is different so this may differ for each person. I have met with a group of sleevers and discussed this. They basically said that sometimes things can get stuck if you don't chew enough but it does not appear to be as bad as the stuck feeling with the band.
I used to get the sliming etc and then have to throw up to relieve it but this does not appear to be the same with the sleeve.

My surgeon said that he is removing 20-30 bands a year and doing sleeves for these people so it must say something for the sleeve.

Hope you get some good advice from people that have already been sleeved.

Hi All

I am new to the site and am probably going over issues covered in the site many times.

I have had my band for about 4 years now and HATE it, I mean Hate it my whole quality of life is gone, I dread going to dinner with friends in fear of having to vommit up my meal its just no life.

A short time after the initial surgery it adhered to my diaphagam and I needed it released, I went ok for the first few months but since its been hell, I went for fills and like many I virtually choke on everything I ate/eat, I have to always have water with a meal to flush it through but i know this is a no no, but everything gets stuck.

I've had some of the fill out and yet the last 2 years I get mass pain near the port I get backed up and i push where the band is and feel a squishing sensation, I've spoken to my surgeon and his assistant and they gave me some story that isn't a solution. He bollocked me for not being 60kgs by now and i said well maybe its just not working like its suppose to maybe I am that 5% that it doesn't work for, he wasn't convinced. I don't want to return to him for the proceedure but being a single Mum I can't afford to go to the Dr I was recommended to. Or then have him to the sleeve if I chose that option. But given it won't cost me only for the anaesthetist.

I need to take laxatives to keep me from being in pain now and i'm seriously over it, I want it out and plan to do that this year soon as I have enough days where I can take off work. I wish I had of done it when I was off for 12 months I would have been fine. I called my health fund and they will cover it and it was after talking to the girl I found out about the sleeve, she had it done. Although she never had the band she went sleeve straight up. So now I am contemplating this, but after reading the posts in here, I'm a bit scared 1 because i'm sure as hell I'm gonna to have lots of scar tissue as i've also carried a child in that 4 years, and from the vomitting and general discomfort.

But the main question I ask is you know that stuck choking feeling you have with the band do you get that with the sleeve? I want to actually eat and not feel like its sitting in my chest and getting stuck. Even eating veggies somedays it gets stuck... yet I am hungry because I've no choice to push it through with water as i don't want to be vommitting ALL the time.

I've lost some weight but most of its been not from the band but other means.

I just want to get the weight off and now that I have a major ankle permanant impairment I can't do the exercise like I need to to help.

So I would love to hear from anyone who has felt the same and gone to the sleeve and has had it for a while and how its been for them.

Thank you...