Failed band, trying to decide sleeve or bypass. HELP ?!?!

Hi Kylie,

My suggestion would be to speak to your surgeon and get as much information as you can and make a judgement call based on what meets your needs. It's very normal that your loved ones are worried about you and your thoughts on considering this surgery. I don't think there would be many people on here that didn't experience having their loved ones worried about them. Maybe you could share the information with them so the also know all the pros and cons. No one, including your husband and kids will ever fully understand what you are going through. They may hear what you're saying but they don't feel what you're feeling. They are doing their best to look after you.......but it's also important that you look after you. I would also suggest making some enquires with the medical board in regards to the situation you are in with the replacement of the band and see what information they can offer. If the fault lays with the manufacturer of the band and not the surgeon, I would probe a little deeper and see what you can come up with.

Wishing you all the best and hope you get a happy outcome.

Hi Kylie loves poodles- I love dogs too. I'm going through a similar dilemma and posted on the forum at 2.30am the other morning on the topic "band to sleeve" (having trouble sleeping over it) I have accessed early release of my super and will have enough to get the bypass done if I decide to have that, so the paying for the sugery part of the decison making isn't a factor anymore. I really think that I should have the bypass because I really need to give alcohol away for many many reasons, the least being to lose weight. I know what I was like with the band when I had it as well. If I could eat icecream, lollies and icecream, I did, no matter what my good intentions were in the beginning. Ever since I was 12, I have been on some kind of diet or other, battling with my weight. I used to have amazing willpower when I was sticking to it, and was out of control when I wasn't. I've just lost any of that amazing willpower that I ever had. The longest that I have been able to stick to a good eating plan to lose weight in the last few years since I had the band out, is about 8 weeks, with limited weight loss. Anyway, I'm just concerned that if I could eat the wrong food and drink alcohol with the sleeve, then I probably will. Maybe not at first, but down the track- I sound very depressing, but am just trying to be honest with myself. So have been doing a lot of soul searching and research these last few weeks and I'm going to ring the surgery tomorrow to confirm the bypass surgery which is booked in for me on 22nd May. I have found this forum, and anyone that has replied to my posts so empathetic and helpful. Don't know what I would have done without it. I understand what you mean about your family wanting you to avoid surgery- I guess they're just worried about you. My husband doesn't want me to do it either. Mind you, he is thin and eats anything he wants and has no idea what it feels like to live in a fat body. My mum is my huge support and even came with me to an appointment with my surgeon a few months ago, but even she suggested the other day that maybe I should try Lite n Easy AGAIN. Really mum?! I don't think anyone that isn't in the situation that we are in understands at all, regardless of how much they love or care for us. I have really not gone into detail with anyone about the details of the surgeries. I find the reaction irritating, even of well meaning people. I haven't even gone into detail with my husband. By the way, the bypass is completely reversible, but the ofcourse the sleeve isn't. Just spoke to my surgeon about it the other day. He also said that complications can occur to a small percentage of people, but if problems are seen to quickly by your surgeon, they can get resolved fairly quickly and easily. Good luck with your choice. Am sure you could somehow get a sleeve if that is what you really want. Are you able to access your or your husband's superannuation? It can be a drawn out process, but was a relief for me.

Elizabeth

Hi Kylie, goodness what a run of rotten luck you've had. Is it possible your surgeon could refer you to a doc in the same hospital that does sleeves? Or in the same town and kind of transfer your case over? If you're on the public list it shouldn't really matter who does your surgery...as long as he's a public list doc you should hopefully still be covered. Other ladies might no more about this than me though.

I have just got my band out two months ago and am waiting to get my sleeve done....hopefully in the next month! Getting rid of my band was the best thing i've done. I was so excited when i got it in and it worked for a while, got a mild amount of weight off, but then it started to creep back on as the band started playing up...was getting lots of vometing etc...and just hated it. So glad its gone. Now i'm so excited to get my sleeve. At first my loved ones didn't want me to have it...just do it on your own they said. Ha! If i could do that i wouldn't have needed a band. Besides, i probably could loose it on my own but i know i couldn't keep it. In a year it would be creeping back on and then some, and a year after that i'd be trying to loose it again, and a year after than more would be creeping back on...i know i'd end up fatter than i am now. So i figure i'm just cutting out all that wasted time and energy by getting it done now.

If i were you i'd ring someone, the waiting list people, tell them your situation and see if they'll let you see another doc. Even if you have to travel to sydney its better than getting a procedure you don't really want, or just giving up all together....especially when your first op was self funded and you've all but lost all your money on that for no results. It almost sounds like a courtcase to me if you wanted to push things further or make your point. Anyway, besides all that i'd be doing research research research and get what you want and what you're entitled to have before you name comes up on the list and you feel trapped.

Good luck!

debs

Hi there, My name is Kylie, I am 43, live in the Hunter Valley, am married with 2 grown children and LOVE poodles. I have had a lap band, done in about 2006 which worked reasonably well for about 3 months then tests showed the band itself has failed and leaking like a seive. Manuafctured agreed to supply new band, surgeon wanted me to pay to have it put in again ?!?! which I could not affordto do so have yoyo'd up and down with weight ever since (more up than down :(. I have been on the public waiting list for 3 years to have it replaced and am pretty much at the top now but cant decide what to do. My husband, mum and kids dont want me to do anything else surgically and say I should just do it on my own... yeah right, if that was going to happen properly it would have by now. I had sort of decided a sleeve sounded like what I wanted but my surgeon doesnt do them (he only does bands and bypass) feel like my only real choice then is bypass (as I cant afford to pay myself again, first band was completely self funded) but bypass just seems to permanent / potentially dangerous. Would really appreciate any and all feedback and advice. Thanks, Kylie.