Hello! Lap band complications :(
leellu
Posts: 8
Hi everyone! Just joined the group. My dr's forum has gotten pretty dead so it's time to find some active people to chat with. I'll put my adventures down. I'd love advice
I was banded 14 months ago. The day after surgery I had to travel across Canada for a funeral. I tore all my interior stitches and was in a lot of pain for a long long time. I couldn't walk more than a few feet. It took 8 months to feel normal. I still can't do a sit up. The port is on it's side now, but ultrasound shows everything is technically fine inside now.
I was doing really well after that recovery. I didn't lose any weight through the 8 months, as I couldn't put a restriction in while recovering. I started getting fills and it was really great to feel my hunger go away. Then, 2 months ago, I caught some sort of stomach virus. I was sent to the hospital in amazing pain. I was hooked up to IV where I had 10 liters of water pumped into me. I was throwing everything up, and it felt like I had an alien in my chest ready to burst out. The hospital did imaging of my band but it was fine. It came back that I had e. coli poisoning that sat dormant in my body for months and then attacked my organs. Apparently it feels worse than child birth. (thank god, or else id never have kids)
Throwing up so much made my stomach really swollen and a few weeks after I started throwing up blood. A lot of blood. I knew exactly what it was- the skin inside the band was rubbing. I drove to the clinic, throwing black sludge up into a bag, and had a total defill. All the symptoms went away, so that was great. No slippage either. Last month I had 50% refilled, and now I'm due for another fill.
Having gone through all that, I now know exactly where I want to be filled. I still want to be able to eat chicken. Pork I can live without. I know the feeling of perfectly filled and I want to get back there. I've regained all the weight I've lost and I'm starving all the time. I know with a few more fills that will all go away.
If anyone has questions about complications, I can certainly help. I'd have changed a lot of things if I did it all over again. First would be to take it really easy for at least two weeks after surgery. That was a major mistake lol. So yeah, I'm just looking to connect with people, especially those who are having trouble losing weight after the surgery. Let's help each other
I was banded 14 months ago. The day after surgery I had to travel across Canada for a funeral. I tore all my interior stitches and was in a lot of pain for a long long time. I couldn't walk more than a few feet. It took 8 months to feel normal. I still can't do a sit up. The port is on it's side now, but ultrasound shows everything is technically fine inside now.
I was doing really well after that recovery. I didn't lose any weight through the 8 months, as I couldn't put a restriction in while recovering. I started getting fills and it was really great to feel my hunger go away. Then, 2 months ago, I caught some sort of stomach virus. I was sent to the hospital in amazing pain. I was hooked up to IV where I had 10 liters of water pumped into me. I was throwing everything up, and it felt like I had an alien in my chest ready to burst out. The hospital did imaging of my band but it was fine. It came back that I had e. coli poisoning that sat dormant in my body for months and then attacked my organs. Apparently it feels worse than child birth. (thank god, or else id never have kids)
Throwing up so much made my stomach really swollen and a few weeks after I started throwing up blood. A lot of blood. I knew exactly what it was- the skin inside the band was rubbing. I drove to the clinic, throwing black sludge up into a bag, and had a total defill. All the symptoms went away, so that was great. No slippage either. Last month I had 50% refilled, and now I'm due for another fill.
Having gone through all that, I now know exactly where I want to be filled. I still want to be able to eat chicken. Pork I can live without. I know the feeling of perfectly filled and I want to get back there. I've regained all the weight I've lost and I'm starving all the time. I know with a few more fills that will all go away.
If anyone has questions about complications, I can certainly help. I'd have changed a lot of things if I did it all over again. First would be to take it really easy for at least two weeks after surgery. That was a major mistake lol. So yeah, I'm just looking to connect with people, especially those who are having trouble losing weight after the surgery. Let's help each other
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Replies
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I have a friend who had lap band surgery several years ago and something melded into her stomach and she wound up having to have three surgeries to correct it. She started at about 250 pounds, now she is 500+ and can't walk and is in a wheelchair. I was terrified to even try the lapband, even though I know that it is usually quite successful. I am very happy with my roux en y gastric bypass. I haven't had any problems and feel wonderful. Hope things improve for you!0
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Holy cow, I feel really lucky now!0
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I was banded in March of 2010 and did well the first 6 months post-op (60lbs lost). All of a sudden in the fall of that year I started sliming and vomiting after eating anything. Even cottage cheese and smoothies upset my stomach. Saw the surgeon and he "deflated" me and after a having x-rays and upper GI found there was no slippage or erosion. After healing for about 3 months (no fills and an empty band) the doc put about 1cc back in. Yup, you guessed it, vomiting, sliming and pain after every meal. Needless to say all but 10lbs have come back even tho I haven't changed my eating habits or exercise. I haven't been the same since. No fills since Feb 2011. I've been trying to get a conversion to sleeve. Insurance (and some other factors) have prevented me from getting it done. I'm scheduled for surgery in April of this year and hopefully it'll go through. I've not had pain near the port for at least 6 months now (whewww!!). I'm sooo looking forward to getting this thing out. I'm hoping that I can at least get it removed even if I can't get the sleeve. Glad that things are better for you now. Hope it keeps working out for the good!0