How Lapband Surgery Changed My Life and Gave Me Something I Never Wanted

On December 14th, 2009 I took the plunge and had lapband surgery. I went from 287 pounds to 160. It had been a great adventure for me and a very successful one. I never looked back after I had my surgery.

The weight loss had helped me tremendously. I would have to say if I had to do it all over again, I would not do it.

It wasn't always easy and still at times isn't when I look at food and think how addicted I was to this horrible thing that made me almost 300lbs. If you are considering weight loss surgery, just know that you need to research surgeons and make sure they give you full instructions on everything.

So many are misguided when going in to weight loss surgery and come out with no education. I am healthy and happy and have had my ups and downs but have been able to maintain my weight for three years. It was a good choice I made but not one take lightly. I got my life and health back and it was one decision I can surely live with for the rest of my life.

All in all my life has been normal throughout this adventure but I have become more positive with my self esteem and do not worry about my image any longer. I love the new healthy me and will forever be indebted to my surgeon who helped me get my life back to the fullest it can be. But now........... it's hell.

I never had any fills in my lap band for the first year and lost weight consistently. When I stopped losing weight which is at the around the year mark, I went to my surgeon and had him put a fill in my lap band.

The lap band has a port and is made to have saline injected into the port to increase the tightness of the band. The first fill did not work. I was hungry. I went back six weeks later and got another fill for a total of 3cc's or 3 tablespoons and I was hungry but had less room in my pouch.

After this fill I could not eat regular food for three weeks. I stuck to protein shake and sometimes stomachs are very temperamental and swell after receiving a fill. Mine was.

I was so hyped up and happy but one day something went wrong. I had a hard time eating. Most foods got stuck and I violently vomited and had horrible pain until the food passed. I started eating only what could go through my band and that was protein shakes and foods such as applesauce.

I lost weight so fast, I ended up having to have my gallbladder removed. I was down to 160 and loving it but eating was miserable.

One night I started vomiting and could not keep anything down. After the third day I went to the emergency room because I honestly could not eat and had horrid pain in my stomach.

They did a cat scan and it showed the band was in place but there were very swollen lymph nodes in the abdomen and something of unknown origin. I was referred to my Gastro which I had an appointment the next day. Because of the swollen lymph nodes he did tumor marker test of which one came back positive.

He did an endoscopy and there was a black thing in my band and when he put air in my stomach it would fly around then when he stopped the air it would fall back into my the hole.

It was a blueberry that had just about petrified in my stomach and was hard as a rock. My band was too tight and he made me go get it unfilled.

So here I am eight years out and have gained back all of my weight. I still can not eat some things because they still get stuck even though my band is empty.

I hate this journey and the only way I can get it removed is if it should cause a life threatening emergency or I can pay 25,000 dollars. Yes that's right twenty five thousand dollars. Insurance won't pay unless it becomes life threatening.