keyzyleek
Lapband gone wrong . . . (Written May 2009)
Dr. James Pitt, surgeon in Columbia, MO, did my first weight loss surgery. I went through all the pre-qualifications to have the lapband surgery and it took me 9-months (physician supervised diet, psych visit, nutritionist and physical therapist visits) and a lot of money. On January 17, 2007, I had the surgery and I was at 305 lbs at this time. I lost 60 lbs during the first 6 months which was nice. I had to get multiple fills (9 total) to get me to that point but at the time it appeared worth it. Well in July 2007, the weight loss stopped. The funny thing is, I never had that sensation where I always felt full or felt full faster. The band basically just made it hard to eat. Things would just get stuck and I could feel it's every movement while it was travelling down my esophagus and past my band. Weird feeling. It was especially tight in the mornings! It took me forever to eat and I eventually gave up. But, I was always hungry. I would cry sometimes because I was hungry but couldn't eat. I was miserable. I guess I ignored it because I was losing weight. By the time I realized that the weight loss stopped and this wasn't just a plateau, I moved to New Jersey in November 2007. By this time, my band was worthless. It was tight in the morning so I just didn't eat or drink. But, by late-morning, it was like the band wasn't even there. I could eat what I wanted and how much I wanted if I just took my time. I would get full after eating a normal adult size portion (not the egg size portion the experts always mentioned) which is why I think I was able to maintain my weight at 245 lbs. The weight did slowly start to creep back up. After I got settled in Jersey and got back up to 250 lbs, I sought out a new surgeon to follow up on my band issues. I told him my issues and he took me in for an adjustment but would only do them at 6am in the morning, when my band was extremely tight. He confirmed it was tight and even took some fluid out of my band. The last thing i was expecting to happen. Despite my attempts to convince him that my band wasn't this tight later in the day, he insisted on removing a 1/2 cc of fluid. After a few months and weight gain of 5 lbs, I went back and tried to talk to him again. This time he told me that I just needed to diet and exercise. My thought is: If I was successful at dieting and exercising, do you think I would be here in the first place? I need something to help me control my portions and take the hunger way so I can make the needed adjustments in my life. I was tired of always feeling like I was starving. So, again, he dismissed me. A few more months pass. In December 2008, I decided to seek another opinion and found Dr. Jordan Garrison. I explained my dilemma and he actually listened. He agreed to do a swollow test at 11am and sure enough he saw what I was talking about. I had VG band (holds 10ccs of fluid) and he filled it completely up. He had me swollow the white stuff and it went right pass my band like it wasn't even there. He was amazed. He told me that he thought it best to remove the band and go for the bypass. I could have hugged the man. Although I was originally skeptical of the bypass procedure, after seeing other friends have good success with it, I agreed it was my best option. So on March 11, 2009, Dr. Garrison removed the band. I gained 10 lbs but have been able to prevent further weight gain. I am now scheduled for surgery on May 27th and I am praying this is finally it.
What lead me to my decision to have weight loss surgery? (Written in 2006)
I have struggled with my weight since I was a child. I finally hit my plateau when I was a teen when I reached 180lbs. After several diet attempts, I just couldn't lose the weight. My self esteem suffered and I missed out on a lot of things I wanted to do but either physically couldn't do them or wasn't confident enough in myself to even try. After the birth of my two sons, my weight seemed to maintain at the 180-200lb range. Then came my daughter. She is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen and there is no way to describe how much love I have for her - BUT - when I was pregnant with her I was SO sick. The entire pregnancy, instead of getting the feeling of hunger, I would get a nauseated feeling. I would look at food and cry because I knew I was hungry and needed to eat but couldn't because I knew it would make me sick. When I was 9-months pregnant I weighed 3lbs less than when I first got pregnant and she was an 8lb10oz baby! Immediately after giving birth, I gained 70lbs in 6 months. I couldn't stop the weight gain on my own. It just eventually plateaued again at 270 lbs. Again, I tried several different things but nothing worked or worked long-term. I finally went to a weight loss program that gave me a diet plan that consisted of baby portions of high protein, low fat, low carb foods. I weighed everything that went into my mouth, planned out meals in order to prepare, and eventually associated food with inconvenience. I lost 36lbs in less than 3 months. I finally got tired of all the hassle so I started eating like a regular person again. Because I basically starved myself again, I gained it all back in just a few months plus some. Now I am at 300lbs and again, plateaued. My daughter is now 7-years-old, still as beautiful as ever, she's an active gymnast and has natural curves that scare me. I love her but everytime I look at myself in the mirror, I find myself having to remind myself that she was worth it. I eventually was introduced to the idea of weight-loss surgery. For the next 2 years, I educated myself and made the decision to go for it. It took 9-months but I got all of my insurance companies' requirements completed and now I am pre-approved for the lap-band procedure. Tears, big fat baby tears, rolled down my face when I got the news. Finally, a big weight is being lifted off me (literally) and I will eventually experience a longer, healthier life with a better outlook on myself. God is good.
