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From Gastric Band to Bypass...

Charden1987

New Member
I am not sure if this is better fitted for the band or bypass forum, so I have posted it on both x

I am wondering if any one on the forum started with a gastric band and then were allowed to change to a bypass?

I have been on a long long weight loss journey, which has taken me from 25 stone, to now 13 stone. I got myself down to 16 stone, through a VLCD while on the very long waiting list for my gastric bypass (over two years). When the time came for me to have my bypass, I freaked out due to all the complications you hear about etc.. etc... not helped by the nhs food psychologist who I was sent to see as requirement to being allowed to have the bypass, who scared me half to death about the bypass and kept pleading with me not to get it. So my consultant said he would be happy for me to have a gastric band, as a way of keeping off what I had lost and if I ever put weight back on in the future, we would then look at the bypass again.

So... I am now 2 years post op with the band, I lost three and a half stone in my first year and stuck at 13 stone for almost a year after that, however my weight is now starting to creep back on and I have gone back up to 13 stone 10 and finding it really hard to keep it at that. I have never had a fun time with my gastric band, I have been filled and de filled and re filled and at present have 8ml in and I still feel hungry all the time and have never reached that "sweet spot". If I go over 8.5ml everything I eat (apart from soup) just gets stuck, may it be veg or fruit etc... still just sticks and I have to bring it back up. For the most part, unless my food is drenched in gravy or a sauce, I can't eat it. I have always had this problem with food sticking in my band and just dealt with it while I was losing weight, but now my weight is coming back on (diet has not changed) I feel like I am losing this uphill battle. I am scheduled to see my consultant in July for my yearly check up and have no idea how to approach the subject of going down the route of changing to the bypass. It was said that if I ever put weight back on, they would look into the bypass with me, but I feel that they will only approach this once I put a lot of weight back on and I don't want to put all that weight back on but I do feel like the band isn't working any more. Just want to state that I go to the gym, eat healthy, go to all my dietician appointments etc.. etc... My dietician seems to think that my weight gain is now my body just adjusting itself but I am panicking that it is just coming back on and I am not even at my target weight yet :(

Ps: I am not knocking the band, I know it works great for other people but this is just my personal story thanks x
 
Obviously it worked for you otherwise you will have not lost weight in the first year so that is good to know. Even when people reached their goal they need a top up fill because the fat around the band is disappearing as you loose weight but have you try to get a fill with just .25 ml in taking you to 8.25 ml instead of 8 which for you isn't working but not to 8.5 which then make you too tight? It might be worth a try and before anyone tells you otherwise ask any banders .25 makes a world of a difference. I mean all the bypasser ll tell you to switch and all the banders ll try and give you advice and help, but it seems you are panicking a bit too quickly, how long did it take you to put those 10 pounds on?
 
miserable said:
Obviously it worked for you otherwise you will have not lost weight in the first year so that is good to know. Even when people reached their goal they need a top up fill because the fat around the band is disappearing as you loose weight but have you try to get a fill with just .25 ml in taking you to 8.25 ml instead of 8 which for you isn't working but not to 8.5 which then make you too tight? It might be worth a try and before anyone tells you otherwise ask any banders .25 makes a world of a difference. I mean all the bypasser ll tell you to switch and all the banders ll try and give you advice and help, but it seems you are panicking a bit too quickly, how long did it take you to put those 10 pounds on?

Wise words mis! And yes I'll second that...that .25ml makes all the difference!!!
 
I recently had a defill for being too tight and not being able to keep much down/severe heartburn etc, When I was at the hospital I spoke to the dietician and even she stated that some times even the smallest amount of a fill ( like 0.1/0.2mil )can make/break all the difference, with the band (as you know) it is a lifetime of filling/defilling/adjustments etc , but thats par for the course with the band and I knew (& was told that) prior to the operation ( I was offered bypass also but declined) I think it is going to be one of those things in a banders life you have to adapt too - Wishing you all the best , please let us know how you get on x x
 
Hiya,

Thanks for all the lovely replies! I hadn't thought of just having 0.25ml put in, sounds like a good idea! I was started on 7ml and went up to 8.5ml over the course of 2 years. I was on 8.5ml for 6 months and doing fine and then one week I started not being able to get liquids down, my dietician thinking it may have been a slip de-filled me to 7.5ml for a few weeks and I am now back to 8 but she seems very reluctant to now give me any more, in case it happens again. x
 
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