Why Does Nothing Seem To Work For Me?

[cassa333]

I am just so annouyed and frustrated at the moment.

4yrs ago I had a gastric band and although I lost a lot of weight it never worked consistantly for me. It was either too loose and didn't restrict voluum as it should or it was so tight I pucked up acid all the time. In the end it slipped and had to be deflated.

After discussing with the surgeon it was decided that I would have it taken out and a gastric bypass done instead. That was August last year. This wasn't to loose any appreciable amounts of weight, it was to simply stop me over eating. Something the band should have done.

For some reason although the by-pass was a 'success' it didn't restrict the amount I could eat. And before anyone decides it was because I just ate too much it simply wasn't. I kept to the liquid and pureed diets but it was clear VERY early on that there was little or no restriction as there should be.

In January they went back in to tighten up the stoma(?) or connection thing whatever it is called but it did ecactly the same thing.

The surgeon said this does sometimes happen and that there are things they can do to fix it.

I went to see him today but there was a stand in so not even my surgeon, who said they didn't want to do anything further.

What was the bl00dy point of having it done if it doesn't do what it is supposed to do?

Two soddin things didn't work and I'm just supposed to give up! If I didn't need the band/by-pass I wouldn't have put myself through it.

ARHHHhhhh.

Sorry for the rant. I just want to scream...

[vodkancoke]

Cassa, I had a band converted to a gastric sleeve which has recently been converted to a bypass of sorts! I too don't feel much restriction but I certainly can't eat the amount I used to be able to.
Did you go private or NHS? Have you any aftercare in place? X

[cassa333]

Hi Vodka

I had my band and by-pass private but the tinkering to tighten it up on the NHS. Mainly because they 'did the by-pass right' so take no responsibility for anythiong going wrong.

I wanted a sleeve but he was reluctant to do that.

Why did you change from a sleeve to a by-pass?

[vodkancoke]

Because my stupid dodgy band was never right from the start. It was far too right and it created a horrible ring of scar tissue. When they did the sleeve they didn't realise how bad the scar tissue was. 4 months in and I was being sick after everything I ate. They then realised the scar tissue from the band was preventing food from going down so they converted it to a bypass ( kind of!) 6 weeks ago. I too went private for all ops but I have 2 years aftercare after my sleeve and bypass. I'm surprised they wouldn't help you. :( what have the NHS said after the tightening up? Can they do anything else for you or are you just supposed to accept it as it is? Xx

[vodkancoke]

Should have read "far too tight" x

[cassa333]

Well the surgeons I saw privately I see on NHS as well!! So you can imagine they aren't going to do anything they don't want to :(

The band cost me £6,500 and the by-pass another £12,000 Not cheap and still it doesn't work. It would have been bad enough to have had it done on the NHS but to pay and not get a result is just maddening.

My band was either sheite or bust. Too tight or as loose as loosylastic....