I had the Lap-Band surgery in 2004. I was 17 and weighed in at 324 lbs. I remember going to all of my pre-op exams only to find out that I had "extreme heartburn" as told to me by the doctor taking care of my endoscopy. Nevertheless I had surgery (not once, but twice, after multiple complications) and at my lowest, lost 108 lbs. I've gained 30 back since then.
With the Lap-band procedure, my surgeon has the power to make me tighter to prevent me from over-eating. I noticed in the early stages that I was feeling an intense pressure beneath my sternum, near my heart, when I was eating -- not that I was eating, really, because I was so tight and my intake was restricted. I had many instances of burping, flatulence, and even had odd dark brown discharges escaple through my nose in the middle of the night -- and to all of this my doctor said was it was normal. For three years I went through painful episodes of unrest, and his only response was "try putting books beneath the feet of your bed to put it at an angle," as if there was nothing medically wrong with me. This neglect led to my esophagus expanding, and a medical technician telling me that I "don't have a cardiac sphincter."
I understand the effect complications can have on a bariatric patient. After all that pain and hard work, you're not losing weight, you're not enjoying food, and everyone feels like "well if she had surgery and she STILL hasn't lost weight, then she's on her own."
