It's a Wrap LapBand... :-/

Bittersweet news.  My surgeon has decided to remove my band.  After many many MANY episodes of being seen emergently for tightness beyond the point of dehydration and unbelievable pain, she feels that the band is not for me.  I went into a pretty dark depression for a few days after finding out this decision, but now I kind of feel a sense of relief.  Before this decision was made, I wondered every day, is this going to work out?  is this fill going to be ok?  am I going to end up in the ER again on the weekend?  I was having trouble that I know most don't have.  I am not knocking the band AT ALL.  Without it I could not have lost the 70ish pounds that I have taken off in the past year.  Without it, I would still be eating excessively and gaining, and I can honestly say I'd probably be way over the 300 pound mark by now (I was teetering somewhere in the 290s!).  One of my good friends has made excellent strides with the band and has lost 110ish pounds in the past 15 months and she looks and feels great.  I KNOW the band works, it just doesn't fit with me. 

I had to accept that it is time to move forward with another option.  I will have my band removed next month as well as have a sleeve gastrectomy.  My surgeon and I both agree that the restrictive method works for me, just not in band form.  We are going to go another route and I am pretty confident that this is going to do the trick for me.  It may sound silly, but one of my big fears going into this surgery is losing the support of my fellow blogging bandsters.  All of y'all have helped to keep me focused, supported and on track, especially in the toughest of times.  You have congratulated me on losses, kicked my butt when I've needed it and encouraged me when I have felt really down.  I have to tell you, I don't want to feel like I'm going to get kicked out of the club because I am having a revision.  I hope to continue to have your support along this next phase of my journey, which I think is all of our journey.  The journey to healthier and happier existence.  I hope y'all will still be here once my band is gone...