WHATS IT LIKE LIVING WITHA LAP BAND

I AM STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT BARTRAIC SURGERY IS RIGHT FOR ME I AM 30 YR 5'10 290 HAD A STROKE IN JAN OF 2010 WIFE IS AGAINST SURGERY ANYBODY CARE TO SHARE THERE LIFE WITH LAP BAND

Ok here goes.............Got banded Nov. 09. Wasted $15,000 and 16 mos. getting fills..............still NO "sweet spot". So essentially just like trying to lose weight before I had the WLS!

Complete waste of time and money! I would not recommend the band to my worse enemy!

Read on the revision forum and see all the ppl that are revising FROM the band. If the band was that great.........all those ppl wouldn't want to put theirselves through the pain and expense of yet another WLS now would they??

Also you will probably want to read this link about how ineffective the band is:

www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ASMBS/20919

Good luck!!!

Maria, I fully accept that you say you have lost your weight (100lbs in 16 months, isn't it) despite the band not because of it.

Can you tell us how you have been able to do it now through self-control whereas for the rest of your pre-band life you were unable to? What, if not the band, has meant that this time and this time only, you have been able to stick to an eating plan? What is different, physically or psychologically which means that post-band op you have lost and kept of 100lbs when pre-band you couldn't?

Kate

Things that make you go "hmmmmmm....".   Excellent question, Kate.  I'd really like to know the answer, because I've been told that I'm gonna rue the day I ever got this crapband, so when I have to have it taken out I'd very much like to know the secret of losing 100 lbs in 16 months and keeping it off, because before I had a crapband I'd had 55 years of diets that never worked.  Such a puzzlement.

No I said I had lost about 70 during that time that I have had the band. The other 30-40 I lost in the 7 mos. previously.

Why am I able to it now through self-control with the band? The same way I did it the 7 mos. prior WITHOUT the band!

Thanks for your support Kate!

So what has the secret been that you did it, partly before and partly after the band? I am assuming that before that you had never managed to lose successfully.

So my question is still there - what happened this time and not before?

Kate

When I researched bariatric surgery I had 3 children and was terrified of the surgery risks related to the other more aggressive surgeries, that is how I decided on LapBand. I researched for almost 2 years before I committed to the idea. My starting weight was 320#s and I am currently 204.4#s. I have had my band almost 3 years. I did get down to about 187# for one month about 15 months ago, then my marriage had some problems and old habits came back and within 2 months I was at this weight. I lost 120#s within the first year, but I won't sugar coat it...i worked my butt off. You have to be extrememly dedicated. You have to follow the rules...lots of water (I drink nothing else except a protein shake at bfast), protein first at every meal, I didn't eat any starch Mon-Fri for a year, and only occ on weekends, and I worked out 5-6 times a week faithfully. (This is why my loss stalled the past year because when problems happened at home, my habits came back and rountine fell apart...I've just gotten back on track again.) Many women complain about hormonal changes causing band tightening and loosing with cycles causing vomiting (which I have if I don't track my dates), which you would not have to endure. If you have any specific questions just let me know...I'd be glad to help. The band is not right for everyone, but it was right for me.
Sherie

We all have slightly different experiences.

The thing is that ALL the band does is help you eat less. it doesn't stop you eating less if you choose to eat round it, it doesn't stop you eating the "wrong" foods and it doesn't stop you absorbing everything you eat.

The lapband works for those who just need a little bit of help! I am lucky, for me it has done exactly what I wanted it to, but that has meant that I have worked with my band as well as it working for me. For some people, it does not give the help they hoped for. This may be because they had not fully realised (pre-op) the hard work it can be, or it may be that the band simpl;y does not give the help they needed - it doesn't work for everyone.


But my banded life.....

While losing (even with a bip a few months ago, I have been well below my goal weight for over 3 1/2 years), I ate small amounts of all foods, but making healthy choices about 80% of the time. There were no foods I totally ignored, but some were only eaten rarely.

Now I am maintaining, if you met me. you would have no idea that I have a band. I just seem like a slim person who doesn't have a very big appetite.

What specific Qs do you have?

Kate

The best way to learn about life with the band is to spend some time reading different posts on this forum. That way you'll be exposed to the good, the bad, and the ugly.

My life with the band has been great so far. I lost 100% of my excess weight (90 lbs) in one year. I'm able to eat a wide variety of foods I like. My band reduces my hunger and appetite for food, and I'm just not able to eat much at one time. Since I was a volume eater, that's been great for me. Most of my problems with the band have been related to user error, not the band. I have an untreated hiatal hernia (that my original surgeon unfortunately chose not to repair when he placed my band) that contributed to a band slip, but the slip was cured by a complete unfill. My port flipped over into an inaccessible position so I had surgery to reposition it. The slip and the port flip were bumps in the road...and almost every road in life has a few bumps in it.

If you are a snacker or grazer, the band probably won't help you with that. With the band, you can eat small amounts of food all day long. Nor will the band help you make good food choices, exercise, take vitamins, and do other things that will aid your weight loss and improve your health.

Some people who struggle with sugar addiction chose RNY (gastric bypass) because it can cause "dumping" syndrome when they eat sugary foods. Dumping with RNY is not guaranteed, though.

One thing you need to know about the band is that weight loss may not begin until weeks or months after your surgery, because the band requires fills in order to work, and fills are done gradually for the safety of the patient. Also, when considering the expense of living with the band, you need to keep in mind that the aftercare (including the fills) can eat up a lot of time and money depending on your medical insurance coverage.

Good luck!

Jean