trying to decide if i should have the lap band, need help

You know its like buying a car, which one is right for you. I dont like a Bens or Volvos but I do like hondas and minnie vans. See your private Dr and see again what he recomends for you and have him do the research as you stay on the road.  Every bodys life is different, as so is every body- that's why we have zillion  women's dress shops.  Pray and ask for guidance and remember, if you want to continue driving, you need a pit stop to take care of YOU!

It is nothing like buying a car. I f I buy a Bens I truly doubt it is going to cause me physical pain from the very first day I test drive it. It will also not cause me to throw up,obstruct,slip,erode,or paralyze my esophageal function. Nor will it cause the multiple hospitalizations that the band has caused me

Besides that, I'm pretty sure if I were to injure myself  daily in a Bens or a Volvo.  I would park the MOFO on the street and NEVER attempt to drive it again. HOWEVER....I do not have that
luxury with the lap band. Do you recommend I make a " Pitt stop " and carve the sucker outta my gut myself ? Now why didn't I think of that ?

How can you compare my pain from the ;lap band to the purchase of a new vehicle ?

Furthermore.....I saw countless doctors countless times and I did my own research as I suspect they couldn't dedicate their entire practice over to discovering what was wrong with me. In fact these same doctors treated me as if I was malingering and tirelessly wrote out prescriptions for Vicodin. Morphine, Oxycontin, Oxycodone, Fentynal patches, and much much more.

They got sick of me pretty quickly and I ended up having to painfully detox myself off off the drugs because my body had become dependent on them.

If I actually believed in God maybe I would pray and ask for guidance, but after suffering with pain for so long and watching it almost ruin my life...you'll have to excuse me if I choose not to believe in fairy tales anymore.

I've taken more " Pitt stops " in my life since being banded. How many more do you suggest I take so that this all just goes away ?

I can see the buying a car reference, I am sure she meant her point to be that what works for one person may not work for the next. Positive she was not trying to begin to know the pain that you have gone thru.Its horrible by all means what you have went thru, there are however many positive band experiences out there and although you had so many painful issues and problems, it does not mean that the band should not be an option for someone else. Before a person is banded,they should look at all their options and know that each WLS has its drawbacks and problems for some people. I hope that you begin to heal in all aspects from your bad experience.

I know that not everyone who chooses to get implanted with a band will have an experience like mine, and I would never tell anyone that there band is going to sooner or later fail them, but the comparison at least to my way of thinking is completely ludicrous. I also realize that I am going to be more sensitive to such a comparison because of my personal situation.

However I still find the comparison flawed based solely on the fact that you can park your car on the street, but you cannot remove the lap band yourself. If you drove a car that caused you to experience severe chronic pain then you would find another way to get to work. I haven't seen a self aborting lap band that comes with it's own flesh tone paint on the store shelves yet....have you ?

Another problem with the car reference is the stringent quality control measures that must be in place for a car to hit the market.

Look at the media freak-out last year over less than 10 cases of possible sudden acceleration with Toyota and how Toyota had to quickly offer multiple recall solutions and was investigated (at which time I believe most of the incidences turned out to be driver error).

I am guessing this issue was impacting less than 1% of Toyotas sold yet it was devastating for the company, there were stories on the news every night with updates, and even legal investigations.

Yet the band can still be offered without question with a complication rate upwards of 30% (and even higher EWL failure rate) at just 5 years.

I understand the poster was trying to say there is no one-size-fits-all WLS and I get that, but the car reference does seem to miss the mark a bit.

Just my thoughts,
Lindsey

U think it's like buying a car? Well ok, let's talk about it in those terms. U don't like Benz or Volvos. That is fine. I like Honda's also. They are a very RELIABLE car. Reliability is important. Especially when one is spending that much money on a purchase. I think when we all spend that kind of money we expect to get something that actually WORKS!

First of all..........my band does NOT work! Have I lost weight? Yes. How did I do it? From dieting alone! Now if I bought a car b/c I need reliable transportation to get to work every day, and my NEW car just makes it 2 blocks and breaks down, and the only way I got to work everyday is b/c I would take a taxi for the additional drive to work.............did the new car help me achieve my goal? I THINK NOT!

2nd of all cars have waranties. The band? HELL NO! They do NOT cover all the "repairs" often required for the band. Some even after just a month of 2 of "use"! The Allergan and Realize do NOT back up their products!!! I have spoken to their representative on several occasions. They show little interest in helping those of us that are stuck with non-working bands!!!

Now let's talk about routine maintenence, or the "pit stops". My car I can take in to get the plugs changed. And it it's still misfiring after I do that, I would take it back. Well how would u feel if u had to take you car back 16 times in 14 mos. to get this taken care of............AND IT STILL DIDN'T WORK?!?!?! (Yes I have had 16 fills in 14 mos. And guess what? Still no restriction!)

So yes............we can compare the band to a car. And we can end up out of money if we don't choose the right car or WLS. However choosing the WRONG WLS can have much more serious consequences. Look at how many ppl now have PERMANENT DAMAGE from their bands!!! Look at how many ppl have suffered incredible amounts of PAIN because of their bands! If u buy a crappy car, then your just out money ****il the warranty issue is resolved). If u buy a crappy WLS it could cause u pain for years to come!

Sorry Lady trkr didnt mean to start a war and hopefully you will make the rigtht decision for yourself-  hope all will go spelnddid for your weight loss.
BUT I am out of here, too stressful

I hope you don't think I was fighting with you. I was only disagreeing with you about your referencing the choice of lap banding surgery to that of purchasing a car. I have no ill feelings toward you even if I was passionate with my reply.

I believe the same can be said about the other posters that disagreed with your reference as well. They just disagree and that is all. No one wants to start a war here, we just have a different POV.