Sticking my neck out.... Happy bandsters, please support me!

Bette, you are so right. At the top of my OH page right now is a banner with a very slim woman stuffing lettuce into her mouth. The caption reads " Fed up with dieting?" That is wrong, totally misleading. It implies one quick op and, hey presto, you will be effortlessly slim.

We aren't as bad over here in the UK yet but I bet we follow soon!

as always kate I so agree with you!!! All surgeries have complications but why go at it negatively from the get go? i believe nothing will happen to me with the band and if something happens and i lose my band i would be sad.
When i first went to my surgeons office he try and push the RNY to me but i had already made up my mind about lap band (thats y research is so important) and dont regret my desicion what so ever!!! I have 2 friends whom chose RNY had surgery a month ago and have lost just about the same as me but its not a race, i am losing my weight with alot of efford and thats what people dont understand yes i had wls but its my desicion to eat healthy and excersise, i am going to say i believe RNY and Sleeve wls are easier and should only be for people morbily obese (both my friends were 250 and lower)  and i wanted to be part of my weight loss; with learning how to eat and keeping myself active.

So cheers kate.

My band rocks

 
Dev, I think that a lack of early education may cause  more poblems than anything else.

Thank you for the post. I have been looking at WLS and went to the seminar and the hoops that the insurance co is making me jump through, for my own good actually. I am down to one more month of doctor assisted diet and then I have to decide. I went to my primary care physician yesterday and we were talking about which surgery would help. His opinion was that he thinks I would do well with the lap-band and it would help accomplish my goals which are helping my diabetes and my health. I have researched all the options that I can find, I am doing what was told would be required of me in any WLS and my decision will be the Lap-band. I just want find some support on these boards and communicate with other bandsters. I fully realize the risks associated with any WLS and think that if you follow the surgeons advice and do what is required any WLS can be a success. I really appreciate the advice I have been given on this board and will stay here to find more helpful information. So, thanks again

I am a fairly new bandster too and i probably dont have any right to put in my opinion but that said i must say... i did have a slip early out (within 4 months of surgery) and what all of the " failed lapband" people tend to forget is that like most of the people in this post have stated..." that everyone is different" i.e...( amount of weight to lose, health history,approach to our weight loss,and how closely we follow the directions from our doctors just to name a few) even after having my slip and having to go to surgery to have it fixed i still love my band (only my feelings i realize everone doesnt feel the way i do) but i wish everyone that has been so negative would try to remember before stating that and i quote" the band is crap" that there is usually a reason for the band slippage and /or other problems mine happens to be a underlying medical problem that i have that caused my band to slip IN NO WAY WAS IT THE LAP BANDS FAULT OR DOCTOR ERROR it was just a connective tissue disorder that i have that caused my slip and crossing my fingers here but i hope my band lasts a long long time and with  following my surgeons direction and a lot of hard work on my part i hope to reach my goal like so many other inspirational bandsters on this board have done. so i guess what my point is ,is when you see a post about a slip or anything else going wrong with someones band you never really know what their situation is.... health issues, user error etc.........so don't always assume it was a "crap band". thank you for letting me put my 2 cents in... I am a very happy and grateful bandster

I am a fairly new bandster too and i probably dont have any right to put in my opinion

You have every right!!  But you are right that that is an example of how views are discounted by anti-band rhetoric. On the grounds of " well you are happy now but just wait another year....". Don't ever feel your views are not valid!

thank you for that kate i guess what i have to say does count i just didnt want anyone to look and say well she is only 6 months out but i wanted to let you know i am glad you did this post it all needed to be said alot of times i want to post a topic but i decide not to because i am not into all the confrontation it brings sometimes its just easier not to post most of the time ....

Then there's the "logic" of

MY 'CRAPBAND' "FAILED" SO I HAD IT REMOVED
SO THEN I HAD A VSG
AND THEN I PUT ALL MY WEIGHT BACK ON
SO THEN I HAD A DS . . . 

WTF do you do when you fail the DS, too? And yes - it's possible! 

I was banded a little over two years ago and would say that overall I am so happy I had the surgery. After my initial span over 8 months of continual weight-loss , I hit a stall that lasted 6 months. I now know that the stall was my own doing. I had become tired of dieting and ate a lot of sweets, chips, and grazing, -back to my old way of eating. Finally I wrapped my head around the notion that the band was'nt going to do all the work, I had to do my share too. I am now losing again, and feel wonderful. I had one episode where I was too tight and had bad reflux. Upon taking out 1cc, the reflux went away. I was hesitant to get any more fills, but my doc put it back in slowly. I am now at a good place where the band lets me eat a healthy meal, yet I feel full and satisfied with half the portions I use to eat. Having the band is and will continue to be a learning experience . Walking daily has made a huge difference in how I feel and has put me back on the losing bench. It takes time to realize the band is just a tool, same as your measuring cup, your water, and eating healthy. What a wonderful tool ! If I use it wisely, it  does its job. For ME.     ---I know for others its a different story, (through no fault of their own.)

Speaking in general terms, not to any one person in particular... If you're happy with your choice, I'm happy for you.

The people I am trying to talk to are the ones who haven't  had the band yet. And if they want to take into consideration all the bad stuff that can happen, then they have done the research required. And if they decide to simply close their eyes to those things, then more power to them.
They'll need more luck than I can wish them.But, someone needs to put that information out there. And those of us who have had bands fail us are the ones who have to do it, I guess.


All I know is that I had my surgery a long, long time ago and have watched people with bands revise, remove and regret. Myself included.  Every week I get a message from another person asking me about the left shoulder pain that comes along with the band. SO many people get this and yet we have people telling them it's just "gas." It's such a huge disservice and makes people feel very alone and scared.  All I see is platitudes and misinformation.

If a person with a REAL problem posts on this board, they are very unlikely to get help or support unless it's from one of us "band bashers." Why is that? I've seen people post, asking for help, saying that their bands are causing problems and that thread sits there without a response.
People can talk about how much they want a "support" board, but what some of them mean is they want a board where only GOOD things are said about the band.