Calling All Negative Bandsters/Former Bandsters

Hi Kim,

I remember when the Bands Grads group was formed way back when...  it was for those of us who had moved beyond a certain need for support in our everyday band journeys. I remember it being a place where we could gather for fun without having to answer the same old questions again and again and again, a place free from " Surgery Wars pre R&R days " while still lending support and keeping up a presence on the regular lap band forum.

Ironically,I left the group because I spent most of my time on the old R&R forum and had pretty much stopped reading over there.

I'm not taking sides between you and Maria, however I would like to state that if there are band grads over there, who are have been injured by their bands in any way, shape, or form, and they are not coming back to THIS forum and sharing their message, especially  if they were PRO band, then they really need to reconsider their choice of board where they share their truths.

If they are " hiding " their truth behind the safety of a private group, then we have a bigger issue here that we all need to discuss. I can only speak for myself, but I would never shove it in their face, and it's not because I want to seen as, " The Bigger Person ".....Nooooooo,  I want to help others see what the band can do to them regardless of how you define success, or how well you follow all the band rules.

Following all the bands rules, with the best band surgeon, at a COE Hospital, with the best support system in place does not guarantee you a safe and uneventful LAGB experience. Those that were the biggest " Cheerleaders " ( I hate the negative connotation of that word ) have become THE MOST VALUABLE resource that I/we have. I applaud and support those who come forward. I know it must be really hard, but the respect that person brings to the community with their complete honesty after being so passionate about something they really believed in is a character trait that one can stand up and be proud of.

Lisa

Band Grad board is pretty dead...

 

So I heard. ONe of them told me they hadn't had anyone new join in like 4 or 5 months! Hell we have new ppl joining on the failed band group at least every other day! Guess there are a hell of a lot more with failed bands than band grads. So sad!

Success should be defined not only by amount of weight lost, but by obesity related risks and quality of life too right ?  Didn't those of us who had our insurance pay for our surgeries have to meet a certain criteria to be considered a candidate for WLS, and didn't that criteria state certain NIH guidelines which put us at known risks for obesity related diseases and conditions ?

Today my total weight loss is 92 lbs, but my BMI is currently 28.1
Here's the truth, weighing 164 lbs with a BMI of 28.1 would indicate that I am still overweight and, according to the NIH (National Institutes of Health), being overweight or obese have known risk factors for the following:

• diabetes
• coronary heart disease
• high blood cholesterol
• stroke
• hypertension
• gallbladder disease
• osteoarthritis (degeneration of cartilage and bone of joints)
• sleep apnea and other breathing problems
• some forms of cancer (breast, colorectal, endometrial, and kidney)

Obesity is also associated with:

• complications of pregnancy
• menstrual irregularities
• hirsutism (presence of excess body and facial hair)
• stress incontinence (urine leakage caused by weak pelvic floor muscles)
• psychological disorders, such as depression
• increased surgical risk
• increased mortality

I think it's important that all of us, at the very least, redefine our definition of success.

 

On April 13, 2012 at 12:56 PM Pacific Time, justdoit130 wrote: But what I don't understand about you all who have had negative experiences- do you think that EVERYONE will have a negative experience? That the lap-band as a concept is inherently flawed and no one will ever be successful with it?

no, but many will have problems that have a negative impact for the rest of their lives.  Being reversible doesn't mean the damage done isn't permanent.  The perspective of those who've watched this phenomenon evolve over the last 10-12 is much different than someone banded last year.  I've been a member here for 5 years and seen the tide turn in the last 3.  The very first poster on this forum had her band removed this year due to complications.   I feel like I did a lot of research, a lot of soul searching, and went in with my eyes opened and knowing what the potential complications might be, but willing to take those risks. I felt that way too.  When I read the reflux, difficulty swallowing and vomiting potential adverse effects, I thought of those things within the context of my experience.  Those very things describe my last 18 months with the band, but they were not anything like my pre-banded experience with those things.  I didn't realize that my nighttime chest pain was reflux, feeling like yogurt was in a vapor lock was difficulty swallowing and that you could vomit the contents of your esophagus because the vagus nerve so irritated the lower esophageal sphincter that it wouldn't open.  There was no mention of scar tissue under the band causing your stoma to be completely closed though you have very little or no fill....there is no way to comprehend this unless someone describes it in detail

. I think that is why when I read over here on OH, and see all the lap band "bashing," I just wonder if you all think that no one will succeed with losing weight and keeping it off with the lap band. That everyone will experience complications and have to have some sort of revision or removal.

If you go way back, go down the pages, see all who have revised, lost their bands it hits home.  No one here has anything to gain by distorting the truth.  

We take a lot of heat, even outright bullying, such as that on lbt, but we're trying to protect those who are researching from this awful experience.  Between my band, pre op testing, complications, meds, dx testing to determine what the hell was wrong with me and my removal, over $150,000 has been spent by my insurance for absolutely nothing.  BTW, I'm on Medicare, so the taxpayers footed the bill.  Had I had vsg to start with, the bill would have been about $20,000 and my GI tract would be in a lot better shape.  I signed consent last Friday for the following:  esophectomy with reconstructive surgery using sigmoid colon, rny to treat achalasia, partial gastrectomy, resection of stomach, esophagus to resolve achalasia, takedown and re operation to correct hiatus hernia and of course, Lapband explant with scar tissue removal to the extent it is safe.   Just my $.02, which is why I usually post on what I suspect is the "other forum" you refer to no one is telling you not to post your happy experience, but the odd thing is you all want to silence those of us who have suffered with this thing.  No one goes bat**** crazy when any other medical device fails and other options are discussed.  I belong to a lot of medical forae and everyone is ok hearing that the treatment might not work, might do harm, etc.  the band us just a device that can fail, can cause harm and yes, for some can help them lose weight.       Justdoit130 284/246/130 banded 1/26/12