Getting Banded in 2 weeks! Questions & Opinions!

Hi Nic,

Thank you for your response. I have been looking into the lapband procedure since I was 15, and I've had over 8 of my relatives go to the same surgeon, and they haven't had any complications. He has done over 5,000 band surgeries. I feel very safe and at ease knowing I will be going to him for surgery. My father was 380 pounds and with the surgery he is down to 215, and my mother from 275 to 160. While I appreciate you pointing out concerns and risks associated, it is something I am fully aware of. Everything has consequences, and for this I believe the results outweigh the risks. 

My parents vomiting is their own fault. They eat a lot of food that they know does not go down, and they purge. I have more self control than my parents, and I spend most of my time at school studying, and would take pre weighed and packaged foods; giving me no time to snack or eat pointless garbage. 

And I do indeed want to be thin. May sound shallow, but I am young and have been held back majority of my youth because I was overweight. It sucks going to parties in the summer and having to find yet again another excuse not to strip down into a bathing suit. It sucks having no self esteem and allowing myself to stay 2 years in a horrible and abusive (both verbal and emotional) relationship. I know I sound like a total kid saying this, but I hate it. Its the worst feeling knowing no guy likes you or wants you because you're big. It sucks hooking up with guys and them telling you "don't tell anyone, that's embarrassing for me." Its horrible thinking a guy likes you then having them say "it was a mistake. I was drunk. I'm sorry but I don't think you're attractive. You're a little too big for my liking."

*all those quotes are direct words. stung so hard, i don't think i'll ever forget them*

Most of all, I want to be healthy for me. I want to be able to be over 30 and not face debilitating diseases that will greatly affect me. I want to live a long and healthy life. I want to be the best version of myself possible.

 I want to be able to fit into the clothes I have only ever dreamt of. To be able to wear shorts and not have my thighs rub against each other ever so viciously causing a rash. To be able to walk around feeling confident rather an ashamed for being me. I am in school with the intent of pursing a career in the medical field. Who would want to listen to a fat doctor telling you whats right or wrong? 

If m family didn't have the surgeries, or the doctor was not great, I would definitely reconsider. But, this is the best choice for me. I have been in contact with the doctor since I was 16. I went to him when I was 16 because I wanted the surgery. He looked at me and told me no. That I was young, and I should try out other methods before deciding on the lapband. He didn't just want to take my parents money and run. He wanted to genuinely help me get better. He is a genuine doctor with great intentions. 

May I just comment on other comments?

there is no doubt that lots of people have bands removed. Some people through no fault their own, neither Hisiady nor Nic caused their own problems. But some people do bring about their own complications. One of the only two people I know IRL to have a band removed fully accepts it was her own fault. 

i have heard time and time again on here that the band has to be removed after 10 years. I have been unable to fnd this on the Allergan website and when I asked my doctor he was also unaware of this "fact".  I personally know 3 people over 10 years out and online know more. And it is worth remembering that people over 8 years out almost sll have the now obsolete 4cc band- the newer ones are supposed to be better. 

Have you researched the other surgery options?

Hi Gwen,

Thanks for your question. I have looked into other options, but the Lapband is the one that sat well with me. Knowing an ample amount of people that have gotten it with a high success rate, I know I am making the right decision!

I hope that things go super well for you.  

Thank you, GwenMo! I really appreciate it. 

I really wish you the best. Thank you for being so reasonable in your response. I truly only want to help.  But I understand that you've researched and have decided for yourself. I do hope that things go well for you, sincerely. 

Thank you, Nic! I'm very excited and looking forward to this date like no other. It's also the day before all my college applications are due! I have to finish this before Thanksgiving to get them out of the way :)

I am going to chime in here. I was banded in 2007, after 18months I finally lost to a total of 80 pounds.  In 2010, I vomited for 12 straight hours, there was nothing left to bring up but I couldn't stop it from continuing.  This past July, after regaining all of my weight back (my fault),  I had it removed and am prepping for the Sleeve.

All that said, I want to caution you to be careful when saying that vomiting regularly is "their own fault".  Now, you live with them and you see if they are not eating properly so if they truly are to blame, I am glad you see it and can avoid that behavior.  But vomiting with the band is NOT always the patients fault and is NOT always from being too tight.HOWEVER, I do see where Kate is right that most of the time, it could be from being too tight, jut not all the time.

My opinion is that, if you think you can lose the weight with the band in a relatively short period of time, say 1-2 years, and then you can remove the band and stay at a healthy weight, the band might just be the right tool for you.  But, since your family history leans towards obesity, I am not so sure you can keep it off.  But...maybe you could look at it this way...

you get the band, lose the weight in a reasonably short time (meaning doing it right, not having it too tight), then remove it and work to keep the weight off for at least 5 years...it could be right.  After that 5 year period, keep maintaining and down the road, if you cannot keep it off, you could go for another type of WLS.  But this seems a bit ridiculous.  If I had known about the sleeve in 2007 I would never have done the band.

p.s. - persistent vomiting also ruins your teeth.

Just take in what the people here are trying to tell you and be sure.  You still have 2 weeks...spend it wisely.  Good luck.

Actually to add a bit more! I am not advocating the band! I'm not a doctor! But putting another view to those expressed above. i can eat all foods! Some need a little care, like tough lamb! But I have no problems with rice, veggies etc..

The Mayo Clinic (of which I know nothing) may have stopped doing bands. the British National Health Service is hoping to do more.  Our NHS has its faults as does any nationalised health service ( or private one for that matter) but one thing it does do is count costs - it is spending taxpayers money! And it believes it is cost effective. So clearly not expecting repeated, inevitabke re-operations.

like you I know many people with bands. Over my 8 1/2 years, I have met around 50 IRL. I have lost touch with around 10 - 15.  The ones I am still in contact with all still have their bands. None has severe complications, not all have lost as much as they hoped. The two I know who have lost their bands (in the group of people I have lost touch with) - one freely admits she deliberately abused her band; the other had an intestinal issue which pre-dated her band.  My own surgeon doesn't perform thousands of bands, maybe not even a hundred a year, if not fewer. But he tells me that my nine year experience is the norm for his patients. He hasn't given me numbers but he has removed "very few".