PLEASE RESPOND !Explain your Lap Band/AGB Experience

Post Date: 1/14/11 11:52 am Last Edit: 1/14/11 12:34 pm Okay, Guys & Dolls  When someone asks about the Band, they should get  the feel of everyone who has been banded.  We can refer them here, to this post. Are you currently on your Band journey?  No, got off that horrible ride Have you reached your "sweet spot"? Nope How long have you been banded?  3 years How much have you lost? Can you eat a variety of healthy foods?  I could eat anything Have you gone through fills & unfills never finding a happy medium? never found a happy anything Do you PB?  no Keep your Band tight? tried, but it made me sick Have acid reflux? yes Night cough? no Has your Band slipped? yes Have you had a dilation - specify stomach or esophagus? no Do you have pain? no Have you had your Band removed? If so any damage to any other organs? Removed yes, no damage Have you revised - to what surgery?  DS Any other experience you'd like to tell us about?  Never lost more than 20lbs, had numerous fills, biggest waste of time and energy Would you recommend the Band? not to my worst enemy

Are you currently on your Band journey? yes
Have you reached your "sweet spot"? I can eat 3 oz of dense protein, 1/4 -1/2c of veggies and feel satisfied for 4-6 hours
How long have you been banded? 18 months
How much have you lost? 106 pounds
Can you eat a variety of healthy foods? Yes, as long as the meat isn't too dry, I eat fresh fruits and veggies everyday and get 60-70 grams of protein a day. All of my labs were normal at my one year checkup.

Have you gone through fills & unfills never finding a happy medium? NO
Do you PB? Never ever, and only 3 stuck episodes on too dry of food, my fault for not paying attention
Keep your Band tight? NO, I can eat breakfast with no difficulties
Have acid reflux? Never
Night cough? Never
Has your Band slipped? No,UGI at one year looked great
Have you had a dilation - specify stomach or esophagus? NO
Do you have pain? NO
Have you had your Band removed? If so any damage to any other organs? NO
Have you revised - to what surgery? N/A

Any other experience you'd like to tell us about? In the past prior to the band I had lost large amounts of weight and never maintained for more than a day and then started gaining, BUT with the band I'm18 months out and I'm either losing or maintaining, so I'm very happy. I'm off of all B/P meds and exercise 5 hours a week and feel good. I am happy to look "normal" and not be the biggest person in the room or worry if I will fit in a chair. I went from size 28 to a 14 and hope to lose more weight, but if I don't it's okay, because this is about my health.

Would you recommend the Band? Depends on the person, their starting BMI, their expectations of the band and their insurance situation, the support system of the surgeon's group etc. I don't believe there is a perfect surgery. I just wish everyone the best and hope their health improves along with their quality of life. Obesity is a chronic disease and being a RN, I see how difficult life can be when you are obese.

Are you currently on your Band journey? No

Have you reached your "sweet spot"? Never had one.

How long have you been banded? I was banded for 18 months before revision surgery.

How much have you lost? 132#

Can you eat a variety of healthy foods? Not when I was banded, I can now with a sleeve. That's why I had malnutrition when I was banded.

Have you gone through fills & unfills never finding a happy medium? Had many fills and unfills and never found a sweet spot.

Do you PB? With a band I did so daily.

Keep your Band tight? Never, most of the time it was unfilled.

Have acid reflux? The band caused permanent esophageal damage so I still have reflux from it.

Night cough? Yes, and day cough.

Has your Band slipped? No

Have you had a dilation - specify stomach or esophagus? No.

Do you have pain? YES!

Have you had your Band removed? If so any damage to any other organs? Yes. Esophageal damage that cannot be corrected.

Have you revised - to what surgery? Yes, to a sleeve 2.5 years ago.

Any other experience you'd like to tell us about? It's a horror, an expensive, messy, painful, horror. Here is my whole story:

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/failed_wls_second_time_around/4295389/Failed-Band/

Would you recommend the Band? Oh HELL no!

Are you currently on your Band journey?
Well "journey" is not exactly the word I would use to describe it..............but yes.

Have you reached your "sweet spot"?
After 14 fill in just over a year.............NO!

How long have you been banded?
14 months.

How much have you lost?
68 pounds..........THROUGH DIETING!

Can you eat a variety of healthy foods?
Yes

Have you gone through fills & unfills never finding a happy medium?
14 fills/3 unfills so 17 adjustments total in 14 months. NO happy medium!

Do you PB?
No.

Keep your Band tight?
No.

Have acid reflux?
No

Night cough?
No

Has your Band slipped?
No

Have you had a dilation - specify stomach or esophagus?
No

Do you have pain?
No

Have you had your Band removed? If so any damage to any other organs?
N/A

Have you revised - to what surgery?
I would like to............but could only afford ONE WLS and WASTED my money on this POS band!

Any other experience you'd like to tell us about?
THINK TWICE CUT ONCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would you recommend the Band?
Oh HELL NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you currently on your Band journey? no

Have you reached your "sweet spot"?  I don't believe there is such a thing
How long have you been banded?  I had a band for 15 months
How much have you lost? I lost 40 lbs
Can you eat a variety of healthy foods?  no.  even at the end,  completely unfilled ,  I had trouble with solid food but crackers and chips would go down easily.  I ate worse WITH the band than I ever did without it.

Have you gone through fills & unfills never finding a happy medium?  yes
Do you PB? many times
Keep your Band tight? no, and my surgeon had done over 3500 bands when I was banded
Have acid reflux? no
Night cough? no
Has your Band slipped? no.  it just never did what the literature promised
Have you had a dilation - specify stomach or esophagus?  no
Do you have pain?  I did , yes, at my port site if I moved or stretched
Have you had your Band removed? If so any damage to any other organs? no
Have you revised - to what surgery? yes to the sleeve where I have since lost 70 additional pounds
Any other experience you'd like to tell us about?

Would you recommend the Band? I could not recommend it.  If one of my friends was dead set on getting one,  I would support them but I would be very uneasy about it.
Out of the 20 or so people I have met from THIS board with bands...only one of them has not had SOME type of additional surgery to repair a port, slip,  or just a full blown revision.
My sleeve recovery was much much less painful than my band surgery was as well.

I would also like to say,  that I spent many many hours on this board,  and made some wonderful friends, one of whom introduced me to my husband and was a bridesmaid in our wedding in October.  I used to HATE when people from other surgery boards would come here to tear down the bandsters,  or call us stupid for making the choice we did.
I fully respect everyone's right to make their own choice.

Are you currently on your Band journey? No
Have you reached your "sweet spot"? Never did, tried for 2 years
How long have you been banded?  April 2008-March2010  (2 years)
How much have you lost?  During that time I lost 50 pounds.  Yay right? no.  Still needed Phentermine, HCG shots and weigh****chers.
Can you eat a variety of healthy foods?  I couldn't eat ANY healthy foods unless they were pureed, if I had any restriction at all. 

Have you gone through fills & unfills never finding a happy medium? Yes
Do you PB? Yes.
Keep your Band tight? Not on purpose, just couldn't get it to do anything right.
Have acid reflux?Yes, not severe.
Night cough?No.
Has your Band slipped?No
Have you had a dilation - specify stomach or esophagus?Some esophageal dilation, not severe, reversed after removal.
Do you have pain?I did have pain, every time I ate.
Have you had your Band removed? If so any damage to any other organs? Yes removed, no damage.
Have you revised - to what surgery?  Dec. 29th I got the sleeve.  (amazing difference already!)

Any other experience you'd like to tell us about?  The first 8 months I tried every month with fills to get proper restriction.  Finally under fluroscopy we got SOME restriction for the first time.  However, it was too tight.  Had a few unfills over the next few months.  Finally had to empty it and then I still couldn't eat without pain, PB, sliming.  

Would you recommend the Band?  No.  I want to cry when I hear about someone getting it.  I am not a band hater.  I am a person lover......and it makes me so so sad when someone decides to go down the band path.  I've been there and I know how hard it is.  I do not believe they will be doing bands in a few years from now.  Please please please PLEASE rethink it if you are considering the band.  Go to the revisions forum and see what surgeries are failing.  Read the boards for the VSG.  You can have a surgery that keeps your stomach functioning the same way, just makes it smaller.  No fills, unfills, etc.  PLEASE  I am begging you.  Don't get a band.  My recovery with the sleeve has been SO much easier and less painful than the band. 

your story is incredibly similar to mine...and I feel the same way about people.

I know how excited and hopeful I was when I got my band...thinking that FINALLY I was going to have somethign to help me get the weight off...what a joke.

You will love the sleeve

Susan is my band, sleeve and soul sister.

Are you currently on your Band journey?  No
Have you reached your "sweet spot"?     No
How long have you been banded?      I was banded for 2 years 6 month
How much have you lost?   with the band I lost 70 pounds
Can you eat a variety of healthy foods?    I could not

Have you gone through fills & unfills never finding a happy medium?   yes
Do you PB?    Yes I did
Keep your Band tight?   No I did not never could get any restriction to last
Have acid reflux?    some
Night cough?   no
Has your Band slipped?   no
Have you had a dilation - specify stomach or esophagus?   no
Do you have pain?   yes, from the port, the tubing and referred pain in left shoulder
Have you had your Band removed? If so any damage to any other organs?   yes, and my stomach was damaged quit a bit.
Have you revised - to what surgery?  DS

Any other experience you'd like to tell us about?  most of the time with the band was a unpleasant and quit often painful time.

Would you recommend the Band?  no, absolutely not

Are you currently on your Band journey? No
Have you reached your "sweet spot"? I'm not sure this exsists
How long have you been banded? Band was removed 5 days before my 5 year anniversary
How much have you lost? 102 lbs at my lowest
Can you eat a variety of healthy foods? I couldn't eat fruits with skins, breads or breaded products, meats that were not very mois

Have you gone through fills & unfills never finding a happy medium? I had a total of 6 fills max in my 5 years only unfill was 3 months before my revision
Do you PB? I thought that I only PBed occasionally, my family has informed me now that I no longer do it that it was actually quite frequent - being banded makes you good at blaming yourself for stuff like this and down playing it.
Keep your Band tight? Up until year four I had 2cc in a 4 cc band at year 4 after 2 years of not getting any fills I got .5cc put in.
Have acid reflux? The last year with the band I had mild reflux that increased to severe in the last 6 months
Night cough? on occasion during the last 6 months
Has your Band slipped? No
Have you had a dilation - specify stomach or esophagus? stomach and partial esophagus
Do you have pain? I had occasional port pain but nothing really from the band
Have you had your Band removed? If so any damage to any other organs? removed 9/7/10 adhesions on my liver but no permanent damage
Have you revised - to what surgery? VSG

Any other experience you'd like to tell us about? I loved my band at on time, before it turned on me, but that is what it does best.

Would you recommend the Band? Never