Banding? Would you do it again?

Aw, thanks! I put up some better pics from our vacation (where I got engaged!!) over here:

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/vsg/4447980/Family-Vacation-Photos-2010-v-2011/

That's awesome! Hope the wedding will be soon. Keep us updated.

Oh and great pics!!! :-)

I do not regret that I got my band 4 yrs ago because I weigh a lot less like 72#'s less but I would choose the sleeve if I could do it again. From everything I've read on here the sleeves are doing the best with their tool that they have. Nothing will "Fix" you from obesity in the long run if you don't change the way you deal with food. I know several people who never lost any weight with their bands.

I know several that haven't lost any weight. Some just lost like 20-30 over several years.

Your post seems to infer that it is the bandster's fault if they didn't lose weight. Try to remember......not everyone gets a band that works. If their's doesn't, it's just like trying to lose weight with NO band. There is a large group on OH that have FAILED bands. Also if you visit the VSG, RNY or DS forum you will find lots FORMER bandsters on there. There has to be a reason that so many bandsters want to revise, right?!

Maria,

I dont think she meant that all .  But what she is saying is true . If you go into this surgery thinking you dont have to change the way  you eat then you are going to fail it dont matter if you have a working band or not. For that fact it dont matter what kind of surgery you get . You will go into that operating room already a failure.

I have no problems with my band and I havent lost any weight for almost seven weeks now .  The reason why is because I am eating foods that I hadn't touched since my surgery, I'm eating processed foods .  So do I come in here yell and scream and say this band is a piece of **** and I want it out because its failing me ?  What about a thing called responsibility to ?  It's my fault for not losing weight in seven weeks , I am the one that is eating high sodium foods, I am the one that is eating foods that I hadn't touched since my surgery .  I'm honest enough to come right out and say that , I'm not losing weight because of me and my choices.. 

There are tons of people that get surgery and I'm not just talking about the band here that flat out refuses to change the way they eat and then they get pissed off because there surgery failed them .  Lets see if you sit there and eat McDonald's, pizza and drink Pepsi all day then you are not going to lose weight duh .

And she is right if you dont "fix" the problems as to why you got over weight in the first place then no matter what kind of surgery isn't going to help you out , because in the long run you will gain your weight back because people didn't deal with their issues as to why they go fat in the first place.

Not every weight gain or no weight loss  out there is due to the band not working and I dont think its fair to say that .  There are people out there that just abused the band or didn't care enough.

and to cover my ass I'm not saying the people that didn't lose weight didn't try , but a girl I know sits and drinks with her meals, eats subs, and wonders why she has only lost 20 pounds since January .  Is that the bands fault or is her fault for NOT following the rules and eating healthy ?  

Yes we know the band has problems we all have seen it on the boards , but I will not say its always the bands fault that people didn't lose weight or they gained their weight back. I dont think its fair to say that , because like I said there are people out there that refused to change the way they eat and just blame it on the band for being a piece of crap . I know one personally that says it all the time but I just shake my head at her because I watch what she eats . Trust me you will not lose weight on the things she eats .

Yes people do have problems with the band, maybe their body just cant handle it, or having a stupid surgeon that didnt know what the hell he was doing,  but on the other hand  there are people out there that has no problem with the band but refuses to change their eating habits, refuses to get off their ass and exercise, refuses to cut their portions back , but still blame it on the band .  

I understand what your saying. When any of us have WLS we need to commit to making changes in our lives. That goes without saying, but it doesn't matter how commited you are and how many healthy changes you make if your band does NOT work! Do I follow band rules? Yes. About 80-90% of the time. Have I lost weight? Yes. Was it b/c of the band?Hell no! Other than the first two wks. after surgery when I had no appetite b/c of the swelling the band has NOT worked as advertised!!! So should I just keep my mouth shut and quit *****ing b/c I have lost weight? Oh hell NO! I did NOT pay $15,000 to starve myself and be hungry all the time! That is why I had WLS...........to lose weight more easily (you know..........that B.S. about the "tool") and not be miserable and be hungry all the time!

~I have no problems with my band~

Really? B/c I seem to remember a post you made a few months ago stating that you hadn't had a fill and didn't have restriction. So if that is the case.............then your band is NOT working for you! Is that the band's fault? No. It would appear that you have not given it the opportunity to try to work for you and be the "tool" that it is advertised to be. I just don't understand the concept of having someone pay that much money for my band............and then not even attempting to get it to work. That is why I commited to making the band work initially and tried so hard to follow the band rules and get fills to try to reach that elusive "restriction".

~I havent lost any weight for almost seven weeks now .  The reason why is because I am eating foods that I hadn't touched since my surgery, I'm eating processed foods .  So do I come in here yell and scream and say this band is a piece of **** and I want it out because its failing me ?  What about a thing called responsibility to ?  It's my fault for not losing weight in seven weeks~

Of course there is responsibility that goes along with WLS. I have not really lost weight in about 3 months now. I yo yo back and forth between the same 5 pounds. Is that the band's fault? No. Just as I take credit for the weight I have lost, I also take responsibility for the weight I have gained. I am having a much more difficult time staying on my diet now. This was a major concern of mine when I realized that my band was NEVER going to work. Anyone can diet. Losing weight is one thing. Losing weight and keeping it off with no "tool" is a completely different matter! Am I eating things I shouldn't eat now? Yes. I still eat healthier for the most part, but I am having a very bad time continuing  with the healthier options than I was initially. I have brought much more food into the house lately that I should not be eating, and I have only myself to blame for that.

~There are tons of people that get surgery and I'm not just talking about the band here that flat out refuses to change the way they eat and then they get pissed off because there surgery failed them.~

Well I DID change my ways! I eat 100 times healthier than I did, but do you honestly not see??? It is irrelevent! I did MY part! I did what I needed to do to work WITH the band! The band did NOT do it's part! I wasted all that money on it...........so yes............I AM pissed! And I will come in here and ***** about it and let pre-ops KNOW what the band can really be like so they hopefully don't waste their time, money and effort also!

~And she is right if you dont "fix" the problems as to why you got over weight in the first place then no matter what kind of surgery isn't going to help you out~

Here we go again............I have always agreed that we need to  do OUR part to work WITH the band! No one is talking about that! I am talking about all of us that have bands that do NOT work for US! Some members here have working bands, and I am thrilled for them! That is what ALL of us expected when we listened to the advertising of the band manufacturers and had our bands put in. However MANY of us were not that LUCKY!

~not every weight gain or no weight loss  out there is due to the band not working and I dont think its fair to say that .~

That is true, and I'm NOT saying that! But if your put the effort into the band and NEVER reach restriction then it IS the band's fault that it is not working!!!

~There are people out there that just abused the band or didn't care enough.~

Definitely! I have seen bandsters drink with their meals, not do high protein, drink carbonation, sweet tea or alcohol a lot, I have seen them get the band and not use contraception and few months later get pregnant and then complain in a year that they haven't lost weight! I have seen bandsters that are totally clueless about the vitamin and nutritional requirements. I have seen some get restriction, then lose weight and then complain that they don't have restriction anymore (some are totally clueless that after you lose a certain amount of weight that the restriction can lessen and you would need another fill). I have also seen bandsters that get one fill............or in your case not even get a fill! Is it the band's fault that ppl like these don't lose, or regain? No. Like I have always indicated.............YOU HAVE TO ATTEMPT TO WORK WITH YOUR BAND. So lets not pretend that I say that if the band is not working that it is always the band to blame! There are several bandsters that are responsible for the failure. However percentage wise it is a small minority! MOST case it is the BAND that FAILS and NOT the bandster that fails!

~Yes we know the band has problems we all have seen it on the boards , but I will not say its always the bands fault that people didn't lose weight or they gained their weight back. I dont think its fair to say that~

And I will not say that it is always the band's fault either. But I will say it is the band's fault MOST of the time!!! And that is a fair statement!!!

~there are people out there that has no problem with the band but refuses to change their eating habits, refuses to get off their ass and exercise, refuses to cut their portions back , but still blame it on the band . ~

I have changed my eating habits, I have cut back on my portions.........but most of the time I don't get off my ass and exercise. I admit my faults. I exercise minimally. Does that mean that it is my fault that my band does not work? NO! It means that I have not complied 100%. There are very few of us that do comply 100% of the time. So by my not exercising, I have not lost as much as I could have lost and I take responsibility for that. What I refuse to take responsibility for it my band NOT working, b/c my lack of exercise did not affect the mechanics of my band. It only affected the amount of weight I lost. Most of us with band failure do NOT try to blame the band for things that are not the band's fault, however we do expect the blame to be placed appropriatly for the failure of the band!!!

Maria,

I have never made a post saying I dont have restriction. I have always had restriction right out of surgery. That is why I have never had a fill yet because I can eat my meal and go at least three hrs of not being hungry there are times I can go even up to 10 hrs and not be hungry.  Some days its 3 hrs some days its 10 hrs and then there are times I have even skipped meals . I have a very bad habit of skipping breakfast because I'm not hungry in the mornings .

I was self pay for this surgery I got a yrs worth of free fills , if I need them I will get them especially after shelling out the money but I'm not going to get a fill just because the band is in me if I dont need one .

There are several people that has never had a fill in their life because they dont need one the placing of the band is just enough restriction and yes a reminder to them that they dont need to eat like they did before.  Believe it or not there are some people that just needed the band around them to remind them at all times they dont need to eat like a pig .



There are several on here that has lost well over 100 pounds with no fills, there is several in my support group that has lost over 100 to over 200 pounds without a fill.

Why should I run and get a fill when I go at least 3 hrs plus without being hungry ? Is that the whole purpose of the band and why people get fills is to go at least 3 hrs plus of not being hungry after a cup of food ?  So , if I am doing that why should I go and get a fill ?  My doc would not even give me a fill if I asked for one because I'm doing exactly what the band is designed to do.


Yes I have had issues the last several weeks of food and eating the wrong foods, but is a fill going to take care of that problem ? is a fill going to take away my stress eating, is a fill going to take away my head hunger ?   No, its not  if I would go and get a fill for those things to me that is flat out abusing fills and abusing the band because fills dont stop you from them  feelings or them habits, that is something I have to work on myself .  I use to smoke and I would smoke when I got stressed, or other issues that is why I was never a sweets eater, or a snacker because smokes was my vice, now since I dont have that I have been turning to eating with the stress in my life .   I gave up one bad habit and now I have to work on another habit that it dont get out of control.   A fill isnt going to help me in this situation .

I will not run and get fills if I dont need them just because I got the band in me that is flat out crazy and could cause damage to me and my band from being to tight.  I eat my cup of food I'm satisfied for three hrs plus  and I'm happy with that .  I'm not going to change that just because I have a band and I have to get fills.

Im not the only one on here that has been a yr out almost that has never had a fill and they are just as successful as losing weight as I have been. Not everybody has to have a fill Maria for the band to work .  We are the lucky ones that has had restriction right from the get go

Im not going to get into a battle with you Maria its just not worth it or my time.   I just wanted to tell you that I never once said I didnt have restriction. I have always had a some restriction out of surgery and that restriction is just right for me . 

~ It dont matter how little I eat, how healthy I eat, how much water I drink , if I dont exercise I just plain dont lose weight *sigh*.    It has always been that way for me no exercise no weight loss.~

Sounds like your just losing weight from the exercise???

~I will be very honest with you it scares the hell out of me to get a fill.~

~Also I think deep down inside of me that the less people messing with my band the less risk of complications I will have.  All it takes is one needle slip into the tubing and you are pretty much going back into the ER for surgery to replace it . ~

~Right now I have good will power going and I would just rather do this without a fill right now .~

Now that sounds to me like you you have a fear of getting one, NOT that you don't need one?

Now don't get me wrong, I am very glad your losing weight and happy. It's just from your previous posts, it appears that you are doing ALL the work, and the band is not doing any??? If this is the case then I feel it is extremely unfair to pre-ops researching and reading about how much you love you band and it has worked so well for you w/o a fill. Kind of misleading, don't you think.

Now that being said, I do realize that there are some lucky bandsters that do not need a fill, or that may need just one or two. I have never denied this might be the case for some.

There should be a *Like* button. What happened to honesty and accountability. I've had my band for a long time and I would not change anything.

I'll be 4 years out tomorrow.  Initial consult I weighed 365, day of surgery 347.  I now sit at around 292. As a self pay I will hopefully have this band paid off by the end of this year and can start saving for a surgery that might get me to a healthy weight.

In these four years I had a 2nd surgery for a flipped port, have had an upper GI, and more unsuccessful attempts at filling my port, plus several unfills as my body has begun to form excessive scar tissue and I unexpectedly end up too tight.

Nope, couldn't pay me to go through this experience again.