2 and 3+ yrs out. Need to hear from you.

Hi,

I have had my band almost 4 years now.  I have my band filled to 5 and I just recently had to have some removed after about a  year.  I just began getting tighter, but now I am good.  I have little to no problems from my band. I am fortunate. 

Theresa

I've had my band over 6 years, it is not a miracle cure, I've had many annoying fills and unfills during the time I've had my band. The lap band is not an exact science. NO ONE will probably have perfect restriction every single day, it's just the nature of the beast and it is what it is.

I am not sure why people say they wished they had the bypass or another surgery AS IF THEY ARE PERFECT, NO WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY IS PERFECT. What you must do as an individual is research and get educated as much as possible on how to make YOUR particular surgery work for you. I know many people that had the band and then revised over to the bypass and Sleeve and ASSUMED they would get a free ride and weight loss with little to no effort, but they have to exercise and watch their carbs just like lap bandes, also they ended up having to PAY MORE MONEY FOR CRITICAL VITAMINS FOR LIFE and routine blood work and lab costs, and this is REGULARLY with the SLEEVE, RNY and the DS and you still must exercise and watch your carbs with these surgeries even though they remove your stomach and rearrange your insides.

The lap band is designed to precisely restrict about 1 cup of solid food +/- give or take there will be daily fluctuations based on our bodies, temperature moods, sickness, high elevations, food we eat, stress will depend on how tight our band will be daily, but if you are restricted properly and not too tight, it should not cause any daily issues.

The band will not make good food choices for us, nor will it make us exercise, or deal with head hunger or severe eating disorders, or choose an excellent surgeon and support staff, those ARE CRITICAL elements to lap band success that we must do on our own.

Most people who need "extra" help choose a more invasive surgery like RNY or the DS for malabsorption but those surgeries WILL RUN THEIR COURSE SOONER OR LATER ALSO, NO WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY WILL KEEP WEIGHT OFF FOREVER WITHOUT EXERCISE AND LIMITING CARBS AND SWEETS...NONE.

My philosophy is... work with the tool I have and deal with the root of being overweight, because in the end regardless of which surgery you have, you will end up doing the exact same thing most people do who've never had surgery and that is watch what you eat and exercise to keep your weight down.

Right now I have moderate restriction at 6 years post op, I can eat everything with no problems -- for example, I can eat a crunchy taco from Taco Bell and get satisfied with no problems or I can eat 1 small cheeseburger from McDonald's with no side effects at get stuffed as long as I chew well and I don't suffer from reflux, pain, vomiting or etc., But of course I choose to eat lean proteins and healthy veggies on a regular basis to keep my weight down. I am living my life normal at 6 years post op, and this is how I want the rest of my life to remain with my band, I would rather have *some* restriction, than keep my band too tight and have it removed or damage my body.

When I had more restriction in my band I would have some reflux and coughing at night, some foods made me get stuck frequently and I would have to run to the restroom to get relief because even though I still could eat *some* solid food with no problems, my band was still too tight.

I had some saline removed and life is grand and that is how I want it to be from now on with my band, no more fills for me, I've had it with fills and I do not want another surgery that may cause me more grief, since I am healthy and happy that is how I want to remain. I would never get a revision just because I could not find a "perfect fill level" the grass is not always greener with other weight loss surgeries, I don't want to screw my life up with dumping and hypoglycemia to certain foods and risks other complications with a revision surgery, because there is no guarantee with no weight loss surgery you will keep your weight off forever, none are magic wands....so for now it's me and my lap band....I hope to keep it forever.

Oh I hear ya with it not being a miracle cure. It sure was easier the first year. I have a great deal of restriction during the day, but dinner time and after, I can eat like I used to. What I can't do is eat most meat. I can do chili with ground beef, or chicken cooked in a crock pot, or tuna but no other beef,pork, etc. I can put away 3 bowls of chili or pasta with meat sauce as well as alot of other things. Meat and bread...get stuck. I am eating the wrong things most of the time because I don't want to get stuck but I can eat great amounts of other things. I am bouncing between another fill or a bit of unfill. I SO appreciate all the responses. I wish I could find a support group of 2+ and over bandsters. I have gained 20lbs back in 16 months.

Easterngirl I had the same type of fill for about a year, I could eat unlimited amounts of slider foods like chili and soup, but if I ate something dense like bread I would be slimming for hours. The band is tricky, meaning sometimes when you are a bit tight, you will not lose weight or in fact you will gain weight, because you will compensate and eat more things that are easier to eat and slide through the band and you will never get full or satisfied properly when the band is too tight.

Sometimes when we think we are at our sweet spot we are in fact too tight. Usually if there are many food intolerance this is an indicator that you are too tight, most surgeons tell their patients if they can't eat bread they are properly restricted but I have came to the realization this is not true, if I can't eat bread without slimming I am too tight. The band can be a very evil creature to live with on a daily basis if it is too tight. Also now that I can eat anything with no problem I see the scale moving down because now I can eat healthy food and stay full for about 4-5 hours, whereas when I was too tight I was always looking for snacks because I could not eat healthy green veggies and baked chicken to keep me full.

Also what I find really really funny, I remember a person posted about 1 year ago that had the lap band put in ..in 2004, her band slipped and she revised to the bypass about 3 years later after her bypass pouch stretched she had the lap band put back on....this sealed the deal for me to never even think about a revision...

NanaB, you have been a great help. I think I will go with a small unfill. It can always be put back and I think if I can eat healthier I may lose this weight. I will be able to stick to proteins better if I wasn't so afraid of getting stuck.

 Eight years and 27 days out here. What can I help you with?

Ok bottom line, I can eat ALOT,ex cake, pie, BOWLSS of cereal, pasta with meat sauce, nachos, crackers. I can barely eat meat. It gets stuck almost every time.
I don't know if I should get another fill or a small unfill. I am afraid of an unfill because I may just over eat EVERYTHING. I seem to eat because things taste good and not from hunger. It's head issues that I really have problems with. I have good days and bad but after gaining 20 lbs in 16 months, most have been bad. What hasn't helped is bone spurs and mysterious joint pains that have cut my exercising.
Any input anyone has is welcome.

Thanks

i think you need an unfill.

you won't stay full longer on : cake, pie , cereal, pasta, nachos, crackers - those are sliders & LOADS of carbs.

good quality protein, that's what i would focus on...along with veggies / grains & fruit.

I have a similar problem.  I was banded in June 2009.  I lost about 80 pounds the first year.  About a year and a half post-op I met my husband and my weight loss journey has gone downhill since then.  I have gained back 40 of the 80 that I lost.  I can now eat the same things and amounts that I was eating pre-op.  I drink with my meals, and like you, I was unable to eat meat, so I ate the "easy" foods.....pie, cake, cereal, etc.  I feel so ashamed about what I've done and overwhelmed with what I know I need to do.  My husband is very supportive and tells me he loves me regardless of my size, but I know I would be happier and feel better about myself if I could start losing again. 

My husband says he loves me regardless too. He isn't even a factor in my issues. He doesn't bring bad food home or try to sabotage me. He gives me positive reinforcement whenever I take my walks or get on the exercise bike. He wants to eat better too but we both are just so busy, he winds up eating on the run which leaves me eating alone and most times on the run too. I can't eat most fast food things. My kids eat whenever (they are 18 and 19). I also struggle with sometimes beiing able to eat somthing and the next time I try to eat it, it gets stuck. There is the reason for the crap I do eat. Tried and true for not getting stuck. I really understand how you feel. I'm ashamed and depressed and it's a vicious cycle.