Why I Post About the Band

Betty, speaking for myself, it's hard to have gone through hell with the lapband and not involve emotion when speaking of it. My young son bawled, begging me not to die, on numerous occasions. I had a surgeon who ignored me and told me to "get a hobby" when I complained of horrific pain. I woke up in pain, I spent all day in pain and went to bed in pain. My life became a living hell. 

This was over 9 years ago. I've since had phone calls and emails from banded friends asking me what they can do to stop the horrible left shoulder pain. One friend told me that she has to go out to her car on her lunch break and cry, the pain is so horrible. I know what she's talking about because I put on a happy face as much as I could so no one would know just how much I was suffering.

But it's really hard to watch people continue to choose the band when I've watched the band fail so many over the past 9 years. I mean, seriously... NINE years I've watched it happen over and over and over. It's like a nightmare to know the horrible things that happen and have people accuse you of wanting to wreck their happiness or something. It's NOT like that. I am truly trying my best to be a good human and help my fellow human beings.  So, asking me to not inject opinion into something that affected me so incredibly much is an impossible request. I wish I could just give facts, but I'm still scarred from my experience, honestly.

~Nicci

Hi,

What problems did all you guys have with the band? I had my band put on over 4 years ago. I have had no problems at all with mine. I lost all but my last 15-20lbs within a year and a half. I've never had it slip or needed any other surgeries or anything like that. My friend also had lapband surgery 2 years ago and she has lost most of her weight and has no problems at all with it. It may depend on the surgen. I don't know. Me and my friend had 2 different surgens and our bands are both fine and working great.

Lori

Hi Lori,

I'm glad you're doing well with your band!

I lost over 100 pounds with the band, but it was because I couldn't eat solid foods. Ever. I had chronic referred left shoulder pain from the band damaging my diaphragm (and the Vagus nerves that run through it) and I became severely anemic and malnourished.

I had the band removed over 6 years ago and I still have lingering ill effects from it... gastritis, hiatal hernia, ulcers and occasional left shoulder pain.

~Nicci

 I'm not saying that it is easy to just give the facts when you have had personal problems with the band, but I think by saying what happened and leave it at that.

We can then make the decision for ourselves as to what is best. No wt. loss surgery is without complications. I just don't like the bashing that goes on here from both sides. We are all in this together, so lets help each other out instead of pulling the rug out from under each other. The golden rule tells us to treat each other as we would like to be treated, so before typing please keep that in mind and treat each other nicely. We have beat ourselves up enough over the years and now we need the support from each other, whether your band is working or not.

 

 JUst checking in on you. I've been off here for a couple weeks or so and wanted to see how you are doing?