Happy Stories of Success???

Hi All,

 I was hoping that some of the success stories would reply.  I am a newbie, only had my band put in 4 weeks ago today.  I'm in need of motivating stories as I'm sure my fellow new bandsters are.  It just seems like a lot of complication stories today.  I mean this as no disrespect to the people who are having major issues with their bands.  I just want to know who out there LOVES their band and has felt successful with it!  I'd love to hear your stories.

Sarah

 Hi Sarah....I am also a newbie to this sight.  I get my surgery date this Friday and I have done so much research And know the Lap band is the best thing for me?  I need to find a good support on line seeing that with my busy schedule I will not always be able to go to support meetings.
Best of luck to you and congratulations.

Angela

Hi, I am happy and pretty successful! :)

I was banded 2.5 years ago and have not had any complications. Right out of the gate my first fill was big, and it was waaaay too tight, so I had to unfill and then fill up slowly from there, but other than that, no issues whatsoever!

I was at 210 when I went for my first consultation (I am only 4'10"), and today  I am 146. I certainly hope to be around 120 when I stop losing. I feel sometimes like I am almost there, and sometimes like I am a million miles away. I willingly admit that I could have been there by now if I hadn't gone back to some silly bad habits along the way and sabotoged myself. But here I am, back on the boards, recommitted and losing again.

My mom had the bypass done a year after my surgery and has almost hit her goal without half the work I feel like I have done, and sometimes I feel a little jealous, but I like my band because as a person who has not had issues, I am happy that I can adjust it and go tighter to kickstart myself when I need it.

The horror stories are important to hear, no matter how well you are doing/feeling, I think, because they keep me in check and remind me to take symptoms seriously. But at the same time, I think that I stopped coming to OH so often because sometimes you just want a supportive communtiy and not the blame game for picking a "bad" surgery... I hope you get lots of happy stories today!

Happy 1 month-versary!

Hi, I had my surgery three years ago last Dec. I weighed at my highest 204 lbs and am 5'2". I now weight 160, with my goal being 150 lb. Thats according to my doctor, says I should weigh a bit more because of my age. I am 56 in May. I would like to get down to 135. I have had one unfill due to gastric reflux, but as soon as I had the unfill had immediate relief and no other problems. I had a long stall with weight loss, about 8 months. Most of which was my own fault , as soon as I started walking daily, the scale started moving down again. Would I have the lapband again, you bet I would. It has given me my life back again. Its not easy , and I have to work my band with diligence, but so worth it.

I am not going to give you the low down on my history of complications, but I recently learned from my surgeon that many of the more invasive surgeries are only effective for 18 months. The band can always be adjusted. I was very happy with my band until I had complications. Most people do not have complications. We just happen to be the people who need on going support. I am sure that if I had been complication free I would have stopped posting in OH a long time ago.

Your surgeon is misinformed, or dishonest. That may apply to RNY, but once you have a sleeved stomach, you will never eat a large meal again. That applies to the DS stomach as well (unless it is an old or unusual one, with a particularly large sleeve), but they also have malabsorption, which differs from the RNY and lasts for life. 

http://gastricsleevenow.com/downsides-to-gastric-sleeve-surg ery 
I could be wrong, do not know anyone personally who've had the sleeve, my Dr does do them, now, have no problem with anyone that has had the sleeve, would never tell anyone anything bad about them, but I thought the sleeve could stretch out after time.

Mari,

From what I understand from my support group they can stretch out if you overeat all the time. Two girls in my support have that problem now  and slowly regaining all their weight back .  They have had their sleeve for a little over two and half  yrs lost almost all there weight the first yr and half and now they are struggling to keep the weight off and not to overeat at meals .

No doctor in their right mind would tell a patient that they will never gain weight back on these surgeries because that just isn't true you can stretch your stomach back out on any of them and we all know you can gain your weight back on any of these surgeries .


As far as not eating a large meal again with the sleeve you need to tell a couple friends of mine about that because they sure do eat alot more then I do at meals.  They can pack the food away when they want to .

Yes, it stretches out SOME, but the part that is removed with the sleeve or DS is the fundus, which is the stretchy outer curve. Most sleeved stomachs start out at a few oz, but even when they stretch, even if they quadruple, few ever eat what we would consider a large meal ever again. 

Also do be aware, that many surgeons say they do the sleeve (or DS) but don't. I've had 3 appointments with surgeons that said they did one or both, only to find out that although they HAVE done them, it was usually only while training with another surgeon, and they weren't really offered. The number was always under 50, and usually under 5. 

The stomach can regenerate itself.( I am editing this to say his stomach stretched out, because that is likely what happened- I was a small child when he had these surgeries like 50 years ago)   My father had most of his stomach removed twice due to ulsers. His stomach grew back (edit- stretched out).  He lost the abilty to tell when he had enough to eat. Fortunately for him he was always able to control his eating by controling portions.  DS does last for life but not the sleeve.