what is going on here!!!!
I know what you mean! I really "enjoyed" having my son sit by my bedside, bawling his head off, begging me to NOT die. Nothing warms a mother's heart like knowing that their child is traumatized because their mother is in so much pain that she can't lift their head from the bed.
I've decided that people who haven't experienced this but think they know everything... and have no compassion for those of us who HAVE can kiss my fat butt from now on.
I've decided that people who haven't experienced this but think they know everything... and have no compassion for those of us who HAVE can kiss my fat butt from now on.
Avoid kemmerling, Green Bay, WI
(deactivated member)
on 4/11/12 1:06 am - Califreakinfornia , CA
on 4/11/12 1:06 am - Califreakinfornia , CA
Seeing my pain reflected in my daughters eyes was even more painful then my band erosion. 
On March 29, 2012 at 7:53 AM Pacific Time, Zee Starrlite wrote:
Yes, yes our motivation is to scare the ****z out of you. We had sour grapes and so we want to pass it on. We ate ourselves to oblivion and did not follow any "good banster rules". Our "failure" is of our own making. We stooped over toilets and sinks, cups and bags and puked ourselves skinny and we did it all to experience the joy of having complications. We ultimately revised because we love, love, love surgery, doctors, scars, the possiblity of death and just couldn't get enough of the groovy excitement. Yeah, I get to have another surgery and I can't wait to fail again and see if I could qualify for the next!!!! Yippee, surgery is my life!Follow Nana - she the bestest bandster in the world. She can show you all the right moves to never ever have anything go wrong with your band. Stay with her because other surgeries only work for us goons for 2 to 3 years because remember we like to sit on our arses, not follow rules, and eat whatever we can stuff down, and puke it when we can't.
Get real. Grow up! Life is not perfect. And yes, I am pissed off today with all the bull crap I've been reading. It is so easy to blame ourselves, to blame others - because they are not doing it right and I am therefore I am free and we have nothing in common". We are not so damned different from one another. We all want success. We did not set out for our Bands to fail us.
Go to a doc that believes in only the Bands and does only all Bands. Follow all the rules! Get in the green zone as the illustration suggest and nothing will go wrong.
Band to VSG revision: June 3, 2009
SW 270lbs GW 150lbs CW Losing Pregancy Weight Maintenance goal W 125-130lbs
SW 270lbs GW 150lbs CW Losing Pregancy Weight Maintenance goal W 125-130lbs
Well, it's pretty simple, actually. The stomach is made up of a number of overlapping layers. The stomach "moves" with digestion... the band isn't supposed to be there and interrupts the natural movement of the stomach muscles. The stomach is richly vascularized and surrounded by the fibers of the Vagus nerve. The band stimulates these nerves (not in a good way.)
So, in a nutshell, the human body doesn't accept the band well and causes the esophagus to work overtime, sometimes causing it to dilate. The Vagus nerve system really hates being irritated by the presence of the band and refers pain to the left shoulder area.
The band is held in place by scar tissue... but can be "dislodged" by coughing fits or vomiting because the stomach is a muscle. And what happens when you cough or vomit? The stomach acts.
I don't think there are "sour grapes" and I don't think that the people failed their bands. It's the other way around. Most people find that out the hard way and then they feel kind of ****ty when they find out that they shouldn't have been thinking it would never happen to them. That's when they usually stop posting here. And I can see why. I'd feel like a jerk if I accused people of causing their own problems and then started having problems, too, I suppose.
So, in a nutshell, the human body doesn't accept the band well and causes the esophagus to work overtime, sometimes causing it to dilate. The Vagus nerve system really hates being irritated by the presence of the band and refers pain to the left shoulder area.
The band is held in place by scar tissue... but can be "dislodged" by coughing fits or vomiting because the stomach is a muscle. And what happens when you cough or vomit? The stomach acts.
I don't think there are "sour grapes" and I don't think that the people failed their bands. It's the other way around. Most people find that out the hard way and then they feel kind of ****ty when they find out that they shouldn't have been thinking it would never happen to them. That's when they usually stop posting here. And I can see why. I'd feel like a jerk if I accused people of causing their own problems and then started having problems, too, I suppose.
Avoid kemmerling, Green Bay, WI
On March 29, 2012 at 8:07 AM Pacific Time, Gerta Goober wrote:
Well, it's pretty simple, actually. The stomach is made up of a number of overlapping layers. The stomach "moves" with digestion... the band isn't supposed to be there and interrupts the natural movement of the stomach muscles. The stomach is richly vascularized and surrounded by the fibers of the Vagus nerve. The band stimulates these nerves (not in a good way.) So, in a nutshell, the human body doesn't accept the band well and causes the esophagus to work overtime, sometimes causing it to dilate. The Vagus nerve system really hates being irritated by the presence of the band and refers pain to the left shoulder area.
The band is held in place by scar tissue... but can be "dislodged" by coughing fits or vomiting because the stomach is a muscle. And what happens when you cough or vomit? The stomach acts.
I don't think there are "sour grapes" and I don't think that the people failed their bands. It's the other way around. Most people find that out the hard way and then they feel kind of ****ty when they find out that they shouldn't have been thinking it would never happen to them. That's when they usually stop posting here. And I can see why. I'd feel like a jerk if I accused people of causing their own problems and then started having problems, too, I suppose.
~Most people find that out the hard way and then they feel kind of ****ty when they find out that they shouldn't have been thinking it would never happen to them. That's when they usually stop posting here. And I can see why. I'd feel like a jerk if I accused people of causing their own problems and then started having problems, too, I suppose.~
Hmmmmm.......I don't recall seeing Jean post lately.............
I actually think most of the time it's the band that fails the user. Are there people that abuse the band...sure. I think those few have ruined it for the rest that have genuinely tried and can't lose with the Band or worse have band complications.
Maybe I am more understanding because I struggled in the beginning. I had the same problem Maria did. Fill after fill and NO restriction at all. It was like I had no band at all. I kept thinking "why did I even bother with this surgery". I was almost at capacity and still nothing. I started to really worry that I made a HUGE mistake. But luckily at about 9.6 ccs I got some restriction...I now have about 9.7 or 9.8 ccs. Maybe it's good that I struggled in the beginning because I'm more compassionate to those with struggles. I think I understand those with band problems because I truly believed my band had failed me...there had been times I cried about it. I would never just assume it was someones fault and even it was...that's their business.
It's a shame that we have to face judgment here.
Maybe I am more understanding because I struggled in the beginning. I had the same problem Maria did. Fill after fill and NO restriction at all. It was like I had no band at all. I kept thinking "why did I even bother with this surgery". I was almost at capacity and still nothing. I started to really worry that I made a HUGE mistake. But luckily at about 9.6 ccs I got some restriction...I now have about 9.7 or 9.8 ccs. Maybe it's good that I struggled in the beginning because I'm more compassionate to those with struggles. I think I understand those with band problems because I truly believed my band had failed me...there had been times I cried about it. I would never just assume it was someones fault and even it was...that's their business.
It's a shame that we have to face judgment here.
On March 29, 2012 at 5:51 PM Pacific Time, crystal M. wrote:
I actually think most of the time it's the band that fails the user. Are there people that abuse the band...sure. I think those few have ruined it for the rest that have genuinely tried and can't lose with the Band or worse have band complications. Maybe I am more understanding because I struggled in the beginning. I had the same problem Maria did. Fill after fill and NO restriction at all. It was like I had no band at all. I kept thinking "why did I even bother with this surgery". I was almost at capacity and still nothing. I started to really worry that I made a HUGE mistake. But luckily at about 9.6 ccs I got some restriction...I now have about 9.7 or 9.8 ccs. Maybe it's good that I struggled in the beginning because I'm more compassionate to those with struggles. I think I understand those with band problems because I truly believed my band had failed me...there had been times I cried about it. I would never just assume it was someones fault and even it was...that's their business.
It's a shame that we have to face judgment here.
Thanks for that post Crystal! :-)
Sour grapes? Well somewhat but more than that we post because we feel obligated to warn others that the band IS NOT what the manufacturers said it was. I don't blame the surgeons as much as I do the manufacturers, they fed the surgeons a line of crap and the surgeons had no reason not to believe them until now! I completely trusted my surgeon because I had had him before for other issues and he is a very moral man. He truely believed in the band until recently and now they try their best to dissuade people from getting them. According to the other doc in with him they are finding about 20-30% of people just can't tolerate the band their bodies basically reject it. I know I followed my surgeons instructions to a T but none the less I only lost 20 lbs the first year and basically gave up. Then even tho I wasn't too tight to begin with my band kept tightening for no reason (hadn't had a fill in months). I finally after 2 partial unfills had it emptied and for the first time I could actually eat healthy food again! I think that over time the band rubbing on the stomach builds up scar tissue which causes tightness, but there's no way to fix or stop it that I know of except to remove the band. We have suffered at the very least embarassment that our bands didn't work to life threatening situations for many, you just never know, so I'm not so much sour grapes as that I know the manufactures fed us all line of garbage and we are all trying to get the truth out there that this is not an effective surgery for most and it certainly isn't the least invasive when you have to have more surgeries to repair the original surgery. So that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
So many people having issues with the band-no you guys got me scared.
In actuality, it's not that more bandsters are having complications with thier bands, in the past bandsters were generally attacked when they posted about the issues. They were accused of causing the band complications OR OF IMAGINING THEY HAD THE BAND COMPLICATION! :-( It's just been within the last year that the band forum has become more responsive and less judgemental of those of us with failed bands. Since more bandsters are able to receive the support on here that they previously were not..........they now post about their band complications here since they no longer fear the responses that occured in the past.
And as far as being scared..........I know what you mean! There was a thread on here yesterday or day before that really scared ME!
What exactly is causing all these issues??
It is a variety of things, some unknown. The Vagus nerve seems to cause some complications such as referring left shoulder pain and possibly pulmonary problems.
Slips...........well the usual explaination given for that is "band too tight". I don't buy it. I think that *can* contribute to it, however slips have occured in bandsters with empty bands also. The band can actually tighten at any moment for no apparent reason.
Esophageal dysmotility...........don't know the cause.
Lately there have been a lot more dialated esophagus issues being reported. Before this would have been blamed on the bandster saying it's their fault b/c they over ate. That *can* cause it, however usually not the case.
And the list just goes on and on. Most complications we really don't have an answer to what causes it.
No one really goes into detail. Is it self inflicted? Is it the band just revolting in ou bodies?? Is it because we were initially sick and then complications occurred?? Is it the terrible choices in food?? What gives???
In fairness *some* are self inflicted. Most however are completely out of the control of the bandster.
~ We all would love to hear more positive stories of success to help our own plight with weight loss and less of the horror stories, but I know they are necessary. Just not sure the motive behind it.~
Motive? Read this:
www.obesityhelp.com/forums/lapband/4516124/Why-I-Post-About-the-Band/
I posted that a day or 2 ago, and I think you'll find it very insightful.
~Sour grapes that it didn't work?? Because of their own faliure? And they tend to make excuses for the band not working?? I've done that...or is it really the band not working like a organ transplant in rejection?? ~
Sour grapes. Yes. You could say that. I personally am furious that I got a failed band. That is why I work to change my negative into someone else's possitive. I try to inform pre-ops what the band can really be like. I also give support to the thousands out there like me that have failed bands. So you see.............posts that you may view as negative, are also an attempt to support to those pre-op, and for those with current band complications.
Again.........in fairness there are some bandsters that have not attempted to follow band rules and work with their bands. They however, are the minority. As to why the band fails such a high % of bandsters..............we don't really know why...........we just know it does. :-(
Hope you're one of the lucky ones!
I had a band in 2006, after 18 months I had malnutrition, difficulty swallowing, and esophageal damage. I was the poster girl for bands and the thing was killing me. After 4 months of liquids only and too far below goal I revised to a sleeve. The esophageal damage is forever.
Allergan states right on their website that 88% will have complications. Most lose their band by 5 years, almost all by 10 years.
Most of us do the right thing, I mean com'on, you don't chew well once during the learning curve and you learn to be more careful. With an empty band I would get stuck on water!
My suggestion for ALL WLS types is to always have plan b ready. Never wait for an emergency to happen without having already done your research. You don't want to be in the hospital waiting to get your band removed and just starting research on revisions.
My personal opinion is that I think the band should be taken off the market. And I think eventually it will be. But YMMV.
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