Thinking of getting the band???

I had RNY 9 years ago and I need a revision. I am strongly thinking about getting the band. I would like to hear the good, the bad and the ugly about getting the lap band. Any info will be appreciated.... thx

don't do the band. Go to the revisions board and ask.  Sleeve, DS, and maybe another rny revision.

 Lisa, click on my profile, look at my friends list and click on their stories.  All the "friends" list are BOBs.  You will you get better feedback from someone who has had an RNY and gained the weight back and gone with the BOB than many of the band bashers on this board.  Yes, read the negatives and consider them, but, don't take them as gospel!

Don't waste your time and your money on the CRAP-BAND. It's only going to work temporarily. The best option is revision to DS.

I can tell you about the bad and the ugly from personal experience, Lisa. My time banded was a living hell.  The pain was unbearable, chronic and out of this world. I woke up with pain in my left shoulder, spent most of the day either trying to rid myself of pain or trying to poop, went to bed in pain... and then repeated for 2 full years. I couldn't eat solid foods, I was malnourished, in constant pain, no medication would alleviate the pain and to be totally forthcoming, I wished for death more than a few times. 

I lost my job, I was put on Fentanyl (which did nothing but make it so I was unable to even stand and walk,) I tried injections of corticosteroids directly into my shoulder joint (which of course didn't help, since the pain was stemming from the Vagus nerve system,) acupuncture, stretching, every pain medication known to man... nothing took the enormous pain away. Nothing even touched it... I'd be drugged up and still have the severe pain in my shoulder.

I honestly can't believe I lasted as long as I did. The day came when I couldn't lift my head off the bed, the pain was so incredibly intense. My son sat, bawling, begging me not to die. My husband came home and rushed me to have the band removed.  It was the worst mistake I ever made in my entire life.

It's been over 6 years since the band was removed in emergency surgery. I am fat again... but I can breathe and eat without throwing up and gagging for hours at a time. I also have damage to my diaphragm from the band. I still get occasional left shoulder pain from it. Oh, and it's stopped finally, but for about a year after band removal, I'd have "machine gun sneezing" fits just about every 2-3 days. The damage to my diaphragm caused me to hiccup and sneeze nonstop to the point of passing out. I chipped a tooth once, I sneezed so hard and so many times in a row. I popped a vessel in my eye... and I never knew when it would start up. All it took was moving "the wrong way"... such as unloading the grocery cart... or bending down to tie my shoes. And I'd sneeze for hours and hours until I was so exhausted, I can't even describe it.

Granted, my experience isn't the "norm," but the left shoulder pain so common with the lapband surely is. The band is  too close to the diaphragm. It can't help but irritate it. I understand the intense desire to want to be at a healthy weight. But the lapband is NOT the solution, believe me. It works for very few people long term.

 I love my band lots of negative on this board not the way it used to be but the band has been a life saver ti me .  I had a slip but was my fault for not following rules but it went back into place and i am doing better.  I have so far lost 97lbs and still going.  Its not a easy fix and sometimes you don't like it because when you want to eat that yummy not good for you food you can't but then that is the purpose of the band.  It helps you limit yourself.  it takes work just like anything else.  If you get to the right fill level you will not be hungry and can really use the band to your advantage. I really chose the band because if something was wrong it is completely reversable and safe compared to the other surgerys. I was banded in mexico so it was the affordable surgery for me and i do not regret getting it.  The people who have success with the band are the ones who follow the rules i find that most of the people with problems are the ones who do not follow the rules and i was not the best bander but trying to fix that.  This is only my opinion and many others are intitled to there own opinions with the band.

If you're looking at having BOB, you might have more luck finding people on the revision board or the RNY board, although there are some BOB folks around here as well. BOB is a bit of a different situation than having the band as a first WLS.

Lisa,

While I am happy with my band and the results, I know it's not for everyone.

No matter which opertaion you choose, I wish you the best of luck and know I am here if you need.

Best to you!!