considering

Thank you,
See I talked to my councellor and she was saying that there is a lot more success in Canada - which I'm not exactly sure why at all.  I just want to better myself.  I asked for opinions and I got them.  But I appreciate the positive.  It's nice to see since everything here has been negative - not really negative but not I guess what I was hoping to hear.
Thank you again

Zee is also a revision, from LapBand to Sleeve, keep that in mind too. 

Absolutely and I love my Sleeve!  I would NEVER recommend the Band ever . . . NEVER but I feel like if you are dead set against anything else and you are moving forward I will support you.  It was so difficult for me to grasp the idea of cutting my stomach - I tortured myself about it for years as I had a long history of my band not working and considered the DS early on with the Lap Band in place (no restriction whatsoever - and the DS was done with a bigger sleeve then) and the intestinal portion of the DS.  My doc and I, I must have made him crazy with my ideas yet he stuck right by me, minute by minute for  years.  3rd year when I gained restriction I was able to lose weight and discovered I did not not need malabsorption.

So petrified of cutting my stomach my surgeon allowed me to sort of coax him into doing a vertical sleeve plication - we waited  close to a year to get approval by the hospital board etc (now I believe they are able to do these more freely in the states).  He was doing this gratis!  The morning of surgery he came around, made sure I was okay - I signed some papers he hand wrote.  He knew I was nervous came around again and I said what will my stomach look like or something like it and he said, we just don't know - maybe like a bunch of grapes .  Okay, scared as all hell I was still going to possibly go through it because I did not want my stomach removed - never mind it may die from strangulation from the plication.

So I'm on the operating room table getting ready to be put out and I say to the team - please get my doc.  They get him on the phone and I say "just remove the band".  Now this is why I am totally in love with Dr. Mitchell Roslin - all the work he put in to get this thing done for me and for free he says "no problem" and still has my back.

Six months later I am sleeved and believe me there was a lot of stuff in between.  Even cancelled the night before (Sunday).  Doc  still stood by me.  I cried that whole night before and considered his final text.  I was so scared to sleeve yet I never wanted to live as an obese woman again.

Do I believe there are better stats in Europe and Canada?  Absolutely NOT!  I've had the best doctors and I have personally not seen any stats and if I did, I probably would not believe them.  I know my own personal experience.  I know how I followed the rules, had lows, highs, and then lows and finally having to admit the band failed.  It was absolutely devastating but I had to have no breath to finally get that I wasn't breathing.  And many people have to experience that journey to the end before venturing on another road.

May God bless us all!

 I love you girlfriend, you say what's in my head (and nicer then I ever could!).

The band has the best results in countries that have universal health coverage.

If I had to make a decision on paying out of pocket for aftercare of paying the electric bill for the family or putting food on the table, you bet the aftercare is going to come at the bottom of the pile.

As I said, I personally had the best care.  We have many, many, many fabulous doctors in the United States of America.  The band can and has failed even with the best aftercare.

 My surgeon only charged $15 per fill. If you had an appt and saw him and didn't get a fill, there was no charge. I had excellent results and most of his patients have reached goal. With complication rate was extremely low with no serious complications.

Hi,

I have had the lap band for almost 4 years.  I lost 80 lbs in the first 3 years, I am working my band again, and I am nearing the 100 pound lost.  Weight loss surgery is not 100 percent fix no matter which one you pick.  The biggest problem with the band I see is if you eat too fast you get stuck which makes you feel like food is still in your chest and you have to wait until it dissolves before you can eat anymore.  You get full on a 1/2 cup of food.  You can't drink with your meals.  If you eat slider food ice cream, cookies, cheesecake, shakes etc... You will gain weight back fast or slow your weight loss.  You can lose over 100 pounds and keep it off if you follow the rules.  If you can do the above and exercise daily you will have success.  You can ask for our opinions but, only you can decide what is right for you.  I can't eat pizza, Chinese food, a sub sandwich even after 4 years if you are willing to give up that food for life than go ahead and try the band.  It is not easy you have to stay motivated.  I would do the band again.  I would not have any other surgery if I lose my band I would try to maintain my weight lost by weigh****chers and calorie counting.  If someone had been honest with me and said I could never eat Chinese food or a sandwich or a slice of pizza I am not sure if I would have got the band.  But, I am happy I did get my band and I feel so much better and have so much more energy almost 100 pounds that is a small person I lost.

Good Luck with whatever you decide.

Nance     

 If you're self pay I wouldn't recommend the band.  It's costly and probably the slowest way to lose the weight.  I see so many have posted and I didn't read them.... just putting my thoughts out there.