New here just wanted to say hello!

Just wanted to say hello from Texas. I have my first appointment on Jan 2. I'm very excited and hope to have a surgery date soon. I'm ready to get healthy and be a good example for my babies. 

Greetings from 9 years banded!

Welcome! My best advice to you is to come here often, go to support groups starting now if you know where one is, and to prepare to change your head. This is not a journey for the faint hearted but it is a good one. Good luck.

Sue

Thank you for your kind word. I will look into support groups that's a great idea. I understand it will be a long hard road but the end reward will be with all the pain and scars.

Welcome!
5 years out this past Oct. - 135 lbs.! You will wish that you had started this journey long ago!!!! Plan to see a counselor through out your journey, your body goes through so much and so does your head!
Pull up a chair and read up!!!

Prek3

Hi, I wish you the best. I hope you've researched a lot and are aware of the tremendous complications that occur with alarming frequency with bands.  The fact that you have mentioned your babies is what led me to feel compelled to post to you. The worst decision I ever made was to have the lapband. And one of my biggest regrets is that my son had to sit by me while I was in such horrible pain that I couldn't even lift my head up. I'll never forget him holding my hand and crying, "Please don't die, Mom. PLEASE have the band out."

 

The band has the worst statistics and can do inconceivable damage. If you believe the advertising, if something goes wrong, you just pop that band right out and go on your way. It's NOT the way it is for most people. We end up with incredible damage to our bodies. (I have damage to my Vagus nerve system, esophageal problems, gastritis, hiatal hernia...)  The band caused my stomach to twist into a Figure 8 and I was nearly ready to kick the bucket. I had a horrible surgeon, but this has happened to people who have good surgeons, too, unfortunately.

 

I know it sounds like I'm being a stick in the mud and want to rain on your parade. I don't love being the person who is always telling the whole truth about the band, it doesn't make people want to be friends with me I realize ... but I've watched it for almost a decade now. I've lived through it (just barely,) and I hate to see someone else go through it.  You'll hear, "Just because it happened to you doesn't mean it will happen to me!" and then a couple years down the road, it DOES happen to them. Please take the time to read through the revisions forum, the failed WLS forum, and Google-- lapband + left shoulder referred pain. Or Lapband + failure rates.

 

Have the fewest amount of surgeries possible. Your children will be safer and happier and so will you. I sincerely do wish you the best of luck, no matter what direction you decide to proceed. But I hope you'll take my post as trying to help you to avoid the mistake that so many of us have made. Take care.

Here is some additional information you might want to look over before making a final decision:

 

http://www.webmd.com/diet/weight-loss-surgery/news/20110321/ study-poor-results-from-lap-band-surgery?page=2

 

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/lap-band-surgery-half- patients-complications/story?id=13187452

 

Here's a story that is so common... it could have been my own. Except I was never able to eat solid foods at all. And I did go to counseling continuously. Counseling doesn't help you make the "right food choices," however, when your body is unable to handle solid foods.

http://blubberyblogger.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2012- 01-01T00:00:00-05:00&updated-max=2013-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&m ax-results=2

 

 

 

 

 

 

i looked over the info and talked to my dr and we decided to have the sleeve done. Thank you for all your help and information. while i have friends that had bands with no issues. the dr told me he is getting away from doing bands because of the issues with the bands. my surgery is set for jan 17th with the sleeve. 

You are smart. You are also saving yourself almost certain extra surgeries and complications in the future. While I wish your friends well, it's more a matter of when, not if, they have problems with their bands. Good luck.