I AM NOT A LAPBAND BASHER

I HAVE BEEN A MEMBER ON OH BACK IN 2006. GOT MY BAND IN MAY 2007. HAVE HAD SUCH A TIME WITH IT ACTUALLY HAD ALL THE FILL TAKEN OUT FOR THE UMPTEENTH TIME AND JUST LIVED WITH IT FOR APPROX 2 YEARS BEFORE I STARTED YET AGAIN. I HAVE NEVER HAD A SWEET SPOT...BELIEVE ME I GAVE IT MY ALL AS FAR AS TRYING TO MAKE THIS THING WORK.

YES, THE LAPBAND DOES WORK FOR SOME PEOPLE. IT DID NOT FOR ME. MY FILL DR GRABBED ME BY MY SHIRT COLLAR AND LOOKED ME STRAIGHT IN THE EYES AND SAID THAT WE ARE DONE....I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING I COULD TO MAKE THIS WORK. ITS LIKE HAVING THAT HORRIBLE BOYFRIEND/GIRLFRIEND WHO YOU KNOW THEY NEED TO GO BECAUSE THEY ARE MAKING YOUR LIFE MISERABLE BUT YOU DON'T DO IT...YOU JUST SIT THERE WAITING FOR IT TO GET BETTER.

 

WELL, I AM MAKING IT BETTER. I AM GETTING THIS FRIGGIN THING OUT. I NEVER CAME BACK ON THIS FORUM B/C I DID NOT WANT TO BE A DEBBIE DOWNER FOR THOSE WHO HAVE HAD SUCCESS WITH THE BAND. I NOTICE NAMES THAT ARE ON OTHER BOARDS NOW BECAUSE THEY HAVE REVISED. i AM MAKING SURE THAT MY WEIGHT LOSS WILL WORK THIS TIME. I AM GETTING THE DUODENAL SWITCH ON 1/24/13. I WILL DROP THE 108 POUNDS FIRST INTENDED FOR THE BAND...I WISH THEY WOULD TAKE THIS PRODUCT OFF THE MARKET. EVEN MY SURGEON WHO DOES PERFORM ALL THE WLS...HE STATED HE VERY RARELY PLACES A LAPBAND NOW DUE TO THE COMPLICATIONS. I KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT GETTING THE LAPBAND THINKS IT IS THE LEAST INVASIVE....YEAH AT FIRST.....BUT I TRULY BELIEVE IT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST AFTER YEARS OF GETTING STUCK ON HEALTHY FOODS.

I CANNOT WAIT TO EAT A FULL SALAD. JUST SALAD.  A PIECE OF GRILLED CHICKEN. THIS BAND IS NOTHING BUT A ZIP TIE ON THE TOP OF MY STOMACH. i AM NOT A LAPBAND BASHER. i AM A SURVIVOR.

 

IF YOU BASH THIS POST, GO RIGHT AHEAD. I WOULD RATHER BE BASHED IF ONE PERSON WHO IS THINKING ABOUT GETTING BANDED SEES THIS AND TURNS THEIR MIND OF THIS PROCEDURE. IT IS WORTH IT IF THIS POST CHANGES THEIR MINDS. IF ANY OF YOU WHO ARE CONSIDERING THIS PROCEDURE FEEL FREE TO PM ME. I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU GUYS. I WILL BE POSTING MY PICS UP ON HERE SOON....JUST HAVE TO GET THE GUTS UP TO DO IT ONCE AND FOR ALL. AND BTW, I AM A REGISTERED NURSE WHO TAKES CARE OF SOME OF THE BARIATRIC SURGERIES GONE WRONG HERE IN THE MIDWEST. ALL THAT STUFF DOES NOT STOP ME FROM GETTING THE DUODENAL SWITCH....I AM MORE SCARED OF WHAT THE BAND HAS DONE TO ME ON THE INSIDES. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. AND GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU.

 

LIZ

I am so sorry to hear about your struggles with the band, but even losing weight with ANY weight loss surgery IS TOUGH. You have to be focused follow rules and exercise.

I don't know WHY those how have failed their bands THINK that they no longer will get support on this board. But instead, you lash out and become defensive BAND BASHERS, and try to RAIN on the PARADE of those who have great aftercare and got their bands installed properly and follow rules/ and successful and THAT IS A SHAME and this is a CRY for HELP. It''s not being a DEBBIE DOWNER, NO ONE on these boards are "qualified" to help those with severe eating disorders and don't follow rules.

You mentioned:

 HAVE HAD SUCH A TIME WITH IT ACTUALLY HAD ALL THE FILL TAKEN OUT FOR THE UMPTEENTH TIME AND JUST LIVED WITH IT FOR APPROX 2 YEARS BEFORE I STARTED YET AGAIN.

I CANNOT WAIT TO EAT A FULL SALAD. JUST SALAD. A PIECE OF GRILLED CHICKEN. THIS BAND IS NOTHING BUT A ZIP TIE ON THE TOP OF MY STOMACH. i AM NOT A LAPBAND BASHER. i AM A SURVIVOR.

Most lap banders that are successful and "complication FREE CAN eat a salad and chicken, as a MATTER OF FACT, the band should NOT stop you from eating "Healthy Foods" unless it is too tight and damaged.  I am positive you COULD eat a salad and chicken before your band got damaged prior to the fill process.

Guess what? I worked my a@@ off with my old band, and IT NEVER WORKED PROPERLY, my old surgeon was new to banding and did not repair a hiatal hernia that I had, and I had no idea I had it, and I wondered why I could never keep a good fill for long periods of time without having to remove saline, but I followed every rule possible even with the band, exercised kept my restriction moderate and I still lost 130 pounds....AND NO I did not get a CHANCE to TIGHTEN MY BAND UP TO THE HILT AND vomit and slime for a few years until it damaged my insides and then come back here and blame the world and lap band for all my woes.

I just had a revision surgery to repair my hiatal hernia and replace the old model lap band (4cc/10cm) that is no longer used in the US due to it being more harder on the body and caused more slippages...BUT if you got your band in 2007 I am SURE you got the "better" band. I did not blame the world or other lap banders for my hiatal hernia -- I found out what was wrong with me and found the best surgeon to fix me.

You are revising to the DS which is a MUCH BIGGER DEAL and you if honestly THINK it is safer than the band I feel sorry for you ...you MUST follow rules with the DS, with a very strict vitamin regimen FOREVER and most take about 20-70 pills a day to stay alive, you are downing the band, but I am sure that pill regimen will get tiresome over the years and when you get old, but I honestly wish you the best and hope you do well.

Many lap banders including myself support those who have revisions to other surgical types, but what I will not support is those who come here and harass those who still have a band or those who want one. If the band did not work for you, move on to something that WILL work, and the DS has a very high success rate of weight loss, but again, it is STILL a tool even though it's very powerful, but again it comes with many risks many people are just not willing to take.

I wish you luck

 

First off Nana, I HAVE BEEN FOCUSED AND FOLLOWED THE RULES. It is someone like you who THINKS they are being supportive honey but it is you that seems to be bashing me....re-read your post.

 

I am not defensive honey...I was only speaking my mind, no one elses. I have NEVER, EVER, NEVER lashed out on this board or any other board. And you better not be saying that people who go abroad to get their bands or any other surgeries do not get PROPER care. I have proper care here...watch what you type before you post.

 

Not a cry for help, just a vent in which I have every right to do. And you also have alot of balls to state that I have severe eating disorders and don't follow the rules.

 

MOST lapbanders are NOT successful. So are you saying that I am the only bandster here that cannot eat chicken and healthy foods such as salad? I'm too tight????? Right, remember what you said...YOU are not qualified to help. My band is empty and it is not damaged....and I still gurgle.

 

I have not harassed any one here girl. You have the audacity to think that I have not worked my a$$ off either? Thanks for your support Nana... I've wasted enough minutes reading your post back. I do understand the DS thank you very much. I will not have to take all those vits  you are posting on...do your research before you post on info you know nothing about.

 

Good luck with your new band Nana....lets see if it will last another 5 years. How much you want to et it won't. Later sweetie :)

 

If you got your band in "Mexico" that explains your horrible complications...some do well..but MANY don't. Also Mexican surgeons have substandard lap bands, Allergan DO NOT SELL Mexican surgeons AP Bands and that is a FACT. But i am sure many people that go to Mexico have no IDEA what they have in their bodies, nothing is regulated there. I assumed you got your band in the US and got the better AP band in 2007. But again, MOST people who get bands in Mexico have to get them removed especially what I've seen over the years.. 

P.S. My revision was not URGENT and my band had not slipped and I could eat freely, my revision had nothing to to with my lap band, my band was in perfect position, my pouch was a bit dilated from back in 2006 after it had been filled to tightly, but it did nor cause me any issues, and I was not having "band issues" of vomiting or sliming or food intolerance. Even if I had not have a lap band my hiatal hernia would have needed repair....Many people get hiatal repair surgery and don't have lap bands. Even if I need to get my band removed in a few years that is OK with me that is the Risk I signed up for, and my insurance paid 100 percent, so it's no loss for me.

Anyway I wish you a more successful and uneventful journey with your DS.

Why are you so annoying? And tell me...are you bashing our Mexican bandsters? How dare you. Did you get your first band in Mexico? That one lasted didn't it? And what about your dilated pouch? You know you only get a dilated pouch if you chew your food well and live by the bandster rules and not OVERFEED yourself. TSK TSK NANA. Shame on you. You are a bandster and you bash our own. Karma is a ***** honey bunny.

Again..my FIRST BAND WAS IN PERFECT POSITION and DID NOT NEED TO COME OUT, I did NOT have band slippage or erosion.The older 4cc bands were NOT designed to safely unbuckle and repair a hiatal hernia without destroying the entire lap band system. In order for my surgeon to successfully repair my hernia, he had to remove my old band, but he was able to replace it. If my band would have slipped or I'd had tons of damage, I would not have been a candidate for rebanding.

I had the easiest recovery ever and I feel so good, I don't believe in KARMA...I believe in preventable measures and good aftercare.

I can tell you do not believe in Karma. My band is in perfect position....never had slippage, no signs of erosion. And that's my first and only band. My insurance did not cover WLS so yes, I went to Mexico. I would go to Mexico again if my insurance didn't cover this one either. I received excellent care in Mexico. I had EXCELLENT care here. First of all u say you do not bash...seems like you bash everyone. Mexican bandsters, people who do not have WLS insurance coverage, and people going to their own board to post. I'm sorry you do not believe in Karma sweetheart. I pray for you.

Hi Liz,

 

Best of luck to you with the DS.  I'm of the opinion that bands are torture devices. Or more bluntly, pieces of **** I never used to be a "band basher..." I was just honest. But since I get called that, in spite of only trying to help for years,  I have decided to be less diplomatic. Bands are ****ty and they're damaging. You're lucky to be able to revise. And I hope it all goes well for you.

 

I'm glad  you shared your experience. Maybe someone who is about to make the biggest mistake of their lives will see it and think twice.

Here here thinlizzie, I had the same experience couldn't eat healthy food until I was emptied. I had partial unfills and then it would tighten again, then another partial unfill and a few months later a partial unfill again. I know I wasn't too tight right after the partial unfills of 1cc at a time but it would tighten anyway. This is more often the case than Nana's deluded opinions, she has proven she will never "get it" so don't waste your time on her.  No one here pays any attention to her except the poor newbies who don't know any better. There are far more of us here who have had problems that the few who have had great success and I'm not against them but even they can't explain why there's worked and so many others didn't, one of life's flukes I guess! Congrats on your freedom from hell!

Hey, Lizzie!  Best wishes with your DS, I hope it does everything for you that the band didn't.

I am still trying to work my band,  but I know what you are going through.  I went to the grocery store this morning.  I browsed the fruits and veggies but didn't buy a thing as there is almost nothing I can eat.  Cruised by the nuts, which go down OK but are full of fat in the amounts needed to satisfy.Can't do pasta or bread.  Can't do chicken. Yet if I have any less restriction I am eating as I was pre-lap band. I am back to the soup and yogurt diet that helped me lose in the first place. I don't so much get full as I get "in pain" and stop eating.

I am not a band basher either. I support my friends who have it and for whom it works, and my friends who are still struggling to work with it, and my friends, like you, who are ready to move on.  I don't enter into surgery wars, but I also don't encourage new folks to get a band if there are other options that might be better.

I sound wishy-washy as hell, I know, but at least I am not flaming or frothing to take a position.

Do what works for you and stay healthy.