I'm new here & I can't wait for a new beginning!

Hello! I'm brand new to the website and am preparing to have Lap-Band surgery! I'm about to have my required psychological evaluation and then once my doctor receives the go-ahead from him then my surgery will be scheduled! I have researched Lap-Band and other weight loss surgeries and decided that Lap-Band was the best choice for me. I also have an older sister who got the band about 5 years ago and went from being just under 300 pounds to about 140-150. I know that just because she has had success with the band that it does not guarantee my success, however, since I have seen first-hand the trials, tribulations, and of course success with the band, I feel that I too can have success with it. I am fully prepared for the hard work ahead and can't wait to see this weight finally leave me! It's always a hard road to travel when you grow up with weight problems, but I've been putting all of that behind me and I'm more than ready to start anew. 

With that being said, I'd like to respectfully ask the "band-haters" (or whatever they're known as) to respectfully cease from posting any negative comments about lap-band. Please understand that I do respect your opinion, but the fact of the matter is that I have MADE my decision and so your negative comments are not appreciated. I would never go to your blog, post, or profile and bash your weight loss decision, so please extend that same courtesy. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and beliefs, so please respect me and I will respect you.

In conclusion, I'd LOVE to hear from others on this website! I'd love to hear about both your successes and difficulties that you've overcome or are working on so that I can be more prepared for my journey ahead! I know I'm in the lap-band forum, but if you're browsing around and have gotten a different WLS, I'd still love to hear about your journey as well! But again, please no "haters". 

Have a great day everyone! 

Yeah well good luck with all your demands they don't fly here. Oh and don't bother asking for help when yours craps out cause I doubt anyone here will help after your charming intro. Buh bye!

 

 

Hislady, don't think she meant anything nasty! She says she respects all opinions and she has clearly looked long and hard at the band. She hasn't denied problems.  I know my view of the band is very different to yours, but this really did not read as aggressive to me. But I know you are a very nice person, not given to hasty judgements, so perhaps we just read her comments differently. But I do think it can be read as being less mean than you have seen it!

 

Deleted. Well done to OP for coming back and making it sll roght with Hisaldy. 

I can't believe this is happening an hour after I posted my first ever thread. Yes, I may have responded harshly. But I hate when people selectively read things such as this. I clearly stated that I respect others opinions, and yes, that is true. HOWEVER, I also clearly stated that if you give me respect, then I will return it to you. With that said, I saw NO respect in the comment from Hislady. So yes, I fought fire with fire. Was it right? No. Was it hypocritical? Most likely yes. But I came here for support, I came here in hopes that I could find others who have been through the same life experiences as me and who are trying to find strength to better themselves. I did not come here to be bashed by others. THAT is why I shot back. 

Ok, Hislady. I think I see how we started on the wrong foot here. As I was looking through the lap-band forum, I noticed your post about your struggle with the band and not being a lap-band basher. I may be wrong, but I think what happened here was a complete miscommunication. If you think that the section of my initial thread was singling you out, please understand that it was not. When going through the message boards I do remember going past your post, but I'll admit that I merely skimmed over it until now when I fully read through it. Please again understand that my message was not to single you out or poke anything at you specifically. What I was mainly trying to get across to the so-called "band-haters" was that I was just wanting to put out there that I didn't want anyone coming onto my thread and telling me that what I'm getting will not work, I'm wasting my time, etc. I was not in any way categorizing you as a "band-hater". I do apologize for my rude reply to your comment on my post, my feelings were hurt because of you saying "don't bother asking for help when yours craps out". That really dug deep on my feelings because that's the exact thing that I didn't want to hear from anyone on here. It especially hurt because it shocked me that the first ever comment on my first post would seem so defensive and mean. 

You don't have to accept it, but I do apologize.  

Apology accepted and I too apologize for my curt reply. Your timing was just bad as we've had so many people who just want to hear glitter and rainbows about the band. I'm one, who among thousands of others, have had nothing but trouble and no results from my band so yes my opinion is pretty negative. If a person hasn't yet gotten one I'll do what I can to dissuade them because I know there are more effective surgeries out there and I don't want anyone going thru the disappointment I and others have. I already ate less than 1000 calories a day before surgery and had lost 20 lbs the year before surgery. So I think you can imagine how devastating it was to only lose another 20 lbs after going thru surgery that was "supposed" to improve my weight loss! My own surgeon doesn't like to do bands anymore and they have 20%- 30% fail rate with their patients, not because of anything we do but merely because the band is not what the manufacturers say it is. I am more angry with them than my surgeon because the surgeons merely believed what the manufactures told them and now Allergan at least is being investigated by the government for their lies so there is alot going on out there with the band that the average person isn't aware of because the powers that be (manufacturers) are trying to keep it hush hush.

I was probably one of the most enthusiastic people on here when I started but after 2-4 yrs that all changed after fighting a band that tightened on it's own with no new fill and not being able to eat healthy food until I got it emptied. It just kills me to see others signing up for this band not knowing all the possibilities. I "could" just cop out and say yep I screwed up and didn't eat right or kept my band too tight, or drank with meals but I followed all the rules to a tee. In fact I had already stopped drinking diet soda, used small plates and practiced chewing to a pulp all my food for months before I ever had the surgery. I had spent over a year here reading all about the surgery and possible risks. Now I don't know if I missed seeing the risks or if they just weren't having them yet, I honestly don't remember seeing the warnings I see now. It seems after the 2007 surgeries is when it started, well actually I think we did good until about 2009 then started seen problems and it has gone down hill ever since. I wish to God someone had told me what I now know so I hadn't wasted my time, effort and hopes on the band. Even my surgeon apologized to me for my band and I don't imagine that happens very often.

I am friends with and very happy for lots of the vets that have had success but for many of us that wasn't the case and I just want people to know both sides. I think if you are a volume eater your chances of success are fairly good but you still never know who it will or won't work for. While I wish everyone was successful I feel I owe it to people to pay it forward and let them know there is also a very real and dark side to the band life. I "knew" I would succeed but here I am almost where I started.

Wishing you lots of success on your new journey! I had my band put on in April of 2010, I required only 2 fills and that is it, I have been below my goal weight and am now working on losing another 12-15. I haven't been around for about a year mostly because of reading so many angry members posts....such as the above. You seem determined and that is most of the battle. Good Luck and don't forget to take the dreaded b4 photo so you can see your weekly progress!

Welcome. And well done for doing your research. The band does not work for everyone; some people are failed badly by the band, others contribute to their own downfall. But for me, and many others, the band helps you lose weight and, for me more importantly, maintain that loss.

I hope you get the support you want on here. Although most of the successful vets no longer post on here, quite a few, like Bette, Cheyenne, Debbie, Mona and me, do still come sometimes. And quite a few of those who have had serious problems are still prepared to offer sensible advice. It is worth reading their threads as it is very helpful to be aware of the early signs of problems. I am sure you have done your research well enough to know that problems can and do arise but unpleasant consequences can sometimes be avoided by swift intervention.

I love my band and for me, as for almost all of the bandsters I have met in real life as opposed to online, it has made me the slim, active person I never actually  believed I would ever be again!

Best wishes, Kate.