My first post! My story

No... Even being a self pay patient, I didn't chose my surgery based on cost.  At the time I had the surgery, financially I could afford any of them (that all changed when the real estate market crashed ...I was a real estate investor). I am a firm believer that a price can't be put on personal health.  My mom died from a massive stroke on her 49 th birthday after a lifetime of being morbidly obese. I didn't care what it cost to be around to bug my kids for years to come.

Hi Christy,

I had my Realize Band placed about 3 1/2 years ago -- and by all accounts, I can say that I have been a "Band Success Story" --- I lost 130 pounds in 18 months --- without pauses --- fast losses at first and then slower, but always steady and only one week with a gain in all that time (the following week, I lost 3 pounds).

I started OA about 10 weeks before my surgery, and I opted to make a list of 'trigger foods' ==== for me those are primarily sweets ==== and have been abstaining from them ever since.

I went back to Weigh****chers about 6 weeks post-op, and used the support, accountability and education to get me to Goal, Lifetime and now Maintenance

I still "diet" ---- dieting was easier with the band, but it is still 'dieting' -- I log my food (I hate it) and I track what I eat and have to be very diligent to maintain my goal weight.

I 'can' eat 24 hours a day --- I choose not to.

My band has good restriction (I can be satisfied with a small amount of protein and produce) IF I choose those foods first.

If I reach for carbs first, they seem to be all I want -- and I can eat, and then 20 minutes later, I could eat again ---- so, it is still all about self-control and choosing a healthy diet -- and tracking what I take in and what exercise I do.

I know how lucky I am to have been relatively problem-free with my band -- to have reached my WLS goal weight and be maintaining for 2 years now ------ I was self pay to put the band in, and I will be self pay if I have complications or if the band has to come out ---- so, I am very very careful with my little buddy.

It was the right choice for me at the time (good price, no co-morbidities, afraid of a more drastic surgical procedure) but knowing now what I know about failure rates, serious complications, etc -- I NEVER recommend the band to anyone else.

I did not read how old you are --- but if you have had a pregnancy recently, I will assume that you are under 40 -- which means you have 40 or more years of life expectancy ------ so, if you choose a band, I would think that you are in for multiple surgeries over the remainder of your life -- even if your band is successful.  The OEM's (original equipment manufacturer) are now stating a 'band life expectancy' of about 10 years (when I had my band, i was told it would last my lifetime -- and i was 51 years old).

Please investigate ALL of your options -- surgical and non-surgical ---carefully and best of luck!

Sweetheart we are reading your post thru and thru.  We did catch every word you posted about you, your family and your cousin's band.  She will, as I did, say I would do it all over again.  I lost 60 pounds the first year, had issues with the band from there on out.  No not all those doing well are off living life.  I was here thru all the good times posting.  I didn't slink off until I was having medical issues and started gaining back.

I like you don't want the rerouting of intestines with the RNY.  Please check out the revision boards.  Check out the RNY and VSG boards.  There is an option that is doesn't require you to live at the surgery center getting fills, than unfills and than refilled over and over trying to find your sweet spot.  It is the sleeve (VSG).  This surgery saves your pyloric valve which is important in keeping that full felling and preventing dumping.

I feel I was a band success.  I lost weight with the band while it worked.  It also stopped the weight gain I had been facing from going thru my change.  But, the band failed me and caused medical issues and after trying to save it for 2.5 years, the band had to come out.  I am now getting the sleeve.  My DD and sister were both going to get the band.  After they saw what I went thru they both got the sleeve.  Both did better than me in the short and long term. 

I can't wait to get my sleeve, all those on the sleeve boards that used to have the band say the sleeve does what the band promised and didn't.

Good luck and please at least re-read all the post, you did say your OPEN to all.  Check out the other boards and research, research and than do what you feel is best for you.  Everybody here just has your best at heart.

Thank you. I have read the vsg board and you're right this does sound better to me. I am open to options and even to no surgery at all. I will continue to read the vsg boards and talk to the Dr when I go. I hoped to go to a seminar tomorrow as well to hear other peoples stories.

Please reconsider the lapband, I used to be one of those who was a success story but then things went very bad very fast. I just posted my story on the lapband board please read it and know all the bad things that can happen and do happen with the lapband.

Congrats on your decision to get healthy, it appears that you've done your research on the band and have weighed all options available to you. And as you can SEE all weight loss surgeries are tools as well as ALL weight loss surgeries HAVE COMPLICATIONS and FAILURES. 

Please get the surgery that YOU are comfortable with and can live with, and you are CORRECT there are thousands and thousands of successful lap banders out there that have little to no problems that NEVER post on message boards. In fact, most successful lap banders post on other boards such as www.lapbandtalk.com. 

For ME, it is the band or nothing, I got EXCELLENT insurance and now it pays 100 percent for any bariatric procedure and I have no desire to take my band out and get the bypass or Sleeve, I see too many failures and problems with them, and I don't want to risk my good health and change my anatomy, I love my job and life and the band is the ONLY surgical option that I am willing to risk.

I would be very very suspicious of strangers on the internet telling me to avoid the lap band, when it can be removed if need be. There are horrific complications with the Bypass and Sleeve, why aren't they warning you about removing your Stomach or rearranging your insides? something you can't undo, once you remove your stomach there is nothing you can do if complications or issues arise -- all this saying oh I want to save you  from the band is getting ridiculous and appears nothing but pure jealousy because they are either having issues with their bands, or can longer get one, and don't want anyone else to be a "happy lap bander" -- haha.... 

People *should* be more suspect of those who want to suppress information.  I don't know why it is so threatening that people should talk about our band experiences truthfully. It takes absolutely nothing away from your successes.  Ignore it if it doesn't apply to you. It's not like I'm saying that your kids are ugly or something. We're talking about an inanimate device here. 

One of the happiest days of my life was when I realized that having the band removed was the best thing I could have done. To see my kid and husband look at me without worry on their faces... THAT was what made me happy.

I don't wish ill upon anyone. But I am getting tired of trying to help only to be told that I shouldn't be doing that... and there's something "suspicious" about it. You're happy with your new band and that's great. You should be happy if it's working for you. My posting about my bad experience doesn't change your good experience.

 

 

 

Like!

Nana do you ever feel guilty when you give advice to people about the band? I mean you know its gonna end up bad but you still advocate it....do you even have a conscience?

 

When I first came on OH newly banded you were bat crazy and I see you still are....I guess soon you will deactivate your profile and then come back a week later as someone else :-/

 

I wish I would of listened to them,....the band is sold as a surgery that can be reversed........ITS NOT YOU CAN REMOVE IT BUT NEVER REVERSE IT.

 

You said:

Nana do you ever feel guilty when you give advice to people about the band? I mean you know its gonna end up bad but you still advocate it....do you even have a conscience?

Dear FairyKisses,

I am ONLY CORRECTING THOSE WHO ARE NOT BEING HONEST ABOUT THE BAND, THAT'S ALL.. If you carefully READ MY POST, I HAVE NEVER RECOMMENDED GETTING THE LAP BAND,

I ONLY TELL THE "TRUTH" ABOUT MY BANDING EXPERIENCE AND CORRECT THOSE WHO ARE APPARENTLY EXAGGERATING INFORMATION REGARDING THE BAND, WHICH MAKE ME BELIEVE THEY MAY NOT BE TELLING THE WHOLE "TRUTH" ABOUT HOW THE BAND "DISABLING" THEM.

Let's face it, we all wanted the band to be the "the answer" to our obesity and, heck I just had a hiatal hernia repaired and my old band replaced that was causing me misery too. So you are NOT alone in that respect.  But guess what? Those are the RISKS I CHOSE when I signed the "dotted line" when I got my band installed.

I even had a mild pouch dilation from over 7 years ago and that was caused by my surgeon filling my band too tightly and I traveled and it got worse, but, hey we were all NEW to banding, I did what I was suppose to do by immediately going back to my surgeon when I found myself too tight and having some issues swallowing and my surgeon was able to save my band in time by unfilling it, but the sad thing was, my band never worked properly after that point, never could keep green zone fill without having reflux.

Was it MY fault? I don't know, but my new surgeon told me that my hiatal hernia was never repaired which exacerbated my pouch dilation since the hiatal hernia pushes up against the esophagus which makes it difficult for a person to feel proper restriction with the band.

So? Is it the Lap band? Or Allergan that caused me to have a revision surgery? Absolutely NOT. Also the older 4cc bands were more prone to cause pouch dilations and slippages and harder on the body, the REASON they are no longer USED in the USA. And most surgeons are replacing them with the new AP bands when patients starts to have issues with them.

If you got your band in the USA from 2007-2012 it is more likely you got the "better band" The New AP bands don't slip easily, unless the surgeon does not install it correctly or the patient abuse it by keeping it too tight and vomiting often -- and that is a FACT

I did not get my band replaced because of my mild pouch dilation, I got my band replaced because of my hiatal hernia causing back and chest pains, my lap band was OK, I was not having "band related" issues of vomiting or food intorence. 

I will not call you "crazy" or a liar, I don't know you, but people don't hire "SOFTWARE ENGINEERS" if they are CRAZY.

Yes, I deactivated my account because THIS BOARD BECAME TOO NEGATIVE AND FULL OF LYING BAND BASHERS, I SAW THE BOARD THAT WAS SO SUPPORTIVE BECOMING EXTREMELY NEGATIVE.. HENCE WHY SO MANY OTHER LAP BANDERS HAVE LEFT THIS BOARD. I DON'T POST HERE FOR 'SUPPORT' I WILL CHIME IN WHEN I SEE THE BASHERS TELLING LIES ABOUT THE BAND -- ONLY WHEN THEY ARE FORCED TO GET IT REMOVED.

Getting my band removed IS A RISK THAT I WAS WILLING TO TAKE, EVEN MY NEW BAND MAY NOT WORK OUT FOR ME, BUT SHOULD I COME BACK HERE AND TELL OTHERS THAT THEIR BANDS WILL HAVE TO COME OUT TOO? NO, IT'S NOT FAIR TO THOSE WHO ARE HERE TO KEEP TRACK OF THEIR WEIGHT LOSS.

I READ "YOUR STORY" it's very sad, no one wants to hear of someone having complications regardless if it's the lap band or any other type of weight loss surgery. But I am sad to say, you sure CANNOT blame the lap band for your woes. You had a contraindication to the lap band, Allergan CLEARLY STATES, that PEOPLE with AUTOIMMUNE PROBLEMS SHOULD NOT GET THE LAP BAND.  

IT APPEARS THAT YOU ARE "CRAZY" for getting the band yourself and did NOT RESEARCH THE BAND BEFORE YOU GOT IT. AND IF YOU DO NOT TELL YOUR SURGEON ABOUT YOUR MEDICAL HISTORY THEY WILL NOT KNOW. SORRY TO SAY, BUT THAT YOUR YOUR FAULT.

My sister has Sarcoidosis http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sarc/, Sarcoidosis, it is also a autoimmune disease. My mother had arthritis, so I have a "FAMILY HISTORY" AUTOIMMUNE diseases. BUT I DO NOT HAVE NONE. I knew this and TOLD MY SURGEON OF MY HISTORY PRIOR TO GETTING THE LAP BAND, YOU KNOW THE CHECKLIST WHEN YOU FILL OUT THE APPLICATION TO GET THE BAND?

So, my surgeon referred me to a hematologist, and Rheumatologist and I had SEVERAL TESTS -- TO MAKE SURE I DID NOT HAVE ANY TYPE OF AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE OR I WAS A CANDIDATE FOR THE LAP BAND. YOUR SURGEON SHOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME THING -- THAT IS MEDICAL MALPRACTICE -- OR YOU DID NOT TELL HIM, IT'S EITHER ONE OR THE OTHER.

I had a debilitating hiatal hernia about 4 months ago, I did not come here and BLAME OTHERS AND WARN OTHERS, because everyone WILL NOT DEVELOP or have a hiatal hernia. I only posted about *MY* EXPERIENCE and to see if other have had the same experience and IF I CAN HELP OTHERS who've had hiatal hernias with the band. I did not post about DOOM AND GLOOM for every single person that may be interested in the band, BECAUSE IT'S NOT FAIR TO THEM AND I *DO* have a conscious.

I COULD EASILY BE A "BAND BASHER TOO" BUT I AM HONEST PERSON, --AND I TRY TO HELP PEOPLE, AND I KNOW THAT MY PROBLEMS WERE NOT CAUSED BY MY LAP BAND, IT WAS CAUSED BY SURGEON NOT REPAIRING MY HIATAL HERNIA THAT I HAD BEFORE I GOT MY LAP BAND.....SO NO I WILL NOT DEACTIVATE MY PROFILE AGAIN, I WILL CONTINUALLY CORRECT LIARS.....

AND DIRECT THOSE NEWBIES to other lap band friendly support sites because god knows I would not want to hear of all this negativity while being a new banded person. "HOPEFULLY" ANY ONE WHO GETS  BAND NOW, SHOULD KNOW WHAT CAN HAPPEN and have FULLY RESEARCHED ALL POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS THAT MAY HAPPEN.

I KNEW THE WARNINGS OF A TOO TIGHT BAND AND CONSEQUENCES WHEN i GOT MINE OVER 8 YEARS AGO.

I KNEW THAT THE BAND COULD SLIP OVER 8 YEARS AGO

I KNEW THAT THE BAND COULD ERODE OVER 8 YEARS AGO

I KNEW THAT THE BAND COULD DAMAGE THE ESPHAGUS IF TIGHEN TOO MUCH OVER 8 YEARS AGO

 

I READ ALL THE CONTRADITIONS FROM THE LAP BAND SITE OVER 8 YEARS AGO, HERE IS THE LINK TO ALLERGANS CONTRIDICTIONS   http://www.allergan.com/assets/pdf/lapband_dfu.pdf

 

IT CLEARLY STATES THAT THESE PATIENTS SHOULD NOT GET THE BAND

Patients or family members with a known diagnosis or pre-existing symptoms of autoimmune connective-tissue disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma. 

Do you think it's FAIR TO TELL OTHERS NOT TO GET A LAP BAND BECAUSE  YOU HAVE A AUTOIMMUNE DISORDER, DON'T YOU THINK THAT IS RATHER SELFISH AND UNFAIR? AND RAINING ON OTHERS PARADE THAT THE BAND MIGHT WORK FOR?