New here...sort of!

Hey, all. Thought I'd introduce myself since I will be around here for awhile now.

I'm Sheila. I was a member here about 5 years ago, but my insurance never came through and I was never banded.  However, I've gained 20-30 lbs since then, and am desperate now. I've decided to self-pay. 

My weight is high enough that I really would be more successful with a Vertical Sleeve or bypass, but I am too scared to go through with either of those. I've always liked the Lap Band options and am most comfortable with that.  I am considered "Super Morbid Obese."

The surgeon I am working with requires a BMI of 55 or lower. My  current BMI is 57.4, but I think I can get it down to where it needs to be by surgery time...I hope. 

I meet again with the surgeon on September 6 and they estimate surgery sometime in January.

Its been so long since I've been here. I have forgotten the food requirements, etc. so I have alot of studying to do again. I hope to meet some good friends in here to help me be accountable and buddy up with me.

Please don't self pay for a band!  I absolutely promise you that you will be sorry.  MOST bands are removed between 2-6 years, statistically speaking.  The aftercare with multiple surgeries and such is soooo expensive.  When the band needs to come out will you have the cash on hand to pay in a pinch?

The band provides the slowest weight loss, the least weight loss, the highest regain, and the most complications.

If you want safe, that is a sleeve.  Sleeves are hands down safer than bands.  Bands are not safe at all.  I can introduce you to two people right now on tube feedings.  I'll give you their phone numbers.  They could well be on tube feedings for the rest of their life due to bands.

Bands cause a lot of esophageal damage.  It's a high pressure device right under your esophagus.  There is a reason so many doctors, hospitals, and even entire countries are not banding anymore.  Everyone has seen the research on bands and nobody is getting them anymore and that is why Allergan is trying to sell the lap band portion of their company.  NO TAKERS!

You are self pay, if you have a lot of money and a stronger esophagus than the average person and if you have little desire to get to goal, a band is just right for you.  If you want safe and drastically better weight loss, that is the sleeve.  If you want the most effective surgery type for weight loss and resolution of comorbidities that is DS.  If you didn't already know these very basic facts, you have not done nearly enough research on all surgery types to tell yourself WHY you want one surgery type over the others.

I am going to chime in. I was banded 8 years ago, lost great 116 lbs, but then at the 3.5 year I developed a dilation. All my fluid taken out of the band. I have gained almost 40 lbs since. Plus the last year had reflux to the point of waking me up. Now on RX for that but still waking up gaging.

I am going from band to sleeve as soon as I find the right Dr. Have several appointments this month.

When I got the band, it was advertised as the safest, easiest of them all. NOT!!!!

I am going to be self pay AGAIN, as I was with the band.

Listen to some on the failed lap band on Face Book. and on the Failed weight Loss boards.

Good Luck

While I appreciate your responses and testimonials, I am rather disappointed as I thought this was a support forum, but maybe I was wrong? I have researched for several years. I am aware of complications. I am also aware that it is a very slow process with the band.  I chose the band because I don't want 85% of one of my internal organs to be gone with no reversal possible if there are complications with that.  I considered the sleeve. I made an appt for the sleeve with my surgeon. I just feel no peace about it.  I understand the band to be a tool and it is not to be abused. I will talk about these concerns with my surgeon when I meet with him next month. 

The fact is, I am nearly 400 lbs with a bulging and herniated disc in my lower back which makes it impossible to exercise. I have to ride a scooter in the grocery stores, I have to sit to cook, I cant play with my kids, and I have to park in handicapped spots. My quality of life is so low.  I am beyond frustrated, but I want to live peacefully with my kids and not worried that complications from removal or moving of my organs would kill me early. 

I am sorry you feel that way.  But the fact is, support does not mean agreeing with everything everyone types.  True support is truth, honesty, and integrity.  Truth is telling you we have been in your shoes and what our experiences are.  Truth is warning someone before they jump off a cliff.

I admin for a revision page, 95% of our members are revising from a band to something safer.  You are self pay, let's say that in a few years when you too, start having problems (and I am soo sorry, but statistically speaking you will) you have insurance that will pay for WLS.  Odds are, they won't pay for a revision to another surgery type.  Most ins co's are going to a once in a life time WLS.  If you already had a WLS they won't pay for another.  It matters not that you paid for this one, you had your once in a lifetime WLS.

You see me as unsupportive because I am not agreeing with you.  I have walked in your shoes, I know what your future holds.  It holds the same thing as the majority of us and even more merely because of your BMI.

Per Allergan stats if you have 100# to lose you can expect to lose 40% of your EXCESS weight.  That is for someone about a 40BMI.  For each 10 BMI points that goes down drastically.  You are looking at a max of losing 30% of your excess weight.  You will still be MO.  That is if your band lasts long enough.

The FDA sent a subpeona to Allergan demanding records showing why 50% of bands need to be removed between 2-6 years and those were just the doctors that reported the band removals.  The stats are actually higher.  Thing is, all these band newbies swear up and down that ALL of us with the exception of about 5% did this to ourselves.  Yet when these same people that couldn't follow the rules with a band revise to a sleeve suddenly we are able to follow the rules and we lose very well.  Absolutely everyone who gets a band swears up and down that they will follow the rules and thus, they won't have problems.  That just isn't reality.  The people who make those claims... follow the rules and you will do well, they are newbies.  Talke to 15 people 10 years post op and ask them if that is true.  You know what?  I'll bet you $100 you won't find 15 people to talk to that are 10 years post op let alone that many that are still happy with their band.

I'll tell you my own story.  I was banded and suffered for 18 very long months.  One day I could eat a huge massive meal with no restriction, the next day with the exact same restriction I couldn't swallow water.  With a band restriction varies from day to day, heck... it varies from moment to moment.  That is exactly why it is so hard to get the right fill level, your needs literally change from moment to moment, day to day.  Everything affects restriction, absolutely everything.  Time of day, TOM, weather, season, mood, food temp, altitude, exercise, medications, everything!  I was finally totally unfilled and due to scar tissue growing under the band (not something I had control over) it kept getting tighter and tighter until I could only consume thin liquids.  After four more months of this nonsense I revised to a sleeve.  I was at goal during my revision and while I have major esophageal damage I was lucky, I was ABLE to revise to a safer surgery type.  And I did revise over 5 years ago.  I will always suffer the damage to my esophagus but at least I don't have that thing in me anymore.

I want to address something that I totally relate to.  Not wanting to remove 85% of your stomach.  I almost backed out of revision surgery due to that very same issue.  I was scared to death but I also couldn't live with the band anymore and I refused to ever be fat again.  Due to being unable to eat anymore I had malnutrition, I was thin, weak, unable to walk far, horrific reflux, it was horrible and miserable.  I had to put it in perspective.  The reality is that the portion of your stomach they remove during a sleeve is the fundus.  The fundus has two jobs.  One is to stretch to hold more food.  It can hold a massive amount of food!  The other job is that in our population it over produces a hormone called Ghrelin.  Ghrelin is what tells you that you are hungry.  We tend to produce about 3x more than a normie.  It's the fundus of my stomach that made me fat and sick.  Removing it made me healthy again.  It's no different from removing your sick gallbladder or infected appendix.  You do what you have to do for your health.  Period.  It's safer and easier to live with because it is your stomach, just smaller.

With all that said, while I do think the sleeve is going to be a far easier road for you to travel and I do believe you will lose a great deal of weight, I am still not sure that is enough.  It's hard telling, everyone is different.  But statistically speaking, DS is your best shot at goal and resolving comorbidities.  But I get it, i wouldn't want malabsorption either.  Revision forums are full of bands and sleeves wanting revisions to the surgery types they should have had before, bypass or DS.  Everyone really believes they just need to follow the rules and they will do well and that isn't realistic, it's not how it works.

You say you have kids and you need to be around for them.  Vets (vs. the newbies) who hang out here aren't winning toaster ovens for our time here.  We do it because we want you to be around for your kids as well.

I can only suggest that if you want a high risk procedure with very little results vs. a safer surgery type with much better results, please on bended knee, just have enough cash on hand to have it removed in a pinch.  There are tons of people out there suffering with slips and erosion, unable to eat or drink well and they don't have the cash to have it removed.  They are stuck with it.

I sincerely wish you well.

First word of advice...don't go ANYWHERE near a band.  They are NOT good for you after the years of watching people on them, especially if you really want to lose weight.  I know that comment will bring out the screaming banshees, from the 1-3 out of 10 that a band has actually helped, but they have an EXTREMELY bad success rate.  Stick with a real surgery if you want to lose a serious amount of weight.  Otherwise, you will be very disappointed, not lose the weight you want and will be facing MANY issues that could leave you unable to revise to a real, helpful surgery.  I will take on anybody who disputes me.  No problem at all.  I come equipped with facts and figures about the success of the "bands".

And I will help you with stats and figures.

But we do need to realize.  Unless the OP asks for more info, we really are done.  :o(

Hi Sheila,

I totally agree with you about not wanting your stomach cut! I feel like there are people on waiting lists just waiting to receive organs to save their lives. How can I have my stomach cut and thrown in the garbage? Many people who have had weight loss surgery gain it back regardless of the type of surgery they chose. Surgeons seem to concur that there is higher risk with the sleeve and bypass than with the band. Even Gov Christie who wants to be President one day, he had the band. So, you do what you are comfortable with and dont let anyone but your doctor change your mind.

Good luck!

Cheryl

~~Surgeons seem to concur that there is higher risk with the sleeve and bypass than with the band~~

Says who?

Many surgeons won't even place bands anymore because they are so high risk long term.

There are two issues here, the actual surgery and long term.  The actual band surgery is about 2% safer than sleeves, for example, but long term the band has more complications than bypass.  I don't see over 50% of bypass folks undoing their surgery but I see almost 100% of band folks removing their bands.

The band is a high pressure device right under the esophagus.  The band is pushing things up and the esophagus is trying to push things down.  The esophagus can only deal with that kind of pressure before it starts being damaged.  While you can remove the band you can't usually reverse the damage it causes.

"Least invasive" is an advertising gimmick, that does not mean safer long term, it just doesn't.  I can give you poison to drink,  That is least invasive.  I can surgically implant poison, that is most invasive.  But at the end of the day, it's still poison.

OP....

Please realize, this is a board of vets.  If you want newbies to tell you want you want to hear, go to LBT.  Reality vs. what we ALL want to hear.

Cheers!