Cleo's Mom

I agree with those who say that we have a LOT to learn yet about the human body with regard to obesity. I don't believe that all naturally thin people eat little (and healthy) and exercise a lot. Many thin people stay thin/normal weight by smoking, too. While I do believe food is a big factor, I also believe that much of obesity is genetic. So, until they figure out that factor there is WLS.
I also agree with the fat cell theory - that you have them at birth or develop them during pregnancy (another bonus for us women!!) and once there they can shrink but not disappear (unless through liposuction as the poster said) always ready to be filled.
I also believe in the set point weight - that your body desires to get to a weight it is comfortable with - where you struggle trying to lose beyond it.
But everyone has their own unique experiences with weight, weight loss and metabolism.

I could be mistaken but isn't your group the one that got into legal trouble for false advertising? It could be some other group, but at any rate here is what I would do: Try to get copies of all your tests, especially the operative report, etc..(maybe you already have them) and do some research about attorneys who are taking on band patients with complications like yours. And show the attorney your medical records along with a detailed timeline of when and how things happened to you. You could have a good malpractice case but only an attorney can tell you that. Good luck - you've been through enough.

While the band is meant to be permanent that doesn't mean it doesn't have a high long term complication rate, which it can. You can read on here about all of those. I think many people with the band get theirs overfilled in an attempt to lose more weight (my surgeon told me this). I think that is where many of the problems begin - plus I don't think a lot of surgeons are very good at fine tuning the fills for the band which can require very, very small amount of Fluid per fill.
All WLS is a crap shoot - you never know how it will affect you positively or negatively until you have it.

I met with my surgeon about a revision from band to sleeve and she said the band is meant to be permanent.

I think what Allergan is saying is that it is a solid device and therefore can break just like any other device if not handled properly or that some people can have an allergic or adverse reaction to the band. But I think that when they put it in people absent any of these factors - it is meant to be permanent.
If this information is given to surgeons, why aren't they telling lap band patients that it will need to be removed in the future? Because they aren't telling them that. Who would get it done with that information?
No one knows what they will be saying about the VSG sometime in the future - more GERD, more Barrett's, more esophageal cancer? No one predicted all the problems with the lap band when it was popular.

Please keep in mind in your band journey that eating should NEVER be painful (unless you are eating something soon after post op surgery you shouldn't). We all got this surgery as a tool to help us lose weight. The band (and all WLS) should allow you to eat the healthy foods in the right amount.
What you are describing is a horror and you need to see your surgeon ASAP for an unfill. If he can't see you - go to the ER. You could get seriously dehydrated.
Additionally, keeping a tight band is one of the reasons, IMO, for band failure - it causes erosion, GERD, esophageal dilation, etc..
Please get the help you need NOW.

Hello everyone! I posted on here that I failed my band and felt like a failure because of it. Well after having my band completely removed because it slipped so bad that it could have caused serious damage, I know longer feel like a failure or feel like I failed my band. I have realized over time that it was my band that failed me, and that it was the failure. I'm 3 years without my band and yes there are days I miss my band and I miss all the weight loss but I then realize I choose life and the ability to eat without throwing up all the time.

I can Quote Band Stats that say 60% of ppl with bands need Revisions, etc.. But that's Obvious if you use a google search.

But that only helps you understand that YOU didn't Fail, the band Did.

As the previous poster stated get some Saline out! Don't starve yourself it won't help, you've already messed up your metabolism with a band and your body HOLDS Onto everything you put in it.

The band creates Scar tissue under the band and around it as well, that will/does create a "too tight" feeling as well and adds to the probelms of Reflux/Gerd and aspiration pneumonia if that continues. Also, as you've mentioned Esophageal problems like Dilation, Pre Cancerous tissue, and loss of Esophageal motility.

Your SMART in questioning the effectivenss or LACK there of the band and your Health.

My advise is get the band removed Weightloss isn't worth the damage to your body or poor health. Good Luck

My surgeon said no NSAIDs for life. Said they can cause ulcers and thin the lining of the stomach. Since I have chronic and acute back problems and arthritis for which Tylenol is ineffective, that would be a problem for me.

Just to jump in.....I read the previous posts, and could not agree more...
However I did see the term "Expert" used a few times....
No One on this forum should call themselves, or be looked upon as an expert....everyone here is a just another person who has undergone something as drastic as surgical intervention to loose weight.
All anyone can do is share their own personal experiences with this, good and bad....there is no right or wrong, just different
people who have different first hand knowledge based upon what they have gone through, not what they heard someone else say or what is the popular opinion.....
People just starting out and have just discovered this forum will quickly see how different some topics can be, and it can get confusing....
Just be wary of those who speak with authority and give definitive answers. It's also amusing to see that many of these "Experts" are just starting out themselves, and feel they know all the answers.
So in that regard, nothing is repetitive....tell your story as much as you want.

Yep, you're right - it sure does. Fun fact: this isn't the business world, nor are you grading an English exam, so there's no need for douche-level judgement.
It annoys me, too, however I suck at lots of things that the next bad speller could excel at - I'm not better than them just because I can string together a sentence. I don't think their opinion is invalid just because they can't articulate it.

Why not ask a psychologist and see if what I said was fact.
You are quite persistent and rather than continue, this is my last word on the subject. I know bullying when I see it. I've had it happen before.

Sitting here having my morning coffee(s), and after reading the latest posts, this thought popped into my head....I'm glad this is the internet and I do not have to meet some of these people face to face....and if the opportunity did arise, as in some big members convention, I doubt I'd want to go. Not to mention local chapter meet and greets...
I can't stand it when people pass judgement on everything you say and do....
Ok, you're superior to everyone else...feel better?
And that's me...a tough old man of 63 years who has seen just about everything in this world...maybe that's why I have become so tolerant and understanding.
And what about the poor young newbie, perhaps from the sticks who never finished High School, or a poor third world country, and maybe English is not their primary language......(they're here, I can tell)
They have a serious weight issue and are looking for help and guidance.....and not be suppressed to pass a "Literacy Test"
I'd just hate to be locked in a room with some of you...you may feel the same....and that's fine with me.
Now I'm off for work, have to see patients in clinic today....maybe, instead of focusing on their needs and why they came, I'll sit and judge their educational, cultural and economic background, instead of what their actual needs are and how I can help.

I read somewhere that Jackie Kennedy, who was well educated and certainly an expert on etiquette, used dashes a lot in her writing. I actually prefer them to commas - they're kind of like a pause but don't deserve a period.

I am a big fan of Walton Goggins from back when he was on The Shield, then Sons of Anarchy and then Justified. He is an amazing actor.

You got some good advice on here but what I have taken away from your posts is that your are beating yourself up. There is no need to do that. Isn't that what we've always done to ourselves pre-surgery? You came on here asking for help because you knew you were in trouble with your cravings and eating beyond full. And you got some good advice - very specific and helpful. You've already taken the first step to address your problem - getting the surgery - and the second step by asking for help. Please stop beating yourself up. You know what you need to do to get back on track. There are many threads on here where you can post to get help. And good for you for losing 86 pounds. That's the size of one of those Hollywood types.

Just finished watching the series finale of Justified. Bittersweet as most of them are.

I agree with those who say that we have a LOT to learn yet about the human body with regard to obesity. I don't believe that all naturally thin people eat little (and healthy) and exercise a lot. Many thin people stay thin/normal weight by smoking, too. While I do believe food is a big factor, I also believe that much of obesity is genetic. So, until they figure out that factor there is WLS.
I also agree with the fat cell theory - that you have them at birth or develop them during pregnancy (another bonus for us women!!) and once there they can shrink but not disappear (unless through liposuction as the poster said) always ready to be filled.
I also believe in the set point weight - that your body desires to get to a weight it is comfortable with - where you struggle trying to lose beyond it.
But everyone has their own unique experiences with weight, weight loss and metabolism.

Please keep in mind in your band journey that eating should NEVER be painful (unless you are eating something soon after post op surgery you shouldn't). We all got this surgery as a tool to help us lose weight. The band (and all WLS) should allow you to eat the healthy foods in the right amount.
What you are describing is a horror and you need to see your surgeon ASAP for an unfill. If he can't see you - go to the ER. You could get seriously dehydrated.
Additionally, keeping a tight band is one of the reasons, IMO, for band failure - it causes erosion, GERD, esophageal dilation, etc..
Please get the help you need NOW.

Please keep in mind in your band journey that eating should NEVER be painful (unless you are eating something soon after post op surgery you shouldn't). We all got this surgery as a tool to help us lose weight. The band (and all WLS) should allow you to eat the healthy foods in the right amount.
What you are describing is a horror and you need to see your surgeon ASAP for an unfill. If he can't see you - go to the ER. You could get seriously dehydrated.
Additionally, keeping a tight band is one of the reasons, IMO, for band failure - it causes erosion, GERD, esophageal dilation, etc..
Please get the help you need NOW.

There's more to obesity than calories in/calories out. Science just does not have all the pieces yet. I've seen enough "known fact" be proven wrong over the years as more knowledge is gained, and I think there is much more to learn in the area of obesity. So, to the OP statement, yes, I think we would be a good study cohort. I should do that Just not sure what my hypothesis would be.

@@JustWatchMe
Your post touched me. While reading it I think of how many of us who are or were obese beat ourselves up all the time. Some think they don't deserve anything. They settle for jerks in relationships. They don't take care of their health. They don't go out much. They think of themselves as fat, lazy, lacking willpower. It's a vicious cycle.
No matter what size you are - you matter. And you deserve happiness. And you deserve to be rid of the toxic people in your life. That is a very important lesson I learned a long time ago. If people don't treat you the way you deserve to be treated - they're gone. Life is too short to waste energy on them.
Each time you move forward with a life changing event - you will get stronger. And you will feel better. It takes time but it will happen.
You deserve joy in your life - whatever form it takes. Accept it. Joy and happiness are not about a size or weight. You are stronger than that.
Good luck.
I

@@JustWatchMe
Your post touched me. While reading it I think of how many of us who are or were obese beat ourselves up all the time. Some think they don't deserve anything. They settle for jerks in relationships. They don't take care of their health. They don't go out much. They think of themselves as fat, lazy, lacking willpower. It's a vicious cycle.
No matter what size you are - you matter. And you deserve happiness. And you deserve to be rid of the toxic people in your life. That is a very important lesson I learned a long time ago. If people don't treat you the way you deserve to be treated - they're gone. Life is too short to waste energy on them.
Each time you move forward with a life changing event - you will get stronger. And you will feel better. It takes time but it will happen.
You deserve joy in your life - whatever form it takes. Accept it. Joy and happiness are not about a size or weight. You are stronger than that.
Good luck.
I

@@JustWatchMe
Your post touched me. While reading it I think of how many of us who are or were obese beat ourselves up all the time. Some think they don't deserve anything. They settle for jerks in relationships. They don't take care of their health. They don't go out much. They think of themselves as fat, lazy, lacking willpower. It's a vicious cycle.
No matter what size you are - you matter. And you deserve happiness. And you deserve to be rid of the toxic people in your life. That is a very important lesson I learned a long time ago. If people don't treat you the way you deserve to be treated - they're gone. Life is too short to waste energy on them.
Each time you move forward with a life changing event - you will get stronger. And you will feel better. It takes time but it will happen.
You deserve joy in your life - whatever form it takes. Accept it. Joy and happiness are not about a size or weight. You are stronger than that.
Good luck.
I

@@JustWatchMe
Your post touched me. While reading it I think of how many of us who are or were obese beat ourselves up all the time. Some think they don't deserve anything. They settle for jerks in relationships. They don't take care of their health. They don't go out much. They think of themselves as fat, lazy, lacking willpower. It's a vicious cycle.
No matter what size you are - you matter. And you deserve happiness. And you deserve to be rid of the toxic people in your life. That is a very important lesson I learned a long time ago. If people don't treat you the way you deserve to be treated - they're gone. Life is too short to waste energy on them.
Each time you move forward with a life changing event - you will get stronger. And you will feel better. It takes time but it will happen.
You deserve joy in your life - whatever form it takes. Accept it. Joy and happiness are not about a size or weight. You are stronger than that.
Good luck.
I