Formerly Fluffy

I use DaVinci SF. They have like 50 SF flavors! My new favoriet is the cookie dough:

http://www.formerlyfluffy.com/product-review-davinci-gourmet-sugar-free-cookie-dough-syrup/

No, I believe band failure terminology is: 1) losing less than 25-30% of your excess weight or 2) having complications that require removal of the band.

I think you never reached restriction, but you lost weight with your band and you're unhappy that you didn't get it "easy" like other people did. You never deny that you lost weight, just that the band didn't work as you expected it to and you had to diet and exercise. Don't you think that most of the people on here STILL diet and exercise even with the band???!!!

So, please ask yourself the following questions:

What is the point of getting the lapband? To lose weight.

Did you lose weight? yes

Looks like you did both, did you not? There are people who REALLY failed, who didn't lose more than 25-30% of their weight or did have to get the band removed. Why don't you end your pity party and actually provide support for those people and not go around moaning about how the Lapband never got you to restriction? Isn't that always the point of your posts, to complain that the people who failed need the most support? You are providing them no support whatsoever. In fact, you are deceiving these new people that don't bother to look at the blog you posted or the Facebook group you're a part of into thinking you didn't lose weight. Frankly, that's extremely sad and I hope someday you find peace with whatever your problem seems to be.

No, I believe band failure terminology is: 1) losing less than 25-30% of your excess weight or 2) having complications that require removal of the band.

I think you never reached restriction, but you lost weight with your band and you're unhappy that you didn't get it "easy" like other people did. You never deny that you lost weight, just that the band didn't work as you expected it to and you had to diet and exercise. Don't you think that most of the people on here STILL diet and exercise even with the band???!!!

So, please ask yourself the following questions:

What is the point of getting the lapband? To lose weight.

Did you lose weight? yes

Looks like you did both, did you not? There are people who REALLY failed, who didn't lose more than 25-30% of their weight or did have to get the band removed. Why don't you end your pity party and actually provide support for those people and not go around moaning about how the Lapband never got you to restriction? Isn't that always the point of your posts, to complain that the people who failed need the most support? You are providing them no support whatsoever. In fact, you are deceiving these new people that don't bother to look at the blog you posted or the facebook group you're a part of into thinking you didn't lose weight. Frankly, that's extremely sad and I hope someday you find peace with whatever your problem seems to be.

Funny I thought you said you weren't posting to me anymore? Oh well, maybe that was someone else I was thinking of.

Well you certainly did an interesting job of JUDGING me and making up MY story! lol.

So many inaccuracies..........where do I begin. Lets start with the 2 band failures. Yes those are considered failures. However NOT getting restriction is a band failure also. Why would any of us had gotten a band, if there were not to be restriction involved?

Yes, I am unhappy that I never got it off easy like some others. What was advertised to me, and what I bought was a Lap-Band that was suppose to cause me to get full sooner and stay full longer. You know..that saiety thing. Well it never happend so of course I am unhappy about that . Who wouldn't be?

Do I think that most ppl on here stil diet and exercise? Of course I do. However I can guarantee you that none of them got the band to lose weight ONLY by diet and exercise. I expected to do my part, but I didn't expect to pay $15,000 to lose weight ONLY by dieting and being hungry all the time!

~What is the point of getting the lapband? To lose weight.

Did you lose weight? yes

Looks like you did both, did you not? There are people who REALLY failed~

Of course the object is to lose weight. Of course I lost weight. Did I fail? No. Did the band fail? Yes.

Do you honestly believe that someone researching the band does not have a right to know up front that someone can get a band and never reach restriction???? Because that is how it appears when I post about it and get ATTACKED!

~Why don't you end your pity party and actually provide support for those people and not go around moaning about how the Lapband never got you to restriction?~

Here we go again. Very condesending............let's attack the one that posts that her band failed. Not very becoming of you!

By me telling my story those with the same problem know who they can turn to if they have that problem. So I am there to support.

~you are deceiving these new people that don't bother to look at the blog you posted or the facebook group you're a part of into thinking you didn't lose weight.~

Never have I stated I have not lost weight. I have deceived no one! My losing weight is irrelevent. I wasted my money on the band and now have it in me doing NOTHING! Therefore I have every right to be angry. I lost my weight ONLY by dieting!

Now If I bought a car so I would have reliable transportation to work, and then the car would only drive one block and break down........but I got to work b/c I took a taxi the rest of the way...............WOULD THAT MEAN THAT MY CAR WORKED??? After all.................I bought it. I drove it. And I got to work. Not because of the car..............but inspite of it! See where this is going?!

But thanks for the "interesting" interpretation of *my* life!

Are you Serious STFU ! Listen you backwoods babboon !'m just getting started. Don't jump in my case B! Go get some or something. If your not interested in comments, that what the Hell are you doing here ! Banded 2 years LOL wow just think B ! Someday you'll be able to call yourself a Veteran. But not in the near future. Your a wanna be. You got no time, just complaints.. O.K. Newbies, here is a Prime example of someone who is not happy with life with the band, but yet won't do a Damn thing about it .... By the way, she's banded a whole 2 years, LOL So she really knows her stuff. Doesn't even have the sense to get checked out under Fluoroscope to see if Restriction can be met. But she is going to dish out advice to you, with her expertise of 2 years. I've got over 5 years of being banded, and her problem is she just don't like it, so she B!tches about it. What do you think about someone like this. Now eat CROW you old B!

5. Members will treat each other with courtesy and respect

I don't think YOU are treating me with courtesy and respect! lol

This is a very effective "tool". If you aren't having any restriction after fills then maybe your band is too big. There are different sizes and after losing weight the current one can become too big for your stomach. It just doesn't make sense that after filling the band to its optimal fill amt. that there can be no restriction. It's either not placed right or has a hole in it which doesn't allow the saline to remain in the pouches. This is completely something that your Dr. must investigate further.

It is possible. It has happened not just to me..........but MANY bandsters as well. If they received some support for posting about things like that on this site perhaps more would share their experience on this forum about it.

And I disagree about the "tool". It is a tool for SOME. Many of us get NO tool whatsoever! kind of like a plumber having a wrench that is in 15 pieces. It may technically be a "tool"......but it's never gonna work like that!

If you can't have Restriction, then you have NO! Idea what this band is really like.

So don't fill their heads with Bull **** !

Like I said before, and looks like I was right.

So why don't you DEAL WITH IT in your own way ! Since you haven't got a clue about Restriction at all.

Your a Walking Mountain of Misinformation.

Don't make these people think that there is No Hope at all.

Get a Life, or better yet FIND A LIFE.

Shirley.

Don't know what it's like? Excuse me you moron but I have lived with this POS for 2 years. I know very well what it's like. If you don't like what I post then just STFU and skip over my posts! Then you won't have to be concerned about my "misinformation"!

I don't believe "support" as you call it is cronic complaining ! Who does that help except you ? If you want to pitch a B!tch ! Look in the Mirror, and B!tch ! Makes as much sense as coming on here, and complaining...

BTW I never said people with the Band don't Die ! I have never know one yet though, but I sure knew a lot of women that regained there weight, and died from Kidney Failure, or Malabsorption.

Oh and now YOU get to decide who comes on here and posts.........and what they're allowed to say? lol

Get your eyes checked ! I suggested Fluoroscope for fills, and then see about restriction.

Your problem semms to be that your Bitter !

If that's the case , why don't you go in and have it taken out, or revised ? Huh !

Don't dive down my throat, because you don't even matter..

I have had my share of things, and it gets fixed, and life goes on..

DEAL WITH IT !

I am dealing with it. I live with it everyday. That is why I try to let pre-ops know what the band is REALLY like! If you don't like it........then YOU DEAL WITH IT!

Have a nice night!

If you have a small leak they can fill you with a small amount of accryllic to stop the leak. Not a Big Deal at all. This was done just as a precautionary method in the event there was a small leak.

I know I had it done, and I have not got a leak.

As far as revision to RNY. No Way Ever !

Everyone that I ever knew is in the Ground !

Last summer I went to a Funeral Parlor, and the poor girl was skin n bones.

This is a Mechanical device that works by maintenance from a Dr...

That is the bottom line, and if your not happy with it, don't complain about it, do something about it.

Oh so anyone that had RNY and died has now died b/c of the RNY??? Bandsters die too btw!

~if your not happy with it, don't complain about it~

Oh so this "support" forum is not for support if you complain about your band? It's just for ppl that are happy with it?

OMG take the stick out of ur a**. Out of all the posts u have written not one was positive! I'm sorry the band didn't work for u but u ever think maybe u should have made better food choices and maybe just ran little? It is just a tool not a magic wand. I get that everyone has the right to their own opinion but for god sakes relax alittle. WE GET It.... U DON'T RECOMMEND tHE BAND!

What a b***h! How dare you judge me! What does running or a food choice have to do with NOT getting restriction?!

No one asked for a magic wand, and you have a lot of nerve suggesting that is what I expected! As for it being a "tool".....NO! It is not! It is a "tool" for *some* people. Many of us though NEVER get that "tool"!

Have a nice night! :-)

I believe that with anything there are positives and negatives. What is a big problem to someone might not be a big deal to someone else.

My negatives are:

1. Esophageal spasms

2. Wanting to eat dinner out but knowing that I will be sorry if Im not really careful

3. Getting food stuck even after I know that I have no business eating that food

4. Explaining to people that even after all of these things I still feel that it was completely worth it.

5. Having my kids say "Mom you're making the face - are you going to throw up"

Just noticed your groups and was wondering how many bands you have had???

If your Brother has problems with Bile coming up ! He better see a Dr. Soon.

What's relevant, and not.

If it is your negative, whatever you speak of, then that's it ! Nothing else should be said, because were all different, and are affected differentley. Wether sliming in Court, or hurting in the Wallet for the cost of clothing. That is there story.

I had a Chief Surgeon, that did excellent work on me. but, he did poor aftercare, He thought the balloon in the band was blown, so he deflated me, then would not see me again. When I went to see him, I was thrown out because I had put on weight.....

So I regained almost all the weight, but then started all over again last January. and YES ! I have had mistakes done ! but !!!!! I was shown that if filled under Fluoroscope, they can take you to your fill line, and yes we all have one. Then you are at proper restriction.

If you have problems, and say this just don't work, it's a bunch of bunk ! Try Fluoroscope, and see if you feel restriction.

I have a 4cc Band, at my fill line is 2.5cc. So thats quite a gap, if I ever get down to wear I want, and say I could use a slight fill, there's plenty of room.

~If you have problems, and say this just don't work, it's a bunch of bunk !~

You're FOS. So you think all those ppl out there with failed bands are lying! Because for some strange reason they would want to say their band doesn't work, than have a working band and lose weight?!?!?!

Wait till your band craps out on you and then see what a "bunch of bunk" that is!

Why are you so defensive? I asked you a question in regards to how you were so successful in losing weight and you jump to the conclusion I am accusing you of lying about your band?

I think that your input and experience may be beneficial to some, but you never share your actual experience and the way you ended up being successful- you only say that the band did not work. I'm sure there are more people than just myself who are curious about how you overcame obesity on your own if you had started out with the mindset that WLS was the only way.

This is why I said that even though you may have useful information for other bandsters or bandsters-to-be, you never actually talk about the HOW involved in your journey. You also only use negatives and say things in a way that many people will just role their eyes and move on. You do no credit to yourself and your own journey.

This is the last time I ask you anything directly about your own journey, because I have posed the question on more than this thread and you never feel the need to respond. I don't know the motivation behind your silence, but it seems to me if you are trying to convince people that this is an ineffective WLS, you would explain why you believed that to be the case.

I'm defensive b/c you said: Fluffy, why do you believe your band failed?

That to me indicates that you think that I am too stupid to know if my band failed or not. I "believe" it failed b/c I had 17 fills and no restriction. If that doesn't qualify as band failure, I don't know what does!

So my input here was not valid? I'm afraid for me that has been the biggest "negative", it has been fun but it has cost me a fortune. The OP asked what negatives we had experienced personally so that was what I posted. I cannot make up negatives that I don't have.

I do agree though that I was being a little flippant.I should have urged her to get her brother to see a Dr urgently as bringing up black bile is a sign of some kind of internal bleeding and it shouldn't be ignored.

Not that your point wasn't valid, but certainly not relevent. No one asked you to make up negative band experiences, but being on this forum you have seen plenty of bandsters post with their complications. I think those with negative should tell her about that since she asked about the negative. Your is NOT negative and you know it! You have been blessed! You should appriciate that you band worked for you and honest with her about band NEGATIVES that you are aware of if you don't have any. That way she would get a fair representaton of band life instead of just shoving the possitives down her throat when she specifically asked for the negatives. Oh but I guess you all don't want that discussed on here, do you?!

I completely agree with you, but all the posts I have read from you, seem to be rather aggressive and negative more than supportive. I am sorry you didn't have a great experience with the LapBand, and I hope you found support.

My posts are agressive and negative. B/c my band experience was a NEGATIVE experience! Your band posts on here are possitive b/c you had a possitive band experience. You were LUCKY!

And as far as support...........well that comes in many forms. Support is NOT telling someone what they want to hear. Support is telling them the truth. I only wish someone had "supported" me in that way BEFORE I got my band! :-(

Fluffy, why do you believe your band failed? What types of food did you eat, what types of exercise did you do?

if the band failed, how did you lose the weight? I saw your blog and can see that you are skinnier.

You always seem to use scare mongering tactics when someone asks anything, which frankly discredits anything of value you may have to say. PLEASE tell us your story and what you believe went wrong with your band.

And what makes u believe that my band did NOT fail??? Why would you even bring that up? What possible motive would I have to come on here and lie about my band?!

I read a blog comparing the lap band to hammer, you can have a hammer and a nail but if you don't do the work it is still a hammer and a nail. The lap band helps form habits that last a life time, just as the habits of over eating and not exercising were formed habits. Lap band surgey is a miracle cure for being fat, its a tool in making lifestyle changes easier.

I disagree. It *can* be a tool. For some of us we never get that tool after wasting all the time and money on the band. So I guess it kind of is like that hammer. If the hammer bends and breaks off then no matter how long we have that "tool" it will never work for us! You apparently are one of the LUCKY ones. Glad it's working for u.

Why are you on LapBand talk if you don't think it is worth it? Just curious, no judgement.

Well I didn't think the site was just for ppl that like their bands? It's suppoe to be a research and support site. Don't ppl with failed bands really need the most support???

Please get your facts straight about band complications fluffy- just because the band didnt work for you for whatever reason, does not mean it is not a valid and safe procedure.

http://www.bariatric...p_Band_Problems

Band problems (1.1% - 18% of gastric banding patients)

• Band erosion (2.1% - 9.5%) – (also called “band migration”) occurs when the band actually grows into the stomach. The only treatment is permanent removal of the band. See our Lap Band Erosion page for more information.
  
• Band intolerance – some patients’ bodies just can’t handle the band. After all, the band is a foreign object in your body. Band intolerance includes vomiting excessively or feeling uncomfortable all of the time. Permanent removal of the band is required in these cases.
  
• Band leak (1.1% - 4.9%) – patients can usually tell if their gastric banding system has a leak if their feelings of restriction decrease over time (thus increasing hunger) without the doctor unfilling the port. To determine whether you have a leak, your doctor may inject colored Fluid and take an X-Ray to see if any of the colored Fluid is present (from a leak) outside of the gastric banding system. Surgery is usually required to repair it.
  
• Band slippage (2% - 18%) – occurs when the lower part of the stomach “slips” through the band, creating a bigger pouch above the band. Either removing fluid (from the lap band) or surgical repositioning is required to repair band slippage. Symptoms include vomiting and reflux, and it is diagnosed by drinking a dye and using X-Ray to observe it. The band placement technique used by the surgeon also makes a difference - between the perigastric technique (PGT) and the pars flaccida technique (PFT), the pars flaccida technique appears to have a much lower rate of slippage (up to 16% less often).7,8,9
  

Really? You think they are that low? Then why are so many Drs. now refusing to do the band??? Because MY band didn't work? Lol.

The band DOES NOT WORK LONG TERM FOR MOST. I don't care how happy you are with your band now. I can almost guarantee you will feel quite differently in just a few years!

Consumer Reports Band Warning

Do you consider yourself as one of those people?

I don't do Facebook.< /p>

I am one of those that never reached restriction. :-(

Is it worth it? NO! It works for some. Doesn't work for most long term. I spoke to someone at a bariatric office recently that said that he has seen ppl get the band and "not lose one ounce"! It's very much a crap shoot.

As far as the actual surgery its self though there is not much too it. Very simple procedure. If it's the fear of surgery it's self that is the problem, well ppl have surgery all the time. No big deal in most cases. I would strongly suggest RNY, VSG or DS. Alex has another forum:

VerticalSleeveTalk.com

Check that one out.

Now that is a great question. There are tons of negatives that those pre-op reading this deserve to know. Not such nonsense as "I have to buy more clothes"! It's too bad some of the readers didn't take you question serious enough to be honest about band complications that they know about in order to present a balanced view of band life for a perspective bandsters.

Here is one of the main problems with the band that I have NEVER heard mentioned pre-op:

NO RESTRICTION! That is right, many bandsters NEVER reach restriction! For many of us there is no restriction/green zone/sweet spot. Does NOT exist! Therefore..........getting the band was a complete waste of time and MONEY!

Many other bandsters have issues with their bands as well. Join the failed band group and you will see a variety of band complications.

Your surgeon can check how much Fluid is in your band by withdrawing it when doing a fill, but it isn't exact--some generally remains in the tubing. There are other tests they can do to check for a leak.

If you are newly banded, the most likely cause of that is swelling at the time of the fill that is gone the next day. While not a true indication of what restriction level you will be at, do you know what sized band you have and how much fill you have in it?

Most people don't approach the green zone until the 3rd to 5th fill, sometimes even many more. Especially if they have a larger band.

I have had 17 fills and never reached the green zone. I have the standard size band.

well then I'm definitely NOT in the green zone, which sucks!! I think I may have a leak because I'm burpy, have good restriction & can feel my liquids going down right after a fill but by the following day I'm able to eat things I couldn't swallow the day before. Or is this normal??

It is very normal. There often seems to be no rhyme or reason to the band. I can eat chicken one day. Maybe not the next. Of I may eat something dense like chicken , steak, shrimp just fine, and then a few hrs. later yogurt doesn't want to go down. I call mine a psycho band. Things like these are very common though!

If my band sprung a leak I would get another band in a heartbeat. There is no question about it.

Some people will work against the band and any other WLS. It's part of the disease. Success will be hard to find for those people no matter which surgery they choose.

That blame the bandster mentality is extremely tacky! She had a leak! That is NOT her fault! You are deflecting from the issue. It is a BAND FAILEURE NOT A BANDSTER FAILURE!!!

Your blaming the bandsters reminds me off those ppl that blame rape victims for getting raped!

Thanks. I look at it pretty much like you would any other man made surgical implant- ie my husband's shoulder replacement. They tell you up front what the expected life of the replacement is and the possibility of having another surgery. I went into this knowing what my expectations were and my view has not changed. I wouldn't down someone else for their personal choices and hate when people use these forums to make themselves feel better by pushing their negative views on others.

What you call "negative views" are my lap-band experiences! Believe me, I would have preferred NOT to have had the negative experiences!. And why would you ASSume that it makes me feel better to tell my side of things. And why is it when you tell your experiences it is just that, but when I do it, I'm "pushing my negative views on others"???