Formerly Fluffy

Now that we've called you out you have nothing to say??????

YOu've called me out? And what exactly is that suppose to mean? lol

Fluffy, you always express your failed lapband and having no restriction, but I just read some of your blog and it said in a December post that you are now 25 BMI. so what is not working for you? Im confused.......

I also thought I read something about you popping you r Iv 4/5 times during yor VSG surgery, but I tought you hadn't done that yet???

My BMI is around that. What does one have to do with the other?

And on the 2nd thing. ....what the hell are u talking about???

It is not 'luck' my dear it is dam hard work. Its not luck that watches what i eat, its not luck that makes me control portion sizes and its not luck that makes me cycle 8 miles a day .. its me and my band.

I have worked really hard over the past year to lose the amount of weight i have and to dismiss this as just being 'luck' i find quite offensive to be honest.

Oh I have no doubt that you have worked really hard! I'm not discounting that at all, but if you have a band that works at all........you are LUCKY! If your band hasn't failed YET..........you are Lucky! Some of us don't have that luck. I'm glad you do, but then again, that is just part of the picture, and I commend u on the hard work u have put into losing weight!

I read exactly what was said throughout the whole thread. You are the one that followed up her posts with a few posts that made it seem that having a mental illness would be horrific, verifiable by the way you made such statements.

It was obvious her post was a quip at you, but meant to be taken without real regard.

~It was obvious her post was a quip at you, but meant to be taken without real regard.~

Oh really? Is that what you THINK it was? Really?! Well first of all it wasn't! And 2nd of all..........you think that justifies what she said about me??? Now keep in mind that I did NOT direct any statements to her prior to that. Since SHE made the statement about mental illness, it would seem that SHE is the one that make "it seem that having a mental illness would be horrific". Otherwise why would SHE have even made the statement?!

Dear "Fluffy",

I don't know why you think I was referring to you, you're not the original poster. Please don't tell me not to 'dare'

express my opinion on any subject. I don't see moderator in your title.

I never stated that you were directing your comment to me, now did I? Regardless to who it was directed, it was uncalled for. It is extremely tacky of you to ASSume that someone that has not had success with the band as you have, has not b/c they are too lazy and expects the band to do all the work!

You have been one of the LUCKY ones. Can you not be happy for yourself w/o trashing someone who has had a failed band?!?!?! Or is that what it takes to make you feel superior?

So, I am clearly confused.....Fluffy, do you even have a band?? There is absolutely nothing in your profile that states your surgeon, your weight....nothing!!! I am just curious....what your starting weight is, did you lose anything at all?? When did you get banded...etc, etc!! Then maybe some of us can have more of an understanding about why the band is NOT working for you....

As I have stated on here. I never reached restriction. As to WHY it is not working. No one knows. If my Dr. doesn't know, and Allergan doesn't know (I have contacted them directly), then I really don't think someone on this forum is going to be able to diagnose me.

I suggest that if you actually want someone to take you seriously, you stop throwing around the phrase of mental illness with such venom!

Some of us are or have people we love dearly with a mental illness and have sufferred through the bigoted and stereotypical views of people such as yourself in regards to said illness.

Please grow up and find some compassion for people along the way and realize that you only discredit your own argument when your biased and disgustingly vile nature in regards to mental illness come out.

I suggest YOU go back and read since u don't know wtf you are talking about. Jean is the one that brought up mental health issues. If you go back and read you can see what she accused me of. SHE is the one that has previously stated that she has mental health issues! Let me also add that this is something I never mention until she accuses me of having mental health issues to deflect from her moronic posts!

I have sympathy and compassion for people that suffer from mental health issues, but that does NOT mean that I intend to let them belittle and insult me with out taking a stand!

I think from this thread and many others on this site, that there are, clearly many people who should never been 'sold' the

band. It takes a lot of self sacrifice and hard work and those not willing to change their life styles will never be

successful with it, although any form of WLS can be defeated, the band takes more work. There are those who will

install the band on anyone, no matter whether appropriate or not. I feel sorry for those who expect the band to take

weight off with no contribution on their part, those whose medical providers furnished them with inadequate concealing

and education.

I'm very pro band. It's controlled my diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and Lord knows what else, and I

wish those, for whom the band hasn't worked, could, somehow find that success.

I'm very glad you have been successful with the band. But why would you assume that those that aren't don't want to do " hard work and those not willing to change their life styles "???

That is very judgemental! Rejoyce in your success.............but don't you dare say that those that have not found it don't want to do any work or change their lifestyles when in fact it is the BAND THAT FAILED!

As I've told you before, Maria, it takes one to know one. I have indeed suffered mental illness - depression and PTSD - but I do my best not to inflict that on others. And where are the unsold books, pray tell? Bandwagon's 1st edition has sold out several print runs, and the 2nd edition will be printed at the end of January. Maybe it's time you actually read one of my books instead of whining about them. You can read, can't you?

Lol. Funny. Now your trying to get me to waste my money on your book? Lmao!

I don't think my opinion is more valuable than yours but what I do try to do is present facts in a balanced manner without scaring the crap out of people.If you read the original post I made on this thread you should be able to see that that is what I have tried to do. On the other hand whenever I get an email notification with the name formerlyfluffy I know before I even read it that it will be some kind of antiband rant. It is obvious that you have had a bad experience with the band, however that should not mean that you try to turn everyone off having a band. Bands have been very successfull for many people. My father had a very bad experience with hip replacement surgery. So bad that he was reoperated on many times and came close to dying. Does that mean that I should now advise people against having hip replacement surgery as they may be the unlucky person that has something go wrong? You are also keen to promote the sleeve yet it appears that you don't yet have one.Maybe you should hesitate to sing it's praises until you know for sure that it is as wonderful as you think it is. When it comes to statistics one also has to be very careful of the source. It is a well known fact that the same set of statistics can be manipulated in such a way as to prove whatever the person using the stats wants to prove.When searching on the internet lots of different stats can come up for the same query. There are also far fewer people on the VSG board than on the band board. And you would probably be pushed to find any other than Tiffykins that has been banded for more than 2 years. So yes some have been through both surgeries and have found the sleeve more to their satisfaction, but the question is will they still be happy in 2 or 3 years time? It has frequently been said that there is no one size suits all surgery. It is important for each person to look at themselves and evaluate what they are and aren't prepared to do in order to achieve success.This decision combined with the advice of the Dr should be the best guide. Sometimes however mistakes are made. people with bands discover they need the malabsorption from a bypass, people with bypasses discover how to eat around it and decide to get a band over bypass etc. There is no one size suits all absolute solution. But the best way to make an informed decision is with solid facts rather than scaremongering.

If you don't like my "antiband rants" then my all means, feel free to skip over my posts. :-)

~You are also keen to promote the sleeve yet it appears that you don't yet have one.Maybe you should hesitate to sing it's praises until you know for sure that it is as wonderful as you think it is.~

Yes I "promote" the sleeve, as do I RNY and DS. Why? B/c I have seen it work for the majority of those that got it! Do I need to have all of those procedures to "promote" them? No. I've never had a vasectomy but I know that it is a success most of the time. Lol.

~There are also far fewer people on the VSG board than on the band board. And you would probably be pushed to find any other than Tiffykins that has been banded for more than 2 years.~

Maybe on THIS VSG board. Not on all of them dear.

~So yes some have been through both surgeries and have found the sleeve more to their satisfaction, but the question is will they still be happy in 2 or 3 years time?~

Maybe they will. Maybe they won't. But what I see over and over is ppl getting the band that are not happy with it. And we are not talking in 2 or 3 years time.

Your band may have worked for you. That is great. But how dare you judge those of us that have failed bands?!

Yes the best way to make a decision is with facts. And it is a fact that my band failed and that there are plenty of ppl out there with failed bands. So I think you have a lot of nerve expecteing the pre-ops to come here and hear the happy band stories...........but u want those of us with "less than perfect" band experiences to keep our mouths shut and stay away!

Thank you Elcee for posting what needed to be said. Fluffy needs to know that she comes across very judgmental. I am sorry Fluffy that you have not been successful with the band and wish you luck with what ever you chose to do next, but with your mind set will it be any better?

Excuse me?! You want to tell me just what exactly "my mindset" is???

Thank you Jean for clearing things up for us. Smiles.....

If you want to clear things up I suggest you ask her about HER mental health!

Absolutely correct !

Oh it's very much luck! It may be working for you up till this point. You have no way of knowing how long your luck will hold out.

And again.....the band does not work for most ppl long term. You'll find out.

Have a nice day!

I agree with you, Elcee, but I've known Maria (aka Fluffy) for 3-4 years and never in that time has she managed to master her paranoid psychosis about the band. You might as well whisper into a hurricane.

Excuse me?! My "paranoid psychosis"?! Oh no YOU did not go there! YOU off all people! I have read where you stated that you have had a mental illness since a child............and you have the nerve to accuse ME of that?! I suggest YOU look in your freaking mirror!

Now I know you have a lot of unsold band books that you want to hock, but that is no excuse for insulting and trying to discredit someone who tells the negative side of the band that THOUSANDS of people have experienced!

I'm 99% certain my band was empty after surgery and after my first fill I was at 10ccs. It made no difference in my ability to get any food I want down, but my appetite is suppressed and it's easier to ignore when I'm hungry if I can't get something to eat soon. I think my case with the first fill is a little different than the majority because I'm a low BMI'er so there is not as much fat around my stomach, therefore, such a big fill didn't do much at all. The 0.5cc he put in this week caused me major back and chest pain, so he took it back out as soon as I returned to his office about 30 minutes later. Next visit he's going to try a smaller amount to help with my hunger but so that I can still get food down. However, I have heard from other patients of his that he is aggressive with the first fill but will listen to the patient if they want something smaller.

I never discuss how much he's going to put in becuase he's the doctor and he's seen inside my stomach, so he knows what he's dealing with. Any input I have would be based on something I've read online and seeing as how everyone is SO different, I trust his training and experience to do the right thing for ME. I felt even better about him when he took this week's fill out without hesitation- I was presented with the option of getting it out or 'waiting a few days for it to settle', but the staff did not try to push me either way. I was uncomfortable and he fixed me right back up!

I think there is a misunderstanding about the amount of fill you have. When you go in for the first "fill" that doesn't mean that they are going to "fill" the band to capacity. I have never heard of one doing more than a 5cc fill the first time. I actuallt got a 3 on my first fill.

Hopefully they will be able to get the amount right on your next fill. Never happened with me. 17 fills and 4 partial unfills and never a "sweet spot/green zone"! :-(

Good luck!

I don't know one person that has lost no weight with a band. Yes there are lots that do not lose as much as they would like or put it back on but the same is true with the other surgeries as well. The problem with the sleeve is that as it has only been around as a stand alone procedure for a couple of years we do not yet know whether the majority that have it will stay successful or if they will also regain.

What is obvious from reading the sleeve board is that there are people who are struggling, who have not lost as much as they would have liked , that still struggle with hunger etc.

Fluffy we know that you for some reason have not been successful with the band. This seems to make you bitter and determined to put everyone else off having the band. Whether you mean to or not you come across as some kind of missionary trying to convert people away from the evil band.

It would be better if you posted your opinion in a way that outlined facts and did not come across as so judgemental. Trying to scare the c@@p out of people who are struggling to make a decision is not helpful.

With the other surgeries almost all lose all or most of their EW. The same can NOT be said about the band.

Yes, there are ppl on the VSG board that have not lost as much as they would like. Yes, there are ppl on there that struggle. But I'm talking % wise. There are far more VSG'ers that are happy with their WLS than bandsters. In fact go on any VSG forum and ask which is better and you will have a lot of FORMER bandsters tell you they prefer the VSG!

You will also find FORMER bandsters on the RNY and DS forums as well. Why do you think all those ppl want to revise FROM the band??? Why would they want to put theirselves through all the pain and expense of yet another WLS if the band was that wonderful?!

And since you want facts, I'll post the report from the ASMBS:

Band Gets Low Marks

And as far as me "scaring the c@@p out of people"......well maybe they should be scared! I know I would have been scared as hell if I heard about what the band was REALLY llike before I got mine! I only wish someone had spoken up to me and told ME the truth!

And another thing...............didn't the poster come on here and ask for advice? Why should you give your advice, but you don't think I am entitled to give mine? What makes your opinion more valuable than mine???

There are a lot of us the band has work wonders for and I would recommend it to anyone that is willing to work hard. Everyone I have met with the band has done well and has lost weight at different rates depending on there activity level and commitment to the healthy eating involved with it. It does not stop you from eating the bad foods, that comes from your own self control. I picked the band because I did not want to be cut open again and I knew there was less down time. I also liked the fact that I did not have to have any part of me removed or rerouted. I went through that with colon cancer and a long hospital stay and that was enough for me. I think though which ever route your friend should chose to go is her choice and the end result is better health then she can't go wrong either way.

With your previous health issue I understand why you choose the band (and btw, I hope it was a compete success!). However I have to disagree with your last statement:

~

I think though which ever route your friend should chose to go is her choice and the end result is better health then she can't go wrong either way.~

As you know, some ppl lose NO weight from the band. Many lose nothing significant. And of those that do lose, a high % of them have to have it removed (or at the very least have a 2nd band operation!) within 5 years!!!

Maybe your doctor could fill your band completely since you haven't gotten restriction yet and having it full could give you that. Or maybe it's been full at some point in the past and you had no restriction even then? That's obviously been very frustrating for you.

My band is almost completely full and I don't have the "can't get certain foods down" restriction that I see a lot of people posting about. I also get a little hungry between meals. However, I would rather have that than the problems that result from a too-tight band. I went for my second fill and had it taken out about 45 minutes later because I didn't like the uncomfortable feeling it gave me. I'm able to use will power and hot tea to get me through those times between meals when I'm a little hungry. I know that's not an option for everyone, but a little help from the band and a little willpower CAN work for some people even if the band isn't offering the restriction that others talk about.

Good luck FormerlyFluffy with finding a weight loss solution that you're happy with!

No I wouldn't be able to have it filled to capacity. I wouldn't be able to swallow! I have at this point had 17 fills and partial unfills. It's either too loose or too tight. If you can't swallow liquids you dehydrate. NOT an option!

Now I am surprised by what you said, that you are almost completely full and have just had 2 fills??? Most Drs. take fills rather slow. How many cc's did he put in your band on the first hun???

If you read the sleeve board you will find people who haven't had great weight loss or who have gained significant weight back.

No WLS is perfect, each surgery has positives and negatives and each will have people who are successful with it and those that will fail. Some of those failures will be in the control of the patient and some won't. The best we can do is research what is available and chose the procedure that you a most comfortable having

I never said VSG was perfect. Nor did I even imply that!

I stand by what I wrote. I have never known anyone with VSG that has not lost weight! Could there be? I'm sure there could be. But that would be the exception to the rule, as opposed to the band where it is quite common for many bandsters to not lose, or to lose only a minimal amount of weight from the band!

Now there are many with the band that do lose a significant amount of weight...............only to develop complications and have to have their bands removed! So be careful what you wish for I suppose, lol.

Well I for one lost all my weight and more. I am thrilled with what my band has done for me and proud of what I have done to get here. it was a long learning process but these days its pretty easy! LOVE my band and would and do recommend it!

Glad the band has worked for you. Most of us have not been that LUCKY!

The ;;surgeon will usually have a brand preference. Between Realize and Allergan.........well one is just about as bad as the other from what I can tell. :-(

Keep in mind that regardless of how many cc's your band holds...........that you may NEVER reach restriction! This happens to about 20% of bandsters. Unfortunately most Drs. or band mills do NOT tell patients this BEFORE they put the band in them! :-(

Is your band full to maximum capacity?

No.

The way my doctor put it to me is that he could tell me to eat a small meal three times a day and I could lose the weight but after a while eating so little would drive me crazy and I will eventually start to eat more. What WLS does is that it allows you to feel satistifed with that small amount.

Now you should keep in mind that you will still have to make some changes because no WLS will work with those changes, but WLS will help to make those changes easier

Shell u know nothing about this!

~What WLS does is that it allows you to feel satistifed with that small amount. ~

SOME WLS's do that! The band does NOT do that for many banded ppl! That is one of the reasons that so many ppl revise FROM the band!!!

That article is misleading, the statement (about the band receiving low marks) was not made by the ASMBS but by a researcher presenting at the ASMBS conference. While I don't disagree that the band has it's problems, you need to make sure that your that you aren't giving out misleading information

Edited to clarify the statement that I was referring to

I stand by what I wrote. There was no presentation at the ASMBS about how wonderful the band is. The presentation was about how shitty it's doing. Kind of says it all right there.

Good LUCK with your band!

So your not happy with your "POS" So I would imagine you had it removed then , correct?

No that's not correct. After wasting all that money on the band I can't afford to have it removed. So it's just in there doing nothing. I am hoping to get it removed before I start having more serious complications like most of the other bandsters.