Formerly Fluffy

The pic that B-52 put up is the same one that was in my Drs. office. Unfortunately...........that "green zone"/restriction/"sweet spot" is just a myth for MANY bandsters!

Bandster HELL can last forever, since for many of us the band has been a complete waste of time and money. Those of us with no restriction/green zone don't lose any weight unless we diet or exercise, just like before the band. Also......you will hear over and over on these forums "the band is just a tool". That is always written in an attempt to blow off someone who says their band is not working. Yes, the band is not meant to do all the work, but it is expected (AND ADVERTISED) to do SOME of the work. In many cases though, that just NEVER happens!

I have the band and I would never recommend the band to my worst enemy. Never have I wasted so much money before. I might as well have just flushed that $15,000 down the toilet.

I have never known of anyone who has not lost weight with VSG. The band...........I know lots that have not lost any, or have lost no significant weight. Then there are the slips, erosions, leaks, port problems, esophageal dysmotility, etc. You get the picture.

One thing to remember is that a good many ppl NEVER reach restriction. Most Drs./band ;mills will not tell patients that prior to getting the band. If they did...........there wouldn't be anywhere near as many ppl getting banded!

Had I known then what I know now............I NEVER WOULD HAVE GOTTEN THIS POS!!!

Thanks, all, for the replies - especially you, Shellyac....you made me think a lot. I'm actually quite terrified of needles. Do the fills hurt? I hadn't really thought about that aspect yet. However, I recently had a herniated disc in my back (weight related, of course!), and had to get three shots in my spine. I made it through those OK (OK....so I passed out....but I made it!). Do the fills put you "out of commission" or can you go right back to work?

Thanks again, everyone!

There is nothing to the fills. Just a llittle stick. No big deal. Keep in mind that you may have to take off a lot more than you expected for fills though. I had 16 fills in 15 months. Gave up after I never got restriction, then tried a few weeks ago with another fill. Just another waste of time and money though! :-(

CHOOSE YOUR WLS WISELY!!!

Hello all - new to the site.

I'm considering lapband, but haven't made a final decision yet. (Hope you guys don't mind me jumping on this forum early!)

Can anyone give me advice on how to get started?

Some questions I have:

1. I'm a "bored eater." I "graze" when I'm bored, but not necessarily because I'm hungry. Will shrinking my stomach and appetite help, do you think?

2. I have very mild IBS. Does anyone else have experience with this?

3. I'm visiting a lap band seminar next week. Any suggestions on questions I can ask?

Thanks, everyone. You're all an inspiration!

~Illuxi

The best advice I can give u it to RESEARCH! Don't rely on what you hear at the Drs. office/band mill!!! The Lap-Band seems to have fallen out of favor with the ASMBS

Lap-Band Low Marks

Also one thing most Drs. will NOT tell patients BEFORE getting the band is that some ppl (20%) NEVER reach restriction!!! Kind of an important little detail to leave out don't you think?!

It's hard to find a good Protein. GNC will usually exchange it out with a receipt. Most GNC's have Lean Body and Oh Yeah! RTD's those are very good.

Another of my favs are Lean Dessert (powder) and Premier (RTD). Those are not usually sold at GNC though.

Hello, I was banded in March 2006. My starting weight was 245 and I went down to 190. Within the last year I have gained all but 15 pounds back. I know why, I'm Back to all pf my old eating habits, junk food. I'm so disgusted with myself and need to get back on track. Tommorow I am starting from the begining. I know I can do it I just need a little motivation. So in 2 weeks I will weigh myself and see if my regimen is working. Wish me luck

Just wondering...........you 've had the band almost 6 yrs. and are only down 15 pounds. Why would you not want to revise???

My doctor and I discussed it and leaks aren't entirely common. Out of everyone he has banded he has had three. I would much rather band myself a million times and know that if I ever needed to I could remove it, than go with a more permanant method. To each their own. I can tell from all your posts that all you do is flame those who have had lap band complications, so I am not really concerned with your comment with it having to be done again in 3 years. I don't see that as the case. For those who would like to focus on the positive, I am two days post op and everything went great. It was a small leak and he replaced the band with a newer, more updated version. I also went from a 5cc to a 10 cc band so I am wondering how big of an adjustment that would be. I can tell I have a lot more swelling this go around. After surgery, he had to remove some of the priming liquid because of how tight I was and changed my post surgery clear liquid diet from 2 to 4-5 days. All in all I am doing well. A lot of sleeping because of the pain meds but dont feel overly bad except for the dang gas pain in my right shoulder.

~I would much rather band myself a million times and know that if I ever needed to I could remove it, than go with a more permanant method.~

Personally I don't see the sense in anyone having band surgery over and over instead of having a "permanent method"..............but to each their own! :-)

Oh yeah, by the way I know of at least one restaurant, Cracker Barrel , that has a kid's menu that says it is for Kids of all ages. Still a lot of food with a good variaty.

I don't think it was intended as rude. And he probably actually believed the statement when he made it.

Congrats on your weight loss!

I have just started buying that Soup recently actually. Will try adding the Tysons though. :-)

Are you getting in enough fluids? If so, are you drinking a new Protein? Perhaps switch to a different TYPE of protein if this occurred after starting protein.

Stalls happen. No big deal. Just part of the journey.

Here's some info on plateau's though:

WLS Plateau Q & A

As cheap as I am I would gladly pay more for Aceves! It's just one of those instances where you get what you pay for.

I have the Crap-Band and have been researching VSG in Mexico. His patients always seem overwhelmingly satisfied.

Good luck!

I'm not sure if you'd ever consider this, but since you didn't mention whether or not you would - I had Dr. Aceves in Mexicali in Mexico. He charged $11,250 for my band to sleeve revision and it was quite literally the best 11K I've EVER spent on myself. My life has changed so much for the better, and I thank GOD daily for him and my sleevie.

I am self-pay also and I have researched revisions in Mexico. Dr. Aceves has always come up as one of the best and I am seriously considering him. If I had the funds I would have already done it!

As long as you have chosen a good surgeon there is usually nothing to worry about. The risks of complications from VSG is less than the complications from being obese.

Good luck!

Early out I used the Unjury unflavored and added it to broth, sf pudding and nsa applesauce.

Glad the surgery went well. Recovery usually goes very quickly. Enjoy your new life! :-)

Hailey there is a 16 year old that just had WLS a few months ago. She could probably give you some good feedback on WLS in teens:

Teen WLS'er Ashley

I don't think it's intended to be rude. I think he was just trying to be accommodating. Just tell him everything is fine and change the subject.

I use Bariatric Advantage and Celebrate. In addition to the multi twice a day I also take B-12, B Complex, calcium citrate and Iron.< /p>

I have thought about checking into them. They seem to be one of the leaders in med financing.< /p>

I got my Lap-Band done in the states, but am hoping to go to Mexico to revise to VSG.

Best of luck! Im perhaps in the same boat, banded 2005, unfilled a year ago for a big cancer surgery and have been unable to find the same reastriction since, although all the Fluid appears to be all there. Frustrating isnt it?

Anyway Im sure that 15 will come off in no time, being newly banded and doing the whole routine again.

That is very common for someone to lose restriction and not be able to get back to that point unfortunately. :-(

I hope things went well with your cancer surgery and that it is completely gone!!!

I don't understand. You band only lasted 3 years. Why would you want to have a repair rather than revision considering you could be in the same position in another 3 years???

Shop around. Prices can vary greatly! Lean Dessert can be very reasonable on Amazon. Premier Protein has a great price at Sam's Club and costco.< /p>