skylily

You're not saying anything that the people who have posted here don't already know. If you have read the stories of these members it is not a case of 'something greener' it is a safe of something safer for them that actually gives adequate restriction. We have already covered the 'it's not a miracle cure and it's only a tool'... however if we are to have a tool we want one that is not damaging us and that delivers its function... then the rest is us up to us... we're not idiots... but thanks for your concern.

Hi Simone... you're right, it's not the band that loses the weight, it is you, and your triumphs belong to you! We do need to lead healthy lifestyles, which includes some exercise. Apart from weight loss benefits there are others too... staving off osteporosis etc. The band is a tool though, and as such, it would be nice if it did what it is supposed to do to make our journey easier. That's why we get it. I hope you get your band seen to sooner rather than later, it sounds like you're in an awful place at present. And yes... I'll keep swimming... to not do so would be to accept drowning... and I value myself far too much for that. Thanks Simone. xox

Yes it is a process... and so much more complicated than we ever figured hey swrktp! You're right about the judgements re 'failing'... we do it to ourselves and some successful bandsters are sometimes guilty of it on this site as well. Saying that there are some very nice and encouraging ones as well that possess empathy. All I want is real restriction, which is why we get the band, without acid burning my throat and waking up in the night throwing up Water and food. In other words I want to avoid pain and fear. Is that too much to hope for? I've gone into google overload recently and I have to tell you... if I can't get this band working for me like it ideally should than I may get a Sleeve... which was originally the first part of The Switch op, and now can be done stand alone... and if the Sleeve doesn't deliver... which I would work very hard to ensure it would, then eventually I would go ahead have the second part done so that I will end up with The Switch. (aka as DS or BPD-DS). I would prefer it not to come to that though. It seems like no matter what path you take there is almost always a regain after the loss, which may be months or may be years... the way I see it is the more that can be lost in the first place than the better it is. SIGH lol xox

Hello, I was just browsing back through the old posts and stumbled on yours. You poor thing, going through all that. If you're still around this site, how are you doing now? xox

You must be so pleased! What a great achievement. If the band could help to control my appetite I would be rapt. The way it works for you and your result is what I dreamed of pre band. Well done!

WOW! Your poor thing! Sounds like you've been to hell and back. You're so brave contemplating going back for another fill... though I understand the despair that drives you. After I posted this here in Introductions I found another area called Struggling Lap-Bandsters, under the Lap Band Complications section. I figured it more properly belonged there so reposted with the heading The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - two years on. If you read through a few of the posts in that section you realise how many people are in the same boat we are in. AGAIN, I will say, yes, this band does help quite a number of people and I am very pleased for them but there are also lots of others who for various reasons this band hasn't proved to be the effective tool it promised to be. I am going to knuckle under and try, try, try again and give it another honest and all out effort but if eventually I get to a point where I think 'enough is enough' then I will look at my options. Incidentally... my port has always been twisted so they can't just stick a needle in and find it. One time when my main doctor was away and his associate filled me it took at least 20 trys sticking the needle in to finally find it.ARGHHHHHHHH. He was gonna give up half way through but I said 'no way, I've travelled 100 kms through peak hour traffic to get here, just find it'. LOL. The last 2 times an ultrasound has been used for unfills when my doctor wasn't around and the unfill was URGENT. If I do stay on the Band Wagon then I will look at getting the port repositioned... I didn't know it was a relatively easy thing to do... I'll have to ask. I haven't been back for a year anyway because I was just sick of being sick with it and sick of the whole damn thing. Good luck with EVERYTHING. xox

Thank you... and you can do it too! The more I read on this site the more I realise just how many others have suffered the night choking and severe reflux as well as a range of other problems. The ones who don't are very lucky indeed that they can get the full benefits of the band. xox

Hi JTester Sorry you're struggling too. I'm gonna give this a go (well try to) this week. See if I can use this as a springboard. http://www.5daypouchtest.com/plan/theplan.html I think I'm getting closer to trudging back up that blasted well used steep path of sheer hellish effort LOL. Good luck with the insurance thing. xox

Hello fellow Aussie. I know I just have to accept that this journey sucks and is a lifelong thing... being in the zone is like flying and enjoying the view and being out of it is like crashlanding, skidding and bumping, hitting the rocks all the way down. I know from experience that I do pick myself up eventually, dust myself off, grit my teeth and work my way back up. Guess I just have to accept that for me the rollercoaster exists and as long as the weight put back on in the down times doesn't equal the weight lost in the good times that I will 'get there' eventually. You're doing wonderfully well, congratulations. Just wondering though... if you love the exercise and that is keeping your weight under control... why would you want a refill at all? If you're eating more and enjoying a wider range of foods but not regaining why would you want that freedom taken away? Of course if you started slacking off on the running... or your weight started creeping up then having a refill would be wise... I'm just curious as to your reasons? xox

Thank you Tazzy, you're doing fantastic! 140 lbs is a massive amount, well done. In my good times, I actually do get to the point of really enjoying the exercise... but now isn't one of those times lol. I know there's nothing else for it then to just accept what is and get on with it... I can feel myself getting closer back to that point. Having a big whinge here has helped I think. Thanks xox I understand your frustration as this is really hard work and when people say things about taking the easy way out. I could blow a gasket. There are no easy ways to lose weight (except maybe divorce it..my attempt at a little humor). I lost 70 pounds during the pre-op process (11 months) as I was motivated because I thought I would not have to do the liver shrinking diet and Optifast again. I had done it with Oprah in the late 80's and did not think I could do that again. It wasn't as bad the second time around as I has higly motivated. I had my surgery October 2009 and have lost 40-45 pounds since. I continue to work really hard at this and haven't lost much in the last 6 months but I haven't gained and I have enjoyed life. I also have much better fitness and can do about anything ie swim, hike, etc. Where I hurt my back once and could not walk across a room without pain so I am thankful I am still not non-obese but overall I am 140 pounds better. I wish it was magic but it is not. I exercise at least 6 hours a week and I try to be grateful that I can. I have had a lot of non-scale victories..I am also going thru menopause so I am not 27 anymore..I can buy clothes off the rack without traying them on in the regular womens dept, it doesn't say morbid obesity on my chart or my wii anymore, I can fit in an airplane seat without an extender. MY BMI was 55 and now it is 29. I haven't tighten my lapband in 6 months and I am debating if I will tighten it anytime soon as it is at 6.5 ml. I had an epiphany about that or at least I thought it was one. That the big picture isn't making this so tight that I am miserable but to learn and be mindful when enough is enough food wise. I don't want to max out on my band and I think I realise this is about me and my body. I am that same size I was at the end of college (not thin then either) but I am also 30 years older. I also got rid of my CPAP machine by losing the weight and I am told only 20% get to do that so I am trying to be thankful. I don't know what was said to you along the way where you went thru the process. I agree some of the seminars are like going to buy a new car, they try to push your buttons to believe you have found the answer and sometimes we all do get unrealistic in our expectations. I was never told I would not have to diet again. I knew I was going to have to exercise and try to find a way to like it. I had friends that decided to have the bigger surgery (bypass and sleeve but many of them had diabtes I did not) and many of them lost the weight. But after the honeymoon is over, they still plateau and have to work at it. Hang in there..life is how you handle every day not one day.....I know I haven't said anything that is "WOW" but I wanted to let you know that we all struggle and I did this about the same time as you.

SORRY, PLEASE go to the other post with the same title. (Have just reposted). This one didn't include the whole post and I can't delete it or edit it as the code is faulty.

I had posted this in Introductions as I have just recently joined but I see that it betters suits here. I was banded in March 2009. I came home, somewhat in discomfort and over the following days I progressed into agony. I ended up back in hospital having emergency surgery at 2am five days after the placement. I had been nicked in the first surgery and had an infection. The band was removed and I spent four days in ICU and then another four or five in the ward. It was the most PAINFUL experience in my life and it wasn't too good emotionally either. After I returned home there was a long recovery period and I initially thought I could not face hospital again with rebanding. My surgeon explained that I may have to be opened up again (I have a huge scar down my middle because of the emergency surgery) if it proved impossible to do it keyhole. I had to gather up all my strength and return to try again in August 2009 because I didn't want all that pain and money wasted... with no outcome except a scar to show for it. Fortunately the second banding went without a hitch and it was a keyhole op. It hasn't been an easy journey. I can't seem to tolerate a decent fill without severe reflux and choking during the night etc. So, I only have enough fill to make sure I don't suffer those symptoms but then it means I can fit way more in than I would like to. I initially lost a decent amount... but only after low carbing combined with 3 or 4 days at gym every week. I have the metabolism of a slug!! Over the past 12 months I have regained 10 kgs (22 lbs). I am just beginning again to try to start from scratch in my mindset. Force myself to eat less, chew more, don't drink with meals etc. People who look at banding as 'cheating' and 'easy' have NO IDEA. Us banders still need colossal willpower and determination. It is a life-long struggle and the trick is to remain proactive in our journey and not give up. I always knew banding was just another tool in my arsenal and not a magic fix... I just have to sharpen this particular tool at this point in time and make it work for me. Don't get me wrong though I WISH THIS BLOODY BAND WAS A MAGIC FIX and I didn't have to diet or exercise!!!!! Now... first of all I am not vying for sympathy here or wish to put off any potential banders. I am just saying it as it is for me. The band has been a wonderful tool for many on this site as the many glowing posts attest to and I wish all you newbies the best of luck. I would like to hear from others who have been on a similar journey. Having a fairly successful honeymoon period... putting in the hard yards with diet and exercise... and then grinding to a halt. I would like to know how others who suffer from severe reflux and choking from having the band at a level where restriction is effective but need to unfill it enough so that those symptoms don't occur... and therefore can eat more than they should on the band. I have considered changing to a sleeve but from what I have read they too have a honeymoon period of losing and then the same problems can occur... starting to eat more etc. I don't want to change one set of problems for another... I want the band to work for me... I want me to work for me. I am at bit of a standstill. I am still having the same problems that I have had all my life. I hate people harping on about willpower. I have lost 1000s of pounds in my life and put them all back on. The periods of self denial and exercise are far more than most people ever endure. I have also enjoyed the times when I have got into the zone and eating well and going to gym etc has been easy and something that has become a pleasant daily ritual... and I believe that 'yes, I can do this for the rest of my life'. But life long habits are insidious... and creep stealthily back... and before I know it... here I am... asking for some advice from you guys because I honestly don't know what to do anymore. I wish I could get my band filled more without the painful and scary side effects. I wish I could maintain control as an ongoing thing rather than in spurts. I wish I wasn't failing... and no matter how you dress it that's what I'm doing. I know I have to climb back on the will power horse and just do it. I just feel like I'm on this endless cycle. I hoped before I got banded that I would be able to break the cycle. I was wrong. Thanks for listening. PS Whilst I know that it is just a tool etc I also believe that when being introduced to the band it promises more than it delivers - 'you'll never have to diet again' etc. That's just BS. Read around the board and noone gets their weight to move without dieting - usually extreme, low carbing, resorting back to liquids etc. A huge amount of people seem to suffer the same or similar problems I do. I just think the information they give you should tell it like it is so we can weigh up our chances of success. Had I known all I know now I may have opted for a different surgery. Also, the sanctimonious people on here who chide others for not sticking to an extreme diet and exercising... well geez... if it was that easy why the hell did those people need to get the band and why are they even here if they could do that as an ongoing thing anyway?

Hello. If there is noone else available you're just gonna have to bite the bullet and return to him. Be prepared for him to say something negative and when he does just simply say "last time you told me my effort wasn't good enough and I'd appreciate you not saying anything at all if you can't say something positive. I am here for your help and support, not any put downs". Don't get upset, just be polite and firm. You will leave there feeling strong not weak. Good luck.

Thank you

Hello. Recently I posted a rather long post in Introductions and only the first few lines are showing. The post is called Banded two years now... I need some help please. I tried editing it but that function seemed to be playing up. There was no option to delete next to the edit link so I reposted entire message as a reply (I had copied it fortunately.) However the reply did the same thing... just printing the first few lines. Therefore I wanted the post deleted and I also needed to know how to delete it myself if it happened again when I try to repost it anew. I searched the help section but I had to resort to contacting a moderator (which actually is not easy to find how to do that either). He suggested editing in Full Editor and if that didn't work he would contact Admin Alex. The full edit function wasn't working either... no post showing and no cursor. I ended up redoing the whole post under a different title The Good, The Bad and The ugly... two years on. It worked fortunately. So now the redundent first one is still there with no way for me to delete. Is there in fact no way for me to delete my own post or am I missing something? If there isn't a way, I respectfully suggest there should be... but in the meanwhile could you please delete the Banded two years now... I need some help please one? Thanks

Hello, I'm sorry also to hear about your journey. I have an appt with another bariatric surgeon later this month. I think it's about time I discuss my issues with a fresh ear and see what advice he can give me. I remember coming home from the second surgery and because I had the major surgery and had been on a drip with no food for almost 2 weeks my stomach must have been swollen and shrunk... now, everything else felt like crap but the feeling of complete and utter no appetite was amazing. I would have 2 or 3 bites of something and be absolutely full. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world. I would so LOVE to feel like that... be otherwise healthy but be well and truly full with no desire for another bite. The band doesn't do that in the same way... I wonder if anything would... I doubt it. Anyway, I will let you know how the meeting goes if you like.

ohhhh nooooo now that post really is messy and confusing... are you able to unmerge it? I'd rather it just left as two if you can't delete the first one. Thanks though for putting my request in the TODO list. I appreciate it.

Hi Alex, I use IE 8. As I said with this particular post it's not allowing me to edit or delete... there might just be a glitch. I tried to do both within minutes of posting because of the errors. I understand about not being able to edit after several days but I still think an individual should be able to delete their own within a reasonable amount of time... otherwise, like me, they may find themselves spending a huge chunk of time combing the site trying to find out how to fix things, then contacting a mod, who says they will contact you and before you know it a day and half has passed and the faulty post is still there. I've just checked and my original post is still there so I would appreciate it if you could just get rid of it. Thank you.

Hello. On occasions I have overeaten way more than I should. I have read the warnings about stretching the stomach pouch by doing so. Will the pouch shrink back to a smaller size over time if I keep my meals to the required amount? Has this happened to you? Thanks.

Hi. Is that what they do? Unfill you if the stomach is stretched? Why? I hope that you are right and that a period of 'doing the right thing' will shrink the pouch. Now it's just a matter of getting back on the bandwagon! Thanks.

Hello and thanks for the reply. I hope you aren't right... doesn't seem much point in having a fill if the pouch is stretched anyway. Besides, I get extreme reflux and night choking if band is tightened, SO frustrating!

Hello, I'm sure your pain is normal and will disappear as the others have said, however be mindful that sometimes things can go wrong in surgery and if the pain becomes unbearable or goes on for too long then you should let your doctor know. (If you look at my profile and read the About Me bit then you will see what happened to me.) Good luck with everything, I hope you feel better soon.

I wish you the best of luck... I too am in a spiral and am trying to claw my way back. It just feels so impossible at times. I have made an appt later this month with a completely different bariatric doctor just so I can have a chat and listen to any suggestions or options. I feel if I can't succeed with a band then it's really no point looking at a sleeve etc because the same problems will still surface eventually. I just love food. It is a great passion in my life and when I don't indulge I do miss it but I also love losing weight... arghhhhh lol. I don't want to be slim, I have no interest in being slim, I love curves, but being morbidly obese is curves overload. I KNOW I have to take control back again... it's very difficult. I don't have enough in my band to make a great difference in restriction... I have gone through the choking at night and extreme reflux... and so I only have enough in to prevent that happening... and so it isn't very effective. I'm sorry I haven't got any tips for you at this point but if and when I do find some I will come back and let you know. GOOD LUCK.

Hello, yes, I had loud rumbling and also flatulance (not smelly though) for the first few months. It should pass eventually (haha).