CowgirlJane

I was banded in 2001 in Germany as i lived there at the time. Last year I pulled out the brochure from Bioenterics (lapband at that time) and there is a clearly a statement that the band should NOT be considered a permanent device. I even found a statement that I had signed, indicating that I understood that it was not a permanent implant and would likely need to be removed! Knock me over with a feather, I didn't remember ANY of that. I guess the mind sometimes blocks what it doesn't want to hear.... As for the reason for failure, it is a complex topic but living with the band was really hard for me from the beginning. I hated that I couldn't eat normally. With the sleeve, I feel like i eat normal foods, just in very modest portions. I have no negative feelings about that, it feels right. I regained all the lost weight with the band after I had to have all the Fluid taken out due to reflux.

It took me close to a year to get the courage to revise from a band to a sleeve. I had all the same fears... fear of reflux, fear of failing AGAIN, fear of horrible complications and it not being "reversible". I am just a few months out, but feeling very confident this was the right decision. I am not saying it is easy, but I love that i am not hungry all the time. When I eat a meal, it is not just a pouch that fills, it is your whole stomach and to me I feel pretty normal, just eat small quantities. I never felt normal with the band. I think people who have been through a band first find some of the "challenges" with the sleeve to be a piece of cake by comparison. The main thing that was harder with the sleeve was the exhaustion/recovery during the first 6 weeks post surgery. I don't remember anything like that after being banded. I have a long way to go on my weight loss journey, but so far, hands down, 1000% better then the lapband.

That was very interesting. The only thing that really surprised me was the discussion around leaks found after 6 weeks. I thought that pretty much all leaks happen wihin the first 6 weeks.

I commend the OP to have the courage to share how much she is struggling. While a forum can't really help people with series issues, it is a place to share feelings, to share the journey - for that person's benefits but also for readers. This journey is very individual and I would like to think the pre-ops get to see the good... and the not so good. I worried about this pre-op, like i might not be able to adapt to eating less. So far, i am finding it **relatively** easy to follow the rules (maybe not perfectly, but pretty good), but I am very aware that food and beverage have a powerful role in out culture, in our lives, and how well I cope with it over the long run remains to be seen. I am expecting this to be a lifetime issue, the surgery is a tool to help, but the basic underlying situation isn't really changed by having part of your stomach removed - if your eating is primarily emotional. I am suspecting that in my case, my overeating was very much a physical drive, because so far, I am fine not eating so much because i am just not so hungry all the time. Like I said, time will tell.

Immediately post surgery, I had a hard time with the taste of plain water. I also felt like it bothered my tummy a little. Herbal tea and that sort of thing worked better. I am now 2 months out and drink plain water all day long.

I hope you can hear that people are saying what they are saying out of caring. I implore you to get some help, you are risking your health. Weight loss is not the priority right now - it is getting that staple line healed. I am scared for you that you are putting your health at risk. I am also very empathetic to that whole "wake up everyday and promise yourself you will do better" - I have gone through that emotion in years past and it is not a good place to be. I know it isn't easy, but I would like to offer you some comfort - it gets easier. What I mean by that is you don't have all these restrictions later. I love that I can eat anything as long as I keep my Proteins in and watch the carbs. I generally don't crave junky food, and this whole "how to eat" is just becoming less of a production. I don't eat fast food, but I am in a mindset rightnow that just wants good nutrition for my body. I started this journey at 300+ so it is not like I have a long history of being a healthfood nut, it is more like that now that I am not starving all the time, I find it much easier to control my choices. I read somewhere that people who eat healthier don't really have more willpower but rather set themselves up for success. for example, they don't have to fight the mental struggle over "should I eat that ice cream" because they just never buy the ice cream. They don't walk down the aisle with the ice cream. It seems really true, that the further away the "temptation" the easier it is to resist. When you go back to work, focus on Water and having your Protein drinks and other things appropriate for your "stage" really handy. Make it easy for yourself to be successful. Focus on those things, rather then focusing on what you CAN'T have. Hang in there and keep us posted - I am rooting for you to get through this!

I know several people who had the gastric bypass and one of them did look that way, the rest looked really healthy to me.

I had a 38, happy with things so far.

I had a band implanted in 2001. At the time, it was either that or the gastric bypass. I went to a surgeon who was (and still is) a very well known bariatric surgeon. The surgery went fine, and even though fills were not enjoyable, it was okay. My port access was not easy, but do-able. Here are the reasons that I would never recommend the band: 1. I thought it was relatively benign/safer procedure. That is partially true in that the surgical procedure is quite safe, but it is NOT true in terms of long term complications. A very high number of people wind up with slipped bands, pouch dilation, flipped ports etc. The longer the time passes, the higher the complications rate. I believe that almost everyone needs to have their band out eventually. Back in 2001, the Bioenterics marketing materials even said that... to consider it a temporary device. 2. Living with the band.... was hard. At first, my hunger was reduced but over time I often felt hungry/not satiated even though my pounch was full. I resent the remark about how so many people "cheat" - try living with a tool that punishes you for eating dense Proteins and fresh vegetables and see what that does to YOUR head over the years. You get really tired of having food stuck or pain when eating and it is just easier to eat slider type foods. 3. Foreign object in your body - now, this didn't bother me too much, but since having the band removed I love not having that port in my side. I love that it is gone. 4. Weight loss. Some people do pretty well. I lost 70# with the band - the first 30 of that was during the liquid phase right after surgery. I lost 40# over the next year, which required exercise and basically dieting. It was really hard and I didn't lose as much weight as i wanted. I started having horrid reflux due to the pressure from the band. Fluid was removed, and it helped, but I also regained the weight. I am only 2 monhts into the sleeve journey, but already it is just easier to live with then the band ever was.

My doctor didn't do the leak test either and had some compelling reasons for it. So, what i would like to know, is of the people who had leaks, how many were actually found during these post surgery leak tests? There is a lot of swelling and the like. - it seems like most people find out about their leaks 1-6 weeks post op. If the leak test doesn't find most leaks, and leaks are rare, it is logical to not do a test that has it's own set of issues. Everybody quotes 1% as the leak rate, but the studies I read were higher, more like 2.8%.

I can totally relate... and some level i didn't totally believe either ... especially after my 10 year failed lapband saga... i did the surgery anyway and have been very pleased! It is funny that I should read your post right now because i had just been thinking to myself "You know, I think i am believing this is going to work! I have lost 48 pounds so far - nearly 1/3 of the way to my personal goal and while it hasn't been 100 percent easy, it really is going great and i love life wihtout constant hunger. I think it took that realization to make me really start to believe that this really works!

I didn't quite make this challenge, but that is okay, it was an aggressive target since I wasn't sure how much my loss would slow down after the first month of surgery. what I posted at the start of the challenge: PreOp Weight: 308 Surgery weight: 300 Current weight: 279 Valentines goal weight: 255 Final goal weight: 160 Actual weight is on Feb 13 262 so i lost 17# since the start of the challenge - I am happy with that!

I have heard this 1% complication rate mentioned, but I have read through several "studies" and frankly, I think the complication rate is probably closer to 3%. I don't know if 1% is just leaks or where that number comes from. The complication rate is said to be higher if you are a band to sleeve revision. It is a much lower complication rate then the band because pretty much all the sleeve complications happen right up front, whereas the band problems tend to get worse with time. I don't know the actual stats on the band, but I personally think that nearly EVERYBODY will eventually have to have theirs out - just a matter of time.

I have no idea why anybody is still doing lapbands as their main surgery. It was the only alternative to the bypass 10 years ago, but now that we have the sleeve, I think it is really a much lesser choice. I speaketh from experience - I was banded in 2001; revised to sleeve in 2011. The long terms stats for the band are TERRIBLE. I don't mean just weight loss, I mean complication and removal rates.

Have you asked to switch heartburn meds? I know that different ones work differently and it is worth trying new ones to solve this! I take proselic and have yet to suffer from significant heartburn. Early on, water was the worst, for whatever reason herbal tea went down much better. i hope you get to feeling better soon..

The risk of leak is fairly low - but does happen. Try to get your surgeon's actual stats. What long term risks did he talk about?

I went out to a restaurant recently, right before seeing the "Cavalia" show. I was thinking that my eating one little bit of a shared appetizer and some soup would be noticed, but here is the funny... haha... I was at a small table with 3 other women (it was a big group and we were too late to fit at the main table) and it was like a who could eat the least contest. Good lord, I probably ate as much or more then the others. Weird.

I still get hungry after 3-4 hours, but it is ALOT less then before. I am filled up by much less food, but i don't forget to eat. The only thing is if I am out and about and busy, I can get off schedule, then I find myself overly hungry int he evening and eat more then i should.

My scale progress has been slow last several weeks, but I seem to be losing inches! Down 2# this week, not sure I am going to make the challenge goal though! CW: 266 Challenge Goal: 255

You and have a similiar profile - fairly high starting BMI, and a lot to lose. I would love to get down to 160, that is my personal goal. I totally agree with everything that everybody said, but I also have another thought. I started this journey at 308 - if I only get to 200# and can actually maintain that, it has been totally worth it even if 160# alludes me. Even now, I am more physically capable and my health is improving. I simply refuse to fall into that "all or nothing" thinking that only if I hit a certain magical number on a scale will I be a "success". That thinking has not served me well over the years and I am not playing this time. I have set for myself a series of goals because for my brain, that works better and is less overwhelming then having to think about losing 148 pounds (from my starting weight). For me, that number is just... awful.... it carries some emotional baggage I guess that would bring me down if I spent to much time thinking about it. I am viewing the fact that I am on the journey and making the most of it as my success for right now. I was discouraged because the scale is moving slow right now, but I saw a friend yesterday that hasn't seen me in 2 weeks and she was shocked - she said I looked thinner in two weeks even though the scale only gave me a couple of pounds. I keep celebrating the small victories rather then being crushed by the possibility of failure or the enormity of the task.

I know that it is normal for weight loss to slow down, but I started out at a pretty high BMI so I want to be sure I maximize these first months to get the maximum loss. At the last meeting with the NUT, I was not feeling good. She encouraged me to up my carbs to more like 80 a day, instead of staying in the 25-40 range. She was right, i felt better almost instantly, but I also think my weight loss has slowed to 1-2 pounds a week. I am keeping my eaten calories in the 700-800 range and I get another 65 or so calories in Vitamin supplements (chewables and liquids have calories and carbs) but the total is always under 1000. I am probably getting 70-80 carbs a day now, including the Vitamins. I am trying to focus on getting my carbs from vegetables and fruits, very limited amount of bread or Pasta type products. I am concerned that if I go back to the under 40 carbs again that i will feel so weak and tired again but I am not sure what else to do to get that weight loss going faster. I walk 30 minutes a day, including a hillclimb, doing small increases in activity in everyday life such as parking along ways away from the store and trying to do more things using my body rather then sitting - and am back to doing horse stuff. I could probably increase activity to see if that would help. I am thinking of buying an elliptical as those are gentle on my knees. I started out at a 51 BMI so even though I had good losses the first month, I won't get to my goal if I don't pick up the pace here in month 2.

I came back on this website right after it went back up, and it was the only website open when I became aware that I was under attack - malware, not just a virus. Anyway, I got it all fixed up but have been leery of coming back. Malware is very commonly spread by the commercial ads that are on websites - so that is what I always suspect. I have only lost 3.2 over the past 2 weeks, but i am down to a weight that I haven't seen since I think 2008 so I am happy about that! People are starting to notice the lost weight too, which is a real boost.

The only form of calcium that is highly absorbable is calcium citrite. The gummies and typical chewables you find in the store are NOT the right form of calcium so your body can't use most of it. I used to do those chocolate chews and much to my dissapointment found out that I wasn't getting what i needed, but this is expecially important post surgery. Take it for what it is worth, but this is what nutritionalists have told me and when i googled it to find out what was needed post bariatric surgery, it was confirmed. BTW, i am doing good with my vitamns now - everything is better now that I am 6 weeks out! :purplebananna:

Yes, that is exactly the Dr Kessler I was talking about. I found his writings and thoughts on obesity to be mind opening. I truly believe that there are many factors, but a big one is this certain type of food (processed, low nutrient or with fake supplements, usually salty or sweet or carb laden) triggers over eating. It impacts alot of people, not just the obese, but it is one of the triggers that can help send a person who is prone to obesity right over the edge. I just want to make the point that there are plenty of obese people for whom counseling, talk therapy etc etc have zero impact because the "cycle" they are on is very largely driven by physical imbalances, metabolic disordrs and an undernourished (but overly caloried) body.

I know you didn't ask for advice... but... I will give it anyway... find a surgeon who really believes that the sleeve is the right surgery for you! The first surgeon I saw felt i would fail with the sleeve since I had regained all my losses with the band. He wanted me to do the gastric bypass and I thought about that for a long time but for whatever reason, I could just never wrap my head around the risks and he messing with my intestines. I guess we all have our "thing" and for me, changing the intestines was just something I couldn't visualize doing to myself. It was dumb luck that I encountered someone who told me to reconsider the sleeve and to meet with a surgeon that she loved and whose patients are having great successes... and the rest... well ..history as I am now sleeved by a great surgeon!