CaGottaBand

I'm the same way as you and my husband doesn't understand why I won't let him. For me, it just makes me feel really uncomfortable and that prevents me from enjoying it.

I wish you all the best..... continue your research. Look into the sleeve too. I love my band, i just didn't love having to go to the dr. and get fills. and i don't like the idea about erosion and slips... etc. That scares me. My current insurance does not cover WLS, so if anything goes wrong... i'm on my own. I personally would not do the Gastric Bypass.... too scary for me. And it has a higher re weight gain than any of the surgeries.... Look into them all and talk to your doctor and really think about the changes you will have to make for a life time. It's not like weight watchers were you can just stop counting point and not weight in.... or Jenny and stop buying her food.... This is forever.... I haven't had a hamburger on bun in three years.... or a deep dish slice of pizza.. But it's all worth it.
Saturday will be my three year anniversary... and i LOVE the new me.
Get healthy for you and your future family..... All the rest is just "icing on the cake" so to speak....
One more thing.... you also have to take into consideration how this will not only effect you, but your entire family..... My husband didn't want me to get the band at all and still make remarks about it. He was very secure with me at 223#. He knew that at that weight i had no self confidence and most men would not take a second look at me... Now he has a hard time with the size 6 Christina and has even said that losing weight was the worse thing that happened to us... He hates when other men look at me and feels like one day i will get a better "offer" and leave him.... On the other hand.. he loves the new me in Private... loves the more energy me, the more sexual me, the more confident me...but only in private. My daughter in law (whom i love very much) had a hard time with my weight loss. She was jealous of it, and still is... but it's getting better. My Sister in law, that had the band done in Mexico two years before me, gained weight with the band... (three weeks ago had GB) will not come around me if my brother was with her. He would com pair she and i and say..... why can't you lose weight... my sister did. Which was wrong on his part, but it's what happened.
Be prepared to lose friends.... your fat friends won't want to be around you because you will be thinner and will be jealous of you and your thinner friends will start sabotaging you, because they will fear you... no longer will you be "the fat friend".... They will say things like... how much weight are you planning on losing... your getting too thin. Your face is sunk in... You want to come eat ice-cream... a little bit won't hurt.....
So you will start getting the attention of being the thin girl in the fat group and the pretty thin girl in the thin group....

I wanna be able to wear all the cute outfits they show on pinterest! Lol

It's where they "fold" the bottom half of your stomach "in half" and stich it in place. It's kinda like a sleeve...but no cutting of the actual stomach. Don't know if I explained it well.

I don't know anything personally...but I know serveral on here had plication. I believe CarolinaGirl did?

Having been on this forum for 2 years now I have read many posts and participated in numerous threads. At first I sought help as I was learning about the banding process. People were wonderful about answering what seems now as basic questions. I also enjoyed the conversations of like minded people who were going through or had been through what I was embarking on.
Now that I have lived with my band almost 2 years and been rather successful I have alot to offer others in the way of motivation, tips and support when I see questions or conversations which I feel I can help out with. In turn I too still have questions about different subjects and appreciate the answers when I post them.
That said... this is a public forum with people from all walks of life... some of whom may not be similar to mine. But when I post a question and read the opinions and answers I appreciate them at face value and respect that someone took the time to provide me with an answer...even if it isnt something I want to hear. If I didnt want opinions I wouldnt post a question.
And in turn if I dont respond to a thread its because I have nothing to offer that has not been said or in some case because I just really have nothing noteworthy to say or maybe I feel someone is just whining and I havent the time or energy to reply.
I am discussing this because recently I have received a few personal messages which have been from people saying I am too cut and dry, too black and white, or the best one was.... Just because you are thin now doesnt mean you are all that. That one actually cracked me up because yes I am very proud of my accomplishment but now its time for me to give back and help others... and if someone thinks that is self absorbing... I have no time in my life for their insecurity.
In a nutshell... I think it would be wise for people to remember that if you ask a question about your band, diet or eating habits... expect an answer. In fact expect lots of answers from people which will be to the point and based on their own personal experience. It may open your eyes to something which will help you. Or you may choose to ignore it.... But If you do not want an answer...do not ask the question.

Kinda partial to the name Maddie!

Sure, you are welcome to share your opinion here, but to say that you don't want people to make the same mistake as you is ridiculous. Not everybody has issues with their band, and a good majority go into it knowing it isn't "all roses" and that there is a chance of it not working. It sounds like you weren't mentally prepared for it either and thought it was going to be some miracle fix. Not to say that it's the reason the band didn't work, but I think it heightened your disappointment and frustration when it didn't.
If you have cancer and a doctor says you can have a surgery that might help, but it might not, would you get it? Of course you would. I am almost 9 months out, lost almost 90 pounds, have never thrown up, and never gotten stuck. How's that for a success story for you?
For every failing band there are multiple people who have success. Just because you and others haven't had luck with it, it doesn't mean that nobody should try it.

Did ur doctor try any interventions on you? I know a girl who had this problem do the doctor took all Fluid out and they slowly worked their way up to the sweet spot.
And I didn't say u didn't have a right to share ur story. I said it would be good for people to read a bad experience. Calm the hell down.

No slight intended, but I would never want to entrust my health and well being to surgery, doctors and devices used in a foreign country...I do realize that Mexican doctors have some success stories, but for myself I would never feel comfortable with taking the risk.
You did not mention if you ever sought another medical opinion from a US doctor...I'm a strong advocate that we each need to be assertive in areas which concern our health and well being. In other words,
WE need to take the responsibility for our own health and well being.
From your posts, it reads to me that you were not proactive to resolve your medical issues with your band. For that you have only yourself to hold responsible. Not everything about pre op and post op education and nutrition education is related to money. And, after all, you did have the funds to travel to have your surgery. Just saying...
I hope you do find peace and health with your decisions...however in your situation I believe you are more interested in placing blame than accepting your lack of accountability to yourself. And, your insight is accurate...you wrote that you are bitter and disappointed.
For every failure with a band there are many, many more successes...

I'm sorry you had problems, but it's obvious something was wrong with your band from the day it was placed. Maybe it's in the wrong place, maybe your anatomy simply doesn't work well with the band, I don't know. But I do know the fact you've been living on slider foods since the first month being banded means something is wrong.
I might also add you have a 4cc band. There's a reason those are no longer used in the United States- because the company said there were way too many complications with them and now only approve the larger bands. Again, that is completely not your fault, however it stands to reason that band was too small for you from the beginning hence forever being too tight even when empty.
I hope you find what you're looking for after it's removed and I mostly hope you find good health. But please don't come on here acting like everyone who is banded is making a mistake.
We're not you and the statistics are in our favor, especially with the new bigger bands. I've lost almost 150 pounds in 9 months and I couldn't be happier. I never PB, I've never vomited, and it's extremely rare that I get stuck. In fact, I can and do still eat whatever I want without any problems. Some of us are extremely happy and successful with our bands.

Maddison Elizabeth Rachels-Gomez (Maddie)
My West Highland Whie Terrier (Westie)

Thank you

Congratulations!!!

this is happening every day...lets not let it be us....as this is why we needed wls in the first place

I made it through the day eating NO HALLOWEEN candy

((((loves maddie))))))

Maddie is adorable!

Maddison Elizabeth Rachels-Gomez (Maddie)
My West Highland Whie Terrier (Westie)

Maddison Elizabeth Rachels-Gomez (Maddie)
My West Highland Whie Terrier (Westie)

Congratulations!!! That is so exciting!

let me say that this forum is a godsend to me
there is another forum that chewed my happy (never never land) butt up and spit it out.. why? how come? because i had the nerve to say i was getting banded...
someone referenced snide remarks to the newbies or prebies let me say....far be it from me to judge ANYONE. and if anyone thinks i have or am.....my apologies here and now.
i am one of the big bmi's. yepper...the biguns you all read about. and id kill to have only to lose what some do (the lower bmi's). this does not
give me the right to cast judgement or be a ass to them.
i do however say, if i feel they are not following their dr's instructions (or suggestions) that they should be. you damn right. why go through all of this to just (eat some pie a few days out and say it was soft so what is the big difference)
take care of your body
take care of your body
eat good foods
no food is off limits but sometimes some foods just not need to ate eating those foods in the past made us need WLS
so eat what you want but dont blame the band and say its not working ...i have to hold myself accountable to me and my dr ONLY
sure i can come here and say i eat lettuce only...
are you serious?...i have lap band surgery, apparently i had trouble eating in my history.
i promised myself to be open (100%) and honest in all that i have/encounter with this band/plication new life journey. that includes TMI info at times and the good and the bad.......
this forum has some good/great people
i am honored to know them and encourage them and have them help/support me.
i will always help anyone
i will never say told you so or see what you done.....
i will however be firm in saying you need to follow the rules:
eat right
eat healthy choices
exercise (do what you can with what you have)
make no excuses
follow your dr's orders (follows ups)
if something is not right---call the dr dammit
(hate seeing posts that say should i call dr).....if you are thinking it, then you should..
well, please note i respect and adore any and all who have had this surgery
please do what you need to do to get well
if you keep doing what you always done (and needed surgery because you are fat/obese) then you will remain just that.
and that goes for me too.

I am not even going to lie...I would love to Love Sexy clothes but even more than that I just want to feel comfortable/confident in the clothes I wear regardless of what it is...

I can tell you, I have gone from a size 24 to a 14, and wearing skinny jeans with tall boots feels AMAZING! I cant wait to be able to put on a bikini next summer. This is not an "if" its WHEN I can wear one...because I am going to work hard this winter to be bikini ready for the summer!!!

I would like to go shopping for a smaller size of bra and wear dress and heels and be able to run but first I need to get band