becca2010

This is exactly why I joined this forum. To r.ead the good, bad , and ugly of the band. Get a reputable doctor, even if that requires travel.Be sure there is good follow up care. Live the band life for awhile. Drink shakes, practice eating rules(chewing, waiting, etc.) Then if you and the doc are in top form you will be extremely successful!
Some people lose fast, I lose slow. But I wouldn't change my decision for anything. I have had no complications. I feel great.
Good luck researching and with your decision.

Was banded on 2 19 13 and have lost a total of 55 pounds. 16 before surgery and about 39 total post surgery. I have had not serious issues except cold. Everybody who has weight loss surgery gets cold and stays that way for a while. Seems it has something to do with the weight loss and metabolism. Finally warmed up 2 weeks ago when I went to AZ and it was 98.
Recovery time was about 1 week for me. Did not do any heavy lifting for about 2 more weeks. Practice the drinks, chewing slowly, and the one I have most trouble with is don't eat in front of the TV, computer, etc. I still can't totally break that one. The other one I have issues with is eating slowly. I eat like there is no tomorrow and get some pain in the tummy if I eat too fast.
Have to eat at least 3 oz of food every 3 hours or I can get ravenous. Other than that all is well. Go in for second fill tomorrow so hope that will kick start another round of weight loss.
Good luck in your journey. It is a journey and sometimes I felt I was on a roller coaster at first, but got everything under control.
Make sure there are good support groups for post surgery and attend them before your surgery and hear what others have to say. Do your fills on time and follow the doctor's orders.
It has been a good experience for me and hope and wish for you much luck.

I had my surgery last Friday June 7th so it has been 4 days for me.
For the sake of honesty I had to have the 3cc primer amount removed a couple of days after surgery because I couldn't even get any liquid down - not even Water - which was odd because the day before that I was fine. Dr said this happens to 5% of patients and attributes it to swelling.
Still healing from the stitches and being operated on (but that's normal with any surgery). I was a little bummed out because of the defill but others have told me this may be a good sign that I may not be one of those people that has to have a lot of fills to reach the "Green Zone." Apparently some people on here have lost over 100+ lbs with NO fill.
Gas pains in the shoulder and back were a little bothersome, but avoidable with Gas X chewables/strips.
I don't ever count pre-op weight loss because it is not "lapband weight loss." Even the post op diet is subjective because you would have lost the same amount if you just did the liquid diet on your own. That said, since Friday I have lost 8.5lbs.
I don't want to speak on others' behalf but I have discovered that more people are happy with their band than those that are not. You should also note that the majority of people that post here are those that have had problems, questions, and are not representative of the entire lapband population. Typically when you are happy and have no concerns, you don't come here.
If you have any questions or need a buddy, you will find lots of support here. Some are more gentle than others, but all mean well

The ugly truth is the band is not magic. It will help you make changes but you still have to commit to making those changes. I was banded in February, I lost 60 lbs before, about 40lbs since and still have over 100lbs to go.
Losing after the band hasn't been easy I still need to exercise, watch what I eat, and deal with getting stuck occasionally but it's been much easier than losing weight ever was before. I feel full sooner, I don't get hungry as often, and even exercise is easier (I assume this is due to satiation triggering a more consistent insulin response).

If you're looking for the bad, I can help you there. I'll get my band next Wednesday, but I've been through this site very thoroughly and here are the main drawbacks:
Don't eat what you shouldn't
Don't eat too fast
Don't eat and drink at the same time
Band slippage, errosion and port problems often happen because of neglegence - sometimes, it's just a bad device. These things don't happen often. Early bandsters report:
Gas pains - usually in the shoulder for some reason.
Wanting to vomit but can't - they've eaten too much of the wrong thing or ate it too fast.
To be honest, the positives far outweigh the negatives. I have a few friends with the band and their experiences were such that I was ready to get mine as soon as I found out that was how their fat "melted" so quickly. One friend has had her band for 10 years now - she lost a total of 236 and looks like a living barbie doll now. She has had her port changed once to a newer, smaller version about 2 years ago, but she hasn't had any fills since then either. She eats what she wants to now and works out maybe once a week.
I hope I've helped a bit...just wait a couple of hours, there are several experienced bandsters that can help you more than me. Misty and Carolinagirl will probably post to you shortly. They are my angels.

Start with Alex's book. "The BIG Book on the Lap-Band" It will answer most of your questions. But you have to do your own research on what's best for you and make an informed decision.

Hello everyone my name is Becca and I am considering the lap band. I just called my local hospital and they said I qualify. To all the people that have it in wheather it was yesterday, last year or 10 years ago can you please give me advice. I'm looking for the good and the bad especially the bad that the doctors won't tell you. I need to know everything about this! Thanks guys in advanced