funky_monkey800

As of right now i dont regret the band.
For me, at the time i (and my doctors) thought it was the best choice.
I have reached my goal and i am very well aware of the work it takes to keep my band in check. I watch what i eat and i work out every day...
I have never had any issues, and hopefully i never do. I followed everything my doctor told me and spoke with him or the nut/nurse when i had questions...i also came here alot in the beginning.
There are a few of us banders left....
Good luck on your journey!

Me and my husband both have harleys....it is definitely easier to ride with less weight. And i suppose its easier for him as well when i ride with him!

Lol....im gonna try rolling...i will keep you all posted to see if there is any change. ..
Guess for now we will all just have to rock our kick a$$ lightning tattoos!!😁

Lol....im gonna try rolling...i will keep you all posted to see if there is any change. ..
Guess for now we will all just have to rock our kick a$$ lightning tattoos!!😁

Me and my husband both have harleys....it is definitely easier to ride with less weight. And i suppose its easier for him as well when i ride with him!

This should be the rewards you get! I would take a baby horse! Not sure about the eggs, but....

I have lost a 2mo old horse and 10 dozen large eggs😂

Have you tried smoothies made with fruit? Iso pure makes a wonderful flavor free Protein mix that can be mixed into smoothies, Soups, drinks, ect....i like the sweet stuff so all the birthdsy cake protein mixes work well for me. Fairlife has an ultra filtered milk that is higher in protein than regular milk too

This should be the rewards you get! I would take a baby horse! Not sure about the eggs, but....

This should be the rewards you get! I would take a baby horse! Not sure about the eggs, but....

I have lost a 2mo old horse and 10 dozen large eggs😂

This should be the rewards you get! I would take a baby horse! Not sure about the eggs, but....

I have lost a 2mo old horse and 10 dozen large eggs😂

Another weird fact, one of my doctors claims I am carryi,g around a NFL qarterback, get rid of him! We already have enough deadbeat quaterbacks who can't throw,a 5 yard pass on Sunday afternoon. Shoot I'm a 72 year old woman and I got a better arm than that! I was an athletic powerhouse in my day, now I'm a broken-down warehouse. But I am getting remodeled, renovated and realigned . I will make Great American Landmarks and Monuments. Show be on the cover sometime in 2019 or 2020!

Anyone who claims to be living a band nightmare for nine years either picked the surgeon based on price or never did the requisite follow up visits. I see my doctor every four months and I can assure you no reputable bariatric surgeon would allow a patient to suffer for nine years. 90% of the band haters had a procedure under insurance that wouldn't cover follow up visits, adjustments or in rare instances medically necessary removals....or lived with a maladjusted band until their health was affected. If you have the band chose the best doctor and heed their advice. Bands are not place and forget procedures. I know people who are having problems with sleeve and bypass surgery. It happens. My band works, and all I know is it controls my appetite with zero side effects.

I know I'm new here... but I've been banded for over 8 years and just found you guys!
Personally, I love my band. I've had some hiccups along the way. Stress at one point affected my band; my band got tight and I had to have Fluid removed for a short period. Then, I've gained weight due to temporary lost mobility. (I've gained back 60# of the 164# I had lost and am working to get those nasty hitchhikers off again.)
We all test the band. (We bander's quickly learn about sliming and bypass patients quickly learn about dumping syndrome.) The band has worked for me. Other's it hasn't. Same goes with the sleeve, RNY, and other various forms of WLS. Some work for some, some don't for others.
Each have risks and each have benefits. Just as I felt for myself, weigh the pro's and con's of each for you. Arm yourself with knowledge, facts, and make the choice you feel is best for you. Shop around for the surgeon that is best for you too. Some surgeons offer little information or support; others are magnificent! Some surgeons are nothing more than salesmen and want to push you into one surgery over another.
Just remember, not one single WLS is a magical quick fix and you can regain weight no matter which one you select. Surgery isn't the sole solution. Used properly, each is nothing more than a tool to assist you in losing weight and keeping it off. In the end, be 100% confident in your decision and stick to what the doc says... you'll do awesome!

I have had my band for 10 years and I’ll be revising to a sleeve next year. I had to have all Fluid removed. My story is not the horror show some have. I don’t have a slip or a port flip that I know of (confirmed via swallow test) and my pouch isn’t stretched that I have been told but for whatever reason, it simply becomes too tight (even now with no fluid ) on occasion and I’m unable to eat solid foods. So I turn to “sliders” because I’m hungry. But sometimes even those come back. The Dr recommended revision and frankly, I’m tired of the “stuck” thing on a regular basis.

If I am asked if I recommend it I have to say maybe but leaning to no. There is a lot of upkeep and so many drs are leaving this technology behind that I simply don’t feel it will continue to be properly supported. But I would also never discourage someone who wanted it - with one caveat.

I think the best thing to do is GET A HANDLE ON YOUR EMOTIONAL EATING because the band *will not* help you with it. In many ways, it’s worse because the “bad foods” like Cookies, ice cream, mashed potatoes, sugar cereals etc all slide right in thru the band. So basically all the crap you turn to when you eat emotionally, yep, that’s going to really go thru. And the stuff you should be eating is what you get stuck on. So if you are really honest with yourself and are a big time emotional eater, you need to deal with that first. That’s actually homework for ANY surgery.

I’ll Also tell you what I told a friend. Start eating the “post op diet” now. Your portions may be larger but see what that post op diet is and eat that way now. You need to know if you can live with it before you have surgery. Lap band means NO carbonated drinks so get sodas, beer and fizzy drinks out of your diet now. All surgeries want you eating Protein first, veggies and then any carbs last. Do it now. Can you be happy eating this way? If you’re a Diet Coke addict you may as well work that out of your life now and not in recovery when you’re dealing with everything else. Can you have the occasional champagne toast or piece of cake? Of course. But notice the word “occasional” meaning a wedding or birthday is an “occasion”. Tuesday or “I had a bad day” is not. If you eat that post op diet and feel like “oh, this is nice. I feel good” it will help bolster your decision. Maybe you will like eating your protein and then a veggie and feel like “nah, I don’t need mashed potatoes”. I know I did and it felt great!! But if the thought of not having soft drinks, or bread or drinking anything with your meal (lapband guidelines state don’t drink with your meal or for 30 min afterwards) makes you want to cry, then this isn’t the surgery for you.

Can you be successful with the band? Sure! I did well for quite a while although I only lost 40 lbs. But the success cases I’ve seen have been from folks who really did their homework and got their heads right remember, they band your stomach, not your mouth. If you eat a whole bag of m&ms because you’re upset, the band can’t stop that.

Carrie p

That is perhaps the best advice from a veteran to all who consider WLS.
Specifically helpful for banders... it is a life changing decision IF you can reset your response to food like you said.
I have been in “band school” for almost 12 years .... and I find she is a fickle bi*ch at times. I just keep going along... happy about maintaining 85 lb loss... sad because it sometimes feels like an eating cult -like diet .
Please keep posting about your adventures with WLS.
It helps me to read about others’ ongoing treks.
Jules

@Frustr8 lol i love your posts😁

No today is her 6 month Surgiversity, she had hers February 26. I will have a RNY September 5th, if one of my doctors is correct I am carrying a NFL quarterback worth of weight around. I 'll be happy to drop him off at the nearest stadium. Pre surgery my losses have,mot,be sizable but still they have been losses, not as much as a large bag of flour at Sam's Club,but I have tried.

Just a quick chime in....
I visited the website mentioned above with the weight loss calculator....i never visited the site, nor did i ever think about it. All i knew was my doctors goal for me, which was 150...
And i guess i have lost more than average...i had the lap band, but punched my numbers in for the bypass as well...just out of curiosity.
And either way i have lost more than average....would i have lost more with the bypass? Who knows.
So yes....its possible! Easy? Heck no! But worth it!
😉

Made the choice in 06. Not many other options available then. Also wanted least invasive and adjustable and removable so lap band fit my prerequisite.
Slight Hair loss at 4-5 months. It did grow right back.
I have a hard time with very dry chicken and salads don’t like me sometimes.

I knew when I lost weight steadily and it did NOT COME BACK!! That this was the right choice for me.

My tools are: this board to and ask things and check in, Drs appts scheduled and kept, sharing a personal trainer 2x weekly,
and also going back to shakes when my band acts up.
It is the best I can do and I try everyday.... some days or weeks are better than others! Nothing in this life is perfect!

Lastly, it is usually the same 5-10 lbs I deal with....
Not 85 lbs!!.
Best of luck with your WLS decision.Pick what the Dr and you agree on..

1-after meeting with different doctors and talks with my husband, the lap band just seemed like the best option for me. Cost was similar, but the surgery/aftercare seemed more manageable for me.
2.no....not any Hair loss. But im pretty pro active as a woman creeping up to her 40's. I take my Vitamins religiously.
3.honestly, i can eat almost anything....its more of an issue with how much time i want to take to eat....i have to eat slowly and make sure i chew well...especially things like steak. Now i can nibble on a piece of bread, but to take a bite of a dinner roll...no way.
What i really miss is chugging cold Water when i wake up in the middle of the night....
I cant drink fast at all.
4. When the constant hunger was gone..
5. The #1 tool for me has to be my gym.

Good luck with your journey!

Check out bodybuilding.com
Great info on supps. /workouts ect....
And a ton of vets with great advice 💪
Good luck!

As of right now i dont regret the band.
For me, at the time i (and my doctors) thought it was the best choice.
I have reached my goal and i am very well aware of the work it takes to keep my band in check. I watch what i eat and i work out every day...
I have never had any issues, and hopefully i never do. I followed everything my doctor told me and spoke with him or the nut/nurse when i had questions...i also came here alot in the beginning.
There are a few of us banders left....
Good luck on your journey!