NewSho

Mary, I don't know but I do know that the Harvard Pilgrim program was voted one of the best insurance plans in the country due to patient satisfaction (The nearby Tufts plan was voted the best overall in the U.S.) No I don't work for Harvard Pilgrim but I know people have said that they are fair to deal with. Sleep apnea is a very serious co-morb, and paired with hypertension and your other medical issues, then you should persue approval with all your strength. Good Luck to you!

I don't live in the Chicagoland area - but I have heard rave reviews about Dr. Nagel. Hopefully you'll make the right choice for you, but they are both decent choices. Good Luck.

OK, this is the beginning of the Apocalypse. I actually agree with Dr Pleatman on something - that's NEVER happened. :faint: { I know, I know - he's the experienced surgeon, I'm just some random LapBand patient.} But honestly when I read his posts, I have always thought he was just a typical "cut and saw" surgeon who is more concerned with numbers on a clipboard rather than with how patients actually live their daily lives. I thought his comments on "Get over it and Move on" were simply caustic and condescending. Now I think I'm either losing my bark or getting used to his bite. This is earth-shattering.:rolleyes For example: I agree - MOST don't. Omigawd, if I had lost 1 pound a week since being banded, I'd be in the negatives in weight now. Even during the first 2 years of banding, that would still be 100# (pounds) gone. And if I had lost 100# of my original weight, I could be a fashion model by now. But seriously, even with getting back to realistic goals, Dr Pleatman is right on this point. And most of the MANY banded folks I know don't lose anywhere near 52# a year or #100 in 2 years. Been there, done that, got the medical records to prove it. I just read the initial assessments by my own surgeon and the others I consulted with before my LapBand. Guess what, they all expressed that I seemed destined for Weight Loss Surgery success (except for one ultra-conservative who thought my BMI might be a bit too low for a drastic surgery. G-o-d Bless Him, first time I've been thought of being too small to do ANYTHING. ) I walked in to EVERY single consult with a full approval for RnY that I got myself, so I did all I could to be brutally honest about my life, my diet and my goals and then asked for their advice. Sadly since this was in 2001 most felt that the LapBand wouldn't help patients lose 70#-80# - sounds crazy but that was the thinking back them. It KILLS me to say this: but those docs who thought RnY may have been a 'more guaranteed' choice for me, may have been right. Now this is just my case, but man hindsight is 20/20, isn't it? I agree. I'm a TechnoGeek and the mechanical 'geekiness' of this procedure totally was attractive to me. In my Patient Assessments done by my surgeon, I even read that I asked more technical questions than other patients ever did. Well I should have more seriously considered that all devices can fail, but that's another story. I think LapBanders tend to be a different breed, and many surgeons I know have said their LapBand patients tend to be a bit more techno-oriented & some are a bit more educated, and I personally think LapBanders tend to have an individualistic streak. Now with that in mind - did that attract us to such an unusual form of WLS? Any thoughts on this? I wonder why are some LapBand patients seem so different? Oh man, so true. I went with the "safer" easier procedure and 5 years later I'm still fat (and according to my BMI of 30, I'm techincally still obese:mad:. ) In fact, I've even had major complications and I *do* sometimes think "Oh I could have had the RnY for all this time, money and effort." And though the LapBand was safer, am I better off now, considering that I'm still overweight? So it's true. I have formally agreed with Dr. Pleatman on every point in one of his posts. I am agreeing with the man who has said painfully strong things about the LapBand and other weight loss procedures. So what is next? Gee, maybe eventually he'd convert me later, because my own surgeon ain't hearing it. Anyone got a spare plane ticket to Michigan? Happy Band (and Non-Banded) Journeys to all

Choosing between Weight Loss Surgery ( WLS) procedures is a tough one for many people. This is an individual decision that only you can make. If you have narrowed it down to the Band vs the bypass then just know think about this. They are both two great procedures and for those of us who are forced to consider drastic measures to lose weight, it's important to see that each procedure has its own merits. My story is a bit different from some others. I should probably brace myself for flack for this, but I will just be frank. I was literally on a path to achieve quite spectacular success with the LapBand. Quite honestly, that spectacular success with the band has not happened. And according to my surgeon who has given me a "Sorry, but you probably won't lose any more with the Lap Band.." letter, it may never happen. I was banded five years ago {I sought to be approved for the RnY bypass but I really didn't want to commit to something quite so drastic, and I was impressed by Band success in Europe and elsewhere} and I have struggled. Now keep in mind, like all technology, things have changed & improved since 2001 and many people have gone on to oustanding results with LapBanding. So remember that this is my own story, and your results may vary. Lots of folks are now doing well with the LapBand - but those who don't are often shunned and don't openly participate in forums the way that those who have achieved remarkable success may do. So here I am. Initially I only wanted to lose 70-80 pounds max, I thought the Band could help me in my quest. Keep in mind, even before Lapbanding I ate no red meat or beef, nor pork, no ice cream, no chocolate. I don't even drink shakes or malts. So I thought with some modification I could succeed, and I definitely did all I could to make it work. My results? Not very impressive, honestly. I've only lost about 51-52 lbs. and this is after 5 years. My pre-op BMI was about 38/39 and now after 5 years it's a BMI of 30. So I wasn't one of the more successful ones, and my weight is still a major problem even five years later. Quite honestly, I've really struggled with having selected an option that included no malabsorption. Ironically, this same "lack of malabsorption" is what drew me to the LapBand but my weight loss has been so slow (and sometimes non-existent) I have certainly been frustrated at times and that can hurt. As I've had the LapBand longer, I've gone through a few things that most newly banded patients won't suffer. I still think the LapBand is a fabulous option, but my original surgeon has now become quite frank about what my chances are for success. I do recommend it but I do so for friends/patients who have lower BMI, and seem to be comfortable with the fact that LapBand weight loss is considerably slower than some of the other forms. In the pre-op period you're told LapBand weight loss takes longer. And sometimes it seems like "oh yeah, I won't care if it takes longer" but when you've paid your own money and watch other patients lose more and lose faster, sometimes you can start to second-guess it. I am happy to be 51or more pounds lighter? You bet. I can wear things I couldn't before, and I look a lot better. But I haven't gotten near my goal of 70#-80# and now my own surgeon doubts it can be done with the LapBand. So I am carefully considering my options. But if I had known the LapBand wasn't going to work for me (don't we all wish we had such foresight in life?), I would have definitely had another form of WLS I'm tired of being fat. Period Which form would I have had? Even with all the scariness, the complications and the lack of adjustability, I've have the RnY. (The RnY is drastic but for my needs the DS is way scarier. It's a lifestyle choice, plain and simple and I think the D-Switch is much too drastic for me. My friends who have DS have done well but they have been at a higher BMI, higher start weight and have had different lifestyles than me.) I don't want a RnY bypass but I don't want to be Morbidly Obese either. So I can't join the "Oh, it was LapBand or nothing" choir - because I was fat for so long I needed something to help me. If the LapBand can't help me, I can't do it alone so I'll have to find a tool that is right for me. The LapBand is a fabulous tool - it has adjustability, it is not permanent and it when it works, it does work well. But always remember there are other factors that can affect its' success and unlike other forms - there is no guarantee that your body will automatically lose weight (although we know many bypass type patients later struggle with keeping it off, very few of them ever actually don't lose weight initially) with the LapBand or that you will lose as much as you want. Good luck with your decision - and happy WLS journey to you.

Count me among those who don't care for chocolate either way. If I just *have* to eat some it can only be the Special Dark or bittersweet kind - I can't STAND any form of milk chocolate. After surgery, I would occasionally have a craving for a Reese's (odd, cuz I don't care for either chocolate or peanut butter) but that generally meant my Protein + blood sugar level was low, LOL. Now if I could just crave Protein drinks....

Thank you, everyone. I haven't had many good things happen to me (weight-related) lately so this it was nice to share a (lengthy) but heartfelt victory with my fellow Banded folk. I might have seemed like Cinderella for one night, but my busy schedule seems to have wreaked havoc on my silhouette (*sucks in stomach*). It's back to Real Life now. I forgot to add that it was freezing cold that night, but I was determined to wear that dang spaghetti-stap dress anyway - so I just threw a coat over it and strutted through the cold weather, anyway. But I will definitely consider getting it altered. Right now it's hanging on the outside of my closet so I can pass by and stare at it. Hey, maybe instead I should hang it in the kitchen - so I will have to see it before I go near the refrigerator, LOL. Thanks for sharing with me.

Whew. This has probably been the busiest month I've had in years. But I wanted to take some time to reflect on my year since my band repair and Celebrate a small joy. It's been one crazy year - almost to the day - since my 2005 surgery. This time last year, I had my band access port replaced to a lower profile port, the access area moved to a different part of my body - and my tubing repaired due to a leak. (And I just found out from reading my medical records, I had some never-before-mentioned-to-me minor surgical things tweaked during the '05 procedure.) In other words I was practically rebanded a year ago.(I was banded 5 years ago originally, but after major league complications, I struggled mightily to achieve and maintain any real loss with my band. But almost one year ago to the day, I began a sort of "second chance" with the band.) Since my doctor insisted I treat this as a new band as if I was "brand new," that's what I did. I tried life almost as a "new" Banded patient again. One year later, the experiment didn't quite work as we thought. But I am grateful for some of this past year's progress. No, I'm not considered much of a success after only losing 51# -52# of my 70# goal in all these years but although I may have to now consider other non-band & surgical options to get the weight off, I am trying to reflect on some of the positive things that have happened at least in this past year. One difference - with the newer band I once again felt, at least for a time, some real restriction which was really good. It's helped me to have some renewed success and to help deal with the Monster of "Head Hunger" vs "Real Hunger". That's a good thing as a popular domestic diva might say. But now I'm overdue for a fill. Once I get some things settled and situate myself with a new fill doctor I'll be on my way again. Stay tuned. The positive stuff? Well after a busy 2-week period including an out-of-state trip and then some parties and events, I had a small Non scale Victory (or "NSV"). Well, non-scale victories are the only ones I have since I haven't had a "SV" since I got my weight into OneDerLand. But hey, a girl has to take her joys where she can find them. Here's what happened: I had to go shopping to find things to wear (most of my clothes seem curiously big, and although the scale isn't moving much I think my tummy tuck is finally starting to 'kick in'). As a shopped I saw a Clearance Rack for regular (non plus sizes). I rarely can find anything good on the sales rack in larger sizes (A silent curse for the tiny size 4's who can always find something good on sale or clearance :phanvan ) Well, as I browsed, I saw a great dress and grabbed my normal size 16 and put it over my arm. When I peered at it later, I realized that size 16 might be too big after all. This is a major relevation. Some of the thinner among you can't possibly fathom this - but eyeballing a size 16 and having it possibly be too big? Omigawd, that's a big deal for someone like me. I had to make myself hold the dress up and keep looking, because in my head, I didn't believe it, although my eyes were clearly telling me the dress was just too large. On a good day I'm a 16 in jeans, especially with slimmer-fitting brands. [ Background: Now keep in mind I'm a Professional Fat Person - I sometimes feel like being fat, or fighting fat is what I seem to concentrate so much of my energy on. I mean, I'm the girl who can't get her BMI under 30 after having had WLS 5 years ago :rolleyes so my weight is a constant struggle. So after dieting, exercise, LapBand surgery and then a "Well, Dang, I had LapBand 4.5 years ago, why am I waiting? Tummy Tuck" operation- I am usually a size 14 / 14W or so. Sad but true - after all this money, time and effort - honestly I'm grateful just to be able to get to the "regular bigger sizes." Habit still makes me head for the Plus Sizes & Womens Sizes clothes rack. My larger frame means they usually fit a bit better. And really, I'm a Size Tall so there are no regular sizes in Jeans/pants for me, but hey, that's life, eh? But being taller makes my rather uneviable heavier weight a bit more tolerable as I have a larger frame to space my fat out on.] So I'm in the store, right? After arguing with myself for the longest, I drag myself back to the dress rack so I can pick up the same dress in a size 14. I avoided dresses for the longest due to the hanging pouch of skin at my belly. Now that's been minimized quite a bit. So this is the first dress I've bought since my Band Repair and my Tummy Tuck. And although I didn't lose a pound (actually like most TT patients, I initially gained weight due to swelling & Fluid retention) I think my abdomen is finally starting to look trimmer. I have to convince myself to pick up the size 14 but since it's the only one left in that size, I do get it. I really had to quiet my self doubt just to grab the Size 14. Later in the dressing room, I go to pull it over my head and wiggle into it, only to realize it's too tight. I'm crushed - literally. Then I realize two important things: #1. It has a hidden inner zipper which I never bothered to undo - once I unzip it, the dress slides down and fits. #2. Although it was on the Size 14 section of the rack, the dress is tagged as Size 12. Yep, me, NewSho - Professional Fat Person managed to get into a Size 12 slinky silk spaghetti strap dress. I couldn't believe my eyes. I had it on, and it wasn't ripping or splitting. When I saw myself in it, I almost cried. The lady in the next fitting room probably thought I was having a Nervous Breakdown but I was so full of emotion. I never thought I'd see a size 12 again - and although this wasn't my real size, it felt great. I just twirled and twirled and twirled around in the fitting room - I couldn't believe it! Now reality is - I'm not delusional - I can't wear size 12 jeans or shorts. But this dress actually got on my body. Honestly, I need a Boob Lift but until then I have to solve any breast-related issues with well-engineered bras. So this dress does call for a bulletproof strapless bra. Plus my butt really is a size 14 - that should have been the size I should have bought but since the Size 12 actually got on, looked OK and since it was on clearance - that baby came right home with me. A beautiful little silk slip dress in size 12 - and I actually got in it. It was worth its weight in gold. Me? In a 12? Even for just one night, it was so exciting.:confused: I wore the dress to the party that night. There was lots of media & TV coverage of the event, but I felt confident. It did the job, but after losing some weight (and after treating "The Twins" to a much-needed Boob Lift) I would look GREAT in it. But for right now, just getting in it was the victory. I'm still fighting the war but it's nice to win a battle now and then. Thanks for letting me share this. It ain't all gloom and doom over here, all the time. And though I'm always fighting the Battle of The Bulge, at least I got one good shot in this war. :clap2: Happy Band Journeys To All, New Sho (a.k.a. "I ain't a size 12 but I got to play one on TV, just for one night :kiss2: ")

CONGRATS:clap2:

For some people it's common for people to throw out their banding date as some kind of validation for their statements, so I'll join in I guess (*shrug*) and share my thoughts on it. I was banded in 2001 as well - during the original FDA study period. And I was also the victim of a band leak as are many of our 5-years banded contemporaries. I had my port switched out nearly a year ago - and it was like a whole new band, especially with the newer lower profile access port. In short, I got restriction like I had never experienced. I didn't even know what true restriction was until I got this newer little silicone sucker. :couch2: I don't know what's changed (and I had an admittedly off kilter experience with my original banding) but it is TOTALLY different. Talk to some other veteran bandsters and they might tell you similar stories about having replacements. It may be similar to the experience of driving a 2001 car and then having it replaced with a 2005 or 2006 engine. The newer car might be faster or more powerful than the older model. Who knows? I can just tell you that in my experience, it's different. Just my .02 & Happy Band Journeys to all.

First, to Jonathan: I know first hand how our WLS journeys don't always go as smoothly as we wish, so no matter what you decide - I wish you luck and success. You deserve success and I believe wholeheartedly that you will achieve with it - band or not. Good Luck. Now about this comment: Not to be pro-RnY (eek) but this is kind of misleading. Of course RnY patients generally benefit from malabsorption which occurs at maximum rate until about 18-24 months after surgery. Then after that initial period, there can be a stretching of the pouch and a slowdown of the malabsorption rate both of which can contribute to some "bounce back" weight gain of up to 10% in some RnY patients. But to imply that (all) RnY patients regain (all) their weight after 3 years? Nah, there is nothing I've seen in clinical research nor personal observation to support that. Can RnY patients gain weight back? Yes. Do all patients do so? No. Do those that regain see all of their post-op weight loss come back? No. Are the RnY and DS surgeries still very serious complex, (and for some commitment phobic folks like me) down right scary procedures? Yes! But it's good to clear up any confusion about the rate of re-gain with bypass types of procedures. Happy Band (and Unbanded) Journeys to all.

[ I don't think people realize that posts like the one previously (or any posts that ask, "Oh gosh, maybe you could try XYZ") sometimes can unintentionally make people feel worse. There is a big difference in when people come to us asking for advice and guidance, versus when they come with finality having made a decision. Complications suck, but they you MUCH opportunity to think about what your next step will be. So OF COURSE he's probably considered every option. What's the right decision for some people is just that, and questioning decisions that people make and then announce here sometimes reads like second-guessing even though it's not meant that way. I often think this is what DeLarla gently hints at in her well-stated posts on topics like this.But lacking her restraint, I'll just move on to responding to the Original Poster.] Jonathan, Bless you for your experiences and for sharing them with us. We know this decision was not a hasty one, and it's been a lot of soul-searching. None of us can ever predict our journeys, but I know you'll move into the next phase your weight loss process with your eyes fixed on success. Hopefully when you're farther down the success route, this part of your journey will seem like a smaller bump on a long journey. You deserve all the success and I know you will undoubtedly achieve it. HUGS.

Oh, Lou honey - have you been reading your fellow Bandsters' private journals? Your words are going to echo and resound within many in our banded community - whether many who read it, have the chutzpah to speak up and say so or not. Everyone won't agree, but that's what makes us individuals and not lemmings, right? But quite earnestly, I hear you loud and clear - and it is very much a concern to any (sensible?) Bandster whether this tool (or even the DS, the VG-Sleeve, or RnY or heck, even "magic fairy dust" ) will get us where we need to be. The thing is, we don't know. When I see pre-ops say "Oh, I'll never eat XX XX after I get my band" or "I know I can make this work" I think of course - no one pays thousands upon thousands of dollars (Australian or American dollars) to have something fail. We all go into this with hope of succeeding, and thankfully many of us do achieve success. But as I've posted before (which gets folks riled up, but then the truth hurts) I have NEVER seen any group of people, like Bandsters, that are so quick to point fingers and assign blame to those within their own ranks that are struggling. Never. Not with any other Weight Loss surgery type or any other Weight Loss program I've seen. I don't know if it's the particular types of personality that are attracted to Lap Bands or if it's something that Lap Bands bring out in us - but I know there is more finger pointing, accusing mea culpa, self punishment and self blame among some of us, than any other group I see. Why are Bandsters so quick to blame ourselves to an almost masochistic point (and someone could argue that implanting a piece of silicone, tubing and titanium in ones abdomen is in itself masochistic ) and why do we blame the "fallen soldiers" among us? So is one a bad person for not having estimated the right tool for the job. ( Have you ever heard or read the following statements? "Well, you're not losing very fast. You're probably not making smart food choices, I bet" and "Are you sure you've done your best to make this work?" or "Gee, I lost 100# out of the 250# I need to lose, I don't see what your problem is" or my favourite, "I've seen people not succeed with the Band but it's mostly because they drink 4-5 ice cream shakes a day, etc... ) Sure it's a tool. Any all tools aren't necessarily right for everybody. What if you do a bit of DIY or home improvement, and you think you need a 1/32" screwdriver. You may estimate it carefully, shop carefully and find the right brand at the right type - then get it home and find that you actually needed the 1/16" screwdriver... Maybe sometimes the tool is right, but it takes some of us longer to learn to work with the tool. Perhaps with some time, that 1/32" screwdriver could be worked with, to complete the task although it might take a bit longer. I think your post, Lou, is a good reminder that not everyone comes to this journey with a factory--installed set of "FAIL SAFE GOOD JUDGMENT DECISION MAKERS" that are automatically implanted during the Lap Band surgery. Bravo to you for expressing it. Happy Band Journeys to all.

Hugs! And big congrats on quitting smoking - you won on two fronts, the clean bill of health and on quitting! Good girl.

Mine just sadly shut me down at about 2.8 or so - he made it clear he's not doing more than that as of 2006. Luckily some of his other patients made it to 3.0 or so before then, but I was one of the unlucky ones as I didn't know his philosophy changed and I waited 'til 2006 for my next fill. Since I need new restriction and asked (pleadingly) for a fill, I'm now no longer his patient. So I guess this "not filling it more than XXXX amount" is a big deal. If someone had told me some surgeons (like my "soon to be former" surgeon) are only going to fill the band 2/3 of the way then I would have probably factored that in when I chose this type of WLS. But, I'll be curious to see what amounts other Banded folks' docs will allow them to have...

OK, I'll change "offensive" (which is a bit strong) to "noteworthy." I think that's more fair.

(*HUGS* ) Vinesqueen. Just don't know what else to say but We Luv Ya !

Hmmm... unintentional finger pointing, eh? I mean, I don't have a spouse/kids to buy No-No's for - but this post seems a bit pedantic and maybe even preachy to me. Oh well, I have long since realized that those who don't feel they need/want additional help with weight loss sometimes think obesity is a problem with willpower. I think there are other factors in this - I haven't bought a pint of ice cream since my niece's birthday party like six years ago. So temptation isn't what drives my struggles - but everyone's opinion is different. To each his band (or non-band) own...

and Hello! Let's see if I can better explain this. Turns out it was 51# not 53# - Grrr...I removed the ticker from here since it needs to be re-done, but I haven't done it on my blog yet. Good looking out - I'll change it. Until I was "fired" as a patient, I never really felt free to talk about my earlier band process. You have to remember, I was told to re-start my band process - in other words, my new 2005 band was just that - a new band. Many of the things that newer Bandsters take for granted were just now available to me. It was a completely new port site, revised location, access, port type, etc. Anyone who has been through FDA Trial A thru C would understand that, it doesn't make much sense to anyone else I'm sure. Getting a new band was a whole new start for me, so since my former surgeon thought that it was vital. (Kind of like being stuffed in a closet.) Until this weekend, I never posted that I was banded before - so now that I am out of the band closet, I've edited it to reflect that I was seriously ill after a surgery. Quite frankly, I hadn't planned to discuss LapBanding on my plastic surgery blog at all - but I get more questions about LapBanding and insurance/approvals than any other aspect of it. So, I have now edited it to reflect that it was after a surgery that I became ill. Being sick after surgery did damage that will take extensive reconstruction to fix. I'm not being maudlin about it, but there it is. So I try to keep my blog as an informational source and not a written testament to my hell ride with my band. ( I hope my upcoming LapBand Blog can tell the full story, warts and all.) ... I'm not sure what you're saying here. I guess some people frown on cosmetic surgery (*shrug*) but if they saw the hanging skin I had, they might reconsider. I am fighting the hanging skin and hanging boobs with all my might - and there is no gym exercise that can lift up boobs I'm afraid. Anyway, I had long ago discussed my cosmetic surgery aspirations and options with my (former) surgeon. He knew about it. Oh and not that I have anything against nose jobs, but the blog mentions that I actually have already just had a septoplasty - technicallly more of a sinus surgery done internally. I considered a nose job - but now it's so unimportant,especially next to the Boob Lift & Lipo which need to be done first. It was more important to get my functional parts of my nose fixed rather than the aesthetic aspects of it. Plus I'd rather spend $$$ on LASIK which will actually improve my sight, not just my looks. Concern? Maybe, but it's clear he doesn't think I need a fill, and he's the surgeon, so he won. I don't call him "Dr No" for nothing.So I didn't get the fill, and he "fired" me anyway. I lost all around. I wish I'd never even gone to his office that day. I'd still be fat, but I wouldn't be overwhelmed with having to find another surgeon right now. It sucks. Then he needs glasses? Sometimes I wonder what HE sees when he sees me, because he's not looking at me the patient. As a surgeon, I'm sure he's looking at a chart or numbers. That's fine for him - but I have a mirror to contend with! Besides, I have a 30 BMI and am still 'technically' obese. I have his original patient file notes where he says that "the patient is concerned about only losing 1/2 of her excess weight." And then it goes on to say that in his opinion if I only lose a certain number of pounds then he will also be disappointed. Five years later, I guess he got over it, because he thinks it's OK for me to have worked hard and be disappointed now. I don't blame him for my current weight situation but am VERY distressed that he thinks I'm a Lost Cause. So we're at an impasse. And I pray that another surgeon will see that I have drive, determination, and potential and will work with me. New appointments are being set and hopefully I will get back on track. I just need some help, and more importantly, I need someone who believes I can actually succeed.

Not all Mexican surgeons have been doing this technique as long as some US surgeons. Certainly Dr Rumbaut was doing it long before others, but even Mexican doctors perfected the technique after many European surgeons did. Uh, 'K... (edited to add: As mentioned earlier...) Actually the band has been approved in the U.S. for more than 4 1/2 years. And although many surgeons learn from Mexico, I've been made to understand that initially most US surgeons learned the technique from European doctors such as Dr. Franco Favaretti & Dr Guy-Bernard Cadiere who actually developed the modern Lap-Band surgical technique. Just an FYI. Happy Band Journeys to All

He's not my surgeon but I know he is the very well-respected surgeon of others I know, including our local support group's co-leader. She lost more than 100 lbs and he took great care of her and all his patients from what I hear. He uses her in all his advertisements and on his website - she's a true band success. A link to her before and after: http://www.obesitylapbandsurgery.com/images/tst/shipp1.jpg His patient success stories here: http://www.obesitylapbandsurgery.com/story.html Hope this helps. Happy Band Journeys to all.

I guess this intrigued me enough to join in. Why do Bandsters stick this in? I've done hundreds of posts on forums across the 'Net but I rarely thought it was important enough to include my banding date. I'm coming up on five years but (*shrug*) I didn't realize seniority was so important in qualifying what one says. Now I know, I'll make sure and preface any noteworthy posts with this information.... I disagree on this point. SOME people are banded who may have been better candidates for other surgeries, and its always unfortunate when the right choice isn't made initially - but I wouldn't say all of the people that I know (I might well have a larger circle of Banded and unBanded associates as a pool to work with) are unsuccessful for any one particular reason. Unlike the one particular "gal" you mentioned, those aren't my reasons for not being "successful" - I'm stuck at 30 BMI - so that means I'm not doing my part? No you didn't say it, I'm just illustrating what your post implies or what one can infer. I don't consider myself to be someone who jumps in without doing research and considering my options. I think most people who commit the time, money, and effort to be banded do so with the hope of being successful - and when they aren't always successful it's interesting to me that we banded folks tend to point more fingers than patients who have other surgeries who watch their fellow patients underdo complications or struggle to succeed. Oh and by the way, most people I know - overweight or not, "like to eat" much like your friend. I find many obese people like myself (by BMI terms) like to eat also. No one mentioned this as a disqualification for the LapBand so I think it's maybe not the deal-breaker you imply it is. That's great for you, but I actually did get the band to lose weight - not just keep it off, but as a tool to assist me with losing it. I've got much less to go than you do, and congrats for your success - but if the band has only gotten me this far, then I don't think I failed with the band - after my time, effort and dedication - then the band may well have failed me. I think that there might be others in that fabled 25% who are also in the same boat, so let us not be so quick to judge lack of success on its face. Just something to consider. As always, Happy Band Journeys to all.

Honey, you're sicker than I was when I was in a hospital ICU ward. Please don't do this to yourself - I've had Major League overfilling, but what you're experiencing is devastating to read about - much less to go through. I'm not a trooper so I couldn't go through this type of thing willingly. This isn't what being banded is about nor is it how the band can help you. RUN don't walk - your surgeon would probably not be pleased to find out you've been doing this. And at work? This could be damaging you - physically, emotionally, or professionally. Get checked out now. Good Luck.

:clap2: Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner. Very perceptive, Anne, I think you might be right. (You too, Alexandra.) My five year FDA trial anniversary is coming up within a few weeks. And yes, most clinical trials want the patients followed for at least 5 years afterwards. I've never said it, but I swear I've thought the same thing. The timing makes we wonder - He's got recent test results so he can turn in my 5 year results and have me 'hit the bricks'. It is cynical but the timing is too close for comfort. Maybe I have outlived my 'clinical' usefulness? Hey, if he doesn't want me as a patient anymore then I don't want him keeping me around as a long term science project, either. When I got pre-approved for RnY by myself, several bariatric doctors vied to be my surgeon before I picked that one. I read their surgical comments about me in my medical file that I got. Many of them mention that I was "smart, pleasant, educated and well-informed as a patient and that I seemed to have great potential for success." But somehow I'm gone from that, to being a medical fiasco? I doubt it. I've got lots of potential. Maybe someone out there will take me on now. One mistake I made before is that although I did the trial, even though my doctor asked me to - I always refused to speak up at seminars or anything, because I knew I was not as successful as I needed to be. I thought it was hypocritical to stand there with a 30 BMI trying to tell people how I did. But that was before, this was now. Anyone who wants me to speak up, whatever they want - I'm out of the Band Closet! Or maybe I can be someone else's science project - I'm a fascinating medical conundrum so that might appeal to someone who likes Fixer Uppers And although I appreciate the suggestion, I'm really concerned about having a surgeon that's far away. I've had enough trouble with this one who is down the block.

Yeah, I did have major insurance issues before, but I'm nothing if not resilient. Ipreferred being self-employed (or self-unemployed as I call it ) but individual policies were costing me from $500 - $750 a month (single - no kids or spouse) so that was prohibitively expensive. I went back to a regular job (though not as the same high pay!). And yes, I'm well insured now though it costs me a bundle to maintain my insurance while I'm self-employed. Even with my insurance getting further coverage for WLS will be a challenge but I'm trying to keep my options open and my fingers crossed. You know, I'm justifiably angry at being tossed out - but I don't think he's a bad doctor. He is just looking at ratios and figures, rather than considering me as a patient - I didn't go through this to still be 'obese'. I had to accept much slower loss but no more further loss is a bitter pill to swallow. What I liked about him was his conservative approach but it's important that I find out if other surgeons share his opinion that this is all I can do. If there is more to do, somehow I'll do it.

Well, dear - that's 5 years worth of story - there's not much more to tell. I went in for a fill under flouro and came out with no fill, and no surgeon. I am going to put up a LapBand blog that details it but my post is pretty darn long! :phanvan I don't think it's giving up after 5 years - I think my surgeon either gave up on me or the Band or both - but I'm more determined so I will hopefully find another surgeon. Now if I find no one else thinks I'm a viable candidate to continue working with the Band, or if my new surgeon agrees that I'll never lose any more weight with the band, then after 5 years I will consider my next surgical option. I've invested thousands upon thousands of dollars and five years of my life - I didn't do it to end up still "obese" and looking it. Much like the old British pop song "Tub-Thumping": "I get knocked down... but I get up again, Nothing's ever gonna keep me down.":music: Thanks for the good wishes.