I'm sorry, but I really get SO FRUSTRATED READING POST AFTER POSTs of new bandsters discouraged that they only lost X number of pounds since surgery!! Most are just a FEW WEEKS post-op and discouraged!

It infuriates me to no end that some doctor's don't tell their patients what to expect during "bandster hell" and these poor people are expecting "lightning in a bottle" and to lose weight immediately following surgery. So I decided to start a thread to help and educate them.

THE FIRST MONTH to 6 WEEKS IS FOR HEALING....NOT LOSING!!! Your body is recovering from major surgery and has fluids it is retaining. Your stomach has a shiny new plastic ring on it..what do you expect your body to do just dump 30lbs like that? Not gonna happen... Let it heal!

YOU DON'T LOSE WEIGHT SUBSTANTIALLY UNTIL YOU HAVE ADEQUATE RESTRICTION WHICH USUALLY TAKES 3-5 MONTHS!

DO NOT get DISCOURAGED or feel like a failure..this is NORMAL!!!

DO NOT COMPARE YOUR WEIGHT LOSS TO ANYONE ELSE!!! We are all DIFFERENT!! Some bigger, some smaller, some faster or slower..you will get discouraged if you focus on anyone but yourself!

PLEASE don't say...."I've only lost "X" lbs since surgery" and consider that discouraging. ANY weight lost is a success and pounds you are NOT GAINING!!!

FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE AND KEEP ON TRACK!!

I don't mean to be shouting or sound mean. I just think being direct is what is best sometimes--I hope this helps someone..anyone...from posting another "I'm discouraged" thread...:thumbup:

I feel the same way, I wish I had seen this site prior to surgery on 3/15/10. My expectations were all wrong. I expected to lose 5lbs a week. I went for my first fill this past Wednesday and he was like, you should be losing 1.5-2 lbs a week. I thought to myself, now you tell me after I have stressed and felt like a failure for the past 5 weeks. I lost 7 lbs the first week and have lost 23.5 lbs. total (9 pre-op and 14.5 post-op). I have been walking for the past 3 weeks and he told me to start doing full body workouts. This post is much needed because I posted my discouraged thread a couple weeks ago. Thanks so much!!!

I had my first fill (4ccs) on 4/28/10 and can not tell much difference at all. I guess it will take a couple more fills. We are all in this together. Thanks so much for sharing. I need all of this information to stay sane.

I cannot tell you how happy I am that this thread is helping some of our fellow bandsters...it just puts a smile on my face.

I have to admit that I started this thread out of sheer frustration at seeing the same posts, by different posters, over and over again. I did hope that it could be a place where people could read what to expect and that they are not alone.

I am SO INCREDIBLY inspired by each and every one of you, I could never thank you enough. This journey continues long after the first 6 months, year, 2 years etc., and finding those with the same issues is SO therapeutic.

Thank you to everyone who thanked me for this thread, but you are my inspiration and I must thank you!

I can truly feel the "weight lifting" off some of you by reading the words posted here.

I sincerely hope you take these words and information to heart and don't feel like you're not living up to your own, or anyone else's expectations. I've felt that way too!!! No one noticed my weight loss for 8 months and I beat myself up like no one else could. I thought I wasn't doing it right, and this was something else I was just going to fail at. Let me tell you, we can end this journey before it even begins by letting our thoughts, or others opinions dampen our spirit...don't do it!

Know that this is a much slower process than RNY (also less invasive) and it has it's own benefits and deficiencies. If you are FULLY aware of what to REALISTICALLY expect, you WILL SUCCEED!!

Keep up the positive thoughts, exercise, proper eating/nutrition and hard work...you're doing GREAT!!!!!

VERY GOOD POST!!!!

........"BANDSTER HELL".........!!!!! SPOT ON.

I was banded in January lost a lot pre and post op and started putting it all back on since.

Was given loads of preop advice but no postop and have had to do all my learning on this site...a lot of very experienced bandsters here, i must take my hat off to them!! otherwise i would still be in the dark.

Because i did not see instant results i started warring with hospital and staff....saying things like i want this thing taken out.....i deliberately did not eat correctly as i was constantly trying to test band by eating Kentucky drinking loads of wine etc....demanding where is this restriction?? i have a duff band!! suing etc....haha

Then after them calming me down at 2nd fill ( up to 6cc) and telling me it will come be patient...i deliberately went out and pigged out in a temper tantrum!!

Then i was eating as per norm about a week ago and it started working i could not hold my food down and was sick......!!!

I am now starting to have problems with bread and all the symptoms are starting to kick in like having to chew food longer in order to get it down.

I do not have proper restriction but i feel i am on the verge and the next fill i feel will do it.

Now all clinics etc always try to hammer home diet and never tell you about x amount of fills to restriction because they are right diet is the most important.

However if i knew more about postop Bandster hell, restriction etc i would have made more of an effort with diet rather than giving up and going back to Kentucky etc because i thought it was not working........i would have been ahead rather than having to start now with my weight loss......however as stated everyone is different!!.....and i should have had more faith.

Throwing tantrums? Pigging out to see how much your band can hold? We all want weight loss but yelling at the doctor's and staff when you gorging on KFC - really??! I own up to my slow weight loss: I should've done my own research instead of having blinders on thinking I would have biggest loser type weight loss. It is MY fault and I honestly haven't ate the best food either either but yelling at the doctor's office is something I haven't done since I was 8.

All I want to say is Thank You. Your post means the world to me.

I'm mot even banded yet, and I want to say "Thank you!" to this thread. I think all pre-op people should read it; also the people involved in our health care.

OK...here's my 2 cents. Not many know about bandster hell and I think this post should be in pre-op. This is a good post, this is a place were we can all voice our opinions. :thumbup: The most important message I heard through out the whole process is the band is a tool! I'm on a low carb, high protein diet pre-op and post-op. It's the diet that my doctor wants me on to use my tool. If you expect to just drop the weight without doing your part, you're going to be dissappointed. Again I had a tool put in my body. My body needs to heal. Once it heals, the tool will start working better. Most importantly, I have to do the work and the tool is going to help me (not do the work for me). I'm losing b/c I've change my eating habits, not b/c I have a band. I wish all of the bandsters well :thumbup:...everyone is different and we will therefore lose weight differently.

I've noticed that most posts that mention dissatisfaction with the band are from people that self pay. Maybe their Dr's are so struck by those immediate dollar signs that they just want to get in there and get that surgery money without telling the whole story. Going through insurance slows the process down, gives you time to think, research and learn. It also weeds out people who are not mentally capable of handling such a big change.

Thanks for this post, and thankfully I was prepared for Bandster hell by Dr. Vincent Lusco and the supportive staff at St. Mary's and Elizabeth's hospital (Debbie and Kim, and Lana) in Ky. Love these guys!

I've noticed that most posts that mention dissatisfaction with the band are from people that self pay. Maybe their Dr's are so struck by those immediate dollar signs that they just want to get in there and get that surgery money without telling the whole story. Going through insurance slows the process down, gives you time to think, research and learn. It also weeds out people who are not mentally capable of handling such a big change.

Funny because I am a self pay, and I thought the opposite. I thought people who were insurance pay were less grateful because of less out of pocket expense. Deep down I really think it is an individual thing. Some are just not ready for probably a million different reasons. Some just don't do their homework, some do the homework and only take in the information that supports what they want to do anyway. Hugs!!!

Is there any way to copy or move this thread to pre-op or should I just start a new thread there?

Great comments...keep em' coming!!

Thank you a million times over for posting this. I am on week 5 post op, down 9-10 pounds, depending on the day, and am just NOW starting to accept that this is my HEALING time, not weightloss period. I am looking forward to month 6 when I can (hopefully) look back on this post and be happy with my choice to get lapband. I wish I had done it earlier!

I chose Dr. Simpson here in AZ, because he is the leading surgeon for LapBand in the West, and thought that by choosing HIM I would be hit with the REALITY of the lapband and how it works and what to REALISTICALLY expect. Although I am happy with my surgeon choice, I have to say that his initial consult was far less informative of realistic expectations than I had hoped. Having said that, I know that there are several support groups that he offers that I have NOT attended. I believe the irrational and unrealistic expectations I had on losing a lot of weight right away are my fault for not better educating myself. I know that this is a tool, and I know that there are support/informative meeting groups out there to help me understand how to use this new tool, yet I have not made the choice to attend.

I did make the decision when I got the lapband to NOT tell anyone who didn't need to know. I only told my sister, my husband, and my boot camp trainer, because I didn't want to be watched like a hawk or judged for the time it took me to lose the weight.

Is there any way to copy or move this thread to pre-op or should I just start a new thread there?

Great comments...keep em' coming!!

I don't know if there is a way to do that, but I am thinking it is good to have it in both places!! It is doing lots of good here so I hate to see it go!!! Hugs!!!

Is there any way to copy or move this thread to pre-op or should I just start a new thread there?

Maybe start a new thread there?

I did start a new thread but was a bit hurried...if anyone ha any words of wisdom on that thread that I left out inadvertently, please fel free to contribute!