I am an avid believer that you can never be over informed but i am sad to say that when it comes to the topic of the Lab Band i am sadly mistaken.

I have been "educating" myself with all the pros/cons of the lap band and and actually starting to scare myself out of this surgery. I really need to lose weight but when i read things like how people have the band for 18 mos and dont lose anything it makes me think could i be that person come next year.

Maybe i am "over educating" myself on the negative aspects? It is wonderful to read about the people who have lost 100+ lbs but it seems that there is more horror stories then good ones.

Should i just stop reading these posts, cover my eyes and just get the lap band??

What do you vets think??

Thanks Zen

Thats odd because I mostly read things on the positive side and was thinking am I being blinded and not getting the whole picture? lol ... I think that if you work hard and are dedicated and do things the way they need to be done ... you still have to work at eating the RIGHT kinds of foods and not cheating on what the docs prescribe you and you still have to workout and do all the things you normally would do without the band. The "horror" stories I have read have been people that dont do what they are supposed to do and food always gets stuck or they dont lose because they dont eat right or they dont exercise. I think we all need to have a realistic view of it and determine if we are able/willing to put in the work! And remember, the risk factor is very low with the lapband ..... good luck!

You know it's easy to "cheat" on any program and this is no different. If you drink high cal milkshakes, eat ice cream, etc. they will go right through. If you drink with your meals, the food will wash through and you can over eat. People who are not losing weight are not working the band they are finding ways to sabatoge themselves....IMHO.

At my Dr's they recommend that you stay away from these forums are there are so many horror stories that it can scare the @@@@@ out of you. But I like being contrary and I like being informed. I have found this site to be very helpful.

I do not find that most of the posts are horror stories but you have to remember the old adage " no news is good news". What I am getting at is that people who are happy do not keep posting. How many times can they start a thread saying the band is wonderful, it's the best thing I have ever done etc etc. You would soon get bored. Most people that are banded and successful do not spend time on these groups. they go off and happilly live their lives. So you have to remember that you will see what seems like a high proportion of problems.

I found the info on this site invaluable and I always read the complications thread! It meant that I was informed and knew what to expect. I learnt about PBing and slimming and how it feels to get stuck etc so when it happened to me I was prepared and did not feel an overwhelming panic.

Yes there are complications and if you have a responsible Dr you should have been told about them. The book that my Dr gave me has a whole section on complications. You do have to remember though that every surgery has the potential for complications. Hell my father nearly died from MRSA caught when they did his hip replacement.

Also not every bandster is successful. That can be because they expect the band to be a magic fix which it is not, it is a tool. You still have to watch what you eat, exercise etc. But it is an invaluable tool that makes a huge difference. A bit like the difference between trying to handsew a dress or use a sewing machine.

if you are committed to the process and prepared to make a lifestyle change then there is no reason why in 18 months time you won't be a successful bandster.

At my Dr's they recommend that you stay away from these forums are there are so many horror stories that it can scare the @@@@@ out of you. But I like being contrary and I like being informed. I have found this site to be very helpful.

I do not find that most of the posts are horror stories but you have to remember the old adage " no news is good news". What I am getting at is that people who are happy do not keep posting. How many times can they start a thread saying the band is wonderful, it's the best thing I have ever done etc etc. You would soon get bored. Most people that are banded and successful do not spend time on these groups. they go off and happilly live their lives. So you have to remember that you will see what seems like a high proportion of problems.

I found the info on this site invaluable and I always read the complications thread! It meant that I was informed and knew what to expect. I learnt about PBing and slimming and how it feels to get stuck etc so when it happened to me I was prepared and did not feel an overwhelming panic.

Yes there are complications and if you have a responsible Dr you should have been told about them. The book that my Dr gave me has a whole section on complications. You do have to remember though that every surgery has the potential for complications. Hell my father nearly died from MRSA caught when they did his hip replacement.

Also not every bandster is successful. That can be because they expect the band to be a magic fix which it is not, it is a tool. You still have to watch what you eat, exercise etc. But it is an invaluable tool that makes a huge difference. A bit like the difference between trying to handsew a dress or use a sewing machine.

if you are committed to the process and prepared to make a lifestyle change then there is no reason why in 18 months time you won't be a successful bandster.

I don't want to sound stupid and I don't want to get anyone upset but I have no idea what PBing and slimming is. Sounds like something I need to know?

I don't want to sound stupid and I don't want to get anyone upset but I have no idea what PBing and slimming is. Sounds like something I need to know?

Haven't been banded yet but i asked the same questions and from what i gather a PB is a "productive Burp" when you burp and food comes up but your not vomiting and i asked the sliming question as well that is supposedly when your stuck and your slavaliry gland work over time to try and make the food slide through the band...

So was i right??? all you vets out there am i getting the termonalogy correct?

I don't want to sound stupid and I don't want to get anyone upset but I have no idea what PBing and slimming is. Sounds like something I need to know?

Good luck tomorrow...I'm getting nervous...trying to just stay positive and it will be over before we know it!

You got it, Zen!

PB and sliming are just that. Slime is a very thick mucous the body generates to help stuck food to go down. But when food is stuck it won't go down, neither will the slime, so it comes up. And man, can the body generate some slime!

Once the food gets unstuck, either up or down, the slime will stop.

Good Luck tomorrow....

Hey Zen! I am slightly freaking out myself at possibly failing with the band. I am just starting my journey to get banded so I'm doing all the research I can. I have seen amazing success stories! BUT...I have a friend who was banded about 3 years ago and I swear so lost NOTHING! Which terrifies the CRAP outta me because I don't want to "fail" at it like she did. I don't really know the whole story to why she never lost weight but I was reminded by my sister that she would tell us stories of how she got "around" the band. Like instead of drinking water during the day she would get a slurrpy from 7/11 or a frap from starbucks and snack on doritos during the day. She obviously wasn't ready to make that life change you need to make. So, I decided not to let her story affect my story.

SOOOOO, my point is you are the person that is taking responsibility for your actions and your banding is your first step in the right direction. Sure, there are people that fail...but understanding WHY they fail is important. You will be just fine, don't worry! Believe in yourself that you'll make it happen.

HAPPY THOUGHTS and TONS of luck your way!!!!

For what it's worth to you all, I am delighted with my band experience. There have been a few ups and downs in the process of learning to live with it, but none of them are any worse than the normal ups and downs of life. True, some people have horrific experiences with the band, but then some people have horrific experiences with childbirth, wisdom tooth extraction, and driving cars. Are you going to stop driving over bridges because one collapsed in Minnesota a few years back?

Keep your perspective: be aware there are risks but don't lose sight of the potential benefits.

For what it's worth to you all, I am delighted with my band experience. There have been a few ups and downs in the process of learning to live with it, but none of them are any worse than the normal ups and downs of life. True, some people have horrific experiences with the band, but then some people have horrific experiences with childbirth, wisdom tooth extraction, and driving cars. Are you going to stop driving over bridges because one collapsed in Minnesota a few years back?

Keep your perspective: be aware there are risks but don't lose sight of the potential benefits.

Great post! This is my attitude and is what helped me realize that the band will work for me if I work the band To my knowledge there is not a plethora of banded people out there "doing everything right" and not winning the battle. Some are slower to lose than others, but all will lose. When I realized that the failure rate (sans medical complications) is attributable to behavior, I stopped worrying about it. If I do "fail" with the band, I know it will be my fault and I hope that I get a hard knock on the head and begin again. If that does happen to me or any others reading this post...let's all try and remember that everything that has brought us to this point had to happen to get us to this point...meaning, it's the combination of years of yo-yo diets, nutrition education gained in the process, and all the frustration that we've felt that got us here...hopefully to a place where we will finally attain and maintain success . Do I want a setback?? Hells no, but if I have one, it will only be a stumbling block along the path.

Your right Zen, there are all these horrible complications, such as:

My knees knock together at night because my thighs are no longer fat enough to hold them apart!

My butt bone hurts if I sit in an unpadded chair!

I am forced to buy everything that I take into the dressing room because they are so cute on me!

I have all this extra energy that I have to find something to do with so I actually find myself cleaning house!

My husband absolutely will not leave me alone, if I am within arm range he grabs me and tries to take my clothes off!

Beware all of all these and the many others that I didn't want to scare you with.

I did the same thing... I got so scared I canceled my surgery.. I went back to the doc and asked more questions and felt better about it and then jumped in... I think if you have a good doctor and do what they tell you ...... you will do great I am so happy I got the band:rolleyes2: 7 wks for me and lost 18 lbs... I have a long way to go, and a lot to learn good luck to you I hope you make the right decision.

Your right Zen, there are all these horrible complications, such as:

My knees knock together at night because my thighs are no longer fat enough to hold them apart!

My butt bone hurts if I sit in an unpadded chair!

I am forced to buy everything that I take into the dressing room because they are so cute on me!

I have all this extra energy that I have to find something to do with so I actually find myself cleaning house!

My husband absolutely will not leave me alone, if I am within arm range he grabs me and tries to take my clothes off!

Beware all of all these and the many others that I didn't want to scare you with.

Leigha you are AWESOME! I desperately hope that once I'm banded I have similar complications!

Another word of encouragement from a skeptical worry-wart....I took the plunge despite my fears and can honestly say it has been the best thing I have done for myself in my life...hands down!

You won't find me here as much now as when I started, and I suspect that others who are "succeeding" also are so busy living the life we have been blessed to regain don't get here as much as people who are trying to figure out how to work their bands or have complications.

I had a member of my hospital support group share in her testimony how she worked with a number of woman who "failed" or were continually struggling with the band, but when she watched them and spoke with them the common thread was they taught themselves how to defeat the band...the "I think I can try that..." became a slippery slope right back to the bottom of the hill! Don't get me wrong, I haven't got it all figured out still, but I take the rules seriously and am so scared to find out that I can do it "another way" that I keep to the straight and narrow. I got fat because I couldn't control my food issues. I have been given a tool that is part physical and part mental and it works beautifully. So long as I am good to it, it will take care of me...kwim?

Stay positive, talk to people here and follow your instructions. You will be shocked at how easy it all is and how steadily the weight will come off. Using the 1-2 lb week average, visualize where you will be at Christmas, your birthday...etc. I have found a sense of peace where for the 1st time in my life I buy clothes that don't quite fit, but "know" they will in a couple of weeks and lo and behold if they don't! Best of luck to you!