Hi

I'm currently considering going to France for the Midband (it's much cheaper than the UK!). I'm quite confused and scared though after reading some stories about people only losing a few pounds in the first year! I'm financing this myself and can't afford for it to go wrong! I know I'm going to end up doing it as I now feel it's my only remaining option but I just need some reassurance. As I understand it the midband isn't used in the States but is there anyone out there who has had it....and do the differences between the midband and the lapband just lie with who manufacturers it or is one more successful than the other?? Sorry to sound so confused!

Hi Natasha,

I can't speak about the differences in the bands with any authority. I do know they are different in some physical way, though, not just in who makes them.

But what I wanted to say is that even if a bandster loses only a few pounds in the first year, that's not at all having it "go wrong." The band is not a try-it-once-and-it's-over sort of thing. It's still there, always, for us to give it another tweak and take another whack at working with it correctly.

Almost all of the "I didn't lose weight" stories I've heard include the line "I haven't had a fill yet" somewhere in there. Well, the good news is that a fill can often be the answer! Even a year or more later, our little friends are waiting patiently for US to get with the program. It's not the band that fails, it's our own motivation. This is true no matter which band is actually used.

Anyway, good luck with your research and please keep asking questions!

Natasha,

There are people with ANY KIND of bariatric surgery who lose only a few pounds the first year...or ever. The results are VERY subjective.

The only problem I know of is that, here in the colonies, very few doctors have even heard of one. But since you can chunnel your way to the guy who invented them, why not?

Sue

I have the midband, and I know you have problably have heard it over and over again, the band ( any brand ) is just a tool. For me it helped me get rid of the feeling of constantly wanting to eat. I dont need to eat just to "eat". As long as you make good and healthy food choices the weight will come off.

Have a look over at my website for my blog, hope that will give me a better perspective of what life with the band is like

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze6pwwz/