HELLO everyone,

I find myself confused..i read up on lapband on this site and everyone is so positive about it..makes me feel great!! then when i try looking onto quebec sites(coz i am from montreal) which only seem to be in french..all these people on the lapband french canadian sites..say the opposite of what is said on this site..it leaves me confused..is it that french people r lazy and they dont excercise and were told that the lapband does it all on its own..or is it that the doctors rnt good here..someone also said that a doctor told her not to do the lapband but to get the bypass done..coz the lapband doesnt work and he was going to take it off his site coz he doesnt feel its right to be praticing something that doesnt work...idd like to know ur fed back..

Here's what I know. The lap-band has worked perfectly for me. I have consistently lost an average of 10 pounds a month. I am almost 1 year post op and have lost 117 pounds. The band does 30% of the work for me (restriction) 30% is healthy food choices and the other 30% is exercise. My personal opinion, you need to do all 3 of these to be successful. Why the negative northerners, I have no idea.

HELLO everyone,

I find myself confused..i read up on lapband on this site and everyone is so positive about it..makes me feel great!! then when i try looking onto quebec sites(coz i am from montreal) which only seem to be in french..all these people on the lapband french canadian sites..say the opposite of what is said on this site..it leaves me confused..is it that french people r lazy and they dont excercise and were told that the lapband does it all on its own..or is it that the doctors rnt good here..someone also said that a doctor told her not to do the lapband but to get the bypass done..coz the lapband doesnt work and he was going to take it off his site coz he doesnt feel its right to be praticing something that doesnt work...idd like to know ur fed back..

I spent a week in Montreal several years ago and found that the French speaking people there were kinda A-holes. They refused to speak English and had a certain arrogance about them. Luckily at the time my French wasn't too bad so I got by. It actually turned out to be a great vacation. Are they lazy? Probably not. I would guess that they just aren't educated properly in the lap band lifestyle. If a doctor said that it doesn't work I would find a different doctor. Maybe you would have better luck in Ottawa or maybe Montpelier.

When I went in for my first consultation for wt loss surgery I knew I wanted a lap-band, and was pretty discombobulated when everyone (and I mean EVERYONE, from the surgeon, to the dietitian, to the nurse) tried to talk me into getting the gastric sleeve instead. They said that in their experience GS patients did not have to work as hard as LB patients, and that they were much more successful. Well, there was a reason I picked the LB in the first place, and that was that I couldn't stomach (excuse the expression!) the idea of having all my insides radically re-arranged (GB) or 85% of it amputated (GS). So I stuck with my original decision, and BTW I am 3 1/2 wks post -op and have lost 28 pounds so far. It may be more work than the other options for wt loss surgery, but I like TKW's breakdown, and the trade-off for the easier ones (losing my insides) just wasn't worth it for me.

The bottom line is that you really have to do all the research, but especially, take a good hard look at yourself and, as much as you can, figure out what is right for YOU.

About the other question you had, about Canadians hating their bands: I did visit a Slim-band web-site some time ago, and was kinda struck by how they really did seem to promise phenomenal, effortless weight loss success with no dieting or other input on the part of the patient. I think that raises unreasonable expectations. Truth in advertising --- every US site I checked out always cautioned that it's only a tool, you have to work it, etc. So maybe that's the reason; people on different sides of the border start with different expectations. They get the same results, but are thrilled or PO'd depending on what their original expectations were.

Best of luck, and keep us posted.

Beebie

Some experience problems like erosion, slippage and bad reflux. You're better off posting a question like this on verticalsleevetalk.com as there are a lot of ex-bandsters on there who revised to Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) and they'll be better placed to answer your questions.

BTW if you're friend's considering getting her intestines re-routed then the duodenal switch (DS) is a better option than a bypass, as you only malabsorb calories for 2 years with a bypass (plus with bypass you also get dumping and can't take Non Steroidal Anti Inflamatory Drugs like ibuprofen ever).

BTW the stats for Excessive Weight Loss are as follows:

Band: 55%

VSG: 70%

DS: 80%

Productive burping and difficulty eating things like raw veggies are another couple of problems I've heard about. I've read that some bandsters have difficulty eating healthy stuff and they end up eating bad stuff as a result.

Hello. NO Quebecers are not lazy. What you have to realize, that the band is an excellent tool for helping in the weight loss goals. You still have to change your lifestyle including exercise, small quantities but first and foremost making the proper choices in food eaten. Following the guidelines of your clinic and you will have success. Not following the rules will end in disaster and failure. The good thing about the band, is that it is reversible. Gastric by-pass is not. The medical profession look upon the gastric by pass as the golden standard, but frankly, there are many patients that have to have the band AFTER the bypass. You can fill the band as tight as you can stand or you can loosen it to allow for more food to pass you can't do that with gastric by pass.

Also, be aware, people posting negative things about the band may have an ax to grind. real or imagined and post to lash out at the band. I lay odds if you analyze these unhappy people, they will have not adjusted their lifestyle. Yes some people do have band erosion and slippage not their fault, but that is rare. Most just don't follow the program. There is of course, many surgeons that do not have proper aftercare and that can cause a patient to be very scared and upset lashing out on line. So if contemplating the band, look very carefully at the aftercare. If they say 3 to 4 years -- ask "Then what". You need aftercare for life, not necessarily the fills, but moral support is very important.

HELLO everyone,

I find myself confused..i read up on lapband on this site and everyone is so positive about it..makes me feel great!! then when i try looking onto quebec sites(coz i am from montreal) which only seem to be in french..all these people on the lapband french canadian sites..say the opposite of what is said on this site..it leaves me confused..is it that french people r lazy and they dont excercise and were told that the lapband does it all on its own..or is it that the doctors rnt good here..someone also said that a doctor told her not to do the lapband but to get the bypass done..coz the lapband doesnt work and he was going to take it off his site coz he doesnt feel its right to be praticing something that doesnt work...idd like to know ur fed back..

Intereting stats. Would be interested to know how they were formulated. Gastric by pass has been around the longest, with the band approx. 20 years. the DS is fairy new so over time, I would be interested in seeing which was the better. Seriously, it doesn't matter as long as it works for you. All surgery has negatives. The bottom line is what the patient does with the tools. Some just can not adjust to the regime that goes along with WLS and blame the tool. I like the band because if I find I can not mentally cope then I can have the band removed. The other surgeries, you are stuck with a small stomach and all the problems that go with it.

Some experience problems like erosion, slippage and bad reflux. You're better off posting a question like this on verticalsleevetalk.com as there are a lot of ex-bandsters on there who revised to Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) and they'll be better placed to answer your questions.

BTW if you're friend's considering getting her intestines re-routed then the duodenal switch (DS) is a better option than a bypass, as you only malabsorb calories for 2 years with a bypass (plus with bypass you also get dumping and can't take Non Steroidal Anti Inflamatory Drugs like ibuprofen ever).

BTW the stats for Excessive Weight Loss are as follows:

Band: 55%

VSG: 70%

DS: 80%

If you do it correctly you should have none of that. But if you do, so do all the other tools. As I said in a previous post, why I like my band is because it is reversible not like the others.

Productive burping and difficulty eating things like raw veggies are another couple of problems I've heard about. I've read that some bandsters have difficulty eating healthy stuff and they end up eating bad stuff as a result.

I think the stats are from Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies but they are commonly quoted figures.

Intereting stats. Would be interested to know how they were formulated. Gastric by pass has been around the longest, with the band approx. 20 years. the DS is fairy new so over time, I would be interested in seeing which was the better. Seriously, it doesn't matter as long as it works for you. All surgery has negatives. The bottom line is what the patient does with the tools. Some just can not adjust to the regime that goes along with WLS and blame the tool. I like the band because if I find I can not mentally cope then I can have the band removed. The other surgeries, you are stuck with a small stomach and all the problems that go with it.

Hi , and thank you ,I completely agree with your post.I do not think Quebecers are lazy either( and I am one of them)!! I am not banded yet but am on a waiting list. The reason I chose the lap band is because it is reversible.I personally know of one person who has had the lapband and she is working hard on her weight loss journey!

Take care,

Sue

My best wishes for your success. Bear in mind, you will have ups and downs, encouraging and no so encouraging, but if you use the band as designed, you have a lot more chance of success. I have been working on my weight since 07 and have times when I have gained and my losses have been small, but when look at my overall totals, I am amazed.

Hi , and thank you ,I completely agree with your post.I do not think Quebecers are lazy either( and I am one of them)!! I am not banded yet but am on a waiting list. The reason I chose the lap band is because it is reversible.I personally know of one person who has had the lapband and she is working hard on her weight loss journey!

Take care,

Sue

I'm coming up to my 5th year "Banniversary" and have had great success with the lapband.

The band is only a tool and you do have to work with it. If you follow the guidelines given to you by your doctor and take it one day at a time you can have great success with the lapband. I have found having support of other "bandsters" a key my success. I meet several "bandsters" on a monthly basis for coffee. It's great to connect with others at various stages of the lapband journey.

Do your research and talk to people that have had surgery by the doctor who is doing your surgery. Ask a lot of questions and make sure you are satisfied with the answers.

Tom, Toronto

Banded July 6 06

Wt. Loss: 140 lbs

HELLO everyone,

I find myself confused..i read up on lapband on this site and everyone is so positive about it..makes me feel great!! then when i try looking onto quebec sites(coz i am from montreal) which only seem to be in french..all these people on the lapband french canadian sites..say the opposite of what is said on this site..it leaves me confused..is it that french people r lazy and they dont excercise and were told that the lapband does it all on its own..or is it that the doctors rnt good here..someone also said that a doctor told her not to do the lapband but to get the bypass done..coz the lapband doesnt work and he was going to take it off his site coz he doesnt feel its right to be praticing something that doesnt work...idd like to know ur fed back..