The first part of this post is copied from the About Me part in my profile. I decided to use it here because I would like some feedback please.

I was banded in March 2009. I came home, somewhat in discomfort and over the following days I progressed into agony. I ended up back in hospital having emergency surgery at 2am five days after the placement. I had been nicked in the first surgery and had an infection. The band was removed and I spent four days in ICU and then another four or five in the ward. It was the most PAINFUL experience in my life and it wasn't too good emotionally either.

After I returned home there was a long recovery period and I initially thought I could not face hospital again with rebanding. My surgeon explained that I may have to be opened up again (I have a huge scar down my middle because of the emergency surgery) if it proved impossible to do it keyhole. I had to gather up all my strength and return to try again in August 2009 because I didn't want all that pain and money wasted... with no outcome except a scar to show for it. Fortunately the second banding went without a hitch and it was a keyhole op.

It hasn't been an easy journey. I can't seem to tolerate a decent fill without severe reflux and choking during the night etc. So, I only have enough fill to make sure I don't suffer those symptoms but then it means I can fit way more in than I would like to. I initially lost a decent amount... but only after low carbing combined with 3 or 4 days at gym every week. I have the metabolism of a slug!! Over the past 12 months I have regained 10 kgs (22 lbs).

I am just beginning again to try to start from scratch in my mindset. Force myself to eat less, chew more, don't drink with meals etc.

People who look at banding as 'cheating' and 'easy' have NO IDEA. Us banders still need colossal willpower and determination. It is a life-long struggle and the trick is to remain proactive in our journey and not give up. I always knew banding was just another tool in my arsenal and not a magic fix... I just have to sharpen this particular tool at this point in time and make it work for me.

Don't get me wrong though I WISH THIS BLOODY BAND WAS A MAGIC FIX and I didn't have to diet or exercise!!!!!

Now... first of all I am not vying for sympathy here or wish to put off any potential banders. I am just saying it as it is for me. The band has been a wonderful tool for many on this site as the many glowing posts attest to and I wish all you newbies the best of luck.

I would like to hear from others who have been on a similar journey. Having a fairly successful honeymoon period... putting in the hard yards with diet and exercise... and then grinding to a halt.

I would like to know how others who suffer from severe reflux and choking from having the band at a level where restriction is effective but need to unfill it enough so that those symptoms don't occur... and therefore can eat more than they should on the band.

I have considered changing to a sleeve but from what I have read they too have a honeymoon period of losing and then the same problems can occur... starting to eat more etc. I don't want to change one set of problems for another... I want the band to work for me... I want me to work for me.

I am at bit of a standstill. I am still having the same problems that I have had all my life. I hate people harping on about willpower. I have lost 1000s of pounds in my life and put them all back on. The periods of self denial and exercise are far more than most people ever endure. I have also enjoyed the times when I have got into the zone and eating well and going to gym etc has been easy and something that has become a pleasant daily ritual... and I believe that 'yes, I can do this for the rest of my life'. But life long habits are insidious... and creep stealthily back... and before I know it... here I am... asking for some advice from you guys because I honestly don't know what to do anymore.

I wish I could get my band filled more without the painful and scary side effects.

I wish I could maintain control as an ongoing thing rather than in spurts.

I wish I wasn't failing... and no matter how you dress it that's what I'm doing.

I know I have to climb back on the will power horse and just do it.

I just feel like I'm on this endless cycle. I hoped before I got banded that I would be able to break the cycle. I was wrong.

Thanks for listening.

Your problems sound similar to mine, however I have never ended up in the ER. But made several trips for unfills and had major bloating in my stomach. After 1 year and 9 months my dr. is removing my band tomorrow. My band has been empty more than it has had fills. I lost a total of 39 pounds and have gained 18 pounds back. I have failed : ( My dr. suggested gastric bypass but I have declined. Feel like I am at the end of my rope...I guess being fat is my destiny.

I had surgery in April 2009. I have also struggled with the band and can't get a decent fill without ending up in the ER needing an emergency unfill. Than the whole process starts all over again.

I have been in the ER room in extreme pain three times. Each time I got the fill I was told I could handle it, but 24 hours later my stomach was swollen and I couldn't drink or eat anything. I have never been about 6cc's and am currently at 5cc's. My last fill was a year ago and I ended up again in ER with 5.5cc's in my band. Again I had lost alot of weight and was ready for a fill but for some reason I can't handle the fill process as my stomach swells shut no matter if I am getting filled or unfilled. Just the act of changing the Fluid level ends me up in the ER room again. So needless to say I don't have a good fill and have never been able to have a good fill.

I have only lost 25 pounds with the band. At one time I was down 60 pounds but after my second ER visit they took out all my fluid and would not put it back in for almost 9 months. I finally insisted we needed to start slowly filling the band again. After the third small fill back in the ER again with all the same symptoms. I ended up in respitory distress the last time and was out of work for a week barely able to breathe. The ER doctors thought maybe the band and stomach were swollen and pushing on my diaphram and so theproblems breathing. They said when the swelling went down things would resolve and after two weeks and antivan to cope with the symptoms I was back to normal. So since than I figure three strikes(three ER visits in a year) your out.............but no after a year and not losing or gaining I think I need to try to get another fill.

For some reason I am the person who has issues with the band. I have many friends that have been fine with fills even getting up to 9cc's and doing fine. Just me that has had the ER visits and problems.

So I am glad to see this thread. No one wants to hear what is going on. They think I am exagerrating the problems. But as you know sometimes people just can't handle the fills for some reason.

Right now I have an infected port. I am going in this week to try and figure out what I need to do. It has been swollen and hurting for three weeks. I think it may have moved if feels like it is moving around..............from what I hear it is an easy fix in the office if it has moved.

Yes it is a process... and so much more complicated than we ever figured hey swrktp!

You're right about the judgements re 'failing'... we do it to ourselves and some successful bandsters are sometimes guilty of it on this site as well. Saying that there are some very nice and encouraging ones as well that possess empathy.

All I want is real restriction, which is why we get the band, without acid burning my throat and waking up in the night throwing up Water and food. In other words I want to avoid pain and fear. Is that too much to hope for?

I've gone into google overload recently and I have to tell you... if I can't get this band working for me like it ideally should than I may get a Sleeve... which was originally the first part of The Switch op, and now can be done stand alone... and if the Sleeve doesn't deliver... which I would work very hard to ensure it would, then eventually I would go ahead have the second part done so that I will end up with The Switch. (aka as DS or BPD-DS). I would prefer it not to come to that though.

It seems like no matter what path you take there is almost always a regain after the loss, which may be months or may be years... the way I see it is the more that can be lost in the first place than the better it is.

SIGH lol

xox

It does work for many people. I know a few.

The problem as I see it is that if there are complications people tend to blame the patient or their eating issues. The honest truth is for some people it just is NOT a good fit no matter if they follow the rules or not. It has been hard to deal with the attitude that if you don't lose or your having complications that the person not the band is to blame. But I do see alot of that attitude on this site and with the WLS community. For me is is just alot of medical complications that I am trying to navigate around to figure out how I can work WITH my band. I have a good friend that had to have her band out becuase she was allergic to the silicon. And I sometimes wonder if my body just wants it out and it out and is trying to tell me that. If I ever get it out I would just revise to the sleeve. I am not eligible for the RNY per my doctor. The malabsorption would be a problem for me. At the time I was banded the sleeve was not an option just band or RNY.

I will say that I got banded with about 8 people and that two lost 100 pounds. Those two have since gained about 25-30 back two years out. Not bad if you ask me I would be happy. Not perfect but better than me. Two gained all their weight back and a bit more. (our doctor won't give you fills in the beginning unless you lose alot of weight first and in between fills). They never really lost and thus could not get fills in the band and never got back on track. Since they were not losing they were embarrased to see the doctor an get yelled at. After getting yelled at a couple times they didn't go back. Two people lost 80 pounds. One got pregnant and gained it all day and than some. She lost her medical insurance and so no more fills now. The other got a divorce and asked for her fill to be totally removed as stress was making her PB all the time and she was losing to fast. She gained about half the weight back. The rest of us lost about 25-30 pounds and are at a standstill. One person I know lost 76 of the 150 she wanted to lose but is at a standstill for the last three years. The success stories are wonderful to hear but not the norm in my group.

But here is the thing. For me even losing 25 makes me feel so much better. And when the fill is gone I gain period. So I know I use the band as a tool because I struggle MORE without it. I know it work at least for maintenance now. And it has helped my health so I would do it again. I am just afraid of fills because my body overreacts to fills. I need to lose another 75 pounds to make my goal. I have NOT given up. I figure my body tries to make a statement with every fill that it wants the darn thing OUT!!

. I am just trying to figure out how to use my band in a way my body won't fight. But I won't be surprized if I have to get it taken out at some point.

RNY you just have to be careful. I have had a couple friends almost die of malnutrition issues with the RNY issues. But others did fine. You just have to be on top of your health and know when to get to a doctor if something is wrong. Waiting or thinking it would work out and not going to ER has caused a few people some issues. So the labs are a good thing.

For me more than 50% of the time I have been banded I have had no fill at all. I am sure that is a large part of my not losing as fast. WIth no fill you are basically on your own like pre band and back to willpower. I could even tell I had a band.

It is a process.........................

Setting the band aside - just for a second - something I've come to realize more and more is that it's not the band that's losing the weight it's me.

If I want to meet the goals I've set - I will need to excercise. I'm not a fan of it, so I'll take my music with me, which I love and make it more of a music push your body time.

I'm having problems with my band right now. More than 70% of the time I can't barely keep down liquids - forget solids. I live in an area where we had two bariatric specialists and now there are none for hundreds of miles in any direction. I know it's too tight - but I don't know why it's so tight when I haven't had a fill in almost a year. We come here to each other to realize that we struggle from similar demons and our fight - to feel fabulous - leads us to less fabulous paths.

So we keep our heads up, keep swimming (just keep swimming, just keep swimming), and we realize that there's a lot we can 'blame' on the band... but a whole lot more we can place at the feet of the person wearing it. (I'm wearing one too...)

... just keeping swimming ...

Hi Simone... you're right, it's not the band that loses the weight, it is you, and your triumphs belong to you!

We do need to lead healthy lifestyles, which includes some exercise. Apart from weight loss benefits there are others too... staving off osteporosis etc.

The band is a tool though, and as such, it would be nice if it did what it is supposed to do to make our journey easier. That's why we get it.

I hope you get your band seen to sooner rather than later, it sounds like you're in an awful place at present.

And yes... I'll keep swimming... to not do so would be to accept drowning... and I value myself far too much for that.

Thanks Simone.

xox

Setting the band aside - just for a second - something I've come to realize more and more is that it's not the band that's losing the weight it's me.

If I want to meet the goals I've set - I will need to excercise. I'm not a fan of it, so I'll take my music with me, which I love and make it more of a music push your body time.

I'm having problems with my band right now. More than 70% of the time I can't barely keep down liquids - forget solids. I live in an area where we had two bariatric specialists and now there are none for hundreds of miles in any direction. I know it's too tight - but I don't know why it's so tight when I haven't had a fill in almost a year. We come here to each other to realize that we struggle from similar demons and our fight - to feel fabulous - leads us to less fabulous paths.

So we keep our heads up, keep swimming (just keep swimming, just keep swimming), and we realize that there's a lot we can 'blame' on the band... but a whole lot more we can place at the feet of the person wearing it. (I'm wearing one too...)

... just keeping swimming ...

Ive heard many many people say " I would have gotten the Sleeve if my insurance would cover it " . I wonder why that is .....

Im with much everyone else on here .. whatever works for YOU ! Everyone is different and you have to do what is right for you . =)

Wishing you all the best !!! I myself am considering Sleeve or Bypass. =)

Because the grass is always greener on the other side?

Because we always want what we don't have?

Because we can always theorise that the other choice would have been easier?

Yes the sleeve does have advantages (and some disadvantages) but it is still only a tool. If you want to lose weight you have to make the correct food choices and exercise. It is possible to eat around a sleeve the same way as it is a band. Eat slider foods or eat frequently and you won't lose weight. The main advantages with a sleeve are that after the surgery you don't have to keep going back for fills and it is not as easy to get stuck. But if you read the sleeve board you will see that some people still struggle with hunger and other issues.

I think most of the problems with the band or any of the other WLS are that people expect them to be a miracle cure. They think that once the surgery is done the weight will magically fall off with no effort on their part. Often these unrealistic expectations are because they did not do sufficient research or because their Dr did not fully inform them before surgery. Whilst we would all like that perfect solution it does not yet exist. We can pick our tool and then work with it, recognising it's limitations to ensure that we achieve the best possible outcome.

i feel sorry for those who are struggling but I would also caution against rushing into another procedure (unless your band has slipped, eroded etc) in the belief that it will solve all your problems.

You're not saying anything that the people who have posted here don't already know.

If you have read the stories of these members it is not a case of 'something greener' it is a safe of something safer for them that actually gives adequate restriction.

We have already covered the 'it's not a miracle cure and it's only a tool'... however if we are to have a tool we want one that is not damaging us and that delivers its function... then the rest is us up to us... we're not idiots... but thanks for your concern.

Because the grass is always greener on the other side?

Because we always want what we don't have?

Because we can always theorise that the other choice would have been easier?

Yes the sleeve does have advantages (and some disadvantages) but it is still only a tool. If you want to lose weight you have to make the correct food choices and exercise. It is possible to eat around a sleeve the same way as it is a band. Eat slider foods or eat frequently and you won't lose weight. The main advantages with a sleeve are that after the surgery you don't have to keep going back for fills and it is not as easy to get stuck. But if you read the sleeve board you will see that some people still struggle with hunger and other issues.

I think most of the problems with the band or any of the other WLS are that people expect them to be a miracle cure. They think that once the surgery is done the weight will magically fall off with no effort on their part. Often these unrealistic expectations are because they did not do sufficient research or because their Dr did not fully inform them before surgery. Whilst we would all like that perfect solution it does not yet exist. We can pick our tool and then work with it, recognising it's limitations to ensure that we achieve the best possible outcome.

i feel sorry for those who are struggling but I would also caution against rushing into another procedure (unless your band has slipped, eroded etc) in the belief that it will solve all your problems.

Good Morning, Sky!

Well, it's 5:30 a.m. CST in Texas and I will be leaving for work at 6:00 a.m. I have decided to do that 5 day start up plan, beginning Saturday. I am having my eyes done on Friday, so it will give me a good

excuse to focus on just me and not everything around me. The eye thing is for me too. The bags under my eyes feel like an extra set of luggage and I decided that maybe if I don't have to worry about them, I can

focus more on things that really matter. We all must feel good about ourselves to succeed in life, and this surgery has made me feel disappointed in myself for a long time, because my will power waivers so much.

That's what I get for believing that the band would minimize the hunger and cause me not to eat...nothing can do that but me. It's still disappointing, just the same. I hope you are doing well on your 5-day plan. Congrats to our friend who has lost 200 lbs...WOW...good job! I want to be as strong and courageous as you are! I am a credit manager with a very stressful (and unpopular) job, and I am a stress eater! Perhaps I should get a job tying bows on teddy bears, and then I wouldn't eat under duress!

Good luck to all of you over the next few days; I will pop in again soon!

Grandy

Good evening Grandy, it's 9.12 pm in Victoria, Australia and it's a chilly dark hungry night.

Thanks for your message, it's very welcome.

I hope your eye work goes off smoothly... and yes, it is vital to do things to feel good. I love my nails and hair looking good and I don't own one set of unglamorous bras... and about 30 gorgeous ones LOL. The Imelda Marcos of bras! I'm the only one who gets to see them BUT I know I'm wearing them.

As to the five day thingy http://www.5daypouchtest.com/plan/day5.html... OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! I started yesterday morning so am on the end of the second day now. I woke up this morning feeling brutalised lol. Headache, sluggish, bad breath... the old ketone breath... I haven't missed that! I drank so much Water and other liquids yesterday I woke up SIX times last night to go the loo!!

I'm glad day 3 looks brighter... am already dreaming of eggs and tuna... amazing how a bit of deprivation makes simple things seem so desirable.

It is good you are starting it on the Saturday and not during the week. Will make it a bit easier than going into work feeling the day 2 horror.

I am feeling back in determined mode at present so when the five days are gone I'll just settle back into low carb, low cal, exercise blah blah blah hahahaha... so crap... but what can we do? Don't really have a choice do we? I've decided I'll try to do the five day thing every few weeks, maybe make it a monthly thing... well that's the plan at present!

I also joined a site called http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ so I can track my food and weight etc. I haven't done that before diligently so hopefully that will aid a bit.

Anyway, thanks again for your message and good luck with EVERYTHING... the eyes, the job, the stress, the plan, the hunger... WE CAN DO IT... even if it's by a 2 steps forward, one step back method... we'll get there eventually.

SkyLily xox

Good Morning, Sky!

Well, it's 5:30 a.m. CST in Texas and I will be leaving for work at 6:00 a.m. I have decided to do that 5 day start up plan, beginning Saturday. I am having my eyes done on Friday, so it will give me a good

excuse to focus on just me and not everything around me. The eye thing is for me too. The bags under my eyes feel like an extra set of luggage and I decided that maybe if I don't have to worry about them, I can

focus more on things that really matter. We all must feel good about ourselves to succeed in life, and this surgery has made me feel disappointed in myself for a long time, because my will power waivers so much.

That's what I get for believing that the band would minimize the hunger and cause me not to eat...nothing can do that but me. It's still disappointing, just the same. I hope you are doing well on your 5-day plan. Congrats to our friend who has lost 200 lbs...WOW...good job! I want to be as strong and courageous as you are! I am a credit manager with a very stressful (and unpopular) job, and I am a stress eater! Perhaps I should get a job tying bows on teddy bears, and then I wouldn't eat under duress!

Good luck to all of you over the next few days; I will pop in again soon!

Grandy

Don't be so hard on yourself... take it one step at a time.. and remember, stress is counterproductive to what we are trying to do!! I believe it will get better!!! Stay positive and look for other things to do instead dwell on what you can't do right now... I look forward to hearing about small victories you are experiencing!!!!

Good Morning, Sky!

Well, it's 5:30 a.m. CST in Texas and I will be leaving for work at 6:00 a.m. I have decided to do that 5 day start up plan, beginning Saturday. I am having my eyes done on Friday, so it will give me a good

excuse to focus on just me and not everything around me. The eye thing is for me too. The bags under my eyes feel like an extra set of luggage and I decided that maybe if I don't have to worry about them, I can

focus more on things that really matter. We all must feel good about ourselves to succeed in life, and this surgery has made me feel disappointed in myself for a long time, because my will power waivers so much.

That's what I get for believing that the band would minimize the hunger and cause me not to eat...nothing can do that but me. It's still disappointing, just the same. I hope you are doing well on your 5-day plan. Congrats to our friend who has lost 200 lbs...WOW...good job! I want to be as strong and courageous as you are! I am a credit manager with a very stressful (and unpopular) job, and I am a stress eater! Perhaps I should get a job tying bows on teddy bears, and then I wouldn't eat under duress!

Good luck to all of you over the next few days; I will pop in again soon!

Grandy

Don't be so hard on yourself... take it one step at a time.. and remember, stress is counterproductive to what we are trying to do!! I believe it will get better!!! Stay positive and look for other things to do instead dwell on what you can't do right now... I look forward to hearing about small victories you are experiencing!!!!

Thank you, Sky Lily, Favordone and all who post on this site. I pray that, together, we can do what has been so difficult to achieve individually. I apologize for any duplicate posts; I am still trying to learn this site and how to respond efficiently. May we please talk again soon? It's 7:40 p.m. here in Houston, Texas and just now cooling down enough for us to tolerate going outside to water the yard. 105 degrees is just too hot for this grandmother. Take care, all. Grandy

I could have written your post myself. I was banded in 2008, and did OK for about a year...then the problems started in earnest. I've been completely unfilled for two weeks now and am STILL vomiting on a near daily basis. Most days I cannot handle actual food, and some days, such as today, I can't even keep down a Protein drink! (I dare not drink shakes anymore...I have to have the things made with Water. GAH! Something with TEXTURE would be nice!!!) I'm glad to read there really are people that are successful with this but I want to point out something on LAP-BAND's own website:

"Patients can experience complications after surgery. Most complications are not serious but some may require hospitalization and/or re-operation. In the United States clinical study, with3-year follow-up reported, 88% of the 299 patients had one or more adverse events, ranging from mild, moderate, to severe. Nausea and vomiting (51%), gastroesophageal reflux (regurgitation) (34%), band slippage/pouch dilatation (24%) and stoma obstruction (stomach-band outlet blockage) (14%) were the most common post-operative complications. In the study, 25% of the patients had their band systems removed, two-thirds of which were following adverse events. Esophageal dilatation or dysmotility (poor esophageal function) occurred in 11% of patients, the long-term effects of which are currently unknown. Constipation, diarrhea and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) occurred in 9% of the patients. In 9% of the patients, a second surgery was needed to fix a problem with the band or initial surgery. In 9% of the patients, there was an additional procedure to fix a leaking or twisted access port. The access port design has been improved. Four out of 299 patients (1.3%) had their bands erode into their stomachs. These bands needed to be removed in a second operation. Surgical techniques have evolved to reduce slippage. Surgeons with more laparoscopic experience and more experience with these procedures report fewer complications."

(Can be read in its entirety here: http://www.lapband.com/en/learn_about_lapband/safety_information//)

That say a LOT to me. I did do some of my homework before getting this, but if I had TRULY done it as well as I do for my schooling, I would have just gone for the sleeve. Even my own surgeon tried to talk me OUT of the band. Says a lot to me and I wish I had listened to him the first time around. (He'll hopefully be doing my revision here in August!)

Good luck to you!

Yes it is a long list of possible complications but

Have you ever read the possible side effects and complications of your every day medications? Even things such as the birth control pill or simple headache pills have a long list of really scary complications.Most people decide that the risk is worth it.

That is why it is important to be well informed prior to the procedure. My Dr told me about possible complications and gave me a booklet in which they were covered as well. He certainly didn't try to gloss over or cover anything up.A lot of the complications can be avoided by following the rules and not having the band too tight.

Each person has to decide for them self if the potential risks outweigh the potential benefit.

If you really don't want to take any risks then you should give up things like travelling by car. It is one of the riskiest things you can do.

And for those who think that a bypass is the answer to all their problems I am adding a post from another support group that I am subscribed to.

I met with my surgeon today and he as agreed to put in a lap band onto my bypass. I am relieved as I thought it was the end of the road... I hope it helps me feel restricted. Send positive vibes my way at the end of July when I go in for the surgery.

This is a previous post from the same person that gives a little bit of background.

i lost 66kg with my band initially and loved it and then last April it just stopped happening and I could eat very little and vomited all the time yet lost nothing. My surgeon did a swallow test and saw that the band was apparently still in place etc. it was at that time i decided to seek another opinion and saw a few surgeons and decided to have my band out and go the bypass route then. The next surgeon (1st one only does banding) removed the band and at that stage said it had in fact slipped. We waited some months and I went and had my bypass in December last year. After that operation he said I had extensive adhesions and that the tube he created may not get good restriction due to the amount of scarring from the slipped band.

It seems this person is struggling with the bypass and has again stopped losing weight.

I think the bottom line is that there is no such thing as a perfect WLS or even a one size fits all solution. Whichever surgery we choose is going to involve effort on our part - often a lot more than we at first hoped.The best thing to do is research , research, research prior to surgery and then go into your chosen surgery with your eyes wide open and lots of commitment.

There will always be an unlucky minority that will not have success with the surgery that they have chosen. Sometimes it is due to non compliance, sometimes it is due to a not so good surgeon or poor aftercare and sometimes it seems that it is just plain bad luck.Sometimes a revision works sometimes it brings with it it's own set of problems.