Ugh not another band is a "tool" person

[Misi 0]

I understand where you are coming from. I had my band put in back in 2002. I only had one time that I had any restriction and that was when the band was so tight that I couldn't swallow. Fast forward 7 years, and I began to have acid spill over into my lungs. I then had to have my band replaced 2 years ago due to slippage/etc. Now, I am waiting to have my band removed due to the acid - the second band did not fix it. I am not saying that the band failed - it didn't. I lost over 70 pounds and have kept it off. Am I down to a normal bmi? No. I am healthier? Absolutely. This is why I made the decision to remove the band - I will not spend my life drinking pepto bismal every night and sleep sitting up when it is obvious that the tool has done all that it can. Good luck to you.

Ok If I hear one more person or article say the band is a "tool" I may have to scream. No sh** its a tool but for me its like having a hammer and its missing the head of it. So my band is in place and is pretty full, got it. When they do I feel nothing? No wait I do feel something and its reflux, even when drinking Water. The only time I lost any weight since having my band done 4 yrs ago was when I was on the next to nothing diet. My Dr had me terrified of solid food so I ate broth for 2 months and wouldn't ya know I lost weight...go figure. But was I hungry, more like starved! I never thought more about food in my entire life than when I wasn't allowed to chew a single thing.

I know what I should eat and how many calories I should consume and if I could have done that without any help why on earth would I have gone through surgery? So now I have this foreign body in me that does absolutely nothing! GRRRRRRRR.

Wow, feeling a bit better for getting that out. Thanks for listening.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

I expected to feel less hunger and be satisfied with much smaller portions. While even before the band I wasn't a person to consume large portions I was told I would only be able to eat maybe 2-3 bites of something and then feel full. I was also told that if I ate small amounts of food 6x daily I would not feel hunger. I can with absolute certainty that even when I was doing Protein drinks for meals and following a very strict diet, I was very hungry. So yes I will say that this "tool" has not done anything for me. People can criticize all they want but if the only difference I feel from the band has been reflux how can anyone say this is a tool for me?

I went through all the classes, the mental health prep, the support group meetings, and the pre-surgery diet. I did not go into this half heartedly, nor did I expect it to work like a magic pill. I expected help with weight loss. I expected that I would rarely be to the point of feeling starving and therefore I can make better choices for food. I expected that small portions would fill me and if I chose Protein first I would be satisfied.

I am now feeling like more of a failure than before the surgery.

Just know that you are not alone. *hugs* My advice to you is to please speak to your surgeon to ask for a little bit of an unfill. You are entirely too tight. You are going to hurt yourself if you remain this way.

If you need to talk to someone I am here for you. Send me a PM.

[Startingoveragain 2]

Missyt.....I feel like some of these people are being a little hard on you. If you have had your band for 4 years as you say, then it is likely it has become less effective over time, studies show this. So those of you who are being a little insensitive toward Missyt, I sure hope you never experience what she is going through. Also, it is true that the band works differently for everyone, or perhaps not at all for some. As for myself, I have been banded for almost 6 years. My first year banded I lost 140lbs, and the next year I my band slipped and I had to have revision surgery to have it repaired. I was lucky that the slip was not terrible and did not lose my band. However, the second part of my story is not so successful. After having my band slip and seriously starving for two weeks without being able to keep down even one bite of food, and then having to have surgery again....I was scared to utilize my band properly for several more years. I didn't even get another fill until three years later because I was terrified this would happen to me again. Long story short, I gained all but 20lbs back of the weight I had lost. Those of you who say the band is a "tool", maybe that is true for you, but not for everyone. Looking back I feel like I could have lost the weight without the band. At the time, I gave the band a lot of credit, but hindsight is 20/20. I see now that I was working out at least 6 days a week, and I was eating low carb, low calorie, and so on. There were very few times I felt that "full" feeling that everyone describes with the band. The only time my band became that "tool" for me was when it slipped and I was unable to keep food down, but at this point it was too late, and not healthy. Now I have recently gotten a fill, and under flouro, my doctor says I have very good restriction, however when I eat the recommended amount of food, I still do not feel full. I feel no different than I did when I had the band. I do not drink liquids for a period of time before and after eating, yet I still do not stay full for very long. My fills are almost maxed out at this point. I will be able to have one more, and my band will be completely full. I am not saying the band does not work, but for some people it's not the "tool" that they were expecting. I think some people(such as myself) get carried away with the fact that they had SURGERY, and therefor, they MUST not fail....I paid for my surgery out of pocket, so failure was not an option...which is what somewhat motivated me(among other things) So for those of you who the band works perfectly, congrats...I am so happy for you ....But please please be sensitive to those whose bands aren't working quite as well for them. Of course there are people who totally sabotage their own weight loss efforts by not following "band rules", but in our own arrogance, let's try not to accuse everyone of this.....Thanks

[missyt 1]

Missyt.....I feel like some of these people are being a little hard on you. If you have had your band for 4 years as you say, then it is likely it has become less effective over time, studies show this. So those of you who are being a little insensitive toward Missyt, I sure hope you never experience what she is going through. Also, it is true that the band works differently for everyone, or perhaps not at all for some. As for myself, I have been banded for almost 6 years. My first year banded I lost 140lbs, and the next year I my band slipped and I had to have revision surgery to have it repaired. I was lucky that the slip was not terrible and did not lose my band. However, the second part of my story is not so successful. After having my band slip and seriously starving for two weeks without being able to keep down even one bite of food, and then having to have surgery again....I was scared to utilize my band properly for several more years. I didn't even get another fill until three years later because I was terrified this would happen to me again. Long story short, I gained all but 20lbs back of the weight I had lost. Those of you who say the band is a "tool", maybe that is true for you, but not for everyone. Looking back I feel like I could have lost the weight without the band. At the time, I gave the band a lot of credit, but hindsight is 20/20. I see now that I was working out at least 6 days a week, and I was eating low carb, low calorie, and so on. There were very few times I felt that "full" feeling that everyone describes with the band. The only time my band became that "tool" for me was when it slipped and I was unable to keep food down, but at this point it was too late, and not healthy. Now I have recently gotten a fill, and under flouro, my doctor says I have very good restriction, however when I eat the recommended amount of food, I still do not feel full. I feel no different than I did when I had the band. I do not drink liquids for a period of time before and after eating, yet I still do not stay full for very long. My fills are almost maxed out at this point. I will be able to have one more, and my band will be completely full. I am not saying the band does not work, but for some people it's not the "tool" that they were expecting. I think some people(such as myself) get carried away with the fact that they had SURGERY, and therefor, they MUST not fail....I paid for my surgery out of pocket, so failure was not an option...which is what somewhat motivated me(among other things) So for those of you who the band works perfectly, congrats...I am so happy for you ....But please please be sensitive to those whose bands aren't working quite as well for them. Of course there are people who totally sabotage their own weight loss efforts by not following "band rules", but in our own arrogance, let's try not to accuse everyone of this.....Thanks

[pkjjm31049 0]

What do you eat?

I mean, I was never told 2 to 3 tbspns of food, I was told a cup or so per meal and that's how its pretty much been, but I do fill up on fibrous foods like salads and stuff and for that, you need your band to be a bit looser. Its easy to fail to recognise just what the band *can* do for you and get tighter and tighter in this crazy Quest to be satisfied eating virtually nothing. Your body is too clever for that, you WILL be hungry no matter how tight you are.

I got quite tight myself in that Quest to lose the last 15 mid last year. Got diagnosed with cancer and had to have a surgery for which my band had to be totally unfilled. I suddenly could eat bread, salads, fruit, all the hard stuff I'd missed. All the hard stuff that is low in fact and calories - unlike the denser slider foods I'd been unconsciously consuming. My weight actually dropped alarmingly with an UNfilled band, simply due to suddenly eating properly again. I took control of the portion sizes and the avoiding eating between meals, and it was harder with an unfilled band, but with the right foods, wow, I lost a lot of weight. Maybe an unfill and a committment to that sort of healthy diet could help you?

I dont know about anyone else but for me, if I can stick to something like oatmeal and fruit in the morning (say 3/4 cup hot oatmeal with a few tinned peaches on top), a protein/salad based sandwich for lunch and then a regular family meat and 3 veg type dinner, with no Snacks, I lose weight pretty darn fast. As long as my band is loose enough to allow me to eat about a cup at a time that way, I exercise and I avoid in between meal eating even if I'm a bit peckish that is.

Its hard to tell when someone posts like this whether they are simply missing the signals and not quite "getting" it, in which case I think some people genuinely need empathy for their frustration and guidance in how to fix the problem, and some people need a wake up and smell the coffee kinda lecture. But I think there's also people who simply cannot find that balance between good restriction and overtightness, whether due to some physical/physiological reason or simply due to their particular brand of eating issues. I even think it may take a bit of soul searching for you to realise which of those apply to you personally.

Sounds like you have found your sweet spot,when were you banded and how many cc do you have? Good for you!!

[Nakniwa 0]

I feel like you're telling my story. I have not had success with the lap band. I know part if not a lot of it is my own fault because I eat things I shouldn't, but I also just feel discouraged that this hasn't given me the edge I thought it would. I don't know. Its so hard to talk about because everyone always places the blame back on you and you feel like a failure anyway so I get depressed and eat more and then gain more. Its a vicious cycle. I haven't had insurance so I haven't gone to see my surgeon and haven't had a fill in a long time. I don't know if I want one as all it does is make it difficult to eat anything it seems when I have restriction. I end up eating lots of carbs because they go down easier. They tell you to eat Protein first but meat is extremely hard to get down. I am just frustrated. I think people should be a little kinder to those of us who haven't had success. Its not a one size fits all band.

[missyt 1]

As you can see from the replys there is no shortage of blame. I tend to think of it like this. Medications are helpful to people, but not every medication works for every person. Everyones body is different and responds differently. So that is why doctors will often have to prescribe different medications for different people. Its obvious that the lap band works in some bodies better than in others. It just sucks for those of us that it doesnt work for.

Thanks for responding and sharing your story, It helps me to know I am not alone.

[mabinty 3]

U r so right!!! That why they have all kind to see what work for who!!!! Be Bless

[whitetiger011680 11]

I'm still newly banded having gotten my first fill today so I may be wrong, but I thought if a banded person was unable to keep food down and had acid reflux it could be a sign of slippage or being too tight. Have you been checked for slippage? Just curious.

Maybe this isn't the right tool for you. Thought about a revision to RNY or the sleeve?

Hope you are able to get it straightened out. Sounds like a miserable place to be in.

Good luck.