Please contact me Jody.wilker58@gmail.com to chat I am 54 male from southern Minnesota. I have lost 102 lbs and now having some issues

Hi, I'm coming up on my 4 year mark in a few months. My Dad had the band done as well, and is about 6 years out and having a ton of problems. He's actually having his band removed next week. What kind of problems are you having?

You will find a few bandsters that are 4 yrs. out. Much more rare to find one 5 years out.3-4 years out seem to be when a LOT of band issues happen! :-(

Hi, I'm coming up on my 4 year mark in a few months. My Dad had the band done as well, and is about 6 years out and having a ton of problems. He's actually having his band removed next week. What kind of problems are you having?

There is a failed band group on FB. He may want to join that:

http://www.facebook.com/group/199537600106847/

I haven't had one problem with my band. It's been the greatest thing I ever did for ME. I'm almost 4 years out.

I would be curious to see how many of them are "original lap band" patients, or if any of them are Realize band patients. Seems like the Realize didn't have quite as many problems. My surgeon told me a few weeks ago, he has NEVER had a slip, and only one port leak the entire time he's been doing the band and he's done hundreds of patients. It would be interesting to see if there is a difference. He only uses the Realize now.

I'm anm opriginal lapband patient, not a Realise patient and I'm 6 and a half years out. No real problems - I did have to unfill my band totally for a major surgery fifteen months ago and upon refilling, it was never quite the same again, just couldnt get the same restriction. It seems that from unfilling, it has moved ever so slightly, causing a slightly enlarged pouch.. But I stress that that is not a major problem, doctor is happy to leave it and I do still have pretty good restriction, just not what I would previously have had with an almost full 4cc band. What happens to me now is that the larger pouch allows me3 to eat a tiny bit more - hardly perceptible - and then I'm a bit prone to suddenly realising I ate too much. My weight tends to swing a little more, but only by a pound or two, whereas bbefore it never ever moved. My feeling on this is that my band is fine for now, but I have in the back of my mind it might need replacing within the next few years. Fine by me. I never thought this would be absolutely forever, and was never led to believe that. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

The bigger problem with long term banding is that you get so used to the slight discomforts and difficulties with eating that you start to miss the signals or ignore them and you do gradually begin to overeat again. Not overeat like you used to but you do eat more, the stringent carb counting or calorie counting sort of loses its shine, life takes over and you do get the occasional scale reminder that it is VITAL to always be thinking about your eating and your health. There really is no such thing as getting banded, losing weight and never thinking about food. It takes time and effort to stay on the straight and narrow. I still run for an hour three times a week and go to about four RPM classes.

Jachut.. this is exactly how I feel. The strict carb and calorie counting does lose it's shine, and you may go up a lb or two, but I weigh myself religiously every day, and if I see it spike a tad, I'm back on the strict eating, and get it back down. That's why I fluctuate a lb or two. The fact that you lost some restriction in your band after unfilling scares me to death, because I don't have a lot of restriction now, and I'm having plastic surgery in a few months and I know they will have to unfill my band. If I have less restriction, I'm probably going to be in trouble. But.. I would redo my band again in a heartbeat if I needed to. Being without it scares me more than having it with problems. It's been a life changing experience for me!

I am an original lap-bander and a little over 6 years out. My band is still in good shape as far as I know. I do find I can eat a bit more especially in the evenings and yes, counting the calories seems to be key for me along with getting back into a regular walking routine. I am still 145 lbs down from where I started, so even though I gained back some over the past 3 years, it's not like other times in my life when I put it ALL back on in a year or so after losing it.....so I'm VERY happy with my band! This is my first time back on the site in a long time, thought it would be good for me to get my head wrapped back around the disciplines of the band again. Thanks for being here everyone!

It will be 4 years for me on March 27. I've seen a lot of ups and downs in these past 4 years. Started out strong then had some issues come up that caused major depression and i fell off the band wagon then last year i got back on track and am down 80 pounds and counting.

AWESOME job Iyoung. That's what it's all about, getting back on when you fall off. Good Luck!

I will be four years out next week. My band is well and so am I !!!

I am 6 years out today. The only problems I have had were caused by me trying to overeat. You cannot fight the band and win. You will get sick everytime. I would recommend that anyone considering the band should really have a heart to heart with themselves and ask yourself can I really eat just 1/2 to 1 cup of food for every single meal for the rest of my life. If the answer is I don't know or no I can't then the lapband is not for you. It takes discipline to make it work. But if you follow the guidelines you will lose weight. I am down 104 pounds and holding nicely now. Good luck to you and your dad.

What is happening?

Wildflower04