Looking for any bandsters over 4 or 5 years post op. Would love to hear your thoughts on your procedure. Have you lost, have you gained etc

Thanks in advance

I am a little over 5 years out. I am sucessful, at goal, and maintaining for over 3 years. I have an excellent bariatrics program that most people don't have. I see my coordinator every week for a one on one and it doesn't cost anything but it does keep me accountable. Many programs orphan their patients right after surgery so I realize how blessed I am.

Im just a whisker away from seven years.

I've been so happy with my band. I've never suffered any really bad problems with it - none of that too tight, cant swallow spit emergency unfill stuff.

At seven years, my band is very different to what it was at first. I think a lot of it is you get used to the feeling of restriction, and you think you dont have as much, but you do. Its very easy to fall into the trap of filling more and more looking for that feeling when in reality you are simply used to it and used to a bandster way of eating. For the first few years I would go out for dinner, eat a few mouthfulls and feel embarrassed because I literally could not eat any more. That never happens now - but I can still not eat a full meal. I can eat more but I am still satisfied with less, if that makes sense.

I have developed a slightly stretched out pouch which my surgeon does think is fairly normal at this stage. I do have a little bit of heartburn, I do take a nexium every three or four days but I have had a lot of other health issues after having rectal cancer and I cannot necessarily attribute that to the band.

I do maintain my weight, but I can swing around a bit more easily now than I could since I can overeat and I do still struggle with things like overating chocolate and Cookies. I think my desire for these foods has actually increased with teh band as things like bread which are filling, no longer appeal because they're hard to eat. I was thinking about dinner tonight and what we're going to have - we've got some rib eye steaks in the freezer and i feel NO desire to eat those at all, in fact I really DONT want to eat steak - hard, chewy, difficult, I would much rather have rice cakes and Peanut Butter for dinner. I have to fight that sort of thing all the time.

I've also had a few emotional and mental issues around losing weight, getting really skinny, overexercising and such. It doesnt happen to everyone but sooner or later, the reasons for your disordered eating tend to present themselves.

The other thing is after lots of years banded, nutrient deficiencies are showing - undereating over a long period of time - which is what you do with a band, no way around it - does have an effect on your body. I have Iron, B12 issues and my bone density is pretty bad.

But I wouldnt change it. I only ahve to see a photo of myself and really like what I see to know that.