I am bothered by the drive-by's where people with one or two posts show up and start posting negative comments about the band. I understand that the band doesn't work for some people, so I decided to check out some sites for other forms of WLS. Guess what I found out, those of us who have chosen WLS aren't so different from each other. On the other sites I found:

• people who were loosing weight and were really happy with their decision
  
• people who weren't loosing weight and were struggling with the reason
  
• people who ignored there Dr's pre and post op instructions and couldn't figure out why that was wrong.
  
• people who were on plateaus
  
• people who were mad because their WLS didn't automatically make the pounds come off.
  
• people with complications
  
• people who had lost most of their weight, only to gain it back again when they went back to old habits.
  

In other words, I found the same types of things there, that I find here. That makes Jean's quote in my signature all the more real.

Well said

Wendy

I used to be Naive and could not possibly understand how anyone can fail after having surgery....something that alters your body ...SURGERY! .....(and to a extent I still don't get it)

But after another year, and reading and meeting so many different people here and other websites and at support groups where I sometimes as to speak.., ....IU now see there are so many different views about this WLS, and how there can be so many different ways people can approach it..... I can now understand how people can, and will fail at this.....it's sad,

but it is true.....I see it everyday....

I also now understand why so many Dr.'s are not so quick to recommend Gastric banding as they once did, but other alternatives such as sleeving, etc....

I have begun to tell people, that even though the Band has worked for me, I would look closely at the sleeve first before making any decisions.....

as in life, all things will vary with people, their circumstances etc.... its a (risk)...it not a guarantee. sure bad things do happen and sure excellent things do happen....again, that is life..

life is to f**king short to worry about what if......

look at where you started (me for example) and am i better off now then i was 9 months ago? yes...and that is what matters to me.

granted if something bad happens, i will deal.....but i walked into this surgery with a realization (thanks to my dr) that i will have to do my part and i will need to be patient ......

i do tire of those a month out who say i should have got the sleeve or who havent lost and are (depressed and what am i doing wrong)....

the band is working for me

its working for other people

why not for everyone i have no idea...