Lately I have been seeing a dramatic increase in the negative lap band experiences people are reporting (maybe it was always like this and I just didnt notice??)

It seems like every day people are posting that they're getting their bands removed because of serious/irreversible complications

So far I have no reason to be upset with my band (other than occasional heartburn, but with no Fluid in my band, my doc isn't really concerned) but being on here makes me feel like my band is a "ticking time bomb" and that something will surely go wrong.

I try to stay positive, and try to be happy with my 60 lb weight loss, but I am feeling increasingly unsettled and its really bumming me out

I belong to other groups, one in particular has over 200 members and they ALL at one time or another used to be active here on this forum, well over a year ago........NONE of them come here anymore, they, like you, have gotten tired of hearing the negatives, and wanted to surround themselves with like minded people.....

And that group is not as active as it once was because many people, being banded well over a year, have met their goals, and comfortably living in the Green Zone, and are happily moving in with their lives.....

That happens here a lot also....many of the people I used to follow have succeeded, completed their WL journeys, and never come around anymore....

Plus I quess the majority of people who post here are those who are still struggling and having issues, looking for advice....soi that bis what we see most often...people with problems or those still trying to figure this all out....

Yes this place can definitely be a downer. And sometimes I come back to give perspective. I liked my band enough to get it not once, but twice. But my sort of voice will be in minority because if your band is working, and everything is going well, why would you post in the forum about it? It's like saying 'yeah, today I breathed, same as yesterday, same as the day before'. There is only so many times you can answer the same question, only so much support you can give when you don't need support yourself. I have taken hiatuses from this site that have lasted a year or more.

So I guess what I'm saying is, this site needs to be taken in context, Forums are where people go to discuss things, and learn, and if the band is working, there kinda isn't much to discuss or learn anymore.

So I guess what I'm saying is, this site needs to be taken in context, Forums are where people go to discuss things, and learn,

And in some cases, push an agenda...

Lately I have been seeing a dramatic increase in the negative lap band experiences people are reporting (maybe it was always like this and I just didnt notice??)

It seems like every day people are posting that they're getting their bands removed because of serious/irreversible complications

So far I have no reason to be upset with my band (other than occasional heartburn, but with no Fluid in my band, my doc isn't really concerned) but being on here makes me feel like my band is a "ticking time bomb" and that something will surely go wrong.

I try to stay positive, and try to be happy with my 60 lb weight loss, but I am feeling increasingly unsettled and its really bumming me out

This is actually very typical forum behavior, if there is nothing "wrong" there is nothing to say. The majority of posts come from people who are going through the decision process of getting WLS and those that have just had it, where every burp, rumble and pain scares the hell out of them. As for all the "serious/irreversible complications", you are looking at a skewed sample, for example you were banded 8-12, when was the last time you came on the forum and announced that your band was working just fine, no problems at all? My surgeon had done 900+ LBs before he did mine, and he had a serious complication rate of less than 5%. If they were on a forum, you can bet the 5% would be much more vocal than those who are doing just fine.

There are always two sides to discuss. What has already been posted is accurate to some degree. And it is true, those experiencing difficulties with their bands are more prone to post about their difficulties.

Life with a band is an ongoing journey. We are apt to develop some complications at any point along the way. Complications can and do happen. Not to everyone, but even the most compliant Bandster can have difficulties.

This forum does have a wealth of information, and for me, a great deal of support from others who are on a similar journey. I have learned much useful information along the way.

Sometimes people who have been here for some time do get tired of reading about people doing dumb things with non-compliance with following the guidelines given by their medical team.

I still ghost here, and post regularly on a sub forum of very supportive and knowledgable veterans. We are like minded, and view this as a journey we are all on together as individuals.

Complications do happen. We are individuals, and we will not always agree. But this forum is open to all who want to post. We have the option to take from it what we want to, and ignore the rest.

Reading the struggles and complications others are having just energizes me to follow the rules. It fuels my quest for success. I learn from others what is working and what isn't. It also forces me to be grateful for my process, proud of my achievements, and less harsh with myself. Being 251 was a ticking time bomb. I don't look at my band installation as a slew of potential problems. I view it as the tool that avoided potential problems. It's all in our perception.

When people are in pain, confused, unsure of themselves they seek answers When Their doing "fine" they are content. I find it refreshing to read all experiences, because no matter what the experience is and no matter Who experiences it were all Human and things happen.

Can I ask why you don't have any fluid in your band?

The negativity gets old, but trying help newbies with genuine questions offsets that for me. I rarely respond to negative nellies and you learn pretty quickly who they are. The new folks need a voice of reason on occasion. I am not here a much as I was, but I have several people who still PM me there questions and ask for help.

Thanks everyone!

I really needed to hear this

When people are in pain' date=' confused, unsure of themselves they seek answers When Their doing "fine" they are content. I find it refreshing to read all experiences, because no matter what the experience is and no matter Who experiences it were all Human and things happen.

Can I ask why you don't have any Fluid in your band?[/quote']

I have no fluid because I had some heartburn a few weeks ago and I guess my doctor is the nervous type so he told me to rush over for an unfill (even though between you and me, my band was not tight at all and I had very little restriction AND severe gerd runs in my family. But compliance is very important to me and I trust my doc so dropped everything and ran for an unfill. ) ps, I still have a drop of heartburn but when I called him on Friday he didnt seem too concerned anymore because there was little or no fluid in the band. I am very very sad to be with no fluid be because no weight is coming off. I told him I desperately want a full but since I'm leaving town tues-thurs he said I should come get filled after I get back home so I can enjoy my vacation without restriction

Personally I'd rather restriction, but like I say, I really want to comply with what my doc advises

I agree with previous posts, I am one of those who has had success and do not blog as much or post as much unless asked or see something really worth responding too. I rarely see or talk to my original group and have become more active on MFP and FB. There has always been negativity on the forums and that us pretty typical for social networks, I was banded in 2010 and learned from the positive posts and the negative posts and people who were struggling the most helped me the most. I was determined not to fail, I read the failure rates but my experience has been that any WLS can fail. So my point is, take what you need from the forums and make friends with people who are successful and who will be honest with you! Good luck.

I agree with previous posts' date=' I am one of those who has had success and do not blog as much or post as much unless asked or see something really worth responding too. I rarely see or talk to my original group and have become more active on MFP and FB. There has always been negativity on the forums and that us pretty typical for social networks, I was banded in 2010 and learned from the positive posts and the negative posts and people who were struggling the most helped me the most. I was determined not to fail, I read the failure rates but my experience has been that any WLS can fail. So my point is, take what you need from the forums and make friends with people who are successful and who will be honest with you! Good luck.[/quote']

Thanks for finding this post worth responding to

I really enjoy your posts in general, always positive and full of encouragement !

Glad you've had success with your band, you are a true inspiration

I agree with everything that has been said here. i was banded in 2009 and stopped coming here once I had "everything under control". Well, now I am back, stopped following the rules and am having to restart my weight loss journey. What better place to come to get words of encouragement from others who have been there? LOL, it had been so long since I have been on here, I had to ask Alex to reset my password! Best wishes to all!

I've just stuck my head back in after not posting for a long while; it's been 4 1/2 years since surgery for me and all is going well. I'm rarely on here anymore, as things are great, I don't have problems or questions, and finally, my life isn't about weight loss anymore. I do come back every once in a while out of curiosity, to interact, etc., but I don't need the support now like I did then. You can bet I will be back and posting if I ever have a big problem, but until then, I have other things to do. Seems to be the same for a lot of us

I don't post here very much. Like prior posters have said, I am happy with my weight, my band and my life. When I found this site, it was when I was researching WLS options and I googled "lap band horror stories". I wanted to know the worst case scenarios.

This community has been a great resource for information and support. It also led to the formation of a Facebook group of people that had their bands placed the month I did. The Facebook group has been my primary source of support.