Hello everyone my name is Becca and I am considering the lap band. I just called my local hospital and they said I qualify. To all the people that have it in wheather it was yesterday, last year or 10 years ago can you please give me advice. I'm looking for the good and the bad especially the bad that the doctors won't tell you. I need to know everything about this! Thanks guys in advanced

Start with Alex's book. "The BIG Book on the Lap-Band" It will answer most of your questions. But you have to do your own research on what's best for you and make an informed decision.

Hello everyone my name is Becca and I am considering the lap band. I just called my local hospital and they said I qualify. To all the people that have it in wheather it was yesterday, last year or 10 years ago can you please give me advice. I'm looking for the good and the bad especially the bad that the doctors won't tell you. I need to know everything about this! Thanks guys in advanced

If you're looking for the bad, I can help you there. I'll get my band next Wednesday, but I've been through this site very thoroughly and here are the main drawbacks:

Don't eat what you shouldn't

Don't eat too fast

Don't eat and drink at the same time

Band slippage, errosion and port problems often happen because of neglegence - sometimes, it's just a bad device. These things don't happen often. Early bandsters report:

Gas pains - usually in the shoulder for some reason.

Wanting to vomit but can't - they've eaten too much of the wrong thing or ate it too fast.

To be honest, the positives far outweigh the negatives. I have a few friends with the band and their experiences were such that I was ready to get mine as soon as I found out that was how their fat "melted" so quickly. One friend has had her band for 10 years now - she lost a total of 236 and looks like a living barbie doll now. She has had her port changed once to a newer, smaller version about 2 years ago, but she hasn't had any fills since then either. She eats what she wants to now and works out maybe once a week.

I hope I've helped a bit...just wait a couple of hours, there are several experienced bandsters that can help you more than me. Misty and Carolinagirl will probably post to you shortly. They are my angels.

Thanks

Hi. I'm only 8 days in so the good is that I have lost 13lbs in a week. But I can see why, I haven't eaten and still takes hours to get my protein drink down. The bad is giving up all the foods were used too, the ones that got us here so maybe not bad after all. From what I read, we can eat more variety as time goes on. Having a hard time adjusting to eating slow but I pay for it so my body tells me and its just a whole life change... Except I can't really cheat like we could without band cause my body won't let me.... Too full. If u need help but want to change, try the band. Good luck whatever u decide. It's a mental battle mostly!

I'm 2 weeks post-op and the only thing I can think to tell you right now is research. My Dr.'s great but because there is so much that goes into the pre and post-op and the after they had a booklet but together for everyone. I had to make sure I read it and it was also recommended to come here to this site. I don't think with all the patients they can remember everything to tell you. I don't know about your Dr. and how they do things but make sure your educated just like your doing now. Some questions may have to be answered by your Dr. though. So just keep doing what your doing.

~~~Stephanie

I've been banded over 4 years and so far my experience has been more positive than negative. The positives are obviously the weight loss, better health, confidence, sleeping, athletics, and more. The negatives are the limited foods I can eat, the days i'm super tight because of dehydration or over exertion, the many many lessons I had to learn about being too tight or too lose or what I could or couldn't eat. Also, I do get very hungry most days and I still have to diet and exercise often to keep the weight off.

If I had to do it over again I would definitely do weight loss surgery again. Whether I would stick with the lap band I am unsure. I would definitely look harder at options like the sleeve or plication. The people that say they wouldn't consider those surgeries because of how harsh or invasive are do not have a proper grasp on how harsh and invasive lap band surgery can be. Ask someone who has had a slipped band how gentle it was. And don't kid yourself into thinking that slipped bands are only caused by people abusing their bands...sometimes they just happen. Plain and simple.

The bottom line is weight loss surgery is effective but should not be taken lightly. Do your research and realize there is no quick fix to weight loss but there are tools to help. Good luck!