I'm new to this site and appreciate reading stories from other banded folks. I have had my band almost 10 1/2 years. I had really great success during the early years. I realized about 3 years in I had a very strong emotional component to my eating patterns so I regained a good bit of the weight I had lost. But no fault of the band. I still feel it is the best tool for weight-loss success. I originally lost 110 pounds after I had my surgery then regained probably 80 pounds. But I am back down 50 pounds and still a work in progress. **I went back and edited this post when I realized I can't add. I had my band placed May, 2003 so that would have been 10 years not 9!

I've had great success since nov 2012! Hope to relate to all when I have been banded 5-10 years! Good luck! The old song "we've only just begun"

Grand Poobah is a term derived from the name of the haughty character Pooh-Bah in Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado (1885).^[1] In this comic opera, Pooh-Bah holds numerous exalted offices, including "First Lord of the Treasury, Lord Chief Justice, Commander-in-Chief, Lord High Admiral... Archbishop of Titipu, and Lord Mayor" and Lord High Everything Else. The name has come to be used as a mocking title for someone self-important or high-ranking and who either exhibits an inflated self-regard or who has limited authority while taking impressive titles.^[2] The formal term for the practice of holding multiple offices is "dual mandate".

Well, I certainly didn't mean it as mocking. Hope you didn't take it that way? Maybe I should have used another term such as Oh wise one? Anyway, there may be others here with more lapband seniority but I'm not familiar with them?

Now I'm pissed because some people have called me poo-bah! Damn, I'm gonna kick my son's butt.

Grand Poobah is a term derived from the name of the haughty character Pooh-Bah in Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado (1885).^[1] In this comic opera, Pooh-Bah holds numerous exalted offices, including "First Lord of the Treasury, Lord Chief Justice, Commander-in-Chief, Lord High Admiral... Archbishop of Titipu, and Lord Mayor" and Lord High Everything Else. The name has come to be used as a mocking title for someone self-important or high-ranking and who either exhibits an inflated self-regard or who has limited authority while taking impressive titles.^[2] The formal term for the practice of holding multiple offices is "dual mandate".

Am I the only one who thought of the Flintstones? LMAO

Oh! And congrats and WELCOME! We welcome any and all experiences, young or old....bands that is!

The Grand Poohba of the Order of the Water Buffalo! Wasn't that from the Flintstones? . Off on a tangent.

I'm loving this thread! It's all good!

Even though you are a long term bandster we say just (JUMP) lol on the band wagon and keep it rolling and moving , start with the pre op or even the 5 day pouch test or post op and you will start again to get there and there are a lot of good helpful supportive bandsters on here as well so welcome back,

I'm new to this site and appreciate reading stories from other banded folks. I have had my band 9 1/2 years. I had really great success during the early years. I realized about 3 years in I had a very strong emotional component to my eating patterns so I regained a good bit of the weight I had lost. But no fault of the band. I still feel it is the best tool for weight-loss success. I originally lost 110 pounds after I had my surgery then regained probably 80 pounds. But I am back down 50 pounds and still a work in progress.

Hello...

Good to hear from other long term banders, I will be 8 years out next week myself. I had the 4cc/10cm band for over 7 years.

You are correct they no longer use the 4cc bands in the US, there are still many oldies out there with 4cc bands that are doing well, but MANY have gotten their bands removed, or revised to other surgeries.

Actually I wanted to keep my 4cc band, I lost a lot of weight with it very quickly and kept that weight off for over 6 years, but I could not longer get into the green zone without reflux, due to a hiatal hernia, so I decided to get my hernia fixed and the surgeon had to remove the 4cc band because they don't unbuckle without destroying the entire lap band system.

I gained back over 50 pounds too because I had trouble keeping restriction (due to the hernia) in my 6th year and I decided enough was enough and got a brand new band replacement, I was not ready to revise to the Sleeve or Bypass.

The longest person that I've heard that kept their 4cc band was Jessie Ahroni, (She actually wrote the first book on living with the lap band) she was 14 years post op, and someone posted on Obesity Help last year that she had her band removed in an emergency, and she updated that post herself and confirmed that she'd revised to the Sleeve.

Apparently she was bending down and she said her band slipped really bad, and she had to have emergency surgery to remove it.

Also I know a few that are 11 years post op, but they've had some replacements over the years, and are still doing good.

Regarding my new AP 10cc band (Rebanded all in one surgery Nov, 2012), I love it, it feels softer on my body, and my band is tight and I have no reflux or burning, something that I had trouble with over the years with my 4cc band and I had to be on PPi's constantly -- but with my hernia repair and new band -- no PPi's reflux, or acid reducers and I am truly thankful to my new surgeon that fixed me.

Good luck to you and I hope you have many more successful and uneventful years with your band!

so...poom bah/pooh ba

am so lost.......please tell me it is not related to fish

Hi there, thanks for sharing your story and welcome to a world of on-line support here.

(And 2muchfun, I thought immediately of the Flintstones as well -- yabba dabba doo).

Well, I certainly didn't mean it as mocking. Hope you didn't take it that way? Maybe I should have used another term such as Oh wise one? Anyway, there may be others here with more lapband seniority but I'm not familiar with them?

Now I'm pissed because some people have called me poo-bah! Damn, I'm gonna kick my son's butt.

No offense taken by me I never knew Poo Ba could even be considered a mocking term. I thought it was hilarious. Yes, I remember the Flintstones and other references that go way back.

I realized this morning that I needed a math lesson. I had my band in 2003 so that was 10 years, not 9. My time flies when you are having a good time.

A little bit more about my story. I have struggled with my weight all my life. I remember being 5'7" in 8th grade and weighing 184 pounds. As the years went by and children came, my weight continued to increase. In 2003 Dr. Jaime Ponce and associates had been doing the lap-band surgery for a little while at the hospital where I worked. So I made the decision and had it done. I was a strange bird (from what I hear from most people) in that I had restriction right out of the gate. I followed the rules, listened to my body and lost 110 pounds before getting a fill. It wasn't until that time that I started to regain any weight. And that was just timing. I went through a devastating emotional event and to be completely honest, I worked as hard at putting the weight back on as I did taking it off. I can't even remember how many fills and unfills I have had over the last 9 years. I would say I had 3 fills and 2 unfills. I have pretty much left my band alone otherwise. I need to go back for a checkup. Only complaint that I have is that my surgeon's office seemed to not care much about follow-up unless you were coming in for an adjustment. I need to go back in just to get my band placement and condition checked out just so I will know where I stand right now. Thank you all for welcoming me here. I just hope and pray my band and I both continue to be healthy. I need to look around the site here more and see what other areas of support are here.

SUNNYSIDEGA I hear you. . . . . . . I'm in your boat!

So Ms. Joanne, let's keep this thing afloat

Love to hear long term success stories. They help us seasoned bandsters keep on. Congrats. It sometimes is not an easy journey. But worth it!!