Hi All -

I wanted to post a reply I made on the SmartBandster board regarding someone's strongly stated opinion that band erosion is almost always the patient's fault.

I think it is important to accept responsibility for our actions and their possible consequences. However, I also think it is equally important to be able to accept that certain outcomes of events may have not been under our control, or may have happened anyway.

Perhaps my occasional overeating contributed to my band erosion (frankly, I was doing a lot of that in the past four weeks). HOWEVER... erosion is a possible complication for ALL implanted devices.

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//It is actually the stomach that erodes or is damaged, not the band. Usually because the band is too tight or most often because the person is eating too much and trying to force too much through the band. Usually the fault of the banded person, and NOT the surgeon or the band itself.//

Dan, I realize that it can be reassuring to think that WE have ALL the control over what happens to us and our bands - if you NEED to believe that to have peace of mind, then I leave you to it.

However, if the erosion rates are indeed 1%-3%, I would be hard pressed to believe that only 1%-3% of bandsters ever eat too much. I would hazard a guess that the vast majority of bandsters at least occasionally overeat. I mean, that IS our nature, after all. BUT, the vast majority of bandsters do not experience erosion.

Do a google search on erosion of implanted device, and educate yourself on the realities of having a foreign object in your body, and what can happen to it. The following links cover products that range from heart implants to penile implants to ports - all of these devices list erosion through tissue walls as a possible complication. It is extremely unlikely that overeating (or patient behaviour, period) could be held responsible for these erosions.

You know - sometimes it just happens.

http://www.guidant.com/webapp/emarketing/compass/comp.jsp?lev1=prod&lev2=crtp_ifu

http://www.clevelandclinic.org/urology/patients/rsurgery.htm

http://www.medtronic.com/neuro/enterra/physician.html

http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/mda/docs/p010020.html

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/71/81224.htm?z=3199_65247_2010_00_10

http://www.bostonscientific.com/templatedata/imports/HTML/infusion_therapy/devbsc_vaxptpsv_ifu_us.html

We should all try to avoid behaviours that increase our risk of erosion, but there are no guarantees that even if you do everything 100% correct that you will escape this particular complication.

Sometimes bad things just happen.

Donali

Dr. Lopez, 1/23/03

303/204.5/135

Diagnosed with erosion 6/19/04

Band removal scheduled for 7/2/04

Lame as it can be, I'm going to put in $.02 for SmartBandsters. It's a great site and the best place to soak in the wisdom of the marvelous Jessie Ahroni. Sure there are some loudmouths and self-appointed experts, but they are everywhere. It's funny to see them evolve--I've been reading SB for almost two years now, well before DL was banded. Wow, he's learned a lot!

Donali, you're taking the best approach and I wish everyone were so smart about online discourse. Head-to-head arguments just spoil it for everyone else after a while.

I took a long break from reading SB but started up again recently. I need the daily--nay, 50 x a day!--reminder that I should be good to my band and let it work for me instead of fighting it. I'm not losing weight so here is my public announcement of my intention to get back on the BAND wagon!!

Alexandra - you are right. That's why I read Smartbandsters as well. I just rarely post anywhere but here. If you are not already a member of graduatebandsters you may want to join there as well. Jessie posts there too, and you get the wonderful insight of Patricia, and Sarina, and a couple of other really thoughtful people that aren't coming to mind right off hand (it's only 4:45am... lol It appears I have successfully replaced my food addiction with lapbandtalk addiction, at least for the moment!!! .

Everyone else - as always, your support means everything to me. Even something as inane as a little argument on a support board, and you guys come out of the woodwork to bolster my spirits. Amazing...

Have I mentioned lately that "YOU GUYS ROCK!!"???

Graduate bandsters is great, too, yes indeedy. Thank goodness for people like the ones you name who are willing to share their journeys. Where would any of us be without the internet?

Seriously, remember the dark ages? I for one would never have had the courage to take the step of being banded without the 'net. I'm thinking about what I would have said if a doctor floated the subject with me; I'd have run screaming from the room. But reading the experiences of hundreds of other people over the course of a year made it a reality for me.

Getting the thread back on track: blaming the patient would be a lot easier if we didn't have this and similar venues to discuss our experiences. HA!!

blaming the patient would be a lot easier if we didn't have this and similar venues to discuss our experiences.

Not enough can be said about peer support in this regard. I am not denying that my behaviours may have caused or contributed to my erosion, but KNOWING that erosion is a possible complication for ANY implantable device does help me to be at peace with what has happened.

I wish there was a way to know for sure, but in a way maybe it's better that I don't... I just think it's important to not perpetuate speculation as fact. Speculation is valuable and has it place, but is not the same as FACT.

Dr. Kuri let her out! He makes me feel so good! I have a major leak, much worse than before, but he called like we're old buddies and made me feel awesome! It's a whole 'nother world when you have a doc who cares.

I joined that fancy SmartBandsters board last night, Donali. WOOF. Beware! But this place is so much warmer and fuzzier. This board is like coming home.

But this place is so much warmer and fuzzier. This board is like coming home.

Ain't that the truth?!?!

I was talking about all the support I was getting to my sister, and without thinking I said, "MY board..."

lol

I concur with Lisa, I do go to the yahoo groups..Smartbandsters, Bandsters, Dr Ortiz and OSCB but by far this board is where I feel most comfortable. I feel as though I get attacked when I post over there. I don't like that feeling

Yes, it's very dangerous at those other boards. Hell, I made one comment about my bra and decided to go braless after all that insanity. And I wasn't even referring to the purple one!

Out of curiosity about "Dan" being such a jerk to Donali, I joined Smartbandsters. What a bunch of sharks! I saw all the comments about your bra, Lisa. "Dan" was really getting into that! Plus, the layout is hard to follow.

HEY... The purple bra is OURS here at lapbandtalk. Don't be taking it to the other boards!!!!!!!!!!1

Dan's fault is that he seems to be utterly without a sense of humor or any imagination. Honestly, how hard was it to figure out that Lisa was talking about the sets of hooks?!?! The initial comment may have been intended as funny, but when he admitted he was serious I thought, then why in hell say it? Other people start to dissect the thing, chime in with equally silly comments, and before you know it your e-mail box is flooded with inanity. That sort of thing is what derails online lists all the time, and really tries my patience. With email lists especially it's important to be judicious in posting.

I <3 LBT.

Jeannie, yes, that other band is crazy and hard to follow. My bra comment went way south. Someone posted all the things she can do now that she lost a bunch of weight, like climbing stairs. So I responded that I can now put my bra by reaching around back to clasp it instead of clasping it in front and spinning it around. Soon people were asking if I had 4 boobs, then Dan got all weird cuz he didn't understand it, and I had a heck of a time back paddling.

They are too smart for me over there and nobody laughs much. Maybe I need to tell them that Grampa bought a rubber?

Donali, once again, I was just talking about bras in general and did NOT share "the" purple bra with anyone there!

And where the heck is Shellyj these days?

Well yes, hooks. Hasn't he ever seen a bra? Did he actually thing I spun my boobs around? I'll choose my words more wisely. Glad y'all understandy me babbly.

Well, Lisa, if he'd read your posts about pole dancing and stripping, seen the purple bra and hooker glover, he might just think that you could sling your boobs around! But we'll keep that our little secret!

I got the impression that Smartbandsters doesn't want any new kids on the block asking the same old ?? Plus, it looks like they edit most of the posts.

I love this website!

Jeanie, when you see that a post has been edited it's not because of anything the poster wrote. It's always because the person posting neglected to trim out the post to which he or she was responding. Since so many people get the list in digest form, it's easy to just hit "reply" and inadvertently copy the entire digest into your message. Naturally that annoys the heck out of everyone, so the moderators take the time to trim that out when it happens.

I think they're being very generous to do that. I know I wouldn't have the patience.