I just saw this on my local news. remeber the 12 yr old from Austin that had Lipo done last yr ? Here parents took her to Mexico to get a band ?

After seeing the reaction and the interview from her mom All I can say is STUPID !

Local | Video On Demand | News for Austin, Texas | kvue.com |Her mom doesnt even think the sleep apnea testing and psych evaluation are needed. What are you opinions ?

Mindy

Well, firstly, I believe that Liposuction is always bad answer to 'weight loss'. Spot removing certain areas that bother you is one thing, but 40 lbs with lipo and a tummy tuck? And the reason of course, is because she didn't change her eating habits and she gained it back (AND SHE'S TWELVE). That was a short video clip, but based on the comments the mother made, probably this girl has grown up never believing anything is her fault and so there must be something out there to *fix* her. Compulsive eating is not easy to control, but at 12/13, I'm not sure the answer is to put a band in her so that "she can only eat so much and after that it comes back up" (mother's comment). I did not have a psych eval, but I gladly would have if my doctor had required it. I do think that insurance companies put a lot of 'red tape' on things, but psych evals and apnea tests aren't part of that! I just have a vision that we are going to be hearing about this girl and her surgeries for years... her nose isn't just straight, her thighs are too flabby, she'll probably be one of those girls that gets breast implants as a graduation present. Surgery addiction isn't good either.

Well, firstly, I believe that Liposuction is always bad answer to 'weight loss'. Spot removing certain areas that bother you is one thing, but 40 lbs with lipo and a tummy tuck? And the reason of course, is because she didn't change her eating habits and she gained it back (AND SHE'S TWELVE). That was a short video clip, but based on the comments the mother made, probably this girl has grown up never believing anything is her fault and so there must be something out there to *fix* her. Compulsive eating is not easy to control, but at 12/13, I'm not sure the answer is to put a band in her so that "she can only eat so much and after that it comes back up" (mother's comment). I did not have a psych eval, but I gladly would have if my doctor had required it. I do think that insurance companies put a lot of 'red tape' on things, but psych evals and apnea tests aren't part of that! I just have a vision that we are going to be hearing about this girl and her surgeries for years... her nose isn't just straight, her thighs are too flabby, she'll probably be one of those girls that gets breast implants as a graduation present. Surgery addiction isn't good either.

First of all both docs that performed the surgeries on her should have their licensed pulled . The doc that did the lipo and the tummy tuck should because he performed it on the a 12 yr old AND because he went around after wards advertising it as a " weight loss Method Or tool" .

Basically he did it because they paid him to do it . DESPICABLE TOTALLY . He disgusts me . I have a friend who wen to him and he talked her into more lipo than she wanted by saying " You really need work here and here she said she left there feeling MORE self conscious about her self than she did when she walked in " .

The doc that did the lap band should be shot as well for doing this on a 13 yr old. Again Money talks and BS walks . He did this for money .

I really think this mother needs to be investigated by CPS . She's allowing her daughter to get what ever she wants regardless . I agree the mom is not having her daughter take responsibility for anything . IF she has a compulsive eating disorder deal w/ THAT .

Everyone in this situation makes me SICK .

I knew when I first heard of this girl last yr this would happen , i knew she would end up w/ surgery I didnt know it would be this soon because I didnt figure anyone would touch her until she was 16 at least.

Mindy

I just saw this on my local news. remeber the 12 yr old from Austin that had Lipo done last yr ? Here parents took her to Mexico to get a band ?

After seeing the reaction and the interview from her mom All I can say is STUPID !

Local | Video On Demand | News for Austin, Texas | kvue.com |Her mom doesnt even think the sleep apnea testing and psych evaluation are needed. What are you opinions ?

Mindy

Wow! Thanks for posting this for all of us on LBT. I remember reading the original coverage and entering into the original discussion on LBT. At the time I was kinda sympathetic to the kid if I remember correctly. As we all know, being that big little kid is a horrible, painful, lonely experience.

After watching this coverage my attitude has changed. It seems that her mother has colluded with her child's vision that surgeries are the easy way out of the fat control issue. A responsible mother would be anxious to research sleep apnea and pschological issues as well as everything else which might be pertinent prior to giving the approval to have the child operated on. These tests are the norm for many folk and, afterall, this kid is much younger than your average lapbander. Good mums want to be sure that there are not going to be any screw-ups when it comes to their babies.

Of course we are looking a young kid who is far too immature to eat according to band rules. Band rules do require knowledge and discipline, as we all know. She will stretch her pouch. She may well suffer slippage or erosion. This is likely not going to end well and the kid is going to end up with more damage. Ugh!

My gut instinct on it was that Mom did not want to live vicariously through a fat child! She is wanting the DD to have the perfect adolescense that she did not. Maybe some wierd form of Munchausers (sp?) Syndrome....where they make the child (or sometimes spouse) sick so they get the attention as the loving care taker......

I too understand life cannot be easy as an overweight teen---but we are not talking a kid who has HUGE issues. She has obviously not been taught nor helped with proper nutrition. When she was allowed to do the drastic move of lipo---it was all out in the open, she should have been helped to have a decent diet. She wanted it, she got it....and it sounds like she always will.

Kat

Hey ya'll I feel very sorry for this girl. She's obviously a product of her upbringing and exposure to all kinds of messages she gets from every direction about how bad you are if you're fat.

She is a person who is right now struggling with self-esteem issues. If she stays on this track, she's going to crash big time. But I don't really blame her for trying to find an easy way out of compulsive eating. That's what prompted me to get the band. I didn't think I could do it on my own either.

I'll bet this is just the start of a trend in youngsters in America. I'll bet there are lots of parents who want perfect children so much that they'll gladly put them under the knife. What a message to our kids!

Honestly, I'm more okay with a 13 year old having the band (not really okay, but kind of okay, depending on the kid) than the idea that this girl has had plastic surgery like a tummy tuck and lipo. There are a number of stories about teens being banded, and for the most part, they seem mature and determined to make it work. This girl (first of all, holy cow, that's 13?!) want a perfect body YESTERDAY (don't we all) and her mother seems to refuse to tell her life just doesn't work that way.

They say that she lost 15 lbs in the 3 weeks she's been banded, but I'm curious to know whether she followed even the most lenient surgeon's version of the post surgery diet. Sure, there are people who eat ice cream as a mushy, but it's still mushy. I have visions of tacos and pizza.

Probably I am being too judgmental based on that little video clip alone, but I agree that the mother should be checked out. There are certain beliefs that you just don't get unless you are brought up that way, and being 12 and thinking that surgery is the answer to all that doesn't look right, is one of those things.

As a side note, there was a woman I met who got banded needing to lose 50 lbs (which I scoffed at, but would do now, with about 50 lbs to lose), and had had like a dozen other plastic surgeries before and since then. She was taking her 12 year old daughter to a surgeon in MX for the balloon (balloon inflated in stomach to take up space) for weight loss. The woman said she had like 15 lbs to lose. I saw her again, and she said her daughter gained weight on it. I was chatting with my mom and said that probably she didn't follow any rules. It's more of a first hand sighting of a similar situation.

In no way did I mean anything derogatory about the girl, she is the way she is, because of the way she was raised. My questions about this are ALL directed to the parents and the surgeons....

When I last saw them on TV following the lipo, they said she had dieted off another 20 pounds etc.

Where is her guidance in eating? She is 12-13 years old, she does not do the family grocery shopping. Why isn't this concerned Mom buying bikes and riding with her daily instead of ignoring insurance recommendations and taking her to Mexico.

I am not slamming the Mexico/surgery thing---hell I did it myself, but I did it FULLY informed, and only after working within my insurance guidelines, and still being denied. And I did it as an adult. Even if they had waited til she was 16 and had the ability to understand what SHE was going to have to do...but if her Mom cannot help her to maintain and eat healthy following the loss and surgical intervention she has already had, what hope do they have of following the necessary diet of a bandster, especially when that changes sometimes on a day to day or hour to hour basis!

I see much more invasive surgery in her future.....I hope it waits until SHE is old enough to decide. I think Mom needs help! Not letting Dad off the hook either---where is he?

Kat

Kat I totally agree!!

That would be such a tough decision for me. Thankfully, both my children are of average weight. When I remember the horrific treatment that I received in school, I would not fault any parent for trying to spare their child that pain. I honestly don't know what I would do if I were in their shoes........

The other part that plays into this is the fact that the news coverage most likely edited the original interview. So, if you were to see the whole interview the way she makes some of her comments might not be in the context that that short clip make them seem.

The other part that plays into this is the fact that the news coverage most likely edited the original interview. So, if you were to see the whole interview the way she makes some of her comments might not be in the context that that short clip make them seem.

I dunno. Its hard to take her comments about the "Red tape " of the pysch evaluation and sleep apnea testing" out of context. She made it sound like even there was MORE testing that was done , she just couldnt remember the names of them all , what kind of mom doesnt know what all her daughter does to get approved for surgery ? Granted she may have been nervous. But those things were pretty clear cut . It doesnt take a whole lot of tape for me to see ignorance .

Just my opinon though

Mindy

Well...I have been overweight my whole life and I wish I could have had the band when I was a teenager. It would have saved so much heartache and emotional distress growing up caused by my weight.

If we say she cant be mature enough to make desicions to do with the lapband then we can say she isnt mature enough to be making correct food choices etc on her own.

We all know dieting doesnt work right?? We have all been there. The band is what saved us all, we had reached the end, we had tried everything...

I think to nip this in the butt now is a great thing, I also think it should be followed up with weekly visits to a therapist and dietician but I think it could work.

I disagree with the lipo but as for the band I say go for it and good luck to her...hopefully it will work for her and she wont struggle through her teenage yrs being discriminated, picked on, and judge for her weight.

I really hope she doesnt see all these posts all over the place judging her and her family for choices they made that they think are best for THEM.

Hi Kel ( wore my bracelet yesterday btw---still love it!)-

I think I agree with your post, as far as dealing with the problem while she is young. But I think the lack of follow through on the lipo for instance sets the stage for lack of follow through on this. They were so sure that was the answer then, and no follow up care was pursued. She even made comments before that the girl was able to lose another 20 pounds on her own following the lipo. It is the start of her yo-yo dieting for life, but she started with the BIG cures, not even attempting the common sense answers for a child who still has much maturing to do. IF she were able to make all her own choices she might even have a better chance, but at only 13, she is unable to make and attend nutritionist appointments, therapy appointments, and things like that. And if the parents had maybe done that following lipo, and the lost weight before, possibly the band would have not been needed. I have no doubt in my mind that this was ALL done out of love for their child, and hope that she not be tormented in school, and in life in general. BUT to make the serious decision she did, for a 13 year old child, who has shown an inability to control her own eating, and to think that a band is as simple as "if she eats to much it comes back up" is foolish! It is also dangerous to her health to think that you can treat a band that way, without possible damage to your stomach, or esophagus. Which can lead to permanent damage---a band has to be treated with care!!! To hear her talk, no one did much research into what being banded involves.

She is a young teen---as a teen she will be out doing all kinds of things, and experimenting with all kinds of things. That is what your teen years are for. But imagine being 13, and unable to swallow a Tylenol, or have a soda with your friends---even a diet soda. I know that those things helped her become overweight, but in order to try to gain a "normal" life with her weight, she is giving up a "normal" life as a teen. The saddest thing I feel she gave up is the feeling of being accepted unconditionally by her family.

We have all encountered people who think we took the easy way out with WLS. It sounded to me, like they thought the band to be the easy way as well....and most of us know differently.

The Dr. they chose, let them down in my opinion.

I would hate for the child to be hurt reading posts about it as well, but I also hope for her sake they DO find this and other forums that might help them navigate the banded world. It has its difficulties as an adult.

I would not have made that choice for my child, but this is a done deed, and I fully believe most everyone here would do whatever they could to encourage and support a child who needs it. And I do hope right along with you that this does work for her, and her weight is not an issue through her life.

Kat

Hi Kel ( wore my bracelet yesterday btw---still love it!)-

I think I agree with your post, as far as dealing with the problem while she is young. But I think the lack of follow through on the lipo for instance sets the stage for lack of follow through on this. They were so sure that was the answer then, and no follow up care was pursued. She even made comments before that the girl was able to lose another 20 pounds on her own following the lipo. It is the start of her yo-yo dieting for life, but she started with the BIG cures, not even attempting the common sense answers for a child who still has much maturing to do. IF she were able to make all her own choices she might even have a better chance, but at only 13, she is unable to make and attend nutritionist appointments, therapy appointments, and things like that. And if the parents had maybe done that following lipo, and the lost weight before, possibly the band would have not been needed. I have no doubt in my mind that this was ALL done out of love for their child, and hope that she not be tormented in school, and in life in general. BUT to make the serious decision she did, for a 13 year old child, who has shown an inability to control her own eating, and to think that a band is as simple as "if she eats to much it comes back up" is foolish! It is also dangerous to her health to think that you can treat a band that way, without possible damage to your stomach, or esophagus. Which can lead to permanent damage---a band has to be treated with care!!! To hear her talk, no one did much research into what being banded involves.

She is a young teen---as a teen she will be out doing all kinds of things, and experimenting with all kinds of things. That is what your teen years are for. But imagine being 13, and unable to swallow a Tylenol, or have a soda with your friends---even a diet soda. I know that those things helped her become overweight, but in order to try to gain a "normal" life with her weight, she is giving up a "normal" life as a teen. The saddest thing I feel she gave up is the feeling of being accepted unconditionally by her family.

We have all encountered people who think we took the easy way out with WLS. It sounded to me, like they thought the band to be the easy way as well....and most of us know differently.

The Dr. they chose, let them down in my opinion.

I would hate for the child to be hurt reading posts about it as well, but I also hope for her sake they DO find this and other forums that might help them navigate the banded world. It has its difficulties as an adult.

I would not have made that choice for my child, but this is a done deed, and I fully believe most everyone here would do whatever they could to encourage and support a child who needs it. And I do hope right along with you that this does work for her, and her weight is not an issue through her life.

Kat

I agree with Kat. The notion that the mother seems to hold, that the kid can treat her band like an automatic purging device - if she eats too much she will vomit it up - is entirely against the band rules of course. This behaviour will lead to careless eating habits, a stretched pouch, band slippage and possible erosion. So what is going to be next for that young girl? A gastric bypass?!?

Not only is this mother horribly ill-informed, it appears that she has no desire to be well-informed. (Her unwillingness to have the child go through a psych evaluation, etc indicates this.) As we all know, following the band rules is tough even for motivated and informed adults. Here we've got a mother and a kid who has just entered her teen years who both seem to believe that surgeries are the magic solution. This is a disaster in the making.

Unlike Kelliebelly I do hope they do consult this site - I have learned so very much about the band thanks to LBT and I do believe that this site is a most valuable resource for all banded people - and I would personally be comfortable if they read our comments concerning their current approach to weight loss. I would hope that both the girl and her mum might successfully sort through any evidence of malice and irritation displayed twowards then on this thread in order to focus on the bigger issues associated with obesity and with weight loss.