I am new here so this topic may have come up before. But one of the frustrating things for me on any band forum (or in real life) is lap band recipients who seemingly know nothing about this piece of silicone that they had implanted in their bodies. I am not talking about the newbies who are trying to educate themselves. I am talking about ignorant individuals who know nothing months out of surgery. The band slip rate has gone up and so has erosion rates....(not to mention revision surgeries)....do you think maybe its because of some people refusing to learn how to live with their bands? There are legitimate reasons some have band complications that are beyond their control...but I wonder how many end up with problems because they are simply tuned out and in denial that they are responsible for their success. What started this rant is an individual on another forum who is doing something dangerous daily and when we all post that she should stop she says her doctor knows what she is doing and we are all liars, because we must do it too. Thats as specific as I am going to be...I have decided to pass all those threads by from now on....if they want to screw up their bands thats their choice.

PB is a phrase that a Bandster coined years ago and it stuck. It stands for productive burp, but we use it to describe anything that causes you to bring up what is in your pouch.

Jessie A, one of our Banding pioneers, calls it vomiting, plain and simple. If you ate it and it comes back up, you vomited, and you should avoid that if at all possible.

We usually refer to PB's as a gentler version of a vomit...although they can be kind of violent. This may or may not include food. They can also get easier and easier, just sticking your toothbrush on the back of your tongue and coughing. Doesn't mean they are any less dangerous. I am not saying she's bulimic, but ask any bulimic how easy it is for them to vomit. It becomes VERY easy.

Who knows if she is ultimately causing damage, but I've yet to meet a slipped Bandster who did NOT PB or vomit a lot.

I agree with Jessie A. I think the term PB is stupid. If it was in your stomach (no matter what portion) and it comes up out of your stomach you have vomited.

I agree with Jessie A. I think the term PB is stupid. If it was in your stomach (no matter what portion) and it comes up out of your stomach you have vomited.

I agree. For the most part I have quit using "PB" and I call it what it is, a barf. There isn't a bloody thing "burpish" about it.

Luckily, I have not experienced this yet. Hopefully (knock on wood), I will never experience it. I've gotten something semi-stuck occasionally (not recently, though), and had to wait in pain until it went down, and I've learned the hard way why it's a bad idea to eat and drink at the same time (boy, I'll never do that again), but I haven't PBed yet.

I was just now reading a post from a newbie that had their first PB, she asked if she had done any damage.

An oldtimer chimes in and explains that no, they haven't done any damage. How does she know? Then she goes on to say that slips come from constant and violent PBs.

She really should educate the rest of the medical community because I don't think they know that!

I can see saying that likely one barf isn't going to cause a slip but to say flat out no, she didn't hurt anything... sheesh...

Ohhhhhh! I have another one.

What about the people that don't know if they want a band or not because they don't want the incision scars.

Stretch marks and 100+ pounds of fat are okay but tiny little incision scars are an absolute horror.

Luckily, I have not experienced this yet. Hopefully (knock on wood), I will never experience it. I've gotten something semi-stuck occasionally (not recently, though), and had to wait in pain until it went down, and I've learned the hard way why it's a bad idea to eat and drink at the same time (boy, I'll never do that again), but I haven't PBed yet.

I only have one time. I was at work eating too fast after someone just pissed me off. A bad combination.

Ohhhhhh! I have another one.

What about the people that don't know if they want a band or not because they don't want the incision scars.

Stretch marks and 100+ pounds of fat are okay but tiny little incision scars are an absolute horror.

What gets me are the people that chose RNY because they would have had a foreign object in their body if they had chosen the band. Derr, what do they call all those little staples?

What gets me are the people that chose RNY because they would have had a foreign object in their body if they had chosen the band. Derr, what do they call all those little staples?

Wonder if that same logic would make them decided to just limp around as opposed to getting a knee replacement.

What gets me are the people that chose RNY because they would have had a foreign object in their body if they had chosen the band. Derr, what do they call all those little staples?

And it's a TON of staples too. Probably around 100 or more of them. They are itty bitty and three rows of them on either side of what was just cut. And lots of things are cut.

Yes, I agree.

Wonder if that same logic would make them decided to just limp around as opposed to getting a knee replacement.

Oh, don't get me started on that subject. My mom waited until she literally couldn't walk more than 5-10 steps at a time before she got both of her knees replaced. I kept wondering if she thought they were just magically going to get better. As it is, she waited so long that I think she did lasting damage to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, plus she disfigured her feet from the way she walked back then.

Someone posted about mucus on the complications forum yesterday so I added my piece. I also posted on two other forums. I wouldn't mind seeing my surgeon, since I have a bit of a crush on him.

Oh, don't get me started on that subject. My mom waited until she literally couldn't walk more than 5-10 steps at a time before she got both of her knees replaced. I kept wondering if she thought they were just magically going to get better. As it is, she waited so long that I think she did lasting damage to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, plus she disfigured her feet from the way she walked back then.

Well, some people don't like to rush into things!

Makes you wonder, if they needed a heart would they refuse a new heart? I mean, it isn't exactly grown in their own body.

Luckily, I have not experienced this yet. Hopefully (knock on wood), I will never experience it. I've gotten something semi-stuck occasionally (not recently, though), and had to wait in pain until it went down, and I've learned the hard way why it's a bad idea to eat and drink at the same time (boy, I'll never do that again), but I haven't PBed yet.

You may not. It took me a year before I had my first, and have only had one other besides that.

I was just now reading a post from a newbie that had their first PB, she asked if she had done any damage.

An oldtimer chimes in and explains that no, they haven't done any damage. How does she know? Then she goes on to say that slips come from constant and violent PBs.

She really should educate the rest of the medical community because I don't think they know that!

I can see saying that likely one barf isn't going to cause a slip but to say flat out no, she didn't hurt anything... sheesh...

Unless you are superman with xray vision...well there is no way to know for sure what damage if any has been done. I have heard of people that have pb'd in the first few days post op (because of reactions to meds etc) and they ended up with complications.

I have seen a person who pb'd daily as they were to tight....and had an unfill and supposedly tests run and her band was o.k.

Its like playing the barfing version of Russian Roulette.....and of course the odds start at who placed your band to begin with.

Someone posted about mucus on the complications forum yesterday so I added my piece. I also posted on two other forums. I wouldn't mind seeing my surgeon, since I have a bit of a crush on him.

Yes...you also go to a Dr. McDreamy eh? :love: