I hate my band. I wish I could pull the stupid thing out of my own body. My initial surgeon bailed on all his patients. My new surgeon is starting to do the same crap my old surgeon did before he bailed.

After 3 years, the best advice I can give you is not to have the band. Once they put it in that's it.. unless YOU come up with the $$ to have it taken out and find a surgeon who will do so you are screwed.

It's all about the $$$$$ to hell with patient care.

My I ask why you want it out? I missed that part of it. What kind of things are your doc's doing?

Wow Carrie....

Obviously you are frustrated. Can you plus share further what it is you are going through?

I plan to begin the program this month and be banded in about 8 weeks. I am very interested in what is frustratin gyou about your surgeon and the band and why you are wanting to have it taken out.

Thanks for the input.

Karen

You sound just like my teenager did after she got braces. She was so excited to get them and a week into it...she was crying and screaming to have them removed.

Well, I didn't, of course. 18months later she's very happy with the results.

Thanks for sharing your story. It's very common for a ONE STOP shopping for the band to go wrong.

Pay the surgeon you want to do the procedure...but Lord don't give money up front for aftercare...you'll lock yourself in.

No, pay the surgeon. Then find someone to do your adjustments. You should only need a few visits...I needed 3. 2 fills and 1 unfill.

I'm so happy I did it this way.

How many of you buy a car and then ALWAYS go back to that dealership for service forever?

When JiffyLube is so much cheaper and more efficient?

But when things go wrong...you need a dealership, right? Then that's fine.

Oh, forgot to add....

yes, to "h e double toothpicks" to patient care....that's not what medicine is about...it's a business.

So, don't like your provider....don't use him. Money talks more than people know.

How much weight did you lose Ms Butter?

So sorry you feel that way. Although, it said your back on the bandwagon so hopefully, you can feel that way again.

Good luck to you!

I hate my band. I wish I could pull the stupid thing out of my own body. My initial surgeon bailed on all his patients. My new surgeon is starting to do the same crap my old surgeon did before he bailed.

After 3 years, the best advice I can give you is not to have the band. Once they put it in that's it.. unless YOU come up with the $$ to have it taken out and find a surgeon who will do so you are screwed.

It's all about the $$$$$ to hell with patient care.

You're falling into the same trap that I've always done (and desperately hope not to do again!) and let the screw-ups of others affect YOU! I can't for the life of me figure out why we sabotage ourselves this way. I joined Weight Watchers 3 different times over the years and each time did very well until I hit a plateau for a few weeks and had some nasty WW employee make a snide remark to me. Once that happened, I gave up. I got soooo d*mned mad that I couldn't just get away with wringing their freakin' necks that I ended up resorting to the only 'control' I had.. what I ate. And I ate and ate and ate. I guess I somehow thought I was getting revenge on them or something. The only person that ended up suffering is me. And, maybe that's the problem. Maybe because we're fat, we somehow subconsciously believe that we don't deserve better... that everyone and everything will eventually fail us... except for food. And, how freakin' sick is that? How warped have we allowed our brains and self-esteem to become?

You know as well as I do that if you (and I can easily put myself into your place and see myself doing the same thing you did) were and are not happy with your surgeon that you have the power to find a better one. But, chances are you're stubborn (like me) and are sick to death of the unfairness of it all and have just sunk your heels in and refuse to budge. It's like the battle of the wills... only you're only battling yourself. Unfortunately, in a fight.. one person loses. When we're fighting ourself... who loses? We do! Because we're fighting both sides of the argument against OURSELVES!

Only WE can make the difference. Only WE can make the change. You have had HUGE ENORMOUS weight loss SUCCESS! You deserve the best that you can give yourself and you NEVER deserve to let yourself down. Even as I type this to you, I am telling myself the same thing. My body is in a water-retention mode... and despite doing everything by the book, the scale is going up. In a few days I'll p*ss like a racehorse and the scale will drop... and then start right back over in sucking up Water like a camel. If it wasn't for the band, baby, I'd be eating everything in sight just because I'm soooo stinking mad about it. Cause that's what I'm used to doing. Get mad... EAT. Get sad... EAT. Get happy....EAT! Yes, there are days that I hate this stupid piece of silicone wrapped around my stomach... but the days that I hate it the most are the days that I know (despite the fact that I don't want to face it) that I need it the most.

ButterKup... you ARE going to get past this. You ARE going to prevail despite the f*cked up state of our medical system. You ARE strong and vibrant and your previous weight loss proves that.

We're all behind you and you are NOT ALLOWED TO FAIL! Got it?!? Good!

westcoastfatguy

You are the best, good luck in all you do and keep going the way you are, you tell it like it is.

I'm really interested in what happened to you. I haven't been banded yet, and am still interested in both sides of the experience. Would you please give me some more info, in a PM if you prefer? Thanks.

I really think some more details are necessary here.

Why did you gain back 60? Seems to me you're failing yourself. How can your actions be blamed on the band and on your surgeons? What is the point of wanting to rip out your own band? I guess I can't see how that would make things better. You're having issues with food now and gaining some weight back, so how would removing the tool that can help you fix that going to help you at all?

Also, you said you're back on the wagon, so perhaps you're modifying some of the things that made you sway from the program...and if so, then that's great!

You should have known everything before your surgery. If your facility was only supporting you for a limited amount of time, then you should have shopped for another facility.

I hope everything works out for you. I know how tough it is when it feels like the whole world is against you and that nothing is working out...but in the end...we all have the power within ourselves to change things.

YEAH, I feel like there is more to the story. But best wishes

Msbutterkup23:

Please look to the other bandsters here to recommend a surgeon that you can go and see for follow up, fills, and recommitment to your band. If you let people know where you live and ask for recommendations you'll probably be able to find a great doctor to help you with your band journey.

I can honestly say that I feel like my doctor's group is part of my team for this weight loss journey. They share in my success and I feel like they genuinely care about my weight and well-being. I hope that you can find a medical group as good as mine.

Take care.

Sue

westcoastfatguy, extremely well said!