Read the info on the forums for band complications and life after band removal. I am seriously in need of some regulation and weightloss so I am going for the band. But I finished reading some posts in those forums and it is really depressing! There are stories of not breathing, constant frustration, constant vomiting, unhappiness and a constant state of regret. Can I hear some good stories please? I have tried dieting, exercise, good grief I have a BMI of 65! I can't afford to do this and then want it out 2 mos or more later! I want to know what you did to make it work and how this has helped your life not hindered it. I am not saying I want my eyes closed through the process but I am saying that there has to be someone out there who being banded has really helped and who would do it again if the had the choice. Gastric? not really interested in rewiring and malabsorption for the rest of my life. What I hope to get from the band is a healther life, a chance to clear up my PCOS and hopefully conceive, a chance to do more physically than I can now and a future. Yeah that evens mean walking around the mall without finding the closest bench! I am trying to prepare myself as much as is posible right now. good and bad, but I have read alot of bad...anyone got any good to share??:rolleyes2:

Cheryl, keep reading. You will find those good stories that you are looking for. It IS good that you read the bad stuff too. You have to know as much as possible before going into this. Have you tried reading the mentoring board? Again, hang in there and keep reading!

Welcome to LBT, by the way! :rolleyes2: I love this board and have learned so much here. I have been able to find out more here than just about anywhere else. Hope to "see" you around!

Remember to research the doctor you are going to. I had my band placed three years ago and lost 125 pounds but then got complications due to a cheap surgeon who was in it for the money and then wouldn't help me once I had problems. I miss my band. Sure I overate and threw up and sometimes had that elephant sitting on my chest but that was because I was testing my band. We all do it otherwise a diet would have worked for us. You have to remember no matter what surgery you have it is just a tool and you have to be willing to work with it and except it's limitations.

Good luck and keep us updatesd.

I go to the chats and get great UPLIFTING info from the banders there.

Read in the Life at or near Goal forum or Fitness and Exercise or Nutrition. The good stories are out there.

Remeber this - The few people who have trouble tend talk. People who are doing great and love the band tend not to talk because they are off doing other things and don't even think about their band.

I take Remicade and was posting on all the boards asking questions and reading all the horror stories before hand and in the beginning, but now that I have been taking Remicade for 4 years I never get on the boards and tell people that I am a success story and that it's changed my life.

I work with MANY people who have had the band and they all say after a while you forget they have it. They have all lost weight and they all LOVE THEIR BAND! One even had to have hers taken out because of slippage (do to the doctor) and she is BEGGING our insurance to pay to get it back because she has gained 20lbs since it was removed - that was a eye opener for me because she has been thru alot but still wants it back.

I love my band. The only difficulty I have had is MY band is very fickle when it comes to fills. I have been tight, not tight enough, PB'd, etc. I've been banded 2 years and have probably had 18-20 fills and unfills. It can get quite costly so make sure your surgeon includes fills for at least the first year. Mine are $200 each. Some doctors charge upwards towards $500 and even $750. I do love my band but it took me forever to get proper restriction and I am still struggling with that. Good luck with your decision.

:biggrin2:Thank you for all of your information I will check the forums and chats that y'all suggested. I really appreciate your experiences! I had my ECG Treadmill test and they set a goal of 158 and I passed it with a 165 so I hope that is good nought for the Dr to release my cardiac clearance. He already examined me and said I was cleared but he wanted to do the ECG Treadmill test to push my limits. woooooo I could just see myself swooooooshhhhh off that treadmill and into the cabinets behind me! LOL! but I was ok. Just a little breathless and sore in my legs from being out of shape! ....I'll keep ya posted!

I was in the same position as you were for awhile. I never questioned whether I wanted the band or not, because I knew that I did. But it got super stressful reading some of the posts about everything that can and do go wrong with the band. I had to stop coming here for a little while..

When things go wrong, I think people need a way to get out their frustration with their band.. because we'll all have them at some point. Life, in general, is frustrating. But I bet a little while down the road, if you ask those people that seem to hate their band right now, they'll say when it's all said and done, they love their band. Not everyone, no... but most.

If you want to see the people who LOVE their band ... go to the before and after pics in the General Lap-Band Surgery forum. Not only is it inspirational to see the before and after pics... but these people are happy with their band. It's great

I wish you all the luck in the world in your journey :thumbup: PM me anytime.

Hi there! Well, I can tell you that I had my band put on a little over a year ago and i love it. I have absolutely NO regrets! I am very glad i did it and if i could go back in time .. i would do it all over again! I have lost almost 80 pounds and would like to lose 20 more. And yes, i know there are horror stories out there but I am living proof that they do work and like i said .. i have no regrets. Sure, everyone will have their ups and downs ... but im totally happy that i did it. Good luck!

I cetainly understand having fears and wanting lots of information!

I think you are doing the right thing by getting yourself very prepared. It is smart to get a lot of information. If you do make the decision to move forward, you will probably feel like you have so many tools to help you succeed.

For some reason, my fears started after I was banded (even though I did lots of research prior). But again, I have tried to use this to help gain information and figure out how to make things work for me.

Learning that the band is there as a tool to help me feel more satisfied - not to make me stop eating - has helped me start focusing on how I can change my habits. I have been able to look at the band as a tool to help me and as something that will work "for" me. It has helped me be less "afraid" of it.

Good luck with your decision and process.

the trick is finding a GOOD surgeon. Do LOTS of research on this first. There are a lot of substandard physicians out there that know there is a quick buck to be made in all this. They are interested in money first. I paid something like $14.95 on a medical website to get the medical background of my surgeon. It gave me where he went to medical school, how long he had been doing bariatric surgery, how many surgeries, how many complaints and lawsuits against him, any awards he had recieved, how long he had been practicing medicine, the reputation of the hospital he was affiliated with. Once I cleared him, I was confident with my choice. I also got a lot of feedback from past patients of his. I found them in support groups and through networking. I left no stone unturned. I toured the hospital where my surgery was going to be. I questioned the nurses at the hospital that knew him. I contacted his office and had TWO consultations with him before I made my decision. He didn't mind at all. I highly recommend you do this. You will also know UP FRONT what is included in your surgery, how much the fills are, what you can expect as a whole. Your experience with the band has a lot to do with how YOU handle it.