- i had the worthless lapband removed months ago

i no longer throw up - at all - after 3+ years of doing it daily

my hair's growing back - it isn't lack of Protein - it's restricting the most oxygen rich organ in your body

i am pain free - the stupid doctor placed the port up against my ribs and wouldn't fix it because 'he's never had a complaint before'

i can eat in public again -

i can go out again

i survived for three years on cheetos, chocolate and ice cream - the only foods i didn't throw up from - i hated them all

i am now back on a healthy diet and have lost more weight in the last four months than i did in 3 years with the lapband

my blood pressure is back to normal - they were getting ready to place me on bp meds for life

thank god i've only lost 2 teeth to the constant throwing up - i've met others who have lost them all

my belly looks like i've been clawed with-in an inch of my life by a bear

think before you do it - you're surgically implanting foriegn objects into your body - as you lose weight - the port starts to be a protruding bump

i could go on - but who's going to read this anyway

I'll openly admit that i only read the first page of this thread, but it really scared me. I was just banded 9/22. I thought it was uncommon to need to remove the band. I've been really excited.

So thanks for giving me something to worry about. This is not a decision I made without a lot of research, planning, and sacrifice. I saw a special on pbs in 2001, and I've wanted it since then.

So I'm sorry you've had a bad time, really. But you're replacing hope and dreams with fear and hate. Killing dreams is unforgivable. You should be sorry.

If you are only looking to read the positives of banding then I would avoid all band boards. You are not looking for a balanced view of banding and that is not safe research. If someone's truth kills your dreams then you may not have researched enough before surgery.

You know, when I was doing my own research I was posting on a different band board, I hadn't heard of LBT yet. I read only happy, peppy, perky people who just looooved their bands! What I did not know is that anyone who was having problems or didn't like their band, they were all but chased away from the boards. It's something newbies do a great deal, they are so afraid that they made a wrong decision (holds true with ALL WLS types, not just banding) that they often times scoff at anyone having problems. If someone is barfing all the time "band intolerance" couldn't possibly be the problem. Oh no, the person isn't following some set of magical rules. If someone slips then clearly they were too tight. If someone erodes the obviously they went to a crappy surgeon and should be ashamed. Truth is, band problems are common. Sometimes it is the person not able to chew well, take small bites, etc., and other times it is truly the band causing problems.

I'm very sorry for you that your dreams are killed from reading someone's truth but you know what? Had I been able to read something a little more balanced I am not fully sure I would have opted for a band. So I am all about everyone posting their experiences both good and bad. Give people a lot of experiences to read about and let them make a fully balanced decision. But blowing air up their back side is not fair to newbies who want to read all sides of the issue. That was done to me and I think *that* is unforgivable.

At this point, I don't know that the issues experienced by the OP were not self-created (i.e. not following instructions exactly, etc.). ALL things need to be considered when reading about people's experiences.

I HAVE to jump in this insanity and say....it DOES sound like you made AWFUL ( NOT just poor) decisions.....and who goes that many years without getting a 2nd opinion? I am a Dr's. wife and he used to specialize in Gastro.....& he is VERY pro-band for the right people.....OBVIOUSLY....#1: U were NOT a good candidate, #2: U had an ignorant Doc, #3: U did NOT take responsibility for ur own body (HEY!...It is the only one u get & so r those teeth!)

Ur story is sooooo OUT THERE I am not sure u r not just someone who thot making up a bunch of $%^@ and writing it here was a good joke. If u need attention that much, u sure got it!

Joy

We live in a world where there is a plethora of knowledge at your finger tips how in the world can you not educate yourself when it comes to inserting a foreign object in your body. There are pros and cons to just about everything. And guess what there is a lot of resources available to educate yourself with both the pros and cons no matter what the subject maybe. I just can't grasp anyone not being able to obtain any information pro or con. Even today if you google lapband you are going to have information both pro and con at your disposal. LIKE I SAID, "IGNORANCE MUST BE BLISS." PLEASE STOP THE MADNESS AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR PART IN THE MISERY THAT YOU SAID YOU EXPERIENCED.

I don't believe anyone had to blow smoke up someones butt to get them to get the Lapband. Were these people sales reps. for the Lap Band or were they people who simply had the Lap Band and were happy with the results that the Lap band gave them. Again I ask were these people claiming "THAT EVERY OBESE PERSON SHOULD GET THE LAP BAND" probably not I think the problem for me is the title of the thread "Lap band-don't do it!! Scarred for life. I believe that is my problem with this person. And also the fact that it seems she didn't do her best to make it work for her... I can see if she would've put forth a better effort in her Lap band experience. All I know is when it comes to your health you have to be very agressive in educating yourself.

If you are only looking to read the positives of banding then I would avoid all band boards. You are not looking for a balanced view of banding and that is not safe research. If someone's truth kills your dreams then you may not have researched enough before surgery.

You know, when I was doing my own research I was posting on a different band board, I hadn't heard of LBT yet. I read only happy, peppy, perky people who just looooved their bands! What I did not know is that anyone who was having problems or didn't like their band, they were all but chased away from the boards. It's something newbies do a great deal, they are so afraid that they made a wrong decision (holds true with ALL WLS types, not just banding) that they often times scoff at anyone having problems. If someone is barfing all the time "band intolerance" couldn't possibly be the problem. Oh no, the person isn't following some set of magical rules. If someone slips then clearly they were too tight. If someone erodes the obviously they went to a crappy surgeon and should be ashamed. Truth is, band problems are common. Sometimes it is the person not able to chew well, take small bites, etc., and other times it is truly the band causing problems.

I'm very sorry for you that your dreams are killed from reading someone's truth but you know what? Had I been able to read something a little more balanced I am not fully sure I would have opted for a band. So I am all about everyone posting their experiences both good and bad. Give people a lot of experiences to read about and let them make a fully balanced decision. But blowing air up their back side is not fair to newbies who want to read all sides of the issue. That was done to me and I think *that* is unforgivable.

Wasa,

Now that my band was removed today, a breeze until the pain pill wears off, I appreciate the grace you've given this topic and hope to be more graceful myself in the future, thanks Nancy:thumbup:

We live in a world where there is a plethora of knowledge at your finger tips how in the world can you not educate yourself when it comes to inserting a foreign object in your body. There are pros and cons to just about everything. And guess what there is a lot of resources available to educate yourself with both the pros and cons no matter what the subject maybe. I just can't grasp anyone not being able to obtain any information pro or con. Even today if you google lapband you are going to have information both pro and con at your disposal. LIKE I SAID, "IGNORANCE MUST BE BLISS." PLEASE STOP THE MADNESS AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR PART IN THE MISERY THAT YOU SAID YOU EXPERIENCED.

I don't believe anyone had to blow smoke up someones butt to get them to get the Lapband. Were these people sales reps. for the Lap Band or were they people who simply had the Lap Band and were happy with the results that the Lap band gave them. Again I ask were these people claiming "THAT EVERY OBESE PERSON SHOULD GET THE LAP BAND" probably not I think the problem for me is the title of the thread "Lap band-don't do it!! Scarred for life. I believe that is my problem with this person. And also the fact that it seems she didn't do her best to make it work for her... I can see if she would've put forth a better effort in her Lap band experience. All I know is when it comes to your health you have to be very agressive in educating yourself.

And a prime example of what I refer to.

I knew the potential problems, what I did not know is that Inamed hasn't updated their stats in years. I did not know that they are doing research and studies annually but the opt not to post them. They still have stats from several years ago. Let me ask you a question. Why so you suppose they haven't updated their stats in years regardless of the current stats they have? Why do YOU suppose they still have stats from a small study group years ago instead of current large studies?

When I was banded the revision rate was not sky high. The board I was posting on was the largest lap band board of the time. EVERYONE without exception was happy. What I didn't realize is that people with problems were chased away exactly like DSers on OH with problems are chased away today.

There is currently a lawsuit against OH for this very behavior. Inamed is a major advertiser for OH. Anyone with problems during the worst of the worst in OH history was chased away. OH is being sued for having employees pose as patients and chase away anyone that said anything negative about the band or anyone else that was a major advertiser. The lawsuit was one of OH's own lawyers. He died in the middle of all this mess, if his family can continue the lawsuit... I don't know.

I was researching two years ago. It's just been in the last year that revisions for band to anything else has skyrocketed.

Information on banding is at an all time high... today. Two years ago it was much different. Each year the information doubles, triples.

I'm totally cool with accepting consequences for the band. I knew when I was banded there was not a lot of information out. A friend was trying to talk me out of the band and I kept telling her, there isn't a huge amount of information but there is enough. I'm satisfied that the data that is out shows that the complications that do happen are not typically life threatening. If it didn't work I'd remove the band. I thought it was my last shot at weight loss, a sleeve turns out to be my last shot at weight maintenance. Point being I most certainly DO accept consequences for band problems, I have little choice even if I wasn't willing.

There are two types of failed banded people. People that are unwilling/unable to change their eating habits (I don't want to diet, I don't want to change my eating habits, I don't want to move my ass, I want to sit on the couch and I want the band to absorb the ice cream I continue to eat) and people that have true band problems. I lost 100% of my excess weight before the problems were bad by keeping calories at 600 daily and 1-2 hours of hard cardio daily. Don't you DARE suggest who is blowing smoke up the butt of another. I lost over 100% of my excess weight after the problems were bad. I looked like a crack whore, not pretty. But that is what the band can potentially do. Usually band problems result in no/little weight loss. For a small minority of us band problems border on dangerous. That is something you will have to accept or not, it does not change facts regardless of what you choose to believe.

You know what? I have come to believe that the band will not be "forever" in most people. Look at the revision boards on OH. Two years ago it was rare for anyone to get a revision from band to something else. Today they make up the 2nd largest group of people getting revisions yet there are probably 5 RNYers to every banded person walking around the US today. There are a ton of mesh banded people posting, they were getting banded in the 80s and 90s. There are many, yet adjustable band folks make up the 2nd largest number of revisions on the biggest revision board on the internet. Annually the number of bands at least doubles. It was one heck of a lot less when I was banded. Insurance rarely covered banding two years ago, most of us were going to Mexico to get a band because it was $20K for a band just two years ago. If you don't like that, tough. Go see for yourself. Tell all the banded folks getting revisions that they aren't following the rules or some other such nonsense. I double dawg dare you! I'll get popcorn and sit back and watch that one.

Newbies are infamous for scoffing at those with problems. When were you banded? Just curious.

Yes, you are correct. Ignorance is bliss. It is bliss indeed, isn't it?

Edited October 4, 200817 yr by WASaBubbleButt

Sounds like it's potentially an issue with the banded, not the band.

Wasa,

Now that my band was removed today, a breeze until the pain pill wears off, I appreciate the grace you've given this topic and hope to be more graceful myself in the future, thanks Nancy:thumbup:

The worst will be the ex-port pain. A port hurts, removing a port hurts more. It will feel like a bon fire going on in there. It lasts about 2 weeks. I had my band removed and 85% of my stomach cut out all at the same time. Without a doubt, the port removal was the worst of all of it.

Just what you wanted to hear, right? ;o) It IS temporary and will go away. Just plan on two weeks of annoying.

I learned something towards the end of the two weeks. When you can't sit up in bed in the morning, pull your knee up to your chest, grab your knee and THEN sit up. Makes it a breeze!

Get a sleeve, it's soooo much easier. No getting stuck, no sliming, no PBing, eat what you want but perfect restriction from surgery to the rest of your life. It feels exactly like before you ever had WLS, you just get full REALLY fast.

Wasa,

You are sooooooooo right on and I wish I could write about the band as eloquently as you have! Take care Nancy.

Thanks for the info, I don't want to revise, thought about it naturally. I don't think I would be happy with any WLS or have much faith in any WLS or myself under the influence of any WLS ever again. I'm happy you're finally happy with your choice though and I know people are excited about being banded or the honeymoon period with their bands, I was once excited too but maybe if I had read about the complications/issues I personally had I would not have made this choice and would be half my size by now after getting the RNY. I think the responsibility is with the surgeons to get all the info out to the patients and not rely on psych evals but since that isn't always happening I think we're doing a service here. Thanks again, Nancy.

Edited October 4, 200817 yr by Nanook
addition

Sounds like it's potentially an issue with the banded, not the band.

I don't believe I understand. That statement could be taken a few different ways. Would you mind explaining in detail?

Thx.

Wasa,

You are sooooooooo right on and I wish I could write about the band as eloquently as you have! Take care Nancy.

Eloquently???? It took me over 24 hours before I could respond to that post without all 4 letter words!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I am sorry for everyone that is having, or has had, problems with the band. I know it is possibe to follow all the rules and still have problems. But I still don't believe the OP. I think she was a troll. She hasn't even been back on to respond to any of this.

I don't believe I understand. That statement could be taken a few different ways. Would you mind explaining in detail?

Thx.

Sorry for the confusion.

I'm just saying that for some, the problems experienced are more due to the banded (the person) than it is the band. Certainly not all, I don't want to infer that. I just know that many still have the issues they had going in, and though the physicality of one's body can be altered, it doesn't change what got them there in the first place unless they are also working on that as well.

So for some, I believe the bad issues experienced with the band (or their WLS of choice) is more about the person and not the procedure.

I don't have the courage you do to do the sleeve (did I remember that right?). For me personally, to permanently alter my body is too scary a venture.

Well people have ways of getting the attention of others by the way they post. I don't like to call someone out on being a troll because I myself was accused of being a troll at one time and it's just because I had problems being banded and the postings weren't always "happy band talk".

I understand that it upsets people who want bands or just banded or happily banded but people need to get as much information as possible prior so they don't make the same mistakes that I made and others have made. It has been a successful procedure for many people but it is not for all people and people don't want to hear the negatives but knowledge is always a good thing. Sometimes it just gets a bit too emotional. Nancy:smile:

Sorry for the confusion.

I'm just saying that for some, the problems experienced are more due to the banded (the person) than it is the band. Certainly not all, I don't want to infer that. I just know that many still have the issues they had going in, and though the physicality of one's body can be altered, it doesn't change what got them there in the first place unless they are also working on that as well.

So for some, I believe the bad issues experienced with the band (or their WLS of choice) is more about the person and not the procedure.

I don't have the courage you do to do the sleeve (did I remember that right?). For me personally, to permanently alter my body is too scary a venture.

Okay, that is a response I can deal with and agree! I totally, 100% agree with you. I thought you were suggesting that band problems were the fault of the banded. Keep in mind, some of us had no barfing, sliming, PBing, and foaming issues going in. The band really did cause it ALL.

I was terrified of altering my body. I was terrified that removing the greater portion of my stomach would cause my problems to be permanent and forever. I finally decided to take the plunge. The problems were not likely to get worse so what did I have to lose? I wasn't willing to be overweight again. That's just as bad as underweight, and it is!

I didn't want permanent in the beginning and to be honest, I did not believe the band would work. I really believed I would fail that, too. When I failed I could just have the band removed and realize that I tried. I was floored when it worked. Then it started working too well and I was very sick. It was a matter of:

Remove the band and become MO again,

Keep the band and die,

Revise to a sleeve and hope for the best.

It isn't until goal that you value permanent. After you hit goal you never want fat again. You'd give your right arm for permanent, but before goal reversible is appealing. It's just a stage that many of us go through.