Just wanted to know since I'm researching if the band is pretty much what you expected it to be or is it better or worse then what you thought?

Rene

I can't really say too much since I was just banded on 6/1/05, but so far I have loved it. I am 4 weeks out and I have lost 20 lbs and gown down two sizes in some things and 1 on others. You can definitely tell in my clothes. I have no complaints or regrets! You are doing the best thing - lots of research - anytime you are making a life altering change you should always research all you can. Good Luck!

Donna

I was also just banded in June, but so far I love I have lost 17 pounds just since being banded. It has helped already in making food choices I know it's there so I know I can't over do it. I love it..very glad I went with it. I researched for about year going back and forth and finally knew which one to go with for sure. I feel this was the best option for me.

Good Luck in your research!!

Probably better than I expected. I have sort of expecting the Band to not work for me. but like Jessie says, "what makes me think I'm so special?"

I've lost 30 pounds, and I can't help but want to put the "only" before the 30 pounds. Good gravey! I've lost 30 pound in 4 months! I didn't gain any weight! I LOST weight! I've had countless NSV (okay, I can probably count them)

but my DH was banded before me, so I kind of knew what to expect. I dont' know if I answered your question.

The band has surpassed my every expectation. I made it to goal within one year of surgery. It was a wild, fun, and scary ride. I'm having to learn to "be" a thin person. That is SO out of my comfort zone.... but, I'm definitely having fun doing it.

Was the year without problems? No. I had a lot to learn... and, in many ways, am still learning. Sometimes I forget things, and then have to RE-learn them (such as taking small bites, chewing well, eating slow, etc.) I had one minor complication. About two weeks after my third fill, my stoma became irritated and swollen to the point that I couldn't eat or drink. The doctor had to take half of the saline solution out of my band in order to give my stomach a rest. That helped a lot.

I hope this is what you were asking!

Hugs,

I'll be the lone voice in the "worse that expected" category. I've had complications... from bad reflux to slippage -- which I knew could happen going in, but you tend to focus more on the positives. At least I did. I rarely experience the "full feeling" that the band supposedly creates. And that is pretty much the whole basis for the band. Instead, I have more discomfort and pain signals to clue me in to stop eating. Anyway, that all said, I am happy to be 40 pounds lighter than I was when I started this journey. Would I do it again? Ask me in six months.

Elizabeth

8-28-03

Thanks you all for your help. I sure hope you get your problems resolved Elizabeth. I thank you for your help in my search.

Rene

My band is the best thing I have ever done for myself..my entire family reaps the benefits of my success

I love my band! The one thing that comes to mind is when I had my psych consult, the doctor asked me "Why can't you just not eat certain things? Why do you think the band will help?" I answered, "Because if I was at home thinking, ya know I have been good, I can have just one ___________ (you fill in the blank in the convenience food) then I will be good tommorrow. Like hell I will, there is no punishment for what I ate. That is how I got this way! If I am banded, then I will get sick off of what ever it was that I thought I would eat...make sense?" It keeps me grounded and at 38 pounds in two and a half months, it must be working!

I also don't "live around food" like I did before. It is not my main concern anymore. I ate oatmeal at work today and I thought 3 co-workers were going to faint cause I was eating! LOL!!! I told them I eat, just not much.

I'm one week post op and boy am I still struggling. Okay, I've lost ten pounds and I'm grateful for that, but I'm still swollen and it makes it tough.

So far, no I don't regret it. I'm just learning to deal with it.

hi

I hate this band.I have had severe heartburn,reflux and spasms in my esophagus.I dont get any sign of being full and half an hour after eating even 4oz I want to explode....I have a very restricted feeling physically around my chest area.I get so thirsty that I cant speak sometimes....(I drink at least 2liters of Water every day)

Have this changed my life? Yes and sometimes adjusting to this is so hard because I can only drink water and eat like 3oz of Protein at a time.2x a day mostly.....No social eating or drinking,going out and even walking through the mall causes pain in my stomach.Do we know what is wrong?No,the band is very high on my esophagus but the dr says rebanding wouldnt change anything.......so,Pariet helps a lot...(same as Prevacid)I cannot do any exercise that makes me "shake" or move to fast but I can walk.

Would I do this again?I think so.I have lost 39 pounds in 2 months and I really have hope of getting thin.I am low carbing all the time which is tough but if I dont I dont lose weight.

I am going to work with this band for 12 months and if my symptoms havent changed I will make a different plan.

Most people say:"I love my band" and I dont understand that because I feel so bad at times but it seems that almost all are very happy with it.I get so jealous because I had high hopes of this improving my life (which it will if only I lose weight.)

[hijack]Desertmom, I can't believe your doctor thinks there is nothing that can be done to alleviate your symptoms! What happens when you have an unfill? You are NOT supposed to be in pain all the time or having reflux and heartburn. 39 lbs in two months is not a healthy pace and if I were you I'd be pestering that doctor for better answers. [/hijack]

Rene, the band is EXACTLY what I expected. I researched the hell out of it and knew that it would provide me negative behavioral reinforcement if I ate too fast or too much. That's precisely what I wanted, and precisely what I got.

It's not easy learning to live with that negative reinforcement, but I didn't think it would be. It's been easier than I was afraid it might be, so in that sense it's been a pleasant surprise. I've had only the most minor episodes of reflux, which have been handled with small unfills and behavioral changes.

Overall, the band is absolutely the best thing I've ever done for myself. Even for all the complications I've heard about, to me it's clearly the safest and most logical procedure to deal with morbid obesity in otherwise healthy people.

The band has been great for me, and I would do it again in a second! I am just sorry I didn't have it done sooner!

I LOVE my band it enables me to eat the right things instead of the wrong. It makes me eat slow instead of fast. My surgery went very smoothly and I have had no complications as of yet(fingers crossed). I think if you are willing to make the necessary changes you will be happy with the band and the weight loss it gives.

I was banded on June 16th and in thw two weeks since I have lost 22 pounds. I feel incredible. My scars are so faint I can hardly see them ( I was really excited at my week appt - my doc said he'd never seen anyone look and feel so well so fast - and he's preformed over 200 of the operations himself and been in on over 200 more!!!) I am still on liquids - which is really hard, but he gave me an appetite suppressant so I am feeling much better now. I have been walking a mile and half a day ( at least) since 2 days after the surgery! I was really scared to have this becasue I can't a fford any real complications ( not smart, but I am saving now incase). But evertything has gone so smoothly!! I am just trying to make sure that I follow doc's orders because he has had such a great success rate and I am really paranoid about having any problems!!

Jen

218 at first weigh in

215 day of surgery

196 today!!

130 -goal

Rene, it really impresses me when people do so much personal research prior to getting banded, which is why I think the Band will be everything you expected since you'll know so much.

Did I expect to only lose 1/2 the weight? Yes, because that's what statistics say about the band.

Did I expect to get skinny? No, because only a small percentage lose all their weight.

Did I expect complication? Sort of considering I'm always the one that gets complications.

Did I expect the complications to cost so much? No, I was badly informed.

Am I happy with the results? Yes, very much so.

Has the Band changed my way of thinking about food? 70% of the time, no. But 30% of the time, yes. And 30% is pretty good for a gal that used to weigh 315 pounds.

Just keep reading so you'll know every little detail. Expect the worst, but HOPE for the best! Good luck.