Occassionally, I run across a few posts from people like me who have failed their bands. But these posts are usually just a venting opportunity. I have failed my band - I acknowledge it - and it would be great if we could have a group of other "failures" who want to work together to become success stories.

MY STORY

I was banded in March of 2007. At the time I was 299 lbs. I am a 6ft tall lady. Today, I weigh 255, and basically just as big as I was when I got my band. I have got numerous fills and I usually eat through my fiils. I can eat whatever I want. I overeat and I am confident that I have caused my stomach to expand. I snack on candy, I eat the wrong foods - I eat until I am STUFFED. Sometimes when I overeat, I feel sick and gag to relieve the pressure.

I moved to Houston 4 months ago, and last week, I went in for a port-readjustment with Dr Alanis. It went well and I now have a new resolve to make it work. My doctor mentioned to me that about 40% of all bandsters fail. I do not want to be a failure. I have paid too much money to go through this.

MY GOAL FOR DECEMBER

• To write everything I eat down, including calories
  
• To stay within 1500 Calories.
  

What's your story? What's your goal? How can I support you? How can we support each other?

Misery loves company, and company can help us move from failure to success. Please join me by telling me your story, and your GOAL for December. Let's vent - but more importantly, let's talk about strategies to make this work - let's share and support each other - Let's turn this from failure to success.

I REFUSE TO BE A FAILURE

Well I never got the gastric sleeve, Insurance has a rule...only 1 weight loss surgery per person per lifetime, so on July 27, 2013 my lap band was completely removed for good...I'm on my own, well not yet I'm still healing, because I can say this it hurts a whole lot more taking a Lap Band out then putting one in, all my muscles are so sore still, and I'm so tired of restrictions (No bending, lifting, pushing, pulling).

It's learning to live with an understanding of your ability to over eat that will help you, my husband six months into my banding said "why are you fighting your band ?" I had to stop and think. He was right ,but I still have to think before I eat . This s because I have an addiction to food and eating makes me anxious. When I calm myself and listen to my body say its full I'm great. Eating is now a slow pleasure that I enjoy. I have a nice plate , a napkin and a clear table (not the sofa) . I think in peace about the day and enjoy what I eat. Sounds great but it's hard work at times to stay with it. To me it's all worth it , it's my future health and well being.

tipsby great posting. I was jolted awake by your "fighting with the band" comment. I feel like I have been fighting with it the entire 6 years. I hope you have found peace with yours and I will do my best to follow your lead. thank you!

Hi there,

I have posted on this thread on and off for years. I had my band done back in October 2008, I was about 200 lbs then and never got below 170. I currently weight 228 lbs. I did, however, have almost all of the Fluid in my band removed last fall because...

I'm having revision surgery.

I have met with my surgeon and have made the decision to have my band removed and gastric bypass done. I was never successful with the band. And, frankly, I'm pissed off! I did not fail my band. The band failed me. Enough is enough. It isn't working, it never really worked, and I'm done. I'm sick of beating myself up over this stupid band!

I'm planning on having my revision in June. I'm a teacher, so I need to wait until school is out. This time my insurance is covering the whole thing. Let me just say, I'm excited. I'm excited to look forward to the results and experience that I have expected for the five and a half years since I had my band done. Even my surgeon admits that he rarely does the band anymore because it has such a high failure rate. It isn't you. The band just doesn't work for about 60% of the people who get it (surgeon's statistic). Period.

So, this post might make me unpopular. But, think for a bit. Did you really fail your band? Or, is it that your band hasn't been all it's cracked up to be? I've learned a lot about myself, my habits, about living with weight loss surgery, about discipline, food, and exercise. So, it hasn't been a completely invaluable experience. But, the results just aren't there long term.

I've made up my mind, and I'm finally happy. Ladies, don't let your band beat you up emotionally!!! The problem is the band!

-Hilary

Hilary,

When I saw your post- it sounds so much like me. I struggle each day with the band. I havent done well with it at all. I have an appt to go see another lapband doc tomorrow as the original one has left lapbands. I am in hopes he will be able to help. I feel at the end of my rope with this band also.

Good luck with your surgery in June. I have wondered if my insurance would cover another procedure also.

Can I join?

Good luck with the revision.

Edited February 20, 201412 yr by ArchiesMom

I wish all the best. It's definitely a struggle.

Edited February 22, 201412 yr by forwardmomentum

I too was banded in 2008. And just like you I have had so many issues. I feel like there was a lot about the band I didn't know. I didn't know about getting stuck, and after I was in the emergency room dehydrated, I was done with the band. I was tired of throwing up. However, when I look back I realize that there were times that I was trying to eat the wrong foods when I was stuck. I myself can't totally blame the band. I was good 85% of the time. I exercised and did my best to eat right. But when my mom was diagnosed with cancer, everything went downhill. Its been nearly two years since my mom died. I relocated to care for my special needs brother, I had to find a job and it took nearly one year. I got married and its been a serious adjustment. Parts of me feels like I got married too fast after the death of my mom, because I was struggling with the bitterness of her leaving me. But through it all I'm getting back on track. Im still married in spite of the odds against us, and I have started getting the fluid back in. I have a 10cc band, and I have nearly 7ccc in me. So as long as I have some room in this band I will give it my all. I started at 305. I lost nearly 60 pounds. I have gained most of that back, but I'm slowly loosing again. Im going back to the basics tomorrow and im praying for the best. I have a good job, and I'm happy. Well today I am :/

I see that this thread isn't very active at the moment. But, I know that struggling bandsters are out there.

I went ahead and had the gastric bypass surgery. It is the best decision I've ever made! The weight falls off effortlessly, I'm rarely hungry, I'm not obsessed with food anymore, no stuck episodes, no port pain anymore, and more scale and nsv's than I can list. If you are considering revision, my advice is just do it! Looking back, the band was very bad for my self-esteem. For years I called myself a failure. Well, now on the other side of revision, I can honestly say, the band failed me. The band was the failure. Not me. For 40% of bandsters, they have fantastic success. The rest of us suffer. Please don't think of yourselves as the failures!

4 months post op with the rny and I'm down 61 lbs. Easy peasy.

Good luck everyone!

Edited October 19, 201411 yr by HilaryInRC

I have gained back more than half of the 124 lbs that I lost after being banded in early 2009 . . . first my dad's cancer diagnosis and the caretaking of him - when you're going through that, what you weigh seems of very little consequence. He passed 2 1/2 year ago and I'm still going up at the rate of about 10 lbs a year, even though I remain active, walk a lot, actually GO to my gym, and to weight watchers where I log everything and rarely go over my points . . . .aargh! What is WRONG with me? I did have most of the Fluid removed & have no restriction unless I eat dry chicken or fish, and I can't get anything added back in until I am 10 lbs lower than I was when I had the fluid out - which is 29 lbs away!

I have Kaiser. I have worked with the nutritionist and gone back on the 1200 cal diet, and only managed to maintain.

So glad to read all these messages and see I am not alone. I was banded in 2011, lost 50 pounds, but have now gained 40 back. Someone else posted a link to this article, and for the first time in more than a year I have hope again! This doc explains how the band works and doesn't, and I realize Ihave been counting on it for the wrong thing. It is not supposed to stop me from eating too much; rather, it should help me stop when I've eaten a small amount. It's not about restriction like I thought. No wonder my constant cycle of fills and unfills hasn't worked. Anyway, worth a read, I finally feel empowered again. http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

Hello everyone! I posted on here that I failed my band and felt like a failure because of it. Well after having my band completely removed because it slipped so bad that it could have caused serious damage, I know longer feel like a failure or feel like I failed my band. I have realized over time that it was my band that failed me, and that it was the failure. I'm 3 years without my band and yes there are days I miss my band and I miss all the weight loss but I then realize I choose life and the ability to eat without throwing up all the time.

So glad to read all these messages and see I am not alone. I was banded in 2011, lost 50 pounds, but have now gained 40 back. Someone else posted a link to this article, and for the first time in more than a year I have hope again! This doc explains how the band works and doesn't, and I realize Ihave been counting on it for the wrong thing. It is not supposed to stop me from eating too much; rather, it should help me stop when I've eaten a small amount. It's not about restriction like I thought. No wonder my constant cycle of fills and unfills hasn't worked. Anyway, worth a read, I finally feel empowered again. http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

While the band might not be about restriction it certainly NEVER, and I mean NEVER dimmed by appetite or reduced it in any way. The physiology of satiety is when the stomach is stretched (from eating) it sends signals to the brain that it is full and you've reached satiety. The amount of food it takes to reach this point varies from person to person.

When I ate with the band I was always still hungry - like the bottom part of my stomach was saying "feed me" but I couldn't eat more because it would have caused pressure or pain.

So, for me the band was the worst of both worlds - still hungry but couldn't eat. And of the 75 pounds I lost, only 15 were from the band. I lost the 60 prior to and right after the band with all the dieting and month of liquids only.

Research shows that it is not very effective for long term weight loss. It is even promoted as allowing for a loss of up to 50% of EXCESS weight. So, if you weigh 300 pounds and should weigh150, then it will allow you to lose 75 pounds - you would be at 225 and still be obese.

There is a reason why some surgeons no longer do lap bands. You have to ask yourself why.

Hi Everyone,

I would really like to see this thread get up and running again.

To all of you original, earlier posters out there - where are you??

I think I have just "ignored" the fact that I'm banded. I have stopped working it, stopped thinking about it (except when I can't eat, which is rare anymore as I'm not filled), stopped seeing it as a tool for weight loss, and have even stopped mentioning it unless medically necessary. I don't even consider myself as a real WLS patient anymore. However, I am just fooling myself.

I have joined and quit weight watchers 3 times since I've been banded (February, 2008) and have not lost a pound, been on numerous reduced calorie diets and have not lost any weight, seen a dietitian for years and even currently have a trainer and my weight has even been slightly increasing. Been told my metabolism is shot.

I'm trying (again) for a revision with my insurance company. I was denied last October. I remember what happened when I was approved for the band back then - my confidence, motivation and self esteem returned. My drive grew and I found it easier to make better decisions about what I ate. It was a new day!

Calling fellow banders for support and camaraderie!

Where are you?