I read Obesity help.com and bandster websites and see ppl who got the surgery and chronicled their weight loss for a little bit and then just stopped journaling. I wonder what happened to these ppl. Did they succeed or fail?

I like to think that they all succeeded and are living their best life away from a computer. I guess the ppl who failed would be way more adamant about telling the world that this isn't the cure they thought it would be.

Just a thought.

Speaking for myself I'm guessing you're right. After a year or so of concentrating so much on weight loss, it's very refreshing to just go off and do something else entirely. I'm often tempted to do that myself.

And as we've all seen, it's patients who've had complications who tend to come back looking for support or to share their stories. When things are going well, there's just not that much to say!

As someone whose band is about to be removed...and who has posted there recently...let me tell you what happens to some banded vets. The VAST OVERWHELMING number of OH band posters are newbies. They are people who have just decided to get the band or who just got the band or who have had the band for a few months. They are extrememly defensive about their choice.

If anyone says anything negative about their own banding experience, that person is suspected of being a troll, attacked on the board and receives hate email. At the same time, those people take great delight in mentioning how invasive and life threatening other surgeries are and even post links to problems that people with other surgeries have had, as though they take delight in those problems. It is sad that so many of the people who participate in that board are so very uninformed.

I mean REALLY uninformed.

And the format of the board promotes the "pop-in, post, disapear" format that you see.

The band has is benefits. But it is not without problems. And only those boards which have long-time banded people who hang around for years, share both the plusses and minuses with the readers, as those members go through life with the band.

Just like in the stats, some have NO problems...and others have REAL problems.

To me, if you are in the categories of people who seem to have the best success with the band, it makes sense to go that route. If you are in the categories that do the worst with the band, you can still try that approach, but be prepared to go another direction is success (as YOU define it) eludes you.

Good luck with YOUR choice!

Sue! Welcome back! We've missed you! I know that you've been through the wringer, but we've missed you. Your insights are so valuable, especially since you've had such trouble with your band.

Well - I post on OH - and I am a newbie... luckily I have not experienced hate mail or anything terrible like that. There are several regular posters that have been there a few years.

I guess once you get the hang of it - you don't need as much support.

I think for the most part people who are successful start to maintain and then move on with their lives. Once the weight loss is done, and you get a handle on the maintaining part, I imagine you don't want to think much about weight loss anymore, you know?

Sue, I've seen what some of the people on OH have said or implied when you've posted. I have to say that I highly respect your stance that the band was a "good place to start", and find that it makes alot of sense to think that way. There's a few other people on the boards that I've watched get 'pushed away' because they had issues. People are so quick to believe that if something goes wrong, it has to be the fault of the bandster.

So, Tropicana, I guess on the other end of what I said my first paragraph, is the folks who have a problem, and try to get support while they are having a problem and they get pushed away by people who refuse to believe that there can be band problems not caused by the bandster. I think people get that way when they have doubts about their own choice and are trying to make those doubts go away, but they forget that their choice has nothing to do with anyone else's choice.

Some go away, they become complacent with their bands, some no longer need the support, some have failed and are afraid to come back and some have reached their goal weight and no longer feel the need to post ...I for one, need the support of the boards, regardless of where I'm at in this journey..I believe the boards been very helpful tool to my success.

I started posting here in July of 2004, then a message board war broke out with a few of the members and it got really old and quite disturbing at times to visit here.

I mainly read message boards now, rarely post. I think that message boards offer very valuable support and information if you try to keep an open mind about what you're reading. I remember when I first got the band, I was so excited and wanted to know about everything, so I posted a lot. After some time went by, I found myself just reading more than anything, I kind of felt like I asked every question out there already

As I fall into more comfortable eating patterns I notice I am posting less and less. I also stopped attending my local group, as it is the same discussion each and every meeting. I would like to get a group together on my own but there are so few bandsters in my area that I think it would be hard to do. I have learned how to eat and what I need to do to lose weight. I love being here and the people are great but like Tricia said I am simply out of questions. I am happy to help newbies and enjoy non band related posts here but I don't think I need true "support" in the technical sense of it all. I am thankful for the emotional support that I get here and the food ideas are really great too. This is, in my opinion the best site around for the band as it is just for the band. I also think that once people get close to their goals they are out living life as a thin, healthy, happy person. Just my .02 ~Mandy

i am not on very much anymore simply because i'm living life. Having the lapband has given me a new since of hope and a desire to enjoy life. I got a job, i'm shoppin for clothes and taking an interest in how i look. Having this surgery really made it hit home that life is as good as you make it, and i can't wait for happiness to come to me, i have to make my own happiness.

Ok, I admit it, I'm a LBT junkie. I have to check in at least 3-4 times a day, I can't help it, I'm afraid I might miss something.

I have noticed that i haven't really posted alot lately, I also have taking notice with my life..I Started going to the gym (love watching the guys ) I enjoy it..I however need my support groupsThis board and OH because i am still a newbie and i KNOW that i need help..Also, I have always had the hopes that if i share my story it might inspire someone else

I have visited OH occasionally since I started researching this, and especially since I got my date. I really prefer the way this is setup, it is reassuring to see people that have posted thousands of times, long term members. I dont feel like this is a site for "driveby" posters, which I feel like alot of OH posters are. I think people go to OH to ask questions and move on. Most of the posts I have been reading are also from people considering this or people very newly post-0p. This site seems more supportive for the longterm. Maybe they just havent discovered this place yet.

I think that I needed most of my help when I was learning about the band and I posted more questions and stuff. Then when I had the surgery scheduled I talked about my nerves, being scared and feelings a lot. Then when I first got the surgery, I needed to talk about all the new experiences (ie, is it normal, what should i do when, how do i, etc)

Now... it is more just entertainment for me. Sometimes I post to help others, sometimes it is just playing one of the many fun threads here. Heck, sometimes it is just for the drama I think. In any case, my postings became fewer and fewer once I became more adjusted with the band and what I was doing. I am definitely not an expert but now i have established real friendships with members here and can just pick up the phone and call them or email them directly rather than making a general posting.

hey first time on and I was wondering if someone could give me some info on what to expect. I am getting banded on Nov. 1 and I am really praying I am making the right decision .. Surely dont want to trade old problems for new ones. Can someone share some experiences with me. Thanks

hey first time on and I was wondering if someone could give me some info on what to expect. I am getting banded on Nov. 1 and I am really praying I am making the right decision .. Surely dont want to trade old problems for new ones. Can someone share some experiences with me. Thanks

Hey Das, you have at your fingertips more wealth of experience than you can even imagine. feel free to search the site and look through the thousands and thousands of posts here!