Hi, I've made a couple of posts but mainly I've just been lurking! I was pretty pumped up about the whole lap band thing and I still am for the most part but lately I've been reading a lot of posts from people-new banders and seasoned banders- who are MISERABLE! They're hungry, they're in pain, they have gas, they're not losing weight, they're gaining weight. Am I making the right decision in wanting to have the LB. Maybe I'm just setting myself up for months of misery and not much payoff. I haven't been to the seminar yet, that comes January 23. But I have to admit that I am starting to wonder about my decision. Please help. Any words of encouragement will be greatly appreciated.

You are the only one that can decide if the band is right for you.But don't let all the negativity put you off. remember people post on support groups when they have a problem. They don't post saying everything is wonderful because they don't need to. There is a thread for successful bandsters that you may want to go into that may make you feel better.

Some pain is to be expected after surgery as it is with any surgery. The surgeons prescribe painkillers which will sort it out. Personally I had very little pain but everyone is different.Some people have gas. Again that is not the end of the world and it is something that goes. Pre and post op diets can be hard but they are finite and in the big scheme of things it is a very small period of time spent on them. I look back now and cannot believe that i spent a month on a liquid diet but I did . It was horrible yes but it was soon over.

To lose weight you have to follow the rules, make wise food choices and exercise. The band is a tool and will not stop you eating chocolate, icecream and other high calorie foods. It seems a lot of people expect the band to make these choices for them - they will be dissappointed.

Until you reach the right fill level you may feel hunger. Some of it is real hunger some is head hunger. head hunger is something that you will need to learn to deal with. the other kind can be sorted out with wise food choices.

I understand why you are confused and frustrated though as sometimes there is a lot of negativity. Some people do encounter problems and this is something that your surgeon will warn you about. The band does have risks but they are a lot less than the risks of remaining obese. A lot of the problems are caused by people having their bands too tight.

The posts that drive me mad are the ones from people that say that the band is not working for them, yes they have lost weight but that is all due to their own efforts. Personally I think the band must be working for them as they were not able to lose the weight without the band.

Oh and the other ones that drive me mad are the ones that say - I had surgery 4 days ago and I just ate a whole hamburger. I don't think I need to explain why this drive me mad!

The best thing to do is research, research and then research some more. Go to the seminar. See the surgeon. Join a real life support group - to me this was the most valuable tool - speaking to people in person.

Whatever you decide all the best.

Thank you, Elcee, and congratulations on your success.

I am trying to stay very positive AND realistic about the band. I know it's not a cure all. I just don't want to do something that's going to make me miserable for the rest of my life and it seems there are some very grumpy bandsters out there. I would also like very much to see about getting involved with support group but I think I'll have to wait for that for the seminar so I can touch base with people and get some names/numbers.

Again, thanks for the encouragement.

Hi,

I just read your post and I'm here to tell you that your fears are very common. I was banded on Nov. 9, 2009, just one month ago, and I've lost 31.5 lbs so far.

I'll tell you the truth, as I see it. The first 2 days after surgery I felt like I'd been hit by a truck-I ached from my jaw to my knees-but it started to subside by the 3rd night and quickly improved after that.

I had gas but not so much passing gas as burping. I felt pressure between my breastbone but not pain. My dr. suggested that I take GAS-X and it seemed to help.

Having nothing but liquids for the first 2 weeks was no problem nor was the soft diet for the next 2 weeks. I am starting on a regular diet today but plan to eat sensibly. I've been doing fine without carbs so why start eating them now.

I know it's only been a month but I'm ecstatic with my results and still very happy that I did it. I don't come on the site too often but if you'd like to email me directly, here's my email address: myqueen80@gmail.com I'd be happy to answer any questions that you have. By the way, I'm 52 also. And I feel so much better, physically, already.

Good luck with whatever you decide:smile2:

WOW!!:scared2: Over 30# lost already--that's great. Now I can't wait to get really started on my odyssey. January 23 (seminar date) seems like a long time from now.:thumbup:

Thank you for the encouragement and feedback. I have already put your email address in my contact list. Thanks!

Kate

Your fears are natural and you do need to have a realistic assessment of what you are in for and make a strong commitment to working with this tool, not expecting it to do the work for you. Elcee's post was spot on and you should take that to heart.

Speaking as a 2 year bandster (today is literally my 2 year bandiversary), I have not regretted this decision for a minute. It hasn't always been easy but it has undoubtedly been the best decision I ever made for myself. It is particularly easy to say that, given that I am currently posting from my hospital bed, where I am recovering from the plastic surgery I had 3 days ago (torso lift and boob job). I am utterly thrilled with my results.

As for advice: Research, research and research some more. The more you know about the band and how it works, the better you will be able to use the tool. This is something I wrote for a friend in a PM a couple of days ago, that might help you also:

"In all the reading I've done in this forum, and the years that I have been banded, I have come to the realisation that the best way to approach the band is SLOWLY and STEADILY. Don't think of it as something that will STOP your hunger. It never will. It is only a tool that will help CONTROL your hunger and make it manageable.

If you try to get the fill so tight that you don't feel the hunger at all, you will be too tight, will have all sorts of troubles with PBing and getting stuck and will INEVITABLY switch to slider foods (icecream and chocolate mostly) because this will be all you can tolerate eating. That is a terrible place to be in. I know, because I've had two incidents now when I've overshot the "sweetspot" and been too tight.

When that happens, you find you are still hungry because you are not eating real food and your body is craving nutrients. It keeps sending "feed me! feed me!" signals, which you can't satisfy because real food makes you sick. Instead, you desperately find yourself eating the wrong kinds of foods, because the hunger is strong, and not losing any weight because living on chocolate and icecream is no way to diet, even if the quantities are small...

For me, the secret has been to keep the band quite loose. Forget all the talk you hear about people eating only 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup at a meal. That's a ridiculous way to try to live. Get the band to where you can comfortably eat at least a cup of food or even 1.5 cups and have no troubles with meat and vegetables.

Forget all that business about "protein" too - our Aussie doctors tell us that this is a fad and they've been dealing with the band for many years longer than the US doctors. Aim for a balanced diet of meat, vegetables and wholegrains... you know, that old fashioned "sensible diet" thing that we've hated being told about our whole lives.

If you fill up on lean meats, vegetables, fruit and wholegrains, you will find that the band will help to CURB your hunger, so that you are satisfied with small portions of these. The nutrients in them will help to curb your body's craving for good food and you will find that you can actually "stick to the diet".

Don't try to kid yourself that you don't need to diet with the band. There are no short cut ways to lose weight in a healthy way - diet and exercise are what works. The band just helps us to STICK to the diet, whereas without it, the Hunger Demon that rages inside us all will defeat us sooner or later. "

Good luck with whatever decision you make.

Fanny,

Excellent advice. Keep up the good work. Happy holidays!

I agree with everyone who posted. I researched this for a year before I scheduled my appointment with the surgeon. I tried a doctor supervised liquid diet prior to this to see if I could do it by myself and keep it off and no such luck.

I was banded 4 weeks ago today and I've lost about 8 - 11 lbs. So not everyone will drop an enormous amount that fast. You have to realize everyone is different and so is the weight loss. For myself I know I loose slowly, always have so I'm not surprised the weight isn't falling off me like others.

The surgery part was extremely painful for me. I stayed in the hospital overnight and was sent home with 2 pain meds. I felt so much pain in my stomach and back mostly for about a week or so. I felt the turning point about 3 weeks out and now I'm feeling perfectly fine.

Go to meetings in your area. Look up the hospitals and clinics and call to see if they have wls meetings. I have 3 hospitals in my area that have meetings once a month for this. Talk to everyone.

I will say that this is absolutely the best thing I've done and I'm only starting on my journey!

Not everyone has the same problems I didnt have the gas pain I did have jaw pain from the tube hot tea helps and helps gets your water down. I am on my 6th day and fell great going Christmass shoping again today. I did have a day or two were I did too much but thats what pain meds or for.

Fanny said it best. I do not live by the "1/4 or 1/2 c rule". I consistently eat 1200-1500 calories every day. I eat 1- 1 1/2 c at every meal. My band is loose enough that I can eat thin crust pizza and whole wheat Pasta. I make healthy food choices about 80% if the time, but I don't deny myself any food, I just eat a lot less of it. The band has helped me tremendously.

We had our Christmas shirt day at school today, and I pulled my shirt from last year out and washed it last night. When I put it on, it was extremely big. That is when I realized I was 40 lbs heavier last year. I have lost a total of 93 lbs since surgery. It has been slow, but it is still creeping downward. I even hit an almost 4 month plateau back in April. Prior to banding I would've said "screw it", begin to eat everything in sight, and proceed to pack on the pounds. With my band, that didn't happen. I slowly began losing again in August. I love my band and it was the best gift I have ever given myself. :eek: