Cleo's Mom

You find another doctor. No one should be subjected to insults. You are in this for the long haul and will depend on your doctor to be a partner in your progress. If he insults you he is not only unprofessional but also someone who will blame you for every problem you have post-op. My former doctor was an idiot and inexperienced to boot. It became obvious to me that he lacked in post-op skills - like how to do fills, reasonable weight loss expectations, etc.. I got the come to Jesus talk from him. All of his inadequicies became even more apparent when I took all my test results to an experienced bariatric doctor at a center on excellence. He told me I had a different size band (4cc) than what I was told by my former doctor (10cc) and he was very impressed with my weight loss (unlike my former doctor). What a difference. You owe it to yourself to find another doctor, even if you have to travel. Barring that, then you need to have a come to Jesus talk with this doctor and tell him you will not tolerate being insulted and will report him for unethical behavior if he continues. You need to be very specific about how you expect to be treated. Doctors are not very receptive to this, however. I also suggest that you ask for copies of all tests you had done pre-and post-op, including, and especially, your operative report. It is very important that you have these. Good luck.

I am always concerned when I read that someone can't eat solid foods for breakfast. You should be able to eat solids after drinking something hot. If not, you may be too tight. Also, how many calories are you eating? It could be that you are eating too few. Don't sacrifice nutrition for weight loss. You will ruin your health if you do. Also, try Nature Made Sleep Aid, it is not a sleeping pill and it is non-addictve (most OTC sleeping aids have antihistamines in them, this doesn't and is all natural). Try that to help you sleep and see if you change a few things if you don't feel better. Good luck.

Your BMI is 34.7. The criteria for insurance was usually 35 with co-morbidities or 40 without. But I don't know about self pay. If you exericse as much as you do I am sure that you do carry your weight well. As to whether the band works for you - no one knows that prior to getting it. It depends on the kind of eater you are. If you are a grazer and/or eat slider foods, the band probably isn't the best choice. You could discuss this with a bariatric surgeon. Don't listen to the trainer, those people are often zealots and many have never had to deal with obesity. This is your choice and you don't need his permission or opinion. He isn't qualified to give one.

Spartan - your post was exactly right. I have experienced much of what you posted, including having had an inexperienced surgeon, one who I think just wanted to cash in on the lucrative WLS, then getting a second opinion and changing doctors as a result. Everyone has different eating styles that got them to be obese in the first place. Mine was not junk food or unhealthy foods for the most part. It was just a lot of food because I have a huge appetite, a lot of hunger and a lot of food to feel satisfied led me to obesity. So I was looking for a WLS that would address that. And the band is promoted as curbing hunger. It has always taken a lot of food for me to feel satisfied, even when I was a skinny kid and young adult. I could eat what I wanted, stop when satisfied and not gain any weight. And I know the difference between thirst and hunger and head hunger and real hunger. That ability to eat until satisfied and not gain all changed, obviously. And the band has never worked for me this way. Not one day. Ever. And my doctor concurred that it doesn't work for everyone as it does for some.

The study also defined late complications as those requiring surgery to remove the band - including band erosion, slippage, pouch dilation, catheter/port related problems. These are complications that are for the most part outside of the control of the patient. And this rate was 33% after 7 years, which I think is significant, even if the study was done in 2006. Nothing I've read on here about what patient's doctors are telling them, requiring of them or information they are getting or published information leads me to believe that significant improvements have been made in lapband surgery since then. In fact, my surgeon says that the band is falling out of favor in other countries where it had an earlier start and the sleeve is used more.

If the lapband is going to be promoted as something that will restrict the amount of food you can eat at any one time, provide satiety and curb your hunger then it should work that way otherwise it is no better than just dieting which has a 95% failure rate. With dieting you must make healthy food choices and count calories and try to live with your hunger. Hunger will almost always win. With the band you are supposed to make healthy food choices but the band is supposed to allow small amounts of this healthy food to keep you satisfied and keep hunger at bay for a certain amount of time. That's why it's supposed to be more successful than dieting alone. We've all done that and wouldn't be here if it worked. The lapband is only promoted as helping to lose about 50% of your excess weight. So if you have 100 lbs. to lose then it would help with 50 lbs. I think a lot of people go in thinking they will lose 100% of their excess weight and many do, but not all. I hear ad infinitum, ad nauseum that the band is only a tool, but if a tool doesn't work it isn't much help. It needs to do it's job of restricting food, providing satiety, and keeping hunger at bay. Your job is to eat healthy, exercise, not drink with meals. I am glad to see that some are finally getting it that the band doesn't work this way for everyone who follows the rules but unfortunately there are still some who are such promoters of the band that they refuse to believe it or that it fails more than we know.

Lap Band Failure Are you looking for information on lap band surgery failure rates and long term success rates? Lap Band surgery has only been in existence a relatively short time, approximately 10 years. Initial results with lap band were very positive with respect to weight loss and morbidity. Not many long term studies have been done. Here are the results on one eight year study. The study defines failure as losing less than 25% of excess weight. Average age of the patients was 38 years and included 50 men and 270 women. ComplicationPercent affectedGeneral Complications33.1% Erosion9.5%Slippage6.3%Port Problems7.6%Thirty three percent, fully one third of all patients developed complications such as erosion, slippage, catheter or port problems. Twenty two percent of the patients required reoperation to fix failures of the lap band. Now for the disheartening results, only about 60% of those banded that don't have major complications maintain an acceptable excess weight loss in the long run. That means of those without complications only 4 in 10 are going to be successful. Did your doctor tell you that? Did you ask him? In five years 40% of lap bands fail and only 43% have lost 50% of excess weight after seven years. The study concludes that LGB (Laporoscopic Gastric Band) should no longer be the surgery of choice until they figure out a way to either screen out those that have complications or eliminate the complications. The study indicates other longer lasting procedures should be used. If you would like to read more about the study, here it is. A reader writes regarding this study... OK, as somebody who has been banded 6+ years, I have to say that at least 60% of the people I know who were Banded around the time I was Banded or soon after no longer have their Bands. I know that if I post something like this in the General forums... I get a lot of hands over eyes and mouth saying "no no no ... that can't be true..." because most newly Banded people do not want to hear this. I can't find any concrete statistics from Inamed/Allergan.. nor do I think they keep them (or want to keep them)... but I did find this study:

Well, nothing now, thanks. You have provided more detail and cleared up her surgery date, which makes a big difference. I know what you mean, though, about some who have lost a lot of weight not looking healthy. But mostly I have seen that with gastric bypass.

I think some doctors, especially those who are new to WLS or uncertain about their own skills, will look at the weight loss or lack thereof of their patients as a reflection of their own success or failure and therefore might have some unrealistic expectations of weight loss for a patient. How much weight did your cousin have to lose? It could be that while she has lost a lot of weight quickly she has a lot of loose, hanging skin. Losing weight that fast can cause gallbladder problems, hair loss, etc.. She might also have had some problems with the band that caused her not to eat what she should have been and maybe not getting all her Protein in. Can you call her and ask her about her lapband journey?

There is an entire thread on here devoted to success stories. You might want to start there. But I have not found any shortage of those who love to be cheerleaders for the band and tell you how great it works and how much weight they've lost and how it's changed their lives.

Actually, I don't agree with this. Assuming that she was physically able to eat all the same foods she did after the band that she did before, eating one-half the calories that she did eat before should result in weight loss, UP TO A POINT. At some point, after a certain amount of weight loss, that won't work anymore and then the healthy choices come in. That is not to say that she should have eaten the former food choices to begin with, only that when STARTING out on the journey eating one-half the calories you used to eat should result in weight loss. I have seen posters say that they have done exactly that - eaten smaller quantities of foods they previously ate and lost weight and were successful. Some people can't be successful if they are forever denied some of their favorite foods. If you can't physically eat them, that is one thing, but to deny yourself them once in a while sets some up for failure.

I can answer your questions. I had the same orientation you had. I met with a nutritionist for 6 months and had to log my food choices too. She said I was one of the most successful ones in pre-op weight loss. She knew I was a person who followed the rules. She explained all the food choices that would be appropriate. She had all the fake food in her room (you know a rubber hamburger patty, the empty boxes of diet frozen food, etc..) to show portion size and healthy choices. Before I even contemplated the LB, I had lost about 20lbs on my own. Then another 20 with the 6 month diet. I, too, had to go on a liquid diet two weeks before and 2 weeks after the surgery. Another 20 lbs. So, I had lost 60 lbs before the band even had a chance to work. My BMI was 34.8 before surgery. I not only had a psych evaluation but every other conceivable test there is - heart, gallbladder, upper GI, chest x-ray, EKG, stress test, sleep study. I was banded September 2008. Part of the problem was my former surgeon. He was a general surgeon who kept his general surgery practice while jumping on the $$$ WLS bandwagon. He and his partner took over a retiring WLS's practice. Even though I had lost a lot of weight at this point, at my first post-op visit, my surgeon wanted me to lose 10-15 lbs. in 3 weeks, without a fill. Not only is that unrealistic for how much more weight I had to lose, but not within the guidelines of 1-2 lbs. a week. This should have been my first red flag. Then when I didn't lose any weight at that second visit, I got the come to Jesus talk and about how the band is only a tool (I have learned to hate that statement). I told him what I ate, a Smart Balance dinner and he said to throw them out. I told him the nutritionist promoted them in her office and they should be on the same page. I received a 2cc fill at that time. I lost a few founds before my next fill of 1 cc. Then I started having big time problems. Heartburn, reflux, pain, the inability to even drink a sip of Water in the morning to take my synthroid (the water seemed to come up) and you know what he said "don't take your pill then, take it another time". But the problems persisted and he ordered an endoscopy and upper GI. The GI doctor said my band looked high and tight and thought it was positioned too high. The upper GI showed that nothing much was getting through. It was only then, when my surgeon saw these results, did he have me come in immediately to get a slight unfill of 1cc. I was told that I had a 10 cc Allergan band, so I couldn't understand why 3cc's would cause so many problems. I was soon to find out. I knew at this time that I needed a second opinion. I got all my test results, including the CD's of all my upper GI's and took them to an experienced bariatric doctor at a center of excellence. He told me that I had a 4cc band and that it had a slight slip. Now I knew why I had so many problems. Plus, he was very impressed with my weight loss at that point (75 lbs. - 15 was from post band) whereas my former doctor never was. So, I quickly switched to this doctor. I did some research on my band and found it had an expiration date of June the following year (for sterility) and I think my former surgeon was using up old inventory before investing in new which is why I got an older band that isn't used much anymore, if at all. I followed all the rules, all my food choices were healthy. I made healthy choices when eating out. But in Dec. 2009 I had a major stuck episode that resulted in a trip to the ER and an overnight stay. All my fill was removed and that is where I am now. But here is the most important part of my story: At no point from no fill to 3cc fill did the band ever reduce my hunger or provide me with satiety. NEVER. And that stuck episode was so incredibly painful that I couldn't even talk. I NEVER, EVER, want to experience that again. So, as long as I am going to be hungry, at least I have reduced my chances of getting stuck. So, you see, the band doesn't work for everyone like it does for some, even when we follow the rules. I don't regret getting it because I doubt I'd have lost this weight without embarking on this journey - I mean I wasn't going to go on a liquid diet for 4 weeks. So, don't assume that when the band doesn't work it's because we aren't following the rules or changing our mindset. I have been dieting for 5 years this month. It started before the band. I have made healthy food choices during that time. I chew, don't drink with meals, etc.. but it just doesn't work for me and my current surgeon says it doesn't work for everyone.

I think there are two different kinds of posts we are talking about here. The first kind will be someone who wants honest, even critical, reviews of why they are having problems. They will welcome all comments since they asked for them. Am I too tight? I am having problems with this food. I am still hungry after 6 fills. What should I do? I need motivation as I am slipping back into bad habits. It is not hard to recognize these posts. The other kind is someone for whom the band is not working, they are experiencing a lot of problems despite following the rules. They are very frustrated. They are not asking for rah, rah, we love the band because it works for us and if it doesn't work for you, then it's your fault. They don't want to hear that you lost 50lbs the first month or 100 lbs in 3 months. This is not a poster that will welcome criticism and shouldn't get any just for hating the band. It's okay to offer suggestions about some things they might try (if they haven't already). It is not okay to suggest that they are the failure. It's okay not to like the band. It's okay to hate the band but some successful bandsters often come across as defensive, as if the attack were on them personally.

My thought about all who ask: "Am I too tight"? is - if you have to ask, you probably are.

I think you make some very valid points. There is a not too subtle message out there from many sources that says if we want to be a normal weight we must eat things we don't like and don't eat things we do. Do you think thin people think this way? No. My former nutritionist said there is only one purpose for eating - nutrition. Really? Food is an integral part of our social network. Have you ever been to any social or holiday gathering that didn't involve food? And what did they serve? Tofu? No. Food has a lot of tradition with different ethnic groups, too. And carbs have been demonized. The poor baked potato is the cause of our obesity? Obvioulsy making wrong food choices on a daily basis is wrong. But it doesn't make you a bad person for longing for your grandmother's banana bread or a big mac. And there is nothing wrong with having a bit of either once in a while. If a person's band is so tight that many or most foods are eliminated from your diet, then they should re-think about getting a slight unfill. And this is especially true if you are vomiting, have heartburn, reflux or pain. Those of us who are obese have been made to feel guilty about eating all our lives. Food is bad. I remember doing a mental mantra "Food is evil". Food is not evil. Thin people don't look at it that way. Maybe we should quit studying about what makes us obese and study what allows adults to remain thin all their lives. Do you observe thin people when you are out eating? Aren't they eating pizza, fried foods, etc.? They are where I go. But they probably do it once a week, not every day. We've got to stop demonizing food and our desire for things that taste good. It's okay to want to be able to eat all the stuff that tastes good. It's just not good to actually eat it on a regular basis. We can come up with a way to incorporate it into our lives without it causing a problem. Maybe some are like recovering alcoholics who can never have alcohol again, but I suspect most of us can handle the occasional cookie, piece of pizza, etc... without going overboard.

I was not talking about you specifically, I was talking in general terms. Even for those for whom the band works successfully, I don't think it works the same way for all of them. I think for some it helps to curb hunger, for others small amounts of food provides satiety, for others it has caused them to rethink the whole way they approach food and the choices they make and for some it is all of these things. Each successful person's experience is different just as each unsuccesful person's is. I couldn't agree more about doctors. I think the WLS field is filled with surgeons who jumped on the bandwagon to make money. Expanding their general surgery practice, they assumed that they had the surgical skills. But too many are all over the place with advice from the pre-op diet to how to do adjustments, to how much to eat when starting solids, to being anti-carbs, etc.. All you have to do is read what people post about their doctor's advice. There should be a consensus about how this band works and how to approach it before and after surgery. That's called standard practice of care. If I have a certain type and stage of cancer I can probably expect the same treatment no matter what hospital of excellence I go to. That's not the same with what I have read on here about doctors and the lapband.

Things I learned since the band: 1) Some surgeons are not knowledgable about post-op care. Their surgical skills might be fine, but their approach to aftercare is that if there is any problem it must be something you are doing wrong, never the band. 2) That the band does not work as it is promoted for everyone: that is - a small amount of healthy food will provide satiety and keep hunger at bay for hours. 3) That the term head hunger is used too often by doctors to dismiss the real hunger when they are the ones for whom #2 above applies. 4) That filling the older 4cc bands (which I have) requires a knowledgable doctor and is done in smaller increments and with finesse. 5) That while exercise is a great way to get toned, provide heart health, lower blood pressure and protect against osteoporosis, among other things, it doesn't burn a lot of calories per workout But it is still important for overall health. 6) That too many people depend on an overtight band, and endure vomiting, reflux, heartburn, etc.., in order to lose weight and are afraid to get a slight unfill. 7) That being very stuck can feel like getting shot and require a trip to the ER. 8) That left shoulder pain might be an intermittent, but lifelong, effect of band and tubing placement. 9) That fairly soon after surgery you could feel the port (yuck).

Yes, you will be fine. I am so happy that everything has worked out as it has. All of this can be so overwhelming, I know, but it sounds like you have a good support system, which is so important. Tamoxifen works great. I was on that until I had a hysterectomy and then went on femara which I have been on for over 7 years. Good luck to you and I wish you a happy and healthy new year.

My family are huge Notre Dame fans so there is plenty of their sports clothing represented among everyone - and now the two new grandsons, too.

westboro baptist "church" praises the shootings in Tucson and calls for more and will picket all the funerals, especially targeting the little girl's. Watch the video - it is sickening and beyond the pale of human decency. http://www.huliq.com/3257/phelps-and-westboro-baptist-church-applaud-tucson-shootings-plan-funeral-pickets

People might be surprised that I am actually very tough on crime. I don't believe that pedophiles should ever be released from prison. By their own admission they can't control their urges. So they need to go to prison for life - no parole. The same goes for serial killers and rapists. I would also extend it to those who abuse children or animals. Because their crimes are indicative of someone who doesn't possess normal human emotions. Anyone who could break a child's arm or beat a dog with a board with a nail should never be integrated into civil society again. They are sub-human and need to be locked up forever. There were many red flags about this guy and I put a lot of the blame on his parents. He would have been insured under their health insurance, thanks to the healthcare reform, and eligible for mental health coverage (because the healthcare reform requires that those who cover physical illness must cover mental illness) and they had to see and ignore the signs. He was kicked out of college for irrational behavior, he was rejected from the military for drug use. He lived with his parents, who had to have blinders on. Someone who is mentally ill doesn't think they are and they think there is a purpose for the violence they commit. They rationalize it in their irrational mind. So, the people closest to him, his parents, had to know and just ignore it. I think it is too easy to get a gun. It is too quick of a process. I think there should be a 3 day waiting period so that the person can be thoroughly investigated, not just the national database, where they could fall through the cracks, but the sexual predator list, the state police criminal reports, etc. Can you imagine what the NRA would have to say about that? It isn't stopping people from getting their precious guns - it's just making it safer.

Which party reached out for civility and which rebuffed it?: . RNC Chairman Steele Refuses Chairman Kaine's Call to Condemn Threats and Vandalism. Posted by Erica Sagrans on Monday, March 29, 2010 at 2:12 PM..After last week's threats and vandalism directed at lawmakers, DNC Chairman Tim Kaine reached out to RNC Chairman Michael Steele -- asking him to issue a joint statement condemning these acts. Chairman Steele refused. On Face the Nation yesterday, Chairman Kaine discussed the letter he sent and Chairman Steele's rejection of the call for a more civil tone in politics: Here is the text of the letter: March 26, 2010 Dear Chairman Steele, In recent days, we have seen, heard and read about Members of Congress being intimidated or threatened. They have described threatening phone calls, letters and e-mails. They have told stories of vandalism and physical endangerment of Members, their staffs, families and offices. In the interest of protecting and instilling confidence in our political system, I propose that we issue a joint statement calling for an end to such tactics. A joint statement by the elected Chairs of the major national parties would send a bipartisan signal that this is not how we should conduct our politics in America. In the interest of acting promptly, I have enclosed a draft for you to consider. I look forward to working with you to finalize the statement and issue it from both of our Committees. Thanks in advance for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Tim Kaine Chairman Democratic National Committee You can read several news highlights on the Chairman's letter below: CBS News: When asked about the tone of rhetoric surrounding the health care debate, Kaine said that both sides needed to be more civil with one another. "One of the great things about this country is we can disagree in significant ways about important matters," said Kaine. "But we can do it in civil and appropriate ways. So when I saw the anger level last week, I wrote a letter to Chairman Steele and just said hey, let's do something good. Let's join together and issue a statement calling on Americans to be civil but also on our elected officials to model the right behavior. And it was interesting what happened. The RNC considered my request for four or five hours. They then called the office back to say they wouldn't sign on to the statement. And one minute later, they released a press statement just blasting the DNC that they sent around." The Hill: The Republican National Committee will not sign Democrats' proposed "civility" truce -- an agreement Democrats drafted this week in response to the rise of "violence and vandalism" targeting congressional lawmakers. An RNC official confirmed on Saturday Chairman Michael Steele would not support the document, which Democratic National Committee leaders first pitched to their counterparts on Friday. ...But the DNC this weekend promptly seized on Republicans refusal to support the new bipartisan effort. Speaking to reporters on Friday, DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse stressed the joint statement only focused on "condemning the threats and acts of vandalism over the past week, calling for an end to such tactics and urging a more civil tone in our politics." Consequently, he said Democratic leaders were "disappointed" in the RNC's decision not to support the agreement. Washington Monthly: After a week featuring some overheated rhetoric and actual right-wing violence, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine decided to reach out to Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele about issuing a joint statement condemning all politically-motivated threats directed at officials. The outreach was not limited to the chairmen. The DNC's executive director and communications director also reached out to their RNC counterparts about the value of a joint statement that might help send a signal about the civil discourse. Republicans refused. RNC Communications Director Doug Heye said Steele rejected the draft statement because "we don't need to do anything on their schedule or on their timetable." What a surprise. We are, after all, talking about an RNC that recently put together a fundraising presentation filled with donor insults, offensive caricatures, and an admission that the party will rely on little more than "fear" to win. In the wake of the health care breakthrough, the RNC is desperate to make right-wing activists as angry and agitated as possible -- which is why Michael Steele is describing the Affordable Care Act as "Armageddon" and demanding to see Speaker Pelosi on "the firing line."

As usual you have missed my point. I never said there wasn't violence from the left or hate. My point was that in the last 4 years or so the tv talk shows and radio airwaves for longer than that, especially, have been and are dominated by right-wing rhetoric, much of which is hateful. And most of the gun and violence references from those in the political spectrum come from the right. Rush Limbaugh reaches 20 million people a day. Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachman can reach millions, too. There is no liberal counterpart for these people, yet alone any that are saying the things they say. There might be one liberal radio show. I could find all kind of videos of right wing violence and post them, too. And then you could come back...ad infinitum But here is one right wing extremist who isn't running away from what he said (like Sarah Palin who said her targets on the map were surveyor symbols and they guy who said Gabrielle Giffords window could have been smashed by skateboarders - how stupid do these people think we are?) http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/2010/03/to-all-modern-sons-of-liberty-this-is.html

I don't believe all Realize band were recalled. Just certain ones and I think it had to do with tubing. That being said, you need to do some research and find out what kind you have. Then you need to get copies of your upper GI report as well as all the test results of everything you've had done as well as all those tests you are getting done in the next several weeks. Make sure your test results include your operative report. Then take all of this to an experienced bariatric surgeon for a second opinion. After all of this you will be in a better position to know exactly what is wrong with you and your best options for addressing it. Good luck.