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@momotrips3 My band experience is similar to yours! I never found my sweet spot so it never worked for me I went to the doctor complaining that I could clear my pouch with a burp (unintentional) and I'd be hungry again so he tightened me just a little bit but then I couldn't get water down so he had to take it out. Told me I was at my highest tolerance for tightness so it didn't do much to help me... I'd get stuck on healthy foods (any fibrous fruits/veggies and lean proteins) and I never felt good with it. After seeing all these GERD stories I'm heavily leaning toward RNY. At first it sounded scary but it's been done for many years now and is apparently the gold standard for bariatric surgery... I'm gonna schedule a consult soon after I research doctors in my state. I had twins last year in April and ever since my body is just a mess. I walk like I'm 80 even though I'm 37, and I went to the trampoline park with my oldest kid last weekend and I couldn't jump with him because it was too hard 😭 I'm too damn young to not be able to be active and play with my kids! That's when I decided I need to do some research and figure this out. I don't want my kids to look at me and think old fat mom can't bike with us, jump with us, go down slides and play with us because she's too out of shape.

Not from Elkhart but just wanted to say hi to a fellow Hoosier! I live in Bloomington but I'm probably going to travel to Carmel for St. Vincent's. Hope it all goes well!

Thank you, everyone. My biggest fear about revision is that another procedure will not work. I guess my expectation from the lap band was that it would help me feel fuller, longer, but it didn't. For most of you it sounds like the lap band did the trick and worked even if it was uncomfortable. At best it helped slow me down and I probably ate a bit less than I needed to. But I went from 300 pounds to 270 at my lowest weight so that doesn't seem like a big win to me... I dunno, I guess I'm just afraid I'll do the bypass and find that I don't feel any different than I did before. That's a huge surgery to undertake for a poor outcome I hope someone who had a lap band failure similar to mine is out there and will chime in! But everyone's responses have been helpful so thank you again.

@JRT Mom Don't they remove some of the intestine though? And isn't recovery much harder? My primary motivation is getting healthy for my kids - but I don't want to die on the operating table or have some severe complications and leave them with just one parent I chose the band because it seemed so safe. But man, it sure sucks, and it doesn't help me. Do you like the bypass? Does it make you feel better?

Indeed! I said right afterwards " That would actually be fabulous, if the feeling stayed for more than 10 minutes... however, a good hearty burp clears it out straight away and then I'm able to eat more." It sounds to me like the band actually worked for you, which is great. For whatever reason I was able to clear my band out frequently even after eating healthy foods. I'd sit and have a scrambled egg, some cantaloupe, and 1 slice of toast for breakfast and it would be perfectly satisfying, until the dreaded belch and I would literally feel the food slide through the band to my stomach. The hunger would return within a half hour. It was so frustrating. I reverted to slider foods because I just gave up. I lost 40 pounds with the band and kept it off until I had twins but I'm nearly 300 pounds and need a much more significant loss than that. Thank you for your comments too, @elcee. I'm leaning more towards RNY. That's what my doctor recommended when I saw him last, during my pregnancy. They had to take all the fluid out of my band but I haven't been back since. I got discouraged because if the band doesn't work, will anything? I fully understand that WLS is a tool, but a tool should actually HELP, shouldn't it? With the band, I felt exactly the same way as I would if I was on Weight Watchers. Shaky, dizzy, and hungry. There's no point in having WLS if it doesn't help curb that awful feeling.

The problem is, I don't feel "full" I just feel like I can't eat anymore. Does that make sense? Like I want more, and I wish I could eat more, but the band stops me from eating. That would actually be fabulous, if the feeling stayed for more than 10 minutes... however, a good hearty burp clears it out straight away and then I'm able to eat more. The result is I take a bit longer to eat a regular meal but I can eat as much as I want. Having the top portion of my stomach full is great but the bottom portion definitely calls out to be filled up too. The result is, once I burp and the small pouch empties, I want more. If the duration between the full-feeling stayed much longer I think the band would work just fine for me. Did that happen to you when you had your band? Would you mind sharing the difference you feel between the sleeve and the band, if anything? If it's an identical experience I don't want to stress my body from another surgery... but I do want something that works. I didn't expect the band to do all the work for me, but it never worked to begin with even when I followed the rules (because of the pouch emptying so fast). I talked to my doctor about that so he added a small amount of fluid to the band but when I went to take a drink of water I was completely stopped up, so he had to take it back out right away. He said I was at the max tightness for my tolerance. It's so strange.

Anyone here going to Dr. Ray in Bloomington? I just started the process at his office. The staff has been very nice. I won't be able to attend the next support group since I'll be splashing around in my favorite place on the planet, Cocoa Beach :) So I just wanted to see who all is out there and ask about your experiences. He said he's done over 500 patients so I'm sure someone is out there, right??? Look forward to meeting you all in May. I'll be at that support group meeting.

My general physician told me I shouldn't do it because I'm too young, so I stopped the process. She was also worried because I want to have kids and she thinks the lap band would interfere with it. I'm on a different weight management program and have lost a bit over 20 pounds so far. If my weight doesn't get under control after I have kids, I'll try to see if I can get it in the future! Good luck to those who have already gotten their bands!

I really think I want to get the Lap Band because so many people have been successful and I'm having health issues related to my weight. But I'm nervous about how my SO will react. What did you say to yours? How did your family respond? I'm worried my SO will try to talk me out of it I don't know how much longer I can wait before I need to do something drastic. I keep gaining weight at a rate of about 2 pounds a month. It's been adding up over time and it seems like every year I need to buy bigger and bigger clothes. I wear a size 24 now and next up is a size 26. I can't keep doing this to myself. I really want all the support I can get but I'm worried I won't...

SammySam - why are you getting your band removed? Did it not work well for you? Just curious since you mentioned it!

Debra, I understand that you want to lose weight... but this seems kind of shady... I would be really upset, too, if my mom was going to Mexico to get exploratory weight loss surgery. I looked it up online and can't find many US surgeons who perform gastric plication, but they'll do it in India and Mexico. Is there no way you could do self-pay for a lap band? Your son is probably just worried about your health. What if you have complications? Will you need to go back to Mexico to get those fixed? Please talk to your family physician before you make a decision and see what he thinks. I'm just a girl from Indiana with no medical training so I may not know what I'm talking about. But I'm always wary of deeply discounted surgery performed outside the US... I've always said you get what you pay for. It may be worth the money to stick to a reputable surgeon in your home state! Just my two cents... good luck!!!!

I'm going to tell my boss but I don't know if I'm going to disclose all that information to my co-workers. You don't have to tell anyone what you're doing with your body, though! HIPPA protects you from that. All you have to do is say "I'm having surgery but it's a private matter so I'll need to have a week off for recovery." Let them make what they will of that. Could be for reproductive reasons, weight related reasons, something to do with your bowel functions... there are a number of reasons to have surgery and many of them could be perceived as uncomfortable to discuss. Obviously people will question you about your weight loss, at which point you can simply answer "I'm eating less and exercising more." It's true, right? That's how this is supposed to work Your secret can be safe. I just want to tell my partner because I'll need her support through this. She knows I don't like being heavy, and I mentioned before that I might eventually resort to surgery if my health is in danger.

Well, my partner is terrified of surgery and thus she might project the fear on me. One of her classmates died from general anesthesia (blood clot) so she's pretty much dead-set against elective surgery. It's not that she wouldn't be supportive of me losing weight - she's been encouraging me to do so for years since she knows my family history of breast cancer and heart disease. She will be worried about the anesthesia and me dying in the process. I was fine the first time I had surgery so I have no reason to believe this time will be different, and my surgeon told me about the safegards they take to make sure people don't die of blood clots (they use blood thinners). I guess I'm just going to have to do my best to explain the facts!

Yeah, I'm a diet soda addict myself. I won't get banded for a few more months yet so I have time to indulge But my doctor doesn't have a problem with diet soda. He just said a lot of his patients stopped drinking it because of the discomfort. I'd be happy if it gave me a tummy ache. Diet soda doesn't have any nutritional value and the chemicals don't do us any favors. I am sad about the beer. I love, love, LOVE beer. Anyone can see this based on my chub since it's a high calorie drink... I'm preparing myself to abstain from alcohol as much as possible once I am banded. Whenever I do indulge, I'll make sure the beverage is high quality and expensive since it'll be a real treat!

The way doctors and nurses look at our bodies is the way a mechanic looks at a car. Your surgeon will be focusing on your incisions, your liver, your stomach, and your pancreas and making sure none of those organs are damaged. He'll focus on getting the band placed in the right area and making sure your stitches are properly done. He's had years and years of education and (if he's good) he'll have done this many times before you've reached the OR. The last thing the doctor is going to care about is the asthetic appearance of your body as a woman. When I had oral surgery, I was nude under my gown as a precaution. If they need to get to any vital organs, they're not going to want to have to slice away layers of garments for the sake of modesty. They're going to want to ensure you wake up safe and healthy from your surgery. If you die on the table, not only will the doctors have to live with knowing you died under their knife, their reputation will tank. So for your sake, you must do what the doctors ask. They might be able to give you a sterile gauze to wrap around yourself, but you gotta make sure you're not blocking anything they may need to get to in case of an emergency. Besides, like others say, you won't be awake to know When you are awakened you'll be all covered up, snug in a blanket and ready to start recovery. Your doctors know what's best! There's a reason they're getting $13K a pop - if they wanted to become a surgeon specifically to see ladies naked, they probably wouldn't make it far enough in med school to get there.

I had surgery once before, on my jaw. It was scary sounding... they had to break the bones on my upper palate and install a spacer to expand my mouth. I was on the operating room table staring at the equipment and I was freaking out. The anesthesiologist came in and said "Here's a little something to relax you" and I watched him insert a needle in the IV bag. I shut my eyes, then opened them and found myself in the recovery room. Except I had no idea what happened. I tried to ask when the surgery would start but my mouth was full of guaze. Turned out they'd already done it! After that, surgery doesn't scare me as much. It's alarming to lay on the table like a steak while people in scrubs work around you and discuss the operation before you go under, but once they give you the meds you have no idea what's happening. You won't even know how much time passes. It's just instant. It's the strangest feeling. Then you come to and wonder when it's going to start - all the while completely unaware that it's already done. As for the recovery, I've heard it's generally not too bad. With my mouth, I was bleeding and in pretty bad pain for about 5 days (I'd also had all 4 wisdom teeth extracted at the same time - so much fun!). I've heard there's some discomfort with the worst part being the port insert. As I sit at my desk, it actually sounds kind of nice to lay around and watch TV in recovery! At any rate, I'm sure you'll do fine. This is the safest form of bariatric surgery. Think of it this way, if you don't have this surgery now you'll be in store for other surgeries in the future due to diseases caused by obesity! I know I'm at a higher risk for heart disease and cancer. I'd rather get a lap band now than have a triple bypass in 10 years... Keep on posting on the forums and let us know how it goes! I won't have my surgery until August or September but I'm taking care of my pre-surgery steps right now.

How long is the band itself supposed to last? Do you need to have it switched out eventually? Is it like fillings in your teeth? When I had my braces, I was told my lower retainer would last about 20 years. My fillings are supposed to last 20 years (which means I'll have to have them re-done in the next 5 years or so... uuuuuuuugh...) Nothing lasts forever. I'm scared of the band eroding There's so much stuff going on in our tummies with acids and enzymes. I can't imagine anything could survive that sort of corosion... have any of your surgeons given you any insight? I've tried looking at the internet but every website is so biased! The ones who are obviously anti-lap band are like "Your band won't last more than 3 years" and the ones that are clearly pro-band state "Your band will last longer than you!" It's so hard to tell I don't want to be in and out of the doctor's office the rest of my life.

Cazzy - you've lost 224 pounds?! Oh my gosh, congratulations! Sorry, I just noticed that. I agree with you 100% about gastric bypass. It sounds really intense. And the diet is overall far more restrictive than the lap band. From my understanding, you can still pretty much eat normal food, you just have to be judicious about what it is you do eat because your tummy won't hold that much. But with gastric bypass you have to stick to liquids for something like 3 months and then gradually go to solids but can only eat like a quarter cup of anything at a time. Talked to my surgeon about the band's "lifespan" and he told me I can expect for it to last as long as I do. I guess that makes sense. People get foreign objects inserted in their bodies all the time. I recently got a prosthetic tooth (complete with super fun jaw-bone drilling and a metal post insert - felt like I was getting a wall anchor) and didn't even question how long it would last. It's just everyone makes such a big stink about weight loss surgery and it's pretty frustrating. That and sadly there's a stigma around it. Like we've all gotten to the point where we've completely lost our self control and have to rely on outside help. Have you ever met someone who lost a significant amount of weight without surgery? They always announce it like there's something wrong with getting surgery for help... A last note: my doctor reminded me that 95% of those who lose weight naturally regain it within 2 years. He said 5 years after WLS most patients keep the weight off. Seems like the odds are in our favor!

My surgeon told me that, in the end, the weight loss will be the same whether you have a lap band or gastric bypass. The difference is with gastric bypass you'll lose weight more rapidly in the beginning. He also said that gastric bypass is overall more risky because it's so invasive. I think the lap band is a good compromise... gastric bypass just sounds scary from what I've read.

Hey everyone! I'm considering the lap band since it's less invasive than gastric bypass and I feel like I could still have a relatively normal life (i.e. not living on a liquid diet or subsisting on 1 tablespoon of food every hour or some other crazy micromanaging way of life). Diets have never worked for me because they're too restrictive. I hate having to think about every morsel that goes in my mouth and calculate how many calories I'm eating. That's just plain exhausting... Anyway, I just have a question for those who are stress eaters and have been using the lap band for a while. Has it helped curb that impulse at all? Do you find yourself eating out of stress less frequently? Does it help to stop you from binging or is there a way to keep on eating even after you're full? I'm a binge eater. I will literally eat until I can't swallow anymore. It's horrible. I know it's wrong when I do it... and sometimes I can stop myself but othertimes I just can't. So I don't know if this is something I can even do, given my circumstances. That's my biggest hesitation. I'd just really appreciate hearing from other binge eaters who have experience with the lap band. It would give me tremendous hope if this is something that could help fix me! I've tried therapy but when that phantom hunger comes along and drags me down I cannot resist the urge to binge. Your answers will be very much appreciated

Yes, I do understand this isn't a "magic bullet" or a simple quick fix. I won't mind having to be vigilent for a few months or so - I just don't want to spend the rest of my life putting food in measuring cups or writing down the caloric content of everything I eat. I don't want to have to think about food every minute that I'm awake. That's what always ends up happening to me when I try to lose weight. When's my next meal? What will I eat? How will I prepare it? What if I go out to dinner? When can I look at the website and make a decision? Then worse, I have fantasies about all the "bad" foods I can't have. Then I obsess and want it even more. Before I know it, I'm standing in my kitchen, frying some chicken and making my famous cheddar mashed taters while drinking wine and snacking on Cookies. Then I derail, give up, and decide I will be fat the rest of my life. It makes me crazy because I'm a smart woman. I went to graduate school and had a 3.9 GPA. I work very hard and am proud of myself for achieving all my goals in life. This shouldn't be so hard for me. The only goal I can't seem to reach is my goal weight... I need to lose well over 100 pounds in order to live a good, long healthy life. I want to have babies, and my cycle is all messed up because I'm severely obese. I can't bend over to tie my shoes and I have a hard time trimming my toenails. I can't cross my arms anymore. I can only hold on to my elbows. My back, hips, and knees ache constantly. I have cankles. Every season I try on my clothes and they're always considerably snugger than they were a year before. And I'm very, very sad about it. I did the program Shrink Yourself (which I highly recommend to anyone who struggles with emotional eating). I understand what my issues are. But man, it's tough to resist the siren call of fattening foods when I'm craving them. I'm getting desperate. I can't keep gaining weight like this. Sorry for the rant. I just wanted to get some input to see if anyone else feels the same way I do, and to see if their band is giving them hope for a better, healthier future.

Thanks, Shauna and Holly! I imagine anyone who undergoes lap band surgery is an over eater to some extent, whether due to stress, boredom, or any other reason. Gastric bypass seems a little scary but the band seems like a good compromise. I'll definitely make an appointment for a consultation!

Thank you, everyone! This is very helpful. I've heard stories about how the band doesn't work for binge eaters because you will still eat more than you need despite your smaller stomach size. Does the band force you to stop? Like do you get a tummy ache if you overdo it? I think that would be helpful for me. During regular mealtimes I always over eat. It's like my brain can't register fullness until it's too late and what really stinks is, I actually enjoy the feeling of being really full which is why I keep doing it. Usually only at dinner though. When I have a bonafide binge, I don't register fullness at all - but that only happens something like twice a month. I guess I'll have to go to a consultation to see if this is right for me. I am not looking for an easy way out... I just want to be able to curb my crazy appetite!! Thanks again all!