tennesseequeen

Got banded 7 years ago. So many stories, so much to tell. I lost 120 pounds slowly and without thinking. In fact, got a little underweight! I am a success story, no doubt. Went for a check up and found slight slippage. The doc offered to reband with the new version, which I did. I'm 10 days post op now. He repaired a hiatal hernia, for which I had no idea - and am glad. Came to the site to check on others with the same issues, and found great comfort. I've gained some post op weight, which I am assuming is Water retention from the sodium overdose and swelling. Of course, I spazzed... want to get back down again, and I feel like I'm overweight all of a sudden. Thanks for all the great support on this forum. I"ve been through it all - ups, downs, great weight loss, great adventures because of it - even won a contest in the National Enquirer for the best weight loss results! Had my photo splashed across the country in my swimsuit. If I can be of comfort or support to anyone in doubt about this awesome topic of being banded.....I am here. My husband was banded 8 years ago and lost 230 pounds. So, we are living proof of what can happen to YOU, too.:biggrin:

Sweet lady, I am here to tell you to DO THIS, get it done, don't be afraid, and one day you can share your story with someone who needs you. I was terrified. I didn't want to do it again. I had no choice. The band slipped badly and had to be repaired. It ruined my autumn - I have felt sorry for myself for weeks. Who wants to go through that again? Well, I had to suck it up and do it. The surgery was easy, it went fine. That should not be a worry at all for you. It's the mindset AFTER that you have been through this already and it doesn't seem fair. Don't sink into that - it's WORTH IT. Get it done, be happy again, and please know that it will take several weeks before you feel like yourself again. You may get down, you may question yourself, but now that I"m 6 weeks out - I"M HAPPY and excited and it's over and done. You will be, too - think about February when you had it done, you are losing weight again, and get ready for all those summer clothes....... I wish you nothing but the best, and I am delighted that you wrote back. You touched my heart and I needed it. Best wishes, sincerely

Don't be nervous. I was upset, in fact, I was kind of numb when I found out I had to have surgery again. I freaked quietly. I knew it had to be done. It's been 6 weeks now. I had to go through the whole recovery thing again, eat carefully, etc, but I feel great now and will finally get back on the road to the way I was. I gained some weight since the band was open all the way - and I ate my way to happiness... but I'm determined to lose it again and get back into my tight jeans. I can now say, IT WAS WORTH IT. The month or 2 that it takes to get this all fixed is worth the aggravation, and I know that I will laugh about it one day. You guys inspire me, too, and make me smile that my story just might help someone else who isn't sure. It helped me through the last 6 weeks, when I wondered if it was worth the pain and incovenience - now that it's over, it wasn't that big a deal. Don't let this be a setback, in fact, it's a good thing - you will be fixed and be better than before. Happy Holidays from Tennessee,

I was devastated to find out that I had slippage. I had food poisoning very badly in August. I wasn't sure, but never had anything happen to me like that before - and I had violent episodes of vomiting which simply had to unlodge my band. I didn' t know it at the time, but something wasn't right. It took me a couple of months to go see the LapBand doc, only because I was gainin weight slowly, and it bothered me. He found slippage and said I would need repair immediately. I am comforted to see that this happened to someone else, too, cause I hadn't seen that before. When he went in to put my new band on, he found a hiatal hernia. I"m glad, but recover has been very slow for me. After reading this board and all the various concerns, it seems that every body is so different, it is comforting in its own way to see that we all have unique problems. I'm trying to keep my chin up, but after 3 weeks it's been a struggle to stay "up" and positive. I know I"ll be fine - so thanks for all the upbeat comments.

I just had this done -same thing was found on me. Band slipped, and they found a hiatal hernia. The doc set up surgery, gave me an updated band, fixed the hernia and I was all set. The doc acted like this was very common, and he said he sewed it up in a few minutes. Don't let this get you down. It got me panicky, too, cause I didn't expect it - but I am now 3 weeks post op and I know things are going to go back to the way they were. I'm very happy to know things are fixed now, and I can get back to the way I was. I had lost 120 pounds, and I can't wait to get fully healed and get on with life again. You will, too -you'll get the band fixed, or replaced, your hernia fixed up, and you'll be fine. No worries about getting fat again!

What weight does your body really want? You bring up a super good point. I'm 5'9", and so are you - all the "weight charts" say we can weigh anywhere from 125 to 170. Well, personally, I got too low, and my body rebelled. It wants to be in the 140 area to be happy and healthy. Going to low was fun for a while, just cause it was a novelty, but I was getting dehydrated, my hair started losing luster, and I could tell I wasn't glowing the way I should. That's why I went back to get an adjustment. My body was telling me that it needed more nourishment. For me, I need to be at least 140 to look healthy and feel great. It's so scary, though -after losing it all, an thinking that I put on 20 pounds terrifies me. I feel like I"m never going to lose again! Uber thin models are 5'9" and 120. That's actually kind of sickening for real life. I did it, but people were starting to ask me if I was sick. That in itself alerted me that something wasn't right. I had to face the facts that this body wants more weight. I can probably go as high as 160 or so and still look great, but the psychological idea of weighing that much would take a toll on me. We spend our whole lives thinking about these numbers and it's overwhelming. I think as long as you are healthy and have a good BMI and other medical numbers, the scale should not matter. It's something I keep telling myself!

awwww. I feel so bad, but so happy for you - I am 10 days post re-banding and I know your pain, literally. I'm still hurting, but happier each day....whoever you are, I promise you this thing is SO worth it. You will feel better every day, little by little, and real soon you will forget you have it at all. You'll start getting thin and you'll never look back. Get through these tough days - it's the small investment in your future that you will not regret. Keep your chin up - I'm here with ya, tylenol and all. I KNOW it's worth it, so I'm smiling through the pain.

I see that one of you out there wished they would have gotten the gastric instead of lapband. May I chime in? ARE YOU INSANE???? My sister had gastric cause insurance would not pay for the Lapband. She is the saddest person on earth now after 6 years. She not only had horrible internal problems, but had to be re-done. Her stomach expanded because of overeating, which we all tend to do - and she regrets having it every day of her life. Yes, she's only one person, and I"m sure there are good stories out there about gastric, but as for me, I'm glad to know that I can take this band of if I really want to, and my organs are safe. She cannot. I have 2 friends in the pageant world that had gastric. They are now very overweight AGAIN. They claim that "it didn't work", but I watched them overeat and stretch their stomach, or whatever the medical term is. They are heavy again, and they are more embarrassed by that than I can tell you. I feel horrible for them. They will probably have to have it re- done. And they cannot go back to having their normal organs ever again. Never regret this - make it work, make it the best thing that's happened for you. If you are truly so upset about it - take it off and see what happens. Go back to your overweight, obese self and pig out. Die an early death, have a ball, and remember all of us who will live a lot longer and a lot healthier and happier. Just my 2 cents. I promise you that once you focus on something else besides food and being deprived, the weight will come off without you thinking about it every minute. Don't let it be your life!

Looking back I don't remember it being hard at all. I'm sure at the time it was a struggle to change habits. I want to eat WHOLE pizzas, not one slice. But the band won't let you. It's the very thing I personally need - something that stops me. No mind set, no will power, no punishment will ever stop me from wanting a whole cake or a whole pan of lasagna. I want it. I always will. I still do. I lost hundreds of pounds on Nutri System. I was their poster girl. I did commercials, billboards, printwork and did modeling shoots for them for years. I was queen of the weight loss winners. I was wined and dined, and flown to exotic locations just to shoot commercials and attend conventions because of my weight loss. Did it stay off? NO WAY. Was it hard? It took adjustments for months for me to "get it" and realize that I just wasn't going to eat a whole pizza any more. I started eating, enjoying what I ate, and moving on to something else besides thinking about food. It's what "normal" stick chicks do, I guess. Their lives do not revolve around what they are going to eat for dinner. Mine still does, but at least I know that I"m going to have whatever I want, and have a small bit of it. Is it worth it when I put on my size 6 jeans? HA! There are no words to describe that feeling. Is it worth it when every person you ever knew asked you how you look so amazing? Is it worth it when you dont' have to take a handful of high blood pressure pills every morning and feel like crap? Is it worth it when you can run a mile or do a cartwheel like you used to when you were in high school? I'll never go back to wearing sweats, feeling like I couldn't go out in public, or looking at all the beautiful clothes my thin friends got to wear. I don't want to have to go back to the doctor when my bp was so high that he had to give me a pill to get it lower. I dont' want to pretend like I didn't care that I was fat and it didn't bother me. Was it hard? I suppose so. It's a life challenge that sucks, but worth every struggle, every hunger pang, every pound that comes off and every compliment you will get. Not to mention the years that you will probably add to your life. Yeah, it's hard.

Once again - no matter what you are feeling, no matter how difficult it is to slow down your eating, or eating soft foods for a while, or going through the whole experience - it is worth every second. Whoever you are out there, I promise you that I would never trade going through life morbidly obese again. I have now undergone 2 surgeries just to keep this band on and doing what it does for me. I, too, am addicted to food. We all know what that means. We can't just push food away or stop eating when we are full. I am here to tell you that I'm no different than any of you. To one of you who asked, I'm 5'9. My legs aren't all smooth and beautiful, but it's nothing that good genes and panty hose can't camouflage. Who cares anyway when I can fit into a size 6? I was a 22 when I went in. So, if you are out there, and new at this, or are about to have it done, let no one stand in your way. Don't let anyone make you unsure or unsettled. IT IS WORTH IT. One day soon you will be posting "after" photos and smiling, as if it was the easiest thing you ever did. Think about the future and how you will look and feel. It's an investment of a lifetime. Thank you for all your kind notes.