Headhunter

An intelligent, very well thought-out reposnse; far, far different from the one that prompted this current firestorm. HH

YAWN.......... gee. I could really chime in here....BUT....I've been told to kinda sorta but not really keep my mouth shut but do shut up..... So, I'll just watch! :thumbdown: HH

That's wonderful. She thought she was an expert BEFORE she got one. Now she'll think she invented the damn thing. sweet. HH

Hi, paislyepea; I agree with everything you have said, but there is one caution I’d like to offer for consideration. I’m not all that certain that I would put a whole lot of weight on the “Center of Excellence” designation. The reason for this is that they are, essentially, a “Trade Organization”. It serves to promote the interests of the bariatric surgery INDUSTRY, and that is not always a good thing for the consumer. The Surgical Review Corporation, the “parent” of the COE program, is offering the COE designation to Surgical facilities that meet certain criteria, and I’m not all that sure that the criteria is that rigid. One of the requirements to be designated a COE is that you give them MONEY. LOTS of Money. One other requirement is that the Surgical facility must perform a minimum of 125 bariatric Surgeries a year. Now, for one experienced surgeon, 125 surgeries a year is not very much at all. BUT, the problem is that their requirement states that only the FACILITY has to have that volume. If they have 5 surgeons in the practice, then to maintain their designation each one only has to perform 25 surgeries in a year. The designation is given per FACILITY, and not per SURGEON. It could, conceivably, be a training ground for “rookie” surgeons, and I would NOT feel comfortable with that. There are other issues I have a problem with, with regard to the COE designation, but I’m still looking into them. The UP side is that they are requiring statistics to be submitted by all COE designates, so that a massive database can be compiled containing efficacy stats for all the various procedures and products, as a well as a mechanism for Adverse Event Reporting. There is presently NO accurate, single grouping of accurate Statistics for WLS Outcomes, and the COE might be the best hope for obtaining this info. So, the jury is still out on the COE being the “gold standard” for choosing a Surgical facility, but it IS better than nothing, and I would certainly take that designation into consideration when making my choice. HH

Patty; I do not always agree with all that you say. I do, however, respect your passion for what you believe. I do not know if there is a God, at least not the sense that traditional religion has taught us. It is something that I have struggled with for many years. However, there are things that make me believe that there is SOMETHING there. One of them is puppies. and kittens. Have you ever seen the face of a puppy or a kitten? That doesn't just "happen".. THAT is created. The other thing is my Son. When he was born, and the Nurse put him in my arms for the first time (I had never held a baby), she also handed me a bottle to feed him. I looked at the nurse and said "what do I do???" She smiled at me and said "you'll figure it out". So, I took the bottle and kind of put it up to his face. I figured I would have to kind of pump the back of his head or something to make him drink....I had NO idea what to do. But....I put the nipple up to his lips,....and he took it in his mouth....and he drank. He KNEW what to do. A baby that was just a few hours old. And somehow he knew. I turned to my wife, and I smiled and said "I guess they come programmed". And, they do. And I believe that in some way, that there is a "programmer" somewhere that taught him to do that. It's pretty good evidence for God. I don't know, and I probably will never will until my time comes. But, kittens, puppies, and my son do give me a clue....and some hope. HH

Jeez. TopTier, I told you dig a hole and get in. You were NOT given permission to climb out. Shame on you. Perhaps it might have something to do with an inability to do something as simple USE A SHOVEL. Well, now. Let me see if I’m reading this right. Agnes has made a well informed, conscious decision to have a Lap band installed. Her loving Husband, Erick, has come on this board to ask some questions so that he can provide additional support and care for his wife post-surgery. (and this is a WONDERFUL show of support, I haven’t seen a spouse come online for this, on this board yet…) So, this snarky little troll (who doesn’t even have a band yet) is going to break in, and give some “advice” that is: 1.) Not welcome. 2.) Stupid. 3.) Not welcome 4.) Even stupider than the first time I said it. Multiple people in a previous thread have told you to sit down, shut up, and quit pretending that you actually KNOW anything. Because you do NOT. And for you to barge in here again and try and plant some seeds of doubt in the mind of her husband is REPREHENSIBLE. Wasa….Wasa…..can we get a Water hose in here? This TopTier character is like two horny dogs trying to screw…..you just CAN’T keep them apart! Can’t we keep this reprobate from vomiting all over the place? CAN’T we find a way to make abortion retroactive in her case? Erick: As I said, I don’t think I have seen a husband come on board here to ask additional questions for the support of his wife. My hat is off to ya. Ignore the cretin. She’s just trying to kill some time until her next Parole Hearing. Agnes’s choice is a good one, and this is coming from someone who is not always supportive of the lap band. One of the MOST important elements for success with the band is the support of people around you; Family, friends, and people who you are around on a regular basis. Life with the band is not always easy, but it DOES provide an answer to a specific problem, IF you use it the right way. Just continue to ask your questions, and people here are happy to provide answers. If you search the forums, you will find that many of your questions (and questions that you didn’t even know you had!) have already been answered. We like Agnes. She’s a smart lady who has made a tough decision…but it’s the RIGHT decision. And with your support there is NO DOUBT that she will be successful, and HEALTHY. One piece of advice: Tonight, before you go to bed, I would keep a clove of Garlic, a wooden stake, and a pistol with a silver bullet in it nearby. I can just picture TopTier trying to climb through your window, screaming “ I just wanna be HEARD…I just want people to think I’m smart and that I know something!! Wa WA WA!!” One silver Bullet. Pop. That’s all you need. HH What a week. I'm goin' to vegas.

PSJ71 is quite correct. It's not that bad. And there are some very compelling reasons to do the pre-op diet, even though it seems like it "postpones" your surgery. It doesn't, really, ...it PREPARES you for life with the Band. If you have 6 months of dieting in the way that will be prescribed, it will really help you when the Band is put in. People very often complain about the pre-op diet requirement, but many will tell you that it really improved their transition into "band life". It's a good thing! :thumbup: HH

Absolutely Correct! :confused: Some of you know that I had the lap band, it failed and almost killed me in the process, it was removed and I had a Gastric Bypass, which has worked very well for me. I won't rehash any of that here; I don’t want to hijack the thread. In light of my experiences, though, some of you might be interested in my thought processes when choosing my WLS, when I ended up with the band the first time around. When I had my band installed, it had only been available in the US for about 18 months. I had read about it, I had heard about success with it in Europe, and it seemed like a good procedure. There was not much I could find out about the Track record, mainly because there WAS no track record here in the US. There were some Web Sites that had info on it, so of course I looked at those. There were also some yahoo groups that focused on the Band. At the time of my decision, there were only three options that I looked at: The Band, the Bypass, and the Fobi Pouch. The Fobi looked pretty good, but it was only being done by one Doctor (Dr. Fobi...whooda thunk? :thumbup:) in one location, which coincidently, was about 30 minutes from my home. I didn't like the Fobi, mainly for those reasons: one Doctor, one Location, Small population of Patients. I considered the Gastric Bypass, but like many people, it seemed too extreme for me. I parroted the same reasons for rejecting the Bypass that a lot of people do: it's too "invasive". The band is "removable/reversible", and the Band is "Adjustable". Those all seemed like pretty good features to me, so I was inclined to pursue it. I was pretty set on the Lap Band after the research I did, and at the time I thought that my research had been pretty thorough. A COUPLE of Drs I spoke with suggested that I wait a while, until the Band had more of a track record here in the States. Several other Doctors I spoke with (I DID speak to quite a few...) really pushed the Bypass, because it DID have a very proven track record over nearly 50 years. But, I couldn’t get past the idea of everything being re-routed inside of me. So, I had the Band, and the rest is history.

Yes, a VERY good question! Some Surgical Practices are very, very good with the pre-surgical information handling. In my case, it was awful. There was NOTHING. not a BIT of info. And, the "Doctor" botched the surgery. However, I WILL say that this was a few years ago, and people who have been to my hospital since have said that the amount of information provided is quite good. I cannot dispute that, I only know what MY experience was. And it was BAD. If you AREN'T "overloaded" with info by your potential suregon, get OUTTA there! Leave. Find another surgeon. A GOOD surgeon WANTS the patient to be informed. One thing, though....some people consider being handed a binder full of info to be "good information" But, an EXCEPTIONAL medical practice would be one that goes OVER the material with you, and answers any questions you might have. I heard of one practice that met with the patient, talked with them for an hour, gave them a Binder of info, and had them come BACK in a week for kind of a "quiz"....to make sure that they had actually read and understood the information. I think that is a pretty good system. HH

Oh, Brother. The more of your posts I read, the more I doubt you did ANY research. Or went to Nursing school. Or went to school of ANY kind. So, now, let’s go over what you have just blathered out in single paragraph, and correct a few things. Again. “headhunter do you even know who you're arguing with anymore? Although I did consult more than 1 doctor to find the 1 i'd be most comfortable with I never claimed to have consulted 14 doctors. I also never quoted a medical journal or website ever and never discussed any specific seminars I attended either. I don't know who that came from but it was not me.” When I stated This:…. “Then, why didn’t you merely say, for example, that you had spoken with 14 doctors, perused medical journals at the facility where you work as a nurse, and been to a handful of seminars on the subject, and you had concluded that the band was what would work best for you?” ….It was offered as an EXAMPLE of what you MIGHT have said if you had actually DONE any research. I never said that YOU said that you had spoken with 14 docs, etc. And I am absolutely FLOORED that you took that literally. But then again….I’m not. Most people on the Planet would have read that for what it was. You did not. Wow. And this: “People are not uninformed or ignorant just because they don't draw the same conclusions as you.” And precisely where was it I said that people had to come to MY conclusions be considered “informed”? What I WANT is for them to be informed and THEN come to their OWN conclusions. And when people like YOU post CRAP like you did, and then try and pass if off as some form of experiential evidence when all it is is EVIDENCE OF AN IDIOT RUINING THEIR SURGERY,…I get just a teensy bit annoyed. How can you NOT get that? How can you NOT understand that? I have a theory….. But, I’m not going to go there this time. This is a dead issue. I’m glad you’re happy with your choice of WLS…that is what it is ALL about. Success for the individual. I am happy with MY choice. It has worked well for me. And I can only hope that your friend/co-worker/whatever who squandered the big bucks on their failed WLS will learn their lesson. And that everybody who is contemplating this life-changing procedure will do the proper research and make the decision that is RIGHT – FOR – THEM. I HOPING we can agree on THAT. Ok. Done with this. Moving on. HH

Mary, you are correct. This guy is gonna have some problems on his hands. I have checked out Never's Doctor, and he currently has at least one Malpractice action against him right now. I'm researching him further to find out more. THIS is one of the reasons why People HAVE to take the time to check out the guy who is slicing you open. There are some real clowns out there, and they are KILLING people with inaction. But it also sounds like she is being dismissed by her local hospital as well. A BAD situation. HH :bored:

It's funny, you could liken AD'to WLS.....different ones work for different people. My experience with wellbutrin was horrible. It actually INDUCED a depressive episode. I tried it once about 14 years ago. They had to give me another medication along with it, because wellbutrin at high doses can induce certain kinds of seizures. Well, as a result, I got the "shakes". At a VERY bad time. At the time, I was working at a Major Hollywood Film Studio, and I was having lunch with in the exec Dining room with some pretty big Execs at the Studio. I sat down, ordered a cup of coffee, picked it up, and my hand started shaking like it was an earthquake. This continued to happen anytime I picked anything up. Everyone just stared at me....i'm sure that they thought i was on dope or something! Funny, looking back on it. Also, at the time, my depression deepened, and we had no idea why. So, I gave up Wellbutrin. I had success (depression-wise) with Effexor. A couple of months ago, my Psych suggested that I try Wellbutrin for another issue we have been working on. I tried it, and within an hour of taking it, I went into a very bad depressive state. I came out of it in a few hours. The next day, i took more Wellbutrin to test my theory, and it happened again. And that was IT for the wellbutrin. Apparently, 14 years ago, it HAD triggered my depression. And it did it again THIS time. ADs are funny stuff. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't, sometimes the side effects are awful Kinda like WLS......:bored:

You know, Jennifer, the Doc was actually right about that, strange as it might seem. Some people DO lose weight from using an AD. In the case of Effexor, though, it's pretty well documented that weight GAIN is more prevalent. I read somewhere, years ago, that the AVERAGE weight gain for Effexor use was about 50 pounds. I don't know how accurate that it, probably not very, but in MY case, it was very accurate. I'd also suggest seeing a shrink for help with your AD meds, if you aren't already. PCP's really, really do NOT understand the complexities of dealing with "mind drugs", certainly not with the "cocktail" concept of Psychopharmacology. Some of these shrinks can really "tune in" to just what is causing your depression and they know the chemical combo that can relieve it! :bored: HH

Jennifer; Now that the rhetoric has subsided somewhat, I’d like to address your comments a little further; your original comment, and your subsequent posts defending your position. First, I’m not pleased that you got attacked, even though I was firing in the first assault. It’s never pleasant to be on the defensive here, but it simply happens. It has happened to me. Sometimes daily. Some people deserve a virtual slap in the face. I’m not saying that YOU do, but for some of us your comments were unreasonable and ill-informed. Your comments did not reflect what would constitute a well-defined and researched opinion on the merits/drawbacks of Lap-band vs Sleeve. It appeared to be a simple shot at the bypass and the sleeve because you didn’t like them for whatever reason. You stated in subsequent posts that you had indeed researched the BP and Sleeve thoroughly. Then, why didn’t you merely say, for example, that you had spoken with 14 doctors, perused medical journals at the facility where you work as a nurse, and been to a handful of seminars on the subject, and you had concluded that the band was what would work best for you? What you did was give an example of incorrect behavior by a failed WLS patient. That person would have failed regardless of what WLS they had chosen. It had NOTHING to do with the bypass. I would NEVER think that someone is a moron merely because they failed WLS. BUT…in the situation you described, the individual “ate and ate junk the whole day long.” I WOULD describe that as moronic behavior for someone who has had WLS, and I’m not sure that ANYONE could disagree with that assessment. WLS fails in many, many people…that is a Fact. But for many, it fails because it was the WRONG SURGERY for THAT person. For others, the Surgeon is at fault. But in many, many cases, it is the fault of the person that HAD the surgery, in failing to comply with the prescribed protocol. And this is true REGARDLESS of what Weight Loss Surgery the individual has. I don’t know whether your co-worker was insured or a self-pay. A Gastric Bypass is going to cost $10-15,000 either way, and I will say again that for a person to squander THAT amount of money (regardless of who is paying for it) by “eating junk the whole day long” (your words), is just plain stupid. I’ll stand by my statement that you don’t have a clue about what you’re talking about with regard to BP and the Sleeve, because the only example you gave, as I have said, is that of patient MISBEHAVIOR, and not because of any inherent flaw of the GB procedure. If you had actually done any real research, you would have discovered that weight regain in Bypass patients is by FAR the exception, rather than the rule that you appear to think that it is. I acknowledge that there are SOME people who do regain weight post-bypass. I have a very good friend who is the musical director for a major music performer. He is quite wealthy, and can afford any surgery he wants. He had the bypass, and he HAS put some weight back on. But I know this guy well, and HE is one of those people for whom NO WLS is going to work entirely. I’ll quote Dr. Robert Zane, who is the Chief of Bariatric Surgery for a major HMO. He stated that “weight regain in Gastric Bypass patients is very, very rare. You have to make an effort to do it; it’s almost a conscious decision.” And that is why I went off on your statements. And I went further to address some of the fallacies and notions that people perpetuate about the bypass and other surgeries. You’ve had the Band, and you’re happy with it. I think that is awesome. It is working for you, and THAT is the desired outcome for ANY WLS. I’m not all that concerned with people that have successful weight loss with the Band, Sleeve, or Bypass. That’s what the desired outcome is. The people I AM concerned about are those who are in the process of MAKING THEIR DECISION; I do NOT want them to rule out what could potentially be the RIGHT surgery for THEM on the basis of biased, incorrect, and fallacious information. That is all. Plain and simple. HH

Well, it's a very personal choice. There are plenty of good reasons for doing any of the WLS's. Just make sure that you are doing the RIGHT one for YOU. Don't get too caught up in the "mechanics" of the procedures....choose the one that will WORK, for YOU. This is not something that you want to "do over". Now, you have an advantage in that you have family that has gone through this. You can see what the result has been first hand, at least for the Bypass. But, I would look at ALL the options. Best of Luck! HH

mb20Mom might be correct about them not doing Lap bands there right now. I know the director of Bariatric Surgery there, and he is very opposed to the Lap band, and that MIGHT be the reason they are not doing them....I don't that for a fact, so I cannot speak to that. I might give him a call and find out. My feeling is that if you're going to have a Band, there is not a better place to have it. They have tremendous expertise at that facility, in particular, in dealing with Band-Gone-wrong issues. They know how to install 'em and fix 'em! :bored: HH

Hi, Lilu! I do not believe that you HAVE to go through UCLA....I am a Kaiser Patient as well, and ALSO up here in the Valley....(I used to live in Panorama City....one author quipped that it is neither Panoramic, nor is it a city!:bored:) If they are going to send you down to UCLA, I would keep goin' down to the Kaiser Facility in Harbor City, about 20 minutes south of UCLA. They have a terrific Bariatric Facility there, and the surgeon that worked on me saved my life. PM me if you'd like details, I would VERY, VERY highly recommend Harbor City over UCLA for some very good reasons!:thumbup: HH

YES! Weight Gain with several antidepressants is a known side effect. In my case, I used Effexor back in the late 90's, and promptly put on some 50 pounds, and went up from there. It's kind of a vicious cycle.....You're depressed, sometimes because you are obese, so you take an AD, and you put on MORE weight....and get MORE depressed! Depression has been a HUGE issue in my Life....it's a genetic/inherited thing. But here's the good news, as far as it relates to weight: slowly, as I approached my ideal weight, my depression lessened, and eventually pretty much disappeared. I went from 375mg of Effexor XR a day to 0! Now, the depression comes back to visit every now and then, but it is no longer the crippling nightmare that it once was. One of the interesting methods that is used nowdays is the "cocktail", where several ADs are used in concert, and often a mild stimulant will be included. This does help control the appetite. If you are being prescribed an AD by your PCP, you might consider seeing a Psychiatrist who has a very well defined specialty in Psychopharmacology. Some shrinks are not all that good with meds, and MOST PCPs just hand out the usual stuff (prozac, effexor, wellbutrin, etc). In fact, most PCPs should not be trusted to hand out Psych meds.....you need someone with experience in that area as a specialty. Also, considering your issues with weight, you really, really need to consider regular psychotherapy, if you are not already doing so. The whole obesity/depression thing is quite tightly linked, and it would be reasonable to suggest that taking care of ONE of the problems would have a significant impact on the other. So, you are very wise to consider what changes you can make to your depression treatment in concert with dealing surgically with your weight issues. If you'd like to PM me for more info, please feel free. I know a LOT about this particular issuse; weight and depression have been the two massive monsters in my life since I was very young. I have found answers for BOTH of them, and I'd welcome the opportunity to share what I have learned with you!! Keep Smilin'! :bored: HH

LJB; Within the context of "is it bad eating it because I have the Lap Band", no, not really. Just chew it well (easy to do with life!) and eat slowly. There are cereals that might be a little better for you than Life, though. Life IS better, though, than lots of the other REALLY bad cereal, like Cocoa Puffs, Frosted Flakes, and things like that. You shouldn't even be TOUCHING that stuff. Lap band or not! :bored: You'll find some excellent cereals in some of the Health food stores. You're up in Oakland, so I THINK you guys have Whole Foods Markets up there. They have some Fabulous cereals. And trader Joes carries some terrifc stuff, and REALLY terrifc prices. As far as cereals that you can buy at your average supermarket, try the Kashi Brand. They have a line of cereals that is pretty good, and the Nutritional content is a bit better than Life. Their GoLean cereal is quite popular. It has a Little less sugar, a bit less fat, half the sodium, and about 5 times the Protein. Really, really learn to read the labels. That is KEY in picking out the good stuff from the bad. Also, if you have never tried it, try using Soy Milk instead of regular milk. It has a little different flavor, but I have found that I like it very much, and that's all we have in the house. There are a quite few brands of soy milk, probably the most popular is Silk. Give it a try, you might like it more than milk. My son tried it a few years ago, and he hasn't had regular milk since....not bad for a teenager! :thumbup: HH

Nancy; Now, THAT was a reasonable, thoughtful, and articulate answer to the original question. You have personal experience with both, you recognize the plusses and minuses of both procedures, you see the ability of a human to screw up EITHER process, and you're willing to do the work to MAKE it work the way it should. And, I believe you WILL make it work. I look forward to hearing how you are doing with it. As I have been saying all along, every single one of the WLS procedures have their pitfalls, limitations, and drawbacks. Do the research, get ACCURATE information from LOTS of reliable sources, and you'll have a good chance of picking the one that is meant for you. In Nancy's case, she kind of had the sleeve thrust upon her. But, she's doing what she needs to do to make it work. I'm not sure that there is a better answer to the original question than what Nancy just handed us! :bored: "The Journey is the Reward" HH

Sounds Good. Yes, it's amazing how some of these Doctors can really mess up in their seminars. If they were smart, they would simply plan them so they could give their presentation and then just stay and TALK with the potential patients, all evening if necessary. That would really win them a lot of clients. If you are rushed through the presentation, it is likely that you will be rushed through the surgery and the aftercare as well. You want a Doctor that is not only competent, but is willing to spend the time YOU need them to, for whatever it is you need...questions, advice, anything. I tend to be on the very, VERY cautious side of Surgeon selection, based upon my past experiences. In addition to the seminars, I would also check with your State medical board for any malpractice actions. I would also contact a couple of local Malpractive Attorneys to see if they have any opinions on the Surgeon. I have found when researching Doctors for friends, that many Malpractice Lawyers are happy to give you a couple of minutes on the phone to give you an opinion on a Doctor. And the lawyers will very often know a LOT about the various surgeons in the area and their reputations. Years ago, I needed to find a gastroenterologist to help me find the source of some stomach pains I was having (this was WAY before my Lap Band problems, many years ago). I didn't know back then how to find a specialist, so I asked a client if he had any advice. He said that it was very simple....his brother was one of the top Malpractice Attorneys in the L.A. area, and I'd be welcome to give him a call, which I did. The Lawyer chatted with me for a few minutes, referred me to a top Doctor at UCLA Medical Center. It was funny, when I saw the Doctor and he asked me who referred me, I told him, and his jaw dropped. He treated me like ROYALTY while I was seeing him. So, that's just a little advice on researching a Doctor. Best of luck, i'm sure you're making all the right decisions, and your outcome will be exactly what you are hoping for! HH

And thank you for your Opinion. I will deposit it precisely where it belongs. HH

I'll echo the others....Call your Doctor! I will also suggest a little more strongly than others that you take NO CRAP from your Doctor. Do NOT EVER let them make you feel rushed, or that you are a piece of meat. Demand that they pay you the attention that you deserve, and never NEVER let them brush you off. Once they think they can do that and get away with it, you will NEVER get the service you deserve. I feel very strongly about this issue of the way Doctors sometimes treat their patients. The should have told you exactly what they were doing/putting in your band......you should not have had to ask. And, if you feel over a period of time that you are NOT being treated with consideration, then consider seeing another Doctor. It's always best, of course, to remain with the Surgeon that put the Band in, but if you are not getting what you need in the aftercare, consider moving on. BUT....you need to take care of this current issue right away. Too much Fluid in the band can be a big problem in several areas, so don't delay. It can be easily resolved. And one other thing.....if they put too much fluid in the Band, do NOT let them charge you a co-pay, or a complete pay if you are self-paid. They might argue that they were simply following protocol, but the outcome was wrong, and you should not have to pay for their error. If you brought your car in for repair, and they did not fix it correctly, you would not be expected to pay....even if they "followed protocol". But DO get a hold of your Doc right away, and get this resolved, so you can get back on track to becoming a beautiful new you! HH

Some of the limitations (age and otherwise) that some of these Doctors come up with are baffling. How do they come up with this stuff? There are PLENTY of Drs that will Band you at your age, and much older. Just make sure you research them TOTALLY. Check with WasaABubblebutt on this forum, she is the very best resource for finding out about reputable Surgeons in Mexico. Good luck in your process! HH

Hi, Mica; I'm Glad everything turned out ok. You had something similar to me....The tube from the band did indeed erode it's way INSIDE of my Colon. I've got some great pictures of it winding around inside of my plumbing! The Surgery to remove the Band and it's remnants was long and ugly. I spent a couple of weeks in the hospital, and was lucky to have made it out alive. You know, there IS life after the Band. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But that doesn't mean that weight loss has to stop. Many, Many people have gone on to continue their weight loss, and get healthy, in their post-band life. It's going to be harder without the band (maybe, maybe not!), but what you have to do is simply to continue to eat in the SAME way that you did when you had the Band. Easier said than done, I know, but it IS doable. Think of all you've gone through with the Band. Having it put in. Recovery. learning to live with PBing, sliming, and everything else that you had to learn to deal with. And then the removal and recovery from that. And all of the money you have invested in the entire process. You need to let all of that be your personal catalyst in continuing this process. Don't let all of that pain, suffering, and money go to waste. It;s the beginning of a new era in your life, and although you may not believe it now, you CAN do this without the Band. You do have the personal power and ability to move forward and turn this setback into a success. I firmly believe that. Make a plan; put it in writing; decide exactly what you are going to do from THIS MOMENT FORWARD, and work the plan - every day. Let us all here know what the plan is, we can help keep you on track. Keep us posted as you heal....you've been through a lot! HH:smile: