Headhunter

What Jodi said! Seriously, you really don't need "special foods". Fresh, unprocessed foods are really what your body needs. Also, I would highly recommend reading "The PH Miracle for Weight Loss" By Dr. Robert O. Young, or his original book, the "Ph Miracle". His ideas on eating are incredible, and should be given some serious consideration. HH

I am so sorry that you had to go through this. I also had a very bad experience with my band, and it was removed last year. This kind of thing DOES happen, and my feeling is that it happens more than we are aware...a LOT more. Last year, my Surgeon told me that it is his feeling that the band will be taken off the market in the next few years because of increasing incidents like this. He is known as a specialist in the area of problems with the Lap band, and that is why I went to him. I am not opposed to the band, even though, like the OP, my experience with the band almost killed me....a couple of times, in fact. The band has changed the lives of many people, MOSTLY for the better. But, there is a dark side to the Band that is often glossed over. Problems like this is one of the main reason why I continually emphasize the importance of selecting a VERY EXPERIENCED surgeon....experienced in the LAP BAND, not just a general surgeon. I also encourage people to have their Surgery close to home, if possible, so that when problems like this arise, you will have easy access to the doctor that installed it. I know that there are a lot of people who have had successful surgeries in Mexico, but when I hear stories like this one, I have to wonder what people are thinking when they go outside of the country (or even outside of their own state) simply to save some money. The band can work wonders for most people; But for others, the cost is just way too high....and I'm not talking about the money.

So sorry that you had to experience that....that is a LONG time in the hospital. I hope that you are on the mend, and that life can get back to normal for you. Problems with the Lap band DO happen, and some of them can be very, very serious. I also had a bad experience, so my Heart goes out to you. There are lots of reasons why the problems occur; bad doctors, bad instructions, NO instructions, bad aftercare, patient not following instructions.....the list is long. Keep us posted on your progress toward health, it sounds like they have corrected the problem and that you are beginning the healing. best of Luck! HH

If you want to find out about a way of eating that is amost entirely vegetarian, Grab a copy of the "The PH Miracle for Weight Loss", or the original version of the book, which simply the "PH Miracle", by Dr. Robert O. Young. This book is not about Vegetarianism per se, but the principles it teaches in terms of eating make it a book in that category. It's about "eating alkaline", and I will tell you that this book changed my life, and my entire outlook on food and Water. HH

I can probably add a little perspective to this.... I have had both operations, Lap band and Gastric Bypass. There are certainly plusses and minuses to both surgeries. Some of what has been posted here as far as the side effects of GB has NOT been my experience; I have had other side effects that have not been mentioned. I will say that the period of time between my surgery last May, and November, were some of the most difficult and trying days of my entire life. Actually, I was going to wait a while before I talked about my GB too much; I wanted to wait a full year from the date of the surgery, and give a kind of "one-year experience" update here. I will say that, as I write this, I am sitting here at a completely normal weight for the first time in about 25 years. I have plenty of energy (tons of energy, in fact), a very positive outlook on my future, and for the first time in a quarter-century, I am enjoying shopping for clothes - nothing with XXX in front of it. I have met my weight goal EXACTLY. My weight is now perfect for my height/build. But it has been a long, long difficult road, and my circumstances were somewhat outside the norm. What you decide in terms of WLS (IF you decide on WLS, and you need to keep exercise/diet as an option) is very personal, very dependent on your physiology, your family situation, your insurance, your medical history, and many, many other variables. Either choice will get you the weight loss you desire. The Band is a little more work on your part, but don't make THAT a part of the criteria. You need to be prepared for doing some work for EITHER procedure. It's just a different kind of work. If you have questions, feel free to ask....I don't know if there are any other members on this Board that have had both Surgeries, but I'd like to offer you the benefit of my personal experience, if that will help. But PLEASE note: with ANY surgery, weight Loss or otherwise, EVERY Surgery is a very unique and personal experience. One person will have a major success, another will have a major failure, even with the same surgeon. One person's success/failure will NOT mean the same result will happen for ANYONE else. HH

The insurance process is indeed messy. And time consuming. But, keep in mind that they do it for a reason. They want to be SURE that you are a good candidate for this. YOU know you are, but they need to be convinced. Also, you said that you have a vacation coming up in june, and that you wanted to be a little thinner for it, which is why you are frustrated by the slow process. You know, you CAN be a little thinner by June. The band makes it easier, but YOU can still diet and exercise before you get one. The Lap band does not eliminate the necessity for watching what you eat and keeping your body in motion. Many people think that all they have to do is have the band put in, and the weight will just start dropping off with little or no effort on their part. That DOES happen for some people, but for the majority of patients there is still some hard work down the road. For some, it requires a LOT of hard work. It takes a whole bunch of effort to end up with a hot body like Jachut! The pre-surgery diet that many patients are required to go on has them lose some pretty significant poundage, in many cases. Maybe you should contact your potential surgeon now, find out what the pre-op diet is, and start it now. Some of the diets are pretty drastic, so you might want to alter it a bit, but you CAN lose a lot of weight before the Band is put in to help you! So, don't wait until you have the band to begin losing weight....start NOW. Get a head-start on it.....it will make the job of the band much easier if YOU have started the process yourself! HH

Just make sure that you tell the Dr what is happening. What describe is not that unusual.....some of the pre-op diets can be rather drastic, but it IS what needs to done, like Jaqui said. But, DO tell your Doctor! HH

Hey! GREAT JOB! I'm very proud of you....I know how tempting that must have been, but you made the RIGHT CHOICE. You will find that each time you make a decision like that, it will become a little bit easier. And every time you make a decsion like that, you will move a little closer to your goal. AWESOME! HH

I understand the concept of wanting a "last meal". But think about a few things here. First of all, the Doctor gave you a Diet that you are EXPECTED to follow as a condition of your surgery. You NEED to do that....you DON"t want to have any problems on the operating table. I just learned of Restless Monkey's situation myself, and I really don't think you want to go through that. Also....A very large part of the REASON you are facing this surgery is because of BAD DECISIONS you have made in the past, with regard to eating. This has been the case with most of us. We spent much of our lives eating TOO MUCH of the WRONG STUFF. And now, we have all had to have surgical intervention to correct the problems created by our bad decisions. NOW - RIGHT NOW - is the time for you to begin making the CORRECT decisions. And the best decision you could make at this moment is to follow your Surgeons instructions. The band is not going to make these decisions for you. You can still find ways to eat "around" the band if you want to. The band will ONLY work if YOU do. YOU have to make the choices. So, begin your new life with a decision that you will follow your Doctor's orders. No Cheeseburger. It's that kind of food that got you where you are today. You need to begin your new life the RIGHT way. HH

Perfectly Normal. C'mon, you've just had SURGERY! :sneaky: The effects of the anesthesia will linger for a while, and just the trauma your body has suffered from the surgery is going to wear you down for a while. Some people do better than others; some take a few days(or longer) before they get their "mojo" back! Just relax, sleep, rest....but make sure you get some exercise.....you need to begin walking right away. They probably made you walk in the hospital, you need to continue that. Infact, the more you walk, the faster you will begin feeling normal again! HH

:smile:Welcome to the forum! Lots of great information here, lots of widely varying opinions. You'll get several different points of view for every question you ask! My first thought on your post is that you say you work out every day, but you are not losing any weight. Exercise is certainly part of the equation. But how HARD you work out is another. You need to make sure that you are giving it all you have. It's worth hiring a trainer for a few sessions to help you set up a program, and make sure that you are exercising at the correct intensity. Also, keep in mind that having WLS will NOT eliminate your need to exercise....you want to get HEALTHY, not just thin. And proper exercise is an important part of that. Also, you didn't mention what your eating habits are like. All the exercise in the world will not change your weight situation if you don't eat properly. If you aren't changing your eating habits at the same time you are exercising, then you're not going to lose much at all. My thought is that Weight Loss surgery of any kind should be a last resort. The BEST situation is where you are able to control your weight through natural methods, which include proper eating habits and regular exercise. You need to be CERTAIN that you have given diet and exercise the BEST shot you can. Millions of people are able to lose and maintain their weight by changing their daily habits. But, for many of us, that just doesn't work, and WLS can be an appropriate answer in those situations. I know that many people on this forum have gone out-of-country to have their surgery performed, and for many of them, the results have been excellent. I can't dispute their success. But, I think that, if it is at ALL possible, you should try and find a way to have your surgery closer to home, where you live. I think that it is VERY important, should complications arise (and they can), that you be within a very reasonable distance from your surgeon. To me, it only makes sense. Now, in your case, it's good that you have family in the DR, but if you don't LIVE there full-time, I would be very hesitant to go there for surgery. And it's not just about going out of the country; I would be opposed to even going out of state for this surgery. Again, there are a lot of varying opions on this, and I would encourage you to consider all points of view. Best of luck in your decision-making process, and Best Wishes to you on your Road to health! HH

Hi, Marci; Welcome to the Board! I'm curious, why are you having your band done in Detroit if you live in VA? I am very much an advocate of people having their Band/WLS done at a facility near where they live, or within a reasonable distance. Not only for the convenience of the fills, but in the event something goes wrong, you will have easier access to the guy who put it in. Is there some particular reason Detroit is your choice? HH

Plain, Just to clarify one more thing; My description of my experience was not entirely unsolicited. Just for the record, here's what happened. I saw that she was going to have surgery at the same hospital that I did. I PM'd her, stating that I had had a bad experience there, and I inquired as to who her surgeon was. She stated that she was just in the eval phase, and did not yet have a surgeon. and THEN she asked me what my bad experience had been. And I told her. I do not want anyone to think that I am simply PMing people and blasting them with my sad tale....If she had not asked for some details, they would not have been forthcoming. And the reason that I felt that i had to explain what I did in such detail was that she simply mis-stated the nature of our PM. My first PM was only 3 lines, i think. I am a little sensitive about these types of things, because of some of my history here; people taking things that i say out of context, and attaching their own meaning to it etc,....I just want to be very clear about everything. Thanks for your comments....I simply want this process to turn out well for people, and perhaps my bad experience can help others do things the RIGHT way. :thumbup:

Pink, I think you need to balance difficulties of what you MIGHT experience with the lap band against what you MIGHT experience in your life if you DON'T get one, or some other form of WLS. Yes there have been lap band failures....I am one of them. But, if you have TRULY exhausted all other avenues of weight loss, then the lap band may be your answer. It isn't for everyone, but as you can see on this site, there have been some wonderful success stories. You might be the next one! You said that you will be going to a meeting, and then setting up an appointment after that....I would encourage you to go to MULTIPLE meetings, with Multiple Surgeons. Don't take the first one that offers you the surgery. And make sure that you check the surgeon that you select CAREFULLY to make sure that he/she has been doing this a LONG time and has done HUNDREDS of these surgeries. There are many reason why the Lap band fails for some people. Sometimes it's the incompetence/inexperience of the Doctor, sometimes it's the inability/reluctance of the Patient to follow the prescribed pre and post-op protocols, and sometimes the thing just doesn't work, for whatever reason. It may be that another type of surgery is what you need, but you won't know that until you have explored all the options. You didn't become obese overnight....it took you a lifetime. So, don't make a snap decision on having surgery. Take your time, choose the RIGHT type of surgery, the RIGHT surgeon, and be prepared to follow the instructions given by your provider. Regardless of which direction you end up choosing, it's clear that you HAVE made a decision to change and improve your life. I congratulate you on that....that is a big first step. Keep us all posted on your decisions and your progress! HH

Hi, Ethel; Welcome to the Board. You'll find a LOT of good advice here. You will also find a WIDE variety of opinion. This IS a Lap-Band oriented forum, so, as you can guess, the opinions here will be overwhelmingly in favor of the Lap Band. I have had both the Lap Band and Gastric Bypass, so I can give you some perspective on both of them. I would echo a previous poster who said you need to get additional opinions. I would heartily agree. But NOT just to find a surgeon that will prescribe a Lap Band. A Lap band may not be what you need, a GB MAY be more appropriate. It all depends on YOUR individual requirements. Some surgeons prefer doing one type of surgery. They all have their reasons. Some have better results with one kind, some make more money with another kind. It's sometimes hard to tell what their motives are. But DO get a second opinion. And a third, perhaps. I think a lot of patients go to a seminar, and are sold on the spot by what THAT surgeon has to say. And make no mistake about it...it is a SALES process. Don't be SOLD....be EDUCATED. So shop around, the same way you would a car, a house, or anything else.....this is your BODY, your HEALTH, your LIFE we are talking about, so you need to invest the time in finding what is right for YOU! So, start asking questions, we'll start giving answers! Best of luck to you in this process.....whatever route you choose, it WILL be life changing! HH

Actually, I have done very well, thanks for asking! I had a very, very bad experience with the band. I spoke about it here last year right before I had the band removed. My comments were not recieved very well by this community. Many people here think I'm a "band-hater", but that is not the case. I just had a rotten experience, and I want to make sure that people know about the risks involved, and what COULD happen. My feeling is that it is SO important that you find a surgeon that is BEYOND competent. He/she needs to have hundreds, if not thousands of LB surgeries behind him before he does his work on me. It is also important that the patient follows the surgeons instructions to the LETTER post-surgery.....and, I don't believe that all of the Surgeons give very good instructions, so needs to be part of the Selection process....you need to know that you are being cared for properly beofre, during, and after the surgery. If you want to know more about my experience, feel free to PM me. I don't talk about it out in the open here, because I usually get attacked for describing what was a very real series of events in my life. HH

LikeBlanche; Perfectly normal! Most everyone gets scared before surgery. DON'T feel like a failure.... One of my favorite sayings is: "You've only failed if it's the LAST time you're gonna try." and you're only at the beginning! So don't be hard on your self. MOST of us are emotional eaters. And, the fact that we are continually bombarded with Advertisements for food makes it that much harder. So, just move forward with confidence.....if you have selected a good surgeon, and you have committed yourself to FOLLOWING THE PROTOCOL then you've got nothing to worry about. Keep us all posted here on your progress....we're rooting for you!

Hi, Lori; Welcome to the Board! How long it takes until surgery depends entirely on your insurance company, and the Surgeon. Also, when you say you want to be done by spring, are talking about having your surgery done by spring, or completing your weight loss by spring?

Welcome! I would say that you need to be very comprehensive in your selection of a Surgeon. You said that you went to a seminar; go to a few more. See what else is out there. Find the BEST Doctor you can, someone who has done hundreds of these procedures. Someone who will let you speak with his/her other patients. Check the surgeon's background, his schooling, and EVERYTHING you can find out about him. Make sure you have the best.....it's YOUR body....It's worth taking the time to make sure you are getting the right person for the Job!

Malissa, I'm one of those that had HUGE complications. They can happen, they DO happen, and one needs to be aware of that going in. As far as your question specifically, the positive outcomes outweigh the negative. There are more Band Successes than there are failures and severe complications. I think the incidence of small complications is very great, but those are usually issues that are easily resolved. WasABubbleButt was correct about the amount of time the Band has been around. She's also wise in pointing out that we never see or hear from those long-term Band patients. The Band didn't really take off until after FDA approval here in America in 2001. I don't think there will be any really solid statistics on long-term viability and Band Complications for several more years. And, you have to take into consideration that the Weight Loss Industry is just that....an INDUSTRY, and I would be wary of statistics of that kind produced by an industry that pulls in as much money as the Weight Loss biz. The important thing for you to consider at this point is whether you have made the correct choice in your Surgeon. You need to make sure that he/she has been doing this for a LONG time, has a great support staff, and you need to speak to as many of his/her former patients as you can. Really, really do your due diligience with regard to your surgeon. I think that there are some hacks out there that just got into the business because it is so lucrative, and they aren't all that experienced. Also, make sure that you are ready and willing to FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS given you by the Surgeon and his staff. That is where a lot of people run into problems....they don't follow the protocol. Also, make sure that you have given dieting and exercise a proper chance. Be clear that you have worked HARD at it, and done all you can do before you go the surgical route. Feel free to ask any of us here specific questions. There are people on this board that have had awful experiences, and there are those for whom the process was easy and comfortable. Most people lie somewhere in between. Best of luck, keep us posted on your progress!

Yeah, call your Dr. But, I'm pretty sure that you didn't do any damage. 6 Cups is a LOT in a short time period, so you need to avoid doing that! One of the biggest reasons people have problems with their bands post-op is because they DON'T follow their Surgeon's instructions, the Surgeon didn't give instructions, or the instructions weren't adequate. I think a lot of people have the Band installed because they think that it's going to do all the work for them. It doesn't. YOU have to do the work, the band is just a mechanical device that assists you. You've got to make the right decisions about what you eat, when you eat, how fast you're gonna eat, etc. The band can work if YOU do! Let us know what happens!

Sounds like it might be a combination of both, but I'd put my money on the band being too tight. The object is NOT to get the band as tight as you can tolerate it. You still have to allow for proper flow of the stuff your body NEEDS. From what you described, yes, it does sound like it's a little too tight....but DO slow down your eating, chew more....take your TIME. It's a lifetime of bad habits that the band tries to cure, and it often takes a LONG time to do that. We get so accustomed, as obese people, to simply piling the food into our mouths, chewing it up, swallowing, then doing it again. It's a whole different life for you now, so you NEED to be a CONSCIOUS EATER. You have to become AWARE of your eating. Talk to your Doctor, explain your symptoms. But, by all means, change your eating/chewing habits....it's one of the key components of band Success. Keep us Posted! HH

You NEED to see a lap-band surgeon NOW. The port area has possibly become infected, and that could cause a whole bunch of problems. I really don't know why people go to Mexico for their surgeries....I know it's cheaper, but when this kind of thing happens, you are kind of stuck. I also feel the same way about people who travel long distances within THIS country for the surgery. You need to be within a reasonable travel distance from YOUR surgeon for at leat a year or two. Having said that (didn't mean to rant), ask your Primary doc to refer you out to a LB Surgeon, and do it quickly. There is a lot that can go wrong with an infected port area, and you DON'T want to have to deal with THAT mess! Keep us posted!