Headhunter

The band is being done more often as an Outpatient procedure, so it shouldn't be difficult to find a Doctor who does it this way. having said that, however, I'd like to suggest that you take that OFF THE TABLE as criteria for your surgery. You need to concentrate on the QUALIFICATIONS of the surgeon, rather than whether or not you will have to stay overnight in the Hospital. I am a little surprised that people WANT it to be outpatient. It is SURGERY, and if there ARE complications in the hours post-op, the hospital is WHERE you WANT to be. They can monitor you, and if you have questions that come to mind, you can ask them and get answers right then and there. I would advise you to find the BEST surgeon for your procedure, and leave it at that. HH

yes, Listen to da Monkeeeee! Right up there, above me...:biggrin: It IS a process, not a destination. I'm a little surprised that they didn't go over "expectations" with you, and make you aware that there are no "absolutes". EVERYONE experiences this differently. And Restless put it PERFECTLY: "This is a time for HEALING". Don't even WORRY or THINK about weight loss right now. It will come. Just relax and enjoy your Pain meds. :thumbup: HH

Pink, You need to NOT worry about that. You need to put all of your mental energy into doing what you NEED to do to make sure that your band expereince is a success. The fact is that Weight Loss is ALWAYS about will power. The various Procedures and surgeries just make it so that you need a little LESS will power to succeed. And often, that is all it takes. It is true that it's very important you make the RIGHT decision about which kind of surgery to have. But once you have had it, you should not spend ANY time trying to question yourself or wonder if you have made the right choice. Only time will give you that answer. What you NEED to do is to concentrate on following the protocol laid out by your Doctor to the LETTER. It is a fact that you will lose SOME weight with ANY of the surgeries. I've seen people who really should have had the Bypass lose TONS of weight with the Band. But, that was because they were able to overcome themselves PYSCHOLOGICALLY. The PRESENCE of the band was enough to make them do what they needed to do. It's almost a Placebo effect. And it CAN work. So, do your best to avoid spending any time second-guessing yourself and your decision, and move forward on your work with the Lap Band. Do EVERYTHING you are supposed to do, and NOTHING you are NOT supposed to do. And the chances are that you will succeed wonderfully! HH

BOB and ROSE.....That is too cute. :biggrin: They are both good "add-ons" to the Bypass. I'ts been my thought for a while that ROSE (and some other procedures like it) will be the big winner in solving the problem of weight re-gain with the bypass. But, the psychological issue absolutely HAS to be addressed, or NOTHING will help. I cannot emphasize enough how big of a step it is to be able to FAIL at Bypass. You need to have some REAL problems to be able to do that. However, part of it might lay at the feet of the surgeons; there ARE surgeons that simply do a POOR job. They make the pouch TOO big. That does happen, and poor restriction does make it possible for the patient to feel comfortable when eating TOO much. Thus, the pouch stretches and weight is regained. But the real problem lies in the mind of the patient. Psychotherapy HAS to be a part of the protocol. I have said this for a long time, and it does not simply apply to Bypass patients, it applies to EVERYONE having WLS. We all know that Weight Loss is a "Mind Game", at least a very large part of it. Some doctors/surgeons require a "psych eval" for all WLS patients. I think it needs to go further than this. I think a 5 or 6 month series of therapy sessions should be REQUIRED prior to surgery. But, in most cases THAT will never happen. Successful Psychotherapy might reduce the income for some of these Surgeons! I have a LOT of sympathy for these folks who have failed WLS. It must be a horrible thing to endure. I understand it, because my first WLS was failure. It feels like it's the end of the world. But my WLS failure was because I chose the wrong procedure, which is why I am so adamant about people making the RIGHT choice the first time. For people choosing the bypass, and then failing, well,....that is heartbreaking, because there is not much that they can move onto from there. BOB and ROSE, however, DO offer some hope to those people, and they need to be made aware of those procedures. And, they need to begin working the "mind" element as well, ASAP. I hope this discussion will continue. It's important information, and should be an integral part of the WLS "Matrix". HH

Good Luck, Jennifer! In spite of all of the discussion with regard to which is the best choice, etc, etc, Congrats on making a decision and acting on it. I wish you the best of luck, and I look forward to hearing about your successes and progress! :smile2: HH

I get very angry when I read about Doctors like that. You did NOT breach the "doctor/patient relationship". You became ill, and somehow that changed the nature of the way your body deals with the Band. You need to see ANOTHER Dr. I find that when Drs make stupid comments like that, it's because they don't KNOW what to do. And they try and blame it on YOU. See ANOTHER Dr, Outside of the area, if necessary. Find one that has no association (ie:Golfing Buddy) with your original Doctor. You NEED a second opinion. Don't give up on this yet. HH

There is no one "experimenting" with a reversal procedure. It is, in fact, an established protocol that is being performed regularly on those who NEED it. As far as being "simple" or "inexpensive", NONE of these surgeries are, first-time or reversal. there are NOT "way more problems" with the Bypass. There are DIFFERENT problems of a DIFFERENT nature, but to characterize them as being "way more" is simply incorrect. And no, it's NOT permanent. HH

...and, have your friend come over here and join. It will be interesting hear their experience if they decide to get a band! HH

There ARE people who that have the BOB....and, it does work, to a certain degree. But, you need to be aware that people who fail at Bypass always seem to have some LARGER issues. "head" issues that would suggest that some serious pyschotherapy be incorporated into the program. People do regain weight with the bypass. But it's actually quite rare. And you almost have to make a conscious decision that you are going to do it. So, when you consider that the band is the MOST "defeatable" of the WL Surgeries, and the fact that the Bypass is DIFFICULT to defeat, well, you're going to see that the BOB is an "iffy" solution. Having said that, for SOME people adding the Band into the Bypass "mix" has been the answer for them. But the individual really needs to have the counseling to go along with it. And I mean a Psychotherapist that really SPECIALIZES in Bariatric issues, not just someone who has some heavy clients. if your friend has failed bypass, then it is certainly worth a try. HH

Well, the simple fact is that no, the band does NOT work for all people. Nor does the bypass or the sleeve. Nothing works for EVERYONE. There are some people for whom NO WLS will work. Those people are quite rare, but they DO exist. In your situation, you are doing the right thing, in getting a second opinion. You need a fresh set of "eyes" to see what is going on. HH

Holli, that's a shame about your dislike of needles. That's going to eliminate the possibility of your EVER being able to enjoy Heroin to the fullest. :thumbup: I'm so glad everything is going well thus far. Take extra care of yourself. Nice to see the little "speck", eh? I remember the first time I saw my son on the Monitor. It was a remarkable experience. :skep: HH

Yes, call your surgeon's office. Absolutley. Port Infection is somtething you DON'T want to mess with. It CAN be very dangerous, and lead to other complications. HH

Hi, ChristaO: It's easy. The best way for someone new to this place would be to: 1. Scroll to the top of the Screen. 2. Click on HOME 3. Click the name of the Section you want to post in (Introductions, Lap-Band Fills, Food and Nutrition, etc) 4. When you are in the section you want to post the new thread in, scroll ALMOST to the top of the Page, and on your upper-left hand side you will see a button labled "New Thread"....the same button is also near the BOTTOM of the Page as well. Click it. 5. When the new page loads, Enter the title of the new thread in the "Title" box. 6. Enter your post in the Main Box, and when you are done scroll down and click on "Submit New Thread". It's that easy! There are others ways of doing it, but since you are new here, that is the best "roadmap" to use. Good luck, and we'll look forward to your Contributions! HH

Yes, Cleo's Mom gives great advice here. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Take names, times, dates, EVERYTHING... And you know what? you need to make it OBVIOUS that you are documenting it all. Make sure they SEE everything being written down,...ask a lot of questions, and write the answers down in FRONT of them. The reason for this is that when they SEE it, they will KNOW you mean business. You might be AMAZED at the changes in their level of service when they become aware that they are under the microscope. They are afraid of lawsuits...even if you have no intention of ever suing them, act like you might. It works wonders, it has for me. Sometimes, you HAVE to act a little drastically to get what you need. It's a shame, but often that is what it takes. HH

and good for you, greytz! that's awesome....it's a wonderful feeling! And it's also great that you recognize that there IS work involved. Many people don't; they think the band is going to do all the work. And those people usually fail. HH

....and Restless is correct on this issue, too. You can screw up ANY Weight Loss Surgery if you try. And as far as the original question (Does it Work), I would say NO..."IT" doesn't work. ....YOU work. "IT" allows YOU to makes the choices that will create a state of success or failure. The choices are in YOUR hands, but these tools that we have give us a power that we previously did not possess, or at least not ENOUGH of the power. It's just an "edge", really, but hopefully enough of an edge to bring us to where we want to be. You really have to look no further than the message above this to know whether it will work. Look at the ticker on Restless' signature. She is ZOOMING downward. It's not been easy for her; it took her a bit of time to find her "sweet spot", but she DID; and now she's making the RIGHT choices using the power of the Band, combined with her own resolve, and it's WORKING. And it can work for YOU, too. As long as you do YOUR part. Work the Band, and the Band will work for you. :biggrin: HH

Hi, Kimmie; Sorry you're having problems. I wouldn't rule out the possibility that there is something else going on here, such as the flu or something, and it is aggravating the trauma from your surgery. However, if your Surgeon is NOT stepping in here and checking it all out, then you need to scream very, very LOUD and get his attention. Regardless of WHAT the problem is, he NEEDS to be very, very involved in this. If he does not give you the proper attention, do NOT hesitate to make a very big fuss about it. Call the Hospital Administration and Complain. Use the magic word: lawsuit. You don't want to mess around with this. Surgeons are not "Gods". he is your EMPLOYEE. You HIRED him to do a job, and he isn't doing it. you need a resolution to this quickly. Again, don't be shy about this. DEMAND that your surgeon get his rarified a** INTO your room, and figure this out. Keep us posted on this....this is a type of situation that NONE of us want to happen to ANY of us. HH

No, what you need to do is get your internet service set up so that you can watch tv ON your laptop.....that eliminates the clutter in the bed.....:cool2: HH

Hi, Sberrys; Welcome to the forum! You gave us a lot of good information on your predicament; you’ll find a lot of widely varying opinions here. You’ll also get a lot of facts as well, and sometimes it’s difficult to know which is which. Myself, I’ve had both the Lap Band and the Gastric Bypass. The Bypass was the one that worked for me. I’ve had kind of a unique experience on my road to becoming slim and healthy. During the process, I learned an enormous amount about myself, the various surgeries, the medical system, the legal system, the insurance system, and human nature. I try to give benefit of my experience to people in your position who are just beginning their process. A few things about your situation caught me eye, and I’d like to comment on them. The first thing I’d like to say is to look at ALL your options thoroughly, and don’t become “married” to any particular procedure or process while you are investigating. You will find that people in this forum (and most of the other forums) will almost ALWAYS tell you to have the surgery that THEY had, because it worked for THEM. That is something that you want to avoid. The different surgeries are meant for different people, different body types, and different personalities. I had the Lap Band, and it didn’t work for me. As I said, my situation was a little out of the ordinary, but the bottom line is that it was NOT the right surgery for me. The Bypass WAS. I’d like to point out the misconception that the entire Weight Loss Surgery issue is that of a big WLS “Smorgasbord”, and that all you have to do is simply pick the one that tickles your fancy. That is incorrect. They are ALL different, and they are meant for different types of people and bodies. They ALL work (to varying degrees)…..but their long-term (and short-term) efficacy is dependant on some very individual elements. You really need to take the time and the effort to ascertain which WLS is right for you. Some people need restriction, which is what the Band and the Sleeve offer. Some people need Malabsorbtion, which is the primary mechanism present in the Gastric Bypass. Some need a combination. If you are one of those who crave sweets, who puts on 3 pounds by breathing in the air in a bakery, then you will most likely need the Malabsorbtion element that Gastric Bypass offers. This is also true if you really don’t feel like you eat THAT much, but you continue you put on weight. If you simply eat too much and self discipline is the problem, then the Sleeve or the Lap Band might be the ticket. But, you really have to study the various methods in DETAIL, and be HONEST with yourself about what kind of eating disorder you have. You mentioned that you have family that had the Bypass, and that it was successful for them. You also stated that your Mother becomes ill after eating, and she had the Bypass. I have a couple of thoughts about that. First, if you have close family that have been successful with the Bypass, that MIGHT indicate a genetic disposition to a particular eating dysfunction that would be successfully treated with the Bypass. On that basis, I would certainly keep the Bypass as a very viable option. However, you DID mention that your Mother had some problems after eating. Has she had those problems looked into by her Doctor/surgeon? Pain after eating post-bypass is NOT normal, and it could indicate a stricture or an ulcer….both of them are easily treatable. MOST problems (the very vast majority, in fact) with the Bypass ARE treatable, or they are related directly to patient behavior – something the patient is doing or NOT doing. So, I would NOT rule out the Bypass as an option. It has worked well for nearly half a century for many, many people, and if it FITS you, it should be considered. The SECRET is having the RIGHT procedure performed. And, finding out which one is right for YOU is sometimes complicated, and it takes a while. Don’t try and get the answer to this TOO quickly. You didn’t become overweight overnight, so don’t try and solve the problem too rapidly, and make a mistake in the process. One thing that might be of help to you is the use of a Psychotherapist that specializes in Bariatric Disorders and Weight Issues. They can very often help you sort out the issues that have brought you to the point of needing Weight Loss Surgery. They can help you find out the KIND of eater you are, and in the process help you arrive at the proper surgical solution to the problem. I would caution you, though; all Psychotherapists are NOT alike, you MUST make sure that the one you choose has a very well-defined and EXPERIENCED practice in Bariatric disorders. One other piece of advice I would give you is to CHOOSE YOUR SURGEON CAREFULLY. I made the mistake of choosing a hack for a Lap-Band surgeon, and it caused me (and my family) enormous suffering for a number of years. In spite of his ineptitude, the Lap band was STILL the wrong choice for me, and when I ultimately found an excellent surgeon, and chose the RIGHT surgery, everything turned out fine. So, to summarize, here’s what I would suggest that you do: * Take your TIME to make your decision. Take a couple of months, you have plenty of time. * Do a LOT of research on ALL of your options. * Get some Psychotherapy from a QUALIFIED and EXPERIENCED Bariatric Therapist. * Talk to LOTS of people who had the surgeries you are considering….but don’t let them “sell” you on the surgery that THEY had just because THEY were successful with it….it might not be right for YOU. * Ask questions of people who were UNSUCCESSFUL with the surgeries that THEY chose. Find out WHY they thought that they failed. * Go to a bunch of seminars that Surgeons put on to provide information on the surgeries that they perform…but be warned: these “seminars” are, in reality, SALES PRESENTATIONS. Don’t allow yourself to be “sold”. And when you have done all of the above….., Do it AGAIN. This is a life-changing procedure that you are contemplating….make sure that you do it right the FIRST time. You don’t want to have to go through surgery multiple times, as I did. Hopefully, all of that will give to something to consider as you begin this process. I wish you the very best of luck, and I look forward to hearing about your decision, plans, and I look forward even MORE to hearing about your eventual SUCCESS and your new life….because it IS out there….it’s up to you to go out make it happen!:cool2: Best regards, HH

Hi, Karen; First of all, you're doing great. You've lost a bunch of weight thus far, and you are on the right track. Everyone who has WLS stumbles now and then. It really does happen to us all. But, it's like anything else in life; it's what you do NEXT that counts. You've only had your band for a few weeks, and you still have some adjustments to make to the new "psychology" of eating that you have to incorporate into your life. I would very strongly suggest that you search for and contact a Psychotherapist that specializes in bariatric disorders. The emotional "head hunger" is a big problem that the band does not solve, and you might need some help with that. I always recommend to people that in conjunction with their surgery they seek out a therapist and see them for a while, perhaps a LONG while....someone who is GOOD can really, really help you with this problem. Make sure that they are indeed a SPECIALIST in bariatric problems. Don't be too hard on yourself. Even though you have had the surgery, you are still at the VERY BEGINNING of this process, and you have a ways to go before you are comfortable in your "new home", so to speak. Some people do this faster than others, but you WILL get there. Remember this: "Failure is only important if it's the LAST time you try". That means that you will stumble, you will fall, but each time you get back up, you will be one step closer to achieving your goal. The ads on TV (and many people who have had the surgery) make it seem like an easy, painless process. MOST people who have gone through this will tell you that it is NOT. There are many challenges, and you are having one of those challenges right now. But, you WILL come through it, and you will reach your goal. Just keep that in mind. And, you can always come here for support. People here have gone through EXACTLY what you are going through at this moment. They know how it feels, and they know how to get past it. Keep your chin up....you're on your way to a new life! :cool2: HH

Yep. "Bunz" is right. Get a little more sunlight, if you can. Many people don't realize that they NEED the sushine for many reasons. And it's not just to get a "golden tan". BUT,....remember that Vitamin supplementation is a WAY OF LIFE for many WLS patients, and that includes those with the Band. You may be able to dump most of the rest of your pills and medications, but you might have to take some Vitamins at some point as well. But try the sunshine first!:cool2: HH

You just can't STAND being totally WRONG about something, can you? HH

Hi, Pickles; You bring up a very good point. Nicely stated. I've had a number of years to ponder the very same questions. What makes some people successful with the band, and others a failure (like me)? In my case, it was a number of issues, including a poor choice of surgeon, and other issues as well. I’ve had two weight loss surgeries; one a disaster, the other a wonderful success thus far. What I’m about to discuss may be a little off-topic to the question you are posing, but it’s all related. How do we know how many people with WLS are successful? And how do we know what the failure rate is? And most importantly, WHY? This actually covers many more issues than might be obvious. Part of it is statistics. People love to toss around numbers and statistics when discussing these things, but the fact is that there are no master, cross-referenced, indexed statistics that are readily available to quantify failure/success averages. It’s kind of a big problem. There are stats that are collected by the band Manufacturers, by the surgeons individually, by the various hospitals, by the after care clinics, etc. But no one correlates these statistics. There is no single “clearinghouse” of data that is in contact with ALL of the entities. And then there are thousands of surgeries performed in Mexico and other countries on American patients, where the statistics on outcomes are not even collected, and when they are, they are certainly never shared with American entities that collect/compile such numbers. And then you really have to be concerned about the QUALITY of the stats that ARE gathered. Inamed certainly does NOT want its Band failure stats to become public. Various surgeons do not want THEIR failures to be in the public record either. And the various Medical Groups that specialize in Bariatric Surgery certainly don’t want to be seen as having anything BUT successful outcomes. I’m not saying that all Doctors and hospitals are crooked and falsify their numbers….but they ARE businesses. They want new customers. And bad numbers will NOT get them the patients they want. You hear a lot of different numbers associated with the various surgeries. People repeat them, often times as though they are Gospel, which they are not. In the case of the Lap Band, they have only been installing it in America for about 8 years. And Lap Band surgeries have only been done in large numbers for the last 3 or 4 years, so the Statistics on the long-term efficacy of the band simply do NOT exist in any usable format or number. It is true that the Lap band has been utilized in other countries in one form or another for over 20 years, but those were in very small numbers, comparatively. And you have to take into consideration that there have been SEVERAL different band technologies that have been in use, AND the methods of installing them have changed several times in the last several years. There has been virtually NO correlation of all of these different sources of information. And, then you have to look at the Statistical components that are actually gathered. What do they REALLY mean? Here’s an example: I am a Gastric Bypass Patient. Whenever I enter into a discussion with people about the probable/possible outcome of the Bypass (RNY), they almost always toss out some numbers that they heard “somewhere”. I have heard numbers that are all OVER the map. They tell me that they have heard that the mortality rate is anywhere from .01 to 10. percent, and everything in between. They throw out all of these numbers, and they usually cannot recall where they got them. They sometimes refer me to a web site. When I visit the web site, it usually has a Lap-band bias, and is trying to push you toward a Lap band doctor, getting THEM a commission. Here’s one that happened today: A very nice lady on THIS forum was discussing the reasons that she chose the Band over the Bypass. This is what she said: Quote: “I didn't like the surgical risks (5 times higher than the lapband)”. What does that actually mean? What are the risks that are 5 times higher? I don’t think she actually knew. It was just something she had “heard” somewhere. What I have learned is that the reality of the Bypass is quite different. But, That is not the point of this thread. The point is that no one really knows about the outcomes of WLS as a “class”. The FDA has tried to compile some stats, but as I noted earlier, that is a GARGANTUAN task. There is ONE organization that is presently attempting to build an outcome database. However, the organization is a for-profit Bariatric INDUSTRY Trade Organization, and I’m not all that certain that their data would be either accessible or reliable, once compiled. There is a very smart lady over on the verticalsleevetalk.com forum named MacMadame. She had a Sleeve, and she made the observation that the only statistics that mattered to HER were the stats of HER surgeon. He has done over 1600 sleeve surgeries in the last several years, with NO fatalities. She didn’t care at all what the INDUSTRY stats for the sleeve were as a whole; just those of HER surgeon. And I think that makes perfect sense. And, it’s why I always encourage people to investigate their surgeon THOROUGHLY before committing….and make sure you can trust his/her statistics! One of the reasons I like HMOs for some types of Procedures is because they can collect all of the pertinent statistics IN HOUSE, and make decisions regarding the efficacy of any given procedure based upon those numbers. Those numbers prompted Kaiser Permanente in Southern California to stop performing one particular WLS because of the high failure and complication rates. Now, as far as how people characterize their experiences on THIS forum, I’ve thought a lot about that as well. People come here for several reasons. Some, to get information. Others, to complain about their problems with the surgery. For others, it’s a social event. The fact is that MOST people who have had WLS don’t go to any forums at ALL. They simply have their experience, good or bad, and move on with their lives. I would conclude that the population here would consist of MOSTLY people who have terrific experiences, or not so good experiences. The people in between, I don’t think they hang out here much, if at all. I could be wrong, but that is my observation. So, in terms of your original thoughts, I think you need to Not think in terms of what OTHER people’s experience has been; you need to think in terms of what YOU will make YOUR experience into. I wouldn’t worry too much about percentages. Because ultimately, the success of ANY procedure lies in YOUR hands. You are very smart to ask the questions that you are asking; What makes some people succeed, and others fail? In some self-help and motivation literature, there is concept of “Modeling”, which says that you should emulate people who are achieving what YOU want to achieve….do what the people who are successful are doing. And by asking those questions, that is EXACTLY what you are doing! Ok, I think I’ve hijacked your thread into something TOTALLY different, and I apologize for that, but this is stuff I have wanted to discuss for a long time, but no one has ever brought it up. I’m glad you did! I wish you the best of luck in your process….I do think that you will succeed! Please feel free to comment on any of this....if I haven't put you to sleep.... HH

You know, it is interesting to note that a fundamental component of the Mormon Theology is that the Native Americans are the nearly direct decendants of Hebrews who relocated here from Israel. I'm supposing that's why there are so many LDS converts amongst the native Americans.....