Nanook

I did have mine removed on the first Friday in October and everything went very smoothly. Even though the tech saw a hiatal hernia the surgeon said he didn't see one but my acid reflux has almost disappeared since the removal and I'm off the meds for that. It seemed to be related to the band and I even had no fill in mine for over a month prior to surgery. Also even with the unfil at times I still would vomit also as I just appeared to be way too tight, very strange especially when you read so many people here who have almost full band loads and they still don't have restriction! Never experienced that. Anyway the surgery was a breeze and insurance covered it and it was approved very quickly and I'm doing really well and feel much better. Don't think the lap band and I were meant to be together and I don't think about food all the time like I did when I was banded, does that make sense so I'm not over eating or eating the wrong crap all the time like I did when I was banded. Anywho I hope you're doing better and wish you luck with whatever you decide to proceed with. Also I did not and will not have a revision to any other WLS. Take care Nancy.

Jaime, That's why I believe it's a very individual situation and your heredity/genetics and life style/choices have to be taken into consideration but what works for you is not what works for everyone. Just as what works for me is not what works for everyone. For every theory out there there's another theory out there to counter it even with the "obesity crisis". This is why someone like Oprah cannot or should not go out and spout that everyone who is labeled "obese" should have WLS. It would not be responsible on her part. What if something were to go wrong and she were sued. It just doesn't work that way. No person in the public eye would be stupid enough to support such a thing. We're allowed to have different points of view on the subject and they are based on many factors. Partly knowledge and experience. Both are different but can still be valid and both have the right to express our opinions, Nancy.:biggrin:

Well there are many people who have thought that it was the yo yoing of weight that was the most unhealthy part anyway. Dieting and having weight go down and back up again and dieting and down and up and up and down is very bad for you. If you find a way not to do that and it works for you fine. Not everyone can. You can even read here where people have gained weight after the band so it's not a perfect solution either. Health and size is very individual also. One person can be 200 lbs and be much healthier than a person who is 125 lbs and have less body fat. You can't make blanket statements about fat. We have fat on our bodies for a reason. You are told that fat is unhealthy and that is why you're able to have the surgery performed and covered by insurance but most people are having it done for esthetic reasons and I was one of them so don't play that it's only to be healthier card that's a load of bs in my HO. Like I said I don't expect most people to agree with me as I'm stating a different point of view. I also became unhealthier after the surgery so that's a possibility too. High cholesterol, high blood pressure and my type 2 diabetes became much worse, acid reflux. I suppose I can include constipation and hemorrhoids if you don't consider that TMI but I'm sure it's all coincidental. Oprah is not going to tell people to have surgery when she herself does not have it. That would be crazy! Nanook:smile:

Hey even I know better than to argue with the "Mac"!

Shesmiles, that's fine and I'm glad you're happy and your mum and you should be. I just think there are those that really struggle internally about their image/self esteem because of their size and may have never even thought that it's OK to be just as they are physically. Many of us lose weight only to gain it back again and the more times we diet the more we tend to pack on even more pound. Have any of you been in a situation like that and then you look back at earlier pictures before all the dieting when you thought you were so fat and ugly to say OMG, I really looked good then if only I had stayed that way! But low and behold you decided to "diet". The lap band is a tool for some and has been useful and so have other WLS procedures but sometimes even those fail as with diets and how many times are people going to get revisions to new surgeries. I've seen cases where people were going on their third revision and I find that to be extreme. Like I said I'm tired of chasing that dragon and if there's someone out there that thinks it's ok to be as they are I don't think that's wrong but I know I have my critics, Nancy:smile:.

Donna you're right but there is room out there for larger size people to feel good about themselves. We tend to be our own worse critics at times and with any other groups that are discriminated against that would be pretty rare. I know it's not a politically acceptable philosophy to say it's OK to be fat or to compare discriminations between different groups example Gays and Fat people. But fat people are the last group that it's still acceptable to criticize and discriminate against and openly mock and joke about. I think it's also a choice we make to make judgments against them/us and it's something that we can change. I also believe years of yo yo dieting have contributed to the "obesity epidemic" that is often a major concern in our health systems. I know it's a very tough way to live one's life and our society makes it more difficult to be happy as we are. I myself have dieted for years and it wasn't until I stopped that weight began to come off naturally, weird huh? Anyway I struggled with this for many years but I just want to leave a little blip out there in the world of lapbandia that there are other ways of looking at things and ourselves but I'm not here to condemn anyone or judge really as I've have been there too and now the pressures we're all under especially as women and I know most people think I'm a joke of sorts but I very sincere about this, Nancy:smile:.

Yes, we prefer not to look in the mirror. No jk. Actually I believe that some people as they age gain a new awareness of what's really important in life. Some people are lucky and are aware of this at an earlier age. We've all been told that we are not worthy unless we're thin. Thin equals success, happiness, love, you name it and that can be a somewhat superficial way of living life. But it is a life choice. But it is a choice. It takes time to get from a point where you step on a scale and read a number and if it's not in the "happy thin range" it will ruin your whole day! I'm not saying health is not important but I don't think there is denying the fact that we're all here not always just for our health but for esthetic reasons. I choose not to chase that dragon anymore as it is way overrated, just in my honest opinion. I am a thinker outside of the box and it has taken me a while to get here, Nancy:smile:

But like I said she's deathly afraid of surgery and needles. With all her money don't you think she would have someone basically suck it out of her if she could. She could have major work done but she doesn't and I don't think promoting something that someday may end up being another "fad" of sorts is wise either especially if someone's life could be a risk from comps and surgery. JMHO Nancy:smile:

I've watched Oprah ever since she was a newscaster in Baltimore a long time ago when I was still down in MD. I know from her previous shows she's deathly afraid of surgery/needles for one thing. I don't know if any of you saw the show where she finally let them pierce her ears. I know from my own personal experience so far, now that I am debanded, that it's not a miracle cure and Oprah knows her limitations and she also knows she loves food. WLS does not work for those of us who are in that situation, me minus the fame and money, and also can learn to be comfortable in one's own body and be happy even if we're not thin. Especially if you get to a certain age certain things are not as important. She's concerned about her health and I don't see why everyone here expects her to be a WLS spokes person and even expect her to get the surgery. Do you expect her to be a McCain supporter? I respect her and I don't even watch her show anymore, Nanook.:Dancing_biggrin:

You're not the only one who has not succeeded by far. I had to remove mine after reflux and the simple fact that I and the band were not a weight losing team! You're probably giving up a bit too soon though and there will be others who will chime in to help lift your spirits and get you back to where you need to be. So good luck to you, I know how it feels when people "expect" to see the big loss and you don't have anything to show for it. But you take care of "you" and stop worrying about what you think other people are thinking! Does that make sense? It's late anyway take care and don't be so hard on yourself! Nancy.

Not everyone is successful with the band. Not sure if lack of getting an appointment for a fill was ever a common complaint here but I had mine out over 2 weeks ago and have felt much better ever since. It just wasn't the right procedure for moi! Good luck to you whatever you decide, Nancy.

I've haven't heard them but I used to listen to Phil Hendrie (sp) he was so funny especially when he'd do the female characters. He would have these pretend people on the show, he did all the voices. Once he had a couple pretending they were parents who allowed their 13 year olds to have alcohol parties. It was really funny! Have you ever listened to him? I haven't heard him in a few years though but he was the greatest!

So are you saying it's not Matthew, Mark, Luke and Jacqui?

That's the kind of stuff I miss from Howard now that he's not on radio anymore.

Good luck to you AnnieM, I went through the fill removal over a month ago and had my band removed 2 1/2 weeks ago and feel much better. I'm not comparing situations but had to giggle when I read about you wanting to stop LBT because of the complaints from the newly banded. I think we all feel this way at some point in time. Anyway I wish you well and don't be so hard on yourself. I found when I was always thinking about dieting and losing weight with the band or without the band for that matter I would end up screwing up and now that I've stop concentrating on dieting some is coming off. It may never be the 100 lbs like when I was 20 but getting down to a comfortable weight is all I ever wanted in the first place and I just had to learn my own body and mind. Take care Nancy:smile:

Sorry I can't in good conscious tell you to go for another surgery for weight loss. You'll have to get that from someone else here on line but good luck to you and hope you feel better soon, Nancy.

In regards to a previous poster who said Oprah was not healthy because she is "not thin" I think that's BS and unless you're her doctor you have no idea what level of health she is at. Does that mean thin people do not get sick and die? I don't think so. Let's try to think outside the box people!

Why is it Oprah can have the "world" basically at her fingertips but the fact that she's fat makes it not worth anything? She just proves that we don't have to swallow everything that is shoved down our throats that we need to be a certain size to be successful and happy in life. Kudos to Oprah, she's a real roll model for women!:biggrin:

Thanks Tina, hope things are going well for you too, Nancy:smile:

I worry about that all the time with self-pay people. No one wants it to go wrong, I didn't expect mine not to work and to have it removed a year later but I was fortunate in that I have good insurance coverage. If I did not have insurance in the first place and had to borrow money to do it I would not have. My own personal choice. I would read up on the various comps that can happen and definitely check with your insurance company ahead of time to make sure if something goes wrong you will have the means to cover it. Just one night in the hospital can put you back $1,000s. So make a sound decision before you get banded unless of course you have money to burn, good luck to you Nancy.

I can understand your fear of failing again as I had that feeling myself. I on the other hand was never successful with the band and was not the right choice for me. So I can't say I lost 100 lbs and gained it back because I never lost it in the first place. So basically after a year of it not working for me I started getting reflux issues and my surgeon removed it last Friday. I chose not to revise because I didn't want to go through that fear of failure and the stress it caused me. I would never suggest any type of WLS to another person because I couldn't do it in good conscious. I can tell you though that I am much happier now that mine is removed. I can also tell you that my 20 year old daughter had RNY surgery last May and has lost over 120 lbs since then and so far is doing well even though she's gone through 2 strictures which caused a fairly quick weightloss which is not normal. So even though my situation is a bit different than yours I hope some of my information has been helpful. I also think you should discuss your fears and issues with WLS with a professional before going on to have another surgery. Good luck to you Nancy.

Could it be that the band was not the correct WLS for you? Whether you want to blame yourself or the band it's possible that it just doesn't work for everyone. I am one of those and I had mine taken out last Friday. If you find losing weight as difficult after banding as you did before banding what does that tell you? I did try Alli myself when I was going through that phase of why the band was not working and Alli did nothing for me except make me more regular as I was more constipated while banded. We all had the same expectations after being banded and not all of us got what we asked for. It's not all your fault and there are plenty of people like us out there who have had the same problems with the band and a lot of moved on to revisions after removal I just choose not to. Good luck and discuss all your options with your surgeon, Nancy.:wink2:

I also found out after a year of struggling that I was not losing weight on the band as it appeared everyone else had. I had the choice to have it removed and have a revision to another type of WLS. I chose to have it removed and not revise. That was my own personal choice as the lap band was almost keeping me at this point from having a healthy lifestyle as I was forced to eat unhealthy foods as opposed to the healthy ones that would only get stuck and I remained frustrated and starving. So like I said before this was my personal choice and I was tired of feeling like a failure all the time and now I don't. Good luck with whatever decision you make Nancy.

In the lap band world it's more "PC" to attack the people with lap band problems than the other way around but you eventually get used to it, Nancy:smile:

I can't remember if I had my original surgery during my TOM but I had my removal during my TOM last Friday and they just wanted to know. The nurse at the hospital told me I was not allowed to wear a tampon and they give me special "one size fits all" panties and a pad to wear during my surgery. I'm not sure why you're not supposed to wear a tampon but I'm sure they have their reasons. I'm sure others can chime in about this subject, Nancy.:tt1: