lellow

I have to agree with elcee. Those first few weeks, they're freakin' tough. But they're just the tiniest fraction of time in your entire life. So you cheated. It's done. Now stop. Because if, like me, you're suddenly looking at the possibility of a complication, you would want to be able to look yourself in the mirror and say truthfully that you didn't contribute to it. Will power is hard. It's hard for me right now. I have no restriction and am trying to eat well and exercise. My tummy is growling too. So I know it's hard. But it's not IMPOSSIBLE. And I understand being sick of it. Change to your life can be diffcult enough without battling hunger and unhappiness and discontent. But don't lose sight of the prize. Don't forget what you did this for. And yes, to the newbies who say 'I cheated and it's fine', please don't make your irresponsibility someone else's too. Elcee's right, you can't change the past, that's how ALL of us got heavy. But change your future. And for god's sake, don't be enablers.

I'm looking at a a likely complication just under 4 years from being banded. I am going for an endoscopy tomorrow to determine if I have a leak or an erosion. I don't know how common this is, so won't even talk about statistics but I will say this. WHATEVER it turns out to be, I do not regret getting the band. I lost 130% of my excess weight with my lapband, and as a result, am now low risk for diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, in fact all the things that my family has a significant history of. I have spent the last 3 + year running around with my 5yo son, I have cycled 40kms easily, I have worn the tiniest bikinis and the most beautiful dresses, and I have learnt more about eating well, exercising and hunger than I would have ever learnt without my band. Even if I lose my band, I cannot regret getting banded. So long term complication or not, I would have done it all again in a hearbeat,

Just wanted to check in to say that even with next-to-no restriction, I have now lost the 5lbs I put on in the last month, just with eating well and exercising, I can eat a whole steak with no issues, bread, rice, anything. So I'm being careful to listen to my hunger signals and to eat slowly. And it's working. I feel confident now that I could continue to maintain my weight even without the band.

Hey Jacqui, I'm sorry you're having similar issues. It's not fun being in the dark about what it is that may be wrong so I hope you get some answers soon too. Also an erosion sometimes has no symptoms beyond increased appetite and no restriction. I have 7cc in my band now, I should have more restriction than this, not the tiniest bit I have now. I guess that's a worry for him, and for me. And it doesn't always show up on an xray, according to my dr. He isn't even bothering to send me for a barium swallow. He reckons the only way they can definitively check for erosion is with an endoscopy. Which is why I'm having one. If it's a leak (and I hope it is) then rather than replace it, he wants to monitor it for a few months. I go back regularly, he removes all the liquid and checks how much is remaining. If it turns out I only have a slow leak, then he reckons he'd rather manage it with regular fills to keep me restricted than replacing the band. Unless I start to leak faster, then we have to talk about replacement. But you're right, whatever happens, there's no point stressing about it too much. I will do what I need to in order to maintain my current weight and that's that. As I'm sure you will.

I will B52, thank you. I am a little bummed that I've encountered a complication but it does not make me regret the band or what it's done for me. I would still do it all over again, if not just for what it's taught me about food, exercise, and most of all, myself. I asked if it could have been something I did, but my Dr doesn't think so. It's just one of those things. I knew there were risks that there would be complications way back when I first got my band, so I'm not shocked that something's gone wrong, just a little sad that it seems to have stopped working. I've had it very easy with the band for a long time, and for that I'm grateful. So I'll roll with the punches, whatever happens.

I was anaemic prior to being banded, and it was exacerbated by the lapband. I take more iron supps than prior to the band. But it wasn't caused by the band, iykwim.

I know that after a while it's easy to lose focus on doing what you need to do to keep losing. I know I have forgotten a lot of it. But it's not impossible to get that focus again. I am trying to as well. Just because recently I don't feel as healthy or fit as I used to be, because I'm working longer hours and not eating as well as I should. So refocus and start again. You lost 70lbs so you know you can lose. Get back in the zone. You can do it.

You're a casual thing. He will meet up with you when he has the time and the inclination, but beyond that, I wouldn't expect anything else. I had a friend like that for a while. I was the one who would promise to call, send him a text out of the blue, or tell him how hot he was when we spoke, but between those times, I didn't really think about him. Yes he was hot. Yes, it was great when we got together. But casual is casual. Which means for me, it was like going to a restaurant. I wanted to do it, it would be awesome when I got there, but I'd do it only when I had the time to. So treat it the same way. If he calls - awesome. If he doesn't, don't bother thinking about it again.

Also remember, you can get the post surgery blues. The anaesthesia can make you have a comedown for a little bit after, so take that into account and realise your state of mind is probably as much physiological as it is psychological.

I was obsessive about the band and my weight the first year, but in the 2nd year, I was much less so, and until probably about a month ago, hardly thought about the band except in that automatic way when I am thinking of what to eat. And sometimes not even then! Then I moved cities, and had to research finding a new dr, and started coming to this site again, and suddenly I'm thinking about it a lot more again. My appt with my new dr is in 2 weeks and maybe after that, I'll slowly forget and move on again. But overall, yes, I did stop thinking about it and obsessing about it after a while.

It's funny but a fellow lapband friend of mine and I were talking about this just yesterday. About how losing weight makes you cynical about other's intentions. That you get rather put off by how superficial others can be. I became single and was dating after I lost the weight and the stories I could tell could fill a book . But suffice to say that even today, settled into a new relationship, I have often wondered if my partner would have chased me quite to hard, or would shower me with quite so much attention and love, or spoil me quite so much, if I was heavy. (he would, but this is what I mean by cynical!)

This is why I'm confused. If you're gaining, why would you not check with your dr as to what is happening? I understand about stretching your pouch out, but again, if I started to gain, the first thing I'd do is make an appointment with my dr to see what might be wrong. To say that 50% of his patients gain their weight back sounds like it's far more likely a dr or patient issue, and less a band issue. Studies in Australia at 5 years show that lapband surgery weight loss is comparable to gastric bypass in amount of weight lost, yet mortality rate is far lower than bypass. Gastric banding is still the most performed WLS in Australia, and still the most successful, in a place where it's been done for nearly 15 years. Most Australian health insurance companies automatically cover it, as it's proven to be successful for the majority of patients and they believe it will save them paying for obesity related medical issues later. I called my health insurance on 4th of July 2008, I got banded 1st Aug 2008, and they paid for it without question. My BMI was 37 and I didn't have to jump through one single hoop for them to approve it. That suggests to me that generally speaking, lapbanding is accepted as a feasible and proven method to lose weight, or no health insurance company would be paying for it. They're not a charity. They expect that it will work and will save them money in the long run. So a Dr who says he has a 50% regain rate for his patients is probably one I would not be looking to do MY surgery.

My band is loose at the moment. I can eat anything. If I start to gain too much weight, I'll be in quicksmart to see my Dr to get more fills to get back to restriction. How does someone regain if their band is not malfunctioning unless they're not adjusting their bands to maintain restriction? I don't get it.

Tat1too yes I had a lower body lift and BA. The flabby skin is a negative side effect of weight loss for some, for sure. It was for me.

I agree, no ONE thing will be right for every single person. It just doesn't work like that. Tat1too, I'm sorry that the band has been such a difficult experience and I pray the issues it has caused you will be resolved.

I usually told guys I was dating about the lapband IF it came up. Like if they asked why I wasn't eating. I didn't make a big deal of it, I usually just told them casually that I had lapband surgery so had to be careful about how and what I ate. The majority of guys just accepted it and moved on. Some asked how much weight I'd lost, but usually not more than that. I only got stuck once while on a date, and I simply excused myself and went to the toilet and PB'd. He was none the wiser when I returned, even when I didn't touch the rest of the food or any of my wine afterwards. The only person who really asked for more details ended up being someone I ended up being in a relationship with, and who I'm still with now. He says he was mainly concerned that he would do something to make me stuck, or eat something that might tempt me, and he didn't want to be cruel. He learnt over time though, and being vegetarian, he himself is used to always being careful about what he eats, so he doesn't think I'm odd because I'm the same. But I must say, I did end up in a long distance thing with someone on here once, and talking with someone who is also banded makes it way easier, because they just understand. But it does in fact limit who you can date!

Fair enough! I know telling someone is a personal decision, and I respect that you don't wish to trust someone with that sort of information straight off the bat. My suggestion is to not make a big deal about the food. Honestly I dated extensively when I was single a few years back and rarely did anyone ask about why I was eating so little. If he does though, like I said, just brush it off lightly by saying you had a big lunch or that you're not a big eater. I'd be surprised if he pressed you for more information after that!

I take it you don't want him to know? I am usually pretty forthright about these things and say straight out that there are things I can't eat because I have had lapband surgery. But if you don't want to say that, then maybe only say that there are some things you just can't eat and leave it at that. If he questions it further, just say you had a big lunch and are not a big eater anyway, and maybe he'll let it go.

I didn't see a nutritionist or go to any seminars or anything, but my Dr did give me the book "the Lapband Solution", written my Paul O'Brien, one of the pioneers of lapband surgery. That book actually gave me the best information I could have received when I was starting out. Might be worth the investment, just to get a little informed going forward.

Yes, it does work. I am over three years banded, lost 130% of my excess weight and have kept it off easily. Does it work for everyone? Not necessarily. But short answer is, yes it does work for a lot of people.