NaNa

Thank you Donna!! Apparently what I had to say...really hit them in belly..

Me too...,eating that popcorn fast is hilarious...

Like I said in my post before MOST of the HIGH COMPLICATION RATE is from LAP BAND ABUSE...not from any real complication...so I believe that 95 percent of the HIGH COMPLICATION RATE IS FROM THE PATIENT...this is why I've been screaming in this POST ..MOST OF THE COMPLICATIONS CAN BE AVOIDED...IF YOU KNOW WHAT SIGNS TO LOOK FOR ..AND KNOW HOW TO LIVE WITH THE LAP BAND... I am going bed now ..the ignorance is making me ill....thanks for that last study...I typically have access to many up to date studies..

Oh my god! You are the SAME idiot that was crying wolf in a post recently that said you wanted to get your band removed and you were in SO MUCH pain...and you got the audacity to come here with your ignorance and try to flame me ...HOW DARE YOU... I wish there was a block button on here, you'd be the first person I would block...you in particular NEED to listen to all THE LAP BAND WARNINGS...from your screaming post about you want to get your band removed after only 1 week.... I am not even going to respond to your post anymore....you are not even worth my fingers typing...good bye...

Could it be that my skin tone is a bit too brown to be a 'KNOW IT ALL" I've had that before...others say the same thing..but the value I bring is priceless to some, but again...many probably don't want it coming from a brown black woman...and I am surely not an angry black woman...my life is too good for that... I am truly here to help... I've just seen so many going down a path of lap band destruction and MAYBE...JUST MAYBE some people would like to do things the RIGHT WAY with the band...and .those that want my help great and...for those who don't please ignore me and believe in the lap band fairy .LOL..

They know that I've not done anything wrong...I guess they are trying to "gang" up on me" with "evil bullying rules".... I post nothing but FACTS...if that hurt -- so be it... But I am too strong and smart for that to let ignorant strangers try to bully me from behind a keyboard.......

Great! and thank god....Apparently what I am saying is getting to you, otherwise you would not respond to my "nonsense"...in my sarcastic voice...

I think I am being really nice, despite her calling me a wench....tisk..tisk...

This post is NOT harassing newbies...there are MANY newbies that sent me private messages THANKING ME...to let them know how to minimize and avoid any potential issues that CAN happen with their bands... Sorry if you are not a proactive person that cares about their health...if you feel that this thread scares you...just don't read it...no one is pointing a gun to your head to make you read what I have to say..if you don't like it or don't think what I am saying IS TRUE...don't open up the thread...

Can you do me a favor...please use the enter key when typing out long winded posts of nonsense....and please get someone to upload your avatar correctly...it's rather annoying...

When this topic die out...no more warnings...it seems like ignorance keep it going...I constantly get alerted on the topic...so as long as ignorance keep it hot...I guess I will keep educating...

I don't think most software engineers that have degrees in computer science are stupid and ignorant...and can you refrain from calling people wenches....I could call you some ugly names ..but I will be play nice. It shows what your intelligent level is by not REALLY wanting to KNOW the FACTS about the lap band and how to avoid any issues...or how to manage issues... Stats don't lie and I am not going to lie either...apparently you have NOT done your research AS a MEDICAL professional to know that the lap band HAS A VERY HIGH LONG TERM complication rate...most of the issues are not that serious but many of the problems warrant surgery or band removal...... I can't believe you as a medical professional would not want to KNOW what you are getting into and would NOT want to know what COULD possibly happen... and I hate to say that complications USUALLY happen to those who are NOT educated on HOW TO AVOID THEM...

What's terrifying? If someone stays in the green zone, chew their food well, and follow band rules, there is nothing terrifying about the lap band...problem IS...people don't do what they are suppose to do...which CAN cause terrifying side effects... Most people don't have any problems with the band as long as it's not too tight...and live happily ever after...however, if you live in a bubble and think that you will NEVER have any side effects from weight loss surgery, whether it be lap band, Sleeve, RNY or whatever...and if you are a nurse, I really feel sorry for you...side effects COME WITH THE TERRITORY of ANY weight loss surgery...actually the lap band has the least side effects of any weight surgery if is done correctly...and the patient chew their food well and avoid vomiting... You are in a bubble, if you actually think that you will be "side effect" FREE forever... I have a brand new AP lap band I've had it now almost a year, I CURRENTLY HAVE NO SIDE EFFECTS...but again I've lived with my old band for over 7 years....and I've been there and done that and just because things are rosey posey right NOW...does not mean things will be rosey posey in the next 7 years...I am keeping it real...but having the band to keep my weight down outweighed the risks... Also, if the band was THAT terrible, I would not have gotten a new one...

Yea...I've had that too, you may have a hiatal hernia too...it can cause reflux with the band, I had to get an EGD to find the hernia..it did not show up on Upper Gi....If you have the AP band they can go in a repair the hernia without removing the band...but if you have the older bands...they are not that easy to unbuckle without destroying the entire lap band system... I went in to get a hernia repaired...NOT TO MOVE MY OLD 4CC BAND...but they are harder and does not unbuckle well without destroying the entire lap band system..so my new surgeon just replaced my old band with a new AP band.

I got my old 4cc removed , hiatal hernia repair and new AP band placed all in one surgery, because I either developed a hiatal hernia or it was never fixed when I got my first band 8 years ago...surgeons were not routinely repairing hernia's until they figured out they can contribute to pouch dilation's and reflux, etc... New band is working fine so far...no pain, reflux I am almost 1 year out with the new band...

Congrats!! Keep on working that band.

Another point I used to tell some other long term banders, what used to help me if I got reflux at night, I would chew a few papaya enzymes (from GNC) before bed and right after a meal and this helps break down food in the pouch and my reflux went away...but this was with my old 4cc band, and I took a cocktail of chewable Pepcid and this helped me with any night time reflux...BUT ..this does not work if there is severe band damage and slippage with 'stuff' coming up in your nose...LOL..

Exactly and SO TRUE! You truly have a different mentally once you've lived with the band greater than 5-6 years..things change and the band starts to behave strangely..LOL... My advice to people is once you've had the band for many years...and you can eat more food, sometimes it's not needing a fill, especially if eating too much is accompanied with reflux and sometimes you may need to get to a small unfill, and let things rest...especially if you've had some boo boos's LOL of getting food stuck and vomiting. No one's perfect, everyone sooner or later will experience getting food stuck or a horrible stuck episode where you may vomit for hours...the point is let those episodes be rare and not every single day.... Sometimes the band needs a rest and pressure released off the pouch after so many years and then slowly filler up again...it's just a revolving process I truly believe the band CAN last for some people a life time, but it has to be well managed and you have to have a good band surgeon that will diagnose and treat any issues promptly that you have.

I don't the band is truly reversible, it's definitely removal-able, it depends on how bad of a complication someone has when they get their band removed, but for most people the stomach usually go back the same, but probably with some scarring... Also...people need to make sure they have a very skilled surgeon when they remove the band too because if the adhesion's and scar tissue that the band creates...can some some pain and discomfort for many.... So if someone is thinking about band removal they need to ask their surgeon to please remove most of the scar tissue.

Please listen to Jean! She and I have been through that and have seen all issues with the band and the END RESULTS.... I encourage you to get Jean's book, on how to live with the lap band.

Good...and congrats on your weight loss!! But again...just because you are OK for now...please don't encourage others with this same behavior.

Good you are feeling good, but sorry ...band damage does not happen right away...sometimes you won't know it until you start the fill process and some people wonder why they can never get into the green zone, or have food intolerance issues. If the band heals wrong you won't know it until a few months later....or it will be easier to slip than others under high pressure when the band is at optimal restriction.

I promised myself I would not respond to this post in fear I may hurt your feelings....But as this post gets ulgier...I will try to put it as nice as I can. Did your surgeon give you any post op diet plan? Did you research the band at all before you got? I will try to help you since you are reaching out for help: 1. Please, please allow your band to heal, take this six weeks to eat only soft mushy food, most people are on clear liquids the first week, thin to mushy food the second week, and soft foods the 3-4 weeks out of surgery. The POINT is your band has to heal, remember you got sutures holding your band in place, and if you break your sutures before they heal by eating solid food, your band can slip or cause some issues before it really can help you. You have to some some willpower and patience with the band at least the first 4-6 weeks.... Reflux does not start until you've damaged your band, and if you don't get a band book or get a mentor or ask for help real soon, you will get some reflux and it's not a good thing either reflux can get ugly with horrible burning and vomiting up in your nose and mouth when you sleep... I keep things real and don't sugar coat...and yes it's tough love... Be careful and take care of your band and if it's not already damaged, it will take care of you. Good luck!

Great! As the other poster mentioned you have to "baby" your band and take good care of it, especially in the first year, the band is still healing and you want to take it easy and avoid any vomiting if you can. Also, most surgeons "prime" the band during installation and will put a little priming Fluid in it, it's really not filling the band, but surgeons will typically fill the band up, like blow it up like a balloon before they install it to make sure it does not have any leaks or defect before they install it, and then leave a little saline in it during surgery and some patients will say they got a fill during surgery, but really they did not. And most surgeons will have readily availble different size bands to fit your stomach, they don't know which size you will need until they are in there, but some surgeons do not follow this rule and will use ONE size band...so be very about careful picking your surgeon too, you don't want a band too tight, that will not hold much saline without being too tight and you don't want a band that will take 20 fills before you reach the green zone. Ideally most people reach good restriction within about 3-7 fills...

Correct, MOST of the lap band failures that CAN be prevented and part of this statistic are the following: 1. Poor Aftercare, not following up with the surgeon timely 2. Patients progressing their diets too quick after surgery, some people will go to a restaurant and eat solid foods when they are supposed be on liquids and mushies. The band is supposed to heal and set in place, prior to getting fills. 3. Frequent vomiting 4. Aggressive fills, fills should be done gradually every month, until you reach the green zone, starting from 4-6 weeks post, -- AND YES, some surgeons have filled the band 2 weeks post op. 5. Purging daily, and eating too much on a too tight band. 6. Keeping the band dangerously too tight, aka..not able to eat solid food without vomiting. Honestly, if you take the above out of the equation, the REAL lap band complication rate is pretty low, such as band erosion, port infections, tubing leaks, port leaks, etc. There are also chances of developing hernias, or events that happen in the stomach or the patient may reject the band, but those are rare....but the most preventable complications are VERY COMMON.