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I guess because there are so many food addicts Here People who don't have any post op complications and have a dr who advises them of something different that your doctors, that must automatically mean we shouldn't advise on how our journey is going.

Hi Y'all, I Relaize This Forum Is For People W/ Lab Band. I Am One Of Those People, I've Been Banded Since 1/07 And Couldn't Be Happier. My Problem Is My Mom. After She Saw My Succsess W/ Lap Band She Went Through The Process Of Getting Approved Through Her Insurance. She Had Everything Riding On Getting Approved And Kept Gaining Weight. She Then Found Out That Her Insurance Didn't Cover Lap Band But, Would Cover Gastric Bypass. Which To Me Makes No Scense What So Ever. Any How, She Went Ahead And Got The Gbp. Despite Me Warning Her Of All The Complications. She Had Her Surgery 1 Month Ago, And Has Been In The Hospital Twice Now. Once For Dehydration And To Stretch Her Stomach And Again Another Time To Strech It Out Even More. The Reason She's Having Her Stomach Stretched Is She Couldn't Even Keep Water Down. She Still Can't Eat Anything She Looks Horrible Very Weak And Pale. Her Doc Says They Can't Strech Her Out Any More. She's So Miserible And Wishes She Would Have Never Done This To Her Self. She Cries All The Time Bc She Can't Eat Anything W/o Throwing It Up And She's Hungry. She Also Says She Has No Support And Can't Go It Alone. We Live In Different Cities And She's A Widow. I Looked To See If There Were Any Gbp Support Websites Like This One And Couldn't Really Find One For Her. I Know Any Time I've Had A Question, Concern Of Needed Support I've Always Found It Here. My Hope Is Someone Will Read This And Maybe Know What I Can Do To Help Her Or Know Of Someone In A Similar Situation She Can Talk To. Anyone Please Help. I'm Very Worried About My Mom. Thanks Y'all.

So happy for you! Glad you are not having any complications. I will be in your shoes 6 days from now when it is my turn. Very anxious but excited too. I wish you much success and looking forward to seeing posts on your journey. All the best, Sue

Look at it this way. You can be satisfied with 1/2 slice of pizza in one sitting rather than half the pizza or the whole pizza. You can still come back and eat the other half later. And enjoying food in smaller portions actually makes the food MUCH more enjoyable for me. Some people are actually turned off by food they used to love. I wouldn't worry about that. If you don't like it, you don't like it. There are a bajillion varieties of foods left. As you become healthier, you will naturally gravitate towards healthier foods. Your "head hunger" will likely still be there and that's something we all have to deal with. Don't think of the post-surgery life as "giving up" food. You're still making a choice about what you eat. No one can force you to eat or not eat something post-surgery. Your doctor and nutritionist have probably given you guidelines however. Some guidelines are very restrictive in the beginning for the safety of your stomach as it heals. You have the choice to follow them or not. I chose to follow them to avoid potential complications. Yes, if you continue to eat that pizza every day, even in smaller portions across the day, you could still gain back a significant amount of weight. But that's the same battle we all fight. The surgery allows you stop eating after a smaller amount and ask yourself, "Am I still physically hungry?" From there on out, it's still your choice.

Constipation is an ongoing problem for many with the band...and the only things I have found to help are increasing the amount of Fiber I can eat (lettuce, Benefiber), increasing my Fluid intake, and taking a stool softener. I will be fine, have a fill, then be on only liquids for 2 days, and my system gets totally messed up again. This is not a problem to ignore, as there can be additional medical complications if you ignore the issue. You should have been given some instructions from your surgeon about how to manage this issue...if following them does not help, get in touch with their office for additional instructions.

Hi, in my case I found my binges to be controlled just as Julie said....because the hunger disappeared! I do get the head hunger munchies stuff on occasion, but the fact is to overeat, causes me pain, and is NOT worth it! I can eat 99% of the things I did prior to being banded. When my grandchildrens birthdays roll around, this Granny has a piece of cake with them, but only a small one, and I am done. I can eat out in any restaurant you care to go to....I WILL have leftovers. The band has allowed me to lose the weight, and not feel deprived. There were many reasons the band appealled to me over bypass. First of all, I am a cancer survivor. My risk of recurrance is naturally higher...if that should happen, I can have my fill removed so that I can take in more nutrition. If a younger woman chooses to have another child...not a problem with malnutrition. I do not know your age, it is not on your screen, but as a sahm, you are likely younger than I am...and I felt I was too young to permanently lose part of my intestines and stomach. The strides they are making in the study of obesity, and weight loss--involving the hunger producing hormone grehlin, are amazing. It is very possible in my lifetime for a non invasive cure for obesity to be found. With the band and its reversability, even removability, I am as much of a candidate as someone who never had any type of WLS. With the bypass, part of my stomach and part of my intestine are still gone. With the band I chew 2 Flintstones vitamins with my granddaughters each day---and have no issues with malnutrition. In that alone, it has taught me to eat healthier---which again is easier when you are not starving 24/7. Bypass was too drastic for me to consider, the complication rates too high. I studied long and hard before deciding IF I were to do anything it would be the band. Then I began studying it---and made everyone around me crazy with stats I found. I lived, breathed and slept thinking about the band. Made the decision, and have not regretted it at all! Research for YOU---as you stated, they gave general info on all. Talk to people who have had the surgeries. Talk one on one with a Dr. who performs bandings.....don't let anyone else make a decision of this magnitude for you. Good Luck in your research! And welcome to LBT!! Kat

Hi, I thought I posted this thread already but guess not..........anywho...... I was just wondering why you guys chose lap band over the gastric sleeve? I'm reading a lot about gastric sleeve now and it seems like it has less complications. So confused.....I really had my heart set on the band. TIA

My surgeon mentioned the sleeve during the informational seminar. He does not do it-yet. He is waiting on more research for it. He says eventually it will probably replace the bypass. It works as the bypass but less complications. It is permanent. But like the bypass you can gain for same reasons. that's all I remember.

Yep constantly in touch with the bariatric nurse and since im off lactose products i feel like a million bucks ....energy level is up and they advanced my diet to include yogurt so i had a wonderful 2 oz of yogurt today with no complications ...and i zumba'd with the kids (big hug!)

I started my pre op today.. my surgery is on the 25 with Dr. Almanza ..... I am super exited but at the same time I'm worried and scared.. I'm in my 'what if" mood.. I have read great stories and scary stories, Like every one else I'm scared of having complication. I am a self pay and have no insurance and I'm unemployed. I pray for me and others for God to take care of us and that everything comes out good. A speedy recovery for us . So we can keep enjoying what God gave us.. LIFe.. for us to keep enjoying life with our love ones.. God bless us sleevers ..!!!

So I am 4 days post-op. Exciting right?! The only complications I am having currently are not being able to sleep and general discomfort. I now can't fall asleep before 2am, and I'm awake by 6am.... then I find myself zoning and falling asleep for a few minutes at a time throughout the day. My incisions are all extremely itchy and the one bigger one above my belly button has been causing the most pain. I wake up in the middle of the night feeling a sharp pain at that entry point - but its not red, irritated, or infected. Last but not least, I can't really sit for too long. My lower back and tail bone are fighting me on my ability to relax. I've sat on the couch, my rocking chair, padded myself in with pillows.... I've tried heating pad, and I've been staying on top of my pain meds, but it doesn't seem like anything is working.

Trying to decide between bypass (RNY) and sleeve. I am leaning toward bypass but I am not sure. A little about me. I am 5'7" and my high weight was 265 (BMI of 42) current . Diabetic, HBP, Apnea and high cholesterol. The turning point was when my endo Dr was stumped at why my A1C was still high after all the drugs I was on...."duh, I eat like crap!" I went on a medically supervised weight loss diet for six months (exactly like the pre-op liquid diet) and lost 65 pounds. Transitioned off the diet and gained back 40 (CW is 240lbs). Decided the next step was WLS. My BMI is now 38 with all the same complications. According to charts my weight should be less than 165. From the research I have done I have a 50% chance of reaching: 158lbs with RNY or 170lbs with sleeve. My question is the 12 lbs worth the RNY vs sleeve. I am not sure what the extra "effort" of the bypass is??? Is day to day living different between the two procedures. I am leaning towards RNY for a couple reasons. 1) I have a better chance of getting at least a reasonable weight. There is an 80% chance of being at 190 with RNY two years out vs 208 with sleeve. I like those odds better. 2) Once you have the sleeve done you aren't going to go back and have the RNY done (if that is even possible). I am looking for input from people. What was the logic you used to decide pick the bypass. For the record my doctor has recommended RNY but it seems a lot of people in the support group has sleeves. Thanks in advance. Astro!

Here is another thing to ponder while getting a fill when you do not need one: If just "removing" saline after being too tight was "simple" there would not be that many complications. Here is the problem with this: 1. Getting back into the "green zone" safely AFTER being too tight, may not work, many have complained and reported after removing saline from being too tight, NEVER puts them back into the green zone, they create a unfill/refill game and it becomes HARD to find the "sweet spot" again. 2. Every time you unfill and refill the band can sometimes create scar tissue (if saline is not removed immediately after learning you are too tight), and it makes it very difficult to get back into the green zone again. 3. If just removing saline AFTER being too tight for a while was simple and easy, then everybody who's band has slipped could just remove saline and then be OK, and not have to have the band removed or replaced. 4. The biggest problem what many do not understand is that "damage" is being done while the band is too tight, and this is why MANY report that UNFILLING the band AFTER being too tight never works for them to stop the reflux and they still complain of problems because once damage is done, the band is ruined and have to either removed or replaced. You need to think of this possibility if you plan on moving forward with tightening your band even though you are already in the green zone. Good luck

As a nurse, one concern I would have with going for another surgery would be the complications you have had with both of your previous surgeries... Good luck with the battle you are waging within yourself, it is very hard and feels pretty terrible but you can overcome it.

Obesity is a very complicated condition and is recognized by many in the medical field as a disease. An alcoholic who has been sober for 20 years is still considered an alcoholic. An obese person who has issues with food can still have those after weight loss. This article (from webmd) speaks about how hunger hormones can sabotage our dieting. And hunger is not all head hunger. While that many exist, I believe doctors use that term too often to blame the patient when the band isn't working as it should (despite following all the rules) Some Dieters Are Set Up to Regain Weight And I know many thin adults who eat all they want, don't exercise, and by their own admission have inherited thin genes and are lucky. So, not all thin people are these healthy eaters/exercisers.

How much is in your band now? How many fills prior....? Everything you mention sounds like you're there.....for me, after my last fill, I was definitely in the green but it took me a good 2 months, at least, to get it all figured out....it is a balancing act with a lot of different variables....learning a new lifestyle where all those rules started to come into play... But the more I learned and practiced how to live with it, the easier it became....and now it is a no thought, day to day common thing...without any complications and little worries. I have not been stuck nor slimed in over 2 years now....and I am never hungry, not just between meals...and my food portions are limited by the band, making it impossible to over eat, even if I wanted to. Which I don't.

I'm now 2 weeks post op after the removal. I honestly didn't realize how shitty I felt for so long. I can't believe I lived with those complications that long. I can now sleep on my back for the first time in 3 years, my 3 times a day vomiting is gone, no more night time aspiration and 3 hours sleep a night and best of all, bye bye reflux and Prilosec! I had one week of eating like a sumo wrestler and now just went back to my tried and true lifestyle of no sugar, no wheat and no processed foods. I don't count anything but keep an eye on my carb intake. I feel amazing and am down 5lbs in 5 days. No looking back for me.

Another happy patient of Dr. Aceves! I had an outstanding experience from beginning to end. Do your research, experience and complications count! I would send any family member to Dr. Aceves and go back in a heartbeat.

Had it completely unfilled Friday. Have not vomited ONCE since the unfill. Happily eating low-carb, lots of salads, nuts, fish, things I couldn't eat before. Dr. said that I have Esophagitis and Dysphagia (sp?), I've been put on Nexium and will be following up with a scope. I won't comment to the negative posts, pointing fingers at me for 'failing' at this - that somehow it is my fault, a weakness on my part; all I can say is that you are all so bloody self-righteous when you succeed at weight loss and others don't..... take a moment to remember that you are still a compulsive over-eater, it's just that you have a band around your stomach preventing you from acting like the fat person you still are, deep down inside. That's it for me on these forums, done like dinner. (And I get **** on for posting in a forum for those who suffer COMPLICATIONS?!??? What gives you the right to crap all over my post? A little compassion goes a long way.)

First of all, I support and answer questions, share my knowledge of complications and experience with complications of band. For the record, I did not go sleeve, I had the bypass. Lastly, you do not own the board, this is a public board.

I was sleeved July 29th. My start weight was 295. I lost 45 before surgery and 44 since the surgery for a total of 89 pounds. I did have a complication (leak and infection), which stalled my weight loss for a month, but since then I have had pretty steady weight loss. Some days I don't lose though. Best thing I ever did for myself and my family!

I am living proof..amongst a trillion other people.. haha. i had my surgery on 11/23.. I woke up fine from anesthesia. of course i was drugged up on morphine.. but it wasn't bad AT ALL.. the recovery goes rather quick. anxiety is normal. your preparing your body for fight or flight. just take deep breaths and keep reminding yourself why you did it. feel free to ask any question and good luck on your journeys. i suggest asking your surgeon the statistics of complications. it's nice to hear zero...

It is so SO important to deal with an office that is focused on aftercare, especially with the band. You'll see the office a lot, and you really need to make sure that they have multiple levels of support in place in order to help you do your best. It's not like other surgeries, where you go to the hospital, get your surgery, and that's it. the adjustments/fills are key! Yes, OH is very negative towards the band. As time goes on they seem to have fewer and fewer posters who are happy with their bands. I do like to read there to keep myself aware of the "what-ifs", as it's never smart to bury your head in the sand about complications... just remember to take everything (here AND there!) with a grain of salt! the people who are most successful with the band are those who researched the living daylights out of it. Buy a book or two, read every website you can find, GO TO THE SUPPORT GROUPS, and make sure you really know what you're getting yourself into.

Hello: I would look on this forum in the section called Lapband complications, there might be information there. The FDA states the band is good for at least 10-years and could last longer without complications. As far as studies, here are some links: However, the best research papers are in medical journals. Do a Google search for information. gastric banding research - Google Scholar Gastric Banding Reverses Impact Of Type 2 Diabetes

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