The Keys to Becoming a Successful Bandster!

[rcain03@hotmail.com 1]

I have been on LBT for quite awhile and I don't remember reading one post where the poster said they ate junk, drank with meals, didn't exercise, wasn't losing weight and blamed the band. They usually own up to the fact that they know they aren't doing what they are supposed to be doing.

What they are looking for is some support, some suggestions on how to get and stay on track and make the band work.

What they don't want or need is criticism, sarcasm, being judged or insulted. Now THOSE kinds of posts I have seen plenty of. And I can do without seeing them ever again. And I'm sure they scare off some newbies.

But I've also seen posts that offer some very good advice and offer specific helpful tips for that particular poster taking into account their individual situation. These posts offer the positive feedback that I am sure is welcome.

And by the way, the band fails many people. Read some of the stories on LAP-BAND® complications, struggling bandsters, and removal. It doesn't work for everyone.

For those who find so-called negative posts irritating, I suggest you quit reading them and/or limit yourself to the "LAP-BAND® Success Stories" forum. Plenty of positive posts there.

Now I feel better having gotten that off my chest.

I couldn't have said it any better...Cleosmom! I have seen so many posts where some people tend to get on their soap boxes and often times forget...They are here for the same reason the rest of us are here. We have all failed ourselves at some point bringing us to where we are now. Let's not forget...if it was so easy to follow the rules...none of us would have needed to get WLS because, well..we would have "followed" the rules of living a healthy lifestyle...eating well and exercising! I'm glad to know that "SOME" people have it all figured out though!

Words of advice: TAKE AND USE WHAT YOU CAN AND WHAT IS USEFUL IN THESE FORUMS...AND LEAVE THE REST BEHIND! YOU WILL SOON LEARN WHO IS BEING SUPPORTFUL AND WHO IS HERE TO FILL THEIR OATS. IT'S LIKE THE BULLIED KID THAT GROWS UP TO BE THE BULLY...YOU CAN SPOT THEM A MILE AWAY!

[LeighaMason 19]

So, what should I do?

Cleo's Mom-- I think you have a bad band placement, besides the fact that your original Dr used an older version of the band, I think he installed it poorly. Have you talked to your new Dr about a revision? I wonder if you could get insurance approval to take out the old band and replace it with a newer version and install it properly? My Dr really stressed the importance of using a Dr who had performed hundreds of band surgeries, he said placement was more important than band size, type, etc.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Cleo's Mom-- I think you have a bad band placement, besides the fact that your original Dr used an older version of the band, I think he installed it poorly. Have you talked to your new Dr about a revision? I wonder if you could get insurance approval to take out the old band and replace it with a newer version and install it properly? My Dr really stressed the importance of using a Dr who had performed hundreds of band surgeries, he said placement was more important than band size, type, etc.

I made a poor choice with my first surgeon. I chose him because he was close (a community hospital) and since I live alone I felt that I needed nearby care. Big mistake.

My new surgeon has looked at the CD's of previous upper GI's as well as conducting his own. He always says that the band looks okay. When I first went to him (after the disastrous overfill by the former surgeon) he did say I had a slight slip.

When I had the overfill I also got an endoscopy and the gastro doctor said he thought the band was placed too high. He said he had thought it slipped upward, but he said he didn't have a lot of experience with banded patients.

I did some research on my band. I got the product number on it and found out that it had an expiration date of June 2009 (that means guaranteed sterility). My band was placed in Sept. 2008.

This is what I think: My former surgeon (who continues a general surgeon practice) wanted to jump on the $$$ bandwagon for WLS. A doctor who perfomed them was retiring and my surgeon and his partner took over the practice. They were going to use up old inventory before buying new and the retiring surgeon had these older 4cc bands around that needed to be used before the expiration date.

My new surgeon doesn't use lapband - he uses the realize band. He said the 4cc band is okay but makes fills more difficult because of the very small amounts that can make a big difference. My former surgeon just slammed me with 2cc's then 1cc. That was too much each time.

I will have to discuss all this with my surgeon. I don't think he would think I need anything at this time. But I will ask. I have mentioned the sleeve to him and he does them but again didn't think I needed that.

Thanks for your help.

[LeighaMason 19]

I hope you know I wasn't trying to criticizing your choice on your original Dr or say I did a better job of choosing mine, that wasn't what I meant, I just think your right he sucked on many levels.

I was also thinking about your fills. I am with Betsy, now that you have healed you should try some small fills and see if you can get help with your hunger. I found that after the first couple of fills, I could only get .2 of a cc at a time in a 10 cc band so if you go by % of fill giving you 1 cc is like giving me 2.5 cc's at a time, or 10 times more than I could take, no wonder you ended up in the hospital. If I were you I would try getting the first couple of fills at .5cc and then once you start feeling restriction getting .1cc at a time, and spacing the fills out every six weeks or so.

The stopping of the hunger for me was between 5.1cc and 5.5. I think maybe (because of your incompetent Dr) you went from too loose to too tight and never found a happy medium. In relation to a 10 cc band you went from 5cc to 7.5cc with no stops in between.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

I hope you know I wasn't trying to criticizing your choice on your original Dr or say I did a better job of choosing mine, that wasn't what I meant, I just think your right he sucked on many levels.

I was also thinking about your fills. I am with Betsy, now that you have healed you should try some small fills and see if you can get help with your hunger. I found that after the first couple of fills, I could only get .2 of a cc at a time in a 10 cc band so if you go by % of fill giving you 1 cc is like giving me 2.5 cc's at a time, or 10 times more than I could take, no wonder you ended up in the hospital. If I were you I would try getting the first couple of fills at .5cc and then once you start feeling restriction getting .1cc at a time, and spacing the fills out every six weeks or so.

The stopping of the hunger for me was between 5.1cc and 5.5. I think maybe (because of your incompetent Dr) you went from too loose to too tight and never found a happy medium. In relation to a 10 cc band you went from 5cc to 7.5cc with no stops in between.

Oh, I know what you meant about my former surgeon. I didn't take it as criticism at all. I have posted about him before and everyone says the same thing - that he was inexperienced - especially in follow up care and I was smart to get a new doctor.

All of your suggestions make sense. I was too loose and too tight and never found the right medium. I will talk to my surgeon about that - he said finding the right spot with a 4cc band is more difficult with fills but doable. Also, he said too many of his band patients just want tighter and tighter and depend on that too much to lose weight and from many of the posts I read on here that is true of a lot of bandsters.

If you read veteran Jachut's posts you would see that she doesn't believe in being so tight that you have to drink your Breakfast or limit yourself to 1/2 cup of food at a meal. And that you should be able to eat most healthy foods, including carbs, which she, like me, believes helps with hunger. She has been enormously successful.

I really want this band to work. I only got it for one reason - to curb my hunger and reduce my huge appetite - the biggest problems for me. I was not a junk or fast food eater. I don't care if I ever eat a big mac again. I am a quantity eater. I need to have that satiety. Everyone comes to WLS with a different history of how and why they got where they did. Mine was that I had a huge appetite and needed large quantities of food to feel satisfied. I was just as happy with Cereal or eggs and toast as long as I could eat as much as I wanted. I didn't need pizza, wings, fast food, snack food or any other typical "bad stuff". Just quantity.

So far the band has not done that at all for me. When I was too tight I got pressure and pain but I could still feel the empty stomach below wanting food. I did not achieve satiety. Having food in the pouch never translated to a feeling of satiety. The restriction just made it impossible to eat more food. Does that make sense? That the inability to eat more did not cause satiety - that for me it seemed like two different things?

I appreciate that you have taken the time to offer some very good suggestions and I will discuss this with my surgeon. It's time, I think, to have a very serious discussion with him about all of this.

Thanks again.

[BetsyB 9]

Do you know what the website it? Is it ratemydoctors.com?

I've reviewed doctors on Angie's List--and I know they learned of the feedback, because their approach changed dramatically. It's not a bad place to leave a review.

I hope you know I wasn't asking about hunger and satiety condescendingly--just trying to get an idea of what is going on with you. It sounds like a tremendously frustrating situation, and I think there are tons of us who'd love to see you happier and losing the weight you want to lose.

I agree that for some people, carbs are important for satiety. I'm unfortunately not one who can lose weight well while incorporating them to any significant degree. (I fought this like hell, and look where I ended up!) I have been unusually fortunate with my band, though. I am one of the lucky ones for whom satiety occurs with a small volume of food, and lasts for a handful of hours. Not everyone is like me--not everyone starts out from the same place or with the same needs. (I just needed to get my caloric intake way down; I have freakishly slow metabolism.)

I'm sorry you're having such a difficult time. I do think in your shoes I'd try tiny incremental fills to see if they do help with the hunger. In the hands of a skilled doctor, you might fare so much better than you initially did. I'd also try different combos of food--switching the protein/fat/carb ratio (or making sure all carbs are complex, or whatever...just mixing something up). You never know what might trip the switch and get the weight loss ball moving again.

Still, it is a very discouraging situation, and I understand your feelings---I would be so disappointed in your shoes.

[elcee 3,343]

The 4ml bands may be trickier to get to the right amount but they can be hugely successful.I know a number of people that have them and are very successful.In fact I think Jachut has this size band. If you are able to work with your Dr then I am sure that you should be able to get to a point where you start finding success.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

I've reviewed doctors on Angie's List--and I know they learned of the feedback, because their approach changed dramatically. It's not a bad place to leave a review.

I hope you know I wasn't asking about hunger and satiety condescendingly--just trying to get an idea of what is going on with you. It sounds like a tremendously frustrating situation, and I think there are tons of us who'd love to see you happier and losing the weight you want to lose.

I agree that for some people, carbs are important for satiety. I'm unfortunately not one who can lose weight well while incorporating them to any significant degree. (I fought this like hell, and look where I ended up!) I have been unusually fortunate with my band, though. I am one of the lucky ones for whom satiety occurs with a small volume of food, and lasts for a handful of hours. Not everyone is like me--not everyone starts out from the same place or with the same needs. (I just needed to get my caloric intake way down; I have freakishly slow metabolism.)

I'm sorry you're having such a difficult time. I do think in your shoes I'd try tiny incremental fills to see if they do help with the hunger. In the hands of a skilled doctor, you might fare so much better than you initially did. I'd also try different combos of food--switching the protein/fat/carb ratio (or making sure all carbs are complex, or whatever...just mixing something up). You never know what might trip the switch and get the weight loss ball moving again.

Still, it is a very discouraging situation, and I understand your feelings---I would be so disappointed in your shoes.

Oh, I didn't take anything you said as condescending. I appreciate the time those who have replied took to give me some ideas and suggestions.

I belong to Angie's list. My only problem with reporting him on there is that my comments could only lead him to know it's me. And if I ever had to call 9-1-1 and be taken to the hospital for some type of emergency surgery - guess who it would most likely be? Yep, him. His partner left last year for another hospital. This hospital (the closest to me and where an ambulance would take me) has only a few general surgeons. So, I would rather not create that situation.

At this point I am not interested in losing weight (if I do, that's fine but not my focus right now) - just controlling hunger/appetite. That's it. Whatever exists in this world that can do that - I will do the rest. I make good food choices and I exercise every day and try to keep myself healthy otherwise. As a breast cancer patient I need to do that.

I do cardio (treadmill and aerobic exercise videos) as well as weight training (to ward off osteoporosis - I have osteopenia now). I have tried to mix it up.

I gave a list of all the foods I eat to the nutritionist at my new surgeon's and she said it was all fine. I told her what I eat and she seemed to think my diet was okay. I did find out that I was using too much "I can't believe it's not butter" and when I found out it had 860 calories a bottle I stopped that.

So, I do try to tweak my diet to improve it and am always looking for ways to help with the hunger (more food without more calories).

Thanks again for your replies, suggestions and help. I really appreciate it.

Edited October 16, 2010 by Cleo's Mom

[rkwilliams1013 0]

Well said Cleo's mom this is a support site where we should be able to express our struggles without being judged for being weak and cheating or not excercising. Good for you RK if you don't struggle and are successful, some of us who have been banded aren't 26 anymore we're 46 and trust me when I say it's a lot harder to lose weight at 46 then it is when you are in your 20's. RK if you are so successful all by your sheer willpower then why do you need this site? Don't make people feel like they can't whine if they want to..don't judge!

Carmen, I never said I don't have bad days, that I don't struggle. If I never struggled, I wouldn't need the band to begin with. I have found lots of good support here, and I think for the majority, this forum is made up of some amazing, dedicated people.

Luckily, I have a wonderful surgeon that fully prepared me for this journey, which has made staying positive easier. I try to take it one day at a time, and do the best that I can do each day. It has nothing to do with my age.

Cleo's Mom, I'm sorry that you have had a bad experience with your band and I hope you find the answers you're looking for. My post was not intended for you, or people in similar situations such as yours.

My intentions of this post was not to offend, but to invite people to re-commit to themselves, get back on the wagon, and become the best version of yourself.

[ElfiePoo 109]

Cleo...

The band has not worked for me in the way I expected either. I did tons of research, asked questions, researched more, asked more questions. I did not go into this uninformed. At almost 1 year postop, I am still only down 30 pounds since surgery.

Some people are emotional eaters or sweet eaters. Some graze all day. My weight problems are because I love the taste of food and could put away enough food at a meal for 3 people. I got the band because, after all my research and questions, I came away with the belief that the band would stop me from eating excessively by making me feel 'content' after eating. To a certain extent it has for limited periods because I was able to take off 30 pounds and have kept it off but then that temporary feeling is gone.

As it stands right now, despite eating a 1200 calorie low carb diet and logging everything that goes into my mouth at Fitday.com and doing a brisk one hour walk every day, over the last month I've lost 7 pounds, gained back 10 and lost 4...making me 5 pounds heavier than when I started. The temporary feeling of contentment that I had a week ago has vanished.

But I'm not giving up. I keep hoping that I can find that place between not enough and too full because I know this is my last chance. I'm 54 years old and have tried it all and I will never get a gastric bypass. In my opinion there are worse things than being fat...and that's one of them.

I'm sorry for all the trouble you've had with your band, but don't give up. See if you can find another, experienced, bariatric center where you can get fills and, since your band is so small, get your fills in very small increments and then wait at least a month before the next fill. It sometimes takes me weeks to get a reaction after a fill.

.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Elfiepoo - I am sorry you too have had problems that sound like mine. I do now go to a center of Excellence that is rated #1 in my state.

You sound like me in that it has always taken a lot of food to reach the point of satiety. Even when I was overfilled and could only eat small amounts at a time, I never achieved satiety.

I, too, want the band to work for me. I've done my part, now it's time for this "tool" to work.

Thanks for your help.

[Cocoabean 430]

Cleo'sMom, I am not a believer in drinking my Breakfast or the 1/2 cup portions. My surgeon specifically told me that I am to NOT do Protein shakes.

He wants me eating my calories not drinking them. He also wants my band on the loose side, so that I can eat a wide variety of foods. I do not eat a low-carb diet. He prefers his band patients use a bit more self-discipline to control their diets, rather than relying sooooo much on the band. It's a fine line, for certain. Of course, my response was, "if I had any self-discipline I'd have not needed the band!"

I eat a larger volume of food than many posters on this board. The only food that consistently causes me trouble is chicken breast.

I am not exactly sure what my point is, or how it applies to you. But I guess it is that you don't have to be so tight that you cannot eat. I still feel hungry between meals. But it isn't the obsessive, "I MUST eat something NOW!" type of hunger I used to have. It also doesn't occur as often. My brain is not constantly focused on food like it used to be.

Since you have the band in you, and it sounds like you have a great new doctor, I hope you are able to find the right fill level to make it work.

Insurance coverages are constantly changing. I know the language in mine has recently changed. It now reads as though a revision to a new procedure is possible even without complications if the patient has been compliant with the first procedure, but it isn't working.

Or perhaps something like I mentioned to you in another thread, a revision fee during a removal surgery. I do understand you are not having "complications" now. But what about gallbladder surgery? One never knows when that might happen....add in band removal and a sleeve.

Just an idea going through my little pea brain. I do hope everything works out for you.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Cleo'sMom, I am not a believer in drinking my Breakfast or the 1/2 cup portions. My surgeon specifically told me that I am to NOT do Protein shakes.

He wants me eating my calories not drinking them. He also wants my band on the loose side, so that I can eat a wide variety of foods. I do not eat a low-carb diet. He prefers his band patients use a bit more self-discipline to control their diets, rather than relying sooooo much on the band. It's a fine line, for certain. Of course, my response was, "if I had any self-discipline I'd have not needed the band!"

I eat a larger volume of food than many posters on this board. The only food that consistently causes me trouble is chicken breast.

I am not exactly sure what my point is, or how it applies to you. But I guess it is that you don't have to be so tight that you cannot eat. I still feel hungry between meals. But it isn't the obsessive, "I MUST eat something NOW!" type of hunger I used to have. It also doesn't occur as often. My brain is not constantly focused on food like it used to be.

Since you have the band in you, and it sounds like you have a great new doctor, I hope you are able to find the right fill level to make it work.

Insurance coverages are constantly changing. I know the language in mine has recently changed. It now reads as though a revision to a new procedure is possible even without complications if the patient has been compliant with the first procedure, but it isn't working.

Or perhaps something like I mentioned to you in another thread, a revision fee during a removal surgery. I do understand you are not having "complications" now. But what about gallbladder surgery? One never knows when that might happen....add in band removal and a sleeve.

Just an idea going through my little pea brain. I do hope everything works out for you.

Thanks for your reply, information and suggestions. I really apprecitate it. My new doctor sounds like yours. He says too many of his patients rely on being too tight to control their eating. I mean who wants to eat 1/2 cup of food for a meal? What would you even put in that 1/2 cup anyway? How could you get your daily Protein, veggies and fruits that we are supposed to eat?

I am going to make an appt. with my surgeon but my guess is he'll say I'm doing fine. Even though I've put on about 3lbs since all the fill was removed in December.

When I recall the pain I was in with that stuck episode I break out in a cold sweat. I never imagined anything could be that painful that I couldn't even talk. So I am naturally very afraid of that EVER happening again. Much to talk to him about.

I too eat more food than most bandsters on here. Have you read the thread about "what did you eat today?" Most eat very little (although I have to say some make very bad food choices). I eat much more but around 1300 calories.

I do think in hindsight that for what my problem was - big appetite and needing a lot of food to feel satisfied the band was not the best choice of WLS for me. But I had never even heard of the sleeve then, plus at the time my insurance had just started paying for the band.

But on the other hand, I have been reading more and more posts from people who say the band doesn't really take away their hunger for hours at a time (like it does for some lucky ones) but simply restricts the amount of food they can eat and they live with the hunger. That was never my goal in getting the band.

So, anyway, lots to think about. Thanks again for your help. :thumbup:

[elcee 3,343]

I think a big part of this journey is aligning expectations with reality.

What the Dr's/Marketers tell you isn't quite the same.That is why support groups are so important because it is through those that you learn what it is really like to live with a band.

The Dr's don't really explain how it feels when something is stuck or you eat too much. This is because they understand the science but not being banded they don't know what it really feels like.

Cleo's Mum being a big eater you actually sound like an ideal candidate for the band. The people that it tends not to be so ideal for are those that like to graze(eat constantly) such as myself!

However I think it has worked really well.Yes I still eat more often than I should and I still eat junk but not to the same extent as previously.

I know that you say that you are still hungry after your small portion,but is it true hunger? Most of us have the ability to eat far more than we need because it tastes/looks/feels good etc but we are not truly hungry.

Sometimes being hungry but not able to eat more can be because of eating too quickly etc. There have been a number of times when I have eaten too quickly resulting in being stuck but still desperately wanting/needing food.

So the key is to make good choices, remember to take small bites,chew well and leave a little time in between bites to make sure it has gone down OK! This took me a long time to get used to as I was always a really fast eater but it does make a difference.

Don't focus on 1/2 cup or anything like that. That concept is ridiculous.

I agree that eating from a wide variety of food groups helps. That is what I and most banded people in Australia do and it does work. Lo carb is great for some but it is not the only way.

If you do revise good luck but be careful. There is no such thing as a perfect WLS. Each type comes with it's own set of problems. You don't want to be dissappointed again because the reality doesn't live upto the marketing! I agree that the sleeve sounds great but it is still relatively new so the long term effects are not yet known. Lots of sleevers have really bad reflux and getting the right size sleeve to suit you may also be a problem. If they don't make it small enough to start you could have the same issues.

Hope you are able to work out what the best way to go for you is soon.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Elcee, thanks for your input, insight and suggestions. Like I said, I have a lot to think about and decisions to make. Thanks, again.