What I Wish I Had Known Before Banding

[Ducker 59]

So...in the pre-op forum someone posted what they wish they had know before banding. It included some very candid thoughts and details about life after the band which I found very insightful. There were many replies, and someone mentioned that this would be a great forum topic since the great majority of bandsters on here paint a very shiny happy picture without addressing the very real and sometimes unpleasant and uncomfortable facts about life with the band.

Being that I am not yet banded, I thought that those of us contemplating the surgery deserved to know the truth - the good, the bad, and the ugly in weighing our decision to proceed with this life altering procedure. Don't be afraid to discourage us. Just so you know, the vast majority of those that posted some negative effects that they experienced said that they would still do it all over again. But, that is for us all to decide on our own, knowing all of the possibilities that lie ahead. Give us an opportunity to do that. We thank you.

ducker

[LuuLuu 62]

I think it is a great idea. I was required to go to "support group" meetings prior to receiving my band. At 70+ participants...it was more like an infomercial than a support group. And on top of it, it was nothing but a big love fest for the LapBand.

This site has all kinds of opinions and I found it - and still find it - to be my most valuable Lapband resource. Hands down.

[cheryl2586 3,053]

Well its not always a happy shiny picture. Having constant nerve shoulder pain forever is not pretty, having constant gas forever is not pretty, being at a plateu for months is not pretty, not being able to tolerate certain foods because they cause stomach issues which mine are cinnamon and mint but over all I would do it again because I was taking five medications for my stomach, blood pressure medication, pain pills for the chronic back pain and now I am med free except for my restless legs which with a little magnesium and Calcium that seems to have improved. I would do it again no matter how ugly it is really sometimes.

[NoMoBand 278]

So...in the pre-op forum someone posted what they wish they had know before banding. It included some very candid thoughts and details about life after the band which I found very insightful. There were many replies, and someone mentioned that this would be a great forum topic since the great majority of bandsters on here paint a very shiny happy picture without addressing the very real and sometimes unpleasant and uncomfortable facts about life with the band.

Being that I am not yet banded, I thought that those of us contemplating the surgery deserved to know the truth - the good, the bad, and the ugly in weighing our decision to proceed with this life altering procedure. Don't be afraid to discourage us. Just so you know, the vast majority of those that posted some negative effects that they experienced said that they would still do it all over again. But, that is for us all to decide on our own, knowing all of the possibilities that lie ahead. Give us an opportunity to do that. We thank you.

ducker

Ducker, I'm out 5 months at being banded and I did educate myself on the bad's, but, wish I would have known more of the uglies. In my opinion, I think that there needs to be stricter approval guide lines and more education provided by bariatric clinics/doctors before a person is approved. In my opinion, the process is rushed and is not thorough enough. I can tell you that I learned more about the band and what to expect from these forums than at the clinic. In fairness to the clinic, I was encouraged to attend a support group provided which I did not, however, maybe it should be mandatory. Next, the nutritional consults addressed very little of the problems associated with the band. During these sessions, I learned lots about eating habits, calories, food logs, chewing well, but, was never given adequate education about the band and potential problems and preventive maintenance. I also started a post under General Lap band support/Things you learned after LB install that you discovered afterward. All the replies were/are right on the money and I can say that some of those things I discovered post banding.

Personally, the biggest concern for me are complications that can occur later on with the band. I experienced one complication just one month after surgery when I began having problems with a seroma on one of my incisions and my band tubing came right through the seroma. I had about 3 inches of tubing sticking out of my belly. I had to endure a 2^nd surgery that was more painful than the original surgery because they discovered that my port had dislodged from the original location and was relocated to the other side of my belly. I have 4 large incisions scars that remind me of what I had to endure. Any kind of weird pain or symptom freaks me out and I start thinking the worst.

Thus far, I am one of the fortunate ones that the band seems to work the way it should, most days anyway. I’m stunned with stories of how the band is not as effective on some people. How can this be? Why is this? These are questions that we need answers to.

Finally, I will share with you that there were days that I regretted having this done, especially, after the 2^nd surgery and every so often I have days when I am down (bummed), however, the rewards bring me right back on track. 86lbs. lighter I no longer have the severe knee, back and neck and shoulder pain. I can walk and jog, yes jog without the agonizing pain. I have unbelievable energy. I am exercising at a gym, which I never did in my life. I am off 5 medications and am no longer pre-diabetic. I now help my wife around the house. I can watch a movie without going to sleep - really! Lol I slimmed down from a 46 pant waist to a 38 and a XXX large shirt size to a XL, my shoes even fit better. I feel like a new person! The best way to describe what has happened to me is that I’ve woken up from a slumber and am enjoying my family and life again. I’ve been given a 2^nd chance after years of being obese. I have a ways to get to goal, but, with God’s help we are getting there. There have been bad and ugly for me but the goods overtake them both. And this is true for any of the WLS options out there. Good luck in whatever decision you make. jake

[Wheetsin 714]

I wish I had known...

• ...how much it hurts when something is stuck. "Productive burp" doesn't really sound like something that can be downright agonizing at times.
• ...that things getting stuck, and the ensuing pain, don't just happen when you make a mistake. Sometimes it really isout of your control.
• ...how inconsistent restriction can be. And that it would probably change over time. Multiple times.
• ...then the rates for complications now.
• ...I would be allergic to the leather recliner I bought to sleep in post-op.
• ...my surgeon was going to transfer primary patient care to a PA and stop seeing all but the most dire complications personally.

Etc.

[paulaSA 1]

First of all the one thing i would have to say is this process is not designed to be a super fast, effortless, non commital type of step to take. Heard this alot it is a "tool" for you to use. It will not do it for you with out hard work. There are going to be times that you are going to wish that "I wish I never did this", And then you wake up look in the mirror and take it all back. Follow what your physician advises and take what other people say as advisements and keep your head up and keep going.

paulaSA

June 30, 2010-surgery date 230lbs

June 9th, 2011-181lbs/6.25 cc

[NJGirl32 43]

Okay, I'll play! I still have a lonnng road to go, but here are some things I wish I knew:

I wihs I knew the for at least the first 2 months I would be dieting on my own without restriction. (it can take several fills)

I thought I had my BIG last supper before surgery-but I could eat the same amount of food now without a probem

I aso wish I had tried Totally Lean GNC Swiss Choc Protein Shake before I spent money on all those crappy tasting shakes

I wish I could be better with mushies but they simply don't fill me enough-I add a little more then mushies to my diet (still being good though)

I wish I knew that I would barey see my surgeon at al! HE is SO busy and the visits go so quick!

I wish I knew the weight was going to come off A LOT slower than I thought!

With al that being said I canhonestly say that I am looking forward to this journey. I can't wait to lose weight!!

[vickyd 24]

Ok, I'll play...

I wish I had known that when you move from the post op liquid diet to mushies that your weight loss can stall.

I wish I had known that you can't just take the suggested calorie range from the nutritionist and follow that and lose at a good rate. I had to spend several weeks tweaking my calories to find the right range for me to lose effectively.

I wish I had known that some people can never just eat until they feel full. Evidently, my full notification system is faulty because if I eat until I'm full then I will be miserable later.

I wish I had known that I can't eat whatever I want (only less) and lose weight.

All in all, I'm thrilled with my band. Never in my life have I been able to lose 86 lbs and feel confident that I can keep it off!

[54Shirley 105]

I wish I would have known that my Fantastic surgeon, could care less if you were having a problem, and he just blew you off as another number to him.

I wish I would have known that another surgeon will not touch someone else's mistake. Even if I moved away from my original surgeon. You would have to go back to your original surgeon.

I'm GLAD that I found a surgeon to help me with my care, and fills. All he asks is that you lose weight.....

[stateofzen 46]

This is something I recently posted to someone researching.

I would say that there are three regularly occurring post-op posts that you should be aware of as you prepare. Being aware will help you deal with the psychological aspect of the band in the weeks and months following surgery.

1. Be aware: You may experience a lot of discomfort after surgery that is pain related. People vary so much on this and of course everyone hopes to be one of the "bounce right back" folks, but be prepared to be in a lot of discomfort for up to a week or even more. It is NORMAL to be depressed and/or regret having the surgery immediately post-op.

2. Be aware: It is very likely that your weight loss will stall or even reverse (meaning actual gains) during the first weeks to month after surgery. This is counter-intuitive to people, because they just had weight loss surgery AND they are on a liquid diet and not eating. But it is NORMAL to plateau or even gain Water weight while your body is recovering from the stress of surgery. Try not to despair. If you keep at it, you will begin to lose weight soon enough.

3. Be aware: A lot of people feel very hungry and ready to eat eat eat almost immediately after surgery. For a lot of people, the band alone doesn't do anything for weeks to month until it is filled. This is what people refer to as Bandster Hell. A smaller subset of people do feel a reduction in hunger right away-- but if you don't go in automatically expecting you'll be a lucky one, then you won't be as baffled and disappointed if you aren't. It is NORMAL to feel hungry and frustrated until you reach the appropriate fill for your body, and that may take weeks to months.

Knowing these things and expecting them will help tremendously with your emotional reaction to the band. If any of these things happen to you, you are in good and prolific company. Don't despair! Figure out before your surgery how you might cope with them when they come up and odds are, they won't be a problem for you. Knowledge is the key.

I would add the following to that list:

1. The average loss at 2 years with the band is 60% of excess weight, according to band literature. So if you need to lose 100 lbs to be in a "healthy BMI", then the average person will have lost 60lbs by the end of year 2. This is the average, which means that there are going to be a few people who lose 0 lbs in 2 years and an equally few people who lose 100+ lbs in 2 years. Most people are going to be right around that 60% mark (I wish I knew what the standard deviation is, that would be even more helpful).

2. Weight loss is not constant and linear for most people, even if they are very very consistent with their eating behavior and activity level. It seems like it should be-- calories in/calories out-- but there are a lot of people that tend to lose in cycles and you may be one of them. For me, I lose weight in chunks, then I "plateau" for a few weeks, then I drop another bunch of pounds within three days, then "plateau" again. You may also be one of those people-- don't let it worry you.

3. Exercise may temporarily stall your weight loss or even make you gain, especially if you are starting or intensifying your program. I have been working out consistently for the past two weeks after about 10 years of nothing. I have GAINED weight even though my eating hasn't changed and I'm burning more calories. That's normal. I know if I keep at it, I will drop that plus some more and have a healthier heart and more stamina to boot.

4. This is hard work, even though the band DOES make it easier if you let it. I get full on small amounts of food-- not "stuffed" full like I was used to, but "ok, I've had enough and my body doesn't need more" full. This is REALLY hard to get used to. Full is never again going to feel like full has felt in the past. But, I can still eat past the point where my band says "eh, you've fed your body as much as it needs" and very very often my brain says "do it, you know you want to, mmmmm it tastes so good, just one more bite!". It is a real struggle sometimes to listen to my band and not my head hunger. I actually have a little mantra when I'm eating and being mindful. I say "if I'm not going to listen to the band when it says stop, then why did I bother with this surgery in the first place?" That tends to turn down the volume of the head hunger.

I think people naturally go into this surgery very optimistically. They go to the seminar and the surgeon and the carefully selected successful patients of that surgeon talk about how amazing it is. They come on this board and look at the success story forum, and the "I lost 100 lbs" forum, and the "before and after" picture gallery. They see people's tickers (like mine) who have lost huge amounts in months, not years and they expect only the best , most luckiest results, and ignore the fact that the average expected loss in 60% of excess weight at two years. I understand this because I did it too, and I fully believe that I have been incredibly LUCKY so far and that it's "easy" for me to say this but I do think that bandsters who are really in touch with reality and not overly optimistic are going to be able to emotionally adjust to banded life better.

Do not get the band if you expect it to work like bypass. If you want super fast results, and you want malabsorption, then get the bypass. With the "plusses" of the band, including its adjustability and its reversibility, come some costs and one cost is that it requires adjustment which is unpredictable in some ways, and it's associated with a slower rate of loss.

[NJGirl32 43]

This is something I recently posted to someone researching.

I would say that there are three regularly occurring post-op posts that you should be aware of as you prepare. Being aware will help you deal with the psychological aspect of the band in the weeks and months following surgery.

1. Be aware: You may experience a lot of discomfort after surgery that is pain related. People vary so much on this and of course everyone hopes to be one of the "bounce right back" folks, but be prepared to be in a lot of discomfort for up to a week or even more. It is NORMAL to be depressed and/or regret having the surgery immediately post-op.

2. Be aware: It is very likely that your weight loss will stall or even reverse (meaning actual gains) during the first weeks to month after surgery. This is counter-intuitive to people, because they just had weight loss surgery AND they are on a liquid diet and not eating. But it is NORMAL to plateau or even gain Water weight while your body is recovering from the stress of surgery. Try not to despair. If you keep at it, you will begin to lose weight soon enough.

3. Be aware: A lot of people feel very hungry and ready to eat eat eat almost immediately after surgery. For a lot of people, the band alone doesn't do anything for weeks to month until it is filled. This is what people refer to as Bandster Hell. A smaller subset of people do feel a reduction in hunger right away-- but if you don't go in automatically expecting you'll be a lucky one, then you won't be as baffled and disappointed if you aren't. It is NORMAL to feel hungry and frustrated until you reach the appropriate fill for your body, and that may take weeks to months.

Knowing these things and expecting them will help tremendously with your emotional reaction to the band. If any of these things happen to you, you are in good and prolific company. Don't despair! Figure out before your surgery how you might cope with them when they come up and odds are, they won't be a problem for you. Knowledge is the key.

I would add the following to that list:

1. The average loss at 2 years with the band is 60% of excess weight, according to band literature. So if you need to lose 100 lbs to be in a "healthy BMI", then the average person will have lost 60lbs by the end of year 2. This is the average, which means that there are going to be a few people who lose 0 lbs in 2 years and an equally few people who lose 100+ lbs in 2 years. Most people are going to be right around that 60% mark (I wish I knew what the standard deviation is, that would be even more helpful).

2. Weight loss is not constant and linear for most people, even if they are very very consistent with their eating behavior and activity level. It seems like it should be-- calories in/calories out-- but there are a lot of people that tend to lose in cycles and you may be one of them. For me, I lose weight in chunks, then I "plateau" for a few weeks, then I drop another bunch of pounds within three days, then "plateau" again. You may also be one of those people-- don't let it worry you.

3. Exercise may temporarily stall your weight loss or even make you gain, especially if you are starting or intensifying your program. I have been working out consistently for the past two weeks after about 10 years of nothing. I have GAINED weight even though my eating hasn't changed and I'm burning more calories. That's normal. I know if I keep at it, I will drop that plus some more and have a healthier heart and more stamina to boot.

4. This is hard work, even though the band DOES make it easier if you let it. I get full on small amounts of food-- not "stuffed" full like I was used to, but "ok, I've had enough and my body doesn't need more" full. This is REALLY hard to get used to. Full is never again going to feel like full has felt in the past. But, I can still eat past the point where my band says "eh, you've fed your body as much as it needs" and very very often my brain says "do it, you know you want to, mmmmm it tastes so good, just one more bite!". It is a real struggle sometimes to listen to my band and not my head hunger. I actually have a little mantra when I'm eating and being mindful. I say "if I'm not going to listen to the band when it says stop, then why did I bother with this surgery in the first place?" That tends to turn down the volume of the head hunger.

I think people naturally go into this surgery very optimistically. They go to the seminar and the surgeon and the carefully selected successful patients of that surgeon talk about how amazing it is. They come on this board and look at the success story forum, and the "I lost 100 lbs" forum, and the "before and after" picture gallery. They see people's tickers (like mine) who have lost huge amounts in months, not years and they expect only the best , most luckiest results, and ignore the fact that the average expected loss in 60% of excess weight at two years. I understand this because I did it too, and I fully believe that I have been incredibly LUCKY so far and that it's "easy" for me to say this but I do think that bandsters who are really in touch with reality and not overly optimistic are going to be able to emotionally adjust to banded life better.

Do not get the band if you expect it to work like bypass. If you want super fast results, and you want malabsorption, then get the bypass. With the "plusses" of the band, including its adjustability and its reversibility, come some costs and one cost is that it requires adjustment which is unpredictable in some ways, and it's associated with a slower rate of loss.

Love, love, LOVE this post!! I think you really captured the true picture of being banded!

[kittyforet 50]

Thanks to everyone who has posted comments about what they wish they had known before banding. It is very helpful to me to hear!!! I'm not going into my surgery blind, but some things I feel got "glossed over" in the learning process, either by lack of knowledge on my part, or miscommunication on the medical community's/ people that have had the bands' part (not LBT people, just people I know) .....

I feel better hearing from those that have been there, done that, and I am very grateful that so many people share not only their successes, but their struggles as well. I'm not looking forward to the "why did I do this to myself?" struggle or Bandster Hell, but I am looking forward to a new life and know that with LBT friends I can find comfort, suggestions, and a cheering section.

Thanks peeps!!! Keep me on track!!!!

[Ducker 59]

Thank you all so much for responding. I agree with Bandaide that the seminars really can seem like a LabBandLoveFest. In order to make an informed decision, we need to know the real - the good, the bad, the ugly. After all, this is a serious LIFE change we are talking about, not simply a weight change. So, we deserve the opportunity to make an informed decision, not only on the basis of the doctors, surgeons, and clinicians that benefit from the performance of WLS, but from real people like you and I who refuse to sugar coat the facts and pass along the portrait of a real life experience living with the band. I can't tell you how much all of your feedback means to me. Lastly, I WAS APPROVED!!! I have my pre-surgery appointment with my surgeon on Monday 8/15 when I will be assigned a surgery date. I am so excited, and can't believe this is coming true for me. And, I want you to know that there would be no dream come true without people like you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

[MsVetRN 41]

Well its not always a happy shiny picture. Having constant nerve shoulder pain forever is not pretty, having constant gas forever is not pretty, being at a plateu for months is not pretty, not being able to tolerate certain foods because they cause stomach issues which mine are cinnamon and mint but over all I would do it again because I was taking five medications for my stomach, blood pressure medication, pain pills for the chronic back pain and now I am med free except for my restless legs which with a little magnesium and Calcium that seems to have improved. I would do it again no matter how ugly it is really sometimes.

Hoow is your "constant nerve shoulder pain" related to the lap band? Did something happen during surgery?

[myzn1 0]

I got banded today. I have air trapped in my body that is pretty painful but i'm slowly burping it out. Other than that i think everything (as far as the procedure goes) worked out fine.