Lapband Just Did Not Work For Me

[aloudwhisper 176]

I too have had a lot of struggles with my band. I'm struggling with the same weight for the last month ir so. I have had some weight loss, but lately I haven't. Honestly, I want to be thin bad, but I wonder how bad. When I'm emotional, I struggle with making the right food choices. I work out. I have been trying to find more intense work outs, because I need to burn more than I eat as suggested. I've got to do better. I enjoyed reading everyones response. I'm just trying to stay connected to get back on track and stay there.

[debbiepolk 16]

Hello. My name is Jenny and I have posted on here around the time of my surgery back in August of 2010. I'm not really sure where to post this but I'm guessing that the "General Lap Band Support is the right place because I do need support but I also want to share my story.

I was banded on August 24' date=' 2010 by Dr. Luis Reyes. On my pre-op diet I had lost around 10 pounds and on the day of my surgery I weighed 220 pounds. I recovered quickly and an appointment was set up to see Dr. Reyes in 1 week's time after my surgery. During that first week I drank nothing but pain medication in liquid form, chicken broth, and Water and could only drink all these liquids from a 30 ml medicine cup and it would take me about 45 minutes to get it down. I thought all this would surely drop a few pounds and it did. I went from 220 pounds to 217 pounds in about 3 days, but when the 7 days were up and I was set to go to my appointment I was 224 pounds. While in the doctor's lobby there were other patient's that either had lap band or gastric bypass and they were all excited and I found out that they were also there for their 1 week check in and they were all on cloud 9 saying "I already lost 10 pounds. I have lost 15 pounds. I have lost 20 pounds in a week!" some of these were lap band patients saying this. They seemed so ecstatic about the weight loss and I was happy for them but then I thought about my reality of gaining 7 pounds when these people had lost all this weight in 1 week after surgery. I got called in and was weighed and I was so embarrassed when I saw 224 pounds and I had to fight to keep the tears in. I was sent to a waiting room and when Dr. Reyes came in he discussed my weight and I guess at this point he mentally pinned me as a patient that was going to be noncompliant with the surgery's rules and the diet.

He regarded me with suspicion because of my weight gain and I told him I was doing everything the rules stated and he told me that the gain was probably due to swelling. I went on my way and made an appointment to return in 1 month. In the middle of that month I was given the thumbs up to start exercising lightly so I chose Walking off the Pounds with Leslie Sansone and did it about 4 days a week for 40 minutes. I was still in the stage 1 of the eating menu and was slowly making my way to stage 2 and was feeling good. I got down to 212 and I surprised that I had because I was also in the middle of finishing up my last year of nursing school and it was pretty hectic. I was so excited that I was 212 because it was the first time I had hit that number in about 12 years.....but it didn't last. I kept with the same exercise regimen and transitioned fully to mushy food when I got the okay to do so by the doctor's office and the weight began to stagnate at 212 pounds and then slowly crept up all the way up to 224 pounds again. By the time my 1 month appointment came around I was furious and annoyed by all the happy people in the lobby proclaiming that they lost this amount of weight and that amount of weight. I was almost in tears when I saw the 224 pounds on the scale and thought "don't cry. the doctor will know what is wrong with me. he'll know why I'm not losing weight." I had my mother with me at the time and even she wanted to cry because of the anguish I was going through and she was also frustrated that the weight loss was not happening.

The doctor came in and shook our hands and asked me how everything was going and I blurted out. "I don't know what's happening. I don't think it's working" and I think he took it as a personal attack on him and his work which I didn't mean it to be. It was out of my desperation. I told him what had been happening. That I got down to 212 then all of a sudden I was 224 despite the dieting and despite the exercise. He proceeded to cut me off mid sentence and told me "It's your fault. You must not be following rules. You have to change your eating habits or it's not going to work." and I furrowed my brow in disbelief and just stared at him and finally said, "No. I'm following the rules. I'm eating nothing but liquids and soft mushy foods. I stop when I get full. I try everyday to get in 60 oz of Water a day. I'm exercising as much as my surgery allows me to at this moment. I'm following the rules but I keep on gaining!" He talked over me and told me, "Stop drinking the sugary drinks. Stop eating the candy. Stop drinking the cokes. Stop eating the chips. Stop eating the pizza because this is why you're gaining."

And I looked at my mother for help because there was no point in telling him again that he must be talking to the wrong person because I am not cheating and I'm following the rules that he set for me. My mother told him "Look doctor. Before she had the surgery and when she was little I let her eat whatever she wanted, but this surgery was big and I don't think she would throw this all away to cheat. I live with her. When she's cooking her food I'm there in the kitchen as well cooking for the rest of the family. I watch her. She does not cheat because we both want this to work." and it was the God honest truth. I wasn't cheating. I did have cravings when she was cooking for other people I would resist tasting and leave the kitchen immediately and would be successful in doing so. So he told my mother "Does she have her own room?" my mother said yes. "Does she go to sleep after you go to sleep or does she stay up late?" and my mom said she stays up as long as she wants to stay up. And mind you I'm 26 years old and a nurse and he still treated me as if I was a child. then he told my mother "well, ma'am. that's it. there's the problem. She's sneaking in food late at night while everyone else is asleep. The candy, the Cookies, the sodas." At that point, I zoned out and was unresponsive to anything else he said after that. I hated him for accusing me of behaviors that I was not exhibiting.

After that he decided that what I needed was a fill. It was my first fill and he told me I have a 7 cc band and he put 2 CCs in that day. He made me left my own feet so band can protrude out making it easy for him to eye the port underneath my skin. It was hard holding up my legs especially as an obese person. He saw me struggle. Then he poke and prodded me with the needle and hurt my with each stick. and that was that. He sent me out, I went home, drank some Powerade, couldn't keep it down, couldn't keep my own saliva down, and ended up having to have a cup with me for more than 24 hours to puke my bile into. I called the office and told them that I needed an unfill and they told me I couldn't come in right away that I had to wait til 2 pm and I had called around 10 am. I was miserable. I went in and they weight me again after a day and I had gone down to 217 pounds and the lady that weighed me was all "OMG! 2 pounds in 1 day! that is awesome!!" if only she knew the hell I was going through in that 1 day. I was told that Dr. Reyes wasn't in because he was busy at the hospital and I would have to see his colleague Dr. Garza. When I began talking to Dr. Garza. He actually sat there and listened to me and didn't interrupt me while I was talking. I told him that it wasn't working and that I was having more difficulty trying to lose weight than when I was trying to lose it on my own without the lap band. I told him I was following at the rules and he told me "well, it's different for everyone. but I don't want you to give up. Keep trying and if nothing helps then come in and we'll try to figure out what's wrong." So then he got me ready to removed 1/2 cc from my band and he actually had one of the ladies come in and hold up my feet for me which was so much more comfortable and when he stuck me with the needle his hand was steady and gentle and it didn't hurt. But what surprised me the most was how after I got unfilled he sat me down and gave me a a tiny cup of water and told me to take my time drinking it and if it goes down without any complications I was free to go and if it didn't then I'll come back in and I'll readjust you again. I wanted to cry because Dr. Reyes didn't even care enough to do this for me. He just told me bye without testing if I could drink and keep down the liquids after having my band filled. So I went home and I could drink and eat but less which was how the band is supposed to work. I lost about 2 pounds and ended up going back to see Dr. Reyes.

He told me he didn't know what was going on but not to blame the lap band because it's the patient's job to to work with it. So I went to my main doctor and there was this new PA there and she diagnosed me with hypothyrodism because of my symptoms of not being able to lose weight and stuff and I went back to Dr. Reyes and told him I had hypothyroidism and I guess to him this was the reason I wasn't losing weight and he seemed to become nicer after I told him that. So then the PA calls me to tell me to buy some potassium pills to take with the thyroid medication she gave me and I did because I finally thought that the reason for not being able to lose weight was finally revealed. A couple of days later my doctor called me and told me to come in and when I did he told me that he had fired the PA because she was diagnosing multiple people with diseases they didn't even have and prescribing medications for these "diseases" so he told me that I don't even have hypothyroidism and told me to stop taking the pills that the PA gave me. So I was at square 1 again. Around this time my enthusiasm started to dwindle. I didn't care about losing the weight anymore. I didn't care about exercising. I didn't care what I ate. I thought what for? I'm a failure. I've been doing everything right. I followed the rules and maybe it just wasn't meant to be. I stopped going to Dr. Reyes' office and now weigh 230 pounds and have weighed this much for months. I recently went to the my main doctor for a 3 month check up and saw my weight at it was 232 pounds and something just clicked...that I need to continue losing weight and get rid of all the negativity and let go of the past. There was a time when I thought of revision to gastric bypass or gastric sleeve but I don't think that I could do this all over again.

So, I'm trying to become more positive and I feel like this is my time to really lose the weight this time. Without the band. The band means nothing to me anymore. And one day I want it removed. I'm not focused on it anymore. I'm just focused on eating healthy and exercising. I'm currently doing the 17 day diet by Dr. Moreno and doing turbo jam and/or zumba 6 days a week and I have lost 10 pounds so far and contribute nothing to band anymore. It's all me! and will only be me.

I would still like to come here on these boards for support on my weight loss journey though. I find that music really helps in situations and I just wanted to share a song that resonates with me and relates to my lap band situation with my doctor and everything and wanted to share it here. You can look for it on youtube. It's Called Monarch by Natalie Walker.[/quote']

Hi. I am scheduled to be banded Tuesday December 18 and when i read posts like this it makes me wonder if i am doing the right thing. This is why i try not to read these kind of posts because it makes me have 2nd thought if i am doing the right thing. But i i have waited for 6 months and i have gone through a lot and money to haven gotten to this point. But i hope things work out for you and things get better for you. Good luck.

[CHEZNOEL 4,061]

Floridays is never mean, but she has been darned successful! We could all learn things from her. Why is that when someone posts the honest opinion, which you ask for by coming here, you find it easier to slam them than to listen thoughtfully. Soon this will be a coddle only forum, and no one will benefits from the experience successful bandster have had. Just Sayin'! We need the balance!

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

I have to agree with the others. Floridays wasn't mean in the least, she was honest. Sometimes the truth isn't pleasant or easy to take, but it doesn't make it any less true just because we don't like it.

After reading your post, a few things struck me. First, your doctor is a jerk and you need to take control of your own health, starting with finding a new surgeon. The way he handled you was completely unacceptable. You both need and deserve a doctor to support and help you, not belittle and judge you.

The other thing that struck me is the fact you gave up after only 3 months and have lived for over 2 years with a great tool you never even began to use. I understand you're frustrated and sad because of the way things turned out for you, but you can't say the band didn't work for you when you never utilized it or gave it a chance.

The beauty of the band is the ability to start over. Find a new surgeon, re-educate yourself about the band, see a nutritionist to set up food guidelines that fit your lifestyle, and start using the tool inside you.

Best wishes. Don't give up.

[pecan143 0]

I agree I think you need to find a new doctor.

[2muchfun 8,927]

Hi. I am scheduled to be banded Tuesday December 18 and when i read posts like this it makes me wonder if i am doing the right thing. This is why i try not to read these kind of posts because it makes me have 2nd thought if i am doing the right thing. But i i have waited for 6 months and i have gone through a lot and money to haven gotten to this point. But i hope things work out for you and things get better for you. Good luck.

DebbiePolk,

The lapband is not 100% effective. And for many reasons. For most of us, it has given us the tool to manage our eating behaviors and eventually our destiny. There is no magic pill, tool or wand that will make each of us a compliant patient or make your doctor be a Dr Simpson or Dr. O'Brien. Dr's are people too and some of them will be A-holes. Do your research and be very comfortable with your choice.

BTW-The number of posts like this one are well below 2% of the posts on this forum. Yes, there are many who are struggling in the beginning or during the journey and that's what this forum is for, but don't confuse those strugglers with failures, it's a learning process for all of us.

tmf

[debbiepolk 16]

Thank you lady:) I will keep that in mind

[aloudwhisper 176]

So what are people doing to make the band se work for them? What is your eating and work out plan? Are you at your sweet spot?

[joni2 27]

I agree with past 2 posts. It's hard for all of us who have taken this path, but at some point you have put on your big girl panties and decide if you want to follow the path you chose with the lap band or move on. Many this is not your time .

[MiniMi 1,468]

Hello. My name is Jenny and I have posted on here around the time of my surgery back in August of 2010. I'm not really sure where to post this but I'm guessing that the "General Lap Band Support is the right place because I do need support but I also want to share my story.

I was banded on August 24' date=' 2010 by Dr. Luis Reyes. On my pre-op diet I had lost around 10 pounds and on the day of my surgery I weighed 220 pounds. I recovered quickly and an appointment was set up to see Dr. Reyes in 1 week's time after my surgery. During that first week I drank nothing but pain medication in liquid form, chicken broth, and Water and could only drink all these liquids from a 30 ml medicine cup and it would take me about 45 minutes to get it down. I thought all this would surely drop a few pounds and it did. I went from 220 pounds to 217 pounds in about 3 days, but when the 7 days were up and I was set to go to my appointment I was 224 pounds. While in the doctor's lobby there were other patient's that either had lap band or gastric bypass and they were all excited and I found out that they were also there for their 1 week check in and they were all on cloud 9 saying "I already lost 10 pounds. I have lost 15 pounds. I have lost 20 pounds in a week!" some of these were lap band patients saying this. They seemed so ecstatic about the weight loss and I was happy for them but then I thought about my reality of gaining 7 pounds when these people had lost all this weight in 1 week after surgery. I got called in and was weighed and I was so embarrassed when I saw 224 pounds and I had to fight to keep the tears in. I was sent to a waiting room and when Dr. Reyes came in he discussed my weight and I guess at this point he mentally pinned me as a patient that was going to be noncompliant with the surgery's rules and the diet.

He regarded me with suspicion because of my weight gain and I told him I was doing everything the rules stated and he told me that the gain was probably due to swelling. I went on my way and made an appointment to return in 1 month. In the middle of that month I was given the thumbs up to start exercising lightly so I chose Walking off the Pounds with Leslie Sansone and did it about 4 days a week for 40 minutes. I was still in the stage 1 of the eating menu and was slowly making my way to stage 2 and was feeling good. I got down to 212 and I surprised that I had because I was also in the middle of finishing up my last year of nursing school and it was pretty hectic. I was so excited that I was 212 because it was the first time I had hit that number in about 12 years.....but it didn't last. I kept with the same exercise regimen and transitioned fully to mushy food when I got the okay to do so by the doctor's office and the weight began to stagnate at 212 pounds and then slowly crept up all the way up to 224 pounds again. By the time my 1 month appointment came around I was furious and annoyed by all the happy people in the lobby proclaiming that they lost this amount of weight and that amount of weight. I was almost in tears when I saw the 224 pounds on the scale and thought "don't cry. the doctor will know what is wrong with me. he'll know why I'm not losing weight." I had my mother with me at the time and even she wanted to cry because of the anguish I was going through and she was also frustrated that the weight loss was not happening.

The doctor came in and shook our hands and asked me how everything was going and I blurted out. "I don't know what's happening. I don't think it's working" and I think he took it as a personal attack on him and his work which I didn't mean it to be. It was out of my desperation. I told him what had been happening. That I got down to 212 then all of a sudden I was 224 despite the dieting and despite the exercise. He proceeded to cut me off mid sentence and told me "It's your fault. You must not be following rules. You have to change your eating habits or it's not going to work." and I furrowed my brow in disbelief and just stared at him and finally said, "No. I'm following the rules. I'm eating nothing but liquids and soft mushy foods. I stop when I get full. I try everyday to get in 60 oz of Water a day. I'm exercising as much as my surgery allows me to at this moment. I'm following the rules but I keep on gaining!" He talked over me and told me, "Stop drinking the sugary drinks. Stop eating the candy. Stop drinking the cokes. Stop eating the chips. Stop eating the pizza because this is why you're gaining."

And I looked at my mother for help because there was no point in telling him again that he must be talking to the wrong person because I am not cheating and I'm following the rules that he set for me. My mother told him "Look doctor. Before she had the surgery and when she was little I let her eat whatever she wanted, but this surgery was big and I don't think she would throw this all away to cheat. I live with her. When she's cooking her food I'm there in the kitchen as well cooking for the rest of the family. I watch her. She does not cheat because we both want this to work." and it was the God honest truth. I wasn't cheating. I did have cravings when she was cooking for other people I would resist tasting and leave the kitchen immediately and would be successful in doing so. So he told my mother "Does she have her own room?" my mother said yes. "Does she go to sleep after you go to sleep or does she stay up late?" and my mom said she stays up as long as she wants to stay up. And mind you I'm 26 years old and a nurse and he still treated me as if I was a child. then he told my mother "well, ma'am. that's it. there's the problem. She's sneaking in food late at night while everyone else is asleep. The candy, the Cookies, the sodas." At that point, I zoned out and was unresponsive to anything else he said after that. I hated him for accusing me of behaviors that I was not exhibiting.

After that he decided that what I needed was a fill. It was my first fill and he told me I have a 7 cc band and he put 2 CCs in that day. He made me left my own feet so band can protrude out making it easy for him to eye the port underneath my skin. It was hard holding up my legs especially as an obese person. He saw me struggle. Then he poke and prodded me with the needle and hurt my with each stick. and that was that. He sent me out, I went home, drank some Powerade, couldn't keep it down, couldn't keep my own saliva down, and ended up having to have a cup with me for more than 24 hours to puke my bile into. I called the office and told them that I needed an unfill and they told me I couldn't come in right away that I had to wait til 2 pm and I had called around 10 am. I was miserable. I went in and they weight me again after a day and I had gone down to 217 pounds and the lady that weighed me was all "OMG! 2 pounds in 1 day! that is awesome!!" if only she knew the hell I was going through in that 1 day. I was told that Dr. Reyes wasn't in because he was busy at the hospital and I would have to see his colleague Dr. Garza. When I began talking to Dr. Garza. He actually sat there and listened to me and didn't interrupt me while I was talking. I told him that it wasn't working and that I was having more difficulty trying to lose weight than when I was trying to lose it on my own without the lap band. I told him I was following at the rules and he told me "well, it's different for everyone. but I don't want you to give up. Keep trying and if nothing helps then come in and we'll try to figure out what's wrong." So then he got me ready to removed 1/2 cc from my band and he actually had one of the ladies come in and hold up my feet for me which was so much more comfortable and when he stuck me with the needle his hand was steady and gentle and it didn't hurt. But what surprised me the most was how after I got unfilled he sat me down and gave me a a tiny cup of water and told me to take my time drinking it and if it goes down without any complications I was free to go and if it didn't then I'll come back in and I'll readjust you again. I wanted to cry because Dr. Reyes didn't even care enough to do this for me. He just told me bye without testing if I could drink and keep down the liquids after having my band filled. So I went home and I could drink and eat but less which was how the band is supposed to work. I lost about 2 pounds and ended up going back to see Dr. Reyes.

He told me he didn't know what was going on but not to blame the lap band because it's the patient's job to to work with it. So I went to my main doctor and there was this new PA there and she diagnosed me with hypothyrodism because of my symptoms of not being able to lose weight and stuff and I went back to Dr. Reyes and told him I had hypothyroidism and I guess to him this was the reason I wasn't losing weight and he seemed to become nicer after I told him that. So then the PA calls me to tell me to buy some potassium pills to take with the thyroid medication she gave me and I did because I finally thought that the reason for not being able to lose weight was finally revealed. A couple of days later my doctor called me and told me to come in and when I did he told me that he had fired the PA because she was diagnosing multiple people with diseases they didn't even have and prescribing medications for these "diseases" so he told me that I don't even have hypothyroidism and told me to stop taking the pills that the PA gave me. So I was at square 1 again. Around this time my enthusiasm started to dwindle. I didn't care about losing the weight anymore. I didn't care about exercising. I didn't care what I ate. I thought what for? I'm a failure. I've been doing everything right. I followed the rules and maybe it just wasn't meant to be. I stopped going to Dr. Reyes' office and now weigh 230 pounds and have weighed this much for months. I recently went to the my main doctor for a 3 month check up and saw my weight at it was 232 pounds and something just clicked...that I need to continue losing weight and get rid of all the negativity and let go of the past. There was a time when I thought of revision to gastric bypass or gastric sleeve but I don't think that I could do this all over again.

So, I'm trying to become more positive and I feel like this is my time to really lose the weight this time. Without the band. The band means nothing to me anymore. And one day I want it removed. I'm not focused on it anymore. I'm just focused on eating healthy and exercising. I'm currently doing the 17 day diet by Dr. Moreno and doing turbo jam and/or zumba 6 days a week and I have lost 10 pounds so far and contribute nothing to band anymore. It's all me! and will only be me.

I would still like to come here on these boards for support on my weight loss journey though. I find that music really helps in situations and I just wanted to share a song that resonates with me and relates to my lap band situation with my doctor and everything and wanted to share it here. You can look for it on youtube. It's Called Monarch by Natalie Walker.[/quote']

Quote from your original post:

and I furrowed my brow in disbelief and just stared at him and finally said, "No. I'm following the rules. I'm eating nothing but liquids and soft mushy foods. I stop when I get full.

I think you did mention eating until FULL!

Well it looks like you finally got out of your own way and are finally doing what works. I would urge you to find a different medical team because with the successful actions you are already doing the band can help you keep it off.

[MiniMi 1,468]

. That's the beauty of a public forum.... If you throw it out there ... You will get lots of different styles and hopefully one will fit yours.

So now I may need to start my own support thread as I have been called harsh' date=' mean and pompous.... Hmmm maybe I need to just go to bed. [/quote']

To know you is to love you...haven't found any of those attributes in your behavior...EVER.

seems like we've got a wounded tiger on our hands that lashes out when anyone tries to get close enough to help.

[CHEZNOEL 4,061]

Good post minimi!

[FLORIDAYS 3,040]

I haven't visited this thread since I called it a day and went to bed... That night last week.....But now rereading it...(because I am awake trying to relax from a busy day I guess...) I wanted to add that since this thread started I decided to really pick and choose my responses. But it's hard... I want everyone to be successfull with the band because think everyone CAN be successful... But maybe some people just don't want it as bad as I or so many of us on this forum do... So I will consider that in future posts.. And if it's obvious they are just wounded whiners I may let someone else put forth the effort....

[aloudwhisper 176]

The truth hurts, but we all need to hear it. I know my reality isn't always what I want to hear, but the truth is the light. Speak your mind, but be mindful that anyone that went through thus surgery wants the weight loss, but they lack the support needed to get and keep the weight off. We all need help.

[Blondie638 98]

To me.. And I may be wrong. Losing weight is a simple mathematic equation that I have yet to get right but if you burn more calories than you consume that should result in weight loss. For example:

Consume 1000 calories but burn 1200... You are negative 200 calories for the day. Which can add up if in the negative to a weight loss.

If you consume more calories than you burn then you will have a surplus and gain weight.

It concerns me that you may have something medically wrong. I'd get everything checked out. Maybe log down everything you eat and provide your doc with the information to show them exactly what u are doing.

And I agree.. Get a new doctor