Banded 1 yr and have it removed!!

[cheryl2586 3,053]

First of all yes I have been banded for three years and guess what????? If the band fails it is because of the one with it. If you are doing everything exactly to the tee unless you have a medical problem then yes you have failed the band. NancyNicole if you dont feel you are getting support here then............. Do you really think that the band is magic and its easy because its not. DO YOU THINK YOU CAN EAT JUNK food THREE WEEKS OUT OR A YEAR OUT AND STILL LOSE WEIGHT??????? No you can't. I am only speaking of myself. I have been successful because I followed ALL of my doctors instructions not some. I havent eaten ice cream or doughnuts or Cookies or pie or potato chips. I have had nothing but Protein, veggies and fruit. When I stopped doing all this I stopped losing period. When I went back to doing it I lost and kept losing. You can not eat and stuff yourself to the brim with the band, have a free for all cheat day, cosume massive amounts of carbs and think I/we are going to commend you for that because I HAVE WORKED HARD AT THIS. If you don't like others comments then so be it but it is a PUBLIC FORUM and as long as we post by the rules then really you don't have to read any of it. IF YOU WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL YOU MUST: 1 STOP GORDGING YOURSELF WITH FOOD, 2 STOP EATING JUNK FOOD, 3 STOP CONSUMING GROSS AMOUNTS OF CARBS 4 STOP DRINKING ALCOHOL 5 STOP EATING THINGS THAT ARE NOT ON YOUR DIET AS PRESCRIBED BY YOUR DOCTOR 6 STOP ASKING US WHAT TO EAT AND FOLLOW YOUR OWN DOCTORS PLAN. That is all there is to it. We are not here to coddle those who fail to do as they are told to do. "Oh I had a bad day and stuffed myself" and I am supposed to be happy about that why??????? I don't stuff myself on any given day. I dont cheat I do not eat what I am not supposed to. I take offense to those who get this surgery and think they can do as they did pre band. Oh its the holidays so let me consume cookies and pie. Really???? I dont care if you like my answer or how I answer others and this was not for the OP I truly believe the band is not for you. Do what you need to do.

[NaNcyNiCoLe 94]

FOR THE LAST TIME IM NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT MY BAND .. I JUST GOT IT ON FRIDAY .. AS IN 12/14/2012. IM NOT CHEATING OR EATING JUNK food BECAUSE IM DRINKING JUICE.!! JESUS!! BEFORE YOU JUMP DONE PEOPLES THROAT MAYBE YOU SHOULD READ THE BEGINNING OF THE POST!

[cheryl2586 3,053]

No one said your complaining about your band. You're complaining about how we answer. I did read the beginning post and posted accordingly. Where in my post did I say YOU WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT YOUR BAND. I said Im not coddling people who do as they wish then complain about not losing weight. If you take that personally then you must be feeling guilty or something. I was not saying it to YOU I was saying it to everyone.

[Maddysgram 6,159]

If you got something to say Maddy then say it. You dont have to follow me around on this forum to find out what I'm posting. GET A LIFE ! I feel sorry for people like you.

PS.. I'm not the only NEWBIE that feels this way!

Also you just got your band in October and you have the right answers..PLEASE.

I am not following you. You just happen to be on the threads I go on. Yes, I did check out your profile, just like I do everyone else. Nothing personal.

I did just get banded in Oct but have been on this forum for 7mths everyday before that. Got myself a really good on line education from the "old timers"are about how the band works & doesn't work. Their support has gotten me to where I am today and I owe them my love and adoration.

I wish you the best on your new journey, if you have a problem with me please feel free to block me.

[cheryl2586 3,053]

Thank God for blocking people.

[Maddysgram 6,159]

FOR THE LAST TIME IM NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT MY BAND .. I JUST GOT IT ON FRIDAY .. AS IN 12/14/2012. IM NOT CHEATING OR EATING JUNK food BECAUSE IM DRINKING juice.!! JESUS!! BEFORE YOU JUMP DONE PEOPLES THROAT MAYBE YOU SHOULD READ THE BEGINNING OF THE POST!

No one said you were complaining about your band. Your only problem is with the "old timers"and I Do Not think you're being fair on that part. But everyone is in titled to their own opinion, after all this is an OPEN forum.

Best wishes to you!

[NaNcyNiCoLe 94]

I give up. I'm not the one that started with old timers I had read it many other post. People are going to put whatever they want in other peoples post. Good Luck to all. I'm done with this !

[VictoriousPassion 64]

I've been banded for just over a yr and my Dr suggested that I have it removed bcuz my weight loss is too slow and he thinks that I won't loose anymore weight. But I'm getting the vertical sleeve done in return. I just don't feel like going thru the slight irritation for a week. I'm praying it'll be worth it in the end.

I'm not going to judge you. I have not had the band yet and my surgery is Friday. Overall, I decided to get the band due to the ability to have it removed. I read reviews of the sleeve and was not impressed with the results. Please review all the options and rate if success. Although its newer here in the US, its been done elsewhere for awhile. I am concerned about the suture and staple line over the years and the fact that IF you are not diligent in your efforts your stomach will expand again over time. Please know I'm not trying to discourage you, just look on reputable sites before getting any procedure. I chose the lap band after 10 yrs. because of the success rate and complications. I'm not saying wait like I did, but logically look at how successful your procedure will be in the long run. Good luck to you in whatever you decide!!

Current pre-op wt 344

[tray116 10]

Hey guys I was banded 11/11/11 and as of today I lost 115lbs with only getting filled to 5 ccs I just recently learned I have a hernia which is gonna cause me to have my band removed...I'm upset bc I really felt the band was working...now I'm scared I may go backwards... I have learned about watching what I eat n how much I can handle...

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,721]

Well at the end of the day, I'm going to do what's best for me. They're always risk for everything we do. I always do my research and talked to my few friends that had the sleeve done. I try not to think negatively on things so serious. I will be fine. Thanks for your concerns.

my good friend, jean mcmillian, had the band (and who wrote the bandwagon book)..well, she revised to the sleeve this year for reasons NOT related to the band. i will ask her to respond to this thread and offer some insight for you....sorry you are going through this.

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

Hey guys I was banded 11/11/11 and as of today I lost 115lbs with only getting filled to 5 ccs I just recently learned I have a hernia which is gonna cause me to have my band removed...I'm upset bc I really felt the band was working...now I'm scared I may go backwards... I have learned about watching what I eat n how much I can handle...

Did your surgeon say why you need your band removed because of the hernia? I've been in the WLS game for over 5 years and this is the first time I've heard of that happening. Is it an unsually large hernia? Causing some other problems? Or what?

I have a hiatal hernia that my original surgeon failed to repair despite his promise to do so. I lost my band at 4-1/2 yrs post-op but not because of the hernia. I've asked my current surgeon several times about repairing the hernia and she keeps saying it's not necessary, though I've read in several books by bariatric surgeons that untreated or undiagnosed hiatal hernias can be associated with band slips. Off the top of my head, I can think of 2 long-time bandsters who developed hiatal hernias after weight loss. Both had their hernias repaired and (while they were at it) their bands replaced. Neither had complications and they both still love their bands.

I tell you all this because I hate to see you lose your band without a sound reason behind it. Maybe getting a second opinion would help?

Jean

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

OK, here's my speech.

My background: I lost 100% of my excess weight with my band but had to have it removed at 4-1/2 yrs post-op because of problems caused by a 20+ year history of silent reflux that apparently my band was aggravating. A few months later, I revised to the sleeve and since then have lost the weight I regained after losing my band. So I'm speaking from personal experience with both WLS procedures.

My opinion is that slow weight loss is not a good enough reason to remove your band unless you have very serious comorbidities that need to be resolved quickly. Aside from that consideration, additional surgery is probably riskier to you than the sIow weight loss. That's because all surgeries of all descriptions are risky. I won't quiz you on whether or not you've done your part to lose weight. You must've been doing something right to lose the 30 lbs. Your slow weight loss could be due to a dozen things, some of them not within your control.

My greater concern for you is that you haven't been able to tolerate fills because of reflux. I've encountered quite a few bandsters who had the same problem and eventually revised to a different WLS procedure because of it. Medically, that makes sense to me, because reflux can cause serious damage to the esophagus and stomach. Remember what I said about needing my band removed? It's because decades of reflux had caused esophageal stenosis (thickening of the walls) and dysmotility (my esophagus couldn't move food down into my stomach very well). According to 2 gastro docs who treated me earlier this year, those problems can eventually cause serious malnutrition because the patient can hardly even swallow Protein shakes. Also, reflux can lead to a pre-cancerous condition called Barretts Esophagus. So I'm glad your surgeon is taking your reflux seriously.

Is the sleeve a good option for you? Maybe, maybe not. Before you roll into an operating room for that procedure, you need to know that reflux is extremely common in sleeve patients. The ones who had before surgery find it's a LOT worse afterward, and most of us need to take meds for it (I take omeprazole) indefinitely. Some find that even the meds don't control it.

I thought that the sleeve would be a good 2nd choice for me because I wasn't crazy about the malabsorption aspect of gastric bypass surgery, because one of the best features of the sleeve is that the reduced stomach size drastically reduces production of the hunger hormone, grehlin, and because the idea of a surgery that wouldn't require fills to achieve optimal restriction was appealing.

Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way for me. I am now ferociously hungry on an hourly basis no matter what, how much, or when I eat. I have to eat 8-10 times a day in order to keep my blood sugar steady. I've had to start taking metformin for my type 2 diabetes after easily managing it with diet and exercise for 7 years. I've discovered that sleeve patients can dump just like gastric bypass patients because the small sleeve can't hold food for long and therefore "dumps" it quickly into the intestines, causing miserable symptoms of nausea, dizziness, drenching sweats, fatigue. That happens not just when I eat something with sugar in it but also when I eat so-called healthy foods (protein bars, milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, Protein Shakes, most fruits). I've become anemic and have to take an Iron supplement twice a day in order to give me enough energy to function. Turns out that micronutrient malabsorption isn't unique to gastric bypass and duodenal switch patients. Also, since my sleeve surgery I've developed a gastric bleed. When doing an EGD to locate the source of the bleed, my gastro doc discovered a gastric polyp (probably the cause of the bleeding) and duodenitis (inflammation of the duodenum), neither of which were present when I had an EGD 3 months before my sleeve surgery. Finally, I've discovered that sleeve patients can have "stuck" episodes just like bandsters do, and for the same reasons (in my case, careless eating).

I'm not able to be objective about my sleeve at this point, and at 4 months post-op, it's probably too early for me to decide it was a mistake. But even if I decide it was a mistake, I'm never going to get that missing chunk of stomach back. It's gone forever. I do know that I absolutely refuse to go back to the land of obesity, and I'm grateful that my sleeve has helped me avoid that. My main reason for telling you all this is to warn you that there is no such thing as a risk-free, effective WLS tool. Every surgery has side effects, risks, and lifestyle effects to consider. It is always OK to quiz your surgeon about those issues, and if he/she doesn't respond to your satisfaction, I think you need to get a 2nd opinion.

Good luck!

Jean

[tray116 10]

Jean thank u....bc of the hernia I cannot get anymore fills after 5 ccs bc nothing passes through... I'm going for another swallowing study soon to rule everything out...I hate to lose my band also bc it has worked with me n helping me lose my weight..

[sommers4977 58]

Sommers' date=' most likely you have not had enough fills to hit your green zone yet. This is the time it's all about you doing it.

I was banded 10/15/12 and have 1 fill of 3cc, not in green zone either.

I've been on a strict diet for 6mths so starting this journey I already had the counting calories and the one cup rule already in place so I have been able to continue to loose.

I read a post of a newbie telling other newbies they will never see the weight they lost on pre op diet again and that is not true. When you go from liquid diet & transition back to real food, you most likely will gain some or be stuck at the same weight until your body adjjust. So just hang in there and follow the plan, it WILL start to come off.

Best of health to you![/quote']

Thanks maddysgram