New to this site and disappointed

[lellow 1,713]

Lapbandster, I spoke to my dr on Friday and even the band I got as a replacement is different to the one I got 5 years ago. I didn't get restriction with that band until I was 8.5cc and now because the band is different and placed by a different surgeon, I think I may be in my green zone already at 6cc. My port is WAY smaller and deeper in, and I have a new soft stop (hiccups, where my nose used to leak).

Banding is not an exact science and you roll the dice whenever you chose to do something, whether it's get weight loss surgery or walk across the road. I think risk and complications need to be taken in context.

[RwSample 17]

One more thing before this topic expires.... I adked my pc if he has seen patient because of band complications. He said, "oh, yes!" I then asked it the problems were due to non-compliance and he said no! He said that I woild be far more likely to die of heart disease, hypertension, or my type 2diabetes, then from the lapband. He therefore supports my decision to get lapband.

[RwSample 17]

Lapbandster' date=' I spoke to my dr on Friday and even the band I got as a replacement is different to the one I got 5 years ago. I didn't get restriction with that band until I was 8.5cc and now because the band is different and placed by a different surgeon, I think I may be in my green zone already at 6cc. My port is WAY smaller and deeper in, and I have a new soft stop (hiccups, where my nose used to leak).

Banding is not an exact science and you roll the dice whenever you chose to do something, whether it's get weight loss surgery or walk across the road. I think risk and complications need to be taken in context.[/quote']

??? Hiccups where your nose used to leak? I'm hoping for a typo! What's that? And I agree re: risk taking.

[lellow 1,713]

Lol sorry! I'll explain!

A lot of lapbanders find that they get a 'sign' that they're approaching satiety. Satiety is not the same as fullness, it's not the same feeling.

And while non-banded people sometimes forget and they eat and eat and before they know it they're eaten too much because their tummies take time to catch up and send that message to their brain, the band sometimes gives you an indication that you're near the point of having had too much, and ignoring it won't make you 'too full' it actually may make you sick.

That indication is called a 'soft stop'. And it's different for different people but there are some common ones. Hiccups, nose leaking (because the food is too high in your oesophagus) and shoulder pain are pretty common ones. You will hear the veterans talk about their soft stops a lot, because they have had bands long enough to recognise what they are.

[B-52 7,113]

All I can say is I am glad I did not find this website until AFTER I did my own research and until AFTER I had my surgery and knew what my treatment plan was going to be....(get to the Green ASAP)

Otherwise I m not sure where I would be today...so many different opinions...so many different complaints and stories of struggles....

And this is the Internet....everything and anything you read on the Internet is true...right? Of course it is.....I read that on the Internet also....

[parisshel 1,892]

Honestly this topic can't die a natural death and it should. I have had band complications, and I take exception to people saying band complications are only possible from non compliance. That's not true, complications are possible even if you get a freakin' pedicure. I should know, I broke my foot slipping on Water while getting a pedicure.

What annoys me is this: If you have a complication and it's your fault, own it. If it wasn't your fault, I'm so sorry you're going through it, but it is not the norm and there are many people for whom the band is a godsend. I completely understand bitterness and regret when you experience a complication that impacts the quality of your life, but please don't tell me I'm an idiot because I'd get a band anyway. I have no doubts that anyone would regret something that ended up hurting them, but it's something else to expect everyone to make your regrets theirs too.

I went into this believing that I would experience some complication in the lifetime of my band. I hoped it wouldn't be debilitating. I prayed I'd be the 95% of people who didn't have complications, and I got it done. Because if someone said to me, you have a 95% chance of winning the $5 million lottery if you buy a lottery ticket but a 5% chance of losing half of everything you own, I'd buy the damned ticket coz that sounds like pretty damned good odds to me.

Complications suck. I should know. I come here talking about my complications to get support not to bash people's choices. And if you think you're doing it to 'spare someone else the pain' look at your motivations again. Because this surgery saves more people than it hurts. And that's a fact that cannot be disputed.

This is the best response I've read on this thread and says everything I've been thinking.

I wonder what the true motivation is behind anyone (not just the OP) coming onto any forum and bashes the theme of that forum.

I cannot be to prevent people from getting the lapband...because I know of no one who would read something like this and suddenly decide not to get a lapband, based on one person's experience.

Everybody does their own risk/benefit analysis, and their decision should be respected, whether it be to go ahead and have surgery or not.

Your analogy to the risk of getting a pedicure is a good one. And if you went on a pedicure forum and told your story, do you think it would stop people from getting pedicures? No, it would not.

Things happen all the time. Life is a constant weighing of risk, and we all like to mitigate as much risk as possible with every decision we make.

[vincereautmori 323]

I hate to keep this thread going, you can definitely beat a subject to death, but there are a couple of observations that seemed to have gotten lost in the discussion. First, the title of this support group is to address people with complications, Dana was obviously frustrated with her condition and expressed it, we can either respond in a positive way or a negative way, that's the risk one takes when writing on open forums. So, people will no doubt be pationate on both sides of the argument.

As to her assertion the lap band can cause serious complications, I think we're all aware that any WLS has a risk factor. But my question to Dana is, while you had the band, did it work for you? I doubt she would have kept it for 20 years if it was causing her problems, and the beauty of the band is that since it has caused problems, it can be removed. Can't say that about most other WLS, if complications arise. So Dana, did you have about 20 years of a healthy and active life? All that being said, my thanks to her for offering another way to look at the possibilities we could face and that we need to factor into our decision.

[GuyMontag 1,264]

Uh...the band wasn't even available in the US in 93...was it anywhere in the world? Troll much?

[Scorpio Girl 88]

Look up Molina Band. It was before the adjustable gastric band, was mesh and has caused a lot of problems. I found Dana on Facebook and she's for real, was considering revising to a new band, which is why she was here. Me thinks the "troll antennae" are on hyper-vigilant setting...geesh!

[Karen WS 78]

The reality is THIS IS a form of WLS. The least invasive with the least complications. Take a peek at the duodenal switch site if you want to find complications!

[CHEZNOEL 4,061]

Enough... move on people. It is an open forum. Bashing is not productive.