Conversation with a lap band

[ldydrgnkpr 49]

Yesterday I went to get my nails done. My nail tech ( which is my hair dresser too.) had a new customer. She has the lap band. Well it was my turn and I was discussing how two co workers are almost there to be sleeved. And the new lady commented oh you have the sleeve??!!! I said yes I do. And I just love it!!! She proceeded to tell me of all the problems she is having. If she swallows air and she has eaten she has to make herself throw up. I just thought to myself how horrible. I almost got the band. Soooo glad I didn't. Anyway she told me how she wanted the sleeve but BCBS of Florida did not cover it as it was not FDA approved. I just felt bad. Now here is the kicker.... She has had the band for four years and has lost only 80 pounds!!!! I was like OMG!!!!! really????? How could that be???? I am so glad I have my sleeve.

( the crazy part of this whole conversation is there was a RNY, Lap Band and a sleeve at the same table.) I would've never imagined....

Deb

[Wheetsin 714]

I have a Lap-Band (the actual Lap-Band, not the Realize band, or any others that may now be out).

I have never heard of anyone having to "make themselves throw up" because they swallow air. Because the stoma from the esophagus is restricted, too much food, or too big of a bite, or not enough chewing can make the food unable to pass (same applies for Water that is swallowed too soon after eating, or anything during periods of extreme restriction, etc.) and when food - or whatever - is unable to pass, it comes back up. It is not "throwing up." There is no acid, no stomach contents, etc. It is saliva, which may or may not contain bits of whatever could not pass. Many people find they can just bend over and up it comes, others have to wretch as they would when they vomit. It is colloquially called "vomiting" but that's just not accurate. When AGBers need to bring food back up, it's usually fairly painful -- that is, the "before" as your body struggles to pass the food, not "after" of bringin up. To bypass this discomfort, or at least expedite it, some people will activate their gag reflex. This is specifically against most surgeons'/programs' advice - and compliance is a variable with any WLS.

She has had the band for four years and has lost only 80 pounds!!!! I was like OMG!!!!! really????? How could that be????

I would never balk at 80 lbs in 4 years, regardless of the procedure. Maybe 80 lbs was all she needed to lose? Maybe she lost some, then gained, and now is at -80? I don't know. But to answer your question, it can be: very easily.

1. The band requires adjusting to function. It is installed empty, and through a series of post-op visits is gradually filled (which tightens it). Until an adequate amount of fill is received, there is often no restriction, e.g. no change in how much you can eat and what foods you can tolerate. I was a rare case in that my band did give me a small amount of restriction from day one, and so any fill after that was bonus (but I only had a 10cm band). It's generally at least 2 weeks before you can get your first fill, and most surgeons recommend 2 - 4 weeks between subsequent fills. My band is relatively small, holding 4ccs. Some bands hold 11ccs or more. Many patients find it can take several months to reach the "sweet spot" where the band is actually able to do its job. It often requires frequent "tweaking" long term, to get things just right. And if there is a complication, restriction may be lost completely - at which point it's like not having a band.

2. Since AGB patients haven't excised any organs, they still have their stomach and can still "hold" large quantities of food. They can still over eat, as long as the food can get through the band. Ice cream, for example, is something that most people can tolerate even when they cannot tolerate solid foods or Soups (it seems to have something to do with the cold). As long as that ice cream can get past the band, you can eat your heart out -- all what, 15 - 18 cups that the stomach can hold? That is a different level of accountability than any oher WLS I'm familiar with. Many people who have AGB still want to "own" their weightloss, and see the band as "silicone will power" in its ability to help you feel full on relatively small quantities of food. They find that having the accountability of still having to make good decisions, limit portions, be diligent about post-op visits, etc. works very well for them. Others are dissatisifed and wish they had gone a more automatic route, and others don't have much choice.

I lost 175 lbs with my band, most of which came off inside of 2 years. I know many people who have lost much more - and in far shorter time periods than 4 years. Most people with lower BMIs have significant success reaching or exceeding goal weight. So if 80 lbs was an unbelievably small weightloss for your nail salon acquaintance (as your reaction would imply), then her experience is likely outside the norm. I know what the AGB stats are, but without knowing more about her situation/experience it's hard to say where she falls in them.

I'm glad you feel you made the right decision with your sleeve, and hope the above info, and understanding of how AGB works, may shed some light on the rationale behind some of the things your company expressed; and may help put your reaction to her losing "only 80 lbs" into perspective -- or at least context.

[ldydrgnkpr 49]

I am sorry if I offended anyone with a band. I was just making a statement. She expressed how she wished she had the sleeve and could not get it with her insurance. She did not seem happy with her choice and was telling me how many problems she has had. Which is the reason I did not choose the band. Everyone has their reasons for their choices. As for the weight loss, she was not happy with that either. She expressed how disappointed she was. That it wasn't what she had hoped for. I am happy that you have done so well with the band. You are one of the lucky ones that hasn't had any problems with your band. It seems you have done an amazing job. Some just aren't that lucky or are happy with their choice.

[Wheetsin 714]

I wasn't offended. I just thought that if you understood more about how the band worked, then some of the things that seemed to surprise you, wouldn't be surprises.

I understand totally how someone, even someone with a band, could lose "only" 80 lbs. I was trying to help you make sense of it since you seemed so completely shocked by it.

BTW, I'm not one of the lucky ones. I have a slipped band. It is a profuse slip with no realistic hope of correcting itself as a smaller slip might be able to. Because of that, I'm not a candidate for having another band placed. That's why I'm here. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't "defending" the band or cheerleading for it. I worked hard with my band. I wish it was luck, maybe I'd have lost more. It helped me lose a lot of weight, and I'm still glad I did it even though it has slipped. I don't see the band as a viable long term solution. I don't know many people who are as far out from their band surgery as I am, who still have their bands. The complication stats have changed significantly from when I was banded, and I don't want to think of what they will look like in another 5 or 6 years.

[Loooou 30]

I am sorry I havent read all the conversation down under the main topics but I wanna add that once I had the sleeve, and had my band removed, lots of physical pain that no doctor has an explanation for, just vanished. My face look a lot better, I dont think it is not only about the weight loss but it is also related to that am able to eat healthy food now and stay full.

With the band I was a good patient with no knowledge what so ever. I didnt research a lot like the sleeve, my doctor was one of the biggest surgeons here but he is not into the band and he didnt give me good guidelines about the band, he just pointed out that am not supposed to have anymore sugar in my diet ( eating or drinking) I lost good 70 pounds with band then 40 more on my own, the band wasnt working. I didnt know about the Water rule for the first 2 years and I still lost weight and when I knew about it when I plateaued I started losing again but come to think about it, I was never able to eat chicken meat or any dense food. I was stuck to Sushi and fish which is a bit boring and expensive. When I go crazy I can rely on sweets and Desserts which is not a good way to a healthy life.

Now with the sleeve I sometimes hate my life for not being able to consume any ice cream or Desserts but then when I fit into cloth and have that confidence I dont know where it came from .. I no longer hate that I cant eat sweets.

Actually I think the band should be banned for good. It drives you crazy! for people who says they find their sweet spot they are just adapting the hungry feeling all the time. It drives u mentally to be unstable. it deprives your body of good nutrition. I swear my face now when I look at it , it is totally colorful but when I browse my band photos I find someone missing life from their face.

I am lucky along with others who chose the sleeve, even with complications that may occur I am still more secured with the complication of being obese and others that may occur ( mentally & physically) from the band.

The band is good for someone who is looking t lose 50 pounds at most!

Good chat u had there and I hope this lap band patient can find another insurance to do her revision.

[Wheetsin 714]

Well - keep in mind that what you experienced isn't everyone's experience. Which is good, because it sounds like you had an awful experience - both with the band, and with your surgeon and preparation. I think that saying sweet spot = adapting to feeling hunger all the time is too broad of a generalization. I was banded in 2006 and can easily count on two hands the number of times I've felt hungry since. It was very immediate for me. Shortly after returing to work (I took 1 week off) I found I had to put a reminder in my calendar to go eat something. And my friends were constantly annoyed when we'd go out, because I would forget other people actually get hungry (they still do, because even though I'm slipped, I still have some restriction and I still do not feel hungry, even on days like today where I've yet to eat).

I never had a true sweet spot because my body fluctuated too much with restriction, but I did have a spot at which I could feel unbelievably full on about 1/4 C of food, most of the time. That was sweet enough for me.

If I had to guess why, I would guess the band is maybe somehow stimulating the vagus nerve in a way that quite literally blocks hunger. Most people I know who are long term out still have some hunger, but it's not rare to lose the huinger sensation. I don't know if there's anything in the placement of the band that would impact Ghrelin production (I asked the surgeons at one of the Allergan conferences but they didn't know for sure - I don't think it has ever been studied).

It's unusual that you had daily pain. Were you ever diagnosed with a disconnected tube?

If you don't mind me asking, why can't you eat sweets or dessert? Are you one of the few who experience some degree of dumping?

[amybaby33 5]

Hi Wheetsin...I remember you from LBT. I was "marathinner". You always were the queen of info and I remember your ticker that said "shut your gob and get moving"..lol...I loved that! Seems there are quite a few of us bandsters that have found our way here. I had two slips..the most recent one resulted in removal during the birth of my son. I did great with the band for a year, and unfortunately it all went down hill from there. Not having my band for 10 months has been hard. I miss that way of life and am excited to get sleeved in a few weeks. Sorry to hear about your slip..I hope you figure out what your plan is soon.

Cheers!

-Amy

[Loooou 30]

Well, U will find great deal of people here with HORRIBLE experiences with the band on here. Mine wasnt at all horrible. or even bad. I am just saying with all the "under preparation" and my AMAZING surgeon been the best at the procedure but not the follow up ( so I seeked another one who helped) I still managed to to lose with the band but It was my own effort at the end of it. I am not a big fan of the mechanism of the band after experiencing the sleeve sensation. Everyone's experience is different, urs I'd consider way ugly than mine, Slipping and such complications aren't just great! Mine was just plateauing and having side effect of not able to consume healthier food, which most of ppl on this board find it the biggest reason for their revision.

You are lucky about not having the hunger as your friend, I wasnt and may be more 100 people I know arent too:) I am not talking out of generally speaking , I am talking out of personal experiences sharing! from different continents:) so may be you were just unique.

I can see the band is working too good for you aside from the slipping, Mine never had any complications and I had it for 8 years, all the doctors I had to consult for my sleeve had to thankfully praise for my surgeon. So If it is just a matter of slippage and you are just delighted that much with the band why not try fixing the slipping, I am no expert but I have heard people having another band after their slips. I can see how happy you are with it EVEN with the slipping thats why I am wondering why are you researching the sleeve? if I may just ask.

The band for me should be stopped, many people wasted money on it and others suffers in such big deal of going crazy with their food and their feelings.

I wasnt diagnosed with anything, but the port pain was such a huge pain in my left side that it reached my upper thigh, after the band was removed there is non of this terrible pain which was my friend day and night and especially after my work outs.

I am considered a lap band success story by many doctors here, but they still agree that the work was almost mine at keeping the weight off and at losing the last 40-50 pounds.

Dumping started with me since the band but it actually arises more after the sleeve after removing my gallbladder (turns out it was no good after the excess weight loss) so we had it removed at the day I had the sleeve. So my dumping showed at my band time with some diarrhea , after the sleeve it is more like, not feeling well for 5 mins or more if i had something not sugar high no, just something fat concentrated with some sugar. my surgeon told me the gallbladder is a big factor in this too.