Can't take any more

[ted12345 0]

Sorry the consultant is the surgeon i guess when you see him you have a consultation re the term consultant lol sorry he is a surgeon.

He isn't the surgeon who fitted my band he has taken over my care due to problems with the origional surgeon.

[marys 2]

Muggles - thanks for starting that new group for struggling bandsters - sorely needed and where I want to be - terrifc

[ted12345 0]

It was my friends Idea Lisa who is also a bandster, Her sister had a DS and has lost loads of weight. Recently they was on Holiday and lisa's restriction kicked in big time. And she was sick a lot her sister turned to her and said, "why dont you justs top eating your just greedy"

I mean we all know the feeling when your hungry but cant egt any food down, Her sister eats with her DS and still loses weight her success has left her with little understanding of WLS when its a struggle.

Feel free to join the more the merrier its early days yet only set it uo 3 days ago. so its a work in progress at the mo.

[babsintx3 0]

Paige,

You have had lots of good advice here. Your band is too tight. You need to remove the saline and let your esophagus rest. It sounds more like you are working with incompetent docs. In 3 1/2 years, I have had 11 fills/unfills with my band. My doc was conservative with fills and it took several fills to get good restriction. Then I pushed the bar and got more saline than I needed . Then I had unfills. Then I had plastic surgery and unfilled. Then refilled. Finally I am resigned to the fact that I need less than I think I need to maintain my losses. I gained weight back and now I am back to losing again. Please get your band unfilled and work on resting your esophagus and working on your mental health.

Babs in TX

334/190 ish

[ted12345 0]

I am very greatfull for the brilliant advice, But iv said it so many times the decision to unfill is not mine? its the consultants i have emailed him and am waiting a reply.

My Surgeon is not incompitent i resent that he is very good and i am sure he does not want me traveling 200 miles for a small unfill if it can be avoided.

I wonder how many people would tell a alcoholic to worry about there drinking after they have sorted there mental health. The band is not my enemy the lack of weight loss agter almost 5 years investment is depressing i am sure if you made the same investment and dedication and got no results you would feel distraut also.

i am awaiting a responce from my consultant any decion made about my health is in his hands in the UK we cannot demand that things are done we have to go by what the profecional say private or NHS they are the Dr the expert we are not.

My consultant now is now is not the consultant who fitted my band so he so to say is dealing with some one elses patient. The prosess of eleviation is in prosess. We in the UK have excellent surgeons and just because they do not say jump when we say jump that does not make them incompitent. Its just a differnt way of doing things.

[babsintx3 0]

Hi Paige,

I lived and worked in Europe for ten years and understand the healthcare system. My husband is Dutch and I DO understand that you cant have immediate service . I am also not suggesting that the US system of health care is better.

Regardless based on what you told us, your band is TOO TIGHT. You do not benefit mentally or physically from a too tight band. I don't see how barfing and living miserably (which is not what the band is about) is productive and helps you in any way at all. If it aint working of course you will be depressed. Anyone would be. However, you have not had enough fills by a competent professional to say that you really know that there is a problem with the band. Here in the states, the increments are much smaller for first and second fills and even third. Most docs are really conservative and it seems that the biggest losers are the bandsters who have the least amount of fill in their bands and do lots of head work as they build up restriction. So empty it, (not all of it) work on your head and healing your esophagus and giving it a rest and then fill it up really really slowly to find your sweet spot.

Regarding your mental health issues, I understand that the band is causing them or exacerbating your mental health issues. The band is not for everyone. It doesnt work for everyone. But having some other bariatric surgery such as a bypass or DS may not solve your problems either. Its really a lot of work having a band, both mentally and physically. There are days I DO wish that I had some other procedure. I was always a volume eater and still to some extent dont know when to stop. My band makes it harder, but you can quite easily eat around the band. I know it to be so. I gained back some of my losses as a result of pouch packing and dilation.

ALL of us here to some extent carry some major psychological luggage as obese or formerly obese people.. I lost a lot of weight with the band and sought therapy for the new problems of being thin, more attractive and desirable. I was miserable as a morbidly obese person, but I was also very very sad about some of the developments I encountered as a thinner person. I lost friends who really werent friends and people treat you differently. My point is Who cares whether the cart is before the horse? I would tell an alcoholic if one treatment is not working, then to try another, so I dont get your analogy. With the band LESS IS MORE. You dont have to be restricted to the point of daily barfing to lose weight. Does it really matter whether the band caused your mental health to deteriorate further because it hasnt worked for you? Having your hair fall out and not getting Vitamins coupled with not losing weight would make anyone depressed. Feeling healthier with a less full band will help you to think more rationally.

Hugs,

Babs in TX

334/190 ish

[ted12345 0]

i feel egzasperated at repeting myself.

I have never and am not deluded that if i lose weight my world will be fantastic.

I just want to lose weight i would rather be me and have my problems with a healthy BMI than be me with my problems at this weight and all the additional problems the weight brings.

I am dealing with all the issues i am getting psyciatric care i am willing to work on my mental health. i am not unwilling. To me it just seems cruel to insinuate that because i suffer from depression that i am not entitled to a healthy body weight like every one else. My depression is irritated by my current situation of failed weight loss a road i have been down now for five years it just seems never ending.

This thread is going round in circles.

[babsintx3 0]

Hi Paige,

Once again, you associate a less full band with NOT having the ability to lose weight. This is simply not so. It seems that you believe that you cant lose weight with less fill in your band when experienced bandsters are telling you that you can.

No one is telling you that you do not deserve a normal BMI. No one is saying that you deserve to be miserable and fat. No matter what I say you will believe what you want to believe. It almost seems like you don't want to explore the possibility that emptying some of the saline in your band might actually help you lose weight.....

Babs in TX

[ted12345 0]

No i don't think that if i could have it unfilled i WOULD i am awiting a reply from the consultant i emailed him last friday he usually replied on a thursday night. I am waiting for his reply he may very will say come back and have some out.

If i went to Accident and emrgency with this firstly NO ONE would know how to do a unfill and second i would be prosecuted for waisting time.

Its not me its the way the system works here.

I have to see what the consultant wants to do and i am awaiting his reply.

i am almost two years banded i know being over filled is not good and in october i had some fill out odviously not enough. I dont think with just 2 1/2 mills in my band that much out is going to make much differnece. I am texture intolerant and have reflux desese all complicate the issue of restriction.

If i cant get accross to fellow bandsters fellow people who have sufferd obesity and aall its related issues. how can i ever get a surgeon to understand me.

It makes me feel worse that people dont or cant seem to understand how i feel.

Thats why i feel it would e better out than in that way i dont have to keep this roundabout of headbanging stress going.

[Marimaru 7]

Paige,

I don't pretend to know what you are going through, because I've never had to deal with issues like you are right now.

I hope that you hear from your consultant soon. In my mind, the ideal situation would be to get the fill removed, eat some healthy food and get your nutrition level up. That wont help with your weight related depression, but being depressed, AND feeling sick isn't probably helping much.

I think after you've had time to heal up a bit would be a better time to decide whether you want to take out the band and switch, or try again. I can't say I blame you for wanting to rip the thing out after all you've been through. I will say that your stomach is probably incredibly swollen, which would account for being so restricted at the lesser level of a fill. Also, when I stress, I get WAY tight, so I imagine you being so worried about everything is also making it worse (that is not an accusation, I'd be worried and stressed too).

One way or the other, I hope you get some relief soon. I think I know the answer to this, but is email the only way to reach your consultant? Friday to Wednesday (at least, it's Weds here), seems like a long time to wait when you are telling him you are in pain.

*hugs*

[Catalina 0]

Hey, sweetie. I just wanted to check with you to see how you were doing and let you know that I am thinking and praying for you. There are many things happening to and around us that can make an experience not so great. But you can't blame the band. You definitely needed an unfill and a time to heal and feel "normal" again. Then after utilizing your available resources, gather up yourself and try again. We do this as babies learning to walk, we do this as adults learning new skills or having new goals. Please talk to us and let me know what is happening. We are a support and resource for you.:canada: :gossip: :nod: :hug: :ranger: :girl_hug:

[HealthQuest 1]

Some may not like this, but I'm all about the truth. Paige, first you said you begged your doctor not to give you the band, and he said the band or nothing. Then when someone said he should not have forced it on you, you said "it's not that I didn't want the band." The band is a tool, it is not the be-all and end-all of our problems. You seem to have so much more going on, and I don't believe it's a true representation of what the average person should expect. If I had read you thread prior to my surgery it would have created more doubts. Just my 2 cents.

[DevilMayKare 1]

...and I don't believe it's a true representation of what the average person should expect. If I had read you thread prior to my surgery it would have created more doubts. Just my 2 cents.

So are you saying she shouldn't post her problems & feelings so you don't have more doubts?? That does seem to be the consensus among a lot of new and "thinking about it" bandsters.

I understand you want to go into this with as much confidence as possible and would just as soon only hear success. Truthfully, that was my attitude two years ago and I regret it now.

[ted12345 0]

Some may not like this, but I'm all about the truth. Paige, first you said you begged your doctor not to give you the band, and he said the band or nothing. Then when someone said he should not have forced it on you, you said "it's not that I didn't want the band." The band is a tool, it is not the be-all and end-all of our problems. You seem to have so much more going on, and I don't believe it's a true representation of what the average person should expect. If I had read you thread prior to my surgery it would have created more doubts. Just my 2 cents.

I hate quotations its another form of nit picking.

I begged my surgeon not to band me because there was stories going around about the level of after care. I was desperate not to be fighting for appointments for fills and so on.

In the UK we cant just click our fingers and get what we demand. Its very much we have to go with whats available. UNLESS you are welthy and have private healthcare. IN MOST CASES the majority use the NHS and often only self fund because in a lot of areas of the UK the NHS do not fund WLS.

If every one had access to WLS like we do say cancer treatment people wouldnt self fund. But when you are under the NHS you kinda lose the part were you have a say. WLS is seen a ilective surgery and with the beauty of private health care you can chose your surgeon and hospital.

Under the NHS thats not the case so i was told what surgeon i would have and what hospital every choice was not mine, Fair enough, But i had sat on the waiting list for 2 1/2 years under the impression i was to have the BPD it was only weeks before i had my band that i was told the surgeon no longer does the bypass only bands. My health authority at the time would not fund another surgeon and the surgeon i was under would not referre me to a another surgeon that did all the op's.

So i didnt want to be a in a poistion were i couldnt get fills and advice and support. Thats why i didnt want the band because firstly i knew i would need to diet and diet hard and i had failed with diets. and second i was scared i wouldnt be able to get fills.

and i was right there was a load of hassle getting fills infact i was 18 weeks post op b4 i had my first and thats because. Goverment changed the regulation and patients were given choice. so now in the UK if we are going to have refferal for anything we have patient choice its limited to three options but still we now have patient choice. Had there have been patient choice pre my op i would have fought to see a second consultant for a second opinion.

If you want to quote me thats cool but there is a whole story behind this.

i knew from research what the band needed to work. if you are a comfort eater a emotinal eater rather than a volume eater you may find sticking to the band hard. you may find weight loss slower and harder to lose. When you eat on emotion and impulse its not like some one who eats regular meals at regular times just eats a whole load in one sitting. I was never a volume eater i didnt need restriction. I needed a op that was less forgiveing with food and still work.

I never said i was the norm but i am far from rare lots of people fail with a band, lots of people have band probs complications. If the band was any other product it would not last long in the shops. If it was a car or a TV we wouldnt buy it.

But people grab onto the least invasive and reversable aspect and forget about what the band really needs to make it work . I know what it needs now i could have been super sucsesful of super rubbish and i am the latter because all along i had identifed were i may encounter problems and i knew i had problems controling them problems. if i could control them i would over eat i wouldnt be morbidly obese i wouldnt need WLS.

My comfort eating is nothing new lots of us do it and thats why lots of us struggle.

Its like i said on another thread what i am saying is not a lie or misrepresentation what i say is true just not popular. because people feel do defencive of there choice they made the choice for all the right reasons thats cool for them alls im saying is there is a down side and its very real.

[juliegeraci 7]

Paige, good luck with whatever you decide. It sounds like you have been through hell. I don't blame you for wanting the band out. I really hope you find what you are looking for and you feel better soon.