Please, Respect Your Bands

[HotButterFly 981]

I'm sure some of you know Skymoon1982- aka Melanie from YouTube. This is EXACTLY the reason why I didn't hesitate last week and IMMEDIATELY went to the ER when I got "stuck" while drinking coffee after an aggressive fill. I was so scared my band would slip. I feel for her, but she waited TOO DAMN LONG. Now she had no band.

[Leena 108]

If you watch the video, you'll see she broke so many of the rules of the band.

I'm glad she's putting this out there.

Is patient education really this bad now?

[NaNa 878]

I'm sure some of you know Skymoon1982- aka Melanie from YouTube. This is EXACTLY the reason why I didn't hesitate last week and IMMEDIATELY went to the ER when I got "stuck" while drinking coffee after an aggressive fill. I was so scared my bad would slip. I feel for her, but she waited TOO DAMN LONG. Now she had no band.

HotButterfly,

Thank you for posting this, unfortunately this happens ALL THE TIME and is NOT RARE. I would say 90 percent of lap band complications, happen like this. I've actually heard a LOT WORSE.

This is why I am so cynical on these boards, newbies IGNORE you when you warn them, they think..Oh...it will happen to 'others'....

This girl is telling her story to hopefully help others, but she REALLY abused her band...

The lap band is NOT about misery,vomiting, and constant burping up foam and reflux. I honestly can't believe so many live with the lap band this way.

This will HAPPEN TO EVERYONE that keeps their bands too tight, NO ONE IS IMMUNE.

I am going on 9 years post op and I've seen and heard a lot worse, I've had friends that bands slipped so bad until it strangled most of their stomach and they had to get a force "Sleeve, removal of most of the stomach" .

Some think they can get a NEW band or it fixed after a slip....NOPE...once the band has slipped so bad or the esophagus gets dilated from being so tight so long, you can NO LONGER GET A LAP BAND.

Many think 'vomiting' is NORMAL...IT'S NOT..NO VOMITING WITH THE BAND IS NORMAL AT ALL.

Even if you PB and throw up food, every now and then...--THAT IS ALSO A PROBLEM...ANY FREQUENT VOMITING with the band WILL CAUSE IT TO EVENTUALLY SLIP. -- VOMITING SHOULD BE VERY RARE, like ONCE A YEAR OR SIX MONTHS.

And if someone is vomiting daily --- they are in BIG TROUBLE, sometimes it takes a few years before SEVERE slippage occurs where it gets life threatening.

Since I've had my new band placed, I have not vomited once and I hope and pray to keep it that way....Vomiting with the band is like "lap band suicide" and SADLY -- MANY THINK it's NORMAL to vomit and purge daily ---

This is why MANY SURGEONS are NO LONGER DOING BANDS....DUE TO LAP BAND ABUSE FROM PATIENTS...

In Australia...lap band complications are not as common as in the US, they don't tend to abuse their bands as much as Americans do, their slippage rate is low compared to US band patients....MOST of the lap band complications ARE preventable. -- sadly.

I hope many on this board listen to this girl....BUT SADLY --- she is among MANY that have lap band complications.

Anyway thank you for sharing this important video -- hopefully it will touch others.

[HotButterFly 981]

You're welcome, Nana

Lenna, I think it's a combination of poor education AND patients not doing their homework in conjunction with total disregard & abuse of the band. Frankly, I don't think my original bariatric team was very educational. The nutritionist didn't really go into detail of all the things that could go wrong if you abuse it. Almost all I know is from my own research and reading lots of success & failure stories. The phycologist didn't discuss that the band wasn't gonna "keep" me from eating and that it was a large percentage gonna still be a mental battle. The three group meeting i attended barely discussed life after the band- they focused on the pre op diet. But thank God I ended up having my surgery with the best team in NY at NYU.

[NaNa 878]

You're welcome, Nana

Lenna, I think it's a combination of poor education AND patients not doing their homework in conjunction with total disregard & abuse of the band. Frankly, I don't think my original bariatric team was very educational. The nutritionist didn't really go into detail of all the things that could go wrong if you abuse it. Almost all I know is from my own research and reading lots of success & failure stories. The phycologist didn't discuss that the band wasn't gonna "keep" me from eating and that it was a large percentage gonna still be a mental battle. The three group meeting i attended barely discussed life after the band- they focused on the pre op diet. But thank God I ended up having my surgery with the best team in NY at NYU.

Another thing, I want to say, NEVER let the scale -- control whether you need some saline removed. This is where many get into trouble, PBing is not painful for most, so many "get rid' of their food daily and don't think twice about it.

Until the damage gets done and then REAL vomiting occurs, with awful bile reflux, frothing at the mouth, not being able to sleep without 'stuff' coming back up at night.

These things can be prevented with not keeping the band dangerously too tight, taking the time to slowly chew your food, and not purging your food. It's just that simple, you don't have to abuse your band to lose weight, I don't know why so many women do it.

She is a very pretty girl, I hope she can get some help, but she should know that it will be VERY HARD to keep her weight down WITHOUT a tool in the long run.

This is why I use to warn newbies -- don't abuse your band and lose it, have the band to "help you" and not do all the work, and you can keep it for a long time.

Also ButterFly: you are in GOOD hands, you have one of the most experienced lap band surgeons in the US.

[Leena 108]

I admit my bariatric team was very bypass focused, even support group wise. (Now I think they're more sleeve focused). And years ago I learned so much here in '07. At the time a lot of people on here were being banded in Mexico so this was their main support group.

I remember the first time I vomited. I thought I was going to die- stomach flu. And I was never one to like vomiting ever. And that episode of the flu led to my slip. I knew something was off. And I was in to see the surgeon as soon as they could take me- in that meantime liquids only.

And I admit I've fallen off the wagon- well gained weight. But I got a fill- discovered some was missing from last year, and am getting back on track now. I came back to lbt- which has been better than any in person support group I've had.

I'm back in the green zone with my fill and weight is coming off again.

My BF has a bypass and living with him can be a challenge as he's not had to work as hard to keep his weight in check. He doesn't have follow-ups on a time table and other than one complication has been good. We have friends with sleeves and bypasses and two with the switch who have all done well. Granted one with the switch requires Iron infusions on a regular basis but has been at her goal for two years now. I'm the only one who has to exercise and watch closely what I eat. And I follow up as much as my friend with the Iron infusions.

[cheryl2586 3,053]

It took her 32 minutes to say she screwed up her band by vomiting every single day. Yes this is what happens when you think vomiting is normal because it is not.

[Sojourner 2,446]

Undeniably a vast number of lap band patients who either did not understand the band "rules" or made the choice to ignore them have contributed to their band related complications. There are many bariatric surgeons who do not provide adequate aftercare.

This surgery requires the patient to accept a significant level of accountability for the weight loss success or lack of weight loss.

There are band patients who experience band related complications who have had excellent pre op education and post op aftercare, and abide but he rules.

We are all individuals, and no two patients will have identical experiences. Sometimes complications just happen, and the surgeon cannot explain the etiology of what has happened.

Others mileage on this topic can vary...

[Christina.Rose 287]

How much PBing is a normal range? Per month lets say?

[Ladybandito 516]

None is optimal.