To band or not to band

tme2lvme · February 19, 2008

hello all~

new to Everything about banding. seriously considering it. 25yrs old, 5'5, 270lbs, been big forever, live in eastern OK closest to tulsa and want to be a healthier happier me. my son just turned 1yr, and want to be around to see him grow up. advice, info, diet, etc???please help:confused:

lovestodecorate · February 19, 2008

Hello

I read your post and thought I would give you some advice because I had the Lap Band surgery August of 2006. I am also 25. I have not had success with the lap band surgery. I am 20 lbs heavier than when I had the surgery. The biggest thing about the lap band is it is a TOOL not a cure. You still have to diet and watch what you eat, exercise and everything else. The lap band does stretch so you have to get adjustments often. An adjustment can be painful. An adjustment is where they take a 3 inch needle or longer depending on how much fat they have to go through. You lay on a table and they the fill up this needle full of a solution. The nurse/doctor feels around with her hands to find your port(this hurts). Your port is sewin onto your muscle on your stomache. After she locates the port she sticks the needle into the port. There was many times when she had the needle in and she had to move it around to locate the port(this hurts). If you hate needles....DONT LOOK... This is isnt pleasant. They do not numb you. I dont want to scare you.... but this is what is like. As fair as diet goes they will give you advice about eating lean Protein, taking your Vitamins and lots of vegetables.

For some people the lap band works, and I still have hope that one day it will for me(since I spent a lot of money on this surgery). I think the main thing is you really have to try. I would say before you do something like this surgery really consider other options, and to know this is not a cure. I am here if you have any more questions about the Surgery...I wish you the best in whatever decision you make.

Lisa99 · February 19, 2008

Hi tme,

Opinion are just that and unfortunately the first one you got was not positive.

While there are some who aren't successful there are many others who are. In my opinion (again just an opinion) it seems to depend partially on whether you're a "volume eater" or a "sweets eater" and whether you're willing to modify your diet until you reach goal.

With a proper fill you just can't eat very much. For example I just ate 1/4 cup refried Beans mixed with about 1/4 ground beef for lunch and I'm very satisfied. In the past, lunch from the same place would have been 3 tacos, a big burrito and a large soda.

What you have to be very careful of though is sweets and other junk. After the band most can eat unlimited quantities of chocolate, ice cream, chips, etc since they chew to nothing and slide right through the band. So, to lose weight you have to limit or eliminate empty calories.

What I did when I was in the research stage was read every post on this board for several months....I even read the "complications" site because I wanted the full info.

....and BTW, my fills don't hurt. I've had them both with a numbing shot first and without....maybe my fill doc is just good, who knows, but the fills are a non-event....the surgery was a non-event for me as well (and from reading the posts, it's a non-event for most), but everyone is different, so read, read and read some more!

Good luck on your journey,

Lisa

jenncore · February 20, 2008

hi I'm 37 and had my surgery on 12/26/07. My starting weight was 264 and I currently weigh 243. I have a small band, 4cc, and have 1cc's in there. I got my first fill about 4 weeks ago with another one scheduled for next week. I didn't get a numbing shot with my fill and I barely felt a thing. As you will read on the posts, some people have great experiences with the band and others haven't. Having the surgery was the best decision I ever made and I couldn't be happier with my band. Has it been easy? At times, no! I constantly have to remind myself to slow down and really chew my food or I'll get stuck.

My advice to you is to do the research and read as much as you can here. Although there are people who have struggled here I think you'll find the majority of us have been successful. I wish you the best with whatever you decide to do!

Jenn

snowbird · February 20, 2008

Your band does not stretch, as lovestodecorate said. As you lose fat around your stomach, your band becomes looser. The adjustments are what make the band work so well, and you have to keep up with the fills in the band to make it work.

I have had two fills, and have lost about 60 lb since I went on my preop diet in August 2007. The fills are no more painful than a blood draw or a shot. Some doctors numb you, but since it takes a shot to numb you and the fill doesn't hurt any more than a shot, why bother? And it has never hurt in the least to have the doctor find my port. My doctor also uses fluoroscopy (like a real time x-ray) to see the port, the band, and the flow of liquids through the band.

Lap band surgery can be very effective when you make an effort to work with the band by eating solid foods and getting timely fills. I felt that the surgery has been well worth its cost.

Elisabethsew · February 20, 2008

Welcome! I would suggest looking for surgeons in your area and calling to find out when they are offering their free informational sessions. You'll meet the MDs and staff, talk with others like you are contemplating the surgery, and hear from those who had the surgery. Call your insurance carrier to find out if you're covered and what their requirements are.

My fills NEVER hurt and I've had them with lidocaine and without. Do a lot of research and read all you can so that you can do what's best for YOU. For some people, another type of weight loss surgery might be better.