Lap band - don't do it!! Scarred for life

[katzrule 0]

Don't come here and speak for everyone - only for yourself.

I might be a newbie when it comes to the band only having it in since Aug 12 of this year but I have lost weight and felt great!

So far I have lost about 25 lbs since the day of surgery. It sounds to me like you had a bad Doctor to be honest. Did you do enough research on your surgeon before choosing him/her?

Most ports are located on the left side about 6 inches or so under your left breast. NOT in the ribs.

Of course you didn't loose much weight eating only junk food... who looses weight eating ice cream and cheese doodles? LOL

Malnutrition is the lack of sufficient nutrients to maintain healthy bodily functions. As a result you lost your hair and possibly had discolored skin tones and bad nails.

With the lapband THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN OFTEN!!!

Everyone should fully research the surgeon before choosing him/her.

Ok how does a person research their chosen Doctor? really if the Doctor has had any malpractice suits those records are only permitted to be revealed for 3 years and only after conviction. After 3 years they are re-instated and the phone number in the phone book to call and check up on the Doctors is the only one I know of to call. But as I said after 3 years you cannot find out if your Doctor is a butcher or not.

[katzrule 0]

lapbandfree,

Why didn't you request another lapband Doctor? Why didn't you report this Doctor?

I understand you are very upset and hurt and are only trying to warn people of what you believe to be a bad experience...trying to say hey don't do it, think twice. Just as people do when they find something that works for them they too tell everyone and say hey try it. What I don't understand is why you didn't get help from another Doctor, if you didn't try to. I would have went back to another seminar and told them I need another Doctor Immediatel! or gone to the office I went to for the consultation and told people I need help. What about the Dietician? therepist? and all other people you had to go to before to see if you qualify for the LapBand

Edited September 28, 2008 by katzrule

[katzrule 0]

I guess I disagree. I think everything should be posted, the good and bad. When you have spent a bloody fortune getting surgery and then you barf non stop you get resentful. I want to see the opinions of absolutely everyone. To expect someone to not post because they didn't post during their problem stage isn't really fair, the person may not have known this forum existed then. We don't know.

There are lots of different personality types posting on boards and this one is no exception. On another board someone posted asking if people had it to do over again would they get a band. I responded that no, I probably would not get a band if I knew then what I know now. She asked which procedure I would get and why. My response was limited to the long term risks and complications with the band, sleeve, and bypass. I did not diss the band, I didn't not make negative claims, none of that. I merely listed the long term complications of all three major procedures.

Another poster (a newbie) chimed in and told me I shouldn't be negative about the band on the band board. If newbies are coming for information ... she flat out told me that I should only post the positives of banding. If I wanted to write the negatives I should go to any forum but the band forum.

WTH? How does this make sense? How is anyone to make an informed decision if they only hear one side of the story? I didn't write anything negative about the band, I wrote the long term risks and complications for bands, sleeves, and bypass. That is negative about the band?

I want people sharing their stories, successes, failures, frustrations, anger, whatever they have... I want to hear their stories. Isn't that the only fair way to give newbies information so they can base their own decision? I didn't know about LBT when I was first banded, I only knew about OH. Two years ago OH was MUCH different from now and anyone having band problems was all but chased away after being told it was their own fault for not following some magic set of rules. Turns out there are issues with the band that are not the patient's fault. But for some it's like a religion and they go out and recruit for their surgery type the way hard core fundies recruit for their religion. That's not right. I don't care which procedure someone has as long as they are informed, healthy, and it's working. Makes no difference to me if it is a band, sleeve, bypass, gastric ball, MGB, DS, or the others.

If I had heard some of the negatives about the band I might not have opted for that procedure, I'm not sure. No single surgery type is a one size fits all, a band is best for some, a sleeve for others. Newbies need all the info so they can make the right choice for them.

I completely agree :teeth_smile:

If a newbie comes and isn't told of what could happen and is only told about the good they aren't being told the truth. They and myself would very likely feel they were lied to and devastateed if it happens to them without any warning that it could happen. It's better to be prepared to accept or not accept the worst possible scenario, complications that could happen before making the decision to have the proceedure/surgery. Risk factors, long term factors have to be considered and always explained, forewarned to make an informed life changing decision.

[themis 0]

I guess I disagree. I think everything should be posted, the good and bad. When you have spent a bloody fortune getting surgery and then you barf non stop you get resentful. I want to see the opinions of absolutely everyone. To expect someone to not post because they didn't post during their problem stage isn't really fair, the person may not have known this forum existed then. We don't know.

There are lots of different personality types posting on boards and this one is no exception. On another board someone posted asking if people had it to do over again would they get a band. I responded that no, I probably would not get a band if I knew then what I know now. She asked which procedure I would get and why. My response was limited to the long term risks and complications with the band, sleeve, and bypass. I did not diss the band, I didn't not make negative claims, none of that. I merely listed the long term complications of all three major procedures.

Another poster (a newbie) chimed in and told me I shouldn't be negative about the band on the band board. If newbies are coming for information ... she flat out told me that I should only post the positives of banding. If I wanted to write the negatives I should go to any forum but the band forum.

WTH? How does this make sense? How is anyone to make an informed decision if they only hear one side of the story? I didn't write anything negative about the band, I wrote the long term risks and complications for bands, sleeves, and bypass. That is negative about the band?

I want people sharing their stories, successes, failures, frustrations, anger, whatever they have... I want to hear their stories. Isn't that the only fair way to give newbies information so they can base their own decision? I didn't know about LBT when I was first banded, I only knew about OH. Two years ago OH was MUCH different from now and anyone having band problems was all but chased away after being told it was their own fault for not following some magic set of rules. Turns out there are issues with the band that are not the patient's fault. But for some it's like a religion and they go out and recruit for their surgery type the way hard core fundies recruit for their religion. That's not right. I don't care which procedure someone has as long as they are informed, healthy, and it's working. Makes no difference to me if it is a band, sleeve, bypass, gastric ball, MGB, DS, or the others.

If I had heard some of the negatives about the band I might not have opted for that procedure, I'm not sure. No single surgery type is a one size fits all, a band is best for some, a sleeve for others. Newbies need all the info so they can make the right choice for them.

I don't have a problem with people posting negative experiences on the forum... What I have a problem with is some one who comes on the forum and posts for the first time with this thread. It justs doesn't have credibility. Look how many posts you have, obviously your opinion would be more credible... the only posts this person has on the forum is for this thread. They mentioned reading this forum during their problem period looking for foods that they won't throw up. Obviously they knew about it. Not to mention the lack of facts surrounding what happened. People want to know the facts of why things happened.

I personally don't understand why some one would be banded for so many years without a fill and have all of these issues. If it's true, that doctor must be horrible and they should be suing the doctor for not reacting sooner.

I realize the band isn't for everyone, but there are better ways of informing everyone of your disappointment/problems without joining the forum just to post this thread. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions but there are better ways to get your point across than the way they did... that's all.

There's no restrticiton when you don't have a fill, so if some one is throwing up, there's a problem. If the doctor isn't doing anything... that's a bigger problem. The thread should probably have been "beware of using this doctor"

************

Edited September 28, 2008 by themis

[Nanook 2]

themis,

I don't think that's true what was said about restriction. I've been without any fill for over a month and I still have plenty of restriction. Everyone is different.

[Daisalana 33]

Not that it matters, but *my* problem with OP is not necessarily their complaints- everyone is entitled to their opinion..

But 'Lap band - don't do it!!' is unnecessary, it's fear-mongering.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I don't have a problem with people posting negative experiences on the forum... What I have a problem with is some one who comes on the forum and posts for the first time with this thread. It justs doesn't have credibility. Look how many posts you have, obviously your opinion would be more credible... the only posts this person has on the forum is for this thread. They mentioned reading this forum during their problem period looking for foods that they won't throw up. Obviously they knew about it. Not to mention the lack of facts surrounding what happened. People want to know the facts of why things happened.

I personally don't understand why some one would be banded for so many years without a fill and have all of these issues. If it's true, that doctor must be horrible and they should be suing the doctor for not reacting sooner.

I realize the band isn't for everyone, but there are better ways of informing everyone of your disappointment/problems without joining the forum just to post this thread. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions but there are better ways to get your point across than the way they did... that's all.

There's no restrticiton when you don't have a fill, so if some one is throwing up, there's a problem. If the doctor isn't doing anything... that's a bigger problem. The thread should probably have been "beware of using this doctor"

************

Not sure about this... I was on liquids for four months right before my revision to a sleeve. It was band intolerance, nothing anyone did wrong including me and my doc. By about the 3rd month of liquids and an unfilled band I was at my wits end. By the time I was done with the sleeve post op diet I jokingly told my friends I was so skinny I looked like a crack whore. I truly was at my wits end. I tried not to post much about it here because I knew I was not my usual self and life would be better but my friends got an ear full ... often. I would scream, yell, cry, swear, complain, but mostly vent. I think about this person and understand much of what they are saying and I guess I just relate to the sheer frustration. You want to point a finger and blame someone but there is nobody to blame. You want a fix that doesn't make you fear the "fix" will make all your problems permanent.

When the band works it's great. When it doesn't work it interferes with every single aspect of your life. You can't go out in public for fear that you'll barf on your own spit, I was so weak from a horrible diet of liquids and weight loss that I couldn't even go shopping because I couldn't walk that far. Going out to lunch or dinner with friends... that's totally out. Anything involving food... forget it.

I was talking to Green today on the phone. She was just cured of throat cancer. She was on mega doses of chemo and radiation. She was talking about how much weight she lost and how sitting in a hard chair was painful. Running a bar of soap over your body when you are thin and taking a shower... it hurts because your bones stick out such as your rib cage. She was thin due to chemo/radiation, I was thin due to the band. We were comparing stories about what it feels like to have your bones stick out. We totally related to one another.

I relate to the fear and frustration. I think it's one of those things you have to experience. In a case like this I am not going to assume since they don't post much they are a big fat liar. I'm not going to do it. I didn't relate many of the details I was experiencing during my own worst of the worst band issues for various reasons. Mostly I didn't want to scare the newbies with my extreme. I'm not typical, it's common to lose a band but not typical.

I'll tell you one thing, if someone would have accused me of lying about my band issues when I was going through the worst of it, I would have come out fighting from every which way. I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt unless they are a lying, deceitful, lowly, snake like, worst of the worst, greedy patient coordinator. Then I come out in attack mode. But another banded person? Nope, I'm not going to assume the worst unless I have very good reason to do so. What if I was wrong? What if you are wrong?

I learned a long time ago that if you have band problems the newbies get scared and try to disprove your issues or blame you for the issues. Old timers are much more realistic and less fearful. But newbies never want to HAVE a newbie band and see someone lose theirs. They fear they will be next. They are the folks that are not realistic about what can potentially happen.

I have no clue if you are a newbie or old timer, I didn't look. I'm not inferring you are doing this. I have no idea.

[Nanook 2]

Wasa, that really sucks, I didn't know how much hell you were going through, hope you're doing better now. Nancy.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Wasa, that really sucks, I didn't know how much hell you were going through, hope you're doing better now. Nancy.

Thanks.

I'm fine now, great as a matter of fact. My weight bounces around but usually the low 120s. It's quite a challenge to not lose with a sleeve but I knew that going into this. So it all works.

I'm a whole lot healthier now without a band, it just wasn't for me. My biggest mistake was trying to MAKE the band work and make it last. I should have done a revision a long time ago.

[themis 0]

Sorry to hear about all your issues.

I stand corrected.

Unfilled bands apparently do have restriction.

Everyone posting on the forum should be taken seriously.

Since I guess I'm still a newbie... I'll stop posting, since I'm being irrational.

[Boo Boo Kitty 3]

Sorry to hear about all your issues.

I stand corrected.

Unfilled bands apparently do have restriction.

Everyone posting on the forum should be taken seriously.

Since I guess I'm still a newbie... I'll stop posting, since I'm being irrational.

Don't worry, not every band unfilled has restriction. Every person, every band is different. There is no one size fits all. AND NO, not everyone should be taken seriously either. :thumbup: You just read everything with a grain of salt and filter out the crap...:thumbup:

Don't give up posting here!

[angelaobrn 0]

I'll openly admit that i only read the first page of this thread, but it really scared me. I was just banded 9/22. I thought it was uncommon to need to remove the band. I've been really excited.

So thanks for giving me something to worry about. This is not a decision I made without a lot of research, planning, and sacrifice. I saw a special on pbs in 2001, and I've wanted it since then.

So I'm sorry you've had a bad time, really. But you're replacing hope and dreams with fear and hate. Killing dreams is unforgivable. You should be sorry.

[Nanook 2]

With every WLS there is a risk and that risk is very real and problems with the band are very real, mine is coming out tomorrow and I'm very happy to be free of it at last! Hope things go smoothly for you but there are plenty of places here where people have posted problems and have had them removed or revised or replaced. I unfortunately didn't come here until after I was banded.:tongue:

[chickiepickle 0]

I'll openly admit that i only read the first page of this thread, but it really scared me. I was just banded 9/22. I thought it was uncommon to need to remove the band. I've been really excited.

So thanks for giving me something to worry about. This is not a decision I made without a lot of research, planning, and sacrifice. I saw a special on pbs in 2001, and I've wanted it since then.

So I'm sorry you've had a bad time, really. But you're replacing hope and dreams with fear and hate. Killing dreams is unforgivable. You should be sorry.

dude - I hope you are joking. :tongue:

I have read every single post on the thread, and lots of horror story posts on other boards. I have even been on 2 lapband blogs for 3 years so I can get an accurate representation of life with a band. I want to be 100% sure that this is what i want and I will be accepting of the consequences when I choose to be banded.

I can't imagine ever NOT researching and seeing all the negatives as well as the positives...

krista

[Nanook 2]

You're a smart chickiepickle!:tongue: