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

[Melolo 0]

What Dr. did your lap band surgery?

Ive almost 6 months in and still having problems that other people dont seem to have.

I'm not telling you who my Doctor is but believe me we got everything straight on the first visit. I'm sorry that you're having problems but if it's out of your control then kick down some doctor office doors. Peace

[Carrie_C 9]

But you still sound as if you're assuming they did not do all the things you say they should have. I would bet they did.

Even with all the information in the world, it does NOT guarantee that somebody somewhere will not experience something bad. You seem to continue to place the blame on the patient for not doing all their homework than the fact that they may be a small percentile who had things go wrong through problems not of their own making. :redface:

My thoughts exactly.

[Nanook 2]

Well.....I agree and I don't agree, Nanook. The Forum is "Life after Lap-Band Removal", and so everybody here should realize that this section is not going to be chock full of people happy with the band. People that haven't had success with the band, or hate the band, or whatever, should be able to find support here.

On the other hand, if you read the original post, I think you'll see that it contains misleading facts and is poorly written in a combative style. The poster, LAPBANDFREE, joined in September and has a total of 12 posts. Personally, I'm a little suspicious....smells a little like a troll to me.

Whether it was her intent or not, the OP surely stirred up the pot, didn't she? Got a lot of LBT'ers bickering with each other...

True Plain, I know the op was considered a troll but it grew and grew and grew like the crazy posts usually do, so most people don't even remember what it said, lol. I don't like accusing people of being trolls because I was also accused of that at one time and I may have frizzy hair when it's humid but I am no troll! She may have stirred the pot but there are enough people here who are unhappy with their band that any post like that is going to cause a bit of conversation that may not be pleasant to a newbie's ears.

[Nanook 2]

Melolo,

I have quite a history here and began in 3/08 when I was trying to figure out why I was gaining back all my weight after getting banded last 8/22/07. I had lost 25 lbs on the preop diet but started to put it back on. I found this forum after my surgery and after being "informed" about the band. I had all the reading material and discussions with my surgeon that the average person does. Psych eval, preop testing too and also other meetings with their team and with the surgeon more than once. I was even going to have the RNY done but chickened out because I found it to be too drastic.

Basically I did not have all the information needed to be banded. I did not know that most solids still would go through the band like the foods I had problems with prior to banding. Cake, candy, Cookies, chocolate, chips, crackers all these things would go right through the band but the Protein and veg, the healthy foods would get stuck. I was told to "avoid" those foods but didn't know that was because they would still go through my band even if I had recently pb'd because of a piece of chicken.

So it took awhile to realize that yes, I was not totally informed, and I don't think it was all my fault, that is information that should be told to a person prior to banding don't you think. Most of us have yo yo'd all their lives on diets and when you can only eat a bit of chicken and veg and still your body wants food you're going to naturally eat the food that will go through the band. It's not all "head hunger", it's your body not wanting to go into starvation mode.

So if I had issues with willpower prior to banding I would have those same issues after banding and did not know that $30,000 later plus whatever else it costs to have my band removed.

I am not one of those people who had their fill removed and then put on weight, I've actually lost weight because my body was never dependent on the band to lose the weight in the first place. My fill was removed over a month ago but I still had a lot of restriction.

It's frustrating for people who have gone through this with the same high hopes that everyone else has to have them crushed in the end. No one is better at it than anyone else it just doesn't work for everyone. It is not the correct procedure for everyone and that doesn't discount anything that works for you or anyone else but just is a warning to those who are thinking of getting banded who may have been in the same circumstance I was in. My surgical team had been doing the RNY for many years but the Lap Band was fairly new when I got it. I had a wonderful surgeon but that doesn't mean I received the right information, just have wonderful incisions and am fortunate that the only bad side effect other than it not working for me was that I acquired esophageal reflux.

So It is now gone as of last Friday and I feel good physically and feel much better mentally as I know I'm not a failure the Lap Band was not the right WLS for me and possibly others who should be aware of this issue. It's also possible I could have known and still thought it wouldn't have been a problem, that I don't know but I'm hoping I was smart enough to not have gotten the band if I had known that in the first place.

This is not to attack you personally as you are just one person responding to my post, it's just something I need to get across to people who may have the same problems I do and sometimes people ask me to explain why I had it removed and for what reasons. Thanks and take care and I hope you do well, Nancy:thumbup:

Oh one more thing, I am pretty proactive when it comes to my health and when I spoke to my surgeon after being banded about my issues with not knowing that the "bad" foods would go down easy and the "good" foods were the struggle this is how the conversation kind of went. I said "I didn't know I could eat a cookie and have no problem with it going down" and he said "Well you still ate the cookie didn't you" WTF, what woman is not going to try to eat a cookie around Christmas, I just looked at him and thought to myself this is a man who does not get it!

Edited October 7, 2008 by Nanook
addition

[Joy1 0]

What in the world makes you think I did anything differently? Are you under the impression I never mentioned problems to my doctor? What is wrong with you? Why do you find the least likely scenario and assume that is exactly what others did? Some band problems cannot be fixed without removing the band.

I live driving distance from my surgeon. I was there all the time, he did everything, tried everything, just like US doctors do. Bands are being removed left and right by doctors from all over the world. There are hospitals that won't do banding anymore because of the high failure rate. Are you suggesting that none of those people obtained follow up care? Are you serious?

Doctors can't work magic, just using that trippy modern technology of a freak'en telephone or car doesn't magically fix things.

I don't really care how long you researched, that does not ensure you will do well, not do well, keep your band, or not keep your band. You are a newbie, you aren't even through the learning curve of the band yet. So don't you dare presume to know everything there is about banding as well as how everyone else handles their band issues.

My doctor did the same as yours, the post op diet, the nutrition eval, f/u appts, etc. So your sarcasm and silly assumptions that I just sat on my butt whining about band problems are totally ridiculous. Instead of making the most bizarre of assumptions, if you don't know something perhaps you should ask.

Perhaps next time try responding to what I wrote vs. creating this scenario that never happened and being sarcastic because you want to believe that is how history played out.

You NEED to lose the attitude....who died and named u queen of the boards!

:wub: Joy

[Joy1 0]

Excuse me, are you talking to me?? I take Vitamins EVERYDAY. I have never missed a day since being banded. And my hair is still falling out. Just about everyone I have talked to that has had the band all say the same thing. It doesn't matter how many vitamins you take, it still happens. I never said anyone was evil or deceitful. All I said was the doctor's office doesn't tell the bad things that can happen. They only state the good. I also never said that all I eat is junk food. What I was saying is that people thinking about the band need to know that they can still eat a lot of junk because it goes through easy. I think everyone thinking about this needs to know that it takes a total lifestyle change. A lot of people aren't told that up front and think the band is going to do all the work. I don't know why you are being so sarcastic. Are you even banded yet? I haven't had any major problems, thank God, but a lot of people have problems through no fault of their own, and picking up a phone or getting in an automobile doesn't solve their problems.

Some of u are WORSE than my high school students, and I TEACH SPECIAL ED!!!!!!..If ur hair is failing out, get a wig and deal w/ it.....u don/t like the band, get it off and stay FAT...Just for God's sake, QUIT WHINING.......It is totally REVOLTING AND ruins the spirit and intent of the board!

:wub: Joy

[Nanook 2]

Teach it or take it????:wub:

[plain 12]

Some of u are WORSE than my high school students, and I TEACH SPECIAL ED!!!!!!..If ur hair is failing out, get a wig and deal w/ it.....u don/t like the band, get it off and stay FAT...Just for God's sake, QUIT WHINING.......It is totally REVOLTING AND ruins the spirit and intent of the board!

:wub: Joy

Sheesh, that's a lil' harsh! This is the section for people that aren't happy with their bands, Joy. And although I am terribly happy with mine, the truth is that the lapband isn't 100% effective. Nothing is. So, the way I look at it is, why not let people sound off here without giving them grief??

The exception I usually take is when people distort the facts, or post blatant lies, like the OP. But in the long run, if the complaining annoys you, then don't peek in this section....it's not worth the added stress, man! lol

[Carrie_C 9]

I think Joy1 is the same person as Melolo.

[Nanook 2]

Me thinks she maybe the "dentist"!

[*susan* 1,709]

Well, "me thinks" continued speculation and comments such as have been made in this thread only leads to further needless arguing.

Hint, hint.

[Turler 6]

Sheesh, that's a lil' harsh! This is the section for people that aren't happy with their bands, Joy. And although I am terribly happy with mine, the truth is that the lapband isn't 100% effective. Nothing is. So, the way I look at it is, why not let people sound off here without giving them grief??

The exception I usually take is when people distort the facts, or post blatant lies, like the OP. But in the long run, if the complaining annoys you, then don't peek in this section....it's not worth the added stress, man! lol

I'm with you Plain. I've followed this thread from the beginning and I think a few people have gotten a little out of control. There is so much anger in the last few days. Even in this forum, where people may be unhappy with their band, we/they should be supporting each other, not tearing them apart.

Btw: I love my band too. I'm just doing my homework.

~C

[Nanook 2]

Well, "me thinks" continued speculation and comments such as have been made in this thread only leads to further needless arguing.

Hint, hint.

Me thinks you might be right can you closeth itith?

[Carrie_C 9]

Me thinks you might be right can you closeth itith?

Me agrees.

[Froggi 4]

Wow this thread got HARSH