I have failed my band - SUPPORT GROUP

[mpatti2007 0]

Hi Mona Patty:

I had a slip that was not painful. I don't know when it occurred. I noticed that I could eat more and that my scale was creeping up so I went to get a fill and when he did the barium swallow he saw the slip.

You should probably get checked.

Good luck!

Sue

Hi Sue,

It's not that I'm eating more, it is that some foods I can get down, some I can't, I have good and bad days, now what does slip actually mean, it moves, and if so then what happens? I have not had a fill in years, Im wondering if im a bit to tight. When I did go for fill they don't watch you swallow, but all the bad foods go dwon fine, like Cookies ect... better than real food!

[mpatti2007 0]

Hi Sue,

It's not that I'm eating more, it is that some foods I can get down, some I can't, I have good and bad days, now what does slip actually mean, it moves, and if so then what happens? I have not had a fill in years, Im wondering if im a bit to tight. When I did go for fill they don't watch you swallow, but all the bad foods go dwon fine, like Cookies ect... better than real food!

Did you see on the news last night about the study of the Lap Band the last 12 yrs?

[pointbeach 0]

Hi Everyone,

I posted so long ago I think it was in August of 2010. Then I just stopped. I was banded in June 2008, I initially lost 15 pds really fast. then as time went on I stopped using. See I thought the band was going to turn off that mental obsession that tells me to eat. The band did not do that. Instead I found certain good foods like broccoli, fish,some meats all came up if I ate them, especially fast. BUT the foods like ice

foods like ice cream Cookies and muffins all went down real smooth. PS it is now 2011 I not only gained back the weight but probable a few pounds more. Unfourtunatley my life is non stop high drama that never seems to end. Drama that takes the focus off I me. I forget all the time not to eat to fast and to slow down,so things either come back up or theydont fill me up. I have been having success with OA. I am a binge eater and need all the support I can get.I am trying to stay away from all those high calorie high fat foods and just eat healthy. But the other day I was having salad with tuna and the tuna would not go down I guess because it was so dry. I am going to see my surgeon this week for the first time in a while. I stopped going to his support groups because I felt like such a loser. I would see all the people who were banded at the same time as me and they all lost weight. So I would leave the support groups feeling like crap and stopped going.What makes matters worse is I have two woman in my town who got gastric bypass, one was exactly my weigh and she is a TWIG now. I definaley wish I had gotten the gastric bypass. I know two other people like me that got banded and it did not work for them either.it seems 50/50 for some it works some it des not. I only had two fills I am going to ask for another fill or just take the band out.I might even ask him if he would do bypass still. In the mean time I am going to continue to work on my head issues with therapy and OA meetings. I need to, the weight is causing me to have such problems with my knees and back.It is a day at a time, but if anyone doesnt think this is an addiction their in denial People dont eat them selves to death unless there is something wrong in our heads.

[StrangeDz 1]

Hi Everyone,

I posted so long ago I think it was in August of 2010. Then I just stopped. I was banded in June 2008, I initially lost 15 pds really fast. then as time went on I stopped using. See I thought the band was going to turn off that mental obsession that tells me to eat. The band did not do that. Instead I found certain good foods like broccoli, fish,some meats all came up if I ate them, especially fast. BUT the foods like ice

foods like ice cream Cookies and muffins all went down real smooth. PS it is now 2011 I not only gained back the weight but probable a few pounds more. Unfourtunatley my life is non stop high drama that never seems to end. Drama that takes the focus off I me. I forget all the time not to eat to fast and to slow down,so things either come back up or theydont fill me up. I have been having success with OA. I am a binge eater and need all the support I can get.I am trying to stay away from all those high calorie high fat foods and just eat healthy. But the other day I was having salad with tuna and the tuna would not go down I guess because it was so dry. I am going to see my surgeon this week for the first time in a while. I stopped going to his support groups because I felt like such a loser. I would see all the people who were banded at the same time as me and they all lost weight. So I would leave the support groups feeling like crap and stopped going.What makes matters worse is I have two woman in my town who got gastric bypass, one was exactly my weigh and she is a TWIG now. I definaley wish I had gotten the gastric bypass. I know two other people like me that got banded and it did not work for them either.it seems 50/50 for some it works some it des not. I only had two fills I am going to ask for another fill or just take the band out.I might even ask him if he would do bypass still. In the mean time I am going to continue to work on my head issues with therapy and OA meetings. I need to, the weight is causing me to have such problems with my knees and back.It is a day at a time, but if anyone doesnt think this is an addiction their in denial People dont eat them selves to death unless there is something wrong in our heads.

Sounds like your band isnt tight enough.

[bebers 0]

You are not a failure. After several years you are still down 32 pounds. You probably would be 32 pounds heavier. However, not all people have the best luck with the band. You have to work with it. It certainly doesn't work without your help or doctor's help.

I was banded in 2007 or 2008.. I haven't even kept track because I hate my band.. I wish I had gotten Gastric Bypass because at least I probably would have gotten to my goal weight before gaining all of my weight back.. I started at 320 when banded and got down to 242 before going back up to 292.. Now I am at 288. I hate my band.. I have had so many fills and had to go back the next day for an emergency unfill. Its ridiculous. Right now my restriction is good but I have learned to eat around my band.. Ice cream etc. also my metabolism is so screwed up from years of dieting thats its just pathetic. I guess I just wanted to vent.. I have failed and it was expensive!!!! ugh

[StrangeDz 1]

Did you see on the news last night about the study of the Lap Band the last 12 yrs?

What did it say? I didnt catch it....

[mpatti2007 0]

What did it say? I didnt catch it....

I dint catch it all but it had said they did a 12 year study of the Lap Band, and that the outcome wasnt to good, that alot of the people eneded up taking band out, and getting the by pass. If you google it, u may find it, it was on a tv show I think.

[pointbeach 0]

OMG I wish I had seen that show had a eeling the lap band success was not as good as bypass. I have an appointment next week to see if I can get bypass

[Aquameliza 0]

Don't forget that the bypass has less long term success than the lapband!

[Aquameliza 0]

AND - if you read about this study - it was of 84 European patients up to 1997 - that is more than 10 years ago - a lot has changed since then.

[tinkerditz 0]

Hi. I have found this group late on a Monday night after feeling like I have no where else to turn.

I was banded on August 21, 2009. I weight 232 on the morning of my surgery. I now weight 197, and I am regretting my band. After having a very successful few months, I started gaining in November of 2009. It wasn't much. 2 pounds one month, 3 or 4 the next. In January 2010 I joined weight watchers at the suggestion of my primary physician (not my surgeon) and I started losing again. He said he didn't think I was eating enough and that maybe a plan like weight watchers would show me how little I was eating. He was right (in my opinion). In April of 2010 I was down to 189.

Here I am, a year later. And I'm up to 197. Between April 2010 and December 2010 I got back up to 221. I was still following my own diet at home, but due to not having a job, I had to give up my gym membership and weight watchers in August. I feel like the lesson I learned was that my band doesn't seem to be helping me. It's holding me back. I went back to not exercising as much, and eating 500-800 calories a day. I gained weight really fast and almost got back up to my pre-op weight.

My husband bought me an elliptical for my home in December and I use it a minimum of 40 minutes a day. I'm also doing weight watchers again. Since January my weight has gone from 215ish (I stopped weighing myself after my December weight of 221) to 197. On weight watchers I have lost 7.4 pounds (I started at 204.4). I feel like I am losing weight because I am working out and eating MORE. When I was dieting on my own, I could barely get 800 calories in my system every day. So now I eat about 25-30 of my 32 points every day, and I am working out again.

Now, my problem is I am throwing up after eating, a lot. I still get enough to eat. But I feel like no matter how slow I eat, or how soft or liquidy the food is, it comes back up. I throw up Soup, slim fast, Protein "shots"...you name it. It comes back up. I have an egg timer on my table and my husband is so sweet to try and take bites with me. But I'm getting really frustrated and starting to wonder if I've made a terrible mistake. I finally had to tell my in-laws about my surgery because when they came to visit I threw up every meal. I hadn't told them because unlike my family and my husband, they are not very understanding of people who have weight problems and call anyone who's slightly over-weight "lazy." But that's for a whole other forum page.

Anyway, to be honest I have tried really hard in my band. I have days where I don't eat the way I should. But I'm regretting my band because I feel it's killed my metabolism and makes it hard for me to get the nutrition I need to fuel my body. And now that I've written all of this I wonder if I should be posting in another forum. So I'm sorry if I don't belong.

To sum all of that up, I have just moved from Southern California to Washington. I am looking for a new surgeon. I feel like my last surgeon's office was more worried about their business and less about their patients. I am going to find someone who will listen to me and understand that I need more than another lesson on the diet plan, or another fill. I am seriously wondering if I need to have this band removed all together.

Thanks for reading. I'd appreciate any feedback.

[Regina Smith Jones 0]

I know the feeling! I was banded in Sept 2009 starting weight was 257 and lost down to 176. But I have almost gained the weight back. It's not the bands fault and now I am trying to start over with the 5-day pouch diet. This is my second day and I did really good yesterday!

I work at a papermill in the shipping dept and I work a 7-day rotation swing shift so this means I eat and sleep at different times every week

I am really glad to find this website so maybe I can get back on track. I feel better now than I have in months. I know there are others out there just like me.

[Bergdorfblonde 3]

Tabithan I feel your pain. I have been a really bad lap bander. I weighed myself 2 days ago and I weighed 255.5! That is at least 10 pounds more than when I had the lap band surgery! Am I the only one who GAINED WEIGHT with the lap band? I know its my fault because I know I eat too much. I initially lost 30 pounds with the lap band but now gained it back and then more. I am one of those people who takes on too much. I have been focusing too much on my career and on silly things that do not matter when in reality I should have been focusing on my lap band dieting. I've been on at least 10 diets since the lap band and I haven't been able to stick to them for that long. So now, 4 years after the surgery and at an all time high weight, I am finally using the band as it was intended. I am making up my own diet so I don't feel deprived. I am eating 6 mini meals per day at 200 calories each for a total of 1200 per day. I bought some all natural green coffee and saffron supplements at GNC to help with the hunger and gave up diet soda in favor of diet iced tea. I'm writing down everything I eat and my pounds lost. I've lost 6 pounds in the first 3 days and I am doing nothing this month but dieting and focusing on keeping to 1200 calories a day. I almost feel like I am a crack addict who is getting off crack and I need to put myself in food rehab for a month! This time, 4 years after the band, I am fully committed to finally losing the weight.

Occassionally, I run across a few posts from people like me who have failed their bands. But these posts are usually just a venting opportunity. I have failed my band - I acknowledge it - and it would be great if we could have a group of other "failures" who want to work together to become success stories.

MY STORY

I was banded in March of 2007. At the time I was 299 lbs. I am a 6ft tall lady. Today, I weigh 255, and basically just as big as I was when I got my band. I have got numerous fills and I usually eat through my fiils. I can eat whatever I want. I overeat and I am confident that I have caused my stomach to expand. I snack on candy, I eat the wrong foods - I eat until I am STUFFED. Sometimes when I overeat, I feel sick and gag to relieve the pressure.

I moved to Houston 4 months ago, and last week, I went in for a port-readjustment with Dr Alanis. It went well and I now have a new resolve to make it work. My doctor mentioned to me that about 40% of all bandsters fail. I do not want to be a failure. I have paid too much money to go through this.

MY GOAL FOR DECEMBER

• To write everything I eat down, including calories
  
• To stay within 1500 Calories.
  

What's your story? What's your goal? How can I support you? How can we support each other?

Misery loves company, and company can help us move from failure to success. Please join me by telling me your story, and your GOAL for December. Let's vent - but more importantly, let's talk about strategies to make this work - let's share and support each other - Let's turn this from failure to success.

I REFUSE TO BE A FAILURE

[agmom0207 2]

I was banded 2yrs ago and down 50lbs.... Actually am having a revision and getting gastric bypass to lose the weight! Seeing my doctor next thurs to start the process yay I'm very excited. The band hasn't worked for me no restriction and am gained my weight back slowly.... Hope everyone has a wonderful day!!!

[aloudwhisper 176]

I was banded 4 years ago myself. I have had highs and lows with the surgery. I started at 305. I've managed to stay away from the 300s, but I have only lost 50. I had begun getting myself back on track, but when my mom was diagnosed with cancer, my life started going down hill. She died in June. It took me a minute to get refocused, but I'm now finding my rhythm.

I am working out regularly and trying to keep my calories under 1500. I have been tracking nearly everything I eat, but I have my moments with that. I've lost nearly 12 pounds since I started this get back on track program. I found a new surgeon and medical team. I have been slowly getting my fills. I pray that things get better for me. I had this surgery for a reason. Often I've lost sight of the purpose of the sleeve verse having some other gastic surgery. I am training myself.