I have failed my band - SUPPORT GROUP

[Redhatgal 11]

I was also going to ask, have any of you used the Weight Watchers program to guide your eating since being banded?

[confused 4]

Well I never got the gastric sleeve, Insurance has a rule...only 1 weight loss surgery per person per lifetime, so on July 27, 2013 my lap band was completely removed for good...I'm on my own, well not yet I'm still healing, because I can say this it hurts a whole lot more taking a Lap Band out then putting one in, all my muscles are so sore still, and I'm so tired of restrictions (No bending, lifting, pushing, pulling).

[tipsyb 71]

It's learning to live with an understanding of your ability to over eat that will help you, my husband six months into my banding said "why are you fighting your band ?" I had to stop and think. He was right ,but I still have to think before I eat . This s because I have an addiction to food and eating makes me anxious. When I calm myself and listen to my body say its full I'm great. Eating is now a slow pleasure that I enjoy. I have a nice plate , a napkin and a clear table (not the sofa) . I think in peace about the day and enjoy what I eat. Sounds great but it's hard work at times to stay with it. To me it's all worth it , it's my future health and well being.

[ronnfia 13]

tipsby great posting. I was jolted awake by your "fighting with the band" comment. I feel like I have been fighting with it the entire 6 years. I hope you have found peace with yours and I will do my best to follow your lead. thank you!

[HilaryInRC 116]

Hi there,

I have posted on this thread on and off for years. I had my band done back in October 2008, I was about 200 lbs then and never got below 170. I currently weight 228 lbs. I did, however, have almost all of the Fluid in my band removed last fall because...

I'm having revision surgery.

I have met with my surgeon and have made the decision to have my band removed and gastric bypass done. I was never successful with the band. And, frankly, I'm pissed off! I did not fail my band. The band failed me. Enough is enough. It isn't working, it never really worked, and I'm done. I'm sick of beating myself up over this stupid band!

I'm planning on having my revision in June. I'm a teacher, so I need to wait until school is out. This time my insurance is covering the whole thing. Let me just say, I'm excited. I'm excited to look forward to the results and experience that I have expected for the five and a half years since I had my band done. Even my surgeon admits that he rarely does the band anymore because it has such a high failure rate. It isn't you. The band just doesn't work for about 60% of the people who get it (surgeon's statistic). Period.

So, this post might make me unpopular. But, think for a bit. Did you really fail your band? Or, is it that your band hasn't been all it's cracked up to be? I've learned a lot about myself, my habits, about living with weight loss surgery, about discipline, food, and exercise. So, it hasn't been a completely invaluable experience. But, the results just aren't there long term.

I've made up my mind, and I'm finally happy. Ladies, don't let your band beat you up emotionally!!! The problem is the band!

-Hilary

[Subie66 6]

Hilary,

When I saw your post- it sounds so much like me. I struggle each day with the band. I havent done well with it at all. I have an appt to go see another lapband doc tomorrow as the original one has left lapbands. I am in hopes he will be able to help. I feel at the end of my rope with this band also.

Good luck with your surgery in June. I have wondered if my insurance would cover another procedure also.

[ArchiesMom 0]

Can I join?

[ArchiesMom 0]

Good luck with the revision.

Edited February 20, 2014 by ArchiesMom

[forwardmomentum 3]

I wish all the best. It's definitely a struggle.

Edited February 22, 2014 by forwardmomentum

[aloudwhisper 176]

I too was banded in 2008. And just like you I have had so many issues. I feel like there was a lot about the band I didn't know. I didn't know about getting stuck, and after I was in the emergency room dehydrated, I was done with the band. I was tired of throwing up. However, when I look back I realize that there were times that I was trying to eat the wrong foods when I was stuck. I myself can't totally blame the band. I was good 85% of the time. I exercised and did my best to eat right. But when my mom was diagnosed with cancer, everything went downhill. Its been nearly two years since my mom died. I relocated to care for my special needs brother, I had to find a job and it took nearly one year. I got married and its been a serious adjustment. Parts of me feels like I got married too fast after the death of my mom, because I was struggling with the bitterness of her leaving me. But through it all I'm getting back on track. Im still married in spite of the odds against us, and I have started getting the Fluid back in. I have a 10cc band, and I have nearly 7ccc in me. So as long as I have some room in this band I will give it my all. I started at 305. I lost nearly 60 pounds. I have gained most of that back, but I'm slowly loosing again. Im going back to the basics tomorrow and im praying for the best. I have a good job, and I'm happy. Well today I am :/

[HilaryInRC 116]

I see that this thread isn't very active at the moment. But, I know that struggling bandsters are out there.

I went ahead and had the gastric bypass surgery. It is the best decision I've ever made! The weight falls off effortlessly, I'm rarely hungry, I'm not obsessed with food anymore, no stuck episodes, no port pain anymore, and more scale and nsv's than I can list. If you are considering revision, my advice is just do it! Looking back, the band was very bad for my self-esteem. For years I called myself a failure. Well, now on the other side of revision, I can honestly say, the band failed me. The band was the failure. Not me. For 40% of bandsters, they have fantastic success. The rest of us suffer. Please don't think of yourselves as the failures!

4 months post op with the rny and I'm down 61 lbs. Easy peasy.

Good luck everyone!

Edited October 19, 2014 by HilaryInRC

[riley4183 0]

I have gained back more than half of the 124 lbs that I lost after being banded in early 2009 . . . first my dad's cancer diagnosis and the caretaking of him - when you're going through that, what you weigh seems of very little consequence. He passed 2 1/2 year ago and I'm still going up at the rate of about 10 lbs a year, even though I remain active, walk a lot, actually GO to my gym, and to weight watchers where I log everything and rarely go over my points . . . .aargh! What is WRONG with me? I did have most of the Fluid removed & have no restriction unless I eat dry chicken or fish, and I can't get anything added back in until I am 10 lbs lower than I was when I had the Fluid out - which is 29 lbs away!

I have Kaiser. I have worked with the nutritionist and gone back on the 1200 cal diet, and only managed to maintain.

[alaskaearlybird 0]

So glad to read all these messages and see I am not alone. I was banded in 2011, lost 50 pounds, but have now gained 40 back. Someone else posted a link to this article, and for the first time in more than a year I have hope again! This doc explains how the band works and doesn't, and I realize Ihave been counting on it for the wrong thing. It is not supposed to stop me from eating too much; rather, it should help me stop when I've eaten a small amount. It's not about restriction like I thought. No wonder my constant cycle of fills and unfills hasn't worked. Anyway, worth a read, I finally feel empowered again. http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

[confused 4]

Hello everyone! I posted on here that I failed my band and felt like a failure because of it. Well after having my band completely removed because it slipped so bad that it could have caused serious damage, I know longer feel like a failure or feel like I failed my band. I have realized over time that it was my band that failed me, and that it was the failure. I'm 3 years without my band and yes there are days I miss my band and I miss all the weight loss but I then realize I choose life and the ability to eat without throwing up all the time.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

So glad to read all these messages and see I am not alone. I was banded in 2011, lost 50 pounds, but have now gained 40 back. Someone else posted a link to this article, and for the first time in more than a year I have hope again! This doc explains how the band works and doesn't, and I realize Ihave been counting on it for the wrong thing. It is not supposed to stop me from eating too much; rather, it should help me stop when I've eaten a small amount. It's not about restriction like I thought. No wonder my constant cycle of fills and unfills hasn't worked. Anyway, worth a read, I finally feel empowered again. http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

While the band might not be about restriction it certainly NEVER, and I mean NEVER dimmed by appetite or reduced it in any way. The physiology of satiety is when the stomach is stretched (from eating) it sends signals to the brain that it is full and you've reached satiety. The amount of food it takes to reach this point varies from person to person.

When I ate with the band I was always still hungry - like the bottom part of my stomach was saying "feed me" but I couldn't eat more because it would have caused pressure or pain.

So, for me the band was the worst of both worlds - still hungry but couldn't eat. And of the 75 pounds I lost, only 15 were from the band. I lost the 60 prior to and right after the band with all the dieting and month of liquids only.

Research shows that it is not very effective for long term weight loss. It is even promoted as allowing for a loss of up to 50% of EXCESS weight. So, if you weigh 300 pounds and should weigh150, then it will allow you to lose 75 pounds - you would be at 225 and still be obese.

There is a reason why some surgeons no longer do lap bands. You have to ask yourself why.