Help...I want this thing out!

[Teacher96 0]

I am very discouraged! I had LBS almost one year ago... I have only lost 11 pounds and have had 8 fills. My last fill was too much, so I was unfilled... I never felt like anything was different.

I read the stories on here about people who get full after 3 bites. That is NEVER me. I even see a therapist once a week as well. I work out at least 30 minutes a day and not an ounce is budging...I feel like a complete and total failure...

I am now contemplating having it removed. What good is it doing me? I'm beginning to think I should have had a gastric bypass...:thumbdown:

[Enchanted 2]

What are you eating? Are you staying hydrated? When was the last time you saw your doc - and what are they saying the problem is?

[twirl 0]

I have only lost 32 lbs since Dec 9 2008-

I am on dialysis and can not drink all the fluids

I feel almost no restriction - I have had two fills

I am disappointed too

[ThinknHealthy 0]

I am so sorry you are having problems. It is true, the lap-band is simply not for everyone. I am a little confused about your post. You stated that the last fill you had was too much so you had an unfill. If it was too much then you did feel restriction, am I right? If not, what made you think it was too much fill?

Losing weight is simply a matter of burning more calories than you are consuming. If you are exercising 30 min a day, that is great but you must do more. I would suggest that you keep track of everything that you are consuming for a couple of weeks. Then check the calories of what you are eating to make sure that you are in a safe zone. You want to make sure you are eating enough calories but not too much. Probably you should be in the 1000-1200 per day range. If you are in that zone then you should be losing some weight.

Personally, I'm a firm believer in using as many tools necessary to accomplish a job. Sometimes one tool is not enough. That is why I use Weight Watchers online to help me be accountable and keep track of my food. The lap-band works well with Weight Watchers as well as many other weight loss plans.

Don't give up on your band, but do ask yourself if you are failing the band or is the band failing you. No disrespect intended, but sometimes we simply don't use the tools we have properly. Maybe we just don't understand how to use it. Or maybe we never learned the right way, we didn't have the right teachers. You have the tool, that's a big step.

I see that you are new to this board. This is a wonderful resource and I highly recommend that you use the vast and worldwide wisdom available here. These people know how to use the tool. They can help.

Don't give up.

[Headhunter 6]

Teacher;

Sorry to hear you are not experiencing the success you had hoped for with the band. It does, however, happen.

ThinknHealthy above made some very good points.

First, don't think of yourself as a failure. You need to find out what has made this experience unproductive for you thus far. I would suggest that you seriously consider seeking a second opinion from another bariatric doctor. If you've had that many fills, and you are exercising the way you say, then something is most certainly wrong.

It MAY be that the band was the wrong choice for you. I know that it was wrong for me. Doctors often do not do a very good job of helping the patient discover what is the best option for them.

But, before you jump to any conclusions, you NEED to do everything you can to make the band work for you. And, and after reading your post, I do think that this means getting another opinion from another Doctor.

Do some SOLID research, and find a bariatric SPECIALIST, one that specializes in the Lap band. Doctors who specialize in Band Problems are becoming more common because, frankly, there are more problems arising with band "installations". But do a LOT of reserach and make sure you find someone who is really, really good. They might be able to find a method to make the band work better for you....it has happened.

But.....you might also find out that the band was NOT a good choice for you....that is a real possibility, so keep that in mind, BUT make sure that you give the Band EVERY OPPORTUNITY to work for you. Even If the band was not the BEST choice for you, it can still be a very, very effective tool for helping you achieve what you want. You might have to work harder at it than someone else, but it IS doable.

I've been through a BAD time with the band, so if you need any help with what you are going through, feel free to PM me. There are some wonderful people here, most are willing to help you through this.

But, I DO think the best thing you can do at this point is to consult an EXPERIENCED baritaric professional for a second opinion.

Keep us all posted on what happens with you!:thumbdown:

HH

[Teacher96 0]

Thanks for all of the advice. I am not that fond of my surgeon anyway...he has NO bedside mannner!! I am doing lots of thinking! I do go to WW and have managed not to gain, but am still discouraged!

[Enchanted 2]

Sometimes, not gaining is the best we can hope for. I've not lost anything for months - but that is so very different from the old me. This is the band doing its job - keeping me from overeating too much and stopping me from regaining all (+more) that I've lost.

I noticed that you didn't answer my Qs about what you're eating, when you last saw your doc, etc. The lapband isn't going to take care of these things for you - you have to help it do its job, you know?

xoox

[cleo2354 0]

I've had my band for almost two years and i started off great, i had lost 33lbs, in the first two months, but then started gaining it back. I was filled almost to compacity and i still could eat almost as much as i wanted, but had to get unfilled a couple of times because it just made everything uncomfortable going down. I can eat way much than I should, and it's hard controlling the head hunger. I've been wanting to have mine removed for the past year, but I hear it's not the simple. I wished i had gotten the bypass, and i did gain back enough weight recently to probably qualify. But I don't know if I really want to go to that extreme. I don't want to give up, but I'm frustrated with my weight and difficulty in losing the weight.

[SassyB 0]

First let me say that I really like LBT. I have been reading the posts for a few months now. I'm 6 months post-op and I've only lost 27lbs and I have had 5 fills. :cryin: I felt some restriction after the 5th fill and lost 5 lbs; that was 2 weeks ago. I have been going up and down since. I do have to admit that because I felt no restriction the first 5 months, I still ate things I should not have had nor as much as I had. :wink2: So I know I can't blame the band...I was doing just that; but truth be told it was me and not putting more of and effort to change my life and thinking about food. I've decided today to really try and eat and exercise like I was directed to do. :hurt: Thank you all for your posts.