To band, or not to band?

[thebigboss]

Hi all!

I have been checking out this lap band deal; however I still have a few questions.

1.) how often do you need to go in for "adjustments"?

2.) is the injection device (don't recall the actual name) noticable?

3.) once you're healed, can you ever go back to eating "real" food, (ie. Steak, pasta, etc.) if you eat smaller portions?

4.) do you realy need the lap band? Could you go on the liquid diet and post-op food and get the same or similar results?

That's a good start! If any of you lap-banders can help me with this questions, it'll really help make up my mind.

Thank you!!!

[Clynn]

1) How ofter you need to go in depends on what type of band you get. If you get the larger VG band, people seem to need to go in every month or two. It's harder to get to and keep your sweet spot, but the benefit seems to be that each fill is less drastic to your system. More room for error so to speak. I have the smaller band and need to go in about every three or four months. I have my fifth fill scheduled for later this month, but I'm thinking it will be smaller compared to my previous fills. Your surgeon will determine what kind of band will fit your anatomy better during surgery.

2) Sometimes there is a bump in the skin over the port. The bump sometimes will go away as you lose weight. However, if you still have a lump after losing weight, I've heard people say Dr Ortiz offered to re-seat it free of charge. For me it is not noticeable but I can feel it when I press my fingers in the area.

3) Different foods will work for you at different times, depending on your habits and the level of restriction at the time. If you are not too tight, eat slowly, and chew thoroughly you will be able to eat most foods. Some foods, however, will always cause problems. For me it is bread and pasta. I suppose if I took very small bites and chewed chewed chewed about 100 times each bite I could eat it, but what's the point? Those foods are just filler anyway and don't really have anything to offer as far as nutrition or flavor. Steak, on the other hand, is wonderful and I enjoy eating it now more than I ever did.

4) I absolutely needed the lap-band and still do. I moved in December and found a trunk I hadn't opened in years. Inside was a t-shirt I had from middle school and . . . IT FIT, probably better than when it was new. Before I was banded every day was a new diet and a new reminder of how much of a failure I was. No matter how much I lost the pounds came back with friends after about six months. Even by the age of 25 I was having health problems. I was heading for diabetes and had already been on Lipitor for bad cholesterol. Today I feel like a completely new person and that I finally have the tools available to me to manage my body and take care of it properly. But the reason I KNOW I needed the lap-band instead of just diet and exercise to accomplish this is demonstrated when I go out to eat with other people. I can eat about half of a kid's meal, while those around me chow down on plates heaped high with food. The kicker is that they're not gaining weight, and I'm not losing it right now (see answer #1). How can the answer to the amount of weight I had to lose be simply diet and exercise if I'm as active as they are and taking in a fraction of the calories?

[suefromca]

Hi all!

I have been checking out this lap band deal; however I still have a few questions.

1.) how often do you need to go in for "adjustments"?

2.) is the injection device (don't recall the actual name) noticable?

3.) once you're healed, can you ever go back to eating "real" food, (ie. Steak, pasta, etc.) if you eat smaller portions?

4.) do you realy need the lap band? Could you go on the liquid diet and post-op food and get the same or similar results?

That's a good start! If any of you lap-banders can help me with this questions, it'll really help make up my mind.

Thank you!!!

I got banded about 8 months ago. If I knew what I know now I would have either not been banded or chose the gatric bypass. On the band you may never (and I just go back from my doctor who also said this) eat meat again. In my case everytime I eat meat I get a clogged feeling. The weight loss is slow. I have lost 50 pounds in 8 months. I could have lost that by doing weight watchers. I have been in the doctors office for 4 band adjustments. The don't hurt and you can not see the port. In fact the adjustment are the easiest part of the whole thing. I will never be able to eat "real food" according to my doctor. He also informed me that to lose weight you eat between 700-1000 calories a day no more. That is really a small amount. He also told me today the full feeling longer that the lapbands are so famous for is fake. He said that should not ever be put into ads. Hope this helps. I wish I would have asked the quetions you did before I got banded.

[Clynn]

Now you've heard two completely different experiences. The moral here is that there are no guarantees either way. Educate yourself as much as you can about the risks and the rewards because in the end, nobody can decide for yourself but you.

[KitKat]

Gosh, after reading this - it is confusing and bit disturbing as well. I realize that everyone has a different experience and will come away from this issue with good and bad but to hear Clynn, it sounds perfect and wonderful. To hear others, it is not so great. Personally, I think a 50 pound weight loss in 8 months is phenominal and I would love to have that happen to me!! I understand what you're saying though Sue.

It is hard to hear that, typically, most people can only eat a bite or two of a hamburger or half of a kid's meal - forever. I love food, hence being fat! But - wouldn't it be nice if we could just eat a bit more than that and still lose, along with exercise, of course.

I am confused but I know that I'm confusing myself. Clynn is right, it's a decision every individual has to make but for me, I have to get as much information as possible.

I would like to know - does the port interfere with anything in your life, for instance, sex - or anything else? Can someone else feel it? Is it visiable to the naked eye? Is it uncomfortable? (Not that anyone has seen me naked in about 15 years but there's always hope )! And I do hope I'm not being too graphic here but I need to ask.

[Clynn]

To me it has been 99% perfect and wonderful. Because of that I tend to heap on the praise and have to remind myself that not everyone will have the same experience.

If you're looking for more information there is Dr Ortiz's website and there's Inamed's website. You can get in contact with bariatric surgeons in your area and they can refer you to support groups. I highly recommend support groups btw. There are also many books on the subject. I gave Dr Ortiz's book, Lap Band for Life off of Amazon.com as a Christmas present this year. I only had time to read the first few chapters before I had to wrap it but it was informative without relying on medical jargon. Of course you can always stop by and ask us questions.

Good luck

[LoriBecky]

If you can't eat meat or "normal foods" my guess is that your band may be too tight. Sometimes a slight unfill allows you to eat healthier foods and you will actually lose weight faster.

Call you band doctor. I know many patients that had a slight unfill and were able to eat better, healthier choices of food, and started seeing faster results because their metabolism kicked back in.

I can eat almost anything but in much smaller quantities.

[thebigboss]

Thank you all so much! I've researched this as much I a person can and I have decided to meet with the surgeon next Thursday. After that, hopefully I will have my decision made. On the plus side (no pun intended), my mother has expressed interest to have the process down as well and she will be meeting with the surgeon right after me. If we do have it done, it'll be nice to go through it with her.

Thank you all again for all of your honesty, support and care!

Oh, and Clynn - you are a beautiful person, congratulations on your loss and good luck with the rest of your journey.

[Kittycat]

Hi all!

I have been checking out this lap band deal; however I still have a few questions.

1.) how often do you need to go in for "adjustments"?

2.) is the injection device (don't recall the actual name) noticable?

3.) once you're healed, can you ever go back to eating "real" food, (ie. Steak, pasta, etc.) if you eat smaller portions?

4.) do you realy need the lap band? Could you go on the liquid diet and post-op food and get the same or similar results?

That's a good start! If any of you lap-banders can help me with this questions, it'll really help make up my mind.

Thank you!!!

Hi "thebigboss',

I am in exactly your shoes right now...I have been reading this forum for a couple of weeks and have seen heartache and frustration, but I have also seen huge successes with losing weight and getting healthy..and that's what it's all about.

I have an appt with the surgeon on April 23/08 and I am ready to do this...scared to death, but need to do it!

I would love to follow along with you and your journey and we can support each other through this very important, life changing experience.

Best of luck! Cathy (Kittycat)