considering Lap Band Surgery need Advice??

I think it is a personal choice. My husband had the DS eleven years ago, lost 190 pounds and has kept it off. He can eat most things in moderation. There are some things that have been deemed too rich for his stomach since and does not stay down, so that was a learning experience (like Blue Cheese), and he cannot drink during meals (must drink half an hour after meals), and once he is feeling slightly full he has to stop or he will know about it as everything will come back up if he pushes that extra bite. But he also changed the way he eats as we as a family were eating healthy meals (homemade deer meat, lean ground beef, lean chicken and turkey meat, fish, fresh farm veggies and fruit from his parents farm, and the occassional treats). But we watched our sugar intake all the time as our kids are ADHD and both of our families have diabetes that run on all sides.
Another thing you may want to check as well is your medical issues to find out if that has something to do with your weight gains. I had that same exact issues, found I had PCOS 5 years ago, only to find out last year when they removed everything that if I had cut the sugars and calories tremendously, it would have helped me to lose weight. NO DOCTOR EVER TOLD ME!!! They just told me I should check into the weight loss surgery cause that was my only other options. Well, after 2 attempts of trying to start the process of the weight loss surgery (never made it to the table: one doc freaked out and we cancelled, the other program closed down before I had a chance); so I found MFP in the beginning of October of last year and lost 86 pounds to date. If I can, I know you can! I have struggled with weight since I was a teen, and been through every little spec of diets, fads, you name it....so it may be something else for you to consider and think on.
Also, my husband is now finding from the groups and research are starting to see possible future problems with the weight loss surgery with those that have had it now, and the life effects. So hopefully that won't happen, but you may want to check into that. It is in the Inova Fairfax Weight Loss Surgical Info area somewhere that we saw recently. Hope this helps.

To each, his or her own. I had the Lap Band surgery and have been very happy with it. I still eat normally....and OMG I still have my hair!! I take normal, yes normal vitamins that everyone else in the world can also take. Two months ago I had all of my levels checked and remarkably, my vitamin/minerals levels are higher now than ever. My blood pressure is normal...blood sugar perfect...no medications daily.

There will ALWAYS be people who have problems...from laser eye surgery..botox injections. There will ALWAYS be people who say that "you can do this without surgery if you try hard enough." Only YOU know if YOU need this in your life. It is merely a tool. I still eat. I just eat less. Because of the weight loss, I feel like exercising and get excited to see what my body can now accomplish. It is by far the "lazy" way out. That hits a nerve with me everytime I see or hear someone make that comment. The "lazy" way out is to do nothing about your weight problem.

Sit down with your doctor. Investigate all the pros and cons. Do as much reserach as you can. I chose the Lap Band because it is reversible if problems arise. I'm not ignorant to the chance that I might have future problems. That is with any surgery you have..be it weight loss or even dental surgery. Do what makes you happy..as you are the one in the end who lives with it.

^^What she said times a million^^ Love my lapband and how things are working. I've spent over $25,000 so far, the most recent on a personal trainer. It's up to each of us to decide what works best for us, and for me, turning 40 this year, this was the best birthday present I could have ever given myself. You'll do what's best but know that the money ($16,450.00) includes a 2 year program AFTER the surgery, which is the fills, psychologist, exercise therapist, registered nurse, surgeon and nutritionist. I also purchased a treadmill, workout dvd's, personal training sessions, and kettle bells. It's a commitment to my health that I believe I never would have made otherwise, but TO EACH THEIR OWN. You make the best decision for you and good luck.

I lost 70 on my own before having my Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, i kept counting my calories and exercising and was yo-yoing 10 lbs in 3 years so that is when I decided to do the Sleeve after not being able to lose anymore on my own, but like some people say, it is just a tool. U gotta work ur tool. U gotta continue to watch ur calorie intake and up your protein and exercise. I did it for health reasons, my dad had two strokes and a heart attack and he was obese. My mom died at the age of 58 and she was obese. I wanted to see my son grow up and see my grandchildren so i did it and now i no longer have high blood pressure and am off all meds. My best friend decided to do it after I did and now she is diabetic free. I researched for a year about all the surgeries and the less evasive one to me was the sleeve, you don't get mal absorption, my hair didn't fall out at all, i can eat whatever I want just very little (so that lady that said "she wouldn't want not to eat whatever she wanted for the rest of her life" is not true with every individual). I have no regrets. I have joined my friend in selling affordable WLS at Bariatric Solutions Group if you want to take a look. It is a life changing decision and you have to be mentally prepared for it. I thank my surgeon every time i see him for saving my life. I couldn't feel better.

This!! I had VSG in December 2012... best thing I've ever done... no more high blood pressure, my AC1 is normal... I am a new woman!! My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner!!

Since your ticker says you've lost 8 pounds (a pound a month since December) is that correct? Could you let us know how you consider that loss has resulted in BP and AC1 changes. I'm not being a smartbutt, I am truly interested in the impact of this surgery on biomarkers.

Personally, not for/against surgery in general - I think it's a very specific choice best left to the inidividual and their doctor. I am concerned, given the risks, that it is a choice made sometimes without taking them fully into consideration or based on social/promotional pressures.

As many of you have been through, I have lost weight over and over. I am considering Lap Band or Sleeve since I am well over 100lbs over and high BMI. I have lost and gained weight over and over but I am unsuccessful at keeping it off. I lost 50lb on MFP but I have gained 25 back. My insurance wont cover the surgery but I may pay out of pocket or a loan.

Any suggestions?? I would like to loose it the right way without surgery but my health is declining and I cant seem to keep it off. thoughts??

I've known people to do this and with some it helps, with others the weight comes back later and still with some complications arise.

As I do often (and I hope I don't sound like a broken record) try watching 'Hungry For change' as it addresses the reasons why people gain the weight back that they lost. In a nutshell, though, you must change your life in order to keep the weight off.

Having a lapband may help to cut your portion sizes but it will not help you make the right choices. I have found that I am now struggling to be able to eat the healthy proteins and veggies but can guarantee that cakes and chocolates will always go down, and stay down. as others have said think very carefully about why you put the weight back on. You can always eat around the band and then you will start o put the weight back on. There is also no guarantee that your mobility will improve even if you do lose the weight.

What changed after the 50 lost and before the 25 gained back? Try going back to what you were doing when you lost 50.

Good question. I think my stress level increased due to my living situation changing. My sons moved in and the stress level increased - and I am a stress eater. Also being around my sons who eat tempting things make it harder for me to watch what I eat. :frown:

Then you have to work on how you cope with stress. A lap band is not gonna do that. It won't change the way you look at food.

everyone ends up fatter then before when they do weight surgery cause their willpower is so weak they just go bk to eating sugary food only they cheat like they will eat a dozen donuts bit by bit or make them into a smoothie. I use to work at a hospital and they would go to support group and just be pulling pizza slices like out of their purses to eat

everyone ends up fatter then before when they do weight surgery cause their willpower is so weak they just go bk to eating sugary food only they cheat like they will eat a dozen donuts bit by bit or make them into a smoothie. I use to work at a hospital and they would go to support group and just be pulling pizza slices like out of their purses to eat

LMFAO - people that were serious about losing weight with surgery I am sure kept their weight off, but for those people that probably didn't even diet before surgery and know what to eat then yeah they will gain weight back, but i don't think it will ever be fatter than what they were before. I have a lot of friends that are WLS patients and they kept it off for years, but one of them gained 20 lbs back but she is not fat like she used to be when she was 400 lbs. Also if they ate a dozen donuts, they would freakin barf cuz of all of that sugar.

My mom and sister both had lap band.

My sister was first and she lost 100 lbs in the year or so since surgery. Also she had to have hernia surgery because a piece of hot dog got stuck in the band and she could not cough it up and it would not go down. She coughed and coughed until finally, she had to go to the emergency room to get it out. 4 weeks later, she had the hernia surgery to repair the damage. She also has an ulcer caused by stress and improper nutrition to counter the stomach acids. The ulcer and stress has caused her to have increased pressure in her right eye wherein just last week, she had to have eye surgery to get the pressure down. Of course laying on her stomach all day was irritating the ulcer so she had to have all the fluid removed from her band so she could get some rest. And there have been many, many visits to the emergency room or bariatric dr office due to the lap band.

I have seen my sister stuff herself and diet herself to finny. She is skinny but fat. BF% is like 40% even though she weighs 150 or so. Now that she has had all the fluid removed and cant get it put back until August, she is going to watch her cals and exercise and see if she can maintain and get in better shape first. I hope she does, for her own sake.

Watching her struggle with this has been very hard as family member. Plus we lived together for about 4 years worth of her lap band experience so I have seen much of this first hand.

My mother has lost over 150 lbs. She is off all her medications and looks great given that she was over 300 lbs and 4'11". But she looks old, Really, really old. excess skin everywhere. We refuse to go out to eat with her because she has not learned how to eat right with this thing. For her it was a quick fix and boy could I shoot her doctor for allowing her to have this surgery. And with the lap band my mom dumps after nearly every meal. I doubt int eh two years she has had this procedure that she has gone a week without having a dumping incident.

In case you dont know what dumping is, its practically uncontrolled diarrhea after a meal. Within 30 mins of almost every meal my mom needs to use the rest room. This is mainly because she does not follow the doctors diet plan for her. But its still pretty foul to clean your mom's **** in your house because sometimes she just does not make it to the bathroom on time.

Oh, they have both lost much of their hair, my mom more than my sister but noticeable on both. Both look older than their age. My mom more than my sister as well but my mom was bigger. Both had insurance to cover the procedure so at least it was not out of pocket but I think if either had to pay for it, it would be entirely outside the realm of possibility a I have seen the invoices to from the drs to the insurance company. $$$$$$$$

If either of them or both removed the band entirely, they would both gain weight. I am sure of it. Neither of them have learned how to live at the lower weight with proper nutrition since surgery. I hope my sister takes this next month to really give maintenance a try and learn to eat better.

Neither regrets the surgery but my sister wishes she would have tried harder on her own to lose it instead.

Good luck to you though.

I love my lapband.

I will be banded 7 years this week (July 6th).

The band saved my life. I started with a 54" waist.... now 30".

I can eat anything in moderation now except rice or apple skins... they just feel strange going down so I avoid them.... and NO carbonated beverages. I still enjoy all other foods (carbs) but in smaller portions.

My only regret is that I didn't have the surgery sooner.

Tom, Toronto
Banded July 6 06
Wt. Loss: 160 lbs

I do think this is your own decision but personally I would not go for surgery. I have 4 relatives who have had weight loss surgery and everyone one of them is so unhappy! They had complications 2 who became very ill and are on medication for the rest of their lives. 3 of them are slimmer now but are really unhappy as it has left loose skin and in the future they will probably have more surgery. To me surgery is not an option I would not put myself or my family through it I am currently recovering at home after having hernia surgery 8 weeks ago with complications afterwards and I was so ill!

The answer is I have finally realised after years of yo-yo dieting myself is to address the issues why we are overweight for me it is emotional eating. Food tastes good and satisfies my emotions when life gets to tough at times. I had to take a long hard look at myself and see the real health complications that go with being overweight I have a few of those already! To be honest and this is what is keeping me going this time is I realised if I don't do something about my weight I am seriously asking for trouble why would we put ourselves through that?

This is my 5th week tracking everything and trying to move more it is not going to be easy but this time I owe it to myself to be happy & healthy. You do too and if you would like to add me as a friend we could support each other on the way.

Good Luck!

I lost 70 on my own before having my Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, i kept counting my calories and exercising and was yo-yoing 10 lbs in 3 years so that is when I decided to do the Sleeve after not being able to lose anymore on my own, but like some people say, it is just a tool. U gotta work ur tool. U gotta continue to watch ur calorie intake and up your protein and exercise. I did it for health reasons, my dad had two strokes and a heart attack and he was obese. My mom died at the age of 58 and she was obese. I wanted to see my son grow up and see my grandchildren so i did it and now i no longer have high blood pressure and am off all meds. My best friend decided to do it after I did and now she is diabetic free. I researched for a year about all the surgeries and the less evasive one to me was the sleeve, you don't get mal absorption, my hair didn't fall out at all, i can eat whatever I want just very little (so that lady that said "she wouldn't want not to eat whatever she wanted for the rest of her life" is not true with every individual). I have no regrets. I have joined my friend in selling affordable WLS at Bariatric Solutions Group if you want to take a look. It is a life changing decision and you have to be mentally prepared for it. I thank my surgeon every time i see him for saving my life. I couldn't feel better.

This!! I had VSG in December 2012... best thing I've ever done... no more high blood pressure, my AC1 is normal... I am a new woman!! My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner!!

Since your ticker says you've lost 8 pounds (a pound a month since December) is that correct? Could you let us know how you consider that loss has resulted in BP and AC1 changes. I'm not being a smartbutt, I am truly interested in the impact of this surgery on biomarkers.

Personally, not for/against surgery in general - I think it's a very specific choice best left to the inidividual and their doctor. I am concerned, given the risks, that it is a choice made sometimes without taking them fully into consideration or based on social/promotional pressures.

my ticker is inaccurate... It doesn't change for some reason... *shrug*... Before surgery I weighed 304.5... I now I weigh 249.4
I don't know how to answer your question, but I am no longer on blood pressure meds or pre-diabetic ... all I know is I am healthier than I was a year ago...

Personally, not for/against surgery in general - I think it's a very specific choice best left to the inidividual and their doctor. I am concerned, given the risks, that it is a choice made sometimes without taking them fully into consideration or based on social/promotional pressures.
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^This. I have a very close friend who just decided to try and get the lap band and is now going through the paperwork and the pre-operation rigamarole that they have you do. She asked me if i had ever considered it and I told her that I really could not at this point because I know in my heart I had not tried hard enough on actual dieting. Totally a personal choice and they have the different surgeries because they are not one size fits all.

I had the Iap band surgery almost 3 years ago. I haven't had the dumping, but I sometimes have a hard time with food going down. I also have a hernia. I think I got my hernia from the dry heaves I get when food gets stuck. I feel for you. I lost 75 pounds, but only 30 after the surgery. I started working out a lot and having small meals during the day. My problem is that when I am really hungry even if I have good food for me I eat the first few bites really fast and forget I have the lap band. Then I have serious pain and my food gets stuck. I think I need to treat my food addiction first. The doctors really didn't address the food addiction. I thought once I had the lap band I thought I wouldn't be hungry and I wouldn't want to eat. I hope you Mom and sister get better. How do you do with food? Do you have any food issues or do you really watch things since you have watched them go through so much?

I am a fat person myself, and know many other large people who have had WLS of various types (though i have not). Although the lap band initially sounded less scary than the RNY gastric bypass, 4/4 of the people I know who had a lap band had to have it removed because of complications with the device--either with device erosion or with their body's reaction (adhesions and similar).

here's a news story that shows results from a follow-up study that is much less anecdotal but discusses similar findings:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/lap-band-surgery-half-patients-complications/story?id=13187452

I personally don't think 50/50 odds are good enough. Consider how you lost and why you regained--maybe you have other issues that should be addressed, or you need to shift to thinking about doing a "forever" lifestyle change instead of a "weight loss diet"? I am not hear to lose weight per se, but to gain awareness and be accountable to myself. That might be less exciting than weight loss, but I hope it will be more effective in my real goals (long term wellness and fitness).