A few people have posted today about their fears (or lack of them) of gaining weight after the band. Although I am not banded yet, 13 more days!!!, I thought I'd share my fear.
My plan is simply this: Get band, follow all rules, and with the help of God, me and all my supporters, lose this weight once and for all! Oh, and lets add KEEP IT OFF! Here is my fear. Every now and than, I mosey on over to the "Complications" section on LBT. It scares me to death when I read of people who have had complications such as a slip and have to have the band taken out forever or for a short period of time and they gain back ALL their weight in like a month! I'm exaggerating but I've read of people who gain back 40 lbs in 2 months which is just crazy!
The rationale me says if a complication arises and band removal is the only answer, I am sure that if I had been doing all the above, following rules, exercising, etc., I would be able to apply the restraint needed to at the very least maintain my weight loss. Am I right?
My assumption is the reason some of these people had problems to begin with is because they were NOT following the rules with the band in place. Please, I am not suggesting that everyone who has had a slip or an erosion is to blame. Really, I am not saying that. I'm just trying to rationalize how if someone was diligent and doing everything right, how could they gain it all back in a very short period of time unless all the good habits which should have been formed by following the rules flew out the window. No matter what, you have to take more calories in than what you expend to gain weight.
I really hope I have not insulted or offended anyone with this post, I am really only trying to understand this and hopefully learn by others who have gone before me if I have any complications. One habit I'm trying to unlearn is going to the complication thread in LBT!
19 comments:
Good post. (And I don't think you need to apologize.)
I was actually on the board today and read a post where someone wants to sue her Dr. because she has not lost weight. She has only gotten one fill and is upset. I logged off the board and thought "ok we are just not going back there" I never seem to find anything positive on there. I know for a fact that you can eat things you aren't supposed to (done it) and lose weight and not slip your band. I am not suggesting that everyone break the rules but I can tell you that I have broken some of them and I am doing well. For example my doctor knew I had to go to a wedding 7 days post op. He told me to eat the crab cake and veggies and try to keep the wine intake under a bottle! I listened and did fine. The band is for you to work with but you have to be able to make it work in your life.
Hey Jacquie, I am four weeks and two days post op and I do agree with you.
Apart from the occassional exception to the rule most problems I have heard people talk of or experience have been because they haven't used the band as a tool, but more as a punishment and in the process of rebelling things have gone wrong.
I think going in with concerns is better than not having any. You will treat you band carefully and be cautious until you learn what you can and cannot do. Even though we are banded we can still make some seriously bad food choices, like high calorie milk shakes, melting chocolate and the like, even in the early stages.
You sound ready, and your going in with your eyes open, I am so sure it will be a smooth transition for you.
Cheers
Deb, I tried leaving you a comment on your blog but it wasn't letting me!
Jen...your right. I guess it would be hard to follow the rules 100% of the time. Its ok as long as following the rule is the rule and not the exception. Does that even make sense?
I agree with you. I think we will all slip up, but if I don't abuse my band I should be ok in the long run. I think sometimes people don't want to use the band as a tool. Its a hard lesson to learn.
I'm not banded yet, so I can't speak from experience, but I do feel very hopeful reading blogs in our band community. It is very uplifting to hear that they are not always perfect, but with more good days than bad they can reach their goals. I will be sending you good vibes across the virtual miles since your surgery is a week before mine. :)
http://bandedandblogging.blogspot.com/
Band date: March 30
Oh sweet mother mongoose...dont get me started on the scary stories on LBT. They usually just get me cranky when I read them and it is one of the reasons I seldom go on there anymore.
There are those people that do everything right I suppose that the band doesnt work for them. If you read Tiffani's blog, she is one of those people. But, the majority of those who gain it all back seem to stop either seeing their doc, following the rules, caring etc. Take all of those with a grain of salt and believe it will work for you! I believe it will :)
Focus on the good and stay away from the bad. And even if you do hae a complication, we've read here about people having some slight complications and they get through it. It's going to work.
My doctor says that he has seen the band work for over 95% of the people he has operated on. (his conservative estimate).
I think as long as we are patient, work with the band instead of against it, and make sure we keep up with doctor's appointments - we will be fine.
BTW - I know some people take offense at what some people say on their blogs - but I believe your blog is your opinion if people don't like it they shouldn't read it!! You don't need to apologise :-)
Hey, no apologising. This is what the blog is all about - asking questions and venting fears (as well as posting about the good stuff!! xx)
You know what? My honest thoughts are that you should stop going on LBT. I have never ever gone on there - not once, because I heard from others about how frightening it was with all the death and doom stories and I figured I didn't want to set myself up for a fall before I even began.
Sure things can go wrong with the band - but it's like surgery. You go in with the best intentions and in the frame of mind that you're in there to solve something - yet you never (well not seriously think it out loud) contemplate something going awfully wrong, or I least I never. The truth is that things going wrong with the band are rarer than you think and I honestly believe if somethings going to happen (eg a slipped band) well, then it was going to happen regardless. It's out of your hands.
BUT I also believe that sometimes these people have brought the problem on to themselves. If I can give you one piece of advice before you start: it would be to follow exactly what your doc tells you to do. Do that, and you will be yet another success story. And sorry for the novel.. sheesh, I'm bad at this xx
PS Thanks for your lovely, lovely comment on my blog. You rock!!
You don't have anything to apologize for - first, it's your blog, not "theirs" and second, I think you are right. There are cases of people doing everything right and still having problems, but mostly, from what I read and know, the people with problems are the ones that aren't on board with their band. They fight it, try to cheat it, try to work around it - and then get mad/sad/upset when it isn't working for them. I am like a lot of previous commenters, I won't go back on LBT because the negativity is way too dominant. I don't need to know how to cheat, I need to know how to succeed. I find the network here on blogger is so much more filled with positivity and success and people who whole-heartedly embrace the change that is necessary.
Sorry, I'm rambling.
So to finish this off, I do think you are right - if you truly learn and embrace the changes that are necessary and are the things that make this work, you should be ok if you are unfilled or worse, have to have the band removed. There is a blogger I follow who had a port infectin and had to have the port removed to get the infection to heal. She was port-less for almost three months before they could put the port back in - so no fills for her. And she did fine. This can be done.
I believe self-fulfilling prophecies are too true with this process. If you think you can, you will. If you think you can't, you will.
And there's my novela for the day.
LBT freaks me out. That is why I started reading blogs and blogging myself. I have learned so much more useful info from other people's blogs and comments than any of my "required" visits to experts. If you stress test your band it will slip or erode and will definitely fail you. If your head is not in a good place and you are trying actively to overeat with a Lap Band, you are going to gain weight quickly when it is removed. You, Jaquie are going to do great. Just follow the rules and stay positively informed.
I just stop going on there really, because it isn't very positive.
And I TOTALLY agree, that if you gain 40 pounds back in 2 months, YOU certainly haven't learned new habits...
I am so glad that I posted this. I was hesitant at first because of the subject. You can be certain that I will not be going to back LBT. Everyone is right...the bloggers I follow who have had complications, for the most part had positive outcomes and its really because of their will to succeed.
Thank you all for being here. It is making this process so much easier to go through. It is really like having a network of friends who have either gone through it, are going through it or are thinking about going through it. The support is out of this world!
Yep LBT is too negative. I've found much more useful information here on the blogs.
Maybe part of the reason for negativity is that when someone is having a problem they post. All of the people doing well are just going about their band business and NOT posting b/c no news is good news.
I know for a fact that you have to work REALLY hard to gain weight with this band. (I'm talking 5+ lbs. that is not related to TOM or water weight fluctuations.)
If it takes 3500 calories to equal 1 lb. and you can only eat 1/2 - 1 cup of food per meal, you have to work HARD at eating enough to gain. Don't worry Jacquie! I can tell from your spirit and can-do attitude that you are going to be a band rock star!
I think your fear is natural. I'm being banded next Friday and I'm scared to death. I just ate a shrimp burrito for dinner and kept thinking I cannot eat like this after next week. It really frightens me.
As far as complications go, I do think you have to be careful. But I do have a friend who had lapband who lost 100 lbs and after over two years she had to have it removed due to slippage. She didn't gain her weight back!!!! Some people relearn now to eat properly and keep up the exercise.
Good luck!!!!
That's exactly what I was talking about Marie!
NEXT FRIDAY! WOO HOO for you! I will be going 5 days after you! Good luck honey....we can do this!
I'm posting late-i obviously didn't get you on my watched list last week when I thought I did.
I think the complications can happen to anyone. I think there are lots of reasons including luck of the draw and some who are responsible for their problems themselves. I had a port flip..did I cause it? maybe..but port flips happen and I had to have it fixed.
I think my doctor isn't having a 95% success rate but I also think he doesn't provide enough support for his patients-I have made my own with the blogs. Obesity help lapband forum (not as negative as lbt sounds) and getting myself in for regular fills plus following the rules most of the time.
I do think I would slip back fast if I had to lose my band. I don't think I would slip all the way back but I do think I would gain a considerable amount. The lack of feeling hungry with the band is amazing and I think without that I would have a really hard time but on the other hand I am exercising and eating better so that would probably help me.
My advice to you on this one is that since you are getting your surgery in Mexico have you figured out how you are going to get support for the fill and eating advice for after the band is installed? If you have than you are golden and I see no reason to worry. If you haven't figure especially how you are going to get those regular fills get cracking cause you will need them.
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