Neen

Amended title again...
the original purpose of this thread was to get goal weight and maintaining banders to join the site and perhaps come tell us , who are still on the journey to lose our excess...how they overcame problems and how life is with a band long term after the operation.

Since there are not so many band related posts , I wanted to try and persuade banders to keep posting through good and bad times and just support each other much more , like the bypassers do.

A lot of the banders I knew when I first joined the site , have moved on..I wanted to know why this was and if they were trying to cope alone , I wanted them to come back so we could all help each other get to our goals.

So changing the theme a little to a general banders thread so we can just keep in touch with each other and brainstorm ideas for the rough times as well as share some trade secrets!!!


It's been on my mind for a while so I thought I would just chance posting this, hopefully it will be of interest and not get buried too soon.

There does not seem to be many banders at goal who have maintained for a while and still visit.
I was just wondering whether those of us who get to support groups etc and have mentioned banders they know who have made a success of their band and reached goal...well could you please tell them about this site and see if they would be prepared to join and tell the rest of us banders who are struggling , or stuck or disillusioned and lost...EXACTLY how they did it?
Really exactly how they got through stalls and what helped them see it through to maintenance and beyond?

Sometimes I wonder why surgeons even perform bands anymore..why not just do bypasses?
So many banders go through here and so many never come back so does that mean they are doing well or what?

SO If you do know an actual living breathing maintaining at goal bander out there...please can you ask them to come and share their knowledge , experiences and most importantly how they got through the harder times because it is really an area that is lacking on here.
I think it can seem like you cannot get to goal without a bypass on here and I was just hoping we could redress the balance a bit and help banders who are losing heart x

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cazbandy

Well I can't be recruited...

Still struggling after nearly 2 years.

I think and know there are people who can acheive it, a lady under my surgeon's care has lost 185lbs in 2 years but she is now struggling to maintain, but there is a percentage who sadly cannot do so well.

Both need just as much support and sometimes reading about other people's success can also be disheartening and lead to more feelings of failure.

Sorry if this seems to go against what you feel but I am just being honest and expressing my feelings.

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Neen

I think your advice is always held in great esteem by me and all the other banders here..I am two years out and still half way too !!! I certainly am not dismissing any of us already on here at all..but I would like to see people who have completed the loss AS WELL as those of us in the middle or at the beginning . I think that would be good wouldn't it? To have every stage represented?

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Sambucca

brilliant thread Neen, and if any are lurking I hope they come and post.

Mazza has done well with her band, as did Liz, you have done incredibly well yourself, gaynor has done well, caz too... there are plenty of you out there that are doing the best you can, but I know exactly where you are coming from. There are bypassers here who pop in occasionally and let us know how they are doing after reaching goal and it would be wonderful if banders could do the same.

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Start weight 20st 11
Gastric bypass 30th Aug 2009
Now 11st 13
Lost almost 9 stone
Maintained since May 2010
Tummy tuck 16th Aug 2011

Neen

Thanks Sam that's exactly what I meant! It would be fantastic if all banders...eg me and Caz and Mazza (and Liz though now she will be a bypasser!) for those of us used to helping newbies to have someone to reassure us as well!!!
I am more than happy to swap tips on beating the inner demons and getting through stalls and so on with all banders out there...those I know and those I've yet to meet..I would love for people to come on who are just getting to grips with maintenance as well.
The more resources pooled the better

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bubblyangie

I know of a living breathing totally successful bander!! She is my right hand lady at The Heartlands support group she has lost x 9 stone and is now maintaining great, she actually had a complete de-fill during the summer, and she is such a discaplined person that she only put on a couple of lbs during the 7weeks, and that came straight back off, she is always positive but she has really made the Life changes and it shows!!!

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Neen

She sounds just the kind of person I mean! Would you be able to persuade her to join the forum and just give ALL the banders on here some pearls of wisdom??
Please??

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hope2bthina

Really good thread. I am pre op but have to say i am put off a band by reading the struggle some of you seem to have, and someone i know has had a band and is really struggling. It's nice to read honest opinions though so if a band is what i have to have then at least i know what may happen. I do really feel for you..to be 2 years down the line and still having problems must be heart breaking.

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Neen

Well it's not ideal Kelly!! Thanks x It is a longer process anyway.
But we had the band for whatever reason and we have to adapt and cope as best we can! Just giving up or sticking at a nearly good enough weight is not an option for me personally!
Perhaps your bander friend would join so we can try and help her too?
x
The more people successfully maintaining the more encouraging it is going to be for us in the process of losing the excess. It's a long process and long term banders already on here need just as much support and advice and encouragement as the pre-oppers and newbies.

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hope2bthina

Neen good for you, and i hope you get some help and get where you want to be. I'm seeing Mr Super on monday and if i am offered a band i shall seek you out lol. I shall give my friend the link and see if she'll join. I know she is really finding things hard and seems so down, so hopefully talking to other banders would help her lots x

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Neen

Kelly I think if you go into it armed with the pros and cons of all the wls procedures (which you have tons of info on from everyone here) and be honest about your eating habits with the surgeon...if he recommends a band then I think you will do fine.
Being on here has been really helpful to work through tricky times for me and I would definately encourage you to get your mate on here for that reason. So many others having similar issues can give her tons of support, help and a really good boost of motivation! Hope to see her soon x

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bubblyangie

I will really ask her to come along, she is away this weekend but I will see what I can do when she comes back!

I will see what I can do....

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hope2bthina

Thank you Neen, i shall send her this way x

I will listen and go with a list of questions...i need an op, i really need the help x

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Mazza

Hi Neen

What an excellent idea! I have some bander friends on facebook who are at goal, befriended through the group Angie has on there.

I will have a word and see if they will join x

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Maryann x

Start weight 19 stone - Pre op weight 18 stone 7lb
Goal weight 12 stone 7lb Done !!!!!!!!!!

I have set a personal new goal but I have reached my original goal of a healthy BMI

Neen

Thankyou Angie! That would be fab! I think she could help us feel a bit more hopeful that reaching goal is perfectly achieveable with a band!
More the merrier! Thanks!

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