More than one band...

[babyflower]

I recently had my gastric band removed (I had a living hell of almost 2 years with it, and the hospital (NHS) that fitted it for me). It seems that it was fitted wrongly

I am thinking about what wls next (I still need help!) and would love a properly fitted band - just wondering if anyone has had more than one band and why (and how have they got on)? It might not be an option as some damage was also done, but fingers crossed...

Hopefully Liz will see this as I guess by her name that she has had more than one band!!

 

[Caroline101061]

Im not a bander myself but what I will say is that when I go to my hospital support groups, the banders are the ones that are miserable and of the 10 of them, all but 2 were either wanting to swop to a bypass or wished they had had a bypass - guess that doesnt help much. Think you are very brave to want to go it again - hope you are considering taking legal action against the hospital that treated you so badly.

 

[debbiejane]

think liz did

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

I recently had my gastric band removed (I had a living hell of almost 2 years with it, and the hospital (NHS) that fitted it for me). It seems that it was fitted wrongly

I am thinking about what wls next (I still need help!) and would love a properly fitted band - just wondering if anyone has had more than one band and why (and how have they got on)? It might not be an option as some damage was also done, but fingers crossed...

Hopefully Liz will see this as I guess by her name that she has had more than one band!!

hello, im sorry to hear that you had trouble with a wrongly fitted band, my 1st band was removed and replaced during the same operation last august. mine basically needed fully replacing after the fill tube came off at the band end it was working fine till that point.
banding always causes some damage to the stomach which is usually just scaring. you will be fully healed inside now and be left with scars where the band was in situ. my new band was placed approx 1 inch lower than the previous band because of the scars, everything is now working fine and im more than happy with my 2nd band.
if you feel you can cope with a new band thats fitted correctly and cope with the band and the eating habbits a band brings, then theres no reason why i can see why you shouldnt try again if thats what you want to do.

liz x

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

Im not a bander myself but what I will say is that when I go to my hospital support groups, the banders are the ones that are miserable and of the 10 of them, all but 2 were either wanting to swop to a bypass or wished they had had a bypass - guess that doesnt help much. Think you are very brave to want to go it again - hope you are considering taking legal action against the hospital that treated you so badly.

its always the same at these support group type of things as some banders just cant cope with the will power thing after banding and cheat the band through lack of willpower, alot of bypassers are very anti band which isnt good for the banders and it makes them feel like a failiure compared to the progress the bypassers have made and thats where the wanting to convert to a bypass comes into it for alot of people, its a very complicated subject but an important one too.

i hope ive explained what i wanted to say properly with out causing offence to anyone x

 

[shelbell]

I wouldn't agree that 'alot of bypassers are very anti band' at all Liz. Thats a very generalising and sweeping statement to make.

I'm sure if I said that alot of banders were anti bypass you'd be one of the first to put me straight!

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

everyone to there own opinion shel, im not saying everyone is like that but it does happen alot. im all for what ever operation suits the patients needs. after all its just my opinion and at the end of the day my opinion is what it is my own im not asking anyone to agree with me.

i really dont care either way who agrees with my opinions or not, thats peoples choice.

 

[cazbandy]

Hi there,

I think the success of the different procedures is down to the individual who had them done. 100%.

All a surgeon does is put a tool in place, how we choose to use it and work with it is down to us, no one else.

Both procedures require will power, both can be cheated if you want to. There are cases of failure in all WLS.

I was at a do for my surgeon last night, there were 65 banded patients, the biggest loser was 89kg (195lbs) down in 2 years. But all long term patients had had significant losses after 2-5 years. Some of the girls and guys had had their bands since 2001 and they are still doing really well. If a band fails for mechanical reasons that is not the fault of the banded patient, if a band fails for other reasons, that could, and I emphasise could, be down to the patient not following the rules. Its simple really.

That is the reality of it, it takes 2-5 years to get to goal, if you do it before that, that is a marvellous show of determination and will power and you should be so proud with yourself and that acheivement.

Whatever the surgery, we all want the same result, we are all in the same boat, we are all individuals and for some the journey is fast and some slow but what is boils down to is this, the surgery we chose is just that our choice. Our journey. Our lives.

It upsets me when there seems to be a divide...when there is no need, support and friendship should be the only things on our minds. As some of us have lacked that in the past and that has affected our chances of success.

Sorry if it seems like a rant but I feel passionately about this site and recommended it to be passed on to Mr Horners patients as part of the support package they offer.

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

doh stupid me :d'oh:i was only quoting caroline as she said the banders were always the miserable ones, maybe i should keep my opinions to me self next time coz ya just get shot down in flames lol :ignore:

 

[Caroline101061]

Jeez - didnt mean to start an argument - its just what I found at the support group that I go to - 90% of the banders had issues with it - it shocked me actually. Yes there were willpower issues amongst them which could be that they were wrongly advised in the first place by their surgeons or that we now know more about the advantages and disavantages of both surgeries than when they had their ops - 2 years is a long time in WLS land. One woman only wanted to have a gastric sleeve - different strokes for different folks. Listen if it works for people then its wonderful - I knew it wouldnt work for me and thats why I had the bypass. Play nice people!

 

[angelpie]

I am worried now as I am waiting for band

 

[Caroline101061]

You shouldnt be worried - just be aware that the band does not alter your eating habits (you just eat smaller amounts of everything). It doesnt stop you from having takeaways or fryups or chocolate and cakes - the bypass does (for the first 7ish months at least)

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

Jeez - didnt mean to start an argument - its just what I found at the support group that I go to - 90% of the banders had issues with it - it shocked me actually. Yes there were willpower issues amongst them which could be that they were wrongly advised in the first place by their surgeons or that we now know more about the advantages and disavantages of both surgeries than when they had their ops - 2 years is a long time in WLS land. One woman only wanted to have a gastric sleeve - different strokes for different folks. Listen if it works for people then its wonderful - I knew it wouldnt work for me and thats why I had the bypass. Play nice people!

i agree with you as what can work great for one person may not neciserily work for another, i can fully understand your comments about banders being unhappy and your right there are alot of unhappy banders out there, this is why reserching the procedures long and hard is very important because getting it wrong can be very costly either to the nhs to convert or to a private paying patient, and yes i will play nice the last thing i want to do is argue with people ive never met on a public forum x

 

[Caroline101061]

absolutely - lets all concentrate on being skinny and hoping I actually get off my fat bum and go swimming tomorrow!

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

i love swimming must get back into it myself x

 

[babyflower]

banding always causes some damage to the stomach which is usually just scaring. you will be fully healed inside now and be left with scars where the band was in situ. my new band was placed approx 1 inch lower than the previous band because of the scars, everything is now working fine and im more than happy with my 2nd band.
if you feel you can cope with a new band thats fitted correctly and cope with the band and the eating habbits a band brings, then theres no reason why i can see why you shouldnt try again if thats what you want to do.

liz x

Thanks for this - despite my nightmare, I do still feel that a band could work for me. My first band was placed around my oesaphagus (so I had no pouch at all) and it caused me great pain. I am optimistic that a properly fitted band could work.

I go to a support group, and there are lots of 'failed' bandsters, and some 'failed' bypassers too (two of which have regained everything they lost and are heavier now than before they started). All wls is hard work - I guess it's down to each individual just how much they are prepared to work with the surgery and change their lifestyles.

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

Thanks for this - despite my nightmare, I do still feel that a band could work for me. My first band was placed around my oesaphagus (so I had no pouch at all) and it caused me great pain. I am optimistic that a properly fitted band could work.

I go to a support group, and there are lots of 'failed' bandsters, and some 'failed' bypassers too (two of which have regained everything they lost and are heavier now than before they started). All wls is hard work - I guess it's down to each individual just how much they are prepared to work with the surgery and change their lifestyles.

i agree people only get out of wls what they choose to put in to it, if people dont follow there surgeons rules then yes they will fail, banders do have more opertunity to cheat and sabotage success, this mainly happens due to being a food addict and if finding an easy type of food to eat they will, i know as ive done it myself, it takes time to learn how to live with the new lifestyle and some can cope better than others, i believe its all about preparing for the op as its got to be done with the right frame of mind, if the chain of thought is wrong then a band will fail.

will you be going back to the same surgeon or be requesting a different hospital and surgeon if you decide to give it another go ?

 

[Mimsie67]

Hi there,

I think the success of the different procedures is down to the individual who had them done. 100%.

All a surgeon does is put a tool in place, how we choose to use it and work with it is down to us, no one else.

Both procedures require will power, both can be cheated if you want to. There are cases of failure in all WLS.

I was at a do for my surgeon last night, there were 65 banded patients, the biggest loser was 89kg (195lbs) down in 2 years. But all long term patients had had significant losses after 2-5 years. Some of the girls and guys had had their bands since 2001 and they are still doing really well. If a band fails for mechanical reasons that is not the fault of the banded patient, if a band fails for other reasons, that could, and I emphasise could, be down to the patient not following the rules. Its simple really.

That is the reality of it, it takes 2-5 years to get to goal, if you do it before that, that is a marvellous show of determination and will power and you should be so proud with yourself and that acheivement.

Whatever the surgery, we all want the same result, we are all in the same boat, we are all individuals and for some the journey is fast and some slow but what is boils down to is this, the surgery we chose is just that our choice. Our journey. Our lives.

It upsets me when there seems to be a divide...when there is no need, support and friendship should be the only things on our minds. As some of us have lacked that in the past and that has affected our chances of success.

Sorry if it seems like a rant but I feel passionately about this site and recommended it to be passed on to Mr Horners patients as part of the support package they offer.

Couldn't have said it better myself Caz!!

 

[babyflower]

will you be going back to the same surgeon or be requesting a different hospital and surgeon if you decide to give it another go ?

I am now at a different hospital with a different surgeon (now St Richards and Shaw Somers). I don't ever want to set foot in the other hospital again (I won't mention names) as they made my life hell.

My GP got so fed up with the first hospital that she suggested I go somewhere else for a second opinion - Shaw Somers took my first band out in April and has been hugely supportive and helpful. He will be doing my next op.

I finally feel like I am in safe hands...

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

thats great news, im glad your in safe hands now, i wish you luck with your new band when you recieve it x