Is this what a gastric band is like?

[jem06]

Hello all, as you probably know im thinking about getting referred to have a gastric band. Now i know someone who has had it and i wanted to ask her all about it... this is the reply i got, and to be honest some of it frightened me. I wanted to know if you had similar experiences or this might just be an unlucky person? This is a copy of what she wrote...​

"i only got my band due to my diabetes and that has helped it no end i also have pcos and had an ovary removed a few years ago..I tried every diet under the sun the only one that worked for me was scottish slimmers...i even paid £1000 for a private counselling session with paul mckenna......orlistate tablets...i lost nothing with them...what your told with the band isnt exactly how its put into practice...i have a fill just now of 9 mls which means im completely restricted ...i cant eat any fruit unless its a smoothy and less than 3-4 spoonfuls of anything solid ...if i have soup at night for dinner then try to drink the next morning some of the soup is still sitting on top of my band and i vomit...you cant gulp you can only sip and you cant have fizzy drinks it expands your stomach and is agony.......thats how i got malnourished i was having roughly 300 calories a day and as i run to and from work since last year which is 12 miles in total a day...so i was burning 3000 calories a day..i lost body fat and muscle last year and became very ill....although the weight was flying off me....ended up hospitalised and stuff..i was originally referred for my band by doc at diabetic clinic at gartnavel and bypassed all the weight management advice and counselling....at the moment i have gastritis which means iv ruptured my stomach lining through vomiting...or dumping they call it...you basically live as bulemic and the only food i can get down and stay down is slops...although it does get better when the bands loosened....they loosened mine last year when i was ill with malnutrition and i put on nearly 2 stone and iv just lost that again with the fill i got in feburary this year....i have lots of loose skin and loose hanging fat...they say it takes 2 years for your mind to catch up with your body...if you told me 2 years ago i would now be a size 14 i would think fab...i can shop in normal clothes shop... i thought i would be really happy....but the band doesnt actually fix why you ate **** in the first place and that desire is still there....and i know having pcos and diabetes makes it harder to loose weight but all the gastric band does is make you eat less and loose weight .....my problem is i have no willpower and i know i will never be over 20 stone again,,,thats the good think about the band.....dont get me wrong you can still drink booze...quavers and chocolate all go down a treat...try and eat a healthy salad and your ****ed tho..how ironic is that!!!​

DONT MEAN TO BE ALL DOWN ABOUT THE BAND ITS PROBABLY SAVED MY LIFE I WOULD AT LEAST HAVE BEEN ABOUT 25 STONE BY NOW...MY DIABETES WAS OUT OF CONTROL I WS ON 2 DIFFERENT INSULIN TYPES....BUT DONT THINK YOU GET IT AND THE WEIGHT FALLS OFF..YOU CAN ALSO OVER EAT AND STRETCH THE BAND.... ITS STILL A BATTLE OF WILL POWER...THE BEST THING I EVER DONE WAS THE DAY I GOT OUT OF HOSPITAL AFTER THE BAND I SIGNED UP FOR WALK THE WALK MARATHON THE FOLLOWING SUMMER SO I HAD 9 MONTHS TO TRAIN SO I STARTED POUNDING THE STREETS WALKING.....IV NOW DONE 3 MARATHONS 12 5KS AND 2 HALF MARATHONS....AND IV GOT 12 RACES THIS YEAR AND NOW RUN EVERY DAY....I COULDNT HAVE DONE THAT 2 YEARS AGO...and i have now said a big **** off to evans clothes shop im a primark girl now hahahaha xxx​

shes lost 11 stone.​

Comments?​

xx​

 

[cazbandy]

For a start 300 calories a days is way to low, no wonder she had problems there. They said to me to aim at no lower than 800 but no higher than 1500 in a day with 45 mins excercise a day.

She did not use the band to it's best advantage as an over tight band stop you loosing weight too.

This is just one persons experience, many of us are having very positive journies.

Mine has slowed down right now but I am due a fill in 4 weeks so not worrying too much.

 

[Mazza]

Wow got to agree 100% with Caz, thats one persons experience who either isnt 'using' the band properly because its too full or has another problem because of the constant vomiting!

I have had my band for 11 months now and have never been sick, I have had very spaced apart fills and have allways been over cautious - sorry to say but I didnt want to end up like your friend which can happen but can be fixed with a small defill.

Also if you are in the position of being too tight you will only be able to eat mushy food as she says, a crunchy salad with good restriction will fill you but should not make you ill!

In summary - no it doesn't have to be that way, yes she has lost weight but it doesnt sound as if she has done it in a healthy and safe way.

There are certain rules to follow with any type of WLS in order to get the best out of your tool.

Good luck with your decision x

 

[Neen]

Yes Caz and Mazza are right and I agree. You have to change your eating habits to eat healthy foods and follow the advice given to you by the surgeon and team. It's not necessary to endure vomiting like that and if you eat crappy slider foods then you're going to fail...bit silly if you have gone to the extreme of having surgery only to screw it up by continuing to eat junk.

 

[Mandie]

Hi , i am very early days and only just due my first fill but this has made very interesting reading , i will be looking out for the pit falls and will be on the phone to the wls team should i have any of the signs mentioned .I must admit that up to yet i have found it more difficult than i thought , as like most i thought the band would be the end of my problems ,but its about learning a new way of life , which i am starting to get my head around thanks to the advice and support i have received on this site from people who have lived and worked WITH their bands.Good luck whatever you decide , hope your friend feels better soon.

 

[Anita75]

I had my band 9 months ago and I have never, not once, been sick. I'm also able to eat, literally, anything and everything (salads, meat, carbs, fruit, etc) and it is absolutly fine... the only difference in what i'm able to consume is the portion size (much smaller now) - and it is up to me to make it as healthy or unhealthy as I want. To be honest, her personal experience sounds hedious and feel for her. I love my band and the experience I've had so far. Dont get me wrong, there have been one or two ocassions where I've panicked (at one point i thought i wasn't losing weight fast enough, but when you come on here and get wonderful advise/opinions from people like Caz [i remember her providing me with guidance] it really helps). But overall, even with the small hiccups (and literally, that's all i've had as my journey has been wonderful and wouldn't change it for the world!!!).

 

[fatbutnot4eva]

I had my second fill yesterday and finally feel restriction to what extent I dont know yet as I am stupid and made tea last night and ate it quite slow but didnt read teh signs and threw it up and also had some stuck.
today i had porridge for breakie which i could eat half then for dinner i made a ham sandwich had one bit and then had to stop as it was stuck. I better go back to teh text books and re-educate myself on what i can and cant eat as before yesterday i was living pretty much normal.
the band is not easy and it takes time but we can do it x

 

[jem06]

Thanks for the replies guys, I just wanted an opinion from a range of people. My appt for the initial consultation isnt for anouther 6-8 weeks and the i think i need to attend weight management for 16 weeks. So ive got a long way to go but i am hoping i lose weight along the way!


i appreciate that everyones experience is different and i really do think that this is the way i want to go as ive stuggled with my weight my whole life.

Can anyone tell me - how hard is it getting used to not drinking with a meal?

 

[Rache]

I think that will be my biggest problem initially Jem, Im so used to having a refreshing cuppa after my meals.

Re-education will take time but we'll get there in the end if we are determined enough

Good luck in your journey xx

 

[Mazza]

Thanks for the replies guys, I just wanted an opinion from a range of people. My appt for the initial consultation isnt for anouther 6-8 weeks and the i think i need to attend weight management for 16 weeks. So ive got a long way to go but i am hoping i lose weight along the way!


i appreciate that everyones experience is different and i really do think that this is the way i want to go as ive stuggled with my weight my whole life.

Can anyone tell me - how hard is it getting used to not drinking with a meal?

Good luck on the rest of your journey Jem.

For me the not drinking with a meal makes the difference between getting full to restriction, enjoying a drink later and losing weight, or being able to eat more because you are flushing the food through and not losing so much.

You will get used to it, either have a drink some time before or save it for later

 

[Mandie]

At my visit to the weight clinic last wk the nurse said that they are going to re-write the bit on drinks , as currently it says wait 2 hrs , they now say wait 30min before drinking after a meal so thats not so bad .