BANDERS UNITE ! Get to know each other chatter !

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

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.

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?

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.

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

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!!!

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??

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.

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.

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

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

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....

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

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

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!

Thanks Kelly and YES please Mazza!!!
You know what I mean don't you, sometimes it would be lovely to be able to just get a little nod of encouragement that it's not JUST bypassers who reach goal and stay there!!!
Can't wait to see some new banders and I hope ALL of us at every stage can help each other.

Just was going to add that in the past a lot of banders have disappeared when they have gotten into a stall or regain and a lot have not come back ...maybe in future if more banders are represnted at maintenance, people having a tough time will stick around and continue to get support rather than isolating themselves because they feel they are not doing well.

Thanks Liz! I'm really glad you have stuck around as you have been a fantastic help to me as well as others..and soon you will be able to give a really unique viewpoint by being a bypasser as well. Like I said before, I think ALL banders advice is really valuable and important and just to get more banders on here would be wonderful xxx Thanks Liz

Neen said:

Thanks Liz! I'm really glad you have stuck around as you have been a fantastic help to me as well as others..and soon you will be able to give a really unique viewpoint by being a bypasser as well. Like I said before, I think ALL banders advice is really valuable and important and just to get more banders on here would be wonderful xxx Thanks Liz

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your welcome Neen, no probs if i can help or give advice to any bander in need then i will do so, i will posting on here soon with me paw in the air asking for bypassers help and advice, this forum is invaluble for everyone to share there experiences, and both giving and recieving info and to help each other through there wls journeys x

What a good thread Nina it would be good to hear the success of banders who are at goal i know it would help people who are pre op and those who maybe haven't made up their minds which surgery to choose. I don't know of anyone offhand but if i meet anyone i'll certainly bring them this way x