Why is everyone picking on me - The truth

Lynn --

I thank you for the factual information you post -- here and everywhere else.

I completely agree that 'it's not bashing if it is factual'.

I think that the best decision is an informed decision.

I am always a little puzzled by the people who ridicule others - but I have never found you to do that.

I am grateful for your experience and for the work you have done to research and spread the word that Banding is not for everyone -- that you can choose it and have it not work out.

Thanks....I've always tried to provide information without pushing my view. I have always been civil unless forced not to be....some I just ignore as its not always worth pressing your point.

I wish you the best of luck on your journey

As long as the band makers continue to represent the band as being the safest option and all the other nonsensical advertising, it will be necessary for people like Lynn to come here with truth, facts, and stats.

I think a lot of newbies haven't seen it when the DSers used to come here, invade the band boards, bash bandsters, tell 1 week newbie post ops they were going to fail with the crap band, choke chain, or laff band. THAT was bashing the band.

Posting stats, facts, and peer reviewed studies is NOT bashing the band, it's not our fault the stats are as they are. Just because studies don't typically put the band in a positive light does not mean Lynn or anyone else is bashing the band. It is what it is.

Least invasive does not mean safer long term.

Reversible - who wants the opportunity to regain all their weight?

Adjustable - not a great thing, many spend months and years trying to chase down a sweet spot that changes as people lose/gain weight. Much better to come out of surgery already at your sweet spot.

People dying of cancer don't need to have a band removed so they can eat more. People dying of cancer typically don't eat ANYTHING and bandster portions are much bigger than they typically eat anyway.

Just an opportunity to clear up some band myths.

Ha, remember it, I was one of those newbie bandsters that went toe to toe with the DS folks - good thing I can eat crow now.

OMG, there were 2 DS'ers I can remember off the top of my head who used to RIP all of us for being banded...one of them personally emailed me after I posted that I lost 50 pounds that I was going to gain all my weight back and fail because the band was a piece of crap, I was a loser for getting the band, blah blah blah...I was so pissed off, I ripped into her and never heard from her again!

Band bashing is one thing, stating stats and experiences are something completely different and that's what I feel most of us are doing...mainly in response to posts asking for opinions and our experiences.

black cat avie and foul mouth? She blocked me, I must have really pissed her off...I'm trying to think of the others - cookie monster guy was pretty bad to. But since then I've run into quite a few helpful and wonderful DSers. They're a very tight knit bunch.

 
Nahhh.. .she blocks everyone.  I think she can only see a couple of people's posts now. ;o)))))

LOL well if you could see this post from my POV right now you'd be laughing as hard I am - it appears that I've had a very long conversation with myself that makes very little sense. Its much nicer without all the cursing, name calling and foot stomping. I'll be here if they ever need, lucky I don't hold a grudge.

I actually think this has been a good discussion. Most of us want newbies to have full information. We disagree about what that consists of.
The first few months post op, having been flamed on the main board, I was pretty defensive of my choice. Yet, the stats that were negative spurred me toward searching the studies more before surgery. That was good. I found some studies that showed much better results when using newer surgical techniques and not counting on studies using the older style bands that indeed had miserable rates. I found European studies, Australian studies as well as others. What I found was that many times the stats that get posted here are lump numbers. When you look at minor complications, and people who just don't stick with it (that happens with other wls, too) and some poor unfortunates who have had incompetent surgeons as well as those who just wouldn't deal with the learning curve and ate around their band, then with them out of the way the success rates rise and the serious complication rate decrease. Now, am I saying that the stats you post are wrong? Nope, not at all. I am only saying that taking all the studies both positive and negative and analyzing them carefully a balance of information can be found. I still maintain that information taken out of context can be made to say what ever we want. If I think the band is perfect I have one study I could trot out that shows it to be far superior in many ways to other wls. However, I don't trust that study. That comes from having evaluated many different studies. Having had a very bad experience with the band would cause me to immediately focus on those statistics that support my experience. Can you see what I am talking about?

I have been to the revisions board, the VSG boards, even the DS board and quite a few others. I hear those who are having problems, I see their number, I believe them. I also see that quite a few have been poorly educated about what to expect of band life and the proper ways of living with and maintaining their band. That just p.o.'s me. Again, their surgeons are to blame. Some, like a man I know just will not follow the danged instructions and therefore hates his. Why do I bring this up? Because it paints a bit more of a picture. I have seen these complaints from people with EVERY wls. There are just those that will not do anything outside of waiting for magic to happen. I was that way before I started educating myself. Had I been given only the positives I would have been one of them, but, had I only been given the negatives I would have been scared to death of having ANY wls. That would have been disastrous, given my health. Since I have just ignored those who have had legitimate problems, and there are many of those too, let me say that their stories are important. Had I not heard them I would never have been aware of what could happen. The stories of long term life threatening problems, the deaths, etc. nearly scared me to pieces when ever I was on any board, as well as hearing what could happen with the band. I ultimately had to weigh my options. Die without doing anything, vs hoping I was not one of the unfortunate ones who had serious complications from wls. Then I had to weigh options about which type of wls. My options were limited. I made a choice, an informed choice.

Having made that choice and getting flamed afterwords as well as getting flamed for just asking about the band (and yes, even from some of "you", though I don't remember you, Lynn) I was terrified to even talk about it. I admit I am a pansy and hate controversy, and am afraid to speak up much, but why in the world should I have had to be? Yes, some of those people were the real hard core bashers, but some weren't and I didn't know the difference. I should have been told to research both the negatives and the positives of each wls. I should have been told that there are bad things that can happen with wls. I should have been told that there were many successes, too. I was not. That is where OH failed me until I found the band board and saw some good things, too.

I suspect that what you hear from those who do not want you to post here are based on that sort of thing. We really do get attacked sometimes, and hate feeling as if we are lying if we post good stuff for a newbie. Sometimes that makes us get mean. It shouldn't but it does.

Honestly, I thank you for opening this dialog, and letting people air their feelings. This is the first time I have felt as if anyone of "you" were listening to me. I hope I have been able to show you, from the other side, how we see things, too. We are not ALWAYS wrong, though I am most of the time, just ask anyone *****ally knows me!

I have written another way too long, wandering, barely coherent,  post and I know it is annoying, but putting these thoughts down has helped me, if no one else. On this board, neither you, me, nor anyone else is going to change what we believe but if we can look at things from another point of view we will clash a lot less. We will also be able to do what is most important for the newbie, give them a balanced place to start from.
This is my official last word. Sort of.    
God bless, Sue

Exactly!

You are not annoying.  Your posts are well thought out and extremely articulate.  You are the type of person that will succeed with any WLS.

I think what many of us former bandsters are trying to get across in a nutshell is that the band is a lot of hard work with many variables.  For many people it is going to be impossible to balance band life and make it work for them. 

Having lived with both a band and a sleeve, I just want people to know that if it is restriction only you are looking for,  the sleeve has been so much easier to work with for me.