Why is SHE here?

Rosemary, I hope all goes well witht he insurance and the doctors appt for your daughter. I am 34 and know that this surgery has given me a new lease on life. God Bless, JEn

Rosemary, I wish her nothing but the best. I will be 27 in June and I have 2 kids 2 and 7. All the extra weight made it difficult to be an effective mother let alone have the energy to play with them. I know that she will be amazed by what she is able to do with them post op. FYI: I had NO co morbidities whatsoever and was approved though my ins in 16 hours!! Dawn

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and prayers for Heather. I wich this surgery was perfected when I was young like all of you. My activities in my life were difficult because of my weight. Have a wonderful day, Rosemary

Hi Danielle, I am new to the board too! I will be having my surgery in about a week and a half. From the research I did I felt RNY Gastric Bypass was the best as far as long term effects with keeping weight off and a great deterrent for bingers. My drug of choce is Carbs and Sugar and I will be pretty sick If I tried eating this kind of food again after the operation. So I personally am a proponent of Gastric. Probably best though to hear it from someone who has already experienced the operation!!!!!! all the best, Jennifer

Dear Danielle, I can't address all of your concerns--I had the lap RNY. I knew I did not want the band because I wanted to lose more and faster. I started with a BMI of 66, so I have a lot to lose. I'm not a sweets person (not that I ever turned them down!), but I love my carbs--salty and crunchy especially. I ate both the wrong things and too much of them. Regardless of whether you decide the band or the bypass, you need to make some decisions about what you are willing to do differently. Are you willing to eat in a healthy way or let your cravings/desires determine what you eat? Are you willing to begin a regular habit of movement/exercise? Are you willing to rethink your thinking about food? For me these are the issues that determine your success regardless of which tool you choose. If you are not willing to give up the sweets/carbs, you can fail with either tool. So why put yourself through the risk of surgery? But, if you are willing/ready to make the changes then I'd suggest you go back to what attracted you to the band in the first place. Are those reasons still valid? (I hate to tell you, but how slowing you lose does not change stretched out skin to elastic skin! A deflated balloon is still deflated whether the air came out fast or slow.) If you think one procedure over another will let you "get away" with more, then go back to asking yourself if you are ready for the necessary behavioral changes. Some of us need one tool, some another. It is both a medical question (listen to your surgeon) and a person question (listen to yourself). Talk to the person who lost 150--what did she do to make use of the band? Read some of the grad posts to see the behaviors that help or harm success and consider which ones you are likely to do. Which procedure would provide the best tool in light of who you are and how you are likely to use it. This can be a tough choice, and I wish you the best in making it. Good luck, Sally

Danielle, I can't answer your questions, but, just want to say, both tools require self control, the band more than RNY, but, even though you lose quickly with the RNY you can certainly gain the weight back when the appetite comes back. So, it is about what you are willing to do and how patient you can be for results. I have not regretted my RNY...I've lost 142.5 lbs and couldn't be happier! Lori

I opted against the Band, because I read that when you have RNY, there is a decrease in a hormone that causes increased appetite. But, that this hormone was not affected on patients with the Band. I do not know if this is true, but that was a large reason for my decision. I was constantly hungry before my surgery, and now I am not.

Well, you've got a lot of concerns -- all valid. I'll tell you about my band. I've had four fills and am now filling some restriction. I still need more and my doctor knows it. I started out at 426 and have lost 30 pounds. I need to respectfully disagree with Sandra Becominghealthy's opinion about "the other lady's" surgery being a waste of time. I'm about at the same point since I had my surgery on Oct. 7th. I've been told to freely eat -- with consideration to nutrition -- as it is the only way to find out if the band is working. Right now I'm using the "sandwich" test -- can I eat a whole sandwich if so I get another fill. The doctor likes this method because it is showing a real world application. I don't stuff my face (and I never have). There are several good things about the band. The best part is that I can change to another surgery type in the future if needed (I don't think it will be). I've seen several posts by people who have lost significant amounts of weight with a band (I just don't remember who they are -- also this website mainly has US participants and the band is so new in the US, you won't get the feedback from other "big losers"). Also, in regards to Joyce's post, there is a component for bandsters of affecting the hunger hormone, gherlin, too. My surgeon said that they're not sure if it is actually gherlin that's being affected by bandsters but something is telling the stomach that it is satiated on less food. They're still looking into it. Now, if your problem is eating sweets and carbs, there's nothing to say that bypass would help you there, either. I know of many people who've gained back weight because they don't dump. In my support meeting someone mentioned that there was a recent study that suggested that the malabsorbtion properties get adjusted for over time and that at least some people can absorb the same higher calories than they used to be able to "lose" immediately after surgery. I can't tell you which way to go. I can just suggest that you really, really evaluate what you want to do. Oh, I have to add that I've never had a problem with a fill and mine have never been done under fluroscope. In some ways, I'm not completely certain if you are ready for the surgery or if you are just experiencing the pre-surgery jitters so many people develop. You may want to just step back for a while (and that may be hours, days, months or years -- only you can judge). All of the surgeries are a tool and require that you be compliant. You can cheat on all of them, too. If you think you might have a food addiction, that needs to be addressed before surgery so that you don't feel that your surgery was wasted. Continue to do your research, question everything and everyone, and make a decision that you can live with. I wish you the best. Lori

Hi Nancy, I'm glad someone continued today, I was going to give up, as you can see i didn't post on yesterday. Even if we only have weekly reports that will be great. I was just getting on a roll and consistently seeing numbers less than 183. This morning I weighed at 181 again, I've been bouncing back between 181 and 179. I'll be around to continue on the train. Today's plan Breakfast Protein Smoothie Lunch Chicken Breast and Corn Dinner Catfish and Salad Snacks Frozen Fruit Popcorn Have a great weekend. Teah

Hi Nancy, Sorry to hear things aren't so peachy in your world right now. Man, I am kicking myself for only going to the gym once this week...here it is already friday, and only one visit. Hopefully I can go tomorrow and sunday, putting me at 3 times this week (my minimum goal). Hang in there--you are such an inspiration to us all, and we're rooting for you! All the love, Jeff