Help/advice needed.

Hi, I am living in Hawaii, but actually considering either moving to or at least summering in Connecticut. (I used to live there many many years ago and loved it). Firstly, are there alot of lap band providers there who may be able to handle any complications or adjustments I may need there if I get a lap band? Furthermore, any input anyone can give me over helping me choose between lap band or by pass (my insurance offers both), would be a huge help. I am torn either way, having done tons of research. I just need more personal experience stories. Thanks!!! Marion

Hi, Marion! Where in CT would you possibly be living? I had RNY, but know a number of people who've been banded (by a variety of doctors in different parts of the state). My surgeon, Dr. Jonathan Aranow (at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown) does both open RNY and laparoscopic banding. He's a terrific doctor! When might you make the move? We have support group meetings at Middlesex almost every week, including a monthly post-op only meeting. There's also going to be a meeting starting in the next few months for post-op bandsters only, as more and more of Dr. Aranow's patients are opting for the lap band. Feel free to post on our board any time. Debby P.S. We're having a picnic on June 24th at Hammonasset and a lot of people from this board will be there, along with families and friends. If you're here by then, please join us.

Hi Marion Is you transfer to Ct from Navy? I am asking you because of insurance issue here. Debby is right about our party this summer here is information Date: Saturday, June 24th Time: 12pm until 8pm Location: Hammonassett State Park, Madison 12 Picnic Tables, 2 Pedestall Grills are available in the Pavilion. We are close to the beach, parking and the restrooms. Picnic Charge is: $10.00 per Family, can be mailed to me or given to us at the welcome table when you arrive (All monies go to the ASBS Foundation) just like our walk and other events. Parking Fee is seperate If it rains we suggest bringing tarps or tents to help out incase the pavilion is not large enough for all of us. THERE WILL BE SIGNS POSTED ALL ALONG THE ROAD MADE SPECIAL BY KATHY K'S DAUGTHER JESSICA FOR EVERYONE TO FOLLOW TO HAMMONASSET. Everyone bring your own food, drinks, snacks, bags of ice, supplies, games, blankets, chairs etc. We will all be bringing various things that will be shared with everyone too. Make sure you bring a before photo with you so everyone can share with eachother their stories. A bunch of us will be telling our stories and sharing our journies in the afternoon, so join us. My picnic team is helping me with various items like tablecloths, trashbags, ice, hamburgers, hotdogs, grill supplies, water and papergoods. But the more you help the better it will help us all in the long run. We need everyone to pull together for this. We will have Volleyball, bocce, baseball, soccer, swimming, and music going throughout the whole day. If by chance it does rain, we suggest cards, boardgames , etc. Whatever other things you can think of for activities bring them along to help us out in making this a fun filled day for the kids and the adults. Our raffle will be $1.00 each and (6) for $5.00 all monies will go the ABS Foundation. We do not profit from this personally. We will have various gift items, some people will be making baskets, there will be a handmade quilt made by Kathy K's aunt and whatever else people can donate. We are working very hard to make this a great success so we hope alot of you here at the CT Boards come and have a great day with everyone. Bring your family, friends and significant others. The more the merrier. We want this to be a fun time with family and friends. EVERYONE IS WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks everyone, hope to see all of you there. Lets make this a great success and have alot of fun too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know alot of doctors can do lap banding in Ct. and I am sure some of Lap banding people will be at party and it will be good chance you can talk with them and their experience with their lap bandings. Please keep back to our Ct message board again! Kathy K

Dear Marion, Hi. I had the lap band done on 3-13-06 by Dr. Aranow. I am very happy with it. Originally, I wanted the gastric bypass, but couldn't have it because of my previous medical condition. Dr. A said I would be a great candidate for lap band, he felt I could lose at least 100 lbs. I thought it would be a waist of time and that I wouldn't lose much of my excess weight. Then, I called the handful of lap banders on the support group call sheet, and they all were extremely happy, lost a great deal of weight and would do it again. They were all very helpful to me and helped me feel comfortable with the procedure and its expectations. One nice difference between GB and LB is that with GB you will probably gain 10% to 15% of your weight back after your appetite returns and your pouch stretches a bit. Dr. Aranow said that with LB you should NOT gain any weight back (unless you are grazing, drinking w/meals or cheating the surgery in some other way) since you can have another fill (to tighten the band) if your appetite returns. LB is less drastic of a procedure to your entire body. With GB, your stomach is cut, stapled and rerouted to bypass a portion of your intestine. This causes malnourishment and dehydration. It makes you lose weight faster, but is a greater shock to the system. With LB, the band is placed around your stomach, no cutting or rerouting of your plumbing. It is much safer. Dr. A said there is much less of a chance of complications and death. If you lose slower, you might not experience hair loss, either. I here Biotin helps with that, too. If you lose slower, I wonder if it gives your skin a better chance to firm up a bit, also. I've lost about 25lbs since the surgery, but I'm eating a little more than the 1/2 cup of food at each meal and I'm not exercising yet since my knees are so bad. I know, that's not a good excuse! Dr. A is all over me to do other exercise in place of my exercise bike. If there turns out to be a medical reason that you can't tolerate the band (I don't know if that has ever happened yet) you could choose to have the saline removed, which will take the tightening effect off your stomach and will allow you to eat more normally. If there is a good enough medical reason, the band can be removed. with GB, reversal is extremely rare, if at all possible. So, if you are having serious problems from GB, you have to basically, live with it. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for gastric bypass surgery. I think it is incredible and well worth the risks. Especially if you have a big problem with sweets. With GB, most people experience "dumping" which as you probably know makes you sorry you ever had that little bit of sugar. So, that helps you stay away from all the goodies like donuts and brownies...Luckily, I don't have much of a sweet tooth, I crave protein and salt. Give me a couple of hotdogs or a rare steak anyday! Also, with GB, after surgery, you usually don't have much of an appetite. It may or may not return in 6 mos to a year or so. With LB, you don't get your first fill of saline to tighten the band, for a month or two. It's hard to stay on liquids when you are hungry. But like my LB buddy said, "You deal with it." She was right. I've lost 55lbs since I met Dr. A in Dec 05, and I lost it some before surgery, and all of it before my first fill. I figure I'm averaging 10lbs a month. That doesn't sound like much, but in 10 mos, that's 100lbs! There are more benefits with GB, I'm sure, but you should talk to some GBers, I'm pretty focused on the lap band right now. Due to my previous 13 surgeries, I don't have much intestine left, and that makes me very dehydrated. I've always had to drink around the clock. Dr. A said that if I had GB, I would never be able to drink enough to keep myself hydrated. Thank God he is so smart! I could have ended up needing IV's all the time or worse. 2 yrs ago I was going to have a dr in NY do the GB on me. He was all set, but I didn't feel right so I backed out. Then, in Waterbury, CT, a bariatric surgeon said he'd do GB on me. He hurt so many people and fled the country. I knew something was wrong by the way his patients in his support group were so sick---all vomiting even water, many in hosp. on IV's... I hope you find a good surgeon. I am so happy with Dr. Aranow. He is a wealth of knowledge, experience and skill. And he genuinely cares about his patients. I was trying to talk him into doing the GB on me. If he did, I now know that with my previous medical problems, I would be very, very sorry and one sick chick. I'm so thankful that he had the experience to suggest the right surgery for me. If you are unsure, just meet with the surgeon. Given your past diet history, he should have a feeling which surgery would be the best for you. I attend the WLS support group meetings at Middlesex Hosp in Middletown, CT. They are Monday nites 6:30 pm-7:30pm. Maybe we will meet someday. Best wishes, Esther R. Wolcott, CT

Hi, I just got your email. It went into the norton antivirus file on my husbands computer and was going to be deleted. He only found it by accident, thank goodness. We are having our 1st Lap Band support group meeting on the 2nd Monday of July. It would be great if you could go to that. There should be lap banders who are 2+ years out, there. Since this procedure was only approved in this country since 2003 (I think that's what someone told me), I don't know if you would find anyone who had it done before then. You would have to get directions to Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, CT. There is a WLS support group meeting every Monday night @ 6:30 pm(execpt major holidays). The 1st Mon. is the meeting for the pre-surgery people only. I went a few times, it is very informative. The 2nd Mon. will have 2 meetings, now. In one room, a general Gastric Bypass support group, and in another room a new Lap Band meeting. The 3rd Mon. is for Post Ops only (I've been going to that one, but hardly any LBer's would be there). The 4th Mon. is the Post Op panel presentation. It is for anyone. If there is a 5th Monday in the month, I think its a general meeting, but I'd have to check that, I can't remember & I'm not home to look it up. What on earth are you talking about when you say that "it could erode into your stomach"? I never heard that yet. I do know that if you have severe heartburn, or reflux that you should definately tell your surgeon before you decide on the Lap Band. There is a possibility that your reflux could get worse. Mine didn't, it actually got better. I did talk to someone whose reflux got worse, though, and she wasn't happy about that. Still, she was happy she had the band and she lost a lot of weight. Keep in touch! Esther R. Wolcott, CT