My second chance
As I'm typing this, I weighed in today at 317 pounds, and my BMI is now 61.9. I never thought I'd be here again. However, with five years of unfills, and the slow progression of refilling- I also never could see myself actually reaching a healthy BMI. I was satisfied with just being under a BMI of 50. Fortunately I've been lucky in that my comorbidities are virtually non existant. At 24 years old though, it's not something I'd be confident to count on.
Of course at this point I feel like I failed the band. It's hard to wrap my head around the band failing me. Now though, I feel that getting a lapband at the start wasn't necessarily the right option for me. Bless those who had a high BMI and worked their band. I however was not one, and I'm willing to admit it now.
Add on to the fact that my surgery was self paid, by my family. I would feel extreme guilt that I was wasting all of their money by not losing the way we had all hoped in the beginning.
My relationship with my band really reminds me of a failing marriage. I wanted it to work so badly, I never entertained the notion of there being any other path than the one I had committed to. There were the good times where I'd lose, but then the lows of gaining were always around the corner.
At this time in my life, I have excellent insurance. After I had a pill stuck in my esophagus, and a chemical burn I was unfilled about two months ago, and have been ever since. I've gained about eight pounds since then. But weighing 309 prior to the unfill wasn't exactly a success.
That's when I began to accept that this doesn't have to be my path. I started doing my research, contacted my insurance company about a month ago, met with my PCP for authorization, and today had my appointment with a surgeon and my surgery date is December 12th. After much research I believe that the Duodenal Switch is for me. I'm scared, and skeptical but I finally have renewed hope that I can reach my goals, and I do not have to settle.
Sorry for the length. I really just needed to get it out there. Thanks
on 11/22/11 8:26 am - PA
That is wonderful news! Congrats on the DS approval and I am with you on gettin the Band out and onto a NEW and HEALTHY life!
"....After watching the previous video of the patient who struggled with the Lap Adjustable Gastric Band, and has done so well with the Duodenal Switch, it’s obvious that there different physiologic factors that occur following the bariatric surgical procedures As mentioned the input for human energy intake is mainly hormonal. Laparoscopic adjustable bands don’t reduce ghrelin or increase PYY thus its not surprising that a number of patients are still hungry following lap adjustible banding. Thus instead of giving patients labels like noncompliant, or suggesting that the patient failed the operation because they didn’t work hard enough we need to understand the physiologic differences that our operations cause. And in addition we need to begin to gain insight into why the particular patient is obese and what their particular deficit is in energy imbalance. Unfortunately we’re not able to do that at the present time and we continue to treat patients with these broad operations. But it’s really important to realize that failing one bariatric procedure doesn’t mean that you’re going to fail another bariatric procedure, and there is a lot more than just restriction and malabsorption. The most important thing that we can offer our patients in bariatric surgery is hunger suppression.
It is NOT your fault!
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