after lap band...how long until??

Good Morning Everybody!! Well, the countdown is still ticking and Friday is looming around the corner for me to go get my surgery done!!   I have been continuing in my research on the lap band but find so many different aspects and opinions my head is spinning. I am finding that many people who have had lap band done after a year are complaining and wishing they would have had the gastric sleeve instead. So, does anybody on this forum heard of such and why?? Also......I know that right after the surgery you are not supposed to carry anything heavier than 5lbs.  When does this change??  Mainly if you have an infant!! I'm not sure if all this research is getting to me but for some reason I am now questioning if I should do Lap Band and instead go w/the sleeve.  I dunno....I just keep shaking my head!! I guess there are way to manyh options and it is getting me flustered.  It's like asking me to choose an ice cream flavor!! Seriously?!! I want them all!! Uuugh!! Okay, well, your opinions on this matter would be interesting and worthwhile so hit me up!! Thanks....so to be the svelte chunky munky!!

Well I would be concerned about malabsorption with the sleeve. I think there are a lot of lap banders out there post one year, who are living their lives and not on the board anymore. Many of the posters are the ones who still need support. I am seven months out and still very pleased with the band. I am also willing to do the work and it does take work. It's a tool, not a solution.

Connie 

I don't know much about the gastric sleave, but one woman in my support group had it and has been doing well.  But as stated above, the lap-band is a tool.  If you don't make the life changes that must be made, the tool won't mean anything.  I have a friend who is two and a half years out and he has started to eat poorly.  He has gained back about 15 pounds.  The nice side is that he realizes that he has gotten sloppy and is going to improve his eating.  He will go for a fill and that will give him the help of the lap-band.  But we humans are creative and challenging creatures.  We can force ourselves to fail no matter what surgeries we've had.  I've seen 500 pound men eat snickers bars 5 weeks post-op from open gastric bypass!  All of the WLS choices are tools.  Any of them will work if you are willing to do your work, and I know you are.  The band seems to be the easier one for balancing the nutrician, but slightly longer for loosing weight in the first year.  As for lifting, it is simply a healing process.  Your larger incision is going to be about an inch and a quarter long.  It is in your abdominal area, which gets used everytime you move or lift.  Generally, your doctor will say to limit your lifting to 5 pounds the first week, 10 pounds the second, 15 the third and so on.  But you'll be hearing from your body.  I wouldn't pu****!  If you get to week 3 and feel like you're straining, hold back to 5 or 10 pounds.  And don't be afraid to ask for help.  My day-care provider has been helping to put Meredith into the car for me.  And I let Meredith slide out of her car seat with my help.  The healing goes very fast, and before you know it, you'll be back to normal.  Eating takes a little longer and you might end up rushing.  But the nice side of the band is that it lets you know.  Last night I had a one inch bite of pizza (dumb).  I chewed the life out of it and thought that it was all okay.  I then started to eat my pureed spagetti sauce and got a huge pain in my chest!  After one teaspoon!  I had to sit and let it pass for twenty minutes.  I waited an hour and a half to finish my puree.  So I guess I learned my lesson.  No pizza for a while!  The funny part is, I didn't even feel hungry.  I saw it sitting there and I tried to eat it.  I guess I'll learn my lesson one way or the other!  But I'm down 23 pounds and will get down to normal over the next year.  I know that we will be writing to "skinny monkey" in very short order.  And remember, all this panic is normal.  But by this time next week, you'll be on the loser's bench and laughing about it!  Paul

Okay, well I think part of my "issue" or dillema as to why I have been thinking of the gastric sleeve is the "upkeep" of it.  I told Jessica that I have been trying to find dr. after dr. to do my fills that is a little closer to home and I keep getting the door slammed in my face.  Between the cost of the flight, surgery, initial consultation w/the new dr. for the fills and the cost of the fills it is the cost of getting the RY or the sleeve done.  So, it has crossed my mind as to what would be more efficient in a way for my family. However, on a health note I hear such horrible, horrible stories about the sleeve and RY as I do lap band.  But I would say the thought of the malabsorption and defficiencies my body will encounter this way are not worth it to me. God knows why this is the road I must travel so I will have to have faith and trust.  Like you said we are some creatures.....of habit and are stubborn and I think because we are so used to feeling "failure" that we are beyond terrifed and feel we are just going to fail....or what if we "disappoint" somebody because we have this HUGE thing done to us but we are succeeding like we should or think we should. It's all hard.  And you are right it is a tool...a tool that I must learn to use wisely for my own health and benefit but also because this is my life and it is affecting my family as well. I keep meeting ppl who have had this RY done and if I were to judge in my own opinoin on a scale of 1-10 at least 8 are at least half way back to where they started and are doing the whole yo-yo dieting again.  So, to me that is not an option.  I will say though that ppl that have had surgery done - whatever kind it may be.....I do believe ppl tend to even judge them more harsher because they are "expected"!!! to keep it off. Well we are human and not perfect so everyday is a struggle and eating is an addiction to many so it is really hard to know that their is going to be this never-ending fight.  Yeah it would be nice to be done and over with but it doesn't work that way. Anyways....thank you all for your kind words and encouragement.....tick tock tick tock....it's almost time!! In a few months this monkey will be going "ape" on weight loss!! Ha!

You are a wonderful person.  And I hope that others who have fears are reading your posts, because you work the process so well.  You are going to be successful!  I will help you to find a fill doctor that works for you.  The average person needs 4 fills in the first year.  So I would suggest that you plan for that.