Hi........I am new!

I just wanted to say hello and good luck to everyone that has already had surgery. I am attending yet another conference next Tuesday, the 28th, and I am hoping this one will be the one I am needing to hear from.  I have been trying to have the surgery for over 3 years now!  Every time I get one hurdle cleared, something else would come up and take me back.  I am determined to achieve my goal of having surgery sometime soon tho!   I have really been having trouble deciding between the gastric bypass and the lap-band.  Would you each please feel free to share your inputs on both procedures.....I would love to hear everything each of you have to say.  The more I hear, the more I hope to be able to decide on which procedure will be the most beneficial to me and my needs!  So, on that note, I will be ready to hear EVERYTHING!  I need all the support I can get! Thanks!

Howdy there Kitti_kat~ Nice to meet ya!  I haven't had surgery yet...although I am just waiting on a date...already approved...TODAY! Anyway...I am having the open RNY....my surgeon felt like the best for my body type...so ask your surgeon the pros and cons...and these people here on this forum are an EXCELLENT support system!  Just let it all out and vent and they will still luv ya! Keep posting!

Thanks! I am so happy that you have already had your approval!  I have already spoken with my insurance company, and that is already apporved, so now I just need to get together with a good physician.  I am hoping the conference that I am attending next week will be the dr. for me.  Hope they schedule your surgery soon for your sake!   Thanks again!

Hello LaChelle.  You have come to the right place to get a wealth of experiences.  Have you found a surgeon or Hospital yet? Read and listen to others opinions and experiences but the decision you make needs to be based on your life style and when you have a surgeon he can help guide you to what should be best for you.  I'm 17 months post op and I started at 330 (325 day of surgery) today I'm at 196. I went to St.Vincent for an initial consultation in Sept of 05.  Dr Evanson was do the presentation that day and I liked him from the beginning. I had thought I wanted lap band with what I had read and heard before I went. After listening to him and meeting with him we both felt the LAP RNY would be the best choice for me.  So after fight with insurance (for what seemed at the time to take forever) I was approved for surgery in December 05 and scheduled for surgery Jan 17 06.  Things have gone very well for me, I've been fortunate and had no complications.  This is the best thing I have ever done for my self,  My DH was apprehensive about me having the surgery but is so glad I did.  In the process of me losing weight he has lost 60 pounds also just thur diet and exercise with me.  It was a win win situation.   I hope things go well with you and Welcome to the Indiana forum..  BTW.  I was in French Lick (and West Baden) and the Hotel before the renovations.  I can't wait to come back down there now and visit the casino.  Do you know if there are campgrounds near by?

I am going to Sts. Mary and Elizabeth in Louisville to see the surgeon there.  I went to the hospital in Jasper, but was very dissappointed in the whole seminar.  I had already attended several before in Illinois and Kentucky, where I had recently moved from.  Hopefully I will be able to recieve the help and support from the surgical group there.  Luckily it is only about 45 minutes from me, so that isn't too far of a drive. Glad to hear you have lost as much as you have! I am hoping to loose that also! Yes, there are some campgrounds nearby.....at Patoka Lake. That is only about 12 miles away from the casino.  Also, there is a camping area located at the Lane Motel, just next door to Dairy Queen here in French Lick. If you come to the casino, please stop in and see me. I am in the tables dept!

Hello Kitti Kat! Have you considered the Duodenal Switch (DS) along with the RNY (Gastric Bypass) and the Lapband? We have a wonderful DS surgeon here in IN Dr. Margaret Inman (who performs the Lapband, RNY, and the DS and covers all procedures in her seminar) and there are several advantages to this surgery, such as better weight loss, less regain down the road, and improved quality of eating. If you would like more information, just ask me or visit the DS forum here on OH.  Here's a link - http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS/ Also, you may want to check out www.duodenalswitch.com, which has a lot of great information about the DS.  There are a lot of myths and inaccuracies floating around about the DS so I hope you either come to the DS forum here on OH or check out the DS website above for information. Here is another link to a question that someone posted on the DS forum about RNY vs DS.  There is a LOT of good information here, too: http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS/a,messageboard/action,r eplies/board_id,5357/cat_id,4957/topic_id,3380559/ Good luck with your research!!

Oh, and I forgot to mention...  I'm a revision from a previous failed WLS and I fought for almost a year with my insurance company before they finally approved the DS.  They immediately approved the RNY but I knew the DS was the procedure for me and I refused to settle for anything else! 

I understand exactally how it is to be undecided about a surgery. I am completely unsure of which one to go to. You really just need to go on here and look at everyones profile and find out which surgery they had and what complications if any they have. It is all up to you and your needs. You need to know are you the sweet eatter or the overeatter. I am the overeatter.  I think I am going with the RNY despite what my family and friends think I should do. You will lose a lot more or so I have been told. I was also thinking about doing the thing that has both the band and RNY. I am unsure if my doc will do it or not though... I wish you luck, and hopefully you will get approved this time around! Megan

LaChelle, This is such a personal decision to make. I chose RNY because it restricted my sugar intake. I have a HUGE sweet tooth and just need to be told I couldn't do that any more. I am sooooo afraid of dumping that I won't even touch the stuff. This is a great topic to decuss with your surgeon when you decide on one. He/she will have a lot of experience with different types of surgery and how they fit into your lifestyle. You will lose weight if you use your new pouch and follow the doctor's instructions. RNY will usually lose faster than lapband but you will still get there in the end. Even a slow loser is still a loser. Good luck as your journey continues and remember, we're here if you need support.

Thanks for all the input!  I am really going to talk it over with my dr. and ask 1 million questions, just to make sure that I get exactly the results that I am hoping for!