I am looking for an attorney in Kansas who is familiar with bariatric surgery. Does anyone have any suggestions as to a person or a place to start my search for one?

Hey girlie I remember you... WOW!!! You look great! I always thought you were so beautiful and Pretty. You look even more beautiful now. Any how my Aunt Lo sent me some of your hospital pics when you had your baby. Speaking of my family, I haven't told them that I'm having WLS and I don't plan on telling them, because they don't believe that I'm overweight enough to have this type of surgery. And they think that I can just work out and eat right to lose the weight. As much as they like to cook I would never lose weight around them. Any how I'm still in VA. and I'm going to my Pre-op appointment on May 10th so My surgery will be about 3 weeks after that so I'm excited. But worried that my Hubby will accidentally spill the beans to my family and I know they are going to freak out. Any how I figure I'm doing this for myself and no one else and they'll never understand what its like to try to lose over 100+ pounds. They think that it is so easy for me to go back to weighing 125 again, but it's not. My sister was able to bounce back and lose her weight almost immediately after having kids. Me on the other hand I wasn't that fortunate. Between depo-provera and having a cast on my leg for 1/2 year I've packed on some pounds. I don't look like I weighed 226 (I recently lost 16) I didn't want to go to my pre-op weighing the same or more. Well, I'm 210 now and I know if I told my Mom she wouldn't even believe me. I just recently told my Husband and he doesn't believe me, because he's really buff but he weighs 215. He thinks it's all it my Breast and my Bottom. I wish! Any how I'm sure I could go on forever talking to you because it feels so good to talk to someone from home. Once again you look so pretty I almost didn't recognized you until I looked at your Pre-op photos. I thought you were just another person responding to my post until I looked at your page. Then I thought to myself OMG! I personally know that Woman. That is so cool. I'm looking forward to staying in contact with you! I'm sure that I will have tons of questions after WLS. "Like what else can I eat, because I'm tired of eating the same foods." I'm sure you know what that's like? Well I'm looking forward to knowing. Hey one thing that's been on my mind is, on OH I read a lot about people getting plastic surgery after WLS does everyone pretty much get plastic surgery. I''m hoping that I won't need it, but my Hubby and I discussed it and I will get it if I have a whole lot of excess skin. Well, keep in touch Velena and I'll do the same! Ps. You have a very beautiful family. Congrats on getting married too. I missed so much since I've been gone! Wow God bless!

Boy that's a tough question. Making the decision between the two is a personal one. I don't like telling people to do something just because I did. I chose rny because statistically it is more successful than lapband. I had 161lbs to lose when I was making that decision. I was going down hill medically and I knew that my insurance (Medicare) would likely only pay for 1 surgery. I had to get it right the first time. People who do rny lose weight even those who aren't entirely compliant. Success was important. The one thing to remember is that you must balance your need/desire to lose weight versus your ability to accept any changes that having any given surgery will bring. RNY means faster and long lasting weight loss but also means I can never go sit down and eat a hot fudge sundae ever again, even after my weight is "normal". High carbohydrates like in sundaes can make me sick. On the other hand with lapband I can have that sundae but I also get the calories from eating it. The changes that surgery will make are life long changes. You must be able to live with them. As for myself. Since October 5, 2006 I've gone from 386lbs to 260lbs. My bmi has gone from 50.9 to 34.3. I'm no longer diabetic, I have no acid reflux, my knees and back don't hurt much any more, I take no medications for any of these things at all any more. I have absolutely no regrets and I would do it again in a second.

Mark M......I am 2 days from my nutritionist and psych appt. I thot my mind was made up for lapband. Now I am wondering if rny is the route for me. I am a 52yr old female with about 140lbs to lose. Any thoughts on 1 surgery versus the other? Thanks

Thanks for your response! It's good to know someone else who has had the same dr or at least the same group of drs.