Undecided

 Hi, all! 

I'm new around here. Well, new to posting, anyway. I've been lurking for a few weeks, now.

I am well into the fourth month of my pre-op process (and have managed to gain weight, thanks to some serious 'last supper' syndrome, but that's not the point of this post).

The point is that I am still undecided as to whether I want to be banded or go for the RNY. I am in excellent health other than the fact that I am carrying an extra person (and a toddler) around on my bones everyday - I have none of the usual comorbidities associated with so much excess poundage, and all of my blood tests are so normal it's almost as if I rigged them! I always was good at taking tests.... 

I haven't been able to make a decision on the two surgeries (the only two offered by my program/facility) for a number of reasons, and I am soliciting both tales of horror and tales of success from all of you.

Here are my thoughts on the band so far:

+ No nutritional deficiency issues (at least, far fewer than RNY)
+ Slower weight loss means I may have fewer skin issues (I'm 30, but have been big - stretch marks big - since I was in elementary school)
+ Less restriction on foods I'd be able to eat post-surgery (I am very into the idea of whole foods and "clean" eating - veggies, whole grains, etc. - and prefer to live about 90% vegetarian)
+ Shorter hospital stay, less time off work, overall less recovery time.

- Constant fill/unfill maintenance of the band could get both very tedious and costly (especially with gas at its current level - my surgical location is about 2-hours from where I live)
- I lived in Japan for six years... and would gladly go back to live again as soon as I could swing it; I don't know if I'd be able to find someone who could take care of maintenance for me if I did decide to move back
- I'm honestly concerned that slower weight loss might be bad for me mentally; a woman at the one support group meeting I attended mentioned this specifically as to why she chose RNY over the band. She felt that if she didn't lose it quickly, she would lose steam, and I wonder if I may be the same? (I'm in therapy for these issues, and many more!)

I welcome opinions (consdering what little I've told you about me!), questions to help you help me, and again, all stories positive or negative.

Thanks for anything you can offer up!
  Angela

Great questions, Angela. Here are my comments:

+ No nutritional deficiency issues (at least, far fewer than RNY) - that's an accurate statement, as long as your post-op eating includes good food choices and taking the supplements your surgeon or nutritionist recommends
+ Slower weight loss means I may have fewer skin issues (I'm 30, but have been big - stretch marks big - since I was in elementary school) Several plastic surgeons I've heard speak on this all said that age and genetics are the main influences on how the skin recovers from massive weight loss. The rate of weight loss has little or nothing to do with it.
+ Less restriction on foods I'd be able to eat post-surgery (I am very into the idea of whole foods and "clean" eating - veggies, whole grains, etc. - and prefer to live about 90% vegetarian) - I believe that's true, though I know some RNY patients who can eat anything they want without suffering ill consequences (like dumping)
+ Shorter hospital stay, less time off work, overall less recovery time. The one local RNY patient I know stayed in the hospital only overnight, as I did.
- Constant fill/unfill maintenance of the band could get both very tedious and costly (especially with gas at its current level - my surgical location is about 2-hours from where I live) - This is true.
- I lived in Japan for six years... and would gladly go back to live again as soon as I could swing it; I don't know if I'd be able to find someone who could take care of maintenance for me if I did decide to move back. You'd certainly want to do some research about bariatric care in Asia before moving back there; you might also need follow-up care there if you had RNY (due to a stricture or other complications)
- I'm honestly concerned that slower weight loss might be bad for me mentally; a woman at the one support group meeting I attended mentioned this specifically as to why she chose RNY over the band. She felt that if she didn't lose it quickly, she would lose steam, and I wonder if I may be the same? (I'm in therapy for these issues, and many more!) - I think everyone would like to wake up in the recovery room already at their goal weight, but the sad fact is that life rarely delivers instant gratification - we have to work for years to realize our dreams and build our careers, families, communities. What does your therapist say about this - does she/he agree that slow weight loss would harm your mental health? Keep in mind that every single bariatric patient, no matter what procedure they choose, sooner or later has to come to terms with their eating demons. Bandsters have to do that sooner than RNY patients, but we all have to do it in order to manage weight in the long term.

My story is that I love my band. It may not be the best choice for everybody, but it was a good choice for me and I'd do it over again. I lost 100% of my excess weight (90 lbs) in one year. I've had a band slip (cured without surgery) and a port flip (fixed with surgery) but otherwise I'm healthier, happier, and able to do just about anything I want. I can eat whatever I want (in small quantities). Now that my band eating skills are a well-ingrained habit, I have virtually no side effects. My current surgeon is a 2-1/2 to 3 hour drive one way and that's a pain, but I since I haven't needed a fill or any other kind of care for the past 6 months, I can live with it.

Good luck, whatever choice you make!
Jean

 Thanks for such a specific response, Jean!

I'm surprised to hear about an RNY patient with only an overnight stay in your area! I didn't know that was even possible.

My therapist and I are just starting to get into surgical talk, and hopefully what we work through together will help me make a decision, as well.

Thanks again!

HI Angela,

I was about a few pounds less then you when I had my surgery and I dont regret it one bit.  Yes its harder and I have to work at it but that is fine with me because what is the most important to me is I'm learning things about myself in the process and how to eat.

I'm learning I'm a much much stronger person then I realized and I'm getting that will power to turn down foods that I would have gobbled down before.

I'm learning how to eat my meals in moderation, how to eat slow, and how to eat well balanced meals . To me this is the most important thing about any WLS because NO WLS is a 100% guaranteed.  You can have problems with any of them, you can gain weight with any of them, and you can go without losing weight with any of them .

I look at the band alot different then others do . I did not get the band to restrict me from foods, that is not what the band is designed to do , I did not get the band so I couldn't eat my meals .  I got the band to teach me portion control that is it .

That is all the band is suppose to do is help curb your hunger and help with portion control.

The band dont stop head hunger, the band dont stop you from overeating, the band dont make you get up exercise, the band dont stop you from eating junk food.   In fact none of WLS out there can stop or do any of this for you .

You do need self control and will power through all this . Even though you can eat more then a cup of food or a cup and half of food you need to have the will power and say okay that is enough my body dont need no more and walk away .

I dont get the full feeling anymore but I'm not hungry I'm satisfied .  I still eat all my favorite foods since I got the band there is nothing I cant eat but I'm learning to eat them foods in moderation and how often to eat them foods .  I eat bread, rice, pasta but in moderation and I dont eat them foods every day .

Now this is just me , I refuse to keep my band to the point of restriction where I cant eat breakfast, or I cant eat rice, bread or pasta . I dont want to live like that and that is not why I got the band .

Eating them foods is what got me fat , but eating them foods like a little piggy is what got me fat . Instead of eating 2 slices of pizza like a normal person should be eating I would have ate half of a large pizza myself and a sub .  I dont do that no more . I'm learning and still eating my favorites .

I have lost 50 pounds , 30 inches in a little over 5 months , I have not had a single fill in my band since my surgery .

I exercise 4 days a week to advanced Zumba and I eat healthy about 90% of the time.  I have my days I eat just junk food or I eat a little to much but that is to be expected I'm human and I'm not perfect.

I might lose a little slower because of how I keep my band but that is fine with me because the way I look at it is, as long as I'm losing and not gaining that is all that matters :o)

 Thank you for sharing your story! It's good to see someone else about the same size as me (with about as much to lose!) having chosen the band option.

Your talking about learning portions and how to eat properly and dealing with head hunger and all of that... I feel the same way. Those are things that I want my body and brain to learn. I also do Zumba (already!) and yoga and really enjoy both, though know that they would be even better if I were 150-pounds lighter!!!

Thanks again for sharing with me. 

If you have been lurking for awhile, then you probably have read both sides of the fence for either surgery.  Nobody can really make the decision for you, though, and you have to decide what's best for YOU.  I can only tell you that I have not regretted my decision once since surgery (but I also haven't had any major problems).  I too, liked the idea of slower weightloss in hopes of avoiding sagging skin, less nutrient deficiency, no dumping....   I did really well after surgery and lost quite a bit.  The loss has slowed down over the last few weeks, because I had not gotten a fill yet.  Even slower weightloss has been a positive motivator for me, though.  I have more energy and exercise is easier (at least it's good to know that my hard work is paying off). 

I don't know what your follow-up protocol is, as far as how many visits to expect.  That may be a good question to ask at your next visit if you don't already know.  Also, do they have bariatric offices in Japan?  That might be worth investigating now, if you can. 

Ok, not really sure if my post helped or not.  I do wish you the best of luck with either surgery!  Let us know how it goes.

 Thanks so much for sharing! I especially enjoy hearing from people who also have/had significant amounts to lose, but chose the 'slower' method for various reasons.

I will definitely ask about follow-up visits when I next meet with someone from the program (and even if I could have the follow-ups done at a local  hospital that has recently started to offer band surgery, but is still too new to the game for me to consider having them do my operation).

I did briefly look into bariatric surgery in Japan, and there is a pretty sizeable program/center in Tokyo, so I wouldn't be completely on my own if I decided to move back!

Thanks again. 

Hi Angela,
I started out at 398 and got a band in early 2007.  While the band was in me, I did lose over 100 pounds over a year, maybe a year and a half (I don't remember anymore.)  I firmly believe that I lost that weight from my excessive dieting and that the band provided very little help for me.  I wound up gaining 40 back and had a revision (well... two revisions because the first revision wasn't able to be completed due to band complications during the removal.)

I have a question: You didn't mention the VSG or DS as options for you.  Why not?  I see you're in PA.  Dr. Bonnani does all 4 WLS's and he's a fantastic doctor.  Have you looked into his services?

A huge perk in having anything other than a band is that there will be no fills or unfills to worry about.

At the size your ticker says you're at, I really think you need to look at the severity of your weight and choose a more severe solution (i.e. - a different weight loss surgery)

This is purely my experience and my opinion.

No matter what you do, best of luck to you. 

I think I would actually be interested in the VSG option, however, it is not offered by Geisinger Danville and I am already so deep into their particular program that I don't want to switch (plus, other programs are all much farther away from me).

I have fears about being one of those people the band just does not seem to work for or disagrees with entirely, but I could also be one of the people who take to the band very well and never have trouble. Of course, the same could be said for ANY of the surgical options.

I had been leaning toward RNY until I met with one of the counselors on the team last week and she said that she thought I should consider the band, as I am not sick, I am just fat. There's no medical reason for me to lose all of my weight very quickly (like high blood pressure or diabetes or anything like that), so if I wanted to avoid the nutrition deficiency side effects of RNY, the band is a perfectly plausible option.

Thanks for your input! I am still see-sawing... I will have the surgery class next month, so hopefully that will help me to finalize my decision once and for all!

Hi Abiona,

Do you currently have any "tummy issues" like irritable bowel, chronic gas issues or constipation?  If you do, I really recommend NOT having the band surgery. It seems to exacerbate existing conditions. (It certainly did for me.)

I personally wouldn't recommend the lapband under any cir****tance, but I realize it's a personal decision. I only stick my nose in because I want to make sure everyone knows of possible complications before having a life altering surgery! 

Best of luck to you with whatever you decide. I hope everything goes well.