Finally had my first appt

after waiting 3 months I finally had my first appt! YEAH!!! So now I am basically in the waiting game until I have some appts set up. I have the nutrition class on Nov 7th but nothing else in the books yet. My biggest issue is that I don't really have a babysitter during the day. I am going to call my aunt to see if she can watch  my little guy so fingers crossed for me. It will make life much easier :)

I do have a question for yall. They definately seemed to push the bypass so for those of you that had it WHY? why did you chose it over lapbad (or any other surgery)? For those that had the band WHY? any other surgeries WHY? I think I am STRONGLY leaning towards the band. I KNOW that is it slower weight loss but I feel SO much more comfortable with it. He told me that the band patients seem more frustrated than the bypass patients. I definately don't expect to lose at the same rate but i DO expect to lose (duh :) ) so....thanks for the answers to my questions :)

ok, so I feel that I am pretty much the one here to tell you about the band, there are several other's who have had the band here on OH< but they not always, post or visit.  so I also have Loggins and he too tried to talk me into bypass, that was not an option for me, if I couldnt' have the band, I was going to walk.  so first of all:  If you have alot of weight to loose I would defenitely consider RNY.  I also was not worried about loosing slower, I felt it to be much healtier and it would give me and my skin time to recover.  After going through the band process, and being VERY frustrated with the slow loss, but I feel I wasn't a great patient or I might have some issues with my thyroid (not sure), but It might have slowed me down some.  It has been VERY frustrating watching everyone loose over 100 lbs. in 6 months and only loosing 10 lbs. my self.  I do see many Banders loose much faster, but as a helpful note Dr. Loggins is very conservative with his fills.  SOme people get 4 or 5 cc's per visit/fill, I am at 5 fills and only have 4.5 cc's.  so be aware this will probably take you over a year to get to where you need to be.  So, that being said, I am NOT sorry I went with the band, cause without it, I would be gainning at this point.  I have lost almost 30 lbs. since first visit.  Much to do with my own dieting, not the band.  I am just, after last Thurs. beginning to feel the band, and boy, I need to regroup and follow the rules.  Dr. Loggins also told me to try to stay away from the RNY's, cause it would be very dis couraging. He was right, but some of my best friends and support have been here.  I feel I have learned so much from all of them.  This is only my opinion,  I am not slamming RNY,  it just was not for me.  You really need to do your homework, go to the Band forum, read, learn, ask questions.  Best of luck, I am available for any questions.  Hugs, cheryl

I basically need to lose half of me  I just don't think I could do RNY. It completely freaks me out. I know the band isn't risk free but OMG...I KNOW it will take a while and I'm sure i will get discouraged but it will still be there and i will know it is there. ugghhhh! the scale just keeps going up and up and then i get sad and eat and then it goes up some more. geez..
 
I have low thyroid too so that doesn't help with the weight gain. i am up to 150mg/day of levothyroxine and at my follow up in sept my numbers were finally in the normal range but i keep on gaining even when i "diet" anyway...thanks for the answer.

I am also on Thyroid medication 275 mcg a day and losing weight was almost impossible.  My reason for going with RNY is because of the diabetes, it was a cure and where there was so much of it in my family I wanted to make sure I was cured from it.  It was not an easy process but well worth it, my surgery was 1 week ago today and I don't regret it at all.

I too am on thyroid meds. Before the lap band I was Diabetic controled with meds. Soon after surgery my sugars got a lot better I am off all meds for diabeties, high blood pressure, and cholesterol..... When I was going to WW and on the points system I was watching everything I ate counting my points AND still gaining my PCP knows how frustrated I was I needed more help than I could do on my own and surgery was the way to go..... Picking which one well only the one going thru it knows what is right for THEM,,, They are all good it is to pick the one that will work for you. Welcome to OH

When I went to my appt he told me that too.... And I just decided that I wanted the bypass... dont let him scare you you pick witch one you want.... How old is your Little guy?    I hope that everything works out for u!!! good Luck

Is there anything specific that that made you chose bypass over the band? my fear is that if i decided to go with RNY (which i probably wont) that i would freak last min and cancel. I don't want to go through it all and then wimp out last min. I think i can handle the band but my mind cant get wrapped around RNY. i definately wont let then scare me into a decision. what i chose will be because it is what i want :)

I have 2 boys. Nick is 2.5 and Anthony is 5.

Congrats on your first appt! 
Everyone makes this decision for very personal reasons and doing the research on each procedure is really how you should make your choice.  There is nothing wrong with ANY of the surgeries (DS, Band, VSG, RNY......they are ALL great tools!) 

I originally wanted the Lap-band, but I have issues with loving sweets and, well, the band would have let me continue to eat those sweet things!  The fear of dumping with the RNY is why I chose it.  I needed something to keep my brain in "check" so I could not and would not eat the wrong things.  Yes, I'll have to supplement vitamins for the rest of my life and I'll have to have annual lab work for the rest of my life!  Am I ok with this?  YUP!  Because my health is the most important.  I feel that I HAVE that now!   Could I have lost with the band...maybe...probably.  But, as Cheryl said, I think it might have felt more like a diet than a change in lifestyle like with my RNY. 

Like I said....I wouldn't "slam" ANY surgery!  I think they are great for certain people!  I love my RNY (even on "bad" days) and wouldn't trade it for anything at this point!

YOU have to be confident and comfortable with what YOU choose!  YOU are the only one who knows what is best for YOU!   Just do the research and you'll figure it out!

Good luck!   Please let me know if you have any other questions.....I'm usually around!
Ruth

Thanks for your input. I love sweets too but there is so much that i KNOW i will/do need to cut from my diet in order to suceed. I know people who have had RNY and look amazing and i don't want it to seem like I am bashing RNY but it just feel right for me. *sigh*  I'm sure as I go along in the process I will figure it out more. Thank you :) 

Hi, welcome,, I have the band I am not on often because I have a home day care so I don't get one very often and when I do I mostly read the post. I did not have Dr. L because when I started my journey he was not here in town yet. So I went to Portlend and had Dr. Wolff.  The Dr. and I choose the band mostly because I take very strong meds for my migrains. BUT I was leaning towards the band to begin with because my brother had RNY years ago. I've seen him struggle with dumping, bleeding in the stomach years after the surgery and almost dying needing blood transfusions, now him and his girlfriend struggling with weight gain after their RNY. NOT saying that this happens to everyone but it was so close to home that YES it did scare me. Yes the band is a slower way to loose but we do loose.  The band I have can only hold 4 cc  I have 1 3/4 cc in my band now and have pretty good restriction. I go back in Dec and I think I will have her put some more but they can't put much more or I wont be able to have anything. I had a Day care mother who was coming here and she has Dr. L and he wanted her to have RNY also tried to talk her out of the band... She told him she wants to band because a very close friend of hers died a few days later after having RNY from compications,,,, one of those rare cases that happen. But I feel that a Dr. shouldn't try to talk you into or out of UNLESS it has to do with your health and they can give you a good reason why one is better than the other. Like for me the RNY would not work because of the meds I take it would have burned a hole in my pouch. I have no regets. Yes sometimes I too get jelous of others who loose 80 to 100 in 6 months and here I am 1year and not there yet but I don't have the baggy arms, or sagging skin all over,,, my skin is slowy adjusting to my smaller size........
NOW I may have said tooo much and I am sorry for hurting anyones feelings...... SORRY