Looking for Reassurance

My husband and I had a visitor over the weekend who just had MGB...Mini Gastric Bypass.  He's from Ontario and OHIP paid him to go to Las Vegas for this surgery since it's not offered in Canada.  All is well but he has planted so many doubts in me about having the lap band that my head is spinning!  He told me the lap band is now banned in Europe yet I can find nothing on the internet to support  that.  I researched failed lapbands and there are tons of horror stories on the internet.  There seems to be nothing of failed MGB's but it could be because the procedure is relatively new.  I know I can't go by one person's experience but I still can't help but doubt my decision.  I've known the bad side since I first researched this procedure but as the time gets closer, the doubts get bigger.  I can't wait to have my second appt with Dr Savoie to express my concerns!  I'm sure he'll have all the answers!  Am I doing the right thing here???

Casey, researching for the band is kind of like researching the Bible :) You can find something to support your "argument" no matter what :)

All I can share is my own experience. I was 270 lbs when I started this journey. In one year, I got to 150 lbs. I gained back 26 due to eating slider foods and being a "brat", but have recently turned it around again and lost 8 of the regained lbs. I'm back on my way to goal now.

The band has been a blessing for me. I couldn't have done "it" without it. I will tell you that I exercise more than most people I know, though, so it does take a lot of committment and a lot of work. But it does work. Have I had to give up things? Sure, but nothing that is killing me. I don't eat bread now. Pasta very rarely. Pizza, chinese food, fries, doughnuts - never once since surgery. I don't drink alcohol often. But I certainly don't suffer and miss out on enjoying food.

I think you will only hear the very worst and the very best stories on the internet. More of the worst as people LOVE drama and to be truthful? The ones who succeed aren't here writing about it - most often they are out living life.

Krista is bang-on with her comments.  You need to take the doctors advice.  If he feels it's right for you, he wouldn't lead you astray.  Why would he put his reputation at risk by selling you the band if the band is garbage.  Doctors don't generally do that.  Not in canada anyway.  There are a number of failures in all surgery types.  There are alot of horror stories for those who have had bypass, etc.  Poor Maggie had a rough start but doesn't mean it's a failure.  I've had a bit of bad luck with my stomach with the band, but I don't in any way feel it's a failure.  There are pros and cons to these boards and the internet in general.  There is lots of good learning out there but there is also alot of negative stuff that can plant doubts, which it has done for you.  There are a ton of Dr. B's patients who you will never find on here.  and I'm sure they are doing just fine.  Dr. B gave us his success rate (or failure rate) and I think for him in the years he has been doing it, he only had a few that truly failed.  3 or less that actually died.  don't quote me on these figures but it was minimal.  Try not to do too much of your own research.  Anyone can post anything they like and someone out there will read it.  Doesn't mean it's true or accurate.

Take a deep breath...You'll be fine.

Patsy

Nobody died after a lapband surgery with Dr Beausoleil since three people died after a by pass. Think about it! Lap band is safer than any other bariatric surgery, the recovery in shorter and you don't have anything cut or removed from your body. You can have fills for years, loose and maintained your weight.

Thanks for all your feedback and everything that was said is right on the money!  Now if I could just keep my head focused in the right direction!  I've decided to maintain very little contact with our visitor until all is said and done for my own sanity.  He means well but doing that to someone who is waiting for surgery is cruel!  It's not like I have the ability to look at options other than what is offered here in NB, especially with Dr Savoie.  I can't afford health wise to wait for Dr. B.  and I can't afford to fly off to Vegas to have a procedure that is in it's infancy and will probably be plagued with as many doubts as the others are now once it's been around a while. 
Reassurance needed and reassurance received.  Thanks all!!!!

The girls here are right on the money. There will be advances in WLS, including the band. I understand that there is a new band being  used/ tested in Europe. It is a self filling band that has a reservoir of some sort and you can fill and unfill it yourself. Wow. sounds amazing.BUT I am not willing to wait the 5 or so years until it is approved here. My band has been  complication free so far and the fills are inconvenient, but it is so worth it to be feeling the way I do. I just walked the Fredericton train bridge (for those not local it's a walking trail now ) in under 20 minutes. Including the extra walk to my car that is about 1.2 kilometers. I can garden all day long and be up for a walk after supper. I sometimes wished I had a bi-pass or some other surgery when my weight loss is stalled, because the grass is always greener... Overall, I had the right surgery for me. My metabolism is a little slower than some of the gals here because I am older than they are plus I give in to my food issues at times. Both hinder my weight loss, and both would be  issues with any other surgery I would consider having. Come back here for reassurance when ever you need it, because you will continue to have bouts of doubting your decision- I still do. I also know I would not succeed with out the band. It may not be the easy route to weight loss, but it is one heck of a lot easier than without it.

Don't say "nobody" cause a few did die.  but from complications, not the surgery.

I don't think Dr B has lost a patient after band surgery. I will ask next visit.

You should ask them to tell you about the lady and the ice cream.