new here, questions

Hi
I'm new here. I have just started to think about WLS. (banding)                   have been reading all the posts here and guess my biggest questions is, after seeing some of the troubles people are having--would you do it again?? I don't want to trade the problem of obesity for something worse.
   Is there anyone here that has gone elsewhere the have surgery because of the long wait. I know it is very pricey. But a wait of 5 years seems awful.
    Has it worked for everyone?  Are you keeping the weight off? 
Any info anyone wants to share would be helpful for me.
Thanks


  

hello , i was thinking of the band too. then i found out that if you are active and it slips you have 36 hrs too get emergency surgery , So i desided too get the gastic bypass instead , but i'am only 16 days post op, but yes i would do it again. i also didn't like the wait so had mine done in Montreal , only 2 month wait list if you pay for it . that being said its at a clinic not a hospital. also the problem with the band is the only 2 doctors here wont touch you even for a fill if they didn't do the surgery. atleast if you were in Ont or else where you could get the fills.But these are just my opions  not every ones .

I have had more problems with my band than anyone else, and I would do it again.  However, I would never go out of province for a band. Most people with a band never have a problem, but if you are one of the unlucky ones, it would be a nightmare. Dr Savoie in Bathurst seems to have a much shorted wait- closer to 2 years. As for the band slipping due to exercise- That is a new one on me.  If my band has slipped, it is because I had a small bubble in it that expanded in an overseas flight. I could have a hernia too- same cause. Band slippage is usually the result of vomiting- especially when the band is new.  The band has an 80% success rate. It will help you lose 80% of the weight you have to lose. Some people lose all the weight they want to, and the difference seems to be dedication to the band rules & exercise. The band is not a magic bullet- you still have to diet & make good choices. However, The few months that my band worked well, it was the easiest diet I have ever been on. Following the rules was easy, because I was not hungry.The best thing you can do is to do research, & not just on these support sites. Different people are better suited to different surgeries. Your age, how much weight you have to lose, your eating issues, and your general health are all factors in determining the best surgery for you. Almost all the surgeries have pros & cons. They all can fail- the Duo-denial switch is the only exception, but you have to take a mouthful of vitamins multiple times a day. You get very sick if you don't.
I hope some of this has been useful info for you.

Hi,  I'm a newbie too... but I'm actually getting banded on Friday the 25th.   I've been on the waitlist since August 2006.    The best thing I can say is what Dr. B told me.... He can't fix us.  He trades one disease for another.   However his disease helps give us movement and life.

My post above should have said `more`problems, not no problems.
I don`t know how old you are, but Dr B only does band on people 55 & up.

Thanks everybody for your replies. Trying to get all the info I can. I'm 48 and 80lbs overweight. Have yo yo'ed my whole adult life. Just can't seem to keep it off. I do have a active job or it would be worse. I don't have health issues YET. But can see the writing on the wall. Thanks again

What is your BMI? It partly determines your eligibility.

Lada- good luck on Friday, will be thinking of you...
Kitty-mom- my bmi is 39....

If you don't have co-morbiditys like diabetes or high blood pressure, you have to (& I can't believe I am saying this) gain weight!  The criteria is a BMI of 40 or a BMI of 35 with co-morbiditys.

Hi, I self paid for laproscopic gastric bypass and went to Montreal.  My surgeon was Nicholas Christou.  I would do it again.  I've lost about 125 lbs so far and am having a bit of a stall but its my own fault not the surgery.  Surgery doesn't fix the food issues in your head.  I have more work to do.  Surgery cost about $20,000.  Good luck with your journey