In need of friends

Hello All,

I am new the group my surgery date is planned for April 15th ( Lap-Band)depending on how long it takes for my approval from my insurance company.  I am excited and nervous.  I am also trying to filter out the negativity that I am getting from friends.  The thing they don't understand is that I have been overweight my whole life and there is definitely time for a change in my life.  I have two young daughters 9 and 10 months and I want to be around to see them grow up.  My heart is kinda of heavy that I don't have the support I wanted from friends and family.  The only support I have right now is my husband and another friend who is also having  the surgery.  So I guess I am reaching out to the board for friends. 

Hello,
I am Audra and I live in Raleigh also. I had a RNY this past december. I also have two kids but they are 11 and 14. I am not as familiar with the band but I am happy to encourage and be supportive. I am going to my first Raleigh support group on March 20th maybe this would be a good place for you to meet others that have had WLS or are going to have WLS.

All WLS patients need as much support as they can get. Sometimes the information is more than you want to know. So be sure of your decision and do not let anyone who does not walk in your shoes change your mind. Everyone has an opinion but your and you husbands is the only one that counts. I have a wonderful family and husband sent from God so it has mad my journey smoother.

Let me know if there is anything I can help you with or just chat about,
Good luck
Audra

Hi Audra,

Thanks for your support.  Have you had any challenges with your surgery?  I was told by my pychologist that I should consider RNY since my BMI is so high.  To be honest it totally freaks me out and I am scared out of my mind to do it.    I am currently 297 and my goal weight is to be 165. 

I too wanted the band because I thought t was less hmmm... I don't know....invasive or something.  My Dr also said that I should have RNY instead of the band.  I listen to what he had to say and then I did some investigation on my own.  I ended up having the RNY and for me it WAS the best choice.  I don't think I would have done as well with the band.  The concerns I ended up having with the band were numerous.  It was probable that my insurance was going to stop covering the cost of the fills.  They usually cost about $250.00.  I know some that  end up getting fills 4 to 5 times a yr.  Also, I was not aware of the problems with adhesions and scaring with the band until I met someone who was having severe problems.  I thought it was problem free practically.  I found out that none are problem free.  There are a lot of choices out there and this site has a forum for each one.  I would check out the different forums for more info. 
I was 291 lbs at my time of surgery.  I now weight in the med to high 120s.  It has been 15 months since my surgery and I have been maintaining now for over 1 month.  I went from wearing a size 26 to now I wear 2s and 4s.  for me, RNY was the perfect fit.  Good luck and get some info.  Don't let fear or negativity stop you. 

We are actually pretty close at starting weight. I was 284 three weeks pre-op then 268 the am of surgery. I have lost a total of 73 pounds. My starting BMI was 40.8 I am 5'10" but my goal is probably 180. I have heard that the weight loss with the band is much slower and not as drastic. There are risk to both.
I did have a complication were i had to have my opening to my stomach dilated several times, but I am doing well now. If you through all the complications in a pile this would be one of the better ones. But, don't let the complications get to you because there are alot for all the WLS. You can always find good, bad and ugly stories for all medical procedures.
My sister had the RNY 6 years ago and is the poster child, no problems and she lost 150 pounds and still is looking and feeling great.
How old are you? i am 39
Let me know if you have any more questions or things you want to know, I am a very truthfull open person. I am also a nurse so we know wayyyyyyy to much and make terrible patients ha ha

Audra

I am 29.  I glad to hear you didn't have any problems.  I have been reading today all the problems people have had from the band.  I guess I still need to do research my surgeon on doesn RNY and the Lap band.

Welcome!

You have come to a great place to find friends and support!

As Audra mentioned, there is a support group meeting  on 3/20 so if you are free, you will have a great time.

Unfortunately, I have a prior commitment so I will miss (again) but I am looking forward to reconnecting with everyone.

Hoping you find the support you need here!

 

Hi,

I had the band put in, largely because I feel more comfortable with a slower rate of weight loss and I didn't want to worry about nutrient issues.  With the band, I take a multi-vitamin and calcium.  I believe you may need B-12 with RNY (correct me if I'm wrong!!!!)

The band does take work (exercise, watching the types of food you eat) but I wanted this challenge - otherwise I'd sit at home and that's not healthy!

Good luck on your decision.

 Hi~
My name is Gail and I'm 56, 264 lbs. at 5'6".  I'm scheduled for the RNY on March 19th (so I'll be missing the meeting on the 20th).  "The Losers' Bench", as we're called, is a great group with a terrific, inspiring leader, Barbara.  

I originally thought I'd go with the lap-band which was suggested by my PCP.  However, after much research and the introductory seminar at Duke, my husband and I both thought the RNY would be better.  I've had a lot of other surgeries which went well, so I have very little fear of the surgeries themselves.  I look to the future and I can't imagine having a foreign body (the band) inside me forever AND, more importantly, I don't want to be tied to a doctor for fills for the rest of my life.  I read a post a while ago from a post-op man who moved to the Raleigh area and was having trouble finding a doctor to accept him as a patient and do his fills.  As someone who has moved around a lot, I find that frightening even though I have no plans to move again.  Once I've recovered from my surgery, I want to be independent (just going back to the doctor for periodic checkups).  

Just MHO!  Read everything you can.  I liked the book "The Real Skinny on WLS: An Indispensible Guide to What You Can REALLY Expect" by Julie Janeway and Karen Sparks (patients) and Randal Baker, MD.  Good luck with your journey!