researching

I just went to a seminar last night with Dr Gorneichec. I really want the lap band, still a little nervous about surgery however I feel so much better after attending the seminar.
any advice or anything I should know? I want as much info as possible. would you do it all over again???

Well, I had RNY, but I'm 4 years post-op and, yes, I would do it over again in a heartbeat... it was the best decision I ever made (besides marrying my husband, of course).

what made you choose rny over the band?

I had VSG and am loving it!  I look forward to each day to see what changes are in store for me!

I have no idea how much you want to lose or what your health issues are but I would suggest that you check out all surgical options before you decide.  Now you'll find that we are all prejudiced toward our individual surgery choice but that's a good thing.  It's all about picking what suits you personally the best.  The more I learned about my procedure, the more confidant I felt that I was making the right decision.  I am no longer a slave to food!  Yay!

We have a couple of banders on this site so I'm sure they'll be along with some advice soon.

Good luck in your journey!  Kim

Oh, and I should mention that you might try the seminar this Saturday at WeightWise in Edmond.  Then you will be able to compare and decide which fits you better!

Glitter says it all-talk to everyone and figure out what works best for you.  Things to consider are what is involved afterward and how that fits in to your lifetyle now and what changes you are willing to make.

For myself and most bandsters I know-eating in the car on the go is a no go...I was talking with a friend who is 5 years out and she still can't eat in the car without getting stuck....I didn't realize how often I ate in the car until I couldn't do it any more.

With all the surgeries you have to learn what you can and cannot eat and make that work for you when you eat out.

One of the things that people don't seem to "get" about the band is that the adjustable feature comes at a price-the weight loss in the beginning can be pretty slow till you get restriction-and that magic moment of restriction varies from person to person.  I think pretty much all the docs here in Oklahoma are conservative with fills (and I approve).

The biggest advice I would give with the band is follow the rules-and talk to your doctor as soon as you think there might be a problem.  I would add that advice to any of the surgery options-some people think they'll get into "trouble" or they've done something wrong-nerds to that.  All of the surgeries work on some pretty simple mechanics and getting a problem addressed while it's small is a lot safer than trying to gut it out.

Would I do it again-oh yeah.  I don't ever want to go back to "natural weight loss....."  (I just hate that term).

I had VSG, and I love it.  I was considering the band when I went to the Ed Sem.  During that meeting my doc and I determined that with my lifestyle and eating habits, and diabetes, that I was a better candidate for VSG.  I love it, would do it all over again.  If you want more info just PM me.
Karen

My two cents, I had the sleeve because I didn't want the dumping or the reconnecting of the intestines with the rny, I didn't want the band because I didn't want any additions left behind, but each person needs to find the right path for them. I love my sleeve and wouldn't change anything, except I wish I had done it sooner.

Best, Shelby

i got rny because i didnt want the extra stuff left behind or the maintenance of fills and such.
why i chose rny over the sleeve is because i DID want dumping because i have a sweet tooth and would fail because my favorite chocolate milkshakes would go down too easily!

There are lots of books you could read like "Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies" or "The Complete Guide to Obesity Surgery" which are both really good.  At first I thought I wanted the band, but years ago I had a VBG (which is similar to the band) and regained my weight.  Also, the thought of having a port bothered me because my mother had a port for chemotherapy and had a lot of problems with it.  I'm glad I had the RNY and I haven't had a lot of problems with throwing up or dumping or any other complications.