My Consult yesterday Lap Band vs RNY

Rita,
Thanks for your input!  I appreciate it.  I had decided to do RNY before I went in to talk to him.  The numbers kind of scared me for a little bit...But I'm ok now!  I know the RNY will work best for me.
I hope you are doing ok.  You are still in my thoughts and prayers.
Hugs
Kim

Kim, I appreciate the thoughts and prayers. I have good moments followed by bad ones. I miss Mother so much, but I don't miss having to watch her in distress. Knowing that she is not suffering any longer makes it tolerable. That and the fact that I will see her again someday. Until then I am comforted by all things that are beautiful , because I see her in each and everyone of them. Thanks again, and congratulations on your decision. I think you made a good one. Rita

It's so hard to make that decision.  I've always heard the band caught up with RNY at 2 years, not 10 years...I don't think they've been banding in the US for 10 years, so I'm not sure about that stat.

I'm very happy with my band, but I am not going to reccomend it over another surgery because I don't know enough about you and your lifestyle and your goals.  For me, it came down to studying and lurking and figuring out tool would work best for me and my situation.  Also, there is the starting weight factor-I was willing to look at the restrictive only procedures because I didn't have (relatively speaking) that much weight to lose.  If I'd needed to lose 150 or more pounds, I would have picked RNY hands down, because I am just not that patient.

I am down 93 pounds (I lost a couple more when I weighed today) and have had no major complications.  Initially I had to drive 7 hours for a fill, and that was problematic...now that my fill is 30 minutes away it's not a problem at all.  But I don't really have scheduling issues-I come and go as I please so if the doctor visit takes an hour or so-so what....and the needle thing just really doesn't bother me at all.  However, if it did, fills and unfills would be a little bet tense (or a lot tense if they bothered me a lot).

With any of the surgeries, complications is really a roll of the dice.  The band has a nice complication profile, but if MY band was one of the ones that eroded into my stomach, I wouldn't be happy.  So, while it's nice to look at statistics, you have to remember that that's all they are.

I was attracted to the quicker recovery time-but I don't have able bodied family any where near me and I actually have some feeble one's I'm responsible for-so I needed to be up and running pretty quickly.  I also had had another major surgery earlier in the year and wanted a real quick table time-anesthesia scares me a bit.

This is all rambly and doesn't really help other than to share my thought process when I was making my decision-but you have to apply all the variables to your situation. 

 

 

Deb
Your rambleing thought process is what I asked for!  LOL!
I just wanted to find out how others came to their decision.
You may be right about the RNy and Lapband equal out at 2 years not 10.  I must have misunderstood him.  Because other's have posted that also. 
I am comfortable with my surgeon decision and I continue to be comfortable with my RNY choice.  I just needed other opinions.  Thats just for my piece of mind.
Thanks for your help!
My wonderful supportive friends here!  I'm really blessed!
Hugs
Kim

I know that you have made your mind up as to why procedure you will have.  You had it made up before you saw Dr. G yesterday. 

Unfortunately/fortunately the medical industry has an obligation to explain all the complication possibilities to us.  My DH had back surgery a few years ago and when we were in the surgery area waiting on his turn by the time he read (a handwritten 2 page explanation of all complication possibilities, ie; impotentance, paralysis, and on and on and on that he had to sign and hold the surgeon harmless) he wasn't sure if he should go through with it or not...it's called in our business as well as their business "CYA" cover your a- - .  That is a must in our society of sue happy people.  Everyone wants to have someone else to blame.  I know from my seminar at WeightWise that they have lost zero, none, nada patients to date die at their facility from any procedure. 

I would so do my RNY over again in a heartbeat.  My life has changed so much, I feel so much better and have had many health issues resolved.  NO INSULIN since the day of surgery and my last A1C was 5.1.....before surgery it was about 11-14!!!  I'm off most of my medications and will be off the rest soon.  I feel AWESOME...you wil too.  I was headed nowhere fast with my health issues and truly believe that my life span was very limited if I did nothing.  There are people who die in car wrecks every day and we still drive!!  I had to do something.  Another thing I found very unappealing to me about the lap band was the port that most banders have.  Each one is different and all procedures come with the success in direct proportion to how we work our tools.  We still have to do OUR PART and make good decisions for any of it to be successful and I know that you will with whatever you decide!!!  Good luck and just don't over anaylize!!! 

Who knows, after your procedure and weight loss you just might venture out and start a new career.  I did the in home day care for a number of years when my children were small because it afforded me the opportunity to stay home with my own children.  It's hard work and very confining.  I also did it because I was in my own home and in my confort zone.  I can see you venturing out at some point!!!  Do what you need to do for once in your life and don't put yourself in back of the line.  I'm sure your parents love you and the care you give their children and if they can't understand the need to be off work for surgery then...let them move on and I'll bet you have others who will move right on in their place.  Good daycare is hard to find.  Good luck...I hope I didn't come off preachy either...you ask!!

Debbie!  Thanks for your always welcome advice!  You are right, my mind was made up before I went in.  I expected my DH to have more to say then he did.  He was more scared of what the Dr. told me before he started even talking about the risks from the surgery then he was the actual proceedure.  He knows how much I have researched this and How bad I have tried for so long and failed to lose weight.

Yes, I have done other things besides Daycare.  I have been blessed with a very good business and it has served me very well over the last 9+ years.  But you are right about me venturing back out into the real world and out of my comfort zone.  It would probably benefit me a lot to do that.  Being home and feeding kids all day makes me tend to eat more.  If its there and I have it in my hands I can nibble my way right back to 230 lbs!

Thanks for your advice, you are never preachy!  I value your opinion!  Thanks so much!
Kim

I wanted to share my opinion and thought process on why I chose the lap band...

I have 3 personal friends who have had lap bands.  That made the decision for me much easier because I had watched them,  2 friends have been very successful and lost over 100 lbs.  The 3rd friend has lost about 40 lbs.  2 have had bands for over 2 years, 1, a year this month.

I felt that the band fit better with my lifestyle. 
I like the quicker recovery time. 
I didn't want a procedure that .... cut part of my stomach out (for lack of a better explaination) 
I like the fact that it's adjustable, I need the accountability of the adjustments.  Additionally, if health issues come up in the future, the band can be emptied.

I've had 3 fills in 3 months, fortunately my office is literally 5 minutes from the hospital so it's very easy for me.  However, it's certainly a consideration living several hours away and having a daycare.

Again, just my thoughts and I wish you the best,
Lori

Thanks for your valued input!  It sounds like you made a good choice.  I'm glad its working for you.  I might have made the lapband choice had I had friends that had done that and I saw the results.  I just know me and I need the restrictive as well as malabsortion.  I have a VERY hard time losing weight.  (As I am sure most people do)
Continue your great work! 
Thanks again!
Kim

Kim,

I feel your pain. When I first started this journey I was set on Lap-Band and the when I went to Gorospe's seminar I changed my mind. I need the restrictions that the RNY provides and there where a ton of people that wind up a year or 2 later having the RNY after the Lap-Band didn't meet their expectations. I still went back and forth in my mind a hundred times and I was scared to death. Even the night before surgery I wrote Goodbye letters to my husband and kids "just in case" but here I am almost a week later.....sore as hell but soooo glad I chose the RNY. It is a very personal decision, follow your heart and you will make the right choice. If you ever need to talk I am here for ya girl!

Lorna

Lorna,
Thanks for the great advice!  I will probably do the "letters"  JIC.  I am sure things will be fine.  I have written them before.  When I was PG w/my last baby.  I almost died before I had him and I felt like I was going to die too. 
I have been trying to say how I feel a lot more lately.  I want everyone to know how much they mean to me and how important they are.  I also have found myself saying WHAT I MEAN!  I have a bad habbit of just TAKING crap and I feel like I need to be heard at the moment so I speak my mind.  Not so much snappy, just honest.  (That may not make sense, I know what I mean though!) LOL!
I'm glad you are doing better!  Rip up those "goodbye letters"  you are here to stay!
Hugs
Kim