Trying to figure this out...

Hello there, I confess I have been a lurker for a while and have been encouraged so much by all of your success!! I am 5'5 and 404 lbs and hoping to get surgery. I had originally thought of going with rny but am more comfortable with the idea of the sleeve. My concern is that I heard a surgeon say that if a patient had a BMI of 50 or 60 he would encourage them to get an RNY. I am concerned that if I go with a sleeve I might not be able to loose all the weight I need to. I would love your thoughts and feedback.

Thanks 

First off, there is no magic surgery for weightloss. I did have the RNY by my choice. However, the sleeve has been very successful for those that has used it! You have to feel comfortable with your choice! With any of the surgeries they will require you to use them as your tool. You will have to watch what you eat and get excersizes. Some may cause more malnutrition or and other things may need more monitoring. They all can help you, if YOU use the one you choose correctly, and EXCERSIZE. Monitoring what you eat, and also be working with regards to your mental health to. Mentally and physically you will or may go through things in your journey. Facing them as you go and making changes will help. This will look different for everyone. As so will the weightloss results. We are all made and created differently. The surgeons can give you examples or ideas of surgeries they have seen more successful and ones they preferre. More geared usually to you and your body type, especially with your current medical conditions (if any?).
Surgery is not a magic pill that will shed your weight it will still require in many more ways work on your part for life! Do not let a doctors stats on percentage of weight you may lose determine your surgery. Sometimes insurances only cover certain ones, sometimes it is issues with gerd or other medical issues you currently have, but talk with doctors regarding your individual self. Sometimes doctors preferre to sleeve someone before possible DS. Go to the forums for each surgery you are considering and see what they have to say. Do your research, like you are probably doing and make your choice. Always remember it is your journey and success of your new tool will be what you make of it! It can be a hard decision to have a surgery done, and the decision of wich one, we all have had to decide. As you may have seen, so many do not regret our decisions! It can be life changing!! For me it has been life changing!! Please keep posting, lurking, and do not give up! Educate yourself, and know you are not alone. Also since you are in the higher BMI, note to yourself, your journey may be longer to goal. It is doable, but will take longer and more willpower and self motivation to get to goal. For long term success, life long it will be work forever!!

Hugs

 Honestly, I think both surgeries are good options...I went with the sleeve because I was uncomfortable with the whole idea of the RNY (pouches, stomas, no nsaids, risk of bowel obstructions, risk of RH). The sleeve lets you live with a mostly normal functioning stomach in terms of digestion/regulation of food into intestines. I was willing to forgo the biggest benefit of RNY (malabsorption) because of that. But that was my personal decision. If I had not gone with the sleeve, I would have probably pushed for a DS. 


Regardless of what surgery type - your ultimate success in reaching a normal BMI or reaching your goal weight and maintaining will absolutely come down to your ability to follow a good, sound plan, and your commitment/dedication to a healthy lifestyle and actually changing your life style. This will require both physical changes as well as mental. I know for me, my relationship with food was/is very disordered and ive had to work on changing that. That aspect often gets overlooked in the early stages of WLS because we spend a lot of time debating the surgery types and getting wrapped up in the exictement and promise of a better future. 

Im a year out, and my sleeve continues to be a great tool and im still losing weight (even if its a little slower). 

Welcome and good luck with your decision. 

My surgeon wanted me to do the RNY but I went with the Sleeve. I could not wrap my mind around having my guts rearranged.  There are times I wonder if my weight loss would be faster had I done the RNY, but I am very happy with my decision.

The surgery is a tool that helps with the journey of weight loss,  it is by no means a magic cure. The one thing I love about the surgery is the way my taste buds have changed. I do not crave or want sugar. For me this is a miracle.   I have lost 72 lbs and know the scale is going down and not up anymore. I enjoy exercizing and that is also a miracle. I never was a gal who moved.

Having the surgery is the best decision I have ever made for myself. I feel like I am in control of my own destiny for the first time in a long time. Being in control is empowering.

I am 54 and feel 34. I look forward to each day and am not ashamed to go out in public anymore. You cannot buy that kind of feeling.

Which ever surgery you decide to have will be a beautiful step in the right direction for you. God Bless!

Sharon

Thank-you all for your feedback thats super helpful and I appriciate your time. You are all such an inspiration to me and I#m truly thankful for you and your journeys. Gives me more to think about. Thanks again!

 You always have to remember Weight lose is Managed , Not cured.  It does matter if you have surgery or not.  You have to take control of what you are Eating and understand. Why you eat.  What you eat.  And Know What you are putting into your mouth and body. Because,  The surgery only does.  So much.  It a tool to help you. Lose weight.  But, You are responible for continueing to keep the weight off. Exercise is a must to continue to keep the weight off.