second thoughts: advice/info requested

Thanks, Tami!  (if you're still there!)

I would have a problem believing the first article and it's accuracy.  The second article states 30% regain their weight first they aren't just talking lapband in it.  RNY has a lot of regain so if they are including those it skews the figures.   

As for soda that is an old school of thought your pouch is not sealed off the carbonation can escape it can be painful though as it builds up so you may find you can only drink it after it sits for a bit or over ice where it loses a bit of it's fizz it is something you will have to try unless you are one of those who believes their dr/nutritionist is the final answer which is fine but for me I realize they are human and unless they have had the band don't know as much as some of them think.  

Ice Cream as p/p said really cold things sometimes causes problems as it can cause tightness. 

Continue to read here you are likely get a variety opinions and all of them are true for that person.  Good Luck

Thanks!  Yep, I want to read about what a lot of people say, and I realize that of course each post is from a personal perspective.

Brian:
It's good you are doing your research. As you can see there are many opinions. One thing I have learned is everyone's experience is different, no matter which type of surgery you choose.

Regarding the sodas, giving them up is just part of what is known as "clean eating". Soda isn't good for you, even diet, and there are many studies to back that statement up. If you can't just drink it flat, try Crystal Lite.

Personally, I stick with tea, coffee or water, but that is what works for me.

It's great to get ideas from support groups. Have you tried joining one in your local area? You may find some good adivice from people in the group who you can speak to face to face.

Many people feel little or no restriction, others feel tight right away and have to deal with that as part of the weight loss journey as well.

There are several good books on the topic, Bandwagon being one of them. You can get it on Amazon for around $20. I found it very useful. You learn that using a band to lose weight is not a slam dunk, it's a lot of work.

There is also the issue that with the gastric by pass, people regain an appetite after one year and in some cases the appetite comes back within six months. With an adjustable band, the appetite is surpressed by the restriction it offers.

All we have to do is follow the diet given to us by the doc and the nutritionist, and get in the right amount of exercise.

There can be complications, as the band is a foreign body, and could be rejected without proper care, no doubt about it

Continue your research, and good luck.

I wish you all the best!

Thank you very much, Mary!  I will check out the book!

Hi Brian,
Here's my 2 cents...
I had rny gastric bypass surgery almost 10 years ago. the weight all fell off within a year. i swore i would stick with the rules and keep it off. a few years later, the malabsorption component pretty much wore off (the body has an amazing way of learning ho to compensate for nutritional deficits. unfortunately, i remained deficient in iron and other vitamins, but calories went thru without a problem.. my luck, lol). Also, my pouch began to stretch over the years with the increase in food volume. After 2 kids and forgetting about my promise to eat the way i was supposed to with the gastric bypass, i gained A LOT of the weight back... almost ALL of it. Do, I blame the surgery? No, the gastric bypass did not make me go back to old habits. Back then, we also were not told the weight would eventually fly back on. I am sure the surgeons did not know the long terms results......... I would also like to add that the first 3 months after having gastric bypass, i was hospitalized on a central line getting total nutrition thru my veins in my neck and almost died when my intestines and stoma had perforated ulcerations. Not the surgeon or surgery's fault. it was how my body responded to it. It was a risk, albeit a small one, that i was warned about but i just wanted to be skinny.............
Embarrassed, I went back to my surgeon in december of 2009. after an endoscopy, he saw that my stomach had indeed stretched out significantly.  I asked about my options. I also went to see 2 other very prominent surgeons. one being dr. mitchell roslin out of lenox hill hospital in nyc who is renowned for his wls expertise. All surgeons felt the best option for me, was getting a Lap Band (they call it a band-over-bypass). I really wanted a duodenal switch, but none would perform such a risky surgery on me because of previous surgical complications, i had no comorbidities, i did not have more than 100 lbs to lose and i have 2 small special needs children. I begged for a DS and they all refused. I would not have turned to a surgeon less qualified than the 3 i consulted with, so I went back to my initial surgeon and agreed to the Lap Band. I was disappointed because they told me just how much work was involved. Part of me actually believed they were just saying that the weight loss is all based on my efforts just to see if i was serious or not- i thought a lot of weight would just come off (just not as easy as it did with the gastric bypass).
So, I was banded on 3/15/10. How do I feel about the Lap Band? I think it is everything i was told it would be, and nothing i assumed it would be. When I use the band the way I am supposed to (as a tool), diet and exercise, I lose weight. When I sit on my butt and eat the wrong foods and munch away, i can gain or stay the same. it took me some time to mentally catch up to the band and how i am supposed to live with it.
personally, i am so happy i made this choice. i know that if i went to another surgery that caused my weight to fall off again, i would probably never learn to eat, diet and exercise the way i want to. its a battle, but i HAVE to learn portion control (because I do not have restriction yet- my decision... again, i wanted my brain to be fully on board too). i bust my big butt for every pound i shed and it is so motivating. i am planning to go for gradual fills so i can use the band as intended.
I don't know where i will be years from now. i would like to think that i will be maintaining my goal weight, with a perfectly functioning band that helps me to stay in check. unfortunately, i don't know that. i have read that many have had issues down the road with their bands. some gain weight and some learn to maintain. i hope to be one of the successful ones and have every intention to be- but i can't guarantee my future.
I have no regrets with any decision i have made in the past. I would never tell anyone what surgery to pick. I do not think any one surgery is superior to another (although many people will tell you that their way is the only way).
With all weight loss surgeries, you will need to sacrifice things... diet soda is one of them. i thought iwould die without it, lol.... i gave it up for 3 years post gastric bypass and then started again... gave them up again last march and i do not miss them at all.
again, this is a very personal decision. i would hope that everyone is happy with the decision they make- whatever option they take. i am happy with mine.
so, i hope you do a lot of research and talk to as many people as you can. best of luck to you and let us know how you make out.

Thanks, jaxmom!  This is very helpful, and I certainly wish you continued success!

Just to reiterate, this wasn't an "article" it was an OP-ED piece (Opinion-Editorial), not held to the same standards as an article where things stated as FACT, must be fact...

 
True.  But, those opinions did contain many facts.

Stephanie, you are of course correct--but I discovered that the Op-Ed was a reaction to an earlier article, which led me to the studies it was based on.  (I have all that info at work, and I'm currently at home.)