newbie, starting the journey

This is a good point. Everybody has their own views and perceptions. I personally know three people who have a lapband(I went to the doctor of one of them for a seminar) and they have had no problems outside of learning to eat properly. I talk to them about the issues that I have read about and none of them have experienced any. Not to say that it couldn't happen. The longest they have had the band is 3 years and the shortest 9 months. They have all lost weight and have gone about aftercare (not the doctor visits) differently. One mostly just walks and the others go to a gym and do different exercises.

I am still looking and will up until I decide what to do. There is good and not so good with all of these methods I am not going to go into the differences here simply because they are readily available to see if you want to. Because my main impetus for this is my diabetes(losing control of it) the surgeon suggested VSG or Gastric Bypass over the lapband purely for faster weight loss. Gastric bypass is out although I know two people who had and it worked for them. I am still searching my mind to figure out what is best for me. Both options present good and bad, I need to weigh them and see what I can live with the rest of my life. It is a big decsion and will affect the my life forever. If I don't think I can handle the changes then I have the option not to do anything, but I want my years to be spent at home with my family, not in a wheelchair or nursing home with no legs. I am determined to find my best option going forward and am using all the resources available including these forums.

So, thank you to everyone who posts since every opinion is another piece of the puzzle and when the puzzle is done I can see the whole picture.