NEW to forum

I just wanted to say hello to everyone and introduce myself! I am Brielle I live in S.Jersey and I am here to just find out the ups and downs of RNY and Lap-band surgery from people who have had either procedure done. I am still torn on what I would like to do for my weight loss but I do know I need to do something asap. I tried to update my profile as much as I could so for those of you who care to read my story is on there:) I would appreciate any helpful tips anyone could pass on to me in decision making. Thanks!

hi brielle welcome to the jersey board -- i am right down the street from you -- just shout out any question and someone will answer :) there are plenty of free support groups to attend -- if you want to go to the one in Toms River i am more than willing to drive up there -- i get out of class at 4pm in cherry hill on fridays -- and i go to a support group at Penn Hospital on the last tuesday of the month -- and both those groups are FREE -- you should never have to pay for a support group -- i'm not a fan of doc's who siphon money out of patients with things that should be free :)  good luck to you and if you need anything -- just yell roberta

Hi & welcome,      I initially was going for lap-band (my friend had it and has done great), but after realizing I needed greater restriction to help aid my weight loss, I chose RNY. I also did not want to bother about "fills" and fees associated with that. I didn't want to worry about slippage. I met a nurse who also did just as great with her lap band...so I can say I know successful people from both types of surgery.      There's pros and cons to all types of surgery. Keep reading and reading and asking for clarifications.      I know someone who is now having the same surgery (RNY) as I did, and it upsets me because he "doesn't want to know"...he just wants to go do it and to me that is just WRONG, WRONG, WRONG.     My biggest feeling is in order to be successful, you must really be aware and educated.     The RNY board is quite active and I am sure the same can be said for lap-band...even go to the main forum......     One of the things that made me question my RNY decision was seeing two people in person who have totally failed their RNY. I overheard one woman telling another she had it done a few years back.... and a second woman I always see snacking- so I can easily tell why hers went wrong.      RNY is a tool and you have to work it to be successful...      One of the support group meeting I went to pre-op had a lot of people talking about regaining weight. to me- they all didn't let the alarm bells go off quickly enough...they waited till they hit 25-35 pound regain......      I hope I will always be watchful not to do something before 10-15 pounds.....creeps back on....      Good luck!! Bernadette

Welcome to one of the biggest journeys of your life.  I had researched the procedure for about 1 1/2 years, and then VERY intense research during the almost 8 mos from time of initial consult to procedure. I am a new RNY person, my two week mark is tomorrow.  I love it.  I've had rough days already - and I knew that would happen.  The emotional attatchment to food in my family and how I was raised is sooooo big, it's not even funny.  All my family said to me (once I told them as I hid it from them for awhile as I didn't know how their reaction would be) was "well, that's before your birthday and the holidays - what are we going to make for you?" My best advice is to read read read.  I knew I needed more than the lap band or the vertical sleeve or something like that.  Both of those procedures allow you to eat basically anything you want, with little or no adverse affects.  Lap Band is strictly restrictive - meaning it forces you to eat less.  I wanted something to help me NOT eat the foods that got me heavy in the first place. RNY is restrictive/malabsorptive.  Meaning A) You can only eat so much at a time, whatever you swallow has to be smaller than an M&M (original size) in order to fit through the opening to your intestines.  Secondly, whatever you DO eat is less absorbed (fat, calories, along with the good things like vitamins and nutrients) because it doesn't go through all your intestines.   Many people find that they cannot tolerate certain foods high in sugar, sugar alcohols, or fats after RNY.  You have dumping syndrome in these cases where you get very ill feeling after eating to much sugar and fat.  That is what I wanted.  I didn't want to be able to eat chips and ice cream willy nilly after surgery - that's what caused me to need surgery in the first place.  I also wanted to feel full quickly - I have always felt my "full button" if you will was broken.  My mother took me to the pediatrician when I was 5 years old because I was eating 4 plumbs in a sitting.  At that time, child hood and american obesity wasn't on the fore front of the news and health and all my doctor told her was that at least I was eating healthy things like fruit and not to worry about it, or if it really concerned my parents to simply "don't give her more than one"  The problem with that, as "new" parents, how do you tell your child you are not feeding them anymore without emotional guilt with little or no support from the medical profession. "The Real Skinny on Weight Loss Surgery" is an EXCELLENT book - both authors are RNY grads "Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies" is co written by Al Roker, news anchor, also RNY grad "The emotional First Aid Kit A practical guide to life after bariatric surgery" is another fantastic book.  I don't know if it is available in stores - I got mine from www.barixclinics.com under the shopping area. Research is key.  Knowing what you need to do post op is imperitive.  You need to be able to really look at yourself and completely change what you do in life.  You need to make some serious changes in your eating habits and daily routines.   The weight loss tool doesn't just work for you - you need to work for the weight loss tool. Welcome to the boards, good luck with your research, and ask any questions!! Pam

Thanks for the feedback! I had 2 family members and 2  friends have RNY and 2 of them got really sick looking lost too much too fast their hair thinned out and the one would vomit even  a yr after surgery just taking a bite of wheat bread! 1 is still heavy 3yrs later and 1 looks GREAT!(of course its the man that had a great outcome hehe) That is why I am so torn I dont want to be sick I dont want my hair falling out thats why I need more info on both procedures so I can see what % of people that really happens to. I will still have to take care of 2 little boys so I want to make sure I will be ok to do so..Also I "think" my PCP is totally against weight loss anything ..I think he feels diet is the only way to go even though he sees my weight constantly fluctuating ..I would hate to change PCP because he is great but I also cant have him stopping me from something I feel I need to do in order to be healthy for myself an children. Ahhh sometimes all of this makes my head spin!

From what I understand the whole hair falling out part does happen, but stops a few months later generally speaking.  There are supplements you can take to help that - some people say it works others say it does nothing. There are things people can't eat - many feel bread and pasta swell and make them feel ill - but you need to concentrate on getting your protein in your entire life with RNY so filling up with carbs is generally not reccommended to begin with.  Good luck Pam

i didnt lose any hair  -- yes i am bragging about that :) i lost my hair the summer before i had surgery due to another medical procedure -- now almost a yr after RNY you would not believe how much has grown back and you wouldn't know how thin my hair was before RNY surgery -- i keep up on my protein -- the protein in foods is what helps your hair and nails grow -- it also helps with healing  -- your hair might fall out with lapband also due to not taking in enough protein -- it can happen with both surgeries i had rny and i've had great results  -- my husband had rny and has had great results - he was losing/lost his hair before surgery anyways  it might not matter if your pcp agrees or not -- your surgeon will be requesting the documents to send into the insurance company - you might have to do a 6 month dr supervised diet with your pcp - but the only thing the insurance company wants to see is that he took notes about your weight and that you were following a diet plan that he gave to you  good luck -- and read and learn everything there is to know about all the different types of surgery -- you have to choose one that will benefit only you -- not someone else  roberta

check out the procedure known as the DS, I started out looking at the band, but the docs determined that I could not have one, do to my previous surgery for gerd, he sent me to NYC for a surgeon who does the DS, no dumping, and higher weight loss. just fewer doctors that do it.
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds/cmsID,10264/mode,content/a,cms/
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS/a,messageboard/board_id,5357/

HI SJMomof2boys I am getting the DS ( Duodenal Switch ) Surgery on 11/26 by Dr. David Greenbaum he is in Willingboro NJ  that is really not to far for you. Check him out if you want at DRTHIN.com or do a search under DR. David Greenbaum. I live south west of you and it takes me almost 1hr to get to his office. He does all 3 surgery. hope this info helps and Good luck.