Greetings
Hello all,
What a supportive group you are!
I've been lurking for some time on various boards, and wanted to introduce myself/tell my story.
I've had a LapBand for 7 years. I had it revised (to a LapBand) 2 years ago after a major slippage. For a while now, the port has been causing me pain. I have a surgery date of May 14 to remove the Band. Finally. It has been a battle with my insurance company, but it looks set now. :)
My surgeon thinks I'm nuts. He wants to revise me to RNY. I have been back and forth about this....but I think I have to get my other health issues sorted before I do something like that. I was just diagnosed with diabetes, I've got PCOS, and we're figuring out if/what kind of autoimmune disease I have. I am also having ferritin/EPO shots to build my iron and hemoglobin levels because they're so low that no surgeon will operate right now. I have had 2 Drs tell me that the iron deficiency might be caused by the Band - the hematologist and the endocrinologist. My surgeon says that's ridiculous, it's just not the case. I actually like my surgeon, despite his strong bias for RNY. But when I go through the classes with 8 other patients who are ready for RNY....and these classes are held biweekly.....it does make me wonder about the 'bariatric mill' phenomenon.
I have never lost weight with the Band. In fact, I have no restriction at all. I can easily polish off a 12 ounce ribeye with fixin's if I choose. My surgeon tells me I'll gain weight if I have the Band out without revising to RNY. I don't believe him. I *HAVE* lost weight once during this journey, and that was when I was using hCG coupled with a VLCD. I got down to 165 and felt great. Of course I had more to lose, but that was a great place to be. Unfortuantely I gained it all back. I'm back at 210, which is close to where I started!
I am now on a few different medications, one of which is a diabetes drug that helps curb appetite as well. In the past week I have lost about 5 pounds by eating low carb, high protein. Im happy with those results. In fact, when I look at the successful weight loss patients as they maintain their losses, the common theme I notice is precisely that: low carbs, high protein. So I'm wondering if this is the right decision: to have the problematic Band removed no mater how nuts my surgeon things I am, and to continue working at making lifestyle changes. These lifestyle changes are the same ones I'd have to make with or without RNY in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle and weight loss.
Sorry for the brain dump - I just wanted to get it all out there for any feedback, comments, or just a 'hey, nice to meet ya!' response. :) I am inspired by those of you posting about your non-surgical losses and they way you're working every day to maintain and improve your health. In the long run, whether you lose the weight with WLS or without, the changes we make are the same, aren't they?
A
What a supportive group you are!
I've been lurking for some time on various boards, and wanted to introduce myself/tell my story.
I've had a LapBand for 7 years. I had it revised (to a LapBand) 2 years ago after a major slippage. For a while now, the port has been causing me pain. I have a surgery date of May 14 to remove the Band. Finally. It has been a battle with my insurance company, but it looks set now. :)
My surgeon thinks I'm nuts. He wants to revise me to RNY. I have been back and forth about this....but I think I have to get my other health issues sorted before I do something like that. I was just diagnosed with diabetes, I've got PCOS, and we're figuring out if/what kind of autoimmune disease I have. I am also having ferritin/EPO shots to build my iron and hemoglobin levels because they're so low that no surgeon will operate right now. I have had 2 Drs tell me that the iron deficiency might be caused by the Band - the hematologist and the endocrinologist. My surgeon says that's ridiculous, it's just not the case. I actually like my surgeon, despite his strong bias for RNY. But when I go through the classes with 8 other patients who are ready for RNY....and these classes are held biweekly.....it does make me wonder about the 'bariatric mill' phenomenon.
I have never lost weight with the Band. In fact, I have no restriction at all. I can easily polish off a 12 ounce ribeye with fixin's if I choose. My surgeon tells me I'll gain weight if I have the Band out without revising to RNY. I don't believe him. I *HAVE* lost weight once during this journey, and that was when I was using hCG coupled with a VLCD. I got down to 165 and felt great. Of course I had more to lose, but that was a great place to be. Unfortuantely I gained it all back. I'm back at 210, which is close to where I started!
I am now on a few different medications, one of which is a diabetes drug that helps curb appetite as well. In the past week I have lost about 5 pounds by eating low carb, high protein. Im happy with those results. In fact, when I look at the successful weight loss patients as they maintain their losses, the common theme I notice is precisely that: low carbs, high protein. So I'm wondering if this is the right decision: to have the problematic Band removed no mater how nuts my surgeon things I am, and to continue working at making lifestyle changes. These lifestyle changes are the same ones I'd have to make with or without RNY in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle and weight loss.
Sorry for the brain dump - I just wanted to get it all out there for any feedback, comments, or just a 'hey, nice to meet ya!' response. :) I am inspired by those of you posting about your non-surgical losses and they way you're working every day to maintain and improve your health. In the long run, whether you lose the weight with WLS or without, the changes we make are the same, aren't they?
A
Hi, and welcome to our little corner of OH. Wow, sounds like you have been through a lot with your band and your health. I may not understand all of it but I know a lot about PCOS. When I first started gaining weight, I gained over a hundred pounds in one year. It took years for them to come up with a diagnosis, they didn't even know what PCOS was back then, they just said I had an enlarged ovary. My endocrinologist said the way to control the symptoms was with low carb diet and exercise. They then found out that women with PCOS have insulin resistance and are prone to type two diabetes. The way that I lost 131 pounds was on the Atkins diet and exercise, I've maintained my weight loss for four years now. I eat natural whole foods and still have a hard time getting in all of the required amount of vegetables and water but it's definitely worth the effort. All of my labwork has been consistently normal, I recently had an EKG and everything was normal.
It sounds to me like you are starting to get a handle on your situation healthwise, I would say that if you aren't comfortable with having an RNY at this time, don't have it. I have a friend who has PCOS and she has an RNY. She still has the symptoms, has not lost all of the weight after four years and basically eats the low carb way that I do. She struggles not to gain, same as I do only she can't eat as much as I do. Just some food for thought.
Let me know if you have any questions,
Mary
It sounds to me like you are starting to get a handle on your situation healthwise, I would say that if you aren't comfortable with having an RNY at this time, don't have it. I have a friend who has PCOS and she has an RNY. She still has the symptoms, has not lost all of the weight after four years and basically eats the low carb way that I do. She struggles not to gain, same as I do only she can't eat as much as I do. Just some food for thought.
Let me know if you have any questions,
Mary
Wow Mary, that is exactly what my endocrinologist says too! He says that while RNY may 'cure' diabetes, it is not a cure for PCOS at all. Of course, my surgeon says that RNY can help PCOS.....but you know what? He's a SURGEON. As much as I respect his work and believe he is a highly skilled surgeon, he is still a cutter. I mean no disrespect by that - it's just a matter of perspective. Mine is such that I have had many surgeries already, have to have another to remove the Band, and I don't want to reroute my gut just yet. Again - I have nothing against anyone who goes the WLS route. I'm right there with them with my LapBand. In my situation, with my issues, and with the weight I want to shed.....I think I'm in the right place. :)
Low carb and exercise.....again, that's exactly what my endo says. He's actually a huge proponent of low carb. His name is Richard Bernstein, and he's written several books (about diabetes) in which his way of eating allows for 30 grams of carbs daily. I have been following that pretty strictly, and the results have been fabulous so far. Mind you, I'm only a week in, but I've lost about 6 pounds since I started. In my book, that's a huge success. As you know, the hormonal imbalances associated with PCOS make weight loss a struggle.
I love what you said about your friend who had RNY. That's the point I'm trying to get through my thick skull when I worry about whether I'm making the right decision. In the long run, I will STILL be eating low carb, whole foods in order to maintain any weight I release, regardless of how I do it.
The fact that you lost 131 pounds and have kept it off for 4 years now is AMAZING! Wow. You should be so proud of you and your determination to be fit and healthy. Can I ask what you do for exercise now? And how did you start when you were obese and didn't want to move much? I hope that doesn't sound like a cop-out. I truly do love the way I feel after I exercise....but carrying all this weight around stinks. Right now exercise is low on my priority list because I want to get my iron/hemoglobin levels up to have more energy and to get through my surgery with minimal risks. After that, though.....it's ON!
Thank you Mary!
A
Low carb and exercise.....again, that's exactly what my endo says. He's actually a huge proponent of low carb. His name is Richard Bernstein, and he's written several books (about diabetes) in which his way of eating allows for 30 grams of carbs daily. I have been following that pretty strictly, and the results have been fabulous so far. Mind you, I'm only a week in, but I've lost about 6 pounds since I started. In my book, that's a huge success. As you know, the hormonal imbalances associated with PCOS make weight loss a struggle.
I love what you said about your friend who had RNY. That's the point I'm trying to get through my thick skull when I worry about whether I'm making the right decision. In the long run, I will STILL be eating low carb, whole foods in order to maintain any weight I release, regardless of how I do it.
The fact that you lost 131 pounds and have kept it off for 4 years now is AMAZING! Wow. You should be so proud of you and your determination to be fit and healthy. Can I ask what you do for exercise now? And how did you start when you were obese and didn't want to move much? I hope that doesn't sound like a cop-out. I truly do love the way I feel after I exercise....but carrying all this weight around stinks. Right now exercise is low on my priority list because I want to get my iron/hemoglobin levels up to have more energy and to get through my surgery with minimal risks. After that, though.....it's ON!
Thank you Mary!
A
Girl, with your iron levels, I don't blame you for not wanting to move much! My friend I was telling you about has had trouble with her iron levels ever since she had the surgery years ago and just recently had to have another iron infusion, so I know how dragged out that makes you feel. Ask me the question about my workouts later, once you are feeling better because I have a funny feeling that just reading about them will tire you out even more. Besides, I don't want to overwhelm you, getting your diet straight is the most important thing right now, we'll discuss torturing you at a later date!
Glad to see you are sticking around this joint,
Mary
(deactivated member)
on 4/26/10 7:57 pm - West Central FL☼RIDA , FL
on 4/26/10 7:57 pm - West Central FL☼RIDA , FL
Hi and welcome.....nice to meet you!
Just wanted to wish you well on your upcoming surgery and your weight loss journey. I'm sure if you stay focused and determined you will be able to lose all the weight you want to lose and then keep it off. Maintenance is the hardest part but if we build good skills along the journey they will stick and allow us to maintain the loss without too much difficulty.
I lost mine by eating healthy and exercising. Took a lot of mental and emotional work along with the physical activity.but it was well worth it. I couldn't be happier with my results.
Hope you stick around and post often so we can share in your victories and share support and encouragement.
Best wishes on your journey
Ruth
Just wanted to wish you well on your upcoming surgery and your weight loss journey. I'm sure if you stay focused and determined you will be able to lose all the weight you want to lose and then keep it off. Maintenance is the hardest part but if we build good skills along the journey they will stick and allow us to maintain the loss without too much difficulty.
I lost mine by eating healthy and exercising. Took a lot of mental and emotional work along with the physical activity.but it was well worth it. I couldn't be happier with my results.
Hope you stick around and post often so we can share in your victories and share support and encouragement.
Best wishes on your journey
Ruth
Hi Ruth!
Thank you for the encouragement. You're right - this does take a lot of mental and emotional work. I do plan on sitcking around. Now that I've taken the plunge to make an initial post, it will be easier to jump in. :)
I'm so impressed with the amount of weight people have lost non-surgically and *kept it off*. That's the key, right? This is a lifelong process and we need to commit to this for life.
I'm looking forward to being a part of this supportive, successful group!
A
Thank you for the encouragement. You're right - this does take a lot of mental and emotional work. I do plan on sitcking around. Now that I've taken the plunge to make an initial post, it will be easier to jump in. :)
I'm so impressed with the amount of weight people have lost non-surgically and *kept it off*. That's the key, right? This is a lifelong process and we need to commit to this for life.
I'm looking forward to being a part of this supportive, successful group!
A
i was supposed to have surgery today (rny) but after listening all the risks, that seemed just as bad as the risks involved with obesity, i opted to try one more time the non-surgerical route. (that is just my own personal decision, i have nothing bad at all to say about anyone who has chosen to do the wls)- i decided that unless i can actually change my mindset about food then surgery was just going to be a temporary fix, so i have chosen to go to weigh****chers, low carb doesn't work for me, it makes me very tired and sick, so i am chosing to go healthy carbs and portion control (again, just what works for me). but whatever you choose, good luck to you and know you will have huge support on these boards!!
also, i'm so bad at all the abbreviations, what is:
PCOS
hCG
VLCD
thanks!! 
Hmmm, about those abbreviations, I had to look up HCG because although I know what it is, I didn't know exactly what it stood for. I copied this:
hCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, a hormone produced by the placenta during pregnancy. During pregnancy, the substance almost completely controls the woman's metabolic functions. Generally, the hCG used in the diet protocols, is synthetic.
This is a hormone used in conjunction with a VLCD...Very Low Calorie Diet.
PCOS is a metabolic syndrome caused by the ovaries producing too much male hormone...testosterone. It causes cysts on the ovaries and insulin resistance and a whole other mess of symptoms that make you mostly miserable, like serious weight gain that is resistant to weight loss. Boo hoo, that's what I have, but I am currently whooping it's A$$!
Mary
hCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, a hormone produced by the placenta during pregnancy. During pregnancy, the substance almost completely controls the woman's metabolic functions. Generally, the hCG used in the diet protocols, is synthetic.
This is a hormone used in conjunction with a VLCD...Very Low Calorie Diet.
PCOS is a metabolic syndrome caused by the ovaries producing too much male hormone...testosterone. It causes cysts on the ovaries and insulin resistance and a whole other mess of symptoms that make you mostly miserable, like serious weight gain that is resistant to weight loss. Boo hoo, that's what I have, but I am currently whooping it's A$$!
Mary
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