Just starting down this road

(deactivated member)
on 10/8/09 5:22 am
Hello all.
Today was a turning point in my life.  After literally a lifetime struggle with my weight, I have finally decided to have surgery. I'm not considering it, I am DOING it (as long as i get all the necessary approvals).  I've been thinking about it for a while, but never moved forward with it, until today.  I spoke with the surgeon, made the first appt with my internist and starting Monday i will begin my pre-op diet.  I am sooo done not feeling well and not fitting into clothes and not looking good in what i want to wear.  I lost weight last year, and when i went to put the shirt on this morning, it did not fit, THAT was the last straw (there's been plenty of them).  By this time next year i will be purchasing the Halloween costume I WANT and not the one I HAVE to get because it's the only one that will fit me.  I'm very excited about this decision.  I am glad I found this website. It seems very informative and definetly supporative.   YAY for me.
so_1122
on 10/8/09 6:24 am
welcome aboard...good luck on your journey

            
jamiecatlady5
on 10/13/09 8:39 pm, edited 10/13/09 8:39 pm - UPSTATE, NY
WELCOME HOW CAN WE SUPPORT YOU!?

WHAT QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS DO YOU HAVE?

WHAT RESEARCH HAVE YOU DONE?

BE WELL!
Take Care,
Jamie Ellis RN MS NPP

100cm proximal Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh Albany, NY
320(preop)/163(lowest)/185(current)  5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery)
Plastics 6/9/04 & 11/11/2005  Dr. King
www.albanyplasticsurgeons.com
http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/jamiecatlady5/
"Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!"
(deactivated member)
on 10/14/09 12:33 am
Thank you ladies.
I have been doing some research online and i went to an info seminar yesterday.  I have some friends that have had surgery already. so i am hearing alot of things from them, as well as what i have seen them go thru.  I also happen to work with the doctor i am considering.

The one definite question I have, what made you choose the RNY instead of the Lap Band?
stampstalker
on 10/23/09 1:37 am - Lisle, NY
I chose the LapBand simply because my husband wouldn't agree to anything else.  In his mind, the band surgery is the "safest".  I have researched the RNY and the Lap Band and believe that I will do just fine with the band.  I know the weight will come off MUCH quicker with the RNY, but have NO problems with the weight coming off slowly.

I have not had surgery YET.  I have completed all of the required seminars and medical tests and evaluations.  My next appointment with my surgeon is November 2nd.  I am HOPING that I will have a better idea of when I can have the surgery after I see Dr. Grijalva.

Good luck to you and your journey!
        
marypatf
on 10/14/09 8:22 am
Hi....I have been considering and thinking and reading for a long time also.  Now I have my first appointment with the Bar Center for initial evaluation...   I spent the last 6 months especially, waffling back and forth.,.  but i realized one of the reasons I put it off was to avoid doctor visits..then it hit me...that if I do not do something...I will need frequent doctor visits for other reason(s)...heart, joints, lungs.......
Dawn G.
on 10/16/09 1:56 am - Fort Edward, NY
Congratulations on making such a tough decision.  We are all here to answer any questions you have.

As for what helped ME make the decision as to which surgery to have-I read, read and read some more-and learned all of my options.  I made an educated decision based on all the facts I was able to learn with my own research.  Every person is individual, and each surgery has its positives and negatives based on that particular persons needs.

In the beginning of my weight loss journey, the lapband was not an option for me to consider, because although my insurance covered wls, they completely excluded the lapband.  For me it wouldn't have been an option I would have considered anyway, because I have an extremely high BMI, and needed something that would do more for me than the lapband.   That is not to say the lapband would not be acceptable for others who start with a very high BMI-but it wouldn't have been enough for me.

 I then spent alot of time on here, and several months preparing for RNY surgery.  I started reading and becoming interested in the Duodenal Switch.  After spending 4 months with one group, almost ready to get a surgery date for the RNY, I decided the DS was for me, and changed surgeon groups. Each surgery had its own benefits.  There are many choices of surgeries because one surgery does not fit all.  The important thing is to know what each surgery involves, and knowing yourself-and what is within your limits.  For example, with the DS, taking a LARGE number of supplements for life is not negotiable.  While you do need to take supplements for the RNY, you will not need to take as many.  I also made my decision based on the kinds of foods that are more agreeable to each specific surgery. 



HW-390.6
SW-326
CW-103
GW-140


WLS is a very big decision.  Please EDUCATE YOURSELF before choosing how you wish to spend the rest of your life! 
 

 
                

(deactivated member)
on 10/18/09 7:00 pm - Canandaigua, NY
Hey you!!!!   Welcome to OH and congratulations on your decision!!!  I was like you - suddenly just snapped one day and it all became crystal clear! 

I couldn't decide between the band or the RNY either, until I went to my surgeon's seminar and found out that you can't take NSAIDs (aleve, ibuprofin, etc.) with either of those!  That was very scary to me, as I live with arthritis (which will hopefully resolve after weight loss) and severe spinal stenosis (which probably won't resolve after weight loss).  The thought of not being able to take my NSAIDs and going through life skinny but in pain didn't sound like what I was looking for. So I googled "NSAIDs and Weight Loss Surgery" and found that the Duodenal Switch (DS) is the only WLS you can still take NSAIDs with. I then launched into researching the DS, and am so thankful I found it!  It is a more involved surgery, and I will have to take more supplements lifelong than I would with the RNY, but statistically it has the best results in terms of taking weight off and keeping it off over the long run (fifteen years out, for the latest data). Additionally, the stomach is fully "intact", just smaller, so there's no dumping, vomiting, etc. Some surgeons won't do the DS, and some that do, still aren't big fans of it because it's a more complicated and time consuming surgery, and therefore not as lucrative.

Everyone has to do their own research and decide on the surgery they feel most comfortable with. But I wanted to mention the DS since it's not one of the "common" WLSs people look into, and often surgeons won't mention them, or will say the DS is only for people with >50 BMI (which isn't true).  You can read more about the DS at
www.dsfacts.com, www.duodenalswitch.com, www.livingthedslife.com, and of course by reading the DS surgical forum here on OH!   

Best wishes on your journey - hope to see you on the boards often!  

Laura
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