Please help me decide...

Folks,

 

I am not trying to start a ‘war’, or belittle someone’s success – but before stating one procedure is better than the other, please remember the simple truth about these operations – NONE of the PROCEDURES work over LONG TERM. It’s not the procedure, but the INDIVIDUAL, that defines success or failure.

 

Yes, I admit some procedures are not meant for some people. In fact, personally I know a few band patients who, frankly, the band doesn’t work for them – so they are switching. HOWEVER, I also personally know a few BYPASS patients who HAVE LOST a lot of weight and have GAINED it ALL back – and more – and are now getting a band too.

 

I’ve also come to know band patients who are switching to bypass; bypass patients who are getting a band on top of their bypass (commonly known has BOB – Band on Bypass); a band & bypass patient who are switching to a sleeve – along with so many other combinations and/or different procedures (DS, BIBs., etc).

 

I dare anyone to go on any of the other boards, and NOT find a post from SOMEONE who isn't struggling and/or failing. If you can do that, then IMHO that’s the procedure everyone needs to do.

 

As I always say, YOU NEED TO RESEARCH not only the procedures but also YOURSELF. You need to realize that NO PROCEDURE is the miracle cure, and YOU WILL NEED TO WORK AT IT – plain and simple. Can one tool be better than the other can? Heck yeah. But you also need to know research which tool will be more beneficial for you.

 

Using my hardware analogy – can you use a HAMMER with a SCREW? Sure can!!! You can drive that screw with the hammer and it may works fine … short-term. However, when the time comes for that screw to be tightened, or removed, you’ll quickly realize the hammer wasn’t the correct tool after all. And now you have to decide what do to. Either leave the screw where it is, or go out and get the correct tool you should have purchased in the beginning.

 

Again, I am not trying to pick a fight. As long as you’re successful I AM HAPPY FOR YOU!!! That’s the ultimate goal!!!!

 

So remember – RESEARCH – RESEARCH – RESEARCH!! And when done – RESEARCH some more.

 

Good luck, and know I am here if you need me.

 
~~I am not trying to start a ‘war’, or belittle someone’s success – but before stating one procedure is better than the other, please remember the simple truth about these operations – NONE of the PROCEDURES work over LONG TERM. It’s not the procedure, but the INDIVIDUAL, that defines success or failure.~~

Spoken like a true vet, I fully agree.

You know what my problem with the band is?  Okay, one of my problems with the band? Too many people lose their bands.  They have a severe slip, erosion, band intolerance, a variety of complications and what happens then?  Virtually immediate regain.  If we could do this without restriction, we would.  Far too many people are losing their bands.  I cringe when I see someone self paying for a band, I know what their future holds financially.  

Each time there is a minor problem with the band, pouch dilation, esophageal dilation, minor slip... that means an unfill.  An unfill for the foodie is like taking the darn thing out.  Lose all restriction and watch the pounds grow.

THAT is one of the reasons banding is the hardest.  So many issues the banded person has no control over.  Sure, some of the issues the banded person does have control.  Over eat repeatedly and you risk dilations and such.  But the problems I had with a band were issues I had no control over.  I was all over working hard and burning those fat cells.  I kept calories at 600 daily and did 1-2 hours of hard cardio daily.  I  was okay with it being hard, I was not okay with it being the kind of hard I had no control over.

Bypass... well, 1 in 4 fail banding and 1 in 5 fail bypass.  Again, much of it is mechanical in nature.  Even if the person does change eating habits we do over produce ghrelin and we do have issues that naturally thin people don't have.  Bands and bypass are yesterdays surgery types, sleeves and DS are tomorrows surgery types.  I'd bet Vergito is day after tomorrow's surgery type.  Maybe someday the medical world will come up with a cure for obesity.  I doubt it will be in my lifetime but I hope so.

Wouldn't you agree that overall stats are significant to research before surgery?  Wouldn't you agree that if there is a surgery type that most do not do well with long term due to a lack of weight loss, regain, or mechanical problems that should be put on the table for discussion?