Decisions, decisions, decisions! Help! - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

02FORDGIRL · 07-01-2009, 01:51 PM

Hello everyone,
I just found the site a day or two ago and it has been a God send.
A little about me. I am 42, single mom of a 20 year old soon to be NAVY sailor, and a 5 year old mini doxie. My highest weight was 315# about five years ago. My lowest within the past ten years was 246#. Currently I am 291# at 5'8".

Thought about gastric bypass for years, but was no position to have it done, until recently. I have began my journey toward "something"
due to ongoing medical issues. Problem is that I am teetering with which option to choose, lap band - vs - gastric bypass. I am leaning toward gastric bypass due to type II non insulin dependant diabetes, PCOS, hypothyroidism and a liver condition that has presented lots of fatty tissue around my liver.

Physicians support gastric. Dr Menechary even states that when he gets in, if there is too much scar tissue on the liver, he will do band. That he wants what is best for me and if he doesn't feel, once he is there, gastric will be best he will not do it and will fight with the insurance company about the change afterward. He is an amazing doctor and truly has my long term health benefits as a priority.

Friends and family are NOT supportive of my having gastric bypass and are pushing lap band. I work in the medical field and have researched both. My gut still screams gastric, but my heart is saying listen to them. I really am stuck. Anything you can share with me will aid in my final decision that has to be made by July 14th to meet a tentative surgery date of August 31st if gastric or Sept 1st if lap band.

So give me all you got and no need to sugar coat anything, I am pretty thick skinned. Thanks in advance for all you have done for yourselves and others like me!!

Samantha2417 · 07-01-2009, 04:44 PM

When I first went to my surgeon I wanted the lap band. When he and I went over all the detail about both surgeries I changed my mind to the bypass. He told me that 80% of lap banders fail (his words, not mine). He said that there are a lot of ways to cheat the band and you have to have a lot of will power (something I'm short of) to not cheat it. With the bypass, it's a lot harder to cheat and unless you purposely work against it, it will work. But you have to remember, you're the one who has to choose. It's your life and your weight. Make the right choice for you, not your friends and family. Also if I had DM, I would do bypass just because it helps so much. You will find a lot of info on this site about both surgeries, and people who have been successful (or not) with both. Good luck to you!

poet_kelly · 07-01-2009, 05:15 PM

I choose the gastric bypass. My doctor said the band was good for people who were good at making healthy food choices but just needed portion control, but that people who ate a lot of sugary, high-fat food often do better with chosing the bypass. That's me. In addition, it's my understanding that people often lose more weight and lose it faster with the bypass. I also didn't want a foreign body inside my body. I didn't want to have to go back again and again for fills. I have since read that some people's bodies actually reject the band, since it is a foreign object.

Since being a member of this board, I have seen a lot of people with lap bands going back to surgery for a bypass because the band didn't work for them. They went through the surgery to get the band but failed to lose much weight. I have even learned that some insurance companies no longer cover the band because of its high failure rate and the possibility of complications.

Now, some people do very well with the band, lose lots of weight and have no problems with it. But getting the right fill can be tricky for some people. I wanted something that seemed more "guaranteed." In your case, you should also consider your diabetes. It's my understanding that that often responds better to bypass than band.

In the end, you're the one who has to live with your decision. Talk to your doctor about what is best for you. Don't base your decision on what well-meaning but uneducated people might tell you.

Kelly

Crimson Kittie · 07-01-2009, 06:18 PM

First off ... Welcome Aboard!!!

I went for the Bypass (RNY) simply from hearing the words "failure" and "cheating" with the Lap Band.

That scared the crapola out of me. If I could cheat ... I probably would have. I know me .. and I can't be trusted

I didn't want to take any chances.

But again that is a very personal decision. Talk with your Doctors and DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!! (emphasized for importance)

This is one of the biggest if not the biggest decision that you will ever make. It will change your life forever.

Doing your research and asking lots of questions is the only way you will be able to make the right decision for you.

I wish you the best of luck ((((((Big hugs)))))))

StephanieinSD · 07-01-2009, 09:19 PM

I went through the same decision making quandry. Talking to friends and family made it worse because everyone has their own opinion/fear about this subject - most of which was not based on facts.

Even after meeting with my surgeon I was still torn. The lap band seemed so much less evasive while rerouting intestine is serious business and permanent. When I met with my surgeon and after asking me a few questions about my eating habits, he recommended the bypass over band. With my love for sweets and snack foods, the band would require a greater amount of willpower to steer clear of my favs as it was easier to learn how to cheat (and let me tell you, if there is a way to sneak in chocolate I will figure it out!).

What REALLY helped me decide on gastric bypass was reading through the threads in these forums and going to the support groups in my area for both and listening to the experiences shared in the groups. After listening to several banders mention some of the stuff they were able to eat or drink less than a year out from thier surgery convinced me that I needed a little more physical "accountability" - I don't want to be eating KFC or drinking mixed cocktails 6 months from now and then sitting in a group meeting upset because I'm stalled in my weight loss!

My surgery is scheduled for July 13 - and while I'm confident that gastric bypass is the better option for me - still a little bit scared about actually doing it.

I'm still scouring all the forums and googling weight loss surgery to read all I can about the good, bad and ugly.

Marella · 07-02-2009, 02:34 PM

Welcome to Thinner Times, 02FORDGIRL.

I listened instead of going with my choice and it didn't work for me. To make the long story short, 8 months pre-op, band, complication, hospital ER, 1 month recovery, 6 months pass, RNY, losing like mad -- finally happy!

Although my band rejection was not due to diet or cheating, whether or not the band would have worked for me, I don't know. I'm very strict with my RNY diet. Would I have been this strict with the band? It's up in the air.

Do your research. Make an informed decision. Do not focus on what is more invasive or less invasive... focus on how each procedure works to help you lose weight. In the end, each procedure is only a tool. Not even the RNY is magic and can be defeated if caution is thrown to the wind.

Good luck,

fisher1000 · 07-02-2009, 02:43 PM

Sounds like you got a good doc. Like others have said, keep gathering information so you can make the best informed decision. That said, I had Gastric Bypass, and my diabetes was gone in under month. With the band, the weight loss would have been slower and I feel that it would have taken longer to get rid of the diabetes symptoms.

Good luck either way. Whatever you decide--you're moving in the healthy direction!

-Mike

PS. Oh, and welcome to the board!

UndercoverDiva · 07-02-2009, 03:25 PM

Welcome to TT, 02Fordgirl! First and foremost, please thank your son for his service. It's much appreciated.

I, too, weighed the options of lapband and GBS. My reasons for going with gastric bypass was my aversion to having a foreign object in my body. I also felt that I would still not have the willpower I would need with the band. The gastric bypass gives me enough reason to consider everything I put in my mouth. While not everyone dumps, I knew I didn't want to find out if I would, so that keeps me from pushing the envelope. My suggestion is that you do your research, weigh your options and do what is right for YOU, not what others believe is the right thing. After all, this is going to affect you, not them.

Beth in Texas · 07-03-2009, 10:06 AM

Hi there and welcome!

I have a feeling most of us here have weighed the very same options.

I have a feeling most of us have made the final decision not so much by what anyone has said (including family and even those here in the boards), but by absorbing everything we can and taking an honest look at ourselves, our habits, our life today, as well as what we're hoping to achieve in the next phases of our lives going forward.

I know that being honest with myself is a huge part how and why I made the decision to have WLS.

I know that being very honest with myself is why I have chosen what flavor of WLS to have.

Bottom line is that it is your life, your body, your decision.

Congrats on the decisions you've made thus far!

BobF4 · 07-03-2009, 10:58 AM

Beth,

Welcome to the board! You have seen already that this is one great place to get advice.

As for me, and as was the case with others who have posted before me, you need to have a lot of willpower in order to be successful with the lap-band. I knew that was NOT for me, because if I could have cheated, I surely would have! Also, my surgeon told me, and I've heard it in the support groups I go to as well, that lap-band is most effective for people who need to lose less than 100 pounds.

And, most importantly, you are NOT making the decision to have WLS in order to please your friends and family members. You are having it for YOU, first and foremost. Other people will have to learn to accept your decision, whatever that may be. My wife was SO unsupportive of my decision,

Personally, I walked into the operation on March 2 taking 1000mg of Metformin for my diabetes. I walked out of the hospital on NO meds for cholesterol, OR diabetes!

I have dumped, but it's been because I have either ate too much (my fault) or ate the totally wrong foods. Since they also took my gallbladder at the same time, it means I can't eat greasy food any more. So, goodbye, Burger King!

Again, take everyone's opinions into account when making your decision, because it is one YOU will have to live with. Good luck, and keep in touch!

Bob