Penn is fabulous. about the psych issues - we all have them. and we ALL have to deal with them sooner or later. SOOOO glad that you'll be looking at them SOONER rather than later. anything you can do before to address them is only to the good afterwards.
may i ask why you want the lap band? not being critical, just wondering. I'm always interested in why people make one decision or another ...
I think Penn is very good too, I like Jefferson too but they no longer due Lap Band due to the high rate of complications. I feel most comfortable doing Lap Band because it can be reversed and it's less invasive than the other procedures. I'm sure that everyone's story is different but I have heard that a lot of people had a tough time with the sleeve.
If I may, I think the "less invasive" thing is completely wrong. How is it "less invasive" to have a surgery that leaves a foreign body inside you, and requires regular follow-up to get the right level of restriction? And will almost always have to be removed (via a second surgery) within a few years? And as you've said, many facilities and surgeons don't even do the lap band any more because of complications.
I also started out wanting a band but after I investigated I got a sleeve and couldn't be happier with my decision!
Last edited by jiffypop; 05-15-2014 at 10:52 AM.
Reason: 3fc policy: sending people to a competitor is inapprpriate
I don't agree with you but I don't have to. I have my reasons and I'm not going to sit here defending myself to you. Personally, while I appreciate your honesty, you're being quite blunt and not very considerate of my opinion.
Hello Amy.... I just want to wish you well on your journey and I couldn't agree with you more, its YOUR personal decision and you should not have to defend or explain your decision. This is one of the most difficult decisions anyone has to make ((((hugs)))).
I was banded in 2005, still have my band, no complications except acid reflux but other than that, it's doing it's job
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Leenie
Ps.... I haven't been here in a very long time...nice to see you chick
I just wanted to add that I've been banded since 2004 and have not had a single complication. I've never regretted my choice, but I also never got to my goal weight. I lost around 75 pounds and have (for the most part) kept it off. We went through a massive, life-changing flood in September and I gave myself license to eat and drink whatever I wanted as a way of comfort and I gained 20 pounds. I'm eating Paleo now, which, in combo with my good old lap band is working great. If I were to redo it all, I would consider a sleeve, but at the time that really wasn't an option.
Good luck with your decision. Just keep researching and go to the seminars of the doctors you would like to do your Lapband with. I considered lapband myself but my insurance didn't cover it at the time(years ago). They cover it now. My surgeon's office hardly do them anymore but I had already changed my mind to have a RNY instead by the time I decided to have surgery. You hear about both successful surgeries and complications with all the WLS. It may help your decision to ask the doctor is how many of the lap band surgeries they performed have turn into a revision to RNY.
Good luck and I hope whatever you decide it turns out to be successful. I don't regret my RNY at this point. I just wish I would have done it sooner.
chickadeedeedear!!!! soooo nice to see you.... it HAS been a long time. sorry to hear you got flooded. were you able to return to your home? was anything salvageable? I live in a town that's prone to regular, bad flooding and while I'm fortunately out of the flood plain, but i still ive it with our towns.
Hi there Jiffypoo!
We are home and everything's fine for us now, but a lot of people on our road lost their houses and everything in them. It's been labeled a 1,000 year flood and I hope that's true. Once in a lifetime is plenty!
How are you? How is Peach? It's nice to come "home" here!
You should check out all the WLS before making your final decision, and, of course, your surgeon will offer information and suggestions. You will learn that fewer and fewer lapbands are being performed now. Most people choose by-pass (RNY) or the vertical sleeve (VSG).
WLS is a great tool, to be used with your doctor's food plan, to lose and MAINTAIN your weight loss. How many diets have you been on? Did you keep that weight off?
Good luck to you.
Last edited by jiffypop; 06-11-2014 at 09:19 AM.
Reason: new members posting links violates forum rules
Thank you all so much for the supportive replies. I am still keeping gastric surgery as a possibility in the back of my mind but today I'm going to go to a WW meeting and truly try to lose this weight and keep it off, which has always been my struggle.
I feel more ready to lose weight and do what it takes to keep it off. I hope to avoid surgery but I will go to a weight loss seminar in case I decide to do it. There are a few surgeons that I think I may get along well with and who I have faith in.
Over the years that I have been overweight and obese, which is more than half my life, ugh, I have lost weight but keeping it off has always been my struggle.
I have a lot of medical conditions which I hope improve from the weight loss.
Amy - whatever you decide is fine. Gotta tell you, though, that the whole 'keeping it off' issue was the main reason i went for the surgery. Every time I lost, i would eventually regain everything plus another 50% of the loss. every single time. I knew i could lose the weight - probably through really drastic means - but it would come back.
I appreciate the concrete and honest feedback. I am planning on rejoining WW, I feel that something just may 'click' in my brain this time to make this time different but alas I have said that many times before. I think that I'm truly starting to realize that my health is at stake and I have so much to live for.
I may go to a meeting this weekend, I am a bit nervous but I think it would be worth it.
Any advice on how to face that dreaded number on the scale which I have been in denial about for so long? Just the thought of seeing the number makes me cringe yet I think that this will be a new beginning.
Hi.
When I was considering Weight loss surgery, I watched a lot of different personal recovery experiences on youtube to see what I was possibly getting myself into.
I would highly recommend it to see the good, bad and any possible side effects you may have to live with.
I went to the Penn information session last night. It was quite helpful. I took lots of notes. I'm still doing WW, I'm down 5.6 pounds thus far. . I'm not sure, I'm a bit undecided about things, I'll see.
thank you both very much
