[Adumont75]

Hi! I am new to this site. I am scheduled for surgery on 5/24/07 and I am really torn right now. I was so certain that banding was the option for me but now I am looking more toward the RNY. My BIGGEST concern though is malabsorption. I am only 32 now. What will happen as I age? There are already absorption problems associated with aging. Am I making to much of a big issue out of this? I also think that I should just not worry about it. If I keep going on the path I am on I will have bigger problems. I have no other comorbid conditions at this time with the exception of sleep apnea so I really just need to go for it. Any feedback out there? I would certainly appreciate it!!!

[ChuppyGirl]

Hi there,

I promised myself not to go through this dark area of discussion, but now I feel I have the responsibility to insight the others.

I'm an x-band patient. Had it year 2000. lost around hmm 25 kgs for over 2 years, then things reversed and gained them all with another 25 kgs!

I personally believe (this is not a medical opinion!) that the band is a good choice for people who are not severely obese! and not a sugar addict, and people may have tried to diet and have dropped some weight, but didn't really reach their weight goal! and when I say not severely OW I mean like hmm 30kgs above their norm.

Reasons my band didn't succeed was because I ate hi-caloric hi-sugar, soft food that could pass through the tight band without pain but yet gain weight! so if you'd go for that cheating option you're toasted!

I'm now an RNY gastric bypass patient, almost a year out! I eat almost everything but in very reasonable sense. I'm almost on south beach diet. trying to cut my carbs to the limit, eat lots of protein, vitamins and minerals. You may ask could you have done this with the band? if I was in the same mentality as now yes maybe I could have done it. But I still sneak one candy or two! I don't think that I would have lost 54kgs with the band I don't have a scientific proof but this is my point of view.

Sorry if I made you more confused, but my surgeon said that many of his band patients actually switched to the bypass and for your information you'll lose the weight with the band but if you switch between the 2 procedures like me you'll not lose as fast as the brand new bypass patient.

((((HUGSS))))
Hanadi

[DocSanae]

With RNY, yes, malabsorption is an issue, but it is also half of the reason you lose effectively. Banding is just restriction, and with RNY, the pouch is restrictionand the added bypass is malabsorption. So, this malabsorption is *planned*. That's why it is very important to take all your vitamins and minerals as supplements the rest of your life.

[lennaslimo]

chubbygirl,
how long from time you had the band removed did you go for the gastric? i was just wondering cause and you probably know i had it removed because of infection. but i didnt like it at all. i could still eat as long as it would go down. sweets is the only thing really that did not bother me and i leaned toward them alot. i did lose 45 lbs. it took 2 years. thats not good. i at to much with it. im sorta glad now it got infected so i could do the gastric. but i was so so sick with it too. i only want to lose about 85 lbs. so maybe being a x-bandit going gastric will work better for me. i meet this lady in the dr. office who had the band almost 6 weeks ago and she has not lost not 1 lb. she hasnt had her first fill yet but i dont think it will work well for her if she hasnt lost any by now. you really have to diet with the band like you would have to without it.

[fr1endly2]

I started out my journy researching to do the banding.
BUT i felt with the amount of weight i needed to get off
that the bypass was the better path.
MY surgeon and i made the decision together.
HE has many successful patients that choose banding
but for me i did the bypass.
I am 2 years post op this june and have no deficiencies
from any malabsorption. I religously take my vitamins
and supplements.
All the best in the decision process its a choice only
you can make!
hugs
and welcome to the board i look forward to getting
to know you more thru your posts.

[ShrinkingStef]

I agree with the above posters as to why I chose the surgery that I did. I felt I needed something a bit more drastic since I had to lose 148 lbs. Have since lost 85% of my weight at 9 months out! Doing great.

You deal with the malabsorptive part. You take supplements. My bloodwork was showing problems at 3 months out (anemia), I supplemented and now at 9 months out my bloodwork is pretty much normal (Just my triglycerides are a little low which is not a bad problem to have). If you are eating the right things and getting your bloodwork checked regularly, then you'll find out what your deficiencies are and treat them accordingly. The fear of malabsorbtive issues is the reason why I didn't choose DS. I thought roux en y was more middle of the road.

Dawn

[FemmeMode]

Adumont - Hey there...good luck on your journey....I originally was going to my surgeon to consult for LapBand. When there, he gave me the statistics about patients typically losing 60% of excess weight with the LB...and with RNY Gastric Bypass patients typically would lose 85% of excess weight. (my PCP told me I'd most likely lose 77% in the first year...last 12% in the 2nd yr.)

This had a huge impact on my decision b/c I had 184#'s to loose. So, having LB would still leave me 90#'s over...and that was soooo discouraging! So, RNY was the reasonable choice b/c that would only leave me about 30#'s overweight...and I thought I could manage losing that on my own.

Now, I am 11 days from my one yr. "Surgery-versary"...and I just calculated my % lost - AMAZING!!! It's 77.1% GONE!!! My PCP is a fortune-teller! LOL....I'm thrilled I've lost 141#'s and am under 200#'s.
__________________________________________________ __________

Stef - CONGRATS on your success....already having lost 85%- in only 9mos...that is soooo wonderful. You are definitely "one to watch"....
Hope to get to know you more as you are on this board...you should DEFINITELY post your before & afters!!!

[ShrinkingStef]

Tried to post pics but they have some silly restriction that you can't have pictures until you've had 5 posts. Haven't had that many yet...so I'll try some other time.

Dawn (AKA Stef)

[DocSanae]

Stef, sorry about the restrictions. We've had to implement some that weren't there before in some areas (3 for PMs, 10 for links) because of trouble with spammers. Start a "hi" thread for yourself in Your Profiles, and say hi back to all the hi you get from everyone here, and you'll clear the restrictions in no time at all.

Oops, forgot to say a big "WELCOME, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US" and give big ((((((((HUGS))))))))) MAY YOUR JOURNEY GO WELL wishes to you two, Adumont and Stef, so belated as it is, here it is.

[ChuppyGirl]

Linnaslimo,

I did my band on Oct 2000, and lived with it for 6 years. I'm really sorry to hear about your infection. so you had it removed for a while before you did the bypass? Well for me I had it removed the day I bypassed my stomach. Last year 4/18th I did 3 operations in one: removed the gallbladder (suffered from 9 stones for years, I guess the stones were there even pre-2000), removed the band and did the bypass. It was a major surgery becuase I stayed there for over 6 hours. My surgeon was so keen not to have any adhered stomach tissues before he switch my stomach to the bypass.

Wow Deborah and Lisa I'm learning here. My surgeon told me about these facts breifly but I dind't know the statistics. Deborah how did he calculate the 77% based on your age, BMI..? I know the 77%=(recent wgt/old wgt)*100 but how did he come up with this figure? like for me I have lost now 64.5% I'm not yet 77% am I doing bad? last time when I visited my surgeon he said that I consider your surgery to be successful! I don't know what are his statistics are ?! But I remember once he mentioned that I should lose 1/2 the excess wgt at the 1st 6 months, 1/2 the ramaining wgt at the next 6 months, and 1/2 the 1/2 the other 6 months (and that's really dependant on how much effort I put into this stage!)

I know I know DocSanea you must be now saying, everybody loses differently UGGHHHHH!!!


Shrinkingstef Many congratulations on your wl journey! I agree with everyone, we owe you before and after pictures girl!

Happy losing everyone
Hanadi