Like you said, there are many here who have had revisions and are so happy that they made the change. I think the way you are feeling is normal. I agree, your horoscope was very interesting! Best of luck.

This is a really touchy subject for most people, but I'm going to stick my neck out....

We researched weight loss surgeries for ten years. During that time, I learned a LOT about the Roux-en-Y (also called R-Y) Gastric Bypass (also called simply, Gastric Bypass), Mini-Gastric Bypass, Lap Band, the Fobi Pouch, Vertical Gastrectomy, Duodenal Switch etc., etc... I also learned a LOT about weight-loss drugs, methods, exercise, the science and treatment of obesity, ad nauseum.

Here's my conclusion: chronic overweight, in many cases, acts more like a disease than anything else. Think of it as a Syndrome: a collection of symptoms, conditions, actions and reactions that culminate into a similar pattern of result we call Obesity.

If you are at the point where you are considering surgery to treat your overweight, please, please, PLEASE do your research. Ask all the questions. Verify the answers.

After exhaustive research, I have to say that the two most effective procedures BY FAR are the Vertical Gastrectomy, and the Duodenal Switch.

The mortality, morbidity, and overall success (of losing excess weight and KEEPING IT OFF) rates blow away every other surgery being offered today.

This biggest 'pros' are that your valves and structures stay in place - so afterward you can have a cheesburger, a beer, a soda, pizza, nuts, chips, whatever. You just can't have that much of it. For the rest of your life you only absorb 10% of the fat you consume (so go ahead and eat that rib-eye steak).

The 'cons' are that is is a more technically demanding, and more expensive surgery - your surgeon must be skilled - versus the R-en-Y, Lap Band, etc. For instance, a typical R-en-Y patient is in-and-out in about an hour. A Duodenal Switch (or DS) patient takes on average 3.5-4 hours.

From an economic standpoint, it's no wonder relatively few have heard of the DS. A less-skilled surgeon can do two or three R-en-Y's in the same time it takes a more-skilled surgeon to do one!

I could go on and on about this, but here's my point: weight loss surgery is a very serious life-changing decision. Do all the research so that at the end of the day, you choose the right procedure for you.

To read more, go here: Weight Loss Surgery in San Francisco. They have a pretty exstensive site the explains a lot about the weight loss surgeries offered today. They are a doctor's office; they do specialize in DS. So far, the DS patient I know has lost 280lbs in two years, been cured of diabetes and high blood pressure, and both he and his wife are very, very very happy.

Good luck!