giveyouthemoon

I know folks who had great successful RNY surgeries....that being said, I still chose the band because RNY is MAJOR surgery. My body is actually very healthy, why cut into it unnecessarily? The band will work just fine for me. I'm sorry to hear about your sister and hope her health continues to improve.

Good luck! What an exciting day you'll have tomorrow!!!!

Congrats on your band! Sounds like you are doing great! I love hearing stories like yours as I've been thinking a lot about how well I'll recover. LOVE hearing how strong you are so soon after. Yay you!!!!

Hey Fireman! You rock! I'm happy to see you here and that you are so in support of your wife. She's a lucky woman! Welcome to the band family!

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The fact that RNY is MAJOR surgery AND is irreversable was the very first concerns about it. Then just this week I went to a support group put on by my doctors and it came out (from the doctor) that after a year or so, in a RNY, that the pouch gets bigger. It just does. There's no way around it. So when the pouch gets bigger, people tend to start putting on weight again. For me, this was great proof about the band. The doc said that in banding the pouch also gets bigger...but we have an option....we can get another fill to keep the restriction. This has REALLY cemented for me my decision to get banded. It truly is a long term solution.

I think a lot of it too is how we feel in our own skin. I know on my confident days, I either don't care or people don't treat me like that. When I'm really depressed about my weight or feeling ugly it happens more. Also, it's a lot harder for me to take when it comes from my family. I'd put in for a promotion job at work last year and it was a close race and I didn't get it. Not because of appearance, it was other factors. My OWN parents were like "you didn't get that job because you are so fat". MY OWN PARENTS!!!!! So when the person that got the job quit in less than a year and management admitted it should have been my job all along and I finally got promoted, it was hard not to call up my parents and say "see, looks like I was JUST FAT ENOUGH to get the job!!!' Makes me crazy. But again, if I walk with my head up, shoulders back and proud, then people don't talk down to me. I try to remember that, especially on the "dark" days.

Yay you!! Now take it easy on yourself! There can be some lasting effects from the anesthesia. Ease back into it and ENJOY your new life!!!

Thanks all for all the great input. You've all said a lot of the same things I was thinking and helped me feel a TON better. Harleynana said it best, one of the BIG reasons why I went for the LapBand is I don't love the idea of the vast majority of my stomach being lopped off and tossed in the trash bin. It just seems weird! I was thinking a lot more about this since I posted my venting...and this thought came to mind (and expressed by several here). I've heard a LOT of stories about people with RNY losing a ton right away but then their stomach stretches again and weight starts creeping back on. Even the Dr. at the seminar said that happens. Even a couple of the haughty ones at the meeting had gained some back. With the band, if I'm a year, two years out and my stomach pouch has gotten bigger? I get another fill. It seems to ME that banding is MORE of a long term solution than RNY. I was also sort of glad to hear that this happened to others at their seminars. Glad to know it's not just the kooks out here! See, now I thought banding had gained a lot more attention of late, but ya'll (the experts) are right, I guess there's just not THAT many out there. The doctors who will be doing my procedure have done quite a few and so I feel okay with all of this. I'm also REALLY excited for burnsun and shell. Your results are AMAZING and the kind of results I'm going to quote next month at support group. They were saying they didn't think people could lose like that on the band in the first year. I will now respond "FEH! I know TWO people who did!' I was talking to one lady after the class was over and she told me that there are usually more banded people there and to come back next month hoping they will be there.

Okay, so I did a ton of research before deciding on the band. This evening, I went to a support group sponsored by the doctors that will be doing my surgery. I guess they have these every month. It was mostly women and a few of them were SUPER snarky (does getting skinny make some people tacky? I wonder). But several were great and I learned a lot. So I was the only band person there. Everyone else either RNY or Vertical Gastrectomy. So I'm supportive of that, I support each person's choice. Well, when they heard I'd chosen the band, it was like "oh...well....you know people aren't that successful with that....you should really consider RNY" Almost like their surgery of choice is superior. I kept thinking of all the great success stories I've seen here on this board and I can't help but think "WHAT???" The main bone of contention was that banding "takes more work". Well...yeah, but ANY of these procedures take work....if I'm going to do this thing, I'd better be ready to work! I don't know, I was just discouraged about that. It's done nothing to alter my decision, but I was hoping for good support after the procedure. So, my question....have any of you had folks who had other flavors of WLS try to tell you that banding isn't very effective? How have you handled it??? I actually think this evening made me MORE determined to succeed with my band! Thanks for letting me vent!

Yay you!!!! Welcome to the June crew!!!! Please give us all the details around your surgery!! I'm super excited for you! (and me!)

Wow, aussiegirl, thanks for being so candid! I think the mental aspect worries me most. I can understand all of what you are saying. This is a HUGE change and it has to come with some emotional aspect. I'm learning so much from the people on this board, it's amazing! Thanks!

Great to see you here on the boards and excited to learn about your experiences. You've done great so far so maybe you are near that "sweet spot". My surgery is scheduled for next month. So tell me more about the "interesting psychological" aspects? I think that's got me worried the most.

:waves hands in the air: ME ME ME!!! June 23rd here and I'm SUPER excited!!!!!

My hairdresser suggests taking Biotin as it helps encourage the hair to grow back in faster. She recommended this to my friend who has gastric bypass and it really did help her hair regrow faster. It is basically because of the dramatic shift in the body. Also, fat stores up excess hormones, so as your body releases fat, it releases all those hormones and it can kind of mess up the system for a bit. Just take good care of your hair. Treat it nice, give it good conditionings and taking biotin will help it to return faster.

Okay, so I'm SO glad to hear you got surgery on Thursday and back to work on Monday. This has been a worry for me. My surgery is scheduled for a Thursday and I'd like to be back at work on Monday. I'm also going to ask my boss for that whole week, but I may not get it, so I'm happy to hear it can be done. Just gotta set my mind to it I think. Excited for you! Be sure to post your experiences so those of us close to our own journey can benefit!!!!

I'm so excited for you! Ten day will go FAST. My date is June 23 and it seems like FOREVER away!!! I was so worried and scared at first but now I'm just flat excited!! Seems there are a few folks here who were recently banded and it's making me MORE excited. No skinny dreams yet, but I was eyeing some skinny clothes in the back of my closet that I can hardly wait to wear again!!!

Congrats congrats all around. It appears things went great from the updates. Hope you are feeling great!! I'm excited to hear your story. My surgery is June 23 and it can't come soon enough!!!! So I look forward to hearing how this all goes for you.

Oh that crossing the legs thing.....that is HUGE on my list of "can't wait to's"

Hello all! I'm very new to this site, I found it while doing research online. I'm scheduled to have my band put in on June 21 although I believe I'll have that date moved to the 23rd so my sister can be here with me. I live alone and have no family nearby so I think having someone to help take care of me is a good idea. I'm scared but excited too. I love reading ya'lls posts. So informative, I'm learning a ton. I'm scared, but mostly about the unknown, the "how much will my life change" aspect. I am a strong person so I know I can do this. Any "words of wisdom" to think about as I wait about a month and a half to have this done? I'm crazy impatient and so ready to go, but I've got a bunch of work travel between now and mid-June so the 23rd is the best time. Excited, scared, happy to be here with folks who have a lot of knowledge and experience!! I live near San Francisco and will have the surgery done there.

I'm betting your body is just a little flipped out from this huge change in how you eat. Hopefully it will adjust soon enough.

Blue Bunny has sugar free kind made with Splenda. Which is better...but doesn't help when one eats the ENTIRE container. Evil I tell you. Evil. Ice cream is, in fact, one of the things my Dr. told me to look out for. "It slips right through" he said. Yeeks!!

Wow! That's coming right up! Congrats to you! Sending you lots of huge support and hugs! Tell me about your pre-op diet? I haven't had this mentioned by my Dr, but I think it's still early yet. When I scheduled the date they said they would send me out a whole bunch of info. so maybe I'll get details there. All I've heard so far is to try to lose some weight before surgery as it helps make your liver smaller which helps in the banding process.

Wow, that's great advice, I hadn't thought about starting to stock up now, but that's true. Good to have stuff on hand and ready! I have been trying already to slow down when eating. It's a HUGE change for me. A "bandster in training", what a perfect concept!! Appreciate your insight Jammin' and Losin (great screenname!) Yep, I hear you. I come from a family of super fast eaters and great big portions. This is a whole new learning process for me on both counts. My sister (who is supportive) has been saying "I don't know if I could do it", she and I have been talking a lot about how we were "taught" to eat as kids. It's hard to unlearn that type of behavior but I'm committed to it.

Thanks Harley Nana! Was it tough to get used to eating such small amounts? It's a question on my mind a lot right now.