Rjc0704

Happy belated 64th birthday! I sure hope you are stressing less and less as you inch through the home stretch to retirement! Congrats on your weight loss achievement and continued success. Thanks for sharing your journey! Yes, there are still surgeons who perform Lapband. I just had a consult last week. I've spoken with a few doctors how are against the other radical, irreversible procedures. There is more money in these than lapband and many of them have abandoned their lapband patients altogether. Even if I were a candidate (My BMI not high enough) I would NEVER consider removing stomach after watching my sister slowly waste away to nothing and die over a course of 5 years because of a botched procedure. Countless doctors and nurses at her bedside ICU would tell me they wished they would stop doing these surgeries because there is nothing that can be done to fix complications once they arrive. I have to do self pay for the procedure and they can schedule it pretty much anytime. My only real concern is additional out of pocket $ for complications such as rejection, slippage, dilation, etc. You're success and happiness is great to know as I contemplate taking the lapband leap! Thanks and best wishes!

Pals, Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge and wisdom. You have given me so much to think about that I have decided to cancel my consult scheduled next week. Very true that the experience my sister endured has a major influence on my hesitancy. You've also shared information I did not know about, such as the bypass may be reversible and the Reshape vest that may be an option down the road. I've also read posts where people with Bands had complications and suffered for weeks and months before their issues were addressed. Thanks for sharing and helping me realize I need to hit the pause button! Happy Independence Day!

There are still a few surgeons in the midwest that do lap band surgery. They say there has been great advancements and improvements. I am considering this less favored option because I supported my sister through an agonizing DS that slowly tortured her for 5 years until she passed shortly after a 2nd correction attempt. Countless doctors and nurses over the years looking after her in ICU said they wished they would stop doing GS and DS because there is not much that can be done when things go wrong. So the band is the only option I will consider. I am post menopausal and since starting sleep apnea treatment, I've gained even more weight and have a current bmi of 35. With diet and exercise I plateau and cant seem to lose more than 30 lbs. While there seems to limited weight loss as well as frequent complications with the Band, at least they seem to be correctable. Does anyone have any words of wisdom as I consider this?

Hi there..... Still exploring options myself. As we expect any diet plan / life change is going to encourage diet and exercise. Plus I imagine just being on a liquid diet a few days before and after will cause anyone will lose weight, regardless of the balloon. Thus, why most people experience dramatic results the first month then get frustrated after that. I had 2 friends do it, one said it was worth it, the other did not think so. They both wanted to lose about 50 lbs and they each lost about 15 lbs the first 2 months and then only another 10-15 lbs the remaining time. One changed habits enough that she continued to lose. The other gained the weight back and then some already. Both said that overeating is a common mistake in the beginning and that it is literally painful, not just feeling full. They both reported really bad cramping, doubled over in pain and could barely walk. But it certainly did teach them not to do it anymore. One of them considered Mexico but said there was not much savings when taking into consideration all the added expenses of flights, hotels and requiring two trips. I don't know of all the places she explored or if she researched Mexico Bariatric Center Given the mixed results, I am stuck on what to do myself. I only have a BMI of 30.2 so I don't want anything drastic. I refuse to have part of my stomach removed because my sister was morb ob and had a DS done, which was botched. Two years of many life-threatening complications and a corrective surgery by Mayo to save her life. I'm considering the Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, but it costly and can't find anyone in Mexico to do it. I would love to be a candidate for the vbloc but I am under the BMI for it. Good luck in your research and journey!

Congrats! I'm sure it has taken awhile just to get to this step. I hope find all the support you need from friends, family and virtually! I am just stalking and researching my options right now. Good luck with your first goal!

This is a great thread! Thanks for sharing your worries and experiences! I am considering this surgery because it does not remove any stomach. My sister had the DS done 3 years ago by a very renowned dr. in area. He badly messed by the shape of her stomach and I had to take her to Mayo Clinic for life-prolonging correction, but they had to remove even more. This was the only way she could survive. However, she is suffering and slowly dying of mal nourishment because her body will not absorb protein AT ALL and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Because of what she is going through, I thought maybe this procedure would be safer, but I am still worried about complications down the road. I've heard of stitches popping and the stomach herniating. I've read that reversing it (unfolding it back to size) has not been as effective as hoped because scar tissue forms. And I know, after seeing what my sister is going through, my family would never support the notion of me doing it.

How did it go Mary? I am considering Ortiz too, but still researching and asking lots of questions, like is their a post-surg follow up?