avababe

I guess since there are thousands of people here that have had the surgery, I was hoping to get a variety of replies with different outcomes so I can effectively weigh the pros and cons for myself before going under the knife. Her answers were wonderful and thorough- but, they are only one point of view... Im still gathering info and trying to make a decision and Id like to hear the good, the bad and the ugly before I do.

Thanks for the reply- it was helpful. What an underwhelming feeling of support though. I know it isnt typical for a post to have this many reads and only one reply. Guess Im not welcome here.

Many in person support groups have clothing exchanges... All the ones I am in do.

Im pre-op, and still in the deciding stage of which WLS is right for me. So, please excuse the barrage of questions I have- but I need "real" answers, not cookie cutter ones from my compensated surgeon... Ill start by saying, Im never hungry & I dont each much now. Im lucky if I consume 1000 calories a day. Im a late day eater, a snacker, and a sweet toother- not an overeater. So Im not sure if the band would really benefit me? Im also pretty meticulous about my current diet (no red meat or pork, whole grain only, no packaged food, very limited fast/restaurant food, no soda, no snacky foods, ect). Sooo, I guess Im looking for some advice and answers to a few questions... 1. How often do you vomit? 2. What is sliming? 3. How drastic of a change in diet is it REALLY? 4. Do you HAVE to work out to have results? 5. How often are fills? 6. Based on my current eating- isnt the band basically going to do the same thing (restrict the amount I can eat?)? 7. How do things get stuck, how often and how do you unstick them? 8. If you cant eat carbs, and meats, and veggies and fruits because of the whole stuck issue- WTH do you eat? 9. Do you really have to give up soda, carbs, coffee, caffeine, sweets, ect? I SWORE to myself I would never "diet" and "deny" ever again because eventually, I cave, and then it all comes back and then some. To me, excluding entire foods/food groups just isnt a realistic way to live the rest of ones life. And I wont do it. I am looking for a surgical TOOL to make it so I DONT have to obsess over food anymore (weigh/portion, count calories/fat, eliminate foods, worry about when to eat and how much and how often and blah blah blah- it really consumes me)- not make the anxiety/obsession worse. I dont want to go through surgery and have it be pointless. Please help!

Hello all! I was directed to this site by my surgeon. She is part of a very comprehensive bariatric program based out of Shady Grove Hospital in Maryland. I had my first pre-op consultation last week, and am in the beginning stages of getting all my testing done. I have Federal Blue Cross insurance, and am told it is a piece of cake to get this procedure approved through them, with no "red tape" so to speak. Im very excited to finally have this surgery done (have been looking into WLS for over 15 years). Im still on the fence about whether to do RNY or LapBand though- and could sure use any personal stories, research links, ect to help me decide. Im worried the LapBand wont help me... My pitfalls seem to be skipping meals (sometimes I wont eat all day), sweets, and/or eating after a certain time of day (I sometimes like to have Cereal at about 8pm). Im never hungry as it is, and try to eat healthy... But, Ive always been overweight- even as a child that grew up in a very restricted home (no sweets, soda, chips, junk of any type). Im currently 5'10" and 290lbs. I am 18 months post partum with my only child, and have not been doing anything to loose the "baby" weight until now since I was breast feeding. Before my pregnancy I was 270lbs. In any case- to me, my appearance is a bonus on this road. Im scared of dying prematurely and leaving my husband and daughter. The though consumes me... I want to break a family cycle of the women in my family dying of heart disease at an ever increasingly young age. My cholesterol is slightly elevated, as is my BP- and that was enough for me to want to make a permanent change. So after many years of battling my weight and yo-yoing, Im ready for some help... I hope to find lots of great information and support here!