Which way do I go??

[Paula622 0]

So, I was totally set on getting the food you can eat.

Hmmmm.... I think that covers most of my concerns. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

[TinaM 0]

Paula-

I had lap band surgery Dec 15th and went thru the same thoughts you are having.

I ultimately went with lb becuase if I had any other type of medical problem in life the band could be unfilled and I could receive treatments. The sleeve or RNY both have restrictions I just couldn't handle. I'm probably overly concerned as various cancers run in my family and I just want to be able to 'battle' any disease w/o worrying about a surgery decision I made years ago.

My thought is the band can be unfilled or removed if need be and once well, it can be filled or I can have surgery to reinstall one.

The vomiting - I am a BIG freaky gagger - I mean freaky as in I can easily start to gag and lord help me if I have to vomit - I totally freak. Here I am 6 weeks post op and I had one episode where I ate to fast, I knew it the moment it happened I stayed calm, had a strange feeling and up the bite came like a big burp. Now that, that happened I am so cautious, the word didn't come to an end but at the time it did hurt - but I did it to my self.

as far as food restrictions - what is it you think you'll miss? I have eaten many things and not had issues. I do heed the advice of no soft breads but I haven't missed them. Are they foods that got you here?

Now something you didn't address is the amount of work each one involves on your part.

The band - it doesn't do it for you- you have to follow the 'rules'- exercise, get 70 - 90 grams of Protein in and 64oz of fluids a day with less than 1k calories. So you have to work at it change your habits. Protein/Produce then starches

So its a tool but you have to use, not abuse it and you will be successful.

the sleeve- a perm change, an alteration to your body - but you can be lazy - it only restricts your food for you so if you put in poor food choices you can still ramp up the calories (just like the band) and still fail (just like the band) but now you are missing 85% of your stomach.

In my research I found that at 5 years out the band and rny have similiar weight loss and maintanence. My reading on the sleeve said altho slightly comparable to band it is equal to RNY.

In the end it comes down to what is best for you, be very honest with your medical team especially your surgeon and pysch. They should be able to guide you. My surgeon would not say 'yes do this one, not that one' - he gave me every ounce of info I could get my hands on and answered a lot of questions (I called 2 or 3 times a week for 4 or 5 weeks)

Also you may want to post this on the board for gastric sleeve - as I'm pretty sure since most folks on here have the band - they may be slightly biased :smile2:

Good luck in your decision.

tina

[Paula622 0]

Some good points, thanks! I did post this on the sleeve forum as well. As far as "missing" foods, it is not so much that I am worried about missing any foods in particular, it is just that I'm trying to be practical and think about life situations that will involve food. For example if I am invited to a birthday party and it will be pizza on the menu, I would rather be able to just have a tiny piece of pizza then have to come with something that I can eat stowed away in my purse. Otherwise I am pretty much ok with the sacrifices, after all it is food that got me here :smile2:

[TinaM 0]

okay if its situational food concersn I have run the gamit in 5 weeks and managed fine - I usually get aplate, put a small spoon of offered foods and take tiny, tiny bites

I have been to a wedding (I asked for a vegetarian meal said my tummy was upset) they were serving steak and i was early post op

3 birthday parties pizza/pasta/salad/mexican - I have managed it all and no one noticed I wasn't chowing down like I used to

so its about moderation/quanitity and smart food choices

on the pizza I actually ate the toppings - i was concerned the bready crust would get stuck so I didn't even try it

[LSF 264]

So, I was totally set on getting the lapband, but I had several reservations about it. Then, I found this surgery and overall it seems a lot more appropriate for me. However, I have a few concerns about this as well. I've done tons of research on both and I'll be meeting with my surgeon soon, but I really want to have a pretty good idea of my own decision before meeting with him. So, here are my concerns... Any thoughts on them would be great.

1. My insurance covers either procedure as long as I'm approved for wls.

2. At only 27 I am concerned that lapband is not permanent enough since I would have to rely on a foreign body lasting inside me for hopefully 60+ years.

3. The sleeve is totally permanent (scary).

4. One of my biggest factors is that I plan on having more kids and I'm worried that the sleeve will not be compatible with pregnancy.

5. I am a huge puke-a-phobe (this is a concern with both surgeries).

6. I am totally ok with eating tiny portions, but the lapband seems way more restrictive on the kinds of food you can eat.

Hmmmm.... I think that covers most of my concerns. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

If it's any consolation, I have the lapband - I can eat anything - bread included but in moderation. I learn over time how I'm able to tolerate certain foods. For example - a hot dog - I can it it on a bun but only 1/2. That's fine with me. I can eat Pasta, pizza etc but not as much as I did before surgery and I just take it slow. I started buying the flatbread sandwich rolls - I toast them and make deli sandwiches on them or hamburgers. You won;t throw up as long as you are careful but that is something that you will learn what your limits are.

[kkarryall 0]

For me, given my age (32) I figured I'd try lapband first because it is removable,e tc. I am happy with my decision :biggrin: