Still on the Fence Should I take the jump?

[cjd3161 0]

Good morning all, I'm a newbie to your site. I'm just now considering having the lapband surgery and I'll attend a seminar on Tuesday the 26th. I had an appt with my Primary Health Care Provider yesterday for my annual exam and mentioned to him what I was considering, well first off he said I'm a perfect candidate as I have many health issues. The reason for me considering this is that I have just been diagnoised with Onset RA and my weight is a big issue with this diagnoisis. Then he proceeded to say that he would support me in whatever I decide HOWEVER he is not a fan of the surgery, he feels that it's a cop out so to speak for those that just don't want to diet and exercise and that the patients that he has seen that have had the procedure are very sick for the first two months after the surgery and that most gain all of the weight back that they lost plus more. I have to tell you I was so excited at the possibility of having the surgery and now after talking to him....well all I can say is now I'm not sure. I'll still go to the seminar next Tuesday but I just wanted to find a place where I could talk to others that have had the procedure (which he suggested by the way) to see what the experience has been for those that have had the surgery. I have numerous health issues, that my weight has contributed to. I've tried numerous diets to no avail. Any response would be greatly appreciated!!

CJ

[Terry Poperszky 2,784]

The surgery is only the first step in this journey, you have to be willing to make the lifestyle changes that the surgery will make easier. Personally, it is one of the best decisions I have ever made. My big fear is that I will lose it all, and then go back to the lifestyle that got me in trouble in the first place, but that fear is for the future and I am trying to take it one day at a time.

[******** 397]

Ive dieted 1200-1400 calories daily and work out 1-1.5 hours 6 days per week and am not losing weight. Your dr seems as ignorant as they get no offense. If this is what you want dont let him get in the way. You will have naysayers and those who are against it the whole way, dont let that get to you. I too am a "newbie" on this site and just started my process last week.

[Frederic 500]

I decided to get the surgery because I was more active and ate better than all of my skinny friends and still couldn't lose any more weight. I'm finishing up my 3rd week post op and I was off pain meds by day 3. There was discomfort and my incisions still hurt if I try to exert myself but I'm looking forward to starting to exercise more vigorously again.

I would advise you to look at the post operative guidelines about diet and exercise and try to follow them while considering the surgery if you can make those behavioral changes before the surgery then the surgery will be more likely to get you the results you want.

BTW: if my physician had referred to WLS as a cop out and accused me of being too lazy to just exercise and eat better he'd have been lucky if all I did was walk out rather than knock out some of his teeth. WLS is not an easy way out it is a big decision that comes with a lot of lifestyle changes and I have no respect for a physician who would imply that everyone's metabolism is the same despite the libraries of data that show otherwise.

[JACKIEO85 308]

WELCOME!!

Excuse me but your Primary care provider sounds like a walking contradiction

First he's going to support you, then says it's a "cop out"?

First I'd say get a new Doctor, go to the seminar, Get all the information that you can and then get MORE!!

Also see what other WLS' are available to you, Sleeve, gastric bypass, etc..

The band is a TOOL, it's major surgery, it's a life style change forever. Yes it works, but for some it doesn't .

It's wonderful that your trying to get healthier and losing weight will help with some medical issues. SO good Luck on your journey.

[Baba Wawa 543]

Copied from Allergan:

Your surgeon may consider whether the LAP-BAND ® is right for you if your BMI is at least 35 and you have a health problem that is related to obesity. Your surgeon may also have other criteria he or she uses. Ask him or her to discuss the criteria with you.

Contra-indications

The LAP-BAND ® System is not right for you if:

You have an inflammatory disease or condition of the gastrointestinal tract, such as ulcers, severe esophagitis, or Crohns disease.

You have severe heart or lung disease that makes you a poor candidate for surgery.

*You have some other disease that makes you a poor candidate for surgery.

You have a problem that could cause bleeding in the esophagus or stomach. That might include esophageal or gastric varices (a dilated vein). It might also be something such as congenital or acquired intestinal telangiectasia (dilation of a small blood vessel).

You have portal hypertension.

Your esophagus, stomach, or intestine is not normal (congenital or acquired). For instance you might have a narrowed opening.

You have/experienced an intra-operative gastric injury, such as a gastric perforation at or near the location of the intended band placement.

You have cirrhosis.

You have chronic pancreatitis.

You are pregnant. (If you become pregnant after the LAP-BAND ® System has been placed, the band may need to be deflated. The same is true if you need more nutrition for any other reason, such as becoming seriously ill. In rare cases, removal may be needed.)

You are addicted to alcohol or drugs.

You are under 18 years of age.

You have an infection anywhere in your body or one that could contaminate the surgical area.

*You are on chronic, long-term steroid treatment.

You cannot or do not want to follow the dietary rules that come with this procedure.

You might be allergic to materials in the device.

You cannot tolerate pain from an implanted device.

*You or someone in your family has an autoimmune connective tissue disease. That might be a disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma. The same is true if you have symptoms of one of these diseases.

I put * on the potentially applicable contraindications.

Talk to your rheumatologist about this, please. Best of luck!

[Spaness2012 609]

Please get as much information about this surgery as you can put your hands on!

First of all....your doc is not a bariatric surgeon and I would get advice from a specialist rather than a PCP.

This is so "not the easy way" out!. I have worked harder and been more committed to this process than I ever was doing other weight loss programs. The band will not work with me if I am not willing to change my bad habits. If I eat too much, I will have complications. If I eat the wrong things...I will be hungry all the time (banded or not).

It took me 10+ months to really decide if I could subscribe to a "bandster life". This is a "tool" that requires alot of information, committment, and quite frankly...is not for everyone.

Get the info, empower yourself, make your own decision!

Good luck!

[A New New Dawn 1,695]

Certainly, this is a personal decision you will have to make; however, what is the success rate of doing nothing? Even if it was a "cop out", does it really matter what method you chose to lose weight and get healthier as long as you do it?

Having the lap band is not a magic bullet. It does still require us to make good choices. However, for me 7 mos out and down 75 lbs, it is the best decision I have made. If it were just a matter of diet and exercise and a snap of a finger we wouldn't have opted for the surgery. We chose this to help us in the process and for many of us it has worked. I was not sick or miserable after surgery and my recovery went well. I have had moments where I was frustrated with the band, but it wasn't the band, it was me changing my relationship with food and my eating habits. This is an emotional and physical journey. It is not an easy fix but it sure has helped me when I wasn't doing anything but GAINING on my own.

Best thing to do is attend the seminar and also support groups and meet with people that have been through this. Talk to people here and read their stories and do your homework and research so you know what you are potentially getting yourself into.

Best wishes on your journey to a healthier you!

[line-dancer 810]

your doctor needs to get educated...it is a diet and exersice like any other diet plan plus this helps your head know it does need any more food you will learn more next week but your doctor doesn't have the right information to guid you at all. I have lost 63 lbs in 6 mos and it is the best thing I ever did for myself.

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,721]

you can either have the surgery and do what it takes to make yourself well...or not have it and possibly get bigger...do this for you and do not let anything sway you.. as nudie says, its a personal decision and not a easy fix...its a life changing surgery and if you chose whichever, use it properly and see what happens....but make no mistake, any surgery has pros and cons..no one is better than the other *regardless of whom says what*......this is about you and what you want. ....like line, best thing i ever done.....9 months ago i had trouble walking and beginning to have issues wiping my butt......my decision was easy. get help and then do what i had to do to make myself well.....

[brianb 81]

Wow, think you need a new doctor. The band absolutely works. Of course it can be defeated, but if you are willing to put some effort into it, the results are likely to be very positive.

[morelgirl 177]

Anyone who says that band surgery is a cop out has never struggled with a lifetime of overweight or obesity. If they did, they would at least have the compassion not to voice such a brutal and unfounded opinion to some who IS struggling. The idea that it was just willpower that kept me obese makes my blood boil. Back when she was making a big splash, I remember Susan Powter saying that anyone who has ever stuck to a diet for more than half an hour is NOT lacking in willpower. That's not our problem. Our problem is that we have a disease called obesity, a disease for which science has proven over and over there is no cure. The only treatment currently proven to treat obesity is WLS. It's a prescription, not a cop out.

I was put on my first diet when I was 9 years old. In the 27 years between then and when I got my band, I don't recall any time in my life when I was not either actively dieting or obsessing and panicking about my weight creeping steadily upward. Only someone who has gone through the same thing can likely understand the battle we fight every day, but it makes me especially sad when supposedly educated and trained physicians make the same ignorant statements about WLS that feed the prejudice of the general public regarding obese persons and WLS.

You are the only one who can decide if surgery is right for you, but don't let prejudiced statements like the one made by your doctor deter you. Go to the seminar and listen to what the experts have to say, ask questions of people who have been through it (like us) and then let your conscience guide you. My PCP told me that she didn't think I needed something as "drastic" as WLS, but I persisted regardless. When I went for my yearly exam a few months afterward, she was pleased and impressed by my weight loss and happy to hear I had no complications and no illness since the surgery. Some people have issues with the band, but not everyone does. Do your right thing, and it will be all right.

Good luck!

[pkjones 7]

I was lucky, my PCP was supportive, I think I would have switched Drs if he would have given me the "cop out" speech. Definitely go to the seminar and talk to a bariatric surgeon, they will be supportive and help you decide if it is right for you. I worked out with a personal trainer at the Y a few years ago, I saw him last summer and told him I was working towards having the lap band surgery.. he urged me to look into alternatives that weren't the "lazy" way out..said by the skinny guy who works out for a living...

[SoccerMomma73 1,867]

Some surgeons will not band a patients with an autoimmune disorder such ad RA or lupus. The concern is that since your body's immune system is hyperactive then inserting a foreign body in to it may also cause an immune response...almost like when a transplant recipient rejects an organ....I do not know if there are studies proving it or if it's just theoretical....

Just something else for you to ponder! Good luck with your decision. (Oh, and your doctor is an ass,I'm a family practice PA and would never tell a patient something like this is a cop out,....even if I thought it was it's VERY unprofessional of him to have voiced it)

[B-52 7,113]

I used to think the band was the greatest thing anyone can do for themselves to loose weight...and for me it has been...it has been the EASIEST thing I can ever do...For me it has been the "Easy way out".....never a problem, never a complication...EVERYONE who is Obese should have this surgery......why not?

Only hard part for me was I needed to change my ways, the way I eat and the food I eat....behavior modification!!!!! But once I figured that out, and complied, it has been heaven sent.....took me a good 6 months, but change I did......for life....

However, I have been telling people lately this WLS is NOT FOR EVERYONE......unfortunate and very sad to say, but some people will never "Get IT"

You can read about them everyday here on this forum......sad, but true......