Just got scheduled for surgery, very nervous about my decision to go with the band.

[Bruce120 19]

Hello y'all.

I'm new to this site, and have only recently heared about it. I decided to join for some support during my journey.

So here's my story in short. I'm 25 years old and I weigh in at 280 lb. I have been struggling with my weight since my early childhood. I've lost weight many times only to gain it all back and then some. In the beggining of this year, I decided that enough is enough, an I joined a seminar on weight loss surgery. To make a long story short, here I am 5 months later, scheduled for surgery in 6 weeks.

The hardest decision for me by far, has been to choose between the sleeve and the lap band. Common wisdom and most people online and even doctors will tell you to go with the sleeve. It requires less maintenance, and the weight loss is much more rapid, plus you don't have nearly as many food restrictions as with the band and so on. But I, being a relatively healthy 25 year old guy, just couldn't bring myself to cut away 85% of my stomach just because I have to lose 80-100 pounds. I just felt that it's too drastic of a measure to take. So I went ahead and got approved and scheduled for the band.

But now after the surgery date came in, I got really nervous about my decision. It seems that wherever I read online, people are just blasting the band. I keep on bumping in to stories how people are miserable with the band, and how many doctors and hospitals are stopping the lap band altogether due to the high complication rates and low weight loss results.

So dear fellow bandsters, I could use some words of support and encouragment which will make me feel that I have made the right decision.

On the other hand, I can probably still change to the sleeve if that is indeed the right path to take.

So please let me hear your thoughts on the matter.

Edited May 25, 2014 by Bruce120

[bubbyli 1]

Hello Bruce,

I'm new to this site too, my surgery is scheduled on 11th June; am feeling nervous too; you story is pretty much as mine, from suffering from obesity from childhood and not being able to have fun all my youth time am 27 yo and want to spent the rest of my twenties as happy as possible.

My Doctors also tried to convince me with the sleeve or the mini-bypass; but I felt same as you, why do i have to remove 80% of my stomach while still am a healthy women and just want to lose some weight. My height is 5.3 feet and 220 Ib; my goal weight is 140 Ib and am so optimistic I'll be able to reach that weight with the band.

here in this site I got convinced more with the band and the results it brings, around my I know 3 people who got the sleeve but to tell you the truth they have to live all their lives taking supplements to substitute the mal-absorption of Vitamin B12, as the part they remove from the stomach is responsible for absorbing some Vitamin that your body won't be able to do again after the op.

Tummy Tuck is a must after the sleeve coz the weight goes off so rapidly that your skin won't catch recovering with that rapid loss, on the contrary the lab-band is slow but you still can work on your body to lift the lose skin and your skin will respond to that.

for the maintainance part I agree with you it requires a lot of effort but lets us face it i required us lots of time to put this weight on; so isn't it worth it to learn new habits by eating slowly and chewing very well and having Portion Control.

Trust me I live in UAE and lots of people here do WLS all types and I met almost people with all type of WLS, some thing I noticed the people who dropped so much weight by sleeves and bypass they didn't learn anything, they lost the weight they, looked good, but they didn't learn new habits, they still eat unhealthy food but in small portion, they didn't exercise coz they tummy tucked, so what's the point then.

Lab-band = Long Hard way to healthy weight and healthy habits

Sleeve, bypass = Easy way to lose weight

Research as much as possible, and most important follow you instinct that always tell you what is best for you.

Good luck.

[gowalking 10,790]

There are plusses and minuses to any procedure. Most bandsters go that route for the same reason you are.... its less invasive. The band should work for you as long as you are compliant. There's a reason its attached to my signature... if you follow the rules, the weight will come off. Good luck with whichever wls you choose.

[toomuchrose 47]

I just got my band on 5/20, so I am not speaking from a lot of experience, but during the five months of insurance required prep I felt pressure also about my choice. I read that the band was more or less obsolete, and I also read the horror stories about complications and food restrictions. But I also read posts here from many happy, successful bandsters.

At this point I can't say if getting the band was the right choice or not, but I can say I would not have gone for the more invasive options. For me it was the band or nothing. And if I was your age, I'd feel that even more strongly. I'm almost 70 and having a large part of my gut rearranged in a bypass or my stomach altered in a sleeve was just too radical.

For one thing, I dealt with IBS for years and I've read that the sleeve and bypass people have issues with uncontrolled diarrhea. Did you ever see the Al Roker interview where he told how he had an accident at the White House on the way to an event? C'mon now, do you want to face something like that? Yes, the band produces slower weight loss and may result in less total loss, but at my age I don't need to weight 120 lbs., I simply want to not be morbidly obese. And after I lose a good bit, I will be better able to lose more through activity, so I think it will work for me.

To some extent the debate seems to remain a matter of personal preference, choosing your own poison. I'd rather never be able to eat apple skins again than face other consequences. This will be more work, a steeper learning curve, but slower loss is better for regaining skin elasticity, too. I have a tough job ahead learning to eat slowly and chew thoroughly, but I can do it.

Overall, my advice is to read everything you can here and look at the percentages of satisfied patients. Good luck!

[Pinkbeauty 8]

Hey there, I so know that feeling I got banded on my 31st birthday in April, and a few days after getting banded I was still questioning my decision was I mad?? But I'm one month down Snd I have 1 stone 6 pounds gone I'm feeling great, I got my first fill yesterday and I have joined the gym, I haven't cut out my chocy and I never will but I just have a small amount!! It's a life changing experience but personally I'm thrilled!! Best of luck!!!

[SandyM 1,956]

I will say if you haven't had your surgery yet, ask your surgeon if he will also do the plication. This, in my opinion has pretty much eliminated the "bandster hell" that is spoken of on this site. And, if something happened to my band, I'd still have this tool to fall back on. The band is a tool as well as the plication and the sleeve. The reason for alot of folks failure with the band is not following up with their surgeon and not following the rules. What I like about the band is that I still have some control. I hate the thought of all of the control being taken from me. As for the food, I really haven't found anything I can't eat. I have found things I have to pay closer attention to, but that's what we are supposed to be doing anyway. Mindful and not mindless eating. Good luck to those who are pending surgeries as well as those who have already had it. It does work, but it also requires you to set goals and focus. Not a bad thing. I really have no regrets. I'm 2 pounds away from my goal. This weekend, I've been doing a lot more carbs than usual so I stepped back, scolded myself and I got back on track. No harm no foul.

[toomuchrose 47]

@@SandyM I like your phrase " Mindful and not mindless eating." I need to keep that foremost in my head.