Help Preop

[reyno44 0]

My Banding surgery date is Aug 11, 2009. I have been unsure whether to go through with the band. One day I'm OK with it, the next I'm not... The other day I googled "lap band failures", big mistake. I read all these horror stories, vomiting, acid reflux etc... I have a real phobia about vomiting...haven't vomited in 25 yrs or more...long story that i won't go into. Now i don't know what to do! Sometimes too much info is not good.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

My Banding surgery date is Aug 11, 2009. I have been unsure whether to go through with the band. One day I'm OK with it, the next I'm not... The other day I googled "lap band failures", big mistake. I read all these horror stories, vomiting, acid reflux etc... I have a real phobia about vomiting...haven't vomited in 25 yrs or more...long story that i won't go into. Now i don't know what to do! Sometimes too much info is not good.

You need to fully understand that 1 in 4 banded folks fail. To avoid reading the negatives of any surgery type is a huge mistake. There are different complications with any surgery type and you need to seriously look at which set of complications you can live with.

If you are not 100% sure of any surgery type, wait. If you don't get the right surgery type for you then you will eventually need a revision and that carries far more risk than an original surgery.

Regardless of surgery type you WILL vomit. There is a learning curve to eating after surgery and you don't know what you tolerate and what you don't. You don't know how much you can eat until you try it. Your stomach will be much smaller than you realize regardless of surgery type and the only way to know what you tolerate is when you realize you just barfed. ;o) But, vomiting after any WLS is much much different from vomiting before surgery. It's not nearly as disgusting. Don't get me wrong, it's not a pleasure to puke but it's not as gross as before surgery.

Read the good and the bad about all WLS types. Don't pay a lot of attention to newbies, they are all excited but they are new, they haven't lived with their surgery type yet. Talk to those AT LEAST 1 year out, better two years post op. They have lived with the surgery type and they aren't on a WLS high. Everyone loves their surgeon and their surgery type the first six months. After six months they realize they are doing the work and not the surgeon but they still love their surgery type because the scale is moving. After a year they are much more realistic about their surgery.

Know every surgery type inside and out and know why you are choosing one surgery over another. If you do not fully understand each surgery type you do not really know why you are not choosing that one.

Lap Bands, Sleeves.. those are restrictive only. Gastric bypass and DS... restrictive and malabsorptive. Research every single one of them and know why you are choosing one over another.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

I love my band. AND...you don't really VOMIT. I am another with a one-way GI Tract. Things do down, they do NOT come back up! At 53 I had vomited about 4 times in my life and could remember each time with horrid clarity.

I have PB'd a few times and it is NOT the same. No stomach bile, no vile aftertaste, and it isn't as physically draining. It isn't FUN but I prefer it to vomiting, and I really prefer doing neither.

If that's your only fear, trust me, it's controllable. Chew well and do small bites and you MAY avoid it altogether. If not, once and you'll learn. PBing does not have to be a way of life and shouldn't be. If you PB all the time you're too tight, or you are eating too fast and not chewing well.

And yes the band isn't for everyone. However statistically it beats "diet and exercise" hands down for weight loss. You DO Have to watch what you eat with it. You can't just go frisking along and lose. BUT the Portion Control it offers makes a huge difference both in sticking to a diet, and in keeping pounds off. You can eat around it but you have to work at it.

Remember too that many people will come to a board like this WITH problems. Many happy bandsters are out leading their happy lives. They don't come on to post:

"Day 483 and I'm still feeling great" for example LOL

WASa is right; do your research, think it through, put it in perspective. At almost 1 year I LOVE my band and am so far issue free. A good doc with a conservative fill approach and a committment to his patients and their health is a big part of it, my determination and joy at the band is part of it, but things can go wrong. Things do. No regrets on my part. If something like GERD happens down the road, I'll deal. But it's been worth it, to me.

[ToomuchRN 0]

Hi I have not been banded yet My date is 8/4. I too haven't vomiting in about 30yrs and don't aloud myself to. I can't speak to you about vomiting after surgery, because I haven't experienced it. But, I'm here to talk to you about negativity. I will suggest to you if you are not 100% about the surgery and you need more time you need to take it. Please look at the positive and successful stories those would be your inspirations. This web site have good support groups. The lapband band is a tool to assist you have to change your eating habit and start eating heathy. and don't over eat you shouldn't have a problem.