wyldwoman

Greetings All. I just found this site whilst browsing the net for Lap Band info and thought I'd join in and say 'Hello'. 'Hello!' I just got approved for Banding the day before yesterday at Massachusetts General Hospital's Weight Center. Anyone here familiar with it? I've been doing a lot of stressing out because the doctor there told me that I'd be better off with a bypass than the band. I feel pretty hesitant about that, so I've been looking for support from Bandsters that I'm making the right choice. He kind of left me with the impression that the band isn't as effective as the bypass. That may be true, but it seems to me that the bypass has a much higher complication rate, plus it's not reversible. I've been looking over all the before and after pics on this site, and it seems to be pretty effective to me! You are all pretty inspiring! I guess what I'm looking for is support from people who have the band to know I'm making the right decision. I don't want to be pressured into having a surgery I'll regret later (the bypass). It seems that even people who have complications with the band have it pretty minor compared to people who have complications with the bypass. At least the band can be taken out. Are there many people here who regret having had the band or who wish they had the bypass instead? This is such a huge decision and I really want to be sure I'm making the right one. I really feel that the band is the best way to go for me. My doctor disagrees, but he doesn't have to live with the consequences for the rest of my life. I'm looking forward to getting to know you folks better and making some friends. I'm just outside of Boston. Any others in my neighborhood? Tracey

Hi Karla. Thanks for the input. For me, the question isn't so much where to go. I have no qualms about the facility. Mass General is one of the best hospitals in the country, and their surgeons are top-notch. They just tend to be biased toward the bypass. The director of their program, Lee Kaplan, is one of the leading researchers in the field of bariatric surgery, and most of their research has been on bypass. They haven't been doing the Band for that long and that hasn't been the focus of their research. (If any of you saw the program on PBS that was on a couple of weeks ago called "Fat: What No One Is Telling You", Dr. Kaplan was the primary researcher on bariatric surgery featured in that program). I've spent hours looking over the before and after pics on this site, and I've been really inspired. The doctor at the program was telling me that the Band is less effective, but after looking at 49 pages of pictures, it seems to be pretty damn effective to me!!! And I just keep coming back to the fact that the bypass means cutting in half a perfectly healthy stomach. Call me weird, but I feel very protective of my stomach. It's the only one I'll ever be given, and once it's cut, it can never be undone. If there's nothing wrong with it, I just can't see cutting it up. Same with my intestines. So after a long night of a lot of thought, I think I have made up my mind and decided on the band. I'm so grateful that I found this site. All the amazing people on this board and their inspiring stories have made me see that the band is effective and life-changing. I feel like I've found a home in this little community and can't wait to get to know you all better. Thank you all for posting you pictures and helping me make a really hard decision a whole lot easier!!! Tracey