I have done all my doctors visits, heart, lungs, blood work, etc. One more visit with doctor I guess for a date. Starting optifast today I need it after superbowl party yesterday. I have about 100 pds to lose and hope this is the way to go and not with by-pass. How do I know the difference?......are there people out there that feel they should have had by-pass instead or just felt like me and glad they went for labband

I'm glad I went for the lapband but I have to be honest with you. The weight loss is a lot slower. I've only lost 37 lbs in 8 months. I could have done that on a conventional diet instead. The lapband is a great tool. Just remember you will not lose as fast as you would with bypass.

I hung out on lapband and bypass forums, reading what kinds of problems and victories people were having. And I choose the band. There were too many serious stories of bypass problems, including deaths. Too many things I just didn't want to risk living with. And too many bypass patients re-gaining their weight and not knowing what to do.

Yes, there can be complications with the band. And for many, the weightloss is slower at first, but studies are showing that 5 years out, it's about equal. And I think the banders are much healthier.

I'm happy, but my weightloss has rivaled that which bypass patients have. Or at least it did, for a while. That made it easier, for sure. But I like knowing there's an expanded window. And I find a LOT of comfort in knowing that this is reversible, and that my insides remain as they should be. I have several friends with RNY, most at least 2 years out, and none are happy. Several have put their weight back on. Those that haven't make comments to me like, "I'm really beginning to see the long term effects of living with this thing... wish I'd thought more seriously about lap-band, but I just wanted it off fast."

I am 6 days post band and I am glad I did this instead of the bypass. While I was in the hospital(for my overnight stay),my roomate has the bypass 18 months ago. She lost 140lbs in 8 months and was doing well until she started with abdominal pains. Over the past 10 months she has had major complications with the bypass surgery-including leakage into her bowel and many abdominal infections. After talking to her, I knew that I made the right decision with the band. Gigi