Hi, My husband and myself are looking into bariatric surgeries. Both of us have over 100 lbs to lose. I am 48 with two teenagers, a registered nurse, so I am on my feet all the time, 5'4" 280lbs with 2 crappy knees, and premenopausal. We live close to Port Huron Mi and they have a lap band center so we/I am seriously looking into banding verses other surgeries. I have 2 cousins that had stomach bypasses and both ove done well. Also have 3 aquaintances that have had stomach bypasses but know of no one that had a banding. Either are really big steps and cannot be taken lightly. Ihave been spending alot of time on this web site and find ti very helpful I am so glad you are here.

Glad to meet you, Shamrock! Thanks for introducing yourself..."two crappy knees and premenopausal" HA! Hope you find all the info you need, this is a great place to stop. I do not have my band yet, but for me the the Bypass was not an option. This I could/would/probably will do. Just do lots of reading of old posts and you will begin to get a picture of life with the band. I am very hopeful. I look forward to seeing you on the boards!

Shamrock - Welcome! There is tons of information here just for browsing through. You are doing good researching all your options. Any surgery is not the easy way out, and everyone should know what to expect before jumping into it. Good Luck with your journey!

what made me dicide between the lap band and the bypass was this

http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/wlsmemorial.phtml

None of them had the lap band surgery.

Hi Shamrock - WELCOME!

Just wondering... seeing that you have so many around you that has had the GBP - what made you look into other WLS's ??

Hi Shamrock,

I was just banded in January at port huron hospital, All went well and I was very happy with the Dr. and staff. My husband is also getting ready to be banded.

I am happy to answer any questions about the hospital or DR.

I have lost 22lbs. in four weeks. I have my first fill in March. I also struggled with which type surgery to have, After researching I found that this was the procedure I was comfortable with. Lots of support and encouragement out there too.

Kimberly

Looking at everything to see what is right for me, husband is too, banding looks less invasive on your body, less recooperation time afterwords too. Good sucess rates. Surgeons and support group close ect. The whole bypass thing looks quite scary to me.. Alot though will depend what and if my insurance will cover.

Best of luck to you! And Good for You for doing your homework first!

Hi, My husband and myself are looking into bariatric surgeries. Both of us have over 100 lbs to lose. I am 48 with two teenagers, a registered nurse, so I am on my feet all the time, 5'4" 280lbs with 2 crappy knees, and premenopausal. We live close to Port Huron Mi and they have a lap band center so we/I am seriously looking into banding verses other surgeries. I have 2 cousins that had stomach bypasses and both have done well. Also have 3 aquaintances that have had stomach bypasses but know of no one that had a banding. Either are really big steps and cannot be taken lightly. I have been spending alot of time on this web site and find ti very helpful I am so glad you are here.

Someone suggested I start my own thread. I bumped my intro. The bypass is very invasive, there are more complications possible, and I really don't like that alot of the weight loss with it is due to malabsorbtion. My PCP knew alot about the band when we went to him to ask about a referral letter. he already has a couple of pts that had the Band and they are doing well. Since he has been our PCP for 15 years he knows us very well including all our weight loss attempts and co morbities. We asked him and he said he thought we were both excellent candidates for the band. No problem with the letter. We have gone to 2 seminars We have both had our psych consults. and have a consult with Dr. Bhesania on March 28. The Lap band center of Michigan is only 25 minutes for us to get to. Another nice thing is the shorter recovery time. I am a RN and work contingent (when I want) but I have no benefits ie paid medical leave and my husband is self employed. He doesn't work, he don't get paid. So that is also a big factor 6 weeks to recover from the bypass would but us into financial ruin. We also buy our own health ins. We have bcbs it will cover the band if you have a bmi over 40, 12 consecutive months of Dr supervised weight loss attempts, pass a pysch consult. we meet that so now do the banding consult and summit to bcbs and cross our fingers. I have been doing alot reading on the internet. forums and articles. Just ordered a book and a cook book both written by people who have had the band

Sounds like you're doing an excellent job getting your ducks in a row! Now, come on BC/BS. Best of luck to you both!

Bypass was never a consideration for me personally, I researched the band for a long time and it was definately a good decision for me for many reasons. No malabsorb. less invasive, less side effects. Good luck with your decision.

Shamrock (beth) Sounds like you are both on your way to getting those bands. This is so exciting to me that you will both be doing this together. What a support in its self!

Good luck and keep us posted. I have BCBS and they approved me with no problems at all. Hope it will be the same for you guys.

What are the names of those cook books and where did you find them?

GOOD LUCK!!! JAMIE

I'm also researching the band for the same reasons. Good luck to everyone. I have been approved for GB, but I don't want to do it anymore. I want the band instead, so I hope my insurance won't renege on the approval.

Hi Shamrock,

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm an OR RN, and I just scheduled my surgery for 4/5/05 with Dr. Rodrigues in Monterrey, Mexico. I'm a little apprehensive about going outside the US for surgery, but Tricare Ins. doesn't cover Lap-Band. I really need the surgery. I am 48, and in the last year have been diagnosed with Type II Diabetes, Hypertension, and High Cholestrol. My 48 BMI tells me I'm a heart attack or stroke waiting to happen. I began my journey with lots of web research, and finally found a doctor and his staff I liked. You must feel comfortable with who you choose. Hopefully for you your insurance will cover the cost. Best of luck!