hi I am new and really need advice

[gritar 0]

Hi everyone!

I am new to writing on the site but have been reading posts for awhile. I am really torn. I started off not knowing what to do. GB or LB and decided on LB. But then I started to relalize during my 6 month required weightloss program that maybe I should do GB. But I now have a 27 month old and a 11 month old that I do not want to take the chance of not seeing again. I know that it could happen for any reason. But it was a hard fought battle to have these two angels. But to be around for their highschool grad I have to do something. I have a lot of issues that I have delt with to the best of my ability that has contributed to my being morbidly obese. Two of the main things sexual abuse and emotional abuse as a child and young adult. I had also been bullimic for several of my teen years but I stopped that at 21 and now I am 37. I also stopped the emotional abuse. I am now in a loving marriage. But my old eating and not exwecise habits persist. I have lost 11lbs since I started the program 4 five months ago but I am stuck mainly by fear on not knowing what to do. I know weigh 310 from 323 but need to loose 5 % of my body weight for surgery and I only have 2 weeks to go. So far compared to my past I am a striking success. I have lost weight and maintained it for almost six months. But I don't know what to do when it comes to which weightloss tool to try. I am seeking help and advice if anyone out there has some for me.:ohmy:

[Furgie 0]

Hi, it certainly is a big decision to make. For myself I was worried about the risks of surgery and decided to go for the lap-band as it was the least invasive procedure and many people have had great success with it. I had the surgery on last Tues and am making a speedy recovery. I have felt a bit uncomfortable at times but have felt very little pain. Although it is early days, I am rapt with the decision I made. Best of luck. I am sure you will make the decision best for you. Look forward to hearing how you get on.

[devotion 41]

Of course it is up to you; I know the decision is not easy. I have a lot of weight to lose and so I considered GB. But when I realized how many people die from that surgery, I just couldn't risk it. The mortality rate is estimated at 25 percent and some doctors say it is even higher. Just go to the GB internet forum and you will see a "memorials" section. That freaked me out. Plus my mom is a nurse and saw way too many people die from this surgery.

I know there are great doctors who do GB, and obviously the chances are in your favor that you will get through it fine. It is something you need to research and feel comfortable with.

I was banded on 5-16 and have lost 17 pounds. I just had my first fill today. This route is certainly not easy, but it is a great option. The advantages to LB in my mind: 1) low risk of complication; 2) constant adjustment of band allowing you to re-focus if you start to lose motivation; 3) the studies showing that after 5 years, LB and GB patients had lost the same amount; and 4) the reversible nature of the LB. If I want to get rid of it, I can.

I wish the best for you as you make this decision. I know it is not easy. Whatever you do, I hope you find absolute success.

[longwalker1961 0]

I am teetering on the line between a GB and a LB also, and this scares me! I tend to do very well with surgeries, but eek! So now I am undecided yet again. I have a little over 150 pounds to lose, so I'm not sure which way the doctor will go with this. We'll see. It won't be his ultimate decision. I know it will be mine.

Good luck to you!!!

[longwalker1961 0]

Well, I just tried to post, but I think it got erased. Good luck to you. I have a little over 150 pounds to lose, so I still don't know which way I will go with this... The GB or the LB. We'll see. The death thing is very scary... I didn't realize that the mortality rate was that high. Definitely something to think about.

[auntlucy 22]

You might want to research the mortality rates a little more on GB. I'm not an expert by any means, but my surgeon didn't say it was nearly as high as 25%.

For me, it didn't take me long to make the decision with all of the risks of GB. I ruled it out as an option about 10 minutes into the seminar. Despite my exces weight, I'm actually pretty healthy. I just didn't see taking those risks. I knew with either surgery it would require me to make significant lifestyle changes. So, I had to commit to that before the surgery. I've been overweight ever since I an remember (my Mom said my first diet was at age 3). I've dieted my whole life. I needed a tool to help me, and it has been the band! I am more optomistic than I've ever been about successful weight loss and keeping it off! Commit to making these changes for your beautiful children...you are very fortunate to have them! And, they are fortunate to have a mom who is willing to go to these extraordinary means to be a healthier mom for them.

[gilliebean 1]

i really don't think your at more of a risk for dying in either surgery. I know however that is why i had LB cause i felt like it was safer. As for losing the rest of your 5% try a liquid diet like Optifast. I did it for ten days before my surgery and lost 18 lbs. Make sure you all do all the research and feel good about what ever decision you make for your surgery. Good luck.

[It's_Christine 0]

What a doctor estimates is not fact. Research is as close to fact as we have and research supports risk of death due to GBS is about .9-1%. It is essential, IMO, if you chose any kind of surgery that you find the most experienced, compentent surgeon you can find. Look for numbers, how many of these surgeries has the surgeon done and what are the results he/she may have acheived. When I went to see my surgeon he knew how many WLS procedures he had done and his complication rate. I could see very clearly from what he told me that in his hands my greatest risk was embolism (a risk common in the obese even tho I do not have a personal history of clots) and I very happily took the necessary measures to decrease this risk. My GBS surgery went off without a hitch and I am now almost 4 weeks out and healing well.

Ask and ask again until you are comfortable.

[devotion 41]

I am certainly not trying to scare anyone, but I did do *a lot* of research on this subject. According to a University of Washington study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 1 in 50 patients who have had GB die within 30 days of the surgery, regardless of how good the doctor is. If the surgeon is inexperienced, that rate increases fivefold. Here is a link:

Gastric Bypass Surgery Gone Bad, Study: 1 In 50 People Die Within A Month Of Surgery - CBS News

If you get a good surgeon, you will likely be fine with GB. But do the research and be informed. It is a personal decision. I personally couldn't take the 1 in 50 risk and I didn't want something so drastic. But everyone is different. I know GB patients who have done great like the poster above. It's very personal. I wish the best for you.

Edited June 22, 2008 by devotion

[gritar 0]

Thanks for the replies everyone it really helps and is very much appreciated.:biggrin2:

[Oregondaisy 2,020]

The thing I don't like about GB is that you can sit on the couch and do nothing and lose weight like crazy the first year. GP people don't learn how to eat healthy and change their eating habits. I know probably 25 people that have gained most or all their weight back plus more, 3-5 years down the road.

[Kat817 19]

Yes the rate of people dying within 30 days following GB is higher than that of the band.

#1 it is a bigger surgery, they are cutting things, that does not happen with being banded----besides the abdominal cuts for access I mean.

#2 by far the biggest reason for the discrepency in numbers is the beginning size and health issue. MANY gastric bypass patients are unable to get out of bed and are Super Morbidly Obese. Many of the deaths following the GB are not directly linked to the surgery, they are linked to the obesity--blood clots, being the biggie. Lap band surgeons have limits usually on the size of patients they band. Gastric Bypass works quicker, and that is of utmost importance in some of those patients. In order for a band to work, the patient has to get themself to the Dr. on a regular basis for fills, not so with the bypass.

Even though the death is not caused by the bypass surgery or even the band surgery in those cases, they have to be reported since they follow surgical intervention.

I am sure most of us have seen the Lifetime shows, depicting 600 lb.+ people in the hospital awaiting surgery---some make it that far, others die waiting. And of those who make it, some die anyway due to complications from the obesity, and inability to manuever themselves around. It is sad but true. Banding patients are generally smaller---being under 400 pounds---although there are always exceptions---and mobile---so they have better outcomes.

I think each of us have reasons we chose the surgery we did. I never even considered bypass, because as a cancer survivor, I know if I ever have a recurrance, I want to get my nutritional needs met as easily as possible. And even without health issues, many bypass patients suffer from nutritional deficits, and require supplements on a daily basis.

I also find it encouraging that they are making the strides they are with new WLS methods, such as the sleeve....and the scientific discoveries, that may someday lead to a "cure" for all of us. With the band, I am as eligible for that or any other new surgery as someone who never had WLS.

I wanted my future options left open. I want the weight gone forever, but not part of my stomach and intestines.

Do your research, and if something seems "wrong" such as the numbers being so high, research and find out why. My fill Dr. brought up the number issues during the informational seminar. He seldom does bypass anymore, but he thought it was getting an unfair shake in the numbers comparisons being done, so he attempted to share why with us.

Banding was the way to go for me, I am thrilled with my results!

Kat

[linksmom 0]

I was alittle turned off by such an extreme procedure. It seemed like major surgery. Also I was concerned about losing the weight too fast. I hope like hell that I can lose sufficient weight while not having huge amounts of hanging skin. Seems like the loss witht the band gives your body a bigger shot at keeping up with your steady weight loss. Plus I have also read that some people can stretch their stomach back out and regain alot of the weight with the GB.:grouphug: