Should LapBandTalk have forums for OTHER Weight Loss Surgeries?

[stevegoad 32]

I voted no.

I am a member of a mixed group. The bypass folks have it monopolized, with little info for lapband folks.

I found LBT because of that other group.

That said, I have nothing against those folks. Just I prefer this group stay with lapband.

[babygrl1234 6]

I think having the other forums is a good idea because even though the site is dedicated to the lapband, it gives others a place to chat without clogging up the main boards about their surgeries. Besides what is wrong with providing info to everyone about all surgeries? Everyone around here is very quick to point out that people should do their homework pre surgery, so maybe that will be helpful to someone else.

[sistasassy 6]

I think it is ok to have a section for other WLS. Reason being, as Alex and numerous other have said, should my band need to be removed, I will most likely revise to another type of surgery.

I love coming to this site because it is closely monitored and a safe place to ask questions and gain information. It is also a great place just to share experiences be they good or bad.

If they were just dumped into the mix and it was a "free for all," I would not have liked that. I like the fact that they have they own section.

I am also making friends here and I would not like to have to totally uproot myself in the event of needing to revise.

[TheGh0st 9]

But what if you wanted to know which was the best cat for you - persians or siamese? :cry_smile:

Then I would suggest going to www.cats.com to research both breeds at one site or I'd suggest going to www.persians.com to research persians and www.siamese.com to research the siameses cats. I would never advise someone to go to www.siamese.com to research persian cats. :thumbup:

That said I'm a very firm believer that there should be forums for those that converted to different WLS' after the band on this site. I don't think losing the band should get you kicked off the site any more than I think that people considering RNY, the Sleeve or DS should come to a site titled Lapbandtalk looking for any non-biased advice or research on those surgeries.

My opinion has nothing to do with any lack of respect for the other surgeries. Its just like your analogy, If you are looking for info on two different breeds of cats. The only benefit for looking up info on one breed at the other breeds site would be specifically to look for the negative hype out there and then to take it with MANY grains of salt.

[Daisalana 33]

Ghost answered before I saw the response.

My thoughts are like that, go to a siamese forum & a persian forum and use your own brain to deduce what would be best-- for YOU.

And I agree, I don't think anyone should be turned away because they did not have the lap-band, or are having no surgeries. It's an open forum and should be that way, but I don't see why there's an obligation to inform everyone of every surgery, when this website is lap-band talk.

[lapbandbarb 0]

I voted no.

I am a member of a mixed group. The bypass folks have it monopolized, with little info for lapband folks.

I found LBT because of that other group.

That said, I have nothing against those folks. Just I prefer this group stay with lapband.

I agree with you 100%! I have been in many WLS groups and every single time, I have noticed that bypass folks give you the feeling like they are thinking they are so different from you and tend to monopolize things. There are so many more and different concerns with the surgeries(like nutrient absorption) that I think they should be kept separate. Also, as someone else said, the other surgical patients lose weight much quicker and that would be hard to constantly hear about that. I LOVE this Website just as it is!! It would be very hard to keep the other WLS surgeries in their own place on this site and it would take away from how wonderful this LAPBANDTALK website is. Its name implies it all and should remain the same. Those are my strong feelings!

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

You know, you can set your computer to ignore the entire section

where the other WLS has their forum.

[Wheetsin 714]

I know it's already done, but I have to add my "no". My reasons, and mine alone, being:

If I have WLS and come to a messageboard called "whateverWLSIhadtalk.com" then I expect that the people at that site are "experts" with the band to some capacity, or fellow researchers. If I want information about - let's say a RNY just to throw something out there - I will look for RNYtalk.com or some other "targetted" site. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I will come to a board because of the information, not the people, so I would not stay here and expect to get good information on a non-band procedure.

I cannot necessarily give good, reliable or even safe information to the recipient of a different type of WLS. So why would I want to answer someone's question, or on the flip side, why would I come here to get information? If this were "weightlosssurgerytalk.com" that might make sense, but to me it just doesn't give that I'm going to have some other procedure but expect support from LBT.

And if I'm smart, I understand the opposite to be true. Hence the only reason I can see someone who is not an AGB patient coming to an AGB site is for social reasons, and in my case -- that's not going to be the case. If someone is here for social reasons, we should see them in off-topic/social areas, not needing a separate forum.

Revisions, whatever - fine. There's still a lapband core there, and someone who has had and then lost their lapband will likely still have "lapband" issues, or issues that lapband patients can assist with because of the common thread (e.g. adjusting to a new diet, regretting decisions, etc.)

By opening up to any WLS, or if we went further and opened up to any WL efforts, we would not be lapbandtalk. So is the goal to stay true to lapbandtalk, or to broaden to a larger market and become tryingtoloseweighttalk? Dunno.

[Froggi 4]

I know it's already done, but I have to add my "no". My reasons, and mine alone, being:

If I have WLS and come to a messageboard called "whateverWLSIhadtalk.com" then I expect that the people at that site are "experts" with the band to some capacity, or fellow researchers. If I want information about - let's say a RNY just to throw something out there - I will look for RNYtalk.com or some other "targetted" site. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I will come to a board because of the information, not the people, so I would not stay here and expect to get good information on a non-band procedure.

I cannot necessarily give good, reliable or even safe information to the recipient of a different type of WLS. So why would I want to answer someone's question, or on the flip side, why would I come here to get information? If this were "weightlosssurgerytalk.com" that might make sense, but to me it just doesn't give that I'm going to have some other procedure but expect support from LBT.

And if I'm smart, I understand the opposite to be true. Hence the only reason I can see someone who is not an AGB patient coming to an AGB site is for social reasons, and in my case -- that's not going to be the case. If someone is here for social reasons, we should see them in off-topic/social areas, not needing a separate forum.

Revisions, whatever - fine. There's still a lapband core there, and someone who has had and then lost their lapband will likely still have "lapband" issues, or issues that lapband patients can assist with because of the common thread (e.g. adjusting to a new diet, regretting decisions, etc.)

By opening up to any WLS, or if we went further and opened up to any WL efforts, we would not be lapbandtalk. So is the goal to stay true to lapbandtalk, or to broaden to a larger market and become tryingtoloseweighttalk? Dunno. :thumbup:

I absolutely agree with this! 100% it's how I felt about it too. Thanks for posting it.:rolleyes2:

[ReadySteadyGo 8]

I vote Yes.

I started coming here preband and before I had decided between gastric and lapband, and I made real connections. OH was horrible. This website did not effect my decision in the slightest but I am glad I am able to post here? Would I not be welcome if I had decided on the bypass? Or if I had to lose my band I would only be allowed to post in the "Life after Lap band" section? I know it's called Lapbandtalk.com, but saying someone shouldn't post here because of their weight loss choice seems elitist to me.

I am glad to hear from people with different experiences than mine, I think hearing diffrent stories that are not my own are beneficial and interesting. If someone starts the "My surgery is better" crap well we have moderators to delete their post and if they continue then they can be banned. Thankfully our mods rock.

Hopefully we are too mature for that poo.

I say Welcome and glad to have you. We all, no matter what WLS we choose, have a common goal- to be healthy, happy, and smaller.

Edited September 30, 2008 by ReadySteadyGo
little add

[MacMadame 81]

We all, no matter what WLS we choose, have a common goal- to be healthy, happy, and smaller.

True, dat.

[Julia_N 2]

I'm with you, ReadySteadyGo. I found LapBandTalk right at the beginning of my research into the lap band. In the couple of months since then, I was able to finally get a surgeon's appointment and he's strongly recommending I get a bypass instead, which I'm probably going for because of several health issues. Now that I'm researching that, I find there are many issues in common with both surgeries, so both sides aren't THAT far apart.

Before I came here, I had about 40 years of dieting experience, and that's pretty universal with a lot of people.

If I promise to play nice, can I stay? Please?

:thumbdown:

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

I am glad to read that you think that the mods here rock. We do try very hard to let the board moderate itself. For the most part, it does. Posters are good about following the rules, and we try to stay out of the way. Unless someone is actually calling another poster names, we let people post as they please.

That's another reason why we should let other WLS post here too. There are other WLS out there, and everyone should have the benefits of this board. Do the people that don't like that the other surgeries were added want Alex to change the name of his board?

[ReadySteadyGo 8]

AThinnerDenise- I meant it, some of the stuff I read at OH I was thinking that you could NEVER get away with that on lapbandtalk and I for one am very glad. People get too cruel on the internet, I gets it's because you don't have to see the face of the person you attack, or hear their voice...anyway.

I would NOT be okay with changing the name, but I think it's okay they have a small space on this massive board to call their own...I mean we do it for religions, Months, etc.

[Alex Brecher 10,516]

If any of these sub WLS forums get too busy I plan on moving them off of LBT to their oown dedicated web site. At the moment it doen't seem to get in the way of things and I'm going to let things stay the way they are.