Re: why gastric instead of banding

[Guest guest]

Dear Carolee

It's a very personal decision. I have a lap-band, and was considering

revision to DS (duodenal switch) or Gastric Bypass (which is how I

ended up on this list).

I am now making my band work much more effectively and so have decided

to stick with it for now.

If I had the decision to make again I would look very carefully at

what caused me to gain weight and prevented me from loosing it. See a

psychologist if you can and try to identify specifically where and

when it is your healthy diet and exercise are challenging.

Remember that not only do you have to have a healthy diet, but in

order to loose weight you have to have a special kind of healthy diet

with less calories than a 'normal' person who is maintaining their

weight would need. If you have yoyo dieted the calorie level nessacary

may be very, very low as you need to get below the level needed in the

past to acchieve weight reloss.

The surgeries are tools that help you to achieve these special kinds

of healthy diets. Each one comes with it's own set of rules, read them

then apply them to your individual problems.

Please correct me if I'm wrong guys but from what I've been able to

work out.

Gastric bypass makes it more difficult for your body to absorb fat and

you need to take supplements for the rest of your life. It also means

you need to eat less volume of food and almost no sugar because of the

negative side effects caused. (It is often described as permanent,

because of the removal of the lower sphincter of the stomach, however

I think that through extensive surgery you can have it mostly repaired.)

DS is like gastric bypass except you have a larger stomach volume

(because it is usually done with a sleeve around your stomach) also

limits the absorption of fat and is much more forgiving if you choose

to eat sweets. But can cause problems with diarrhoea and flatulence if

you choose to eat foods that don't agree with you. You also need to

take supplements with this procedure. (This procedure is considered

permanent, but can be adjusted through major surgery to lengthen or

shorten your common channel (the bit that absorbs nutrients) if

absolutely necessary)

Lap-banding physically means you can only eat a very small amount of

food slowly and you have to chew, chew, chew. It will not stop you

living on four milk shakes a day and gaining weight. It will remind

you to eat less by making you eat slower and making you feel full

quickly and physically ill if you over eat. Because the physical

hunger is dealt with you are left instead dealing with the 'head'

hunger. (It's 'easily' reversible and is adjustable, but every person

I know who's had it reversed or all of their fill removed has gained

very quickly.)

Personally I don't find the fills and follow up too bad, it was an

appointment about once a month for the first five or so months. Now I

just call and make a time to see them if I feel I need some more

restriction, which is about once every six months or so. Eventually

I'll get to a weight and stage where it will more or less be left

completely alone. I find I still need to work hard to loose weight but

that no matter what I do I can't gain it again.

They all have their pros and cons. The issue is what your individual

situation is and how it's going to work best for you. EVERY SINGE

PROCEDURE HAS A VERY DIFFRENT LIST OF AFTER CARE RULES. Break these

rules and you will either not loose weight or suffer the side effects.

As I said it's a very individual decision.

Manda (from Australia)

Lap band done 6/6/05

Start weight 112kg/ current 81.2kg/ goal 65kg/ height 165cm.

[Guest guest]

Didn't see exercise mentioned in this. I try to reduce my calories

with daily exercise by 5000 or more a week.

Almost no sugar? Almost = what? " no sugar " sounds bad or hard to do.

The idea that you'll get really sick if you have " almost any sugar "

sounds scary too. It's not scary.

Here's where I am with this (others might have different experiences,

your milage may vary):

I have fruit about three or four times a day, usually on my cereal in

the morning. The cereal is that low carb/high protein Special K stuff

so there are some sugars in there too. Before having cranberries and

sometimes a banana on it I had honey on it. The stuff just doesn't

taste all that good, sort of like Wheaties with no flavor, ouch. Oh

and the soymilk I have with it has sugar cane juice in it.

Anytime (which is what should really be scary) someone has sweet,

dessert, or other sugary food I'm able to have a sample without

worry. I can even do that multiple times in a day if I'm a really bad

monkey. I have over done it and felt a little queezy but then I

shouldn't have over done it now should I?

Gastric Bypass means you don't absorb fat as well? That's cool. I

knew it was malabsorbtive but I thought that applied primarily to

vitamins and minerals. Maybe it does apply to fats. If so then I'll

bet it applies to protein, carbs, etc.

Suppliments for the rest of your life. Good GOD that sounds like it's

right down the road from a life sentence to jail. I confess I have

forgotten to take my vitamins for a day and even more often either

the morning or night time set that I take. I in no way suffered. The

vitamins are going to cost me maybe $25/year. Here's a wild idea too,

I'll bet a lot of " normal " weight people will be taking vitamins " for

the rest of their lives " too possibly for other medical requirements

or because they prefer to have a suppliment. I know many here are

taking what I consider excessive amounts of suppliments, shots,

liquids, shakes, etc. A lot of that is by choice or due to other

medical needs. If you adjust your diet you can get a lot of these

nutrients even if malabsobtive to augment and enhance your

suppliments.

You're going to want to adjust your diet bit by bit until you get to

a few months later with a very different mix. If you feel this is

going to deprive you of taste, sweets, or foods you simply must

continue to eat you should see a dietician and probably a

psychologist to find out if your fears are valid and why you have

them.

I'm not trying to sell anyone on any particular surgery or even

surgery at all. We're all different. I guess the whole low fat, low

sugar thing would make sense for ANY weight loss plan. If you're

going to look for a surgery, diet, exercise or other plan that

permits you to deal with sugary or fatty foods you'll most likely

fail. I don't think it'll be as effective as reducing your

consumption of those types of foods.

Oh and I do break the rules once in a while, maybe once or twice a

month, having some wine with dinner or what have you. But it's not a

habit, pattern or excessive. Would I have lost a few more pounds this

year having not messed around for that total of a month this year?

Probably. I'm only human though and I've come a long way in this last

year.

Mike in GR

>

> Dear Carolee

>

> It's a very personal decision. I have a lap-band, and was

considering

> revision to DS (duodenal switch) or Gastric Bypass (which is how I

> ended up on this list).

>

> I am now making my band work much more effectively and so have

decided

> to stick with it for now.

>

> If I had the decision to make again I would look very carefully at

> what caused me to gain weight and prevented me from loosing it. See

a

> psychologist if you can and try to identify specifically where and

> when it is your healthy diet and exercise are challenging.

>

> Remember that not only do you have to have a healthy diet, but in

> order to loose weight you have to have a special kind of healthy

diet

> with less calories than a 'normal' person who is maintaining their

> weight would need. If you have yoyo dieted the calorie level

nessacary

> may be very, very low as you need to get below the level needed in

the

> past to acchieve weight reloss.

>

> The surgeries are tools that help you to achieve these special kinds

> of healthy diets. Each one comes with it's own set of rules, read

them

> then apply them to your individual problems.

>

> Please correct me if I'm wrong guys but from what I've been able to

> work out.

>

> Gastric bypass makes it more difficult for your body to absorb fat

and

> you need to take supplements for the rest of your life. It also

means

> you need to eat less volume of food and almost no sugar because of

the

> negative side effects caused. (It is often described as permanent,

> because of the removal of the lower sphincter of the stomach,

however

> I think that through extensive surgery you can have it mostly

repaired.)

>

> DS is like gastric bypass except you have a larger stomach volume

> (because it is usually done with a sleeve around your stomach) also

> limits the absorption of fat and is much more forgiving if you

choose

> to eat sweets. But can cause problems with diarrhoea and flatulence

if

> you choose to eat foods that don't agree with you. You also need to

> take supplements with this procedure. (This procedure is considered

> permanent, but can be adjusted through major surgery to lengthen or

> shorten your common channel (the bit that absorbs nutrients) if

> absolutely necessary)

>

> Lap-banding physically means you can only eat a very small amount of

> food slowly and you have to chew, chew, chew. It will not stop you

> living on four milk shakes a day and gaining weight. It will remind

> you to eat less by making you eat slower and making you feel full

> quickly and physically ill if you over eat. Because the physical

> hunger is dealt with you are left instead dealing with the 'head'

> hunger. (It's 'easily' reversible and is adjustable, but every

person

> I know who's had it reversed or all of their fill removed has gained

> very quickly.)

>

> Personally I don't find the fills and follow up too bad, it was an

> appointment about once a month for the first five or so months. Now

I

> just call and make a time to see them if I feel I need some more

> restriction, which is about once every six months or so. Eventually

> I'll get to a weight and stage where it will more or less be left

> completely alone. I find I still need to work hard to loose weight

but

> that no matter what I do I can't gain it again.

>

> They all have their pros and cons. The issue is what your individual

> situation is and how it's going to work best for you. EVERY SINGE

> PROCEDURE HAS A VERY DIFFRENT LIST OF AFTER CARE RULES. Break these

> rules and you will either not loose weight or suffer the side

effects.

>

> As I said it's a very individual decision.

>

> Manda (from Australia)

> Lap band done 6/6/05

> Start weight 112kg/ current 81.2kg/ goal 65kg/ height 165cm.

>

[Guest guest]

HI Carolee, My dr. recommended it and when I researched it, it seemed to be more

successful as I recall, everyone I knew that had this surgery had the RNY also

at their dr.'s suggestion. I did not want to worry about problems with the band.

This really has been the best decision to me. I don't even feel like I had

surgery other then getting full so fast.

Sorry you are having to deal with your son leaving. I could not imagine.

Hugs!!!!

Shauna

lubertocarolee carolee11@...> wrote:

Hi all, I'm up thinking of my son leaving in a few days and just was

wondering why you chose or are choosing gbs instead of banding. I am

pretty sure I am going with gbs instead of the banding but want to know

what others think. My reason is I want to be done and over with and

not have to keep going back for fills or empties...whatever they call

it. Thanks...and Happy and Peaceful New Year. Carolee

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hi Carol Lee,

That was one reason and the other was that the body doesn't absorb the food

like the band does and the weight tends to come off faster.

I had a discussion with my surgeon and for me, he felt that the bypass was

definitely the best way to go for me.

Lin

422-338-250

Lhsh@...

American by birth,

Saved by the grace of God.

why gastric instead of banding

Hi all, I'm up thinking of my son leaving in a few days and just was

wondering why you chose or are choosing gbs instead of banding. I am

pretty sure I am going with gbs instead of the banding but want to know

what others think. My reason is I want to be done and over with and

not have to keep going back for fills or empties...whatever they call

it. Thanks...and Happy and Peaceful New Year. Carolee

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12:47 PM

[Guest guest]

Hi Mike

I'm glad you were able to jump in with some facts. It's so difficult

to gleen the reality of living with the diffrent types of surgery will

be like.

As I said, right now my lap band is doing well or that should be I'm

doing well with the band. It was good to hear that if I do need to go

down the revision path that the life after GBS isn't so scary after all

Manda

[Guest guest]

I chose the rny (gbs) because I didn't want to have to deal w/ fills &

such. I had to pay for this out of pocket. It was only about $5K more

for the rny. I would have spent that on fills and such. Why bother?

If you're gonna go...go cadillac baby!

W

380/254/160

lubertocarolee wrote:

> Hi all, I'm up thinking of my son leaving in a few days and just was

> wondering why you chose or are choosing gbs instead of banding. I am

> pretty sure I am going with gbs instead of the banding but want to know

> what others think. My reason is I want to be done and over with and

> not have to keep going back for fills or empties...whatever they call

> it. Thanks...and Happy and Peaceful New Year. Carolee

>

>

>