im seriously starting to question the lap band

[cherry]

I understand everyones experiances are different... BUT after reading through lots of posts on here the lap band does not look very successful....... i seriously thought this was the right choice for me BUT i dont want to put myself through an op if i might need to change it to a bypass/sleeve..... gosh decisions decisions!! its horrible.....i suppose noone know s do they until they try it :-/ ...... ooooo xx

 

[StephieAck]

Well I am a bypasser, so I cant really comment from the view of a bander and I know that the band works well for some people, so I cant poo poo the band. Having said that, I must say that I dont think very much of the band in general. There are so many stories of it not working due to it slipping and going wrong etc and more and more I find myself thinking that I am glad that I went to bypass instead of the band. I could have had it and done very well and it could have been awesome, but Im just glad that I didnt.
When I see people asking whether they should have a band or a bypass I find myself having to sit on my hands so that I dont reply with BYPASS ALL THE WAY!!! as it is no business of mine what people have as it is their life.
Bypasses arent exempt from problems, things can go wrong for many with a bypass, but it just seems as though not quite as much as the band.
If I had the choice to do over again and they said either you have the band or nothing, silly as it may seem, I would have nothing.
I hope I dont offend anyone with this, I totally respect banders and their choice and I know that it can and does work for some.
Steph xx

 

[phatmomma]

I'm saying this in the nicest possible way so please don't take offence.

But you need to make your mind up before you have your surgery! They don't hand out funding willy nilly and it's only a very very lucky few who get a second chance and then you need a heck of a reason, such as Liz's...

Me personally, i'm bypass all the way like Steph but that's purely based on faith in my surgeons judgement and from my research!

Good luck in your choice xx

 

[Mazza]

Hi Kelly

Its only natural to have concerns. The best advice I can give is to talk it over with the surgeon. List all of your concerns and questions and the answers will hopefully help with your decision.

Have you 'signed' up for the band or will you be able to change your mind?

Good luck with your decision x

 

[dottychic]

Hi, I like many here I think went in thinking it was a band I wanted. After speaking to my surgeon, Mr. Ammori, he advised me I would be better suited to the bypass. Needless to say, if Mr Ammori tells you that you do it! Hence, bypass for me too X

 

[cherry]

o noo i understand.... and will go through with the lapband but i just have a few doubts as when i read posts on here it seems low weightloss or probs seem to be with the band... only naturally it ll make me think hmmm as ive not had surgery yet... i wont change my mind at this stage of the game as i picked the lapband for a reason so ill stick with my gut but even sooo it makes me feel hmmmm xx

 

[cherry]

its down now for a lapband hunni im awaiting my last appointment before i start the pre op stuff... ill go with it as i chose it for a reason its hard to not get bit paranoid when you read other people s 'horror' storys... tho i do think there informative to and lets you know all aspects of what could happen with your surgery choice so i am grateful for them to! xx

 

[cazbandy]

Hi there

There are "horror" stories with all kinds of weightloss surgery believe me.

Sometimes things go wrong. That's life.

I have a band and yes my weightloss has been slower than some but as I see it, it 18 months I have lost nearly seven stone and not put a pound back on...I could never had down that with normal diets.

It's my ball and chain....LOL...eat too much and you know it, eat too fast and you know it...

But weather you eat the wrong things, that is down to the individual....

 

[Neen]

I have lost about what you want to lose , taken 2 years but a lot of that was due to my difficulties finding enough restriction and my battles with comfort eating...I guess I would be worst case scenario for having a band but I still lost around 9 stone.. It works if you commit yourself x

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

I'm saying this in the nicest possible way so please don't take offence.

But you need to make your mind up before you have your surgery! They don't hand out funding willy nilly and it's only a very very lucky few who get a second chance and then you need a heck of a reason, such as Liz's...

im gonna talk openly here as i feel i need to express my feelings honestly regarding my bands, yep im very lucky to be under Sunderland and this will be my 3rd wls through no fault of my own, if im honest in my heart im really glad im going to bypass and i cant wait for them to take this bloody band out of me, dont get me wrong banding works but its really hard work, ive had every problem in the 5 & 1/2 years a bander can come across and for me personally ive had enough i want that finailty in my life and that for me is now to convert to a bypass, the ladies that attend our support group at the hospital the majority of the banders are having probs in 1 way or another and regret not "opting" for a bypass because of the words they use is "fear of a bypass", as Julie says there has to be a really good reason to convert over from band to bypass so its about making the right choices now, ive spoken to a few ladies thats band to bypass and they all say after living with both ops that the bypass is much easier to live with on a day to day basis. please please think carefully about your choices as they wont just let you change your mind once the bands in. Sorry if my comments have upset any one but i really felt like i needed to be honest about how i feel towards banding right now.

Me personally, i'm bypass all the way like Steph but that's purely based on faith in my surgeons judgement and from my research!

Good luck in your choice xx

:hijack:Soz 4 the thread hijack hun x

 

[phatmomma]

Good advice Liz, from the heart always works well for me x

 

[cherry]

my only reason for not having a bypass is im tooooo scared i really really am... mr balupuri tried to reasure me but still.... god it s so very very difficult xx

 

[phatmomma]

Kelly? What are you scared of? Seriously now, the thought of having to go for fills etc scared the **** out of me! My bypass is done now, all i have to do is make good food choices and drink plenty...

Oh yes and my bypass was 'open' surgery which has left me with a scar just underneath my breastbone to within about an inch above me belly button... I could have had a band keyhole but know what's best for me!

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

my only reason for not having a bypass is im tooooo scared i really really am... mr balupuri tried to reasure me but still.... god it s so very very difficult xx

Kelly the amount of banders thats regretting there choice purely because of "fear of a bypass" is unbelievable it really is i just hope you dont become another 1 of those with our group saying but what if ? good luck what ever you decide hun we will all be here to support you x

 

[Grace]

HI Kelly...like you I originally wanted the band. I saw Fearn Britton and thought,"wow!" and I'm so glad she got all that publicity because without it I would never have had the courage to approach my GP.
BUT once I began dong the research it soon became absolutely obvious to me that the Bypass was the better choice for me.
Mr Balapuri and Mr Small confirmed my thoughts.
As an ex-nurse/midwife, I know that the surgeon's know what they're talking about and I would want to listen very carefully to their opinions: because they're based on solid experience.
It's not for me to interfere with your choices...but I heard someone say recently
'fear is just faith in the unknown'........
maybe you need to listen to what is known and ditch the fear?
I know easier said than done........ :-(
bless you what ever you decide.
Charis x

 

[cherry]

hey girls... well mr balupri said to me that i could
have either surgery as of my eating habits.... if he said to me that he would only recommend the bypass then of course id have gone with his recomendation as he s the expert..... im frightened of it because i googled it and what i read just fills me with fear... and because there cutting and slicing things away im frightened that something will go wrong and ill die :-(... i must add very quickly these are my fears and i hope to god im not 'frightening' people thats last thing i want... but thats how i feel... so because the band is less invasive and no cutting i feel that it s 'safer' silly i know its bloody hard to decide whats right x

 

[cherry]

i just want to say thankyou to all your replies xx

 

[StephieAck]

When I was first thinking about surgery I thought I definately want the band as it is 'reversible', if something went wrong or I just wasnt happy then they would just remove it, then I thought nope, if I go into it with that in mind then I wont try as hard, so I went forward with a bypass as I needed to have that finality of Ive done it and nothing can change it so I HAVE to do it right. I know that most people go into it with their eating habits in mind but I didnt. It so happens that I was a grazer, so the bypass suited me better, but that isnt why I chose bypass, it was just the more 'final' choice and also because it was the choice that was more likely to resolve my diabetes.
Seriously dont be afraid of the bypass, yes it might take you longer to recover and there are things like dumping to consider, but not everyone dumps. Either operation is a major operation and a serious thing, you already know this because you are already on the road to it, so if you think that there is ANY chance that you could regret the band, have the bypass, it really is nothing to be afraid of.
As Ive said before, I dont like to try to influence people on which op to have but I have a feeling that you would regret the band and as you have the opportunity to do something different now, do so.
Steph xx

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

hey girls... well mr balupri said to me that i could
have either surgery as of my eating habits.... if he said to me that he would only recommend the bypass then of course id have gone with his recomendation as he s the expert..... im frightened of it because i googled it and what i read just fills me with fear... and because there cutting and slicing things away im frightened that something will go wrong and ill die :-(... i must add very quickly these are my fears and i hope to god im not 'frightening' people thats last thing i want... but thats how i feel... so because the band is less invasive and no cutting i feel that it s 'safer' silly i know its bloody hard to decide whats right x

Oh Kelly id so like you to come along to meet some of the people in my group that also felt exactly as you are now and they have come out the other end just fine, i understand your fears i really do, i also have similar awaiting my converstion too but i know this is the better long term option for me, im not anti band far from it as ive already had 2 of them i just want you to not regret your decision 3-6 months down the line after the banding....huggs from me to you hun x

 

[thinnerangela]

I too wanted a band because it was going to be "reversible"!!

I chose a DS with the surgeon after being sent to him as an NHS long wait patient for an RNY!! I knew a DS was best after doing the research but it wouldn't have been available if I hadn't been sent to the Nuffield.

Now I am so glad I didn't opt for a band.

MY reasons

slippage
erosion
fills - and finding the sweet spot - fills weren't going to be available when I wanted them on the NHS.
There's bound to be cutting to put the band in and siting the port.

I had my op with a chance of dying of about 1 in 100 during surgery - I had to take that chance.

If you are having ANY doubts about whats right for you then you should ask to see your surgeon again or their team

Good luck

Angela x