Hi SS,
Thanks. I'm just in a bit of a tizz. I also have too much time on my hands. lol.
My BMI is around the 45/46 mark (never in my life has it been this high). Last time I was weighed I was 21St 13Ibs :sigh:. I have gained weight since losing with the Cambridge Diet. I'm 5'9 and as a guide to my size I was able to get into a size 16 dress from Warehouse when I was 16St 1Ib (my best result with Cambridge Diet). Ideally I'd like to wear size 14 trousers - thats what I want to get down to.
I am put off by the bypass because of the internal replumbing and long-term malabsorption issue. Both surgeons I saw didn't have an issue with me doing the band. I guess I'm procrastinating or at least being my usual indecisive self. I'd like to get to 11.5 Stones, 13St at the very least. I like to go to the gym and do aerobic and anaerobic exercise. I'm recovering from a bad cold so I haven't been for two weeks - which is annoying as I use exercise as mental medicine too.
24 hrs ago I wasn't hungry, I even forgot to eat. Today knowing I have to fast is making me a tad peckish. :sigh:
Ok firstly everyone goes on about this 'dont like to be re plumbed' thing - you cant feel it, it makes no difference to your body and restriction feels the same as the band anyway - you simply cant eat a lot in one go.
Secondly long term malabsorbtion isn't a problem, the body re learns to use effectively what it has an malabsorbtion goes to almost nothing, it is true you will have to take vit suppliments, but these are no big deal either and personally i think keep my health in tip top condition anyway, consider this against endlessly adjusting and filling a band as thats a commitment you will need to manage to get good effect from a band.
thirdly people go on about the greater risk of the op - lets be honest when your out on the table the risk of dying isn't from the op its from the anasthetic itself, agreed longer out means higher risk, but its almost neglagable really.
Dumping syndrome is again one fo those issues everyone goes on about, this gets a lot better with time as the upper GI re learns to deal with sugar and most people find that things ingested that caused them to dump maybe wont longer term.
Ok so thats that bit done
Most bypassers find it fairly easy to drop a significant amount of weight quickly, long term statistics show that you can regain a small percentage of that weight, though i think this is down the individual and how you manage and maintain longer term.
The band is in my opinion a harder route, you will always have to diet and really watch your eating, you will have to maintain the so called 'sweet spot' with fills and let downs etc to gain the most from your band, and the weight lose is a lot slower than a bypass, statistically long term many banders regress to pre op eating habbits and as such regain significant amounts of weight.
Personally (and this is just my opinion) if i had a BMI over 45 ish i'd consider a bypass, it would give me a greater start and of the weight i need to lose it gives me the best chance of reaching somewhere close to that weight, however if my BMI was somewhere around 40 i'd be thinking that maybe i could do it with a band, the band would restrict my eating though i'd know i would have to maintain a healthy diet with no exceptions at all to lose and maintain that weight lose.
There are a few ladies here that have tried with a band failed and resorted to a bypass to lose weight, and there are some very successful banders here to that have lost and are maintaining there lose now. I took the advice of my consultant and changed my mind from a band to bypass and i'm really glad i listened to him, 16 months post op i'm in maintenance having lost in excess of 13 stone, with a band i'd really only expect to be half way now and would probably be struggling to lose more, so for me it was the right desision at the time and i still think that way.
Good luck which ever way you go.
