I'm driving myself crazy

[cah-ching]

I completely understand CC. It took me three years to decide which surgery was right for me.
My number one priority was whichever I chose I wanted it to be as permanent as possible. With the band there is something like a one in ten failure rate, (or so I read) so that was out for me. The bypass and duodenal switch I considered. With the bypass the stoma can stretch leaving very little restriction, not to mention the dumping or the thought of never being able to eat a piece of cake without worrying I'd be ill from it.

Two different surgeons both advised me that the duodenal switch was far too drastic for me and was better for those with a BMI above 55.

I once managed to lose 8 stone but sadly regained every ounce of it, so to me it wasn't the discipline or the dieting that was the biggest problem, it was keeping the weight off.
Eventually, after much research I chose the Gastric sleeve.
No malabsorption issues with vitamins etc, it's a permanent restriction with new smaller stomach which works the same as before. Also the sleeve has the effect of reducing your appetite.
To me it all added up to being the right operation for me. I only had the surgery six weeks ago and I'm doing great. Only time will tell if I made the right decision, but so far I am convinced I have.

Thank you for this

 

[cah-ching]

Mr Khan, my (would be) surgeon hasn't tried to push me in any direction. In fact he's quite sure I'd be OK with a band over a bypass - but remains unconvinced by the sleeve over the bypass. He said there was an element of work needed in either case and that the bypass merely provided belts and braces where the band was 100% your discipline. The 'belts and braces' Mr. Khan talks of is the malabsorptive aspect I presume. I must admit it's the malabsoptive aspect that scares me and attracts me in simultaneously.
I am scared of the lack of nutrients and thus the long term implications e.g. oesteoporosis, vitamin B deficiencies I keep reading about and if I were to ever get pregnant (lol!!) how would I be able to carry a baby if I can't even provide enough nutrients for myself. By the same token, I know I don't have as much discipline as I used to have and need as much help as I can get.

So to the pro's cons:

PRO's


Gastric Band

• Some weight loss
• Reversible (if needed)
• Restrictive
• Able to eat what I eat now, just in smaller portions which will make socialising easier
• Adjustable

Gastric Bypass

• Large weightloss
• Less discipline needed (malabsorption)

CON's


Gastric Band

• Less weight loss
• More discpline needed
• Foreign object in my body
• Band/port discomfort
• Band adjustments
• Risk of slippage/erosion/problems =>more surgery needed (cost implications as I've only the money for the operation)

Gastric Bypass

• Malabsorption - long term health implications/complications
• Restriction on types of food I can enjoy
• Nausea/vomiting
• Non-reversible

These are my pros and cons. I'm still none the happier. lol

 

[Nightwitch]

the nutrient side of things is easily compensated for though with multi vitamin & mineral tablets and most people seem to have the B12 injections every 3 months or so.

i know someone who is 2 years post op and i think she can pretty much eat anything she wants now, just in smaller portions, and as she is at her goal weight can maintain everything through exercise (running and gym)

 

[gillabean]

I discussed malabsorption with my consultant surgeon, as this was a fear for me. He agreed that a shorter bypass would suit me better and only bypassed 70cm, instead of the usual 100cms. Although this may make my weight loss slower will counter poor absorption of nutrients.

 

[ditzeeblonde]

I can really relate to where your coming from.. I am in such a dilemma as to which Op I would prefer. I know alot of the time the surgeon pretty much guides you depending on eating habits etc...

The one I keep coming back to is the sleeve for some reason I wish I could tell you why but it just seems to be the one that fits nicely between the 2!!

I'm still really debating if this is the right route for me (its so final!) and I know that sounds so selfish considering I've just been given my funding & your struggling to get anywhere... its just such a massive decision it has to be 'right'!

 

[tiarasandtantrums]

I can really relate to where your coming from.. I am in such a dilemma as to which Op I would prefer. I know alot of the time the surgeon pretty much guides you depending on eating habits etc...

The one I keep coming back to is the sleeve for some reason I wish I could tell you why but it just seems to be the one that fits nicely between the 2!!

I'm still really debating if this is the right route for me (its so final!) and I know that sounds so selfish considering I've just been given my funding & your struggling to get anywhere... its just such a massive decision it has to be 'right'!

The one thing that my surgeon told me before my op, when I was going through all the 'am I doing the right thing' questions, was that it is possible to go on and have a by-pass after the sleeve. Obviously it's not ideal, but the possibilty is still there. xx

 

[cah-ching]

I can really relate to where your coming from.. I am in such a dilemma as to which Op I would prefer. I know alot of the time the surgeon pretty much guides you depending on eating habits etc...

The one I keep coming back to is the sleeve for some reason I wish I could tell you why but it just seems to be the one that fits nicely between the 2!!

I'm still really debating if this is the right route for me (its so final!) and I know that sounds so selfish considering I've just been given my funding & your struggling to get anywhere... its just such a massive decision it has to be 'right'!

Please don't feel you are being selfish - that is just the way the cookie crumbles. It's not your fault. It's my doctors' fault - they are next to useless!

NHS/Private - the decision has to be made and the coice of op has to be right for you.

I wonder whether I am at all ready for the operation. Or whether I'm just happiest being fat. I can hide myself from the world under this fat - people will stay away from me so I don't need to risk hurt etc. etc.

My only wish for NHS surgery is that I'd be given unbias advice and with a degree of authority the NHS has I'd possibly just go along with what they tell me is right. Having said that, the surgeon whom I saw on Sat would be my NHS surgeon anyway (ironic, I know! ) and he was pretty biased towards the band for me and I reckon he could do bypass surgery in his sleep. Mr. Sigursson the original surgeon I was biased towards the band would be better for me also.

 

[cah-ching]

The one thing that my surgeon told me before my op, when I was going through all the 'am I doing the right thing' questions, was that it is possible to go on and have a by-pass after the sleeve. Obviously it's not ideal, but the possibilty is still there. xx

Yup! And thats what pushes me towards trying the band first (and hopefully the last!!!).

 

[Sambucca]

I am still so torn ......

If money were no object - I'd go with the band and if that proved unsuccessful I'd go with the bypass.

Having money in the bank for both bypass or band operations is driving me crazy.

My surgeon whom I saw for the second time on Saturday (just gone) was not swaying me either way. He basically said that both operations can be cheated. It's about working with the band or the bypass. He's not overly keen on the Sleeve (I mentioned this as an option) and was quite sure about his opinion i.e. go for the band or the bypass but not the sleeve.
He said I was able to lose sufficient amounts of weight with either option - just work with it. He is aware of my fear regarding malabsorption and replumbing.

I'm going to be brutally honest and give you a typical day for me:-

Breakfast Large bowl of cereal (or porridge) for breakfast (another bowl if I'm feeling v. greedy) . Currently I'm having Alpen with organic SS milk topped with tinned mandarins pieces (delicious and counts as one portion of my 5 fruit n veg)
200ml fruit juice (for my 5- fruit n veg portion)
glass of water (about 300 ml)

Mid-morning snack - nectarine/apple/orange/banana (although only really consumed as a breakfast alternative if I'm going to the gym). Usually I'll have 2 pieces of fruit. Today I've not had a mid-morning snack as I'm not wanting one as I'm still satisfied from breakfast.

Lunch - sandwich or something like supernoodles; today I'll be having a turkey rasher baguette with cherry tomatoes and crisps. Most days I'll have a tomato baguette (low fat marg) and a bag of crisps. Only bought the turkey rashers as a change. 1 pint of water, cup of organic white tea (not milky tea) or organic rooibos tea and possibly another fruit juice.

Mid- afternoon snack - fruit / bag of crisps / Tuc crackers 9i can get through a whole pack in a day - 1 sitting sometimes ). Some days I'll have fruit and crisps. More fruit juice.

Dinner: chicken or fish drizzled with olive oil and roasted, lots of rice / pasta. Roast new unskinned potatoes on the side sometimes albeit rarely. Finished with whatever vegetable I fancy - brocolli, mange tout, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots & sweetcorn. I usually do a mix as I love vegetables (but hate peas - I eat them for nutrition only!) Tonight I'm having a fish stew I cooked a few weeks back ... salmon & prawns marinated in freshly ground pepper, olive oil and the rind of 2 lemons -then the fish is placed in a tin tomato base made with a little brown sugar and dark rum and parsley. I'll cook some rice to accompany it. To drink I'll have some water as I love the stuff. About 1.5 litres or I'll have fruit juice watered down with water about 1 part fruit juice and 1 part water)

Later I may have a pudding; asda rice pudding (about the only own brand food item I buy there as it's the best I've tasted) or more fruit. Last night I had both rice pud and then aite a nectarine as I walked up the stairs to bed.

Foods I tend not to eat or rarely eat:
lamb
beef
mutton
turkey
chocolate
green/red/orange/yellow peppers
cucumber (realised last week that it gives me terrible indigestion)
Sugary cereals (sugar puffs etc.)

Hello lovely, its horrid to see that you are still so torn about which op to choose, but I'm very impressed by the amount of thought you are putting in before making a decision.

I could now eat everything on your daily menu, but in small quantities. If I have a baguette I would pull out the middle and just eat the crusty bit. I wouldnt have a problem with any of it (including the crisps )

 

[ditzeeblonde]

I do kinda feel guilty tho having been given this fabulous opportunity on the NHS & now questioning if its right tho. xxx

Was the band what you originally thought of when you started looking into this?

From what I've read your food looks pretty good... as with most of us I guess the whole dieting especially VLCD is what has made us so big in the first place!!!

I wish you all the luck in making the right decision for you & hope that maybe pursuing different options with the NHS will get you the results you want. xx

 

[cah-ching]

Hello lovely, its horrid to see that you are still so torn about which op to choose, but I'm very impressed by the amount of thought you are putting in before making a decision.

I could now eat everything on your daily menu, but in small quantities. If I have a baguette I would pull out the middle and just eat the crusty bit. I wouldnt have a problem with any of it (including the crisps )

Hello! I was just thinking of you!!!!!! I was going to SMS you about lunch tomorrow.

Anyway ... you don't dump?

 

[Sambucca]

PRO's


Gastric Band

• Some weight loss
  
• Reversible (if needed)
• Restrictive
• Able to eat what I eat now, just in smaller portions which will make socialising easier This is also possible with RNY, and many banders struggle with foods like fruit, pasta, bread, rice, vegetables, solid meat....
  
• Adjustable

Gastric Bypass

• Large weightloss
• Less discipline needed (malabsorption) If anything this keeps me more disciplined as I worry about dumping.
  

CON's


Gastric Band

• Less weight loss
• More discpline needed
• Foreign object in my body
• Band/port discomfort
• Band adjustments
• Risk of slippage/erosion/problems =>more surgery needed (cost implications as I've only the money for the operation)

Gastric Bypass

• Malabsorption - long term health implications/complications Thats what the supplements are for, and regular blood tests will ensure you are treated for any deficiencies.
  
• Restriction on types of food I can enjoy not in my experience, only volume is restricted. See my previous post.
  
• Nausea/vomiting This happens to banders as well if they eat something too quickly, or something that wont go through the pouch. I havent been sick since I was about 6 weeks post op, as Im careful to make good choices and chew properly.
  
• Non-reversible

These are my pros and cons. I'm still none the happier. lol

The difficulty is CC, that the bypassers are always going to defend the bypass, and the banders are always going to defend the band. Your pro's cons list is a good one though. I'm sure the questions you are asking are helping many people who are pre-op to seriously question which op is best for them.

 

[Sambucca]

Hello! I was just thinking of you!!!!!! I was going to SMS you about lunch tomorrow.

Anyway ... you don't dump?

Nope, never dumped yet - and i have eaten some naughty things, but that fear of dumping prevents me overeating those naughty things... it works for me.

Lunch would be lovely. My break is 1pm. Can we meet in reception at my place of work?

 

[cah-ching]

yes! sure. I'll see you at 1 downstairs

 

[Sambucca]

ooh great. looking forward to it. xx

 

[cah-ching]

SO is it the malabsorptive aspect that makes bypass better than band?

 

[CCPM]

No that not all the difference is CC. The malabsorption may or not be a major factor it hasn't figured large for me at all I can eat things with quite a high fat content. Like Sam I rarely dump either only when I disgrace myself and eat loads of high sugar things one day at Xmas. A bypass also isn't likely to 'fail' - Liz has said the band can have mechanical failing or move or the port can, a number of ladies here have had those probs. However over time it will stretch. I guess the thing is none of the ops are a stand alone solution as had been said over time you have to work with all of them. Each has its own problems. Your menu would be achievable after a bypass but its quite high in carbs and you need to focus on a high protein diet first and foremost but you don't need to cut carbs out. I don't eat rice or spuds very often but can and do eat them.

It is proving hard for you, I don't like to definitively suggest a wls but would just say chosing one which may require a revision later means doubling your costs which when you are self funding is also of significance.

Hope you find the answer soon CC

M

 

[fatbutnot4long]

cc i can eat most things o ur list just smaller and i do dump! but take today my birthday is a few days and mu mother in law made me nas scones! they taste the same.. u can get nas sweets/choc/toffee loads! i ll be honest and for the first 6-8 weeks i hated the bypass and wished id had the band! but now ive lost 6 stone 4 since the 25th nov i wudnt change it at all! if uve got any questions i can help with pm me and ill answer 100% honestly xx

 

[cah-ching]

I do kinda feel guilty tho having been given this fabulous opportunity on the NHS & now questioning if its right tho. xxx

Was the band what you originally thought of when you started looking into this?

From what I've read your food looks pretty good... as with most of us I guess the whole dieting especially VLCD is what has made us so big in the first place!!!

I wish you all the luck in making the right decision for you & hope that maybe pursuing different options with the NHS will get you the results you want. xx

Hi Ditz,

I must have missed this post earlier on. You have the right to question what you want - it's a big decision not to be taken lightly.

In answer to your question, the band was what I was initially looking into as I was unclear as to how life would be after bypass. It seems life isn't so scary. I liked the idea of the band ... it being reversible should I need to have it reversed i.e. much less intrusive a procedure.

Re: my food intake, it's been somewhat different today as I've not felt like having the salmon + it hasn't defrosted properly so I'll treat myself tomorrow with it. So I'm sipping water, I've had a few crackers and will probably eat something lighter later on, but at the moment I'm not hungry. However I NEED something to stop the pecking. I still maintain that VLCDs are great for some people - it was good for me for a time, but also highly destructive. I'll never go near them again.

I have no idea what to do re: NHS ...... my surgery has been of NO help what so ever.

x

 

[cah-ching]

No that not all the difference is CC. The malabsorption may or not be a major factor it hasn't figured large for me at all I can eat things with quite a high fat content. Like Sam I rarely dump either only when I disgrace myself and eat loads of high sugar things one day at Xmas. A bypass also isn't likely to 'fail' - Liz has said the band can have mechanical failing or move or the port can, a number of ladies here have had those probs. However over time it will stretch. I guess the thing is none of the ops are a stand alone solution as had been said over time you have to work with all of them. Each has its own problems. Your menu would be achievable after a bypass but its quite high in carbs and you need to focus on a high protein diet first and foremost but you don't need to cut carbs out. I don't eat rice or spuds very often but can and do eat them.

It is proving hard for you, I don't like to definitively suggest a wls but would just say chosing one which may require a revision later means doubling your costs which when you are self funding is also of significance.

Hope you find the answer soon CC

M

The self-funding aspect is a huge factor for me. I have the cash (I think) to do one or the other but not one after the other.

I've just sent Mr Khan a text message. I hope he gets back to me.

Do you have Skype or a number I could call you on for a wee chat?

Cheers