Op choices

[lamornamiss]

Can I just ask for an honest opinion are you happy with your choice of surgery
As a bander do you wish you had had a sleeve or bypass?
As a bypasser do you wish you had had a sleeve or band?
or as a sleever do you wish that you had had a band or bypass?
(That about covers everyone)

The reason I'm asking is, My daughter is thinking of having WLS, but doesn't know which to aim for, I'm inclined to tell her the sleeve as she can then go for a bypass at a later date if need be.
I'm not sure as a needle phob that a band is the right one for her (25 and I still have to hold her hand for a blood test Thats after I have dragged her there kicking and screaming)
A bypass has its own problems (which she has seen through me having one)

She is a chocaholic and fizzy pop freak both of which we are working on :copon:

I don't want this to cause an arguement we have had enough of the playground scraps now

I want to know why you chose the op you did and do you wish you had gone for another option

I forgot to say she is 25 5'4" tall and between 19 and 20 stone with no health problem as yet

 

[Marie1986]

Can I just ask for an honest opinion are you happy with your choice of surgery
As a bander do you wish you had had a sleeve or bypass?
As a bypasser do you wish you had had a sleeve or band?
or as a sleever do you wish that you had had a band or bypass?
(That about covers everyone)

The reason I'm asking is, My daughter is thinking of having WLS, but doesn't know which to aim for, I'm inclined to tell her the sleeve as she can then go for a bypass at a later date if need be.
I'm not sure as a needle phob that a band is the right one for her (25 and I still have to hold her hand for a blood test Thats after I have dragged her there kicking and screaming)
A bypass has its own problems (which she has seen through me having one)

She is a chocaholic and fizzy pop freak both of which we are working on :copon:

I don't want this to cause an arguement we have had enough of the playground scraps now

I want to know why you chose the op you did and do you wish you had gone for another option

Hey Lomornamiss!

I chose the BAND.. Simply because at my age.. being 24 (25 in Dec) That i shouldnt mess with my body too much, but it depends on her weight and how unhealthy she is because of it. to how drastic she needs to change..

Sometimes i wish i'd of liked the bypass because it seems less hard work in the long run, please dont lynch me anyone..

As a Bander, that's how i see it.. just an opinion, obviously i don't know because i havent had the Bypass done.. but as in how the TOOL actually works, it seems easier in the long run to cope with, im not saying the surgery or the recovery is easier.. just the TOOL in general..

Do you get what i mean..? (i hope so, otherwise i look like a evil nelly! which im not..)

But then i look at what ive acheived only in numbers and realise that this weight loss surgery, the gastric band has worked for me..

Marie x

 

[lamornamiss]

Marie That is exactly the sort of thing I want to know!!

I forgot to say she is 25 and between 19 and 20 stone with no health problems as yet

 

[Neen]

I think I chose right, I wish I had found this site before my op as it would have helped me prepare a lot better and perhaps not made so many mistakes.
However, now I've learnt the hard way on most things, I am happy it works for me.

If she isn't fond of needles maybe the sleeve is a happy medium to go for from what I have read on site. If her surgeon suggests it as well, then go for it. There's no point in choosing what might be a more difficult option if a suitable one is given to you.
As we all know, all surgeries have good and bad points and the weight loss is down to each persons long term commitment to keep the healthy lifestyle going after the initial weight loss is done. That is the same for all of us regardless x


I'm still a chocoholic and fizzy o holic but I just have a lot less and not so often. It's been a learning curve to get moderation and feel relaxed around food, but I was a complusive eater and I needed to learn those things for future health really.

It got learnt the longer way but I feel in control nowadays and I can keep my rampaging cookie monster in check pretty well now.

The fills aren't too bad, just a press and scratch most times, I consider them a small price to pay for having so much help in shifting my weight.

 

[Marie1986]

Marie That is exactly the sort of thing I want to know!!

I forgot to say she is 25 and between 19 and 20 stone with no health problems as yet

Exactly like me..

I was 19 stone 1 when i started the journey, just skimmed the guidelines for Wolverhampton PCT..

If she would like to talk to me.. hear my version of events or talk about anything.. on a same age level..

Thats not a problem at all, she could.. facebook inbox me or something?

Marie x

 

[lamornamiss]

Thanx Neen
Thats Why I'm thinking the sleeve for her (happy medium) but at the end of the day its hers and her Drs decision.
I just want to be a supportive mom who has been there done that and got the scars to prove it LOL

 

[Neen]

When I went for my chat with the surgeon, I had no idea the sleeve existed.. If I would have been told about it or known anything about it then perhaps I would have had one !

I have no regrets about my band though, it saved me. I went from being a 26stone recluse to believing I had a chance at being healthy and living longer for my boys (and me) and Iwould never have been able to make a dent in my weight without doing it.

I think I would persuade her to follow the surgeons recommendation.
It has been hard to get the choc under control in the past, though despite doing a lot wrong , overall I have still lost a lot of weight.
Not having the malabsorption and having restriction and relatively quick weight loss with the sleeve might be the best thing for her x
I would suggest she joins here/read all about each op and looks at how people with each op are getting on with living with their choice before she jumps for one or the other x

 

[shelbell]

I have always loved my bypass, but at the moment I'm REALLY struggling with the chronic malabsorption and shrinking rapidly, and the prospect of malnutrition is very real. On one side, I think if I didn't have the CM I would be a regain risk, but when combined with my health problems it is starting to cause problems. I'm 31 now, was 28 when I had surgery, so realistically I have to deal with this side effect for a long time (hopefully).

So now, if I had my time again I'm not sure what I'd do. When I'm not ill or recovering from surgery etc I can handle the CM so at those times I wouldn't change it, but today if asked I'd have a sleeve. I know I couldn't make a band work for me, I don't have the willpower.

At a young age and a relatively low weight (although how tall is she?) I would veer towards a band or a sleeve, but it sounds like she needs to work on her eating issues first regardless of surgery choice.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

 

[lamornamiss]

She's 5'4" tall
I also didn't know about the sleeve till I joined this forum.
She is starting weight management next week and seeing a counseller
so hopefully is getting all the help she needs

 

[Neen]

Cool x Well I hope she gets started on her journey soon and gets that weight off xxx I wish I had managed to sort my weight problems out at her age x

 

[Karlos]

I wasn't given a choice really. My BMI was too high for a band, and because I was diabetic too the bypass just made a much better choice.

The band is a good tool but it does take much more self discipline than the bypass. You can cheat much more easily on the band so you have to work that chuffer really hard if you are to enjoy the success that people like Neen have achieved. I wouldn't have been dedicated enough to make it work for me

Also what I like about the bypass is the double hit of the malabsorption. You lose the weight quicker than the band or the sleeve, and have a slightly smaller risk of regaining as you retain a degree of malabsorption for the rest of your natural. That can cause problems as Shellbell has found. I too have a slight issue with this going forward as I struggle to maintain my current weight and have to eat ten time a day to stay where I am.

So no choice for me they would only do a bypass, and I for one am really pleased that for me at least it's worked out OK so far

 

[Katkit1]

I love my band Wendy - but I know it would`nt be everyones choice.

I would of been too terrified of major surgery to go for a bypass, so I went for what could work for me.

Whatever choice your daughter makes - with your guidance, I wish her well and hope it all comes good for her eventually.






Love Kat x

 

[lamornamiss]

Cool x Well I hope she gets started on her journey soon and gets that weight off xxx I wish I had managed to sort my weight problems out at her age x

She has hit the 19 stone mark 20 years earlier than me
I want her to enjoy life to the full before she gets heavier and gets any health problems related to her weight

 

[Neen]

Absolutely xxx I got slim and regained and then didn't stop gaining til I got to my heaviest.. hopefully the right WLS for her will limit the chances of her regaining and give her time to learn good habits as she goes along.
When I did lose my weight at about the same age as she is, I went down from 12 and a half stone to 8 stone 13...at the time I didn't ever consider I would regain any of it.
But being young and daft I didn't change my old ways and just kept gaining all through my 20's and 30's till I was unable to shift any of it for long.
I hope she will not be in that sort of position so it's really important she accepts the surgeon knows what's going to help her most xxx

 

[Kevin1708]

Hi . . .
Interestingly, I chose the band but am having the Bypass WHY? i hear you ask - I took the advice of the Consultant who has done 3000 + xxx

 

[Mazza]

Hi Wendy

I was 19 stone pre band and am now at a healthy BMI. I dont regret my band at all!

Being the wrong side of 40 I'm very happy with my choice but I must admit if I was your daughters age I would consider the sleeve. It all depends on her eating habbits really, you mention fizzy drinks and chocolate but what about meals?

I agree with Shell re any eating issues, hopefully she will get help with these as part of the weight management programme.

Everyones journey is different BUT I haven't experienced this tough time banders are supposed to experience losing weight - its been very straightforward. I was a volume eater and now Im not - I cant be, my band wont let me.

Yes you can cheat with a band (apparantly) but again I cant, as a savoury eater I cant eat crisps or chips any more and banders are advised to avoid rice and pasta (my previous downfalls) as well as bread.

Wishing her all the best on her journey x

 

[JoxJo]

Hi,
I chose the band because my bmi was quite low. Good luck to your daughter xx

 

[mandym1]

I am going for the bypass to give me the most weight loss over a shorter period (I hope). I know this is not guaranteed but at 37 I am running out of time to have a baby. My Doctor also recommended this as the best option for me.

As I want a bypass for fertility reasons it went in my favour when applying for NHS funding (which has just been agreed).

My Dr said if he applied for funding for a band it would probably be rejected because it would not give me the weight loss I need to help me get pregnant.

Having a baby is not the only reason I am opting for the bypass but it is the main one. If I dont get pregnant then I will at least get my life back and be healthier.

 

[Deets]

if shes truely addicted to chocolate, then perhaps the sleeve isnt the best option either. I have partaken in a little chocolate, with no ill effects. However i can go ages without and it doesnt really bother me.

The bypass obviously offers some the 'dumping' syndrome which is probably enough to put you off for life!

Your daughter needs to be honest with herself. Is she a volume eater? A sweet eater? A savoury lover? etc etc Her honest answers should lead her to the best option

x

 

[goingtobehappy]

I was originally asking for a band until I spoke to teh dietician at the doctors and went through my eating habits, she suggested that a bypass would be the most appropiate for my eating habits, I tried the NHS route and was told that I didn't meet the criteria and that they only did bands due to the cost.
I started looking arond and found Cosmetic Bliss and spoke in detail with them about my eating habits, past dieting history etc. I was told that I would have to be very disciplined with the band and that it had been very successfull with other people like myself, I was then told about the sleeve and how that worked and how similar the results were to bypass but with your body still able to absorbe what you are eating. I did more research on the sleeve and the surgeon and increased my loan to pay for it.
I feel priviledged to have found out about it and had one, its working brilliantly for me, I've noticed the old stress factors still make me want to eat, tiredness etc but now I can eat 4 cheese thin biscuits rather than the whole packet. I don't feel hungry which makes life so much easier.
I'm really pleased with my choice but without having tried the other tools I can't give a true comparison but whichever tool your daughter has, she can make it work for her if she chooses too.