Help Help Help

Ok here is where I am now. I just got off the phone with Amy from Dr. Guptas office, we have been having a hard time trying to find out what happened to my fax for pre cert. and unless the girl is on vacation that Amy talked to it is lost. I have called twice and Amy has left a message to the supervisor that she talked with and who said she got the fax for pre cert.  Well that is only half the problem,  I know you have all been very supportive of me trying to decide between the lap band and the rny. I had decided on the lap band and I did tell Amy that, well in talking to her today she said she had put me in for rny. YIKES, so here is where I stand now I dont' know what to do. I had choosen lap band because 1. I don't want to be the 1 in 200 to die. 2., I am terribly afraid to gain my weight back, can't be another failure. 3. I live 3 hours away from ST. V. and if any complications came up it's a long road to get there.  4. Afraid if I do get threw the rny I will stretch my stomach out and just get fat again, kinda the same as 2.  5. my only fear of lap band is it won't work for me. 6. If I survive and lose the weight fast then I will have all this skin, which I already have so much hanging fat, that I know I don't have the money for plastic. So, here what I will be doing, Amy said she would go ahead and get me approved for RNY and then I would schdule a appointment with Dr. Gupta,talk with her, and then see what surgery I should do.  Amy said once approved she could always refax info  for lap band, I guess it goes to another girl cause it is considered outpatient, 23 hours, . Geez I am so up in the air about this now, I feel like I am just starting this journey and have been waiting for 8 months. So any kind words of wisdom would be much appreciated. Here is another thing that I keep thinking that it is fate and Iam suppose to have the RNY since it was submitted wrong. HELP, Tracey

 I WILL SAY TO YOU THAT THIS IS A LIFE CHANGING DECISION EITHER WAY YOU CHOOSE.   LOTS OF EMOTIONS RUNNING EVERYWHERE.... WHATEVER YOU DECIDE FOR YOU WILL BE THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU...PRAY AND BELIEVE... GOOD LUCK

First of all...breath deep.  Now realize that you can resubmit your paperwork with the lapband proceedure listed if that is the procedure you prefer.  I have heard it goes through quickly since you have been approved for wls already and are only asking for a different procedure. Jeannie

You ahve to be very truthful with everything you tell your surgeon, and the dieticians......then talk with the surgeon and see what her opinion is.  I put all my trust in Dr. C and what she thought was best for me.  They all want us to be successful!!  Hope this helps!!!

I'll reaffirm what everyone else has said, and which I'm sure you know ... no one here can tell you which surgery is the right one for you.  Any of them can be successful, and any can have risk.  Talk some more with Dr. Gupta about it.

As far as insurance, if they approve you for rny, they'll also apprve you for lap-band.  They just approve a "bariatric surgical procedure," it's your choice which to have.  The only exception is DS, since some insurance companies consider it experimental.

Dr. C said its more like 1 in a thousand if that. And less than gallblader surgery.

Tracey, I just want to tell you that your choice is just that~your choice. No one can tell you what is best for you. I do have to tell you that you can start to gain weight no matter what surgery that you have. You have to remember that the surgery is only a tool with either one. You have to do the work reguardless which ever one you choose. My surgeon told me that if you have more co-morbidities the RNY was the best way to go for the fact that it will the weight off faster. He told me that with the insulin I was taking the lap band would take me a couple of years to get off it and with the RNY I could be off it in 9 months. I stopped taking everything for the diabetes 1 week before surgery because of the diet I was on, and I have never looked back. My A1C is 5.6, and you can't get much better than that. I would definitely talk to the doctor about the co-morbidities if you have any and which surgery would be the best for that. Good luck in making your decision. Keep us posted on what ever one choose

Thanks, I am praying and just hoping I will make the decision that is the one God wants me to take.  Your not kidding about the emotions, I am trying to keep busy so not to run to the frig. it is just crazy!

Tracey, It really sounds to me like you could benefit with a talk with Dr. Gupta. I would show her your list of concerns and discuss each of them with her. I know when I looked at your list, what came to my mind was:

1. Is the 1:200 deaths from RNY only...and is that accurate, up-to-date stats?  I would ask what the stats were for 2007 ALONE and what they were for RNY, Lap band, and for WLS in general. Even if 1:200 were accurate for RNY, how do you know that it is so much worse than what it is for the band?  You may want to inquire what the rate is for something non-bariatric...say gall bladder. You see, there is an inherent risk to any surgery.        

2. I can understand the fear of not wanting to regain. With ANY weight-loss surgery, you will HAVE TO make lifestyle changes or you will gain it back. The RNY forces those changes..however you can, after awhile..if you don't do what you are told to do, regain it back. With the Lap band, it doesn't force the changes on you quite so rapidly..so in alot of ways it takes more will power and self discipline to be successful at losing the weight to start with. I knew I didn't have that which is why I went with the RNY.     3.  Complications can happen with any surgery. With the Lap band, you do have to have fill-ups of the band.                     4/5: See #2 6.  Once you lose the weight..regardless of which WLS, depending on age & condition of the skin, you may or may not have alot of loose skin. Young people have a tendency to have less..older folks, more. So really, it all depends on how much elasticity is left as to if it will bounce back or not....not so much which surgery. Rapid weight loss has an effect too. But if I were having WLS, I would hope for it to be rapid myself.                       That's my 2 cents on your points. Jodi is the most sucessful lap-bander I know...and I really admire her for the self-discipline that I know it took for her to lose it. She will tell you though,...she DOES have lose skin..and she has had complications as well. I'm really not trying to push one way or another...just be sure you have a true and honest picture in your mind as to what can/can't will/won't happen.                      Sherri

Hi Tracey, I understand all you are going through.  I started the process intending to do the lap-band.  No way was I having my stomach stapled!!!  I talked to Dr. Diaz first.  He said since I liked ice cream and sweets that the lap band was not for me.  I didn't like his answer so I switched to Dr. Gupta.  She said the same thing.  After a lot of soul searching I came to agree with them.  I didn't want to fail again and I wanted something that would help my long term issues with food.  I'm not even that concerned with losing weight - I just don't want to gain it back.  I wish I could have had the lap-band but I know it wouldn't have worked for me.  Just my ideas.  Keep praying and the correct answer will be given and all the paperwork will be completed as needed!  You are not on a deadline... I'm doing fine.  Finally got all my protein in yesterday and I feel much better today!!! Take care, Barb