I just can't figure out what to do. All the WLS options seem to have their pros and cons, and I am truly having a difficult time deciding. My BMI is 47.
I am afraid I'll fail with the Lap-Band. I mean, I've failed at everything so far, so I have ZERO confidence. I'm also not liking the stats of so many people needing it removed later, being sick, all the PB'ing and what not. I've seen so many success stories with it, but I've seen so many failures/struggles with it too. I don't want to have surgery and then, still NOT GET IT. I don't think I could handle that blow to my self esteem.
I'm kind of afraid of gastric bypass, as it is deemed the most risky in terms of mortality. But then, my surgeon is supposedly the shiz and would not dare kill me. He has a reputation of zero fatalities to uphold! But I also don't want nutritional deficiencies on down the line. And, well, everyone messes up sometimes, even top rated surgeons.
The sleeve is a bit new, so I am worried there just isn't enough data about removal of the stomach and future consequence. Mostly I worry that my stomach would no longer produce the hormone that creates hunger, and maybe, just maybe, that hormone is also responsible for something else important that we just don't know yet.
I have a month until I finish my WL trial. And then almost another month until my appointment with the surgeon. I am probably not looking at a surgery date until November at the VERY earliest, and more like January of 2014. So I have time to think. And research. And think some more. But it isn't like I haven't been doing that! I know I want to have WLS, and I was initially planning on Lap-Band, but now I am feeling conflicted.
How do you decide which is best for you? I wish there was a checklist to fill out and then you knew. Maybe some weight loss magazine could come up with the Which WLS Is Right For You ? quiz.
It wasn't that tough of a decision for me because the other surgeries that required removal of body parts was immediately off my list...but not everyone feels that way.
ReplyDeleteCan I suggest you attend a few WLS support groups before you decide? Talk first hand with people who have taken the plunge with one method or another.
I'd also suggest you think about what you want your end goal to be. Me...I wanted to learn to have a healthy relationship with food and be healthy. I didn't feel like the bypass would do that for me. The sleeve was a possibility, but like you...I worry about newer surgeries that haven't been tested. Then when researching the band it just said YES to me.
My fingers are crossed for you...you'll make the right decision for you and it will all work out fantastically. I know it. :)