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Should I go for the Gastric Band?

Posted , 2 users are following.

Ladyuk62
Ladyuk62

Hi All,

I wanted your advice on this matter, I am 30 years old and battled with my weight since I was 17. I used to dance and found myself very active until I needed knee surgery at the age of 19.

Since then I have been like a yo-yo, 10stone-15stone-11stone-13stone and currently sitting at 12st 7lbs. My BMI states I'm 31 and type 1 obese so I am a candidate for the band I just feel like maybe I might be taking the easy way out.

I have been trying for 4 years to lose my weight, which is always an upwards battle but can 100% hand on heart say I give it my all in the past when trying to lose weight, however nothing seems to help control my weight.

I have tried all the diets out there, diet pills, not eating, eating regularly, exercising, MMA, lifting weights, listening to a nutritionist, the list goes on... I'm very in tune on what to eat and when to, I don't drink or hardly binge so on paper I should lose weight but I'm not... I've had my bloods checked and there's no issues.

My husband and I have recently been through a 3 year process of male infertility resulting in not being able to hsve kids... which I can only think may add stress.

I feel It's time to do something for me now...maybe I look like I'm choosing the easy way out but to me reading your stories most definitely looks like it can be the hardest decision to make...

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Bandid
    Bandid Ladyuk62

    Posted

    The band or any type of wgt loss surgery is def not the easy way out - its not a magic wand - it is just a tool to aid wgt loss - you will still have to eat healthily and work with this tool - and the wgt will not drop of over night - it is slow compared to other types of wgt loss surgery but you dont have much wgt to lose so could be that this would be the answer for you - not sure what type 1 obese is - not heard of that before - with a BMI of 31 I am not sure if you would be able to have the op on the NHS or in this country  but that is something you would need to check out yourself - i think you need to research what exactly the band entails rather than reading stories which say its an easy way out and then decide for yourself cos after all, if it works for you then that is the main issue here - why would you not want to take advantage of something that will help you control yr wgt prob - therre are surgeries to help with all kinds of  medical conditions and nobody tells people that having a hip replacement, wearing glasses, hearing aid or using a walking stick is cheating so why would having a n op to lose wgt be any different - good luck with your decision    
    • Ladyuk62
      Ladyuk62 Bandid

      Posted

      Hi Bandid,

      Many thanks for your response, you are absolutely right. I have to stop reading the stories and take into my own situation.

      I cannot have this on the NHS as my BMI is not 35+, type 1/class 1 is just the first stage... I think they categorise obesity now into 3 sections.

      I do however have a consultation booked Saturday to discuss this further, hopefully my decision will become clearer once I've spoke to the doctor.

  • Bandid
    Bandid Ladyuk62

    Posted

    thanks for the info on the classifications for obesity - good luck with your appointment - i think the main thing with a band is that you need to buildup restriction which takes time by getting small regular fills in your band so it is not operational as soon as you have the op and it takes time and patience to get this ultimate level of restriction - they should explain all of this to you at your appt-  if you are paying for the op yourself ask what type of aftercare and for how long it lasts as this is important in factoring in the total price if fills are not included in the price of your op - you could do some more research online about such things to be fore armed with some knowledge in advance - a good place for this is WLSinfo or you could try a local support group if there are any in your area - once again good luck
    • Ladyuk62
      Ladyuk62 Bandid

      Posted

      Many thanks for the information,I'll get some questions prepared.

      May I ask about the restrictions part, when the band is applied is there a starting point of liquid added straight away during the operation or do you have to wait until the 6 week appointment for the first fill, if that makes sense?

    • Bandid
      Bandid Ladyuk62

      Posted

      some surgeons put a couple of mls in to the band to start of with at the tijme of the surgery/insertion and others do not - usually the 6 wk checkup is when you get your first fill rewgardless of whether there is anything in the band or not and thereafter at intervals a few mths apart - when you first have your op you will be on a liquidised diet for a couple of wks followed by a couple of wks on a soft diet and generally after a month or so you can start eating normally but in smaller quantities - you need to work your way through these various stages before you get a fill cos you are still healing inside and need to be careful    
    • Ladyuk62
      Ladyuk62 Bandid

      Posted

      Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate it.

      I am best getting all my questions together for my consultation then making a final decision.

      Again, thank you so much!

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