I am getting the band. Although the weight loss success is a little higher with the RNY, it scared me too much to consider it.

I have a family history of heart disease and cancer. At 47, I am getting to the age where those things hit my family members. I felt that if I got sick, I would want my body to be able to absorb as much nutrition as it could in order for me to fight for my life if it came down to it.

With that being said, I do not have diabetes. I do not have reflux. I do not have high blood pressure. I do have higher cholesterol than my doc would like due to the family history, and I also have a bad back and joint issues. I get a lot of heartburn and the obvious problem is that I am nearly 100# over weight. I have lost about 55 since being at my highest weight, but with nearly 100 to go, I need help for long term success.

The decision is yours to decide with help from your doctor. I made mine based on my needs and my health. My doc agrees with my decision and said that if I had diabetes, he would have suggested the RNY. Everyone is different and what works for one may not be the one that works for you. There is more work involved with the band because there in no malabsorbtion taking place. You have to be more diligent in your eating habits BUT there are more side effects with the RNY even though the weight loss is quicker. My insurance doesnt approve the sleeve with a BMI under 50, so it wasnt a consideration for me.

Please, do your research. There is no simple answer. choose the one that best fits your liefstyle and the one you feel you can work with long term. Best of luck to you

I needed this surgery because every other tool I have tried failed me. I have an addiction and I cant control it on my own. I needed help. People told me this was the easy way out, but no it hasnt been that easy of a ride, but worth it. I've had moments of weakness where I've wanted to grab candy and eat it; or eat something fatty. Yes that makes me throw up. Sometimes it runs right through. I've had dumping syndrome once from something that had too much fat. It was miserable for about a half hour. I'm glad I had that experience. No, I'm not a fan of pain, but I experienced something that was unpleasant and because of that you wont see me touch THAT food again. I hear of many people who start with a band then go RnY... maybe you want that smaller step first? I went for the RnY straight off because I love me more than food. I would much rather have a difficult time right now learning the right way to eat in order to avoid making myself sick-- and eventually I will get the total hang of this and not have episodes once in a while- than to continue on the path I was on and let it kill me in the end. I would rather be able to control my difficulties than let them be the death of me. Even with the high dose of the medications my blood pressures averaged 158/110 daily. The other day I had me at 124/78! This is a life changing decision, but for me, it was the right choice. The only times I think that I regret it is when I'm wanting to get away with something I used to do that was unhealthy, and thats exactly why I did this, I cant get away with that anymore!

I think everyone is pretty darned scared when having any WLS. I was shaking so badly as I walked into the OR, and as I laid down on the table, I told myself - this is it - last chance to decide not to do this! I told the anesthesiologist how nervous I was and he said "give me ten seconds." Next thing I knew, I was eating ice chips! I'll tell ya, though, I was on the fence up until I went to sleep for the RnY.

I also considered other surgeries (sleeve, lap band), but I thought "if I'm going to do this, I want the best possible tool out there." Also, my diabetes had gotten so bad that the RnY was definitely the way for me to go. This is a very personal decision, and one that no one can possibly make for you. I consulted my surgeon, PCP and endocrinologist and they all concurred about the type of surgery I should have.

Thanks guys. I'm pre-diabetic and the surgeon thought the RNY was the best way to go but said it was my choice. I've done my research and i believe the RNY is the best choice....I guess I'm second guessing myself b/c I'm so scared.