Hey meza. I guess I am the closest you will get right now on this site. The group is a bit young. Hard decision. This is a long one...so bare with me..there's a point to it...I promise.
I'm a 54 yr old female with no current physical problems. yeah! Prior to surgery I had sleep apnea, diabetes, high cholesterol, ortho issues, enlarged heart, kidney disease, asthma, anemia, and a couple more embarrassing issues.
I almost hesitate to respond to you. Chain of command thing. I have only worked the line, never having expedited. I am sitting here thinking, OMG, she's a much better chef, how do I say this without offending her. I can't believe I'm worried about offending someone I don't know who she is and she doesn't know me. LOL.
I am a home chef. Self-taught. I have worked in kitchens on the line, waitress, and front of house. I was enrolled in the CIA before surgery but withdrew before I did anything with it. I have wanted to finish it up but just about a year ago decided it's something I just couldn't do.
I am 2 1/2 years post op. Would I change my decision? Nope. I had to do it. And if you have gone from 316 down to 267 on your own, I don't think you need the RNY. You seem to have what it takes to lose it another way. I am absolutely impressed you have lost so much. I was hopeless and couldn't lose it. When I did lose, poof, I would gain it right back. That said....here are my thoughts and reasoning (all based on my own post-op experiences).
Your taste buds change after RNY. The pallet is clean. It's like a new slate. I would think with the sleeve they would as well. But it's for the good. Put a can in front of me and I will pitch it right back at ya. Canned foods I find disgusting..a plus for a chef.
My sense of smell is unbelievably sensitive. This has proven good and bad. As you know, in a working kitchen the different smells can become intense. I have only felt sick to my stomach when sampling something and sampling TOO MUCH. I had to learn to stop at a sample (as a waitress) and a taste (on the line) even when it was amazing. When I am stuffed to the gills (my pouch is still only 3oz), the very smell of food makes me ill. My fix...stop eating in the kitchen and stick to "tasting" as needed. I have never worked in a really fast-moving kitchen.
I can fix and taste anything and I don't have any problems. Sauces and soups are difficult for me. Many people post-op seem to become a bit lactose intollerant.
Dairy and Fat. Horrible for my body. I can't handle either very well. Again, tasting is fine. I just can't eat them.
Another thought. The following comments come from being under the microscope with my surgeon and nutritionist for several months because of excessive 'dumping'. So I'm not just tossing something out I've heard. This will forever be a part of my recovery process:
Dumping vs. Diahrrea
What I thought for over a year and a half was alot of dumping was in fact diahrrea. I never reported it as anything except dumping because I just plain didn't understand what dumping is. Dumping is caused when a food that your body can't process is spit out. We learn quickly what we can and can not consume. I was dumping daily. Dumping EVERYTHING. I hated lettuce. Couldn't understand why it I couldn't hold romaine or red leaf in me but both just passed right through me. Who dumps on lettuce? But I never questioned it til about July of this year. My quarterly blood work was horrible. My primary doc called and actually said to make an appointment with her. After I saw her and we went over my results I scheduled an appointment with my nutritionist. My potassium level was 3.2. And I had just been approved for plastic surgery. I was told nope, no sugery til potassium is up again and if it went any lower I would be in the hospital attached to an IV.
When I visited with the nutritionist we went over vitamins I was taking. Yep, I had them all. I was severly anemic, potassium was too low, Vit C was almost non existent, Vit B1 was barely on the charts, Vit D was dangerous level. I was pronounced "malnutritioned". I had no clue what was wrong. So step by step we went through daily routine and eating. I casually asked, "could it be the dumping?". She shot a look at me so fast and said...what dumping, you don't eat anything to dump?
I fessed up to diahhrea every day for the past year and not being able to keep anything in me including the potassium pills. She went and spoke to the surgeon and he wanted to see me. He fit me in and that started this long research period....colonoscopy (gross) and more tests. At the end of that initial visit he was perplexed and told me try to add a little bit of fiber in my daily intake. Buy some powdered fiber on the way home. Take it daily. Set up the colonoscopy and he'd see me in the OR.
2tsp a day of fiber..one morning, one evening and a week later, it stopped. I did have to have mega doses of Vit D for 3 weeks and I'm now permanently on liquid potassium, but I can eat any dang thing I want. I can even taste dishes with dairy without any ill-effects. Tasting sauces is fine. Actually saucing my own plates (what I myself eat) is still a bit of a challenge. I just have to be very very careful.
Dumping should not occur with tasting. I have never had it when preparing a dish. I do have it if I choose to endulge and eat a meal of what I have prepared IF and only IF it is something my body can not handle.
I chose to withdraw from the field out of fear. You are the first Chef I have met that has considered WLS. Just typing this message to you is bringing out that desire to return to the kitchen. I guess once it's in us, it never leaves.
Feel free to send a private message if you want to continue talking or have any questions on anything I've mentioned. I can slip you my email as well.
As far as sleeve vs. band. Looking at the amount of weight you have lost, it doesn't seem that one would be more difficult for you. From what I've been told by a few I know that have had the band, it has to be adjusted from time to time. I have no clue how that works but the thought of continued maintenance on it would turn me off to that option. The sleeve just basically cuts the size of your stomach so you still are able to consume small but normal sized meals. Those I know who have had the sleeve are all sorry they didn't have the RNY. Have you spoken with a surgeon yet? I have my next visit on Monday, I will ask a few questions and pick up some documentation on the sleeve and the lapband. Maybe some of it will help you make your decision.
Take care and best to you.
Letrell