CowgirlJane

I agree - and the sister complaint is that since the sleeve is not malabsorptive you DON'T need Vitamins. Not true since the food volume is low AND there is a malabsorptive component to the sleeve even though it is not very well understood... We all have our biases, and I certainly do to, but people post things about which they know nothing.

I like that comparison tool, very helpful - but I feel it is missing a few key things - example, the most serious long term complication with the sleeve is bad acid reflux. If a person has GERD that would be a major reason to chose RNY over the Sleeve, for example.

I was in a complete state of shock all day yesterday.... as it relates to my sister's partner and her brain tumor... it has been a week of bewildering events. It came to a head this weekend having to dig through her house to find critical things and saying goodbye to most of her family as they flew home. Saturday I managed to piss off a friend - I think for good this time. To be honest, I wasn't' really wrong in what I said but my mood perhaps made it come out wrong. It is a case of good riddance, but still part of the whole sh*tstorm. Monday I managed to tangle with my oldest son, but I had the composure to realize it was not going well so just told him I couldn't talk. He called my EX to talk to me...haha. Apparently I was in quite a state that I had intervention called on me. Then, Monday getting word about my 40 year old niece. I think I just went from functioning to a zombie. I saw my counselor and told her I had not taken ANY drugs or drink, but I felt drugged. I felt like my mind and everything was shutting down. So, I got a nice night of sleep last night, watched TV and just zoned out. I feel a little better today although still no appetite. I have been forcing myself to eat and one of the strange observations is "eating too fast" and then I don't feel good. It is surprising and I don't know where it is coming from but I am trying to be very deliberate about taking care of myself while going through all this.

Sounds good to me! My incisions didn't hurt though. I had some shoulder gas pain, very sore ab muscles and a general state of misery but my incisions were fine.

fye - I am so sorry for your loss. It is so hard to lose a mother. I am turned upside down right now, but hanging in there.

I had a lap-band for 10 years and was well aquainted with many people who were banded around the same time as me (Mine was March 2001). The issue is that even for people very successful with the band (I was not) many have to have it removed or re-positioned due to slippage, dialated pouch, erosion etc over the long haul. I would say that of all the people I knew from that era, only one still has a fully functioning band that never needed surgical intervention. She was low BMI, got to goal after losing about 70 or so pounds and has been a long term success story. She has been able to maintain really well with little or no fill. I lost 70 or so pounds too, but was still over 200# and never got under it so I wasn't a success and she was even though we had similiar weight losses. When I had to have my fill removed due to reflux and pouch dialation I regained weight very fast. My personal opinion is that for a high BMI person, that is an increased risk of never making it to goal and regain if the band does need some sort of "fixing" down the road. Of course anyone can regain but there are special issues with the super morbidly obese as our bodies and metabolism have been changed by the obesity. I am not trying to make this in to a band bashing, i just am sharing my personal experience and my observation of other people who were in the boat with me at the time is all. I do agree everyone needs to make the best choice for them, and I want every banded person to be very successful, i just know that this component of the band is really an issue for those of us with lots to lose. I also think the band can work very well - but if it were me, with so much weight to lose, I would be thinking of the gastric bypass or sleeve. Now, 3 years ago I was seriously considering the DS since I was so obese. When I had plastic surgery in 2013, one of the consults I had was with a USA surgeon who told me that he only had two patients with very serious complications and they both happened to be DSers. He told me that the procedure really has very special supplement needs and he was so concerned he didn't want to operate on people with that - whereas I know several people with DS who are doing well. It still got my attention of just how big of an impact bariatric surgery can have on our health. I re-iterate - the sleeve does have a malabsorptive component, it is NOT just smaller stomach and you WILL need to supplement to maintain your health over the long haul. The issues show up years down the road, so people in the first few years typically aren't aware, but there are a few vets with Iron, and B Vitamin type deficiencies that I know of. If you google studies about comparing WLS, or go to the research section of this forum - read up and be educated so you can ask your surgeon the right questions. Also know that revisions are much higher risk of complications than "virgin" surgeries so I advise you to keep that in mind as well.

It's hard. I left a very unhealthy relationship as well - he is a good man but has alot of emotional issues and we just made each other worse it seems. We split a long time ago, but I am still adjusting to life../ Anyway, much much harder than I could have imagined. I am hanging in there. Good luck to you.

I have written lots about this - but go back to basics is really it in a nutshell. The veterans forum in particular has alot of posts on this subject. I am 2.5 years out - surgery was Dec 2011 - and maintaining at goal. right now, life has thrown me some awful curveballs so I am definately looking to this forum for ongoing support to keep me on track.

Surgeons are biased too! I wound up very successful with sleeve but first surgeon I saw said no way... I needed bypass since I'd already failed with the lapband. Do your research but my opinion you are too high BMI to consider lapband. If you go to research forum there are links to good articles comparing and reviewing studies. Sleeve is a good choice as long as you do not have reflux or GERD. Bypass remains the gold standard for a reason. News for all of you, sleeve still has elements of mal absorption and ongoing Vitamins are still required. My nutrient profile remains excellent but I found that many sleevers become B Vitamin deficient a few years post op. Sleeve has worked great for me. I went from a BMI of over 50 to 23 but I am so far beating the averages. The problem with individual success stories is it can give unbalanced view. That is why reviewing actual research and asking surgeons questions about results in their own practice is important.

Once you are close to goal the extra skin doesn't weigh that much. I had extensive plastics and it was only 5.5# of skin. I didn't need lipo as I didn't have extra fat.

Florinda interesting theory which we should discuss once you are back!!!

Made myself eat a small lunch. I learned my lesson. ..you have to force yourself to eat or risk feeling even worse. Was at hospital this morning. She is better today but it's all hard. My boys are both down too. They are trying to help me and it feels good to know they really care. I want to protect them but they are adults and need to learn what decent people do which is "man up" when life goes to hell. Yesterday a childhood friend of my deceased sis came crying to me hysterically. " I can't do this again". I told her we have to. But it's exactly how I feel. I hugged her alot. Side note, it's been different immersed in lesbians..haha The issue with Steven is he does care but he's so damn f*d up that it's always about him. He doesn't even realize it but sometimes there are bigger issues then his ongoing drama. I got pissed over his self centered bull, but didn't want to argue so didn't say a thing and just sent him home. He took it hard. I felt bad this morning because he was actually trying. But...basically I don't really care in the larger scheme of things.

And I never did get dinner on Saturday. I had a protein drink this morning. Need to watch appetite because under eating triggers bad emotional and brain state.

I plan to go weekly on Friday but brain tumors and related nightmare has put a crimp in my fun. I was supposed to "party" all day Saturday with mary and her childhood friend. We were gonna ride horses, go to a street fair listen to music, go out to dinner. Due to my living nightmare I got there after they had finished dinner. Bartender bought me a fancy cocktail -he is a sweetie - and I went home. Steven came by and we talked. I don't know why but I didn't like his company. it was weird, I didn't want to be with him even though I would tell you I love him I was not feeling it. I am just focused on family and details you all don't want to hear about and tired of his latest self created crisis. Sigh. I may give up on men entirely. Never mind me...exhausted and drained so just venting. I love my life and sad Betty had a shitty one is now dying.

I would like to do a bunch of travel this next year but am not in a kind of relationship that includes that sort of activity right now. I traveled solo to Mexico to visit a friend that lived down there and that was great but I want to travel all sorts of places... I am curious how others have found a community of singles to do stuff with. i am a member of some meetups, but the travel ones don't seem to do anything really. Ideas?

I am the rare "non tracker" but I use the scale and fitted clothing as my accountability. I view it pretty simply....do what you did to get to goal. Really goal is not the finish line, in some ways it is just an arbitrary milestone. Health and fitness isn't a thing you find and then say...whew, glad I can cross that off my list. It's ongoing, and to me maintaince takes diligence while finding a lifestyle that is richer than just obsession with eating and exercise. I too live with guarded optimism about my long term weight management.

It's easy for us to criticize a procedure we didn't have... but truth of the matter is all I really know about is what it was like to be banded in 2001 in Germany by a world known surgeon and sleeved in WA state in 2011 by a practice with a terrific local reputation. For me the band was just a nightmare of epic proportions but I realize that others find success and i genuinely wish all huge success. Some of have said that the techniques are better now, but I know that my sleeve surgeon who used to be a "band factory" really seldom does them now. His reasoning is that a higher percentage of people do better with the sleeve or RNY. I never discussed plication with him. When I first heard of plication, before i revised to the sleeve, I had that "deja vu" feeling - like a lot of promise but very little evidence - same as existed with the band in 2001. Again, perhaps in the last few years more info has come out about plication so I am certainly not the one to speak to that! I think it is really really important to do your homework. While it is interesting to read forums - the truth of the matter you will find both wild success and epic failures for pretty much any WLS for a variety of reasons. I think that looking at actual published studies of a wide population is a much better and more realistic way to look at this. I think also talking to the surgeon about the results seen in their practice! Then, once you pick a procedure, throw your heart and soul into it. I picked a surgeon who had a two year follow up since I had very poor follow up and education with the band i recognized that as one of the issues for me. I learned so much during this time working with their team of experts... I really attribute much of my success to that support and education system that i took full advantage of. I went from super morbidly obese (BMI over 50) to now weighing about 140, wearing a size 4 jeans and a small or medium top - I did have plastics which is part of why I fit in smaller sizes now. For me, the sleeve has been the tool that I needed to have this success, and i am sure I would have done well with the RNY too.

Photos... My new farm toy and me Dancing at one of these meetup events. Horrible picture of me, but it was just so fun!!! Yes, that was about the ratio of women to men. I felt pretty hot that 2 guys hit on me...LOL. I wasn't shopping though, just dancing and talking and having a great time. People said I was a good dancer but I look like a weirdo in this shot...LOL

Hannah you are not a dope, it's just getting educated! I failed with the band for many reasons but one was not understanding this concept. Dense protein is stuff like beef jerky, roast chicken, sandwich meat etc. Even Greek yogurts might fit this category. Food with minimal additives that fill your tummy and give a satisfying feeling. You can get a lot of protein via the bars but all that carby fillers that makes them taste good is also what makes them sliders that go down way to easy and make you want more.

I had 4 removed and am on a 3 year colonoscopy schedule. My bariatric surgeon told me I remain high risk for colon cancer due to obesity history. Losing weight is the best thing you can do for your long range health and history of polyps was not an issue for me. Of course discuss with the surgeon and perhaps even your primary care doc since you have a a more intense situation.

I am 2.5 years post op and have had hunger ups and downs and so I have some suggestions I hope you will try. #1 take a good PPI! You may not think you have reflux but acid feels like hunger and many surgeons prescribe PPIs for everyone those first 3 months since it takes time for the tummy to produce less...smaller stomach needs less. #2 Quest bars are like candy with Protein. I love em and can't keep them in the house. They are not filling and really are sliders for me. Don't eat slider type food...it is not satisfying and can trigger over eating. #3 eat dense Proteins first! In the early months I was advised to eat 5 mini meals a day, always starting with dense proteins. If room, veggies. So a snack mini meal might be a Greek yogurt or a bit of sandwich meat or beef Jerky or a bit of roast chicken. (I eat less often now, but it worked well at your stage...ask your NUT for a plan) #4 eat until no longer hungry. FULL is not the goal. It takes awhile to reset the brain on this one but over time this will payoff big time. #5 stay hydrated. Follow the rules about not drinking near mealtimes but load up when you can. Thirst feels like hunger.

Swim, not sure who that is directed at but I don't think you have a thing to apologize for. I think "evidence-based" medicine is a good idea. When I first connected with my surgical practice I wanted that. They sent me home with medical studies and abstracts to read.... over time I came to trust their advice and my own body and am less prone to insisting on the research. It would be different if I didn't believe in their competency and integrity the way I do now. It's like when I found a great mecanic 20 years ago.... I still go to him and trust his practical advice. My 15 year old minivan with 180k miles is still reliable and affordable transportation for my college age son....enough evidence for me.

Florinda I am sorry you are going through this....but don't be too hard on your boyfriend. I have noticed a chromosome related trait of unwillingness to communicate empathy. The next boyfriend will fail in a similar way... there are exceptions and it depends on the topic and circumstances but over the phone in a situation he knows about but hasn't really "lived" he doesn't stand a chance. That is what moms and sisters and girlfriends are for. Beautiful photos! My life has taken a turn toward the tragic with bettys brain cancer at center stage. I am proud of myself that I wake up every morning and ask myself if I feel the wolf....the horrible anxiety/mood stuff and I don't. I am calling old friends, extended family and enduring their guilt wracked voices and tears.....and while I feel it like a thousand cuts I am not depressed or spinning up...just even. (Betty is a raging alcoholic and most of us lost contact over the 7years since my sis died even though we all love Betty and promised my sis to watch out for her,that is the guilt part) A week ago I ordered this little farm toy, before all hell broke loose, and it arrived on a hot day when I happened to be dressed a little daisy duke like...Haha. makes me so thrilled at my weight loss, maintenance and plastics!

Great success story! I. Lost over 160# after my band to sleeve revision in 2011. Highly recommend rny over band!!

For me, the preop diet was one of the hardest things about this whole process. I was STARVING, even though I was allowed to eat high quantity of low carb food. I was emotionally STARVING since I wanted carby food to comfort me since i was scared to death of surgery. I was a bit of a wreck to be honest. I did however follow my eating plans, both pre and post op to a "T". I guess fear can be a good motivator at times. Here is my encouraging words, years later when you look back, this will be the first of many successes toward your journey of a healthier you. For me, complete compliance was part of the process of turning over my feelings to "believing" in what was possible if I followed a proven, tried and true path. As a professional dieter, I could count calories and weight watchers points with the best of em but I never found sustained success. I had a certain arrogance I think even. It was important to let go of many false beliefs - l had bought into the starvation mode myth etc.