CowgirlJane

I had a lapband and hated the created "pouch" and had nightmare visions of the RNY being life with a pouch again and the vomiting and discomfort that came with it. That might not be true, but it is what I feared. It was also riskier as a revision then the sleeve. Finally, I just was not comfortable with having my intestines touched - that is more of an emotional then logical reason... I could say it was about the Vitamins and dumping syndrome but that isn't true at all. I just could not get over the creepout factor. I do encourage everyone to really know the details about each procedure as it seems the rny gastric bypass has a slightly better "success rate". Long term success with the sleeve isn't really known yet, so that part is a gamble. Since you are on a sleeve forum, you will of course hear all the raves about the sleeve (of which i have posted many!) so just be sure you seek out the other side of the story too!

Dr Prof Weiner did my band surgery in 2001. He is a great surgeon, but I didn't do so great with the lapband....

Years ago when i lost weight onweight watchers I did little mini goal rewards, but for some reason that hasn't "called to me" so I really havent done that. I do plan on buying some nice custom fit chaps once I am at my final weight!

I can understand this, but I actually had a different situation! The real me loved outdoorsy stuff, went camping, liked being active and was especially into horse riding. So, I have been overweight forever, but it wasn't until I got really heavy that I slowed down/stopped doing all this. Now that I am more fit, it is more like I am becoming the real me and can finally really enjoy all the things my friends do! I did alot of camping this year, and get out and about whenever I can.

I am so excited for you! It is hard to express with words how much freer I feel - today I bought a size 14P no stretch jeans (short legs) - while that is far from tiny, it just feels so dang normal! I feel like I have found the secret code to how the rest of the people live and I am no longer the huge woman in the room wondering if i can fit, wondering if I can somehow hide that big gut. I am now, just normal, who knew I would find just being regular looking so exciting? It makes me smile to think of you feeling that same feeling! I loved reading everyones stories - I am inspired!

I have had two compliments recently that just make me feel like such a success with my weight loss. One of my brothers told me that I just look "normal" I don't look like I was ever morbidly obese. If course, I still have some pounds to lose, but the drop from a 26W to a slim size 14 is such a shift in everything about how you look! I try on clothes and finally feel like they look good. I was cold and could borrow someone else's jacket - that was crazy, to fit in a normal looking jacket and not needing something from the big and wide section. The other one was last night. I went to a "tryout" for a ladies equestrian drill team. It is fast paced riding and harder then you might think. The coach came up to me and told me I have a good horse and that I am a "good looking rider". I have been complimented on my horsemanship skills - how I handle my horses, but I have never ever ever had someone tell me that I look good doing it. Of course, what he meant was that i know how to ride and would fit in with the group. You just have no idea how thrilling I find it to be just normal.... I don't need to be sexy, hot or any of that. Just normal is wonderful. so, what compliments have you received that just really hit you as being so encouraging and heart warming?

Congratulations - I really think you are going to be very happy with it after living with the band! i don't want to talk anybody into it as it is a permanent change but honestly it has gone as well as I could have dreamed so I think it is pretty wonderful so far. I leap for joy everytime I count those blessings - normal recovery, no complications, great weight loss and really only minor "issues". I love my life and I can eat regular food just in small portions. I do work at it - I am not trying to make it sound easy, and I do sometimes eat outside my plan and struggle with food demons, but all in all, I just feel like a normal person. I had rice for the first time in over 10 years a few weeks ago. i was like wow, I can eat rice!!!! but I only had a few bites and that is how it is with the sleeve. Keep us posted - you have some very exciting times ahead!

Yes, I was very very scared. I was scared of complications but I think what I was really scared of was "Failing" again. This is a serious undertaking and will change your life. I think it is normal and quite sane to have some anxiety about it all!

You look absolutely amazing! Those photos are such an inspiration! I know you want to lose more (as I do) but looking at you in the "current" pictures you look like a regular sized guy - would have never guessed you have lost 200#!!! I also love how you look at your weight losses - 80% of your excess in the first year is outstanding for a person who started with a high BMI! Thanks for sharing your story and you should frame your photo montage of progress - and hold that up to your face everytime you are feeling a little blue - you are already a tremendous success in my book.

It is so exciting to read about all the successes! I am sure many people are reading this, please listen to me when I say don't let other people's amazing success get you down. We are all on our own journey, we all have unique circumstances. In general, men lose faster, younger people lose faster and the more weight you have to lose - it will "seem" faster. A man with 200# to lose will drop the first 100 very very fast, but it isn't realistic for most people to expect those kind of results. Flip side, those of us with higher starting BMIs will take a longer time to get to goal because the first part of the journey goes fast, and then often becomes very very slow. So, I lost 100# in just over 6 months. I have lost about 115 in total now, my ultimate goal is to lose 150 which I hope to hit by 18 months or so post op.

So, is it info on the surgeon or info on the procedure? I have never heard of this doc, but I would try googling him. Go to healthgrades.com and look him up. Do searches for his name in this forum but also at obesity help and the gastricsleeve forum (google them for the link). Is he one of the Mexican surgeons or is he in the USA? There is a whole forum dedicated to surgery in Mexico - poke around there to see what you can find out. this is just me, but I would surely pick Dr Aceves if I went to Mexico - that guy has done alot of sleeves, alot of revisions and seems to have a great reputation. Not to say there aren't others that are good too! Good luck!

Okay, so the "reason" that the sleeve will work - beyond the portion control - is because of the insulin resistance issue going away. I had not heard this, but it makes some sense although I don't understand the reasons that a smaller stomach causes this. I have had fasting blood sugar of just under 100 for many many years - borderline. My A1C was in the pre diabetes range. The first bloodwork post surgery at 3 months showed a tremendous drop - my fastiing blood sugar was more like 77. I thought it was due to my dietary changes only, but I NEVER saw that drop when i was doing weight watchers and lost quite a bit of weight. Maybe there is something about the sleeve that helps with the insulin issue. I guess I would still be skeptical, BUT, what I do know is that for many of us it only takes eating a little bit more then we should to keep the weight on. Maybe the shift in insulin response is enough to help? So, although I am a sleeve advocate, I am not sure about the strategy of planning another revision if it doesn't work. Ask your surgeon, but I thought that each successive WLS increases risk of serious complications. If I didn't believe in the sleeve, I would go straight for the RNY or more like the DS (although THAT is a scary procedure!).

I personally feel that I have been wildly successful with the sleeve, as well as could be expected for a virgin sleever. I lost 100# in about 6.5 months. It has been slow going since then, but I am not really complaining - i think I will finish my first year having lost 120-125# out of my goal to lose 150#. I feel very successful because even at the weight i am now, I am quite happy and my life has been transformed beyond my wildest dreams! One of the things I recognized during my decade of "band failure" is that I needed more support, more information, more strategies for success. I guess I really understood this time that WLS is "just a tool". I knew it before, but I REALLY KNOW it now. I have the personality fault of having a hard time accepting "help" and nutritionalists had always been completely useless to me in the past, but I knew that I had to try again, and be open to it. So, what I did was find a surgical practice that believed so strongly in the sleeve, has a whole support structure set up, emphasized education and had mandatory follow up. I too roll my eyes at the NUTs who know less then I do, but at this practice I had a NUT to work with that was absolutely brilliant. Everytime I met with her, she made some small suggestion, or something to try that worked. She was also very supportive and had a great way of keeping me focused on the main things to stay successful. That whole practice has this structured, but easy to understand approach to supplements, food recommendations etc. The whole thing made a difference, but the NUT was my real hero post surgery. Because of her, I still eat most meals using appetizer utinsils, a little tea plate and my bowl only holds 4 oz filled to the rim. I can assure you, I would not have continued doing that after the early weeks had it not been her counsel. It is so easy for someone like me (a lifetime of bottomless pit stomach) to drift back to larger portions as it is my history, it is my nature. Side note: surgeon told my hubby that my stomach was very large compared to average patient. Portion control is my single biggest issue - my stomach has always been a bottomless pit. I never really got that "satisfied" feeling - hungry or stuffed were my two feelings. I am not a true binge eater, I don't finish off a half gallon of ice cream at a sitting or eat multiple meals or anything you like that you hear people talk about - more like I would eat like a "growing boy" when I am really a middle age lady...lol... have seconds and then be ready for dessert in an hour or two type of person. So, the band really didn't reduce my hunger, and I didn't have someone who would ask me the hard questions and give me the tough love. This time, I had that. My view, this procedure is about 1000 times better then the band. My view is also that I would not have been as successful without that monthly in person coaching from someone who really knew her stuff. So, everyone is different, and not everyone needs this - there are many paths to success. I guess there are many paths to NO success too. Anybody who thinks their weight loss and maintenance is guaranteed with the sleeve is fooling themselves. I would say the same about the RNY as I have known of people with complete regains after that procedure too. This whole deal still takes work, focus, committment and frankly some sacrifices. This probably doesn't help you any....lol. I am a huge sleeve advocate because so far my personal experience has been wonderful and so much easier to live with then the band. I think you are very very very smart to be questioning, doubting and probing for answers before you committ to the revision. Each successive WLS increases your risk of complications. It was a big lie that the band is "completely reversible" - it leaves damage and scarring that incrases odds of leaks and excess bleeding during your revision. It is my understanding those risks are even higher with the revision to the RNY - but these are all questions to ask your surgeon to be sure you really understand the risks and benefits of all procedures.

My advice is to go to support groups and try to talk to both rny and sleeve patients. for me, the decision boiled down to I just didn't want a "pouch" because I had problems with the lapband and feared living forever with a pouch. Not totally rational, but I was just freaked out by the idea of the RNY. It was also much higher risk of complication as I was a band revision. I thought the malabsorption was the main benefit of the RNY, but some of my reading indicates that after about 2 years, the malabsorption doesn't actually seem to be effective anymore. I realize that by making the sleeve choice, my weight loss is a little slower and I may not get to goal. Not that it is guaranteed with ANY surgery....

I was a band to sleeve revision and my personal experience has been 180 from the band. I basically experienced with the band that I was hungry, but would experience pain from eating too much or eating the "wrong thing". Overtime, that definately encourages you toward slider foods. I did have vomiting problems, but I just learned to avoid foods that triggered it so it wasn't too bad over time. Main thing was once the band slipped, I had to have the Fluid taken out and I regained everything PLUS more weight. The sleeve has reduced my hunger (although that has been returning) and capacity for food. I no longer have that I am still hungry but have food stuck/pain. It feels pretty normal, just get full on small amounts. I have vomited maybe 2-3 times in 10 months -each time caused by eating too fast so I didn't realize in time that I had enough. this is actually a pretty easy problem to avoid with the sleeve and in my opinion when you read about it on these boards it is probably people eating too fast or having too big of servings. I still eat with appetizer utinsils and on a small tea plate, not a dinner plate. Portion control is the KEY to success with the sleeve. The sleeve has turned out to be what I thought that band would be and never was. I am only 10 months out, so only time will tell, but so far it has been a great decision for me.

MOST people I know have seen me struggle... and know that I have tried EVERYTHING since I was 8 years old and started my first diet. My answer to the "Easy way out" comment would be "only way out". I just could not break the obesity/hunger cycle. I tried and tried, I used to be able to lose weight and regain, but in recent years, i couldn't even really successfully lose weight anymore! Unless you have been obese - I don't mean 10-20 pounds overweight, but seriously obese, you just don't realize that the person finds themselves in a physical cycle that is so hard to break. Used to be they blamed it all on emotional issues, and while that is certainly a component, just plain all consuming hunger and rive to eat is one of the many struggles for people with metabolic syndrome.

Your weight loss is not level - for me... lots up front and then it slowed down after about 7 months out.... I lost 100# in just over 6 months. Now it is very slow, maybe 1 pound or less a week.

I did not experience severe pain - but muscle soreness. For me the much bigger issues were exhaustion, trying to get enough fluids in, hating the liquid diet, and mild blues post op while the weight loss was happening - it wasn't really noticable at first since I was high BMI (52). Honestly, the first 1-2 months were tough, but not due to pain in my case.

Jas, so glad to know that you are doing well now. We were sleeved around the same time and I was fortunate enough to have no complications. I totally understand Jas' point of view though - being close to death is not something anyone wants to go through! I think everyone is informed of the risks, but perhaps don't imagine it will ever happen to them. I am personally suspicious of this 1% complication risk. I have read a few studies etc and my feeling is that the complication rate is higher, probably more like 2-3% - although of course none of that matters when it happens to YOU. As a band to sleeve revision, my risk of leaks and excessive bleeding were probably double that of a "virgin" sleever so you can be sure I soul searched on this. I sometimes think that people play down the risks of what you are getting into with ANY WLS. So, for me the take away from any of these type stories is to really really evaluate the risk of surgery versus the risk of no surgery (in my case 300 pounds and gaining). I just lost a sister inlaw to a sudden heart attack in her early 60s due to a lifetime of obesity so it brought that point home for me - there are risks both sides of the equation. I am very concerned about the low BMI people with no health issues, especially the younger folks taking the risk of this surgery. It is a free country, so I understand that folks have the right to pursue this, but I would wish they would seriously consider the risks and if they are worth it. For some of us, they really really are worth it because the alternative was out of control obesity along with the health issues that go with it;but a serious complication turns your life upside down for months and of course there is a small risk you won't recover from it - although most really do.

I am not at my goal, but I have recognized this as well. I used to use food as a "ballast" - when I was feeling low, food could help me feel better. If I was wound up, it could calm me down. I still eat, so i am sure there is still some sort of impact, but in general, good no longer plays that kind of role. It is hard to replace a lifetime coping mecanism so I think your post is right on target. I suspect this is ONE of the reasons people can regain in the years post WLS.

I have gotten nothing but support - and I have told alot of people about my surgery. Part of it is I told peple that support was appreciated, but concerns and "reservations" about it weren't helpful so please keep it to yourself since the surgery is "done". If people talk about me behind my back - who cares. If they are petty enough to consider my weight an important topic, they are the ones who need to "get a life". Sometimes you just have to not care so much about the squacking of the hens. So, what is interesting about this approach is that there were a few noticably silent people. One of my brothers and his wife were in that camp. I saw him at a family funeral recently - our SIL that essentially died from obesity - and he made a point of saying how happy he is for me and how I just look so "normal" now. I think it kinda hit him how big of a deal it is to be 100+++ pounds overweight....

Even more then how you look - my riding has improved. I used to be so top heavy, I have always had a good balanced seat, but had this fear that if I started going over i wouldn't be strong enough to keep in the saddle. I don't even think about that anymore so I ride alot more assertively - just so fun! Even losing half your excess weight will make you feel like a million!

As the saying goes, when the bad thing happens to you, the percentages don't matter do they!?! Iggy has had terrible time, and is still in the middle of it so it is still very personal and frankly scary! So, I am sure this comment will offend some - but i will say it anyway. Surgery, any surgery is a big deal and should not be taken lightly. Weight loss surgery is a really big deal - each of the procedures has significant risks and drawbacks. If you have a chance in hell of getting weight to something reasonable without surgery - for Pete's sake do it!!! It is beyond me why so many relatively young, not very overweight people are taking this risk. To me it is a risk/benefit analysis... and being just "some" overweight and being young enough that you can change the path you are on without the intervention - just do it! When I was in my 20s I too thought I was a healthy fat person - and as was said before, I was healhty until I wasn't - it hit me all at once as well. Arthritis, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and borderline high blood sugar. The recovery from surgery and getting used to it all is no fun but I have fought the obesity monster for decades and just can't seem to do it on my own. I started out with a 52 BMI and co-morbidities, middle age, I was on the "dying slowly" path with a detour through "disability land" first so for me, it was worth the risk. Had my BMI been in the 30s, and I was younger, no way would that have made sense for me. I feel that so many people don't really face the risks and challenges preop. Lately there is alot of focus on complications (the bad news) - I swear when I was preop it was 100% roses and success. Neither of those extremes are true. What I figured out, and I was a revision from a failed lapband experiment so I have that background too, is that WLS just gives you that shot in the arm to get you off the obesity cycle. It is so easy to regain with all the surgeries (except maybe the DS). I personally know many bandsters AND RNY gastric bypass patients that have regained. I suspect in the next 5-10 years I will know many sleevers who do too. I don't have the answers, but I am pretty eyes wide open as to the problem. My hunger started returning about 7 months out. Disappointing, but a reality. So far it is not as severe as it was before, but what is clear to me is that the surgery gets you launched, but your ultimate trajectory is up to you. I am not disappointed because no way could I have gotten under 200# without the surgery and I knew this was a risk up front. We spend alot of time worrying about dying on the table, getting leaks (very legitimate concerns!) but too little time thinking about living with this for the long run. Take it seriously - both the short term and long term risks/issues but ALSO the risks/issues of keeping the weight. They are both very real - do the math.

I had lost nearly 50# before anybody but a close friend said a word of compliment. I just kept chugging and didn't think about it too much because honestly it seemed like I was just as fat as ever even though the scale and measuring tape told me I was losing. I too felt like I would never look normal. I will share in another post, but the best compliment ever was when my brother said to me "you just look normal, like you were never overweight". of course, I am still overweight by the charts - but i know what he meant. Deep inside, i guess I always fear that I will always be the 300# woman, but I don't look that way anymore and you won't either!

No. If you look at the data, very very very few people lose too much weight. I suspect that is generally associated with bad complications like strictures etc. I was worried about not losing enough, but I am very pleased with where I am at - even though I want to lose more. What am I scared of? Maintenance - but, one day at a time.