CowgirlJane

It is great when somebody revives this thread I too love to hear how everybody is doing! I know you say your weight loss as been slow, but i don't think so - you started out with less to lose so the raw #of pounds loss will be less, but you are very close to goal! Congrats, isn't it just an amazing new life we have??? I have had massive hair loss too. I was told that protein is actually the main thing to avoid hair loss. I have been pretty good about protein, and vitamins too and I have lost at least 1/3 maybe more of my hair volume. My labs have been excellent, absolutly looks on paper like I have ideal levels. Now, in my case all this hair loss has been a good thing, everybody loves my new thinner hair because I had too much hair before. I am thinking mine started at about 4 months post op (though I don't remember exactly). It slowed way down over the last month or so. I think it is nearly back to the rate of loss I had preop (I shed alot even preop, i had ALOT of hair) The nutritionalist told me that hair loss is probably unavoidable if you are one of the people that have that reaction to the surgery - if it happens in during the 1st year postop, it is most likely related to the trauma of the surgery. If it continues significantly beyond the one year mark, it is probably nutrient deficiency. So, I would expect that the rate of loss should be significantly slowing for you soon. Thought I would share a progress photo - I attached a "before" picture and a current one taken last weekend. Who looks happier?

It is great when somebody revives this thread I too love to hear how everybody is doing! I know you say your weight loss as been slow, but i don't think so - you started out with less to lose so the raw #of pounds loss will be less, but you are very close to goal! Congrats, isn't it just an amazing new life we have??? I have had massive hair loss too. I was told that protein is actually the main thing to avoid hair loss. I have been pretty good about protein, and vitamins too and I have lost at least 1/3 maybe more of my hair volume. My labs have been excellent, absolutly looks on paper like I have ideal levels. Now, in my case all this hair loss has been a good thing, everybody loves my new thinner hair because I had too much hair before. I am thinking mine started at about 4 months post op (though I don't remember exactly). It slowed way down over the last month or so. I think it is nearly back to the rate of loss I had preop (I shed alot even preop, i had ALOT of hair) The nutritionalist told me that hair loss is probably unavoidable if you are one of the people that have that reaction to the surgery - if it happens in during the 1st year postop, it is most likely related to the trauma of the surgery. If it continues significantly beyond the one year mark, it is probably nutrient deficiency. So, I would expect that the rate of loss should be significantly slowing for you soon. Thought I would share a progress photo - I attached a "before" picture and a current one taken last weekend. Who looks happier?

At 4 months post op, I had zero appetite, zero interest in food. I ate greek yogurt, cottage cheese with pineapple, Protein drinks or bars. I also had chicken on a small salad, or a tuna salad or something like that. I could eat chicken breast or beef or whatever, but i just had a very low food drive at that time. My focus was just to be sure I got enough water/fluids and protein and just didn't worry about the rest. Like you, crackers were easy and I sometimes had them, but generally just kept them out of the house since they really don't add a lot of nutrition. Now 8 months out, I eat pretty normal healthy type food, in small quantities, still protein first, and no longer feel like food is too much of a bother type thing.

I am a big advocate of the sleeve - it has been wonderful for me. However, I think that a person should really think alot about it before having WLS. You DO need to change your lifestyle I know everybody says it, but do we all really know what that means? That isn't just a blah blah boilerplate, it is really true. Depending on where you are "at" with things, that might be really hard. You may find the first few months post op to be kinda bleck.... low energy, no appetite, really not feeling wonderful. I started out with so much to lose, that no one even noticed until I had lost about 50# - that can feel discouraging. I had a lapband 11 years ago - had that cursed thing for 10 years, but I learned alot in that process including everything that I did wrong ultimately contributing to it's failure. When I read about people "sliming" and vomiting etc post sleeve I feel that they may not have really learned to eat alot less, to eat slower. To stop before you are "full", I sometimes wonder if people even realize to change the mindset. The goal is NOT "full" it is more like "not hungry." Anyway, I suggest you don't rush into this. I think you DO need to tell your live in boyfriend as he will need to be a support person in those early weeks. Even though i had a lapband, I anguished over the decision to try again with a revision to the sleeve for a very long time. As difficult as it was going through that back and forth - "should i or shouldn't I?" it really was a time when I worked alot of stuff out in my head. I think it made it easier for me to comply with the best practices post sleeve. Good luck whatever you decide!

Hi, Welcome! I lost 105 pounds in about 7 months. I have stayed the same about the last 3-4 weeks, but all in all, have lost great! I started with 150 to lose so still want to lose more, but really am feeling great. The first doc I saw wanted me to get the rny gastric bypass also. I had "failed" with the lapband and with the 51 BMI - well - he was skeptical I could be successful with the sleeve. I thought alot about it, and when I considered the pros and cons, just decided I wasn't comortable with it. Plenty of people do GREAT with the RNY so I am not dissin' it, just not for me. I found a doc who has a pretty good track records with his sleeve patients and believed I was a good candidate. I have been right on track and very very happy with results so far. I am confused about the "bile" comment. I had horrid reflux (ie I woke up choking more then once) with the lapband. I never had it before. After being sleeved, I had some acidy feeling tummy, controlled by PPI. I stopped the PPI awhile ago, but definately will take it if needed. What i experience with the sleeve is mild compared to the band - I have never had acid / food come up with the sleeve, just sometimes an acidy feeling.

I sure hope this works out okay. I find it.... annoying.. that you have this kind of requirement. I had to do a 2 week liver shrinking diet - for my own safety. I had no weight loss requirement, although i did lose 8#. I found it very very difficult but I was very motivated to get that liver shrunk. It makes me kind of mad that some programs want you to prove that you are surgery worthy by losing certain amounts of weight. I don't think there is ANY evidence to show that it improves your long term success. Most of us are professional dieters, so what the heck does losing 10 pounds prove? Rant over. Good luck on your surgery - looking forward to welcoming you as a new sleever!

I know that WLS patients have a high percent of depression etc. I personally think it may have to do with nutrients, but is more likely due to unrealistic expectations. WLS won't make you happy, won't solve marriage, financial or other problems. Heck, it won't even guarantee weight loss and maintenance. It is a tool to help you achieve many things, but the price you pay is giving up food as an emotional crutch. For some people, some points in their lives, that is a rugged change to deal with. I think I would have a hard time too, but the weight loss came for me at a time in my life when I am so loving and getting more and more into my horse riding hobby. I am doing all sorts of stuff with my horses that were just not possible before. If I ever feel like I miss food, I give my horse a big hug and am reminded why it is just so worth it.

First of all, I am inspired by your positive attitude in spite of this ongoing challenge. I think you have an outstanding mindset and determination - you will get through this! I am sorry you are having these challenges. I have never heard of the "kink stomach" this must be a pretty uncommon complication. I have heard of strictures though and it is really a puzzle to me why some people are prone to them. Keep us posted on your progress, i am very hopeful that soon this will be behind you and you find eating more comfortable. I eat pretty normally now, but I would say that in the first 5 months post op, I much preferred cottage cheese, yogurt etc. I am not sure why, but part of it was that food just didn't interest me much and that was easy. I found easy/softer foods more appealing even though i could tolerate chicken and beef etc too - i just didn't prefer it.

I read the link on the fitness standards - I think this could be doable! If it is your dream, let it inspire and motivate you. The reality of whether you can make it depends mostly on your determination, but also perhaps if you have early onset arthritis or any other obesity related issues that might make you partially impaired. I have two bad knees (bone on bone arthritis) a bad hip and back/shoulder/neck issues but I am very physically active and just loving it. I keep up with other women my age range who have been thin their whole lives. I don't think I will be running a marathon soon (those knees!) but I sure do alot. I think that often our desire to suck up life and just do all sorts of stuff is so strong that the physical "limits" become an obstacle that is readily overcome. Don't count yourself out yet!

I don't know about 50% infection rate, i don't believe that is accurate. Erosion is actually quite uncommon, but is one of the more serious band complications. Truth of the matter is that most people eventually have to have it removed - reflux, slippage, just didn' work - those seem like the most common ones.

Depends on your surgeon's protocol. I don't remember the week when I could add seafood, I am thinking it was with other meats and more like 6 weeks. All surgeons are a little different.

I was pretty well informed by my doc, nutrionalist and my own research, but I was not expecting Water to suddenly taste so awful. Now, at 8 months out, I can drink it again, but it is no longer my favorite beverage. Herbal teas and water flavorings are a life saver - plain ole water isn't what it used to be. Remember - herbal teas - no caffiene - can really help! I also wasn't expecting to develop a lactose intolerance, although I had heard about it on these forums I was allowed to add back decaf and eventually caf coffie. It can really stir up the acid so proceed with caution, based on your surgeon's advice. I have a cup a day... sometimes 2. I also want to mention that some of the icky things people talk about (ie BM stuff) is for most people not a problem over the long run - it is those first few weeks as your poor body is adapting to the surgery, and the crazy food plan during the healing period. It gets talked about a lot but isn't really a problem for me anyway.

Lets be clear here - the scar tissue everybody refers to is actually on the stomach organ. The skin scars with lap surgery is minimal. From other surgeries, you can also have adhesions that cause problems. Specifically though the lapband leaves big thick scarring ON your stomach tissue.

Lisa We have similiar stats. I was sleeved a month after you, have lost over 100# but still want to lose another 40-45 or so. I only lost 8# preop and that is included in my stats. I am in a stall, but optimistic that I will get there - may take me 18 months, but i can do it! Just wondering how you are doing since we have similiar amounts to lose. I have been in a stall for about 3 weeks! I know I need to change something up, but on some level am kind of enjoying the short break and just being at a stable size for a little while. Weird maybe.

I lost 70# with the band in about a year. I felt like a failure, that is for sure. I got down to about 200# through dieting and alot of exercise. I lost about 100# with the sleeve in 6 months. I started out heavier this time, so still, am around 200#, but still losing. They are completely different experiences - night and day. The band was a nightmare, living with the sleeve feels pretty normal, pretty good. I don't think being sleeved is a guarantee of success, and I read on forums about people who seem to have poor results. I am not there with them, I don't know why, but I am guessing that they either didn't get good instructions or don't follow the "rules." I met some ladies in a face to face support group who had lost about 50# in 6 months, still had a lot to lose and I guess i felt that was not great results, but they talked about all the crap they eat... and well.... WLS is no guarantee of excellent results. You still have to work it! You could say the same thing of the band I guess, but, it is much easier to "comply" when you are NOT starving and in pain - which was pretty much my experiences with the band anyway.

PJ, I think one of the powers of posting to these forums is the "Self discovery" as you write. I had no idea how complex my feelings about the band were until I was .... overwhelmed with fear and doubt about the decision to revise. I spent about a year in complete turmoil. AT some point, I started posting here and another sleeve forum and began to understand those feelings. There were a couple of regular posters here who very much inspired me (Tiffikins among others) to realize that I didn't just fail with the band, the band failed me. I lost 70# in the first year with the band. I exercised, I dieted, I suffered reflux that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. I suffered embarrasment of needing to throw up in the middle of a business lunch. I was hungry but couldn't eat. I felt horrible about myself even as I was losing weight. And you know what, I blamed myself for all that. Then, when I thought I would die from the reflux and had all the Fluid removed, that huge rebound in weight was further evidence that "I failed". But, my new perspective is this - I did better losing weight on weight watchers with zero fill in the band then I EVER did following the "band" protocol. Fills were uncomfortable and miserable. It was stupid to have a device that I would hurl after one bite of salad so slider foods where the only thing that felt comfortable. I had horrid aftercare, nobody told me how to properly manage the reflux etc etc. I no longer feel embarrassed about my failure. If anything I am more pissed off about what i went through. This experience really did influence me in choosing a surgeon and choosing how I am approaching the sleeve though. After care means the world to me because I didn't have it before and I need it (not saying everybody does, but i do) so I stayed in the USA and went to a local surgeon. I set aside any pride and go to a nutritionalist, even though i am already fairly self educated. She turned out to be an amazing cheerleader and resource for me - but I needed to be open to that. I can go on and on about what i am doing different this time, but bottom line, the sleeve is a better tool by a long shot and your ODDS of success are just much better with a heck of a lot less suffering. I hope i have learned from my mistakes too and just bring a different point of view to the table now.

True, but I have never been able to find a published study that shows excess weight loss maintained over 5-10+ years for the sleeve only - not as step 1 of the 2 step procedure. Would be really curious if you have. The sleeve stats really begin the last 3-5 years when it became common as a stand alone procedure. I do feel pretty confident about the long term "safety" of the sleeve. It was used as you say. Also, it is a different procedure, but partial or full gastrectomy (stomach removal) has been done for cancer and ulcer treatment for decades and people live long lives after the procedure. The lapband device is interesting because it was used outside of the USA before it was approved here. My surgery was done in Europe in March 2001, a few months before it was approved in the USA. They had a few years on us, and were already disclosing that it was a "tempory" device. Also, there were other band like devices - really, all sorts of weight loss surgeries were "experimented" with decades past. Every once in a while we get someone posting who is revising from some sort of "band" that is not the adjustable gastric band.

I am confused - was this remark intended for me? I don't think the band is good and I in fact have revised to the sleeve. I frequently post on the revision board.

I am prone to nasuea from the anesthesia. When I woke up, I felt horrid even though they had given me the anti-nasuea cocktail. As bad as it felt, I never threw up. I went home the next morning, only stayed one night. The pain wasn't that bad, it felt like I had done about a million situps. I did sleep in a recliner because I found getting in and out of bed uncomfortable - the ab muscles were very sore. I didn't have a big problem with the gas pain either. Actually, I felt worse after my band removal surgery maybe because I was so blue about the band failing or maybe because that port area was so sore. My main issue was feeling really tired. I got better over time- but I wasn't "normal" until about 6-8 weeks post op.

You will get biased information here. Everyone of us had significant issues or we would still be banded. My view - the band is absolutely terrible. It causes damage, scar tissue, reflux. Most/many people eventually have problems of some sort that requires Fluid to be removed or band removal. In my case, I often felt a strong desire to eat even though the pouch was full. I vomited more then I care to recall and it was often triggered by healthier foods like veggies and salads. Junk food, no problem. It is said that only about 30% of the people are successful with it over the long term (ie more then 5 years out). I personally would be surprised to here it is that good. I was banded for 10 years and knew quite a few fellow bandsters from a decade ago. Only 2 are still banded and have remained trim. Like I said, the vast majority will need to have it unfilled (permanently) and like removed eventually. It was a reasonable choice 10 years ago, since it was either it or the gastric bypass, but I have no idea why people are still getting it (unless there is a specific reason they cannot be sleeved). Many docs are shifting away from the band due to poor long term results. Tell your friend to ask lots of questions about the 5-10 year + results. The counter argument is that the sleeve doesn't have such a long track record - so taking a gamble. True, but with the band you KNOW the track record is very poor over the long run so in my mind it isn't so much a gamble as it is betting that your results will beat the known averages - seems to me an unwise bet.

Many of us exercise. I started strength training about 2 months post op or so.

The best compliment I got was a friend who sees me every 2-3 months does a huge DOUBLE take. She also told me she cant imagine me losing another 45 pounds or so - well, I still have plenty of fat, but it was a nice compliment. Another friend didn't recognize me - I hadn't seen her in about 3 months. My sister from out of state saw me and told me I was just radiant - happy! I haven't heard the sick comment, but i have to tell you I committed a huge Faux pas about 15 years ago. My son's teacher was a very very large woman and she was losing weight. Since I was very obese too, I complimented her on the weight loss, only to find out she was dying of stage 4 cancer. No wonder people are so paranoid about giving compliments on weight loss - I felt absolutely horrible.

What I will comment about hunger is that there is still also a relationship to how you manage your food and exercise. If I eat a high Protein, small portion diet, my hunger remains very low to practically zero. If I eat junky snacky food, my desire to eat increases. I don't know if it is fair to call it hunger, but it is some sort of physical response to crappy food. Thirst and acidy stomach can also "mimic" hunger, especially those first few months post sleeve. I have been told that if you exercise long durations you can trigger hunger. I don't know about that, when I go out and do horse stuff I am out for 4-6 hours and I feel that my hunger is reduced when I am physically busy. I have to remind myself to eat something especially if I am exerting alot. I am still most likely to eat "wrong" late in the evening watching TV - old habits can be hard to break. I try to have a Protein Bar or a bit of fruit with cottage cheese for dessert - so at least some sort of nutritional value So, my advice - focus on small quantities of foods like lean meats, cottage cheese, greek yogurt etc etc with veggies to balance it out. Go light on the fruit, high carbs like pastas or bread, alcohol or any of that. You just feel more satisfied on the high protein with veggies diet and your blood sugar stays more even if you eat moderate to low glycemic indicator foods. I do NOT eat super low carb because it makes me feel bad physically and I am still losing weight okay. When I have a slice of bread, it is a wholesome whole grain, I try to avoid a lot of crackers and cookie type carbs. Ice cream literally makes me ill and I get diarrea so that source of fat and carbs is pretty much gone too. When I was first banded - say the first few months - my hunger was seriously reduced, but my drive to eat really wasn't. After the first few months, I was constantly hungry and wanted to eat. It was not good. Then, when the band was removed I realized it was helping some because I went from being hungry alot to being just RAVENOUS practically all the time. It was terrible but convinced me that I really needed the sleeve because something just isn't right - my stomach sends too much hunger signals to the brain. What a miserable way to live - always focused on food. I tried behavioral therapy, but I am convinced that MOST of the issue for me is physical hunger (not to say that old habits and head hunger aren't a factor too, but it is smaller then the drive to eat due to hunger in my case anyway).

Sorry if this sounds harsh - but your kids are old enough to pick up after themselves, cook food, do laundry etc etc. In fact, you are doing them a disservice to continue to provide complete maid and chef services - how else will they learn if not under your wing? I can't help but wonder if they aren't all (kids and hubby) really saying that : "I have a good deal going here and I don't want you going in and messing it up by changing!" Really, it isn't about the short time of surgical recovery, it is about the whole rest of your life. Heck, if you start feeling better about yourself you might no longer be the willing servant to the family. Many many kids at age 16 and 19 have jobs and are fairly independent. Even 13 year olds often babysit and take on other responsibilities. It is really really hard for others to accept this kind of change, but I guess the question is - what is your health worth? What is your happiness worth? What is your ability to go out and do fun stuff without dragging around a bunch of extra weight worth? Yes, it is great to have support, but I will tell you that the most important "support" comes from deep inside you. It is your own willingness, eagerness to change your life that will make you successful no matter what resistance you meet from others. My final thought is this. My boys are 20 and 23. It is a bit sad and lonely when they fly the nest and start living their own lives - even though I raised them with the expectation to find their way int he world, it is still painful as the mom to be left behind. My youngest son went off to college and I had to hide my tears everytime he headed back to school after a long weekend or holiday home. It was heartbreaking as we have always been so close, but dang it, he deserves his own life - he doesn't owe it to me to stay around and keep me company! How are you going to feel over the next 5 years or so as they each take flight and leave you home - still fat, still not living the life you want, but you don't have their companionship. I am so busy having fun these days I hardly have time to miss the kids. I am not even at goal yet, but let me tell you, losing that 100+ pounds was like a HUGE weight coming off my shoulders and now I am the one flying!

For me, I would never consider a lapband again, even if it were possible with the sleeve. I hate that demonic device. Good luck on the approvals - sleeve is oh so much better!!!!