CowgirlJane

I am not anxious in general, but medical procedures send me around the bend. any. medical. procedure. I about had a panic attack before getting an endoscopy! Anyway, i had the lapband surgery 10 years ago and just about ran away at the last minute. I was sooo nervous. What I realize now is that I was worried about the wrong thing... that lapband surgery wasn't too difficult, it was living with that dang band that was the hard part!!! I had the band removed a little while ago. I was pretty nervous, but, I knew it had to be done. I wanted it gone in a planned manor, and not in an emergency (band had slipped so it could have become an emergency event) so it was a little easier for me to be determined. Now, I am waiting for my sleeve date. I am worried, but my anxiety about the surgery itself has been greatly alleviated by talking to the doctor and staff about my specific worries. i was able to take my general anxiety on the subject, and turn it into a handful of specifics and then really talk through those. I am a very analytical person, so that made me feel alot better. I think I am actually now looking forward to getting this sleeve surgery now!

I think you are in the wrong place.... pretty much everyone here is either sleeved or planning on getting one. Does your physician have good stats on plication results?

The only one that was strongly expressed was the intuitive though. I swear, everytime I take this I get a slightly different answer, but I don't remember exactly ExtravertedIntuitiveThinkingJudging It turns out I am a field marshall...lol. Since I am a project manager I guess that makes some kind of sense. There is a quote that I thought fit me to a "T" - as I never really wanted to lead I just keep finding myself outfront. "Hardly more than two percent of the total population, Fieldmarshals are bound to lead others, and from an early age they can be observed taking command of groups. In some cases, they simply find themselves in charge of groups, and are mystified as to how this happened." I don't know what this has to do with WLS though.

I am not worried about not being able to eat a big christmas dinner or anything like that. It is more like, I want to plan to succeed, plan for success. Try to make choices, where I can, that make success easier - that is all. I also tend to think that there really is never a good time.... my college age sons will be home for the holidays over that time. It will be good to have the company while I am recovering, but a part of me would rather be alone too...lol some people have super easy recoveries and there is really no way of knowing in advance how it will go - I am just assuming that I will be pretty tired and feeling kinda cruddy at times. I already know that I have a hard time recovering from anesthesia - hence planning for 3 weeks off, just in case I need it. When I had the band removal surgery, I had some emotional meltdowns as part of recovery. I WANTED that band gone, so it wasn't remorse or anything... it was more like the drugs just triggered some strong emotions is all.

I strongly second Amanda's advice. I became obese when i was 5 and when i was 21 years old I got down to a slim size and I was very athletic and in shape. I attracted alot of attention I wasn't used to. I loved it, but also hated it. I really didn't deal with it very well and of course regained the weight. If you get the sleeve surgery and you get stressed by this issue, you run the real risk of sabatoging yourself. I cannot emphasize enough just how hard that was. You said that you have been told that you have the kind of personality that people hate you for. What do you mean by that? It concerns me that you have experienced the world as kind of against you... you likely have very valid reasons for those feelings, but it will be very hard to go through life with that view and keep a healthy relationship with food. I generally don't feel regrets about life choices, but I seriously seriously seriously regret that i couldn't keep that weight off when I was your age. I would be so much healthier and have such a better quality of life. That was back before i had stretch marks, before i had the big extra skin on the belly - all that. It is really worth investing in yourself right now, at this time in your life. I wish you the best of luck

I have two big concerns. The first is reflux/GERD. Now, I know not everyone gets it, and most people who do get it can control it with drugs. A nightmare scenerio for me would be to have a lifelong problem of uncontrolled/partially controlled reflux. What a nightmare scenerio - and a sizeable minority of sleeve patients have some degree of reflux. Anyway, there is some disturbing indication that people 3-6 years out start seeing an increase in that problem. My second big concern is leaks. I am a revision from the band, and have a higher risk of leaks. What is scary is that leaks are always bad, but some people's journey to recovery is especially hellish and long (like a year!!!). I have tried to pick an experienced surgeon and doing what I can to minimize the risk, but I had the band for a long time so have mounds of scar tisue. It is very hard to get an actual risk percentage for a revision patient, but it is more then 1%, the published rate for "virgin" sleevers, probably less then 10% rate based on what I hear. I have never seen a published study on the rate for revision patients though. In the end though, when i look at my overall situation... I realize that i am pushing 50, pre-diabetes, i have sleep apnea, i have arthritis is both knees and my feet are killing me.... if I keep this weight on I have a very very high chance of dying way too young and suffering alot from my comorbidities in the meantime. Heck, I am already suffering from joint and back (and feet!) pain. when you do the total risk assessment, for my situation, it seems like it is worth it to gamble on the sleeve and hope like heck I am in the majority that don't have major issues. I am looking forward to resuming being active in all the things I LOVE to do. It will be alot easier after i have lost 100-140 pounds.

That is great! I had my band unfilled YEARS before removal surgery. I was surprised to discover that even an empty band gives some restriction because I have been super super hungry since about a week after it was removed. I don't have a sleeve date yet because I can't find a long window to be off work yet....

Your post fascinated me as i had never heard of the Molina band. I did a quick search, and the most informative piece of info I found was a thread on OH. I don't know if we are allowed to post a link to OH, but i will try. http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/failed_wls_second_time_around/4090872/Information-about-the-Molina-Gastric-band/ Just reading this post explains why a revision to a sleeve presents quite a risk. It sounds like you need to find a Doc really experienced with this as it is quite different then the lapband. I sure hope you find someone great!

Okay, the surgeon I picked is very experienced. He used to do mostly lapbands, with some gastric bypass. Now there are almost all sleeves - with the occasional bypass and lapband thrown in. He has done hundreds of Gastric Sleeves and keeps records and stats on his patients. They have good data for 3 years and have results that exceed the "published" success rates. I guess I didn't ask the question of how many actual revisions they have done. It is less then 50. That is a drop in the hat compared to what some of the Mexican surgeons have done. I like my surgeon and their office, have no other reasons of concern, am blessed to have insurance coverage so I am inclined to stay with the path I am on.... but I have always heard that "100" of a given procedure is what makes a surgeon an expert. I am not sure if I should be worried. Given the relative "newness" of the gastric sleeve as such a popular procedure I am curious what others find in their surgeon's level of experience with revisions from the band to the sleeve.

He did tell me that the main concern on a revision is increase risk of leaks those first few weeks. There isn't alot of published data on leaks for revisions, but he said based on his very limited data, it is probably twice the risk of a "virgin" stomach based on his own practice. We are still talking single digit percent risk. He also told me that revision to bypass has much higher rate of complication - various complications had different risks, but they tended toward the double digit percentages. They told me that they had not lost any sleeve patients (ie no deaths) - revisions included in that ZERO number, so that counts for alot with me.

I had the band implanted in March 2001; removed Sept of this year - so 10 years! My band did slip, and other then the fact that I weigh more now then when I weighed when I was banded, I guess I am not too much worse for it, stomach scar tissue aside. There is alot of info out there about how poorly the band performs, but we tend to not want to hear it. I went back through my paperwork and I had a brochure from Bioenterics stating that the lapband was a "temporary device" and would probably need removing. I didn't remember reading that. Looking further, i found a copy of a statement THAT I HAD SIGNED, saying that I understood that the band was not a permanent device and would likely need removal at some point. I have no memory of this, but there was my signature! I guess we put filters on what we want to know and remember. My BIGGEST fear of the sleeve is that "we" are doing that again. I hear very few negatives and I that is exactly how it was with the band in 2001. Sure, we knew about erosions, but that only happened to people who kept their band too tight (who knew that ALL the bands made during that time were probably too tight for most people!). Sure, Slips happened, but that was only to those people who "didn't follow the rules". There was alot of blaming of the people that these things happened to - it was a way of deflecting the real risks I guess. I read a sleeve related post where somebody actually made the statements that "leaks only happen if you cheat on the post op diet" - and I couldn't help but think... sheesh, here we go again. Minimize real and serious risks by blaming the victim when they do happen. I am also very skeptical of certain reported results with weight loss procedures because they do not match my actual experience of people I know. I know several people who had gastric bypass 5-10 years ago and they had very high complication rates. I know only one person who was banded 10+ years ago and still has maintained her weight loss. If she had her band removed, not sure she would tell since she makes her living in a band-only surgical practice. Even a few well known surgeons have had their bands removed! I am normally a very optimistic person, but on the subject of weight loss surgery, well, I guess I think a little skepticism is healthy. Reading forums is very informational, but it is also a poor way to know how things go over the long haul. People tend to move on after awhile AND people who were never successful tend to post less hen the ones who have done well. It tends to bias the impression you get. anyway, I am glad my band is gone, and I do plan to revise to the sleeve, but I do wish there was another path that actually works.

I am very squeamish, but i am still glad I watched the videos. i feel like i understand the actual surgery alot better now. One thing that is kinda funny is that you get the idea that it is very short from watching the video, makes me wonder what they are going to do the whole rest of the time,

interesting as i had not seen this. I have not been sleeved, but had the band removed a week ago - i have been fuzzy headed and really low functioning at work. I had to tackle something that involved alot of numbers and i really had a hard time organizing my thoughts - I had to go slow and carefully. I assume it is the after effect of the anesthesia. When i am sleeved, I plan to take a little more time off from work because this has been rough.

As I mentioned on your other post, Dr Weiner is a very experienced bariatric surgeon. I have a lot of confidence in him and that hospital. I personally feel that while I received excellent medical follow up after my gastric band, i don't think I really had the opportunity for other follow up and support. That was pretty typical of lapband follow up 10 years ago everywhere i think, but i sought out a surgeon for sleeving who really emphasizes a 2 year follow up. i think I need it. If I were in your situation I would not hesitate to use Dr Weiner as a surgeon but I would ask very detailed questions about his sleeve patients (he keeps follow up info on his patients and can provide stats). I would also look for your own education/support closer to home. That might be a nutritionalist or support group or counselor, I am not sure which as i think I need all of the above.

Thank goodness that is OVER!

I think I underestimated this. It is a relatively simple surgery - done as a day surgery. Doc warned me I would be sore, especially around the area where the port was. Also, they do alot of adhesion removal, so I knew there would be tenderness. That has been as expected. What I didn't realize is that a week later, I am suffering from some mental fuzziness, general tiredness and overall blahs. My blood pressure was very high on the day of the surgery and today was checked by my PCP, and is very high still. My midsection measurement with a tape is 1-2" bigger then I was presurgery and I am very gassy. I had done medifast prior to this surgery and started it up again but honestly haven't felt 100% great since starting it (even though it really helped my blood sugar and i lost weight). Dr wonders if I can't tolerate the soy and if that is one of the things going on - so I am stopping the medifast for now. I think that just getting knocked out and cut into is a bigger deal then we give it credit for. Good news is my wounds are healing up well. I have a desk job, but I am wishing I had taken a few mroe days off from work as I am just sort of mentally confused, disorganized and just not really up to the job. I guess we all recover differently. I am forewarned though, when I am ready to do the sleeve, I am going to plan on 3 weeks off, not the 1-2 that i hear others talk about. I think I am just more sensitive to the sleepy drugs or something.

This is my last remaining issue to get comfortable with before deciding to be sleeved. I never had reflux until I got the gastric band in 2001. I just got that removed and want to see what happens from here. i don't have Barrets, but here is what terrifies me.... I get the sleeve procedure and get really bad GERD which forces me to revise to RNY which i DON'T want. I am afraid that once I decide to get the sleeve that it will set off a cascade of events - and lead to an end result I don't want. I need to come to peace with this risk before proceeding as there are some studies that show that reflux problems increase after the 3 year mark post sleeve surgery.

Prof Weiner did my original lapband surgery in 2001. I received very good care at that same hospital, although they kept me longer then i wanted to stay. At that time, German hospitals tended to keep people much longer then American counterpart for everything - not sure if that is still the case. This surgeon is very experienced in all types of bariatric surgery. Even though the band was a failure for me (just got it removed last week), I feel that Dr Weiner is top notch. For what it is worth, other doctors were impressed by how tiny and unnoticable my surgical scars were too.

I tend to agree with the previous poster - it isn't about losing the last 20-30 pounds, it is more like your long term health and safety. You are already h aving pretty serious problems, and it sounds like you need an unfill and can't get one. My advice to you would be to get rid of that band, even if you don't want to convert to another surgery.

I did not have this... sounds like a mistake???

I have had my band since 2001, and since the Fluid was removed several years ago, no real serious problems. (I had horrific reflux with any fill at all and some pouch dialation). Found out from the various pre surgery tests that my band has slipped so that baby needs to go before it becomes an emergency. I saw the surgeon a few days a go and feel MUCH better about the surgery. I am a nervous nellie about medical stuff and it gave me peace of mind. Doc thinks I have low level reflux even though I don't notice it anymore. Well, guess what, last night I woke up drowning in reflux. It felt like it went in my lungs - scared the crap out of me. I am looking forward to this crapband being just GONE. The other cool thing is that the doc shared with me that the letter from my PCP was NOT supportive, although no contradictions for me to be sleeved. I told him that I would like to find a more supportive PCP and he gave me the name of a PCP who lives near me who has had bariatric surgery! She specializes in low carb living and post bariatric surgery life. What a find, I am thrilled. I can't wait to meet her. Maybe some things are coming together for me, finally. I don't plan to do the sleeve surgery for a few more months out though, I really need to feel "sure".

When I was banded, my kids and hubby knew. I told my younger sister, who I was very close to. On a big family camping trip I walked into her campsite to discover her telling about 7 other people and really 'dissing me for having the surgery. It has been hard to forgive and forget that moment as many of the people there were her friends and really distant aquaintances who had no business knowing. I kinda feel that if you want to go the "keep it quiet" route, you need to keep it REALLY quiet. At this point, I plan to tell a much larger circle of people when I am sleeved. Only DH and two (now grown!) kids know the band is being removed. My sister is now passed away and i don't give a rip about the people she blabbed to.

I am a few weeks away from band removal and then have wait time before i get the sleeve. I would really like to start losing weight now, but haven't been too successful on my own. I am considering one of these "programs" for the next few months, just to get some weight off preop. I know, voluntary torture but I am beyond sick, beyond tired of being so fat. I don't feel good, I hurt all the time and I can't stand how clothes fit or how I look. I have generally been pretty okay with myself, even as an overweight person, but I am close to 300# and feel I can barely function. It is warm today, and i am miserable just trying to do housework in the heat. I feel like even just dropping 20-30# would make me feel better. I know I can't keep weight off, but I was sorta thinking I could start losing... get sleeved... keep losing, you know!

I kicked my husband out many years ago and raised my kids as a single parent. It was hard. do I regret it? No, but it was hard on me and the kids. The number one reason I ended that marriage was that he never grew up, never kept a job and was lousy as a house husband. I hated having to support the whole family, run the household etc and over time that turned into real anger and killed my love for him. Of course, since divorcing, he never paid child support and I still raised the kids on my own financially and otherwise. I have a new love (last 12 years!) and you know, we have had some struggles too although I love him dearly. He has been a good step dad, but I still often crave an intimacy that I don't get from him. I guess the point is that it is always work. I would strongly advise getting counseling since it kind of sounds like you both entered the relationship a little immature. Having someone to really talk things over with may help you. I think it will also help with avoiding any impulsive decisions and feel stronger with the decisions you do make. Losing alot of weight can be a head game for both you and your husband. It would be a shame to split up a family without trying to salvage things if you think there is any hope at all.

I want to express my thanks to all of you who have shared. sometimes you help somebody in an indirect way... even if you don't know it! I have a slipped band and don't really have bad symptoms. I am terrified of surgery and haven't exactly been thrilled to move forward with my band removal. Let's be honest, my anxiety is escalating daily. I rescheduled once from Sept 1 because I got a cold and I am freaked about breathing/coughing anyway.... and I was just scared by having surgery when I had a cold. Reading this thread helped cement my resolve to face my fears and get this dang band OUT before I have even more serious problems. My surgeon told me that a slipped band can result in emergency surgery if it shuts off the stomach completely. i am scheduled for Sept 28th band removal surgery. I have done my final blood work, am doing medifast to lose a few pounds presurgery (not required by surgeon, but makes me feel better about it). Now, I just need to not chicken out!