WASaBubbleButt

The real key here is to figure out if you can change your eating habits. The band is often advertised as... "Eat your usual diet just less of it." Total crap, you can't eat crap and lose/maintain. It doesn't work that way. You really have to change your eating habits and if you can the sleeve is like a band that actually works without all the problems and complications. I've had both, band and sleeve and the sleeve is a gazillion times better.

Yes, and your esophagus as well. If this happens they usually unfill your band and put you on liquids for a few weeks.

Ice cream. ORANGE ice cream. ;o)))))))) Okay, I had my annual ice cream recently and it was good. Someone else mentioned not to buy too much right now because what you enjoy today may be gross after surgery because it's true, your tastes change. EAS, Whey Gourmet, Atkins Advantage, lots of good ones. You'll have to experiment a bit and see what you think.

Oh man, you have no idea! I don't go over there to down the band but if someone asks I'm not going to lie. People believe less invasive means safer and that's just not true. It's a safer surgery by LESS than 1% but it's damn sure not safer long term. I am sad when I see a bandster so excited because they have a date. I have a pretty good idea how their future will pan out. Has ANYONE here EVER met anyone that had a successful band with successful weight loss for longer than 10 years? I haven't. :Banane01:( I've been posting on band boards for almost three years and I've never met anyone banded over 10 years. The longest was 9 years and she was contacting me for information on the sleeve, she needed a revision.

tl/rb.... (((hugs)))

I'm learning that WLS has trends just like anything else. Yesterday it was bands and bypass. Today it's sleeves and DS. They have a new surgical technique with DS that makes the "stinky" side effect a whole lot less. It's not gone, it's just better. People don't have to build on a bathroom to the house now for the DSer. ;o) I feel about malabsorption like I do chemo. It's a necessary evil. Some people really need it. I am beyond lucky that I am one that is good to go with restriction alone. There are so many people that hard as they try, they cannot change their eating habits.

The owner of this forum. Nchaka: Rose has turned out to be a huge and expensive failure. People lose about 20# on the post op diet and then as soon as they start eating solid foods they regain that 20#. Ins doesn't typically cover it, it was investigational. Now it's just a failure.

Before you change insurance find out exactly which revision procedures are covered. They are not going to cover them all. See which procedures your current ins covers and then compare that to the PPO. Don't make changes until you know all your options with both. Keep in mind, ins coverage changes. What your PPO is now may well change with your employer's fiscal year. It's up to the employer if WLS benefits are covered, it's an extra premium. What if you wait for your PPO just to find out they do away with WLS completely? Keep that in mind as well. Alex is starting a new revision message board. I'd keep an eye on that as well. A friend of mine is an absolute expert and various revisions and stats for each. She'll be posting there. She's a wealth of information. I'd pick her brain for the details.

Bypass is where they staple out a small 1-2oz pouch out of the fundus, the elastic portion of your stomach. Then they bypass 120cm of intestine and connect the new end of the intestine to the new pouch in the stomach. In the end you can only eat small quantities and you malabsorb about 1/3 of your calories and nutrition. You do not malabsorb forever, only during the honeymoon period of about 6-18 months. Sleeve they remove the elastic portion of your stomach (fundus) and maintain the muscular portion. End result is that you can only eat a small quantity of food and you absorb everything you do eat. Jacqui.... DSers don't really stretch out their stomach. Their stomachs are usually a 48F, sleeves are a 32/34F. They have a much bigger stomach to begin with. Over the next 4-6 months your stomach does stretch/relax and for sleeves it's about the size and shape of a banana. That's why they call it the banana stomach. DSers are going to end up with an even bigger stomach. So it's not because they stretch it out, it is because it's bigger than a sleeve to begin with. Bands... I had one and hated it. I knew I made a mistake 4 days after surgery. I really really tried to make it work but it wasn't meant to be. Considering the number of revisions being done and unhappy banded folks... I would never suggest a band to your average person. Not a chance. It's a great way for the average person to lose half their weight on a short term basis.

Congrats to you! You'll love the sleeve, it's the best thing you could ever do for yourself!

Your Great White will have needed braces! ;o))))

Here is a calculator: BMR Calculator

Really the first step here is to get an upper GI. You need to define why you are gaining. If your pouch and/or stoma is stretched then a band might be an option. If they are not dilated then a band will not help. Assuming you need restriction again the band is an option. It's probably your safest option but not your only option. Since you were bypassed you are likely to be metabolically challenged and weight loss with a band after bypass is going to be extremely slow. There is Rose, Stomaphyx, and Revise. Those are designed to tighten up the stoma or pouch and have all been very expensive failures that insurance does not typically pay. Then there is another procedure that I'll be darned if I can remember how it is spelled. If your pouch is okay but your stoma is dilated they can go in and with a caustic material burn the stoma so it shrivels up a bit and shrinks down. It's not known to be overly effective. Then you have ERNY. That's not a great option, they just go in and bypass more intestine to distal. You'll malabsorb more nutrition and need to bump up supplements including protein. That *seems* to afford about a 50# loss of weight and it tends to come to a stop. If your insurance covers the grand daddy of them all you can go to one of a handful of surgeons and have them take down your RNY and do DS. That is going to be the riskiest procedure but the most effective long term. You'll lose more slowly than a newbie DSer but far faster and more permanent than any of the other procedures. There is something new out, I forget the name but I can find out. It's BRAND new, no studies, no anything. I haven't the slightest idea if it will turn out to be the best of the best or not. If you want more info I can get it for you. Or, you can find Dr. Husted's website and there should be plenty of info on there. Off the top of my head those are the options I can think of. If I think of more I'll let you know. ;o)

Some doctors are not able to do the procedure. You'd want an actual revision surgeon for it. It's not that it can't be done, it's that they can't do it. ;o)

I really do want to get these 7# off quickly. I am willing to work for it. I got scared when I went past my 5#'s that I give myself either way. I'm so afraid I'll slack off and end up 252# again. Thanks for the info!

Yes, I agree. I do wish long term US band/sleeve stats would have been out the first time around. I am pretty sure I would have chosen the sleeve. Knowing what I do now I am sure I would have.

I have 2# to lose to get to my "I am in the safe range" body weight and 7# to get back to 120. I know I am OCD about this but I let it get out of hand once before and was 252#. :rolleyes2:( I have to be on top of this. I'm going to pick up some ankle weights too. ;o) Pretty soon I won't be able to step up on the treadmill! HAHA

I voted yes because I am floored at how many people believe their only choices are band or bypass. They don't even know the sleeve exists. And Daisy... I believe he has plans for a DS forum as well. Maybe even more. Not sure what the end result will be.

BTDT, get the unfill!

You can join the rest of us here: Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery (VSG) AKA Gastric Sleeve (NEW!) - Lap Band Surgery and Lap Band Discussion Forum Band intolerance is not fun, not fun at all. There are quite a few of us, come join us. You don't have to be interested in another procedure to come and vent with those that will totally understand what you are writing about. Yes, I had mine removed and that was the very best thing I have done for myself in years.

HA! It just hit me, you have read every thread? OMG, that's fantastic. I'm totally impressed. I really love talking to and posting with my fellow anal retentive researchers. I tend to take these things to a bit of an extreme in some cases but you know, I'm not so sure that is as negative as it just sounded when I reread my own words. If you are considering elective surgery, life changing surgery out of the country, is there really any value in not researching something to pieces? Just had to add a note that your thread title finally clicked. Good job! Keep reading, don't stop until the night before surgery.

I've not been ill where I needed to vomit in the last year since I've had my sleeve but I did hurl in the hospital. I drank the blue dye too fast and it came right back up. I was concerned that I might have done something to my staple line. Dr. Aceves said it was no problem. With a band when you vomit you can slip. With a sleeve the up side is, you don't have much to vomit. ;o) It hurt like a bear the day after surgery to vomit but it was short lived. The first month is really the big concern with sleeves and vomiting isn't a problem. Cheating on the post op diet is a BIG problem. If you happen to be one that won't be able to handle the post op diet, get a band. Getting stuff out of your stomach is not an issue, putting too much food in there is a huge issue.

I know they have a grocery list for post ops. I'd ask them for that. Even if you don't go to Aceves they will give it to you anyway. My favorite Protein Shake is whey Gourmet Choco/Peanut butter. It's good! You can mix it with Water, shake it in a water bottle and it's still thick. Or, you can mix it with Soy Slender chocolate and it's chocolate-y-er. ;o) That's Elisabeth's find. The Protein powder itself has about 20-23gms of protein (I forget), 120 calories, and 3gms carbs. Absolutely a perfect ratio. For the clear liquid stage if your surgeon requires one, nectar products, unjury, or Isopuke are best. Meds... depends on your doctor. I can tell you what my doc wants, he prefers Nexium but a lot of people get other PPIs because Nexium is so expensive. Some take Protonix (covered by most ins), prevacide, or prilosec. The absolute best way to lose weight is to take FULL advantage of the first 6 months. Your stomach is as small as it ever will be. You can hardly eat anything. Exercise like a crazy person during that time and you'll lose faster. We don't really have a honeymoon period like bypass folks do but we do have an easier time of it the first six months. MOST of all, cut out all white carbs. Not all carbs, all WHITE carbs. That will get you down in no time. Between small quantities, low white carbs, and exercise, that's the ticket. Aceves... if you are interested contact their coordinator Renee. Reneekohlpath@gmail.com She's a wealth of information. I think she's been sleeved for a long time now, I don't remember how long for sure. Really do your research and see which is the right doctor for you. No one doctor is the best fit for everyone. I like him, I trust him, but you have to look at the whole picture. Aftercare, etc.

6/3/09? HA! It's a GOOD date! That date has been very good to me. I'll pass on some good 6/3/09 vibes. ;o)

Congrats! Feels good, eh? Rosey: It's called Last Meal Syndrome, very normal but very bad. ;o) We all go through it, or most of us do anyway. You can do that but it's just going to be more pounds to take off after surgery. :rolleyes2:/ Just try to cut back. Remember, you'll be able to eat all the same foods later, just not massive quantities.