WASaBubbleButt

For some of us band to sleeve people true restriction is a kick in the butt, eh? ;o)

You know, we like you so much we should dub you our honorary Sleeve Brother! ;o) You should invite your wife here. We want to meet her!!

I have to vent. What in the world is in someone's head that if the band doesn't work, we have reflux, slips, erosion, esophageal spasms, etc. that we are obviously doing something wrong? DAMN! I hate that attitude. Check out post #3 in this thread: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/my-band-nightmare-92917/ I responded but had to keep back spacing and editing. I couldn't tell her what I really thought!

I don't care for Jenny Craig or WW either. Lots of people do very well on them but as soon as they go off the weight comes right back on. WLS means a lifestyle change. Overhauling your diet so you don't need WW and JC.

Many people are very uneducated about the world outside the US. While I fully agree with you about having surgery in a clinic, it is not something I would do. Just because a surgeon is in the US doesn't make him good and just because a surgeon is outside the US doesn't make him bad. The doc in question here... yeah, that's a danger. But he does not represent all non-US docs. Consider this, a doctor in a hospital in Mexico may cover the costs of complications while in Mexico. A doctor and hospital in the US is going to require payment for complications even for self pay. Research and education are good things!

Honestly, you are making much more of this than what it is. It's a pretty easy surgery overall. People are usually up within an hour of getting back from recovery. Just relax, don't bank on the worst and don't borrow problems. Just go with the flow.

Lots of them, no worries! Each doctor uses what they like the best. Seriously, it's rare that it happens long term. It's not like as you probably experienced at all. For me it was fairly minor.

We need more information. Are you at your sweet spot and it is a matter of food choices or do you have a mega band and are having a hard time getting restriction? What is your daily menu? How much are you exercising? How many white carbs are you eating daily? Protein grams? Is the reason you lost 80# with the first band because you couldn't eat or because you were doing all the right things?

All of this depends on each doctor. But my scars are very similar to band scars. I have five of them. They are not in the same place but my band scars are a LOT lower than they used to be since I lost weight. ;o) I had a drain for 48 hours. Not all docs use them. Nope, it didn't hurt when they removed the drain. It kinda sorta tickled in an odd sort of way. But no pain at all for me. I was in the hospital for 4 nights but usually my doc keeps people in the hospital for 3 nights following surgery. Usually in the US it's 1 night.

I experienced it for a couple of days at best but there is the rare person that can deal with it for months however I've only met one on the boards that had a long term problem but hers did go away. ETA... sorry, I didn't answer the rest of your question. It can happen in straight sleeves or revisions so I would have to say it is not due to just one or the other. My guess is that your stomach is healing and overly sensitive in the beginning. There is also the idea that you can't eat the way you are used to. You are eating an entirely new diet (post op healing diet). There is a great deal of swelling... if you think about it, it kinda makes sense that nausea is to be expected for a few days.

Stats for infection, Stats for leaks, What kinds of sleeve complications has he had, References for 5 patients at least 6 months post op (to ask how much they can eat), Leak tests - Which ones, Is he FACS and if not, why not, Does he oversew the staple line, Has he ever had to unexpectedly revert to full open vs. lap. Those should keep you talking for a bit. ;o)

Maybe because one of the questions is how your quality of life is with the sleeve and you haven't had one for a week yet? ;o) I don't know how extensive that survery is, if they were just sending it to people that had revisions up to that point or if they are going to be sending them to everyone. Ruthi: 1 in 500,000? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

No, I told you to use sterile gauze and gently clean the dried drainage out. ;o)

The lactose intolerance is common and usually short lived. I think for me it was about 4 months before it went away. I used to have to do everything room temp when I was banded too. Nothing like room temp protein shakes made with water instead of milk. Yum. ;o) Sweets, I was never a sweet eater. My poison was flour. But I hear you, I just can't tolerate anything overly sweet anymore. I have to water down my s/f drinks, they are too sweet.

Ohhh, but I do know how nice it is to give up that lifestyle! HA! How's it going with solids? Enjoying food again? ;o)

The bigger bands take forever to get to your sweet spot. Weight loss seems to be a lot slower because of this. What if you get your next fill under fluoro so there is no more guessing? Just get to your sweet spot?

When I was banded I knew that being banded was hard but I thought that meant hard to lose weight, more effort required. Not so, banding is hard because of what folks are writing here. The fills, unfills, restriction problems, gas, constipation, pain, esophageal spasms, reflux, pain, all of it. THAT is what is hard about the band. I realized that I learned to accept this as a way of life, it is what it is. Then things got worse in a hurry and with an unfilled band I was on liquids for 4 months. That's when I had enough and revised to a sleeve. I guess my point here is that if you can't get these problems resolved you really need to consider removing the band or getting a revision. I have a sleeve now and a sleeve is like a band that actually works without all the risks and complications. NO STOMA! Just a tiny little stomach. I waited too long and now I have esophageal damage. Don't make the same mistake I did. Don't sit on this, get something done.

I don't understand why there are sooooo many patients with left shoulder pain and at the same time so many doctors that are clueless and claim they haven't heard of it before. It's common. Just do a search on shoulder pain and you should find quite a few threads. For some people it's just their hard stop, they ate too much.

Yeah, there is one but it's not very good. It gets worse each year and half the docs that used to go won't even go anymore. It's the Seattle Splash or some silly name. If you can do one that is run better I say go for it. They usually have Inamed, FillCentersUSA, J&J, doctors, speakers, all kinds of people. Maybe if it was organized better by a person that was liked better than the current then doctors would start attending again.

HA! The sleeve really is soooo much better than the band in so many different ways. When the band doesn't work it causes all kinds of misery. The OH band board doesn't like my sleeve/band opinions! Heh... But you know, I don't start topics on the band board about the band but if someone asks I tell them. They shouldn't ask if they don't want to know. :smile:/

I'm assuming you have TriCare?? If so, I believe if they haven't yet they are going to start covering the sleeve. Have you checked?

Did you smack that nurse upside the head? I hate people like that! I hope you write an appropriate testimonial on OH, did you?

Well... there is also the sleeve procedure. It has fewer long term risks than banding or bypass. No malabsorption, no aftercare either. The weight loss is better and faster than banding and slower than bypass. Know all your options and choose the one that is best for you whatever that may end up being.

It's the five day pouch test. I do 2 days of Protein shakes, 2 days of soft Proteins, and 1 day of hard protein. No carbs. By that time I quit craving them and I can eat my usual stuff.

I'm no good at weening myself off carbs, it's all or none. If I get started on carbs the more I eat the more I want. When I have to stop the carb cycle I do the 5DPT and that is what works for me.