WASaBubbleButt

Xanax is not an anti-depressant, it's in the Valium family. It can actually cause depression. It's very addictive, extremely addictive.

I think that would not be a wise idea. You wouldn't want to fly into TJ right now, it would be safer for you to go to San Diego and have them drive you in from there. The last thing you want is to be in TJ alone right now. It's just too dangerous. Go to San Diego.

Noooooo, it's not permanent. Your stomach continues to produce enough acid for a whole stomach in the beginning. The Nexium is to prevent problems. Once you are sleeved, if you have reflux it's a weird kinda "hungry" feeling. It's not true hunger, but food makes that feeling go away so we perceive it as hunger. Nexium prevents it from happening to begin with. Dr. A requests we take it for six months but truth be told, some need it for a few days, some need it for six months. In my case the band did a job on my stomach/esophagus and I still take it this far out. But I have a lot of damage due to banding so I am unique. I'm responding because when I talked to Elisabeth earlier today she was packing up her computer and wasn't sure she'd have access to her computer until late Sat eve when she gets home. I'm assuming she'll be pretty tired and not respond until Sun AM.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... TANG! Yummy! I'm jealous, really I am! I won't write about the Ceasar salad I ate today or the gummy bears I'm munching on now. I mean, nothing compares to your TANG! Should I mention that those not getting stomach surgery at Almater get fresh squeezed OJ daily? Nawwww, I shouldn't mention that. Heh... GET UP AND WALK! Then when you are tired walk some more! We will all be on you if you don't. ;o) I'm glad Dr. A is your doc, I really am. I know you are in good hands. With the liver issues and such, I am glad he is your doctor. Please let us know the results of your biopsy, we really are waiting on pins and needles. Did he give any thoughts as to the problem with the color of your liver? Does he have thoughts on this? What's going on? Susan, we need details! We are all going through this with you in our own way. Details!

Nicky... Many issues to address here. I won't respond in detail here. If you want to cross post here: Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery (VSG) AKA Gastric Sleeve (NEW!) - Lap Band Surgery and Lap Band Discussion Forum I am happy to respond in detail. This is the section for noobs looking for a band and I keep my comments about the band elsewhere. ;o) There are alternatives. But I have to tell you, doing fills and unfills is nothing short of freak'en stupid and the best way I know how... to lose your band. It's dangerous and well, bad. Just really really bad.

Yes, Dr. Pleatman, he's telling the truth. Most of his patients post on his own e-group following surgery. We all discuss the good and bad of surgery, surgeon, hospital, risks, complications, etc. Never has a sleeve patient of his ever told of a leak on his own board, OH, here, or anywhere else. I know, I researched the heck out of it before my own revision from band to sleeve. More support for his stats. Considering the type of affiliations he has he would be a fool to lie about such a thing. Something I have noticed is that only the bad surgeons lie about their stats. The better surgeons really don't have a need to lie. I do wish all surgeons would tell people of their options. But, they don't. That is sad.

Here is another response to my question on another board:

Okay, I was drawing a blank on the name of the group that "changed" the bible from the original authors. I posted on another board asking for the name and got it today: Do you perhaps mean the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE? For Patty Green, aka biblical Scholar, I would suggest a quick bit of research here before claiming the bible is the final document of God. It was hand picked, what was wanted and what was against the beliefs of those at the time. If it did not fit their agenda, it was removed. It turned into a mean book made by idiot morons with an agenda to control huge groups of illiterate people. Ahhhh, ...feel so much better now.

What leads you to believe he existed?

YEA SUSAN! Welcome to having your life back! Can't wait to see you posting again!

Elisabeth.. having talked to you about an hour ago you sound GREAT! Welcome... welcome to having your life back!

How odd.... when you look at the boards most posting here were banded in the US and they have never heard of the sleeve. I question why you always try to get your digs in for Mexican doctors? I think one of the big problems in the US is that there aren't many "good" sleeve surgeons. Most surgeons do bands or bands and bypass only. They don't tell patients about the sleeve because they don't DO the sleeve. They aren't going to push a procedure they don't do. Since most bariatric doctors in the US are holding the seminars that US patients are going to during their research, I question why the US folks are not educated when they get to MX for their surgery. So when you infer that it is just the Mexican banded patients that don't know about the sleeve, aren't you really knocking US surgeons? I don't know, I'm looking through the boards now and US patients banded or not do not know about the sleeve. Your digs to MX surgeons are not very professional as a bariatric surgeon. I just saw my doc in Mexico recently when I went to him with a friend for her band fill. I asked him how many bands vs. sleeves he's doing. He's doing mostly sleeves and very few bands. Only for those that insist on a band. Lucky for us (those who had surgery in MX) all the better MX surgeons have always done bands, sleeves, and bypass. It just wasn't popular until Cirangle's studies came out. Some of the MX surgeons are extremely good, my doctor has done over 500 sleeves and hasn't had a leak yet, how many have you done and how many leaks have you had? Two of the mods here on LBT were revised (one yesterday and one today) and another next month... they are all getting band to sleeve revisions by the same doc I went to. There are several excellent band/sleeve/bypass surgeons in MX. Considering the type of sugery most don't really want this procedure done on an outpatient basis or one night in the hospital. They want 3 nights in a hospital, they want the leak tests, they don't want to cut corners. I'm glad Allergan realizes that the band isn't working well. First the mesh band, then the non adjustable band, then the small adjustable band, now the mega big adjustable band... for 40 years medicine has been trying to find one that works. Finally they are catching on that it's a sinking ship.

I had issues from the very beginning. I had no sweet spot, never. It did grow worse over time. Even with an unfilled band I could eat a porterhouse steak one day and I'd slime on a protein shake (at room temp made with water instead of milk to keep it thin) the next day. There was no logic, there was nothing I could ever figure out. It was just constant. I'd wake up in the AMs wondering if I that day was going to be a food day or not. I never slipped, I never eroded, I went to two other doctors for 2nd and 3rd opinions... they both said the band was perfect, nothing wrong with it. I had an upper endo done and that guy said the reflux was doing a job on my esophagus but the band was positioned fine and not too small. It was a very frustrating time. Restaurants... yes! I couldn't eat in restaurants either. I'd worry that I'd have to keep excusing myself to go barf and that just made it worse... stress = restriction, for me stress = obstruction.

I find little value in the lap band. The failure rate is quite high, higher than bypass. Re operations for repairs (everything from flipped ports to fixing slips) is 30-50%. People do not seem to be keeping bands long. Band Grad boards are all about who is slipping, who is revising, and who isn't losing weight. There was a thread on one of the two boards I go to asking if everyone would do it again. Four of about 20 people (all at least 1 year out, most 2-3 years) were at goal or near goal. I see these sigs showing someone has been banded for 3 years, they've lost 70 of their 150# to lose and in their sig it says, "I LOVE MY BAND!" I have to ask why they love it? they aren't even halfway to goal. What's so great about slips, erosion, stoma spasms, pouch dilation, esophageal dilation, infections, flipped ports, esophageal damage, esophageal motility issues, slow weight loss, no weight loss, reflux, getting stuck, sliming, foaming, all the assorted ways of puking and stoma spewing, band intolerance, embarrassing social situations when you get stuck, etc. Then there is restriction, fills and unfills for life. Aftercare forever. And speaking of restriction there is the matter of how everything in the world affects restriction. TOM, time of day, weather, exercise, hydration, mood, stress, food temp, drink temp, etc. Then you have liquids. Hope you like them because with a band you'll be on them a lot. Post op diet (same with all procedure types), after each fill you'll be on liquids for a day or two. Each stuck episide causes swelling so you'll finish the day with liquids. If you slip, dilate your pouch or esophagus you'll be on liquids with an unfilled band for weeks at a time. On the days that something in this world affects your restriction (see above) you may only be able to get liquids down. A sleeve is your stomach, but smaller with no Ghrelin to tell you that you are hungry all the time. The long term complications are small and they happen less than 1% of the time. Faster and better weight loss than banding, and most of all.. it's easier.

The sleeve would probably do double the job that the band will for a BMI of 57. The higher the BMI the less success you are likely to have with a band. Per Inamed 5 year stats are showing about a 55 - 60% weight loss at five years. It has a 25% failure rate according to Dr. Husted who was quoting Dr. Ren's studies (I have not taken the time to find that study yet). Many doctors are not banding anymore because of the low success rate. Many hospitals and the country of Chile are not banding anymore due to the low success and high complication #s. If I was in your shoes... and I'm not and I realize that... but if I was - I'd get a sleeve. If you are not able to completely and totally change your diet and cut out all flour and sugar, I'd get a DS. DS kinda teaches you to do away with flour and sugar. ;o) RNY has a very high failure rate as well, about 20%. Revisions after failed bypass are not pretty.

To me, my personal opinion... band intolerance is like this: You know how some get more restriction during TOM? Mine was always an extreme, I'd obstruct. Some get tighter when they are stressed... I just had to be a bit edgy and I'd obstruct. What causes others to be a little tighter caused me to obstruct. The last four months I was banded I could only drink liquids with an unfilled band. That's why I got the revision. You'll have to work with your doc to see if you can find a solution. I never found one. But if you are vomiting a lot you really do need an unfill.

Ohhhh, that sounds sooo familiar! I must need an unfill because I can eat anything. Next day... I have mega restriction. My problem was band intolerance, I hope you do not have the same.

Do you have to lift or roll?

I talked to Elisabeth for about an hour tonight while she is at the hotel. She had her pre op diagnostics, she met the staff, she was taken to the hotel the night before surgery, and she's doing well. Yolanda will pick her up in the AM and her surgery is tomorrow. She's doing GREAT! Tomorrow... SUSAN! ;o) They get their lives back, this is a good thing!

I know what you wrote, I was making it more clear for PG. ;o)

If theists had proof they wouldn't need faith.

I don't really worry about part of my stomach being removed anymore than a diseased appendix. Both are harming me and neither are doing me any favors. It's a big deal until after it's done. After it is done it's no big deal, you don't really think about it. It's just like before surgery only you get full faster. ;o)

Nope, you don't need a passport until June. There is an alternative to a passport after June but I can't remember what it is called. It's for travel to MX and Canada.

Welcome! And congrats on the sleeve! Best thing you'll ever do for yourself.

Remember, S/F Jello is considered a liquid too! ;o) I know, it's not full of flavor and crunch but at least you can chew it!