WASaBubbleButt

Nope, people around me knew better than to pull that with me. ;o)

Spooky... http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/anyone-doing-their-own-fills-68654/

Due to the severity of my problems insurance would have paid for it but to be honest, I didn't have a six month fight in me at the time. I was exhausted and wanted it done and over with so I went back to Mexico so my doc could do it. I truly didn't have six months. I had been on liquids for over three months prior to surgery, I couldn't have done it another six.

I don't think it sounds bad at all. I wish I would have done something at 45# vs. waiting until it was so far out of hand.

Why would you want to reverse it? For what reason would you want to regain weight? The ONLY reason to remove a band is if the band is causing problems. The ability to reverse surgery is appealing to newbies but when you get to goal your perspective tends to change and you want permanent in a bad way. Our food issues are not going to go away, why would we want our surgery type to go away? See what I mean? Plain: It's just a smaller stomach, that's all. There are foreign objects in there if you consider the staples. SickNTired: Not in the US, it is in other countries. It's been around for about 50 years for weight loss but gastrectomies have been around since the 1800s. Today they are using a technique that is great, no stomach stretching, faster weight loss than banding, more weight loss than banding, and fewer complications than bands or bypass. The problem is that there really are very few skilled surgeons doing the procedures. Lots of newbie surgeons but not many experienced surgeons. For this procedure it really has to be done by an experienced surgeon. Pleatman started doing them and it isn't working out well. He is the one that charges Mexican prices but he's in the US. He laughs about his death stats saying that they would have died from obesity issues anyway, explains that he's increasing his prices by $1500 for out of state patients because $2K isn't enough and he has to earn a living too... etc. The problem is that surgeons like him are starting to do sleeves and their stats are poor, stats such as leaks. Pleatman already has leaks and he's only done 70 sleeves. That's not good at all. So going to someone who has done at least 250 is important so you have a base of stats to draw from. The more people that want sleeves (and that is growing by HUGE numbers since the five year stats came out) the more surgeons will be doing them and they will all be starting their learning curve so global stats will be increasing and not for the better. Then the sleeve will get a crappy rep and that's too bad, it won't be the procedure, it will be the newbie surgeons learning the technique.

I had my band removed over a month ago and switched to a sleeve. I agree with Starrgirrl in that I was led to believe complications were lower than they actually are. If I had it to do over again (and I did <g>) I'd go with a sleeve. Better and faster weight loss and fewest complications of DS, bypass, sleeves, and bands.

I doubt anyone here knows you well enough to like you or hate you. The issue is not if anyone is mad at you, the issue is that you need to get a grip here. You are 19 years old, old enough to be responsible for your own actions. Nope, food is not appealing at this stage but it won't hurt you. We all have to go through it and we all survive it, you will too. It is a very short time out of your entire life to not like the food. Good luck to you.

The first five year stats are out regarding the new sleeve technique. The sleeve does is not stretch beyond where they want it to after 5 years. Weight loss is 70-80% with a sleeve vs. 50-70% w/a band. I love my sleeve, wish I would have done it to begin with.

Well, I'm one that had problems and finally had my band removed and revised to a sleeve. I have to say that I like the sleeve a lot better. It's just an easier journey in my case. I had stoma spasms, esophageal spasms, esophageal motility issues, periodic gastritis, port issues (it would rub against my belt and become irritated) and a few other problems. I finally threw in the towel and revised. I have to admit, I see many people that are 2+ years with a band that are having problems. Slips, esophageal problems, etc. But I could also be noticing it more since I revised to a different WLS type.

I received an email from a friend who has a friend who needs a fill in Mexicali, MX. Anyone want to get together with this person and car pool? If so, please email me through the LBT system and I'll get my friend to contact you.

$75.00 under fluoro.

Band problems. It really sucked. I was already at goal when it happened so that kinda sucked but all is well now!

Dr. Aceves banded me and then did a revision to a sleeve later. He's great! I would (and did) go back to him. Sleeves are fantastic, I love mine so far.

I have a friend that was banded in Mexico and she lives in Nowhere, KS. She found someone she really likes but for the life of me I can't think of her ID here. If you email me through the LBT system I will email her and get you guys together to exchange info.

Mexicali, MX is just 55 miles west of Yuma. Fills under fluoro for $75.00 by surgeons, not techs or nurses.

Hey, liquids for 4 months over here... ya gotta give me some wiggle room to giggle and point. ;o) Just keep white carbs out of the picture and fat will melt away!

Yeah... that will teach them! Next time go for the knee caps!

I am sleeved, I have a wider range of food choices than you "banded" folks. (pointing and giggling) heh.... Remember, I am the one that had a revision and some folks can do fried chicken and some can't. Try everything once you get to solids, that is the only way you will know what you tolerate and what you do not. Everything in moderation except your trigger foods.

Yeah, I am pretty sure that isn't going to happen! Damn, this is something else! SickNTired: Nope, I think three is gonna be my limit!

Martinez isn't there anymore??? People really like him a great deal, I know of one person that specifically asked for Martinez to do her entire surgery.

Okay... all kidding aside. I learned something today. I learned what true restriction feels like. WOW! I have mentioned that today was my first day of solids since my revision to a sleeve. Before today I have never eaten solids with actual restriction. I am the person that has no sweet spot. I have had countless fills and unfills. I am either wide open or I can't swallow my own spit. Today I decided I was going to eat until my staples busted, I figured if they busted that's okay, I can eat more. ;o) Holy crap! It took me 2 hours to eat one chicken leg. I kept looking at KittenQutie (fellow WLS person who made the chicken) and saying, "Damn! So THIS is restriction!" Took two hours to eat a chicken leg as after two bites I was stuffed. I'd go out for a walk, pace across the living room waiting for my stomach to empty then I'd eat two more bites. This freak'en journey would have been WAY easier with actual restriction! I also ate about 4 tablespoons of mashed potatoes and 2 tablespoons of baked beans. That took an additional 30 minutes. So that's what I ate over 2.5 hours. I finally had solids for the first time in FOUR (count 'em! 4~) months. I have never had food with true restriction before. What an eye opener... damn!

Your redirection and attempts at manipulation aren't going to work.

What input can anyone offer? What advice or suggestions can be offered to someone who flat out says that you do things your own way and that is how it is? We told you the truth and that makes you angry. So be it, it just isn't going to change reality. The sutures your doctor put in your band are not meant to hold it in place long term. That isn't going to cut it. What holds your band in place long term is the scarring or adhesions that form around your band on the outside of your stomach. If your stomach is churning and working to mix food with digestive acids it looks a bit like your stomach is in spasms. Each time you "do things your own way" you are breaking those newly forming adhesions. The thing about scarring is that it does not form in the same place with the same quality the 2nd time around. This is why if you slip once, you are likely to slip again. The adhesions are not of the same quality when they grow in the same place a 2nd time. When you blow off the post op diet you are breaking the fragile, newly growing adhesions. They are trying to do their job and you are fighting them and why? Because you are doing things your own way. So it's a choice. If you want to keep your band then I'd suggest you follow your doc's post op diet. If you want to lose your band I'd suggest you keep on doing what you are doing. Let's face it, this is a month out of your life. It isn't the end of the world. It's okay to feel discomfort every now and again, it isn't going to kill any of us. Most of it is head hunger so you might as well start dealing with it because that is the hardest part of this journey. It will get better but not until you start dealing with it. Stomach hunger... obese people do not die of starvation. We tend to have a back up system of fat. A little hunger is uncomfortable, we all have to deal with it. It's just the way it is. Cut out ALL carbs. All of them. Carbs just screw with your blood sugar and make you have blood sugar spikes. Protein evens out your blood sugar and prevents the spikes, thus prevents hunger. But it's your choice. Do as you will. I'm going to tell you something, revision surgery is MUCH harder to recover from than the original surgery. It hurts like f'ing hell. I know, I've done it. It carries more risk, more potential for problems, and it hurts like hell. I followed the rules and that is exactly why with all my barfing I never slipped. You are at MUCH greater risk for losing your band due to your own actions. It's bad enough when revision surgery is necessary, but revision surgery from not following your doc's instructions would likely not be fun on an emotional level. Again, your choice.

She didn't ask for permission, but the undertones were asking for validation. You tell me what part of this opening statement shows she was looking for input? She has no intention of following her doctor's plans. None. She was looking for others that refuse to follow the doc's orders. It isn't likely to happen from a vet, we all see on a daily basis the slips and such that happen when people do this. The stuff about if we could do this we wouldn't have needed surgery is a line of crap, to be blunt. To do this means a lifestyle change and that happens the day of surgery. Since US docs have been screwing with the post op diet slips have gone from 3.1% to over 7%. Hello? Do you see the same problem I do? Euro docs laugh at US citizens because their slips stats are better, they claim we are too soft and too spoiled, we want what we want and we want it now and that is why we have higher slip stats that other countries. You can justify, explain, and validate all you wish. You are doing harm. That is yours to deal with, not mine.

Okay, it finally sinks in! A couple of weeks ago I was shopping. You know those huge pieces of glass outside of stores? They are allllll about windows. As I was walking I saw the reflection of a person and realized if I could get to THAT size, I'd be thrilled. Holy crap, that reflection was ME! I didn't realize. Yet, if I see myself in an actual mirror, I can't see a difference. If I see all me, my feature, my picture, I still look 88 pounds fatter. I see NO difference in me today vs. me yesterday. It's been a fantastic eye opener. I finally realize how an anorexic feels. They are 78lbs and look in the mirror and see 300lbs. *I* look in the mirror and while I am 164lbs I SEE 252lbs. I can't wrap my brain around it. I realize... I know, I am fully aware, I am having a really hard time getting beyond this point. But the reality is, I can't get beyond this point. I could seriously use some words of wisdom from those that are there or have been there.