WASaBubbleButt

Hi Everyone :thumbup:

I'm new to this site and so far it is soooo helpful. I currently have the band and I too have a lot of questions.

Just want to clarify...when you say you get full really fast and once you are full that is it..done. So do you mean (sorry if this sounds really dumb) you can NOT eat another bite? If you do, do you get sick?? or do you just not want to or??

When it comes to overeating I think it is the same as with a band. If I overate with a band I'd hurl. If I overeat with a sleeve I hurl. Full is full and if you push the limits it is not pretty.

I find with the band that I over eat a lot. I don't plan on it, but I get full, then it seems to settle and I can eat more.

This is one of the head issues we all have to work on after surgery. We like food, we like to eat, we like the taste, the texture, we even like a big huge mouthful of food. This is one area that no surgery type fixes. That is a head issue we all have to work on.

One suggestion, if food is sitting in front of you, you are going to pick at it and continue eating. Take a very small portion and put the rest up. Put it in the frig, out of sight/out of mind.

Some days I can't eat much but other days you would never know there is a band in there....

Welcome to the world of banding. ( That is one of many things I hated about the band. It is so .. fickle. The only thing I have noticed about my sleeve is that if I drink ice cold Water before I eat I can eat about half of what I would otherwise. Otherwise my restriction is the same all the time.

I also thought I would be able to NOT drink when I eat...ummm yeah...not so much. Why is this one so hard for me..not sure. Can you drink when you eat with the sleeve?

You *can* drink fluids with meals it is a matter of you shouldn't. It's kinda like you *can* jump off a cliff but it doesn't mean you *should* jump off a cliff. ;o))))))) The banded pouch is not all that forgiving when it comes to stretching. That is not a wise thing to do. No, it is not wise to eat and drink at the same time with a sleeve.

My biggest issue is this....if I could control my portions..I would never have reached my highest weight of 420. I thought I had done so much research before getting my band a year ago, but now I don't think I did enough.

It's funny how much more information that is quite negative has come out just in the last year.

What I'm trying to find is a surgery that once I'm full I can't really eat anymore.

Well, keep in mind that you can eat around any surgery type. Restriction alone isn't for everyone, some people need the malabsorption factor. If you think you can change your eating habits then a sleeve is great but I would stop and ask yourself if you have been able to do it with the band? I'm referring to when you do have good restriction. Do you keep pushing it and eating more? Or are you able to say, "I am full, it's time to stop"? If you can't control eating with restriction alone you might do well with malabsorption. For quantity eaters I would never suggest bypass. Once you stretch your pouch and stoma you are done, there is no fix for that. That is why bypass has such a high failure rate. DS is a better option IMHO.

This is something only you can determine. Does restriction alone prevent you from overeating or is that something that isn't working for you?

A sleeve is like a band that actually works. Restriction is pretty much the same all the time. No major fluctuations all the time. It's much easier than banding. But it is still merely a restrictive only procedure.

I'm so afraid I have streached my stoma, pouch whatever it's called because I just seem to be able to eat too much...and sadly I can't seem to find the control I obviously need.

Maybe you are one that needs to have restriction and malabsorption? I consider myself MORE than lucky and I do mean "lucky" that I can do it with restriction alone. It's not by effort on my part, it is that I am lucky! ;o) Not everyone is as lucky as I am and they need just a bit more than restriction.

At the same time I wonder...am I just being lazy? Have I not given this enough of a chance? Should I just keep getting fills and hope hope hope I find the sweet spot I keep hearing about?

I know Elisabeth is on line right now and I'm hoping she's reading and responding to this as I type! ;o)

I mean I've been fat my whole life...obviously control is an issue with me..lol. I too am self pay and am thinking of a revision. I currently have had 5 fills I think in a year and I'm ready to make an appointment to try another. I now have 8cc's in a 10cc band. I've lost 70 lbs but have not lost an ounce since Christmas. I was actually down 78 but have gained 8 lbs since Christmas even after having more fills. I know I'm at fault because of my portions and I often make poor food choices because I'm sick of getting stuck. I have told very few people about my WLS and when I'm invited out to dinner and get stuck..I'm so sick of having to excuse myself, dash to the washroom to get sick . At the same time...is this my fault? Am I just doing this all wrong?

I doubt it. Bands don't have great success rates. They are pretty lousy to be honest.

Sighhhhh...I'm frustrated and don't want to make another mistake with the wrong revision...

This is something only you can decide. Can you do it with restriction alone? If so a sleeve is uber fantastic! If restriction is not enough DS is uber fantastic. The sleeved DS stomach is far more forgiving than the bypassed pouch. Think long and hard, study EVERY WLS type, know it all, understand everything, make a very informed choice.

Good luck to you!

Oh, I see it on the sleeve boards. I see it all over OH and it drives. me. crazy. I even wrote a whole post about it on my blog!

Fatty Fights Back: MTYHBUSTERS: Starvation Mode

Do you ever see people writing things and they don't see it but others can, they just can't give up food. They are smack in the middle of the "fat mentality" and they are still looking for reasons to justify more food?

I used to do it before surgery, "I deserve this 'cake' because my boss was a butt head today." Or, "I don't feel well, I'm sick so it is okay to cheat." I see the same thing with, "If I do not eat at least 1500 calories a day I will not lose." Those are the same people losing 1# a month.

The head stuff is the hardest part of WLS.

I tried it last night in 16 oz of Water & it was too weak for me. So I tried it again this morning in just 8oz of Water & it was better. Definitely doable for me. It won't be something I crave, but I think I can atleast get it down. :thumbup:

Does anyone know if the nectar caribbean cooler is allowed on clears?

Is it mixed with water? If so, it should be. I thought all Nectars from Syntrax were okay for clears but I might be wrong.

Well, again it depends on a lot of factors and she shouldn't give up until she has tried everything just as you said. It can be discouraging but I don't think she has the kind of finances to do what some people are able to do. The appeal division is an option. If they say no, then they do but she can at least try it.

I'm not suggesting she shouldn't appeal it but I do tend to disagree with what you wrote earlier:

Try your insurance company again and find a new doctor that will help you. I used to work for an insurance company so I know that if the doctor does and says the right things the insurance company will usually pick up some percentage of it.

If WLS is excluded they do not usually pick up a percentage of it. It's like having auto insurance and when there is a fire in your home wanting your auto insurance to pay for the house fire. If you don't have home owners ins then auto ins isn't going to cover it. If you have major medical and no WLS benefits then MM isn't going to cover WLS. It's not a practice I agree with in the least but that is how they look at it. It's a stupid practice IMHO on the part of Ins Co's.

I would just hate to see someone continue to gain weight and spend money on lawyers when that money and time might be better spent focusing on self pay.

Being rich is always about money in my mind such as it is. Being rich to me is about being happy, healthy and with the man I love (my husband) for the last 20 years. I am truly blessed in that way. I have the support of him and my closest friends to help me on my journey to be skinny.

I see and appreciate where you are coming from but that wasn't really the question. ;o)

What would you prefer? Wealthy and fat or poor and thin?

For the past couple of months, I have had bad heartburn at night. Sometimes it's to the point where I actually wake up in the middle of the night having food come up with a burning sensation in my throat. Two nights ago, I had heartburn all night and I had that burning sensation again most of the night with liquid/food coming up. All day yesterday and again today, my esophogus is painful and I can't eat or drink anything without it hurting. It starts around the throat area and hurts all the way down the middle of my chest. It also hurts when I burp, it seems like a lot of pressure as well. Could this be a slipped band or something else?? Should I stay on liquids only? NERVOUS!

So what did the problem end up being? You posted this a week ago, what did your doc say?

I feel very much like the author of the post. I am doing this all on my own. The band, after 6 fills provides no restriction. What was the point of it all, when I again am doing this alone? To have a surgery and pay someone's salary? The lapband is a huge dissapointment and I totally regret it.

It isn't going to work until you get restriction. ALL of us had surgery because we can't do it alone.

What if you get your next fill under fluoro so you can get restriction on the next fill? Six fills... that's ridiculous! Understand, I am not blaming you but I am blaming your fill person.

I hate these huge mega bands, it takes too long to get restriction and people become disappointed and give up. Don't be one of those people, be firm with your fill person and tell them this is without excuse, take control here and tell them you/your insurance company is not going to continue playing this game. Be firm, get it done.

Oh! You two don't know what you're missing!

Making pineapple upside down cake with a pan, cardboard and aluminum foil. Making yummy dinners in the fire using the dutch oven or aluminum foil. eggs cooking over the fire in the AM. Smell of campfire in the cool night.

The quietness of the evening with just the crickets and frogs singing to you. Talking quietly with your loved ones and friends beside the campfire. Watching the stars blink on as the sun goes down. The fun of exploring the forest around you during the day. Watching the deer and the chipmunks and squirrels go along in their daily tasks.

Anyway, I could go on but I won't! Guess you can tell I like to go camping! LOL!

As for the Q, haven't answered that yet. Being rich sure would be nice. Not having to worry about paying for my truck repairs. Yes, it's in the shop right now. There are some charities here that we would love to help in a big way. Set up trust/college funds for our daughter and nieces and nephews. Pay of our bills and those of our parents.

BUT I don't want to be fat anymore. I'm not huge anymore, I'm still big and have a ways to go yet and don't want to stop.

So, no answer as of yet.

I don't want to be a cave woman, I would imagine they did the same. LOL I'm just not into camping, I do not want to share my bed with frogs and bugs. Yuck.

Once you get to a normal weight and have control over it you would do darn near anything so you don't have to give it up. ;o)

We are 100% sympatico on the camping thing!

AND the bug thing.

Blechhhhhhhhhhhhhh........

Bugs should be against the law!

As should camping. Yick.

Wasa my friend...you DO know that this is a lighthearted little non-scientific poll and not a social commentary?

I have poor "cred" too. I'd rather not have to worry about money and weigh a healthy rate but that wasn't an option.

Besides isn't having a BMI of say 26 considered fat? No one said I had to be 100 pounds overweight to get the "fat" part taken care of. LOL At my height I can get down to 155 and STILL be overweight so from my perspective, rich and fat ain't so bad. You come over, my thin pal, and I'll feed you healthy food that isn't onion rings!

And neither of us will camp!

NOOOOOOO! Never onion rings again!

In my college days we pooled our food. We had onions, Bisquick, and beer. Ate onions rings for three days. LEFTOVER onion rings, mind you. NEVER AGAIN! They make me gag just looking at them.

I love food. Today I know how to eat verrry healthy and very cheap. I don't eat cheap because I have to, I just like those foods. Dirt = gooooood food! Yum! Beans, produce, yummy!

When I was in college I worked with Mentally Retarded adults. They wanted to go camping. Yeah, I do not think so. Not me, not camping. My parents lived near the campsite in a big house with an indoor grill. Guess where we made dinner? Then my staff slept in tents, I stayed with Mommy and Daddy! ;o)

Bugs, they camp too. I am not a bug, I do not camp.

If you operate at a calorie deficit, you WILL lose weight. That's just physics. :Cry:

THANK YOU! I gave up explaining that a long time ago.

I only see it on band boards, I never see it on sleeve boards but I cringe each time I see .... "My doctor said to eat 800 calories a day and if I do not eat 1500 calories a day I don't lose."

Oye veh....

Thanks for the support everyone. I was told at first that the sleeve was covered and now this. I have decided to talk to the Surgeon (Dr Oldham) first. Then I will decide what to do.

No I really don't want the band.

On top of all that, I had to see the RA specialist today. He gave me a steriod shot in my shoulder and put me on steroids for 12 days. He then said they will make you very hungry. LOL Like that is going to matter right now.

Thanks, Beard, I will think about Dr. A if all else fails.

Hugs Everybody, Judy

Shoulder injections... they work soooo well! I love my sports MD! ;o) Oral steroids, I can't take them. I turn into a.... not nice person. I mean REALLY NOT NICE at all! Mood swings, all of it.

Don't be surprised if you are *really* thirsty too!

To quote Madonna (zounds have I lost my mind, who quotes Madonna) "We are living in a material world and I am a material girl". Fat and rich. Indubitably.

And Wasa, profound as always BUT...if you're rich, you don't have to camp, you can stay in a 5-star hotel!

I can't say I have been rich but I have wanted for nothing. I have also been so poor my neighbors and I used to pool our food on Sundays to see if we had anything to eat. (Can't eat onion rings to this day, college days and long story.) I'd be poor and thin ANY 'ol day over rich and fat.

In college I was poor and thin, then I was well to do and fat. Today I am very comfortable and thin. BTDT... never fat again!

Camping sucks.

Before my surgery, I always wondered what if would feel like to lose 100 lbs or more. It was such a surreal thought, one I couldnt fathom even in my wildest dreams. It seemed like a dream that would just stay that way - a dream - my very own fantasy.

I struggled to get to my 100 lb loss. My weight loss was going great when I reached my 75 lbs mark, then it all went backward. This was my 5 months post surgery. This is when my appetite really kicked back in and I always knew I could eat more than your average Sleevester.

I had a goal to reach 100 lbs by Thanksgiving - well that didnt work, even tho I had plenty of time to do it in...so then I moved the goal to Christmas...still didnt make it. I think I finally reached it in Jan of 2009.

So, now its been 13 months since my surgery and Ive lost 111 lbs....in one way, Im totally thrilled with that, but on the other hand, Im really angry that I havent lost more...why am I angry, bc Ive done it to myself by continuing to eat the wrong things which has made me go up and down in weight..

One good thing Ive realized is that I do know how to maintain...which is not what I want to yet...but at least I know how to do it..

For the past few weeks, Ive steadily lost about a lb a week, sometimes more, sometimes less...but on average, about a lb/week.

Im not giving up. Im not even halfway to my goal. As my ticker indicates, I have 137 lbs to go to reach my goal of 150 lbs. Even at that, I wont be "skinny" but I will feel like a million bux!

I know what you mean about losing 100# and trying to imagine what that would be like. I am a LOT farther out than you considering my band time as well as my sleeve time and I've lost 132#. I never thought this day would come.

During weight loss it is exciting each time the scale goes down, but after you get to goal and have time to think about it it's different. You sit back and think, "WOW! I lost a person!" Hind sight is the eye opener with WLS, that is when you figure out all the stuff you learned while you were losing it but didn't realize you knew it. If I knew then, what I know now... things would have been easier in some ways and harder in some ways.

I have a box of Velveeta cheese in my cupboard. One day after I lost about 20# I was at the store and I realized... I've lost **10** of those! That's a lot of Velveeta cheese. Today when I need to get back on track I look at that old, nasty, expired, gross cheese and realize.... I have lost 66 of those. Melt that and glue it to your hips! That's a lotta lotta lotta cheese. That box is probably freeze dried by now but I do not care. I will never throw it away. That was what kept me realizing just how much I was losing and today it's my icon. ;o)

In my wildest dreams I never thought I would reach a point where I had over 100# to lose. When I finally looked at myself and realized I was pretty darn fat and it was time to do something about it I just got depressed and ate more. Today I look back and I think it was all worth it. I wouldn't want to regain but I'm glad I have this journey. I have learned more about myself than I ever would otherwise. I have skills and knowledge that I wouldn't have if I hadn't have lost all that weight. I think there is something about being a 100# plus - person. Meaning, those of us who have over 100# to lose. It's just different, the mindset, what we learn, what we experience. Hard to explain but it's different emotionally and physically. I'm not saying it's better or worse, it's different. I'm glad I got fat because I wouldn't have had the journey. Someday I will be the wise old lady down the street and all the little children are going to want to come to my house and hear my stories. I already have a ton of them! But it's a journey like this that will create that little old lady I'll become someday.

Lisa, I see you as being exactly the same. I think you will be the cool old lady down the street that kids will love.

my mother was 5'5 95ibs after 2 children. it was her pregnancy with my that made her reach 135ibs..lol she used to get on my case a lot. i know she meant well but every time she said something about my eating it just made me more hungry. over the past year she has learned to be supportive in better ways. she knows how badly i want to lose the eight so i can be healthy and enjoy college with out people making fun of me. i am happy that i lost 120ibs over the past 2 years. and with the sleeve i will be able to lose a 130ibs which would put me at 150ibs. i have been that small sice like 4th grade..lol my goal is to lose the weight before my graduation in 2011. i know the style of dress i want to wear and the color. :Cry: all those guys that make fun of me now are going to wish they could get some of this. because i am cute but when i am smaller and i put my cloths the looks on guys faces takes away any doubt i might have. if only i could be so self assured all the time..lol congrads to all on your work so far and congrads for what is to come.. we can and we will do more than you can imagen.

OMG! I love the last line of your sig, that you are in this for the clothes! HA! Too funny!

I'm five weeks out and eat about 600 per days and between 50-70 grams of Protein. I'm exercising (bike riding or speed walking) for an hour each day. Is it still right to keep the calories at 600 or will this bring on a stall for too low net calories?

I kept calories at 600 daily throughout my entire WLJ and did 1-2 hours of hard cardio daily and never really had a true stall.

Yes, parrothead is correct about having to have comorbidities if your BMI is under a 40, but if it's more than a 50, I think that's another story. I believe you have to have comorbidities as well if its over 50.

I do not think so, it wouldn't make any sense anyway. If you don't need comorbidities for a BMI of 40 it makes no sense that they would require comorbidities for an even higher BMI.

I wonder if you are thinking about something else, some ins co's won't band someone with a BMI of 50 or greater and then some won't do DS until you are a BMI of 50. Could you be thinking of something along those lines?

I have to have my band out, and my surgeon advised the sleeve. He is going to try and plead a case for me to my insurance company, St. Mary's. I was just wondering if anyone here has this insurance company and if the revision was approved? Thank you so much for any help.

Welcome to the forum!

I do not know about your insurance company but have you called to see if they cover the sleeve without it being a revision? Does your BMI meet their requirements? Did this insurance company pay for your band?

I don't know about that, I think if your BMI is above a 50 you will need to have comorbidities. I would check to make sure.

Parrothead is correct, you need comorbidities for BMIs under 40.

:tongue_smilie: Have my date set for my surgery!! The 11th of July! I am excited, scared, nervous all the above. The only thing that is good is that my love has gone through it.....two weeks post op and she has lost twenty pounds! I am sooo looking forward to getting small.....I weigh 250 now and want to weigh 175..

My Quest continues!

:thumbdown:

Congrats on a date! This really is the first day of the rest of your brand new life!

I was looking into lapband in Mexico by Dr Rodriquez when Renee from Dr Aceves called me to talk about the sleeve. After researching it and reading this forum, I am now convinced that this is the surgery for me. I refused the gastric bypass twice with United Healthcare and Cigna over the last 10 yrs. Glad I did, but now am with BCBS and they don't cover any WLS. So am selfpay and will have to find fianancing-have already been turned down by one company. I have cut expenses by moving in with friends and taking a second job. Am almost 50 now and BMI of 54 with diabetes, asthma, hypertension and sleep apnea. My ?s are: After finding financing, how long will it take to get on Dr Aceves' schedule? Is the passport card enough or do I need the passport book?, Do I need to have a person accompany me for surgery trip or is going alone safe and will I be able to handle luggage, etc after surgery by myself? Do AT&T cellphones and internet work in Mexico? Is there anything to do in Mexicalli for a vacation or should I just plan for sugery? I do not know any Spanish and have a hearing loss-will I be able to get by okay with just pointing to words on the Spanish-English phrase sheet that I saw on this forum somewhere? Any ideas of how to find financing when credit is not good? I am sure that I will have more questions later. I am Clinical Director of a 74 bed adolescent residential therapy center. Love my job and also enjoy travelling, dogs, cats, motorcycling, hot air ballooning, reading, writing, Facebook and going to movies and plays. Thanks for giving such good information on this site so that I was able to make an informed decision. Norma:thumbup1:

Welcome to the forum! It's great to have you here.

I've had a band and now I have a sleeve. You couldn't pay me to have another band. Bands are a great way to lose about half your excess weight short term. They are hard to deal with regarding getting stuck all the time, the vomiting, sliming, foaming, it's just a very hard journey. I was totally prepared for hard work in losing weight but I was not prepared for the constant problems with banding.

Sleeves are soooo much easier in so many ways. The food limitations many have with banding result in chronic Constipation due to an inability to eat vegetables and other fibrous foods. With my sleeve I can eat anything I want but in very small quantities.

The passport card is all you need and the total cost is $45.00. You go to your local post office (some require an appt), fill out a form, give them a certified copy of your birth certificate, give them $45, swear an oath and you are done. If you get a passport card instead of a passport book just please know you can only travel to Canada and Mexico by ground. If you want to fly into either country or if you want to travel to any other country you will need the passport book. That is $75 vs. $20 for the card. Then for first time passport users there is an additional $25.00 fee. So for a card it is $45, for a book it is $100 total.

Be sure to make a photo copy of your card/book when you get it and keep it in a secure place at home where a friend can get to it in a pinch in case you lose your card.

I went alone to Dr. Aceves for my band and sleeve. It's no big deal, there are so many people checking on you throughout your hospital stay it really isn't a problem. If you feel better bringing someone with you then by all means, do!

My cellphone works at the hospital well and the hospital has wireless internet connection for you.

It's good to have you here!

I just wonder if anyone else has had this problem.

Up untill about 3 weeks ago, I thought I looked fairly thin. However, now, I feel like I look fat. I've not gained weight and my clothes fit the same. But, when I look in the mirror or at my waist line....I just see fat. I wear size 4 jeans, and size 10/12 dress. I've always been bigger on the top. I used to wear size 20 jeans. What is wrong with me. I feel like my gut is huge. I hate feeling like this.:tongue_smilie:

It's called Body Dysmorphia and most of us experience it. It takes a long time to go away.