TrueNorth1

HI Everyone - I don't want to tell work about this surgery. Mine is next Thursday Nov. 19th and I have not told work! I was just going to take vacation time (I will have 6 full days off) then on the 7th day go into the office. Of course, now I feel I should say some type of surgery "just in case". Any good suggestions I can use? Just thinking during co-vid I am not sure if they do "elective" surgeries like hiatus hernia. I am so worried I am going to say something and and someone will start asking what hospital is doing the surgery etc. Help! Thanks!

Oh jees - was it the grease? I thought it was sweets - but I think fat also does it. I haven't gone for surgery yet. NOv. 19th is my date. Other than dumping, have you found it ok?

Thank you so much! That is exactly the response that I expected to hear. Real. Honest. True. Human. I am doing it. My date is Nov. 19th. I am extremely excited but of course there is some fear. It is surgery after all. I will definitely be contacting you!! Many Thanks!

Does pureed have to go through a strainer so there are no "pieces" of anything? How do you get meat smooth and paste-like?

Yes, very true. Thank you Ms sss and Stella. Very true. And the shrinking Chef - I agree - doing this revision, I will give it my all. 2020 is a such a bad year as it is....2021 will be amazing!

Oh ya, I live with heartburn and acid reflux. Nexium and tums are my best friend. My sleep is awful - I am up twice a night throwing up liquid. I am 50, so add menopause in there and its a real treat! LOL. Thus the lap band will come out and at least I wont be up at night throwing up. I don't know what it is like to have a solid sleep through the night - I cant wait.

Thanks Ms. sss - it certainly is a tough call. I paid $16,000 in 2009 for the lap band that is now being taken out. MGB will be an additional $19,000. Believe me, I am all for investing in myself but its a hard pill to swallow if it is only for another 5-10 years. The trend seems to be after a certain amount of time, people are following low cal, exercise, feel like they are starving themselves and nothing is happening. Weirdly enough, weight gain is my least worry. Sure, it will frustrate me, but any medical complications scare the bejesus out of me! I'm hearing ulcers and yet more revisions? I'm 50 now; I don't really want to be having surgeries in my 60's and 70's when the risks become greater. My surgeon/clinic provides support etc for 5 years. I think that says a lot as well. Its not lifetime. One side of me says, just do it - you have read enough to know it will help you stay on a healthy lifestyle. And the other says, get a personal trainer and have him/her weigh you in 3 days/week to be accountable. I don't have to make the decision today. I am grateful for site's like these that can assist in decision making. Back in 2009 there wasnt much support for the lap band.

Briar Rose - yes, its a huge decision and major surgery. I hope we can make the best decisions for our health and well being and not think we are taking the easy way out. Reading these posts there is no easy way about it and can have some long term ramifications. Don't get me wrong, I am still intrigued by the surgery; however have fears of complications and weight gain of course. It will cost me $19,000 to get the revision done. So it needs to make sense to me.

Hi Everyone, I am a 10 year lap bander that is now getting it removed for various reasons. I am trying to decide if I get a revision to mini gastric bypass or just leave it alone. I too have gained - not all, but I have. I want to lose 50 pounds in total. So deciding if I just do it myself by healthy diet and exercise or go to the next level of surgery. What I am reading here is with the surgery, you have to do it yourself anyway - healthy diet and exercise. And that is a problem for most. We did not have surgery because we found it easy to eat healthy, small meals and exercise. Its an addiction to food for a reason - comfort food. It makes us feel good. Until it doesn't. Its a love/hate relationship. if we all had great motivation we would not be overweight and need surgery to lose weight. Its not that simple. It's psychological. What these clinics are not providing is mental support. We all know what to eat. So why are we all still challenged? Our patterns are inherent in us. Once we get over that food = everything will be better, we will be better. Just like any other addiction. I'm not sold on this surgery.

Hi there - I live in the GTA and I am getting the lap band taken out and thinking about the mini gastric bypass. I see above ppl saying OHIP covers? I paid for the lap band back in 2009 out of pocket. What is the process for OHIP? Many thanks!

Hi Everyone! I am new to this site and looking for opinions. I have the lapband currently (surgery was 2009). I have had many problems since day one. It was hard to navigate around the restrictions. One day a food would work, the next I was throwing up. Years of throwing up has caused scar tissue and GERD. At surgery date I was 220 and the lowest I got was 157. I had all liquid taken out of the band and I have now gained - I am 190 now. So, I am now having the band removed. I am debating just having it removed and carry on with life and try on my own (diet and exercise). Or, get the Mini Gastric Bypass. The mini bypass because of the scar tissue (they bypass that part of the stomach) and because of the GERD. I want off of medication and I never want to feel heartburn again. However, as I go through these threads, I am hearing about "dumping" that sounds crazy awful and that people are soooo hungry all the time and can eat and eat and eat? And people saying they have "accidents" in their pants? I don't understand. Can you live a normal life with bypass? Can I go to a work function and have a glass of wine, eat a proper meal (a quarter or half of it) without worrying I am going to be in major pain or have an accident? And will i be able to stop eating?? Thanks for any information you can provide me so i can make a decision either way!

Can you gain all the weight back with bypass? I know you can gain some based on what you eat but I would think it comes right back out? I am more worried about future issues when I am older. Malnutrition. Am I paying a lot of money to bring on other issues. Have I learned enough from the band to do this a second time.

Wow, that's inspiring. So you are happy you made the decision?

Thank you so much for the advice! That certainly helps. You have lost 111 pounds since July 16, 2020?

Thank you. That is good to know that you had the surgery 17 years ago, you kept the weight off, and you live a normal life. Understood normal life cannot be nachos, pizza and wings:) Although it sounds like if you want a slice of pizza, go for it...just make healthy choices. My question is, if you can eat without restriction, what is the difference between the surgery and just following a healthy diet? Many thanks