LavenderRose

Hi to everyone! I am unable to go to a site that has a section for VSG because my computer freezes every time I try to open up a post that someone left. And I know of a site that has no one that comes there. I just found this site with people who have VSG and it seems like I may be able to get some information and support here. I hope it is ok that I am here. I know this is a site mostly for lapband people, but I am hoping I can get some support from those with VSG. I have the lapband but it is not working for me at all. I have worked very close with my surgeon and dietician through the time I have had the band, which is about 1.5 years. I have problems with RA (rheumatoid arthritis) and I didn't know I had RA until after I got my band. If I knew about it I would have chosen a different surgery then, because it is made clear the band is not for those with auto-immuned diseases. My surgeon wants to do the VSG for me and I have decided to go for it. I am trying to get my surgery done about Mid Decemeber. I want to get it done during the time I will have off from college before my next semester starts the 3rd week of January. I am now working with my dietician on my 6 month supervised diet that is required by my insurance company. I have heard a lot of good things about the VSG and I am hoping it works as well for me as it has for so many others I have read about. It appears that people lose fairly quickly with the gastric sleeve. It seems many of you are losing about 8-10 lbs a month. Is this fair to say? Or is it more or less weight per month that is lost? I am currently 240 lbs. I am hoping to get down to 150, but I would be happy getting to 160. It seems a lot of you who have the gastric sleeve for some time have lost so well, therefore, that makes me believe my goal weight is realistic. I like the fact that the Ghrelin hormone is removed and you become less hungry in time. I am sooo looking forward to that. I look forward to talking to more VSG people and getting to know all of you.

Thanks Jeanne, I would love to go to Mexicali, but I think my insurance is paying for my surgery as long as I do the 6 month superivsed diet, which I am in the middle of. Thanks for offering your support. I am enjoying meeting new friends with sleeves and getting to know all of you. This is one heck of a ride so far. I am sure once I am sleeved it will be even more exciting. I am looking forward to it. You are doing good with your sleeve. Keep up the great work!

I am trying to look through the posts to see who made you think anyone thught you said that. I don't see that in your post at all MacMadame. I just can't find anyone who said that you thought the OP was "nuts and needed her head shrunk". I agree with most of what you said. You basically said what I did, that we need to work at any weight loss surgery and that it is a tool and it isn't going to work by itself. We both just worded it differently and I just worded what my thoughts were in my posts. Maybe I am not seeing something. The only thing I think I added was how I just know by so many posts I have read over the past 3 years that people get the surgery THEN get counseling as oppossed to the other way around. A lot of people get surgery for health reasons first and deal with the head hunger later when they get their diabestes under control or what ever health issue needs attention. If you got this feeling from my post, then you are taking my post completely the wrong way. You know a good deal about the sleeve and I think you described it to her very well. But I am allowed to post my thoughts.

SpecialK, I have the band and I am having it removed due to complications. I seen my dietician and asked her what the differece was with feeling full with the band and feeling full with the sleeve. She explained to me that once the hunger hormone (Ghrelin) is removed then I will feel less hungery all the time and I won't have those dramatic peaks of starvation. I will also not get that chest pain anymore. The sleeve has no device to make things get stuck to feel that pain. You will just feel "normal" with the sleeve since it operates like a regular stomach. The best thing I like is I won't be able to eat more and drink with my meals (you are NOT supposed to do this with the band anyway) bad me..., so with the sleeve if you try to eat too much or drink with it you will end up in pain and throwing up..I do not want that. There is no other part of your stomach to force food into with the sleeve like it is with the band. I do not drink with my meals anymore now, so that is a wonderful thing for me and it was hard for me to train myself to do. I don't even allow a drink on the table when I am eating. I make sure my hubby keeps his close to him and not near my side where I could just pick it up unconsciously and drink it. If you are having problems with head hunger...don't beat yourself up about it. You need to work hard with your counselor and try getting a book called "The Food & Feelings workbook" It is very good and I used it and am using it to help battle my addiction. Also joining groups for food addicts can be very helpful for some. The reason we are all obese or morbidly obese is because we didn't or couldn't control how much we ate. I have never seen a obese person eat 2-3 oz at each meal, exercise 4-5 days a week and say I don't know why I am not thin. If we could control how much we ate we wouldn't need surgery as a tool to help us out. Head hunger won't go away overnight and you will have to work on this addiction for life, as well as any alcoholic or drug addict works on their addiction and staying clean life long. You can still get surgery, but don't expect the surgical TOOL to work if you are not doing your part. I just feel you can keep working on this one day at a time, but you must be committed. That is also why they have surgical support groups. People don't cure their head hunger and get surgery, though that would always be best. But in reality, it isn't like that 95% of the time. We need a tool to help us along. You can make the band work for you if you want to. But it will mean working hard with getting counseling, exercise, going to support groups, and taking it one day at a time. If your band is causing you pain in your chest, first try and eat smaller bites and chew very well. If this doesn't work then maybe you need a slight unfill. Sometimes just .2 cc's is enough to help. Good luck with your weight loss journey whether you keep your band or get another surgery.

I also do not like OH's software either. My computer freezes every time I go to it and hit on someones post. I have no problems with any other site. I think their whole system could be updated and formatted more like these others like lapbandtalk. It would make it a heck of a lot easier! I also see a lot of disputes on OH when I can get further then just opening the posts. Why are people so defensive there? I rather stick to other boards for now. Especailly since my computer doesn't like that site and gives me problems.

JaJeanne, Congrates on your 16lb weight loss. That is awesome :biggrin: Keep up the great work. I know how the head hunger can be, but you can beat it!! Just think of the scale not moving when you eat the unhealthy/high calorie things, then think about the scale moving down when you choose a low cal snack, like SF pudding...YUM. But believe me, I really fight with head hunger myself :cool2:, Just wanted to give you some encouragement. I know it is tough, but getting surgery is tough too and you did it!! LR

Hi Karen, OH.com is the site that my computer freezes everytime I go to it. It is too much of a hassel to deal with it. My computer doesn't freeze at any other site, so it must me something with that site that my computer doesn't like. I am not going to do anything different with my computer, like mess with Cookies because then it messes up my husbands sites that he goes to. So, OH is not an option for me. Too bad, it really did seem like a nice site. If I am ever at the library, which isn't often, I will try it there. But thank you anyway for letting me know about it. That was nice of you to take the time to refer me to it.

Anita~ Thank you so much for your reply. CONGRATES on your weight loss so far. 30 lbs in 4 weeks is awesome. I hope that happens with me. 2-3 pounds a week is great to my ears. Especially since it seems easier to achieve with the sleeve then with the band to ME anyway. Not that you can't gain it all back IF you decide to eat fattening, high calories foods. But I like that the gastric sleeve cuts out the hunger hormone for the most part to make you less hungery. I would get chest pain in my band from eating even the smallest bits and not feeling full and satisfied, so I am really looking forward to feeling full and not hungry. I feel the band is awesome for some, but for me it didn't work, so I am happy I have this option availabale. LR. Wishing everyone an awesone journey with their weightloss, no matter what surgery you had or will have!

asnewme~ Thank you for the sleevers forum site. I greatly appreciate it. I will check it out now.

I am new here, but I wanted to add my 2cents. I had the band and worked so hard at it. I worked with my surgeon and dietian. The band did NOT work for me, but it was because I have rheumatoid arthritis. I did NOT know this before I got the band, but the band triggered my symptoms because of a foreign object inside of me. RA is an auto-immuned disease, which makes your body attack itself...the good cells, which causes inflammation and joint deformaties. I live in pain everyday and can't wait to have my band removed. Therefore, I am grateful for options like the gastric sleeve. I do NOT want my intestines rerouted and the sleeve does not mess with the intestines. I feel so fortunate that I have this option and I am so so so glad that ace started posting here. I need support just people who have the band and the band is working for them. I need support. I can't even get onto obesity help because my stupid computer freezes when I get on that site. I WISH SO BAD I caould go to a site for JUST gastric sleeve, but I can't, so can I please get some support here????? Because I am dealing with obesity just like those who have the band, gastric bypass, DS and whatever other surgery is out there for weight loss. I need some kindness and I really don't want to go to a site where all there is to read is how everyone is all sensitive over who's surgery is the BETTER one. For goodness sake can we be adults and just support one another NO MATTER WHAT SURGERY YOU HAD???? I wish someone who can make a new site for JUST VSG/gastric sleeve would do so. I have no clue how to or I would do it myself. For goodness sake. AND....Can't people look up information themselves to find out the FACTS instead of just thinking you know what is what without even investigating everything? I mean please, if you are going to make an arguement then have proof to back up your arguement. It is ok to have the band, or the sleeve, or gastric bypass, or the DS. One isn't cut out for everyone. That is why there are several surgeries. Come on it isn't about who has the bigger house or nicer car here. We are all trying to get healthy and feel better, so can we try and help everyone get there no matter what surgery they had or want to get??? I feel better already, just from getting all that off my chest. I wish everyone well on their weight loss journey, no matter what surgery you have or are going to get.