Elisabethsew

My surgeon advised no heavy lifting (> 15 pounds) for 4-6 weeks post-op. I walked post-op and then started doing some light exercising at 3 weeks. I'm now back to working out two times a week. I hate exercise but consider it a necessary evil so I do it. LOL. The good news? As the weight comes off, the workout becomes a bit easier allowing you to step it up a bit more. Now that summer is finally here, I'm looking forward to adding swimming to the routine. I have yet to experience that "endorphin" thing. LOL.

In reading the different forums, I noticed several people talking about heartburn so I decided to take a poll and see what it shows.

With the band out and the sleeve done, I am enjoying being able to eat healthy foods. Roasted veggies are fabulous. I line a pan with foil, spread out the veggies (asparagus today), and lightly spray them with Pam olive oil and then sprinkle with a little onion powder and salt and pepper. Bake for 20 min at 425 degrees and enjoy... healthy and filling.

After suffering with the band, I decided to revise to the sleeve and am just shy of 2 months post-op. I dealt with a lot of guilt when I had the band because I followed all the rules but could not make the band work for me. My banding surgery took place over 3 years ago and we weren't hearing much about complications when I decided to have the procedure. Now, more people are coming forward and it seems like people either do great with the band or regret the day they decided to get one. It seems like a lot of people are deciding to revise to the sleeve and I haven't met anyone who is not happy with his/her decision. I wanted to feel full on small amounts of food and that's what the VSG does for me. My heartburn and relux are gone and I'm able to eat healthy foods again. The band actually prevented me from eating fruits, vegetables, and a host of other things and I'm loving being able to eat anything in small amounts. I look forward to hearing how others are doing.

I will start by saying I hate eggs so the raves I get for this recipe are from people who do enjoy them. Quiche is usually made with half & half or cream but this is a lighter version with a lot of protein. 1. Take a store bought deep dish pie shell and prick holes in the crust on the bottom and sides. 2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (bake). 3. In a bowl, whisk together: - 4 eggs - 1.5 cups of skim milk - Canned all white meat chicken or turkey (drained and flaked) - 11-12 oz - 1 tablespoon worstershire sauce - 1/4 cup of low fat ricotta cheese - 1 tablespoon onion powder - 1 teaspoon garlic powder - 1/2 cup of low fat shredded cheddar cheese or another cheese you like - 2 tablespoons of corn starch (this is the secret ingredient that thickens the quiche) 4. Pour the mixture in the pie crust. 5. Bake for 45-55 min at 350 degrees. If the quiche is not golden brown and set, bake for an additional 10 min.

Most people having weight loss surgery (WLS) are placed on proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as nexium post-op. Were you also told to take calcium? PPIs inhibit the absorption of calcium so it's important to take supplements. The cheaper calcium is calcium carbonate but the one that is preferred is calcium citrate. If you take calcium carbonate, it should not be taken with the PPI. This is not an issue if you take calcium citrate. Because calcium and vitamin D work together, it is advisable to supplement vitamin D as well and get regular checks via blood work from your MD.

I might not be the biggest Obama supporter but the man is getting flack for taking his wife on a date? Give me a break! The story goes that Obama promised Michelle that he would take her to dinner and a Broadway show once campaigning was over with. He and Michelle boarded a small plane and did just that. The press is claiming that this was a poor choice given the recession that the country is in. Since when can't a couple plan a short trip? It seems to me that we have more important things to focus on in this country than date night for the Obamas.

Statistics can be reported out of context or interpreted incorrectly. One also needs to take into consideration the number of participants, methodology, data collection procedures, reliability, generalizability, etc. Since you seem to be directing your distain towards "fellow RNs", it's important to note that even RNs can post inaccurate information... knowingly or not. As an RN, I appreciate it when I am called on something I was mistaken about so I can grow and learn.

Sharing good and bad experiences is what people come here for. Debate is encouraged. Of course, you're free to have an opinion which I see is not in agreement with others posting on this thread. Have a good day.

amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And to you too.

You're doing VERY well so take pride in your accomplishments. Any weight loss takes work. With the sleeve, you have a MUCH smaller stomach and the hunger hormone is severely reduced. However, if you don't stick to 3 healthy meals a day and an occasional snack but rather graze on food all day, you won't lose. Congratulations on your loss.

Good luck on the RN exam.

I did a lot of research on the band before I had it and on VSG before I revised. Here are two peer reviewed studies: Comparison of weight loss and body composition cha...[surg Obes Relat Dis. 2009] - PubMed Result A 10-year experience with laparoscopic gastric ban...[Obes Surg. 2006] - PubMed Result I DO believe the band is working for many but I also believe it's failing others who HAVE followed the rules. As they say, there's good and bad in everything.

My desire is to let people know there is the band, VSG, RNY, and DS and share MY experience with the two I have had. If I knew about the VSG procedure when I had the band, I would have never had the band placed. I don't speak on RNY or DS because I have no personal experience with those.

My opinion is yes, the band is on its way out. It's the least effective weight loss surgery in terms of percentage of weight lost and complications are now becoming more common. People like the band because it's "just a band" to restrict food intake and is reversible. However, scar tissue forms under the band beginning just a few days after placement and adhesions are inherent in any abdominal/pelvic surgery. This makes revisions to another weight loss surgery more risky. Many surgeons who were doing high percentages of bands and lower percentages of other surgeries are now seeing a reversal of that trend with less people opting for the band.

I don't think sharing personal experiences is a negative thing. I truly wish the band worked for me the way it did for the few people I know personally that have done well. Now that many people have had the band placed for 3-5 years, we're hearing about complications that SOME are having. With any new surgery, this is bound to happen. If I were considering the band today, I would want to know the good, the bad, and the ugly. That is exactly the approach I took when I decided to revise to the VSG. I'm sorry you see this as a bad thing.

In the long run, the band can be MORE expensive for self-pays. If you don't get free fills for life, the cost can be very high when you figure in the office visit fee and the fill/unfill fee. I had the band done in the U.S. and it was covered under insurance. I went to Mexico for the VSG because I wanted the surgeon who had a lot of experience and taught a lot of the U.S surgeons.

Congratulations on your decision. The band never gave me a feeling of restriction but it did give me severe acid reflux and limited my ability to eat healthy foods like fresh fruits and veggies. The sleeve is what works for me. I instantly feel full after a small portion of food, don't crave anything, and love that I can eat any food I want to. Unlike the band, there is no making appointments for fills/unfills, etc. Keep us posted on your progress.

Absolutely, but I don't limit discussion to band and/or sleeve. Having had both of those surgeries, I can speak from personal experience. RNY and DS are two other WLS procedures that might be best for some. One needs to pick the best surgery for him/her and not choose a surgery because it worked for others.

I don't think it's fair to present an all or none picture of this thread. I have had the band and revised to a sleeve after 3 years of band intolerance. I know several people who have the band and continue to do well with it. You stated you might have had the sleeve if more were known at the time that you had your band placed. I agree with you as I would have also. Knowing how much better the VSG surgery is for ME and having had the band and some of it's associated complications, my desire is to let those considering the band that it's NOT the only WLS option. Bottom line? Figure out what type of eater you are, talk to surgeons who perform various types of WLS, do independent research, and make an informed decision for YOURSELF.

I read all the posts on this thread. As an RN for well over 25 years, it saddens me when I see another RN posting information that is not accurate, complete, or misleading. Unfortunately, that is what I found in your posts. The bottom line is that people need to examine what type of eaters they are. Based on those results, they will either need a restrictive procedure (band or VSG) or a procedure that is both restrictive and malabsorptive (RNY or DS). Only after those facts are known should a person select a surgeon and that surgeon needs to have proven stats in the procedure desired by the patient. Where did you get the information that people cause their own problems with the band? Why do you think erosion is the only complication? Don't you know how many OTHER complications have been reported? I had a band for 3 years and 1 day and had NO erosion. I followed ALL the rules and suffered from acid reflux, the inability to sleep in a bed, and could not tolerate healthy foods. My life was pure hell with the band even though I was an ideal patient. The sleeve has proven ineffective at weight loss? WOW! That is an awful thing to post. When you use the word "nurse" in your screen name people assume you have a certain level of knowledge and might give more weight (no pun intended) to what you say over someone else. As such, you have a responsibility to post FACT. The sleeve has great STATS. Originally, it was the first surgery done for those having DS. Because so many people were losing so well, it soon became a stand alone surgery. I believe the other inconsistencies in your posts have been addressed by others so I won't comment further. The band is great for a lot of people but it's not a one size fits all procedure. There are other WLS's that are JUST as effective (and more so in many cases) as the band. To the original poster, you were 100% on point to cancel your surgery. Take as much time as you need to find the right surgery for you.

I have no experience with Tijuana but can tell you I had a wonderful experience with Dr. Aceves in Mexacali. Several people received bands with him while I was revising from the band to the sleeve and did great.

Thank you for posting the article. I agree with most of it. One of the points he is wrong about concerns the long term studies on sleeve patients. This operation has been done for decades for patients with gastric cancer and has been proven ssuccessful in many long term studies.

Surgeons have to obtain "informed consent" prior to operating on anyone. If you're confused or have questions, you have not been adequately informed and you needs to find out more information and ask questions. Once you feel informed about all the options available to you, research the one or two that you are leaning towards. Ask yourself what type of eater you are. Do you eat all day? Do you eat huge portions? Do you crave cakes, candy, ice-cream, etc.? Are you a junk food eater? Do you eat a healthy diet but eat too much healthy food? Also consider how you feel about having a band and port inside your body. It did not bother me but others are freaked out about having a foreign material in their bodies. If that is the case for THEM, the band is not their surgery of choice. The band and the sleeve (VSG) are both restrictive procedures so they limit the amount of food you can eat. However, if you're a person who loves candy and ice-cream, etc., and grazes on Snacks like this all day, it's VERY easy for those foods to slide right down either of these procedures and you can stop losing and easily gain. The bypass procedure (RNY) and Duodenal Switch (DS) procedures use restriction AND malabsorption to achieve weight loss. With less than 100 pounds to lose, DS would normally not be a consideration for you. RNY creates restriction of how much food you can eat by creating a small pouch for a stomach. The malabsorption happens by cutting out part of the intestine. This causes less calories of the food you eat to be used by your body. Of course, if you don't follow the post-op eating plan, it is possible to stretch out that new stomach (pouch) over time and gain wieght. I had the band surgery in early 2006 and it was not a good surgery for me. I had the band removed and, at the same time, revised to VSG (the sleeve). Had this been an option for me when I had the band, I would have gotten VSG then. Bypass would not be a good surgery for me but it might be the perfect one for you. Some people freak out thinking their intestines are going to removed. That is not true. You have small and large intestines that are MANY feet long. Ask your MD/surgeon to SHOW you how much small intestine is removed during surgery. The VSG (sleeve) procedure removes 60-85% of your stomach. That freaks some people out. I look at it like I had a defective stomach that was huge and never allowed me to feel full. Now, I eat small portions of food, feel full, and lose weight. Decide what type of eater you are USE the advice of the health care professionals to help YOU make the decision on what surgery is best for you.