DGM

I'm considering revision and would prefer gastric sleeve over the other surgeries. Is there anyone that has had success with the sleeve that had no success with the band? Thanks.

Hi everyone! Haven't had time to read all the posts but prayers for everyone! Please pray for me too. My surgery is tomorrow, 7:30AM! Thanks!

@@Mrready and @@WinterIsComing, Thank you for your comments! They are very reassuring and comforting. I truly appreciate it. I have been struggling so much over this decision.

@, Thank you. Your comment is helpful. I guess I'm just nervous about the unknown. There are risks involved and will those risks affect me. I'm also concerned about how I will feel when I'm only able to take sips of Fluid rather than normal size drink. Does it make you feel anxious? It seems one is at a higher risk for dehydration. After a couple months, does drinking feel normal or are you always still very conscience of having to get that Water in? How often do you have to drink in order to be ok? Say I'm only able to take a couple sips every hour when I'm at work. Is it enough? I read over and over again how most people wish they had done the surgery sooner. I wish I were already on the other side! :-)

Thanks for the update! Glad you're doing well. I had my band removed recently and the plan is to have vsg August/September. I'm nervous about having vsg. Can't imagine having a portion of my stomach removed. But I'm morbidly obese and don't want to live this way anymore.

How are you doing now? Update please. I had Highmark Blue when I got banded. When I had it removed I had Geisinger Health Plan. They had a "Once in a lifetime" policy, would cover the removal of the band because it was medically necessary, but would not cover the sleeve afterwards. I then changed to Capital Blue the first of the year and they covered it. I still needed to qualify as if I hadn't had the band to begin with but my BMI was such that I did. I'm doing well six days out. The night of the surgery was painful but they kept me well drugged. Each day has been much easier. Really no pain at this point, just sore at the incision point. I can feel pain/pressure behind the sternum if I take too big a swallow of Water or don't allow time between spoonfuls of soup but it only lasts about 10 seconds. I did have a little Buyers Remorse the first day but that has now passed and I'm looking forward to a better me now.

How's it going since your vsg surgery? Hope all is well. Same here. I lost about 30 pounds total with a lot of difficulty. My band then did slip. had an unfil and never the same since. Looking forward to the removal and getting the sleeve in 3 weeks.

Thanks everyone. It's very helpful reading your comments. Please keep them coming.

Thanks every one. Read the article. Good information.

Thanks Heather but I mean NO results from lap band. I may have lost a few pounds but literally that's it. Whether due to always feeling stuck and never satiated and /or eating slider foods or emotional eating, I never succeeded with the band. It's hard to imagine the sleeve will help me.

Sooooooooooo discouraged especially afer reading everyones success(but happy for all of you). Had surgery 7/17/06 and have only lost about 30 lbs including presurgery liquid diet. Ok, i know most of the problem is my fault and i still eat candy and cookies. But in all truth,even knowing the truth, i was hoping it would do some of the work for me. Sounds like some of us have that gift but i surly don't. My other issue is that i've had fills and unfills. I recently had a unfill becaus I could bearly eat at 3.4 and now at 3.3 i can eat tooooo much. My doc says he can't really fill in between those amounts. So discouraged. I should just accept my life time of obesity and be done with it. Ok, feeling sorry for myself and rambling, thanks for listening.

Hey Krystal, I was banded in July and have only lost about 17 lbs. My doc believes in gradually getting you to the "sweet spot" and it took forever...I think it was January before I felt major restriction. You can imagine my frustration and that all my upmff to lose weight was gone by then. Now I stuggle just like before the band. My diet isn't good and I eat candy almost daily (goes down better than most other foods and i still deal with food as comfort). Anyway, I appreciate your story and I hope one day I'll get there too.

Hi all, I haven't been here for a while. Just wanted to say hi and to ask the praying people out there for some prayers. Life is very stressful right now for me. Mom is in ICU in critical condition. Besides having Emphesema (sp?) and Congestive heart failure, right now she's dealing with blood clots and in lung(she's sedated and on a ventilator) and left foot. There's a possibility she may loose her foot although it's getting better at this point, thank God!! I gave notice to my boss recently for whom I've work for almost 6 yrs now. There are a few reasons but the icing on the cake was a very NASTY coworker. And then i have the blessing of a 16 month old baby who keeps me both overjoyed and very busy too( I can't figure out why i haven't lost more weight considering I run after him all the time All joking aside, the weight loss is slow. Yea, diet could be better. OK, NOW TELL ME, WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO EAT DURING ALL THIS STRESS!! I"m hanging in there though and just ask that you say a little prayer for mom. Thanks in advance. PuddyKat, I too am losing hair, seems to have slowed down now. I knew this would happen but hope it doesn't get worse. mysherrie jo, I'm with you sister. I"m a few days before T.O.M. and eating things I shouldn't. I just have to keep reminding myself NOT TO BUY THE STUFF!!! This is part of my problem. I get sort of nervous/anxious if I don't have something sweet in the house. I know there's a deeper issue behind that but does anyone else experience that feeling?

Hi Everyone, Ready to be thin, I'll be praying with you. Just wanted to let you all know I finally have restriction!!! I had surgery 7/17/06 and 5 fills later(last one under fluoro), I finally have restriction and I think I've lost a couple pounds. I"m not sure If i'm too tight but I'm able to eat and drink so I guess I"m ok. No pbing but it's a bit uncomfortable when I eat sometimes. Finally, I'm starting to feel excited about this. I was so discouraged as I hadn't lost anything since just after surgery. Keep me in your prayers that it works. Thanks.

Going for 4th!!! fill tomorrow. Been banded since 7/17/06. I currently have 1.7cc/4cc band. Hardly any restriction, can still eat a lot of food. Sometimes I do get food stuck, depends on what it is and if I eat too fast. I'm frustrated and discouraged as I've only lost 9 lbs since surgery!!

HI All, Tell me what you think. Some of you have heard from me and know that I had band surgery 7/17/06. I've lost 9 lbs since surgery, have had three fills and can still eat a lot. I"m discouraged because I haven't lost more weight and my diet hasn't been good. My brother-in-law had Lap Band surgery 12/9/05 and has lost 76 lbs with 2-3 fills. Turns out, his doc trained my doc to do the surgery. My brother in law told his doc about my lack of restriction and he said I could come there for my fills. The doc said some surgeons still use an old approach of gradual filling requiring, sometimes, up to 10 fills in one year. I don't want to wait that long for good restriction but am nervous about switching doctors. Plus, this doc is about 1hr away. I know, if I have good restriction, I don't have to go back so often. Anyway, what would you all do in my situation?? Thanks, MDG

Baylor mom, you're right regarding both eating too fast and this support group. Just wanted to clarify :-) Michelle

Baylor Mom, I think you are absolutely right. Thanks everyone.

Readytobthin, Thanks for the info. More questions: It seems sometimes, the intial couple bites of food don't go down well. They get stuck and after they move through, I can eat pretty much normally. When I say normal, i mean as I did before being banded. Is this restriction? Or am I just eating too fast and not chewing well enough. I think I"m not doing well with chewing and slowing down while eating.

Hi all, I'm a july 17th bandster and need some support. I've had two fills now ("standard" band 4cc) with a total of 1.5cc. I still can eat quite a bit and honestly I am a bit discourage. I'm trying to stay focused but really my diet stinks now because I'm discouraged. I keep trying to tell myself(and others have too) this will work, you just have to get to the "sweetspot". THIS WILL WORK, RIGHT??? I know the band is a tool and I"m responsible for the rest. Words of encouragement and wisdom are very welcome. Btw, Have any of you experienced hiccups while eating? I ate some chicken tonight and got the hiccups and then the dreaded pb. Not the first time I had the hiccups while eating though.

Hi all, had my first fill today. Went well and the PA at my docs office did a great job. I have a "standard" band and was filled 1.3cc. I get the idea I may need another fill as I'm told and have read usually the first fill doesn't do much...but I"m hoping it does :-) Also, as I was leaving the office the PA said, "see you in two weeks" I"ll let you know what happens. MDG

HI all, Going for my first fill tomorrow, thank God! Seems like since I hit 4 weeks out from surgery(surgery date 7/17/06), I"ve been HUNGRY and like a bottomless pit. Embarrassed to say i'm almost back to my old eating habits. Been trying to control myself but feeling discouraged. I just read a post that said after getting a fill this lady lost 6 lbs and weight seems to be falling off. Can it be true? I'll actually lose weight? I'm almost terrified to get on the scale tomorrow for fear of what it might say and then getting reamed(sp?) out by the PA at my Docs office. Anyway, wish me luck. MDG

bdclark: I was banded July 17 and I am hungry a lot. I can consume quite a bit of food but I try to control it. Per my docs orders I'm supposed to eat no more than 30carbs/day and at least 70 proteins. I have to admit, I'm no longer keeping under 30 carbs . It's hard at this moment but I"ve been encouraged by LBT buddies and doc/nutritionist, once I have the fill, things will be better. Last time I was weighed (at docs office) I had lost 8 lbs since surgery day. It fluctuates according to my scale but I've stopped weighing myself here at home and will go by docs scale. Hang in there, we're all most to the next step. MDG