Mountaingal

I had gastric plication, the same type fold your stomach surgery 7 yrs ago. At that time it was done laproscopically. I have maintained my weight loss till fairly recently. I have gained 8-10 pounds but I can't blame the surgery. I have been grazing due to the difficulties of life including a husband with dementia. I am taking back control and losing those pounds . Gaining weight won't solve the things that are making me want to nibble. This has been avery good choice for me.

Nice to see some activity among over 50's. Had my surgery at 64 and am now 67. The weight did come off very very slowly but with hard work and continued dedication it came off and is staying off. So nice to get a new lease on life at this age.

Hey Hope4momof4 you might not be doing anything wrong. Everyone is different and sometimes comparing ourselves to others is a very big mistake. I was told weight loss with this procedure was slower and lasted longer. I did not lose weight fast but just kept plodding along. Also I was heavier to begin with so it might have come off faster. Hang in there judging this at 4 weeks might be rather premature. I also was self pay so I understand how that plays in ones mind.Hang in there, give it time and and this will work for you. Congratulations on your dedication to exercise!

Can't say I measure my food and still put more on the plate than I will ever eat at times LOL though not as often as some time ago. I use a divided pyrex plate, very much like a kids plate from the dollar store. Start out with maybe a piece of protein the size of a deck of cards, then I add probably two tbsp of veggies into each of the other two areas on the plate. If I want to eat salad I need to eat a small serving for lunch or mid afternoon. Can't eat that and dinner to. It does take some getting used after yrs of putting more on your plate.

Firstly thank you so much for words of praise and encouragement. I think you have plication figured out perfectly now. Lots of pictures of the procedure on line if you want to see how they tuck the stomach up during the surgery. I have no problem with sharing any info that will help anyone. Before surgery I was 255 having lost a little during the liver shrink diet. I am 5ft 71/2" (shrinking from 5'8" LOL). My highest weight was 275 several yrs ago. I am now between 190 and 195 not sure how accurate the scale is. I am now 66yrs old, heading for 67 so I was just past my 64th birthday at the time of surgery. It is a daily battle for though I can't eat large meals I can certainly nibble between meals if I allow myself to do so. I sometimes think even after surgery eating and food take up far more of our energy and time than they should. That said it is so much nicer to not be carrying around that bag of "pig chow" as I imagined my fat. It got used up bit by bit as my body lost weight using it for fuel LOL. Happy to chat any time and the best of luck on your journey. You can do this!

Plication does not involve any cutting beyond the laproscopy incisions of which I had four. The stomach is folded into itself and stitched with two rows of stitches, no staples involved. I am very happy with my plication. I weigh 60lbs less than at surgery weight and have maintained that for 2 yrs. This was a fine amount of loss for me as my BMI was not very high. I wish this surgery was more popular as I think many people who will not consider more invasive surgeries would consider it.

So how are you doing Speedmommy? I hope you are happy with your procedure and doing well. I had my WLS at 64. Best thing I ever did for myself. I am not super thin (which I wouldn't want) but am so happy. I feel healthier, have more energy and move with less aches and pains.

I had read about ESG 3 yrs ago but couldn't find so much as a study where I could get it done. I got gastric plication which seems to be very similar in mechanism...the stomach is folded up to lessen its size. Plication has been very well accepted and used in Australia , NZ and some European countries for some yrs now with good results so I don't see why long term ESG results will be any different.

I was looking for ESG 3 yrs ago but could not find it anywhere. I had a plication which I don't think can be much different. In both procedures your stomach is made smaller by "folding it on itself". I am happy with my procedure and the scars I did not want don't seem to matter at all now. After all I have read about ESG I do think recovery may be a bit harder than mine was though. Neither plication or ESG are miracle cures but they are miracle tools if we use them right.

Msjenae Dr Nowzaradan is the key note speaker and will be talking about why we gain and later regain. I would love to see you there. Katkatlady no Blacksburg is the home of VA Tech , home of the Hokies. It is where that huge massacre was several yrs ago. But it is very pretty round here with the Appalachian Trail, the New River and the Blue Ridge Pkwy. I think JMU is about 2 1/2 hrs north of us on Hwy 81. Pretty up there too.

I am from SW VA near Blacksburg. I had my surgery done in Tijuana MX through Bariatric Pal. Msjenae I see you are from Charlotte NC. Are you going to the Living Beyond the Tool seminar in Spartanburg SC? Jopax35 and FlyEagleFly where are you from in South Jersey? I lived most of my life in that area.

Don't know if you have gone ahead and got a band yet. I found your post a little late in the game. I don't know if it is available in South Africa but another option is gastric plication. It is not terrifically popular in the US but in Europe and some other countries it highly rated. They tuck part of your stomach into your stomach (so it take up room) and stitch it so it stays there. You are not as hungry afterwards. It is a simpler and less invasive surgery than bypass or sleeve. There is plication forum here you could go to and there is lots of info on line about the procedure. No erosion etc from the band with this.

Just wondering how you are doing Koki.

Good luck with your procedure. A great decision and it seems like a great procedure. You can get through the liquid diet and it is just part of improving the rest of your life and very worthwhile.

Very good to see this procedure up and running. I was very interested in it several yrs ago but could not find it being done anywhere so I ended up getting a plication done which I am not unhappy with. Your post was incredibly informative and it looks as if you are getting a wonderful amount of support. I think nausea is part and parcel of any procedure involving the stomach but I am glad it did not last too . PLease keep us updated on your progress.

Sorry they are making this very hard for you. Ins companies can be very hard to work with. Good luck.

Sorry the weight has been so long it leaves a lot more time for questioning the decision. Once it is done you will probably think how much you wished you could have done it sooner. I wanted surgery 5 yrs before I actually had it. I did not have my husband's support and as private pay that made doing it without his support hard. Eventually I did it anyway. Now I looked back and think about those 5 extra yrs of not being able to live as fully as I can I can now. I hope your wait ends soon. Yes there are always some who regret their decision but not very many.

I am way past breastfeeding age but especially with plication I see no reason why you couldn't. You are still absorbing a nice amount of very healthy proteins. Not sure I ate more than I do now after plication while nursing my children. Good luck if you are doing this. I am sure others would love to know how it had worked out.

Sounds like you are doing really well 1955. I have never lost weight at the rate but weight loss different for everyone. Mary 0110 Did you have your surgery?

Always lots of support here. I think we all find the same things, lack of support and understanding of what the struggle does to your mind and body over the yrs. Hopefully your non supportive support system will come around once they see how much better you feel after your surgery. Good luck, you have made the best decision of your life.

of course going back to MX to have the balloon removed adds to the cost. How did your daughter do Cheralyn? NPR what did you end up doing? If you are afraid of larger more invasive surgeries you can get plication done in MX. Might never end up skinny but it does a very acceptable job for a less invasive procedure. Best thing I ever did for myself.

Congratulations on your choice Rainbow Warrior. Time to start telling people who want you rush you to the hospital over the holidays you have just started to make new and better choices for your health. Tell them long enough and they will believe you as you get healthier all the time. I told two of my children and my husband who were all great supporters. I left out remaining children and friends that would have not be positive influences on me. One of my children would have every sniffle and ache and pain directly caused by this choice for the rest of my life. Do what you need to for yourself. Good luck

So have you had your surgery and how have you done?

Dreamingahead, I am sorry you had such poor results with your plication and wish you the success you dream of with your surgery this month. As with any surgery there are variable results. I had plication in July of 15 and am very happy with my results. Mary 0110 the scares are very small as with all laprosopic surgery. The largest one is still visible and maybe 1/2" long, the others you have to look for.

I know there are surgeons at the Cleveland Clinic and in OH that do plications but the price is over $10,000. Much cheaper to go to Mexico and they really take fantastic care of you. You come home almost feeling you had a vacation not a surgical trip!