Search the Community

Hi guys I was sleeved on 22/11/2016 i really need some support. Anyone out there that wants a buddy?

Finally found something on this.. The sleeve pouch is (3-4 ounces) compared to the gastric bypass pouch (1 ounce) and LAP-BAND[emoji768] pouch (1/2 ounce). Found this on oliakcenter.com Yo-Yo Girl from New York City

The same thing happened to me...I was schedules for the 15th of November and they called me the day before saying they had to reschedule for the 17th. Soo sorry your delay threw such a monkey wrench in your plans! Sent from my SM-G935T using the BariatricPal App

Hi! Peoples I am interested in getting bypass surgery, I've already spoke with my primary care doctor, she's sending my referral to a surgeon and I've set up an appointment for a seminar on the 7th of November. I'm basically just asking what's the process and all, if you can spare any advice that would be appreciated! Thanks!

No but remember at first its weird because you can't drink and eat together and you have to try to fit in the 64 oz in a day with only sips! We all had issues with this. I still can't get 64 oz in a day Im close but not all the way. Your shakes count and your Popsicles count....Warm Decaf tea works well too. When you are bored with your water squeeze in some lemon it tastes good and helps your electrolytes. Good Luck:-) HW 250/1st Lapband 198/2nd Lapband 232/Pre conversion 2/6/13 to bypass 232. Currently 206 Bariatric GW 134, Realistic GW 150

I decided to see a psychologist that specializes in eating preop and post op. I know I will have to depart with one of my best friends, food . I am Ia binge eater and always look forward to my next meal. Sweets is my addition.. I never overest on healthy foods., just sweets.. However sweets are high in fat and carbs.. So here I am having the sleeve in November. I want someone to help me to handle the emotional ups and downs. While I change my lifestyle". I also am anxious on how I will handle eating out with family and friends..ii choose not to divulge that I am having gastric sleeve surgery. I will need help to handle social situations, etc, etc. I had my first appt with my psych yesterday and am excited explore my food addiction.

Hi Mommyof5, I was banded on Tuesday, November 18th and other than what has already been suggested, you need to make sure you have some chewable supplements, sublingual B12, and Calcium. Also, I would suggest that you make sure that the broth you have is Protein enriched. I purchased the unjury chicken Soup which tastes fine and is a good source of protein. If you don't want to eat too much or can't tolerate it, you can also purchase some whey Liquid Protein bullets on ibariatric.com which are 3oz shots of 42g of protein. Women need at least 50g of protein daily, so that will give you a jump start. Things are going well for me, so I hope you do well too. Good luck :drool: Nat

Thanks all for ur opinions. I'm wondering if its reflux since I had that before the bypass. I see my doc tomorrow and hope he has answers. Other than that pain I'm doing fine

Hey everybody! I pray all of you are doing great!! Looks like y'all are from the threads I'm reading. I'm sure 99.9% of you don't even know who I am, LOL. I was here in Feb and March praying to be approved by insurance for the sleeve but it did not happen because I'm not a footstep away from dying on paper and my BMI wasn't high enough. Fooled around for awhile and finally got myself on Atkins at the end of May. Lost 9 lbs in 2 weeks with 8.5 of those in the first week. Went on vacation last week to Panama City Beach, went off plan and came back with 4.5 lbs of those 9 back on me so I'm back on plan as of today. Anyway, while on vacation my hubby saw me almost break down several times over different situations. On the beach, seeing all the normal people walking around in their cute suits and coverups. On the way down there noticing how fat the back of my arms have gotten. Having to crop all the photos before sharing with family and friends so I could cut out the parts I didn't want anyone seeing. Going into I don't know how many surf shops and not finding anything near my size in suits, sun dresses or coverups. And then going to one that advertised a plus size section only to find that most of them looked like nothing I would want to wear and on top of that, it costing like $40 for a no name swim top only. I don't mind paying that for a brand that I know but no way I'm paying that for these cheesy cheaply made things those shops along the beaches carry. I had a blast but there were hard times and every single one of those hard times was due to my weight. So, while there and again on the way home, my hubby tells me that he noticed how upset I had gotten and to find out how much it would cost us a month to just pay for surgery. I should be excited right????? Well, part of me is, but now that I know he would pay for this for me, I'm scared to death. So, I'm back researching and am also considering the POSE procedure. But since that procedure is so new, it's impossible to find people that have actually had it to see how they are doing so I can do my research. Only thing I can do on that surgery is talk to the only doc in Louisiana that does it and hope that it's all truth. So, if anyone knows where someone is that has had the POSE procedure or even the ROSE (same surgery except for ppl revising from bypass or other wls) I'd love it if you could point me in the right direction. If we are going to go into debt to pay for this, I want to do what's best and what is least likely to have complications but I also want to do what's going to help me get healthy and stay that way for the rest of my life. Don't want to do the POSE and end up revising that to a sleeve later on or something, kwim?? Anyway, sorry I didn't keep up with the boards and the buds I had started making here better than I have. I was kinda down and sad for awhile after I gave up the hope for surgery and still kinda am. But, thats no excuse for keeping in touch. Take care everyone and have a blessed night!!! PS posting this on OH as well so ya don't have to re-read it over there God bless ya! Krystal

I have primary coverage through Cigna, with Medicare as my secondary (on disability). I originally was going to have to go through all of the insurance criteria, but because I need to have a previous nissen fundoplication for a hiatal hernia repaired, my doctor was going to be able to do both at once and consider it a revision, bypassing all the insurance requirements. I got my surgery date set at June 30. I did my 2 week pre-op diet, my mom bought a plane ticket to come help with the kids, husband took off work, yada yada yada. Then, last WEDNESDAY, just a few days before my surgery, the surgeon's office called to tell me the surgery center canceled my procedure because they found out I have Medicare. Um. Did they not do their pre-cert process? Why did they wait until the last freaking minute to tell me? I'm crushed. I know it will still happen, I just have to go the longer bariatric coverage route, but it just sucks. I was completely mentally prepared for it and I feel like I got the rug pulled out from under me. UGH!

yes - I know. But she asked the following question near the end of her post - so I was responding to it: "just out of curiosity has anyone had a bypass and went to sleeve?"

I have two more nutritionist appointments to go before I get a date, all my other pre op tests are done...and I find myself thinking "what if I would be better off with gastric bypass?". My only reasoning behind that is for faster, guaranteed weight loss. Has anyone else experienced this? I really had my mind set on being sleeved, now I'm second guessing.

I kept my team on their toes.. after every clearance I would call and ask if the results were in my chart and in their system. I made them sign a sheet with all my weigh ins Incase somehow it “disappeared” (because that’s how my luck works). After I had everything I needed I kept calling them asking if it was submitted and after it got submitted I will call every two days asking if it got approved lmaooo.. I know they’re happy as all hell to be done with me. But you just can’t sit back and leave things to chance. one week later I got the call and 3 days after that I was sitting with my surgeon scheduling my bypass. Yo-Yo Girl from New York City

Hi Thin4Anisha, I just read your post, and even though I am much older than you and at a different stage in my life, I can identify with much that you said. First, at almost 56 I am seriously considering lapband surgery. My concerns now are primarily for my health, not just for my looks. (But it is not true that you won't care about your looks by the time you are "that old":smile:) My daughter had a gastric bypass when she was 22; she is now 26. She was still on my insurance at the time because she was finishing school. She always maintains that she would go through it all again in a heartbeat. She is about 5'8" and weighed about 275 at the time of her surgery. That is a difficult way for a young person to live; health problems will occur if they haven't already. She weighs 160 now and looks fabulous. She is athletic, though, and works out as much as she can. She says following the diet and exercising are key. One of my main concerns is the need for plastic surgery; she probably doesn't have to have it. For about a year or so, she was sure she would have to do that and paying for it was an issue. Now, due to her age and fitness level, it is not so important anymore; her skin, like yours, has elasticity. That is the good news. Good luck with whatever decision you make. And there is justice in this world; my guess is there will come a day when boyfriend can no longer eat a half pan of lasagna without "seeing" the effects on his body. Thin people often think everything is a matter of will power. Not so! Set4Change

* restriction bypass

Well all, I had my gall bladder surgery yesterday. I feel like I just got run over by a Mack truck and then it backed up and went over me again I'm having a lot of gas pains but it has settled in the lower right side of my belly. Moving and burping helps alot! Dr said this will comparable to the pain I will have with my VGS. If that is the case, I think its doable but definately uncomfortable. Around 2 am, I had to get in the recliner to get some sleep and relief. Hubby is awesome. He's taking care of the house and the kiddos, he even came downstair and slept on the sofa in case I needed some thing. Oh and Get This!!! They counted 50 gall stones!!!!!! I couldn't believe it. On a great note, the dr is finally able to put in for my VGS and should here something in a week or two!!! Maybe I'll be a November sleever!!! What so you think? Is having your gall bladder remove feel like a VGS operation?

Well I just found out my surgery date today. My date will be November 6th! I am very excited. One concern I have is I have tmj. My jaw is sore at all times. I can't yawn or eat anything that I have to open wide to eat. I am wondering if this will get worse after surgery. I had my jaw checked out a few months ago and he just suggested resting my jaw. Anyone experience this? Thanks!

I am so sorry that you are struggling. I can totally relate! In June I had major spine surgery, November another spine surgery and in February shoulder surgery. Of course this all began happening while in the sweet spot (under 1 year) for my surgery. My doctors put me on meds that cause you to gain weight and of course my ability to exercise has been impacted greatly. I was still able to get to goal although it took me a lot longer and I really had to be careful on my diet. I did have to limit my carb intake greatly although I have always eaten whole fruit. Not everyday but just about every other day. Someone mentioned fruit being empty calories. That is not true. There is huge benefit to eating the whole fruit and fruit is a part of a balanced diet. My nutritionist has required that I eat fruit, even in the puréed stage. So many nuts have different plans. Anyway, I just wanted to wish you the best of luck, hopefully your stall will break soon. My longest was 28 days and that was when they put me on steroids following spine surgery. Hopefully just changing some things up in your diet will help break the stall and you will be back on track! You can and will do this, just keep working with your nut. Good luck!

When did you stop sodas before your bypass. Sent from my iPod touch using RNYTalk

I use opurity sleeve and bypass optimized ($30 for 90 day supply) plus the opurity calcium citrate. No ingredients from China and can be found at unjury dot com

Hi everyone! I am new to this forum and have a few questions. I am a 25 year old female and I weigh just over 300lbs. I have tried many diets including Atkins and Weight Watchers. Like many others here, I have been overweight my entire life. It seems that one of the biggest regrets of others is not having this surgery sooner. I am wasting the best years of my life right now by being overweight. I am seriously considering the lap band. I have a few questions that hopefully someone will answer. First, I am worried about the amount of fluids a person can drink. When I excersise, I tend to drink ALOT of Water. Can a person become easliy dehydrated because they are restricted from drinking alot of Fluid at once? The second question I have is about throwing up. I understand that throwing up can cause band slippage. But what happens when a person has the flu or gets food poisoning? There may be times when a person will throw up alot. How much can the lap band handle? I have read on alot of sites about how the lap band is a great tool to lose weight. I also have read that people have them removed. In general, is the lap band a temporary solution? Is it meant to help you lose most of your excess weight and then removed? How long do people usually keep the band in? And finally, because I am 25, I expect to be very active once I lose my weight. With gastric bypass, hernias are a problem and people are not supposed to lift heavy things. Are there physical restrictions to people with the lap band? Can I do sit-ups and ab-crunches without disrupting the band? I really appreciate the time people will spend responding to me. This board has already been really informative. I am on the verge of taking the step towards surgery. I am so glad to know that if I do, there are many friends out there that have already been down that path. Trisha

Can a person become easliy dehydrated because they are restricted from drinking alot of Fluid at once? Two part answer. Part 1: I can still chug. Only once has drinking liquid ever bothered me, and it was when I was stuck - stupid me thought a drink might help. Part 2: "Drinking a lot at once" isn't really a good solution to avoiding dehydration, banded or not. Constatn hydration is a better way to go. If you go through with the surgery, your dietician or surgeon SHOULD at some point advise that you always keep a bottle of Water handy. Keep in in the car, carry one with you, etc. so that if needed you can constantly sip. The second question I have is about throwing up. I understand that throwing up can cause band slippage. But what happens when a person has the flu or gets food poisoning? There may be times when a person will throw up alot. How much can the lap band handle? There is no set amount it can handle, like vomitting twice is OK, but if you vomit 3 times your band will slip. I rarely vomit (2x in the last 20 years). Regardless, I still asked my PCP for something to help, because I know it could lead to problems, so she phones me in a Rx for a liquid anti-nausea medicine. I consider it a good prevenative to have on hand. I have read on alot of sites about how the lap band is a great tool to lose weight. I also have read that people have them removed. In general, is the lap band a temporary solution? In general it is a permanent solution. Is it meant to help you lose most of your excess weight and then removed? No. How long do people usually keep the band in? Another question that's hard to quanitfy. I know two women who have had theirs for about 6 years and counting. Most studies beyond 2001 occurred outside of the US, and since *most* of the people here live in the US, we can't help much other than to suggest you look up some medical research or contact band manufactuers to get your info. And finally, because I am 25, I expect to be very active once I lose my weight. With gastric bypass, hernias are a problem and people are not supposed to lift heavy things. Are there physical restrictions to people with the lap band? Not that I know of. Can I do sit-ups and ab-crunches without disrupting the band? Should not be a problem. The band is secured around your organ. If your organ isn't disrupted, then your band shouldn't be.

Hi newbie! Congratulations on considering the lap band as a way to support your weight loss dreams. Your questions about exercise and hydration, as well as situps and crunches can best be answered if you post them in the Exercise Forum or the General or Support Forums. Not many people look at this forum on a regular basis. My band has only been in since Aug.28 and I am learning as I go. As far as vomiting goes, I have gathered that a large part of the potential risk in vomiting comes in the post operative period before the area is healed and the band is fully seated. In fact, my doctor had me wear an anti-nausea patch to minimize throwing up immediately post surgery. They last for three days and I borrowed another one from my husband for an additional three days when I discovered that the smell of food cooking made me terribly nauseous. Never did throw up though! Others have mentioned having the flu after the post op period and experiencing no difficulties. Do not consider the lap band a temporary solution. It is meant to be left in without removal even after goal weight is achieved. Most of us would probably gain all the weight plus more back if our stomachs returned to full size. The only time removal is considered is when there is a serious complication and removal is the choice of last resort. The magic of the band is its adjustablity -- it can be set to maximize your weight loss when you are in that stage and adjusted as needed. If you have a serious illness or pregnancy, the fill can be removed to allow more normal eating. I've provided a link to a helpful web site with great information about the lap band which should answer some questions for you. I would also recommend attending an information seminar about the lap band surgery. Attending does not obligate you to the surgery or to that surgeon. During my seminar the doctor went out of his way to give the pros and cons of both lap band and gastric bypass so that we could make the most informed choice possible. I really appreciated the validation of my reasons for choosing lap band, and I equally appreciated being very sure why I did not feel that the gastric bypass was an option for me. So take the time you need to feel good about this big decision, but also don't dither endlessly or you really will be one of those people who regrets not having done it sooner! :- ) http://www.lapbandsolutions.com/94829E_LB_Patient_Book.pdf Take care of yourself and keep posting. We are all in this together.

First thank you for reading my blog. I hope to help others with information that I am digging up on the Gastric sleeve. A few months ago, I decided to go back to the bariatric surgeon because I am not loosing weight. I suspect its because of my Thyroid, the fact that I live with my ex, something deep in my brain and that I hate to exercise. Not to mention I am in Arizona where it so freakin hot. I have already gone through the 6 months of Dr supervised weight loss. So when I went in today, I was told that I just needed another psych eval and pre- op labs. Good! The doctor suggested the sleeve as the gastic band's failure rate is 50% and going higher. I agreed to the sleeve. The thing I am concerned about is long term effects of the sleeve. Not 5 or even 10 years from now but 25 to 30 years. So, I started digging into what could possibly happen. I am doing this to make my life better. I just want to be sure that I am making the right decision. You know, all of those women who silicone breast implants thought they were safe. Now they are having chronic problems. I dont want chronic problems. So, here we go. What I already know. The stomach will be reduced by 80%. The spincter ( tho opening to the stomach) will still be intact. The stomach will still have the ability to digest food, move and absorb vitamins. Although, It will produce less acid and absorb less vitamins and can form ulsers easily. Hense, the no anti-inflamatories. The surgeon will not do the sleeve on anyone who is already being treated for gastric reflux as rhe procedure will make it so much worse. In addition, even if you haven't had reflux you may develop it around the 5-6 year. The surgeons believe this is due to the internal pressure of the stomach and the weakened fibers of the stomach walls. So... if you are worried look up GERD. If it gets too bad, the doctor will ask you to get a RNY or bypass, as they will releave the pain. Which leads to... looking up everything about these procedures. Well, this is enough tonight. I will be back with more concrete info and websites.

I have struggled with my weight my entie life! My birth family was a red hot mess. Father was a Vietnam War Vet and as a result became an alcholic, a very violent one at that. He beat us and was emotionally and verbally abusive. Quite the monster, but that's what war does to people! My mother was mentally ill and very young. She had 12 kids all less than 10 months apart. Unable to cope with all the abuse and all those kids with no help, she abandonded us after my father took off. I was in foster care most of my early years. The sexual abuse began then. Fortunately I was adopted at age 8. That's when the food addiction began. Fearful that I would be moved again I ate any and everything in sight thinking I may be back in a home where food was scarce. But the family that adopted me was pretty great. They were so patient with me. My files had been sealed so they really had no idea what I had endured. Due to the sexual abuse I donned the "fat suit". It was my protective mechanism to keep any and everyone away from me. At that point I was very athletic and participated in MANY sports. I wasn't really that heavy. My adopted family are all very small framed skinny folks. I'm talking size 0's with no eating issues whatsoever. I on the other hand am 5'8" with very large bones. Never been a size 0! So I was dubbed the "big" one, which is code for the fat kid! My adopted dad, who as a doctor, constantly harped about my weight. He called me gross and would take food out of my hand. My adopted mom always made me wear beige clothing and I wasn't allowed Levis jeans because "big girls can't wear those!" I know they didn't mean to be humilating and demeaning. They had never dealt with a weight issue in their family. They thought it would get the desired results. It did not. I look back and I was not even heavy just had a solid, muscular build. So I entered into the neverending food cycle. Eating when I was depressed. Being depressed because I was fat. So what did I do? Ate more to comfort myself. It was maddening. I've been on every diet known to man. Lose but gain double back and feel more like a failure everytime it happened. I always thought bariatric surgery was the easy way out. Little did I know just how wrong I was! After being diagnosed with diabetes I decided enough was enough and began to research the surgery. I made an appointment with my pcp and she thought I was an ideal candidate. My bmi wasn't high enough so I honestly didn't think I would get BCBS approval. But praise God I did get approved! My surgery was April 20th. I chose the RNY bypass because I wanted to be sure the diabetes and GERD would be resolved! This has by far been one of the most challenging and difficult things I have ever done! The assessments, classes and diagnostic testing has been grueling. I have had to take a long hard look at myself and there were lots of things I didn't like. But it's been such a freeing journey. I have had counseling over the years and I have allowed the Lord to work out many things and bring healing. Now it's time to free myself from the fat suit that my abusers have held me captive in all my life. I have allowed them to steal enough of my life and now it's time to bury them forever. I have stirred up a lot of emotions and unresolved issues during this process. I am working on those and I know the Lord will continue to lead me on this journey toward complete and total healing! I am ready to live free and unhindered! I am ready for my body to reflect the freedom my spirit is experiencing! This is not the end of my journey but it is the close of a chapter. It's also the beginning of a beautiful new one. I am hopeful and so, so grateful to the Lord and everyone who has been a part of my healing. God has been so very good to me! I am blessed beyond anything I ever thought possible and more than I could ever deserve. But that's the beauty of grace and mercy, isn't it? And that's the preciousness of my God! Sissy Austin