From a size 22/24 to a 4/6, Band to Sleeve

[Malaika 50]

See WASa, you are missed!

Definitely!

[Bob_350lbs 105]

That was a very moving story. I am so glad I found this place. For years, I have struggled with my weight, tried everything under the sun and moon. The lapband never set right me, and I didn't want bypass because of dumping, and I am considered a 'lightweight'..how at 5'2" and 212.9, I could be considered not elible for WLS, I don't undstand. My doctor and insurance said no. But, I couldn't stand my life anymore, I was so unhealthy and just couldn't lose the weight. It was so uncomfortable and society treats obese women like S*&$# or I thought they did..I would have gone to Dr. Aceves, but the traveling part, without family to go with me, wasn't an option. I spent 2 yrs debating the sleeve, but I knew this surgery was the best option for me, just the money thing..I wish I would have done it soon, I spent so many years being miserable. If anyone is sitting on the fence, you have to take a leap of faith and follow your instincts..it is not a magic bullet, but darn close..I found the closest surgeon to my home and got my niece and her boyfriend to take me. The ride home was bumpy, even tho the surgeon d/c me before rush hour traffic, we still got stuck in traffic midway home, and I recouperated at their house, but I never had complications or problems. At day 3, I was able to drink 64 oz and get in 70 grams of Protein thru the supplements that came with the pkg, and I started walking that day too. My energy is through the roof. I can do 1 hr on the treadmill at a good pace, and I feel great. The only problem for me is constipation..I put Benefiber in my Water. And, now I eat greens. Anway, thanks for listening.

[Malaika 50]

Thanks for sharing Stephie!

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

I am glad you got your sleeve and are happy with it. I am also glad you found our board.

I went to Dr. Aceves without any family or anyone going with me. It was easy and problem free. I love my sleeve and I am really thankful that Dr.Aceves is such not only and excellent surgeon, but a great kind caring man that makes people so comfortable leaving the country to go and see him.

[Ky.hen 5]

Thank You for sharing your story. Congrats. on your success. Hope to hear alot more from you.

[limelight 0]

Life is sooooo much easier as a thinner person. I want the whole world to get WLS, even skinny people just so they never get fat! ;o)

I agree!! My mom has lost all her weight doing WW, but she is having a hell of a time keeping it off. She wants to be sleeved so bad...she sees how easy it is for me (you know what I mean-we still work at it to lose and keep it off, but this is a piece of cake compared to NOT having WLS).

[MacMadame 81]

I feel bad for my mom too. She had to lose weight because she has Hepatitis C and her weight was giving her NASH. So she did. But she fights every day to keep it off and she never lost as much as I have. She is still technically overweight, in fact.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

Your poor mom. That's difficult since the treatment for it is very hard on people. I know some people who have gone through it and they were miserable.

Edited September 9, 2009 by Oregondaisy

[MacMadame 81]

You might want to delete the message then after we've read it. So someone doesn't come along months from now and use it against you.

My mom only gets the biopsies when her chinese herbs stop working. She sends the results to her herb guy and he changes the mixture. She hasn't had to do that in a while though. That stuff works! Well, it manages her symptoms anyway. It's no cure.

[reallyrosy 161]

Thsnk you! Your story is a true inspiration and it gives me courage to continue my search.

I'm glad that it is still available to read. Would you still recommend the sleeve? I. Eas there's a lot of time and science since u wrote. My cardiologist would like the band (just because he knows more people who have that) but is there any negative press on the sleeve now? I'm going to be self pay at yale new haven...if I get past the first interview that's being scheduled now.

Thanks for sharing

Wow... where to start?

I knew things were out of hand and I knew I couldn't do it on my own. No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't get the pounds to go away. We all have a moment where we know we have to do something and my moment was at work. I was working in a hospital and it was a very small hospital. We had a patient that we estimated to be around 800#. She was in ICU and we had to have two beds chained together to hold her.

She was quite ill and she was unable to turn herself. On the night shift we did not have enough strong staff to turn her every two hours. We had to call the fire department every two hours and have them come and help us turn her.

We had to do a procedure where we had to thread a tube in her groin artery. trying to get to her groin was no easy task. We just didn't have the strength to lift her stomach fat away so ... we called the fire dept again.

I'll never forget it, one fireman was on his knees pushing up on her gut fat and another fireman was on the other side holding her gut fat back. The guy on his knees was shaking and sweating trying to hold the massive gut out of the way. There were two police officers watching from the doorway (they come anytime the fire dept is called) and they were gagging and ready to vomit with what they were seeing.

That was my moment. I realized that the lady I was looking at was my size at one time, there was a time when she weighed 252 just like me. But she just got bigger, I was getting bigger by the day. Would I be that person one day?

I knew I didn't want bypass, I heard of the sleeve but there were no long term studies and I hadn't heard of the band. I think I was preparing myself for bypass and trying to talk myself into it. Then on 11/6/06 I discovered the Lap Band. I spent 18 hours a day researching the band. At that time there wasn't really a great deal of info on the negative side of banding. Today there is a great deal of info and such on the down sides of banding, there wasn't so much 2-3 years ago.

I researched everything I could get my hands on, I had a friend in Mexico that is a surgeon help me with my decision. I did nothing but research and read anything related to the band. I knew the rules, I knew I could do it.

So one month later on 12/6/06 I was banded in Mexico.

I knew four days after surgery I made a mistake. I lost weight not because of the band, I lost weight in spite of the band. I could either eat an entire steak with potatoes, salad, and desert or I couldn't swallow my own spit. I really questioned if my doctor did something wrong as everyone else seemed to be doing well. I thought it was just me. I went to two bariatric surgeons and they both said the band was perfect, the surgeon did a good job. Then I went to a GI doc for an endo and he... well, he had no idea what he was looking at. But I showed the video of the upper endo to a GI surgeon that knows about banding and he said it was fine, perfect as a matter of fact.

So it was me. Or so I thought. I tried and struggled for 18 months. Finally at 14-15 months post band I couldn't eat any solids at all. I was on liquids for 4 months. I had my revision from band to sleeve on 6/3/08 and as of today I am 2 days shy of a year of being sleeved. OMG, sleeves are the best thing ever! I can't believe how much I struggled with the band when I could have just had the sleeve to begin with.

I've lost 132#. Today, life is just easier. It's so much easier being a thin person than struggling as a fat person. My entire life has changed, my attitude, my outlook, my perceptions of those around me... everything has changed.

I have learned so much about myself. I have discovered I *am* capable of doing damn well anything I want in life. If I can lose 132# I can do anything. I went from being a couch slug to a runner while I was losing. I just got back to running a week or two ago and feel great. I couldn't run 1 block before WLS, today I can run several miles a day. Anywhere from 4-8 miles depending on how lazy I am that day.

If you feel like you are the only person in the world that can't lose weight, you aren't. It's a hard journey but one well worth the work.

[vf59 5]

I was going to get banded because I work with people that got the rny and I saw the problems they had. I went to my first seminar and found out about the sleeve. I have surgery for vsg on oct. 20. I am glad I found out about vsg instead of getting the band. A lot of people are having to get tneir bands removed after a period of time.

[SmokyMtnGal2011 10]

VF59 My surgery it 10/19 we can be sleeve buddies. I am having mine in Knoxville, TN Are you getting nervous yet? I am not, I am just excited to have found a tool I know will work for me the rest of my life. This is a very exciting part of my life now and I can hardly wait. Good Luck to you buddy!!!!

[vf59 5]

Mine will be done in Lexington, KY. I live in Georgetown. I am still a little nervous about it. Worried I'll be one of the ones that doesn't loose much weight and everyone that didn't want me to have the surgery will say "I told you so" or I'll have problems. I've been large for the last 30 years. I'm a 52 year old grandmother and having a mid-life crisis.

VF59 My surgery it 10/19 we can be sleeve buddies. I am having mine in Knoxville, TN Are you getting nervous yet? I am not, I am just excited to have found a tool I know will work for me the rest of my life. This is a very exciting part of my life now and I can hardly wait. Good Luck to you buddy!!!!