The good, the bad, and the ugly

[katress27 5]

I have been overweight all my life. My mother-in-law underwent bypass surgery more than a year ago and it has given her her life back! The changes in her are amazing and most of her health problems are gone! Needless to say, I'm a bit younger than she and I do not have all of the health problems. I started at our local Weight Loss Clinic in December and I did the 6 month diet. After hearing about all of the risks involved with gastric bypass surgery, I opted for the LapBand. I had not been able to attend a support group meeting in my town, so I decided to visit Lapbandtalk.com and boy was I ever taken back!!!!! Sounds like there are SO MANY horror stories with the band!!!! Slippage, erosion, some people's bodies rejecting the band altogether, problems with fills, lots of needles, and the list goes on! I'm not scared to death of the band. One of the nurses in the office suggested the gastric sleeve to me months ago, but I brushed it off because I was dead set on the band. Now I wish I would've checked it out sooner!

So, I know there are risks involved with all WL surgeries, but it seems to be more difficult to find the bad and the ugly on this type of surgery. I would like to hear more about your successes and the dilemmas that you have faced with the sleeve. I've completed my 6 month diet and am not just waiting for the insurance approval. However, after reading what I have about the LapBand, I'm pretty sure that I'd like to switch to the Sleeve! I need to let my insurance know this ASAP, so please feel free to put it all out here....the GOOD, the BAD, and the UGLY!!!!! I want to know it all!

Thanks for your support!

Katie

[Rootman 1,101]

I simply did not want a piece of plastic floating around in my abdomen so I chose the sleeve. I also did not want a full bypass with the resulting lifelong malabsorbtion issues. I didn't want he hassle with insurance that I've heard others in my company fight with over WLS so I elected self pay and went ti Tijuana MX and paid $5K and was done with it in less than a month.

The sleeve is minimally invasive, introduces nothing artificial into your digestive tract and bypasses nothing, it's simply a permanent restriction. MOST people have good results, a lot have excellent results and a few like me have EXTRAORDINARY results. I've lost over 135 pound in little more than 6 months. For ONCE in my life something has worked out way above and beyond what I expected.

There are SOME people who have issues, a few that seem to still be ravenous even after the sleeve, a few with life changing complications and fewer still that completely failed, lost nothing or lost and regained. Nothings perfect especially something like this that not only effects the complicated digestive tract but the human psyche as well.

I did it, lost weight, eliminated a whole host of medical issues and feel a WHOLE lot better. I exercise now and actually enjoy most of it. At least I'm not wheezing like an old broken down steam engine hating every second of it. I can do things I couldn't do even just this last fall. I can have sex with my wife and it is SOOO much better, no pendulous gut hanging in the way and it requires less effort just to move.

Regardless of WHAT you do I'd recommend you do SOMETHING even if it's JUST diet and exercise.

[katress27 5]

Thanks so much for your input Sleeve Master! I completely agree with you about the piece of plastic floating around! I kind of feel like eventually that's gonna have to come out, even if it's 10 yrs down the road! I feel like I'd be setting myself up for another surgery in the long run and I really don't want to do that. I hate needles as it is!

Unfortunately I don't have the money to do it out of pocket. Turns out my insurance will pay all but about $2,000 and I've been saving that up for the last 6 months that I've been doing my diet plan. I really can't afford much else.

I'm nervous about surgery because of the risks, but I've been exposed to those risks before with 2 c-sections, so it's nothing new to me. I'm just looking forward to losing the weight, exercising and enjoying it, playing with my little ones, and just feeling better about myself. I used to have such confidence, but it has just plummeted in the last 3-4 yrs, after I had my kids. And, I believe this will help my husband and I's sex life as well. I'm a lights off kind of girl and I hope to be much more confident when this is all said and done!

After thinking about it all, it just seems like the sleeve is the most logical solution for me! I'm really happy I found this website about it and actually researched it! Looking forward to feeling happy and healthy again!

Thanks again for your input! It is greatly appreciated!

Katie

I simply did not want a piece of plastic floating around in my abdomen so I chose the sleeve. I also did not want a full bypass with the resulting lifelong malabsorbtion issues. I didn't want he hassle with insurance that I've heard others in my company fight with over WLS so I elected self pay and went ti Tijuana MX and paid $5K and was done with it in less than a month.

The sleeve is minimally invasive, introduces nothing artificial into your digestive tract and bypasses nothing, it's simply a permanent restriction. MOST people have good results, a lot have excellent results and a few like me have EXTRAORDINARY results. I've lost over 135 pound in little more than 6 months. For ONCE in my life something has worked out way above and beyond what I expected.

There are SOME people who have issues, a few that seem to still be ravenous even after the sleeve, a few with life changing complications and fewer still that completely failed, lost nothing or lost and regained. Nothings perfect especially something like this that not only effects the complicated digestive tract but the human psyche as well.

I did it, lost weight, eliminated a whole host of medical issues and feel a WHOLE lot better. I exercise now and actually enjoy most of it. At least I'm not wheezing like an old broken down steam engine hating every second of it. I can do things I couldn't do even just this last fall. I can have sex with my wife and it is SOOO much better, no pendulous gut hanging in the way and it requires less effort just to move.

Regardless of WHAT you do I'd recommend you do SOMETHING even if it's JUST diet and exercise.

[SaavySleever 0]

A big reason there are not many bad/ugly stories with VSG is because it's still considered relativly new in the medical community.

I had the sleeve 11 months ago and have lost 126 lbs with a starting weight of 318. I am 30lbs from my goal, and It has BEEN AMAZING! I have had little to no side effects, and literaly as I type this I just at a Funyun. One of the best things about the sleeve in my opinion is that I have NOT had to take a complex regiment of Multivitamins. The biggest down fall that I have faced is Hair loss, but not in a grand scheme where I have bald Patches or anything, just thinning, and that can be remedied by more Protein intake and a simple Vitamin called Biotin. I can eat everything except Sushi (I miss Yellow Tail) and I have trouble with pork on occasion if I do not chew and chew and chew. If your insurance will cover the sleeve GO FOR IT! Not only has it changed my life, it's prolonged it, given me better self esteem, and taught me that I DONT HAVE TO LIVE FAT!!! Best route to success that I have found in eating is Protein, Veggies/Fruit, then carbs if there is room which there usually is not! I still can't eat a 4 inch sub LOL... Good Luck to you and wish you the best in your journey!!!!!!