Couple new to the whole WLS. Our details, need advice!

[TandT 1]

2 People getting surgeries which one would work VSG or RNY?

Husband:

Age: 30

Weight: 360

Height: 6'1

Weight Goal: 220 (He is very broad.) All extra weight is in his stomach.

Eating habits: Bored eating, quantity eater, Sometimes emotional eater but not as much as the other two.

Current Health issues:

-Severe sleep Apnea

-Congestive Heart Failure with high Blood pressure

-Stasis wounds which leads to also joint and nerve pain.

-GERD

Past health issues:

-Adrenal gland removal (tumor)

-Umbilical hernia in stomach.

Thoughts on surgeries: Worried about get additional hernias with RNY. Does not want dumping syndrome. However, likes how RNY does weight loss. Does not know alot about the sleeve except that weight loss is slower. He has emotional eating sometimes and would like to stop.

Myself:

Age: 27

Weight: 322

Height: 5'5

Weight goal: 115-135 Weight is all over.

Eating Habits: Does not eat a lot and has done less then 1200 calories her whole life. Never feels really hungry and eats about 1 meal a day. Does get boredom eating sometimes, and a bad emotional eater.

Current Health issues:

-High Blood Pressure with high heart rate

-Celiac's Disease when I eat gluten I bloat and gain weight rapidly.

-Frequent sprains in back and legs, unknown reasons.

-Insulin resistance and already taking Metformin.

-PCOS with infertility. (4 chemical pregnancies)

-Severe GERD with esophagus damage.

-Digestive system fails and food does get stuck.

Past Health:

-Gallbladder surgery

-And all of the above.

Thoughts on surgeries: Thinking RNY would be good for my insulin resistance. I already have food getting stuck though. My digestive system is a mess, and when i do take metformin I do develop dumping syndrome on my own. I am worried about RNY and thinking about Sleeve due to wanting to have 3 children, and afraid of the Vitamin issues. Think the sleeve might not be an option since I already eat so little, and I have Severe GERD.

PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR OPINION!

We will be doing self-pay and going to Tijuana. Could you please tell me the expected recovery time as we have to drive 12 hours one way from our home and back. Is that possible even?

Was looking into A lighter Me. (Spoke with Rhonda.) We need many doctor recommends! Price is a factor as we are both college students and I would like to get this surgery done together. How soon could we return to work and class? I am assuming VSG might not be for me as I have severe GERD, and I don't eat a lot. I am afraid of regain as i would like to have three children once WL is achieved. SO HELP! (I am a little desperate since I posted on many other sites and never got responses.)

[Takingcontrol 467]

I HAD severe GERD, turns out I had a hernia that was repaired during surgery, & the sleeve works for me...haven't had a problem since. We are not dr's here & that's probably a question you should address with your surgeon.

[SuzanneRoupas 18]

Hi - I just read your thread here as well as another with more replies. Hope you are getting needed information. I'm curious however - you are both college students. Do you not have the option for using health insurance? Here's why I ask: folks that go to Mx do very well and report great care. What is often different for them post-op is to find a connection with a bariatric team in their area. IMHO, especially with co-morbidities, a local team is important. The other benefit I see (again IMHO) is that most insurances and bariatric centers in the US demand a 4-6 month process - with lots of testing. Most also have a pre-op weight loss requirement as well as a pre-op diet. Although in the short term these both suck, I think for many it is a good test of how well you have thought out this major life change. It takes a while to wrap your head around the whole concept. When I first started this process I was annoyed - I knew I wanted and needed the sleeve, but why did I have to lose on my own pre-op. If I could do that I would not be here....blah blah blah....and I did not want to wait - I wanted instant results! I am SO glad that I went through the process. I am not "terminally unique", I am just like every other obese person - I have a very disordered relationship with food. That's how I got this way. The sleeve is not a cure. I am NOT bashing Mx sleevers at all - just pointing out differences. And good luck!

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

2 People getting surgeries which one would work VSG or RNY?

Disclaimer -Warning, Warning!!!! long post

gonna try and address your questions - here goes!!!

this is the VSG board - MOST of us are here love our sleeves

one common response you'll get from most is "the sleeve is the best thing they ever did for themselves - i just wish i had done it earlier"

I'm raising my hand too

the gastric bypass "messes" with your intestines, you do have dumping - I think the RNY does the same, not sure??

dumping is not a side effect with the sleeve (i have heard a couple of rare exceptions)

glands, hernia - never applied to me, so don't know the answers - others here can probably help

for me - and MANY others - some of the common comorbities are diabetes/ insulin, high blood pressure, CPAP, gerd

everyone responds differently - safe to say that almost everybody has above issues improve

i had gerd too, this did not prevent me from having WLS

all of the above medical problems have disappeared for me

many people "here" post problems concerning fertility

becoming pregnant seems to be easier too PO - as you loose weight

weight loss - which is faster, slower?? - VSG/bypass/RNY???

theories vary on that - everyone responds differently to WLS - how much weight they lose in X period

all people lose weight differently, time periods - stalls

in my case my weight went done steadily - i did have a couple of stalls, but thats normal

i don't think there is a blank true statement saying that with gastric bypass you will lose weight much faster

obviously in other words - its not to be "assumed" that you will lose weight slower with the sleeve!!!

after surgery many people "lose:" their hunger feelings - its wonderful - many say they have to remind themselves to eat - this lack of hunger feeling eventually goes away

but...........some people never loose that hunger feeling

the "expression" is........

the one thing we have in common is that we're all different!!!

nothing is magical - hunger, appetite won't go away for the rest of your life!!!!

recovery time period is also different one person to another

many, many, many have no problems with recovery - heal quickly - back to work in a few days

but...........others take longer to heal, feel better

i can't tell you that in example 3 and 1/2 days you'll be ready to go back to school feeling great

i have heard of other people that do drive from Mexico for a few hours after WLS - don't know if thats the norm

sorry to repeat - but we all are different!!!!

everyone here will agree that having VSG is not a miracle cure

you must eat and drink et all properly for the rest of your longer,healthier, life!!!!

the sleeve is here to assist you

you had 85% of your tummy cut out - so you can't eat as much as the good ol' days

if you eat throughout the day (called grazing), high calories too - don't follow basic Water rules et al - at some point you will start gaining

but like i said you must always follow the rules

sounds like you don't know some of those "rules"

water / drinking is one of the most important things you must always follow

you need to drink at least 64 oz of H20 a day

you must stop drinking 1/2 an hour before you eat

NEVER drink while you are eating

don't eat for 45-60 minutes after eating

chew slowly, thoroughly to a mush!!!!

eat veryyyy slowly, put utensil down between bites

this can be/is the start of your new life!!!!

its wonderful!!!!!

loosing my excess weight, i have become so much more active, healthier, - and the happiest that i have ever been!!!!

ok bud, i "talked" enough - hope some of this helped

cuz my fingers are tired!!!

take care

good luck

[Ljp 157]

My cousin. and I both had the sleeve surgery in Mexico. He weighed almost between 360-400 lbs. and lost 100 lbs. in 3 months...so I wouldnt say that is slow. However, everyone's body is different and how fast they lose weight is different also. What I have seen in this forum is that it seems like those that are 300+ lose quicker.

I have lost 93 lbs. (weighed last week) & the 16th will be 9 months. I weighed 244.7 lbs. To lots that may seem slow but Im good with it. I dont hv loose skin hanging anywhere. just need to tone.

I had GERD & the doctor warned me that it would probably be worse after surgery.....mine is better.

I chose the sleeve due to less complications overall compared to other weight loss surgeries. I had my surgery on Monday July 16, 2012 and started a new job on the very next Monday July 23rd. Everyone is diff and how their body responds. So how long you need to be off could vary.

[TandT 1]

I HAD severe GERD, turns out I had a hernia that was repaired during surgery, & the sleeve works for me...haven't had a problem since. We are not dr's here & that's probably a question you should address with your surgeon.

I am aware of that, but in other communities they were posting their issues.

[TandT 1]

Hi - I just read your thread here as well as another with more replies. Hope you are getting needed information. I'm curious however - you are both college students. Do you not have the option for using health insurance? Here's why I ask: folks that go to Mx do very well and report great care. What is often different for them post-op is to find a connection with a bariatric team in their area. IMHO, especially with co-morbidities, a local team is important. The other benefit I see (again IMHO) is that most insurances and bariatric centers in the US demand a 4-6 month process - with lots of testing. Most also have a pre-op weight loss requirement as well as a pre-op diet. Although in the short term these both suck, I think for many it is a good test of how well you have thought out this major life change. It takes a while to wrap your head around the whole concept. When I first started this process I was annoyed - I knew I wanted and needed the sleeve, but why did I have to lose on my own pre-op. If I could do that I would not be here....blah blah blah....and I did not want to wait - I wanted instant results! I am SO glad that I went through the process. I am not "terminally unique", I am just like every other obese person - I have a very disordered relationship with food. That's how I got this way. The sleeve is not a cure. I am NOT bashing Mx sleevers at all - just pointing out differences. And good luck!

We do not have insurance at all and we are not eligible for medicaid/medicare. Our doctor is saying we are medically necessary for this and we agree. I have insulin resistance so even on the pre-op diet it is harder for me to lose. If I don't get this done, then I will eventually have diabetes and my bp is high along with heart rate which is ending me up in the ER often. Every doctor has said that it would be better if I lost weight, but I physically can't exercise. I am also doing thing to hopefully force me to stay from gluten foods as I am allergic to it, but keep eating it.

[TandT 1]

My cousin. and I both had the sleeve surgery in Mexico. He weighed almost between 360-400 lbs. and lost 100 lbs. in 3 months...so I wouldnt say that is slow. However, everyone's body is different and how fast they lose weight is different also. What I have seen in this forum is that it seems like those that are 300+ lose quicker.

I have lost 93 lbs. (weighed last week) & the 16th will be 9 months. I weighed 244.7 lbs. To lots that may seem slow but Im good with it. I dont hv loose skin hanging anywhere. just need to tone.

I had GERD & the doctor warned me that it would probably be worse after surgery.....mine is better.

I chose the sleeve due to less complications overall compared to other weight loss surgeries. I had my surgery on Monday July 16, 2012 and started a new job on the very next Monday July 23rd. Everyone is diff and how their body responds. So how long you need to be off could vary.

Who did you have your surgery with?

[Carolina-Girl 28]

Refarding recovery - I could not keep my eyes open for more than 15-20 minutes on day 2 post op. My body had a hard time processing the anesthesia and medications they gave me for extreme nausea and pain. That being said, day 6 I felt reasonably normal. My suggestion would be to bring someone with you to drive back or pay for a couple of extra hotel nights prior to leaving so you can get stronger and your head nice and clear.

[Carolina-Girl 28]

Oops - regarding!

[Ljp 157]

Who did you have your surgery with?

we both had it in Acuna Mexico with Dr. Luis Alberto Cruz Gandara.