Cleo's Mom

How were you able to get the sleep study done without prior approval from your insurance company? Most sleep study places want prior approval from your insurance company unless you are self pay.

If I were you I would choose the sleeve. I had the band put in in 2008 and it never did one thing it was promoted as doing. I hate it. The lap band has fallen out of favor with bariatric surgeons and Allergan no longer makes them and never released any studies about their effectiveness. And for good reason. Most research shows that the band in the long run is not good for long term weigh loss and indeed many have had theirs taken out for a variety of reasons or complications. But continue to do your research so that you can make an educated decision - which is yours and only yours to make.

http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/news/20140205/new-weight-loss-surgery-may-not-ease-chronic-heartburn Something to consider with this surgery. I am, which is why I am having so much trouble making a decision. I don't want gastric bypass.

The hardest part for me is whether to have this surgery at all. I have the lap band (2008) and it has been a total failure. It never did one thing it was promoted to do including improving any medical conditions I had. I lost 75 lbs but only 15 from the band. Gained back 30. The things I can't do in life are mostly due to my chronic back conditions and arthritis, not my weight. I have been exercising for almost 15 years. My surgeon said I could lose "as much as 45 lbs". So, I believe that all WLS is a crap shoot and you don't know until after you have it whether you'll be one of those who posts in "success stories" and how wonderful it is and changed your life for the better or whether you'll be one who will post in "complications" and regret getting the surgery because now you are living with things you didn't have before without the benefits. That is why at age 64 and having gone through this before I am reluctant to have another WLS and "borrow trouble". So, right now, I am leaning toward not getting the sleeve. But I have a lot of time and much more thinking to do.

I agree with everything the previous posters have said. It is a well known phenomena that many men leave wives who get cancer (especially breast cancer). A man who can't man up and be there for his spouse when she needs him is not a man I would want. My husband loved me when I was thin when we married and when I put on over 100 pounds in 30 years. He was there for me when I got breast cancer and I was there for him when he got esophageal cancer 11 months later. I was there for him when he died 2 years after that. That is what a relationship where two people who love each other looks like. In sickness and in health. Had your husband said "I am concerned about your surgery and the pain and don't want to hurt you" that would be one thing. But to say he wasn't attracted to you because of your tube, incision, etc. is unforgivable. You deserve better. Life is too short.

I absolutely see where you're coming from. I think that eating should be an enjoyable experience. It should not hurt. It should not be painful. It should not cause vomiting or sliming. We should eat healthy foods we like and not be forced to eat healthy foods we don't like (for me that would be cheese and yogurt - yuck!). And we should be able to eat normal food but much less of it. Isn't that what these weight loss surgeries are supposed to help us do? Make it easier to eat less food. Not make eating into some kind of stressful situation. Choose wisely, get some exercise. If your doctor say there can be dumping then believe them. The fact that some on here have never experienced it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Now imagine where I am - low BMI of 35 with (in doctor's words) maybe "up to 45 lbs" to lose with sleeve (I currently have the band), am 64 years old and won't be able to take NSAIDS for my chronic pain, and their website says "unless you are morbidly obese, the risks of bariatric surgery outweighs the benefits of weight loss" I am not morbidly obese, my weight doesn't prevent me from doing things (my back problems do) and have been struggling with this dilemma and have posted on here in several threads.

Although I want my band out, I am not sure I want to get the sleeve - for the following reasons: 1) Age: 64 2) Doctor said I could lose AS MUCH AS 45 pounds (my current BMI is 35) 3) Not being able to take NSAIDS (I have chronic back problems and arthritis) 4) I was diagnosed with GERD many years ago and have no symptoms while using daily nexium. 5) Not a lot of encouragement on here when they assess my situation. Considering the problems that might occur after surgery with everything - food issues, acid reflux, pain relief - I am wondering if it is worth it for "as much as 45 pounds". It's a very difficult decision for me. The doctors and staff just tell you the risks but aren't going to be much help in making this decision.

Thanks so much for your very practical reply. I appreciate the information. I just worry most about "quality of life". Like I said, mine is more impacted by my back problems and arthritis than my weight. My weight doesn't seem to hinder me. I have been exercising for years. It is my hunger. I am a volume eater. I keep thinking - if the sleeve controls my hunger - I can do the rest - eat the right foods, eat the right amount, exercise. But I worry about changing what I have now for the unknown. That is always scary. But for now, I am concentrating on the 6 month diet and the sleep study (I am doing it at home). Thanks, again.

Thanks. That is what I am going to do for now.

If you are trying to decide between the two surgeries - consider whether you now have GERD or acid reflux which can be made worse with the sleeve in about 1/3 of patients and largely improved or cured with RNY. If you don't have it you have about a 10% chance of developing it with the sleeve. Some say it resolves in about a year. Do some additional research. It can help with your decision.

Thanks for your reply. However... I will NEVER have another fill in this stupid band. First of all, it's only a 4cc band - when mine was put in they weren't even using that size anymore (my original surgeon was an idiot). And a trip to the ER when I was stuck years ago (when all the fill was removed) was more painful than getting shot. I couldn't even talk. I have some time to make the decision but it is a tough one. Plus I just read on my "Hospital of Excellence" website that "unless you are morbidly obese, the risks of bariatric surgery outweigh the benefits of weight loss". Wow! I am not morbidly obese.

I think right now I am going to continue with the 6 month weight loss plan, do the sleep study and go from there. I have not had the significant problems with the band that others who got theirs removed have had. I can still get stuck once in awhile (all the fill has been taken out) or get pressure when I start to eat, and left shoulder pain. The upper GI showed it looked okay. The decision might be made for me with the insurance company if they look at it like that - not enough problems with band, lower BMI. Right now I just have high cholesterol. The thing that limits me the most in my life is not my weight but my chronic and severe back problems and arthritis - neither of which improved with my weigh loss from the band (lost 75 lbs - 15 from the band - gained back 30). Having had my young husband die from esophageal cancer (after Barretts) - I am well aware of the risks of chronic GERD/heartburn, acid reflux.

Thank you for your honest reply. I do have a lot to think about. I don't want to create problems for me where there are currently none. I'm too old and have had to deal with too many issues in my life for me to add more problems. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002, soon after my husband was diagnosed with cancer from which he died almost 10 years ago. I struggle with chronic back conditions for which 4 neurosurgeons have no solutions. So, while my life is far from perfect health wise, I do not want to detract from what quality of life I do have with the unknowns of this surgery. Thus my dilemma.

I posted this under a different thread in a couple of different forums (age 60+) and didn't get a lot of replies. Hoping the change in title will help: #1 I want the lap band removed (placed in 2008 by different surgeon) but I am still struggling with the decision to get the sleeve. Ultimately I know the decision is mine and I have to do what I think is right but I'd like some practical (not philosophical) advice. To me the main purpose of any WSL should be to improve one's quality of life. If losing weight does that - great. If your medical conditions improve - great. If you can do things you couldn't do before - great. And finally - if you look and feel better - great. My band is unfilled now and I can eat most anything. It is a crap shoot though as to when I get stuck or feel very uncomfortable and need to make myself throw up. I also get left shoulder pain. I was diagnosed with GERD many years ago and have been on nexium for about 10 years - so I have no heartburn or symptoms of GERD. During this time I have slept elevated. At age 64 I have chronic back pain and arthritis. Tylenol is not effective. My weight doesn't keep me from doing anything - more so the back pain and arthritis (neither of which improved with my weight loss with the band). So that brings me to my dilemma: I am at a BMI of 35 and the surgeon says I can expect to lose about 45 pounds. And I won't be able to take NSAIDS for life to treat my pain. I have also read that about 1/3 of those who didn't have acid reflux develop it after the sleeve. I have also heard the word "stuck" and vomiting and sliming with referral to the sleeve. Then there are all the foods (even healthy ones) that one cannot eat after the sleeve and many posts about problems with foods - getting enough Protein, etc... So, I guess what I am trying to decide is if the sleeve will improve the quality of my life or create problems I don't have now without benefits to my medical conditions (that's asking a lot for 45 pounds). Any advice - especially from those who didn't have a lot of weigh to lose?

Thank you for your reply. I have tried all the diets and then some over the past 30+ years. I have never lost weight unless I felt hungry. Dieting is like holding your breath - it only can last so long. If you are told to eat foods you don't like and not eat foods you like and in the meantime are not feeling satisfied then how long will that be successful? For me, not very long. I'm not advocating eating junk food but as a volume eater who requires a lot of food to feel satisfied, diets have never worked for me long term. I do like healthy foods, but they have calories, too. I have a lot to think about with regard to this major step and whether it is worth it for 45 pounds. I appreciate all the feedback an advice in the meantime.

#1 I want the lap band removed (placed in 2008 by different surgeon) but I am still struggling with the decision to get the sleeve. Ultimately I know the decision is mine and I have to do what I think is right but I'd like some practical (not philosophical) advice. To me the main purpose of any WSL should be to improve one's quality of life. If losing weight does that - great. If your medical conditions improve - great. If you can do things you couldn't do before - great. And finally - if you look and feel better - great. My band is unfilled now and I can eat most anything. It is a crap shoot though as to when I get stuck or feel very uncomfortable and need to make myself throw up. I also get left shoulder pain. I was diagnosed with GERD many years ago and have been on nexium for about 10 years - so I have no heartburn or symptoms of GERD despite reducing my nexium to 20 mg and only taking it every other day. During this time I have slept elevated. At age 64 I have chronic back pain and arthritis. Tylenol is not effective. My weight doesn't keep me from doing anything - more so the back pain and arthritis (neither of which improved with my weight loss with the band). So that brings me to my dilemma: I am at a BMI of 35 and the surgeon says I can expect to lose about 45 pounds. And I won't be able to take NSAIDS for life to treat my pain. I have also read that about 1/3 of those who didn't have acid reflux develop it after the sleeve. I have also heard the word "stuck" and vomiting with referral to the sleeve. Then there are all the foods (even healthy ones) that one cannot eat after the sleeve. So, I guess what I am trying to decide is if the sleeve will improve the quality of my life or create problems I don't have now without benefits to my medical conditions (that's asking a lot for 45 pounds). Any advice - especially from those who didn't have a lot of weigh to lose

dbqueen - thank you for sharing. I found your post very interesting and not long at all. I like to read other people's stories. We all got to this point in our lives for different reasons. I suspect that in addition to being a volume eater (it takes a lot of food for me to reach satiety) I am also an emotional eater (later in my life - I am 64). But my story is different. I was a skinny kid, a skinny teen (116 lbs at 5'5") and 122 lbs at marriage at age 22. I never thought about food. I ate when I was hungry. Stopped when full and stayed skinny. But in my late 20's I started putting on some weight and panicked and joined Weight Watchers and that's when the dieting - and yo yo dieting started and here I am at 64 having dieted for over 30 years and contemplating my SECOND weight loss surgery. When I started to put on weight in my 20's it was like a switch was flipped. And the genes took over. Both parents, brother, 3 of 4 grandparents, maternal aunt, all three of her kids - all obese. Some of these people were thin at one point - others obese almost from birth. And the one daughter of my obese aunt has two adult kids - a thin boy and a daughter who is her clone and has been obese almost from birth. I am the 4th person in my family to have WLS. On my dad's side - his brother had 4 kids. My dad's brother was short and not overweight. 3 of his 4 kids were normal weight. The last one - a girl - got the paternal grandmother genes (who I mentioned previously) and was obese her whole life - and had gastric bypass many years ago. There is no way to look at my family and not see the gene impact. However, I have not discounted my emotional eating. My husband and I were both diagnosed with cancer 11 months apart and while I have survived mine, he died of his almost 10 years ago. A very stressful time then and now for me. Having to watch my young husband slowly die of this dreadful disease took its toll on me. I still have a lot of anger for what it took from him and me. I am in therapy. I am so glad you didn't go with surgeon #1 and were able to tell him what he did to you. There are so many in the medical field who really shouldn't be. Sounds like you are doing well except for the colitis. I think your medical problems will resolve over time. Good luck with your move.

I want the lap band removed (placed in 2008 by different surgeon) but I am still struggling with the decision to get the sleeve. Ultimately I know the decision is mine and I have to do what I think is right but I'd like some practical (not philosophical) advice. To me the main purpose of any WSL should be to improve one's quality of life. If losing weight does that - great. If your medical conditions improve - great. If you can do things you couldn't do before - great. And finally - if you look and feel better - great. My band is unfilled now and I can eat most anything. It is a crap shoot though as to when I get stuck or feel very uncomfortable and need to make myself throw up. I also get left shoulder pain. I was diagnosed with GERD many years ago and have been on nexium for about 10 years - so I have no heartburn or symptoms of GERD despite reducing my nexium to 20 mg and only taking it every other day. During this time I have slept elevated. At age 64 I have chronic back pain and arthritis. Tylenol is not effective. My weight doesn't keep me from doing anything - more so the back pain and arthritis (neither of which improved with my weight loss with the band). So that brings me to my dilemma: I am at a BMI of 35 and the surgeon says I can expect to lose about 45 pounds. And I won't be able to take NSAIDS for life to treat my pain. I have also read that about 1/3 of those who didn't have acid reflux develop it after the sleeve. I have also heard the word "stuck" and vomiting with referral to the sleeve. Then there are all the foods (even healthy ones) that one cannot eat after the sleeve. So, I guess what I am trying to decide is if the sleeve will improve the quality of my life or create problems I don't have now without benefits to my medical conditions (that's asking a lot for 45 pounds). Any advice - especially from those who didn't have a lot of weigh to lose?

If you loved your band and had amazing results why did you have it removed and a sleeve done? Most of those on here who went from band to sleeve had a myriad of problems with the band. I don't recall seeing any other posts about problems with the band affecting the shape of the sleeve. Sorry both of you are having problems. Hopefully if you get a copy of the operative report and discuss it with the surgeon you can get some answers. Don't accept anything less than success with the surgery.

I am going from the band to sleeve at some point and my surgeon said it would be banana shaped. That yours is a baseball shape is really confusing and might be the reason for your not feeling restriction. Seems like a lot of food could fit into a baseball. Definitely ask the surgeon why it is shaped like that, what they found when they went in and why you don't feel restriction. And dont' worry about "asking nicely". Just ask. We women are often too nice and don't get the care, answers or advice we deserve. And here is another piece of advice for you and all those getting surgery: GET A COPY OF THE OPERATIVE REPORT. YOU MIGHT BE VERY SURPRISED TO FIND OUT WHAT WENT ON. DON'T DEPEND ON YOUR DOCTOR TO TELL YOU EVERYTHING. That is how I found out my lap band surgeon put in a 4cc and not 10 cc band that he told me. Also, years previously, I got the operative report for my hysterectomy and found out some things the doctor didn't tell me. I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH: GET A COPY OF THE OPERATIVE REPORT!!!!

Thanks, bufflehead, for your reply. It's okay that you're not in my age group. I appreciate all replies. I would not consider the gastric bypass. At my age I have to be concerned about absorption of Vitamins and minerals. I was dx with breast cancer in 2002 and took an anti-estrogen for 10 years that while vastly reducing the chance for cancer recurrence it almost always has the undesirable effect of causing osteoporosis as it did with me. So I need to be able to effectively absorb vitamins and Calcium as well as nutrients from food. How ironic that the one thing obese women usually have is stronger bones and that was taken from me. The pamphlet given to me from the bariatric surgery center said there are problems with bread, Pasta, rice and Chinese food. From some on here, they have problems with luncheon meats, beef, raw veggies. I'm really not too worried about that because I heard all this with the band and I think it is a very, very individual thing as to food tolerances after WLS. You see that in the posts. No 2 people are exactly the same. Some can eat some breads, others can't at all. It's largely a trial and error thing.

I can so identify with what everyone says here. My original lap band surgery was done by an inexperienced general surgeon in 2008 ,who along with his partner, took over a bariatric practice of a retiring surgeon. I first met with his partner (an emaciated runner - you know the type)and when he asked why I wanted the surgery I said to reduce the chances of cancer . He said you already have cancer (breast cancer dx in 2002 - successfully treated). Wow, what an answer. Especially when there is a lot of scientific evidence to show that weight loss reduces cancer risk for many types of cancer. I got switched over to the other doctor when his schedule got too busy. The nutritionist that I had to meet for 6 months had an office filled with fake food. All the boxes of lean cuisine, smart choice, etc.. and plastic hamburgers, eggs, etc..to show us what correct food sizes were. I followed all the rules and lost 60 pounds pre surgery. (I went from 250 to 190). After the band was put in - the surgeon wanted me to lose 10-15 pounds in the next 3 weeks without a fill. FIRST RED FLAG. This showed to me that he had unrealistic expectations about obesity and weight loss. When I didn't lose this much weight, I got the "Come to Jesus" talk. Then he filled me with 1.5 cc (in a 4cc band - I was told it was a 10cc band). I got stuck with salsibury steak (lean cusine) and he told me to throw that away it was all fat. The nutritionist was there and I said her room is filled with these dinners and they should be on the same page. Then he overfilled me with 1.5 more cc and when nothing was going down he ordered an upper GI and saw the mess and took the 1.5 cc out. That is when I went to another bariatric surgeon for a second opinion who said: You have a 4cc, not a 10 cc band and your weight loss in 6 months is about what we would expect in a year. However I had a very bad stuck experience in 2009 requiring a trip to the ER where all the fill was removed and that is where I am now. I don't believe that there are a lot in the bariatric field that know about the genetics of obesity or the role hunger hormones play. My paternal grandmother who was born in the late 1890's was a big, obese woman of eastern European descent and by all medical standards - obese. I take after her, as did my dad. She was born when there was no processed food, no fast food, people cooked from scratch. This is often blamed for our obesity. Yes, for some. But obesity is a disease and should be treated as such. We don't blame the victim with other diseases. It should be that way for obesity.

Thanks for your reply. I know I am in a tough spot. The problem with discussing this with doctors is that they all say there are no guarantees and it requires a change in lifestyle, eating, etc.and no guarantees with improvements with medical conditions either. I lost 75 pounds during the lap band journey (only 15 from the band itself) and none of my medical condtions improved. My chronic back problems actually worsened. I have gained about 30 of those pounds back. I really don't think the unfilled band at this point is doing much. I just got a cortisone shot in my arthritic knee yesterday and it seems to be helping. I have a lot to think about but unfortunately I don't think the doctors will offer any solutions. Their job is to do the best pre & post op care and perform successful surgery. They never offer guarantees. They can only tell you risks and benefits and I already know them. Thus my dilemma.

Hi Carol. I met with Dr. McCloskey a couple of weeks ago to begin my journey from lap band to gastric sleeve revision. She did not place the band. Another surgeon did whose practice I left and followed up with Dr. Urbandt who is now either retired or moved. I would be curious to know how many of those early posters who had the band are now getting them out. Mine was done in 2008. I would also like to hear of anyone else who had her for their surgical revision.

I have a question. Why are you back at work after only 8 days post-op? That seems way too soon as you body has been through a major operation and needs time to heal. You need to rest and let it do so. Of course follow your surgeons advice for moving around, etc..but I agree that you should call your surgeon. Sounds like many of these problems could be resolved.