Cleo's Mom

I want the band out - of that I am certain. I am not sure if I want a revision to gastric sleeve at this point especially if it's two separate surgeries. I am 64 and had the band done in 2008. It never worked as promised for anything, especially weight loss. I lost about 75 pounds - 60 of which was from the 6 month pre-op diet and the 2 weeks pre & post op liquid diet. So the band only helped me lose 15 lbs. I have had to have all the fill taken out (I have a 4cc band) due to a trip to the ER with a severe stuck episode. That was in 2009. So, essentially I have this thing in me that doesn't work, causes shoulder pain, and stuck episodes (no rhyme or reason as to food, etc.) which I can now help by making myself throw up. Sometimes just a few bites causes pressure. I am done having this thing in me that does not work, does not aid in weight loss and causes problems. But I just wanted to know how many who had the removal and revision had it done at the same time?

I had to search for the post you were referring to. Even if he hadn't indicated his gender I would have known it was written by a man. Many sexist men think full time homemakers just sit around all day doing nothing. Your post certainly indicates otherwise, as would mine (I am retired). The topic being discussed was whether to log food daily and the time it requires. It can be a time consuming chore with measuring, weighing and looking up calories, etc.. and calculating exercise calories burned. For some it takes longer than others. Some seem to need it while others don't. But I can assure him that full time homemakers, who probably have children, are not doing nothing. He should walk a mile in their shoes one day and for no pay!

You've made the decision that you think is right for you and no one can argue with that. I am not the least surprised that the surgeons would do both surgeries since you are self pay. I doubt insurance would pay for removal in the absence of complications. However, I think the idea of removing all the saline from the band is a good option. That is where I am now. All fill has been removed after a very bad stuck episode. By the way, I hate my band as it never did one thing it was promoted as doing. I am glad you had success with yours and hope you do well without it. Good luck.

Just curious - what do you think is going to happen to your weight after your band is removed? Did you discuss this decision with your surgeon before you had the band put in? I know people have the band removed due to complications or revision to another WLS but almost anyone who got theirs removed and not revised to another WLS put all the weight back on. I have never heard of anyone who got the band as a temporary fix with the idea of having it removed after hitting goal. If it took the band to get you to goal what makes you think you will stay there after it's removed and your stomach goes back to normal capacity? These people that you heard of who had theirs removed after goal - did they stay at goal? I guess I am just stunned at your answer as I've never heard this before and am surprised a surgeon would agree to due it for that reason.

I think depression after major surgery is common. However, what concerns me is your memory problems - like brain fog. You said you had blood work done - did they test your thyroid? TSH, T3 & T4? If not, you need to get them tested and GET A COPY OF THE RESULTS. I can't emphasize this enough on here for everyone - GET COPIES OF EVERYTHING THE DOCTOR SEES, especially the operative report. Be a proactive patient. Don't think if they don't call you the results are normal. And as for the thyroid - even if it was tested you need to have it tested again next month because the test could have caught it in the normal range while it was on its way up or down. Minor changes in the thyroid can cause many of the symptoms you are experiencing. It is nothing to fool with. I know.

Ah, the plastic food. I spent 6 months (pre lap band) going to a nutritionist whose office was filled with plastic food and empty boxes of diet dinners. Yes, all it takes is just eating those foods and thinness will be yours! Like we're stupid and haven't tried all of that.

I agree, but I think some confuse removable with temporary.

I would add that some surgeons do not allow NSAIDS for life for sleeve patients. You need to find out if your surgeon does. Mine doesn't because she said it could cause ulcers and thin the lining of the stomach. If you get arthritis or any condition which requires an anti-inflammatory drug you are out of luck. Additionally if you have GERD, some surgeons won't do the sleeve as it can worsen GERD or cause it if you didn't have it before. The gastric by-pass can often eliminate GERD. That being said, you can see many success stories on here of people who lost 100 or more pounds with the sleeve and reversed many of their medical problems.

Exactly. Reversible doesn't mean temporary.

I think we need to go by the information in the U.S. since the band was approved 14 years ago, in 2001, and that is that it is to be permanent. http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/resource-articles-2/weight-loss-surgery/lap-band-faqs-questions-most-commonly-asked-by-patients I'm not sure who would go through a difficult procedure like this after being told it was only temporary and would have to be removed at some point putting you back to square one. I don't think anyone getting the band in the U.S. is told that. Sure, it is reversible but that doesn't mean it isn't meant to be permanent.

I also think the surgeons who perform these surgeries need to catch up to obesity research, in many cases. Most, if not all, bariatric surgeons were general surgeons at one point who jumped on the bariatric bandwagon when insurance started paying for these procedures. I'm not sure what extra training they received but I think many of them are undereducated on the factors that result in obesity as well as realistic weight loss goals and weight gain after surgery. Obesity is a disease but is not treated as such by many in the medical profession and certainly not by the media or public. Blame the victim.

I think depression after any type of surgery is common. It is well documented after heart surgery. Most of the posters on here gave you very good advice - except for one - and I won't be so generous as to call the post "tough love". It was nothing short of insulting. Know that most on here are not like that and ignore that post and listen to the sympathetic ones with good advice. Good luck to you.

Research has shown that if you have reflux before the sleeve it can make it worse and about 10% who didn't have reflux before the sleeve will develop it. This is why some surgeons won't do the sleeve on those with reflux. The gastric by-pass cures reflux in most cases.

I was also told no NSAIDS (that would include aspirin, Aleve and Advil) because it can cause ulcers and thin the lining of the stomach. Just one of the many reasons I am rethinking whether to get this procedure or not. I am 64 and have chronic back pain and arthritis. Something to think about because yes, it does limit your options. Tylenol does nothing for inflammation. If it caused you this much trouble then you should not take it but talk to your surgeon also.

I am glad you found a good nutritionist and are looking forward to your surgery. Best of luck to you. However, don't assume that your result will be like those who posted that they can eat pretty much anything but just much less. Check out other posts and you will see the great variations about what those who have had the sleeve can and can't eat. The results are very individual. Make no assumptions.

I agree with much of what you said and with what others have said. I am still making up my mind about band to sleeve revision but at this point I am leaning toward not getting it done. The band was a total failure. I hate it. However, when I lost 75 lbs (60 on my own) NONE of my medical conditions improved. You know how the medical community likes to say "even if you lose just 10% of your weight (or pick any percentage) your health will improve". Well, mine didn't and I lost 30%. I didn't have high BP or wasn't diabetic, but have been on statins and nexium for GERD. But most of all - all those know it all neurosurgeon who said losing weight would improve my back conditions - well guess what? It got worse after the band. It is my back, not my weight that limits me. So, in my opinion the only reason to have WLS is to improve one's health. Looking better is a perk. I am 64 years old - I have maybe 20 years give or take on this earth and I'm not sure I want to spent them with worsening GERD, drinking my meals, eating mostly meat and maybe ending up hungry again after a year. I have read all the extremes by those who have had this surgery - from those who were in pain from one crouton to those who said they eat normal foods during the week and all bets are off on the weekend with pizza and chocolate (in moderation). And everything in between. As I said before - WLS is a crap shoot - you don't know if yours will be a success or failure until after the fact. I think you are smart for making a decision that is right for you and I wish you the best of luck with it. There is lots of help out there for those who wish to change their eating habits and lose weight. I hope you find it.

While the band is meant to be permanent that doesn't mean it doesn't have a high long term complication rate, which it can. You can read on here about all of those. I think many people with the band get theirs overfilled in an attempt to lose more weight (my surgeon told me this). I think that is where many of the problems begin - plus I don't think a lot of surgeons are very good at fine tuning the fills for the band which can require very, very small amount of Fluid per fill. All WLS is a crap shoot - you never know how it will affect you positively or negatively until you have it.

I met with my surgeon about a revision from band to sleeve and she said the band is meant to be permanent.

When I was going through my 6 month pre-op diet for my lap band and met with the nutritionist every month - her office was full of the fake, plastic foods plus the empty boxes of all these diet dinners. She was a very strict dietician, too. So not everyone is on the same page nutrition wise - not even the nutritionists.

I am very sorry you are feeling this way. As you can see from the other posts most who have gone through this will tell you it gets better. But that is no consolation to you now, is it? You don't want to feel this way. But the thing that jumped out at me from your post was that your doctor was cold and made you feel stupid. Do not let this doctor do this to you or intimidate you in any way. You have the right to ask questions and get answers. I am a very assertive person so that might be easy for me to say. If you are uncomfortable doing this - then take someone with you who can help you ask the questions. Do not leave without answers. Here's a start - ask for copies of all your medical results, tests and reports - starting with the operative report. That is very, very important. For two reasons - one you will find out things your doctor may not have told you, and two - your doctor will know you mean business. You have the right to ask and get these. Please do this and let us know how this went. No one should ever be made to feel stupid by anyone. Good luck.

Who required you to do the 3 sessions with a therapist to discuss moving on after a divorce? Because it seems to me that it is no one's business that you are getting a divorce. Not the surgeon's and not the insurance company. If YOU decide you need therapy to get over the divorce that is one thing but I don't see how that has any relevance to your upcoming surgery. The psych evaluation, as many has stated, is so that you understand how the process can affect you emotionally, physically, etc.. and you know what is expected of you and if you have a support system. But do what you have to do to get approved and them let whoever required this of you that both the requirement and this woman were offensive and unnecessary.

Thank you for your reply. I agree with what you say. However I am still weighing the pros and cons of getting this surgery. By volume eater I mean that it takes a lot of food for me to reach satiety. That wasn't a problem when I was thin in my teens and early 20's - I ate when hungry, stopped when full and didn't gain weight. That all changed in my late 20's and after my first pregnancy. That's when I started dieting and that's when I started putting on more weight. As to the sleeve controlling hunger - there are certainly enough posts from people on here who say it does just that. Removing grehlin, not feeling hunger, etc.. But of course everyone is different. I've gained a lot of insight about food and dieting having been at it over 30+ years. I know genetics plays a big role for me. I am going through the 6 month diet program and using Alli (which I had a lot of success with before it was removed for product tampering) and see where it goes from there. Thanks, again. Hi again,A little more on the "sleeve controlling hunger" thing--I'm just really passionate that people understand that the getting the sleeve as a remedy for controlling their hunger is a very slippery slope. Sure, we do read posts here from those during their first year or so where they have no appetite (the honeymoon period). Are you also reading posts from an equal number of people more than a year out who still feel their hunger is controlled and they don't have cravings? There's still a lot of head work/eating/lifestyle changes that have to go on to prevent weight regain after the sleeve--much more than I ever imagined. At four years out, most days my appetite feels like it did pre-surgery. The only difference is that I have radically changed my eating habits to not go to the junk; it is a conscious decision every day to make the right choices. You are aleady ahead of the game because you have those good habits having gone through the Band surgery. So in that regard, you will be able to work your sleeve, but it will not do the work for you. For what it's worth, I have attended in-person support groups once a week for over four years and heard the stories of thousands of people. And, sadly, way too many who regained 30, 40, 50 or more pounds because of uncontrolled hunger(and old habits). If you haven't already, maybe hang around the Sleeve Veterans Forum. You have to be one year out to post there, but you can read the posts. There's a few who are 4-5 years post-op who talk about hunger/craving struggles that might give you a little more perspective. I hope you know that I am in no way trying to discourage you from the sleeve. Like I said, it's a wonderful tool, but you don't want to be one of those people who get the sleeve and then end up feeling like "it didn't work." Thank you for writing this. I need all perspectives. And more information and facts. My hunger has always been my enemy. I am quite happy eating healthy foods as long as I can eat enough to satisfy me. Unfortunately that has proven to be "too much". Right now I am counting calories and keeping a food log and using Alli. I will see how it goes. Also unfortunately, due to my age and metabolism it takes fewer and fewer calories to show weight loss. Thanks again for your information.

Well, I've seen both the bariatric surgeon and my PCP - the surgeon only said she wanted an endoscopy to rule out Barrett's (which I don't have - I've been scoped recently) and my PCP didn't mention anything. But I will bring it up again at my next appointment for my weigh in. It concerns me that so many young women on here who get the sleeve might develop worsening GERD and may have problems with Barrett's or esophageal cancer in the future. It IS a tough call. Right now the only "pro" I can think of is that I might lose some weight and look better. Thanks for your reply.

Thank you for your reply. I agree with what you say. However I am still weighing the pros and cons of getting this surgery. By volume eater I mean that it takes a lot of food for me to reach satiety. That wasn't a problem when I was thin in my teens and early 20's - I ate when hungry, stopped when full and didn't gain weight. That all changed in my late 20's and after my first pregnancy. That's when I started dieting and that's when I started putting on more weight. As to the sleeve controlling hunger - there are certainly enough posts from people on here who say it does just that. Removing grehlin, not feeling hunger, etc.. But of course everyone is different. I've gained a lot of insight about food and dieting having been at it over 30+ years. I know genetics plays a big role for me. I am going through the 6 month diet program and using Alli (which I had a lot of success with before it was removed for product tampering) and see where it goes from there. Thanks, again.

Actually, you aren't supposed to take NSAIDS after the sleeve as it can cause ulcers or thinning of the stomach. That's what I was told and it seems to be confirmed by others on here.