Krystyneh

To be scared of the unknown is to be human. Nothing you are feeling is out of the realm of understanding.

I think it might help if you spent a lot of time researching. Go into over research mode if you have to. I certainly did! You can continue with the approval process while you're doing it, as it'll help pass the time too.

Be sure that you seek out not only the good outcomes, but the not so good outcomes as well. Gotta get both sides of the equation. There's here, Obesity Help, Thinner Times, and YouTube has some really good videos of others who have been open enough to share their experiences with the world. Also seek out support groups in your area, find buddies who are going through the same thing.

At the end of the day you have to make sure that all your questions and concerns are addressed to your satisfaction, before going through with the surgery. I honestly believe that the more confident you are with your decision pre op, the better off you will be post op.

Good luck!

Thanks for your honesty ???? I actually have 3 very good friends going for the gastric sleeve. One is more like a sister to me and we started the process together. I have been in research overload lol I watch videos on YouTube and I google stuff and look up stuff during the day when I'm able to. I already have a list of questions started for my surgeon. I'm fine with the surgery THEN my anxiety kicks in when I see something bad like someone dying after having it down and BAM that's when my anxiety kicks in and all these questions pop into my head. I've always had anxiety and always will have it. The bariatric program I'm going through knows I have anxiety and they told me it's normal.

Your thoughts are absolutely normal! I actually had the same fear, dying. It scared me so much that I cancelled my WLS last October. But, after many long months of being in pain, and talking with my surgeon I am happy to say I am being sleeved July 14th and can't wait! I think I'm more nervous about after surgery, how will I feel, will I be sick, how will I know I'm full. But as everything else in life it all works out. Good luck!!!

This is why I canceled my surgery back in August 2012. I honestly don't regret it because I was supposed to have the bypass down and honestly that wasn't for me PLUS I then wouldn't have my son because I found out I was pregnant with him (and his twin who I miscarried at 7 weeks) on January 12, 2012. I'm glad I'm not the only one that is scared. Good luck in your surgery!!!

I was not one bit scared. I had done my research, and I made sure to be a super compliant patient throughout the pre-op process. I had faith in the doctor and hospital I had chosen. I went into surgery calm, cool and collected. Thankfully my surgical process was super easy. I had minimal pain, no gas, nausea or vomiting. I did not use pain meds once I woke up or when I was discharged. My abs felt like I had done 100 sit ups the day before. I merely had some soreness but I could get in and out of bed on my own and walking was never an issue. This was by far the easiest surgery I ever had. Much easier than my knee surgery or radical hysterectomy.

If you have anxiety issues make sure your medical team know. They can give you something to help you relax prior to surgery.

I'm definitely going to let them know about my anxiety. I thinks it's the whole "unknown" that scares me. I plan on being compliant and going by the book with everything they say. I've already changed a lot of how I eat and what I drink. The hospital I'm going to is EXCELLENT and the surgeons are great too. I know I shouldn't let my anxiety control my decisions which is why I'm not backing out. I honestly just can't wait for this process to be over. I'm hoping to have my surgery done in December if not then early spring at the latest ????

I just started the process of going for the gastric sleeve. I have 2 biological children- 7 1/2 year old daughter and 1 1/2 year old son, and a 13 1/2 year old step daughter. I am honestly terrified of complications and dying. I know there's always a risk of death for any surgery. I've already had the following surgeries: ENT, c-section, wisdom teeth removed, other teeth removed, gall bladder removal, parathyroid removed, 3 knee surgeries, kidney stone surgery 3 times and I think that's it lol. I'm just scared of long term. I do have anxiety bad and I'm working on being better with it but surgeries always scare me but I also know that if I don't get this weight off that that can kill me as well. I'm just wondering if the fear of complications and/or death scared or scares anyone else?

I got the sleeve for the same reasons as inner surfer girl. Less drastic than bypass, less maintenance than lapband. I hated the idea of having to do the fills with the lapband, plus my surgeon isn't really doing much lapband anymore because he says the sleeve is more effective for most people. I'm two months out and the sleeve is doing what it's supposed to do (helping me be satisfied with less volume of food). It's also come with some unexpected benefits... it's so much easier for me to avoid bad crap now (such as the donuts my helpful coworkers bring to work constantly, LOL). My recovery was quick and uneventful (your mileage may vary). Best of luck!!

Thank you so much for telling me how you decided. I am going for the Sleeve ???? the hospital that I'm going through has 3 surgeons and NONE of them will do Lap Band!!! I'm so excited to have the Sleeve done. I'm still nervous BUT I know everything will be okay.

LOL by the silence I'd say no.. am in MA...

Lol I've met a few Vermont people on here but not much. We are a small state and a lot of people here are hush hush about weight loss surgery

I'm from Vermont!

Oh cool!!! Where did you go for surgery? I live in East Dorset and I'm going to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in NH

I had lap band in 2012. I didn't lose as much weight as I wanted and then last year I started throwing up everything I ate that I was supposed to be eating. I ended up eating stuff I shouldn't be just to keep anything down. We tried for six months to adjust the band and finally took out all the fill in April.

I had the band removed and a sleeve done on June 1st. I am much happier with the sleeve. I can eat chicken again. I can eat any lean Protein and non-starchy veggies. I'm not throwing up at all. I eat in the 700 to 1000 calorie range depending on what I choose Protein wise for the day.

I chose the sleeve over the bypass because I didn't want the malabsorption issues and I didn't like the idea of messing around with my intestines.

Thank you for telling me all of this. My mother-in-law has had issues with her lap band and so has her friend but they constantly tell me "oh no it's not the band it's my body" blah blah blah they want me to get the lap band but after hearing from a lot of people that went from lap band to sleeve, I'm definitely going for the sleeve ????

I also went to DHMC. I had doctor Laycock, who I would recommend and I have had good follow up care.

Oh, and I live in Bradford, vt.

Okay that's who I was going to go through. When I went for Gastric Bypass (canceled my appointment a few days before my surgery date due to me not feeling comfortable with having bypass done), I was going to have Dr. Trus and he just rubbed me the wrong way. He never answered any questions that I had which made me very mad. I've heard great things about Dr. Laycock

I also had a sleeve and heartily recommend it. I feel good, no major dumping. I have had three bouts of vomiting because I ate a dense Protein and didn't wait long enough afterward to drink and too much chocolate gives me a stomach ache, so I avoid those two things am and fine., but otherwise easy to live with and I think less complicated then the bypass.

That's good to know about chocolate because I do love to eat it but really need to stay away. I see that you live in VT. Where abouts and where did you have your surgery? I live in East Dorset and I'm going through Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover, NH

Hi everyone!!! My name is Krystyne, I'm 28, a wife, mother of 2 biological children and 1 step-child and I'm new to gastric sleeve. I have been on here since 2011. So to make a long story short, I have PCOS and have been battling a weight issue since I was 12 years old. I joined because I was going to go for Lap Band then they switched me to Gastric Bypass and I had surgery scheduled for August 3, 2012. Well I canceled it 3 days before hand. My reasoning? I never truly felt comfortable with having my intestines moved around and I truly didn't know anything about the sleeve or I would have told them I wanted that instead. They never even mentioned it to me. So then my grandma passed away October 12, 2012. I gained some weight back after losing a lot of weight from pretty much starving myself. Then I found out on January 12, 2013 that I was pregnant with my son. I only gained 27 pounds during my pregnancy with him. Then at my follow up since I had a c-section, my OBGYN informed me that my son was originally a twin but I had miscarried his twin at 7 weeks when I thought I was having a miscarriage all along. His reasoning to waiting to tell me until after I had my son? I have had 12 miscarriages. I have PCOS so it's been a struggle to get pregnant and to stay pregnant. So last september, exactly a year after my son was born, I weighed in at 330 lbs OMG I had promised to never let myself see the number 3 in front of 00 again but I failed.

So fast forward to a month ago. I've been wanting to have weight loss surgery for A LONG TIME because I've struggled losing weight and keeping it off. My husband and I want another baby. I've been busy raising our two kids, working full time, being a nursing student, being a Mary Kay consultant AND my husband was an over the road truck driver up until this past March so he was only home 2-4 days a month. I honestly had put myself on the back burner. I am now ready to take a step in the right direction and be a healthier me.

I wanted to go for Lap Band but after reading all the horrible stories of it slipping and then needing it removed and gaining the weight back and others who had to have it removed and gone back under to have the gastric sleeve, I told myself HECK NO!!! So that is why I'm now going for the gastric sleeve. I'm excited. I was nervous about leakage until I educated myself even further. I honestly thought that your stomach didn't heal after and that it was the staples holding your stomach together and blah blah blah WRONG!!! your stomach does heal over the staples and it looks like a normal (but smaller) stomach.

Hi Krystyne!

I'm Valerie, I had the sleeve done on May 13, 2015, I am down 39 lbs. as of this morning! I highly recommend to anyone interested to watch the surgery on YouTube, fascinating! And as a nursing student, it should creep you out It's actually a fairly fast surgery and I had watched it several times before my own. I have had ups and downs since of course (constipation, heartburn, etc....just getting used to the new pouch [named her Rosarita btw since she loves Mexican food lol]) There is so much to research and I had researched WLS for about 17 years before I finally did it.

​I give you mad props for canceling before! If it doesn;t feel right or if you aren;t ready...DO NOT DO IT! Do not let ANYONE pressure you into anything like this...it is a MAJOR life change and you must do it for you, when and if you are ready. This time for me, pre surg weight loss seemed easier (lost 62 pounds before surgery from my highest weight of 383 last year) and I had no butterflies at all...I was SO ready and I do not regret it for one second, no matter what (so far )

Good Luck!!

I'm still nervous about everything but I have to do it. I've been struggling for 16 years. I have major anxiety and panic attacks so no matter what my anxiety will be there. Congrats on the weight loss that's awesome!!! I feel a lot more ready now then I did back 3 years ago

Very awesome! Let's keep each other up to date

Most definitely!!! I added you as a friend on here

I have PCOS too! The struggle is Def real! My fiance and I would love to have another baby as well, and I think this surgery will help us achieve that goal among other things.. regaining my health is soooo worth anything! I'd love the sleeve too and I think my surgeon will probably give me the option between sleeve and bypass. I'm still doing research and trying to decide. So how far into your journey are you?

I go July 10th for my first visit. I went through this back in 2012 like I said and I canceled my surgery 3 days before my scheduled date because I didn't feel comfortable with having gastric bypass done because of them rerouting the intestines and everything. They said it should go fast this time since I already have my 6 months worth of visits with my nutritionist. I'm hoping to be sleeved by christmas

I'm just wondering if there's anyone else from Vermont on here

Hi I originally wanted Lap Band also but after reading everything and really educated myself, I've chosen to go for the gastric sleeve. I go July 10th for my first meeting. I'm excited but still nervous because it is another surgery. I'm only 28 and I've already had 10 surgeries.

Hi everyone!!! My name is Krystyne, I'm 28, a wife, mother of 2 biological children and 1 step-child and I'm new to gastric sleeve. I have been on here since 2011. So to make a long story short, I have PCOS and have been battling a weight issue since I was 12 years old. I joined because I was going to go for Lap Band then they switched me to Gastric Bypass and I had surgery scheduled for August 3, 2012. Well I canceled it 3 days before hand. My reasoning? I never truly felt comfortable with having my intestines moved around and I truly didn't know anything about the sleeve or I would have told them I wanted that instead. They never even mentioned it to me. So then my grandma passed away October 12, 2012. I gained some weight back after losing a lot of weight from pretty much starving myself. Then I found out on January 12, 2013 that I was pregnant with my son. I only gained 27 pounds during my pregnancy with him. Then at my follow up since I had a c-section, my OBGYN informed me that my son was originally a twin but I had miscarried his twin at 7 weeks when I thought I was having a miscarriage all along. His reasoning to waiting to tell me until after I had my son? I have had 12 miscarriages. I have PCOS so it's been a struggle to get pregnant and to stay pregnant. So last september, exactly a year after my son was born, I weighed in at 330 lbs OMG I had promised to never let myself see the number 3 in front of 00 again but I failed.

So fast forward to a month ago. I've been wanting to have weight loss surgery for A LONG TIME because I've struggled losing weight and keeping it off. My husband and I want another baby. I've been busy raising our two kids, working full time, being a nursing student, being a Mary Kay consultant AND my husband was an over the road truck driver up until this past March so he was only home 2-4 days a month. I honestly had put myself on the back burner. I am now ready to take a step in the right direction and be a healthier me.

I wanted to go for Lap Band but after reading all the horrible stories of it slipping and then needing it removed and gaining the weight back and others who had to have it removed and gone back under to have the gastric sleeve, I told myself HECK NO!!! So that is why I'm now going for the gastric sleeve. I'm excited. I was nervous about leakage until I educated myself even further. I honestly thought that your stomach didn't heal after and that it was the staples holding your stomach together and blah blah blah WRONG!!! your stomach does heal over the staples and it looks like a normal (but smaller) stomach.

Hey everyone! I am new on here, just wanting to introduce myself. My name is sandy, I'm 27 years old, and either going to have the vsg or bypass. My first surgeon appointment is Tuesday June 30!! Nervous and excited. I've given up soda and other carbonated drinks, and still battling giving up smoking. I just need to do it! Also have been doing my best to eat 3 balanced meals and Snacks only if I'm hungry in between. Anyone on here at or around my same stage?

Hi I am 28 and I'm going for the sleeve also

I am in the process of going for the sleeve and I have to say THANK YOU!!!!!! Reading these has DEFINITELY helped ease my mind. I was thinking that the staples were the only thing keeping your stomach together and that your stomach never heals so reading that your stomach heals over the staples has definitely helped my anxiety. like I said THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! I suffer from anxiety but I have to have surgery to lose weight not only for myself but for my kids and husband. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this!!!

I personally chose sleeve over bypass as I had a ballpark of 100 pounds to lose. No more and high blood sugar, but not full blown diabetes. I was looking to avoid complications more commons to bypass patients like Vitamin deficiencies and dumping. The band was not even a consideration as I have too many friends who've had major issues from poor weight loss results to the inability to eat dense Protein, outright failure, prolapse, rejection and damage to their stomach. Plus, the idea of having the thing filled for the rest of my like... ewww.

I have 130-140lbs that I need to lose. I didn't like the fact that I would have to get fills and all that PLUS I'm insulin resistant with having PCOS and I know the Lap Band isn't the best for that which is why my last surgeon switched me to gastric bypass but I didn't feel comfortable with that. I got July 10th to the first seminar. I'm nervous because of all the complications that can happen but I've had 10 surgeries so far that also had complications but I never had a second thought of having them done. I just need to keep my anxiety at bay

You can meet that goal with the sleeve OR bypass. If my surgeon had told me it's bypass or nothing, (and he DID for a friend of mine, safer procedure given his size) I'd have jumped on that train in a hot minute. We've both had fabulous results with our different procedures and no complications. Be a compliant patient. Follow your team's instructions. Complication rates are low. Take a breath and enjoy the ride!

Well what makes me mad is they never mention the sleeve at all. They said "we no longer do lap band because it has low success rates so we've put you in the gastric bypass group." when I asked if there were any other procedures, they literally walked out the door and left it at that. This time around Im going to be more forceful for answers on everything. Last time I just went with everything instead of being my own advacate

I personally chose sleeve over bypass as I had a ballpark of 100 pounds to lose. No more and high blood sugar, but not full blown diabetes. I was looking to avoid complications more commons to bypass patients like Vitamin deficiencies and dumping. The band was not even a consideration as I have too many friends who've had major issues from poor weight loss results to the inability to eat dense Protein, outright failure, prolapse, rejection and damage to their stomach. Plus, the idea of having the thing filled for the rest of my like... ewww.

I have 130-140lbs that I need to lose. I didn't like the fact that I would have to get fills and all that PLUS I'm insulin resistant with having PCOS and I know the Lap Band isn't the best for that which is why my last surgeon switched me to gastric bypass but I didn't feel comfortable with that. I got July 10th to the first seminar. I'm nervous because of all the complications that can happen but I've had 10 surgeries so far that also had complications but I never had a second thought of having them done. I just need to keep my anxiety at bay

I chose sleeve because: it had the best success with the least risk, and it was what my surgeon recommended for me.

I don't have reflux so that was not an issue.

I didn't even consider the band because of all the complications and maintenance issues.

Plus, a family member who has lap band told me if she had the surgery again today, she would have definitely gone with the sleeve.

Ultimately, you need to decide with your surgeon. Learn as much as you can about all the options so you can make an informed decision.

well in all honesty it's either lap band or the sleeve for me. I will not do gastric bypass. I don't feel comfortable having my intestines re-routed and everything. I know people that have the lap band and 2 have had complications from it and the other one had all of his fill taken out so he could eat more and now has gained back all the weight he lost plus more and now wants it out and either have the sleeve done or bypass done like his wife and sister-in-law. I'm truly thinking about going for the sleeve. I just can't let my anxiety get the best of me.

With the sleeve there are a lot LESS cases of Vitamin deficiency. With gastric bypass people get low on Vitamins and can not get caught up with mass injections

yeah I canceled my gastric bypass surgery in 2012. They pushed me for that and I never felt comfortable doing it. I'm glad I didn't. I'm definitely set on going for the sleeve.

Do the sleeve. It's the best way. You don't want to spend years worrying about filling or maintaining a Lap Band. Gastric bypass is fine and always an option if you needed it later but for now why not choose the sleeve and go from there.

Thanks...I thought about the amount of trips I would have to make. The hospital is almost 3 hours away from my house so honestly it wouldn't be the best choice to have the lap band. I am going to go with the sleeve.

Oh..also I choose the sleeve over gastric bypass because I didn't want my intestines messed with and because the sleeve can later add a gastric bypass if needed and it seems that most of the people on here were successful with just the sleeve alone. So you do have some future options for making your surgery more if you need to by adding the bypass.

Yeah I didn't like the thought of them messing with my intestines either. But at the time I didn't know much about the sleeve and I honestly wish they had told me more about it because then I would have gone through with it BUT then I wouldn't have my son SO it's a good/bad thing lol. Thank you so much for your imput. I have called the hospital that I trust and I'm registered for the first seminar that I have to attend. I'm nervous and everything but that's normal. Did you already have the sleeve done?

I had the band and am doing revision to sleeve as my band slipped and was removed a couple of months ag. I spent the last 3 years throwing up every day...that is the long story short. With so many issues with the band I would let it go. If you trust your hospital that provides sleeves and not the one that provides the band that should also be a sign. Many women have had many healthy babies after the sleeve. People are successful with the sleeve, as some are with the band, but the band failed them like it failed me. Read the posts on here in the band to sleeve forum and you can get a feel for what people went through with the band, it is no easier than the sleeve just because it feels less permanent. And it required me to have another surgery after the band failed. Some people suffered with issues such as scar tissue and erosion (holes) when the band was removed making getting a sleeve later more difficult. From my experience you should skip the band and go with the sleeve. Whatever you decide please do some additional research and read the posts on band to sleeve so that you know what could happen with either surgery. I wish you the best of luck. The band was great until it wasn't...

oh thank you so much for your imput. Since I posted this I have been doing a lot of research online. I actually called and registered for my first appointment at the hospital I trust. My mother in law and her friend did great with lap band BUT have had problems but just keep saying it's other things causing their problems. My husband has an uncle that had the lap band and it worked then he had it unfilled and over ate and weighs more. He now wants the lap band OUT and have gastric bypass or the sleeve done. My husband also has 2 aunt's (one of them is married to his uncle that has the lap band) and they did awesome losing weight. My best friend is going for the sleeve. I'm terrified of having the staple line break open but that can be fixed. I'm going to go to the seminar and listen and learn. Thank you so much for your input it means a lot to me

Okay so a little bit of history on me is I had a surgery date of August 3, 2012 to have gastric bypass but deep down inside I knew it wasn't right for me and my anxiety really kicked in. I originally wanted the Lap Band BUT the hospital that I was going to didn't do it anymore even though they were still advertising it. I canceled my surgery 3 days before hand. I then lost my grandma, gained some weight back and then 3 months to the day that my grandma passed, I found out I was pregnant with my son which was awesome because my husband and I had been trying for a second baby for 5 years. I have a little girl and a little boy (my son was a twin and I lost his twin at 7 weeks along).

Now fast forward to last september! I weighed in at 330lbs. I have PCOS so I am insulin resistant and I'm on Metformin to help lower it. I had an appointment with my endocrinologist 2 days ago, I weighed in at 290lbs which I've been stuck at for 5 months now and she gave me 3 options.

1. keep doing what I've been doing (hasn't been working!!!).

2. Bariatric surgery

3. Go on a non-insulin injection that has been okayed by the FDA to be used for weight loss (I'm not diabetic.....YET)

So I'm choosing Bariatric Surgery but I've been reading all the horrible things that can happen. My husband and I want 1-3 more kids. I'm 28 years old.

How did you choose to go for the Sleeve instead of Gastric Bypass or Lap Band? I'm trying to decide because they hospital that will do Lap Band pretty much killed my grandma because they didn't know what they were doing. The hospital I trust will only do Gastric Bypass or Gastric Sleeve.

This is my family...I want to live longer and healthier for them and for myself. The oldest girl is my step-daughter, the little girl is my daughter and then there's my son and husband and I. I need to be healthy for them along with myself.

I had a friend that nearly died from the lap band so I opted for the vertical sleeve gastrectomy. It has been great. I don't regret my decision one bit.

Can you tell me how she almost died? I know a lot people that have the lap band that have done fine. I have massive anxiety when it comes to any surgery. My friend is going for the sleeve but I don't know much about it.