Rainydayz

I have decided on the sleeve for all the reasons listed above plus the fact that the part of the stomach that produces the most ghrelin (the hunger chemical) is removed. Not disconnected and set aside or folded in on itself, but actually removed. I have read that the body being what it is (incredibly adaptive) that ghrelin will be produced in other areas but probably not as much. I like the idea of having a smaller stomach that is happy with less food. I like the idea that I will be able to eat healthy foods, like meat and raw vegetables, unlike many band patients I have read about that never are able to tolerate meat or salads. I like that there will be no malabsorption so deficiencies are much less likely than with RNY or DS. I will have to eat healthy and lead a healthy life to make this work for me. That is what I want to do. Oh and my surgeon said too that he is seeing the same results with the sleeve as with the RNY.

Thanks for sharing that article. I haven't really considered the plication but I do like to learn all I can about the various procedures. I was looking into the band at first as well, but decided against it after seeing so many people getting it removed and revised to sleeve or rny, and so many people having trouble eating healthy foods like meat and vegetables. I decided on the sleeve because while it is not reversible I believe that it is safe and it does away with part of the stomach that produces ghrelin. That sounds wonderful to me. With the band, rny or plication that part is still there producing ghrelin. The sleeve is the only one that gets rid of it. But it is an individual choice. It's just good that we have resources like this board where we can see the good, the bad and the ugly then make our choice.

You look so happy and healthy now! Congratulations and thanks for sharing your photos! What an inspiration!

Got everything turned in today and they are submitting the packet to insurance. I'm hoping on a June date. I've been reading a lot the last few weeks. I feel I owe it to myself to know all the ins and outs and all the things that can go wrong. I like to be prepared. Even when I was pregnant I read all about the things that could go wrong. Not to scare myself but to know that yes, things can go wrong but here is what can be done if/when they do. I came across this group of anti-weight loss surgery folks who do their best to scare people off it. The two leaders have bad experiences with WLS in the past and now they don't believe that anyone should do it. They both have had their bypasses reversed. One of them turned to the philosophy of fat and fit and claimed she was healthy and still obese until she just recently lost a lot of weight on her own. She has maintained it about 9 months or something like that. The other one doesn't talk about her weight much but I think she lost some on her own after gaining a lot after having her surgery reversed. But I get the feeling that she is still obese or at least overweight. Anyway, they talk a lot about all the things that they have experienced and have seen in others that can go wrong. When someone points out a long-term success story they are quick to point out any horror story they can trot out at the moment. If it sounds like I don't like these people much it's because I don't. The tone there is hate and bitterness. I think it's because their surgeries did not turn out right and they can't stand it that other people have success where they didn't. Yes, there are horror stories. There are deaths and long-term suffering as a consequence of WLS. But really, there are horror stories to anything. Like I said I read about a lot of pregnancy-related complications but it did not keep me from having babies. And while I had a minor complication or two I managed to produce perfectly healthy children and I'm not much worse for the wear (other than gaining about 100 extra pounds over the course of all my pregnancies). It doesn't make me start a website to tell people not to have babies because I have heard of people dying from it or having long-term health consequences from it. For as many people who have had WLS, if it really were as horrible and dangerous as these folks claim, then we would be seeing many, many malpractice suits, and insurance would not be paying for it more and more. It makes people more healthy for the most part. There are exceptions and those folks at that site are some of them. I feel bad for them, because they have had such a hard time in their lives, even though most of it wasn't due to the surgery - if you hang around long enough you will hear about emotional abuse that started way before the surgery in at least one of them (the most hateful one). The fact that their old-fashioned bypasses failed them has become the scapegoat of their lives. I keep going back there hoping for some facts to actually base my decision on but all I get is anecdotes and quotes from other websites with very little statistical backing. The clincher is that they claim to have a "panel of expert advisors" but the only doctor I see quoted is Terry Simpson, a well-known Lap Band doctor in Arizona. He only does Lap Band so he has a vested interest in steering people away from other procedures. That's enough right there for me to call BS on the site. So anyway, I just needed to get that off my chest. I probably won't be back there unless I'm in the mood for a debate or to see what fresh nonsense they are spouting. It's a little pathetic really. But they are so hateful it's hard to feel really sorry for them.

But why is it that RNYers sometimes gain almost if not all their weight back? Even though they have lost the malabsorption part after a while don't they still have a tiny pouch?

Add some sugar free pudding mix to it. Just a spoonful and blend well. Use frozen milk cubes instead of ice to make it thick and not water it down. Order samples of different brands. Good luck!

If you don't mind saying who is the dr. that was pushing the band? Other people in your area might be interested to know and not waste their time going to him. Good luck with a new surgeon. You've got great advice here.

Right. I know the bougie size determines the stomach size in the end. But what I don't get is how the dr. knows exactly how much he has cut away from each person's stomach, being that each person's stomach is a different size to begin with. Let's say there is a 6'6" man that gets a sleeve with a 40 french bougie. Then a 5' woman gets ones with the same size bougie. I would imagine that the dr. cuts away more of the man's stomach than he does the woman's giving them each a different percentage that was removed. But how does he know? I think they just guess at it. I can't imagine that there's any way for the dr. to know exactly how much he has just cut away other than just eyeballing it. I haven't heard of anyone saying that he does ultrasound measurements before and after or anything like that. So he has to be just guesstimating it. The 75% or 90% number doesn't really mean anything anyway. It's the size of the bougie and the length of the stomach that matters. I would think the 6'6" guy would wind up with a larger stomach than the 5' woman because his is still longer. So the doctor probably cut away a higher percentage of his stomach yet he still has a bigger one than the woman. So the percentage means nothing. I'm being way too anal about this. But I just wondered why people were suddenly using the percentage number and not the bougie size. I wondered if I had missed something.

Hi onemoretry! Thanks for the info. Actually I have decided on Dr. Johnson at Emory Johns Creek. It is a little far from me but Dr. Smith in Marietta would be too. But I've met with Dr. Johnson and I'm just waiting for my last diet appointment now. I love the hospital at Johns Creek. Everyone has been so friendly and helpful. They act like they want to be there and enjoy what they are doing. They have a floor just for bariatrics and the gowns are huge and everything is made to fit the "larger" patient! So I'm happy with my decision. I just wish it wasn't on the other side of Atlanta but oh well!

Sure. But how do they actually measure whether they took 75% or 80%? Are they just guessing? Some people have said that their doctor told them he took out a certain percent. I thought it was just an approximation but they sound like the doctor told them specifically. Again, do they measure the stomach before the procedure or do they just look at it and say, "Yeah, I think I just cut out about 80% of that one. That's what we'll go with." Not that it matters to me. I'm just curious how they know.

How do they tell how much they remove? Do they measure the stomach somehow first then decide what size bougie to use or do they just use whatever size bougie then measure what they cut out or what?

Wow, these are all great ideas. I love the flatbread pizza one I will surely be trying that. I can't wait until food just really doesn't matter to me anymore! That sounds so great. I'm going to be such a cheap date!

This is just my experience and I'm not a doctor either, but I hate BC. I believe it in part was to blame for me gaining weight in my 20's and 30's. Whenever I was off it it seemed easier to lose weight and manage it. But when I was on the pill or the shot it was harder. I used Mirena for about 3 months and bled the whole time so it came right out. I'm glad you put that out there so women will have something to consider if they stall or have trouble losing. I'm so happy I'm past that now and had my tubes tied so i don't have to worry about that anymore.

Erin I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. I'm glad you went to the hospital. At least now they know something is wrong and will I hope be able to fix it. Maybe they can stretch the small out a little for you. I'm sorry if this sounds insensitive right now, but do you know what size bougie your dr. used? I'm pushing for the 40 because I'm scared to death of having a stricture and for some reason I have the impression that the larger bougies don't have it as much.

Way to go! Gotta love those skinny jeans that fit again!

I can understand what you mean about peeling off the protective layer. While I'm fat I can hide behind that as a reason I can't go out and do things. I can stay safely hidden behind my wall and not have to face life. When you lose weight you become a full player in the game of life again without the built-in excuse of fat to explain any failures. But seriously I think you're totally normal and have nothing to worry about. I believe as you lose weight you will gain confidence.

That's sad about your friend. She apparently did not do her research and simply grasped at something blindly and now expects it to be all hunky dory. It's good to hear stories like hers because it serves as a reminder of how much we have to really learn about this stuff before we jump into it. I want to know all the bad that could happen so I can avoid it. I have asthma and take steroids at times so I know that the sleeve is the best option for me. But honestly without these forums I would never have learned about the sleeve and about all the problems with the band (which was the first thing I looked into.) Unfortunately your friend did not read and learn enough and she is paying the price. Just tell her that you appreciate her concern but you have done your research and have made your decision. You will not have the problems that she is having.

LOL! I did the Alka Seltzer and chalk thing last week. Yum yum! Good luck on Monday. You'll do great! Can't wait to join you on the loser's bench!

Who makes it? Where do you get it?

Good ideas. I will try the cauliflower pizza, that looks interesting! Thanks1

Does anyone know of a site or something that compares protein powders by cost? I would like to know the avg. cost / serving. If there is somewhere that has already done that great. If not I will be doing a list for myself and will post when done.

I call BS on that. (Standard disclaimer: I'm not sleeved yet so I don't know what I'm talking about.) But if you don't swallow it and you don't have problems with gas caused from swallowing so often then why the heck not? As far as it causing us to want to mindlessly snack - heck I want to do that anyway! Sometimes gum keeps from putting something like chips in my mouth instead. I would like to hear more rationales for the no gum rule.

This shouldn't be looked at as just a vanity procedure, like plastic surgery. In order for your fears to be put to rest you really should look at all the health benefits of the surgery first. If you need this to stay healthy then the rest is just a bonus. I certainly don't worry about being too skinny. What a worry to have! I know it can be a problem for some people, but seriously I don't think it will be for me. Good luck in your decision. I think you really have to go into this with the attitude that it is exactly what you need and you will make it work. If you're still not sure, maybe you should wait a while. It took me 4 years to make my decision.

The thing that keeps me from backing out is that there is an overwhelming chance that I will die early due to weight-related problems. There is diabetes and heart disease in my family and I'm lucky that I don't have them YET. I'm 47 and like my dr. said if I don't do something soon there is NO way I will avoid some or all of those problems. Can I lose it on my own? Maybe. Can I keep it off? Well judging by the past 30+ years of experience: NO. I believe yo-yo dieting is worse than just staying fat. That is why I'm doing this. You have to list your own reasons but I can bet your list is similar to mine and everyone else's here. Good luck!

I'm not sleeved yet. Right now we order pizza sometimes on the weekend. After I get sleeved, what will we be able to replace that with? What's a good convenient order-out food that can take the place of our weekend Papa John's run?