supbanana

Update: I gained 20 more pounds within three months of posting this. I panicked and had IUD removed. The ravenous hunger disappeared, weight is slowly coming off again, but this whole thing has been a nightmare.

Starting weight: 370 Surgery weight: 288 Current weight: 210 Goal is in the 160-175 range, so somewhere between 35 and 50 more pounds to go.

Another concern is, at this point, I'm nearly two years out. I'm afraid that even if I do remove it, I missed my 'honeymoon' period to lose the weight. Still, I've picked up good habits. Not to say that I'm perfect, but there's no reason the loss should have just stopped cold like that. :/ Still, I don't want to go through the pain of having this removed if it's *not* the problem... but I'll never know if it is or not without removing it. Like I said, I'm lost and very conflicted, heh.

Forgot to say that I've had it in for a year this month and the problems are getting worse (been developing UTIs, no sex drive... all stuff that isn't officially listed as a side effect, but that people list anecdotally as side effects). I adore the IUD for how effective it is, and for the light periods, but outside of that, I'm miserable and it seems to keep getting worse. Thank you for your input, I'm just trying to gather as much info as possible before making a decision.

Bump. I know this is an older post, and I apologize, but this is *very* relevant to my current situation. Can anyone that had the Mirena removed update with whether or not the loss continued once it was gone??

Hi there, I had the sleeve in 8/13 and lost an average of 10 pounds per month. After 9 months and nearly 100 pounds down, I had the Mirena (hormonal) IUD placed. My loss stopped immediately. I've had it in for a year now, and the loss stalled despite becoming a runner, sticking to the diet, etc. All of the literature says that the IUD does not cause weight loss or gain, but some googling shows a lot of anecdotal evidence that it sure can. I'm trying to get info from other sleevers that may have had IUDs placed after surgery - how did it affect you?? I have one friend in this situation that continued to lose, but I'm just at a loss and honestly struggling with having the IUD in. Please, I would appreciate any experiences or advice on this from people that have gone through this... if you don't want to post publicly, can you please message me? I'm considering having this removed. I have no idea if that will help or not and I'm just... just lost.

I was sleeved in Mexico. At almost two years post op, I often feel very little restriction and have struggled with 20 pounds of regain.

Ha, sure did! Just updated my thread. Here's a bonus progress pic for anyone else playing along. Only 10 pounds until Onederland!!

Hey folks, just wanted to give an update! 8 Months out, down 90 pounds from surgery, completely loving my sleeve. Still can't recommend Dr. Illan enough!! I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Only 10 pounds from Onederland! Starting to think about plastic surgery for the darn extra skin, but I wouldn't change anything.

I'm sitting pretty in a size 18 for the first time that I can remember, and yesterday was my six month surgiversary, so I thought I would write up an update, especially considering my post detailing my experience with Dr. Illan was somehow lost during the update. First off, here is a Dr. Illan and three weeks later was in Mexico having the surgery. I've more or less consistently lost 10 pounds per month since surgery. It hasn't always been easy, and stalls have happened, but it is by far the best thing I've ever done. I honestly often forget that I've had surgery. Dr. Illan's team provided the best medical care I've ever had in my life and I would go back to him in a heartbeat! Just to make this more fun, here's a progress pic, highest ever weight vs. today:

Absolutely. Dr. Illan and his team completely transformed my life. I still say they offered the best medical care I've ever had in my life. I would feel comfortable recommending any of my loved ones to go to him and genuinely wish he did plastics so that I could go back myself! Omar is also completely fantastic. In addition to taking superhuman care of his patients (seriously, I don't know how he manages to be so attentive to everyone at once), he noticed that the husband of a patient of a different doctor had nothing to eat and took that man out for food. They completely go above and beyond in every way!

Hm, it looks like my post about my experience with Dr. Illan was deleted, but I can honestly say it was the best medical experience of my entire life. I have the experience recorded on my blog if you want to check it out: http://gainingme.livejournal.com/5015.html And pictures! http://imgur.com/a/ldVZI This before/after isn't entirely accurate because I started the surgery process at 300lbs, not 340, but today I'm down to 240 (I've lost 60 pounds since August 1st)! Love my sleeve so much, highly recommend Dr. Illan, would go back in a heartbeat.

I know this sounds crazy, but it works wonders. Have you heard of the Oil Cleansing Method? http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/ It's basically cleansing your face with oil - it removes all dirt and makeup, gets the gunk out of your pores, and leaves you nice and moisturized. It's good for all skin types, including acne prone or oily skin.

Indeed it is, but that's okay, I'm just happy *someone* can relate!

That's funny! I never understood what people meant when they joked about sitting on a vibrating washing machine, but now I totally get it.

Lol I know, right? I was just like, "okay, how do I say this..." I don't think there even is an answer, though just today I heard about something called 'vaginal rejuvenation' like plastics for downstairs, and now I'm wondering if maybe my area is stretched out or something like the rest of my body. Not that it matters, I'm more than happy with that part of me, but it's just kind of awkward to be so aware of it every time I have a seat. It's like my body is determined to remind me that I have labias going on down there just in case I forgot.

Okay, so this is weird, but I'm wondering if this is normal... when I sit down these days, it's like my external genitalia is getting squished between me and the surface I'm sitting on, like pinched or just weirdly positioned. I never had this problem before losing 120lbs and I'm wondering if my thigh fat provided a cushion before, maybe. Lol, it feels so weird talking about this but it's just been the most bizarre thing. Can anyone else relate or is my body just playing tricks on me?

I always had a very strong fear of men, but after a lot of therapy and this surgery I'm feeling ready to start dating. I'm just really self-conscious because I'm 25, and have only had one serious boyfriend. I have next to no experience with flirting, dating, or sex. I'm way behind the curve when it comes to other girls my age, and they're all prettier with bodies that don't look like melted wax. Not to sell myself short, I'm pretty awesome, but I'm also terrified that even if a guy is interested my lack of experience sexually will be an issue. :/

Heeeey, this is relevant to my recent frustration. Can any of you recommend knee to boob shapewear for tall people?

Seriously, just be direct and honest. "Thank you, but I'm not interested."

I'll second Dr. Illan. I posted my entire experience here on VST if you want to check it out but overall, I absolutely wouldn't change a thing about my surgery. He is amazing. Good luck with your choice! I would recommend Dr. Illan to anybody.

It's illan. Definitely hop on facebook and join our group, 'Team Illan'! There's not a lot of info out there on him but we're very active on that group and love answering questions. I was sleeved by Dr. Illan 8/9 and it was an absolutely amazing experience, I would (and have!) recommend him to anyone.

Yup. Back in 2007 I was feeling constantly sick, nauseated, etc. so I was frequently missing work and going to the doctor. She kept telling me to lose weight, blah blah... anyway, turns out I had a bad case of ovarian cysts. One finally ruptured and required emergency surgery as I had gone septic. After the cysts were removed, I felt wonderful. If she had taken me seriously the first time I went to see her, maybe I could have avoided the pain of the rupture and cost of the surgery (which is still dinging my credit report because I couldn't afford it :/).

Hi Annie, I'm biased because I adored Dr. Illan and had an amazing experience, but I truly believe you're in incredibly competent hands! I would have surgery with him again in a heartbeat. Are you referring to the Team Illan group on Facebook? If so, right on! That was by far my favorite resource pre surgery. If not, please join the group! I never came across a sheet of hard facts, unfortunately. Before surgery my dad was convinced that I would get to Mexico and they would take my check and leave me stranded. The only way to convince him how wrong he was was to come home, perfectly fine. I think your best bet, like the person before me mentioned, is to set up a phone call or Skype chat with Dr. Illan so your husband can ask questions 'in person'. Dr. Illan is very friendly and professional and was happy to answer any and all questions. Good luck!! I hope you love your experience as much as I did... Shoot, even if you only like it half as much, you'll still be happy with your choice.