Madam Reverie

Certain faiths do not permit the receipt of blood transfusions - Jehovah's Witnesses for example. Guess its all about that.

I would hazard a guess that by saying the word 'bariatric' you held up a mirror to her own predicament. Consequently and as a means to rationalise, she went on her highly personal interrogation to compare and contrast your positions because she sees you as the same (hence the 'let me see your belly' comment). Apart from some people being unable to censor some of the things they say in the real world, most of the time and when it's 'gut shot' like that, it is rarely about you, the recipient. It is just an outpouring of their own sensitivities just being projected onto you and your situation. It is coming from someone who is in her head trying to justify why a) she's overweight, knowing it has impacted her life significantly hasn't been approved for/cant afford/is scared of the surgery and c) is probably a bit jealous of your courage or position. Take it for what it is.. The outpourings of someone who's probably a little lost, a little jealous, a little vocal and with limited social awareness.

That's fabulous! Many thanks

Dear All, I wonder if anyone could help me please? I'm looking for a post-operative eating plan, which might also give indicative vitamin/mineral requirements, if someone has one they can attach or wouldn't mind documenting? I'm getting a wee bit confused over the Proteins v's good carbs, bad carbs and how much I'm supposed to be eating. I'm 'supposed' to be receiving 'something' from the hospital, but it hasn't arrived yet so isn't leaving me a lot of time to sort things out. I read a lot on here about people using trackers and the like, but I'm rubbish at that type of stuff. Plus I refuse to get a smart phone! (I am a luddite and proud!) So far, I have everything ready for the first 4 weeks, but after that? No clue. If anyone could provide me with any ideas or even point to a decent book that documents all this stuff, it'd be greatly appreciated. Many thanks and hope to hear from you! Revs x

I've known people, who whilst on diets and have been rendered almost defenseless against something bad for them, have picked up said item, immediately squirted washing up liquid all over it and placed it in the bin. On enquiry, they admitted that if they hadn't have done that, they would have 'placed' it in the bin, in its wrapper and then gone back to it later. Least you didn't do that!

No, you're not nuts. I'm right there with you, Sista...

I would like to wear something I love. And that is designed well. And is made out of decent fabric. Not, out of crappy, expandable material which if you're too close to any form of heat source, could burst into flames at any moment. I would also like to buy those clothes in the very high-end shop I recently walked into who, with a sneering look, informed me; 'No, we don't stock any sizes like that. The absolute highest we go is an 18 and I only think that's available in one top in the MaxMara range'...(I walked out stifling tears) I would like to feel 'slinky'. I would like not to sweat when I stop walking, breath, think, etc. I would like not to feel 'lesser' as a human being, in comparison to other women, for not being able to conquer my food/PCOS demons. I would like any compliments I receive to not to be 'back-handed'. So if I'm allegedly 'beautiful', for it not to be prefixed with 'You're a big girl, but... <insert 'beautiful' here> I would like not to be lying in my bed right now, hearing the people in the flat above me having conjugal relations. I KID YOU NOT!!! Arrrgh, I gotta go get ear plugs!!!

Stace, could you do humanity a favour? Could you please use your formidable skills, in line with the project you're already undertaking, to develop an 'idiot detector', too? A geo-locating tool that allows you to see the idiots around you and remove yourself from their presence accordingly! I dunno, you could base it on the types of Cookies stored on their computer/smart phone after using Google as their search engine. In a 1984 Orwellian fashion, if individuals have a certain pattern of surfing behaviour, you could give them a social ranking. Anything around the 1-3 is green and 'normal'. 4-6 is amber, with evidence of weirdness present. 7-9, okay, these dudes are starting to get a bit freaky. 10, they're in a league of their own - run for the hills! I know I'd pay a fair amount of money for a service like that! How COOL would that be - particularly if you're in the dating game?! You got skills, girl, get on it!

Is ISOMIL baby formula?

Just to chime in, the statistics on 'things going wrong' is all relative. The more surgeries a surgeon has conducted, the higher likelihood something, at some time, has gone wrong. It's easy to score 10/10 - if all you've done is 10. If you've done 15,000, your chances of something happening, are increased. As said above, anything outside the control of the surgeon could have caused the problem (although I'd be wanting a bit more data on the 'wrongful' death) Think of it a bit like Ebay (sorry for the crass comparison, but it works). If you see a 'power seller' with 1,400 reviews and they're 97.8 positive? That's effectively what you're looking at with surgeons, too.

I am God.. No, sorry, that was my internal dialogue. I do pan western/eastern hemisphere paper-clip distribution. Nope, that's not it either, although it is often close. Closer to the truth? I do legal navel inspection and belly button fluff removal in failed or fragile states....

I'm in exactly the same boat, my dear. BMI of 35.87, and carry my weight 'well', because I'm tall. Still doesn't detract from the PCOS, the constantly sore knee, the compressed L4/5 lumbars, trapped sciatic and sacral nerves and the diabetes knocking on the door. I'll level with you - I'm petrified, too. My mind is consistently saying 'you are cutting up a perfectly functioning organ, what are you doing, woman?!!!'. In fact, I think I'll need a bucket load of drugs on board before even getting into the theater because of how scared I am. I think most people here have experienced varying degrees of this and I, too, would be grateful to know if anyone had the mental block about the surgery part? The only words of comfort I can offer, because I am in the same boat as you, is that neither of us would have been approved for surgery, if the doctors/surgeons/nutritionists/psychologists felt we could have done it any other way and that it's genuinely for the best. My thoughts will be with you tomorrow. Deep breaths, steel yourself and you will fly through this. It is but a little mountain to climb, in order to find your nirvana. It'll no doubt be easier than you think. You're a woman after all - we bloody rock at this stuff! Let us know how you get on. I'll be waiting to learn from your experience. All the best, x

How comes everyone seems to be on the 9th or the 18th?! Any takers for 2nd September?!

Hehe 419 fraud hits the weight loss surgery community!

I'm all for a discussion on politics, not so sure about religion. However and despite my preferences, I would have thought neither of these are appropriate for this type of website. However, nor is, as I have seen and seems fairly prevalent; is individuals dominating forums and engendering a 'them and us' mentality. That is tantamount to bullying - no matter how much alleged 'humour' is deployed as subterfuge or smiley faces to soften the sarcasm. Although it's a subtle and insidious form of bullying, it is still bullying nonetheless. Just a point for consideration, Ed?

You look fabulous! Congratulations

To add to that, here is some GERD specific research... On the basis of the below, I'd be asking your doctor to qualify his remarks on GERD in lapband v's sleeve patients... If anyone has any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. R x Patrice R. Carter, Karl A. LeBlanc, Mark G. Hausmann, Kenneth P. Kleinpeter, Sean N. deBarros, Shannon M. Jones, Association between gastroesophageal reflux disease and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, Volume 7, Issue 5, September–October 2011, Pages 569-572, ISSN 1550-7289, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.soard.2011.01.040. Keywords: GERD; Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy; Reflux; Obesity Background Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common co-morbidity identified in obese patients. It is well established that patients with GERD and morbid obesity experience a marked improvement in their GERD symptoms after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Conflicting data exist for adjustable laparoscopic gastric banding and GERD. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has become a popular adjunct to bariatric surgery in recent years. However, very little data exist concerning LSG and its effect on GERD. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed of 176 LSG patients from January 2006 to August of 2009. The preoperative and postoperative GERD symptoms were evaluated using follow-up surveys and chart review. Results Of the 176 patients, 85.7% of patients were women, with an average age of 45 years (range 22–65). The average preoperative body mass index was 46.6 kg/m2 (range 33.2–79.6). The average excess body weight lost at approximately 6, 12, 24 months was calculated as 54.2%, 60.7%, and 60.3%, respectively. Of the LSG patients, 34.6% had preoperative GERD complaints. Postoperatively, 49% complained of immediate (within 30 d) GERD symptoms, 47.2% had persistent GERD symptoms that lasted >1 month after LSG, and 33.8% of patients were taking medication specifically for GERD after LSG. The most common symptoms were heartburn (46%), followed by heartburn associated with regurgitation (29.2%). Conclusion In the present study, LSG correlated with the persistence of GERD symptoms in patients with GERD preoperatively. Also, patients who did not have GERD preoperatively had an increased risk of postoperative GERD symptoms. Sharon Chiu, Daniel W. Birch, Xinzhe Shi, Arya M. Sharma, Shahzeer Karmali, Effect of sleeve gastrectomy on gastroesophageal reflux disease: a systematic review, Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, Volume 7, Issue 4, July–August 2011, Pages 510-515, ISSN 1550-7289, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.soard.2010.09.011. Keywords: Sleeve gastrectomy; Gastroesophageal reflux disease; Systematic review Background Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) has increased in popularity as both a definitive and a staged procedure for morbid obesity. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common co-morbid disease in bariatric patients. The effect of SG on GERD has not been well studied; thus, the goal of the present systematic data review was to analyze the effect of SG on GERD. Methods A systematic data search was conducted using Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Database, Scopus, and the gray literature for the Keywords “sleeve gastrectomy;” “gastroesophageal reflux;” and equivalents. Results A total of 15 reports were retrieved. Two reports analyzed GERD as a primary outcome, and 13 included GERD as a secondary study outcome. Of the 15 studies, 4 showed an increase in GERD after SG, 7 found reduced GERD prevalence after SG, 3 included only the postoperative prevalence of GERD, and 1 did not include data on prevalence of GERD. Conclusion The evidence of the effect of SG on GERD did not consolidate to a consensus. The studies showed differing outcomes. Hence, dedicated studies that objectively evaluate GERD after SG are needed to more clearly define the effect of SG on GERD in bariatric patients.

Beauty, I posted this a week ago on another thread and it sounds like you could do with reading it. As the knowledgeable ones above have said; if you're not comfortable, get a second opinion. I have a BMI of nearly 36 and there's no way, given the amount of academic research I've done, I would consider a band. Closer to home, I know a lady who had the band operation, had three corrective surgeries on it and then had to go to sleeve, which due to the scar tissue the band had left, failed, so it had to be revised into a bypass. An absolute mess. This, of course, is an isolated case - but the academic research proves that the band is simply not as effective, you don't lose as much weight, but does, on the plus side, have a lower mortality rate. If you have any queries about the below, please do not hesitate to contact me. All the best, R x "I posted this on another forum and felt it might be useful for other people to have a read of, if like me, you like your scientific facts. Maybe the below will provide a bit of clarity as to the 'nuts and bolts' of some of the bariatric procedures and their long-term (within the limitations of the data) efficacy. This first academic journal quoted was published in May 2013. So, it doesn't get more 'up to date' with regards to evaluating the comparative effectiveness in the three biggest weight loss procedures. I have only reproduced the abstract and have quoted the source below as the abstract covers the salient information we'd be interested in. The second section is all about the metrics, with a snapshot of all the procedures being evaluated in a tabulated form (the table was removed from the cutting and pasting process, so read left to right) and the risks associated with the operations. The primary and secondary sources are also cited. Better to make decisions based on rigorous scientific research, than hearsay and charasmatic sales pitches, I feel... Hope it helps. Article 1: Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the comparative effectiveness of sleeve gastrectomy (SG), laparoscopic gastric bypass (RYGB), and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) procedures. Background: Citing limitations of published studies, payers have been reluctant to provide routine coverage for SG for the treatment of morbid obesity. Methods: Using data from an externally audited, statewide clinical registry, we matched 2949 SG patients with equal numbers of RYGB and LAGB patients on 23 baseline characteristics. Outcomes assessed included complications occurring within 30 days, and weight loss, quality of life, and comorbidity remission at 1, 2, and 3 years after bariatric surgery. Results: Matching resulted in cohorts of SG, RYGB, and LAGB patients that were well balanced on baseline characteristics. Overall complication rates among patients undergoing SG (6.3%) were significantly lower than for RYGB (10.0%, P < 0.0001) but higher than for LAGB (2.4%, P < 0.0001). Serious complication rates were similar for SG (2.4%) and RYGB (2.5%, P = 0.736) but higher than for LAGB (1.0%, P < 0.0001). Excess body weight loss at 1 year was 13% lower for SG (60%) than for RYGB (69%, P < 0.0001), but was 77% higher for SG than for LAGB (34%, P < 0.0001). SG was similarly closer to RYGB than LAGB with regard to remission of obesity-related comorbidities. Conclusions: With better weight loss than LAGB and lower complication rates than RYGB, SG is a reasonable choice for the treatment of morbid obesity and should be covered by both public and private payers. SOURCE: Carlin A, Zeni T, Birkmeyer N, et al. The comparative effectiveness of sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, and adjustable gastric banding procedures for the treatment of morbid obesity. Annals Of Surgery [serial online]. May 2013;257(5):791-797. Available from: MEDLINE with Full Text, Ipswich, MA. Article 2: September 2012: Morbidity and mortality associated with LRYGB, LSG, and LAGB from the ACS-BSCN dataset LRYGB LSG LAGB 30-d mortality (%) 0.14 0.11 0.05 1-y mortality (%) 0.34 0.21 0.08 30-d morbidity (%) 5.91 5.61 1.44 30-d readmission (%) 6.47 5.40 1.71 30-d reoperation/intervention(%) 5.02 2.97 0.92 SOURCE: Data from Hutter MM, Schirmer BD, Jones DB, et al. First report from the American College of Surgeons Bariatric Surgery Center Network: laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy has morbidity and effectiveness positioned between the band and the bypass. Ann Surg 2011;254(3):410–20 [discussion: 420–2], in: Timothy D. J, Matthew M. H. Morbidity and Effectiveness of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy, Adjustable Gastric Band, and Gastric Bypass for Morbid Obesity. Advances In Surgery [serial online]. n.d.;46(Advances in Surgery):255-268. Available from: ScienceDirect, Ipswich, MA"

I agree, to be honest. I'd opt for chopping off the excess skin, re-plumping (modestly) my bust, but as for the face? I'd leave it fairly untouched I think. Save, perhaps, for a bit of filler here and there!

That's really interesting actually, because the people I've met in the flesh, the bypass patients, I hate to say it, looked awful. The VSG 1 year + post op looked better (to varying degrees) And yes, a couple of them did look like they were never meant to be big. They showed me their before photos and it was quite bizarre. They looked like different human beings - literally. I hope I'm blessed to be one of those people. Really...

Thank you

Aint that the truth! Far too much doom and gloom in this world (or do I mean 'room') already!

Hello All, I am nice (relatively), polite (often), house trained (definitely), sarcastic (a lot, but only in a third party observation kind of way and to people who deserve it) lady who is due to be eviscerated on the 2nd September. I would like to meet.. No, hold on, that sounds like an introduction on a dating website. I would very much like to make new friends who are embarking or have already embarked on this (and I hate to use the term, cause it sounds so 'Oprah'/'Dr. Phil') 'journey'. <gags just a little bit> I'm a fairly cheerful sort, who normally has something to say for herself; hopefully pushing the boundaries of the routine discursive analytic. I also like to be incredibly childish in a grown-up sort of way and can often be observed taking things to their lowest common denominator... I would very much welcome banter, chit chat, discussion and observations from people who kindly have the time and inclination. If you can spell (the odd mistake is permissible - and yes, I'm joking. Sort of. ), don't have a grossly disillusioned sense of superiority (yeah, I've seen you guys out there and frankly, I cannot be arsed with it) and fancy some light-hearted banter with someone from across the pond about all things sleeve and more importantly (for balance) non sleeve, please do contact me! I promise I'll be a good online friend and promise I have no desire to become a site megalomaniac. Living in the real world, an' all... In anticipation of hopefully making some new buddies who I can annoy and pester for the contents of their minds on a weekly (probably daily) basis, Revs x

Hey, if I'm going to get carved up (which is inevitable), I'm going the whole hog. Boobs like Pamela Anderson's and a stomach like Usain Bolt's! Bring it on!

Thanks Coco, it does indeed. To be honest, I share most of my bizarre thoughts, most of the time. Just maybe not ones so personal. After all, how could you even bring in to general conversation 'yes, I have a big belly that hangs like a once pregnant cats and if you stretched it out enough, you could more than likely cover a sofa with it!'. Some segue's are impossible to achieve - even for me! x