okaykay

I'm debating between getting the lap band or the sleeve. I see pros and cons for each of them. The main thing I like is that the lap band is reversible and I don't know how I feel about a chunk of my stomach being permanently removed… BUT, I don't like the idea of a foreign object inside me with the band, although with the sleeve theres staples anyways.. Also, there aren't any long term studies on the sleeve yet, which worries me. As you can see I am very torn and I'd love some opinions and advice. Also, I am very curious why so many people with the lap band have it revised to the sleeve.? Let me know if I've been misinformed on any of this. Thanks!

Hi! So I have scheduled my sleeve surgery for October 2014 at the OCC with Dr. Ortiz! I'm excited and really nervous! I want to make sure I come prepared.. So, what did you bring with you to Mexico? Anything you wish you'd taken? Anything not to take (I tend to be an over-packer)?

Oh man I wish you the best of luck! I'm so scared that I'll smoke again after surgery. Try to really think about what an investment you have already made in yourself with your surgery and how you are living such a clean healthy life and smoking is an unhealthy, toxic thing that our bodies hate (I'm half talking to myself right now lol). Or if thinking of yourself won't work, try to change your motivation. If you have kids, think of how it may better them, or how you will seem more professional at work w/o smelling like smoke. I am starting newborn photography and I know that once I do, I can't smell like smoke EVER, so I have no other option. Make a list of why it is important you do this and keep it with you, or a list of pros and cons. Seeing that long list of cons might make you at least smoke less. If you want/can try the gum, patches, lozenges(seems best). They help a lot of people, but in my experience they don't help me much. Truly, I wish you luck and I know you can do it!!!!!! In a year, you will be so happy you did

I've never been but it sounds great! I'll have to stop by next time I'm in Denver (I live in FoCo). Thanks for posting this! I'm sorry I couldn't give you any info!

Thanks so much everyone! VERY helpful

Amazing!!! I am so happy for you!

You sound like me lol I finally decided on the sleeve over the band. I was freaking out about cutting out part of my stomach and leaks, etc. But, honestly, I prayed for God to give me some peace if it was the right thing to do and since then I really feel quite comfortable with it, even excited At first I was like, "I'll just use the surgery money to see a therapist and get a personal trainer and do this the old fashioned way!". But then I thought about how I've been overweight and sad since I can remember. And how every couple of months I'd make a "change" and set the same goals that I'd never achieve. And I don't want to look back at this time a year from now and say "Wow, I could have gotten my surgery and maybe I'd be happy and healthy by now…" I'm only 22 and I don't want to waste a second more. My mom has the lap band and she had such a rough time at first and its been about six years and she still throws up sometimes BUT she has lost around 150 pounds. Still.. I like the sleeve because there are far less complications and no follow up like the band. I would meditate on it for awhile until you find peace about it. Good luck!

Congrats! You look lovely and so happy!

I used to take phentermine all the time when I was about 19-20. There's a place in my home town that will give you a months worth for $50 bucks, WAY easier than it should have been. I was on the strongest stuff they had and I was speeding my butt off. Honestly, it made me not want food at all so I wouldn't eat all day and I'd smoke like a pack of cigarettes (it gave me the incredible urge to constantly smoke..) then it would wear off at night and I'd feel so sick, and sometimes I would get REALLY hungry late at night so I'd pig out . I lost between 5 and 15 pounds every month I would do it, but when I'd stop it immediately came back plus some ( easily within a week or two). Its truly not worth the time in my opinion, it jut doesn't feel healthy and it made my heart race. I was being a dumb*** teenager at the time, so maybe if handled more responsibly it would go well lol. One good thing is that I would drink TONS of water everyday. All in all, I wouldn't recommend it.

Thank you so much for the replies! I think I am going to talk to my Dr. about the sleeve. I'm only scared that if I have a leak (as rare as that may be) or other complications, that I'll have to revise to a DS or RNY ( I read somewhere that this can happen, can't remember which one..) Is that true? I'm not super knowledgable about the complications yet. Please correct me if I've been misinformed! I do NOT want either of those surgeries. Please don't take offense, I am SO happy for those of you who have had good experiences with them, it's just that I have decided those are not the routes for me. Also, I read on some forum that a lady had the sleeve done and her surgeon did not use staples. What would he have used? I tried googling it and I couldn't find anything.