LisaNLasVegas

Don't be too nervous, Sandymom - I just had my 2 week pre op appointment today and found out that I, too, am scheduled for band removal, hernia repair, gastric sleeve as an outpatient. I am the first surgery of the day at 8am and will go home that afternoon (God willing all goes well). yikes! When is your surgery? Mine is August 5.

I think it is just something we have to accept. People who have not/are not having WLS just don't understand. They have not lived our lives and don't realize it is our final straw. People who are obese and make those comments are, in my opinion, jealous of the fact that we took the final step. Maybe they can't afford the surgery or their insurance doesn't cover it, or they are not ready to commit to such a drastic measure. Normal weight people think we can just pull away from the table and lose weight without help. They may be right, but I wouldn't have been gaining and losing weight for 37 years if that were the case. They definitely don't undersstand. Don't get me wrong, I love my normal weight friends and family - most of them are - but they are in a different boat! People want to see others fail, because it makes them look better. Not saying it's right or wrong, just the way it is. Well, ok, it is wrong. But we cannot control what others think. Hopefully, we all made this decision for OUR lives and OUR health. I, for one, really don't care if I am the topic of gossip. And if I fail, I've been there, before, too. My true supporters will stand by me and help me along the way, no matter what. The ones who want to see me fail have bigger issues than I do and I don't really need them in my life!

Are those months really "wasted" if you lose some weight and make some positive food related choices? I know what you mean, but you can't look at the pre-op stuff as wasted time. You will have to re-learn your eating habits before or after surgery. AND, if you are denied (I hope you are not), does that mean that you are going to throw in the towel and just quit altogether? I don't think so!

My clinic today told me that my doc uses Exparel in surgery to keep stomach/incision areas numb for up to 3 days. Anyone else have a doctor that uses this, or have had any experience with it? I had never even heard of it! They said it was "gold in a bottle!" If it truly keeps you pain free for 3 days, sign me up! Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Feels like a heart attack to me. Because my esophagus starts to spasm, my chest hurts. But I can tell it's not my heart that hurts. Sometimes I will feel pain up to my throat. Also, lots of saliva like you are going to throw up. Your body naturally tries to "fix" the block, so it creates more saliva and the esophagus starts to contract in order to push the food down. (The body doesn't realize that it is stuck in the band.). The best feeling in the world (well, almost), is when you can feel the food "pop" and go down. Talk about relief!

I currently have a band - gettin a revision to the sleeve on Aug. 5. WIth me, those pains occur when something is getting stuck or a little too big of a bite - it was from my esophagus having spasms because of the stress of getting something down. WIth the band, it is/was a common pain. I'm not so sure if it is normal with the sleeve. I hope not, because one of the reasons I am getting a revision to the sleeve is because I don't want to be in pain every time I eat!! I hope it goes away soon. Try to eat slower - even smaller bites in the beginning.

I have the Flex and like it - doesn't really matter me to to check exact steps all the time. Each "light" is 2000 steps, so I know about where I am throughout the day. It syncs with my phone so all I have to do is open the app to get the actual amount. I would suggest fitbit brand because they automatically sync with myfitnesspal. I don't know if the other brands do that or not. PS - glad to see a "different" topic on here!

I got the band in 2003 and didn't tell anyone except family and some close friends. Well, some of the close friends who "wouldn't tell anyone" wound up telling their husbands, who you know can't keep secrets (sorry, guys!), and would say something in front of others. There are still some of my friends who don't know. I wish I would have been open about it - how do you "confess" to someone 3,4,5,6, etc years later? I am getting a revision to the sleeve on August 5, and this time I have decided to be open about it. I know I don't owe it to tell anyone, but I think the more we try to keep WLS a secret, the more we reinforce the shame of it. Also, if you are basically lying to people in the gym and who struggle with weight loss as well, aren't you in a way making them feel worse about themselves? How many times have we said to ourselves, I will just eat Protein, I will just follow the diet without the surgery..... I know we are not responsible for the way anyone else feels, but I'm deciding this time to try to motivate people and not be ashamed about my life decisions. With that being said, I am still not telling people about my "little band secret." I feel guilty now about saying I had it 11 years ago - also I don't want people to say, you had WLS and you still need another one? :/ I KNOW I totally just contradicted myself - what can I say? lol I've just done it "both ways" now and I am finding for me, the open way makes me feel better. I am also surprised at HOW MANY people tell me they have been looking into WLS as well - most people know all about the different WLS, so I know they have been researching. The bottom line is to do what feels the best for you. I am NOT an open person, but I already feel less guilt this time about just telling people the truth and not being ashamed of it! Good luck in whatever you decide!

Just a thought - why do you read the 300 post threads that offend you? When I am reading a thread and it starts to go a way I disagree with or am offended by, I stop reading it. You can find support or you can find negativity. It's not up to the owner to not allow people to debate and have free speech. It is up to each individual whether to participate in it. If you stay, this seems like a very supportive thread. If you leave, good luck with your surgery!

Click on the "gear" next to your name in the top right corner and click on "Content I'm Following." It will list all the posts that you are following or have posted to, which makes you following that post.

I am having a band removal, hernia repair, and gastric sleeve on August 5th. Planning on one surgery - but I guess I won't know until I wake up! Good luck to you!

Still join the group, snowkitten!!

I created a group called "August 5th or Around Sleevers" You can find it on Community/Support Groups. I thought it would be easier to find if we have our own space. Please join!

Hey everyone, I am August 5th as well!

I had a lap band in 2003 and this began happening to me last year. I wouldn't eat late and in the middle of the night, I would aspirate, choke, vomit, and never be able to sleep. I was afraid one night I was going to just choke in my sleep. In May, I went to my PCP who referred me to a bariatric surgeon. I had an UGI and the results were than my band slipped, and I had a "slipping" hiatial hernia. I am having a revision surgery to sleeve and hernia repair on August 5. I have never heard anyone say they have this problem with the band, so maybe it it "just" a hiatial hernia. Good luck!

Thanks, ladies. Haha - one of you stayed one night and one stayed 2! I guess 1-2 nights is the answer. lol

I am going to Dr. Umbach at Blossom Bariatrics and North Vista Hospital. He is who my insurance sent me to - didn't have a choice but I like him! Good luck with your approval! I was very surprised that mine was approved the first time and in only 2 days!! But I am a revision surgery from slipped band to sleeve, so I think is was approved faster, and I didn't have to go through ALL the hoops!

Hi There, Just curious how long you all were in the hospital for your band to sleeve revision? My doc says 1-2 nights, some books say 2-7 nights. What was yours? I'm having a band removal, hiatial hernia repair, and gastric sleeve on August 5th. Thanks in advance for your feedback!

No I wouldn't. If I did not have the band, I would be 100+ pounds from where I am now. My weight was continuing to go up and up and up. It was my tool to STOP the madness. Yes, I am getting a revision and still have a BMI of 39, but I know if I didn't get the band my BMI would be WAY more than that. It served it's purpose and now I'm ready to trade it in for a newer model!

I felt that way 11 years ago when I got my Lap Band, and I feel the same way now with my revision surgery in 3 weeks. I think it is just something we feel. I doubted myself back then - why is THIS going to work, when nothing else has? And why can't I just do it and follow the diet without the surgery? Well... The answer to those questions are - if we could, we would have. WLS is a tool for me that gave me a physical STOP sign when it came to eating. I lost 100 lbs with the band and have gained 40 back. I look at that as a success. I kept 60 pounds off for 11 years - never did that on a different diet before! Now that my band has slipped and is no longer functioning, I need it replaced with a working tool to do the same thing. But I still feel the way you do now! Why will THIS work? Can't I do it on my own? lol - things never change. The feeling will be there, but know that you are making the right decision. I don't regret my band for one minute. Even though I have to part with it, I loved it. I also looked at the future if i chose not to be banded - I would be at least 100 pounds bigger than I am and still trying to "start Monday" on my diet! Good luck to you!

I'm scheduled for Aug 5 as well! Was tentatively set for July 31, but once I got approval that date was full, so I was pushed back a few days. It worked out, because my birthday is Aug 1 and the first date would mean I would be in the hospital for my birthday. Now I can have my birthday with my family and get my late gift a few days later! Where is everyone? I am in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Thank you, Snow! That makes more sense to me. I am definitely a "why" person. I'm sure I will ask my surgeon, as well, to see what he says - it better be the same!

Ditto. If your doctor is not willing to help you, then find a new doctor. He does, after all, work for YOU. I wonder - if he is against birth control will he not prescribe it? I think there's an oath or something about personal opinions. Good luck!

Hi all ~ Does anyone know the reasoning why you should not drink liquids with food with the gastric sleeve? I have a Lap Band and I understand the reasoning to not drink with food, so that the liquid doesn't push the food from the upper pouch to the lower stomach. That makes sense to me. What is the reasoning with the sleeve? Since there is not a separate pouch for food to work it's way through, isn't it just like your regular stomach? Is it to not take up space in the small pouch, or because it pushes food into the intestine? I will be asking my doctor this, but I don't see him for another week and wondered if anyone has been told why. Thanks in advance for any feedback!

I also have runner's knee. It was diagnosed with an MRI. I have never had it pop out. Like someone else described, it is an ache or sharp pain around/under/behind the kneecap. For me, it hurts when I am going uphill or up stairs - no problems going downhill. Since I don't EVER run, I call mine "hiker's knee." If you do get diagnosed with it, the little "straps" help a lot. They are velcro or elastic bands that go around the bottom of the patella and hold it in place. I guess it holds the patella steady?? Good luck!