youknowit

That's what I'm thinking as well... I believe my cousin has an h.m.o. that won't cover WLS, so she'll be full cash pay.
Sounds like I might have to start Gov g her info on MX. I personally had nothing less than an outstanding experience there, but as with anything unknown, totally understand the fear.
I know you'll do great! 👍 Sending well wishes. 😊

This is awesome and very reassuring to hear. The entire process takes place over the phone and online. It is kind of unsettling that I won't meet surgeon until I'm thousands of miles away from home. I'm sure I upset the coordinator because I asked repeatedly what happens if I get there and surgery is not done. lol. October can't come fast enough I bet lol. I started the planning process in July so I am more than ready to get this done....It has been hard not snacking these past two weeks.

Thank you for asking this question and to the rest of the group for your answers.

Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm scheduled for my sleeve at BB on 10/9! I have a friend who had hers done there in Feb of this year. Said the experience was absolutely wonderful from start to finish. I was skeptical too. So far, they have been super easy to work with. I also did the fast track program. The only thing I'm nervous about is the flight home and not having easy access to my surgeon if there are any complications. Please share your progress/experience with me as I'm looking to find friends who have also been sleeved here! <3

thank you everyone for replying . It’s been such a big help . Have a great day all of you 😀

If it's a metallic of some kind, very likely Vitamins. Have gone through it many times off and on over the years, particularly if taking them before eating or without food at all.
😊

@Torriluv02, thank you so much for such detailed account! I’m so happy to be back on the app and taking everything in. Everyone’s response has helped me sooo much in getting focused and remembering why I had the surgery in the first place. Not an excuse, but it’s been so hard with work and family and life happening. No one knows I’ve had Bariatric surgery. I have kept it a secret because experience with my people has taught me its best this way.

You are starving all day, cuz you are on a slow drip of sugar (aka cranberry juice). It keeps your insulin elevated and keeps you starving. Which do you want worse? To be thin without constant hunger? Or to not be able to comply with your plan and continue to see your weight go up. It's a very simple option.

Stop wasting your time with this jackhole. What a piece of sh*t. If I lived near you I'd lay him on his ass.
Listen, take the advise of all these people and get rid of this guy. There is literally nothing he is doing for you that you can't do for yourself. There is someone perfect for you out there. Don't forget this D-bag though, use him as a reminder of what you don't need in your life. This is your life and YOU need to make sure your happy with it. Maybe part of the reason why you started this journey to begin with. Best of luck to you!!!

wow i am going straight out to the end of the pier and jumping in the deep end here.
any man that says that to a women is no man you need to be with.
insecure, controlling and not what you need in your life right now.
drop him yesterday
ok all done
good luck

Thank you all for reaching out... I just hope one day someone will treat me as good as I do them..

Thank you. I was feeling good about myself until he started acting the way he is... he hasn’t tried to sabotage my weight loss just makes fun of me for exercising and eating healthy. I just don’t feel pretty now.

It's a trap. He doesn't want you to feel confident about yourself so you cling to him. Wouldn't be surprised if he had tried to sabotage your progress. You will find someone else. The first person you need to find is you!! Confidence is a aphrodisiac, you will have to beat them off with a stick!!!

Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

And that's how he wants you to feel. Like you can't do any better. You can! Don't settle for someone who's not happy about the positive steps you're taking with your life!

Kick him to the curb asap!!!!

Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

2 words....

At my last physical, my PCP was full of compliments about my weightloss. He also reminded me how great it was that I was maintaining two years and 5 months out because majority of folks start gaining after two years out. And all the labs came out good. This is the same Dr. who harped about how I needed to lose weight if I wanted to live a bit longer. It was a really proud moment for me.

I haven't been on here, or posted anything, in months and months... this is because in March 2009, I had to have my band removed. I am glad to see this forum discussing this critical issue of band failure and problems.
I don't want to discourage people from doing what they want to, it's your body... and I will tell you that for a while, the band DID work for me, until it DIDN'T. Now, I am band-free, but gaining. And gaining.
My band sprung a leak after 2 1/2 years of positive loss and changes to my life. This was devestating to me. But I had no idea something more troubling, devastating and stressful was coming -- trying to get the damn thing removed. I tried through my insurance first - no dice, because I had the band placed in MX and they literally told me "it's not hurting you to keep it in there" so they wouldn't help. I tried talking to Allergan - they are F-ing worthless. Told me their product is infallible, and to take a hike -- they also, oddly, told me it won't hurt me to "leave it in there" -- BS. I talked to some attorneys, they ALL turned me away - with the last person I spoke to (being one of the ONLY lawyers in the U.S. to sue Allergan regarding the lap-band) -- he said "the band is an excellent device, well researched and proven... I can't help you, good luck." Seriously? So... I had to wait, and wait... saved and saved money -- to get it removed on my own.
It was in April 2008 that I discovered the problem, almost a year before I could get it removed. When I finally had enough money saved, I was going back to a great DR in MX for a removal and revision to sleeve... then more problems came to light. The doctor found that the band had started to erode into my stomach -- it had literally started to grow around the outside of the band, and it was eating INTO my stomach wall. What should have been a 30-60 minute surgery was much longer, much more complicated, and my tummy was such a mess, I could not have the revision. Thank goodness I had an honest and ethical doctor who, though he could have made twice the money from me doing a revision, literally gave me over half of my payment back, because they refused to do the sleeve, due to the seriously bad shape my stomach was in.
Anyways, that's my band story. Got it in... never had one single problem, sprung a leak, nothing but problems from that point on. When my band was functioning properly, I had lost 78 pounds at one point. Without it, I have been struggling ever since. Have gained probably 35 pounds back over the time since it broke.
Would I do it again, I would have to say no. This cost me a lot of money, a lot of mental and physical anguish, and I'm headed right back to where I started (in terms of weight). Every single day has been an emotional and physical struggle since my band broke, and since it has been removed... even more.
I would caution those who want to cover their eyes and ears and ignore these warnings... the stats are only going UP for band failures (of all kinds) - leaks, breaks, erosions, slips, bubbles, port problems, etc. Do your homework, and I mean well beyond these forums... do the math (between having the band placed, adjustments, cost of many doctor visits in US after leak, then the removal), I could have self-paid here in the US for surgery 5 years ago... and it would STILL have been less expensive than the massive expenses I have incurred as well. Regardless, the monetary cost is nothing compared to the psychological cost...
I hope my story helps someone. I try not to dwell on it, but some days I wake up sad and angry about this... and with good reason. Every single day was a struggle before the band, and since it broke, its been BEYOND a struggle after.
Best wishes to all! :sad:

Rosebud,
Thank you so, so much for your insights. I must say, the amount of SLEEVE experience is ultimately VERY important to me, and should be to all patients. I was finally able to find out the pricing from Dr. Umbach's office, and I must say, it is very competitive... but then I asked myself, how is that? I asked for a breakdown of the fees, they told me how much goes to the surgeon, how much to the hospital. This made me wonder, who provides the staples - surgeon's office, or hospital. I am very aware, from extensive research, that the staples are rather expensive. So, then I'm wondering more about that part. I don't know the answer at this time. I have tried emailing/calling with them as well, and have still not been able to set up a consultation appointment. I told them in email I would pay for office consult, if necessary. Going to one of the "info" meeting won't do anything for me... I could probably run the meeting myself... What I want to ask about are very specific things that most newbies who are seeking weight loss surgery might not know or want to ask... I want to know everything I can, up front. Period. That's why I have turned to the boards here, medical journals, the ASBS, etc. I am a researcher by nature, and somewhat by trade, so knowing everything I can, to make an educated decision, is very important to me (and should be to everyone). I would have been SO pissed, beyond belief, to find out I was someone's "first sleeve" surgery... Knowing that in advance would be one thing, finding out after, a WHOLE other ball of wax. Wow. That's the most surprising part of your post... whoa.:tongue_smilie::confused::tongue_smilie::tongue_smilie:

Carolyn,
I love your rant, and I feel the same!! I am one of those "lucky" people with insurance... that doesn't pay for nearly anything ($5,000 for life on gastric procedures - this doesn't even scratch the check-in at the hospital for the band, sleeve, etc, here in LV). AND, my insurance is through my employer, AND my insurance SUCKS (also an HMO, which is never friendly to anything that costs them up-front, or in general).
With all the health care problems that may come with obesity, I cannot figure this stuff out either...
The reason I have been asking about the Docs here in LV is for the very same reason many have mentioned -- staying close to home, care for complications, etc. Dr. Umbach seems to have a relatively reasonable self-pay price, especially for here in LV, but it's been hard to get an appointment with their office. Also, because the boards do tend to focus on MX docs (which is totally understandable), it is hard to do independent research on in-states sleeve surgeons. This, I believe, is a major drawback to staying here in the US, as the only information you can find generally comes directly from the stateside doctors own office... how might you find out about issues that might have come up, or other concerns, about real patients... if you can't do independent research? I'm doing my best, and hoping what I find is helpful.
I'm almost at the point of going back to MX for my sleeve (background: had a band in 05, leak in 08, removal 09, hoped for a sleeve, but could do revision during band removal, gaining back all my weight now). :party4::thumbdown:
Anyone else know ANYTHING about Las Vegas sleeve surgeons? I'm all ears...

I haven't been on here, or posted anything, in months and months... this is because in March 2009, I had to have my band removed. I am glad to see this forum discussing this critical issue of band failure and problems.
I don't want to discourage people from doing what they want to, it's your body... and I will tell you that for a while, the band DID work for me, until it DIDN'T. Now, I am band-free, but gaining. And gaining.
My band sprung a leak after 2 1/2 years of positive loss and changes to my life. This was devestating to me. But I had no idea something more troubling, devastating and stressful was coming -- trying to get the damn thing removed. I tried through my insurance first - no dice, because I had the band placed in MX and they literally told me "it's not hurting you to keep it in there" so they wouldn't help. I tried talking to Allergan - they are F-ing worthless. Told me their product is infallible, and to take a hike -- they also, oddly, told me it won't hurt me to "leave it in there" -- BS. I talked to some attorneys, they ALL turned me away - with the last person I spoke to (being one of the ONLY lawyers in the U.S. to sue Allergan regarding the lap-band) -- he said "the band is an excellent device, well researched and proven... I can't help you, good luck." Seriously? So... I had to wait, and wait... saved and saved money -- to get it removed on my own.
It was in April 2008 that I discovered the problem, almost a year before I could get it removed. When I finally had enough money saved, I was going back to a great DR in MX for a removal and revision to sleeve... then more problems came to light. The doctor found that the band had started to erode into my stomach -- it had literally started to grow around the outside of the band, and it was eating INTO my stomach wall. What should have been a 30-60 minute surgery was much longer, much more complicated, and my tummy was such a mess, I could not have the revision. Thank goodness I had an honest and ethical doctor who, though he could have made twice the money from me doing a revision, literally gave me over half of my payment back, because they refused to do the sleeve, due to the seriously bad shape my stomach was in.
Anyways, that's my band story. Got it in... never had one single problem, sprung a leak, nothing but problems from that point on. When my band was functioning properly, I had lost 78 pounds at one point. Without it, I have been struggling ever since. Have gained probably 35 pounds back over the time since it broke.
Would I do it again, I would have to say no. This cost me a lot of money, a lot of mental and physical anguish, and I'm headed right back to where I started (in terms of weight). Every single day has been an emotional and physical struggle since my band broke, and since it has been removed... even more.
I would caution those who want to cover their eyes and ears and ignore these warnings... the stats are only going UP for band failures (of all kinds) - leaks, breaks, erosions, slips, bubbles, port problems, etc. Do your homework, and I mean well beyond these forums... do the math (between having the band placed, adjustments, cost of many doctor visits in US after leak, then the removal), I could have self-paid here in the US for surgery 5 years ago... and it would STILL have been less expensive than the massive expenses I have incurred as well. Regardless, the monetary cost is nothing compared to the psychological cost...
I hope my story helps someone. I try not to dwell on it, but some days I wake up sad and angry about this... and with good reason. Every single day was a struggle before the band, and since it broke, its been BEYOND a struggle after.
Best wishes to all! :sad:

Glad to hear you both made it through safe and sound! Keep us posted... how are you feeling today? Doing the breathing exercise? :thumbup: Here's to your sleeve!

Finally got back into my size 10 jeans from my lowest weight with the band... And, I bought a size 8 this week as well. They're a little tight, but not too tight... on my way to single digit pants, BOOYA! :thumbup:

Hopefully this information might provide you with some insights... Many do not consider "food addition" to be bonafide addiction, but for those of us who have/had the problem, I'd say many would disagree. At any rate, hope this helps:
Mental Health: food Addiction

I've been away from VST for quite some time, but due to recent issues with maintenance and backsliding a bit, having gained a few pounds (and thus, the mental freak out associated with it), I'm back here. I'm very thankful for this thread, because I'm having a hard time right now.
At one point, I was way below the goal my doc set, which was 120 lbs. I hit 114 on the scale twice, without even trying, and that actually freaked me out too. Now, I'm over 120, and I don't know how that happened. I'm hoping, like some others have stated, that I will be able to chill for a week, drop back to between 115-120, and feel normal again. I was really stable at about 116-119 for months and months. I had my surgery on Feb 1, 2010, so I'm over 2 years in, and am super happy with my sleeve, having had no problems or anything troublesome (unlike the band).
Anyways, I guess what I'm wondering is, does this happen to everyone when they get to "goal" and are in the actual "maintenance" phase? Has anyone actually bounced back severely and regained a lot of weight? Does the sleeve actually "stretch" because I have read conflicting thoughts on that here, and really need some clear answers.
Maybe I'm over-thinking this, and I should just chill out, or maybe I'm not focusing enough, and need to start from square one with reworking my diet, etc? I've been off the Protein Shakes in the morning for a really long time, but I usually do some high-protein, non-fat Greek yogurt in the morning instead. I also (usually) have a cup of coffee. After that, my day is pretty much downhill, I have days where I feel like I'm starving, all day, and some days where I don't feel like eating at all (the hunger is much more prevalent as of late). I guess I'm just scared s***less of the possibility of regaining or sliding. Any advice? Does anyone else here in maintenance feel "hungry" or stomach growls/pangs like I have? I went through a similar situation about a year or so back, when I started to freak because I was "hungry" and could eat pretty much whatever, but that passed, and I kept losing.
Help!? Thoughts? Advice? Cheerleading? Anyone? Please feel free to throw your input at me. I need some focus, but I also need some facts. Thanks, thanks, thanks!