Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!
$99 Yearly Supply Alert! 🌈 "1 per Day!" Bariatric Multivitamins

Gracey

LAP-BAND Patients
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content Count

    3,459

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

Posts posted by Gracey

  2. Posted

    I really wish I'd seen this article before having the crapband surgery! Just found this posted on OH...

    sleep apnea).

    Data Sources and Study Selection - Electronic literature search of MEDLINE, Current Contents, and the Cochrane Library databases plus manual reference checks of all articles on bariatric surgery published in the English language between 1990 and 2003. Two levels of screening were used on 2738 citations.

    Data Extraction - A total of 136 fully extracted studies, which inluded 91 overlapping patient populations (kin studies), were included for a total of 22,094 patients. Nineteen percent of the patients were men and 72.6% were women, with a mean age of 39 years (range, 16-64 years). Sex was not reported for 1537 patients (8%). The baseline mean body mass index for 16 944 patients was 46.9 (range, 32.3-68.8).

    Data Synthesis - A random effects model was used in the meta-analysis. The mean (95% confidence interval) percentage of excess weight loss was:

    47.5% (40.7%-54.2%) for patients who underwent gastric banding;

    61.6% (56.7%-66.5%), gastric bypass;

    68.2% (61.5%-74.8%), gastroplasty (VSG); and

    70.1% (66.3%-73.9%), biliopancreatic diversion or duodenal switch.

    Operative mortality (</=30 days) in the extracted studies was 0.1% for the purely restrictive procedures, 0.5% for gastric bypass, and 1.1% for biliopancreatic diversion or duodenal switch.

    Conclusions - Effective weight loss was achieved in morbidly obese patients after undergoing bariatric surgery. A substantial majority of patients with diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea experienced complete resolution or improvement.

  3. Posted

    Hi Wheetsin. I was SickNTired on LBT. I too am looking at revising from this crapband to a VSG. Last year, I was approved for the LB removal and every surgery except the sleeve. My surgeon's office has confirmed that they will pay for a sleeve this year so YAY!!! Where are you in your process?

    My fills were never good. All my surgeons could say was that I was super sensitive. I never got to the level of fill that he wanted and more than once after a fill, I'd be up by midnight dry heaving for hours. One night, I was sick for 12 hours straight. Then when I wasn't around a fill, I'd either be able to eat a horse or be PBing like crazy. It got to the point where different friends would tell me that they were worried about me b/c I would PB so "often." So, needless to say, I've never been in love with my band!

    My next steps are: sleep study (yuk-never had one but heard they aren't much fun), dietician appointment, and then meet with my surgeon. It's just dawned on me that she didn't mention getting a fluoro or upper GI. While I'm using the same surgeon, wouldn't he want to make sure to know what he's getting into? Anyway, I digress.

    A local radio station has begun running commercials for the Realize band and it just irritates me so badly. I just yell at the radio when I hear them!!!! Anyway, welcome to VST!

  11. Posted

    OMG your comment about MTHFR was so hilarious! Almost sprayed my drink at the screen!

    You are just so adorable and so refreshingly honest. I've been on VST for a bit trying to get my courage up to get converted to a sleeve. (I know, Irene, hush!!!!) I enjoy your posts so much and wish you all the success with the sprouting of wee Sprout.

    And btw, if anyone gives you mouth about freaking out about your tummy, you tell them to kiss MY big butt!!! Good luck; s/he will be here soon! Yay!

  12. Posted

    All I meant by asking if you were younger was that as one gets older (I'm 44), things like vanity can become less at the top of one's list. Unlike men that always have the possibility of losing hair, it's not normally something we women have to go through. I have a lot of fine hair and would also freak if I lost a lot of it. But I also know that it would come back and then I'd have a twofer - thicker hair and a thinner body! Now if I'd get offa my butt and make my shrink and pulmonary appointments....!

  13. Posted

    Chubby - I'm guessing you're also younger perhaps? Those of us that have had friends/family go through chemo see that being healthy is more important than one's hair. But I also worked with a woman who wouldn't take chemo b/c she didn't want to lose her hair and passed away eventually, unfortunately. I too am a little trepidacious about Hair loss so hearing from others that Vitamins, Biotin, and Protein are integral to keeping one's hair is great news IMO. One gf that had GB just cut her hair shorter and then just let it grow as it began coming back in and was just fine.

    GL on your decision and just ignore those that are terse. Unfortunately, virtual anonymity can bring out the nasty at times.

  16. Posted

    I've just begun hearing LB radio spots on a local station. it makes me want to scream at the top of my lungs! "side effects like vomiting, band removal, whatever else they say....are rare." BS flag!

    As many here I am also a LB failure. I'm having revision soon and I'm nervous that I'll just end up in the same spot I was a few years ago. I'm really hoping this works for me.

    One thing I'm really anxious and excited about it eating fruits and veggies! chips and crackers and Cookies go down so easy with the band, but strawberries, celery? Ain't no way.

  19. Posted

    Thanks, new_beginnings! I've been dragging my heels with more than a little apprehension about putting my faith in another WLS. I found a new, more experienced surgeon and have been filling out paperwork before having to even go into the office. Once I get off my butt and send in this novel(!), they will send into the insurance company for approval. It's nice to see others like you, Susan, Irene, Tiffy, et al having a such better experience with the VSG!!

    the band failed us, not the other way around!

    That's exactly what the nurse at my new surgeon's office said. She said that there are different surgeries because they don't all work for all. Even if I weren't going to revise, it'll be SO nice to get the crap band <stolen> out!

  21. Posted

    @Nichole - thanks for asking the question. That's exactly where I am right now.

    @Rev - " It brings back all the questions about "why can't I do this on my own?" I wholeheartedly agree plus if I couldn't make the band work (I was always sick as a dog and my stomach couldn't handle as tight of a fill as my surgeon wanted to do.) Hate my band

  22. Posted

    I went into my surgery yesterday (April 4th) knowing there was a possibility I wouldn't get my sleeve since I've had that horrid contraption (lapband) for nearly 5 years which never really helped me lose any weight. But when my doc told me the extent of damage that had been done I just had to wonder "How in the world is this legal to implant in people?" and I understood why I'd been feeling like total CRAP for so long. I wish I had gotten that thing out of me sooner. Now I'm stuck with permanant scarring around my stomach and since my sh**-for-brains lapand doc placed it so low on my stomach it's shaped like an hour glass with a fairly large pouch at the top. I'm so dissappointed; my doc said the only op he would do on me now is the RNY. I'm just not willing or desparate enough to try that yet. So I'm sitting here in pain from surgery and scared I'm going to start gaining again. I hope writing this helps to save someone from getting the lapband; do yourself a favor and go straight for the sleeve, the band is a lie, it doesn't help - it hurts, and their claim that it is reversible - BS!!!!! And by the way the GERD I've been suffering from since being banded was instantly relieved by getting it removed. I'm sorry to be so pissy but I'm really angry that the lapband is still being put into people. Thanks for reading and I want to thank everyone on here for the hours and hours of education I've received. I'm not giving up; I'll probably try Weight Watchers or something and I'm going to keep getting scoped to see if the scarring has stretched enough to allow a sleeve. TTFN

    I feel like most of us that have had a LB deserve to be pissy!!! Have you thought about sending your story to the FDA? I think we all need to! I saw a story on some show like 20/20 and they were talking about how the FDA is looking into lowering the BMI requirement for the LB. I was shouting "nooooooo" at the TV!!!

    I feel your pain speedy, although I didn't have the complications you had, I can totally relate. I too felt like I was bulimic because of my band. I'm sorry that you are not able to get your sleeve yet but hopefully with time, your body will heal some of the damage your band has done. I was lucky that I changed insurance and was able to have a revision to the sleeve, otherwise I would have been stuck with it. I just had my surgery on the 6th so currently I am fighting the gas pain and also trying to drink but hopefully it will be worth it in the end. Good luck and best wishes!

    Monica

    One of my friends at work used to always say that people were going to start saying I was bulimic b/c I always had to run to the RR during meals. It sucked a lot. All of my lunch friends have said to me at least once that they were worried about me, etc. Damned LB.

  24. Posted

    I heard this a lot, got negative comments from my family (mom and brothers), and I just told them, funny thing is you never said anything when I was packing on the pounds. I did lose super quickly, and people that were genuinely concerned addressed it privately and in a non-threatening manner. Those that were just being douchebags were mean, and uncaring about how their words affected me. I never let it change how I chose to lose nor did I ever let their words really get to me. I'm pretty blunt and outspoken so when craptastic comments came spewing from their mouth, I was always quick-witted towards them and shut them up fairly fast.

    Well Tiffy, if we aren't two peas in a pod then! I'm very direct as well! I only hope to have the need to ever hear that I'm losing too quickly!!!

  25. Posted

    Great thread!!

    @Tiffy - again, you have great information for us!! I enjoyed watching the presentation (though he does say "um" alot lol). I currently have a LB that I hate. I am hoping to get a sleeve 1Q of next year. If my insurance doesn't pay, that will definitely put off my surgery date! Recently, I met with my LB surgeon who took out all of my saline. Wow, I haven't had a PB since! Yippee! I've had 2-3 friends tell me that they were very concerned for me with my PB's. Aww.

    Anyway, I feel like the surgeon was trying to steer me to GB saying that it has higher risk but greater results than the VS. I personally know of 2 people that died during their GB surgeries (albeit 10ish years ago) but still. My one gf that GB has gained at least every pound back. (I haven't had the nerve to ask if she's back at her surgery weight!)

    I am SO sick of being heavy and am so incredibly tired of this LB that I could scream! My surgeon's done numerous, numerous WLS but has only done one LB to VS conversion but says that the sleeve is a much easier surgery for a surgeon. I think that he said that he's done ten LB to GB surgeries wherein his patients have done well. (But how difficult is it to do better than a LB? Sorry, sarcasm there!) I am in the Atlanta area but can't find any information about our surgeons on here or on OH. Anyone have any info re: Atlanta surgeons? If so, thanks!

    Clearly it's late (almost midnight) and I'm rambling. I apologize!

    Good luck to everyone on their WLS journeys. May we all end up as slender as Tiffy!!!

    Gracey reacted to this

PatchAid Vitamin Patches

Bariatric Forums

For Patients

Health Professionals

Search Surgeons

Bariatric Surgeons: Want to research a weight loss surgery surgeon? Enter their last name below to start!

×