s2dm

Hi All,

I have the Sleeve about 16 months ago and had an overall good result, lost about 55% of my excess weight. I was pretty surprised though that I really never had much feeling of restriction after the surgery, never got sick, never felt overly stuffed, and my hunger only decreased moderately. I kinda felt like most of my weight loss was really attributable to the lifestyle changes I made associated with the surgery, although it definitely helped some.

I recently was diagnosed with an inflammatory spine disease for which the only real treatment is aggressive weight loss and moderation of inflammation. I'm considering having a revision of the sleeve or conversion to a bypass and would really like to find someone great in the Los Angeles area. My previous surgeon was fine operatively but didn't really listen to me and I'd be hesitant to discuss my current situation in that setting as this feels like a really big decision given my recent diagnoses.

I'm considering Dr. Feiz and Dr. Dorwaiswamy. Any other great people I should consider who are great surgeons but also willing to spend a minute listening to concerns?

23 minutes ago, DeezUU said:

I'm pre-op for RNY (hopefully in about 2/3 months). Started at 285lbs/5'11" with a BMI over 39. Similar story... I've always been able to hide it well (been hiding it all my life). I've always been a 'bigger guy' since I was about 13. Of course, I'm getting the "you don't need surgery" from a few people but most are very supportive. I was worried my folks wouldn't be on my side but they are behind me every step of the way. My knees are tired of carrying this weight and are begging me to lighten the load (and I climb utility poles for a living so those poles are begging me, too). I'm currently down 22.8 lbs thanks to the great dietary guidance my program is offering. I qualify thanks to apnea (in the extreme-severe range) and I can not wait to be rid of it and that damned CPAP!!!

Congrats on your sleeve! Can't wait to be on that side of the surgery table.

I got alot of that as well. The radiologist at the barium swallow, both of my pre-op nurses right before surgery "really? You're getting a sleeve?"

For me, it was as much preventative as anything else, I could see the path I was on didn't end well.

Thanks for all the advice everyone. One day post op, should be going home soon.

First night was pretty rough, but as others have said, getting up and moving was key.

Really appreciate everyones comments and they are re-assuring. I'm still nervous about it, but think I am going to proceed.

Scheduled to have VSG in one month, and currently going through the "am I doing the right thing" phase. Just lots of reading right now.

I'm 44, 6'6" tall, BMI of 34.5, so low side, but with lots of orthopedic problems these days, went from playing college Bball to barely being able to walk.

One question Ive been wondering about, is after two years of this very low calorie diet with sleeve, do people feel like their metabolism is slower yet than it was when they started the journey? All that research from the biggest loser contests, and my own experience with losing so much over and over only to put it on again, is a big part of why I went ahead with scheduling the surgery, the numbers don't look good for me ever being able to do this with just diet and exercise (though I know I'll need those in addition). But wondering if it will be slower yet once I reach a steady state?

The surgeon I am considering is Helmuth Billy, who seems to have really good reviews, though I haven't done an exhaustive search on him yet.

12 minutes ago, YeaMe said:

I was exactly in your same spot, though I had kept some of my weight off.

I am 56 years old and through the years, I have lost and gained the same weight over and over. In 2014, I started having problems with my feet/ankles and I was miserable and in constant pain. In Jan. 2016, I decided, this is it. It's now or never. So I went on WW and quickly shed 50 lbs. By the end of 2016, I started putting the weight back on.

It has always been hard to share with friends/family what goes on in a brain like ours. I thought about my weight every day, all day. It's a horrible roller coaster of emotions.

In January 2017, I woke up one morning and thought to myself, this will stop now! I called a friend to had bariatric surgery and within a week I had an appointment with her surgeon. I knew my insurance wouldn't pay for it because I was basically a "healthy" fat person and since I had lost some of the weight (280lb down to 232lb), my BMI was too low anyway. I decided it would be the best $15,000 ever spent. I ended up only having to pay about $8,000 out of pocket because I had a hiatal hernia fixed at the same time.

I have only told my daughter and best friend, and they are both supportive. I didn't want to hear from others - Oh, you have been doing so well on your own, why have surgery?!?!

On 2/15/17 I had the surgery and am down 30 lbs to 202 and feel great. I can say now, the best money and decision I have ever had. I had literally no pain from the surgery (just nauseous for 3 days). My surgeon told me most doctors aren't doing the band (and he won't) because the failure rate is so high.

Really, only you can make the decision on your surgery. I just knew I couldn't live like I had been for the last 20 years. Good luck with your decision.

I have a really big hernia as well, I'll ask about whether I can bundle them into one procedure.

@YeaMe what has been the hardest part for you so far?

Hi,

I'm really torn about what to do and could use some advice from folks that have been down this road. I'm 44, Male, 6'6" tall, weight around 288. I've been a little overweight all my life, played college basketball, but in the two years after I quit playing, I went from 230, still a little heavy, to 290. I peaked at 305 during medical school. After some traumatic life experiences, I dropped a ton of weight through diet and exercise, getting down to 230 at one point, around age 32. By 34, I was back to 270, then from 36-40, managed to stay around 245-250. Over the last couple years it has crept back on and I'm feeling desperate. My weight is on my mind most of the time every day and I feel desperate and powerless to make changes.

My ideal body weight is under 215lbs, but my body feels pretty good and I can be active at 240, which would be close to 50lbs to lose. I've had two liposuction surgeries, which really only provided a visual difference for a few months. Lately, Ive been doing two week stints at hiking and nutrition retreats at a pretty high $ amount. I generally lose 15-20lbs, but it comes back in the month or two when I get home and I feel worse about myself for failing.

My energy is basically gone, I have a hard time handling work and I have zero sex drive which my GF really struggles with. In the last year, my feet, ankles kness and back have gotten so bad that many days when I get home from work I just lay down, put on ice packs, and don't get up again until the morning. They always feel better for a few months after I get back from the hiking retreats and lose weight, but lately they have been so bad I can't even do that. I've also noticed that my blood pressure and resting heart rate are creeping up.

To look at me, I'm just a really big guy, obese by the numbers, but most wouldn't call me that visually. But my underlying frame is lithe, and really has a hard time supporting this weight. I've invested probably 40-50k already in weight loss supplements, Lipo, retreats etc. While I'm not morbidly obese yet, and I don't have the more serious co-moribities like Diabetes or heart disease, I feel like my weight is a very negative force in my life. I'm depressed, in pain, and just feel like I'm on a bad course and still young enough to really do something about it.

Sorry for the diatribe above, but it was therapeutic to explain where I am coming from in terms of considering the sleeve vs something less invasive. I'm really ready to make a major change in my relationship with food and my body, and I really want to get back to all the things I used to like surfing and hiking.

I've considered less invasive things like balloon, but It feels like a half measure I would fail once it was out. And for a variety of reasons, the band is unappealing (the fills and having something foreign in my body just really turns me off). I know my constellation of problems wouldn't be covered by insurance, but am fortunate that the cost of self pay wouldn't be at all prohibitive.

Am I crazy for considering this?