gn3476

I have had major surgery for what was thought was ovarian cancer. My mother died several years prior to my major surgery from ovarian cancer. I had verified tumors and incapacity causing pain. I did not tell "everybody" nor did I tell anyone who asked. I took care of business - went to an attorney who helped me with financial and legal issues for my then underage daughter. I made arrangements for who would take care of my pets. Those people, of course knew. But work colleagues, acquaintances, even many friends and relatives, I did not tell. NOT their business. AT ALL. I do not need people talking about what is clearly not about them. I was very lucky to have been opened fully from above my belly button to my pubic bone. I was very lucky to have had benign and rare tumors that had only just begun to be "funky". I had some specialized treatments that I also do not share with others. That was 15 years ago. No one needs to know. In my opinion - telling the world about one's medical information is an attention seeking behavior. Acceptable for some; but not for a me and not for many others EVER. I am NOT saying YOU shouldn't share - by all means go out there and do what makes you comfortable. But for many - sharing personal information is well, like going outside in public naked. Totally not necessary.

Hi gn,

Yes my BMI was 47.5 when I got the balloon. I was concerned for that reason too having read that 30-40 range. but my surgeon often inserts them for higher BMI's. There has been recent research too regarding using gastric balloons such as orbera as a pre-treatment for those who are not yet at a safe weight for surgery, so ultimately this did not concern me or my doctor as he has seen very good results for the 40-60 BMI range in his patients over the last 5 years - in my country it is approved for use if your BMI is above 27, I can't say I know how the FDA stuff works so I imagine that is a discussion to have on a case by case basis and some centres may have a policy otherwise.

I am down a little over 9kg (a bit over 20 pounds) since my procedure. I am averaging a pound a day at the moment though I expect that will taper off as I am able to eat more. My BMI has already dropped by 3 points which is pretty exciting.



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I am 10 weeks post op. Down 36 pounds and couldn't be happier. I can not compare this to VSG other than the down time is considerably shorter and there are less risk with ESG. There is an ESG Facebook group that has great information and people that can give you advice (Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty Support Group USA). Fierce.esg.diva has a great IG and YouTube page that give you her perspective on ESG. She is almost 1 year post op.

Hope this helps.

So its been interesting reading so many people saying bad things about the gastric balloon, because for me, even though its very early days, it is going really well. I have lost 8kg since my procedure on May 21st (starting weight 134.9kg which I think is just under 300 pounds?, height 5'6), I am, as advertised, not hungry at all, and while the first week I was cramping somewhat, I haven't vomited or had any nausea at all. I haven't had any issues in the puree stage and am already finding some soft foods are okay too, though I do still feel more comfortable on liquids so I am dialing it back a bit and taking the transition slower as the fullness is hard to (lol) stomach.
Speaking of stomachs, even though I intellectually knew better, I think my mind always associated my stomach with my belly, so intestinal pains or discomfort sometimes translated as hunger pains for me I think. I have never been so aware of my actual stomach before and I think that's hugely important to learning how to change my lifestyle going forward. I can hopefully do a better job listening to my hunger and fullness cues because this balloon is taking me to actually listen to the right body part! I wonder if this is something anyone else has experienced as part of their bariatric weightloss journey?
I must say I did a LOT of preparation in the lead up to my procedure, I created a folder with all the info I needed for my different stages, as well as recipe ideas, info about possible health issues and troubleshooting for anything that might come up, tracker sheets for Water and medication, weight loss, exercise tips for recovery, measurements etc (like you might have in a bullet journal) and I am referring back to my folder and adding to it constantly - which is actually super fun and keeps me motivated! I got some info from my surgeon and dietician, as well as the usual orbera booklet (in digital form, so i printed only the relevant bits - why there are whole pages of slim people who have never needed to consider weight loss procedures in these things I will never know lol) and I also scoured the internets for resources from other hospitals, much of which is more aimed at surgical patients but is still really relevant for me.
I think it's a mindfulness thing, because I find that adding to my folder is great way to keep my mind busy and get out of old habits (And I have cute stickers that I put in there too). I was an emotional eater all my life but recently I am realising I am also a boredom eater - so trying to replace those boredom triggers with other things is my main goal, sometimes I find myself even though I am FULL, thinking about eating something out of boredom so I am learning how best to divert my brain with new fun things.
I think a lot of people go into the gastric balloon thinking is going to be a quick fix and obviously that isn't the case. Its a tool like any other. They say the average amount lost is around 15kg but as I am halfway there already, and I have at least a year of this, I am quietly hopeful that my goal is in reach ( I want to get below 100kg, so the total amount I want to lose is 35kg over the time I have this balloon). It's still early days for me but I feel hopeful. I can do this.
Honestly I'm not sure if my lack of vomming is because I am being so careful with how much I have at once, or because I am tracking the medication and taking that regularly as a preemptive thing, or if I am just one of the lucky ones.
Along with not being hungry (at ALL), I am not having any of my regular cravings. I tell people the fullness feels like.... say you stuffed yourself eating a huge meal then someone put a slice of chocolate mud cake in front of you and even though you KNOW it would taste good, the idea of even getting it near your mouth is the last thing you want. Or say you've had a big holiday dinner and now you need to go have a mid-afternoon nap to sleep it off. I feel like that almost all the time right now so there really is no room for temptation.
I'm happy to talk about my experience with the balloon insertion, why and how I chose the balloon (and why Orbera), how I put my folder together, or generally answer any questions. And I hope to come back and update on my progress to help keep myself accountable.
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Once again my comment still stands....to make vague statements without an explanation just makes you sound like a troll. Hence it sounds like you probably failed at it because you didn't do what you were suppose to. You should stop discouraging someone to do what might be right for them all because you were probably a non-compliant patient.
And my opinion still stands for Jennifer47 -- having the vsg procedure and all of these other surgeries can come with a lifetime of risks as well. Also they're not magical surgeries, you can regain weight -- my takeaway is you have to do the work and maintain your loss with any surgery. So once again do your research and get reputable opinions, not from trolls like this, and do what is right for you. Your the only one who has to live with it. And once 80+ percent of your stomach is gone or your gut is re-routed you can't necessarily change that. If the Lap Band was not effective in some manner -- it would be off the market - until that happens there must be something effective in getting it.
A lot of docs are pushing other surgeries but then again a lot of them don't want the maintenance of taking care of their patients either (ie. having to have you come back for periodic fills and readjustments) and dealing with the noncompliance of their patients. You have to really maintain your care with this surgery and keep up with your fills and know when it needs adjusting. A big issue I've heard on here is people who didn't do either or even understood how it worked (and they're complaining?). That is part of this procedure. So if someone doesn't want that level of care post surgery then maybe a Lapband isn't the best option. Then you get those complaining about getting things "stuck" all of the time. The Lapband is a restrictive procedure (similar to Vsg). It is meant that you be committed to changing your diet and eat in a similar way. Wherever I've researched I find somebody admitting they didn't follow the rules. I'm not saying it is a great procedure (I'm neither for or against) but it does require more care and effort on an individual's part. I just don't like when individuals come on here pushing others to try the surgeries they had, dogging out others and giving little to no advice about why they are against it. Don't feel forced or scared not to try what might be right for you to begin your journey.

Your experience may not be somebody else's and you shouldn't tell someone not to do something without details. Were you miserable because you weren't doing what you were suppose to (trying to still eat food you weren't suppose to), couldn't stick to the diet restrictions, because they put too much Fluid in your band.....? The band is still on the market so it must not be that much of a risk. Sure it has its drawback like ANY surgery. But there have been a lot of people successful with the Lap Band too.
Jennifer47 do what is right for you! I think you have to consider the pros and cons for yourself and what your willing to risk because all of these surgeries come with them.

Lol. Good for you. Congrats! But how is bypass not considered outdated versus the band? It has been around for just as long. And how won't VSG and RNY also not be considered "outdated" one day? Then, you'll be stuck with outdated technology lol.
In all seriousness. I think It is a matter of preference. There's no false hope in getting the band. You have to know what you want and what works for you. The band simply requires more maintenance plus the will to change your habits. Don't do that and you are looking at failure.
Although I'm between the band and VSG (and getting consultations for both), I'm leaning towards the band right now because I believe it is a good way to start out before committing to another permanent type of procedure that I might regret not being able to undo. If I keep the weight off with it then I won't have to risk the others. My personal preference is to get something that can be reversed. Just like you said "outdated" technology -- well one day (maybe in the very distant future though) I believe there will be yet another procedure that comes out that is going to be better than VSG and RNY which could be reversed. And at least I may qualify and have an opportunity to get it if need be.

I had depression/regret about 3 weeks out. Just stay strong. It will pass. Find a strong support group. Does your surgeon over groups?

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Everything went well. I am having my surgery scheduled for April 9th. He was very straight-forward and gave me the pros and cons. He didn't advocate for or against, which I was grateful for.
I pray that I am making the right choice. This is such a scary decision, no matter how much research you do.

Here is a checklist that I use from time to time when I reach a Plateau
WL Plateau Checklist.xlsx

I had a similar experience pre-surgery. I went to a support group and it was all people who have fallen off the wagon, so to speak. They just told horror stories. It shook me at first, but I realized that all of these people mentioned that they had been non-compliant, either by what they were eating or how much fill they were keeping in their bands. Most importantly, everyone's journey is different and what works for one may not work for another and vice versa. Don't let these people discourage you. Focus just how you are doing. If things feel off, bring your concerns to your doctor instead of a forum. A support group is great for tips and venting, but they become toxic when people who know nothing of your medical history start projecting their experiences onto you. Always keep that in mind.

I agree...everyone is different. For me I ha e good and bad days. But I also push myself to work out religiously and watch what I eat.
I think the band saved me!

I agree with wish to be slim everyone’s experience is different. I will have my 12 year band anniversary in September so not very long. I have the original 4 cc band with only 1 cc. Any more than 1 cc for me is too much.
From my experience getting the band was the best decision for my life
Good lucj as you begin your new adventure

I was back to work in 2 weeks. The first week is the hardest, for sure. Hang in there. This is major surgery. It may look like little holes on the outside, but there was major work done on the inside!
Absolutely no regrets. My life was on a dead end path. I am getting my life back and it is worth it!