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thesuse2000

Gastric Sleeve Patients
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Posts posted by thesuse2000

  6. Posted

    I'm doing great! The experience of living with the sleeve (for me anyway) is SO much better than with the band. I don't have any issues at all associated with it. Never get that stuck feeling. Overall it just feels more natural. I just feel full and satisfied with less food - and with healthy foods. My cravings are under control (not gone, but very diminished). I think the removal of the part of the stomach that releases the hunger hormone ghrelin makes a big difference.

    I've now passed my lowest weight achieved with the band and am heading towards uncharted territory. I've never as an adult weighed less than 175 (and only saw it for about 5 minutes in my 20s), so that will be a thrill to see 174 for the first time - and that's now just 6 pounds away! Not sure if you can see my signature (I know they don't show up on ipads/phones), but I'm down 84 pounds since my highest weight earlier this year. Just 25 away from goal. Overall very thrilled with the sleeve for sure! Fingers crossed you get approved - sounds like you've got a good shot!

  7. Posted

    I got my band (in Mexico) in 2008. I lost about 70 pounds but then It slipped just under a year out and I had revision surgery in 2009 (in the US, covered by Cigna). But after the slip I could never tolerate it being tight enough to be effective. My major issue was night reflux - I'd inhale fluids coming up in the night and wake up choking. It would take a while each time to cough up all the fluids. My husband was so worried that I'd suffocate in my sleep. I wasn't that worried about that because each time it happened I would sit right up and be wide awake, but it was a nightmare, especially when it happened multiple times a night.

    I spent a couple years going back and forth with fills and unfills, but eventually just gave up trying to tighten it - and gained back all the lost weight and then some. I didn't start seriously considering the sleeve until my BMI was back up to 41. I don't think insurance would have covered me if it was below that, but not sure.

    They had me do a 3-month supervised diet. And I got some tests done. I had some esophageal dilation, and the history of the reflux with the band - which were part of the insurance application. Plus I was told that the fact that I did lose well initially with the band might help my case.

    I just don't know more about cases like yours. I know that your experience is very common though. I hope your surgeon's office can help make a case for you!

    If insurance didn't cover my revision I would have gone back to Mexico to do it. I know that's not something everyone is comfortable with, but I had a great overall experience with Dr. Ortiz at the OCC.

  9. Posted

    Hi - I have Aetna and was converted from band to sleeve this year. In terms of the process, I left that to my surgeon's office to negotiate with insurance, so don't know the details, and for us conversions I think every case is likely different. But I did get approved! And they paid for every last cent of the surgery. I felt so very lucky. I wish you the same success!

  10. Posted

    I think you can do it perfectly respectfully, if that's what you want to do. If it was me, the next time someone makes a comment I'd pipe up loudly and make an announcement to the whole group, saying something like "Thank you all for your concern. I know you want to help, but I'm following my surgeon's diet, and working really hard to make some big changes in my life, and I really don't want to explain how I'm eating all the time. I am asking you all not to comment on my eating anymore. Please just support me. Thank you."

    Or whatever works for you to say. You've got the right to create boundaries and set limits about what people can and can't say to you. I hope they respect that!

  12. Posted

    I did 40mg the first 3 months then my surgeon cut it back to 20. I just had my 6 month follow up this past week and my surgeon wants me to stop it. I asked her for one more script just in case. I'm going to wean off, and take it every other day for a few weeks. When I cut back to 20 I had a few heartburn days, so want to be cautious, but I have faith that I will soon be able to discontinue completely.

  13. Posted

    The nutritionist at my surgeon's office told me I wouldn't want more than 3 meals a day but that was never true for me. I don't usually "snack" but I do eat 4 times a day, which is about every 3 hours. If I need to go longer than 3 hours between meals I do add a small snack. I carry something called Nut Punch with me all the time. They're little two-bite nutty Snacks. I buy them online. High fat, but good fats. 95 calories in each and they satisfy me nicely in a pinch. I also sometimes eat one before or after a workout when I need a little extra energy. But I do eat more calories when I add a snack to the day so I avoid it when not needed.

  14. Posted

    Good for you! I've had a few splurges. I think the most important thing is just getting back on track, and not falling into that trap of - "well I've already blown today, so I may as well splurge at lunch too". Or - "I guess I just can't stay on track anymore so I guess I'm having doughnuts for Breakfast every day now".

    When I'm super tempted to splurge, and feel that resisting will just make me obsess about that food item, I go for it, and like you did, I just try to really enjoy it. And then get back on track. In the past I had a harder time getting back on track, but with the sleeve I actually can do it - I'll feel satisfied by the treat and ready to get back to healthier foods. I'm cautious that this may get harder over time, and I may need to change my approach (and just say no) but for now it works!

  16. Posted · Edited by thesuse2000

    I'm not familiar with MIC injections, but my understanding is that they've got risks as well - especially taken daily. And I also don't know if there's any lasting impact of that once you stop the shots.

    I'm totally with you in terms of your perspective. At the point in my life when I had this surgery it was clear that my body was determined to maintain a high weight. I had a friend who tried to talk me out of surgery - saying that she had faith that I could do it on my own. I said that I also believed that I could do it on my own - but only if working on my weight was the ONLY responsibility I had (meaning I quit my job and magically relinquish all other life stresses, which is of course not a possibility). I knew that I would need every ounce of mental and physical energy to fight my body and force myself to eat less than my body was begging for and exercise despite feeling underfed.

    Yes - there are risks of surgery. But longterm malnutrition is really not anything I'm aware of with the sleeve. Short term - perhaps, but if you're taking Vitamins and focusing on Protein you should be a-ok.

    Trust yourself. This is not a crazy weight loss scheme - it's a medical procedure that has proven to be very effective. And I'm SO very happy that I did it! I really do feel like I fixed a physical problem and I feel more normal now Such a relief!

  21. Posted

    Hi there - pain levels really seem to vary widely, so not sure you can accurately predict. I felt uncomfortable in the 24 hours or so after surgery, but really wasn't in a lot of pain. I was hitting my pain button mostly because it would help me sleep. I just couldn't find a comfortable position, so that was annoying, but not the end of the world. By day three when I went home I didn't need any pain meds at all.

    That said - some people in the groups I've been to have talked about experiencing what they considered to be extreme pain in the days after surgery. That doesn't seem to be the norm, but a few people really find it difficult to get through.

    My guess is that if you're someone who's been dealing with chronic pain, you probably won't have too hard a time. I really didn't have any awareness of internal pain from the cutting of my actual stomach. I think most of the pain is from the incisions through the stomach muscles - and some people experience more internal gas-related pains, which can be pretty bad.

    Wishing you the best!

  23. Posted

    For most people it's a struggle to get to goal. There are a few people who do struggle with stopping the weight loss, but that seems far less common. Over time you can eat more and more in one sitting, so it's not actually too hard to eat a lot of calories after 6 months even. Certainly eating higher fat or carb foods will generally take care of that.

    For me I can say that I could easily maintain where I am now if that was what I wanted to do. It's a bit of work to keep the loss going. But I was band to sleeve, and have a slightly larger sleeve, so my experience may be different from yours.

    Actually - I can't tell what surgery you've had (or are planning). That makes a big difference. With the band you can adjust it. Not sure if bypass patients are more likely than sleevers to lose more than they wish...

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