girliegirl

erin, i can so relate to you because i have been dealing with the decision to have the sleeve or not have the sleeve for 2 years now. i keep giving myself that "one" more chance over and over again to do it on my own and Im not getting anywhere. Im to the point where I started going through the testing, slowly and i need to start telling myself its okay to help myself in this way. Im just nervous of leaks but im sure we are all afraid. My father wishes I do it on my own and he doesnt say much about it to me because he knows it will upset me. You need to do whats best for you. really think about it, even if it takes 2 years like it took me, just do some heavy soul searching and praying. only you will know what the right answer is .....good luck

im not sure if i had just 40 lbs to lose if i would undergo a bypass or the sleeve. thats just me. i feel thats maybe something you might be able to lose on your own or at least get close.

were you an ex banister? i think a lot of my hesitation is because of my bad experience with the band. i think it would be an easier decision if i haven't had the band in the past. it just makes me think that things can go wrong as they did with me and I'm so happy and grateful that i am back to normal right now. I'm afraid to risk it again, maybe something that might be a lifelong health problem could happen, like bad reflux or something bad ilke that.

im in the same boat as you amy. i haven't decided just yet, I'm very afraid to go for another surgery since my band slipped 2x. i have my band removed already. this sleeve is permanent and it scares me a little to be honest. for now, I'm doing my own diet while i decide. i have met with 3 doctors but I'm still on the fence.

well thats the million $$ question right? I'm very scared to do another surgery. i have met with 3 doctors to hear what they thought. i had one dr tell me he wouldn't do it because of too much scar tissue, i think he just preferred the bypass. the other 2 doctors said there would be more risks for me since I've had the other surgeries and i also have staples left behind from my revision. I'm not sure what to do. i have in the meantime started a strict diet to lose this weight while i decide whats best for me. I'm so afraid of having problems like i did with the band. i just don't know what to do!!!

my band slipped about a year after i had it, not sure why. i lost around 70 lbs . i had it replaced and then that band slipped also. i had the band removed at that point

hi, I'm currently researching doctors and I was wondering if anyone heard of or used dr Buchin in Huntington, NY?

hi, i was wondering if anyone heard of Dr Buchin or used him? he is on Long Island thanks

thats great. keep us posted on everything, please

i agree, i think because we were previously banded we are harder on ourselves. we question the entire process more than a newbie i think. we wonder if we did something wrong to cause our bands to fail. i sometimes wonder if the decision to be sleeved would be easier if i didn't have a band in the past. and now that my band is out and i feel great, i ask myself...what if i choses the sleeve and i have a terrible life with it. i don't want health issues because of it. i just want to lose weight..

did you have the sleeve done yet? may i ask what issues you had with the band? any advice would be appreciated.

has your band slipped or is it just that you can't eat regular foods? i had 2 band surgeries and 1 removal surgery, both my bands prolapsed (slipped) and then i opted to remove it. i have had a surgery every year and i was tired of it and i was afraid, as i had young kids and didn't want to keep risking myself. my dr thought id keep the weight off but now its 3 1/2 years later and the weight is back.

do you get nauseous with the sleeve? do you drink with meals or is that a no-no? did you get the same dr who did your band also do your sleeve?

can i sk you what it is that scares you about going for the sleeve? is it one thing or many just curious>

any advice or help you can give to those who are on the fence about trying another surgery? what did you do to find your answers? did you go right from a band to sleeve or did you have the band removed for a bit first?

i saw a dr who uses a size 34, not sure if thats good or not. hmm??

well i can't say it helped by talking to other surgeons yet, but i know it will in time I'm hoping to find the right answer. do you have a date set up for the sleeve yet or no?

good luck on monday. is this a revision for you or no?

erika, i thought i was reading a post from myself, lol. i feel the same as you. I'm so afraid of making a mistake with the sleeve, as i did with the band and this time the sleeve is forever. i mean how do you fix anything after they remove your stomach and throw it out? I'm meeting my 3 rd dr on friday. I'm getting a lot of opinions because I'm at a higher risk because of my previous band surgeries or so I'm told. i don't know what i am at this point other than confused! i want a guarantee, i guess! i don't want to be nauseous or have reflux or other issues down the road. i wish i could help you decide, but i can't decide myself. i want it I'm just so afraid!

is the higher the bougie # the larger is is?

it seems a lot of you guys are going straight from band to sleeve. i wish i had mine done that way. you see, i had my band removed for the past 3 years and my weight has crept back on . now i have to decide if i should do surgery again or not and let me tell you its not an easy decision. i know how it is when something goes bad, as with the band and i feel sooo fortunate to have it gone and have no life long effects of it. its all just a bad memory. I'm so afraid of something bad happening again. now i found out from a operative report that i have a staple line in my stomach from when the surgeon removed my band, nice huh? that put me more at risk for leaks!! I'm so worried.

okay so im a ex bandster. i had my band removed over 3 years ago. i saw a dr the other day for a consult for the sleeve. i liked him very much, but he told me he found out from reading my operative reports from my last surgery that i have a row of staples somewhere in my stomach. it seems the dr shot these staple to release the bottom part of the stomach that it stitched over the band. he said if he staples over staples when creating the sleeve it can cause a leak. he said he doesn't know where the staples are and won't be able to see them because the stomach tissue sometimes can grow over it and cover them up. he still seemed confident. what do you think? to risky? worth the risk? I'm confused?

I Is he in bariatric group? Do you think he favors one type of surgery over another?

Our minds confuse us more sometimes because we think crazy things, we think the worst. I know when i think that way instart to wonder, maybe its a sign i shouldnt do it, etc etc. i havent been sleeved yet but im interviewing drs and im second guessing myself all day. Its terrbile what my mind and thoughts are doing to me. Im driving myself crazy.

It looks like you are doing great with the sleeve. Anything you regret? How llong have you had it? What made you choose the sleev over other surgeries?