Tiffykins

Best wishes with getting Medicare to cover the sleeve. I know several patients that have fought and fought with them. Hopefully, they will start covering it soon. Please keep us posted on your journey, and best wishes on getting your sleeve.

Thank you both. I know that I could easily drop another 15lbs without trying hard. I know that sounds horrible, but it's the truth. I could cram all protein in, and limit carbs, and never have an issue losing. But, I really am satisfied with my weight at this point. Maybe focusing on losing the baby fat roll that I'm left with will be my new goal, or motivation. I need to start working out again, I've definitely been slacking in that department.

Glad to hear you are recovering well, and hope the nausea subsides for you soon.

Carol, I'm so glad you shared your experience. It's awesome that you are doing so well.

Honestly, I've had both the band and the sleeve. The band sucked the life right out of me. And, with the sleeve, well life is pretty damn fabulous. My personal experience with the band was deplorable. And, with rising complication stats on the band, I would seriously reconsider getting a band placed. I don't regret my time with the band (8months), but it was the worse 8 months. 1 in 4 band patients will have to have another surgery to either repair or remove their band within 5 years. The band has the lowest and slowest weight loss of any of the surgeries. The maintenance alone is a pain in the butt. Going in for fills and unfills, going back on a liquid diet after a fill because you have no idea how your stomach will react to even just 1cc of Fluid being slipped in there. Port flipping, moving, and being inaccessible then not being able to get fills or unfills. The food restrictions with a band are horrific. The immediate complications with the sleeve occur within the first few weeks following surgery. If you have a competent, and experienced surgeon, the complications should be less than 1%. The long term complications with the band far outweigh the long term complications with the sleeve. Gastrectomies have been performed decades upon decades for stomach cancer and ulcer patients. This procedure has also been done for years as the first part of the 2 stage Duodenal Switch surgery. The sleeve has 5 year stats, and new research is coming out all the time. Sadly, the band doesn't last a lifetime. Even the manufacturers only give them 5-10 years so you can pretty much foresee another surgery in your future if you choose a band. I know I am extremely biased when it comes to the sleeve vs. band discussion. But, I've lived the life with both. I have friends and family in real life that have the band, and they just accept the puking 2-4 times a week, the slow weight loss. Heck, my mom has been in a year long stall with her band, and she can't even get a fill bc she'll puke more than she already does. That's not a great quality of life in my opinion. Only you can decide which surgery will work for you and your lifestyle. Just go into both with eyes wide-open, and do as much research as you can. Best wishes, and feel free to post any and all questions, read through some of the revision posts as we have a lot of band to sleeve revisions here that have shared their stories.

I agree with MLK, you've done fabulous in less than 7 months. People stall out for various reasons. Are you tracking your calories, Protein, carbs? If not, try that, if you are, try adding more protein from food sources like beef/turkey Jerky, pork rinds, cheese, adding a 100 calories a day sometimes can jump start the loss again. Increasing water/clear fluids help as well. Your body may just be holding on right now trying to figure out what you're going to throw at it next. Just stay on program, and stay positive. Don't stress yourself out because that won't help at this point.

It's definitely a struggle pre-op, but just start over, and let it go. Don't dwell on it, and know that it's in the past. Remember, we have a lifetime of habits to break, and it's not uncommon for patients to slip up on their pre-op diet. It shouldn't mess up your surgery. Just stay focused, and know that you can do it. We're all here for you.

YAY YAY so glad to hear you are doing so great. Many congrats, and I can't wait to hear more on your progress ! ! !

Hi and welcome to VST. Not really a lot anyone can do to avoid the drama of a forum. Just take the good with the bad, and feel confident in your own research and surgeon choice. People will post what they want. I personally don't care which surgeons are used. I had my surgery here in the US with a military surgeon so I have zero ties to anyone specifically. I wish you the very best in your journey, and hopes for a speedy recovery. You'll love the sleeve. It's changed my life in so many fabulous ways. You'll find good and bad posts on message boards. Unfortunately, it's the nature of the internet.

You've done great, and I hope you have a fabulous vacation with the family ! ! !

Ash, I'm right there with you, and understand how you feel. We quit preventing pregnancy last month, and while we aren't humping like rabbits, I am charting. I talked to my surgeon, nut and PCP all agree that I can start now. I'm 33, and will be 34 in December so my clock is ticking big time. Getting pregnant and delivering a healthy baby was a huge driving force for me in having this surgeon, and getting to healthy weight. Vent away. I'm so scared it's going to take us forever to get pregnant, and if I see one more cute pregnant baby belly, I'll scream.

Excellent news ! ! !

I checked the FACS website search feature, but Dr. V is not showing up as being FACS. But, it does state that the database can not be considered 100% accurate. If his certification is fairly new, then that could explain as to why he is not showing up in the search. Keep on doing the research, you're doing a great job.

Hello there fellow Texan ! ! ! Congrats on getting your surgery date. I'm driving to Texas on your surgery date to visit family and friends for a week. Keep us posted on your progress, and stay focused. You're gonna love the sleeve ! ! !

I've bookmarked this one, thanks for sharing :thumbup:

YAY for both you and your wife. What a wonderful gift to have someone to share this experience with under the same roof. Keep sipping, walking and resting. Keep us posted on y'alls progress.

This will work if you truly want it to work. But, you are the only one that can get your head in the right place. Nothing any of us tell you can make you believe it. I felt the same way especially since I had the band. I was just so hellbent on succeeding, getting healthy, and truly living that I pretty much convinced myself that I was gonna WIN and WIN BIG. It will not be a waste of your time or money if you don't allow it to be a waste. I think everyone goes through some sort of grieving. food is a comfort for a lot of us, but the best advice I can give you is to find another coping mechanism to deal with your emotions. For many years, I self-medicated with men and booze. Yeppers, I definitely didn't just use food. Anything that could numb the pain would worked. A few years ago I learned that it was better to hurt and then heal than it was to feel nothing at all. I didn't find life with the sleeve that difficult to be honest. Even with all of my complications, and speed bumps early on, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I had to remind myself that the little struggles were heavily outweighed by the huge victories. I saw this on OH, and thought I would share it here. It's an excerpt about compulsive eating, and our relationship with food.

I didn't try salads until I was allowed raw veggies which was 3 months post-op. As for the hunger thing, I honestly never felt nor feel hungry. Liquids/mushies don't stay with me as long, but I don't get hungry. The only time I experienced what you are explaining is early out before I was on Prilosec. Once I got on it, that sensation of emptiness went away. It always happened an hour or two after eating.

I'm getting 1200-1300 calories a day in at 9.5 months post-op. I've increased my carb count to 60-80grams daily, and still get in the 60 protein on most days. I may get a few more when I drink juice or have a glass of wine, but food wise I'm sticking to 1200 calories a day to maintain.

Hopefully, a couple of the other members that have shared their PCOS history can chime in. I know that I have read on OH that being insulin resistant with the sleeve can give you slower weight loss, but usually the medication used to treat it helps significantly. I know that losing weight helps with PCOS symptoms so that is something to look forward to! ! !

I've always read that we need a minimum of 64oz of water/clear fluids a day to help maintain hydration and normal kidney functions. It helps flush all the toxins from our bodies, and is vital in keeping us healthy. I know when I skimp on Water I just don't feel the same. I've had to tank up on fluids to deal with the low blood pressure issue, and I've been getting in about 80oz of fluids a day on top of coffee, and other stuff. I've felt really great lately getting in the extra Fluid, but find it challenging sometimes getting everything in.

How fabulous pumpkin ! ! ! Keep up the great work, you'll be rolling the waist up on those sweats before you know it to keep them up.

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