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Why does a sleeve seem less drastic than a bypass? There seems to be this weird perception out there that a bypass is really bad - have no idea why. With a sleeve they chop of a large proportion of your stomach and throw it away,with a bypass they reroute your intestines. The bypass has the advantage of malabsorption as well as restriction whereas a sleeve only has restriction. It is also theoretically possible to reverse a bypass ( although only very rarely done in practice). So why does a bypass have this reputation for being a serious op to be avoided at all costs and the sleeve a reputation for being the holy graille?

What an idiot! I wonder if she would have been so stupid if it was a pacemaker that she had just had implanted!

What exactly went wrong?

The preop diet is hard but it is important that you stick to it. If you are having problems phone your Dr's and ask if there is anything else you are allowed to eat.

I got to hospital in the late afternoon/evening, was one of the last patients to be operated on, stayed overnight and was released the next morning. I think it is standard practice here in Aus to be kept in overnight.

Good luck

Just found this on the lapband site http://www.lapband.com/local/files/ALG_LAP_08084_B_011_AD_1C_lr_PostOp_Brochure.pdf It clearly states eat ONLY when you are hungry About 3 small meals a day ( that means you can eat less)

I was wondering what the OP was talking about but seeing the other responses it now makes perfect sense! Hope you are OK

I have had my band 3 and a bit years. Got to goal weight in about 6 - 8 months and have been maintaining around there ever since. I did have some reflux at the beginning of the year but since having some Fluid removed that has disappeared. I do find that now there is less motivation to eat and exercise the way that a person needs to maintain weight loss. But that is true with all types of WLS. You go through what is known as a honeymoon period where it is new and exciting and you are trying to reach your goal and the weight comes off easily. Then when the 2 of you have been together for a while things change, you get tired of saying no to chocolate biscuits.It doesn't matter what type of WLS you choose , the same thing happens. You often hear stories of bypass patients regaining and some even opt for a band over their bypass. So the bottom line is that no matter what you choose you have to realise it is not going to be a quick fix. Obesity is a disease that cannot be cured but there are surgeries that will help to control it so long as you do your part . So you have to commit to healthy eating and exercise for life. I sometimes think (and I may be wrong) that this battle is harder for women. Typically men don't eat as many Snacks , sweets, candy etc. they like meat and lots of it. All the WLS work well for that type of eater. Unfortunately for those of us that love candy and Cookies etc it is harder because they are still easy to eat post surgery and often we are eating them not because we are hungry but because they fulfill some other kind of need.

Maybe it would help to completely distance yourself from food for a period of time. Don't buy it, don't prepare it and don't eat it - just have shakes. It may sound extreme but it might help.

I agree - if you're not hungry don't eat. Eating just because some external stimulus such as the clock says you must is crazy. You should learn to eat when you are hungry .

After being banded you should try to cook your own food as much as possible, store bought foods are not as healthy. Veggie soup is quick and easy to make especially if you make a big batch and freeze it.

Did someone forget to tell you that mood swings during menopause are quite common too? LOL

Most of those people that you are calling rude and judgemental were the ones that were in disbelief that you seemed to be taking your health so lightly. They were the ones trying to tell you that you needed to get proper treatment, that the infection could be something like erosion, that your health and getting better should be your main focus.

http://www.webmd.com/menopause/guide/8-causes-of-night-sweats Maybe it's the viagra?

Yes I have but not for a while. I think it happens when food is struggling to go down. You may be a little tight or you may be eating too fast or too big a bite.

Those of us that have been banded all know what a slip is. It is when the stomach pushes up past the band . It is caused by not following our post op diet instructions, eating too quickly, vomiting etc etc. Slips are bad because they mean that we might have to have surgery and could even lose our band. But wait............... Now there is new information. It seems that a slip is not a slip. It is a dilation of the stomach above the band. That it can be caused by overeating or eating too quickly.So in simple terms it is referring to a stretching of the stomach above the band. What frustrates me is that nothing is clear and that every new piece of information seems to contradict the last. I know that there is ongoing research and that new things will be discovered but they never seem able to explain any of them fully. You can go to some of the Dr's websites and read the info there and some of it appears to contradict itself. Even on the famed Dr Simpson's website ( I mention him as he is often quoted as an expert) Many people have been advised to only eat a cup or less of food as more will stretch the pouch but now we are being told that there isn't really a pouch. We are also being told that food passes through the band in approx a minute(unless of course we get stuck). Well if it passes through that quickly then how is it even possible to stretch the pouch that we may or may not have? In 1 breath they are saying that overeating causes slips, pouch dilation etc but in the next they are saying the food doesn't sit in the "pouch" so then technically that can't be possible. I have decided that there is 1 side effect from the band that is not widely spoken about. Headaches and mental confusion from trying to understand it all. Maybe it isn't necessary to understand, maybe we just need to learn to accept that it works and not worry about the how but that is not something I can do. I have always questioned everything. Plus how are we supposed to ensure that we don't end up with serious side effects such as slips if we don't really know how they happen?

Gas X won't work as the gas is not in the digestive system. The correct meds are the ones the Dr has prescribed which the OP is already taking.

If it happens again try having a sweet drink. If it is from low blood sugar that will help. It needs to be a proper sweet drink - some kind of fruit juice or something else with sugar in - artficially sweetened drinks won't help.

It could be low blood sugar,low iron,low potassium, low BP.......... the list goes on. As Mis says, you need to go to the Doc and get it checked out.

Could it be a grumbling appendix?

Now I'm from a different continent where we have a totally different view. I was not required to drink Protein shakes post op. Soups were one of the recommended foods and to me they made a huge difference. They tasted like real food and were satisfying which sweet , Protein Shakes weren't. I made lots of different veggie soups and added herbs and spices to taste. I also added different types of Beans,lentils etc for extra protein. All you have to do once the veggies are cooked are blend until liquid. You do not have to focus on protein in the post op stages - there are other ways of doing it which are just as successful.

There are a number of people that do have issues with shoulder pain post band. Look it up on the forum and you should find lots of threads that should help to give you a better understanding of how and why the pain occurs.

Most Dr's recommend that you eat your calories rather than drinking them . Smoothies are generally very high in calories and not very satisfying .

Well done, that's brilliant