TexasT

He did both my lap-band and revision to VSG (years ago now!). I loved him and his staff, though my only complaint was the waiting time in the lobby. I did a lot of research when I had mine done and went with a proven surgeon that had a great track record. Feel free to ask them for his stats (complication rates, type of surgeries performed, etc.) and they should willingly give them to you. He put my lap-band port in to STAY, so it was a bit of a chore to cut it back out. I ended up getting a hematoma that opened up in that area about a week after surgery. I went straight to the hospital and he was there to fix me right up. During my revision I also had a hernia repair, tons of adhesions taken down, and my gallbladder removed. So quite a laundry list of things he had to do. He's a great surgeon and gorgeous to boot, which doesn't hurt any . I whole-heartedly recommend him!

The only time I regret it is when I'm out for a fancy meal and can only eat a small portion of it, and it takes me all night to drink one glass of wine. But then the upside is I have leftovers for several days. And whenever I look in the mirror I realize that's a VERY small price to pay to be healthy again.

Had mine done in one surgery - band removal/sleeve, hernia repair, gall bladder removal and adhesions taken down.

I had my gall bladder removed when I had my band removal/sleeve surgery, so my insurance paid for that portion, which included the hospital stay for 2 days. I only had to pay $5000 for the sleeve portion of the surgery. This was 3 yrs ago with Dr. Wade Barker in Dallas.

Gave my CPAP machine to my niece!

Getting the band removed will be one of the best decisions you can make! Had mine for 3 yrs and hated it. Now have had my sleeve for 3 yrs and LOVE it. The only complication I had from my surgery was getting a hematoma where my port had been. But that's because my doc had put that thing in there VERY well the first time around, and it was a bugger bear to remove. Blood pooled in the area and caused a hematoma. Some people's bodies will absorb the blood, mine didn't. I also had my gall bladder and tons of adhesions removed during the same surgery. It was done on a Friday, came home from the hospital on Sunday and was back at my desk in my home office on Monday working part-time. No big deal. From what I've read before, sleeve gastrectomys have been done for many many years on people with stomach cancer, who go on to live long lives with no issues. Only in the last few years has it been done for weight loss. So I wouldn't worry about long term effects. I continue to need to take an acid reducer daily, but I would say that's the only thing I deal with on a daily basis. Best of luck on whatever decision you make!

I agree with Ladydawg2009. Just focus on the weight loss and don't worry about your hair right now. It WILL grow back eventually. A year out from surgery you won't even be thinking about it. Just do your best with Protein intake as your body adjusts to everything. I also tried Biotin and some scalp treatments when I was going through that time period, but nothing seemed to help. Only TIME. My husband just went through chemo and lost ALL his hair - everywhere! So we really have nothing to complain about. It's hard though because as women we are so vain about our hair. But believe me, you'll get through this. Best of luck to you all dealing with this right now!

I'm 3 yrs post-op and have put on about 7lbs over the holidays. But everyone says I look good. At almost 52 yrs old, I think I look a bit better with a few pounds over my lowest weight as without it my face looks a bit gaunt. I was even considering getting some fat injected into my cheeks, but since I've never had any facial plastic surgery, Botox, etc. it scared me off and now I'm glad I didn't do it. Not to say I won't in the future, but for now I'm good. I might try and lose a few pounds by cutting out the soft drinks and sweets. That usually helps, though stress and traveling get rid of weight the quickest for me. Since I'm stuck at home for the next few months, keeping track of what I'm eating will have to do the trick!

I would also suggest taking the over the counter acid reducer you can get at any drug store. I've been on one since the very beginning and have just been told to double my dose after 3 yrs post-op. I now take 40mg daily. Had a recent scope that showed damage to my esophagus. So anyone else reading - don't stop taking your acid reducer unless instructed to do so - and even then I'd question it! PS - my last scope also showed ANOTHER hernia, even though my surgeon said he repaired a hiatal hernia during my sleeve surgery. Not doing anything about it at this time though.

No, my old pic was taken near Hot Springs, AR. I still hate to look at that since I was one of those people that looked pregnant even when I wasn't .

Your stomach produces and excretes the hormone ghrelin, which causes the feeling of hunger. Cannabis also does this, which is why smoking pot makes you hungry (just some additional info). Anyway, the portion of your stomach that is removed is the part that makes the majority of ghrelin, but the remaining stomach WILL still produce it. So you may continue to feel hunger (I do) post-op, but it won't be as bad as what you feel now. Also, even though you may still feel hungry, you won't be able to eat but just a bit and it will go away. So it won't be like it is pre-op. Some people have NO hunger, but I'm not one of them.

Had my sleeve Jan. of 2010. Start weight before lapband was 225. Current weight fluctuates between 130 and 140 (usually around 137). Almost 52 yrs old and going strong!

I'm 2.5 yrs post-op and when I'm full I have the normal full feeling like the old days. No pain. But if I really push it I will get a bit of pain - when that happens I get up and walk around until things "settle" a bit. The first year for sure I had pain when I pushed my pouch to the limit, but not anymore. Best of luck to you!

Best of luck to all the newbies. I'm now 51 and been at goal for a long time. The only plastics I've had to do is new boobies as the old ones were 30yrs old and needed to be replaced. Got them a little bigger to fill up some of the space that used to be filled with fat. My cheeks are a bit hollow now and I might someday deal with that, but overall it's been nothing but a positive experience for my health and well-being! Better late than never I say! My sis-in-law is in her mid-50's and going to have VSG soon also. It will add many wonderful years to our lives.

Recently moved to Fort Worth from Flower Mound. Had my first WLS in 2006 with revision in 2010, so I'm the opposite of a "newbie" - ha!

As someone that's been at goal for long time now, I can say that your stomach will most certainly stretch out over time. Of course, it will never get back to it's original state, but I can eat MUCH more now than I could the first year post-op. I happen to be glad I can eat more now, because it has helped me to stop losing and try to maintain. I would probably be shocked if I saw the size of my stomach now compared to just after surgery. But that's OK. I know the sleeve still works and I'm very happy with my decision to do it. And if you do eat WAY too much and stretch the sleeve you'll feel VERY uncomfortable and will vow to not do it again - just your body's way of teaching you a lesson. If you listen to it and try to not keep pushing the limits, then it will continue to work for you.

I've been off this site for months, but had a personal message from someone and logged back in today. I myself lost 7 lbs over Thanksgiving and haven't put any back on yet. And I don't need to lose any more! I eat all the sweets I can get in, drink wine when I want, eat nuts all the time, don't miss any carbs, etc. I have a relative in California who's on medical marijuana and she suggested I try it to increase my appetite. As I'm in TX and it's not legal here I deferred. But I never in a million years thought I'd have this problem!

I had my boobies re-done in July and hope to have the face work done in the next year or so. My cheeks are like deflated balloons and need some filler too. Plus as Nora Ephron put it in her book - "I Hate My Neck!". I haven't had a consult yet for my face, so not sure what my doc will suggest. Please keep us updated on what you do and how it comes out.

As someone who's been at goal for over a year, I can say it continues to be easy and I'm loving life now. Even if I splurge and eat sweets, sodas, alcohol, etc. I don't gain weight since I keep the portions small. And also as a former lap-band patient, the sleeve is a MILLION times easier than that ever was! Love it!!

I had a full hysterectomy at age 41, now I'm 50. I only stopped my estrogen for a few days around the time of my surgery. The pill is so small my doc said it was OK to take. So I never experienced any problems post-op. If it's an issue for you, you can ask for the patches or gel to use for a few months if need be.

I also make sure and take my dissolvable B-12 each day. I think it really helps and when I had labs last they said my B-12 was "through the roof", so I guess it's working well. Of course, the older you are, the longer it takes to recover from any type of surgery, so just be patient and I'm sure you'll feel back to your old self (even better!) once you're healed more and start dropping the lbs. Best of luck!

And just remember also that everyone's sleeve is a different size. If you are tall, or your stomach is just natually LONGER, then you may have a bigger stomach post-op than someone else. I agree with others - trying to eat chicken in a few weeks will be the true test. When I got to mushies, I couldn't eat but a few bites of eggs while the same size serving of refried black Beans went in fine. Don't get discouraged. The weight WILL come off! Your body just has to adjust to this new way of eating. Best of luck!

I was a revision from the lap-band, so the questions I had would probably be different from yours. Dr. Barker was very good with explaining exactly what the surgery was once I started telling him I didn't like the band (gave it a good 3.5 yrs). I know Dr. Kim and Dr. Davidson have great reviews from others on this site for other DFW area docs. One doc I can tell you to steer clear of though is Dr. Glenn Ihde. New to WLS and very dishonest. You'll want to know how long the doc thinks your post-op recovery will take, how often you should get labs taken to check that you're getting all the nutrients you need, if they have a support group (if you think you'd need it - Dr. Barker has one I know), what their schedule is regarding your post-op diet (how long on Clear Liquids, mushies, etc.), what his complication rate is, how many sleeves has he done, stuff like that. Good luck on finding the right doc for you!