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Hi, I have a bmi of 32,off on holiday next week so it is bound to rise over the two weeks away, my question is this,is there any way I can get a sleeve with this bmi, Ive been offered the band but really don't want it as there seems so many complications and horror stories Would it help my case if my mum and two sisters have developed type 2 diabetes and my dad has had to have a quadruple heart bypass? Anyone had the sleeve in uk with lower bmi and who did you go with? Any advice greatly welcomed x

My family has definately benefited since I had the band put on November 21, 2007. My 15 year old son decided that if I couldn't drink sodas that he wouldn't and he could really down them before. My 18 year old daughter who stuggles with her weight is watching what she eats and my 12 year old son has become more active. My husband hasn't changed alot of his habits but I know the food coming into the house is alot more healthy than it was before the banding. Rarely any fried food, lots less carbs and alot more fresh vegies. :clap2: Starting weight 246 11/21/06 Today 211

I am scheduled for plastics on November 20th. I am so excited about it! I know there are good docs in san antonio but they dont seem to have the experience I want in a surgery in weight loss patients.. we are sagging where normal people dont so I want that expertise. You will love Dr. D. and DR. Englehart is even better.. He assists in these surgeries and just came on board with BMI full time. He assisted with mine last year and I love him! I have only been to the ER at methodist specialty and transplant hospital. I had a kidney stone and they have equipment there. That was two weeks after my VSG. You can definately get to 138 if you want to! I didnt think it possible either but you can! Just eat your Protein first always. Thats what I did. I am bad with my Water though and I need to improve on that. I walked a lot after surgery to help myself heal and you feel so much better if you walk, I promise!!!! I did some zumba here and there and walked.. thats all I have really done. I did a few circuits but not much in the way of weight training. I just stuck to the protein first and low carb. When I dont eat low carb, I dont lose. I went though about two months maintaining and finally started really watching the snacking and carbs and I lost 7 pounds last month...even this far out! YOu can do this too!!!!!

My husband had surgery about 3 and a half weeks ago and eats almost nothing. Says he just can't, nothing taste good, and says he just feels full. He eat about 3/4 of a yogurt for Breakfast and maybe a few more bites of it for lunch. That's its nothing else. He does drink lots of Water. Has anyone else had this happen? He's just very weak and has no desire to try and eat. I had bypass 4 months ago and felt nothing like that. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have been very discouraged lately. Second guessing my decision to get the band and wondering if perhaps I should have gotten the bypass. The scale has not moved down since April 11(not counting the times it has gone up then down, back to the 4/11 weight). I had a fill on May 2, 1 1/2cc in a 4cc band. I have been working out with a trainer and doing the cardio. I have no soft stops, hard stops, BPs, anything. I "could" eat anything I want but manage to eat well most of the time. Although Sunday I had a whole NY bagel for Gods sake, that is not supposed to be possible. I have been journaling foods. Not drinking with or after meals. Its like I don't have the band in at all. Except for the scars and the golfball that is sticking out of my stomach(aka the port). I have reminded myself of why I chose the band over the bypass- recovery time, malabsorption issues, reversible. But Im starting to think about the bypass in a new light. Im thinking maybe I should have done some more research. Talked to some more people. If I had the bypass there is no way a bagel could go down.!!!:thumbup: I am not happy. (on the Drs scale I have only lost 9lbs in the first 10 wks after surgery. I lost 5lbs in the first week. Do the math this is not working!!!!:thumbup::cursing::smile2::cursing::cursing: )

i have up on this site a while ago...I dont know how to blog or do anything else here...i only found you b/c i some how figured out how to get into my profile and find some of my friends....glad to know you're still hanging in there... its been almost 1 year for me...i've lost less than 40 pounds...i am now considering gastric bypass.... :'(

Talk to your doc again. Don't know why he/she's suggesting bypass just for the Diabetes. I had Type 2 Diabetes and was on insulin and pills. A week after surgery I was able to go off all meds and after 6 months my A1C was 5.6 – not even in the pre-diabetic range. So with that type of info in hand, ask your doc again about the sleeve vs. bypass. Might there be other reasons?

Im not exactly sure where to post this question since its kind of an in-between topic, so I apologize in advance if you see this in two locations…. For all those people who originally had the sleeve and were converted to the bypass, I was curious to know WHY? What was your journey? For those who had to have this done do to gastritis, what was done for that before they jumped to conversion? Did anyone have to have this done because of stomach spasms?

Thanks heaps everyone hoping to see a big change by November for my wedding

My cook books are all vegetarian except for my ancient copy of The Joy of Cooking. I did just find a Vegan blog run by someone who had bypass that made me really excited. I know I need to stay vegetarian at least until I hit maintenance, but I would like to go vegan one day. The cook book I like is called Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryan Terry

VSG surgery has been around for a very long time. It was originally used for patients with stomach cancer and other major stomach issues. It is less invasive/life altering than gastric bypass. I had my surgery in August and have lost 60 of my 100lb goal. I really didn't have any serious obesity related issues before my surgery except difficulty walking. I am so very happy I had the surgery. I don't snore any more and I can walk much better. I would suggest you research how long and for what other reasons people had VSG and then make up your mind.

I had my first appointment with the bariatric team today. Filled out paperwork, got weighed and had my blood pressure taken. Met with the two NP's and talked about surgical options. They feel (as I do) that the vertical sleeve is for me. Gastric bypass may have been difficult after my gallbladder surgery - something about scar tissue. The sleeve was what I wanted. I had about ten vials of blood drawn. Next step is meeting with the nutritionist, psych evaluation, barium swallow, EKG, ultrasound and Echo, and a sleep study. I have to lose 15 pounds on my own before hey will send in the paperwork to request surgery. Post op diet is a regular diet - not liquids. They said they don't do full liquids pre-surgery because it makes patients miserable and we have to learn how to eat less. I'm going to have a hard time with no drinking right before and after meals but I know I can do it. Feeling good about making the first step.

I'm sorry it was November 4 2014 when I had the surgery

Hello All, Just wanted to introduce myself.... My name is Shae and I have been reading your message boards for a month or so... you all have so much helpful information and Its great to read 'first hand experiences". I am 28 years old, and live in the Bay Area, Cali. I have been overweight my entire life.. can remember being put on diets in the first grade. I did have one successful weight loss about 2 1/2 years ago and dropped over 100 lbs... but quickly regained it... the 'feeling of full' is something i have the hardest time with. So, after reading about gastric bypass and lapband, I have decided lapband is the way for me... I have almost completed my pre-op tests.. 1. abdominal ultrasound-found gallstones.. but will wait till after surgery to remove if necessary 2. echocardio-done 3. ekg-done 4. 2 nutritional consults-done 5. primary physical and letter-done 6. Overnight sleep study- next week 7. Psych eval- TBA 8. Bloodwork-next week. Because I am currently on UHC EPO, I have switched to PPO to cover the Doctor I will be using ( Dr. Mckeen in San Jose, California). So, after open enrollement this month, it will take effect Jan. 1st, 2005. I hope to be in by the end of the month! I am excited about this life change, and I think the holiday season will make the time go by quickly...but on the other hand im VERY nervous. Surgery will Scare the heck out of me, but also scared about pain after and FILLS. The whole needle thing I will HAVE to get used too. lol. Just wanted to introduce myself, and am very happy i found you all on here.. You are all such an inspiration... my heros.. hehe. I wish you all continued success! Sweetness

Awww you all are so nice! Yeah I called the doc about removing it during surgery... he said he only does that for gastric bypass patients. But, since my mom had hers removed this summer i have a feeling they will need to do it later in my life anyways.. so I will ask him again and bug bug bug... You are right.. get it while they are in there! Thank you for the tips on starting to drink my liquids 'outside of meals'... I need to start doing that as well as getting my butt on a regular exercise program. I bought a treadmill and placed it downstairs in front of the TV so i would have no excuses of being bored while walking on it!

That is amazing! You look terrific. You must be so happy. I am having gastric bypass on 2 june. You are so inspiring. Did you exercise too? Sent from my SM-G935F using BariatricPal mobile app

Lisawach: Go to tickerfactory.com ( you can click on the link above any ticker on the forum). Create your ticker and bookmark the page. Then copy and paste the actual ticker you created onto the signature page under your account on the forum. Once you update your ticker it will update on the forum. The link for your account is on the "tabs' at the top of the forum page. Welcome to the November Spring challenge!

Restlessmonkey and glorybee are right. According to my doctors, if you get stuck and PB then you have to go on liquids for the next 24hrs because you need to let your stomache heal...so trying to eat more food just irriated you even more. I just got my third fill this week and I'm having trouble eating most food...this morning, for example, I had ONE bit of a Breakfast sausage and ONE bite of a western omlet and I felt like I was slightly stuck, like it was having trouble passing through...it took about a 1/2 and I finally can eat a little more of my eggs...with this fill, I really have to eat TINY pieces, something I'm still learning and working on and I've been banded since November 20th. Go on liquids for the next 24 hours and then eat some soft foods after that and see what happens...if your still having a problem, call you doctor! Hope this helped!

One of the smartest things someone in my support group told me was to forget the scale and go by how your clothes feel. If they are getting looser and you drop a size or two, then you're on the right track. I've heard the stall can last a long time in some cases (everyone is different), but that doesn't mean you are not getting healthier and changing to better habits in the meantime. You knew going in that this procedure was far different than the gastric bypass, so you know the pounds are not going to melt off in a month or two. The sleeve option is much slower than the bypass option. So sit back, relax, and enjoy your 40 pound weight loss to this point...and enjoy your healthy new lifestyle.

Gut bacteria may decrease weight loss from bariatric surgery What do you think about this? Date: March 6, 2015 Source: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Summary: Some patients do not experience the optimal weight loss from bariatric surgery. The presence of a specific methane gas-producing organism in the gastrointestinal tract may account for a decrease in optimal weight loss, according to new research. The benefits of weight loss surgery, along with a treatment plan that includes exercise and dietary changes, are well documented. In addition to a significant decrease in body mass, many patients find their risk factors for heart disease are drastically lowered and blood sugar regulation is improved for those with Type 2 diabetes. Some patients, however, do not experience the optimal weight loss from bariatric surgery. The presence of a specific methane gas-producing organism in the gastrointestinal tract may account for a decrease in optimal weight loss, according to new research by Ruchi Mathur, MD, director of the Diabetes Outpatient Treatment and Education Center at Cedars-Sinai. "We looked at 156 obese adults who either had Roux-en-Y bypass surgery or received a gastric sleeve. Four months after surgery we gave them a breath test, which provides a way of measuring gases produced by microbes in the gut," said Mathur. "We found that those whose breath test revealed higher concentrations of both methane and hydrogen were the ones who had the lowest percentage of weight loss and lowest reduction in BMI (body mass index) when compared to others in the study." The methane-producing microorganism methanobrevibacter smithii is the biggest maker of methane in the gut, says Mathur, and may be the culprit thwarting significant weight loss in bariatric patient. Mathur and her colleagues are conducting further studies to explore the role this organism plays in human metabolism. While that research continues, bariatric patients may still have options to improve weight loss after surgery. "Identifying individuals with this pattern of intestinal gas production may allow for interventions through diet. In the future there may be therapeutic drugs that can improve a patient's post-surgical course and help them achieve optimal weight loss," said Mathur. The study, "Intestinal Methane Production is Associated with Decreased Weight Loss Following Bariatric Surgery" was done in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic. The paper is being presented by Mathur Thursday, March 5, at the 97th annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in San Diego. Story Source: The above story is based on materials provided by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Hi guys, I am having revisional surgery from gastric band to mini gastric bypass. Do you have any tips and tricks to help the transition? Will there even be a transition as I do have some restriction with my band already. I don't know what to expect whatsoever. I had no pain after my band surgery, is there a lot of pain after the mini bypass surgery? Anyone that has any tips and tricks with regards to anything, I will be very grateful.

Oh my that's a tough situation. I would trust the medical experts and from what I've learned your weight loss can be very good with either sleeve or bypass. I personally am not sure which I'll choose but I have time to decide. I think this may be your worst phase and there's better health for you post op. It should fix your apnea at least ????. Good luck!

Hello all; I've been away from this forum for awhile. I was banded on 8/12/08 and had my first fill in September (about 5 weeks after the surgery), and felt some restriction (although my doctor says that his first fills are really quite small; sort of to help you get used to the band). I did well at first; lost about 20 lbs. But, right before Thanksgiving, I noticed that I really didn't have any restriction anymore. I was going to schedule another fill right then and there, but I sort of wanted some freedom during the holidays, and also I had a sort of "macho" attitude where I felt like I "shouldn't" need another fill. (I realize that is sort of silly... I mean, why did I have the WLS in the first place?! lol) Between November and now, I have gained back about 5 of the pounds I originally lost. I had my second fill yesterday, which I'm sure was the right thing to do. My doctor has us go on clear fluids for three days, though, after a fill... then full fluids for a week, then mushies for a week, then regular diet.... and I'm SO HUNGRY! In the past few months, I truly reverted back to my old way of eating... so clear fluids for three days is torture! LOL I'm looking for a little encouragement here :thumbdown: thanks everyone and good luck to all

But I had gastric bypass, not the sleeve!