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Honestly the me now would prefer GBS because I'm lazy, I ultimately made the decision for myself to do the band because it's about making changes, all around no just eating right. It also has to do with my pride, one of my lovely deadly sins. I'd rather go around and tell people I had a band than to say I had gastric bypass. Idk not the prettiest ring to it I suppose.

You look awesome!! Its giving me confident's to push forward for tomorrow is my gastric bypass!! Thanks have a blessed day

Just curious. .did you have a Bypass or a Sleeve? Your profile indicates it's likely a Sleeve. ..

I hope I am only in this infamous stall phase too...... I am 4 weeks out today.from band to bypass revision.... and have lost a total of 1stone 5 1/2 pounds... but of that only 1 pound this week and 1 pound last week... I have a shake for breakfast.... a small low cal high protein lunch and dinner... around 60___80 protein... not quite making my fluid target... but very disappointed the last two weeks..... recovery wise I feel fine...

I'm 101 days out which = 3 months and 10days。 CW:205.6 about 50lbs in 3 months and ten days out!!! Surgery weight:255lbs Current:205 I know it's good but I really wAnt to be at 135 lbs for the first time in my life!! I doubt it will happen with the sleeve!!! I do watch what I eat. I just think statistic wise, from what research I've done with the sleeve we only lose about 60% of excess weight. I'm also afraid of regaining weight! I really wish I had done the bypass!!! Long term on that shows people keeping it off!! Oh well I guess it's a mental thing, I'm sure if I try harder, and exercise and make a life style change I will be good My weight past few days has been going up one to two lbs.

Bypass and sleeve results converge long-term. There is no statistical difference. There are reasons to choose bypass (reflux, severe type 2 diabetes), but amount of weight you can lose is not one of them.

I would try your insurance first. I had an exclusion and went to Mexico three years ago only to have my band fail me and the aftercare is horrible for Mexican patients in the U.S. (I did receive excellent care while having my surgery, though. The doctors really know their stuff. I just can't afford to fly down there everytime I need something.) I know the sleeve doesn't really require aftercare, but if something does go wrong, at least you have a doctor here. They treat you like the plague when you say you had surgery in Mexico! I now have insurance to cover my revision, thankfully. Don't give up! Hang in there! :thumbup1:

Welcome Megan. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. Your insights into the gastric bypass are invaluable. I think we are lucky to have you and Wendy come here and be willing to share your realities with us, since they are so different from our own, being banded and all. I don't kow how long you've been lurking here, but just so you know, we are an international board, with several very active members from the UK, AZ as well as other points inbetween!

Hi, new here, but had to put in my 2 cents. Have had PTC for about 10 years now, diamox, LPs and (unfortunately) loosing weight to within 15 pounds of normal/goal did not help,I have been shunted with multiple revisions. I have also unfortunately regained most of the weight lost, leading to my decision to get banded. After 3 attempts to be approved for the band I was successful in getting approved and was banded on June 1 so am still early in my band journey. Honestly my hopes are to improve my overall health, if my PTC were to stabilize that would be a bonus, but I am not optomistic. I am really curious to hear other peoples experience and outcomes. Good luck to all who suffer the PTC beast.

I am so excited for you and February will be here before you know it. I will be finding out on the 25 October if I will be getting sleeve revision and I am soooo excited too. Keep us up to date with you progress and will look out for your comments in 2013. :-))))

There are many insurance companies that will pay for gastric bypass but won't pay for lap band. My insurance company will not pay for any WLS, so I had to self pay. Many people on this board pay for their own surgeries out of pocket. Mine was just under $10,000 and I flew to Colorado to have it done.

Hello all, I had my lap band surgery done on June 16, 2008 and a port revision done November 19,2008. I started at 226 lbs and now weigh 195. The majority of the weight came off before the surgery during my two week liquid diet. I would like to hit 135 as a high goal weight, but at this point I am focusing on breaking through 190. I have refocused and started tracking my foods more carefully and really trying to be more accountable. I have my 4th fill this month on the 22nd - hopefully that will get me just right. Anyways, just wanted to share and introduce myself

Congrats! Please keep us posted, No date as of yet, hopefully a revision from band to bypass this year 2018 Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

thank you so much! i have bc also and i was just told they dont like covering the lapband,they would rather cover the bypass beacuse they dont want to pay for the fills,have u ever heard of that,i dont want the bypass i want the band!

Hello I am new to this forum so please bear with me. I am 30 years old, male 285 lbs with a bmi of 38. I have hypertention, gerd, high cholestorol, and back and joint pain, along with depression about my weight. I went to an appointment at Kaiser Permanente here is San Diego today and asked my doctor about LapBand and Sleeve. She didnt seem to know much about either or maybe did not want to talk to me about the details which really made me angry, but she did say that it might be a good choice for me. This was after she told me of the positive choice program and other options. I have had problems with weight and dieting does not help. I have been on medifast and HMR while supervised with my old doctor through insurance at a previous job. Anyway after she referred me for what she called bariatric evaluation and gave me a number I called them. They are sending me a packet and want me to come to a meeting held each monday. Here are my questions for you guys. My doctor did not say if they support the sleeve, she just said gastric bypass. Also I really dont want to have to go through 6 months of a supervised diet. I have no problem with waiting or waiting 6 months to do the classes for the surgery. Anyone have Kaiser in Southern California? Specifically San Diego? I could really use some support and advice. Thank you.

It's when some food goes straight through you. I have this problem with milk post-op. I can drink regular milk and be in the bathroom (TMI) pooping it out in minutes. It's NOT common for sleevers, but it is common for gastric bypass and RNY patients. Mine is because I'm now lactose intolerant.

I'm sorry you had such a terrible time with your band! I have seen a ton of band to sleeve revisions on this forum. My coordinator said he sees a lot coming in to the practice. If I recall correctly, my surgeon told me he doesn't even place bands anymore. He feels like they have too many complications and that there are better options. I hope you'll be thrilled and complication free with your new sleeve! ~Kat

I heard of a woman in Colorado who died because her surgery wounds became infected. She didn't go to the hospital for it and died. I think I have heard of one other case like that too. Generally, if you die from a lap band, it's because you get infection from your wounds. This is extremely rare and if you get to the wounds in time, it's treatable. And yes, Bypass you can die from as well. However, there are more complications that cause death in those cases.

Hello everyone! I am introducing myself to this forum for the very first time as a member; I have been a lurker for over a year, and I have to say that many of you have been so inspiring and helpful in my decision to get my surgery, and have been a helping hand (without knowing it!) through all of my pre-and-post op trials and tribulations. So, for that I am 100% grateful for your honesty about your stories and how supportive you are to one another. I am not much of a social person in my real life, so joining this forum is just another one of the lifestyle changes I am making to continue on a path to success. My name is Amy, a 28 year old student nurse from CT. I am happily married for 9 years to the love of my life Jorge, and we have a beautiful handful of a 2 year old name Jillian. I have struggled with my weight for most of my life, as many of you have. Even when I was younger and weighed my (now) goal weight, I was always teased for my size and thought of myself as the dreaded F-A-T girl. Many people say "wow, I wish I knew back then how thin I actually was" but in reality, a 12 year old at 150 lbs carries herself much differently than a woman of the same weight. So of course, like many, I was barraged with insults and self-esteem issues from a young age--and as anyone who has been there can vouch, food can sometimes be your only friend. Even with my size of 250 lbs at age 26, I was an active and healthy woman. I had recently lost 30 lbs (down from 280) and boom--after 7 years of trying while combating the dreaded PCOS, I finally got pregnant with my miracle baby! However, as little girls tend to "steal their mom's beauty" she definitely changed my body. Unfortunately my health started to deteriorate shortly after giving birth, and I found that my gestational diabetes decided to stick around for the long haul. I delivered at 315 lbs. I never realized until I saw pictures how big I really was. I do believe that body dismorphia is more common than we think and is not just for those who have anorexia...I would look in the mirror and say "wow, I look really nice today, and my clothes fit perfectly" and see pictures of that day and see a person I do not recognize. I decided to look into a surgical option after many failed attempts at low-carb, weight watchers, paleo, portion control--you name it. My sugar, my hormones, and eventually my blood pressure and heart were all out of wack. That's when I met Dr T. and his team at Backus Hospital in Norwich, CT, and they started started me on a track to a brand new life. I am currently 3 weeks post op gastric bypass, down 30 lbs (20 lbs since my surgery date), and I am ready to be part of this wonderful community of brave men and women who are fighting the good fight as I am. I am having minor complications with getting my nutrition, but I hope to rectify this by reading your threads and getting good advice. Thank you all for taking the time to read this novel. I cannot wait to take this journey with you all. Sincerily, Amy

Do I need to have my doctor change the reason for the tests? I had him put for bariatric surgery on the referral. However, I can surely need these tests just in and of themselves for diabetes and being overweight. My insurance does cover bariatric bypass but not the sleeve. However, I don't want the bypass hence Mexico. Also, it is a pain trying to get accepted for the surgery anyway. If he already did the referral for bariatric, can I go and change it? Or will they be like, 'nice try but too late you already said bariatric'?

Candy - i would say it can't hurt, might help. Darn it! I have a feeling I need to call the referral lady tomorrow and ask her to send them AGAIN but coded for like just the regular stuff. My insurance pays for gastric bypass but with it being a pre-approval thing - I just have this feeling that @@Kindle and @@SnohoGal98296 are right and I need to have it redone. She is going to hate me lol.

I too am from the Houston area and will be having my revision from the band to sleeve on May 22nd with Dr. Garcia in TJ.

Asking that question on this board will get you a biased response because banders will all have had a revision... But as someone who went into this first looking at the band, I can say I asked my doc the question about getting stomach cancer. He said the result would probably be the same, sleeve or no sleeve. You'd lose your stomach either way. Do your research, talk to your surgeon. 99% sleeve lovers here. Use the search function, for immediate review of common questions such as this. Best wishes to finding what's right for you.

I got my gastric bypass surgery on 8/13 and honestly this is so painful. The only thing I don't feel hungry at all I just taking my pain medicine. They send me a prespcrition for blood thinner when my family when to the pharmacy they say need to pay 500 dls honestly I can not afford this to much money. my doctor told Me to walk alot. It feel sour

Well, I can tell you from my experience that the letter of medical necessity came from the surgeon doing the lap band. The medical clearance comes from your general practicioner. (cause the lap band doc, if he is a specialist only deals in your weight and co-morbidities, but your GP knows your history so they will be able to tell if the surgery is safe for you. I had one visit with the nutritionist and still have to attend another one called "Boot Camp" then I can have the surgery )each visit is $250...ugh....then I had to agree to 12 more visits.....mandatory...otherwise I will not get my receipts and then I can't submit them to insurance. My doc is huge on this because the Lap Band is only a tool....it doesn't curb your appetite, doesn't keep you from craving, so he wants to make completely sure this lap band is gonna work.....my sis only had a quicky meeting with the nutritionist and she gained some of her weight back (gastric bypass) On the upside the nutritional Evaul is great! When I left, I was thinking if I get denyied, I will continue with the nutritionist cause I think i can lose the weight just with them!!!! --I too am waiting to hear--just gotta get my apnea machine and i can schedule. Yay. Oh and I was wondering, why didn't they tell you about these test up front?? My doc told me on the first day....do this, do that...gave me a packet and told me to get it all finished and then we schedule. To maybe set you at ease, I was just looking at my doctor's website and I stumbled upon all his patients who posted feedback...it gave their date of approval and I would say 98% of them were Blue Cross Blue Shield....not one of them had my insurance...talk about nail biting! Good Luck and let me know how it goes!!!!!