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I think researching all your options and learning everything you can about the sleeve is a good thing. But that being said........Maybe after your research, you should focus on the good things it will do for your body instead of the possible complications. Maybe that will help you cope.

Only you know for sure if this is for you and if you are ready. I ate for comfort too, I ate when I was sad, mad, happy or bored. I grazed all day long. I took my time and had this surgery when I was ready and the band has helped me to be a normal eater. The band does not do it all for you though. You have to be ready and strong enough to do you part to make it work. There are plenty of posts on this site about people who went into this thinking it was some magic wand that would wisk the fat away and they either failed or had to step up and do their part to make it work. Although the surgery itself is pretty safe there are some that have had complications afterward and you can find those stories here too. As well as many stories of people who continued to struggle with bad eating habits. Last minute fears are also very common. I wanted to run out of the hospital too. All-in-all, I would say that you just were not ready yet. Do some more research and read about the possible complications. Go here: Lap-Band Complications - Lap Band Surgery and Lap Band Discussion Forum. And fully understand that the band will help you to feel full but you will need to find the strength to make good food choices and deal with emotional eating. And if and when you are ready then go for it.

It's really hard to offer advice when I know so little. Why does your mom object to the surgery? Have you had a discussion with her about the pros and cons? My boyfriend (the Boy) didn't want me to have surgery. We sat down and talked about it and I learned that most of his objections were due to the possibility of surgical complications. He wasn't 100% on board even on the day I had surgery, but he's always been supportive. Maybe you can talk to your mom and tell her that, while you realize that she might not agree with your decision, you really need her to support YOU. Not the surgery, just YOU.

You are doing this for yourself...I can understand she may be concerned about the complications of surgery. But if this is really what you want....go forward. Maybe once you express that to her...she will be happy for you. But, in the event she doesn't express that happiness....always remember she Loves you and only wants the best for you. Lift your head up and stay encouraged. Think, meditate, or pray about your decision and walk out those steps.

Hi, My name is Gigi. I am considering WLS and have been doing research on the lap band and VSG. I went to a seminar on 8/19 thinking I wanted a lap band and realized it was not really a good option for me. I have a lot of allergies and do not think the idea of putting a foreign object in my body a good one. As a result, I have been thinking about the VSG. I am 5?7?, around 282 lbs with a BMI around 45; I also have asthma, high-blood pressure and moderate to sever sleep apnea? so I am a good candidate. I still have some concerns especially as I have never had to have an operation. I?m scared! My insurance covers the procedure but I have to do a 6 month doctor supervised diet and exercise plan. I am mainly considering this procedure to improve my health before I add more complications to the mix. Looking better is just a plus. I have been reading the entries on here for while so most of my questions about complications and results have been answered. I am still interested in knowing if there are any major restrictions to exercising after the procedure. I have always been a big girl ? size 14 in high school, while all my friends were size 9 -10 ? and extremely active. I have taken dance lessons most of my life and even when I was in a dance troop where I was dancing 6 days a week, I was never smaller than a size 12/14. So what I am interested in knowing is ? after the procedure do you lose your muscle? When you lose all that weight, is your skin extremely lose that you require surgery to correct? Do you know if I will be called for my initial appointment before I start the dr supervised diet and exercise plan or is that something that typical takes place after you have your initial appointment? Has anyone had there VSG done at Columbia University Medical Center/New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York? That is where I would be getting my surgery if it proves viable for me. Thanks for any information! It is greatly appreciated.

My husband and I were talking about this last night.....I told EVERYONE!!!! I would shout it from the rooftops if I could. This has been the best thing I have ever done for myself. I don't want to hide it, I want to Celebrate it. I don't offer information unless someone asks, and boy, do they ask, from the waitresses who are perplexed by my ordering, my family and friends that watch me eat tiny portions and little bites, to the friends who haven't seen me in a while and notice the change. I am so proud of myself for doing what I did. Was it the easy way out, yeah maybe it was, I have never had weight come off me so quickly. Sure the preop was a pain and the recovery was a little complicated, but I am almost 2 months out and it is easy. I have no hunger and can only eat a little at a time. I, too, came upon some resistance from immediate family when I told them my plans, but what the heck, this is about me, not them! So celebrate your sleeve and be proud of your accomplishments!

I know that you can purchase international insurance for when you travel outside the states but I still need to research that further. As far as what they will cover, I believe that they don't cover any complications from the surgery but they would cover hospitalization if necessary. So the hospital stay but not any surgeries that would result from the procedure. At least that is my understanding so far

Unless you qualify for medicaid the only other option would be self pay! In the US it can range from $9-25k. You can pay cash or take out a loan, some providers offer payment plans through companies such as care credit. You can apply online for them & find out if you're approved in minutes. The credit line is given based on your credit score (I know they use experian as their source). If you know you have a few dings you may still be approved but maybe not for the full amount. A co-signer would help increase your credit line in that case. Be warned though that unless you pay in 18mts or less for their promotional offer their interest rates run high but again this varies based on your credit. So you can visit their website & search for local approved providers & go directly through your surgeon or you can first find a surgeon you're comfortable with & then find out if he accepts finance plans such as this. With a 5yr plan (in cali they offer only up to 60mts but I've heard other states are longer plans) your payments for an average priced sef pay procedure of say 16k could be about $300/mt. For me when I added up the cost of meds, gyms & jenny craig not to mention the dining out & other weight related bills I would no longer have it seemed like nothing!! There's also the route of having it done in a diff country such as Mexico for as little as $4500- I honestly couldn't tell you what, if any, payment plans they use. Some say ofcourse foreign countries offer lower quality & can have more complications but that's something you'd have to research. With the band though you're required to have follow up care for life & many US surgeons want nothing to do with a foreign placed band- liability! Without the fills your band is useless so if you go that route locate a local fill doc that's willing to work with you first! Also my surgeon told me the company that produces the lap band in the states (Allargan) does not sell its product to places like mexico because they are not certified so the band many people receive there is a swedish band that's an older, cheaper model of less quality subject to leaks & erosion. Ofcourse these are unresearched statements from my bias surgeon. So take them with a grain of salt! It is true the mexico did perform the first lap band & austrialia & europe have also been doing it for years longer than the US who didn't approve it until 2001. So something can be said for their experience. But again in a foreign country you have no recourse if something goes wrong. =/ As a self payer you'd just want to keep in mind that your insurance typically will not cover any part of the wls -in some cases this includes any complications related to it. And remember the cost of follow up/fills that in yr 1 are every 4-6wks or as needed & can vary from $50-350/ visit depending on your provider so shop around for the best program package! Many include 6mts to a yr of follow ups & some practices also offer revision insurance for a yr which cover leaks, slips, erosions & port flips. Be diligent in your price comparisons & research! There's a thread in self payers forum here where ppl have listed what they paid in diff states you could inquire there also! Best of luck!

Yes I was banded on Dec 17th. Had some complications so was rebanded on the 20th. I get my first fill tomorrow. I am so ready.

If you don't mind my asking, why did you have to be rebanded three days later? Did you have serious complications?

I thought I wanted the lap-band too, until I started reading all of the posts on my doctor's yahoo group. Ultimately, I decided the sleeve was best for me. It required much less maintenance and looking at my oil change and haircut track record, that was a bonus for me. Also, I just saw so many people having complications with their bands! My friend went with the band 1 week before I got sleeved. I have lost 120 lbs and she has lost 35 lbs because her fills just haven't restricted her enough. Overall, I ADORE my sleeve and have not had one day of regret in the past year. I'm sure talking with the support group members will help. But, remember that people are very sensitive about their choice and think that they are RIGHT no matter what! They tend to get very defensive :thumbup1:. Remember, you have to choose what is right for you. Read through the posts, look at some other sites, talk with your support group and doctor and hopefully you'll find what fits you best. Good luck on your journey!

Yeah, I grew up on the cool side, near Portland. Love the green, can't deal with the rain. I've been to St. Francis Hospital several times--Dr. Srikanth's office is in the attached medical building, and I've simply gone ahead and gotten my testing done there--so while I haven't yet been inpatient at the hospital, I've seen a fair bit of the complex. I have been extremely impressed by the general attitudes I've observed of other staff and how they interact with patients. Also, it's scrupulously clean, and doesn't feel crowded, either in the public areas or the exam and testing areas. The pre-op testing, almost all of which I've done over there, was handled extremely quickly and efficiently, with an eye to making it convenient for me to get multiple tests done in a very short period of time to reduce travel. I don't think I'm getting any special courtesies because I'm self-pay, either. So far everybody's been very professional and very, very nice. This might sound a little weird to notice or care about, but every time I've walked into the lobby of the hospital, it feels sunny (even on a rainy day) and airy and spacious. The people going back and forth carrying out their business are friendly, smiling, and all of them seem to genuinely enjoy their jobs. It makes me feel confident that I'm in good hands, not only with my surgeon, but that my care team will be kind and professional and knowledgeable. I'm scheduled to spend one night in the hospital, and then I will be staying in Federal Way for a week before my post-op release to travel back home. My husband will be going with me and staying there throughout. I may end up doing a second night in the hospital, but the stay is really supposed to be brief, since the surgery is going to be done laparascopically. One last thing I picked up on and thought was extremely encouraging, is that with all of the testing that I underwent, several of the people doing them commented that they thought Dr. Srikanth was actually a little over-cautious in his battery of required tests, compared to the other surgeons who do the same surgeries at St. Francis. They were off-hand remarks, made when I'd hand them my order sheet for a particular test. Frankly, I don't think there's such a thing as being too cautious about my pre-op health, when the results of it are going to be such a life-changing event. I don't think that caution counts negatively against Dr. Srikanth at all, and in fact makes me worry less about complications both short-term and long-term. I'm considering blogging about the whole experience--I'll have nothing but time on my hands post-op, and I'll have a laptop and internet access, and I won't be able to walk, walk, walk all day long, that's for sure.

Hello All! My name is Kimberly. I am 24 yrs young, married with no children, and currently a pre-Nursing student. I am 5'7, 354lbs with a BMI of 55.4. I started the lapband journey just over a year ago. I have Humana EPO, and they have been terrific. To qualify I had to have: Medical records with recorded weights for the past two years, (one a year was sufficient), Letter of Medical Necessity from my PCP, and 6 consecutive months of nutrition/exercise advise from my PCP (each month I went to the doc, she typed in something along the lines of "advised Kimberly she needed to lose weight, follow low-carb high Protein diet and exercsie 3x per week..yadda yadda yadda). I turned all of that into my insurance and received an approval less than a week later! (This was after my father, who is the primary insurance holder, forgot to renew me on his insurance last January..thus having to wait another 6 months until his open enrollment, then another 3 months for my insurance to become effective again, so this prolonged everything by 9 months :-/) But alls well that ends well, and now I am anxiously awaiting my surgery date. I am having it January 25th with Dr.Rehnke at the Palms of Pasadena Hospital in St.Pete, FL. I start the Optifast on January 11th, and really am NOT looking forward to it. What helps me is the fact that my mother had the surgery with the same doctor a few years ago, so she has a bunch of tricks that she has passed on to me. One of which is to buy a BUNCH of different flavored extracts, like banana, Coconut, Almond etc. to add to the shakes. I'm hoping that will help with the variety. I guess the main things I'm nervous about are: 1.) I have bad acid reflux when I don't eat. Will I have this while on optifast? 2.) Anesthesia. I've never been under before, so I'm frightened of what my reaction will be. 3.) Just generally nervous about something unbeknownst happening to delay or prevent the surgery such as bad preop testing, complications in surgery, and various of other possible scenarios that have to come to mind. I want this so bad, I feel like I've been dreaming of it for a very long time, and now that my dream is being realized I'm afraid I will wake up! I look forward to continuing to post as I experience this new journey in my life and I look forward to reading all of your stories as well! Happy New Year!

It is good to hear you are doing well. I too have been playing with doubts and insecurities. Mostly for just the surgery part. I am nervous and scared. Although I don't doubt I will be successful after the surgery. I'm just scared of complications during the surgery.

Hello Everyone, This is the first time I have ever joined a support group online. I hope to have my surgery in 4-5 months. I have a lot of questions and I'm hoping you all can help me. 1. How long were you in the hospital? 2. How long did it take you to get back to work? 3. How long did it take for you to eat bread? 4. Most people talk about getting the rouenY (spelling?) procedure over the sleeve. Are all of you happy with the sleeve surgery? 5. What are the most common side affects or complications? Thanks to you all for your advise and answers to my questions llipps

I am sorry about your complications. I think you really are doing great with your weight loss. Everyone hits that 3 0r 4 week stall. Then you will start losing again. Just be patient. The weight will come off!

Hi, thought I would chime in with my story. I too have been overweight most of my life, definitely since high school - LOL 33 years - wow time flies. I have dieted, lost some, gained back more - the usual story. My wakeup call was ending up in the hospital with Atrial Fibrillation. I have had HTN for 10 years, borderline diabetes, not too much joint pain luckily. Since the hospital last October, I really had to look at things for real. My cardiologist basically told me I needed WLS or I would probably die. My heart valve is enlarged due to the weight and if it gets much bigger it will mean uncontrolled A Fib. My PCP suggested a Lap Band, but I am Miss Allergy personified and I felt that having a foreign body left inside was a really bad idea. Besides I did a lot of research, I am a Medical Technologist and I understand all of the medical jargon etc. So, I decided on the VSG. Lo and Behold, my insurance has an exclusion for WLS. I did not even get my sleep study done in a very timely manner as my cardiologist wanted it in Nov, and I had to wait for Feb - it was excluded under last years policy but allowed this year. The sleep study results were if anything scarier than being in the hospital. I have complex sleep apnea - stopped breathing 34 times an hour and oxygen saturation dropped to 66%. My brother went into respiratory arrest with a Sat of 80 - he has very bad asthma. I really did not expect the sleep study results to be that bad, I don't even snore unless I have a cold!! But, got put on a VPAP Adapt, and have actually gotten more than 4 hours of sleep at a time - YAY!!! So, I knew a girl at work who had gone to Mexico for a Lap Band, and I talked to her about her experience. I have lived overseas, so the prospect of going to Mexico was not too daunting. I did some research on doctors on this site and at Obesity Help, and decided on Dr. Kelly. As I am self pay (am going to use my FSA) I knew I needed to go outside the US. So, saved my tax refund money, and with that and my bonus from work I am scheduled for 3/25/11. I am going alone because my options for travel comapnions, brother and father, both hate hsopitals. My mother was not an option - she can darken a room with her negativity. Last thing I need at this point, she knows I am having the surgery - but has so far not commented. My brother and his daughter live with me, and he is very supportive. His girlfriend had RNY maybe 5 years ago. She lost the weight, but also a lot of her hair, and is constantly struggling with the whole vitamin deficiency thing. She has been a really good example of why you do not overeat after WLS - I have seen her in misery after too much consumption. Unfortunately, my atopic dermatitis has been going crazy - and I have been on prednisone since March1st. So, decided to just deal with very little weight loss on the pre-op diet - probably will lose a ton of water weight when I am off the prednisone, but I need my skin - especially the belly to not be rashy and inflamed before the surgery. It is looking good right now - everyone keep their fingers crossed for me - only 5 days to go. You know, the weight kinda creeps on and you think - well I'm doing OK - I will get around to dealing with it - at some point in the future of course. Then you get that wake up call - I was really mad at myself for a while. But I am going to counseling and need to focus on the positives - this is a tool that can help me acheive better health. The pre-op diet (2 weeks) has not been too bad. I rarely get hungry now, so hopefully my liver is nicely shrunken, and the surgery will go well. My PCP, is in favor, but a bit leary about the Mexico aspect. I saw her last week and she was supportive, but concerned that she would get to deal with the complications. I told her I did not plan on having any complications, I know she is watching to see how it goes - maybe they will refer people. I did have to educate her about the VSG, and she understood my reservations about the band. So, my journey has begun. Highest weight 335, current weight 315, pre-op loss so far 9 pounds - with no excercise beyond work at the moment. If I get hot I get itchy and start scratching...bad bad idea. But, the skin really is much better and I will start excercising again post surgery. I am trying very hard not to stress, because that can cause the itchies as well. Got to have a very quiet week - it is spring break ending here and my brother went to his girlfriend's and my neice went down to her Mom - they are back tonight. I should be able to cope, am off tomorrow - work Tues and Wed, then fly on Thursday. Have an appt with Rorry (counselor)on Wed before I go. Sorry I know this is long, but the venting has been good. I have really enjoyed reading about everyone's stories so here is mine. I will keep you posted on progress.

My surgery is tomorrow morning 1/15 and I am a huge bundle of nerves right now. I can't remember the last time I was this nervous about something for so long. I haven't been sleeping much since I got my surgery date the week after Christmas Here's a little about me and my fat history: I was a little overweight in my childhood, but I was also a three sport athlete through high school(Football, wrestling and baseball), which helped keep me around 200lbs my senior year (5'11). I joined the Marines right after graduation and got down to 170 and maintained 170-190 for the 6 years I was in. I got out when I was 24 and finished up my last two years of college and got a desk job. That's when the weight started creeping up on me. Fast forward 12 years to 2010 after I had ballooned up to 340lbs, I decided to diet pretty hard and managed to lose 90lbs from 2010 to mid 2011. I was feeling pretty good about myself, but for some reason decided to sabotage it all and proceeded to put those 90lbs plus an extra 40 back on from late 2011 all the way to now. I decided I had had enough in June after years of yo-yo dieting and trying every diet in the book that it time for a change and looked into WLS. I considered the lap band at first for the usual reasons (not cutting up the insides), but after talking to another doctor and reading various forums about a lot of lap band removals, I decided on the sleeve. After spending six months on the insurance weight management plan for bariatric surgery, it's all happening really fast now. It's finally real. Anyway, this time tomorrow, my surgery should be finished and I'll probably be high on anesthesia/pain meds. I just need to keep telling myself that I'll be in the 99% of people that don't have complications.

I had the sleeve done while I had 3 bleeding ulcers. All I can say is that I went to hell and back with months of hospitalization. Still recovering :-( Your Dr. is very smart, give your body a chance to heal even if it takes a year. It's not worth the complications to do the surgery prematurely. Hope you heal quickly!

I know this is none of my business, but I say this out of genuine concern. Please reconsider using this surgeon. It says on his website he uses the 4cc band. The 4cc band is very outdated and no longer used in the US. The reason it's no longer used is because of it's very high rate of complications. There are reputable surgeons in Mexico that use the newer, safer, bigger bands. I urge you to consider one of them. Your health is worth it and I would truly hate to see you go through more hell because of the 4cc band. Best wishes.

So I had turned 30 in September and was sleeved on November 14. I am hoping for a new lease on life. I started at my highest weight 339. Throughout all pre op weigh ins nd liquid pre op diet I went to 331, 321 and I was sleeves weighing 321 that morning. I went today for my first post op visit- 301!!!!!!! I am almost out of the 3's!! I have had no complications. No vomiting. No gerd or reflux. Truthfully I feel awesome! I NEVER feel hungry also. I take my antacid pill in the am and I am still sleeping on my back, which I really don't like, so at night I take 20ml of pain mess to put me to sleep while ok not comfy on my back and that's it!!! Normal day I start with pull and some broth if a can of soup(lentil, minestrone, chikarina, pot roast) and my bf has the food part of the soup to save money. Then ill sip water. Crystal light or G2 from Gatorade until I feel like j should eat again hours later. I will have a sugar free jello or half of a sugar free pudding. Continue the sipping and always making sure to walk walk walk! I barely have calories Nd it doesn't effect me. I just bought tuna chunk lite in water in those packets with no draining needed. I'm going to start having one a day at least bc there are 18 gms of protein in each!! That's awesome!! I hope this story is showing great results Nd my ultimate goal is to hit 180 pounds before I turn 31. I want to be beautiful for engagement and wedding. I look forward to great stories and replies :-) good luck to all!

Good for you Stacy. I am working through all of my medical requirements and it is good to hear from someone on the other side of surgery. Sounds like you did great. I am curious as to why your insurance would not cover? What kind of insurance do you have? I am worried about insurance refusal as I am not in a position now to pay cash. I have been counting on approval as before I started with the program my BMI was 42. Now lower 39.3. so I am a little concerned. Sounds like you didn't have post op complications? Deb

Hey y'all! my name is Holly, and my surgery is also this Friday! its at 1030am in Atlanta, Ga by Dr.Macik! SO very excited but nervous as well, itll be my first time being put to sleep, EVER so that scares me most! zpearle you will be fine, ChefGabbie is right, many surgeons only require a two week no carb diet like mine, with only liquids the day prior. Ive even heard of some banders preop diet consisting of ONLY 2 days of liquid prior to surgery. I pray that we all three have amazingly succesful surgeries.Lets all stay in touch after surgery to keep up with each other's progress, complications, etc! ONE MORE DAY LADIES------->;=]

Thanks for your feed back that makes me feel better! Are we allowed to ask the surgeon what complication in surgery rate is like mortality number? Or is that insulting to the physician

I have had surgery before, And yes I'm scared.... I'm grateful to have been approved for surgery it's definitely something I need. Just worried about all the complications that I have read about. Thanks 2012 for your reply I feel alittle better knowing that I'm not the only one beating there self up.... Looking forward to being thinner.