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One question I would ask your surgeon since you are an athlete is about nutrition post-surgery. My understanding of a difference between bypass and sleeve is a difference in nutrient absorption. Best of luck with your decision and thank you for your service!

Hi, I was kind of in the same situation. I have 100 lbs to lose and I am only 26. My doctor said the Vertical Sleeve would be better but Tricare doesn't cover it. He said that There's a point when the lapbanders get "stuck" and stop losing weight as they used to lose in the beginning. I don't know if that's true or not. He also said Gastric bypass could be a better option than the band but I have met a few people that after losing ALL the extra weight, they gained it back, and that scares me! So I politely said no and that my only interest was the band. Because, worse case scenario, if something goes wrong at least they can remove the band and that's it. Taking a portion of your stomach or "re-tubing" it it's more invasive and there's more room for a mistake and if in the future you want it reverse, you can't. It's a personal choice, do your research and do whatever you think will be better for yourself. Doctors are wrong sometimes, your inner voice is never wrong

Hey Chris, Welcome!!! I live in Brissie and was banded 7 years ago in November, it is a very popular surgery in Oz but people seem to be less talkative about it, if you do some research you will find heaps of people with the band! If you have any Q's feel free to pm me and i will give you my email addy Bel

Hi Everyone, Went for my Nutritional Assessment yesterday and saw Dr. Fielding and he said while I was there might as well do my surgical consult as well!! He's just so....smooth! The Aussie accent is so sexy - ANYWAY, November 9th is my date (I have to be nicotine free for 1 month). Coincidently, November 9th is my wedding anniversary as well. So, I'm on my way! Very excited, nervous, scared... Normal I guess. Thanks to everyone on this site for all the great info - I was totally familiar with everything that was presented to me yesterday and Dr. Fielding also said I had "great questions" for him - all thanks to you guys! Maria

Hi KTK. My husband and I have had the lap band for 2 years now. We have a friend that had the Gastric Bypass a year and a half ago. She lost her first 100 lbs faster than us, however she has had many complications. We have had absolutely no complications and over time, we have lost more weight. Both surgeries are very effective however there are people that have not been successful with either one. The Lap Band and the Gastic bypass are only tools. You get out them what you put in to it. I chose the Lap band because I felt re arranging my insides was a bit much. The Lap Band is adjustable and reversable and it has worked great for both of us. Feel free to contact me if you think of any questions. I love giving the advise that helped my husband and I. We are both half the size we use to be =-). Good Luck. Once you start see the results, it become an easy life style to adapt to.

I have decided that I want to have RYN bypass and I have set up an appointment for my free seminar 01/08. I have my primary physician behind me a 110%. I just want to know what all else you have to go through before you get your surgery date?

@Sprinkles1 hi cutie happiness is all that its cracked up to be!!☺️ wonderful bypass - wonderful success! 119 lbs gone out the window!! You are approaching weight loss finish line then you start all over w/maintenance for the rest of your healthier, happier, longer life. reaching GOAL is wonderful - then hard work continues - following the rules forever and ever and ever keeping the lbs off - i know you can/will do this keep up the great job!! kathy congrats

I had bypass on 4/23/18. My starting weight was 340lbs. I'm currently 221lbs. That's a total weight loss of 119lbs! I honestly can't tell you a time I remember being this small my entire life. I'm so happy! First goal: 250lbs [emoji818] Second goal: 225lbs [emoji818] Third goal: 199lbs ...*pending* Final goal: 160-170lbs I never worked out until this month. These last 22lbs until onederland are stubborn. I'm also doing keto and intermittent fasting. This surgery changed my life. I'm almost positive I would be closer to 400lbs by now if I didn't have this surgery. Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

WOW. That is fast. I have been going to appointments since November and classes will not be done until January than I will get a surgery date. I think I would have postponed the surgery too. I'm still shock of reading your post.

Hi, VSG friends!! I know this question has been asked a million times but every one of us has different circumstances! So, here I go, and I apologize for this being kinda long to begin with! My name is Dana and I've been married 12 years to my wonderful hubby! We have 2 gorgeous girls (ages 9 & 6) who I homeschool! We've been trying to have one more baby over the last 5 years, but have been unsuccesful. I have PCOS and have been on fertility meds off and on and every time I take the meds, I gain 10 lbs. So, I started out 5 years ago weighing about 225 lbs and I now weigh 288 lbs. We've decided to leave the fertility drugs alone forever, choosing VSG instead and if we have another baby when I get healthy, we'll be overjoyed.....if I don't get pg, we'll count our blessings and move on! I had a friend ask me the other day if we were still trying to get pg. I paused before I answered her because I just didn't want to tell her about WLS!! So, I told her we weren't trying anymore, but I was going to see a dietician in January (not a lie, I am to meet my pre-op requirements!) and see if I can get some help losing weight. Ok, I don't mind telling people I'm having WLS AFTER I've already had it. It's the before part! My hubby is chairman of our church's deacon body and although our church is loving and supportive, I will be the FIRST person to have VSG or gastric bypass in our whole church, not to mention as a person who holds several leadership positions. I'm not at all sure of what reaction I'm going to get. I KNOW a few people would try to talk me out of it and tell me I just need to pray for more self-control....just a few, but I'd really rather avoid any negativity altogether! Do you agree?? If you were me, would you wait until after to tell? The other issue I have is when to tell our parents. With my in-laws, I'm not worried about them being unsupportive necessarily. They won't be thrilled, but I don't think they'd discourage me. It's more that my MIL worries and when she worries she gets horrible migraines! With my parents, it's a bit stickier. I don't have a good relationship with my parents right now. My mom tried to committ suicide for the second time a year ago and it was then that I finally realized that we've had a co-dependent relationship my whole life. I started setting healthy boundaries, my parents didn't like it, so we only see them on holidays/birthdays now. Their choice, not mine, but I decided a year ago that I would be healthy mentally and this year decided that my body needed to reflect the new health on my insides!! Anyway, what would you do? I was thinking about calling and telling both sets of parents the night before my surgery. I think they'd all be upset if we told them after the fact!! I'm having my sleep study done on January 5th, my diet consult and psych eval on January 12th, then we submit everything to my insurance company and I should have a surgery date in February! I'm so excited and feel so blessed that I have a hubby that is so incredibly supportive. I can't hardly wait to start my new life!!! Thank you to those of you who made it through all that!!

I went to the initial seminar in October and had my first doctor visit at the end of November (it was rescheduled due to a snow storm). I got the list of pre-op requirements that I had to complete at that visit and that included blood work, EKG, chest X-ray, and psych eval as well as attend a support group and a pre-op education session on exercise. I finished all this by January 14 and the only reason it took that long was because the holidays delayed things at some offices. My info was sent to my insurance company about two weeks later and was approved in one day. I then got my date, which is March 18. So, the total time was about 5 months, but it really could have been sooner, I just wasn't in a huge hurry. I used that time to do my research and make sure this was something I really wanted to do.

Welcome to the site Brian. It's awesome that you and you're wife are going through this together and I wish you both lots of success. I myself should be getting banded in November, due to a 6 month insurance diet. I am excited too and of course scared some. All surgeries are scary. I wish you luck on your journey and again welcome to LBT.

I should have been more specific. My question is for gastric bypass forum. I am particularly interested in hearing if things improve and when I might be able to expect that. My last episode with being stuck (this morning) happened after I ate 1/4 cup of flaky tilapia in a thin sauce. I used a baby spoon and chewed every bit at least 30 times. Directions are being followed. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I had rny bypass surgery a year and a half ago and I had a couple questions. First - other than the sutures in the small bowel and proximal stomach is there any reason I would have had actual surgical clips left in me - and not been told about it? Second I just had to have a ct scan done with contrast and my proximal stomach shows as highly prominent and measuring 9.6 x 6 cm. the er doctor at first thought this might be normal from a recent surgery but my surgery is far from recent so they weren't sure what to think...

Lisa, I just sent a FB friend request. After orientation, most of you questions will be answered. You have 4 nutrition classes, 2 exercise classes and 3-4 behavior classes. I did not have to have an endoscopy before surgery. They had me do a 2 week Optifast diet. I decided to do 5 weeks to have a bigger weight loss before surgery. It was also 1/6 when I started and I wanted to have a weight loss New Years resolution . I chose sleeve after talking extensively to the surgeon. I do not crave sweets and I do not have reflux. Those were the two big things about sleeve vs bypass.

Hello!! I am new to this page, I just joined today. I have so many questions about lapband and what to do, I do not know where to start. How many of you have had it and love it? Hate it? How well did it work? How long ago was it? I am 29, I will be 30 in November, and I do not remember when I weighed less then 200lbs. I need to do something and I want to do it. But I am nervous. Can anyone give me some advice?

Hi I'm 23 post op gastric bypass and looking for a bypass buddy. Having trouble keeping foods down. Help! 23 days that is

I'm pretty lucky because I work for a HCA hospital and have Cigna. Everyone I know here who had had either sleeve or bypass have all been approved. Maybe they figure it's cheaper for them in the long run.

I was approved for surgery on October 15th and I had my surgery on November 11. I did pre-op lab work on November 7, which consisted of an ekg, blood and urine tests, and a chest x-ray. I had completed several other lab test requirements prior to insurance approval. My insurance is Blue Shield/Hills Physcians.

OK, that's alot of info you are requesting...plus everyone's journey has been different. What I can tell you is that I started with a seminar last July, a meeting with the surgeon in August, several pre op visits...to the psychologist, the nutritionist, the cardiologist, blood work, etc. During the whole process, depending on your insurance carrier, you have to show anywhere from 3-6 months weight loss attempt under doctor's supervision. I also had to show proof of weight loss attempts over the year prior. Then if you are approved and you get a surgery date, you have to be on a mostly liquid diet for anywhere from a few days to about two weeks to shrink your liver. Then you are on all liquids for a week or more after surgery, then you graduate to very mushy foods, and then you start on regular foods. I was banded on January 14th so that give you an idea of how long the process took. Just a disclaimer though...I was supposed to have my surgery in late November but the hospital I was going to was shut down after Sandy and didn't open up again till January. So...figure unless you are self pay, that you will need at least 6 months from start to surgery. FYI, this was the best thing I could have done for myself. I've dropped 41 lbs. and am feeling fine and adapting to eating a fraction of what I used to eat. Good luck on your journey. I

@@Djmohr -- What you said really helped solidify the decision to follow through with my surgery. I was struggling with this decision, and my doctor told me my insurance will only pay for lap-band or RNY & like you, I was devastated thinking about how extreme bypass seems. However, like you said.. if I am going to do this, I only want to do it once. Thank you for your input!

Day 2 home 5 days from surgery. I did 2 laps around walking trail. No problem getting fluid in. Genepro protein what a lifesaver. 30 grams from one tablespoon and tasteless. But am bloated wasnt with band or sleeve. Pain is more but overall bypass is much easier then others. Not one moment of gerd

It just hit me that I have 12 more days of "normal" eating before my 2 week liquid diet and then surgery! I've been on a 1200 calorie diet since November so my eating habits have already changed drastically, but I'm feeling a bit freaked out right now! No more using food to fight boredom, make me feel better, or to celebrate with. My relationship with food will be forever changed in 12 days!! It's kind of like saying goodbye to an old (yet toxic) friendship. Anyone else sharing these same feelings?

First I like to congratulate you on your choice to be healthy, the above comments are true, but you can also research both on line on buy both the sleeve book and gastric bypass book they both are great I bought both. I had the choice yo get either one but my husband reminded me about all of the tums I pop from early ulcer so it was recommended. For me to get the bypass because the sleeves makes ulcers worse . Good luck .