Hey everyone!

I am new to this site...I have been a part of the RNY talk for about 4 months now and love it. Through this whole process I was positive I wanted the gastric bypass until I got to my appointment and my surgeon said she thought the sleeve was a better option for me bc I am so young there's no point in cutting my intestine. If anyone could give me any information or tell me ur success story would be awesome...I have to make a decision in the next few days and I feel like im going into this blind now because I don't know anything about the sleeve.

Hi jessicanelson89. Hope your week is going good. When I started looking into weight loss surgery, I was interested in the sleeve. But, due to the fact I'm on Medicare now, my surgery choices were limited to the lap band or RNY.

I didn't relish the idea of putting something foreign in my body (lap band) and then have to constantly return to the hospital to have a saline solution put into the band for adjustments.

I'm going for the RNY surgery on Tuesday, Aug. 14th., 2012. Just a few more days away and I'm really looking forward to it. Been on a no/low carb diet along with lots of liquids for the past two weeks.

When I initially began my weight loss journey back in January (2012), my initial weigh-in was 304-lbs. I'm currently at 277-lbs. One of the biggest reasons I'm pursuing the surgery is that my Type-II diabetes may be cured (so I've been told). I'm keeping my hopes up, but won't be totally disappointed if that doesn't happen, but perhaps the medications will be far less.

Anyway, please stay in touch and keep posting your progress/journey.

Woo Hoo!

You are the luckiest person in the WORLD! You know why? You have an intelligent surgeon who is looking out for your best interests.

You don't have to have your intestines re-routed and take on all the risks of RNY to have successful WLS. I have a cousin who had RNY 3 years ago and he has so many issues. Yes, he lost a ton of weight, but you know what is funny ... we both started at around 10 pounds of each other ... he now weighs 30 pounds more than I do. I am a couple inches taller than him.

My weight stats are in my signature, so I won't go into that, but the sleeve is a great option. I am 13 months out and there is nothing I can't eat. Ask the same question of a group of RNY'ers.

I would recommend the sleeve. Doctors are offering it more now because insurance companies have caught on to the high success rate it has, and are now covering the procedure. FYI I was told that if you are not happy with the sleeve you could have it revised to RNY, although this choice is very rare. BTW I am 11 days post op and love my sleeve so far. Good luck to you.

Go with the sleeve.. that's my opinion. I am 2 months out and I have been very successful so far with mine and very happy. My primary Dr suggested it over the RNY because he said he sees a lot of RNY patients that regain weight where he doesn't see that as much with the sleeve.

Sdb1147- thank you for sharing and I wish you the best and hopefully it does cure your diabetes! I actually have a lady in my support group that is local to me that had her diabetes cured by having RNY. That was another main reason my surgeon said to go with sleeve instead of rny. Goodluck to you!

Thanks everyone for the advice and sharing your thoughts and stories, it means alot to me. I guess im just so lost feeling now that she brought up the sleeve and I've tried to do research on the internet but you never know what you can believe on there. When I first started this journey I was told by a dietician that ran the informational session that the sleeve was for very large people that were 400 or more pounds...so for me it was not an option. My surgeon actually rolled her eyes when I told her that and was mad that the weight management center is telling people that. I feel like I absolutely need this surgery but im scared...im so young and I feel like not a lot of people my age are doing this and its scary. Can someone answer a few questions for me maybe? Can you take excedrin migraine when you have sleeve done? Bc I know with rny u can't and I have horrible migraines. Also, what is the average amount of weight loss per week? Do you absorb nutrients with the sleeve ..like with the rny you don't absorb very much. Last question....can someone tell me what the surgery process is like? And how painful is it? For the women out there that have had a csection...is it that painful? Because alot of people I've talked to said its as bad as having a csection and let me tell ya...I thought I was gunna die after my csection lol. But....I don't tolerate pain very well. Sorry im asking so many questions...im just super crammed for time to make a decision. Thanks so much again!

Re: the pain aspect and comparing to a C-sec, I've had 3 C-secs. My sleeve surgery was nothing compared to my C-sec's. I'm 10 days post op, feeling great, and other than wanting solid food, no complaints. I went home the day after my surgery, some discomfort, but more tired than anything. You can't tell that I've just had major surgery though. The sleeve is so much better. Good Luck and God Bless!

hello, well honestly the first week i regretted ever getting surgey, i was not in alot of pain but very uncomfortable and frustrated. i am 16days postop and feeling better daily. as for migraines i have chronic ones meds daily and i can still take them all. still have some thoughts of why surgery but on the positive i have lost 40# the more i walk the better i feel. and i am beginnibg to see the up side of all this. so be prepared it is an emotional rollercoaster but it really gets better daily.

Yes, you can take any meds as directed by your medical team. Early out, you may be restricted, but after a couple months, they will clear you.

As far as average weight loss per week, that is a highly individual thing. So many factors. Gender, starting weight, muscle mass, activity level ... on and on. My monthly weigh-ins are in my signature, but I would suggest not trying to compare to others. This is true of RNY, as well. You can still sit on the couch all day long with a tub of ice cream with the sleeve, so ...

I did outpatient. In at 7:00 AM, back at my hotel around noon. Had pain meds (flavored liquid loritab). That was on Friday and I was back to work on Wednesday. Worked until 2:00 and headed home for a nap. Did that Thursday and Friday and full time on Monday. But this, too, is highly individual. Overall, pain wasn't too bad. Do a search on the site for csection. There are hundreds of threads discussing the similarities/differences.

Keep asking questions, search/read the site and check out the process.

Thanks a bunch everyone! Pdxman...just letting u know that ur stuff isn't showing up in ur signature lol... but anyways thanks for the advice and info. It feels good to be getting so much support. I can always use more friends to talk to lol....mine are all super skinny and hot and don't understand what im going through...but definitely are supportive of w.e my decision is.

*Jess*

As far as the sleeve being for high BMI patients. That is an old philosophy. The sleeve originally started as a precursor to RNY. They would take a patient that had BMI too high to safely perform an RNY and give them a sleeve to start the process, then later convert the sleeve to an RNY after their BMI came down. However the sleeve by itself has been so successful that many people never went through with the final step. In the last few years the sleeve has been increasing in popularity and is quickly becoming the WLS of choice due it's effectiveness & dramatically lower risk of complications

Now with all that being said, this is NOT the magic surgery that will fix it all for you. It is gonna require that you are ready for a new lifestyle. If you are not ready for permanent change, don't do it. You will hate it. This goes for any WLS.

If you are ready and understand the commitment this takes to work, I say go for it. I <3 my sleeve.

Jessica, are you viewing this with a mobile device or with a web browser? I believe signatures only show if you are viewing from a web browser. I'll copy and paste my signature here:

Check out my blog!

Sleeved: 07/08/2011 Dr. Thomas Umbach, Las Vegas (Baby!)

07/20/2012 - 178.0

05/20/2012 - 178.0 --- 06/20/2012 - 182.0

03/20/2012 - 183.0 --- 04/20/2012 - 180.0

01/20/2012 - 192.0 --- 02/20/2012 - 184.5

11/20/2011 - 197.0 --- 12/20/2011 - 191.5

09/20/2011 - 211.0 --- 10/20/2011 - 205.0

07/25/2011 - 248.0 --- 08/22/2011 - 226.5

07/08/2011 - 274.5 - Surgery Date

06/24/2011 - 285.0 - Start Pre-Op Diet

03/15/2011 - 295.0 - Pondering WLS

And listen to OTR in previous post. His words are wise and to be heeded.

I had the choice too between bypass and sleeve I decided the sleeve and it turns out my doc said I made the right choice due to other medical issues like ibs and the fact I already was on a lot of vitamins as I have a very hard time absorbing them naturally from the ibs.

If I picked bypass I would have had major major issues with that.

I didn’t like the idea of moving intestines anyway the only appealing side to bypass is it being reversible if needs be and you only reveres it because of what it does if you can’t absorb enough and end up getting sick and under weight they have to reverse it.

Here in the uk this is how they are ranked smallest people do lapband sleeve is second on the scale then its bypass then it’s the duo switch thing the 2 stage wls.

A lot of hospitals will push for the bypass because (and I was told this by a female doctor in my deciding stages) they don’t want to have to redo the op for bands or sleevers in a couple of years time because some people don’t change their eating habits and get big again.

So they go for bypass because of the mal absorption thing and dumping that makes you sick if you try and eat bad stuff.

It’s a tough decision and only you can decide what you want for you I knew from the get go I did not want the bypass at all may hair was already falling out I was already on vitamins I was already puking and having issues eating food I didn’t want to triple the effect with that surgery but that was my personal choice for what fit me.

I did look them both up just incase but this was better for me.

On my surgery day there was a woman being changed form the bypass to the sleeve she actually started as lapband then had bypass and that day was being sleeved as none of them worked I know why but that’s her personal medical issues so I wont post it.

There is a lot of medical jargon on all of them doctors who would rather do one over the other will tell you negative things on one and positive things on the other they try and sway you.

You really just need to sit and think how you want to be after, yes we take vitamins but its not as many as bypass we both have small stomachs after but they work differently.

I think you need to read around on both forums the good stories the bad the issues people have and see what you feel would work for you or what you could cope with if it comes down to it.

Either side who had positive results and easier times will say theirs is better so have it, its your choice for you.

Good luck!

you can take any meds as directed

Jessica

the gastic bypass changes absorption-

the sleeve has no absorption problems

that is one of the many reason I chose the sleeve

this is the sleeve board, so we're all biased, but the sleeve is the way to go - really

hope you make the wise chose of the sleeve, you won't regret it

good luck

kathy

Thanks everyone for the advice and sharing your thoughts and stories' date=' it means alot to me. I guess im just so lost feeling now that she brought up the sleeve and I've tried to do research on the internet but you never know what you can believe on there. When I first started this journey I was told by a dietician that ran the informational session that the sleeve was for very large people that were 400 or more pounds...so for me it was not an option. My surgeon actually rolled her eyes when I told her that and was mad that the weight management center is telling people that. I feel like I absolutely need this surgery but im scared...im so young and I feel like not a lot of people my age are doing this and its scary. Can someone answer a few questions for me maybe? Can you take excedrin migraine when you have sleeve done? Bc I know with rny u can't and I have horrible migraines. Also, what is the average amount of weight loss per week? Do you absorb nutrients with the sleeve ..like with the rny you don't absorb very much. Last question....can someone tell me what the surgery process is like? And how painful is it? For the women out there that have had a csection...is it that painful? Because alot of people I've talked to said its as bad as having a csection and let me tell ya...I thought I was gunna die after my csection lol. But....I don't tolerate pain very well. Sorry im asking so many questions...im just super crammed for time to make a decision. Thanks so much again![/quote']

Never such thing as arming yourself with too much information! You just have to wade through and see what applies to you. I have had three c-sections and for me the sleeve isn't in the same ballpark pain wise. There is pain, don't get me wrong, you just are not cut from stem to stern! I went to a seminar that covered all three surgeries with the intention of having the band. At the seminar I changed my mind to the sleeve immediately. RNY was never an option for me as I didn't like the long term malnutition. The band proved to be far more unreliable than I had heard and I didn't like the posibility of having to remove it at some point. Good luck to you!