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Oh great, 2 weeks until my VSG surgery & NOW my band decides to start working?



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I had my lap band surgery October 2009 and IMMEDIATELY knew it wasn't going to work. I mean, I still had my whole stomach and all of the issues that come with that. I wonder also why they decided to place the band so high up on the stomach - it really should be placed 1/3 of the way down.

Anyway, I lost about 30 lbs the first 3 months and then slowly gained it all back. My body has been stuck on 232 for 10 years, no matter how little or how much I eat. My Dr. said maybe that's just where my body is comfortable.

I will say the band did 2 positive things for me: (1) it eliminated my heartburn/reflux issues, and (2) it probably has kept me from gaining a lot more weight.

I have felt tightness and other unpleasant feelings from time to time, but in the last couple of weeks, I actually think it is doing what it should have been doing all along. I am feeling "full" and also I am STOPPING my eating (rarity for me, cuz I try to "beat" it if I really want something). Is this a cruel mind/body game??? I scheduled my VSG surgery for April 2 (self pay AGAIN). Maybe something else is happening that is making me full - but my upper GI looked fine. Haven't had a fill in 2 years and have no idea where we left off at the last one (maybe between 3-5 cc's??).

I have TONS of doubts about the VSG surgery. I am 45 and wonder the effects down the road, when I'm older. I wish I could commit to a healthier lifestyle and one that would lead me to a better place than having to go through another major surgery!! I would say that I'm at about a 60% comfort level on having this surgery. I've read the numerous posts here and obviously there are many happy, successful, skinnier people - I'm sooooo afraid of another failure.

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the vsg is the BEST thing I have ever done for myself. I have maintained a 90 pound loss for more than a year now. I am 20 months out. I think you will be so happy. Most of us sleeved folk are! Ditch that band and join our club. :-)

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I wonder if its just nerves or anxiety??

I've never had the band. But I know when I'm

Anxious about something coming up my sleeve gets "tighter" and eating is hard..

Just a thought.

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I had a revision and I'm soooo happy with the sleeve. It's nothing

Iike the band and all it's maintenance .. Not to mention the horrid complications.

If you're having serious issues with your band that you feel are damaging you need to call your dr and ask to move your date up. At the very least get the band out.

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The sleeve won't fail.....................you will fail the sleeve.

It is a big committment but also very rewarding, much more than the band for me ever was. I reached my goal weight in 6 months less a day.

If you are truly ready for it; jump in and don't look back because it will be the best decision you will ever make.

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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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