Giving the gastric sleeve some serious consideration

[Vikingsfan8178 62]

Hi all,

I guess I am at the beginning of this whole journey. My initial thought was to go with the Lap Band procedure. I guess I just considered it "safer" and "reversible (if a medical need came up and it had to come out." Additionally, my father had this procedure done at age 60 and lost about 100 pounds with very few complications, if any.

After meeting with the staff psychologist ( I meet with the surgeon on Wednesday), she advised me to read up on the Sleeve. I have to admit, after careful reading, I do like the fact that the procedure seems to have a similar surgical risk profile and I like the idea that I will not have an implantable device in me.

Besides some of the issues like a staple line leak, I guess the biggest thing that freaks me out is that they would be removing 80% of your stomach. That just sounds extreme if you say that out loud doesn't it?

What are the ramifications of only having 15 to 20% of your stomach remaining, especially if you are 36 and hope to be around for 30 to 40 more years?

'

[Bufflehead 6,358]

I was super morbidly obese, extreme sounded like the way I needed to go.

If you hope to be around for the next 30-40 years, the best thing you can do for your health is to be a normal weight. Your odds of getting there as an obese person are pretty small.

My stomach functions just like it used to, there's just less room down there. I need to be careful to get adequate nutrition and Vitamins in, but there is no reason I shouldn't live a long and healthy life.

[Vikingsfan8178 62]

One of the first things I said to my primary care physician when he suggested that I look into WLS was "I am unsure of the long term effects." His response hit home with me: "It is true that we do not have long term data for some of these procedures but we do have long term data on the consequences of being obese, having family history of early heart disease, high cholesterol, etc. and the results are not ideal."

Talk about hitting home, his statement made perfect sense. Also, after 15 years of "planning to lose weight," I am pretty sure that I will never get to an ideal weight without a tool to help me.

At this point, I am pretty sure that I will either go for the Band or the VSG. I am just struggling trying to determine which is the best for me at this point in my life.

[Elode 8,093]

@@Vikingsfan8178 I love my sleeve!! I guess I looked at it as "what would be the ramifications if I didn't " I would have just continued to get bigger, have Health issues and probably die a earlier death. I don't think about the percentage They took out I look at my results and how much better I feel. I didn't need all that stomach, it was Only giving me more room to gain more weight. I actually wanted a picture of the ugly sake that caused me so much Grief by never feeling full! I love my "rebirth". My old stomach was big and large like me, my new stomach is thin and long like I plan on being! Good luck on making your decision!

Edited January 5, 2015 by Elode

[RedSalamander 148]

I am still pre-op so I can only talk to you about my experiences thus far. But we're around the same age, and I qualify for the surgery only because I have a co-morbidity (sleep apnea). I am active and healthy, and for the MOST part, not held back by my weight. BUT, I am held back. And all my weight loss attempts have failed. And I want to be that lithe runner again, I want the outside to match the inside.

I grappled for a long time, and I researched surgery for years and years. The last time I did, the sleeve wasn't being done where I live. So it wasn't even a consideration for me, although I liked the sound of it. I dismissed it and tried to lose weight on my own. Again.

What changed it all for me was when my friend, who is a physician and a research junkie (me too!) was sleeved. (He's 2 years out now and doing fabulously!) Still, it was another year before I pursued it for myself. But now, here I am, getting ready for surgery in a little over a week. I'm not worried about the small stomach--the digestive system will still function normally.

Hope that's helpful...even if it is just part of my decision-making process. And for the record, I plan to be around for another 60 years, at least.

[alwaysvegas 702]

After being sleeved, I'm now completely aware of how many calories my body needs to run smoothly and it's much less than I used to think. The sleeve is my best friend!

Having been borderline diabetic, severe sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol pre-sleeve...I wouldn't have had a future without the sleeve, so I can't say that any long-term effects were a big worry for me.

It's easy enough to get all the nutrition I require. I'll never worry that I can't over-indulge. Over-indulging for me now is eating 5oz and it's wonderful! I feel absolutely full and satisfied!

Best of luck whatever you decide!

[livvsmum 2,370]

I am around the same age (35) and had the sleeve 16 months ago. I have not regretted it for one single minute. You can read more about my journey in my blog (linked in my signature) if you want the details, which I'll spare you here. But I think it really added decades onto my life. It was the single best thing I have ever done for myself and my family. Good luck on your journey and in your decision making!

[Vikingsfan8178 62]

I am around the same age (35) and had the sleeve 16 months ago. I have not regretted it for one single minute. You can read more about my journey in my blog (linked in my signature) if you want the details, which I'll spare you here. But I think it really added decades onto my life. It was the single best thing I have ever done for myself and my family. Good luck on your journey and in your decision making!

thank you -- i will be checking out your blog during my lunch break today.

[Vikingsfan8178 62]

I am around the same age (35) and had the sleeve 16 months ago. I have not regretted it for one single minute. You can read more about my journey in my blog (linked in my signature) if you want the details, which I'll spare you here. But I think it really added decades onto my life. It was the single best thing I have ever done for myself and my family. Good luck on your journey and in your decision making!

thanks for the blog link. It was a good read during my lunch break today. Best wishes to you for continued success.

Edited January 6, 2015 by Vikingsfan8178