Is it as daunting as it sounds?

[HurricaneU 131]

Thanks I think I may research the balloon. My family suggests the lapband but i said absolutely not! I have never heard anything good about them.


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Have you of anyone having good results with the balloon? I read that it cost around 7k and most insurance will not cover it.

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[walklady 31]

I don't know anyone who has it. I am going to search the web and see what is on there about it. Will try to share my thoughts after I do.


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[NWJill 119]

It is hard to know from reading individual experiences what your experience will be. I can't relate to AnneElliot because I do not have the side effects she is dealing with. I have no acid reflux, I am easily able to get in my fluids and I don't spend hours and days eating, planing and tracking food because I created meal ideas and options before my surgery and now I just pick one of my pre-planned weeks and make it work. HurricaneU asked what I struggle with most at 6 weeks post op and for me it is not drinking when or within 30 min of eating. Sometimes it feels like food gets stuck and I need a sip of Fluid to wash it down and so I drink but then I get full and can't finish my food. Now here is another opinion as to why I picked sleeve surgery instead of others
1. I know 4 people who have had bypass and the dumping syndrome and complications from that have been awful. One person I know died due to complications, now that was 10 years ago and I hope we know more now but it is still scary stuff
2. I also know 2 people who had lap band and again infections and complications made that journey difficult. I have lymphedema and infection was a major risk factor on any choice I made, even the sleeve.

One major factor for me was feeling hungry, the sleeve helps with that I believe more than the other surgeries. I did not want a surgery that so dramatically altered my ability to absorb nutrients like bypass. My surgeon won't do any surgery except bypass or sleeve anymore due to complications and I trusted him. The reality is that this surgery is life altering and not something for anyone to take lightly. It can have complications that effect your life. You have to be ready to have a completely different relationship with food. I lost 80 pounds on my own pre-op and another 20 pounds since and I feel more in control since surgery. I don't crave the types or quantity of food I had before. At my two week post op my surgeon said i didn't have to go back on blood pressure meds, that is just one example of a major win and being worth it to me but each person has to decide why you are doing it and if it is worth the journey. Good luck


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[daisy63 36]

I am having trouble wrapping my brain around daily dieting and exercising after getting the sleeve. Is this a sign that I shouldn't do this? I went to my second appt with the nutritionist yesterday and had only lost a pound and a half. I did pretty well with eating and exercising but dang it is hard! I'm not as excited as I was a month or so ago. I'm not planning to get sleeved until this summer. Any advice?


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Honestly...I will be 4 weeks on Tues. and I wish I tried other ways first. I wish I did not do this...I am not in control..my sleeve is..and though I am 70 lbs down since I started in this journey 6 mos. Ago...so far it has NOT been worth the anguish. I think Dr.'s are waaay to eager to perform this surgery..telling us its our only hope. Don't fall for it until you have REALLY tried living this way.

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[pixiechick 4]

I'm 10 weeks post op, I have struggled with the Protein Powder and getting enough liquids. And I did try 100 diets and excersise. But your body gets stuck at a set point. Know that if you take this risk you may have complications or you may lose a lot of weight and feel healthy!! Doesn't mean you'll be happy that's a whole other issue and def connected with our relationship to food. Either way it's a personal decision, and good or bad never be ashamed of a decision to take a chance on life!!


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[walklady 31]

I researched the balloon a little today. I kinda like the idea of it but it is such a new concept that insurance doesn't cover it yet. I do think they offer some financing options like care credit and the like. The balloon is inserted and inflated during an endoscope and later removed the same way. The balloon takes up about 1/3 of the stomach but there is a dual one available as well. There is a liquid diet a few days before and after. The procedure only last about 20 minutes under local anesthesia. The first few days after procedure sound very rough such as gas, bloating and many people vomit for a couple of days but then it seems to get a lot better. It is suggested to take a week or two off work. It is removed 6 months later. During that 6 months while you are losing weight you are going to classes learning about nutrition and exercise.

Going to give it some thought and pray about all of it.


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[summerset 5,261]

23 hours ago, AnneElliot said:

When you research it. It's still not real. It's only real when you're in it and there's no going back.

I think this is an important thing to consider. You can research until you're blue in the face - the reality of it is still different.

You do your research about complications and how often they occur after surgery but you can never ever know if you will be the one suffering complications. And when you're suffering complications it doesn't matter a bit if there is only a 0.000001 likelihood to suffer from complication. You're the screwed one if you get that rare complication.

[FAT TWO FABULOUS 124]

AnneElliot,

Thank you so much for your honesty! I really appreciate it! All of the things that you mentioned have weighed heavily on my mind recently. I haven't read/heard that many people say anything negative except for that short time afterward when they regretted it but say that passed. I wonder if more people feel the way you do but are too embarrassed or whatever to admit it.

How long ago was your surgery?


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I am having trouble wrapping my brain around daily dieting and exercising after getting the sleeve. Is this a sign that I shouldn't do this? I went to my second appt with the nutritionist yesterday and had only lost a pound and a half. I did pretty well with eating and exercising but dang it is hard! I'm not as excited as I was a month or so ago. I'm not planning to get sleeved until this summer. Any advice?


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Yes! On this site I am the minority. But I deeply regret my decision to do this surgery.
Eating is a FULL TIME job. You eat so slowly and have to time when you drink! Its so unnatural. You still have to eat healthy and excersise!
You have to drink a lot of Water, getting dehydrated is so easy. We simply have no stomach to hold Water.
Acid reflux is a constant reality. This is painful and there's a high probability most ppl will have an issue with it. If not immediately but possibly at 3 or 6 yrs post op. I didn't do this surgery to be on medication for life!
This the only irreversible surgery. Even the gastric bypass can be reversed if your life is at risk.
I would say try another hundred diets before tearing away a vital organ. We don't know how our aging process will be impacted...what if we need a heavy use of NSAIDs or face stomach cancer?? That's just me and something I wish I did. It's all too late. I can see how irational to think I will be healthy by taking away 80% of my vital organ.

Furthermore! Isn't it so scary that regain happens to most ppl! I lost most of my stomach and I can still regain? That can only mean that our stomachs are not the problem! Think about other reversible procedures where you have restriction and can still learn the same healthy food habits we should learn anyway.

All the best

I don't Agree with anne

veronica

[summerset 5,261]

On 11.2.2017 at 8:43 PM, AnneElliot said:

I was thinking about why ppl suffer early on and then say it's the best thing ever. I think its because the human mind simply accepts it's new reality. There's also the shame associated with admitting that you made a irreversible mistake!

Might also be because recovery from surgery essentially sucks for many people. A lot of the "Oh, I so regret this"-people are only a few days(!!!) out. After a few months (or even only weeks) you begin to reap the benefits and you feel fine again.

[Clementine Sky 707]

For me it was helpful to view the post-op dietary instructions not as a diet, but as a prescription. Your stomach is healing and requires gentleness to avoid problems. I eventually cheated on virtually every diet I ever tried, but I made it through the entire post-op month without deviating from the plan at all. I actually continued with the restrictions for an additional two weeks when I discovered my stomach wasn't yet ready for solid foods. I definitely recommend introducing them slowly. Since fully healing I've continued to try to avoid viewing what I eat as a diet, and instead view it as lifestyle choices. For me, being too restrictive leads to me obsessing about whatever I've forbidden myself from, and then binging. So instead I never put anything entirely off-limits, but instead made unhealthier choices rarer and in smaller quantities than before. I also look for better alternatives to foods I crave. As an example, I love having carbs for weekend breakfasts, and so I bought Trader Joe's Belgian waffles which only have 13 carbs and are quite tasty.

As for exercising, I joined a gym but regret doing so because I don't utilize it enough. I live in Los Angeles where we have lovely weather the majority of the year, and I'm happier doing outdoor activities instead of working out in the gym. I bike to work, park far away in a lot or high up in a garage (and take the stairs), and go on hikes. It's far more enjoyable to me.

Good luck to you!