Trying to decide.

I am overweight and have been almost my entire life.  I go to the doctor on Monday for a Wellness Check up and I will be bringing up my weight, if he doesn't first!  I had considered the LapBand and had attended a seminar back in 2007.  I changed my mind, thinking I can do it all on my own.  Here I am 4.5 years later with a toddler and unable to lose all my pregnancy weight.

I hate the idea of cutting away the stomach but the Lap Band just seems to be risky long term.  I don't want to think about band erosion, slippage or not being able to swallow my own spit.  I would love the Lap Band but what if I needed a revision and the insurance denied it?

I am researching VSG now.  I don't know if this is something I could go with.  It seems to be more extreme than banding. 

So, can I get any advise, personal experiences and regrets?  Thank you!

 It is a decision you will have to make on your own but I am thrilled with my sleeve and think it was the best solution for me.  I've had zero trouble.  I heard of many with lapband problems.   Good luck on your weight loss journey.  It is a miracle to me how the surgery has changed my life for the better.

i love, love, love my sleeve.  had trouble initially drinking the protein shakes... they were too thick for me.  now i will occasionally drink the max protein powder from GNC made with skim milk... just like drinking skim milk, not thick at all.  

i had considered the RNY but glad i had the sleeve.  studies are showing better insulin control with maintining the lower sphincter of the stomach.  

will be six months out next thursday and i would do it all over again in a heartbeat, no regrets here!

do your homework, read and research all you can.  good luck!

BIG dee

Hi Dee

Could you please share with me the URLs of the studies you are reading? I'm preparing for a fight with my insurance company who will only let me have an RNY or a lap band. I want a sleeve.

I've been reading some bariatric websites, but need some good medical info.

thanks! Linda

Here are some links with suggested appeal letters with documented information for the sleeve.

http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/information/wlsjourney/insurance+trouble.php

http://thediaryofafatwoman.blogspot.com/2008/11/deny-deny-deny.html

http://vsgappeal.blogspot.com/2009/06/appeal-letter.html

Getting your surgeon to write a great appeal letter, and do a peer to peer review will help.

Check pubmed, and springerlink for VSG research articles.

Here are some I have bookmarked:

• LapSF Five Year Study – presentation (requires Windows to play)
• Literature review on the sleeve – requires $$ to get the full text unfortunately
• Sleeve best for over 50 crowd
• Video of a sleeve with lots of education discussion
• Video of a sleeve that is more about the operation
• Ghrelin levels after RnY and sleeve
• Ghrelin levels after band and sleeve
• Diabetes resolution in RnY vs. Sleeve
• Comparison of band to sleeve – literature review

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19081482

http://www.springerlink.com/content/?k=sleeve+gastrectomy&o=10

OMG I am about in tears here. Thank you SO much for this help!!! 

I am going to go to every single one of them, and pay the money if need be to get what I need!

I was just reading all these posts to my hsuband and he said 'do they know you?" and I said "not really, we are simply people helping each other!'.    

he was pretty amazed by that, but I knew you all would help me.  Thanks again so much!

You are very welcome. VSG was the absolutely #1 best decision I ever made for myself and my family. I wish you the very best, and if I can help at all, please feel free to shoot me a message.

I was originally going to go with the band as well UNTIL I met several people that were 100% compliant only to have serious issues. (they actually said their band tried to kill them!) They finally had it taken out and went to the sleeve. Hearing about all of the "revisions" made me decide to take the band option out of the mix. I've had enough failures and didn't need another.

I got sleeved almost 2 weeks ago and feel great. It's been almost too easy! And I don't have to worry about slippage, erosion, ulcers. It's the only wls I felt comfortable doing. And I don't regret it at ALL!

For me the band would be too high maintenance: fills and unfills and having to travel for them. No thanks. I never seriously considered the band or RNY. I did seriously consider the DS but decided the postop requirements were too much for me. Sleeve it was and it's been great.

Having surgery was a wonderful decision for me, and I am so happy to have had the VSG.  I feel so amazingly NORMAL except for a much smaller capacity and less hunger.  I am kind of doctor-averse, and I couldn't imagine the maintenance required for a band, even if were working correctly.  The sleeve is very low maintenance.

My gf asked me just the other day if I missed having my full-size tummy.  No, no, no!  I don't miss it for a minute.  It was not my friend!