thinagainandforever

I have had the worst week.. I drove 5 hours from Memphis last Tuesday to get a fill at the Fill Center USA in IL. Denise the Nurse Practitioner added 1 ml to my band at 4pm. By 6pm I was vomiting non stop and could not hold down any fluids or saliva. I called the local ER at 1am and they did not have anybody on staff who could unfill a lap band so I went back to the Clinic at 8am. The Nurse Practitioner took.7ml out. I still felt severly nauseated and had increased saliva that if I swollowed made me vomit. I was given a shot of Phenergan and a pill for my Gastrointestional distress. After about an hour I started to fell a bit better and held down a few sips of water so I began my five hour drive back to Memphis. Before I left The NP told me she was leaving town after lunch that day. To my horror uring the drive home I was so nauseated and could not even tolerate a small sip of water so I called back to the Fill Center. The clinic called me in a RX for Phenergan rectal suppositories and was told that it would be better in a few days...

I called the OCC and was told by Dr So to go to the ER and that I need to be unfilled ASAP. I went to the ER and I was admitted to the hospital for nausea, vomitiong and dehydration. My potasium level was very low and I recieved IV's with potassium and Zofran IV for the nausea. The ER Physician was unable to locate a doctor who would agree to unfill my lap band during that night. The Fill's Centers option was to repay the total price to go to another fill Center in Alabama to get unfilled. I was upset because it said that they will follow you for 72 hours after a fill and they did not provide that service. My ER doctor was able to find a Bariactric Surgeon in Memphis to agree to see me for $290 as a medical courtesy Thursday at 10am I had 4cc's removed from my lap band. I continued to be nauseated and unable to drink so on Friday morning I was unfilled totall. I am waiting for an Upper GI tomorrow to see if my band has slipped. I am still very nauseated and have not had solid food since last Tuesday. At least I am able to keep down fluids. Dr So has been wonderful talking to me by phone but I wish I was able to find a doctor close to Memphis to get fills and aftercare. All the ones here will not even TOUCH a patient who has been banded in Mexico.

It is all so frustrating.

Sherri, I am so sorry you are going through such problems. I hope it gets better from here.

Lisa

Hello Sleevester,

Guess what? I might be your sleeve friend, I'm also scheduled for Nov.1 .

Here is my story : I started by looking for a lapband procedure and after reading great feedback anywhere on the OCC place I decided I will go with dr. Ortiz. I'm from Toronto, Canada and wanted to have my aftercare (fills and everything) here in Toronto . To my surprize none of the clinics here want to do fills for patients that did the surgery in Mexico, or they ask some ridiculous price ($10,000.00) so as to discurage you to do the surgery in Mexico, because of the price difference .

That's why i start looking into getting a Gastric Sleeve Plication instead of the Lapband.

Then i read some posts on other forums and there were a lot of positive feedback, like with everything else , there some complications for some people and I got a bit scared , so I went back to the ideea of a lapband.

I start looking again for aftercare (fills centres) in other cities in Canada and found one in Montreal and one in Ottawa .

Both these cities are 4 and 6 hours drive from Toronto and depending how many times you have to do the fills/defills and can became a bit of a pain in the butt. So now i'mthinking again about the Sleeve Plication.

Here I am , a week away from surgery and I have not made up my mind...I'm asking for guidance but still continue to do research.

So now you see why i'm saying I might be your sleeve friend on Nov.1 .

Where are you from ?

Hello peaceandlove,

I had the sleeve (no plication) with Dr. Ortiz this past July. Like you, I started off thinking about the lapband, but after hours and hours of research, I determined that there were too many complications with the band and a significant number of people had to get them removed after a couple of years. The idea of continual fills and unfills was also a turn-off as were the many side effects I saw posted on this and other WLS forums. I am thoroughly pleased with my decision. I had one surgery that had immediate impact and have lost most of the weight I needed to lose within 3 months (46 out of about 60 pounds). While I have had to learn to eat slower, chew more, and listen to my body more than my mind to determine how much to eat, the adjustment has been fairly smooth. I have no foods that I'm unable to tolerate and am easily able to go to restaurants, parties, etc. I was not at all concerned about the fact that the surgery was not reversible; years ago, I maintained a very low weight by eating just enough to get the necessary nutrients - with this surgery, I will have no problem doing that for the rest of my life. With the sleeve from Dr. Ortiz, I am now thin again and will be able to stay that way forever.

Lisa

I had the sleeve done 3 months ago. When I started on solid foods, I had to sort of ease into them. Start with fairly soft or mushy foods. Even now, my morning and daytime meals are semi-soft - oatmeal for breakfast, high protein yogurt or tuna fish for lunch. It also takes a while to be able to eat more. In the beginning of my solid foods, a couple of bites of salmon or chicken would be enough; I can definitely eat more now. Drinking too soon after eating solid food is a major problem and seems to almost always result in sliming -- not fun. Which is one of the reasons I stick with soft or mushy during the day. Three months out, there do not seem to be any foods I can't eat (although I haven't tried mac 'n cheese). But going in to solid foods really is a process. And eating after the surgery is definitely a learning process.

Thank you for all the tips, sounds like I should not worry about bringing anything from home.

I am getting a little anxious as I have not found anyone on any forum having surgery on my date, it would be nice to have a sleeve friend. OF COURSE I have many sleeve friends here on the forum and it is a great comfort.

Again thank you all for the above advice.

call Lori to find out if there will be other people there getting the sleeve at the same time as you. Chances are there might be because Dr.s Ortiz and Martinez are doing more and more sleeves.

They will also give you bottles of water. I took lots of crystal light individual packets to put in the water. I also took some shake powder packets but never really used them. I found out after the fact that I could have asked the hotel restaurant to put them in the blender. After you are off clear liquids, if you are still at the Marriott, their other soups are really good (just take the cheese out of the tomato soup or let it melt until it is liquid). Stay away from the Marriott's popsicles - they are vile. I took nothing but comfortable, loose fitting clothes - sweats and t-shirts.

I went by myself for the sleeve and had no problems. Good luck.

I am a little worried with protein as I am a bit lactose intolerant and most shakes are not friendly to my system.

Are there any alternatives anyone recommends? I have even thought about putting whey protein in soup?

Also I have read many no no foods for bands, but are there are there foods that anyone has found difficult to digest? Thank you again for any assistance, this forum and the users has been extremely helpful.

I too am a bit lactose intolerant. For the shakes, I used HMR which has a lactose free version. You can get them online. I think Medifast also may have a lactose-free version, but I prefer HMR. HMR also has a chicken soup variety that is delicious as a change of pace from the shakes.

I had the sleeve surgery about 2 and a half months ago and I have not found any foods that are a no-no. With denser foods, such as chicken, I just have to be sure to eat very slowly and chew thoroughly. I've eaten bread, sticky rice (with sushi), and other foods I've heard people with lap bands have difficulty with and I've had no problems.

I've had a bit of wine. I just make sure to drink it very slowly and before eating, not during. just be careful, because your tolerance is probably a lot lower.

Hi! I'm considering the sleeve and was wondering what the first month or so after the surgery was like. Also, since I work in remote areas of Alaska for months at a time, how much time I would need at home before I wouldn't really have to worry about complications. I don't have to go back to work until January (for crab season), but since I probably couldn't get everything in order for surgery for at least a month, I feel like I'm running out of time. Would 2 months of "learning the rules" be enough, do you think?

It has been 2 months since my sleeve surgery and I've definitely adjusted to this new way of eating. I just spent the past weekend away, eating all my meals in restaurants and did fine.

Hello Everyone my name is Ruth and I was Banded by Dr. Ortiz March 2008. I lost 55 pounds thus far and feel as if I'm stuck. Why do I say that? I say that because no matter what I do, I can't loose weight. At least not as fast as I think I should be. With this in mind, I've decided to go ahead with the Sleeve surgery. Like with any other surgery I'm nervous, anxious and scared. However very determined to overcome obesity.

I am 5'4" and currently at 215lbs. I have a bad back due to Disk Degenerative Disease and had a Spinal Fusion done in July 2009. The symptoms have subsided but due to the excessive weight I still experience pain. With all this being said, I have several questions for those who have had the sleeve surgery and those contemplating it.

How is your quality of life, now that you've had the sleeve?

How fast are you or did you loose the weight?

How much did you weigh prior to the sleeve surgery?

What are some of the reoccurring symptoms you are experiencing? ie: Gas, Constipation, Bloating, Mood-swings?

Has the surgery helped eliminate snoring?

Are the scars left behind from the surgery unsightly?

Have you experienced any hair loss?

What are some of the meals you eat that you've found to help you along the way?

Has anyone ever tried isopure plus protein drinks?

What liquid vitamins do you currently take? How do they taste? ie: B12, Calcium, Iron

Has anyone had Disk Degenerative Disease? Has this surgery alleviated the symptoms due to weight loss?

I have TONS of Concerns and Questions.

Thanks

Ruth

I had the sleeve surgery July 12. I am 5'4" but with a small build. I started at about 189 pounds and was at 178 at the time of surgery. I am now at 147, 2 months after surgery, for a total weight loss of over 40 pounds. I am thrilled with my progress and feel so much better - more energy, no out-of-breath when I walk up the stairs, and fewer back problems. I have no visible scars and have no problems with gas, bloating, mood-swings, etc. I have to be careful to eat slowly and chew a lot. If I eat too fast or a bit too much, there is considerable discomfort and occoasional "sliming" but it generally goes away in an hour or so. Eating has been a bit of a learning process of listening to my body instead of my mind. But there do not seem to be any forbidden foods -- just forbidden amounts. I take a multivitamin with iron, B12, and calcium, but they are all in pill form. When I was still on liquids, I'd break them up into little pieces. My typically daily diet is oatmneal for breakfast, yogurt or cottage cheese for lunch and mid-day snack, and fish or poultry for dinner. I occasionally snack on a couple of raw almonds or sugar-free popsicles/fudgesicles. I work out at least 3 times a week, often 4 or 5 times. All in all, this has been an extremely positive experience. I am already down to a weight where I feel good and look good in clothes, and the weight continues to come off.

I hope this answers many of your questions. Let me know if you have any others; I'd be glad to answer any that I can.

Lisa

What kind of diet regime were you on after surgery? How long before you were able to eat semi-solids. . . mashed potatoes, sugar-free puddings, etc.?

I was on liquids for 3 weeks - clear liquids for the first three days and then any liquid for the rest of the 3 weeks. I ate lots of really good soups. After the 3 weeks, I slowly introduced mushy food. Some of it agreed with me; some of it gave me problems (egg whites were a disaster). Since then, I've been in a learning process as to how much I can eat of different foods. I have to be sure to chew a lot and eat slowly. If I eat one bite too much solid food, I can have a lot of discomfort for a couple of hours afterwards, but nothing ever gets "stuck" nor comes back up. The hardest part for me is that I can't drink any liquids for at least an hour after eating solid foods - one sip can cause awful "sliming."

I'd be glad to anwser any other questions you have.

Lisa

Hi everyone,

I am booked for a sleeve after my band had to be removed and I gained ALL (110lbs) back.

I would love to know how people are doing a couple of months out.

Nicole

I had the sleeve surgery on July 12, so I am close to 2 months out. I have lost more than half of the weight I want to lose and feel great. Eating solid food is still a bit of a learning process. I am fine as long as I eat slowly, chew a lot, and listen to my body - not my mind - to tell me when I have had enough to eat. Although I have had a couple of plateaus in my weight loss, they haven't lasted for all that long and the weight seems to keep coming off. I think part of that is due to rigorous work-outs 4 or 5 times a week. The money I'm saving on buying less food is going to new clothes!

Whatever problems you may have had with the band are unlikely to occur with the sleeve. There is no issue with fills, ports, etc. Good luck and post to let everyone know how it goes.

I am scheduled for the sleeve on October 4th. Would like to hear from others who have gone through this procedure.

I'd be glad to share my experience with you. I had the sleeve surgery at the OCC on July 12. I went by myself but felt completely taken care of by the staff at OCC. I'd recommend the surgery to anyone that is committed to losing weight and keeping it off for the rest of their life. So far, I have lost about half of the 66 pounds that I needed to take off. Eating with the sleeve is a learning process, but I love that I'm not constantly hungry and my life doesn't revolve around food and eating.

I had sleeve surgery at OCC on July 12. I went by myself and had no problems. Pain afterwards was minimal. I'd definitely recommend it.

I find instant oatmeal to be great. I get the Quaker apples and cinnamon lower sugar brand. it is delicious and one of the few foods that didn't cause me any problems during my first week of mushies/solids.

I am just wondering how much a sleeve costs at the OCC?

One of the things to consider with a sleeve is that there are no additional costs for fills and things. I got my sleeve a litle over a month ago and am thrilled. It was well worth the cost...and over time, I'll probably make back the cost with lower food bills!

Hello Friends

I am mike john from USA

I am new to this forum...

thanks i did it .

i talked to carolyn and she scheduled me for 8/2 .

i have to get a loan passport and flight.

This is alot to do in such short amount of time.

Does anyone have suggestions on which prep diet worked best

Have a Nice Day.

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I did the protein shakes with vegetables and lean protein for one meal a day. I used HMR shakes which only have around 100 calories each, so I was allowed to do more than 2 shakes a day, which definitely helped. I also had lots of salad with 0-calorie dressing. The liquid shakes definitely helped get me ready for the 3 weeks of liquid I had to do for 3 weeks after the sleeve surgery. Best of luck.

After sleeve sugery almost 3 weeks ago, I'm scheduled to start on mushies on Monday. The guide says that I should start off with just a couple of tablespoons of mushies a day and to only have clear liquids, like water, Crystal Light, and popsicles in addition to those couple of tablespoons. I'm afraid I will be very hungry. Until I transition to larger amounts of mushy food, can I have more filling liquids such as soups and protein shakes? Or, should I try to eat larger amounts of mushy food if I'm hungry? Also, is this when I stop having any liquids until an hour or so after eating? Are any of the following considered mushies -- yogurt/frozen yogurt, jello, scrambled eggs, soft cheese?

I am on day 19 of liquids - only 2 days left until I can eat oatmeal. I have gotten through this by being somewhat creative. All kinds of soups - lobster bisque, roasted tomato and garlic soup, miso soup, etc. Also, melted frozen yogurt or soy ice cream. Yogurt drinks. You will get through it.

Thank you for letting me know that you're experiencing the same thing. I also posted on another forum - obesityhelp.com, which has lots of experienced "sleevers" and got similar responses. They said it changes a lot after solid food.

I am 2 and a half weeks post sleeve surgery. In the first week or so, I was easily filled up by just a couple of spoonfuls of soup or protein drink. I am now finding myself significantly hungrier and not necessarily full even after a thick protein shake. Is this normal? Will it be easier once I start on solid food? I'd love to hear about other people's experiences.

I can't eat red meat either. I gave it up years ago. However, poultry and fish/seafood are much "lighter" and easier to digest, yet still have loads of protein. Shrimp stick a little on the Foreman Grill but taste great. With tunafish or egg salad, maybe if you don't add lots of mayonnaise, they won't be slider foods. Instead of mayo, I add honey mustard to make tuna salad - it's delicious. Hope this helps.

Good for you for doing your research. I learned alot in my research and opted for the gastric sleeve instead of the lap band; it looked like it had fewer complications and didn't require fills. My surgery was on July 12 at OCC. So far, everything is going smoothly. At your age, the lap band might be more appropriate as it is reversible; the sleeve is not. You may also want to talk to Dr. Ortiz and the other staff members at OCC -- they are very knowledgable and willing to discuss all issues to help you make your decision. Good luck.

Twelve days after sleeve surgery, I am still on an all liquid diet. However, I wanted to do something to celebrate my birthday. We called all the local restaurants to see which had the best soup that wasn't filled with solids. Ended up at Ruth Chris with a delicious lobster bisque (any tiny pieces of lobster were given to my husband) and a couple of sips of wine. I'm glad I was able to do some sort of celebration even while confined to liquids.

How did you add the weight loss ticker to your site? I've looked but couldn't figure it out.

it looks like you figured it out. i like the tulips.

How did you know I was having a problem getting protein in? I found that whenever I tried to have one of the protein shakes, I was in pain after just a couple of ounces. It was just too thick and heavy. My solution was to add alot more water and to try to have them early in the day before I had much else in my system. Fortunately the HMR shakes that I have have 14 g of protein so 2 or 3 a day is all I need. I'm also trying to add to my protein with soy products such as miso soup (from Trader Joe's) and melted soy ice cream.

The yogurt sounds great but is probably not for me because of lactose intolerance. I think it will be a lot easier once I can have mushies and solid food. I can't wait to eat some grilled salmon