Received an email message letting me know that my surgeon has changed to using a different hospital. I've heard reviews from people who have been to the hospital and I'm not concerned at all about the change.
For those who want to know more about my surgeon, here is his website: http://www.wlsclinic.com/surgical-team/surgeons/ricardo-ramos-kelly/
And here is a youtube video showing a tour of the hospital...Hospital Nova:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_Jrcv4pVYQ
For those that have asked I do have to do a 2 week preop diet in order to shrink the liver and make the surgery safer. This is what my pre-op diet looks like:
Days 1-7
Choose low fat foods/avoid fried foods.
Stop using all sugar (can use substitutes).
Stop drinking sugar sweetened beverages.
Start weaning off caffeine and carbonated beverages.
Eat 3 meals a day. Do not skip any.
Decease portion sizes. Eat more fruits and vegs.
Practice drinking water between meals, not with meals.
Drink 64 oz water a day.
Avoid alcohol.
Begin some form of exercise.
Practice chewing foods 20-40 times to paste consistency.
Avoid salt intake to reduce swelling after surgery.
Days 8-14 Full Liquid Diet
Diet will consist of high protein supplements that are low carb.
(I assume they are talking protein drinks here.)
Low fat fruit juice, chicken broth, cream soups, skim milk and yogurt are allowed.
Calorie intake limited to 1000-1200 a day.
Drink 48-64 oz of water each day.
Solid foods are NOT allowed.
Don't have that much longer before I start the preop diet. Getting in those last lunches and happy hours. :) Also need to go finalize my Will...just in case. Time is flying by.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Traveling as a Fat Person Sucks
Sorry I've been MIA but I went out of town to a family reunion. Thus my subject for today.
We are waiting to board the plane and my son (12) asks if we are sitting together. We fly Southwest where there are no assigned seats. So I told him I didn't know for sure and asked him why. He said he didn't want to sit next to me. I asked why and he said, "because you take up all of your seat and half of mine". OUCH. Ok, I really do NOT take up half of his...but I do like to lift up the armrest between us so I'm not painfully squished and then I probably take up an inch or so of his space.
But the plane was full and I had to sit in a row with two strangers. No lifting of the arm. Uncomfortably squished. Leaning away from the guy in the middle as much as possible so I wasn't in his space (especially after son's comment). By the time I got off the plane my back was killing me.
Then we drive to the motel...and find out they assigned us a 2nd floor room. This is an old motel so it meant stairs. And steep stairs. I had to take the steps one at a time and felt like an old lady with my painful knees. By the second night I couldn't sleep because my knees and hips were hurting so bad. Even enough Bengay to make the room smell like a geriatric ward didn't ease the pain. So I stayed up all night and finally passed out the next day...and slept through the whole days activities.
Then we visited an old friend whom I hadn't seen in over 20 years. We all took a tour of a WWII submarine. I almost didn't go down at all because I was afraid I wouldn't fit. I've been on an aircraft carrier as a child and remember how tight it was. My friend assured me I would be fine and I wanted pics of my kids so I went. There were a couple tight areas...and lifting my legs high enough to get through the "doors" was a chore. I opted not to go into the tightest areas but was able to do most of the sub and get some good pics of my boys. Am happy I went.
The trip home was better as we all were able to sit together. Lifted the armrest and used sons tray table for my drink.
All through the trip I kept telling myself that this will be the LAST time I will EVER travel and be this uncomfortable. I don't care how scared I may be in regards to surgery...the way I'm living right now isn't quality of life. I can't just go on a simple trip (let alone an adventure trip) without pain and discomfort. These are the reasons I need to do this surgery. I wish I didn't need to. I still sometimes think, "maybe I should just do Weight Watchers again" - but then I remind myself if I COULD have done it in the past I WOULD have done it in the past. It didn't work for me. Even if I could lose the weight...I couldn't maintain the weight and every time I ended up heavier and heavier.
Less than 2 weeks still I start my pre-op diet. I am trying to squeeze in all those happy hour and dinner's with friends that I can. Won't be able to do them again for awhile. Eventually I will be able to...just much less food. Stay tuned for more updates!
We are waiting to board the plane and my son (12) asks if we are sitting together. We fly Southwest where there are no assigned seats. So I told him I didn't know for sure and asked him why. He said he didn't want to sit next to me. I asked why and he said, "because you take up all of your seat and half of mine". OUCH. Ok, I really do NOT take up half of his...but I do like to lift up the armrest between us so I'm not painfully squished and then I probably take up an inch or so of his space.
But the plane was full and I had to sit in a row with two strangers. No lifting of the arm. Uncomfortably squished. Leaning away from the guy in the middle as much as possible so I wasn't in his space (especially after son's comment). By the time I got off the plane my back was killing me.
Then we drive to the motel...and find out they assigned us a 2nd floor room. This is an old motel so it meant stairs. And steep stairs. I had to take the steps one at a time and felt like an old lady with my painful knees. By the second night I couldn't sleep because my knees and hips were hurting so bad. Even enough Bengay to make the room smell like a geriatric ward didn't ease the pain. So I stayed up all night and finally passed out the next day...and slept through the whole days activities.
Then we visited an old friend whom I hadn't seen in over 20 years. We all took a tour of a WWII submarine. I almost didn't go down at all because I was afraid I wouldn't fit. I've been on an aircraft carrier as a child and remember how tight it was. My friend assured me I would be fine and I wanted pics of my kids so I went. There were a couple tight areas...and lifting my legs high enough to get through the "doors" was a chore. I opted not to go into the tightest areas but was able to do most of the sub and get some good pics of my boys. Am happy I went.
The trip home was better as we all were able to sit together. Lifted the armrest and used sons tray table for my drink.
All through the trip I kept telling myself that this will be the LAST time I will EVER travel and be this uncomfortable. I don't care how scared I may be in regards to surgery...the way I'm living right now isn't quality of life. I can't just go on a simple trip (let alone an adventure trip) without pain and discomfort. These are the reasons I need to do this surgery. I wish I didn't need to. I still sometimes think, "maybe I should just do Weight Watchers again" - but then I remind myself if I COULD have done it in the past I WOULD have done it in the past. It didn't work for me. Even if I could lose the weight...I couldn't maintain the weight and every time I ended up heavier and heavier.
Less than 2 weeks still I start my pre-op diet. I am trying to squeeze in all those happy hour and dinner's with friends that I can. Won't be able to do them again for awhile. Eventually I will be able to...just much less food. Stay tuned for more updates!
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Regrets and Updates
I have been reading a lot of surgery forums and ran across a couple postings of people who regret having had weight loss surgery. One I could understand. She was truly one of the 2% that had major complications. But the others I couldn't understand. One posted that it had ruined her social life - that she was no longer able to go out with her friends because she hadn't told her friends she was having surgery. So now she stayed at home alone and was miserable. The other was a woman who said having surgery ruined her marriage. To me, the more I read the postings from these two women...the more the 'victim' mentality showed. If I had to guess these people were miserable to start with and thought weight loss surgery would fix all their problems. I'm smart enough to know this isn't a fix all. I do know from past experience that losing weight improves my self esteem and that makes me feel more empowered. I know I'll have more energy and that opens up new opportunities. But it won't fix any problems I have...I have to figure those out and fix them myself.
I know most people have "buyers remorse" during the early weeks. That isn't uncommon. You are in pain. You can only have liquids/soft foods. You generally have a stall in weight loss at about 3 weeks as your body is accommodating. You are grieving food and the relationship you had with it. You are feeling kinda crappy and can't use food to make yourself feel better. This is all normal.
So, in expectation of this - I talked with my counselor's office today to see if I could make more frequent visits for the first few months. And wouldn't you know it...the week I go for surgery...she leaves on six weeks of vacation! So when I met with her she told me that she'll be back in town briefly at least once (if not twice) during that six week time and she'd be seeing select patients if I wanted to see her. So looks like I'll be good to go on that front.
As far as an update...I am still trying to find someone to go to Mexico with me. My two possibilities fell through due to family obligations. Although lots of people go alone...I really would prefer not to.
I also got some samples from Optimum Nutrition of their protein powders...for FREE. I went on their website because I heard they had a cake batter flavor. I couldn't find it on their website. So I sent them an email asking about it and asking if they had sample sizes for purchase. They graciously responded back and said they would send me some samples of the flavors they had available.
I also stopped by Sprouts today (my first time ever). I've heard lots of positives about Jay Robb protein - and I was happy to see single packets of this at Sprouts. I bought one of each flavor to try (vanilla, choc, and strawberry). I also found they had single serving sizes of Almond Breeze 'milk' which I've heard lots of positive things about (it's only 40calories) and they had chewable calcium citrate which seems to be impossible to find. So lots of good things...will have to go back when I have more time. They also had multivitamins from Emergen-C that you mix with water and drink...want to check the label on those.
Slightly over a month to go....
I know most people have "buyers remorse" during the early weeks. That isn't uncommon. You are in pain. You can only have liquids/soft foods. You generally have a stall in weight loss at about 3 weeks as your body is accommodating. You are grieving food and the relationship you had with it. You are feeling kinda crappy and can't use food to make yourself feel better. This is all normal.
So, in expectation of this - I talked with my counselor's office today to see if I could make more frequent visits for the first few months. And wouldn't you know it...the week I go for surgery...she leaves on six weeks of vacation! So when I met with her she told me that she'll be back in town briefly at least once (if not twice) during that six week time and she'd be seeing select patients if I wanted to see her. So looks like I'll be good to go on that front.
As far as an update...I am still trying to find someone to go to Mexico with me. My two possibilities fell through due to family obligations. Although lots of people go alone...I really would prefer not to.
I also got some samples from Optimum Nutrition of their protein powders...for FREE. I went on their website because I heard they had a cake batter flavor. I couldn't find it on their website. So I sent them an email asking about it and asking if they had sample sizes for purchase. They graciously responded back and said they would send me some samples of the flavors they had available.
I also stopped by Sprouts today (my first time ever). I've heard lots of positives about Jay Robb protein - and I was happy to see single packets of this at Sprouts. I bought one of each flavor to try (vanilla, choc, and strawberry). I also found they had single serving sizes of Almond Breeze 'milk' which I've heard lots of positive things about (it's only 40calories) and they had chewable calcium citrate which seems to be impossible to find. So lots of good things...will have to go back when I have more time. They also had multivitamins from Emergen-C that you mix with water and drink...want to check the label on those.
Slightly over a month to go....
Monday, June 10, 2013
Things I am Looking Forward To
I don't know what has happened...but suddenly I feel like I am READY...wish I were having surgery tomorrow instead of a month from now. With that in mind, I've been thinking about some of the things I am looking forward to and thought I'd share them with you. Maybe I'll come back and edit this post later and check them off as I complete them?
1) Putting on my socks/shoes without having to go through contortions.
2) Being able to do regular activity all day and not have my knees ache at night.
3) Being able to wear my seatbelt in the car without it digging into my body.
4) Being able to wear a seatbelt on a plane (I'm too embarrassed to ask for an extension so I just pretend I have one on and put a book over where it'd connect...figure if the plane goes down I'm going to die anyways!)
5) Being able to put down the tray on a plane.
6) Being able to fit in an armed chair without the arms digging into me.
7) Being able to go on amusement park rides with my kids.
8) Being able to buy clothes in a regular store off the rack.
9) Being able to live a more active lifestyle (go ziplining, join a softball league, etc).
10) Being able to ride my cycle (get on and off it) without hip pain...and ultimately to look like the woman in the bottom picture instead of the woman in the top picture.
What things are YOU looking forward to? Or if you've already had surgery, what are some of the things you can do now that you couldn't do before? Leave me a comment and share!
1) Putting on my socks/shoes without having to go through contortions.
2) Being able to do regular activity all day and not have my knees ache at night.
3) Being able to wear my seatbelt in the car without it digging into my body.
4) Being able to wear a seatbelt on a plane (I'm too embarrassed to ask for an extension so I just pretend I have one on and put a book over where it'd connect...figure if the plane goes down I'm going to die anyways!)
5) Being able to put down the tray on a plane.
6) Being able to fit in an armed chair without the arms digging into me.
7) Being able to go on amusement park rides with my kids.
8) Being able to buy clothes in a regular store off the rack.
9) Being able to live a more active lifestyle (go ziplining, join a softball league, etc).
10) Being able to ride my cycle (get on and off it) without hip pain...and ultimately to look like the woman in the bottom picture instead of the woman in the top picture.
What things are YOU looking forward to? Or if you've already had surgery, what are some of the things you can do now that you couldn't do before? Leave me a comment and share!
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Fun Mail and New Beginnings
Yesterday, my mailbox was full of fun mail instead of bills...well, fun mail IN ADDITION TO the bills. :) So what did it hold?
Well, first off, it contained this:
This contained my passport card. I can now legally go to Mexico for surgery (and get back home...that's the key important part LOL.)
And secondly, I received this:
Tracy, over at My Tiny Tank, offers regular drawings for people who post comments to her blog. And I won this awesome t-shirt! Can't wait to wear it after I get MY tiny tank. :)
I came home today to find that my dog climbed up on the table and got ahold of my sample packs of protein. Protein packs everywhere...but luckily not really ripped open. She'd ripped off the plastic bags they were in...but apparently even a dog is smart enough not to eat this stuff. LOL.
I've been divorced now for a couple years. I have to say it really was a difficult decision to make (after almost 20 years together) but it was the best decision. Last night I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in a few years. In talking she told me she was going through a divorce as well and I told her I'd also been through one recently. This led me to thinking about changes - about how difficult they really are for some people to make. Personally I HATE change. But sometimes you have to make a change in order to grow. Since my divorce I've blossomed. I've got a master's degree, I've bought a house, I've been able to afford to take my boys on a real vacation, I've tried new things (hot air balloon ride, dancing lessons, mixology classes), I've even bought a motorcycle and got my permit to drive. If I had stayed with my ex - I'd still be stuck in the muck. Instead I've been freed to move and set down roots in ways that have encouraged growth. Was it scary? Yes. Was it difficult? Yes. Was it worth it? You bet my big old booty!
I'm a little scared about weight loss surgery. I do feel less scared of the VSG than I was of the RNY...but I'm still a little scared. I won't be able to use food the way I have in the past. It won't be my friend. I can't curl up with a pint of Ben and Jerry's "Everything But The..." ice cream when I'm sad. I won't be able to pour a glass of Mt Dew when I feel tired. But it's ok. Because it is another new start - I have to be willing to take the risk in order to grow. (or in this case shrink).
Well, first off, it contained this:
And secondly, I received this:
Tracy, over at My Tiny Tank, offers regular drawings for people who post comments to her blog. And I won this awesome t-shirt! Can't wait to wear it after I get MY tiny tank. :)
I came home today to find that my dog climbed up on the table and got ahold of my sample packs of protein. Protein packs everywhere...but luckily not really ripped open. She'd ripped off the plastic bags they were in...but apparently even a dog is smart enough not to eat this stuff. LOL.
I've been divorced now for a couple years. I have to say it really was a difficult decision to make (after almost 20 years together) but it was the best decision. Last night I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in a few years. In talking she told me she was going through a divorce as well and I told her I'd also been through one recently. This led me to thinking about changes - about how difficult they really are for some people to make. Personally I HATE change. But sometimes you have to make a change in order to grow. Since my divorce I've blossomed. I've got a master's degree, I've bought a house, I've been able to afford to take my boys on a real vacation, I've tried new things (hot air balloon ride, dancing lessons, mixology classes), I've even bought a motorcycle and got my permit to drive. If I had stayed with my ex - I'd still be stuck in the muck. Instead I've been freed to move and set down roots in ways that have encouraged growth. Was it scary? Yes. Was it difficult? Yes. Was it worth it? You bet my big old booty!
I'm a little scared about weight loss surgery. I do feel less scared of the VSG than I was of the RNY...but I'm still a little scared. I won't be able to use food the way I have in the past. It won't be my friend. I can't curl up with a pint of Ben and Jerry's "Everything But The..." ice cream when I'm sad. I won't be able to pour a glass of Mt Dew when I feel tired. But it's ok. Because it is another new start - I have to be willing to take the risk in order to grow. (or in this case shrink).
Friday, June 7, 2013
Thoughts and Updates
Sorry I haven't updated in a few days.
First off, I have been doing a ton of research on RNY vs VSG (the sleeve). And I am honestly leaning towards the sleeve. The main reason the RNY had the advantage for me was that I thought the 'dumping syndrome' would help keep me honest. But when I found out only 30% of people dump - I decided I needed to weigh the options with that removed. The sleeve has less complications, faster recovery, no rerouting of my insides, less chance of malnutrition, it is NOT reversible but it can be changed to a RNY or a DS later if I'm not getting the results I need/want. But from what I'm seeing many people have been very successful at losing much more than I need to lose. It will all come down to me making the right changes in my life. If I eat ice cream or drink soda every day - I can still gain weight. But if I eat protein first and then my fruits/vegs and THEN if I have room add any carbs...then I'll be successful. I previously lost about 80 pounds on Weight Watchers and was really good at maintaining it for a couple of years. I ate right, I did cardio, I did weight training. I even completed a half marathon. But I had to go off my plan for several weeks to take care of my Dad as he died from cancer - and the combination of being off plan and the depression afterwards threw me completely off and I never was able to get a handle on it again. So of course I still fear that. I know it's a possibility to regain and that even a certain amount of regain is expected after any weight loss surgery. But I'm hoping the tiny tummy will remind me if I start to falter. And the upside is that even if I eat something unhealthy...I can't eat as much of it. Also, I don't know if I've mentioned this, but they remove the portion of the stomach that is said to produce the "hungries." So not only do you have a smaller stomach, but you have less of a desire to fill it. For me, honestly, the deciding factor was the complication rates being lower. Since I am paying out of pocket - any complication has the potential of ruining me financially. The biggest complication of the sleeve is a leak and even that complication rate is under 2%.
SO, with all this in mind, I emailed my surgeon's office to inquire about switching. They said it was not a problem. That it costs $1,000 less (yay!). The length of stay is just as long. The recovery time is faster (can return to work in a week). I asked about leaks and was told he uses staples and a suture line on the stomach to ensure no leaks. He has had 2 leaks in 17 years and over 10,000 surgeries. He checks for leaks twice (once in the OR and once before release). And, since leaks tend to show up later down the line after the swelling goes down - I was also happy to find out if there are complications during or after surgery that Dr. Kelly will attend to them for up to a year after free of charge.
First off, I have been doing a ton of research on RNY vs VSG (the sleeve). And I am honestly leaning towards the sleeve. The main reason the RNY had the advantage for me was that I thought the 'dumping syndrome' would help keep me honest. But when I found out only 30% of people dump - I decided I needed to weigh the options with that removed. The sleeve has less complications, faster recovery, no rerouting of my insides, less chance of malnutrition, it is NOT reversible but it can be changed to a RNY or a DS later if I'm not getting the results I need/want. But from what I'm seeing many people have been very successful at losing much more than I need to lose. It will all come down to me making the right changes in my life. If I eat ice cream or drink soda every day - I can still gain weight. But if I eat protein first and then my fruits/vegs and THEN if I have room add any carbs...then I'll be successful. I previously lost about 80 pounds on Weight Watchers and was really good at maintaining it for a couple of years. I ate right, I did cardio, I did weight training. I even completed a half marathon. But I had to go off my plan for several weeks to take care of my Dad as he died from cancer - and the combination of being off plan and the depression afterwards threw me completely off and I never was able to get a handle on it again. So of course I still fear that. I know it's a possibility to regain and that even a certain amount of regain is expected after any weight loss surgery. But I'm hoping the tiny tummy will remind me if I start to falter. And the upside is that even if I eat something unhealthy...I can't eat as much of it. Also, I don't know if I've mentioned this, but they remove the portion of the stomach that is said to produce the "hungries." So not only do you have a smaller stomach, but you have less of a desire to fill it. For me, honestly, the deciding factor was the complication rates being lower. Since I am paying out of pocket - any complication has the potential of ruining me financially. The biggest complication of the sleeve is a leak and even that complication rate is under 2%.
SO, with all this in mind, I emailed my surgeon's office to inquire about switching. They said it was not a problem. That it costs $1,000 less (yay!). The length of stay is just as long. The recovery time is faster (can return to work in a week). I asked about leaks and was told he uses staples and a suture line on the stomach to ensure no leaks. He has had 2 leaks in 17 years and over 10,000 surgeries. He checks for leaks twice (once in the OR and once before release). And, since leaks tend to show up later down the line after the swelling goes down - I was also happy to find out if there are complications during or after surgery that Dr. Kelly will attend to them for up to a year after free of charge.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Gastric Bypass vs Gastric Sleeve
Allow me to think aloud while I also share some information. When it comes to gastric surgery options there are really three options. (There actually are more but I'm only going to cover three here as they are the most common). Keep in mind this is MY knowledge and therefore is quite fallible. :)
1) Lap Band - This is fully reversible. It is a band (silicone I believe) that is wrapped around the top of the stomach which creates a pouch. There is a 'port' that is just under the skin and your doctor can add additional liquid to tighten the band or remove fluid to loosen the band (if, for example you become pregnant and need to eat more). This is only a restrictive procedure. Plusses: it is reversible, it is adjustable, it isn't a major surgery. Negatives: Requires more 'upkeep' (filling of band) and also the band sometimes embeds in the stomach or other complications requiring either removal of the band or a revision to one of the other options. For the non squeamish here is a video of an actual procedure.
2) Gastric Sleeve - This is an operation where they remove a portion (approximately 80%) of your stomach - obviously since they remove the portion of the stomach it is not reversible. Everything else stays intact. Once again, this is only a restrictive procedure. The portion that remains resembles a banana and thus it gets it's name of a sleeve. This is a newer procedure. Plusses: No risk of a band imbedding, no 'rerouting' of your intestines, smaller chance of needing vitamins. Negatives: Overall loss not quite what it is for a RNY bypass. Also, since it is a newer procedure it doesn't have a track record. People do also start with a sleeve and then revise it to a RNY for further loss. For the non-squeamish here is a video of an actual procedure.
3) Gastric Bypass or Roux-en-Y (also seen shortened down to RNY) - This is the 'gold standard' and has been around the longest. A new stomach is created - the stomach is bypassed and a smaller 'stomach' (aka stoma) is created with the intestines. The stoma is connected and rerouted to bypass a large portion of intestines. This reduces absorption of nutrients and calories as well as offering restriction. Plusses: High expected weight loss, has been performed hundreds of thousands of times thus side effects and complications are known, for people who have a problem with sweets - approximately 30% of people having RNY will experience an unpleasant experience deemed as 'dumping' which acts as a further deterrent to sugars offering a better chance of success. Negatives: Major surgery, longer recovery time, side effects of leakage, bleeding, vomiting possible. Because of malabsorption there is a possibility of malnutrition. Thus regular blood tests and daily supplements and vitamins are required. Here is a video of that procedure as well.
So, which one am I considering?
Well, at first I thought I wanted a sleeve. The removal of the stomach scared me - but it is a straightforward surgery with fewer complications and less followup required. It has a quicker recovery time. And from what I can find it generally produces between a 60 and 70% weight loss (whereas bypass produces around 70%). The sleeve does take a little longer because it doesn't have the malabsorption component but long term (2 years) the amount lost appears to be very similar.
So I went and talked to the surgeon. The surgeon asked about my eating habits. I'm not a binge eater. I actually eat pretty reasonably sized meals and I'm the world's slowest eater. My issues are emotional eating and sweets - added with the PCOS that's not a good combination. Anyways, based on that information the surgeon recommended the RNY. He felt like the 'dumping syndrome' would give me the greatest chance of success. It would address my issues better.
Since, then I've been thinking I wanted RNY. But I was recently studying and found the statistic that only 30% of people actually experience dumping. So I have a much greater chance of it NOT happening. And in exchange I have to be worrying about more complications and more follow-up. These are issues because my health insurance will not cover any expenses related to weight loss surgery of any kind (so I will be out of pocket for any complications, follow up blood work, etc). So, the last few days I've been rethinking which surgery I should have. This video discusses the two I'm considering and the differences between them.
I guess more research is in order. If anyone reading this has any input I'd love to hear it. :)
1) Lap Band - This is fully reversible. It is a band (silicone I believe) that is wrapped around the top of the stomach which creates a pouch. There is a 'port' that is just under the skin and your doctor can add additional liquid to tighten the band or remove fluid to loosen the band (if, for example you become pregnant and need to eat more). This is only a restrictive procedure. Plusses: it is reversible, it is adjustable, it isn't a major surgery. Negatives: Requires more 'upkeep' (filling of band) and also the band sometimes embeds in the stomach or other complications requiring either removal of the band or a revision to one of the other options. For the non squeamish here is a video of an actual procedure.
2) Gastric Sleeve - This is an operation where they remove a portion (approximately 80%) of your stomach - obviously since they remove the portion of the stomach it is not reversible. Everything else stays intact. Once again, this is only a restrictive procedure. The portion that remains resembles a banana and thus it gets it's name of a sleeve. This is a newer procedure. Plusses: No risk of a band imbedding, no 'rerouting' of your intestines, smaller chance of needing vitamins. Negatives: Overall loss not quite what it is for a RNY bypass. Also, since it is a newer procedure it doesn't have a track record. People do also start with a sleeve and then revise it to a RNY for further loss. For the non-squeamish here is a video of an actual procedure.
3) Gastric Bypass or Roux-en-Y (also seen shortened down to RNY) - This is the 'gold standard' and has been around the longest. A new stomach is created - the stomach is bypassed and a smaller 'stomach' (aka stoma) is created with the intestines. The stoma is connected and rerouted to bypass a large portion of intestines. This reduces absorption of nutrients and calories as well as offering restriction. Plusses: High expected weight loss, has been performed hundreds of thousands of times thus side effects and complications are known, for people who have a problem with sweets - approximately 30% of people having RNY will experience an unpleasant experience deemed as 'dumping' which acts as a further deterrent to sugars offering a better chance of success. Negatives: Major surgery, longer recovery time, side effects of leakage, bleeding, vomiting possible. Because of malabsorption there is a possibility of malnutrition. Thus regular blood tests and daily supplements and vitamins are required. Here is a video of that procedure as well.
So, which one am I considering?
Well, at first I thought I wanted a sleeve. The removal of the stomach scared me - but it is a straightforward surgery with fewer complications and less followup required. It has a quicker recovery time. And from what I can find it generally produces between a 60 and 70% weight loss (whereas bypass produces around 70%). The sleeve does take a little longer because it doesn't have the malabsorption component but long term (2 years) the amount lost appears to be very similar.
So I went and talked to the surgeon. The surgeon asked about my eating habits. I'm not a binge eater. I actually eat pretty reasonably sized meals and I'm the world's slowest eater. My issues are emotional eating and sweets - added with the PCOS that's not a good combination. Anyways, based on that information the surgeon recommended the RNY. He felt like the 'dumping syndrome' would give me the greatest chance of success. It would address my issues better.
Since, then I've been thinking I wanted RNY. But I was recently studying and found the statistic that only 30% of people actually experience dumping. So I have a much greater chance of it NOT happening. And in exchange I have to be worrying about more complications and more follow-up. These are issues because my health insurance will not cover any expenses related to weight loss surgery of any kind (so I will be out of pocket for any complications, follow up blood work, etc). So, the last few days I've been rethinking which surgery I should have. This video discusses the two I'm considering and the differences between them.
I guess more research is in order. If anyone reading this has any input I'd love to hear it. :)
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