I need advice - surgery on April 4th

Hi, I was banded almost 7 years ago.  I did great for awhile and lost a lot of weight, then I lost my motivation and slipped back to bad habits and started regaining the weight - not all of it.  I also was tired of the band's side effects - couldn't eat certain textures, vomited a lot, etc.

I had an esophagram and found that my band had slipped.  My surgeon, who is not the one I went to previously, recommended taking the band out and getting the sleeve.  I said okay.  He sent the paperwork to the insurance plan and they approved the surgery in exactly 2 weeks.  I have a surgery date of April 4th.

My problem is that my therapist is telling me that I am making a mistake.  She doesn't think I should get a non reversible procedure and she doesn't believe that I will magically stop vomiting.  She thinks I will eat even when I am not hungry and what will the consequences be?  I don't know the answer. 

What if I lose my motivation again?  She thinks I should get the band out and do weigh****chers and see if that works and if not then consider the sleeve later in the summer.  I am on weigh****chers now but I don't always do well on weigh****chers and I always end up dropping out. I have emotional eating issues.

I could use some advice. I am meeting with the nutritionist this Friday to go over the diet I will follow and I meet the surgeon again on Good Friday. Thank you.

How much do you trust your current therapist?   Does she categorically feel that WLS is a bad thing?  But she is right in that emotional eating issues won't go away with surgery.   Would it be an option for you to reschedule your surgery in a few months and take that time to explore your relationship with food with another therapist?  And it may not be possible for them to just remove your band.   If there is damage to the stomach, they may have to make alterations.   I would not want to have the surgery to have the band removed thinking I may need to have surgery again for the sleeve, either.   If you are going to have the sleeve, best to get it done at the same time, but your emotional eating issues will need to be addressed.

Thank you.  I guess it is safer to just have one surgery instead of two.  If I don't control my snacking on sweets is there a down side other than a slower or no weight loss?

I agree with the first respondant. How much do you trust your therapist's POV here? I just started seeing mine again after a 5 year gap. She was interested in how I decided to choose surgery, but she is supportive of my decision.

I think you should talk to the NUT on Friday and see what he/she says about the diet, and then start to consider whether you are ready for this. I suspect you are, but you are the one who knows for sure. The way I look at it is similar to the person before me too - I wouldn't want 2 surgeries, and you NEED 1 of them for sure. It could be hell if you decide later that you want the revision and then the insurance has to approve it all over again. There are lots of people on the board who are fighting that fight now. The fact that you are already approved both for the band removal and the sleeve is huge IMHO. Personally I'd go for it but expect that you will have to be doing some serious couch time to make sure you are successful.

Good luck, and let us know what you decide to do!

Here is my take on it:

First, I have emotional eating issues. I eat when I am not hungry. I eat to celebrate. I eat because I am stressed. I eat because I am bored. Hell, I eat because there is a good show on TV or the sky is a beautiful blue, etc... Sort of get the picture?

That said, I think the sleeve is a fantastic choice. Yes, it is permanent, but no weight loss surgery is truly reverse-able. The band is reparable and with the RNY your parts can be put back together (but it is very tricky and risky to do). The sleeve will leave all your parts in working order, just with a much, much smaller stomach.

I find it interesting that your therapist is telling you you are making a mistake. Usually, and in my experience,  therapists are entrusted to guide you to find the right decision for yourself, not to guide you to what they believe is the right or wrong choice for you. This position your therapist has taken gives me pause to consider if he or she has a strong view point on weight loss surgery.

Yes, you have emotional eating issues. It's wonderful that you know that you know that. Whatever you decide to do, get the sleeve or not, you will have to work on those issues if you want to lose and maintain a normal weight. Most of my WLS friends and friends here on OH work on those issues and habits everyday. It's a lifelong commitment. If you acknowledge this fact at the outset, you'll be ahead of the game. Food issues are huge and hard to overcome, but they can be!

Having the sleeve leveled the playing field for me! I was able to get down to a normal weight and while I'm working on my issues (which I believe is going to be for a long, long, long time), it sure is nice to be a normally weighted person. I figure I need to be working on my food issues whether I'm thin or fat. Being fit, healthy and trim sure beats being fat, tired and sick any day of the week. Being the way I am now helps me everyday in this battle against obesity. I have the energy and the drive to keep on top of the battle. I have never been able to keep up a food plan (diet) or way of eating for this long. I have never exercised this regularly for this long.

The sleeve has been the most fantastic tool I have ever had to battle my obesity. Good luck with your process and your decision. I wish you all the best.

Check out my profile pics. Sometimes the pictures speak the volumes we just can't write.

 

thank everyone who has responded.  I am certain I will get the surger but I'm not sure if I have faith in myself.

You vomit with the band because you overeat or eat the wrong things. The same is going to happen with the sleeve. You have to make the commitment to use the tool properly and "emotional" eating isn't properly.

The thing I like about the sleeve is that you can't really cheat. Yes, somewhat, but it really is unforgiving.

And frankly, I'm tired of being fat. That is why I know I can commit for life to this life saving gift.

Good luck with your decision.

I have tried and had much success with weigh****chers in the past. However I gained it all back after all three ww successes due to the fact that I too have emotional eating issues. I am new to this forum, but from what I read in posts, many of us VSGers do. I was sleeved just over a week ago and I am so glad because it gives me a fighting chance to be a healthy weight!

Of course it's scary to think that it is permanent and I won't be able to eat the way I did in the past, but I don't want to go back to that way of life! I think it should be your choice regarding how you want to approach weight loss and I wish you the very best of luck!

I agree that the therapist telling you not do do it doesn't seem right.  I've found that there are a lot of people who are categorically opposed to wls.  There are the skinny ones who don't understand what it's like to live obese and the other fat people who are afraid to face it themselves.  You have to make this decision yourself  but I have read tons of stories of people who fought to get a revision from band to sleeve and been very successful with it.  I agree with the poster that said go talk to the NUT and ask lots of questions.  Good luck!