I am so scared! :(

[TulipTinks]

After having my gastric band emptied as it developed a fault I am now gaining weight at a great rate of knots and I'm feeling really depressed. I am starting to waddle when I walk again and my throat collapses down when I'm in bed which is not good.
I have the option to have a gastric sleeve but last time I had an operation (for my band) I had a bad reaction to the anaesthetic and I am so scared about how I will cope again.
If I do nothing I will still have a faulty band inside me that occasionally still causes me problems and I will soon gain back all the weight I lost. If I have the band taken out and the sleeve done I could get sick again or I could die.

I can't be trusted with food - I'm like an alcoholic.

Can someone please help me :'(

[suegirl]

Find out what anesthetic they used that way you can warn the doctor.. talk to your doctor. You will probably find you would rather have the sleeve as no "faulty" issue and nothing left in there.. it is permanent but not as drastic as a RNY... I know your worried that you will get sick with the sleeve, just think how sick you will be if you gain back all you lost? This is a great place for information and support.. you will do fine!

[Nanie Girl]

Hi Tulip! I had the band put in in 07 and between near constant vomiting and weight gain, I had it removed and was sleeved by Dr. Almanza on 8/8/12. A much easier surgery than having the band put on by far. I to have problems with nausea after surgery. My surgery was at 11am and I was urpy whenever I was up or walking for the first day. Did have some dry heaves, but it wasn't as bad as when I had the lapband. Got a dose of pain meds with my IV about midnight (needed it by then) woke up about 4am and other than being a little sore I was headed for healing. They did do a nasal tube and truthfully that bothered me more than the rest of the surgery stuff.

[purplelace70]

Many have had their band removed and sleeve done at the same time. Check with doc. I had band and had it removed. 2 years later had the sleeve and except for some scar tissue from the band (made surg. a few min. longer) I am doing great. When I had the band put in They had trouble with me after, oxygen levels....it worked out ok. With the sleeve I woke up groggy but no other problems. Good luck making your decision Get professional advise.

[mobbsygirl]

Hi there, I am like you with food - a complete foodaholic!! I have had my sleeve for just over a month now and I love it!! My sleeve is extra small and there is no possible way I can over indulge. The biggest eating day I had was about 3 days ago when I ate a normal size portion of food - it took me THREE hours to eat and even then I couldn't eat it all!! As the above poster said, there are different types of anaesthetic so talk to a surgeon or anaesthetist about your options. Obesity kills, that's the reality of it and if you need help with losing and maintaining weight then I believe people should utilise it. Do some research, talk to a surgeon and think about your options, good luck to you -xx-

[smylee87]

I think it is perfectly normal to be worried, especially after a bad experience. My surgeon had me place a nausea patch behind my ear the night before surgery with instructions to remove it three days after. Between that and the anti-nausea medication Zofran, I didn't have any bad effects from the anaesthetic. You might look into those options. As for feeling like a food addict--I'd be willing to bet you are eating because you are upset about the way you feel and your stress is not helping. I've soooo been there. The sleeve helps, but it does not take that away. In fact, sometimes I've been a little frustrated at not being able to indulge the way I could before. If I'm totally honest, I have to admit that there have been a few times that I have questioned if I made the right decision because I miss eating--but, I'm still on liquids (week 3) and that will pass. I know that l don't want to be a victim to food anymore--food just has always had a strong hold on me even though I know it doesn't really make me feel better. I'm only telling you this because you need to know that some of those urges just don't go away. I think those of us who use food emotionally have to find other things to do with our time and energy after this surgery. There are a couple of good books out there you might try. One is "The Weight Loss Surgery Coping Companion" and the other is "Eat it up". Both have good ideas for battling the emotional side of this. Hang in there! Huggs!

[TulipTinks]

Thank you suegirl, Nanie Girl, purplelace70, mobbsygirl, smylee87 - really appreciate your words

[TulipTinks]

I think I'm almost there with my decision BUT i keep seeing that people suffer with nausea and feeling exhausted. Is this true? How long does it last? What can be done about it?

Thank you so much to all the kind people who have taken time to message me - you are all great

[Grace]

Hi Tulip
I agree the most important thing is to be sure where ever you go that you have your records from the past surgery for the anesthesiologist to check out so s/he can use a different med. There are choices they can make.
There can be nausea. It's about healing. It takes a few weeks before you are back to new normal. My best friend was peppermint herbal tea. Drank it exclusively for the first month and then 2 cups a day for another month. The exhaustion comes from surgery leftover and learning to eat small. Since you have already experienced eating small with the band you may do better with this than most.
I look at it this way. You're going to need to get the band out either way. If they go in and see you can be sleeved, heck yes, I'd have it done the same time. You're under anyway, you have to heal anyway.
The biggest difference between the band and the sleeve is that you just won't be as hungry. With the band you still have your whole stomach. With the sleeve the fundus is removed. That's where ghrelin - the hunger hormone - is produced (most of it, anyway). Many people find they simply are not hungry at all for at least the first 6 months. That gives you a real chance to learn to love other things besides food...like clothes, or even (oddly) exercise.... Wishing you well on your decision.

[ruby2508]

Do it. Talk to the doctor and voice your fears. I am very happy after having my band removed and the sleeve done. I had the procedure done all at one time and felt great within days. Stayed out of work for a week and a half and was fine going back. Good luck to you and stay on the boards here.

[niamh]

I haven't had any nausea since the day after surgery - not sure if it was anaesthetic reaction, post-surgery trauma to my tummy, reaction to the gas, or reaction to the ng tube. They were very hot on making sure I took anti-nausea meds to stop it happening further, and I avoided any opiate based pain meds because that can cause nausea in some people. I've not having any trouble with swallowing liquids or pureed/liquids. I feel tired, but I think that's because I'm not sleeping great. I am back at work fully after 2 weeks. There's always a chance that you might be one of the people who has more trouble, and that's a risk you've got to think about whether you're prepared to take. I went forward based on the odds being very well stacked in my favour that it would go well, and resigned myself to dealing with complications if I turned out to be one of the unlucky few for whom it didn't go well.

I agree finding out everything you can about your previous anaesthesia will be a good idea, so you can minimise post-op complications. Then it's just a case of jumping in and hoping for the best if you decide to go ahead. Good luck!