how do you get over your stomach being removed?????

[a_lemarr]

HI everyone im new here i had my educational seminar yesterday and the support group meeting yesterday and enjoyed it! i went it thinking i was all on board for a lap-band but changed my mind to the gastric sleeve the only thing i cannot get off my mind is getting part of my stomach removed. I dont know why that scares me so much but my question is how and when did it everyone get over that part of the procedure? this scares me alot and i just need advice. i really would prefer this over the lap band i just need some advice.thank you!

[Ronnie]

I can't say that I had to get over it. I was more in the state of mind of "good riddance" !! It's all in the perspective. You still have your stomach. It is just a much smaller size. It becomes a tool to help us stop eating so darn much. I was sleeved Monday. And I have to tell you I still feel physically hungry. My stomach growls constantly. I still don't know the "full feeling" yet as I am on liquids. Jello is as solid as it has gotten so far. The sensations i get when drinking or eating are loud gurgles and growling, and the feeling that everything I am ingesting is turning to a foam. I feel like any minute bubbles and foam are going to start coming out of my mouth...picture the overflowing washer! But through it all, I don't have any regrets, and I still say "good riddance" to my former stomach!! Good luck with your decision.

[Brandon74352]

I looked at it this way. My stomach was overstretched from years of overeating. It was bigger than what I needed. They dont remove your entire stomach, just about 85% of it. So basically they are putting it back to size it was intended to be, maybe a little smaller. The sleeve is a great tool to help with weight loss.

[Theresa]

I am fine with the whole thing... one of my friends that is having the sleeve put it this way when speaking to someone the other evening (i about bust a gut laughing)

'i have to have surgery'
oh really? ... for what?
'I am having a body part removed'
why?
'it went bad'
'it wasn't working right so i have to have it removed'
what are you having removed?
'my stomach'
'my stomach is BAD it has to go'

[a_lemarr]

thank you for taking time to respond everyone...i know they dont remove all of your stomach lol thank you im gonna try and look at it that way of good riddance i dont need it it only makes me fat! LOL i like that conversation thats another thing i havent really told anyone just my mom husband and 2 close close friends i am scared to tell anyone in for fear of being judged. i am doing this for ME and i dont need their approval i just dont want to be judged especially by my husbands side of the family (all the beautiful people). when dod yall tell people? how did they react?

[mickie]

My husband put into perspective for me. He said "you would be using about the same amount of stomach if you have a band as you are with a sleeve, only now it's not sitting there doing nothing and wasting space." Got to love mens logic, so simple. I hadn't looked at it like that. But to me it made since. I'm due for surgery on the 23rd of November and sure there will be a "mourning" period for me and how much I could eat but I'm looking forward to all the stuff I will be able to do that I haven't done in years. Good luck on this journey that we are all on!!!!!

[Monica_Lynn]

I thought of it like this.....Lap band is reversible and is a foreign object your body can reject....Sleeve is permanent. Now keep in mind that even with the sleeve you can gain weight back if you aren't following the correct diet. I wanted something more permanent to help me on this journey.

[Edub]

For me there wasn't anything to 'get over' about them removing a portion of my stomach. It was more about "how do I explain this to people?" At first I was nervous and only explained a part of what the procedure, I didn't want to be judged. Then I realized I did it for ME and NO ONE else. People will make their own judgements regardless, so I realized that I didn't [still don't] care what they think! My health was really taking a hit. As time goes on, every day my confidence increases and I am more than happy to tell people about my life altering decision. I was sleeved in May 2011. Since then I have lost 75 pounds and people are AMAZED when they see me! I look and feel so much healthier and they see first hand the positive impact this surgery has had for me.

[UK Tim]

There is a growing body of medical evidence which suggests that lap-bands are not as good as some might believe. Particularly, some stomachs can apparently up-end themselves to try to digest the band. Then there is the problem of getting the so called "sweet spot" in terms of your fill - and making sure that you don't get belted in the stomach by one of your children (my oldest is 21!) or a team member when playing sport.

The downside of the gastric sleeve is that it has not been around for as long as the band, and so long - term evidence is not available. But increasingly experts are advising the sleeve over the band.

[Rae]

I can't say that I had to get over it. I was more in the state of mind of "good riddance" !! It's all in the perspective. You still have your stomach. It is just a much smaller size. It becomes a tool to help us stop eating so darn much. I was sleeved Monday. And I have to tell you I still feel physically hungry. My stomach growls constantly. I still don't know the "full feeling" yet as I am on liquids. Jello is as solid as it has gotten so far. The sensations i get when drinking or eating are loud gurgles and growling, and the feeling that everything I am ingesting is turning to a foam. I feel like any minute bubbles and foam are going to start coming out of my mouth...picture the overflowing washer! But through it all, I don't have any regrets, and I still say "good riddance" to my former stomach!! Good luck with your decision.

that's inflammation- did they put you on an acid reducer? If not call and ask for one and try taking TUMS with calcium.

[cowgirljane]

Well, I did also have to "get over it". One of the reasons it has taken me a year to really decide to go for it.

It scares me a little to make an irreversible decision like this, especially after the failed band which had to be removed. And although it was removed, the band leaves scar tissue etc so not like it is 100% reversed. The odds of issues iwth the band are in reality much much higher then we were told back in 2001 when I was banded.

However, it scares me even more to keep gaining weight. I have tried EVERYTHING - many things more then once. I used to be able to lose weight and of course regain; now, I can't even seem to lose weight without surgery. I don't see that I have much choice besides proceeding with another shot at weight loss surgery.

[scgal21]

If your breasts are too large, you can get a breast reduction. If your nose is too large, you can get rhinoplasty....etc. My stomach is too big, alowing me to eat more than I need to stay at a healthy weight, so I like to look at it as a "stomach reduction"

[Rae]

The sleeve is the closest to nature of the three surgeries. I couldn't deal with something rerouted and I didn't want to add a man made piece that could cause more problems.

[coop]

I am also having the sleeve done on the 23rd! Good luck!! A little apprehensive about the surgery, but there are meds for that.

[pconrad]

I saw where someone had a name for their new little stomach...so I named mine Thumbalina...there's a miniature dwarf horse called Thumbalina (google it) and so my analogy was that I used to eat like a horse but now I eat like a little horse. It just puts a fun lighthearted spin on it.