Anyway, I've recently been getting a LOT of eMails from people asking about the sleeve, how life with the sleeve is, etc etc... but also why I chose it over the band. Nobody ever really asks about bypass... but I'll just basically say I never really considered bypass - when I read a little about it initially the malabsorption issues didn't really do much for me, and it seemed like something that only people much bigger than I was did... and eventually my surgeon said he wouldn't do a bypass for someone my size anyway, so glad I didn't waste time researching it.
Q: Okay, so why sleeve over the band?
A: I could not find a happy lap-bander!
The thing I wanted to know, first and foremost, was what life was actually like for people after their WLS, be it sleeve or band. So I looked on forums, in blogs, on youtube vids, etc... wanting to hear how people who've made these decisions and had to live with them went.
In the end, what I seemed to discover was, "I LOVE MY SLEEVE!" style posts from those with the sleeve. Occasionally there would be a "I have issues with dairy," or "dumping is driving me mental," or some such posts. NEW sleevers were complaining of sore tummies when they swallowed. But the general consensus seemed to be "Hallelujah for the sleeve!"
The lap-banders... well, they tended to be a lot like this: "My band has slipped... again," or "I need another fill..." or "My port has moved so I need to go have surgery to fix it up," or "I've had the band for 3 years and have lost only 15kg," or "I spew up every single I eat, I can't even drink water... help!" or "This reflux is so bad I want to curl up and die." Pretty much those things... over and over again.
Also, I read a lot of, "I have the band... but am getting it out and having the sleeve in X amount of months." I figured - why waste my time getting the band if even those who commited to the band want it out to get a sleeve done instead?
Plus, those weren't inspirational, encouraging quotes I found. They were scary. Who would want to live life in fear of throwing up even WATER? Of only being able to eat popcorn (seriously, this is what someone said recently) and nothing else? Of constantly going to the surgeon to get fills or unfills or whatever they're called because it's too loose or tight? Of having it erode your stomach so the sleeve is not even possible if you want to do that later down the track (surgeon warned me of this, but I've heard of others saying they couldn't do it as well)? Of feeling so crap you can't even enjoy the fact you've lost weight?
I was sick of diets. I was sick of feeling miserable. I mean, I was also sick of being fat and unhealthy, but tbh, I think I'd rather be fat and still have $5000 and be able to swallow water, than be 15kg and $5000 lighter and be in agony and suffering from dehydration because I couldn't even get that in.
So quite simply, those WITH the band scared me. They said scary things that I didn't want to happen to me... and so, they persuaded me to not get the band... and I really thank them for that, because in all honesty, without that window in their life with a band, I may have gone down that path too. I am so very grateful I did not.
Anyway, I thought I'd also update you on how I'm going. Still at 75kg. As I said, I don't think my body is keen to lose any more and it probably won't unless I live in a gym and live on pure lean protein. Not going to happen... so I'm happily sitting at 75kg. I'm about a size 12-14... really depends on what the item is. Waist is 78cm so still healthy range, and my body fat percentage is about 29% which is good too.
I got all my blood work back, and everything is looking great. This was when my bloods were taken in March too (yes, I'm lazy and didn't see my surgeon again until yesterday), when I was quite lazy about my multivitamins so it means my diet alone is pretty good. Iron and Vitamin B are the main concerns, but mine are perfect levels. It means I'm probably getting in enough of what I need through diet, which is fantastic... and means I needn't feel bad when I decide I want some Noodlebox (since I had their pad thai a few weeks ago, I cannot stop thinking about it! lol). Mind you, I can eat about 1/8th of the small box... and that's it.
Figured I'd grant you all the fabulous privilege of seeing me in my underwear. Just so you can see how things are.
Let's refresh your memories first though... me in my underwear pre-op...
Fabulous huh? lol.
Well here's me recently...
So far from perfect and you can see I'm a bit sagging (as I showed in the previous entry), but It's a hell of a lot nicer than it was, at least. And yes, I'm all about not matching. I actually have matching knickers to that bra, but never seen to wear them together. lol.
So, there you have it... why the band was slaughtered by the sleeve (for me), how my health is going and some not-so-great undie shots but hey, at least you can hopefully see some sort of difference! I can! :)
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