Hi Im new to the forum

Caz wrote:

The doctor I went to included the cost of ongoing care for the band (which I didn't have obviously) in the cost of the operation - so no ongoing revenue stream for him!

Even though you don't pay any more, the surgeons still get paid by Medicare - regularly!

(I've never figured out how to do the quotes...!)

Thankyou Gail, thats very encouraging :)

after lots of research I am going to go ahead with the sleeve...now i just have to work on maintaining my weight for 3 months once they take my eroded band out :/
thanks for your advice.... x

Hi Maryanne

I say go the sleeve. I'm another ex-bandit and haven't looked back since I converted over. The differences are amazing, no more problem foods or living life having to know how far away the nearest loo is when your out.

Good luck with your follow up appointment.

Cheers
Gail

Hello Everyone,

My names Maryanne, I'm 31 years old and as it states in my signature, i was banded 24/11/08, just found out i have an eroded band...yay :) ...I had a gastroscopy a few days ago, which showed im in the begining stages of erotion......I'm weighing up my options before i see my surgeon for a follow up appointment next week..

to sleeve or not to sleeve :P

this forums fantastic and so are all of you for sharing your stories x

Caz wrote:

The doctor I went to included the cost of ongoing care for the band (which I didn't have obviously) in the cost of the operation - so no ongoing revenue stream for him!

There is still money to be made there, through revision surgery if/when things go wrong with your band.

karlin wrote:

Hi Mel would love to chat and get together. Dbay is right next door to me. I see Dr Mark Daoud on the 5th March and am hoping to get my lapband out asap then the sleeve done. I dont have PHI so am going to use the super for this. Im so worried that something will go wrong and I will get problem which makes my stay much longer is private hospital. However my longing to lose the fat is pushing me to go ahead. When I had the lapband done I thought all my weight issues would disappear. Im now only 2kg away from the weight I was when I had the lapband put in in 2007 and its depressing me. I cannot begin to express my hate for the lapband.
Who is doing your surgery Mel? Are they on the north or south side of Brissy?
Does anyone know much about the surgeon I am going to use? I have read all of the info about him on this forum but really need to know about how many patients of his have had leaks/bleeds. Also how do you make sure you are one of the first patients in as I dont want to be last to be done when the surgeon is tired and just wants to get it over with and go home.
Sorry for all of my questions but I need to know. Its how I prepare myself:)

I was sleeved by Dr Daoud on the 20th April 2009. I am now way below my goal weight! Ask him about leaks. I am pretty sure he has a 100% success rate with no leaks. Marlene will tell you all you want to know. We have a support group at the hospital if you want to come and meet some of Marks paitents. The next one is at Sunnybank in eary april. Keep an eye out in the member meets section, I bump the thread in there to remind people of the meetings.

The doctor I went to included the cost of ongoing care for the band (which I didn't have obviously) in the cost of the operation - so no ongoing revenue stream for him!

Hi Tempest, We are having a " whingefest " aren't we!

Your not butting in at all and in fact you are doing so well and such a motivation to know there is such a better way. I know the sleeve won't be all plain sailing but it does sound all I had hoped for in the band. I guess the reasons banding is still being done is complex but I am so happy to be moving on from it!

Hi Girls,
Sorry to butt in when I actually don't know anything about the band but BLOODY HELL ...........

Every time I hear people talk about the issues with the bands I just want to go and choke the stupid bloody doctors that are still advising people to have them when there are far better options available now.

You know why don't you......................It's because they make more money that way. With the sleeve it's all over red rover but with a band it is over and over and over again.

karlin wrote:

I just hope I dont go too crazy on food once the band is out and I can eat real food. Texasbell thats two months if there isnt too much damage from the band. I am being positive lol
I cant believe how many people are having their bands taken out due to all the problems. For almost a year I have been hating myself for not losing enough weight and for gaining the weight. Since I have decided to have the band out and get the sleeve done two people at work are also getting their bands removed. Both have put back on their weight and one of their dr's even told her to 'stop eating'. They are both waiting to see how much it will cost for me to get it done. Unlike myself they both have PHI so it wont be so expensive for them. I will be sure to let everyone know how I go at my appointment on Thursday:) Thankyou for your support and kind words.

God that makes me angry!! If your friend was able to lose weight by simply "stopping eating", she wouldn't have needed a band, which your surgeon was only too happy to do.
I blamed myself for the band not working too, at first, and my surgeon was only too happy to let me. When I saw other banded people at a support group, and saw how much they were eating and what their experiences had been, I knew it wasn't just me.
I've put on a lot of weight since my band came out, and my phi doesn't kick in until December, I'm really going to have to watch things until then!

I just hope I dont go too crazy on food once the band is out and I can eat real food. Texasbell thats two months if there isnt too much damage from the band. I am being positive lol
I cant believe how many people are having their bands taken out due to all the problems. For almost a year I have been hating myself for not losing enough weight and for gaining the weight. Since I have decided to have the band out and get the sleeve done two people at work are also getting their bands removed. Both have put back on their weight and one of their dr's even told her to 'stop eating'. They are both waiting to see how much it will cost for me to get it done. Unlike myself they both have PHI so it wont be so expensive for them. I will be sure to let everyone know how I go at my appointment on Thursday:) Thankyou for your support and kind words.

Hey Peazels- same thing, went crazy on salads and still enjoying them! karlin you are lucky I have to wait 3 months till sleeve so two will fly by. Although have had my "pig out moments" I have found that eating lots of veg & salad with protein dinner and cutting out the carbs have kept the damage down and on opti now.(won't go there). I think ppl who are getting banded now should know about how many ppl are having them removed. It really is surgery and expense that may be all for nothing, as we know now. Well heres to the future

I tell anyone who asks about banding everything that I've gone through, bugger being diplomatic about it. I also tell them that I, personally, wouldn't recommend banding. I just wish I'd heard about sleeving before wasting my super on my band, but I try not to dwell on it as there's no point.
You'll be a new woman when you get your band out - I'm looking forward to hearing about it!

Peazles that is so true about them being more honest in what you can and cant eat. Im sure if I counted all the hours I have spent bringing up saliva and bile and dealing with heartburn and reflux it would add up to at least six months out of the year and a half I have had the band in. Even with nothing in my band I still cant eat most foods unless they have been pureed and even then depending on what time of day it is or how stressed out I am I cant even eat that. I dont remember the last time I actually chewed on and swallowed chicken or meat. I havent eaten bread either. You made me drool a tad with the mention of the salad sandwich lol
I tell everyone who listens now never to get a lapband. To run like crazy if anyone ever mentions it as a terrific tool for weightloss. I dont even want to think about what kind of damage it has done to my insides.

karlin wrote:

I can hardly wait to have my lap band removed. The first thing I am going to do is get a big juicy green apple and eat it. Not a peeled and grated apple a real apple. I know I am food obsessed but believe it or not I have also missed eating vegetables as well.
Im sure the two month waiting time to be sleeved will just skip by.

The first thing I chowed down on when I had my damned band out was a salad sandwich. It was the most delicious thing I'd EVER eaten. Well, at the time ....
It's soooo good being able to chew and swallow without that constant worry and feeling sick. There needs to be a lot more honesty around banding surgery and surgeons need to mention all the negatives as well as the positives.

I can hardly wait to have my lap band removed. The first thing I am going to do is get a big juicy green apple and eat it. Not a peeled and grated apple a real apple. I know I am food obsessed but believe it or not I have also missed eating vegetables as well.
Im sure the two month waiting time to be sleeved will just skip by.

Hi Karlin, I'm sure you will feel much better as soon as you get the band out, I know I have. It can end up so unhealthy way to have to try and eat. Good luck with your Thursday app..sounds like your on your way!

Thankyou for your comments. I have read a lot more of the dairys and pre op posts and am blown away by the supportive words shared between you. I now have an appointment this Thursday to see Dr Justin Greenslade. Then an appointment to see Dr Daoud on the 5th March. Depending on how I go with my appointment with Dr Greenslade I may not see Dr Daoud. I wrote to Dr Justin Greenslade and he replied personally via email to my questions. He attached a quote for the surgery price as well. First I get the lapband out...wait two months...then the sleeve.

What pre op procedures did you need to have by Dr Justin Greenslade? Endo, Gastro? ect

Hi Janette

I was sleeved by Dr Mark Daoud and absolutely no complaints about him at all , my understanding is he has had no leaks

I would definately recommend him others , infact I have lol

There are a few of us that have been sleeved by him on this site.

Tarnz

oopsy my friend Alex is still logged in on my computer lol I didnt realise I was using her avatar lol.

Hi Janette,
Looks like you are well on your way to your goals. I don't think I am going to be lucky enough to get my sleeve done before my daughters wedding so will just have to live on optifast for a few weeks. At least my liver will be well shrunk by the time of my sleeve. I have just about had all my appoinments and I am now just waiting for a date. My only fear is that I will lose the weight on the optifast and then I won't qualify for the sleeve cos my BMI will be down. I am a little dissapointed about it cos I had it all figured out in my head and I was in a good space but now the doubts and fears are niggling in the shadows.
Oh well these things happen for a reason out there in the universe some-one knows my course, I just have to trust.
Keep up the great work. It will be me soon......
Hugs
Jules

Hi Karlin and welcome to the forum.
Congrats on your decision to be sleeved. I have choosen to tell very few people I have had sleeve surgery. For me the fewer people that know the better. Everyone thinks I am losing weight eating 6 small protein based meals per day, well I am!! Good luck with your journey, you will love the sleeve.

Hi Jules
I have one son getting married in May and his older brother in October, this is my big incentive. I want to look nice for them on there wedding days. I don't think I will be at goal for wedding number one, but hoping to be for wedding number two. Good luck with your journey.

Sounds like a nightmare Karlin and I agree with Anna - why are they still putting ppl through this?

hello karlin

im seing justin greenslade at greenslopes i have heard good comments about your doctor but not sure about his stats
i know my doctor hasnt had any leaks or serious problems. He also told me that he staples ,stitches then uses he explained it to me as super glue just to make sure. If you check in the section they have topics on doctors search through the old ones for your doctor. I had heard alot lot of good comments about my doctor and was alot cheaper then most the doctors in brisbane.

mel

P.S. So far i have only heard bad things about the band ,

Hi everyone from the moment I had my band put in I have had giant bubbles and excess saliva. Pain and burning in my throat and chest with bile. I have had fluid removed and fluid add with same results. I also suffer from anxiety/panic attacks and guess that this doesnt help only makes restriction worse. In the end I was barely eating anything and seriously annoying my family. I would take a mouthful of mush then have to go bring back up. Im talking teaspoon and mushy food. I havent been able to eat real food at all. So you know what goes down best...icecream and drinks, though even these sometimes give me trouble. I can no longer eat out or go to bbq's cept to old friends as they know what I am like.
Good luck to those of you who are getting the sleeve done soon. So exciting for you all:)