POSTED UNDER Orbera Gastric Balloon REVIEWS
Orbera at baseline
ORIGINAL POST
Baseline (January 2019)
BrettGJanuary 22, 2019
WORTH IT$8,600
I'm probably not the target audience since I'm a 52-year-old male. But here's my story. I'm 6 ft. tall, about 240 lbs and my BMI is 33. My Obera procedure is scheduled for January 23, 2019.
I'm writing to benchmark my own experience. I expect to post experiences along the way, which I hope are helpful to others. But my primary goal is to read this post every three months (at month 3, 6, 9, and 12). At each point, I'll post answers to the same questions (presented below) so I can objectively assess the value of Obera for me.
Like many, I've struggled with weight my entire life. I know it's about calories in versus calories out. My calories-in times are tied to stress, emotions, and genetic predisposition. In my 20s and 30s, I generally kept things in check by smoking and Weight Watchers. In my 40s, after quitting smoking, I had some success with phentermine.
Still, my weight crept up over time. It's like the stock market, with ups and downs, but the average increases over time. These days, my motivation is less about vanity and more about longevity. Also, I want a better quality of life.
I understand that the clinical trials of intragastric balloons aren't great, that nausea and vomiting are likely, and I'll probably gain some or all weight back within a couple years. I know all this and yet I'm proceeding. To use the stock market metaphor, I'm hoping for a market correction.
My definition of success is a weight loss of 30 lbs by month 6, which would put me at a weight of about 210 lbs. If I weigh 215 lbs or less one year from now in January 2020, I'd consider this process to be a wild success.
Here are my questions to my future self. Again, I will revisit and answer these exact same questions at month 3, 6, 9, and 12. (I love hearing different perspectives. So, any readers please feel free to comment.)
MONTH 0: JAN 2019
Q: Given your experiences with Orbera to date, do you feel the value of potentially losing 30 lbs outweighs the cost of $8,600?
A: Today, yes. I'm immensely grateful to be in a financial position where this choice is even possible. A few years back, this would be unthinkable.
Q: What's your weight today and how do you feel about your body?
A: I weigh 240 lbs. I'm often uncomfortable in clothes because they don't fit right. That bums me out. Yesterday, I was buying clothes in a department store. How I feel in the changing room is a good barometer. And I felt shame and anger.
Q: Are the side effects of Orbera tolerable when compared to your current weight loss?
A: Not applicable so far. I get car sick easily. So I'm expecting nausea and vomiting to be pretty bad. As with pain, it's better to prevent it than to make it go away after it starts. I plan to stick closely to my doctor's protocol to mitigate side effects.
Q: Is the quality of your life better or worse since the procedure?
A: Not applicable so far.
Q: What's it like living day-to-day with the balloon in place? Or, since the balloon was removed?
A: Not applicable so far.
Q: Of any progress so far, how much is related to the actual medical device versus the supportive component provided by your doctor's team?
A: Not applicable so far. But I will say that my doctor and his team have been unremarkable so far.
Q: What lifestyle changes are you making to support maintaining your progress in the long term?
A: I'm hoping Orbera serves as a kickstart to better eating habits, more mindfulness of bad habits, and pursuing sustainable types of exercise more often.
Q: What's your advice to anyone considering intragastric balloon procedures?
A: Read this again in three months.
I'm writing to benchmark my own experience. I expect to post experiences along the way, which I hope are helpful to others. But my primary goal is to read this post every three months (at month 3, 6, 9, and 12). At each point, I'll post answers to the same questions (presented below) so I can objectively assess the value of Obera for me.
Like many, I've struggled with weight my entire life. I know it's about calories in versus calories out. My calories-in times are tied to stress, emotions, and genetic predisposition. In my 20s and 30s, I generally kept things in check by smoking and Weight Watchers. In my 40s, after quitting smoking, I had some success with phentermine.
Still, my weight crept up over time. It's like the stock market, with ups and downs, but the average increases over time. These days, my motivation is less about vanity and more about longevity. Also, I want a better quality of life.
I understand that the clinical trials of intragastric balloons aren't great, that nausea and vomiting are likely, and I'll probably gain some or all weight back within a couple years. I know all this and yet I'm proceeding. To use the stock market metaphor, I'm hoping for a market correction.
My definition of success is a weight loss of 30 lbs by month 6, which would put me at a weight of about 210 lbs. If I weigh 215 lbs or less one year from now in January 2020, I'd consider this process to be a wild success.
Here are my questions to my future self. Again, I will revisit and answer these exact same questions at month 3, 6, 9, and 12. (I love hearing different perspectives. So, any readers please feel free to comment.)
MONTH 0: JAN 2019
Q: Given your experiences with Orbera to date, do you feel the value of potentially losing 30 lbs outweighs the cost of $8,600?
A: Today, yes. I'm immensely grateful to be in a financial position where this choice is even possible. A few years back, this would be unthinkable.
Q: What's your weight today and how do you feel about your body?
A: I weigh 240 lbs. I'm often uncomfortable in clothes because they don't fit right. That bums me out. Yesterday, I was buying clothes in a department store. How I feel in the changing room is a good barometer. And I felt shame and anger.
Q: Are the side effects of Orbera tolerable when compared to your current weight loss?
A: Not applicable so far. I get car sick easily. So I'm expecting nausea and vomiting to be pretty bad. As with pain, it's better to prevent it than to make it go away after it starts. I plan to stick closely to my doctor's protocol to mitigate side effects.
Q: Is the quality of your life better or worse since the procedure?
A: Not applicable so far.
Q: What's it like living day-to-day with the balloon in place? Or, since the balloon was removed?
A: Not applicable so far.
Q: Of any progress so far, how much is related to the actual medical device versus the supportive component provided by your doctor's team?
A: Not applicable so far. But I will say that my doctor and his team have been unremarkable so far.
Q: What lifestyle changes are you making to support maintaining your progress in the long term?
A: I'm hoping Orbera serves as a kickstart to better eating habits, more mindfulness of bad habits, and pursuing sustainable types of exercise more often.
Q: What's your advice to anyone considering intragastric balloon procedures?
A: Read this again in three months.
UPDATED FROM BrettG
7 months post
Orbera after six months
BrettGAugust 23, 2019
I got my Orbera balloon removed yesterday. I had it inserted over six months ago. Since then, I lost 32 pounds, shrunk from a waist size of 38 to a 36, and lowered my body fat percentage from 33% to about 25%. Was the procedure worth $8,600 and three months of intense nausea? For me, yes.
Six months ago, I posted my thoughts before getting the balloon. I defined success as “a weight loss of 30 lbs by month 6, which would put me at a weight of about 210 lbs.” Today I weigh 208 lbs. Orebera was a success for me. Now, whether I can keep it off, that’s another story.
In my previous post, I asked a few questions to my future self. I guess I’m my future self now, so here are my answers:
MONTH 6
Q: Given your experiences with Orbera to date, do you feel the value of potentially losing 30 lbs outweighs the cost of $8,600?
A: Definitely, yes. I lucked out because my health insurance reimbursed me $2,100. That was unexpected. Even without the reimbursement, I’m ok with paying $8,600 to lose 32 lbs. I was in a rut, and the procedure got me out. I feel better, physically and mentally.
Q: What's your weight today, and how do you feel about your body?
A: I feel better about myself at 208 pounds than how I felt at 240 pounds. Recently I tried on new clothes. What I felt in the changing room was mostly relief. I went from a 2XL to an XL. My waist size went from a 38 to a 34. I still feel fat but less fat. No question, being leaner feels better.
Q: Are the side effects of Orbera tolerable when compared to your current weight loss?
A: I expected nausea and vomiting. I vomited only on the first day. But the nausea is intense and lasts for at least three months. I felt like a chemo patient. On the bright side, I had no interest in food. When I ate, the smallest portion is satisfying. It’s weird; I never ate so little. Equally, I felt weak often and lost muscle mass. The first time I weighed in, I lost 20 lbs in total. But a body fat test showed I lost only 8 pounds of fat while also losing 12 lbs of muscle. My fat-to-muscle ratio got better over time. I recently started working with a trainer to gain muscle.
Q: Is the quality of your life better or worse since the procedure?
A: Way better. I have all new clothes that fit normally. I spend less time preoccupied with feeling bad. I joined a gym. I got a trainer. I feel more normal. When I was at 240, my pants never fit right; they always wanted to fall. I hated pulling up my pants in public. Lately, my pants fit better, and they stay up. That says something.
Q: What's it like living day-to-day with the balloon in place? Or, since the balloon was removed?
A: The first three months were hard. I felt queasy all the time. I had a lot of gas and burping, especially in the evenings when I tended to lay flat. By the fifth or sixth month, I barely noticed the balloon. The side effects lessened over time, but so did the effectiveness.
Q: Of any progress so far, how much is related to the actual medical device versus the supportive component provided by your doctor's team?
A: I’d say 80% of the progress I made was due to the balloon itself. When I had weird side effects, my doctor fixed the situation so that I could stick it out. Technically, I had the balloon in seven months, after asking my doctor to delay removing it. It turned out to be a wash; I neither gained nor lost weight during that extra month.
Q: What lifestyle changes are you making to support maintaining your progress in the long term?
A: I joined a gym and got a trainer, who suggested that I try intermittent fasting. In my case, I'm supposed to eat only during an eight-hour window. I just started this week.
Q: What's your advice to anyone considering intragastric balloon procedures?
A: This procedure is a step beyond dieting but not as drastic as bariatric surgery. If you can tolerate nausea and you have the money (which you can always finance), I’d say do it.
Six months ago, I posted my thoughts before getting the balloon. I defined success as “a weight loss of 30 lbs by month 6, which would put me at a weight of about 210 lbs.” Today I weigh 208 lbs. Orebera was a success for me. Now, whether I can keep it off, that’s another story.
In my previous post, I asked a few questions to my future self. I guess I’m my future self now, so here are my answers:
MONTH 6
Q: Given your experiences with Orbera to date, do you feel the value of potentially losing 30 lbs outweighs the cost of $8,600?
A: Definitely, yes. I lucked out because my health insurance reimbursed me $2,100. That was unexpected. Even without the reimbursement, I’m ok with paying $8,600 to lose 32 lbs. I was in a rut, and the procedure got me out. I feel better, physically and mentally.
Q: What's your weight today, and how do you feel about your body?
A: I feel better about myself at 208 pounds than how I felt at 240 pounds. Recently I tried on new clothes. What I felt in the changing room was mostly relief. I went from a 2XL to an XL. My waist size went from a 38 to a 34. I still feel fat but less fat. No question, being leaner feels better.
Q: Are the side effects of Orbera tolerable when compared to your current weight loss?
A: I expected nausea and vomiting. I vomited only on the first day. But the nausea is intense and lasts for at least three months. I felt like a chemo patient. On the bright side, I had no interest in food. When I ate, the smallest portion is satisfying. It’s weird; I never ate so little. Equally, I felt weak often and lost muscle mass. The first time I weighed in, I lost 20 lbs in total. But a body fat test showed I lost only 8 pounds of fat while also losing 12 lbs of muscle. My fat-to-muscle ratio got better over time. I recently started working with a trainer to gain muscle.
Q: Is the quality of your life better or worse since the procedure?
A: Way better. I have all new clothes that fit normally. I spend less time preoccupied with feeling bad. I joined a gym. I got a trainer. I feel more normal. When I was at 240, my pants never fit right; they always wanted to fall. I hated pulling up my pants in public. Lately, my pants fit better, and they stay up. That says something.
Q: What's it like living day-to-day with the balloon in place? Or, since the balloon was removed?
A: The first three months were hard. I felt queasy all the time. I had a lot of gas and burping, especially in the evenings when I tended to lay flat. By the fifth or sixth month, I barely noticed the balloon. The side effects lessened over time, but so did the effectiveness.
Q: Of any progress so far, how much is related to the actual medical device versus the supportive component provided by your doctor's team?
A: I’d say 80% of the progress I made was due to the balloon itself. When I had weird side effects, my doctor fixed the situation so that I could stick it out. Technically, I had the balloon in seven months, after asking my doctor to delay removing it. It turned out to be a wash; I neither gained nor lost weight during that extra month.
Q: What lifestyle changes are you making to support maintaining your progress in the long term?
A: I joined a gym and got a trainer, who suggested that I try intermittent fasting. In my case, I'm supposed to eat only during an eight-hour window. I just started this week.
Q: What's your advice to anyone considering intragastric balloon procedures?
A: This procedure is a step beyond dieting but not as drastic as bariatric surgery. If you can tolerate nausea and you have the money (which you can always finance), I’d say do it.
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