No it's not lap band & No it's not gastric bypass...it's the sleeve dammit!!!!

I had my Upper GI today to find out why I can't keep food down. Went to the hospital and spent 15 mins explaining what the sleeve is, and why I would have a really hard time drinking all 3 of those 10oz cups of fluid. It seems that the only people that know about this surgery is on this website.

Thats got to be frustrating but so true , i often explain the sleeve to alot of people who know about my surgery. I guess the sleeve is still new or alot of folks have never heard of it. You would think a medical professional would know what the sleeve is. Sorry to hear your having a hard time and i hope you feel better

Unfortunately, the sleeve is not taught in medical school.  However, a gastroenterologist who graduated recently, or keeps up on his/her research should be familiar with it (mine was!).  You will have to be patient with people, and accept the fact that you chose a surgery that is not hawked mainstream, and so you become an educator by default.  Your explanation will become short and streamlined.  I have found that people are curious and supportive, and don't mind explaining my surgery to healthcare professionals and laypeople now.

 LOL.  That is so true.  Even doctors and nurses ask "what is the sleeve".  I finally agreed with someone that I had bypass surgery yesterday.  I was tired of trying to explain

LOL

 I have heard that you should tell them "partial gastrectomy" and they should know what that is. People have had to have part of their stomachs removed for years due to other issues! 
See if that works! Good luckl!
Jenni

That is what I finally called it to the doctor , partial gastrectomy, and he still didn't understand...scary! My life is in this guy's hands??? EEEEEEeeeeeeekkkkk! *Giggles* 

It's a lot easier to explain to uneducated, non-bariatric people/medical professionals that you've had a partial gastrectomy. Something about saying "sleeve" totally screws up people's mind and it just causing a huge clusterf*ck for their brains.

My oncologist/hematologist was educated on it for weight loss purposes only because of his work with stomach cancer patients. My high risk ob was confused with the word "sleeve" being thrown in there so it's just "I had 85% of my stomach removed, you know a partial gastrectomy." This makes it so much easier!

 But it sounds a lot less friendly than "sleeve".  I guess "partial gastrectomy" is the clinical term.

After 2 years of explaining that A) it's NOT bypass B) no, they didn't wrap something around my stomach like a shirt sleeve C) No, they didn't change my intestinal track. . . I promise partial gastrectomy makes a lot more sense to people that just get thrown off with the word "sleeve". Just for me, it seemed that once I said "they JUST removed a large portion of my stomach" they would reply "ohh that makes sense". People don't like feeling ignorant, or that they can't comprehend what I did to my body so I keep the mindset of "KISS" Keep It Simple Stupid, and it works so much better. In the beginning, I didn't mind, but 2 years out, all the heads ****ed over to the side with that glazed over "huh" look is more annoying than anything.