Dream4tc

I am not sure what is going on with my signature, I was unable to edit it so I had put an email out to the administrator to have them fix it.

No I am not using either of them. I had used the phentermine in the past back in 2000. I had later tried bontril back in 2006 before WLS. I had the band in 2011, band removed just this month 8/10/15 and I will be having bypass in November. My post was just commenting on the medications that I tried. If you had read my original post more carefully you would have seen that I used past tense. I was just trying to offer more information to others geez no need to crucify me lol.

Mountain Home area

I am surprised this medication hasn't been mentioned yet on here. First I want to mention, I have tried phentermine in the past and couldn't handle the jittery feeling or heart palpitations. I only used this for a short time, and I had to cut the pill in half because it was too strong for me. It is not paid by insurance. It is around $30.00 for a months supply and you need to see your physician every month to have your blood pressure and heart rate monitored. Now to get to the medication Bontril. I also used Bontril. It is usually prescribed 35mg tabs 3 times a day. I really liked this one because it did not give me the jittery feeling or the heart palpitations like the phentermine did. It helped with appetite suppression and I lost weight with it. I initially started out taking it 3 times a day as prescribed but found I only needed it twice a day. I have a history of insomnia so it would keep me wide awake. This medication is a controlled substance and insurance does not pay for it either. The cost is the same $30 a month and you also need to see your physician every month on this medication.

Hmm...I don't remember where it was. I am on a prescription meds for reflux now. Things have been ok with that. What makes you read up so much on ulcers? I am a nurse, can't help it. haha! I research everything especially if it is something that I can prevent. I am very proactive instead of reactive. I have been on Zantac twice daily and also Prilosec twice daily for quite a long time. I am hoping with being on those medications, I won't develop any after bypass.

That's normal. Give it time, it will improve

The port is what is placed under the skin, which is sutured to your abdominal wall. This port is attached to a tube inside the body that goes to the band that is around the stomach. The port gives the surgeon access to adjust the band by making it tighter or looser by using a Huber needle (a non coring needle). The middle of the port has a rubber type stopper that the doctor puts the needle in which is attached to a syringe filled with saline. The saline goes into the tube which goes into the band. The more saline that is in the band, the tighter the band is.

Where was the ulcer at specifically? I have read alot about that possibility and the info that I read was on ulcers developing at the reanastamosed sites. Are you on any prescription antacid now?

I never had any gas pain, which is usually felt either in your shoulder or back. I only had incision pain. They will fill your tummy with gas to keep it expanded to see better with the scope. However the only way to get rid of that gas is to expel it by burping, or passing it. In order to speed that up, if you walk....the gas will come off much faster. You might start burping when you get up out of bed for the first time because it takes longer for your bowels to wake up after anesthesia. I got a bit nauseous from the IV dilaudid a few times, but they gave me IV Zofran and then also gave me a prescription for some sublingual zofran to take at home, but honestly I haven't had to use any of the Zofran at home which is great! Yes, I definitely have restriction, and really not much of an appetite. I make myself eat. I have been using sugar free, low carb, low calorie. You will probably gain some weight from all of the IV fluids they pump into you. I gained 8 pounds just from surgery, but I actually lost 2 pounds the other day, and 7 pounds overnight just last night! I was super happy about that. I know that my appetite will start to increase, and the swelling will go down eventually and the restriction that I am currently blessed with will also dissipate, BUT that is where I will work even harder and continue my Zumba and track my calories with fitnesspal and use my Vivosmart activity tracker and that is where the hard part will begin. We can do it for a few months!

Overall, RNY has been positive! With anything there can be setbacks. I developed a ulcer early out but that resolved. I had some issues with fatigue which hopefully is gone for good. The usual issues you probably see on the forums such as constipation, taking Vitamins daily and watching nutrition intake is ongoing at this point. I am 10 months out so I am still learning my body. I am not in maintenance phase yet. As far as weight loss, it's been good. I'm about 20 pounds from my goal weight. I don't know what your food vices are but I cannot tolerate any high sugary foods which is a big deal for me. I did have the revision & removal at once but I think it's great that your surgery date is coming up. At least you will be healed like you said and ready for the bypass. BTW my joint pain, high blood pressure and pre-diabetes is gone so it's been good. You will have to experience it to totally understand what I mean but I feel if people need RNY it's a great option. That's awesome! How did you develop an ulcer? What were your symptoms? Were you on any antacids prior to revision? My biggest weakness is sugar, especially ice cream. Which Calcium supplement do you take? I have been taking sublingual B12 and Vitamin D as a liquid drop. My current Multivitamin is a one a day gummy but I know that I will most likely have to switch to a chewable with the RNY. Which ones do you take? Do you have problems with constipation with RNY? I definitely don't want that to occur. I have a history of diverticulosis, with my first attack about 1.5 years ago and that was horrible! I take a Fiber gummy daily for that too. What do you do to prevent that? That is great that you are feeling better! 20 pounds to goal is awesome!!! I bet you are so excited!

@@Trayjay33 I completely agree with you about the insurance thing. How have things been going with your RNY? It sounds like you were able to get your band removed and RNY in the same surgery which is great! My insurance company is making me do this in 2 surgeries. They still consider the revision as a whole new surgery and I have to go through the 5 month supervised physician diet, which I have been doing since April of this year. I knew their requirement, so now I really don't need to wait. I am just waiting to give my body time to heal from this removal. How has your recovery been and any problems along the way? How has your weight loss been?

Yep. I just got mine removed 5 days ago and so glad I did. I had so many problems with GERD and initially wanted to revise to sleeve, but based on my history of GERD, my surgeon says that the sleeve would cause me to continue to have the same reflux and heartburn due to the high pressure of the sleeve so He recommended bypass and after thorough research, and I am an RN with several friends who have had both sleeve and bypass..... and numerous conversations with my surgeon, I will be revising to gastric bypass in November. The removal of the port has been the most painful. I stayed the night in the hospital due to pain control because he also removed the scar tissue around the band as well. Adhesion removal can be painful. I was on IV Dilaudid every 4 hours, IV Toradol and Norco in the hospital. They switched me to percocets and I have been fine on those. Take a pillow with you to hold against your tummy to splint the incision so you can cough. Also get a start on taking some over the counter miralax to help with constipation because pain med can cause things to slow way down, on top of the anesthesia. I have asthma so I needed breathing treatments and I used my incentive spirometer every hour while awake to exercise my lungs which helped me greatly! They leave the incisions open to air and seal them with Dermabond, a type of glue. I am healing quite fast. Here is a pic of my incisions. He did a total of 3. The biggest was where the port was. Make sure your decision is yours and also listen to your surgeon and what will be best for you. The next few months will be the hardest, however I still feel restriction post op.

It was helpful the first 2 years.

I just had my band removed 5 days ago. It was painful, but so glad I did it. I have not had any reflux, heartburn or vomiting which has been just amazing considering, I had endured that for 9 consecutive months due to complications from a prolapse and then slip where my band was sitting sideways and was up nearly on my esophagus. My insurance paid for my removal after there was imaging confirmation from an Upper GI and esophageal manometry. There was quite a bit of scar tissue removed and that in itself is painful. I am on percocets currently but pain has improved and so thankful that it's gone. I actually have relief and no more vomiting. I drank a glass of orange juice today for the first time after 4 years. I had not been able to drink any juices or eat any acidic fruits since the band due to too much acid. I will be revising to gastric bypass in a few months after I heal from this

I had lap band and port removed on 8/10/15 due to complications from prolapse and then slip 9 months later, all which had cause me to vomit everything I ate. I had lap band for 4 years. Lost 80 pounds. Since removal, I have had NO reflux or heartburn which has been amazing. I haven't had much of an appetite and have had pain at the port site, but pain has improved every day. I had gained 8 pounds due to surgery, but have lost 7 pounds over night last night. I am now on a soft food diet until my post op appt and have been logging my calories on fitness pal and using my Vivosmart activity tracker. I have been focusing on protein to keep up my energy level. Drinking water, premier protein shakes, low fat cottage cheese, and eggs with some grape or orange juice when my head feels "swimmy". I plan to revise to gastric bypass based on my surgeons recommendations in October/November after I heal up from this. I can't wait to get back to Zumba after clearance from my surgeon. I will work my butt off to keep my weight maintained until my revision. Here is my most recent belly pic. It is healing and I am allowed to shower. The biggest incision still hurts but pain has improved. See my belly face? The 2 small incisions are the eyes and my actual belly button is the mouth LOL. Belly is still swollen, I am sure it will go down soon

Great to hear! I initially was seeking revision to sleeve, but with my history of GERD problems and with the scarring from my band, my new surgeon told me that I would most likely would have the same problems with the sleeve. He also said the surgery with the bypass would be easier versus the sleeve. Looking forward to bypass and I have a great support system. Looks like you have done well with your bypass, Congrats!!! What are your challenges or struggles?

Hi everyone! I had lap band November 2011. This worked well for a while. I lost about 80 pounds, until I had complication Nov 2014. I had problems with vomiting everything I would eat, so my previous surgeon ordered an upper GI and esophageal manometry. Both of those tests confirmed I had a prolapse. Long story short, my insurance company made me switch to a different surgeon. I had my band and port removed 8/10/15. My new surgeon said that my band had also slipped and was sitting sideways which was causing me to have the vomiting. He also did an intra-op EGD to look at my esophagus to see if there was any damage from 9 months of vomiting. He said it didn't look too bad,but I needed to continue my Zantac and Prilosec. He said he had to remove the adhesions(scar tissue) from the band. I am not going to lie, the port removal and scar tissue removal is painful! It was supposed to be an outpatient procedure and go home same day, but I ended up staying the night in the hospital due to pain control and I am really glad I did. IV Dilaudid was the only thing that was helping my pain. They eventually switched me to percocets and that seemed to help with the pain. I am attaching a picture of the port site. I am now 4 days post-op band and port removal and I am still taking percocets for pain, but it is improving. I will be revising to Gastric bypass in late October, early November based on my surgeon's recommendations and my history of GERD. My insurance company wouldn't allow me to have the revision done in 1 surgery, so it has to be done this way. I am interested in hearing from those who have had band to bypass and what their experiences were. There were 3 total incisions. 2 small ones which don't bother me at all, and one large painful incision where port was. This larger incision is the mean monster.

If there is a documented problem with the band, then it is considered a complication and insurance will cover, but it has to be documented. Most of the time insurance will cover removal and revision to sleeve if you still qualify for bariatric surgery with BMI >35 and comorbidities. Best of luck to you

Thanks! No, I am currently not having any issues. I have a Allergan 10cc band and currently my level is 4.85cc and I am totally in the green zone and loving it! It has taken quite a few tweaking to get to the right spot. The temps and elevation has been just noticeable. I was just curious as to if other banders have noticed or experienced this. Thanks for the feedback!

This year will be 2 years for me. YAY! Something I have noticed in the 2 years of having my band, is that when the weather changes to extreme temps such as very cold or extreme heat, my band will tighten ALOT. Also, when I travel and there are elevation changes, there is also a very big change in tightness. Just something I have noticed. I have mentioned this to my surgeon and also a fellow lap band friend and she noticed the same thing. I usually have be more aware to avoid stuck episodes during these times. Does anyone else notice this as well? Just curious and would love to hear from others.

Thank you that is very helpful. I wonder if the burping will eventually get better for you. I am a nurse and I would be completely embarrassed when I go to assess my patients and I am burping when I can't really control that LOL. I am looking forward to brushing my teeth and showering after surgery, and of course sleeping which I haven't had much of that due to 2 new puppies lol Silly huh? lol I am planning on taking almost 3 weeks off due to the physical part of my job, my boss wasn't happy about that and had some issues trying to get the time off but I got it worked out through HR. Most of the patients I have taken care of post-op Lap-cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal laparoscopically), has the same gas pains and we make them get up and walk to help expel the gas. Most of the time they don't want to get out of bed due to the pain, but I tell them that they will feel much better if they just get up and walk. My husband is going to make thanksgiving dinner tomorrow since I won't get to eat it for Thanksgiving this year because I will be on full liquids and mushies around that time. He is so sweet. I wonder if you are feeling the stuck feeling due to the band still healing and maybe there is still some swelling? When do you go see your surgeon again? What kind of reaction did you get to the glue? Was it Dermabond? I was really worried about the Fluid thing mainly because I am a big Water drinker and my mouth gets so dry especially when I am working and in the winter time when the heat is on in the house, the dry air makes it worse. I am a bit worried though about coughing alot post op. I have asthma and usually anesthesia wreaks havoc on my lungs. I am planning on taking my inhaler and ask them for a breathing treatment in PACU. My pillow will be right with me too to help with splinting my incision when I cough. I go tomorrow to get my labs drawn. Where did they put your port? I asked my surgeon where he was going to place mine and he said he is going to place it 2 inches left of my belly button and 2 inches up from there. I just hope it isn't on my panty line or where the top of my jeans sit because that could be uncomfortable. I hear of some people getting them placed really high which some have complained about it sticking out after they lose alot of weight. If that does happen, surgeons can switch it out with a low-profile port. I am going to start lifting weights and do strength training as soon as my surgeon says its ok. I want to try and tone up my muscles the best I can in my arms, legs and lower abs so I can reduce the loose skin that I will have. What kind of Protein shake are you using? Sorry with all the questions, I keep thinking of things as I am typing LOL Hopefully your band will relax so that you can slowly advance your diet to real food. I am so excited for you!

One of the nurses I work with had a tummy tuck done because she was getting yeast infections underneath the flap of her excess skin due to rubbing. They paid for it, for that reason.

Check with your pharmacist to see if the pills can be cut or crushed. Some pills can't be crushed or cut due to enteric coating or time release. Check with your Dr. to see if they can change your order to a liquid or alternative route method for a little while or permanently. FYI: pills can taste bitter when crushed.

I researched them all quite extensively before I decided to make my choice. I am a nurse and have taken care of many patients with bypass and sleeve procedures and have taken care of them when they had complications arising from the surgeries mainly from non-compliance with the dietary restrictions and electrolyte imbalances causing other problems based on nutrition. I have also taken care of banded patients as well who have their own complications from being too tight. Bypass and Duodenal switch procedures are restrictive and malabsorptive meaning that it will give you portion control but the malabsorptive part of it means that you don't absorb the nutrients that you need which can cause nutritional deficiencies and electrolyte imbalances. Hence, therefore its a must that you take Vitamin supplements for life. With bypass, the stomach is not removed but rerouted. With D/S, there is rerouting but the difference is that it limits absorption of fat The risks with either of these surgeries run significantly higher than other WLS procedures which include readmission due to complications causing long hospital stays. Weight loss with both are rapid. They both carry lists of risks and they are not reversible. One of the nurses I work with had gastric bypass and is having extreme difficulty retaining Calcium and Vitamin D levels. She has had many problems and 3 additional surgeries just this year from bowel obstructions and ileus.Our best man of our wedding also had bypass 6 years ago and has stretched his stomach out from overeating that now he has gained all of his weight back. The risk of all WLS is that if you overeat, you will stretch your pouches and the potential for gaining weight will happen if you don't change your dietary habits. Gastric Sleeve- this procedure will remove a large portion of your stomach (removed out of your body) that secretes an appetite stimulating hormone called Ghrelin. The stomach turns into a banana like bag and is a restrictive procedure. The risks are less than the bypass or D/S. This is not reversible. Lap-Band or AGB- is the lowest risk and safest WLS available. It is a restrictive procedure. It is reversible and safe for those who are pregnant, or who may want additional children. There are lists of risks associated with each WLS procedure that I will not list here. I encourage you to research each one and write down the list for each. With any WLS, if you don't change your dietary habits you will stretch your pouches causing weight gain and complications. For any person who is considering WLS, I recommend to educate yourself, make a list of questions to ask, and ask your surgeon. It is a personal choice. Just make sure you arm yourself with all of the information that you need to make the best possible decision for yourself because no one can make that choice for you, not even your surgeon. A list of pros and cons for each surgery may help you make the best decision. Ask "what if" questions for everything, remember this is your weight loss journey. Knowledge is power. I personally have chosen the Lap Band due to its reversibility, low risk of complications and safety for pregnancy if I choose to later have additional children. I will be banded 11/1611. Before I made my decision, I researched risks, complications, read blogs and forums such as this one, watched youtube videos of people who have had the band and what problems or positive outcomes they have experienced, I researched studies, and questioned my surgeon on numerous occasions to arm myself with the knowledge to make the choice for me. I am and have been addressing the behavioral part of dietary changes by seeing a behavioral therapist since the beginning of this year. If your mind is not in the right place, then you need to get it there before starting WLS or you will continue to make the same poor choices. I also have an excellent supportive husband who is completely on board with my decision. Best of luck to you