lbugher

So my primary issue with my lap band was that my pouch would never stay full for long. One burp or drink of Water would empty the pouch and I would be hungry again. My stomach is like an hourglass with a small pouch on top, the band restricting, and then the rest of my stomach below. You eat and the food rests in the top pouch and, ideally, filters through like sand in an hourglass over a long period of time. Water dilutes the food and boom, it all slides through within 15 minutes of drinking anything. Or a burp creates a good slide where it all spills down from the air bubble making room. Hunger returns and I eat.
Worse, the foods that are healthiest get stuck (like fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins). I avoid them now. Strawberries were once one of my favorite foods and now I can't really eat them, even with my band empty. Also, my band is tight in the morning so Breakfast (the most important meal of the day) is difficult to eat. My band is magically nice and loose at night so I can eat as much as I want. It sucks.
Anyway, my point is, I'm wondering if this sort of crap happens with bypass. Can you clear your pouch out that easily and push everything into your intestines by drinking water? If I can eat a few bites of food, drink some water, and empty the pouch, this is not going to work for me. I need something that's going to slow me down. I keep asking folks to explain what eating feels like after bypass but I can't seem to get a straight answer 😕 Thank you!!

My wife's grandfather died from esophageal cancer and it was heartbreaking. Get the bypass. It's much, much better than cancer. I won't do VSG after hearing the GERD horror stories and bypass has been done for decades now. It's plenty safe, much more so than a cancer diagnosis. Plus I'm sure it will make you feel better immediately! That has to be worth something too!

My wife's grandfather died from esophageal cancer and it was heartbreaking. Get the bypass. It's much, much better than cancer. I won't do VSG after hearing the GERD horror stories and bypass has been done for decades now. It's plenty safe, much more so than a cancer diagnosis. Plus I'm sure it will make you feel better immediately! That has to be worth something too!

My wife's grandfather died from esophageal cancer and it was heartbreaking. Get the bypass. It's much, much better than cancer. I won't do VSG after hearing the GERD horror stories and bypass has been done for decades now. It's plenty safe, much more so than a cancer diagnosis. Plus I'm sure it will make you feel better immediately! That has to be worth something too!

I'm another lap band failure story - heyo! Mine never worked to begin with, never found my sweet spot so I only ended up losing 40 pounds max (I need to lose 150 to fall in the healthy range for BMI) and ended up gaining it back plus more after having twins.
I struggle with the same thoughts as you - being a mom to 3 young kids I'm afraid of having more surgery that could cause complications and put my life at risk. That being said, I'm putting my life at risk by staying morbidly obese 😕 I'm 37 and I already don't feel good. I have a hard time walking long distances and standing for long periods of time. I want to be able to hike, ride bikes, play sports, and keep up with my kids. I love being active but I am unable to do much with the joint pain and I lose my breath so easily.
After doing some research I've decided on RNY I think. It's the "gold standard" and it's been done for decades. The sleeve is pretty recent, and I'm scared it will go the way with the band. RNY made me nervous at first because I thought the "bypassed" organs shriveled up and died inside you but they're actually still functioning like normal. They just don't receive the nutrients and the food travels through faster so you don't absorb as many calories. Kind of a win-win with restriction + malabsorption.
Another consideration for me is setting an example for my kids. I really want to strive to make food a non-issue. It was a HUGE issue for me growing up. My mom influenced me and she had a very negative attitude towards her body and was yo-yo dieting my entire life. I remember she'd make weird food while the rest of us ate normal dinner, she had a new eating philosophy ever year, had a new exercise regimen she'd swear would make her skinny... she put me on Weight Watchers when I was 10, and let me use diet pills (ephedrine) when I was 16. I will fight tooth and nail to stop my daughter from starting this cycle. And I think that has to start with me. She's going to be watching me and I have to be careful to make sure she sees me eat normal, healthy food and I have to keep negative body talk out of my conversations. I think having bypass may help me with that too.
Whatever you decide, good luck!

I’m down 86 lbs since surgery. This weekend my husband and I travelled to the LA area. We’ve walked at least 8 miles each day while here. I have NO pain in my feet, legs, and back. No way I could have done this a year ago. Plus, as an extra bonus, I had room to spare with my seatbelt on the plane and no fear of not fitting on the rides at Six Flags and Disneyland :)

Thanks everyone! This is very helpful. It sounds like significant weight loss has helped a lot of folks with their chronic pain. I'm hoping the same will be for me, too. I thought most of my pain was postpartum related but my twins are nearly 1 now so it seems like that would've healed by now, or maybe my healing has slowed/stopped due to my weight. In any case, I have hope now! I was immobilized during my pregnancy and it was awful. I want to get back to moving again!

How are your general pain levels?
I ask because I'm about 150 pounds overweight and I have a lot of aches and pains. My knees, hips, back, etc. hurt almost constantly but especially when I'm moving, which deters me from moving and makes me not want to hit the gym which is the opposite of what I should be doing because movement is very healthy. I'm wondering if the weight lost from RNY will help me get back to the gym and get rid of the pain. I tried physical therapy but most of my treatments were temporary fixes (like traction for my back, needling my tight muscles, massage). It made me feel better but the pain returns.
Do you feel less pain now that you're lighter? Or is the damage pretty much already done? I want to run and jump and hike again so badly!

How are your general pain levels?
I ask because I'm about 150 pounds overweight and I have a lot of aches and pains. My knees, hips, back, etc. hurt almost constantly but especially when I'm moving, which deters me from moving and makes me not want to hit the gym which is the opposite of what I should be doing because movement is very healthy. I'm wondering if the weight lost from RNY will help me get back to the gym and get rid of the pain. I tried physical therapy but most of my treatments were temporary fixes (like traction for my back, needling my tight muscles, massage). It made me feel better but the pain returns.
Do you feel less pain now that you're lighter? Or is the damage pretty much already done? I want to run and jump and hike again so badly!

How are your general pain levels?
I ask because I'm about 150 pounds overweight and I have a lot of aches and pains. My knees, hips, back, etc. hurt almost constantly but especially when I'm moving, which deters me from moving and makes me not want to hit the gym which is the opposite of what I should be doing because movement is very healthy. I'm wondering if the weight lost from RNY will help me get back to the gym and get rid of the pain. I tried physical therapy but most of my treatments were temporary fixes (like traction for my back, needling my tight muscles, massage). It made me feel better but the pain returns.
Do you feel less pain now that you're lighter? Or is the damage pretty much already done? I want to run and jump and hike again so badly!

I haven't lost 100 pounds, but thirty, and I ALREADY can tell a vast difference in my knees. Even that weight loss is helpful if you have osteoarthritis in your joints.

I had my sleeve surgery 3 years ago tomorrow, total loss is in the 160's.
I didn't wake up one morning and just feel amazing, what it was more like for me was noticing little things that were no longer a hassle as I went day by day.
Getting on the floor to play with the dogs, vacuuming, standing to wash dishes for a longer period of time. Realizing the new things I could do crept up on me more.
I'll also say that I had to build up some strength as I was loosing weight too. I didn't realize how much proper posture would hurt as I taught my new body to use different muscles.

It'll be a very exciting journey, enjoy it moment by moment as you discover all the new things you'll be able to accomplish.

I started in July 2019 with diet & exercise. My weight then was 427 lbs. I couldn't stand for more than 10 minutes before my ankles and legs started hurting. My right hip was also in almost constant pain. My doctor wanted me to lose enough weight before surgery to get my BMI down to 50. I started tracking calories and exercising 4 to 5 days a week for 30 minutes. Once I started losing weight everything started to feel better. I had my surgery on January 16 and as of today I have lost 103 lbs, 80 prior to surgery, 11 lbs during one week liquid pre-op diet and now 12 lbs one week after surgery. My pain is 1000% better. I started with Water aerobics and after a month of that moved to doing recumbent bike, then onto elliptical trainer. Start slow doing what you can and try to increase every week. As you get in better shape and lose weight it will get even better.

My wife's grandfather died from esophageal cancer and it was heartbreaking. Get the bypass. It's much, much better than cancer. I won't do VSG after hearing the GERD horror stories and bypass has been done for decades now. It's plenty safe, much more so than a cancer diagnosis. Plus I'm sure it will make you feel better immediately! That has to be worth something too!

My wife's grandfather died from esophageal cancer and it was heartbreaking. Get the bypass. It's much, much better than cancer. I won't do VSG after hearing the GERD horror stories and bypass has been done for decades now. It's plenty safe, much more so than a cancer diagnosis. Plus I'm sure it will make you feel better immediately! That has to be worth something too!

My wife's grandfather died from esophageal cancer and it was heartbreaking. Get the bypass. It's much, much better than cancer. I won't do VSG after hearing the GERD horror stories and bypass has been done for decades now. It's plenty safe, much more so than a cancer diagnosis. Plus I'm sure it will make you feel better immediately! That has to be worth something too!

My son was murdered this week, he died yesterday morning and took his last breath at 5: 46 AM. I'm devastated and trying to understand why this is happening to us, me. I will be taking a break from BP, postponing my surgery next week, because I have to prepare to lay my only child to rest. He was my biggest supporter of this surgery, so I'll be back because he was going to be there with me and believed in this.
My heart is hurting and forever broken.

Similar story--I was only a slightly pudgy pre-teen and my mother couldn't stand it. She had a doctor put me on amphetamines when I was eleven. ELEVEN! Looking back it was almost child abuse. I think if she had left me alone I would have been an only slightly pudgy adult instead morbidly obese. I still have resentment over that 'til this day and I'm 65 now.
You are smart not to subject your own daughter to that!

I'm another lap band failure story - heyo! Mine never worked to begin with, never found my sweet spot so I only ended up losing 40 pounds max (I need to lose 150 to fall in the healthy range for BMI) and ended up gaining it back plus more after having twins.
I struggle with the same thoughts as you - being a mom to 3 young kids I'm afraid of having more surgery that could cause complications and put my life at risk. That being said, I'm putting my life at risk by staying morbidly obese 😕 I'm 37 and I already don't feel good. I have a hard time walking long distances and standing for long periods of time. I want to be able to hike, ride bikes, play sports, and keep up with my kids. I love being active but I am unable to do much with the joint pain and I lose my breath so easily.
After doing some research I've decided on RNY I think. It's the "gold standard" and it's been done for decades. The sleeve is pretty recent, and I'm scared it will go the way with the band. RNY made me nervous at first because I thought the "bypassed" organs shriveled up and died inside you but they're actually still functioning like normal. They just don't receive the nutrients and the food travels through faster so you don't absorb as many calories. Kind of a win-win with restriction + malabsorption.
Another consideration for me is setting an example for my kids. I really want to strive to make food a non-issue. It was a HUGE issue for me growing up. My mom influenced me and she had a very negative attitude towards her body and was yo-yo dieting my entire life. I remember she'd make weird food while the rest of us ate normal dinner, she had a new eating philosophy ever year, had a new exercise regimen she'd swear would make her skinny... she put me on Weight Watchers when I was 10, and let me use diet pills (ephedrine) when I was 16. I will fight tooth and nail to stop my daughter from starting this cycle. And I think that has to start with me. She's going to be watching me and I have to be careful to make sure she sees me eat normal, healthy food and I have to keep negative body talk out of my conversations. I think having bypass may help me with that too.
Whatever you decide, good luck!

So I had a consult with the surgeon that did my upper GI. He is recommending I revise to the Sleeve. His estimate is I will lose the same amount of weight with the Sleeve or with Bypass, but Bypass has greater risk of complication. I have a couple friends who have the sleeve and didn't loose the weight they wanted to, hit a plateau and have gained back some weight. I'm worried about that. A complication of my band has been GERD, so I am also worried about that continuing if I have the sleeve. The surgeon really seemed to be pushing the sleeve, same with his office staff. But it was the same 10 years ago when I had the lap band, and now that has fallen out of favor...will the same happen with the sleeve? Should I just go with my gut and do the bypass???

@momotrips3 Triplets!!! Goodness, that must've been hard on you. The pregnancy itself was the worst part IMO, after having had one already. The weight of them, the unbearable thirst, restless legs, relentless brain fog, falling asleep everywhere, cravings while battling gestational diabetes, the hip and pelvic pain, back pain, ugh... I could go on and on. Raising twins is a cakewalk in comparison 😅 the birth and pregnancy left me in terrible shape. I walk with a bad limp and my back, hips, and pelvis still hurt a lot. I did PT for my pelvic floor and that helped my inner thigh pain but I think dropping a bunch of weight will help with the rest.
I'm with you, I like the idea of not being able to absorb all the calories I eat and even the dumping syndrome sounds nice... I'd love to hate eating sugar. I probably won't do a surgery for a while since I have a lot going on right now (planning to sell our house, change jobs, and move to a city 1.5 hours away from where we are now). I'd like to see a surgeon to get a timeline though. I don't know what pre-op things I'd need to do before getting approval if I've already got a lap band.
Good luck to you! I'll be interested to follow your journey!

When I got my lap band 11 years ago I lived on this forum (I think it had a different name then, but I can't remember what it was). There was lots of current for then information about the band, but it was a new WLS, and we all were so excited and happy with our bands! I lost 80 pounds then and thought it was the greatest think since sliced bread. But there was NO long term results or issues arising yet, so none of us knew what awaited us down the road. If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have wasted 10 years dicking around with the band and would have gone straight for the bypass.

This is my biggest fear too I had lap band surgery and it didn't help my hunger at all. Everyone said it would, and I followed the plan just as the doctor told me to. Went in for my fills and check-ups. I lost a little weight (about 30 pounds) but I was really disappointed in the results. All it would take to clear my pouch and cause hunger was a burp and the food I'd eaten would slide down to my stomach so my pouch would be emptied. I'm scared something like that would happen with bypass.

@Fatboyslim1 I wish I could "try on" the surgery before committing but that is physically impossible lol... I just had expectations of the lap band (satiety that started sooner and lasted longer) but it didn't happen. It's like I was in a room with a bunch of people with music playing and they're like "just listen to the music and dance to the rhythm, it's not that hard" but I can't hear a damn thing so I can't move correctly. Then I ask the doctor to adjust the volume a little and it's suddenly deafening noise that I can't bear (a minor adjustment caused me to be unable to drink Water which, obviously, I would not survive).
So I guess there's a terror I'll be that one person who gets a bypass and feels no restriction and hangs on to every calorie they eat. I swear I'm biologically adapted to survive the worst famine in history but here I am in 2020 when you can click a couple buttons on a phone and have any cuisine imaginable delivered to your door without even having to talk to one human being 😂😩

It's easy to be scared because there is so much noise out there about WLS and certainly short term deviations are to be expected, but Just remember: eat less, weigh less.
The band was not really the complete answer. It works for some who use it as a tool to learn new habits, but there are now better (and easier) ways.
Trust the process. A smaller pouch is easier to fill with less food. Just make it the right food at the right intervals, and you will be good to go.
luck!