IowaAndy

When I went to my surgeon here in Des Moines he told me that I would have to have 2 seperate surgeons. He did not even do any test to see what condition my stomach around the band area appeared. He just said that I would have to have 2 surgeries....one to removed the band and then wait 4 months and then the second to have the sleeve performed. I tried to go through my insurance but they would not pay for either procedure. So I started to check into surgery in Mexico and went with Dr F Garcia and had my surgery on Dec 11. 2011. I was told that if the area around the band did not have any major erosion that they could probably do it in one surgery. They had to do a scope of my stomach to make sure that there were not any major problems such as erosion from the band but I was fine. They did the lapband removal and the sleeve all in one procedure. I have not had any trouble since my surgery and continue to lose.

I found this a perfect time to clean out the refrigerator. I got rid of many things that I knew that I would not be eating or able to eat after the surgery. Since I live alone it was easy as I did not need to keep things for others. I also cleaned out my cupboard and sent a bunch of food off to the food pantry. Now after surgery I just do not buy things at the store that I can not eat or are bad for me......example: cookies or candy bars. This has worked great for me.

Tell them that you stomach has been upset all day and that you are just going to try the soup and hope that it settles. Or you can tell them that you are just not that hungry.

I had to go and speak to the psychiatrist and he asked me about my weight loss journey and why I thought that this would work for me. He asked me about doing the liquid pre diet and some other questions. Then I had to go back in a week and see him again and he asked me more about how things were going and such. I had this done when I had my lapband but not my sleeve since I went to Mexico for that one. You will do fine. I have never heard of anyone that has not passed the psych test.

I got rid of my band after 2 years as I stopped losing as was at the max fill. I also was vomiting all the time due to the amount of water in the fill. I had it removed and had the sleeve and I wish I had never heard of a lapband. I would get rid of the band and get the sleeve. It is like night and day for me.

Sounds like you may have an allergy to the glue or adhesive in the tape or bandaids. You can try and use paper tape as that is usually more gentle on the skin. We used that a lot in the doctors office and it seemed to work great.

You can do either. I depends on how many calories you want to consume. If you make the shake with 8 ox of milk that adds about 100 calories plus the calories in your shake mix. I have gotten used to making mine with water and I have one every morning for breakfast with a scoup of benefiber to help me stay regular. I would rather use those 100 calories for something else that might come along. Just a person preference plus using milk will add more protein. Just keep track of your fluids and also your protein as they are both very, very important.

I attended a WL seminar in Chicago after I had my surgery. The doctor that was giving the presentation to those looking at WLS told us that you can develop a lead 6 months out. He said that is was not common that far out that it was possible. He said a lot of it depends on how closely you follow your eating plan and how well you stomach heals. He said that each and every patient is different so there are great variations. I know that we all have a tendency to cheat on occassion and I, too, fall into that category. The trick is to get back on track as soon as possible. I know that I am only 3 month post op and there are things that I would really like to have but it says that some are out as far as 6 months post op. Oh and I know that every doctor does not use the same diet plan so there are great differences. I guess I follow pretty close and if I eat something on my plan that dones not agree with me I wait another couple of weeks and try again. I have had once episode of vomiting since my surgery and I do not want to have another. Best to all.

I always have a drink with me....whether it is water, crystal light or diet cranberry. One thing that you can try after you have been sitting around for a bit is before getting up begin to move your feet and legs around. This will help to get the blood moving out of your lower extremities and back to your brain where you need it the most. As for the cramps you may not be getting enough potassium. Low potassium can be a sign of cramps. Try eating a bananna a day or things that are high in potassium to see if this helps you.

Curious are you taking any medication for blood pressure. I know that mine has been cut with the amount of weight that I have lost to this point.

Be wary of buying drinks that have too high of protein content as you body is only able to absorb so much protein at one time. You are better off to spread your protein intake out over the entire day instead of trying to get it in 2 meals.

Wishing you the best and a speedy recovery

I was never so happy the day my band came out and I was sleeved. There is not a single reason that I would suggest that anyone have a laband as you have too many problems. Then there are the constant doctors visits for fills, slips and the constant vomiting. I have vomitied one time since I had my sleeve on Dec 11, 2011 and that was my fault for pushing it when my stomach told me to STOP!!!!!!!!!!! I won't do that again. I hope that you can find a good doctor that will be able to remove your band and that if you want can do the sleeve for you. If I knew then what I know now I would have never had the band and gone straight for the sleeve. Keep me posted as to your progress as I understand what you are going through

I would check with your surgeon and see what he might suggest.

Congrats on your successful surgery. I know that the gas was one of my major issues also as I really did not have any pain in the surgical area. Keep walking and that gas will be gone before you know it. Get your rest and get as many fluids in as you can. You sound like you are doing great and soon all of this will be a memory and you will be enjoying your new body and life.

Leaks are not that common. I know several people personally that have had the surgery and have talked with many more on this site who have had surgery and have not had a leak. It is a possibility but it is not that common. After your surgery just make sure that you stick to your diet plan given by your surgeon. When you feel like you stomach says that you are full stop eating. At first you will be eating and drinking very little at a time. If they made your stomach larger then you could in fact eat more but then you would not see the weight loss as fast and it is possible to stretch out your stomach. So if they made it larger and you overate all the time soon you would not be seeing much if any benefit from having the surgery. This surgery is a life changing event and your eating habits will change. I am 3 months post op and I can now eat between 3/4 to 1 cup of food at at meal. This also depends greatly on what I am eating as some things seem to fill me up much faster. Everyone has fears about the surgery....leaks included but have faith in your doctor and yourself and you can do this. I know that I thought many times...if I would just cut back how much I was eating I could lose the weight. Well after being overweight most of my life I guess that was not in the cards for me. The WLS has been a life saving and changing event for me and all for the good. Hang in there and you will be glad that you made this decision.

I was cold and sat wrapped up in a blanket and turned up the furnace for the first 2 months post op. I just could not seem to feel warm. This is caused by your body and the changes that are taking place. Mine has finally gone away but then the weather is also getting warmer so whatever the reason I am happy

WOW......70 pounds is fantastic. You did not give us much into as to how much you wanted to lose total but I would be jumping for joy at 70 pounds. I am still on my way and still losing but have a ways to go to hit the 70. I know all of the other times that I have lost a lot of weight I have still seen myself as fat and being overweight. I know that when I would shop for clothes I will still go to the big mens section as I just could not quite grasp the thought of being able to fit into regular sized clothes. Even when catching a glimpse of myself in a glass window I would not quite grasp that it was me. That is your mind playing games with you and it take a while for you to accept the changes in your body. I do not weight very often but I thought the other day that I looked like I had gained some weight so I got the scale out and low and behold I had actually lost another 3 pounds. Do not give up and be proud of your amazing accomplishments.

I would have your doctor run a complete blood panel to check your levels to make sure that you are not lacking or too low in any of the areas. It is possible that you might need a little assistance and want to talk to you doctor about how you are feeling and maybe even a therapist. Oh and there is nothing wrong with seeking help when you need. You might benefit from an small dose antidepressant and this might make a big change in the way you feel. This is just a thought as I have seen several posts on here about people feeling depressed after having WLS> I was taking a happy pill before surgery and continue to take it today.

I would follow the diet that you got from your surgeon. I would try the scrambled eggs before I would try the tuna. I know that I was eating the egg before the tuna or any meat.

I had my surgery on a Monday in Tijuana, Mexico. I was released from the hospital on Wednesday and I flew back home on Friday morning. I had pretty much stocked up my kitchen before I left for surgery so that I did not have to go to the store or go out if I did not feel like it. I guess that I did not go out or drive the car until the following Wednesday but I did not drive far. The worst part of the driving for me was that going home to see my mother which is a 3 hours drive was tiring and the seatbelt rubbed over the incision areas on my stomach.

I flew to Mexico alone as I did not really have anyone that could go with me. Being single it was not really a problem for me. I guess that it depends on you and how comfortable you are being alone.

No coffee here at all and I have not taken anything for acid since week 2 post op. I just try to stay away from foods that are high in acid. It might be the coffee and will be interesting to see if you have a change after stopping the coffee.

Did you get a diet to follow from your surgeon or the NUT?????????? I know that each surgeon has different ideas on what their patients should be eating at each stage and mine goes out for a year. I am following it very closely. I figure if I start cheating and eating things that are farther out then I won't have anything to look forward to when I reach that stage. Also some of the food that they make you wait for are not good for your sleeve until that point. Congratulations on your weight loss success. If you are having trouble getting your protein in with regular foods you can always add a protein shake. I still have a protein shake every morning with my benefiber for breakfast. I am a little over 3 months out and have no trouble getting all of my protein.

I am so glad that your surgery was a success and that you are doing well.