PJ_Sleeve

Last night I really thought about my original reply and I think I have to be more honest with myself and with others. How I really feel. I did feel hungry with the band all of the time. I also have to agree with TimetobeFree, " I was teetering on too tight and just couldn't eat. I would randomly get too tight months and months after a fill." Maybe it is a denial thing for me. I don't know what the sleeve feels like yet. (I am getting sleeved on September 17th.) However, I can tell you this after I really reflected last night on why I decided on revisioning to the sleeve...I am tired of the issues that I have experienced with it. I am tired of people looking at me like I failed at the weight loss surgery. I am tired of knowing that I have this thing inside of me that is damaging me everyday. I am tired of feeling my port and being uncomfortable, if i slept the wrong way. I am tired of going in for fills and being poked a bunch of times because my port is not easy to find. I am tired of running back to the surgeon's office the next morning after a fill because I couldn't swallow my own saliva. I am tired of the band. So, while I try not to steer anyone away from being banded, because this has to be a personal decision that is right for that person, for me...THE BAND IS THAT BAD! Sorry for the delayed moment of clarity from my original post. I think the denial stage is over and I am just outright angry about what I have put myself through for the past 5 years. I am just hoping that live with the sleeve will be easier.

I don't think the band is that bad. It worked for me until I had an incident. I lost about 130 lbs with the band in the first two years. However, I kept up with my monthly fills and followed very closely with my surgeons. Unfortunately, about 2.5 years into being banded, I had a terrible stomach virus or food poisoning episode (I still don't know). I was never the same with the band again. I kept going back and forth to the surgeon for fills and unfills. I just never felt comfort again. Now I have managed to gain back 115 lbs. I think the band works, but you have to be committed to going for fills. Also, it isn't always pleasent either, but we must ask ourselves, what kind of WLS is perfect. I am sure the VSG has its issues also. One other thing to consider, I believe the rate of revision from Band to another WLS rate is much higher than the other WLS surgeries. (Don't quote me on that, but it just seems that way.) My tentative surgery date for a revision is September 17th. I choose this revision because I know that restriction works for me and I wanted to avoid the hassle of fills, etc.

Thank you all for your responses! It defiinitely helps to hear feedback from you all!

BWESLEY... Thank you for your feedback. What have you heard about the Sleeve being more dangerous as a revision surgery? Why is the RNY safer? Plus I am sorry to hear about your discomfort. Have you considered a revision?

Let me start with a little history... I became a bandster in 2007. I lost 130 lbs and have gained back 115 lbs. I did well in the beginning. The weight melted off of me. Restriction was never a problem. I followed the band rules perfectly. Then in 2009, things changed. An event actually changed everything for me. I either had a virus or food poisoning. Either way, it was terrible, I could not stop heaving. We all know that with the band, anything below the band is not coming up. I had to call my surgeon and was prescribed Zofran, but I think it was too late. Something terrible happened. The area around my band was sore for quite some time and my little "friend" inside of me, started to become my enemy. Since then, I have shown a nasty hiatal hernia. My reflux is terrible. And there is no fill that is comfortable. I get a fill, follow the rules, and I am right back at the surgeon's office the next morning to get an unfill then I am back to NO RESTRICTION. It has become a viscous cycle and I have gained most of the weight back slowly since that time. I have been told that if I correct the hiatal hernia and if the band is pushed up a bit, that my restriction will come back and things will get better. However, even with that in mind despiration has pushed me to go more extreme to scheduling a VSG on September 17th. I am strongly reconsidering my choice after doing much more homework on the possible complications of a VSG. Now I am doing some homework on the RNY, which may be a better alternative to VSG. Either way, I have to get the hiatal hernia fixed. So, my questions to the lapband community: Would personally try to correct the situation if you were in this position? Have you been through a revision from an existing band surgery to a correction and were you successful after the correction? I am just looking for some input and possible support either way. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Thank you all for you responses. The Reflux is one of my biggest concerns. I have read that the RNY does not have the reflux issue, but then there would be other issues to contend with if I go that route. I am already scheduled and approved for VSG (my insurance also covers RNY.) I am sure my surgeon would change it up upon request. Question for LuLugirl & Desertgirl --- Did you have a hiatal hernia correction during your revision? My surgeon mentioned that a hiatal hernia correction during the time of surgery can clear up reflux issues.

Thank you, Sleeved & Hopeful. I will keep this in mind.

History: I dealt with reflux before the band. When I was banded in 2007, the doc also corrected my hiatal hernia during the surgery. There were days I would experience reflux in the beginning, but I have to admit the worst days of reflux in the beginning were the result of poor food choices. Now with the band, five years later, the reflux has grown to be much worse. It is basically a daily event. Right now I have a complete unfill and I am taking omniprozole. Even with the omniprozole, I am still experiencing reflux...(it is so bad sometimes that my throat and ears hurt...). I have read some posts that if the reflux is bad before the sleeve, that after the sleeve it could actually get worse. My surgeon mentioned that during my revision surgery from the lap-band to VSG that she will correct my hiatal hernia (yep, I have it once again), which will correct the reflux. Have any of you dealt with something similar. If so, what was your experience after the revision to the Sleeve? It isn't too late for me to decide on a different procedure (like rny), my surgery is scheduled for September 17th... : 0 ) .

The only thing I can think of is maybe the doctor wants to control what enters and removed from the stomach during the first 24 hours or so??? Here is a link from wiki... but we all know how reliable wikipedia can be (sarcasm intended). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasogastric_intubation Either way, I think I am going to give my surgeon's office a call and ask why they use a feeding tube.

My surgeon is also going to have me on a nasal feeding tube. I thought this was normal for revision surgeries? I guess I feel good about it if she is taking extra precautions against leaks. Wow, I would like to hear if anyone else has has this or if this is something new. Did it hurt you or bother you? How did it feel when they removed it?

So tell me your story, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly! I am trying to gauge how the revisionistas are doing long term after the actual change over. My revision is scheduled on September 17th, which is exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. (A little Bandster history: Banded in 2007; Lost 127 Banded; Gained Back 107; issues started with hiatal hernia, etc., been struggling with fills ever since...always too tight or too loose.) I have never met or spoken with anyone who has the sleeve, so feel free to lend any advice and/or insight. Looking forward to hearing from you!