timetobefree

Let's get to know each other before our surgery...I'll go first. My name is Amy (37 years old). I live in central FL with my husband and two kids, 3 yo DS and 4.5 yo DD. I work in IT doing technical writing and operational readiness. I love photography and have a small side business, and when I'm thinner, I really enjoy running and spinning. I was banded in Nov 2009 at 374 lbs. From my banding until Dec 2011 (2 years), I lost 198 lbs. I was thrilled! Despite the occasional vomit and inability to eat certain foods, I was still 99.9% happy with my band. Right after Christmas this year, however, I got a terrible upper respiratory infection. I coughed and coughed and coughed. I coughed until I puked, which caused a slip. I got a complete unfill in early January. Once the slip was fixed, I started getting fills. But then my band developed a leak and slipped once again. Since the surgeon I was seeing was less than helpful, I found a new surgeon, Dr. Domkowski, who finally treated me without acting like I was crazy, as my last surgeon did. Based on his recommendations and test results, we decided to do the removal and sleeve in two separate surgeries. Dr. D removed my band on August 3, 2012. Because of the extent of damage done by the band, including scarring and pulling the fundus through the diaphragm, I am waiting around four months to be sleeved. I'd love to be banded on November 25, which would have been the three year anniversary of my band. I've gained about 70 lbs since December. Sigh. The good news is my surgeon is not at all concerned about my weight gain. He is 100% convinced that I'll lose it all once I'm sleeved, since I was so successful with the band. I'm a bit of a goody two-shoes, and I followed the rules to a "T", and I intend to do the same with the sleeve. I hope the next four months fly by!

Hi, all! I hit 95 lbs lost this AM! 95 lbs in 8.5 months of being sleeved, 145 lbs total lost (50 lbs kept off from lap-band). This was after my 3.1 mile run in the heat and humidity of central FL yesterday. I felt strong, powerful, and so thankful for my sleeve. It has helped me to become the person I was meant to be!

Amazing transformation! You look wonderful! Kudos to you for all your hard work.

I'm 7.5 months post-op and am down 83 lbs! I often feel like I am one of the slow losers, especially since I was a revision from the band, but you know, a loss is a loss is a loss, and the only thing that matters is that I am consistently doing what I need to do, and if I keep that up, the weight loss will follow. I did maintain a 50 lbs loss from my band, so I've lost a total of 133 lbs. I have 50-60 lbs to go. Also, I have challenged myself to work out daily for a minimum of 20 min. I completed Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred first, and I've been running, walking, and doing other circuit training for the last few weeks. I've worked out 54 days in a row! The inches are coming off (12" gone), but it is stalling the scale a bit. While I wish the scale would move, I am committed to working out and making my body strong and healthy. My advice for anyone who is reading and needs a pep talk is to just keep moving forward. The scale might not cooperate today, but it will eventually. Tomorrow is going to come anyhow, so you might as well do all you can today while it is here.

I've lost a total of 83 lbs in 7 months with the sleeve. Combined with my 50 lb loss maintained from the band, I've lost 133 lbs, going from a high of 374 lbs to a current of 241 lbs. We can do this! It takes work and perseverance, but it is sooooo worth it. I have so much energy now. I run up and down my stairs, I don't fear breaking chairs, I don't worry about flying. The mental changes are almost as powerful as the physical ones. I no longer think about food 24/7, I'm not worried about my next meal, outings don't revolve around food. It's so mentally freeing!

My experiences 7.5 months post-op: *Spicy - I've grown a bit more sensitive to spicy, but I still enjoy it and it does not bother my sleeve. I just can't tolerate quite the heat I could before. *Salads - I've eaten salads since about 3 months post-op. I just make sure I don't eat any "just lettuce" bites - I always make sure they meat and/or cheese with each bite. No issues whatsoever. *Protein - My surgeon is not protein-crazy. He believes 60 g daily is sufficient. I have been losing okay and have not lost hair, so I tend to think he's right. Anyhow, I make sure I have protein at each meal, but I don't focus just on it - I very much think that fruits and veggies are important in our diets, and taking them in pill form is not the same as eating them in their natural state. I eat fruit as a snack daily and I eat veggies with nearly every meal. I try to do 2 bites protein to 1 bite veggie. So far, it seems to be working. Good luck!

With my band, I often described the feeling as physically full above my pouch but no relief from the hunger sensation. With my sleeve, it took about 3 months before I ever felt full. I was soooo scared it wasn't going to work for me. But after about 3 months, I now have a "regular" full feeling. No uncomfortableness, no weird sensations, just a full tummy feeling. It's sooooooooooooooooo much better than the band!

Hi, All! A few days belated, but I was six months post-revision on Thursday (5/9). I am proud to report I have lost 1/2 of my excess weight in those six months, which equals 75 lbs! Add to that the 50 lbs I kept off from my band weight loss, and I am at 125 lbs lost. I have gone from a tight 28W+ to an 18W or 20W. In tops, I've gone from a 2-3X to an XL. My sleeve experience has been nearly perfect. I did struggle with hunger early on, but I decided I just skipped the honeymoon stage that many virgin sleevers experience. I was never 'not hungry', but it has since regulated, and my hunger feels like most sleevers at this stage report - a little bit fills me up and keeps me satisfied for a few hours. I've vomited 2x in 6 months, whereas I would vomit at least 2x/week, if not daily, with my band. Once was very early on, and once was while I was at a happy hour with coworkers and forgot I couldn't drink after eating. I can eat 2-3 oz of dense Protein and a few bites of sides (veggies, carbs, etc.). I can eat absolutely anything, unlike with my band where I struggled to eat healthy foods. A few bites of sweets satisfy me, and I really don't crave much. I do drink my weight in coffee most days, but that's my only real vice left, so I don't worry about it. I do drink diet pop once every couple weeks (never after eating), but it's not something I really care about anymore, which is amazing to me. A typical eating day for me is: B: 1/2 premier Protein shake (80 cal, 15 g protein); greek yogurt (I'm not a big Breakfast eater) L: dinner leftovers; 1.5 eggs with 4 pieces microwave bacon (70 cal); a veggie burger with cheese and a side of sauteed peppers S: Fresh fruit - watermelon, berries, apple; sometimes have cheese or pb with it D: 2-3 oz. grilled meat, steamed veggies; 2-3 meatballs+sauce with a 1/4 c. pasta; 3" of a sub from Publix or Subway S: Hot cocoa (make my own, so I get protein from milk); popcorn; pistachios The only strange/icky thing that happens is sometimes I just cannot bring myself to swallow the bite that is in my mouth. It's not that I am too full - it just suddenly tastes awful, and I am convinced if I swallow it, I will gag and puke. It tends to happen with protein more than anything else. Kinda strange, but not the end of the world. As far as exercise, since my surgery, I've tried to incorporate as much walking into my day as possible (walking DD to school, parking further away, lots of trips up the stairs). I average about 8000 steps/day; I'm working on getting that to a 10,000 daily step average. I have run off and on, and am getting serious about it again. I also started the 30 Day Shred 12 days ago and realized how terribly out of shape I am. I mean terrible. I'm doing it every day for 30 days, so wish me luck! If you are considering revising or a new revisionist, please let me know if you have any questions. This board was a lifesaver for me early on, and I would love to repay the kindness.

Hi All! 6 monoths + 3 days = 75 lbs lost! Halfway there! Highest weight - 374 lbs Surgery weight - 324 lbs Today's weight - 249 lbs

I'm 4 months out from my sleeve (7 months from band removal and more than a year since my band had fluid) and am down 63 lbs. I was REALLY hungry the first three months post-sleeve. Hungrier than I'd ever been with my band. But the past month, it has finally died down. My surgeon is convinced it is due to esophageal dilatation from the band, lots of damage. But it is getting better, and the hunger is manageable now. It seems that I pretty much skipped the sleeve honeymoon phase where people are hunger-free and went to what most people experience 6+ months post-sleeve. I know I need to stop eating if I feel the need to take a deep breath before taking my next bite. I've slimed once and puked once. And those were both earlier on. Other than that, this has been a breeze (well, despite the hunger). I can tolerate ALL foods. Literally nothing is off limits. I've found that I am most satisfied for the longest if I mix a few good carbs in with my meals/snacks. Straight Protein leaves me hungry sooner. I try to eat a healthy amount of fruits and veggies as well. I eat right around 1000 calories per day (I am not necessarily aiming this low - it's just where I land when I eat comfortably all day). Best wishes!

Congrats! Sounds like your journey has been amazing!

I was VERY hungry for the first few months and could eat more than I can now at nearly 4 months post-op. I have some dilation of my esophagus from the band, and I think that is finally going back to normal. Just hang in there - I am so much happier today with my sleeve than I was even a month ago. It's a HUGE learning curve, even after nearly 3 years with the band. I will say the one good thing the band taught me was how to chew my food well and swallow small bits at a time - I have never, ever been stuck with the sleeve and never had any pain from not chewing well enough. I did vomit once, but it was about 3 weeks post-op, and I fully admit, I just completely overdid it (on fish!).

I'll try to make this simple: Nov 2009 - banded Dec 2011 - slip Jan 2012 - complete unfill April 2012 - started refilling, discovered a leak a few weeks later, so band unfilled itself June 2012 - another slip diagnosed August 2012 - band out 9 months after first diagnosed slip with only about 3 weeks of any fill after the slip Nov 2012 - revision to sleeve I am battling some serious damage done by the band. Dilated esophagus causing lots of hunger post-sleeve. I had major scarring on my stomach that my surgeon scraped during both surgeries. I also had a very severe umbilical hernia fixed during my sleeve revision. Ironically, I went for the band initially because it wasn't permanent. However, the damage it causes can be permanent, sadly enough.

If I had had it done in one surgery, it would have been $15,000. I had to have it done in two because of the extensive damage done by the band. Removal was $5000, sleeve was $13,000.

I'm 8 weeks out and am usually around 800-1000 calories daily. I am also 5'10". I'm losing at a decent rate, so I am just going to go with it. Best of luck!

I had a similar experience to you - slips, dilation, reflux, vomiting, etc. I've only vomited once with the sleeve, and that was about 3 weeks post-op when I ate too much too fast. The big negative for me is I am h-u-n-g-r-y all the time. Even after I eat, I am still hungry. My surgeon says it's due to the damage done from the band, especially the stretching of my esophagus. I will say, I am tired of people telling me it's acid, head hunger, or thirst. It's not. I wasn't hungry for many months with the band, so I know what being hunger-free feels like, and this sure as **** ain't it. All that being said, I would do it again, as it does keep me from overeating at meals. I just have to work very hard to not snack throughout the day to help with the hunger. I'm still hopeful the hunger is going to go away, but so far, it's manageable. Good luck!

I had a beautiful stay in the hospital high on Toradol and Demerol via IV. And I was sent home with liquid Demerol. I can't take most pain meds, including Vicodin, Lortab, Percocet, Codeine, Oxycodone, and more. They all make me vomit, which is obviously an issue after abdominal surgery. I was ready to tough it out like I have after my other four abdominal surgeries when they offered me Demerol. Oh my goodness, that stuff is from the heavens!

Popsicle, I hear ya! This feels an awful lot like a diet right now. The sleeve hasn't done anything for my hunger yet; what it does do is only allow me to eat small portions at meal time. So, I am losing, and I am happy with that. But I would say it's 75% me and 25% the sleeve. However, as negative and frustrated as I sound, I am still hopeful it'll get better. And I am happy to have even 25% help with losing weight, as I've proven I certainly can't do it on my own! I have a follow-up appt with my surgeon on Monday. Hopefully, he'll have some insight.

Well, you know what I think! You will lose weight - you will. You've done it once, there's no reason to think you won't be successful again.

I think you've got me confused with someone else. I never said I only lost 10 lbs. I've lost 46 lbs in 1 week pre-op and 7 weeks post-op.

I've tried 3 different acid reducers so far. Not a bit of difference, unfortunately.

Upper GI performed 1 month after surgery.

I understand. I am hungry, too. All the time. I'm even hungry after eating. The sensation NEVER goes away. I just keep on holding onto hope that it'll get better with time. And for reference, I had about 6 months with the band where I was NEVER hungry, so I know what it feels like to be not hungry. I sure would like that sensation back!

So far, I don't get satisfied, but my surgeon really thinks it'll change. I still get that full/tight feeling up high with a hungry, rumbly feeling down low, just like I did with my band.

I am 7 weeks out tomorrow, and I have been hungry constantly since surgery. However, I also revised from the band, and I have a slightly dilated esophagus which is what my surgeon thinks is causing the hunger. I keep hoping it'll go away some day. I know what it's like to be free from hunger, as I had many months like that with my band. Fingers crossed...