nursebeccarn

Comparison is the thief of joy. Focus on all the good things that are happening in your life right now and follow your doctors instructions! Try not to focus on what everyone else did, focus on you and making healthy changes! You can do this!

Bella, I am having the EXACT same symptoms.
I have lost about 50 lbs, have had a period every two weeks with some spotting in between, ALWAYS cold, and have had two hypoglycemic episodes in a month.
I went back to my GYN and she said that she didn't think it had anything to do with my weight loss... I'm no doctor, but i am a Registered Nurse and my thought process was this: Estrogen is stored in excess fat, we lost weight rapidly, the fat is metabolized and where does all that estrogen go? In my blood stream which causes menstrual changes?
I go back to have blood work drawn in a few weeks... my surgeon wasn't interested in checking my Vitamin levels until I was six months out....
Glad I'm not alone, I was beginning to think I was losing more than just the weight...

Bella, I am having the EXACT same symptoms.
I have lost about 50 lbs, have had a period every two weeks with some spotting in between, ALWAYS cold, and have had two hypoglycemic episodes in a month.
I went back to my GYN and she said that she didn't think it had anything to do with my weight loss... I'm no doctor, but i am a Registered Nurse and my thought process was this: Estrogen is stored in excess fat, we lost weight rapidly, the fat is metabolized and where does all that estrogen go? In my blood stream which causes menstrual changes?
I go back to have blood work drawn in a few weeks... my surgeon wasn't interested in checking my Vitamin levels until I was six months out....
Glad I'm not alone, I was beginning to think I was losing more than just the weight...

I had the band to sleeve done in one procedure. I had my lap band for three years and threw up anything I ate or drank. Being a nurse, I knew scar tissue gets worse with every time they open you up and the recover is longer so I knew I wanted a surgeon that was very experienced in revisions so I started doing research on who could do it at the same time. I called the Bariatric Coordinator at one of the major hospitals here in Atlanta and asked her who does most revisions, told her what I wanted and she gave me a personal recommendation. On December 20th I had band out and sleeve in which my surgeon took a little over an hour to complete. I went home the next day with hardly any pain and felt as if I had only done too many sit ups. My advice to you all is use your resources, ask around, and know that it's ok to get a second opinion. Keep in mind each of our stories is unique!

Comparison is the thief of joy. Focus on all the good things that are happening in your life right now and follow your doctors instructions! Try not to focus on what everyone else did, focus on you and making healthy changes! You can do this!

ONE-DERLAND!!! I am one HAPPY girl! Not quite two months out!

Kay:
There are more things that can go wrong with the bypass, because they're disconnecting/reconnecting different parts.
Malabsorption of nutrients is a significant part of bypass, so you've got to commit to taking a lot more supplements for the rest of your life.
Those are the two main reasons I went with the sleeve.
Good luck with your choices and your health!

I saw my surgeon today for my 3-4 week follow-up. I got on the scale backwards and told the nurse not to tell me what I weighed (Recovering scale addict, remember?!) which she honored, but she did tell me that I've already lost 22% of my excess body weight! Yay me! I go back in 6 months and have no doubts I will be at my goal weight the next time I see him!
I'm having trouble getting in all the Water too, but my doctor didn't seem to be too concerned.... its going to be a slow process, just going to have to work up to getting in everything you need,,,

I saw my surgeon today for my 3-4 week follow-up. I got on the scale backwards and told the nurse not to tell me what I weighed (Recovering scale addict, remember?!) which she honored, but she did tell me that I've already lost 22% of my excess body weight! Yay me! I go back in 6 months and have no doubts I will be at my goal weight the next time I see him!
I'm having trouble getting in all the Water too, but my doctor didn't seem to be too concerned.... its going to be a slow process, just going to have to work up to getting in everything you need,,,

Way to go earthless! I will be one month out next monday and I am 8lbs away from my first goal!
On a side note, I was really worried about " The three week stall" and I had all these feelings of fear that stemmed from lap band failure... I was so afraid that the three week stall would turn into a three year fail. I made a commitment to myself that those were lies in my head and gave up my scale. I'm a recovering scale addict... the obsession of weighing every.single.day. And so on Sunday, I got my scale back just for a brief moment to weigh myself then it was returned to its hiding place. And as it turns out..... The three week stall wasn't a stall at all! I had lost three more pounds! Needless to say my faith has been renewed- stick to the plan, stay true to yourself and keep going- the rest will take care of itself.

I had the same feelings! "OMG am I actually going through with this a second time?!" I knew that I needed to put aside everyone else's judgements and do what was right for me. Our family can sometimes be the greatest source of hurt. My family, including my long term boyfriend didn't understand why I needed to do this. "Are you sure you need to cut out most of our stomach?! You're not that heavy!", "I love you no matter what."
After all is said and done, they have become very supportive and see my progress and how happy I am with my choice. People who don't struggle with their weight don't understand so I explained it to my mom that it's no different than people getting a boob job or a knee replacement. We all have our reasons.

Way to go earthless! I will be one month out next monday and I am 8lbs away from my first goal!
On a side note, I was really worried about " The three week stall" and I had all these feelings of fear that stemmed from lap band failure... I was so afraid that the three week stall would turn into a three year fail. I made a commitment to myself that those were lies in my head and gave up my scale. I'm a recovering scale addict... the obsession of weighing every.single.day. And so on Sunday, I got my scale back just for a brief moment to weigh myself then it was returned to its hiding place. And as it turns out..... The three week stall wasn't a stall at all! I had lost three more pounds! Needless to say my faith has been renewed- stick to the plan, stay true to yourself and keep going- the rest will take care of itself.

Way to go earthless! I will be one month out next monday and I am 8lbs away from my first goal!
On a side note, I was really worried about " The three week stall" and I had all these feelings of fear that stemmed from lap band failure... I was so afraid that the three week stall would turn into a three year fail. I made a commitment to myself that those were lies in my head and gave up my scale. I'm a recovering scale addict... the obsession of weighing every.single.day. And so on Sunday, I got my scale back just for a brief moment to weigh myself then it was returned to its hiding place. And as it turns out..... The three week stall wasn't a stall at all! I had lost three more pounds! Needless to say my faith has been renewed- stick to the plan, stay true to yourself and keep going- the rest will take care of itself.

Hi, I just recently joined and was hoping to find some other people who also had Band to Sleeve revision around the same time I did. I had my lap band in 2010 and had all the usual complications. On December 20th 2013 I had the band removed and the sleeve done all in the same procedure. I was hoping to find some others to keep in touch and provide each other support throughout the stages! I'm looking forward to meeting everyone!

I am in no way a veteran, but I can tell you why I chose it: My band surgeon doesn't do band to sleeve revisions, he too advised me to have the bypass. There is a common belief ( whether it's true or not) that band to sleeve revisions are not as successful and therefore the bypass is recommended. However, my personal reason were I did not want a forces malabsorption syndrome, I had less than 100lbs to lose, and wanted to have kids without all the risks of being a high risk pregnancy. I decided the sleeve was the right choice for me and found a surgeon that supported my decision. I can tell you 110% that I am happy with my decision and felt like it was the right choice for me. You have to decide what is right for you.... Good luck to you! This is a great group!

Comparison is the thief of joy. Focus on all the good things that are happening in your life right now and follow your doctors instructions! Try not to focus on what everyone else did, focus on you and making healthy changes! You can do this!

I had the band to sleeve done in one procedure. I had my lap band for three years and threw up anything I ate or drank. Being a nurse, I knew scar tissue gets worse with every time they open you up and the recover is longer so I knew I wanted a surgeon that was very experienced in revisions so I started doing research on who could do it at the same time. I called the Bariatric Coordinator at one of the major hospitals here in Atlanta and asked her who does most revisions, told her what I wanted and she gave me a personal recommendation. On December 20th I had band out and sleeve in which my surgeon took a little over an hour to complete. I went home the next day with hardly any pain and felt as if I had only done too many sit ups. My advice to you all is use your resources, ask around, and know that it's ok to get a second opinion. Keep in mind each of our stories is unique!

Clear Liquids for FOUR WEEKS?! Holy Crap! You are sure to lose quickly! Hang in there!

How funny, I had my band in June 2010, removed in June 2013, and was converted to sleeve on the 18th of Dec.

It's amazing absolutely amazing! I'm five days out and down 6 lbs! I know it won't keep this pace and the body has to catch up but for right now, at this moment, I'm celebrating with you! High five in the air don't leave me hanging hahaha

Ok so I work for a Major Health Insurance company and I will be the first to tell you to call your insurance company's bariatric department and ask them that question and get the answer in writing. Write down WHO you speak with the date and the time. A little known secret outside of the insurance world is that it is RARE for an insurance company to deny a REVISION of any type. However, benefit requirements and eligibility vary depending on your plan. I can tell you from experience that not all BCBS plans are umbrella'd under than same eligibility... so make sure you ASK them DIRECTLY. Good luck to you!

I am two weeks out tomorrow and am down exactly 20lbs! I NEVER had this much success with the band. I am very happy with my decision and just wonder if the weight loss will remain this steady... Hoping to avoid the dreaded "three week stall"

I am so excited for all of you! Congrats!

I'm almost two weeks out and have a case of the "Blahs" too. I am following all the rules and sticking to my diet but the thought of another vanilla/chocolate Protein Shake makes me want to throw up. I am struggling to get in all the Water, but am making an effort to get better with that. Next week I'm on to mushies and I can honestly say the only cravings I've had we're for red meat and seafood. Strange. I think the first few weeks are the hardest to get through, so I'm staying focused on all the rewards

I'm almost two weeks out and have a case of the "Blahs" too. I am following all the rules and sticking to my diet but the thought of another vanilla/chocolate Protein Shake makes me want to throw up. I am struggling to get in all the Water, but am making an effort to get better with that. Next week I'm on to mushies and I can honestly say the only cravings I've had we're for red meat and seafood. Strange. I think the first few weeks are the hardest to get through, so I'm staying focused on all the rewards