Rev Me Up!

I have heard that some people have itching from the surgical glue or tape on top of the incisions - make sure to call the doc and make sure that's all it is. Maybe they will clear you for some Benadryl for relief. Not sure what to say about your experience because I had the band out and sleeve in on the same day. The stomach is so battered after the lap band comes out - I would'nt be surprised that you are not hungry yet. I found the recovery with the band revision to sleeve to be MUCH harder than my lap band recovery. The other side of that is that sleeve really works :-) The recovery really sucks, but you eill have very consistent restriction from day 1. Hang in there and call the doctor about your concerns - never assume anything is "normal". Better to get some feedback from them and make sure all is well. Take care-

Congratulations and good luck to you on your journey.

Hi there- I was dead-tired EXHAUSTED for about 6 to 8 weeks after surgery. Some people spring out of surgery and have tons of energy - I was not one of them. After the 2 month mark I felt about 75% to 80%. Today I can say that my energy is back, but I haven't done much in the way of exercise and I get winded and muscle fatigue if I push too hard. The first couple of weeks are physically and mentally exhausting - don't push yourself too hard. You'll find that the food anxiety is not so bad after about 2 months because you can eat whatever you want, just in small quantities. You will also have a better understanding of which foods you like (your tastebuds will change) and this will make you more comfortable. Hang in there - you're doing great!

Get the popcorn and give it a try - just don't be too upset if you find you can't eat very much of it :-) Happy Birthday!

"about the sweets... after i try something sweet, i feel dizzy & nauseous and break out in a cold sweat... is it the same for you?? " It has different affects depending on which sweet it is, but none of the affects are pleasant. I tried a cookie and had those symptoms. Anything chocolate turns my stomach into an acid cauldron. I had a little wedding cake (white with white frosting) and a few bites were ok. Just didn't want any more after that. For the most part, everything tastes too sweet - it just isn't pleasant to eat it.

That is FANTASTIC!!! Great results in such a short time - you should be really proud of yourself.

Fantastic!!! I remember when I finally had to give away my whole closet because of the loss. I was wearing sad, baggy clothes and I looked terrible. I learned my lesson, though. DON'T BUY MORE THAN A COUPLE OF ANYTHING! Once you start to lose, you will be buying new clothes every 4-6 weeks. It's awesome and irritating all at the same time. Congrats to you!

YAY!!!! Those NSV's are priceless! Congratulations to you and your health--

Chili's paradise pie - you're killing me!!! Its interesting though, since I have experienced queasiness or severe heartburn with sweet items, they just don't look the same to me anymore. They look good on the plate, but all I can think about is the pain :-) And it is TOTALLY WORTH IT!! And, Ms Disney, am I reading your ticker right?? 45 pounds?!?!?! That is AMAZING!!!

Chili's paradise pie - you're killing me!!! Its interesting though, since I have experienced queasiness or severe heartburn with sweet items, they just don't look the same to me anymore. They look good on the plate, but all I can think about is the pain :-) And it is TOTALLY WORTH IT!! And, Ms Disney, am I reading your ticker right?? 45 pounds?!?!?! That is AMAZING!!!

I weighed myself yesterday after a mini-vacation. Funny thing, I couldn't remember what I weighed before I left. Turns out I am down 30 pounds - and I have 30 pounds to go. Half-way, baby!!! I will be 3 months out on June 7. This is absolutely amazing. Some things I noticed about myself: - my mind is having a hard time catching up with my body. There are times when I think I don't look luch differen than before. - initially, I lost all the weight from the waist up. After the second month, my stomach / midsection finally started to go down. This morning I got into size 14 slacks :-) - I still can't tolerate sugary stuff. I can eat it, but it doesn't taste good - makes me queasy. Good thing is that it seems to have had a bio-feedback effect and I don't even crave it anymore. Being a lap-band survivor, I just can't believe how well the sleeve works. It isn't even hard. Once you get your head around your limitations, it is really very easy. AND IT WORKS!!!! My band never worked like this - never. So happy I made the decision and looking forward to the day that my head catches up with my body. Lara

I didn't know it was forbidden. I have chewed gum a few times - to help with my ketosis breath and to calm my stomach down after a meal. If I eat something and it isn't sitting well with me, I chew some super strong mint gum or suck on a sugar free Altoid. The mint seems to calm my stomach down and it keeps the dry mouth away since I am still really strict about not drinking after I eat. In the first few weeks, I only sucked on the Altoid sugar free smalls. I think I start chewing gum after about 7 weeks. Nothing sweet, only the strong mint stuff.

I don't follow the plan so much, but my stomach only tolerates healthier foods. I basically eat what I want. My stomach rebels against me if I eat sugar or bread, so I am essentially on plan. I still can only eat very small servings and I have to chew a lot to get things down. At 3 months post op I find that my body magically stops at around 900 cals per day. I am low carb except for my high Fiber flax oatmeal. I can only eat a little so I always have Protein first. I have never been able to get the Fluid in and I struggle getting more than 20 oz a day. I think because of the weight loss, things don't taste right - especially Water. My protein is usually around 40 a day. I take Zegerid OTC religiously every morning and I have no problem with acid. I tried a sip of wine at a wedding this weekend and it burned all the way down - no drinking for me :-) I also had a little wedding cake. It was good, didn't make me too queasy, and I danced for an hour after. Sweets just are not tempting to me at all anymore.

No, don't tell. It is also illegal for them to ask. Wait for the interview to happen and see if you get an offer. Government stuff alsways takes a long time. You may not get an offer for a month. Once you get the offer, tell them you have a prior commitment and the date. They should be able to work around it. Do not tell anything like that in an interview!!! Good luck!

Great!! Persistence pays off - especially with insurance companies. Good luck to you--

CLeaning out the closet is THE BEST!! I have been taking clothes out and putting them in bags to donate. One week I had 3 bags of clothes. A week later, I had 5 bags of clothes. Funny, it took a while for me to lose the inches, but once it started it seemed to happen really quickly. I just bought size 16 jeans 2 weeks ago and they are falling off of me. 14's are a little tight still, but I bought a couple because I know I wil be in them in a couple weeks. AWESOME!!! Congratulations!

Awww - it will be OK. Clamato = Salty. Get down a few bottles of Water today and that weght will be gone by Thursday :-) You can't beat yourself up - you have to live your life again after the surgery and if clamato and vodka is part of your social life, then so be it. You just have to double up on the water afterwards. SOunds like you are serving your pennance with the lunch temptations today. Funny, I have found that I can eat Cookies and they go straight down, no problem. BUT, I feel queasy for hours afterwards. Do you think that stopped me from eating a cookie again? No. It was stupid, but it happened. Get back on task and drink that water!

Fantastic!! So glad you are doing well after surgery. The burping and tummy noises will be constant for the next few weeks :-) Take it easy and listen to your body- Congratulations!

You'll definitely hit your goal after the sleeve - the liquid diet will ensure that :-) I am curious, is your doctor going to give you a bigger sleeve since your weight is so low? I only had 60 pounds to lose after my revision and I can't imagine what this diet would do to someone who only has to lose 10 pounds. This sleeve has been AMAZING for my weight loss. I was so disappointed in my band that I only wanted to make sure I didn't gain more - I wasn't as focused on losing. Congrats to you on having a doctor that understands that the band is not a way to live for the rest of your life!!! Lara

Everything slows down week 3-5 and then you will start losing a little more quickly. You're doing great!!!

I am also a Dr Aceves revision. He is the best!! He has done so many revisions - they are his specialty. Mexciali is very low key compared to TJ. His facility is top notch and you are in a real hospital for the duration of your stay. If you can afford him, Dr Aceves is a wonderful choice.

Wow! What a story! Reading your band experience makes me so mad. I was banded in 2007 and I know my regular doctor was completely clueless about how to treat me (I was given a scrip for 800 mg Motrin for pain once - WRONG!!). I am happy you are no longer in imminent danger. I am curious, have you found it difficult to turn around your eating habits at this point with the sleeve? You sertainly seem to have whipped yourself into shape.

My doctor recommends all patients to be on PPI for six months whether you have symptoms or not. I am taking Zegerid OTC and I am not going to stop until the 6 months have elapsed. Better safe than sorry :-) I am just under 3 months out. I used the nexium and then prilosec in the first month, but still had evening acid. Since I switched to Zegerid, everything is great! I am not even tempted to stop taking it at this point. Lara

I am just starting to go through sizes. The first 2 months - no change. THe last 3 weeks - I have moved form 18 jeans into borderline 14 jeans. I am shopping at Sears because everything there is pretty cheap. I only buy 2 of anything. For example, I bought 2 pairs of slacks for work in 16, which I know I will drop out of in about 2 weeks, I also bought 2 slacks in 14 so I have something to wear. I just keep it to a few essentials just to get by and I shop where I can find things for $15 or so a piece. I bought 4 slacks (montioned above) and 3 skorts in size 14 for a trip I am going on and spent less than $100. That should at least get me through June. Good luck- Lara

Hello! I am also a lap-band revision and I had my procedure done in March with Dr Aceves. It is normal to be afraid and that can manifest itself in a bit of denial. Once I made the decision to go, I purposely blocked it out of my mind as much as I could until it was time to go to MX. This is stressful, no doubt. But, you are seeing the absolute best revision doctor - seriously. Dr Aceves is very experienced and he will not perform a surgery on you that is too risky. If the damage is bad, he won't do the sleeve. You will be in a real hospital with a real trauma center in it - so you can rest assured that there is sufficient equipment / personnel to handle anything. Its almost irritating how often women come in to clean the place (several times a day). On another note, Mexicali is a very laid back kind of place. It isn't a crazy border town, so you should feel relaxed when you get there. WHen you see the facilities and the doctor, that should help. ALso, they give you some Ativan the night before so you can relax and sleep. You may want to ask your MD here in the States to give you some Ativan to deal with anxiety before you leave - it helps :-) Good luck!