IrishGermanRN

January 20th. I start preop tomorrow. yikes!

Same here. I lost about 30 pounds total with a lot of difficulty. My band then did slip. had an unfil and never the same since. Looking forward to the removal and getting the sleeve in 3 weeks.

I love this book and the author. The devotional is a 60 day one I believe.

I love this book and the author. The devotional is a 60 day one I believe.

I love this book and the author. The devotional is a 60 day one I believe.

Woot woot! Finally something I can post about! (I've been lurking for weeks and am waiting for a call back for my first appointment!)
I purchased the book and the daily devotions. It's taken me months, but I've read most of it. It's eye opening, and makes me cry almost every time I read it. (Which is why it's taken me so long. Self reflection sucks most times.)
I'd recommend it to anyone who is battling food issues and needs to know they are worthy of God's love, and to love yourself!

Greetings fellow sleevers! am 28 years old 5'3 with a hw of 217lbs.
So yesterday was the DAY! I am a self payer and went through a lighter me in Mexico. Everything is wonderful so far! I'll give a recap of my experience.
When I got to the border i parked in the US and was picked up by a driver who took myself and a couple other folks to the hotel. The hotel was beautiful! The room had two twin sized beds and a comfortable and spacious bathroom made for people just coming out of surgery. I had been so tired from just drinking Clear Liquids and knocked out right away.
The next day we were again picked up and taken to the hospital with the other couples (as a side note, I am on this journey alone by choice) once we arrived at the hospital we were taken up to our floor by our driver Abraham.
After a few minutes wait and getting to know the incredibly sweet people there to have their surgeries done, we were one by one shown our rooms. I was checked on by the staff and given something for anxiety since my heart rate was a little fast and my hands clammy and cold!
The sweetest woman, the wife of a man getting the bypass would periodically check on me and just chat and make sure I was comfortable. It felt like she was my guardian angel!
Finally, I was taken to the operating room and before I knew it it was all done! I had nausea and cramps and was burping up blood, which is to be expected but they gave me all the anti nausea and pain medicine I needed. I just now drank some blue stuff for the X-ray to check for leaks. Fingers are crossed there's nothing wrong with my sleeve! I will update my journey in a couple days. Its been a pleasure reading others' journeys and mine has gone smoother than expected so far but I don't want to jinx anything! I have told ONLY my best friend who hasn't been completely supportive but I quickly nipped it in the bud and she is less negative about it now.

I am in the same place you are. I was banded in 2009 and put on almost all but 10 pounds. I did have a small slip 3 years ago and had a complete unfill. a few months later they did a fill. Now I have 1.2 in my band and they advised to not go higher. That was 3 years ago. That is when my weight gain started.
I am now going to have the band removed and have the Gastric Sleeve 1/20.
When in doubt, always get a 2nd opinion.

congrats. Right around the corner. I'm Jan 20th.
I dont know if I'm thrilled or terrified either. Reading people having a difficult time getting fluids down post op to losing and feeling great to then reading sleevers gaining a year or 2 out. I"m ready to have this tool though. I'm tired of being tired.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news. It's no joke mypeeps. YOU CAN GAIN WEIGHT and sad to say all of it back if you don't take this seriously!!!! Don't play are onus with slider foods and eating junk. It catches up. I'm grateful to be where I'm at 5 years out (169) BUT I've gained a lot (I got down to 144 and my normal bmi goal was 150). Sleevie still works great but unfortunately I know how to get around it. Toatally not worth it. I made myself get on the scale yesterday and so glad I did to keep myself on track. The only one I would be hurting is myself. I've gone through too much to sabotage myself now. We got this peeps.

Hi All,
I was sleeved Tuesday & I am also having that trouble with Water. I am drinking Isopure. It counts as water because it's clear but the benefit is that it has 40 gms of Protein. I also asked the doctor if I could take a probiotic & he said yes. So I am drinking 1 a day. They are found at costco in the refrigeration dept. After I started taking the probiotic & sips of warm water and turning my torso I was able to move the gas out. I think that the gas pain was worse than the surgery pain. I am feeling much better today.

The difference is huge. I had a slip and bad scar tissue/adhesions... The last year with the band I was sliming or puking pretty much daily. With a totally unfilled band... even oatmeal would at times not go down.
The sleeve has been great. I have not experienced any vomiting at all. It is such a blessing! I have foamed/slimed a few times in the first months... but quickly learned not to take even one bite past my satisfied stage. As much as I grew to hate the band, I love being sleeved. I wish this surgery had been common when I was banded.... it would have saved me a lot of suffering.

If you have a Sonic nearby, get some Sonic ice! They have the best ice.

I think the blame is being misplaced here. I think the majority of the blame is with the doctors not properly informing their patients and patients (us) not taking the time to educate ourselves. I have an excellent doctor that I trust. He did both my band and sleeve surgeries. He was named one of the top 15 bariatric surgeons in the country by Newsweek and he told me in 2009 when I had my surgery that he could not tell me how long it would work for me. He said that the band was fairly new in terms of the fact that no one has had the opportunity to even determine if it could be a lifetime tool since it had not been on the market long enough. He said that there was nothing to say at 50 years old I would have to get it replaced.
I had tons of trouble with my band and made many trips to the ER because of it. Do I regret getting it? Nope. I made the choice based on the information I researched and what was given to me by my doctor. I knew my eating habits would change drastically, I knew there was a chance of it slipping, I knew it may not be forever, and I knew it may not work. I took the chance and lost close to 100 lbs. It saved my life. Did it eventually fail? Yes. Would I be where I am now without it? Nope.
I think as a country we are a little too sue happy. I took the risk of attaching a foreign object to my body, a body that is unique from everyone else's in this world. I knew that my band might not work like the person's next to me. I knew that it might not work the way I wanted it to at all. I was altering my digestive system with a plastic ring. I dunno. Call me crazy, but I have no regrets. I would do it all over again if it meant getting me to the place I am now.

Yes agree to disagree. And no worries I won't be suing anyone who rear ends me or anyone who produces hot coffee which I spill on myself, or any store who fails to clean their ice covered side walk, or even anyone who exercises their right to free speech even if it offends me. Again I'm sorry you were misinformed but perhaps that fault is with your surgeon and their staff or perhaps again maybe they did not have the information themselves to pass on to you. And no, i am not an allergan employee, im just a lap band patient who takes full responsiblilty for my choices and did so knowing there were no guarantees and as with anything in life the possibility for complications. I realize you were simply asking for opinions and I'm sorry you did not like mine. Best of luck to you.

I'm sorry you were misinformed Nursebarbie, however when the band first came out, it WAS believed that it should and would stay in forever, the fact that that may no longer be the case is new information that has come from studies now available because obviously with time comes knowledge and more experience. As for tobacco industries, I would hope to God you are not suggesting that they should be held responsible for the health effects of someone making a CHOICE to use their products, and since this is a weight loss surgery forum, I will stick to the topic.

Thank you for the reassurance. I was hoping other banders who have gone to the sleeve would have more normalicy. I can not stand the PB or slime with this band. Eating out is a chore as I find I have to get up to the bathroom at least 2x a week.
Thanks
Congrats! This is wonderful news to hear. I was hoping this was the case.

I am going in for a revision, lap band to sleeve. I could not take the PB or slime a few times a week. My band is considered a failure. Do you with the sleeve still have any slime or PB? I hated having to pull over the side of the road or leave from a restaurant because food would get stuck and I would have to vomit. frustrating.
Curious if this still occurs with the sleeve.
Thanks

As I said, I don't mean to be an alarmist but my experience was profound. Better safe than sorry is now my motto