dvons

I haven't had the sleeve surgery yet (next month). However, I do recommend you get the sleeve done. It will permanently reduce your stomach size and remove the ghrelin hormone that triggers hunger. When I went to my support group, there were several people there going for lap band revision to sleeve. I wish you the best of luck! I think it's very promising that you know your weaknesses and what works for you.

Great advice. It goes with all WLS. Head hunger is the little red devil whispering in my ear.

I met a lot of bulemics at OA meetings back in the day. After my anorexia, I swapped seats on the titanic and gained 100 lbs. So I still value OA meetings online from time to time since I have a tendency to switch back and forth. Well, I think you did the right thing. Being overweight is just too risky for us. I'm happy that at least you don't have any serious issues with your sleeve. The risk factors are so low now since it's become a common surgery, thank goodness.
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Nah, not a debbie downer, I see a lot of people like that here and you're just going through real emotions, which is totally normal. I'm glad you're going to see a therapist. I'm still debating but I know in my younger days, it helped me learn some good coping skills. Here is the link to that video. It may be boring or you already know all this but some reason I really enjoyed it. I loved his gastric sleeve book too. I just read that recently.
https://www.facebook.com/thesupportsurgeon/videos/629921133836325/?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE

I just feel like maybe I am.in a worse situation . I mean I deal with an anxiety disorder and with the band I wasn't worried or fearful I lived my life normally. With the sleeve I'm scared to eat normal. I have always had issues with food my whole life. I just feel like when I see people they are so happy and my Dr's made it seem like it was the best thing since apple pie. I havent had any complication (knock on wood) but it's scary to me. I feel like i cant even take my capsules medication for my anxiety because something might go wrong. I wish people would have explained the process the emotions and the aftermath. Sometimes I feel alone with all this because no one knows I had it done except a couple people.
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Katie, can you be more specific about the emotions? What part of your experience are they tied to?

I am a lap band revision and post op sleeve 6 weeks . I am having a little of a hard time emotionally Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using the BariatricPal App

That's great!! At least you were losing with the band. I was slowly gaining but that was after an up fill for 8 months before I had the revision. I am three weeks post op and I can already tell that it's way better!!

I got the lap band in 2009, and was successful in that I lost 129 lbs with it within the 18 mo. time frame and kept the majority of it off for many years. In April of this year, I felt I better go in and get a check-up to make sure everything is in order because I felt like I was hungry more often.
The new doctor felt it was time for me to do a sleeve revision, told me that I have a dilated pouch. I had that once before years ago, and had to go 3 months with only half my Fluid to let my esophagus "rest". I dreaded to be unfilled again because I always gained some weight back, and I had to work twice as hard to get it off again. I couldn't talk them into not unfilling me hehe, so I said I'll go for the revision.
I had my revision on Sept. 2, 2016, and am thrilled at the way I feel. No slimming, no painful pressure in the center of my chest... All those things one gets used to having the band all those years. I love it, and although I'm hungry during the liquid phase, it's not that bad at all. Lost 11 lbs in the last couple of weeks but I am prepared for the slower pace. As long as I'm losing, I'm happy with that.
Good luck all, and hope you are as happy (or will be as happy) as I am with my new sleeve.

Hello! I had Lapband in Dec 2009. HW 250? Got down to 199 at lowest.. Like many, I had success at first but then the complications set in. In April 2015 I had the revision to sleeve, primarily to just get the band out of me and not re-gain a bunch of weight. On revision surgery day I weighed 211 pounds. By October 2015 (6 months) I weighed 169 and felt GREAT... my lowest adult weight ever. I wanted to lose 25-30 more (I am 5'3"). Over the past year the weight has slowly crept back.... I weigh 189 today. I am going back to the basics.... Protein, Water and walking. My roommate and I had the sleeve on the same date. She had never had a weight loss surgery. We were the same height and she was about 10lbs heavier than me. She weighs 145 and looks amazing. We cook and eat the same things.... she is constantly snacking. I definitely think the second time around our bodies are holding tighter to the fat!! Best wishes. Just stay positive. At the end of the day, I am happy with my weight loss.... maintaining is hard and I live in fear of regaining to 250. I will be watching to see your success!!

I am loving my sleeve! The band was just vomiting, starving, reflux and pain. I just love the sleeve; no reflux, no vomiting, no pains. I can EAT real food, just smaller portions, and I have lost 33 pounds so far. I want to get at least another 45 pounds off, but I know that it might take a while. I had my sleeve in mid July, so I hope that by January I have shed most of it!

AMJK79....
Thank you so much for sharing. I am so very nervous about going under. I have had my band for about 8 years and now I am going over to the sleeve. Any feedback on how you felt after ? how long were you in surgery and who performed your surgery? Any input would be greatly appreciated
Thanks

Started the sleeve process on 9/7/2016 with 1 week Clear liquids sleeved on 9/14 it will be 3 weeks tomorrow and I'm down 31 lbs! For ANYONE out there thinking they can't do it, or struggling with anything in the gastric sleeve weight loss area....don't get discouraged! I am a previous bander and I honestly believed this surgery wouldn't work for me, or as well as I hoped, but 31 lbs in 3 weeks?!? I haven't even started working out yet! Be more committed to making a change and the weight loss WILL happen....little by little it will happen! Removing my band in Dec 2015, waited 9 months per the dr and it is by far the best decision I've ever made! Can't wait to see what size I'll be in by christmas!!!! GOOD LUCK everyone!
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Ps....starting wight 304! This morning 273!
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My best piece of advice is to make as many changes as you can as soon as you can, and work to get new habits and thought processes into place right away. Do NOT wait until your surgery to be 'reborn'.
As I've seen stated over and over in these forums, it's stomach surgery, not brain surgery. Changing your brain takes time, and the time to do it is NOT immediately post-op when you're fragile and healing. If head hunger and long formed habits are going to lead you to make poor choices (as they very often do...it happens), you want to learn to navigate them pre-op when you can afford to make mistakes, not post-op when you can really do some damage.

I wish someone had shared with me that having Fibromyalgia might/would make any nerve pain extremely intense and different from regular surgical pain.
If I had known that, I would have been able to wrap my head around the possibility and not just be blind sided.
If you don't have Fibro, I would just say "roll with it". Especially we women who have given birth. Try to relax and breath through the pain. It really does help.
AND
DON'T WORRY. You got this!!!! We are all here rooting and praying (if you'd like) for you.

It's not as hard as you might think. I stressed a great deal more than I should have.

Please tell us something that you wish you had been told BEFORE your surgery that you think might be helpful for us to know.

1) That a swollen stomach, a healing stomach, excess acid in my stomach would mimic hunger feelings. I was so hungry the first week or so and wondered why, but at day 16 or so, my appetite dropped off.
2) That gallstones/gallbladder disease are very common after sleeve surgery. One study showed 23% of us... I just hope I don't have go under the knife again to remove my gallbladder.
However, having said this, even if I knew these things, I'd do the sleeve all over again.
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After that investigation/class action I think Glabia bought Isopure.

Tell us what you really think....
I was part of a conversation once and I was actually told by this person that her Dr. was always criticizing her about losing weight.
She stated: " I wish I can find a Dr. that works only with fat people"
My Dr. is such a pain.
Yes, there seems to be many unlearned people on this forum...but they are the ones who need to see others example

Yes, but I've been having problems off and on with a dilated pouch. They think it's time for me to get the sleeve. Common? Being unfilled I can't stay at goal weight no matter what. If they just remove any liquid, I eat like a horse and I put on weight in a hurry. Keep me posted how it goes with your journey through sleeve land. I've done lots of the pre-op testing but still haven't bit the bullet yet. Thanks for the share. You almost got me convinced lol.

Each time I think I'm okay to keep the band for now. I read these forums and change my mind again.

I like GENEPRO. Been using it for a long time as practically my sole Protein source, mixes with everything. My labs came out great (i.e. Total serum, Albumin/Globulin) every time so I keep using it. In the past, I have written the company to ask for some data on a particular lot I bought but to no avail. As I said in a prior thread, maybe they just don't want to give out any hints of their purification process. I can understand that since their product is quite different than most protein sources out there. I use it when what I naturally eat that day doesn't hit my protein mark, it comes quite handy (soups, drinks, hot or cold).
Nature's best Isopure (lots of other companies as well) was part of a class action suit for protein spiking and misrepresenting the concentration of their protein. Personally, I never tried the unflavored, so I wouldn't know about the miscibility aspect of it.

GENEPRO has no taste and mixes well with hot and cold, just make sure the hot isn't too hot.
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Yeah, I thought about that too but I went ahead and had the revision done. I was very attached to my band. I thought exactly what you posted when I thought of a revision surgery. I know someone who had the bypass around the same time as my band, and now they are twice as heavy.
I initially went in for a fill since I've been traveling, working and moving, I hadn't seen a fill doctor for a couple of years since I was still doing well and losing with the level of Fluid I had. So when I finally made an appointment with my current bariatric center, just to check my Fluid level, and maybe get more added, they suggested the revision, and an unfill right then due to an enlarged esophagus (Too tight again, 2nd time for me). Gasp!
I wasn't a happy camper because I knew I was going to gain some weight back once they unfill me. No way, I just want a fill please. Um, no can do... Either rest my band for months again and get refilled & struggle to find that sweet spot again or rest my band and get a revision. That's why I opted for the revision so I wouldn't go through the weight gain-weight loss cycle again since I had a habit of being too tight. I was still working to get to goal again after my first enlarged esophagus episode.
I almost didn't go through with it. I'm happy with the results, the physical sensation that I get from the sleeve vs the band when I eat, as well as the weight loss results so far. I'm 24 days post-op and I'm down 22 lbs, and it's been relatively easy staying on program. Haven't thrown up or slimed yet. I guess from the band all these years, I know when to stop. That familiar pressure in the back of our throat... Stop or else. ^^
But, having said that, It is all very new to me though so check back in a few months lol.
Since you're at goal, does your doctor still want you to have a revision, do you have issues with your band? Either way, hope it works out for you.