Charlene K

Charlene, you day is coming. . . You have made a great decision. Just follow the Dr's program . . every detail . . and you will be successful with this sleeve. I am expiencing all of the effects that I expected from my lapband. It is restricting me from overeating. 1/2-3/4 cup and that is it. And, that is something new for me. Volume has always been my downfall.

Good luck with your surgery and get up and get moving after the surgery as soon as you can. You window of opportunity is the first 6 months after your surgery.

Thanks, PapaBob! I have been easing in to the pre-op this week. I am looking forward to restriction that doesn't go from wide open to getting stuck. I have started buying supplies. One thing I bought was prep bowls from Pampered Chef. I will be able to put 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and 1 cup food in them and put a lid on them. I bought Protein drinks from Vitamin Shoppe. 30g of Protein in grape and punch flavor. I will keep you posted.

LOL . . . No superstar . . . just damned determined to get this weight off and keep it off.

WTG!!! Keep us posted. I am having revision surgery on October 5th. I started my pre-op a week early so I can ease in to it.

I am still hungry! I start on pre-op liquid diet on Sept 21st and be sleeved on Oct. 5. When he emptied my band he told me" now, don't gain any weight before surgery". Whatever! I've gained five lbs.

thanks for the nice comments Irene? . . LilMissDiva!!! I like that handle/forum name. LOL

It is now 12 days post-op and I am doing fabulous. Gained 17 during surgery with all the IV's and have lost that plus 12 lbs. Hooray!!! I am back to my walking and have covered 13 additional miles for a total of 76 in the last 6 weeks. I am at my lowest in 20 years. Feels awesome and I have had absolutely no issues so far. Following the dietary recommendations of liquids first week and full liquids the second week. Have Dr.'s appt. on Thursday and will step it up to pureed if all goes well. Then soft foods the following week.

I have had a small bit of Acid Reflux but have some meds to keep that down which is working.

I put a T-shirt on today that I hate to wear as it feels like I am in a spring or slinky. The weave is just tight and doesn't give. Usually I take it off after 2 hours and find something comfortable. Well guess what. It is loose and feels wonderful. Small WOW moment.

I am keeping up this walking and it is not even like exercise. My heart rate is really low for as fast as I am walking and that is good. BP is normal and my AM blood sugar has been under 97 the last three days. Awesome.

Anyway, just wanted to do a bit of updating/bragging. . . LOL Feels so good that I just want to shout it from the rooftop. My goal is to take my weight to 199 which is 2 lbs above my wedding weight back in 1968. that would be awesome.

SHOUT OUT FROM TEXAS! WOO!!HOO!! CONGRATS!!!

My doctor emptied mine two weeks ago. I am so hungry. I have gained several lbs,but I am journaling my food. I hope to be approved this week. Then maybe surgery in a few weeks. I wish he had not taken so much fill out, but I was having reflux.

I agree with learning to eat around the band. I never reached a sweet spot. So, I ate Protein and got stuck or carbs and gained weight. I am ready for a revision! I did watch the video.

Well I am now officially sleeved . . . I had surgery yesterday(Wed) morning and I was discharged this evening. I am now home and on the end. My band removal and then the VGS went really well and smooth. Dr. Taylor at Barix clinic in Ypsilanti did a wonderful job.

I met with him about 5 weeks ago and we made this decision to revise my lapband to VGS. He indicated that he wanted me to loose some additional weight. I had initially lost the 83 with the band and then gained 35 lbs back. Well, I started power walking 4 weeks ago and have covered 63 miles at about a 15:20 pace. The big news is that when I stood on the scale just before my surgery I had lost all 35 lbs and was back down to my lowest lapband weight. I am really pleased with that and so was my Dr.

I have very little pain at this time but I do have a small amount of nausea. Got plenty of meds to handle each of these issues. I have been able to down 2 clear liquid meals. . . chicken broth, raspberry Jello, and a crystal light drink.

Anyway I am headed to bed as I am a bit tired. Hopefully tomorrow will be as smooth as today. I am sure there will ups and downs throughout the first 2 weeks.

Congrats! Best wishes for a speedy recovery......sounds like one so far. I found out today that I have not been approved yet. Hopefully, next week. Keep us updated.

Well I have just a couple days until surgery and still keeping up my WL and power walking routine. Passed the 55 mile mark in 3 weeks and have dropped below 290. 289 puts me just 6 lbs above my lowest band weight. Going to try and get there before surgery on Wednesday. Just a personal goal. Then everything from that point will be Sleeve WL. I will have lost all that I regained with the band and will be at lowest point. Hooray!!!

Still a bit nervous but determined that this will be the right decision in getting to a move liveable weight. That's my goal. Don't mind being a 200 lber but this 300 crap is for the birds. My goal is to get between 200 - 210. With my height(6') and bone structure I will be really happy with that weght and I believe all of my other issues will be taken care of . . . diabetes, BP, joints, etc.

Woohoo! for you! I know there is a risk of complications, but there is a huge risk of remaining obese. I have had three colon surgeries(diverticulitis)......three bowel obstructions after the surgeries. That is why I am choosing the sleeve....Don't mess with my intestines! I had my final appt with Dr. Davis last week . He did not even go over complications with me. He is confident all will go well. He also took the fill out of my band. It is tough losing weight before the surgery, but the two week liquid diet ought to help. Approval should come next week. Surgery will probably be Mid-Sept.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery! Keep us updated.

Donna, that is what Dr Davis told me....the band had done all it is going to do. Since my BMI is still over forty my insurance will pay for a revision to a sleeve. I saw the doctor yesterday and now the paperwork is in and waiting for approval. Surgery should be Mid September. Want to lose another 80 lbs.

Go to a nutritionist and get help with your eating. You may need more calories .

I am still trying to get scheduled on the band removal, but i just got word my insurance approved the sleeve! woo hoo!

Congrats! on the approval. I have an appt with the doctor on the 11th. His office called yesterday and said he wanted to go over the surgery with me. I just hope he isn't going to tell me no. I will call the insurance company tomorrow to see if they sent my paperwork for approval. Like you I want to get this show on the road!

Thanks all for the kind words of encourgement. UPDATE: I received call from Barix clinic in Ypsi and my surgical date is set. Aug. 17th. I have a half day pre-admission testing(PATS) date for next Tuesday. So, I will be sleeved in less than two weeks. I am still progressing with my exercise program(power walking) and have covered 40 miles in past 2 weeks and dropped 25 lbs. I have 10 lbs to go to get back to my lowest LAPBAND weight. That will put me down 83 lbs from my lapband surgery 2 years ago. That is my goal for the 17th. So, everything from that point will be my NEW sleeved stomach and my mental willpower.

Looking forward to the future. I am having this done ASAP as I need the recovery to be completed before the Fall hunting season. I hunt all over the midwest and am looking forward to small meals and healthy living.

Congrats! On your sleeve date. Wow! You will be in good shape for surgery. I heard from my surgeon's office. Dr. Davis wants to see me on August 11th to go over the procedure with me. They still haven't approved me as of today. I don't think it will be an issue though. I just hope the doctor is still willing to do the revision. I have had several abdominal surgeries. I know my insides are a nightmare.

Keep posting your progress.

I want a revision because I still need to lose another 80-100lbs. I was banded in July 08. I started at 307lbs.....lost down to 220lbs...now I weigh 245lbs. The doctor said the band has done all it will do. It does not address the hunger. My insurance should pay for a revision because I still have a BMI of 42. I should hear something next week on approval for a sleeve.

I wouldn't say pleased -- more resigned to realism. I don't think I'm even consuming a 1,000 calories a day but can't seem to really lose the weight. Overall since my lapband surgery I've lost approximately 40 lbs. I don't really fluctuate much so I'm maintaining the loss. I am hoping to lose 40 more lbs but my doc said the band has done all it's going to do and the rest is up to me. I think I need to start back on the exercise program.

How have the rest of the Butterflies been doing on their journey now that it's been 3 years?

I know how you are feeling. One girl I know has gone on Phenteramine and joined WW to get a jump start. She is doing really well considering she had to have her band removed. I took Phenteramine when I was on the last six weeks of my liquid diet last year. It really cuts your appetite. Of course you have to do the work because I have gained back 20 of the 30 I lost. Now, I am waiting for approval of a sleeve.

Hello All. I am new here and thought it's time to tell my story as I am about to start the second leg of my WL journey. I am 63 yrs and don't think it's too late to once again get healthy. I am a 2 years lapbander and can't wait to finally get a tool that I can begin working. Let me explain. I was banded July '07 and the Dr. was forced to use a much larger 15cc Lapband rather than the smaller Realize band as was expected. This was due to the size of my stomach and the fat growing on the stomach itself. Couldn't get the Realize Band around it properly so in the operating room he made the decision to use the larger band. Started out at 5cc's and took easily 6 months of fills to get it close to near full. Surprise . . . . Absolutely NO RESTRICTION. Eat anything and everything if I wanted to. It all just went right thru the band and into the stomach. No help whatsoever. It was completely the commitment to the change in lifestyle, diet, exercise, etc. that I was following that helped me lose 83 lbs. I went from a surgical weight of 363 to a low with lapband of 283. Then I went into a stall . . Just couldn't lose . . Reason for this mostly was I did get a chunk of food stuck for over 48 hrs . . . pain, foamies, upchucking, . . . tenderizer no help, couldn't sleep, . . . absolute misery. Had to drive 100 miles on a Sunday to see the surgen to have 5 cc's removed and swoosh it was cleared instantly. Thanks God!!! But, this was a setback now we had the slow process of trying to fill the band back up to capacity to see if we could get me some restriction. Never happened. Did a couple of the scan tests where you swallow the small cup of material and they can watch it pass thru the pouch and stoma. . Instantly passed . . no trickle at all. . . The Lapband NEVER gave me the restriction help that I was expecting.

Well I was frustrated, started eating too much, starting eating the wrong things at times, and was on a slippery slope back up the scale. Gained back 35 lbs and finally I looked myself in the mirror and said what are you trying to do to yourself. Well back to the surgeon and after much discussion, research, and reading here to you all and your stories I felt that the sleeve could give me the support I need to beat this weight issue.

A little history. I didn't gain my weight until after 40 yrs . . I am still very active physically traveling all over during the fall hunting from Sept. thru Jan. My body shape is normal legs, normal arms, with all my weight in my belly. I am told most men carry their weight this way. I have been thru the Optifast program with good success at first and then gained it all back. Physically I have diabetes( currently 100 - 110),hypothyroidism, slightly high BP(never over 140), no sleep Apnea, never smoked, and only drink at Weddings and New Years. . . . My eating falts are volume. Steak and Potatoes guy. Don't eat sweets, candy, cakes, or pies. . . well only occasionally. I do like soft drinks. But, haven't had sugared softdrinks for 5 years. Haven't had diet soft drinks for 2 years. I have a loving wife, 2 adult sons, and 2 wonderful granddaughters. Our first granddaughter is 16 and I have been her PaPa since birth. You ask why that is significant? Well she has inflected with cerebral palsey and my wife and I have been heavily involved in her care even to this day. We help out 2-3 days a week and some overnights. She is my mission in life and PaPa is the first words she could say and she only can speak about 10 words at this time. She is fairly high functioning but wheelchair bound due to left side impairment. What I am trying to say is. . . . I have to get this weight down to continue my care for her. It scares me to death thinking of how she will get along without me there. If you put 100 people in a room she would search me out and scream and point to me calling out . . . "PaPa". I must lose this weight so that I have a chance at a better longevity. I owe this to her. Don't want to forget our second granddaughter. She is a doll and very active in sports which I dearly love. A hockey player as a matter of fact. Plays against the boys and staying right with the boys her own age. Been playing for 4 years now and is 9 yrs old. She needs me also.

Well back to me and my situation right now. Since my Dr.'s appoint 16 days ago when we decided to move on to the sleeve I have completed my Psych eval and I already had a clear chemical stress CT scan of my heart in past 30 days. Insurance forms and application was submitted and I got the phone call today that I was approved for the surgery. Will be waiting now for the call for pre-admission testing(PATs) and my surgery date. Hope to get this done very soon during the month of Aug as I need to get healthy quick as KLA(short for Kaylah) needs me. Only my son and I are strong enough to lift her in and out of her wheelchair and into bed or the cars.

For the past 16 days I have been getting back on the program both mentally and physically. Got my diet straightened around and have again begun my exercise program. I am walking 2 - 4 miles a day at a fast clip . . 3.5-4 mph. In this heat it is really burning off the fat cells. Have walked 22 miles in the past week and have dropped 22 lbs. My goal is to get my weight back down to my low point of 283. Hopefully I can reach that before surgery. Then the second leg of my journey will be . . .my sleeve.

Hope I haven't rambled on too much here but just thought I would try to give you some background.

AWESOME PAPA! I can tell you are her lifeline. My husband is 63 and had gastric bypass two years ago. He has lost 100lbs and kept it off. I had lap-band three years ago and lost 80, but have gained back almost 30. I have done all the requirements for insurance and I hope to hear from them this week. I need to lose at least another 80lbs, but 100 would be ideal. We are grandparents to 10 grandkids ranging from age 19-1year. Our 3yr old is very attached to Pawpaw. We had weight lose surgery first for our health and we didn't want our kids to have to care for us till we are nursing home bound. Plus we just want to enjoy our grandkids.

Congrats on your approval! Stay connected to Sleeve Talk. You will need the support.

I'm doing good, Today is my Bandaversary Woo Hoo! 3 years. I'm happy with the way things have gone some ups some downs but just all part of the Journey. I understand where your comming from Charlene, I also have a very slow metbolism, I stick around 1000 calories a day just not to gain. That part of it is still hard. If I go up a little bit in calories I gain. But it is what it is. Hope all are well

Kimaly, you have done so good! I hope my BMI Will get into a normal range. I did start a Protein diet today. Protein shake, Protein bar( Quest bars are so good), tuna with a boiled egg, and another Protein Shake. I bought 100%egg protein online. The whey and milk products give me so much gas. So far today....no rumbles. I should here something on the sleeve soon. I will keep posting. HUGS!

Cynthia....how are you doing on your exercising?

It's been almost 2 years since I was last on. How has everyone been?

Hi Donna! How is it going? Well, I am up and down.....only lost 55lb.....then went on a liquid diet last year.....lost 30.....gained all of that back except for about 5lbs. So, I am waiting on approval for a sleeve. Dr. Davis said that the band did all it is going to do. I have a very slow metabolism...1100 calories a day to maintain so it is obvious I have been eating much more than that.

Are you please with your weight loss journey?

No, thankfully I only have reflux at the times that I'm too tight and constantly regurgitating anything that tries to go down. When that happens I try to take those tums powders and settle it down... doesn't ever work.

You may have silent reflux. I haven't had reflux since I lost my weight until the last few months. I had a EGD? and the doctor said my esophagus was inflamed. I am taking Prevacid now. You might want to start on OTC Prliosec or Prevacid and see if you feel better. My bariatric doc said I probably have reflux from just having the band.

SOB... I just got home... the good news... I'm not slipped. The bad news... I'm not getting a sleeve.

The CT scan showed my band is in place, my pouch is fine and my esophagus is fine. My doc's only answer was to put 4cc back in my band. He took 5 out 3 weeks ago and he said I also had 2ccs of air he removed today. I go back in a month.

So weird that I would have such symptoms without a fill in over 18 months and everything is just hunky dory... I still have a feeling something is just not right and I'm not sure where to go or what to do.

Heather, sorry to hear the news of no sleee. Do you take anything for reflux?

Heather, sending hugs and prayers for you!

I heard from my doctor's office a couple of days ago. The coordinator said my doctor does the revision in one surgery unless he sees a complication. I should be having surgery late August or early September depending on when I am approved. So, now the waiting.

I'm glad all of you have done so well....your posts encourage me. I live near Houston. Dr Garth Davis will be doing my revision. I have a lot of scar tissue. I can feel it around my port and band. I just hope he can do it in one surgery. Now I just need approval.

So glad you are doing so well! I am new to the sleeve forum. I have had a band for three years. I finished all the tests for a revision to a sleeve and now awaiting approval from insurance. Did you have the band removed and the sleeve in one surgery?

WTG! Cynthia !

I was just looking at everyones Avitar pics, Boy all of us have changed so much since we first started. KUDOS to all of us. We look Fantastic!!!!

JULY BUTTERFLIES 2008 ROCK!!!!!!

Gastric Sleeve. It is removal of 75% of your stomach and forms a small pouch. It removes the Ghrelin hormone that causes hunger. In a revision the doctor removes the band and port and removes most of the stomach. I still have a 40 BMI and High blood pressure. I need to lose about eighty more lbs.