ElleJ

I am coming up on 7 months post op. Been taking Biotin for years before my surgery for my nails mostly. Continued with it through the months after surgery as well as all my other Vitamins and my Protein is between 60 to 80. I am also 60 years old and have not lost any hair. I don't know maybe based on what one poster wrote it might still happen. However if it does and it gets really thin and looks bad I might just go get a wig till it grows backs.
I can imagine for many of you who are younger it is a difficult thing to deal with. However I would rather be thinner and have thinner hair than be super obese and sick in many other ways and have thick hair. It is a compromise I am willing to accept for being healthier, happier and finally able to live a more active life.

@@Lema
I don't think I am ready to do that you. Honestly someone wanted me to have my curly hair back and although it is a pain, I am trying to work with it to figure out how to style so it looks nice.
I am taking lessons from my gorgeous granddaughter. She is 12 and quite the diva. She told me to buy mixed chick and after a shower to put it in and leave it. It allows the curls to remain curly and cuts the frizz.
This is my granddaughter. She is gorgeous blue eyes and very curly hair. Much of the time she straightens it but lately she has gone back to leaving it curly.

I had my band unfilled 4 years ago due to complications. I gained 60 lbs. I had my band taken out and the sleeve done on August 17th. I was able to lose 15 lbs pre-op. Looking forward to getting healed and really using this new tool.

One of my favorite quotes is "just because u took longer than others, doesn't mean u failed. Remember that"
Nothing could be more true. Nobody had the chance to choose our body, we just gotta rock what we got, embrace our own unique fabulousness!! So go on girl, embrace it, ur fabulous!
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

It isn't a race. You're not going to be doing yourself any favors comparing yourself to others. Your body will lose at the pace it decides, and you're doing just fine. 8 pounds in a month is a great loss. If it takes you 16 months instead of 12 is that really that bad in the grand scheme of things?
Continue to track your food, get in enough Protein, drink your Water, watch your calories and moderate activity/exercise. That's really the key to all of it.
And I've read over and over again, anyone coming from a Lapband to a sleeve is going to lose slower anyway. Not sure why, but it seems to be very common.
Also, slower loss means it's giving your body and your skin more time to adjust and may result in better overall results in the loose skin department.

I had 4. The first 3 are from instruments and the larger one is on the left side of abdomen. I also had a JP drain.

Note to self: I don't have to take this day all at once but rather one step, one breath and one moment at a time. I am only one person.

Aussiegirl81 "One thing i will mention... as an ex bander... you will find you can fit a little more food/fluids than virgin sleevers... as we have less sensation in our esophagus because of the band.... so its important that we measure out food until we can adjust to reading the full signals..."
That is good to know. Thanks for that info.

Hi... i hope you are recovering well.
I was revised from band to sleeve... and the difference is like night and day.
When i had my band removed i did have a "phantom" band for a few weeks... but once that subsided my tummy was like my pre band tummy... normal.
Now that i am sleeved and healed... it just feels like a normal stomach... i can eat and drink without feeling odd sensations, pressure or food getting stuck like the band.
Earlier out when i was healing, if i ate too fast or didn't chew properly i would get a little "stuck" feeling.... but nothing like the stuck feeling with the band... sort of like.. stuck without that heavy pressure.
For me, once i passed the first 3-4 weeks... everything just became easier.... now i feel like a normal person, who just eats smaller portions.. Water isn't a issue and i am meeting or exceeding my daily goals.
One thing i will mention... as an ex bander... you will find you can fit a little more food/fluids than virgin sleevers... as we have less sensation in our esophagus because of the band.... so its important that we measure out food until we can adjust to reading the full signals...

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!

Well done.
Took my 17 year old and several of his friends to Carowinds two weeks ago.
I was suckered into riding a beast of a rollercoaster with them.
Scared my old arse to death. Crazy times, but fun times.
I'm not into rollercoasters....at all......but I couldn't resist the urge to sit in the seat and buckle up and slam down the harness lock with vigor and fit in there just fine. The near 100 mph freefall a couple minutes later.............aw hell no.....never again, lol.

I recall a very sad time when I got on a roller coaster to find I didn't fit. This was before they had the special large passenger seats available. I was so embarrassed to be taken off the ride in front of everyone leaving my frightened kids to ride alone. I never tried again and had not been on a coaster in many years. Last week my son and I went to Busch Gardens in VA. I road every coaster! It was such a huge NSV for me. The odd thing is that I was still afraid I would get kicked off even though I knew I fit like everyone else. I don't think I will ever shake that feeling that I am still my old size.

@, you have a revision from band to Sleeve and was released that same day? Wow, I've never heard of that.
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Here... they are not allowed to do it in one procedure.... there is a minimum wait of 3 months from band removal before you can have a revision.
Basically they say it is to allow your stomach to heal and for the area around your band to go back to its original shape.

@@jaxmom yes! You are so fortunate!!!

To be absolutely honest, when my band was removed I took very little time to heal. Felt instantly better because I was relieved of the reflux and vomiting. Back to work 2 days later.
Everyone heals differently, rest up and let your body recover.
My scar tissue is so bad that I was refused a sleeve and am getting a bypass instead.
Take care of yourself, you will heal up and when your body is ready you will get your sleeve.
Sent from my SM-G920F using the BariatricPal App

I only had to do a 2 week liquid pre-op to shrink my liver in prep for RnY. I drank Protein shakes, broth, tea, Water, SF Jello and SF Popsicles. The first 3 days weren't too bad. On Day 4 I was ready to gnaw my arm off and beat everyone around me with it! When I made it to Week 2, it was much better. Was told by my NP that most lose 9-15 lbs during this time, and I lost 9 lbs. Now down 30 lbs more since surgery date 6/20. Oh! Be sure to add Fiber to your Protein Shakes. ( I like Benefiber clear--no color, no taste. Or Fiber gummies.) Otherwise, all that Protein will really make you constipated! I ended up drinking all of my magnesium citrate meant for the day before surgery, in the middle of Week 2. It was THAT bad. Had trouble again the first 2 months after surgery and had to use stool softeners in addition to fiber. Never had this problem in my life! However, since I graduated to Stage 4 of the eating plan, eating fresh or steamed veggies every day does the trick. Yay!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using the BariatricPal App

Here was my 10 day fat man pre op diet. Two premier shakes, all of the sugar free Jello I wanted, a green salad per day with lemon juice or vinegar for dressing, I could have grilled unseasoned chicken or white fish, at least a spoonful of Greek yogurt to promote good stomach bacteria. I mixed the yogurt with the lemon and it made a killer dressing for my chicken and green salad. I had it at work for a sense of normalcy and it worked well. I had headaches for the first 3 days but after that all was good. I went from 312 to 293 in 10 days.