JRT Mom

Hang in there! It will come sooner than you think. Maybe it's not your band this time--could you have a virus or food poisoning? Your surgery is two days before mine (although I'm going with a bypass). Hope you feel better!

great work!❤️❤️❤️

Did they give you a Lovenox shot right before your surgery? It would have been in your side or belly. It is a short term acting blood thinner to help keep you from getting blood clots in your legs after surgery. Works well but the down side is you can get awful skin bruising where your punctures and sutures are. That's what your picture looks like--healing bruises. Boa Sorte e ben vinda!

Why do mothers eat their young? They should be supportive, not disparaging. Mine died before I got my WLS but I'm pretty sure if she was alive she'd be giving me a hard time. After all, when I was eleven and only slightly plump she dragged me to a diet doctor who put me on amphetamines to lose weight. At ELEVEN. (Do I sound a bit bitter?)

I'm a 2008 bandster but soon NOT to be one--I have NO fill but keep getting food stuck. The surgeon says it's a matter of WHEN not IF the stoma will occlude totally. I was moderately successful--I lost 80 pounds but it has crept up through the years but was still able to keep 50 off and have weighed the same for about 6 years--it's the first time in my life I have ever been weight stable. It did also cure my GERD! But all good things must come to an end so I'm getting it removed with a conversion to a RNY pending all the approval hoops to jump through. I wonder if the surgeon will let me keep it? Maybe make a piece of jewelry with it? As much as I paid for it (even with insurance) I should get to keep it....😄

I didn't look at all 261 pages, but I must say-from the ones I did see, y'all look GREAT!!

Your endocrinologist is probably going to keep a close watch on your TSH. You might have to have your levothyroxine dosage adjusted throughout your weight loss. But I image once you become weight stable your TSH level should become stable also and you won't have to get tested as often. I'm getting a revision from a failed lap band to a RNY and am also curious how it will affect my hypothyroidism. Good luck--I'm sure your endocrinologist will be right on it!

I am seeing Dr Fitzer to have a failed lap band removed with a conversion to bypass. So far I like everyone there and their office staff are the sharpest of ANY doctor I have visited for 65 years! I posted this another place but I'll say it again--there are lots of competent surgeons out there but the "front of the practice" is probably the most important part of your weight loss journey. If you don't have those movers-and-shakers keeping it together for you, helping you jump through all your insurance hoops, answering all your (my!) dumb questions it just isn't happening. I had to bail out of a practice in Richmond which is closer to my home due to the office staff. I liked the surgeon but the office was terrible at communication, returning calls, finding insurance requirements and once I was given just flat out wrong information about Medicare that almost ended my journey before it even got started. Dr Fitzer's office runs like a top! I can give a better referral after my surgery but so far I love them enough to travel 4.5 hours to see them.

I am not a psychiatrist either, but here's something else that could be contributing to you being in a dark place--the lack of being able to eat much due to your band. Many of us turn to food for comfort in stressful times as a coping mechanism, and after getting any bariatric surgery we can't eat to comfort themselves. We have to learn a new coping behavior. I'm not saying that is what is happening to you, but it could be. Good luck, hang in there and and try to insist your counselor talk to you as soon as possible.

Sorrynametaken, my surgery is Nov 20. Even though I jumped through all the insurance hoops when I got my band done I have to start over. Luckily (or unluckily) my BMI has crept up enough that between that and the two comorbidities I have developed in the past year (diabetes and high blood pressure) I will qualify for Medicare to pay for the removal and a RNY bypass. I live in SW Virginia but am traveling to Reston, VA to have my bypass done. I got my band done locally but that surgeon has left hence the trip. But I really like the surgeon (Matthew Fitzer) but more importantly the office staff has their sh*t together and are easy to get in touch with, always return your calls, and work hard to make sure your personal and insurance needs are met. There are a lot of good surgeons out there, but if their office staff sucks it doesn't matter--the front end makes all the difference. I first saw a surgeon in Richmond but their office is a disaster area so I looked elsewhere and I'm glad I did! OMG, next week?!? PLEASE keep in touch and let us know how it went!! Lots of positive vibes coming your way!!🍀🙏🌈🌷

I had terrible GERD before I had a lap band 10 years ago and it was a miracle cure. The band kept the acid from splashing up my esophagus. Now the band has to come out due to blockage so there's no doubt that my revision will be to a bypass. Many people who NEVER had GERD develop it after a sleeve, and the bypass will eliminate it so that's the route I'm going.

Wow I'm late to this party!! By the time you read this, it should be over--hope all went well and hoping the best for you!!

Sorrynametaken, I could have written your post. My story is exactly the same. Mine is also 10 years old, and even with no fill in it I'm struggling to get food down. The barium swallow doesn't show any problems with dilation or slippage, but I still slime and vomit every other meal. I thought it was going to last a lifetime but it's so stressful being hungry but dreading that next meal, and my surgeon thinks the stoma will eventually totally close off so even water can't pass, so I'm having it removed with a revision to a RNY. I know I'll never eat an average size meal again but I'm OK with that as long as I can do so without dread!

How often do you weigh? Many people weigh daily and get discouraged when they don't see the scale moving. I would weigh weekly instead. Those plateaus are so frustrating!!

KadieEuropeBound, you look great! I can only hope to look half as good as you do after my band to bypass! You look young and that is in your favor right now for long term PPI usage. But there has been a lot of studies that suggests long term PPI usage can contribute to osteoporosis, and since many of us *ahem* more mature bariatric people have trouble getting enough calcium in their diet we might be already be prone to osteoporosis to the PPI use could be troublesome.

I have to get my band removed and have opted to get a bypass the same time the band is removed. I have NO fill in my band and I still get food hung constantly and my surgeon says it's not a matter of "if" my stomach totally occluded but a matter of "when". When I got the band 10 years ago United Healthcare paid for the first one. Now I'm on Medicare and the patient coordinator at the first office I consulted with said that Medicare had a strict rule that once you've had a procedure Medicare wouldn't pay for a second one. Well the doctor I'm seeing now said that was ridiculous since Medicare didn't even pay for the first surgery, and now I have to have the band removed through no fault of my own. They are making me meet Medicare's criteria of a three month supervised diet, and the surgeon is hoping I won't occlude before this time is done. I also have to have a BMI of 35 with a comorbidity but since last year I've developed high blood pressure and some maturity onset diabetes and with the weight gain from the failed band no problems there... I just would like something in writing that Medicare WILL cover it...I'd hate to be denied after the fact an be stuck with that bill!

I'm sorry your mother is not being supportive. And yes, she might be able to lose quite a bit of weight, but will she be able to keep it off? It's hard to keep to 800 calories a day without surgical help. I know your mother's reaction must hurt but just remember you are in this journey for yourself and it's not a competition. But you DO have support here, so let us know how your doing for lots of "attagirls"!

Hi, I'm getting a lap band removed with a RNY revision in November and I was wondering if any of y'all that have had the bypass are vegetarians? What is your "go-to" protein? Thanks!

Hi y'all, I am having a lap band removed and an RNY done as one procedure. I live about 5 hours away by car from where the surgery is being done--how difficult do you think the trip home will be? Is it even possible? I guess I could stay in a hotel a few days after discharge but that gets expensive...I know I need to ask the surgeon this but I was hoping for some input from those of y'all that have been through this already. Thanks!

All y'all RAWK!! Keep up the good work. I can't wait to be able to add my name with you Hall of Famers!

Yes, there are horror stories for surgery, but I'm sure there are plenty of horror stories for NOT having surgery and being obese. And it's like childbirth--if you are expecting you hear all the HORRIBLE labor stories from people--never the "it was a breeze" stories! Visit this forum for lots of love and support. We're here for you! Gwoodgm, my surgery is the day before yours! If I'm able, and I'm SURE I will be, I'll post here for you!

As I understand it, I will be in the hospital for at least two nights after the surgery. I'm driving myself up the morning of the surgery for an AM admission, and then the day I get discharged my DH will be taking Amtrak to get to DC and then he'll drive us both home in the car I drove up. It's a minivan with room in the back to stretch out so I can lay down if I need to. I hope this is OK but I will definitely run it by my surgeon. Thanks for all the quick replies! 10 years ago when I got my lap band I LIVED on this forum and got through everything with smooth sailing due to y'all's support and knowledge. I kinda drifted away, but now that I'm getting ready to do it all again, I'm back and I'm sure all have all the same support I did all those years ago. I LOVE y'all!!❤️

I'm 65 and I'm getting a 10 year old failed lap band revised to a RNY in November. I was worried about my age but my doctor isn't too concerned about it other than having me get a cardiac clearance done in addition to the medical one.

I think it is ridiculous that if you need to have a revision to a bariatric procedure from a failed initial one that you have to wait to regain all your weight before you can get another! If you met the criteria for the first procedure and had surgery and now need another the insurance company should be satified that the patient is still a candidate. Most of us had our first surgery because of health considerations and to expect us to regain all that weight to have the revision surgery is unhealthy and a waste (waist!) of time. I have to have a lap band removed and fortunately (or unfortunately) I have already regained enough weight and have two new comorbidities so I don't have to gain even more to get my revision.

melflirt01 hit the nail on the head. Many doctors won't even do lap bands anymore as the patients that have had them a long time are encountering problems. I'm one of those statistics--mine is 10 years old and I'm having it removed next month. Good luck to all the bandsters here!