ValJean

Thank you for the kind words—you have no idea how much I needed them right now. You gave me a boost after a few very dark days. Thank you. Moving forward, slowly but surely. ❤️

This morning I went into surgery for lapband removal /revision to RnY. When I woke up I learned that, due to the severity of the scar tissue and the time and efforts required to remove it, my surgeon decided it was not safe to complete.

I’m receiving amazing care from my nursing team and, while I’m in a bit of shock over the fact that my vision of life ahead is derailed, I am incredibly grateful to have the band out of my body. My hope is that the years of pain and complications I’ve experienced are now over. Whether I can/will proceed with RnY at a later date is yet to be determined. For now, pain meds, Clear Liquids, and sleep are absolute gifts.

Lots of gentle hugs! Keep a positive outlook and don't let this get you down. It's a pothole in the road, and you can weather this! Rest and heal.

We see them all the time. Hell, maybe we'll write one someday...
OMG, I've regained! What do I do???????
You know what I like to do?
I like to go back in that person's post history and read about their diet habits in the beginning when they were losing....get a feel for what kind of dieter they were.
And I almost always find that the re-gainers....were super strict, super disciplined, never-touch-a-carb, low calorie extremists.
And it kills me...because the advice to these folks is always the same.....get back on your super strict diet! up your protein! don't touch a carb!
And I'm sitting here shaking my head.
Why do people return to what doesn't work? Over and over and over. Isn't the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?
Don't mean to just pick on our Ketovangelists....there are plenty of Passive Pollys out there who ate junk constantly, never kept track....and wonder why their weight went back up after the honeymoon.
My point is.....if a particular strategy ends in failure.....why in the world would you return to it? Why encourage someone to return to what didn't work longterm?
if the goal is longterm maintenance....why send them back to another stop-gap measure that fails them in the long run?
Ketovangelists....try something different if extremely low cal and carbs doesn't work long term for you! If you eventually lose your mind and fall off the wagon, maybe the wagon you're on doesn't fit. Try something more moderate so you can stay in control long term.
Passive Pollys....try something different! If a total lack of structure is resulting in your surgery being useless.....add some freaking framework to your diet. Work on healthy limits without going completely overboard. Be accountable.
More and more, I believe an addiction to EXTREMISM is what keeps people fat. So many of these folks are either "I must be in COMPLETE CONTROL"...or "I am helpless against my eating"....there's never any middle ground.
Stop with the extremism.
Knock that shite off.
It's hurting you.

Hi everyone.In 2015 I weighed 380 pounds and I’m 5’5.I was in constant pain from my feet,I had sciatica,and sleep apnea.I couldn’t play with my son or run if there was an emergency.That little guy made something come alive in me and I knew I wanted to live!I had surgery January 2016,and the day of surgery I weighed 340 pounds after losing 40 pounds in 2 weeks on my liquid diet.Fast forward 9 months later I had dropped a massive 225 pounds!My gastric team showed me the metric and they said they have never had a patient drop weight that fast,they actually said I was too small!😂 My ENTIRE life I had waited to hear that!My nickname is no longer big George!My gastric team also said I would feel hunger again after about a year to a year and a half.In a weird twist I’m almost 3 years out and have NO hunger!It’s strange I can go the entire day and night without eating.I actually have to look at the clock so I remember to eat😂I feel amazing and I can shop for clothes anywhere!You might be asking are those the same size 54 jeans that you were wearing when you were big.My answer would be yes I saved them just for that pic!Keep pushing and never give up!

Provider restrictions vary, of course--but my diet the day before surgery is to be Clear Liquids, which includes sugar-free popsicles and Jello. The important point from my team was there should be NO RED DYE. (I believe this is for contrast and cameras during surgery.) I recommend asking your surgical team.

The first two days I didn't say it, but mentally I wont even lie, I was regretting my decision.
I was in a lot of pain the first two days. I maxed out every medication I could take. Usually I have a very high tolerance for pain - except when it comes to stomach issues. I've never dealt with stomach issues very well. I found it difficult to watch or listen to the TV and I didn't want to move from the bed. I was kept an extra night because of it.
I was walking in short bursts, but realized that walking was the best thing for me. I know they tell you that but at the time it kinda feels like they are pushing you to start exercising when you feel like you're not in the state of mind to do it. I was WRONG.
Walking was the best medicine. Once I got up and moved around, i started feeling better. I made several laps around my floor at the hospital every hour the last day I was there. The walking helped get rid of the air, which is honestly the worst part of it all and seems to cause the most discomfort. If I had forced myself to start walking sooner I may have been home a day earlier.
My point is, listen to them when they say it helps. It does, I promise. The difference in the way I feel is night and day. Its amazing!
I'm home now, trying to get on a routine so things feel more normal. I am taking my heparin injections and medications and then walking. It seems to help them go down and work faster. I am able to eat a whole Popsicle and I am able to tolerate Jello and liquids beautifully. I am on the up and up and I am feeling better by the hour. I am so grateful I was able to get this done. I was 312 on Friday morning when they weighed me pre-op. I am now at 307, 4 days later. I'm looking forward to a new life of "firsts".

My mother did (With the sleeve) but I have to say my mother is the strongest lady I know (Of course, I'm biased). She was in her 60's when she had it done, and had almost no help. I wanted to help, but I live on the other side of the country. My mother has an extreme tolerance for pain - she slipped on ice, fell, tore her entire abdomen, then became septic. She went through a lot and personally, being ~2 weeks post-op, I would say it is almost impossible, but my mother showed me where there is a will, there is a way.
So I suppose if you were going to do it, I would suggest several things based on what I'm dealing with now, and what my mom went through:
Get yourself a lot of stretchy clothes. I would say at least 2 weeks worth, because it is painful to bend over to do laundry. Same thing with groceries, keep them all high on the counter. Get yourself a grabber tool from harbor freight as well as a cane. I would buy a bunch of disposable cups and put a day's worth of meds in each one before hand, so you don't have to stand up in the kitchen portioning them out. Make sure you have a lot of bed linens ready, or even put several layers on your bed so that instead of doing the laundry, you could peel off a layer. I'd make sure you have a lot of pillows easy to get to by your bed, and in your favorite chair in the living room. I'd recommend to clear off nightstands and end tables so that you can use them as soon as you get home without cleaning. Of course, get yourself some books, a kindle, laptop, movies (etc) for entertainment. Have your telephone or cell phone charger near your bed/chair so you can easily switch between the 2 locations.
My doctor wants me measuring urine, so make sure you can easily do so in your bathroom. Consider putting a chair in shower and if you don't have a tall toilet seat, then get a "booster" with handles.
These are all things that a second caregiver would handle for you, so I'd prep as much as you can to get you to the 2-week mark. I'm at the point where I could probably handle everything by myself if I needed to.
I hope this helps!

Favorite Protein by far still have a hot shake every morning for Breakfast

I know this thread is old, but I was having the same clumping problem. Finally realized that it was the humidity where I live, so I started keeping nectar in the fridge and that fixed it. Hope that helps.

Feeling pretty good with the differences in these photos. Literally the same outfit! Still a long way to go though. Started at 340lbs & currently 261lbs
Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

Thank you for sharing your story. I am so moved by it and inspired by you! If you were telling it in person, I'd ask permission to give you a hug of support and gratitude. Sending one virtually instead.

(RN and comprehensive sex educator hats on)
There is nothing structurally different at any point in the intestines for a sleeved patient. For the lower intestines including the rectum, sigmoid, and descending colon (the parts that could potentially be involved), there is no structural difference for a RNY patient either. I don't know much about duodenal switch, but I wouldn't imagine that they've rearranged anything that far down the intestines.
So structurally, there's nothing changed that would affect the act.
However, there are bowel habit changes that may need to be considered. Many people have Constipation which of course can result in retained stool that you might want to address beforehand due to hygiene or comfort issues. Constipation also has the complication of creating or aggravating hemorrhoids which can cause pain and bleeding with anal intercourse. Other people have varying degrees of diarrhea post surgery, and sometimes with some stool incontinence (hence the warning "never trust a fart"). So this could create a hygiene issue which again you might want to address beforehand.
While I know the topic may be shocking to many, I believe it's important for adults to be able to discuss sexual matters and their bodies without embarrassment. Our societal discomfort with the subject of sex is a holdover from our puritan roots, and I believe it should be reversed.

Thank you for sharing your story. I am so moved by it and inspired by you! If you were telling it in person, I'd ask permission to give you a hug of support and gratitude. Sending one virtually instead.

This is just a little rant about my number one pet peeve....
People mentioning their starting weight and talking about how disgusting it is really bugs me. Like, when people are saying they started at 250 lbs and putting a shocked or vomiting emoji (😱🤢) or whatever.
I get that it was a lot of weight to you. But a lot of us have starting weights of 400+ lbs. It would be a DREAM for me to weigh 250 lbs!! I haven't weighed that much since I was probably 17!
I know that this has like absolutely no real effect on our journeys, but it was bugging me. And what's a rant and raves forum for if not posts like this one?
Be nice to yourselves!! You had feelings at your SW too! Don't put yourselves down! Let's keep working hard!

July 26, revision from band to RNY.

Hello everyone for those who don’t know I had RXY NOV 28,2017 yesterday was my 4 months surgeversary.. so Happy! If you wondering yes I’m glad I did.. I have had lil to mild complications but right now all that drives me insane is the constipation... but I think something is working out for me.
I’m 5’7 by the way.