loridee24

I don't dump, but I definitely react if I overeat sugar. I bloat (noticeably and my stomach gets really icky), get exhausted - like sit on the couch and pass out for 2 hours - and have bad gas. I do OK with fruit or if I eat Protein before the sugar. I can also have a little bit, but I haven't tried to narrow down where the line is. Knowing it's a possibility helps me avoid overeating sugary food, especially if I'm out with others or traveling. It's easier to avoid than to try and deal with it.

yesterday was a bit rough for me. I had more pain than I expected just at the port removal site. I had a lot of swelling and bruising that peaked yesterday. In addition, I've had a really hard time sleeping (I'm normally a side sleeper and couldn't get comfortable on either side due to pressure on the port incision). I finally realized I just needed to take some pain meds (OTC Ibprofen) and it helped me to get a good night sleep last night and am so much better today! Pain is also MUCh better now that swelling is down a lot.

thanks all. Right now I'm weighing daily and I've noticed the days i don't want to it's because i know i had a bad day before (Ironically the days I should be weighing myself). I will need to really watch myself to see if it negatively impacts my mindset an if it does I may cut down to 2 x per week.

Well, my lap band is out! Overall it was a pretty easy surgery and I was home by around 11:30 AM yesterday. i do have pain where the port was removed and some gas pain but the other incisions are pretty painless and overall it isn't too bad. I have the week off but may go back half day Thursday/Friday just to get caught up.

Hi All,

I'm curious how often you do or have been told you should weigh? When I was doing weight loss in the past (WW or JC) they would tell me to only weigh in weekly. Then when I tried noom recently they told me to weigh daily. I'll ask my surgeon and the psychologist when I get to that point in the process but I'm curious what others have been told or do?

Thanks,
Lori

My Dr said that because of the malabsorptive effects of the surgery oral birth control won't work as well. However, you should be able to look at other forms like IUD or implants...

On 8/18/2019 at 6:46 AM, FluffyChix said:

So I agree, we all go through this to one extent or another. The shame and stigma attached to WLS and obesity is really so sad. It's diagnosed by the AMA as a disease. That means doctors are allowed to treat us for this disease and insurance has to cover it, if it's listed as a covered feature of their plans.

Obesity like many diseases is multi-factoral. Do we have some amount of culpability? Absolutely. But at the core, there is some element of broken-ness within that then takes our body out of homeostasis and hormonally sets us up for heartache down the road. Most of us are champion losers. But most of us are hideous maintainers. Sure there is ricidivism (reverting to old ways and patterns with eating/food), but our body also has a desire to take us back up and level us off at our last HIGHEST weight level. Yikes! Hello regain? Yes.

WLS helps break this cycle. It is a metabolic reset. It is actually (or can be) more of a weight maintenance tool than it is a weight loss tool. But like with any tool, it is up to us to use the tool correctly. Don't use a screw driver to hammer in a nail. And just like with any disease, take heart disease...do you blame the patient for needing a heart bypass or stint if lifestyle changes and medicine doesn't work to reverse their CHD? No...we don't. Then it's unfair for MO people to be blamed for needing a surgical intervention to help normalize a substantially broken metabolism.

This is what finally gave me peace about my surgery. I also have PCOS since I was 13-14y. My highest weight was 325lbs. My recent high was 287lbs. I weigh 134lbs this morning. I'm 56y. I'm not any great shakes. But I am determined and focused and have chosen to put my love/adoration of food to the side in favor of kicking ass and taking names in the healthy living department. I just "ran" 65minutes straight this morning. When I first started I was chair/bed bound and couldn't stand or walk for more than 5 minutes.

You can do this. But you do have to want to change and you have to apply yourself. My RD said that PCOS makes it harder and wl slower for patients. It's partly why I did the RNY over the VSG.

thank you so much for sharing, not just the weight but your ability to be more active. I want to be thinner, but my main motivation is feeling like I can go do the things I want without my body stopping me in the tracks with pain and lack of stamina.

Lori

Thanks for sharing DeeDee and congratulations on a successful surgery. I'm doing good. Getting ready for my surgery on Monday for band removal. I decided to take the week off but let my boss know if I felt up to it I'd log on from home mid-week that way I'm covered. A little nervous (surgery is never fun) but ready to get this stage done.

~Lori

Thanks all for sharing. I'm having my band removed on Monday (Aug 26th). My Dr. does the conversation to bypass in 2 separate surgeries to allow the stomach to heal, so hopefully I'll be approved and ready for that around the end of Nov.

Lori

On 8/2/2019 at 5:56 PM, Deedee12 said:

I had my lapband removed May 3rd on a Friday and was back at work on Sunday, I'm a physician, so I went to round on my patients on Sunday. I didn't need any pain meds post discharge same day of surgery.
It was light Breakfast day before surgery and liquids up until 2 hrs before surgery.
Had Soups after I got home, rested Saturday and back to almost normal on Sunday. No issues whatsoever. I was happy to be rid of the band as the last few months were awful and it did not even slip!
Surgeon required 6 weeks of healing before revision. I'm getting sleeved August 16th.

Good luck!

Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hope your surgery went well yesterday and you are healing well!

For those of you who had band to bypass and had a lot to lose, what was your average weekly weight loss in the first 6 months? Year? I know every person is different and it depends on what you do with the tool, I'm just trying to understand what's possible. For reference, I'm female and 41 and have 165 to lose to be at my goal weight (I need to lose 25 pre-surgery).

Thanks for sharing!

Lori

On 7/28/2019 at 12:47 AM, JasonSWrench said:

Hello All!

I'm glad to see that there are a few of us having this conversation. I just remet with the surgeon yesterday to discuss a lap-band revision. And I'm experiencing the same insurance issues that DeeTee mentioned. I've had my band for almost 11 years (hard to believe). Basically, my surgeon is treating me like a new patient for surgical purposes. I have to show six months of weight loss supervision, go through a bunch of tests, see the psychologist, talk to the dietician, and so on, and so on. Last time I basically started in July had had the surgery in September.

I talked to the surgeon about switching to either the sleeve or the bypass. His recommendation, since I don't have diabetes, was to go with the sleeve. I'd done the research ahead of time and had come to this decision, but it was nice to at least hear the surgeon supporting my basic decision.

Like Banded in AZ, I also have experienced esophageal problems, specifically esophageal dilation. Honestly, I didn't know that was even a complication. Admittedly, I had been a bad bander and hadn't had an adjustment in quite some time. The surgeon actually gave me an adjustment yesterday, which was weird, and he took out quite a bit of liquid. Apparently, food was just sitting in my esophagus and slowing getting squeezed through the band for years.

I'm also the first to admit that I feel like some kind of band failure. It's like one of the docs in the practice always says, they don't have a lap-band for your brain. I learned how to eat around the band so quickly. Combine that with most of my favorite foods seem to be mushy to begin with, and it just set me up for band problems.

Part of me still thinks I should give the lap-band a chance, but then it's been 11 years. My surgeons don't even perform that many lap-bands anymore because of how bad the outcomes research is now.

As for those of you who have made the switch, has weight loss been "easier" with the sleeve? I'm primarily worried about long-term weight loss, stretching, and GERD. What are people's experiences?

Jason

Hey Jason,

I'm in a similar situation. Had my band for 13 years and having it out on Aug 26th. Dr. does removal and then revision in a second surgery 3 or more months later. One of my main complaints with the band is heartburn and my Dr. said if you have Heartburn with the band you are likely to have it with Sleeve as well so they recommend bypass for me.

Best of luck!

Lori

I am going to have a conversion from lap band to RNY in 2 surgeries. My lap band removal is scheduled for Aug 26th.

For those of you who had the lap band removed in a stand alone surgery, how was the recovery? Trying to decide how much time to be off work and if i need to find someone who can stay with me or if just a ride home is good.

Also - how long after the band removal before you were ready for RNY? My doctor is thinking around 3 months.

Thanks in advance!

~Lori

Hi Amanda,

I'm in NorCal but going through Kaiser. My surgeon said they only do the surgery in 2 stages. I have my band removal surgery scheduled for Aug 26th. My band surgery will be around 3 months after that assuming i heal well and lose my pre-surgery weight.

Lori

I'm in San Jose and will be going through Kaiser. I just started so will likely have an end of year date. Please share your journey!

Lori

Thanks!

Hey All,

Apologies if there is a way to search for this but i can't seem to find it. Where does everyone create their trackers they have in their footers?

Lori

Good luck with your band removal. I'm still waiting for the surgery to be scheduled, but the doctor said if I didn't hear by yesterday I should call Monday so I'll do that. I may be just a few weeks behind you in the removal.

In addition to band removal and 3 months of healing, the doctor wants me to lose 30 pounds before my bypass. I understand and am determined to do that but am finding it harder to start than I expected. I'm going to put up a bunch of pictures of me doing things I love to do that I haven't been doing because of my weight (pics are largely from when I lost the weight with the band) and see if that helps motivate me. Anyone have any other tips?

Lori

Hi pssk,

Yes, I'm nervous. This is a big surgery and so many things can go wrong. And even if everything goes right its a major lifestyle change. I'm doing my best to make sure I'm ready mentally and physically (giving up coffee, etc... now).

Do you have a target for your surgery yet? I'm waiting for the schedulers to call for my lap band removal and have at least 3 months after that before I can have my RNY so I'm hoping for around/after Thanksgiving (assuming I can lose the required weight in that time).

~Lori

Thanks Elcee. Have you had any issues with reflux since the conversion? Even fully unfilled I still have issues that I'm hoping will go away once it's removed and won't reappear with the bypass.

Thank you both! these all look great!

Hi All,

I am just starting to plan my surgery but I would like to start figuring out how to eat like I will post surgery. I am single and so I prefer to cook 1 pot meals. Does anyone have any good recipes that are high Protein, lower calorie, and can be made in a single pot v. multiple items?

Thanks in advance!

Lori

Hi Kathy,

I think you and I are in the same both - I am also in Kaiser and having to go in 2 stages. I'm just waiting for the office to call to schedule the lap band removal and working on losing weight. I'm hoping that timing works out that the RNY surgery won't be too delayed since I'll be healed and lose the necessary pre-surgery weight at about the same time.

Lor

Hi All,

I had my lapband put in in 2007 and was initially very successful. I lost 145 lbs in 2 years and did great for another 3. Unfortunately, I started having issues with my band including horrible heart burn, food getting stuck, etc. I have had fills and unfills over the years but have been largely unfilled for a long time. I finally had to be completely unfilled 2 years ago when I couldn't swallow Water even with the band mostly empty. i've gained all of my weight back through it all.

I finally decided that I think I want to go to bypass and met with the surgeon this week. My Dr wants to remove my band first (he's scheduling in the next month), then while I heal he wants me to lose some weight and hopefully be ready for bypass in 3-4 months.

I would love to connect with some of you who have been through or are going through this. Any advice?

Looking forward to connecting.

Lori