jadeesmjk

Hi there, I have been banded since 2008 and have to take daily pills, including antidepressant. I do so while sipping hot coffee or tea. Seems to go down MUCH easier than with any cold drinks. Hope it helps! Good luck.

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Aug 12, 2008 banded. Lost 95 lbs initially but over the last few years and I gained back 17. Now at 222 as of today. Went to see a new surgeon as the original one no longer takes my insurance and is over an hour and a half away now. Had to get a complete unfill because of really bad GERD and vomiting and most things getting stuck. Went in to see about revision to rny but would have to go through 6 months of supervised diet and all the other hoops for my insurance to cover the revision. Well, so far so good, drank a protein shake and will have some soup soon. No problems yet. I'm hoping that I just needed the unfill and let my stomach calm down and find the sweet spot again. Maybe I can get back on track with the band, slowly. Keep your toes crossed for me. I Really do not want to have another surgery if I can help it......I would love to keep in touch with you 2008 Bandsters!!! [emoji171]

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Aug 12, 2008 banded. Lost 95 lbs initially but over the last few years and I gained back 17. Now at 222 as of today. Went to see a new surgeon as the original one no longer takes my insurance and is over an hour and a half away now. Had to get a complete unfill because of really bad GERD and vomiting and most things getting stuck. Went in to see about revision to rny but would have to go through 6 months of supervised diet and all the other hoops for my insurance to cover the revision. Well, so far so good, drank a protein shake and will have some soup soon. No problems yet. I'm hoping that I just needed the unfill and let my stomach calm down and find the sweet spot again. Maybe I can get back on track with the band, slowly. Keep your toes crossed for me. I Really do not want to have another surgery if I can help it......I would love to keep in touch with you 2008 Bandsters!!! [emoji171]

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Hopeful for keeping the band and calming it down. It can still work uninflated!
After 12 years, mine is minimally filled. Kinda have to work your program that is just for you. It is choices everyday, but please know your body can adapt.
Best of luck.

Aug 12, 2008 banded. Lost 95 lbs initially but over the last few years and I gained back 17. Now at 222 as of today. Went to see a new surgeon as the original one no longer takes my insurance and is over an hour and a half away now. Had to get a complete unfill because of really bad GERD and vomiting and most things getting stuck. Went in to see about revision to rny but would have to go through 6 months of supervised diet and all the other hoops for my insurance to cover the revision. Well, so far so good, drank a protein shake and will have some soup soon. No problems yet. I'm hoping that I just needed the unfill and let my stomach calm down and find the sweet spot again. Maybe I can get back on track with the band, slowly. Keep your toes crossed for me. I Really do not want to have another surgery if I can help it......I would love to keep in touch with you 2008 Bandsters!!! [emoji171]

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Hi all,
I have an appointment to see a surgeon about either bypass or sleeve revision from the LapBand. I have done a lot of research but am not sure which one I should do. My insurance covers both but I have been on GERD meds for several years. I think it is because of the LAPBAND, did not have trouble with it before.......wonder if it will go away with the sleeve or if I should just go to the bypass surgery. UGH! So sick of the vomiting and the GERD and not being able to sleep laying flat because whatever I drank would come shooting out my nose and mouth.......I lost 95 lbs initially after my Band but gained back 17 lbs. So I am still at 220 lbs and at 5'3" and 52 yrs old I need to do something now to be healthy for a long rest of my life. I teach 4th grade and I want to be able to do so for as long as possible, comfortably! Any words of advice or insight would be appreciated!

So glad everything is going great for yours. I'm so eager to start this journey also

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Thank you! I will read it. I'm happy that you are doing well. [emoji4]

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I am praying that I can get the band removed and the bypass done in the same surgery......I don't want to go under twice..... [emoji37]

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hi there is a post on here labeled HELP read it! weve been talking about revision to rny. but i had the band my surgeon said there shouldnt be another option than rny because of scar tissue. i LOVE my rny 8.5 weeks out best thing ever. labs look great and lost 49pounds since surgery already

I had terrible GERD and like you I would wake up coughing and as if I aspirated some. My doctor's visit, he removed the 4cc out of my band the highest I have ever had was 7ccs (banded in 2009) and now I am able to sleep without any waking up coughing and with one pillow not 2 or 3 for a wedge. Just waiting on approval to have lapband removed and revision to RNY. Many prayers for you!

I've been in maintenance for just under a year and had hit goal really quickly (6-8 months), so still had a large restriction when I started. I switched my diet to nutrient dense foods and try to eat stuff that I really like.
Even now I'm still very restricted (5 oz of solid stuff max per meal and if it's like meat it takes a long time to digest (~hour). I'm really active so I have to get in enough calories or I lose weight and if I move off my current weight I just don't feel good. My BMI is still on the high side, but I'm not a good BMI body type (lot of muscle) so the DR's are very happy with me at this weight.
Food wise I'm consuming about 2300 calories per day with a range of maybe 1500 - 3k depending on what I'm doing. I tracked in great detail for the first year. Now I still track but only spot check days here and there. My big tracking is a weekly weigh in and as long as my weight is within a 5 lb range I'm happy. If I'm low I make an effort to eat a little more, if I'm high I make an effort to eat a little less or more lean stuff. Foods for me consist primarily of protein with limited carbs and very minimal fruit and vegetables (I would love to eat these, but I don't have time / room and if I eat them then I don't get enough calories).
I generally eat when I feel hungry and this works out to 3 meals and 3 snacks per day. Here's an example of what I might eat on a normal day:
Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 slice american cheese, 1 bagel thin with butter ~10am snack: Apple fritter (450 calories - yeah not the greatest...) lunch: 4 oz chicken salad with light mayo, 1 bagel thin with butter, sometimes 1 oz of crackers or pretzels ~3pm snack: 10 crackers and 3 oz of cheese slices Dinner: steak 4 oz (or 1 sausage or repeat lunch or breakfast) ~8pm snack: Plain popcorn with salt or bagel thin, or crackers and 3 oz of cheese or italian ice or if I worked out a lot or am starving repeat a meal I shoot for 64 - 100 oz of water I don't eat every snack / meal every day and on days when I'm running a few miles, biking or other calorie intense exercise I'll eat more. If I get busy I forget to eat or run out of time so am low on calories. If I feel like I'm eating too much I'll have something that fills me up quickly like 1/4 cup of rice or steak or something else that makes me full and won't let me eat additional foods. I generally don't eat potatos, pasta or rice as I'm immediately full with these and can easily end up in pain.
Great thread and hope this helps someone. I'm really happy with my new lifestyle and don't feel like I'm missing out on anything food wise and generally just eat when I'm hungry.

Thank you so much for your comprehensive reply. I appreciate your honesty and the info helps put my mind at ease. You look wonderful!

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as far as nutritional deficiencies, they're usually not a problem as long as you keep on top of your vitamins. There are some people who don't absorb oral iron well and have to go in for occasional infusions, but that's not all that common. Most of us do fine on oral iron supplements. As for the other vitamins, again, deficiencies are really rare as long as you take your vitamins.

hair loss - I didn't have any. That can be an issue with any surgery, from what I understand - not just RNY and not just weight loss surgery in general. It's due to the anesthesia, supposedly. I'm guessing you see it more in weight loss surgeries than other types of surgeries because we're taking in so few calories those first few weeks and months, but I've heard of people losing hair from other surgeries - or from giving birth, too. Whatever, not everyone loses their hair, and for the majority who do, you're really the only one who notices it. It's kind of rare for it to come out in huge, noticeable clumps. If you didn't lose hair with your lapband surgery, maybe you'll be OK.
Loose skin - again, you're likely the only one who'll notice. I had mine removed three years after surgery because I didn't like looking at it anymore, but it was easy enough to hide from the world. I had most of it on my abdomen (I was, and still am, apple-shaped). I'd just tuck it in my jeans or "tummy-control" leggings and wore slightly-oversized, long-ish tops to cover any lumps. Here's a picture of me before plastic surgery. I had *a lot* of loose skin on my abdomen. It's not even noticeable in these clothes:

Like others have said, it does depend on your health issues. I was in the same predicament when I started this process, being told that either surgery would be good for me. I started the process wanting the sleeve because the bypass seemed too intrusive what with your anatomy being changed. However, I’m a week post op with gastric bypass and I wouldn’t change anything. I chose bypass over sleeve due to more weight on average being lost, and more success with it. I see a lot of people with sleeve getting a revision to bypass. Either surgery can be extremely successful, but my research led me to bypass.

Laura,
I am waiting for approval from my insurance companies for the RNY revision surgery from the sleeve surgery 2 1/2 years ago.
I never thought once I was told that all my medical problems would be solved with the sleeve surgery to consult any of my regular Drs.I thought that these surgeon's do this everyday so they know what is the best way to go.
So I just went with the surgeon's suggestion that the sleeve was best for me.
I had severe reflux disease, type 2 diabetes, HBP,High cholesterol, asthma and arthritis.
My diabetes is gone, HBP,High cholesterol are gone. Reflux was gone for 6wks and now is worse than ever since the surgery.
I lost 87 lbs and went from size 22w to 24 w to a 12 ladies.
My suggestion is if you have medical issues consult each of the Drs.then weigh your options.
Good luck

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if you have GERD, strongly consider bypass. The sleeve often (but not always) can make that worse. Bypass often improves or cures it. Otherwise, either one is a good surgery. I've known people who've had great success with both.

It depends on your health issues. Their situation where people have chosen to go with the sleeves and then have to convert to gastric bypass. I think that you should just do a lot of research on both procedures and she was which one is best for you. I did the gastric bypass and I'm 14 days post-op and I haven't had any abnormal complication, but it is a challenge. Both procedures are just tools to help you loose waves so either way it's going to be challenging. What I love about this app is that the support that you received from different people all over. I wish you the best of luck with whatever decision you make keep us updated.

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