Elisabethsew

I'm glad you got some relief and am eager to hear what the MD says that you see on 4/7. Good luck!

I am feeling the same way... looking forward to moving on.

Medicine is just like any other professions, you learn from past experience and make improvements. I would not want anyone to deal with the heartburn and reflux that I experience. It really drains you and impacts negatively on your quality of life. I truly hope being banded in 2008 afforded you an improved surgical outcome. I still on the weight loss journey to a healthier me. However, I've done the research and can't deal with the band anymore. VSG is what I should have it and it's what I will be having in less than a week. Best of luck for continued success to you.

I got a private message asking about the pre-op diet so I figure I would share it here. I am doing the one week sleeve pre-op diet even though I am a bandster revising to a sleeve. Some banded people are required to do a liquid diet (like Susan) depending on the symptoms they have. This is the diet MY surgeon requires. YOURS might want a different one. The diet for people with a BMI of less than 40 is NO DIET! LOL. Unfortunately, I don't fall into that category. I am in the 40-49 BMI range so my diet is: 1. Unlimited lean beef, chicken, fish 2. Low fat yogurt 3. Protein shakes 4. Protein Bars The problem is that I am limited to 30 grams of carbs a day. Many protein bars and shakes are high carb. I found a soy Protein shake that is 4 carbs per serving and am doing lean chicken and fish to stay right around the 30 gram mark. High protein and low fat and carbs serve to shrink the liver making doing the surgery easier and safer for the surgeon and the recovery less painful.

I do make a good one... traditional NY style (cream cheese) and graham cracker crust. I think one cake has a trillion calories. LOL. What a way to go! Hey, with the sleeve wouldn't it take forever for you to consume? LOL.

Five days and I'll be on the plane heading for my sleeve revision. I made a "to do" list and am rapidly checking off tasks. The time just seems to be flying by but I'll be ready. LOL.

I've lost 70 bands and plan to "pimp" those first 6 months to the max! I had a lot of pain at the port site from the banding and am hoping the sleeve revision is not as hard to recover from.

Fixing a hiatal hernia via lap is a lot trickier than many realize. There are very fragile blood vessels in that area and it does require advanced lap training to do a lap hiatal hernia repair. Perhaps your surgeon doesn't have the advanced lap training and that's why he didn't want to tackle it?? It sounds like that might be the case as she was only the 26th person her surgeon banded. The lesson here is to twofold; pick a surgeon with a lot of experience and excellent stats in the surgery you're having and be proactive in your own health. I don't like the fact that her surgeon discounted the EGD reports from the GI doctor. THAT is what the GI specialists do. It's like taking the word of a urologist over a cardiologist about the interpretation of an EKG. The fact that her surgeon discounts the two GI reports raises a RED flag.

I am 3 years post-op and can't speak to whether or not my surgeon is now following your standards. I do know I had a small hiatal hernia on the EGD report and that it was not repaired during surgery. I think it's very important for patients to be proactive and make sure this issue is addressed at the time of surgery. It would be interesting to see post-op comparisons of patients who did have the hiatus strengthened with those who did not.

Keep us posted on your progress.

I think as more long term studies come out we'll be hearing a lot more about complications.

Thank you for posting and first, let me say how sorry I am that you lost your husband. I feel like I wrote this post. I did all the right things but never got to the optimal level of restriction I was promised. In fact, I never got close. I started waking up choking on acid regurgitation and did the same things you did. I stop eating at least 5 hours before I go to bed. Some nights are good and some are bad... no rhyme or reason to it. Now, I have increased heartburn that IS related to eating. When I don't eat, I am OK. When I do eat, heartburn is felt within a few minutes and hot liquids make it worse. I suspect my band was too loose and that a hiatal hernia has developed. I have all of the classic symptoms. I've also had enough of the band and it's getting out of me on 4/1 when I revise to a sleeve. I hope you're doing better.

Now that many banded people are 2-3 years post-op, it seems like we're hearing many more stories of "band gone bad" for one reason or another. I never found anything near the restriction I was supposed to get. Yes, I have always had a very, very, tiny amount but nothing that would restrict the amount of food I ate. Instead, I have had increasing heartburn and reguritation that require nexium. Banding was the promise of great things when I made the decision to have surgery over 3 years ago. Since that time, studies have been released that shows the band is falling short for mnay patients and complications are on the rise. Some countries have stopped performing this procedure. I have a male friend who did great with the band and continues to be fine and at goal. I am very happy for him and the many other patients who love the band. They found what worked for them. I know the band did not work for me even though I followed all the rules. I now feel the band is working against me. For that reason, I'll be revising to a sleeve on 4/1 and I can't wait. In the end we all want the same thing... getting to a healthy weight and leading a full life.

I got the band 3 years ago and researched it for 9 months before I actually went for the surgery. Back then, great things were promised with the band. Since that time, studies are showing that the least amount of weight is lost with the band and that people are increeasing reporting weight gain not to mention complications. I did not wake up one morning and decide to go for revision surgery. I had to look at all the weight loss surgeries available and then determine which one was right for me. After making the decision to have a sleeve, I then had to research surgeons to find the best one skilled in that procedure. I will not be flying into Mexico. I'm flying into CA and then being driven to the hospital which is not in the part of Mexico "in the news." I don't need more time to think about this because I took the time and am at peace with the revision surgery, the surgeon, and the hospital. I am very sorry that your surgeon would not do the surgery you wanted. I would not allow a surgeon to tell me what he would or would not do. I'm paying the surgeon. If I don't get what I am paying for, I look for someone else. Eleven pounds in 5 weeks is very good and I hope you continue to have success.

I see this band as a parasite living inside of me. At first, it poses just an annoyance but, as time passes, it slowly sucks the life out of you. That's how I've been feeling. It's draining to not know if you'll be able to sleep at night, how bad the heartburn will be, etc. Once the parasite is out of me, it dies and I thrive. While that might seem very "dark" to say, it's truly the way I feel.

I have yet to find a protein powder I can tolerate. I did find a soy based protein drink that I love but it won't be allowed for the first 10 days. I guess my taste buds are sensitive to the awful taste of protein. LOL.

Actually, my husband will be going with me now, instead of my mom. I prefer it, he has a very calming affect on me. I have everything ordered for post-op and am just waiting for UPS to deliver it. I am like you, I am so excited to get my band out, that I have no nerves at all. I start my liquid diet tomorrow, and am even excited about that. Although, I am sure by Saturday I will be a complete bear to be around. I hope you have a safe trip as well. That's great that your hubby is coming with you and yes, I bet you'll be sick of liquids by the end of the week. LOL. I am finding it very hard to do only 30 carbs a day but got through yesterday and will survive the rest of the week.

Thank you sooooooooo much for posting and for the tips. The only thing I purchased for the post-op phase is some chicken broth. My sister can get anything else I might need when I get home. Like you, I do get tired after surgery. After banding I was amazed that people were back to work after just a few days. I was VERY sore (351 pounds at banding) and quite tired. I took a week and a half off from work for the band but only felt like myself again at about 2 weeks post-op. It sounds like you are doing great. Please keep posting with how the recovery is going and what your experiences are like. I only 3 weeks behind you!

Perhaps you could elaborate on what it is you're talking about? As you can see, we're all confused.

I can so relate to you. The first thing I would do is see a gastroenterologist (GI doctor) and have an EGD. You're just NPO (no food/drink) after midnight and then get intravenous (IV) sedation to put you to sleep. The MD will pass a flexible tube (scope) down your throat to look at the first part of the digestive tract (you need a barium swallow to see the mid-portion and a colonoscopy to see the last portion) and determine if you have damage to your esophagus. Depending on your insurance, you may not need a referral. Call your insurance company and find out the "next step" once you have the results of the EGD. A year will little to no weight loss with the band is considered weight loss surgery failure by many insurance companies and some pay for revisions. When you call the insurance company, ask for a case worker and get his/her name. If you can afford it, you could always do the self-pay and that puts you in control. The surgeon who banded me does not do the sleeve. I could no longer live the way I am and decided to look into Mexican surgeons. I want THIS surgery to be the LAST surgery so it was very important that I find the BEST surgeon. There are a few to choose from and I will be placing my trust in Dr. Aceves. I did not want to jump through insurance hoops and wait up to a year to build a "paper trail" for the insurance company. The acid regurgitation and daily vomiting is dangerous and damaging. Please take measures to prevent complications (I'm a nurse) and do whatever you need to. Keep us posted on your progress.

Thank you, Nancy. It looks like you have explored the various weight loss surgery options available to you and made an informed decision based on what is best for you and your needs. Talk to your surgeon about the malabsorption aspect. The more he bypasses the greater the degree of malabsorption.

The message that I got from reading those posts was, "STAY AS FAR AWAY FROM BETANCOURT/EMMANUAL AS YOU CAN GET". I leave for my surgery in Mexico in 6 days and if I were going to this clinic, I would cancel in a flash. Knowing that an RN is stating that MRSA is a common infection there should be a warning to everyone to seek a different facility. Geeeeeeez! Scary!

I started the pre-op diet a day early and am trying to get everything done that I need to before leaving for Mexico in 6 days! I am so eager to get the band out of me that I really am not nervous. Good luck with the pre-op diet. Mine is not as limiting as yours.

Men have a greater muscle mass and seem to be a bit more successful with the band but, had I known what I do now back when I was banded, I would have NEVER done it. I got the band to help me solve one problem... obesity. I am now getting a second operation to solve all the problems the band caused (esophageal irritation, gastro-esophogeal reflux, insomnia from reflux, heart burn, etc.). Have your surgeon explain ALL forms of weight loss and do a ton of your own fact finding before you allow them to do ANY surgery on you. The band is actually preventing me from losing more weight because of the dietary restrictions it imposes in me... not being able to eat solid Proteins, etc. Good luck to you.

I would be interested in knowing how much weight you need to lose.