TexasT

If you do end up needing your gall bladder out, don't worry. I had a revision from band to sleeve, gall bladder removal, hiatial hernia repair, and adhesion removal done all at the same time. I'm all for "one stop shopping" if you know what I mean. I've got an amazing surgeon so I never worried about my "laundry list" of needs. My only issue post-op is that I can't eat ice cream any more without getting nauseated. Not sure if that has to do with the sleeve or no gall bladder. Either way, I consider it a good thing and have had no other issues.

I'm a "revisionist" too. The doc that put in my band is the one that mentioned taking it out. I lost 50/lbs with it right away, then nothing for 3 more years. I started having vague abdominal pains the first part of last year and found out I did have gall stones, but that wasn't really the problem. I was not thrilled with the band, but didn't know about the sleeve yet. When I went to my band doc to make sure it was OK due to the pain I was having he told me a lot of band patients end up having to have it removed or replaced 3-5 yrs after their initial surgery. Wish I had known that 4 years ago, but no one really knew about it in 2006. Since I needed my gall bladder removed, I made the decision to revise to the sleeve at the same time. I wasn't having major issues, just typical stuff like eating anything some days and not being able to get anything down on others, PB's, etc. But I didn't want to take the chance of having to have another surgery a year from now to do something with the band. When the doc got in there, he found I also had a hiatal hernia close to the band area. I've found this to be very common with people having their bands removed. I'm very happy with my decision, and being self-pay also, I really thought hard before I did this. I can now eat all the good foods like salads and fruits that I couldn't get down through the band before. One thing I CAN'T eat now is sweets - they make me absolutely nauseated - but that's a good problem to have in my opinion. If your doc feels you're a good candidate for a revision, then it's certainly something you should seriously consider.

I used to suffer from low sex drive due to having a full hysterectomy at the age of 41, but being overweight certainly didn't help matters. I was at the point that if I NEVER had sex again I would't care. I moved and found a wonderful doctor that suggested the testosterone cream and it has worked wonders for me. It's a compound that a special pharmacy has to make for me, but it's well worth it and no more expensive than other prescriptions. Sometimes I feel like a teenage boy (never was one, but dated plenty of them!) with my sex drive. My hubby is happy and our sex life is better than ever - and we've been together 30 yrs now. You might want to re-try the cream again after you lose a little more weight and see if it helps. I'm sure they would make the dose stronger for a man than what I use. Don't give up - we all deserve to feel great about that part of our lives. Having a better body image and being healthier overall will do nothing but help.

I had an "American" doctor, and I was on clear liquids for a week and regular liquids for two more weeks. Then slowly started mushies for two more weeks. But every doctor is different.

I was also a band to sleeve revision (plus I had my gall bladder out too at the same time). I had surgery on Friday and went home on Sunday. I stayed an extra day because I had an undiagnosed hiatal hernia (VERY common) which caused the area around the top of my stomach to be super swollen. The hospital waited until Sunday to start me on my Clear Liquids because of it. When they saw I could take an ounce at a time, and work my way up during the day they let me leave. I was on clear liquids for a week, regular liquids for 2 additional weeks. But your doctor will tell you what he wants you to do. Two weeks should be plenty of time off. I went back to work part-time on the Monday after my Friday surgery. But I work at home on a computer all day and could take frequent breaks. Stayed in my PJ's all week. So you should be good. As for clear Protein drinks, there are many to choose from. If you have a GNC or Vitamin Shoppe near you go and buy several and try them out. I had Isopure in the hospital and liked it the best of those I tried. They also gave me one of the protein bullets that is thick and gooey, but I couldn't get it down, even after mixing it with Water. Everyone has different tastes, and you may find sweet things make you sick to your stomach after surgery, so don't buy too much ahead of time. At first, it might take you a day to get through one whole drink. You shouldn't need much at the hospital. I took a crossword puzzle book and a novel and never touched them. You will be up walking the hallways pushing your IV when you're not resting. Chap stick will be good as you won't be able to have liquids right away. Most docs keep everyone overnight and do a leak test on them before you leave the hospital.

As a band to sleeve revisionist, I weighed 170/lbs when I had my band removed and sleeve done. I also had a hiatal hernia repaired and my gall gladder removed at the same time. Even after all that, I came back to work in my home office the Monday after having surgery on Friday. I didn't work all day, but came in and out as I felt like it. I do 95% of my work on the computer, with some phone calls, so it was nothing strenuous. My back would just get tired from sitting up. There is no reason to push yourself and do too much, but I felt fine and didn't want my work to pile up any more than it already had, so I did a little and would then rest a little. I don't see any reason you can't lose the weight and keep it off. I'm already down to 145/lbs and close to goal. Since you're going to Mexico, you have a reason to stay away from work for a few extra days anyway. Just start walking right away after surgery and I'm sure you'll do fine. As for the post-op diet of liquids, it's really not that bad because you won't be hungry. And it will be over with before you know it. Good luck!

I live very close to Denton and I'm not that familiar with him. There are several great docs in the DFW area - Dr. Barker that I used, Dr. Kim, and Dr. Nicholson come to mind. These guys have quite a bit of experience as far I've found. Not to say that Dr. Stewart is not the same, I just haven't heard much about him. I checked out his website and it said he's had 13 yrs experience with WLS. I would ask his staff how many sleeves he's done, how many leaks has he had, and his complication rate. Good luck with your research.

Welcome David - all my relatives live out in your neck of the woods (Memphis, Cordova, Mumford). I was also on several meds and a CPAP machine before WLS and now take nothing but my vitamins and acid reducer, which are all OTC. I was able to give the CPAP to my niece to use. Sleep apnea was one of the first things to respond to losing weight for me. You will never regret getting the sleeve. It will add years to your life!

Ditto on the saving money on groceries comment. Just last night I was out to dinner with the hubby and we were talking about what a "cheap date" I've become - ha! I can make a typical restaurant entree last 3-4 meals. So hopefully you can factor in the smaller grocery bill when working on your budget and it will help with not feeling so bad each month when you pay on your loan.

Regarding getting to goal weight with the sleeve - I had the band for 3.5 years. I lost all the weight I would with the band within the first 3 months of getting it. The rest of the time I just maintained. Revised to the sleeve in January and am now within 10/lbs of goal. I had the same surgeon who did my band do my sleeve. I was self-pay both times. My revision was just $5000. I also had my gall bladder removed, which insurance paid for. So my lower price was most likely based on having insurance pay for the OR, anesthia, hospital stay, etc.

I lived with a band for 3.5yrs and was miserable. I lost about 50lbs right away, then stopped and gained about 10 back. My surgeon told me that "most" band patients end up having complications with it eventually 3-5 years out. The area where they sew the port into your body is never the same. You can feel it under your skin and it can get caught up under your ribs after you lose weight. Lots of the people that are revised to the sleeve end up with hiatal hernias in the area around the band. That happened to me. In my opinion, bands are bad news. I love my sleeve and have had nothing but successful weight loss since I got it in January.

My favorite mushy was refried black Beans pureed with my stick blender. It's got Protein and Fiber. Put some shredded cheese on top and warm in the microwave. I also loved me some Cream of Wheat with cinnamon and a touch of brown sugar. I know it has tons of sodium, but I also ate a couple of small cans of Deviled Ham, just a few bites at a time. Also had creamy Peanut Butter, lots of yogurt, and pureed tuna salad.

I take the Bariatric Advantage Cinnamon Calcium tablets and they taste amazing. I got some free samples at the hospital, tried a few other kinds, then bought these. I got mine on www.dietdirect.com. Their prices were better than the Bariatric Advantage site. They also sent me some free samples, which caused me to send them another order. I'm getting BariWise protein bars and hot chocolate too. But that's another topic - sorry to digress!

Glad to hear you're doing so well girl. My favorite thing to eat on mushies was refried black Beans. I would puree them with my stick blender until completely smooth. I LOVE Mexican food, so I this helped me deal with my "salsa withdrawals". Black beans had more Protein than regular refried beans, plus I just like them better. Towards the end of the mushy stage I put a few small bits of jalapenos in also and blended completely smooth. Gave it a great flavor. You can also top with a little cheese and warm it all up in the microwave. My "comfort food" at that time was Cream of Wheat. I used to eat the heck out of it when I was a little girl, so it's just one of those warm foods that make me feel good inside.

I started eating tiny salads as soon as I was off mushies and have had no problem. I don't have anything but lettuce and a few shredded carrots (as far as veggies go) right now. I'm going to wait awhile to add back the broccoli, etc. I put on a tiny bit of shredded cheese and lowfat dressing and feel like I'm in heaven! I had a lapband, and wasn't able to eat salads for 3.5 years. That was something I missed so much and am so happy I can eat them again! :confused1:

No clue about the insurance - you'll have to ask your future hubby to check his policy. They're all different. I also had a band and was self-pay for it and the revision surgery. You're lucky to be in TX, as we have plenty of great bariatric surgeons to choose from. When I had the band, I lost all of my weight in the first three months. Then I too put some of it back on. It's too easy to "eat around the band" by eating high-calorie "slider" foods. As long as your tummy is still the same size as before, you can slide a lot of queso, ice cream, etc. down that small hole and keep those pounds on. I love having the sleeve now as I don't have a choice about eating too much or not. Also, since getting it, sweet things like colas and ice cream nauseate me, so they are no longer on the menu and are one less thing to worry about making me fat again.

My favorite has been the Isopure Ready-to-drink bottles. They are a clear liquid with 40g of protein per bottle. They taste like watered-down Kool-aid. GNC and Vitamine Shoppes have them in a cooler so you can buy one of several flavors to find one you like. I tried about 4 flavors and found one I like the best. They are 1000 times better than the bullets. Those made me gag! I tried the powered Isopure, but didn't care for it. I'd rather pay a little more for something I will actually use.

In my opinion they should "Ban the Band!" - ha! It is such a nightmare, and many of us don't know how it has messed up our insides until we have it removed. I also had an undiagnosed hiatal hernia. When I went to my surgeon to check my band and make sure that's not what was causing my pain, he told me that a lot of band patients start to have issues with it 3+ yrs after surgery. That's when he explained the sleeve to me. I also needed to have my gall bladder removed, so I made the decision to have it all done at once. The pain I had a year before my sleeve surgery is now gone, and even with getting a hematoma in the area my band port was in after my sleeve surgery, I'm completely happy with my decision. One of the things I'm enjoying now is being able to eat fruits and salads again. Do people realize they can't eat them with the band - NO! These are healthy foods that I wasn't able to eat for 3.5 years - something about that is VERY wrong. Go with the sleeve and you won't have any regrets.

I'm also on Nexium, but still feeling hunger. I didn't have it right after surgery (done on 1/8/10), but it seems to be getting worse instead of better. I'll keep the faith that it might eventually get better. At least I can eat a couple of bites of something and it will be gone though.

Denosia, glad to hear all went well. Did you let them know at the hospital or Dr. B's office that you were nauseated? They will give you meds for that. There's no reason to suffer if you don't have to. I hope you feel better soon. Dr. B fixed a hiatial hernia for me also. Guess they are more common for those of us that had bands. How did you like Forest Park? Were they nice to you there? Tell your relatives here in Texas to take good care of you - ha! I'm sure they will. When you get back to MS you can tell everyone that you got snowed on in TX - crazy weather, huh? When you go in to get your staples out next week, be prepared for a wait in the office just in case. I usually bring a book when I go there. Sometimes they get pretty backed up. You will see Dr. Thompson for follow-up. His wife has a sleeve, so besides working with patients he lives with it every day. Very knowledgeable guy. So, what did you think of Dr. B? Cutie, huh?

Unfortunately I DO feel hungry, which I was totally shocked about. Right after surgery I had no hunger, but now I have it all the time. So I guess for some of us, that's normal. As for carbs, I don't have an answer for that. My doc didn't talk to me about it since I was a revision and so close to goal already. A lot of people had to talk to dietitions and they had guidelines for that. Hopefully one of them can offer some advice.

This is completely normal, and I understand your frustration. Remember that our bodies are programmed to hold onto fat - helpful in times of scarcity and/or cave-man days, but un-needed in this day and age. Your body will fight you to keep what it thinks are essential nutrients to prevent it from starving to death. When you drastically cut down on calories, your body goes into overdrive to hold on to what it can. Increasing your Protein intake usually helps (this helped break me out of a stall), along with increasing excercise. Even light exercise EVERY day will help. Your sleeve is working fine as long as you're not in pain. Your body will eventually "get on the program" and know what to do. You've made great progress so far. Most likely this will not be your last stall, but just know that you will keep losing at a slow and steady pace. One day you'll hop on the scale and be shocked by what you see. Just keep doing what you're doing and try not to be a slave to the scale. Good luck!

I was revised from band to sleeve on Jan. 8. I'm down 20/lbs and walk on the 'dreadmill' about 2 miles a day. Feeling great. My weight loss has been slower because I'm only 10/lbs away from goal.

I echo the thoughts of everyone else and say don't let your age get in the way of living the best life you can! And that means using the sleeve to help you reach your weight loss goals. Losing that excess weight will help you look and feel much younger also. I'll be 49 this month and feel better than I have since I was in my 20's. The only negative thing about losing weight at this age is noticing that my fat was "filling out" some of my wrinkles. Now that the fat is gone, the skin sags a bit here and there. But that's a small price to pay to be in better health. Go for it!!!:001_tongue:

First of all let me chime in with my hatred of the band - I'm shouting from the rooftop to all who will hear - DO NOT GET THE BAND!!! You can search my other posts for the reasons if you want. Now, let me jump off the roof and change topics. There - now regarding sleep apnea. I also had VERY BAD sleep apnea before WLS and was on a C-PAP machine (it's not a very sexy look at bedtime, is it? But at least it keeps you alive). After getting the band and losing weight it totally resolved and I no longer suffer from it. Losing weight is the best thing you can do for this condition. Continue seeing your doctor and let them decide when you can wean off the machine. Good luck!