NYC_PAULA

I was told to start vitamins right away. I was doing liquid multivitamin and Calcium and dissolvable vitamin D and B-12. I'm not having problems swallowing pills though so once I was done with the liquids I went back to swallow pills for the multivitamin and calcium.

Chicken Salad Crab Salad Eggs (Poached and Egg Salad at first, later scrambled with a little cheese) Smoked Salmon Refried Beans Baked Ricotta Mashed Broccoli with a little cottage cheese mixed in Pureed broth-based soups

I had a band in 2010 it slipped in 2016 and I had horrible acid reflux and was slowly gaining weight. I had different insurance than I did when I first got the band and they wouldn't cover my original surgeon. I didn't love the bedside manner of the new surgeon they gave me. I went in for a repositioning but he said it was too twisted and decided to remove it instead. He told me that insurance wouldn't cover a revision surgery that day because my BMI was too low at the time and that I would probably gain weight and he could do another surgery at that time. I did gain weight but didn't want that surgeon operating on me again. Instead, I found a practice and surgeon I really like that my insurance covered. I had some damage to my esophagus from the acid reflux when the band had slipped so I was on medication for a few months before surgery. An endoscopy showed that the medicine had worked on clearing things up and I was able to get the sleeve a couple of months later. I am only a few weeks out but I'm feeling really great. I'm annoyed that I had to go through gaining weight again but couldn't afford to do this without insurance. I'm sorry this happened to you and I wish you the best of luck. I've found a few other former banders in the sleeve forum and that has helped me feel less alone on this journey.

I hit my first stall at the end of week 2. I also went to trying to weigh myself less. Just once or twice a week instead of daily. It's made a big difference. After a stall, I'm down another 3 pounds and it feels great.

Thank you for sharing that is so inspirational. I can't wait to get clearance to go back to the gym in a couple of weeks.

When I first moved to soft foods I was having problems with eggs too. I found that egg salad and a poached egg as long as it wasn't overcooked was fine. I can now tolerate soft boiled or scrambled egg but I make sure not to overcook it. The softer the easier it is.

I'm so sorry to hear that. I'm doing okay. I'm three weeks post surgery and have lost about 18 pounds so far. It feels slower this time but it actually isn't. I noticed last time I'd have weight loss almost every day that first month. This time it will look like I've stalled for a few days but then I'll get on the scale and it will be down a couple of pounds. I'm trying to weigh myself once a week instead of daily to help with my mindset. I'm also seeing a therapist while I'm going through this again which is really helpful along with the group meetings at my surgeon's practice. Best of luck with your surgery and new journey.

Best of luck. It sucks having to go through this again. I'm finding there are a lot of former lap banders here so it's nice having others to go through this new journey with.

I was off a week and a half completely and then was work from home for a week, but I actually choose to come back to the office a couple of days earlier than I had planned because I was feeling up to it. It depends on the type of work you do. I don't have to lift anything since most of my work is via the computer so that made it easier.

I need to look at Baritastic. I also recommend Spark People. They have communities with forums too including ones for Sleevers.

Congratulations and thanks for sharing. This is helpful for planning for vacations and special events. Your photo is beautiful.

Thank you. It's tough to feel like I'm starting over again but it was the best decision.

I revised Band to Sleeve this month. I had my band removed in December 2016 and I really wish I had done the revision surgery a year before I did. I just got my sleeve 3 weeks ago. It's really hard to keep the weight off once the band is removed. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't do it. I gained about 2/3 of the weight I had lost with the band back in 2 years. Good luck! I know feeling like you have to start over again with another surgery is really hard but you've got this.

Congrats!

Have you tried putting some unflavored protein powder in your soup? That might help with reducing hunger.

I'm sure you can. I'm still on the soft diet but I've been doing pureed broccoli or cauliflower with a little cottage cheese or greek yogurt to make it creamier.

I was told the same thing. It's mostly a safety precaution so you don't develop a blood clot post surgery. I had to go off the pill prior to surgery too.

Liquid: Bodytech Protein Paleo Pro Protein (I used samples and single packs before surgery to see what flavors and brands I liked best). Now that I'm back at work I also use GNC Lean and Prue Protein because they are easy to grab and go with. Also herbal tea, skim milk, sugar free jello, and broth. Soft food diet: Refried Black Beans, Part Skim Riccota, Low Fat Cottage Cheese, Chicken which I puree with Greek Yogurt and Miracle Whip light for chicken salad, frozen broccoli and cauliflower (I puree it with some cottage cheese) Also I drink a lot of Propel Water.

Everyone is different. I'm only two weeks out. I've lost about 17 pounds so far and I'm happy with that. I'm starting to ramp up my walking and I'm looking forward to being a month post op so I can start running, swimming, and taking more classes at the gym again. When I was weighing the options between the sleeve and gastric bypass I also looked at the possible side effects. The biggest reason I choose the sleeve was that there was less of a chance that I would need to go on Iron supplements. From previous experience I know I don't absorb iron supplements well and didn't want to have to deal with anemia as a side effect. But again that is just me. There are different potential side effects with both surgeries and if you have concerns I'd definitely talk with your surgeon. Mine really worked with me to help me find what would be best for my body. Good luck!

Congrats! How are you doing so far? I had mine on 2/7. It's nice to connect with people who had surgery around the same time. It's good to go through this journey with others who understand.

@Elsy I'm so sorry the same thing happened to me. Surgery was fine and I never took the pain killers but I got nauseous from the anesthesia so the first 36 hours were unpleasant.

Thank you so much. I'm about 10 days in and so far so good. Good luck on your journey too!

I know mine is heavier/crampier because I had to go off the pill a month before surgery and am not allowed to start again till I'm a month post op. My surgeon had me do this to decrease the risk of a blood clot. Once I'm back on the pill and my body has adjusted to it I imagine it will eventually become less intense again.

Ditto to what S@ssen@ch said. I had the band for six years and then it slipped and had to be removed and I gained about 2/3 of my weight back when that happened. Band slippage and other complications are more frequent now so I lot of practices don't do as many bands as they used to.

That’s great! How are you feeling? If you work, how long did your surgeon want you to be out if you don’t mind me asking? My job is done mostly via computer so I took a week and a half off. I go back tomorrow but I'm working remotely from home this week so I can practice timing out eating and getting fluids so I know how to prep for the office when I return this week. My surgeon varies his recommendation based on what type of work someone does. If you aren't lifting heavy things or standing all day you can go back after a week or two. If you have a more physical job you may need to take off more time. You won't be able to lift anything heavier than 12 pounds the first month after surgery.