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I lost 50 lbs on medifast eating 3 brownies a day, i still have some in my cupboard and plan on using them as my rewards after I'm on real food again. They are delicious. Revision 1/31/13 by Dr Cabrera and Venezuela in MX

You posted this same message on another thread and a couple of us posted some follow-up questions. It's not completely clear which surgery you had, since you mention Gastric Bypass in your first sentence, but then you later mention having your lap-band removed and revised to sleeve? When you say you can eat 2-3 cups per meal, what kinds of food are you eating and how long is it actually taking you to consume that much?

Okay, so I have a better idea now. It is not that she can only eat mushy, but just in general she has major food intolerances. There are probably people here who have much more experience with this, but about a year ago (which would have been 2 years post revision to sleeve) I went through a time when I couldn't eat due to no appetite. I didn't puke, it was just that everything made me naseaus. I thought it was a physical problem, but it actually turned out to be more emotional in nature, and once I STOPPED eating, getting restarted was a challenge. It is like once the tummy is used to undereating, you become prone to eating less and less. It is ironically much like overeating.... so what started as an emotional upset became a physical issue for me. Since I didn't have a mecanical reason for my issue, i had to "work at it" and did recover and and am doing awesome now. Okay, DGL Licorice is a soothing herbal remedy you can buy at Vitamin Shoppe etc for about 10 bucks. They are these big tablets that you bite into a couple of pieces (meaning, a few crunches) and then tuck between your lip and gum and just slowly let it melt. It coats your throat, and tummy in a soothing way. It doesn't instantly fix things, but it just calms things down... I used them 1-2 a day when i was feeling naseaus. over time, it made a huge difference and I keep them on hand even now. the other thing I did was find the circumstances/food that I could tolerate and started by carefully eating those. In my case, the key to the root cause of my problems were that I could eat fairly well if I was out with friends, it was being home alone when I simply could not eat. Well, I started going out more so I could get some food in every day. In your wife's case, perhaps just very gently eating the things that seem more appealing. If toasted waffles work i will speculate that crackers perhaps with a bit of cheese or Peanut Butter might work? I think toasted bread, crackers and stuff has a texture that is likely easier than raw bread type products. I suspect raw veggies are hard to eat. Maybe soft fish is edible? I would also seriously try to find a palatable Protein drink or make homemade smoothies. sometimes people can drink more nutrition and calories than they can eat. Example might be a greek yogurt, fruit based drink with perhaps a bit of unflavored Protein powder in. If she can tolerate peanut butter, that adds fats and calories too. Warning: in my early months peanut butter made me sick because it is so rich, so go easy at first. Has she tried Protein Bars? i avoid them in general because for me they go down too easy (but they helped me when i was struggling with eating). I wonder if she finds a wonderful tasting one she can kind of slowly munch on them? They often are very dense in calories and carbs in addition to the protein. I hope others with food intolerances pipe in with ideas!

I hear the gurgling of food or liquids at times. I know my band was removed as I waited one year before my revision.

Hi Everyone! I’m a newbie and this is my first post. I’m 63y/o and probably one of the oldest living that still has a Molina Band in place. The surgery was in 1985 and that sucker has been useless since about 1988. It did work for the first couple of years or so….I lost about 75lbs. I went back to Molina in 1988 to see if anything could be done and he just humiliated me. He made it all out to be my fault and insisted I had abused the band and not followed the instructions. He said I needed to have a revision and a new band put in place. I declined, left his office in tears, felt I had failed and it was all my fault. From that day forward, I worked like crazy from one diet to another and managed to keep most of the weigh off until I hit menopause………. slowly all the weight came back and more. I never had the serious medical issues with the Molina Band like many others had. For me, it just stopped working and in some ways, I was relieved. I was so tired of all the “stuck” episodes, the pain, staying up all night, pacing the floor and trying to throw up….I never ever want anything like that, again. Back in 2002 I was considering the “stomach stapling” weight loss procedure. My primary doc sent me for a upper GI…no restrictions, at all and it appeared the Molina Band was probably held on by adhesions. The radiologist said I was one of the lucky ones because so many Molina Bands were removed by emergency surgery. The surgeon “freaked out” about the Molina Band and would only consider it by doing two separate “open” surgical procedures. I was not willing to be “cut open” twice so I gave up on having any type of revision surgery, until now. Back in 1985 I had the Molina Band surgery because I wanted to be skinny, now…….. things are very different. My reasons for surgery, now are all health related. I have very high blood pressure that has been difficult to control, chronic sleep apnea, high cholesterol, joint aches and pre-diabetic. I’m on so much blood pressure medicine I can barely function. I retired early, last year because I just didn’t have the energy to keep working. I’ve changed blood pressure meds several times during the past year and the awful side effects have just about turned me into an invalid. I want off all the meds and I just want my life back. Do I have a chance for a revision to a gastric sleeve? I’m told maybe……. because my band was done in 1985 when Molina was using a material that is much easier to remove than the mesh band he used in the 90’s and I haven’t had the complications that many others had....I’m keeping my fingers crossed. I’m very grateful for this website. I appreciate all the info and I love the success stories and before & after pics. I really need that now because I’m very scared, nervous and anxious. I get so happy and feel so hopeful after reading all the success the posters are having and then I end up in tears because I’m so afraid it will not happen for me. My emotions are just all over the place. Thanks for being here…… Texy

Ok, I am revising the Mexico v US problems poll so we can evaluate people who have been banded for 2 years or more.

I am a band to sleeve revision. I would NEVER normally tell any one what to do but I say it now in regards to the band. DON'T! 1. my surgeon actually doesn't even DO them anymore and he was all part of the initial whole band thing. 2. Out of about 30 people that I know, only a few are NOT having problems. The rest of us, mild to serious and a good many of us are having to have them out and those of us who can, are revising to the sleeve. My band slipped and was riding up towards my esophagus. My surgeon told me on May 9th that it needed to come out and he advised me that the sleeve would be the best option for me. I had my removal/revision surgery on the 4th. Do your research. Read everything you can, where ever you can find it. Good, bad, whatever. Be sure the sources are good tho. There's a lot of garbage out in the Wide World Web. Your mom is worried. Understandable. Get her on board helping you find a surgeon and/or program. Attend some seminars and classes together. You are an adult and make the ultimate decision but it would be nice and helpful if she was on board w/your plans. Just makes things icky if she isn't or can't manage to be your advocate. Talk to her. Tell her your reasonings. The sleeve doesn't stop you from carrying on with your life. It helps you carry on with it! Best wishes!!!

AdeptDreamer, As others have said, I would encourage you to conduct as much research as possible to make the right decision for you. There is an entire band to sleevers forum that you might want to check out. I have a band and am revising to a sleeve. I can hardly wait for my surgery on July 9. There certainly are people who have experienced success with the band. I lost about 60 pounds in the first year that I had it, but it was a challenge. I never got even close to goal. I hated the way the band would tighten for no reason and you wouldn't be able to get things down. I hated that even though food would stop in my chest and my pouch would be full, I would still be hungry. I hated the constant fills and unfills trying to get go my sweet spot, which I never did, and I hated the expense of all of that. I hated the sliming when least expected. If you feel the band is right for you, get as much information as you can. But I regret that I put this foreign body inside me and pray each day that when the doctor goes in to revise it, there won't be any damage.

I'm almost two months out, and that's been my pace nearly the the entire time. I'm a revision (band to sleeve), and it's exactly what my surgeon predicted, with me staying between 600-800 cals most days. Everyone's body is different. Your loss may speed up, it may not. The key is to stick with it, and avoid comparing yourself to others, IME.

I had to start with a fix to my esophagus and repair a hernia. Now it's my turn to make this work. Before, the foods I was supposed to eat created acid. So I ate the food that didn't create pain. I gain 40 pounds. Now, moving forward with my new revised tool. Highest weight presleeve: 281 by the time I had courage to get on the scale. recorded weight before sleeve: 281 Weight before this procedure: 231 Goal weight: 159 to 161 New year and new plan. Goals set and this time I have help. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using BariatricPal mobile app

While I'm pretty sure my doc did great in surgery (everything seems to work so far) and she is super up-beat and happy, there were a few small details she left out of the pre-op overview. My doc did not mention that I couldn't have ANYthing post-op of the day of surgery - no Water, no ice chips, nada. I was so thankful someone had mention Biotene mouth rinse as it was a life saver. She did not say, "where we take out your port (I was lap-band to bypass revision) is going to be really sore for probably 4 weeks. You might want to a) be mentally prepared for that and buy an abdominal binder. There was no offer of a block of any sort. The first time I stood up, I thought someone was ripping out my innards. She prescribed Lovenox injections for a week (blood thinner for clot prevention). She mentioned this in an off-hand manner during final pre-op appointment. She didn't say how I, who had never done this, was supposed to magically learn to. She did not say (despite looking at my chart in pre-op appointment) Oh - you're on hormones, you'll need to do these shots for a month, not just a week. And then forget to call the pharmacy with new scrip twice after I called her office to remind her. She also used a hospital that had nurses who were experienced with bariatric patients. Of the 5 or so RNs that I had, 4 were top notch. One in particular was amaze-balls and he showed me how to do injections and talked me through a bunch of stuff. I {{heart}} you Dustin! Any others have similar things to add?

I wish that's where mine was. Before my revision (for my flipped port) it was just under my right breast. Now it is almost right beside my belly button on the right side. It sucks! But it hurts a lot less than my flipped port did.

Hi. I had the revision from band to sleeve on 1/23 also. So glad I did it. No pain from sleeve only from where the port was removed. Just started the purée stage and feeling better every day. Down 12 pounds since 1/23. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Not yet. Sorry to hijack the post. She's also band to sleeve so wondering it a remnant left behind is a possibly? Lap band 2009 Sw 200/lw 161 Sleeve revision 17 May/17 Sw 217 CW 193

I'm almost three weeks out from revision to sleeve from the LapBand. I've started feeling better the last few days but I get tired out pretty quick. I'm 53, which may be part of it. I had a ton on scarring, plus an undiagnosed band slip and prolapse. I also needed a hiatal hernia repair (even though it was fixed when the band was placed). I didn't have too much trouble with swallowing right from the start. I moved to puréed on Monday of this week and so far, so good. I can eat one egg scrambled with some cheese melted in, about 1/4 c. of refried Beans. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

My Surgery was the same date I had the revision from Band to Sleeve I was 244.4 Highest Weight 231 Day of Surgery 221 Today You Are DOING GREAT???????????? KEEP UP THE GREAT JOB Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using the BariatricPal App

I dropped 50+ lbs pre-surgery by cutting out all foods containing sugar, flour, white potatoes, rice, and processed foods. These are my trigger foods. I consider myself to be a sugar/food addict. I can never go back to eating these things with abandon. I started using the Baritastic app. I occasionally used liquid protein shakes during that period. My calorie count dropped to around 1000 per day. I attended water exercise classes three days a week, including swimming 1/4 mile each time. I also increased my mileage on my walking tricycle to at least a mile a day. I've lost another 50+ lbs since my RNY>RNY revision surgery. I still strive to avoid my trigger foods. It's harder to resist now and weight loss is slow going, but I'm still dropping a few pounds a month with lengthy stalls.

I was denied by UHC PPO - I am a band to sleeve revision. I was approved for my Lapband to be removed but not for the sleeve since they said I didn't have the 6 months pre-op supervised diet. That is such a crock because living with a Band for 5+ years restricted my calories and I went through the whole process way back then for WLS. In any case, I just sent in my Appeal Letter on Tuesday and should hear in a couple of weeks so I appreciate prayers and positive thoughts from those who have gone through this before. Just wondering if those of you with UHC were denied through Optum Health - seems they use them for their Medical Reviews. The people there were nice and understanding on the phone and really encouraged me to Appeal so I hope that's what it takes. Silly me I really went into this thinking that if they approved the Lapband removal there was no way they wouldn't approve the revision to the Sleeve. I started the pre-Op diet after being denied right away as a back up plan so worst case I hope to be fully approved by mid February. 2bfit - Congrats! So happy you were approved. Raquel - I hope you hear the same news on Friday - keep us posted. Thanks. Susie

I quit smoking a year ago after 43 years. Using a vape with 0 nicotine worked for me. I used it for a couple of months and now seldom think about it. I got my sleeve in Mexico and I will tell you there was a woman who had a band to RNY revision and she and her husband were both smokers. You might get the lecture in Mexico but it probably won't affect whether they do your surgery. If you can get off the cigs before your surgery you will heal better. Good luck!

Ready set go………… September 27th 2007:whoo: I scheduled the band today! I have asked myself for weeks now is this too drastic a measure? Its funny how when I signed up to take Phen Phen, a life threatening drug, I failed to ask my self that very same question or during all of the crazy diets and the bouts of bulimia in my 20s. Here I am 45 and have always had a weight problem. I’ve never had a BMI of over 34 but so what, fat and miserable is fat and miserable at any BMI that is over normal. I chose Dr Alverez for a few reasons his price is one he is about $1500 cheaper than most MX doctors. He specializes in sleeves and revisions from bands to sleeves, so in my thinking he knows what goes wrong, how to fix it, and he does fills personally and they are free for life. I like his patient coordinator Susan a home grown American woman who has had a band and had a revision to a sleeve. She is very available and easy to talk to. I will officially become a band member on the 11th of October 2007. I will fly in to San Antonio and will be picked up from the airport; one night in a hotel next day to the hospital and wham bam I have a Band!!!:bandit Hope it’s that easy. My fears? Well because this is such a personal decision I am not telling anyone except my 22 year old daughter. I don’t want other people influencing me. I don’t want to explain my choice or my personal battle, the fat war, that every day I have to don the armor for. I will choose for me and live with the consequences of that choice. It is sad in some way that I can not share my fear and anxiety with Gary not because he would be upset or try to change my mind. Sad because for what ever reason I feel the need to do this on my own with out him. I am 100% sure he would be supportive of what ever I did, so it’s not about him. I just think that people who have not lived their life fighting the fat don’t get it; to them it would be as simple as making different food choices or better decisions about exercise. If only it were that easy. I am nervous to go by my self but excited about going solo also. I am going to keep a detailed journal through out this journey. I want to keep track of my progress and I want to keep a close account of my mental state, I know that the weight is there for many reasons.:car: ready to be on the road to a new me.

Did most of you have outpatient surgery? Deciding to have the band to sleeve revision.

I had a CT scan. No cysts or abscesses but a possibility a piece of the old lapband left behind... Lap band 2009 Sw 200/lw 161 Sleeve revision 17 May/17 Sw 217 CW 193

Hi and congrats on taking the steps to a healthier and better you. The sleeve is a wonderful and I absolutely love life post-op. As for your questions, I'll answer honestly and openly as I can. 1) I am a smoker. Smoking inhibits healing, and can cause ulcers. Not only that, it increases your risk of a leak due to hindering healing of the staple line. My surgeon knew my smoking status, but I didn't quit pre-op. Could it have contributed to the fact that I did have a leak, yes, but the biggest issue in my recovery and leak issues was because I had a band first that destroyed my stomach tissue. Smoking also complicates anesthesia recovery. Your abdomen is sore, causes more coughing and I had to use a spirometer to help prevent pneumonia. That really sucked because coughing caused major discomfort. I have quit twice since surgery, and am now trying to quit again. I actually went on Wellbutrin to help with the withdraws of nicotine as the patch, gum and cold turkey make life with me pure hell. 2) I had a huge panel of labs, a chest xray, psych eval, and consult with a nutritionist. Some surgeons require an upper gi and sleep study. 3) I didn't have a drain initially. A lot of surgeons use drains to make sure there is no leak, and some pull it before discharge, some require it stay in for about a week. I only had drains due to the leak repair surgery, and they stayed in for over 2 weeks. 4) I was not catheterized for my revision. I urinated before surgery, and was dry when I came out. 5) hair loss can happen to anyone that goes through surgery. It's a pretty normal occurrence. There is absolutely nothing you can do to stop it. It's a combination of anesthesia, surgical stress, and rapid weight loss. I lost hair for about 3 months, and I lost half of my hair. Luckily, I had super thick, coarse hair and no one that didn't know me before never guessed that I had lost all of my hair. The only thing you can do pre-op and during your recovery is to take hair/nail/skin supplements to help with regrowth. Biotin is usually the one most people choose. I didn't do anything to help with regrowth until I started losing. I used Folicure extra care shampoo. I started having new growth pop in while I was still losing. Currently, I look like a chia pet, and have chopped my hair off, layered it and bleached the top to help hide some of the new growth. I kept the back and underneath dark to help give the illusion of depth and volume. Unfortunately, hair loss seems pretty inevitable. There's several patients on this board that got in there Protein and extra protein, and they lost more hair and lost it for a longer period of time than I did, and I didn't get in my protein until I was on soft solids when I could eat chicken and other meat. My main advice is make sure you can handle the mental and emotional aspect of this surgery. It's a huge change, and no matter how much you read or talk to people will you really grasp it all until you go through it. I truly believe going in positive, and upbeat helps. Find strength within yourself, and know that you are doing something absolutely fabulous for yourself and your family. Know that recovery can be difficult, you'll be tested, you'll be exhausted, you might be mad at yourself especially during the post-op diet, but all of that is just temporary. Questions to ask your surgeon: What size bougie do you use to make the sleeve? What are your leak/complication stats? What are your expectations of my weight loss? Do you provide follow up care, labs, access to a nutritionist and psych if needed post-op (especially since you'll be self-pay find out what all is included in that cost)? Do you prescribe an acid reducer such as Prilosec, Prevacid, Nexium to protect the sleeve, how long should I be on it? Post-op diet instructions? Pre-op diet instructions? How many sleeves have you performed? How many bariatric procedures have you performed? How long is the hospital stay? Leak tests, how many and when are they performed? That's all I can think of right now. Best wishes on your consult, and if you need anything ask away. We'll all be here for you through this journey.

I have read that a slight slip may repair its self with a start over diet following one like after surgery. Going through the stages. I would try it if dr advises it's easier than a revision.

Darn digital scales...... Nope not I, after the hell of two bands this was the golden ticket for me....I had a coworker with duodenal switch and she either had a bad surgeon or just rotten luck. She ended up on TPN feedings off and on for a very very long time. Not to mention she had other issues that were over looked during a psych eval. The RNY has been the gold standard of WLS . The surgeons are performing different malabsorbtive techniques with RNY now as to not have the horrific complications of malnutrition and Vit deficiencies. Still there are risks with any major surgery, you have to feel you have chosen the right procedure for you. Watch out for the "mills" many WLS MD's are doing the surgery then only see you for one year. If you needed a revision or had an issue you are SOL with those MD's . Researching these surgeries is very educational. I for one researched the heck out of the band and I ended up here with RNY and wished I chose it first.......