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Losingit2018 - How hard has your recovery been since the sleeve to bypass revision? How long were you out of commission before returning to your daily routine? For me, it isn't about how much I lose at this point, it is about not becoming diabetic again, and being taken away from my nephew as everyone else in my family has. At this point, I am the sole survivor at 45.

Bruce, You and only you know the struggles you have had. You have a right to stop that. this is discpline, but it is a chance to stop the yo yo stuff. I have been pretty healthy, but going to 200 at 5.2, I could not live with any more to depress me nor alter the way I wanted to live my life. (my daughter got married in July, I went from 145-200 following knee surgery and now I have to look at fat mother of the bride pictures for the rest of my life!) this was my pattern for years, surgeries and other trama's. I opted for self pay, even though I have had 7 knee surgeries, total replacement, revisions, etc. The weight had to come off, mostly for my poor knee, but I ended up finding out right before surgery I had gallstones,so that came out, and a hiatal hernis, which took a bit to graft while in surgery for the band. I believe if I had wanted to wait for a COE, (Center of Expertise) hospital,( not in Santa Barbara area) mine would have been covered. Still even with people saying "why?" there will always be those and they do not live in your body. I wish you the chance to change your life, I am thrilled, still on the healing phase, learning how different my intake is now, but the more I read and experience my banded stomach I am excited to learn better habits. I support you doing what you know is best. Debra

Hi everyone! I got my band, (AP small) in El Paso last month. I will not be able to attend this meeting, as I am going back there on Thursday the 26th for my first fill on June 27th. I live in the NE heights around Wyoming and Comanche. Even though Corrales is a little far for me, I might be able to attend once in a while. Please let me know when the next meeting will be. I have noticed that most WLS groups have a lot more folks who underwent gastric bypass as opposed to lap band. I am very happy with my choice. I have not met anyone at the other support group meeting that meets at Northside Presbyterian on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday that has had the the lap band done. So glad to know you all are close by!:embaressed_smile:

I just had a revision 7 weeks ago I lost 22 lbs but now I am at a stall I've been like this for three weeks I don't understand why because I'm watching my carbs Sent from my LM-Q730 using BariatricPal mobile app

strictures are pretty rare in sleeve patients (more common on bypass patients, but still, only about 5% of bypass patients get them) - although they're not unheard of. If it continues (after taking the advice of the people above), just let your clinic know.

Hi! I just had a revision and hernia repair on the 2nd. The scale is showing I gained 6 pounds from the morning of surgery. How long does it take for all the fluid to get out of you?

Wow...what a past few days. I ended up in the ER Sunday night because I had a Gall bladder attack starting at 6am. Pain, nausea, dry heaving, sweats...I had it all. I finally called my surgeon's office that night and they suggested I go to the ER and surgery to take out my gall bladder would be on Monday instead of 10/9. I was worried about this because I wanted to get my lap band removed at the same time so I could avoid an additional surgery just to take it out. So I wa all set for surgery and talked to my surgeon and said he may or may not be able to take the band out because I had not yet been approved for the removal and revision to sleeve and it would also depend on how much inflammation there was from the gall bladder. So after waiting until about 4 pm on Monday I was in pre-op and about to go in for surgery and the dictir's saw something on my EKG he didn't like. So they had to bring in a cardiologist and do an echocardiogram to make sure all was ok. In the meantime because it was so late in the day and the OR was packed I lost my spot for surgery. I was sent home that night and I have been rescheduled for this Friday. It was a bummer but I'm glad my Dr was being cautious. Better safe than sorry. I have a husband and a 2 year old to go home to. On the bright side I have lost 9 lbs in 4 days from not being able to eat and being on liquids until today! And I also got the call from my surgeon'a office yesterday that I've been approved for both the band removal and sleeve! I am ecstatic! Hopefully all goes well with surgery Friday and my band can be removed so I can begin to heal and look forward to my sleeve being done on 12/10!

Have had 15 years of failure and misery with the band.I had the choice between bypass and lapband...I wanted the band because I thought it would be less invasive...boy did I make a mistake...fast forward.I have PCOS,hypoglycemia,post breast cancer,high cholesterol ,a screwed up esophagus and tortured stomach....why would I want to cut 85% of it out? I originally considered the sleeve which is the "new" it procedure like the lapband was back in 2004.I am going with the best surgery with the most study and proven research because...I chose incorrectly the first time....this is it..."The gold standard for me.....bypass....do your research and see the amount of sleepers looking for revision to bypass and ask yourself..." How come the bypass patients are not looking for revision to the sleeve?Check out how many sleepers are looking for revisions to bypass...Trust me if you want a revision from the sleeve to bypass down the road you will jump through hoops and may not be able to get approved ....

I was 245 and asked the same question about being "heavy enough" for the gastric bypass. Ultimately, I chose this surgery because it has a higher success rate for getting rid of diabetes and PCOS, which I had. I can proudly say I no longer have diabetes nor PCOS and feel so much healthier. I did have some complications which are not common and I am still dealing with them, but I would do it again.

@@losing-it I have a hiatal hernia too. Of I could do it all over I would have done RNY hands down. I did a two week liquid diet and post liquids none off that is easy. As is the decision to do a revision.... I wish you the best and I am glad that my story gives you some insight. Some people have done real well with the sleeve. Just not me.

i was going to go with sleeve with my first surgeon and he didnt even go over pros or cons of either procedure.but with my new surgeon we talked for like an hour and landed on bypass i have diabetes and pcos and i would really like both of these conditions to be resolved like yesterday lol

Why am doing the sleeve is because they only taking 80%of my stomach and over time it will go back normal Sent from my SM-N900V using the BariatricPal App Your stomach will not go back to normal.Yes my aunt did not following her diet over five years it did now she getting bypass Sent from my SM-N900V using the BariatricPal App

That is great! I have BCBS of Florida and they do not cover the sleeve...(. Only the gastric bypass which I do not want. Congratulations!! Happy for your journey

Well....I don't know if I would say this is the Biggest benefit of the surgery, but certainly a nice one. The money we save when dinging out. My wife had gastric bypass in 2002, so for the last 11 years when we ate out I would finish my plate and whatever she had left. A couple of weeks ago, we went out to eat for the first time since my lap band procedure. We ordered one entree to share and still brought food home, and had lunch for both of us the next day and still had a little left.

I only told my husband, Mother-inlaw, my family (out of town), best friend and one co-worker. I would love to tell all my co-workers but I have been a yo-yo dieter for so many years. The most I lost was 60 pounds at LA Weight Loss and then when I went off it I gain all and then some back. I also hear from the men in my department that if I just controlled what I ate and exercised I would lose it. A couple of people at work had the gastric Bypass done and dropped the weight quickly. With the lapbad you don't and I don't need them saying I should have done the by-pass. I need the encouragement not the "you should have done this or you should do this" comments. My dad really didn't say anything bad, he just wants me to be healthy and happy. My sister asked me a lot of questions because she is overweight too. I get the support I need from the people that I have told and I don't have to hear the negative comments from co-workers. This makes it easier for me.

Hi I'm Traneé from Houston Texas! I'm scheduled for a revision from lap band to rny next Tuesday April 30th due to a slipped band. Very ready to get this band out and start on my new journey with rny!! I'm considered a light weight so I'm a little worried the weight won't come off as quick as it should :-/ Thanks, Traneé

I'm 25 and had the sleeve done five months ago. I had originally gone to my surgeon's seminar wanting to get the lapband, but luckily he did a presentation on all three of the surgeries he performed and also mentioned briefly about the band and plication (spelling?). I was really happy that I had attended the seminar because it gave me all of the information I needed, and my husband and mom went with me so they were both educated in helping me come to a decision. I have a lot of weight to lose, so after I had read stories of people with the band only losing 50+ and a lot of the risks and complications that can happen, I was really turned off of it. The bypass scared me because of how intense of a surgery is, and the sleeve was just right (this sounds like Goldilocks and the 3 Bears, right?). I highly recommend going to support groups before you even consider the surgery because it's real people who will tell you REAL answers to questions you have. Every single thing that my fellow sleeve people told me to watch out for happened after my surgery. And it was nice that I had them to turn to when I needed their advice. All in all, it's not a decision to take lightly, it's definitely a complete lifestyle change. But so far, for me, it's only improved my life. I hope this helps! Good luck!

My surgeon does 150 and says that is a medial (vs. distal or proximal) bypass. I think the 150 cm length is actually pretty common. the way he described it to me is anything less than that causes big bowel problems and anything more is less effective for weight loss.

I brought this up on the gastric bypass side since I had the RNY done and all the responses were also negative in what this PDF file said.

Yes I do and probably always will. At 4 years out I still say "i'm a bariatric patient". Sadly, I had some regain and had to fight my way back from that and have 7 lbs to go. HOWEVER, when I saw my surgeon last fall we talked about the fact that I still have very persistent GERD, and take a PPI twice a day. I've maxed out doses on 2 of them in the past. As a FNP I'm very familiar with the risks of long term PPIs, so I'm STILL probably facing a revision. I see the surgeon again late July so I'm hopeful that maybe things will turn around before then...

I had my surgery over six years ago, but the resources I utilized are all still relevant for anyone having WLS today. The only exception is probably how I chose my surgeon. At the time, VSG was still considered experimental in the US and my insurance would not cover it. My daughter is a gastroenterologist and did not want me to get a Lapband or bypass because of the complications she sees. As an RN myself, I wasn't too keen on either of those procedures, either. She consulted with colleagues in the bariatric community and they recommended VSG with Dr. Ariel Ortiz in TJ. Made for an easy decision, was a great experience and I had an easy, pain free recovery. After surgery, my main support came through emails with my surgeon, my daughter, my friends, husband, local bariatric support groups and a therapist. I was the only VSG patient in the support groups for a long time, but for the most part the struggles are the same no matter what surgery you have. My friends and DH helped smooth the way and My therapist was instrumental in my long term success since most obesity issues are psychological, not physical. i saw my therapist for about 3 years and attended group support for 5+ years. Due to personality incompatibilities within the group I quit attending and turned to online forums like this one only recently. Glad I had "real life" support when I was a newbie, but the online community provides me a rather interesting touchstone to the bariatric world at this point.

I am so sorry for your experience I too have dealt with this sort of nonsense. I dated a guy for 2 years I finally called it quits his family are all petite they make fun of and discriminate so much against people who are over weight. It's always you know the fat girl the big girl etc I could just imagine what they say about me when I am not around. He recently said you are the biggest girl I have ever dated but once I got to know you I got passed you being fat. He was so against me having surgery even threaten to break up with me. Little did he know it was just a matter of time before I beat him to the punch. I am good and look forward to a stress free life without him. I know exactly where to run into them and Lord willing in a few months I will walk in to see thier jaws drop! I am not doing this for this sole purpose I have been dealing with alot of health issues in the last year. I have rheumatoid arthritis and being overweight does not help! Best of luck to you! Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App Yes!!!! I completely relate to you... The only difference is my fiancé family well on this side are not skinny they are all shapes and sizes! But they will see me again and I promise you I'm gonna flaunt my @$$ off to! Anyways I hope you feel some relief after the surgery, mother moved around a lot better after her Gastric Bypass of course losing weight didn't take the Arthritis away but she does feel much better. I wish you the BEST!!!

No, you're not the only one. There's a pretty good explanation, too. I did a little research: Researchers at the University Hospitals of Leicester looked at the relationship between taste, smell, and appetite among 103 patients who’d undergone gastric bypass surgery between 2000 and 2011. Nearly half of the patients polled reported their sense of smell changed following weight loss surgery and 73 percent noticed changes in the way food tasted. Topping the list for patients experiencing taste changes is increased sensitivity to sweet foods and sour foods. Reduced tolerance and cravings for sweets and fast foods are common changes are reported by many patients. Some patients may become so sensitized that even Protein Shakes and powders taste overly sweet and are difficult to tolerate. (Some tips that may help include thoroughly chilling the Protein shakes to improve taste.) Food aversions usually develop immediately following surgery and may lessen or disappear over time. In studies, animal Proteins top this list with patients steering clear of chicken, steak, ground beef, lamb and cured meats like bacon, sausage, and ham. eggs, dairy products including ice cream, cheese and milk and starches such as rice, Pasta or bread also ranked high on the list of disliked foods. Interestingly, very few patients reported aversions to fruits or vegetables. Some patients even report loving veggies like broccoli or cauliflower even more. Patients may feel turned off to foods for a variety of reasons including smell, appearance, texture or consistency. Sometimes a change in preparation method can help improve tolerance. Simple adjustments like stewing meat instead of baking or grilling and poaching eggs instead of frying may prevent the often-reported feeling of food “sticking” on the way down. While the exact cause is unknown, many experts believe sensory changes occur as a result of fluctuating hormones in the gut and their effects on the central nervous system. This gut-brain axis as it’s known and its relationship to bariatric surgery is a subject of much research and speculation. In a nutshell, the nervous system relays countless transmissions about your hunger, satiety, and cravings each day between your GI tract and your brain. Because the carriers of these messages are affected by changes in weight and the removal of a portion of the stomach, it is highly likely they have an impact on taste, smell, gratification and other sensory perceptions. Leptin and ghrelin are hormones that are known to have a prominent role in the relationship between hunger and satiety. Ghrelin also plays a role in determining how much of what we eat is burned for fuel versus stored as fat. Weight loss alone results in an increase in ghrelin, which explains why we tend to feel hungry as soon as we restrict calories and begin to shed pounds. Surgically induced weight loss, however, in which a portion of the stomach is removed or bypassed, reduces the production of ghrelin while restricting the volume of food consumed. This unique combination explains, at least in part, why bariatric patients are able to eat less but not feel hungrier as a result. Leptin also plays an important role in telling your body when you are full and how calories are stored. It is believed that weight loss improves the body’s sensitivity to the messages leptin delivers to the gut and brain. This, in turn, may result in greater food satisfaction with smaller quantities and less flavor intensity.

She was pleased. I went with Dekalb medical because several people that I knew who had even sleeve or full bypass a gone with Dekalb were extremely happy. Also my youngest daughter is a surgical tech and she had assisted my surgeon on several procedures both general and bariatric and she said he was absolutely phenomenal.

I would go back to basics: lean Protein and vegetables. Cutting out any empty carbs, alcohol, and anything that slides down easily. Not drinking while eating. It may be that the steroids and depo shot are really messing with your weight, but in that case switching to a bypass wouldn't change that unfortunately. Good luck to you. I wasn't trying to be sarcastic with my last post, I just meant that your sleeve is still there and they don't really stretch out so if it's not working you need to consider whether you are "eating around it" by eating stuff that goes down too easily meaning you don't get full. Another expensive major surgery won't fix your food choices when you already have restriction built in if you use it as intended. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App