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My surgeon's office should be sending in my paperwork to insurance today or Monday. I'm scheduled for revision on 5/16 as long as everything goes through with Aetna. They don't see any reason for denial, but that's the funny thing about insurance - you just never know! I'm concerned because I had my original surgery with BCBS FL and trying to get my revision from Aetna (same employer, provider just changed), but they aren't concerned. Oh well, I'm crossing everything that can be crossed!

Had I still had mine, my surgeon would have removed it during my bypass. He made sure this was clear because more often than not it will have to come out. The data tells them so.

My doctor chose not to as well. He said if I had problems in the future, he will remove it. I'm scared as my sister had gastric bypass 3 years ago and she keeps having those painful attacks. She's waiting to give birth, then she'll have it removed.

I just wanted to share it has been 4 1/2 months since I had my band removed and I am at my goal. The band was a nightmare for me the multiple fills (which I had to pay for since I had my band done in Mx) food getting stuck, being afraid to eat, puking, sliming and knowing I had a foreign body in me with the port showing like a tumor! Strong advice: if you are getting a revision I would advise you choose a surgeon who has experience in revisions-it is not the same as a new sleeve, there is scar tissue involved making the surgery more challenging-this is not "routine surgery". I followed Dr Aceves post-surgery diet but modified it with the Cornell post-sleeve diet. My hunger is very much under control, I don't log in or count any calories. I am a professional dieter I KNOW what is in what! I eat enough protein (I still drink protein drinks but I did that before I got the band) I didn't/don't obsess about the scale didn't weight myself every day, weekly at best. Gauged how I was doing by how my clothes fit. Had a "collection size 16 to size 6". I got to goal a few years ago using sparkspeople, but like usual (got to goal w/weight watchers, TOPS, Atkins...) I gained the weight back. That is why I got the band to put an end to the obsession w/food. The band didn't do that for me but the sleeve so far has done that for me. Finally wearing my size 6 comfortably. People have noticed how "skinny" I am. I eat for nutrition, there is little room for much else! I have given my sizes 16 to 8 away, I have never done that before. Size 8 was the hardest to let go of. I would not have done the revision without this board. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you:001_wub: Dee

Hi guys just found this forum. I'm from north London, hopefully having bypass in Aug as long as all goes well with funding. Full of nerves & excitement &just wanted to say ola :-)

I had the very same problem, I am 1 year out and 2 weeks ago I had a port revision. The doctor went in and moved my port because of the pain, I couldn't wear pants, sits forward, or even lift things. It was so painful, and now I have no pain at all, wear jeans again, sit normal and lift. It's been great. Talk to your doctor about moving your port

Hi everyone. I am currently on the waiting list for gastric bypass but I'm switching to the lap band. I have no medical problem beside being obese. I feel as though getting the gastric bypass would be more for my vanity then anything else. The lap band makes me feel more comfortable like it's going to help me control my eating. And I was wanting to hear from people who have had it. What is it like? Can you feel your port? Does it hurt when they fill the port every month or how ever often they fill it??? Can your husband fill your port? How much weight are people loosing? And how fast are you loosing it? Any complications people have suffered?? I know it's quite a few questions...but I need knowledge!! I'm 22yrs old 5ft and 217lbs. BMI of 42.2 Thanks so much Ashley

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

BECAUSE he keeps thinking I had Gastric Bypass and not the Sleeve! My 6 month check up is this week and I'm not even excited for it. Starting weight 276 in January, Surgery weight April 15th 255 and current weight 199.5 (yay!) I've been told by my surgeon I'm not losing as fast as everyone else and to eat 3 meals a day with no snacks. Well too bad because I continue to eat 5 small healthy meals a day and I think I'm doing great so he can shut it!

I was banded in September 2008. My starting weight was 433 lbs. Even at 5' 9", my BMI was over 60. I was wearing size 34-36 clothes, and they were tight. If I gained any more weight I would have to wear mumus! Before my decision to get the lap band, I thought I would never be able to lose the weight and I would die morbidly obese. When my sister-in-law was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and I thought of her children growing up without a mom, it made me realize that my children could easily face the same fate. So I vowed to do something about it. I chose the lap band because it is reversible and adjustable. I knew that I am young enough that if a better bariatric technique comes along I want to be able to take advantage of that. Whereas if I had a gastric bypass I might not be able to do so, since part of my stomach and/or intestines would be cut away. I had to wait 6 months from the time I made the decision to the surgery date. Waiting was hard, but it gave me time to prepare and get other health issues (undiagnosed Type II diabetes, high blood pressure) under control with medications. My lap band surgery went smoothly, and recovery was not difficult. Afterwards, sticking with the liquid diet for several weeks afterwards was a challenge. And waiting four weeks for the first fill, and two weeks in between fills, and four fills before I got to my sweet spot was a BIG challenge. I was so anxious to get the weight loss going, that it was hard to wait so long to get this tool in my hands after I had made the decision to do it. The nutritionist I met with before my surgery told me that the lap band is not a panacea, it doesn't do the work for you, but it gives you a great tool for you to use. It's like I had been trying all my life to dig a hole with a teaspoon. I got frustrated and gave up, who wouldn't? Getting the lap band is like trading in your teaspoon for a backhoe. I still have to do the work, but now I have a great tool for the job. I found this analogy to be extremely true in my case. Once I got to my fourth fill, and the lap band really started working for me, then the weight really came off. Although the rate fluctuated, over time my weight loss was a pretty consistent 2 pounds per week. Basically, I lost 200 pounds in the first two years. Those were two years of amazing changes in my life. I did a lot of work on the inside as well as the outside to get to know myself better and learn to love myself and accept myself, faults and all, even as I strive to make myself a better version of me. I did a lot of exploration, pushed a lot of personal boundaries, and even changed careers. I do believe that this internal work is a critical part of the weight loss journey for anyone, in order to be successful in the long run. Backing up a little bit, I had a pretty severe pannus even before I started losing weight. Once my weight loss got going, all my health issues got better (Type II diabetes and blood pressure came under control without medication) but the rashes under my pannus got worse! As I lost weight my pannus kept dropping lower and lower! Finally I sought out a plastic surgeon and we got insurance to cover a panniculectomy. He cut off 14 pounds of skin and fat! I had lost about 80 pounds by this point, so we knew that the band was working for me. The recovery from the panniculectomy was initially easy, but later I developed some pretty severe seromas, that required my surgeon to go in and pull Fluid out several times a week. But after the first month I was very glad I had the panniculectomy. No more rashes, clothes fit me better, and it was a lot easier to exercise! I have to admit, though, that I did not exercise regularly at first. I'm not proud to admit it, but most of that 200 pounds lost was through diet rather than exercise. After losing 200 pounds my weight loss stalled. I spent about a year and a half between 220-230 lbs, wearing a size 18-20W. At this point my life was already transformed, I had already achieved and exceeded the goals that my doctor and I set out for myself (my initial goal was to get into the "low 200s" which I later defined as 249 lbs.) and I thought that was all the weight loss there was for me. I was satisfied, but I still longed to go lower, to get out of plus sizes, and to be eligible to have a full set of plastic surgery procedures to transform me into the beautiful woman that I felt myself to be inside. I set a new goal, 199 pounds. So a little over a year ago I finally decided to get serious about losing the extra weight. First of all, I went in to have my band tightened. I discovered that my band wasn't holding a fill very well. After a series of tests, my doctor discovered that I had a leaky port, and I went in for port replacement surgery. That surgery was a piece of cake, and after I got my port and tubing (it was actually leaky tubing) replaced my band worked as good as new. So getting a properly working, properly adjusted band was the first step towards getting back on track. The other thing I had to do was get serious about exercise. All my life I had hated exercise, and had only ever done it out of obligation or guilt. But some friends were raving about a small yoga class, including one friend who also struggles with weight and body image issues, and I thought going to yoga with friends would be more fun and make it easier to stick with it. I struggled mightily with voices of self-doubt at first, but eventually I really started getting into yoga. At first I was going only once a week, then twice a week, and now I am going five days a week M-F. Now I love yoga! I have learned so much about myself as well as greatly increased my strength and flexibility through yoga. I can't recommend yoga highly enough. I only wish I had gotten into it sooner. Oh, and weight loss! In the last year I have lost another 50 pounds or so. As of this writing (2/25/2013) my weight is 185 (size 14-16), making my total weight loss 248 pounds. My current goal is to get down to 180, then have plastic surgery. I figure that will take me down into the 160s. Currently I am consulting with plastic surgeons in my local area (San Jose, CA) as well a few in Los Angeles, CA and Tijuana, Mexico. I am looking to have a lower body lift (probably with fleur-de-lis/anchor incision), liposuction, breast lift with implants, brachioplasty, and medial thigh lift. I still working out how I will pay for all of this, as well as find the time for these multiple surgeries and the recoveries from each. But it is a priority for me! I have been more than thrilled with my weight loss journey. The lap band has been an incredible tool for me to help me achieve my goals. I wish everyone similar success in their weight loss journeys. Before lap band: After lap band (I've actually lost more weight since this picture was taken. I'm not HOLDING my old jeans, I'm WEARING them!):

I had my revision surgery January 2nd ,my surgery was 3 hours , I has bad scar tissue and the band was growing into my stomach , that being said I felt great after surgery a little sore and tired first couple days but that's it not a lot of gas no nausea , I felt much better after this surgery .The Lapband recovery was harder for me . Oh my goodness Nat78 sounds like your body went through alot. So I am understanding you right you did get to have both the lapband removed and the sleeve done in one operation?

In 2020 I had open heart surgery to replace my aortic valve as well as a single vessel bypass. I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve and due to significant stenosis (very common with bicuspid valves), I was barely pumping any blood to my body. As far as meds, I'm now off most of my BP meds, but likely will be on Atorvastatin and Carvedilol the rest of my life.

I had bypass. Pain is OK sore but not bad. It feels good to be home though Sent from my 5054N using the BariatricPal App

I have decided that I want to have RYN bypass and I have set up an appointment for my free seminar 01/08. I have my primary physician behind me a 110%. I just want to know what all else you have to go through before you get your surgery date?

There are two of us under the thread "October Surgery date." Mine is October 28 and the other is Oct 20th. She is also a revision from lapband to bypass. We should follow each other

Hey there!!! I have been Type 1 diabetic since I was 6 years old. I had gastric bypass on March 16th and I had all the same questions you have. I was very anxious about how I would treat low blood sugars. To be honest, it has rarely been an issue. My blood sugars actually were running really high after surgery for about a month from the stress on the body. I was shocked at how high they were when I wasn't eating !! The few times I did have low blood sugars, I was able to treat it with glucose tabs and adjusting my temp basal rate with no problem. It was much easier then I thought it was going to be as far as low blood sugars. Please feel free to add me if you want to keep I touch about everything!!! ????

How long are bypass patients on liquids. I am VSG and we switched to soft mushy foods the 2nd week post op

Sorry you had to go through this. I just had my post op appointment on the 8th of May and they told me they will not take it out unless they see any issues when they go in to do my bypass. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

I’m in a similar boat as I’m also young. I’m F24 and 274. I’m scheduled for a vsg on the 25th but I kept having doubts. My decision was solidified for me when I was denied the loan I was pre-approved for (I’m self-pay). I spent 3 days thinking that I couldn’t get it and I re-discovered all the reasons I want/need it. Luckily I found another loan but it was a scary few days lol. I think the vsg isn’t supposed to have as many long term effects as the ds or the bypass. And like someone else said on here the most common regret I’ve seen is people wishing they’d done it years earlier

I am in the process of ordering my Vitamins so I have them all here when I get home from surgery. There are so many options!! For those of you who have already had bypass, did you have trouble with any of the chewables? I think that would be easiest for me, but there are so many different ones I have to take that I just wonder if it will be hard to manage. Some of my options come in a powder to be dissolved, but I don't know if it is worth the trouble. I would love to hear your stories and also know what brands you prefer for each type. My dr wants me to take two multis, 1 Calcium citrate with D, 18 mg Iron, and sublingual B12. Thanks!

Don't give up! Get all the education you need about Bypass and I'm sure you will be more comfortable with the decision.

I don't need to be anyones example and guiding light. Only adults here. People need to recognize that eating is neither a crime nor a sin, that you can cheat on your spouse but not on your sleeve or bypass and that eating something one "shouldn't" (back at "shoulding" again, huh?) is nothing that needs to be blown out of proportion.

I’m almost 3 years post first WLS (and a little over 2 after revision because of gerd). I have a small PFO and a bicuspid aortic valve (diagnosed while getting cleared for WLS). I have PVCs and SVT in my medical chart due to sepsis from a bowel obstruction. I can’t take metoprolol because my resting blood pressure is too low to support it so I get yearly echos and see my cardiologist twice a year.

(((((((((((hugs)))))))))))) when i was not restricted these were some of my journal entries: 12-4-03 I HAVE HAD A REALLY HARD TIME TRYING TO STAY ON TRACK. IT IS EASIER WHEN YOU CANT EAT BUT A TINY AMOUNT. YOU DON'T OBSESS ABOUT food. NOW ITS ALL I THINK ABOUT!!! I NEED TO BREAK THIS CYCLE. I NEED SOME RESTRICTION!!! I WONT REACH MY GOAL OF 275 BY CHRISTMAS. MAYBE BY MY BIRTHDAY? IT IS FRUSTRATING TO SEE PEOPLE LOSE HUGE CHUNKS WITH BYPASS WHILE I AM STRUGGLING IT JUST SEEMS AS LONG AS I AM ABLE TO EAT HUGE AMOUNTS OF FOOD I DO. AS LONG AS I CHEW WELL I CAN EAT TILL THE COWS COME HOME. WELL NOT WITH THE CORRECTION ADJUSTMENT BUT I CAN STILL EAT WAY MORE THAN A 1/2 CUP MORE LIKE 2 CUPS...NO FOOD BACKING UP, NO PB, NO GOLF BALL PRESSURE, JUST ME GORGING MYSELF 1-23-04 SOOOOO i had my swallow study yesterday and i was told my band is fine. it has not slipped and my pouch is not stretched. so what gives??? my dr's PA (physicians assistant) told me just stop eating at a half cup. well hello if i could do that i wouldn't have gotten to 350 lbs. i told her why don't we do lunch one day so you can see me eat!!!! I AM NOT BAND BASHING HERE. I LOVE MY BAND. WITHOUT IT I WOULD HAVE GAINED BACK ALL MY WEIGHT PLUS SOME. IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM TO BE WORKING FOR ME AS DESCRIBED. 2-23-04i don't know what happened to me today. i had 2 scrambled eggs for Breakfast 32 oz Water lunch- i had to go run an errand so i decided to pick up a can of chicken breast meat. well they had the 12.5 oz can on sale so i bought that thinking I'd be able to eat that for the next FEW days... i ate the whole can in 30 minutes. then you would think i would have stopped but i had brought a salad for lunch originally so i decided to 'pick at it'. ITS ALL GONE TOO. so here i sit stuffed from the bottom stoma up to the top. i feel absolutely HORRID. NAUSEATED. GROSS. my salad was a spinach salad so not only am i FULL but those natural fibers are making me bloated to boot. i know partly why ate that...i guess i wanted to 'test' my band. i have 4.1 cc's in a 4.0 band and still no FUCKING restriction (that was for you Jonathan) unless i eat solid meats. i have been to my dr too many times, had the swallow study and was assured everything's fine' well if it was I WOULD NOT PHYSICALLY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EAT ALL OF THAT!!!!! i just know for sure that i will have REALLY WORK my band along with dieting until my insurance changes and the band is covered again. Unless i want to sue my dr i don't have any other options. i knew this before i have known it since Jan 1. i just made a PIG of myself today. well thanks for letting me vent. i know for 100% sure that i never want this feeling (stuffed pig) again. michelle on a good note i didn't have hardly any carbs in my food and was Protein first but my god a days worth in one sitting... i ended up FINALLY getting restriction month 7 of banding heres a post 2-3 months AFTER getting restriction and losing 40-50 pounds... June 19, 2004 weight 236!!! still doing the atkins diet till i reach 199.9999 do i miss food? no i eat all the things i love. i only eat things that are 'treats' now when they are PERFECT before i would eat a 2 day old donut that wasn't even the flavor i liked. now i haven't had a krispy creme in MONTHS but i will have one and when i do it will be from the K.K. shop when the hot light is on and i will enjoy that sucker!

I have had to wait almost a year, due to having a stent put in last August. I was put on a blood thinner called Plavix for a year. My doc at that point asked me if I had ever considered weight loss surgery and I said I had thought about it, but figured it would be too costly for me. She told me that it wouldn't be as much as I had imagined due to my Insurance paying most of it. I got interested and said I would like to hear more. She put me in touch with the Bariatric Dept at Kaiser South San Francisco, and I went to a couple of meetings which I enjoyed. Cut a long story short, I started my 1,000 calorie diet last January. I have always been a very slow loser and had told my surgeon this. He wanted me to lose 25lbs by August, when I would be able to come off my Plavix tablet and be considered for my bypass. So, a date was set two weeks ago for me to have my surgery on 9/22/17 and today I went to see the Dr for my pre-op appointment. I have lost 34lbs and he is delighted. I am so eager to start this next part of my journey. I am fully motivated, and raring to go. The waiting for a year has not been easy, but believe me, it will come around faster than you might think. It's just a mindset thing, and once you realize you have to wait, (in your case 90 days), it's not going to be do hard. The best advice I can give you is....during this year I have exercised more than I have my entire life. Gym 3 times a week, I bought a bicycle and can go with my husband on short bike rides now, and can now walk 2-3 miles pretty easily. Back in January, when I started this program, I couldn't walk 1/2 mile. Good luck Erin...I hope my message helps you.