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Hello! I’m scheduled for a revision on 8/8 as well! I had a VSG 18 months ago and have had terrible acid reflux and developed a hiatal hernia. I only lost about 40 lbs after my sleeve, too. I’m hoping the revision will not only take care of the acid reflux but that I’ll lose 50 more lbs! I’m keeping my fingers crossed. I hear that weight loss is much slower after a revision so I’m hoping I don’t get really frustrated. Maybe we can be surgery buddies and keep in touch! Keep us all posted on how things are going. I start my liquid diet on Monday. Good luck with everything!😊

Thank you for this! I see you had gastric bypass in 2018 and passed your goal. That's awesome! I know they say after a year the weight loss slows down tremendously. Would you say you're still losing almost 2 years out?

I did a lot of reading and research on band, bypass and sleeve, before I made my decision, as all of us do. It's not something to jump into. Like most of the posts I've read here, I did not want basically an " appliance" put into my body and then have to be poked with a needle once a month (HATE needles). I also didn't like the idea of "re-routing" my insides (shudder). So, I chose the sleeve. I have been very lucky in that I've not had any of the problems with it that I read about. No dumping or pain. I can actually even drink (sip) while I'm eating. I learned early on not to eat too fast or too much. All in all, the sleeve is the best decision I've ever made.

To me, the important thing about the sleeve is that the part of the stomach that pumps out all those hungry hormones is removed. With the band, the bypass, the balloon, the stomach remains. I don't know how they stop the hunger pangs. That's why I am having the sleeve surgery. I want control back and feel I will get that with this surgery. Plus, no foreign objects in my body, and the natural openings to and from my stomach are there.

Yes insurance companies should be glad to revise band to.......less money for them in the longrun.

I have too read there's not any long term data, but it can be concluded on your own. They remove a large portion of your stomach. This gives the individual an opportunity at a fresh and jumpstart. It give an opportunity to reset the body while producing drastic results in the beginning. If you choose to avoid being serious with lifestyle changes you will have to start over and go to the last resort of bypass. If you feel that strongly long term results, effects, and possible revision its up to you to make the changes stick and be successful.

I had that same concern worry - as a revision from band patient I really thought about this! What I have to honestly say is that even in 2001 there were "early warning signs" that all was not well with the band. I lived in Europe where the band was already being done alot and while I didn't have any local support, I did belong to a yahoo group. My first clue was that there was a general list and then there was a "secret" list where the veterans posted. Once i hit the one year mark, with very limited success and was permitted in the veterans area I came to realize how many people where having complications and very commonly not losing as much weight as they wanted. As most people do pretty well at first with the band - the complications tend to increase over time, the general forum gave a very narrow view of the band experience. There was also a great deal of shaming on that particular website. I had alot of trouble with vomiting more than I should have but there was a culture of blaming/shaming the patient so I never really got the counseling/advice/help I needed to manage the band better. At that time the stock answer "can't help you if you aren't compliant". I would be thinking "compliant with what? what can I eat that won't get stuck and make me vomit and embarrased?" but instead would keep my mouth shut and try to do better - without really knowing "how to do better" At that time, there was less understanding about managing the right level of fill and lots of people had to travel for fills/unfills at great cost, including me, and so often lived with too tight of bands which led to oh so many problems. Well, in truth, my first first first clue should have been pre-op was when my surgeon had me sign a document acknowledging that the band should be considered temporary and would most likely require removal with risk of significant weight gain. I had put on such rose colored glasses I didn't even remember signing that until I went through my paperwork in preparing for my revision to sleeve. With the sleeve, I was looking for all the bad things - and surely found them (risk of leaks, etc etc) - but so far (will be 4 years in Dec) things have worked out as expected, or really better than expected and I feel like more was understood/ widely known about the sleeve in 2011 than was generally acknowledged about the band in 2001.

When I first met my surgeon I imagined having a band as it was the cheaper option but he immediately explained that he doesn't do many anymore due to the rising complications and success rates, with many patients converting to sleeve or bypass. It does seem it is on the way out as doctors learn more and more about bariatric surgery and what works and doesn't work long-term.

I'm still around but not benefiting from my band right now. My sister is thinking about getting one and she needs it more than I did -- more weight to lose and diabetic. I hope it works out for her. 1st Cindyg1212 PattyPoo Nessa3678 brandymom1234 Mom_of_Chuy sanderro Holiwood Longhorn Forestcat Rhea Sades edeva3 Teresajo 2nd lizzie_07 lindata KristinaDawnB lindseyann2u sconie pam726 robin bird 4th QatarPhil 5th DLW wnt2lose jelbel 6th Wishes4444(Ann) Diva Inside ndmom kandiceb jetti vanessav hollyberries LangleyGirl 7th Goldie1109 susieq125 shadst83 Cota129 Imonmyway7368 MyLady 8th anw5102 dawndannae stranger138 needto ebrow39 Bandstertobe zippykat QUEENMOTHEROF1 Melanie1972 9th Banded4Life neen7171 maccy mariaxoxo4u Kristin1031 Carsons mommy chubbydiva Miztrniceguy 10th Selisejohnson omlagirl jen6740 anitak33 12th suebob Shalee04 Foofy Mariegabrieleee 13th CCFRA Princessannod1 Tralynn222 sschude BandChick64 -acl- (Amy) 14th lightenup! dream'n2bthin Life Change (Eulete) carleah2 emnasmom 15th steph_cn RxTracy Hopping to It- Danna sunshiny Tete2 kickrmom 16th Laurieu sstaab 19th Mrs Smartypants Momto1plus1 MusigalF lisawach 20th Skinny_Jill blondecz (Crissy) Firebolt (Judy) Cuerposano (Diana) Mysie 21st Bobp Bandpal 22nd luvmy4boys 23rd FlaLMT and fiance HoneyB-Palomino & mom 26th kuchiegrl1 Motocrossgirly jrsyshoregrl684 (Bypass) BigDoug143 BarbBee hungryforchange 27th 731Shawty Cherlita Julie-Ann plump_princess HAJohnson1 28th lukin puppy TxArcher shortgal 29th Sassafras TAWHarris McQty close 4mykidzinVale (Surgery in Bend, Oregon) 30th WorththeWeight samorelli Southerngal

And I envy both of you I have 21 days left OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG. I had a revision from band to sleeve so I have to be on liquids for 4 weeks......... Surgery was on 3/23/11, I hope I make it I’m so miserable. My first mushie will be mashed pot, green beans and meatloaf....

He is also a real-life story that we can all relate to. Weight loss wasn’t easy, and he isn’t able to follow his weight loss surgery diet perfectly. Here’s Jamie’s story, complete with triumphs and struggles. You can read more about Jamie’s acting career, plus see headshots and look at his resume, by clicking here to get to his website. He’s also on Facebook and Twitter. And, don’t forget to watch for his upcoming column, “Regain-ing Control,” in BariatricPal Magazine. Familiar Story: Big Kid to Lap-Band Patient For many weight loss surgery patients, Jamie Miles’s story will be familiar. He was a big kid with low self-esteem, and he turned to food for comfort. Later, he tried every diet in the book, from Weight Watchers and South Beach to the grapefruit diet. Jamie found out about the lap-band surgery when he saw an ad in a newspaper that he was reading in his break room at work. He knew his insurance covered bariatric surgery, and he did not like the idea of getting the gastric bypass like some coworkers had. So, he went for the lap-band. Time to Chase a Dream For years, Jamie had dreamed of becoming a commercial model, but his weight was holding him back. Once the pounds began to come off, Jamie began to think seriously about fulfilling a dream of acting. After losing 60 pounds, he landed some “extra” roles. He progressed to some speaking roles in local productions and commercials, and went to acting school. That’s when he lost his day job in marketing and promotion. While the old Jamie might have turned to food, the new Jamie decided to use the chance to pursue acting full-time. Two days later, he signed with a local agent. His career has blossomed to include roles in commercials and local and national films. The lap-band may seem far from acting, but Jamie says the entire experience helps him in emotional roles. He is able to apply the feelings from years of personal pain and being called names, dumped, and treated poorly. What he’s also recognized is the effect of confidence on life. He now realizes that many actors are larger, and the reason he could not dedicate himself fully to acting is that he was not confident in himself. He was afraid others would not see his abilities, and would just judge him based on looks. Relationship with Food: “Complicated” Before the band, Jamie’s social life revolved around food and drink. Plus, he was an emotional eater. Since getting the lap-band, Jamie’s relationship with food can only be described as “complicated.” He started to get a bit depressed when he could no longer tolerate red meat, pork, and chicken breast – the very foods he was supposed to be eating! Now, he tries to focus on what he can eat. He’s able to eat chicken thighs, seafood, and salad when he’s sticking to his diet. Unfortunately, he still loves fast food, and his band allows it. His solution is to avoid trigger foods like Taco Bell and chips. The Challenges Continue A “typical” day for Jamie might begin with some protein and green vegetables. His snacks can consist of almonds, a protein shake, or a 100-calorie Jell-0 pudding. But that’s when he’s being good. Just like so many weight loss surgery patients, Jamie let his guard down a little. When it happened to him, soft drinks, fried foods, and other poor foods crept back into his diet. In fact, he gained back 25 pounds when “life happened.” Jamie still has a lot on his plate, so to speak. He’s pursuing a full-time acting career and working a part-time job in a stressful position. He needs to see his bariatric doctor, and fears his band has a leak, but doesn’t have the cash on hand. And, of course, he wants to lose the extra weight for once and for all. “Re-Gaining Control” on BariatricPal! Jamie has learned a lot along the way. He needs to take care of himself. He needs to love himself. He needs to eat healthy and work out. He wants to help other bariatric surgery patients. He did some public speaking while he was losing weight after surgery, but feels embarrassed to do so with his regain. He can’t wait for this mindset to change once he takes back control. Jamie is planning to get to his goal weight, and he is going to share his journey on BariatricPal! His column will be called “Regain-ing Control,” and it will be a very real and personal journey complete with weigh-ins and photos. As he says, “some days will be good, some bad, and all very real.” He hopes to help readers get back on track, and for readers to inspire him to do the same. Stay tuned for the new column! Jamie’s story begins like so many others, but Jamie has worked hard to make it unique. He is living a dream of his by using his new looks to give him confidence to be an actor. Plus, he will be helping thousands of weight loss surgery patients when he shares his journey toward “Regain-ing Control.”

My Surgery is the 15th! ???? I am on day 2 of my liquid diet!! What an eye opener this is!!! I've been making videos and taking pictures for my own use to look back on, I look at the 15th as the first day of the rest of my life! My mom had gastric bypass in March and is down 70 lbs, and her BMI is 29 now! She's totally off all of her diabetic, BP, and other Meds and doing awesome, so we really have a lot to look forward to!!! ????

I am lapband to bypass Sept 17! Happy St PAddy's day!!

It's been a while... Since I had all of the fluid removed out of my band I lost about 8lbs the. I found it again. I've been eating non stop. My Dr called me today and scheduled the revision for July 30th. They will remove my band and I'll have the sleeve. I'm SO relived! I feel so happy! I'll keep you posted as to what happens after!

At one of my support groups recently the surgeon on hand told us that it's impossible to stretch your pouch. That they have done various research and test on plp even 10 years out and the pouch is the same size as day one. What does open up a bit more is the opening in the bypass you intestine is still 25 feet long and xan hold a hole bunch. And because the opening to your intestine opens up your food leaves your pouch quicker which is wgy you can eat a bit more. Also this still isn't that big of a deal untill after 2plus years cause that's when the malabsorbtion stops or slows down.

Did your doctor give you a list of what was tolerated on the liquid diet? I would just follow what was suggested for the liquid diet phase. Each doctor has their own plan specialized for their patients. I had gastric bypass and had to do a full one week of protein, water and decaf tea. My friend who had the sleeve also did a full one week liquid diet but also was allowed one low cal meal.

But Jenny Craig's food is atrocious. Our ability to eat is quite limited by the band. That doesn't mean it should become an unpleasant experience. As a longtime WW veteran, I am hard-pressed to see the compatibility with the band. Not that their recommendations are off-base; they'd just require enormous revision to meet the needs of a person with restriction. (Some leaders are really hostile toward those who've had WLS, too.) For someone who does not already have a good idea of how to eat properly---with or without the band---WW would be really hard to self-tailor for banded purposes, IMO. If Jenny Craig personnel have training, that might be a good approach. Well, if the food weren't so gross.

OK...my surgery is scheduled for July 23rd, and that's all I've been thinking about....UNTIL I got a job last week...not just any job a part time job in the travel industry. I mean these jobs don't come around often and there was no way I was turning it down. My problem is of course I couldn't tell them about the surgery because there are 100 others waiting in line for this job. It requires that I go out of town for 2 weeks of training, which I am trying to cram in pre op. My question is post op. Is lifting objects a concern? At times I will be required to lift objects up to 40 pound for very short distances. It's actually just to pick them up and put them on the conveyor belt? How long before I am able to do it? I don't want to lose my dream job, but then again I don't want to mess up my surgery. I may have to delay the surgery....something I DON'T want to do. HELP!!!!

My dr put me on an acid reducer from the day I left the hospital & am taking it for 2 months, when I asked why he said it was because reflux was common after bypass! Maybe ask your Dr about that too!I'm so nervous every time I eat, I'm on mushy food now and it's like heaven, I was so sick of liquids!!!

Can you explain a little more about the different lower hernia pricing? I have been diagnosed with a hiatal hernia but my surgeon didn't say anything about offering a different price because of it. My insurance covers the bypass but not the sleeve and I am moving forward with the sleeve so will be cash pay. If there's a way to have insurance cover a portion of it that would be so much better! Any info would be helpful. Thank you!

Gosh, I'm soooooo discouraged. I think I got a placebo!!I was banded July 15 and very quickly lost 20 pounds. For the past month, however, I haven't lost any. (Actually I've lost the same three pounds three times. Shouldn't that count as nine?) I have no restriction at all. I got my first fill this week and can't have another for a whole month. There is no telling how much I could actually eat. I try not to overdo it, but I want to feel full. I walk almost daily. Everywhere I go, people ask me how it is going. I hate telling people that it isn't working yet. I know people who had restriction from day one. I told so many people that I was having the surgery because I wanted to be accountable. Now I wish I had never even told anyone. At this point, I almost wish I had done bypass. Sorry to whine, but I needed to vent.

Hello Elyssia I had to have a port revision because my port was too large for my body, it was bonking against my ribs (it is on the right side between my ribs and hip bone) being short that I am 5ft2 - it was causing constant pain, sleeping was painful, sitting was painful - pretty unhappy all the time. So that being said I had a "low profile" port put in, slightly lower than where the other one was. It is smaller and thinner and has made all the difference! It was an easy and quick surgery as well :wink5:

I went into the orientation with the lap band as my choice. The gastric bypass scared me for all of the same reasons posted above: I knew someone who had severe complications; I did not want my innards reworked; and I was just plain scared of it. My surgeon was also geared more to the GB rather than the lap band, but the staff at the WL program were certainly well informed on all the options, and supportive in our decisions. I will admit that the sleeve really interested me. Unfortunatelly, my insurance does not cover that procedure. If it did, I would have opted for that surgery. With that option off the table, I focused on lap band and really love it. I went into the WL program with a determination to change my lifestyle. I have been heavy since my school days. In fact, I am approaching the Onederland milestone, a weight I have not seen since my Junior year of high school (which was over 30 years ago). This surgery is such a personal journey. I know during the 7 months in the WL program prior to my surgery, one question I would always ask was "Do you have any regrets from having the surgery?" Always, the answer was "NO!" If did not matter which surgery they chose, any difficulties they had, or the speed of their weight loss, every person I spoke to would do it again. That is what really helped me through my decision. Good luck in your journey!

I developed Gerd after i was sleeved and my surgeon advised that if my symptoms got worse that there is no other option but to go ahead with a bypass. Luckily medication is working for me so far but i do have to sleep with a tonne of pillows to keep me upright. I have since had only one nasty incident which viciously woke me up at 2am and kept me up for the rest of the night/morning. I really hope you get some relief with the acid as your case sounds to be an extreme case. Wish you all the best with your weight loss journey. Please keep us posted on your status with this, as i for one am very interested as this may be a decision i may have to make one day in the future. Xox

Though I am fairly young (23) I think your heart is definitely in the right place. Though only about 30% of bypass patients dump I believe the thought of eating something that can cause physical pain, sickness, and down right miserableness, is not something that sounds appealing to me. I am going into this situation thinking that I may never eat a piece of cake, fried chicken, etc. like that again... And since that is what helped get me into this situation in the first place, I am okay with that. I am also a "am I bored or am I hungry" person, often times, getting the two mixed up and never really knowing what actually being hungry for me was/is. I would overeat snacks, or not enough and binge at meals... both in which have gotten me to the weight I am today. For me, this will be different because my heart and mind is in the right place. I have dieted and it has only gotten me so far. I often would diet, get to a certain point, and then decide "okay, this is good. I can handle it from here" and life happened causing me to put my "diet" on the back burner. Let's be real here, this is a lifestyle change, this isn't something that if I don't want to do it anymore, I can just quit. This is commitment, and I have always worked better when this it comes to something I HAVE to do. Another reason why it is different for me, is because of my children. My girls are my world, and will be 3 in April. To me this is my way of letting them know that it is NEVER too late to change the situation you are in. "Impossible" is not something that I want them to have in their vocabulary because everything is possible with the right (positive) mindset.