Woke up from Surgery with nothing....

[luvzpitbullz 41]

Hello all, I am new here. I had a lap band placed in 7/2006 and lost 124 lbs. I LOVED my lap band....until it slipped and I have gained all my weight back. Long story short, I was approved for band removal and conversion to a gastric bypass. My surgery was 9/12 but I woke up (without my band, thank goodness) but also without the bypass. My doctor said while he was getting ready to do the bypass, he found that my intestines are flip flopped around and on the wrong side of my body. Malrotation is what he called it. Anyhow, he said that he felt doing a bypass would not be the best thing giving my condition and so he closed me up. I was soooo upset when I found out. So fast forward to now, he is saying he can do a sleeve safely and I am in the process of trying to get insurance approval. The thing is, I had gone back and forth wanting bypass and sleeve and my surgeon convinced me that if I wanted to lose all my excess weight, that the bypass was the way to go. I am nervous that doing the sleeve wont give me the results I want. I was counting on the malabsorption of the bypass and even "dumping" to help keep me in line. When I got my band, they told me if I lost 60lbs, I was a success and I doubled that. But then I learned how to eat around it. I couldn't follow up with my surgeon so Im not sure if my "eating around" it caused the slip or if the slip caused me to eat slider foods. I guess Im just nervous that I will fail at the sleeve too and then what? I've heard that revisions to sleeve lose slower and I saw a post from someone yesterday that had only lost 25lbs in 5 months. I would be crushed if that were me. I guess Im just looking for some reassurance that us former bandsters can still lose a lot of weight with the sleeve. I am hoping to lose 100lbs which would put me at 142 at 5'8" tall. I don't know why I can separate this into paragraphs so sorry if it's hard to read. Thank you! Kayla

[Michellemo 161]

I've lost 168 lbs in a year with my sleeve. I also know 3 people who had bypass surgery and they have all gained weight back. So the bypass is in no way a guarantee that you will lose it and keep it off. It's a tool just like the band or the sleeve. Good luck!

[Roo101769 742]

I believe with ANY WLS you can learn ways around them. The only sure fired success you will find is if you change yourself, your head, first. If you seriously want to take that weight back off and keep it off forever, then please get whatever you need to be ready emotionally and mentally. After that take another look at the sleeve. If medically you would have a healthier life with the sleeve, I see no reason to not go for it. The bypass does have slightly greater numbers when you break it down into percentages. But are you a percentage? No. You are you. You will be just as successful with a sleeve if you set your mind to it. I have been on this site since July and I have seen all kinds of stories and successes. Bottom line seems to be you get out what you put in! I have every intention in the world of losing all my excess weight once I am sleeved on 10/21, without the issues associated with Roux-n-Y. Please, do your research. Weigh the pros and cons. Decide what you can live with and then go from there. I am excited as all get out to have this opportunity and only wish I had done it years ago!!! Good luck to you in your journey..

[Hynita 113]

i as well know people who have gained weight back with the bypass as well. weight loss surgery is what you make it! im a band to sleeve patient and done pretty good im 3 months out today. surgery day i was 192 and today im 155. when I started the band i was 292. I dont think you will be disappointed with the sleeve.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I did very poorly with the band - lost about 70# never getting under 200.

since I revised to the sleeve, I have done great and feel that it is far superior. You CAN eat around any WLS - all require some effort, compliance etc BUT, the sleeve is a great tool.

Take a look at my before and afters... my before was with a lapband...

[luvzpitbullz 41]

Thank you all for your replies. I guess I'm just nervous that I will fail at this too. I just found out today that my insurance company approved me for the sleeve. I'm so excited but still worried. I've been reading a lot of encouraging things and that helps. But I was successful with the band and I think I can be successful with the sleeve too.

Thinking I will hold off on surgery until next month because my sons birthday is coming up and I don't want to be laid up in pain like I was having my band out. Plus I think I should be pretty much healed by then. It will have been about 6 weeks since having my band out.

Thanks again.

[SeaLegs 38]

Kayla, I met with the shrink who screens people for WLS, lovely man. But as a result of talking with him, the fact that I am a binge eater has hit me like a cold, wet towel. He advised me to postpone my sleeve ( which I am not doing-my knee pain is out of control) and to meet with him for awhile to work on this (which I am embracing). I want to have plently of tools in my tool belt (one of them being this forum, thanks everyone) for the long haul. I think if you are able to eat around a band and avoid meeting with your surgeon, you might want to consider some counseling, too. BTW, is 142 realistic...it sounds way too lean...

I was going through journal abstracts last night at work, and found the sleeve vs RNY very positive. Now that I have found out that people actually do get older (never thought it would happen to me), my concern with the RNY is malabsorption and how it would affect older people, who absorb differently already due to aging. I don't want to spend my golden years getting shots and IVs, since weight loss would hopefully help me live longer.

[Newme48 104]

I am extremely happy with my sleeve. I am 8 months out from my surgery and if I include my preop diet I have lost a total of 106lbs. What I am learning NOW about myself is trying to stay away from old habits. Don't let yourself get caught up with old eating habits and foods that are just plain bad for you. You are doing all of this work and research for a reason. Keep a positive attitude and your eye on your goals! Set small realistic goals for yourself. You will be amazed at the amount of success you can achieve. Good luck to you!!!

[piercedqt78 658]

I am almost 5 months postop and I'm a band to sleeve revision. I have lost 58 pounds. And I had to have a rotator cuff repair so for the last 8 weeks I have NOT been able to exercise. I am almost at goal, and love my sleeve.

[luvzpitbullz 41]

Kayla, I met with the shrink who screens people for WLS, lovely man. But as a result of talking with him, the fact that I am a binge eater has hit me like a cold, wet towel. He advised me to postpone my sleeve ( which I am not doing-my knee pain is out of control) and to meet with him for awhile to work on this (which I am embracing). I want to have plently of tools in my tool belt (one of them being this forum, thanks everyone) for the long haul. I think if you are able to eat around a band and avoid meeting with your surgeon, you might want to consider some counseling, too. BTW, is 142 realistic...it sounds way too lean...

I was going through journal abstracts last night at work, and found the sleeve vs RNY very positive. Now that I have found out that people actually do get older (never thought it would happen to me), my concern with the RNY is malabsorption and how it would affect older people, who absorb differently already due to aging. I don't want to spend my golden years getting shots and IVs, since weight loss would hopefully help me live longer.

I've never thought about how the malabsorption would affect me as I age. Im 36 now and I guess at some point I will have to admit I'm not 29 anymore. I had MANY concerns with the bypass as well. My MAIN concern that I addressed with my surgeon was re-gain. I know only a handful of people that have had bypass and ALL of them are back up to their original weights or close to it. The only one who is still thin is only 2 years out. I do plan on seeing a therapist as I go through this. As I had said, I was REALLY successful with the band and I think that bodes well for what will happen with the sleeve. 142 may be too lean Im not sure. Truthfully I will be happy to be 175 and under and I think that's achievable.

[luvzpitbullz 41]

I am almost 5 months postop and I'm a band to sleeve revision. I have lost 58 pounds. And I had to have a rotator cuff repair so for the last 8 weeks I have NOT been able to exercise. I am almost at goal, and love my sleeve.

Wow, that's inspiring. You have done fabulous. How long did you have your band?

[piercedqt78 658]

I was banded in July of 2005, so almost 8 years.

[luvzpitbullz 41]

I was banded July 2006. Did you lose weight with the band and keep it off?

[SeaLegs 38]

I've never thought about how the malabsorption would affect me as I age. Im 36 now and I guess at some point I will have to admit I'm not 29 anymore. I had MANY concerns with the bypass as well. My MAIN concern that I addressed with my surgeon was re-gain. I know only a handful of people that have had bypass and ALL of them are back up to their original weights or close to it. The only one who is still thin is only 2 years out. I do plan on seeing a therapist as I go through this. As I had said, I was REALLY successful with the band and I think that bodes well for what will happen with the sleeve. 142 may be too lean Im not sure. Truthfully I will be happy to be 175 and under and I think that's achievable.

I would be thrilled to be under 200, no joke!