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Lap band to RNY conversion, need to hear from others



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I had lapband 7 years ago. After a year, I had severe GERD and had to have most of the Fluid taken out of the band. After 6 more years of severe GERD and finally a diagnosis of aspiration pneumonias and staph in the lungs, it was recommended by the head of the GI department at a large metropolitan hospital that I have a conversion to RNY bypass. I am still down about 65 pounds from the original 100 I lost with lap band. Insurance approved the surgery in 2 weeks so I guess there's no question that this is the fix! I meet with my surgeon (the same one that did the lap band) next week for pre-op appointment and surgery date. I am scared, elated, preocupied with bypass information. I am reading everything I can get my hands on. I devoured the Big Book of Gastric Bypass and am re-reading it, marking questions and thoughts to talk with the surgeon and the dietician about. Not sure how or why I missed Bariatric Pal before, but I need all the help I can get. I have great family support and a couple of friends/acquaintances who have had bypass surgery so I feel supported. I need to move on from the "deja vu all over again" feeling and know that this is procedure is way different. I would love to hear from anyone else who has had a conversion.



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Hi there, I haven't had the revision yet, but I am in the process of getting it done, I see my surgeon Fri 28th of July. I am so excited, the band and I have been in a love hate sort of relationship and it is time for me to move on. When is your surgery? I dont have a date yet, I'm hoping to get one when I see the doctor. Let me know how you go :)

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Hi!!! I was revised from band to bypass on May 21, 2014. Omg I love my bypass! What a difference!!! I don't feel like I'm stuck all the time, I don't throw up, I don't have to find a barroom before I eat to make sure I can run there in time.. It's awesome! I was successful with my band lost all my weight 120 pounds in 9 months, kept it off for 5 years then bam one day I couldn't keep anything down even with an unfill. So revision was my option.. My band had eroded. I can tell you the revision surgery was easier for me than the band surgery. I knew I had to get up and walk ASAP after surgery because the gas pain killed me last time so I did!! I walked within 2 hours of surgery and kept walking. I was able to go home day after surgery and my recovery was amazing. Felt awesome! I even asked my doc if he really took out the band and did the rny I felt so good!! Feel free to pm me with any questions!!! And good luck!!

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Hi!!! I was revised from band to bypass on May 21, 2014. Omg I love my bypass! What a difference!!! I don't feel like I'm stuck all the time, I don't throw up, I don't have to find a barroom before I eat to make sure I can run there in time.. It's awesome! I was successful with my band lost all my weight 120 pounds in 9 months, kept it off for 5 years then bam one day I couldn't keep anything down even with an unfill. So revision was my option.. My band had eroded. I can tell you the revision surgery was easier for me than the band surgery. I knew I had to get up and walk ASAP after surgery because the gas pain killed me last time so I did!! I walked within 2 hours of surgery and kept walking. I was able to go home day after surgery and my recovery was amazing. Felt awesome! I even asked my doc if he really took out the band and did the rny I felt so good!! Feel free to pm me with any questions!!! And good luck!!

Thank you for this! The band has not been my friend either with multiple aspiration pneumonias from reflux. I was initially skeptical about the bypass but when they told me I would never have reflux again I signed up! How's eating going? Hunger?

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Thank you for this! The band has not been my friend either with multiple aspiration pneumonias from reflux. I was initially skeptical about the bypass but when they told me I would never have reflux again I signed up! How's eating going? Hunger?

.

Eating is so much easier, I can eat pretty much anything although fried food and carbs make me feel a little yucky like heavy so I stay away from them.. I honestly don't have hunger.. Once in a while I'll forget to eat and start feeling shaky and think oh crap I haven't eaten today.. So weird to not have that hunger feeling. I am doing awesome down 41 and I have 20 left to go. I was low bmi because of having had the lapband. I am thrilled with my rny :)

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Thank you for this! The band has not been my friend either with multiple aspiration pneumonias from reflux. I was initially skeptical about the bypass but when they told me I would never have reflux again I signed up! How's eating going? Hunger?

.

Eating is so much easier, I can eat pretty much anything although fried food and carbs make me feel a little yucky like heavy so I stay away from them.. I honestly don't have hunger.. Once in a while I'll forget to eat and start feeling shaky and think oh crap I haven't eaten today.. So weird to not have that hunger feeling. I am doing awesome down 41 and I have 20 left to go. I was low bmi because of having had the lapband. I am thrilled with my rny :)

You are my hero! ☀️

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    • LeighaTR

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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