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Going from Band to Bypass



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Hello all, I have had my lapband for 2 years now and never lost any weight from it. I could never find my sweet spot and now I can't really hold down solids. I throw up all the time and I'm just tired. I have to do a 3 months weight loss program with my doctor and I am on month 2. I have an appointment set up with a Surgeon next week to look at doing my conversion. My insurance covers at 100% and since I haven't lost weight that is the only requirement that I had to meet. From speaking with the Bariatric Center I can possibly have my surgery in December, if all goes well. I am open to any advice. Thanks

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Those DARN Lap Bands!!! My hubby had his for 13 years and it malfunctioned. He couldn't hold down even Water. Long story short. He went in for a Revision Sept 2013. It had eroded into his liver they couldn't do the RNY they took the band out and his gallbladder. He got abscesses and was sick for 9 months, 3 months he doesn't even remember!! So just this last June we went to Mexico for his RNY ( had to pay cash because they don't bill your insurance) When they got in there his whole right side was solid scar tissue so he ended up getting the Sleeve. It isn't working too well for him. He is struggling with his mind hunger. I think he really needed the RNY because it is more restrictive and malo sorbent too. I'll bet you can't wait. being sick all of the time is not good. Which surgery are you looking into? I had the RNY July 2, 2013. I lost 124#'s in 6 months and have maintained my weight for 2 and 1/2 years!! It, in my opinion, is the very best surgery. But I do know people that have GREAT results from the Sleeve. Good Luck in whichever surgery you decide on. This is a GREAT place to come for information!!

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Those DARN Lap Bands!!! My hubby had his for 13 years and it malfunctioned. He couldn't hold down even Water. Long story short. He went in for a Revision Sept 2013. It had eroded into his liver they couldn't do the RNY they took the band out and his gallbladder. He got abscesses and was sick for 9 months, 3 months he doesn't even remember!! So just this last June we went to Mexico for his RNY ( had to pay cash because they don't bill your insurance) When they got in there his whole right side was solid scar tissue so he ended up getting the Sleeve. It isn't working too well for him. He is struggling with his mind hunger. I think he really needed the RNY because it is more restrictive and malo sorbent too. I'll bet you can't wait. being sick all of the time is not good. Which surgery are you looking into? I had the RNY July 2, 2013. I lost 124#'s in 6 months and have maintained my weight for 2 and 1/2 years!! It, in my opinion, is the very best surgery. But I do know people that have GREAT results from the Sleeve. Good Luck in whichever surgery you decide on. This is a GREAT place to come for information!!

Wow, I hope he gets better and the results he wants. I am having the RNY. You had great results. I only pray that I can do as good.

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Hello April I am also going for a revision from lapband to bypass after todays last appointment I am going to meet with my surgeon to set a date. Please keep me posted on how you are coming along and I will do the same!

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I had my revision to RNY in May and so happy with it.

My band also go to the point that liquids would not go thru and I was admitted to hospital several times due to dehydration. I also got immunity system problems due to the lack of proper nutrition.

No more Gerd, No more stuck foods, and also, enjoying healthy foods again like salads, meats and eggs, where I could not even try without getting stuck & sick.

Best to you on your revision.

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Since you asked for advice, I recommend you do three things prior to surgery.

1. Take a good before photograph of yourself, so that you have something to compare to after surgery. Many times we are blind to our obesity. We do not see ourselves. Therefore when the weight begins to drop off rather dramatically, we question if this is really happening. Photographs are a good visualization of our success. Many people carry a before and after photo with them, just to remind themselves of their success.
2. Walk 30 minutes each day, every day until surgery (or equivalent exercise). Walking helps the recovery process go smoothly and minimized the pain levels from surgery.
3. Wean yourself from caffeine and carbonated beverages now. After I gave up my 6 diet coke a day habit, I suffered from a week of severe withdrawal syndrome consisting of severe headaches and body aches. I was miserable. You don't want to combine the effects of caffeine withdrawal with the effects of surgery. Prior to RNY gastric bypass surgery, I lost 20 pounds just by giving up diet coke.

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April-mba I'm glad you are able to go for the RNY!!! I did have good results. I am so pleased with my results. As long as you follow your Surgeon's and your Nutritionist's guidelines you will do GREAT!! Hang on HON you are about to begin the BEST JOURNEY of your life!! You can DO THIS!!!

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Oh, I soooo wish I was in your shoes. I was banded about 6 years ago. I've never gotten below 200 lbs. I want to convert to RNY, but my insurance is being stupid. I have no Bariatric doctors close to me. The closest COVERED doctor is 1.5 hours away from me. I'm just lost and miserable.

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Since you asked for advice, I recommend you do three things prior to surgery.

1. Take a good before photograph of yourself, so that you have something to compare to after surgery. Many times we are blind to our obesity. We do not see ourselves. Therefore when the weight begins to drop off rather dramatically, we question if this is really happening. Photographs are a good visualization of our success. Many people carry a before and after photo with them, just to remind themselves of their success.

2. Walk 30 minutes each day, every day until surgery (or equivalent exercise). Walking helps the recovery process go smoothly and minimized the pain levels from surgery.

3. Wean yourself from caffeine and carbonated beverages now. After I gave up my 6 diet coke a day habit, I suffered from a week of severe withdrawal syndrome consisting of severe headaches and body aches. I was miserable. You don't want to combine the effects of caffeine withdrawal with the effects of surgery. Prior to RNY gastric bypass surgery, I lost 20 pounds just by giving up diet coke.

Thank you so much James for that awesome advice. I plan to follow all 3 of them because I want the best results possible.

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Oh, I soooo wish I was in your shoes. I was banded about 6 years ago. I've never gotten below 200 lbs. I want to convert to RNY, but my insurance is being stupid. I have no Bariatric doctors close to me. The closest COVERED doctor is 1.5 hours away from me. I'm just lost and miserable.

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I am having to travel 2.5 hours to a doctor that does the conversion but it's worth it to me to get it done. 1.5 is not bad for the few months until surgery. My first appointment is next week. I wish it was a closer doctor but it's not.

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Hello April I am also going for a revision from lapband to bypass after todays last appointment I am going to meet with my surgeon to set a date. Please keep me posted on how you are coming along and I will do the same!

Wonderful, what was the process like for you?? Please let me know how things go with you.

Those DARN Lap Bands!!! My hubby had his for 13 years and it malfunctioned. He couldn't hold down even Water. Long story short. He went in for a Revision Sept 2013. It had eroded into his liver they couldn't do the RNY they took the band out and his gallbladder. He got abscesses and was sick for 9 months, 3 months he doesn't even remember!! So just this last June we went to Mexico for his RNY ( had to pay cash because they don't bill your insurance) When they got in there his whole right side was solid scar tissue so he ended up getting the Sleeve. It isn't working too well for him. He is struggling with his mind hunger. I think he really needed the RNY because it is more restrictive and malo sorbent too. I'll bet you can't wait. being sick all of the time is not good. Which surgery are you looking into? I had the RNY July 2, 2013. I lost 124#'s in 6 months and have maintained my weight for 2 and 1/2 years!! It, in my opinion, is the very best surgery. But I do know people that have GREAT results from the Sleeve. Good Luck in whichever surgery you decide on. This is a GREAT place to come for information!!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using the BariatricPal App

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I had my revision to RNY in May and so happy with it.

My band also go to the point that liquids would not go thru and I was admitted to hospital several times due to dehydration. I also got immunity system problems due to the lack of proper nutrition.

No more Gerd, No more stuck foods, and also, enjoying healthy foods again like salads, meats and eggs, where I could not even try without getting stuck & sick.

Best to you on your revision.

That's great news. I know you are so glad to finally have something like the RNY. I'm looking forward to actually being able to eat healthy food and losing the weight.

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Bugaboo77 When I had my RNY I had to travel 2 hours from home to have it done. Then for the a week I had to stay in a Motel there. After I was seen my Surgeon I was released to go home. I did have to make quite a few trips back to see him because I had to have 5 endoscopes with 4 dilations so I made a few trips back and forth. It can be done, there are lots of people that have to travel to have WLS> Good Luck

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    • LeighaTR

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      1. Selina333

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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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