I’m new here

[wv_happy 2]

Hello!! I’m scheduled for my surgery for June 18th. Starting to feel a little nervous. I’m excited to start my new journey to better health. Anyone have any pointers for me? Anything would be greatly appreciated.

[James Marusek 5,244]

Welcome. As far as pointers:

I would recommend three things.

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.

[Orchids&Dragons 9,046]

Welcome! This is a very supportive and friendly community and I'm sure you'll receive a lot of great information. You may want to do a search for "band" to find people with your specific surgery. That isn't done nearly as often now. However, most of the advice is relevant whatever surgery you have done.

[Frustr8 7,886]

Welcome also, we are a fun group of people, sometimes very humorous, some days we cry with you, some days we'll cheer, but we accept and live and let live for the most part. We do,occasionally get Cranky Claras and Clarences, but that's just a part of life. Ask any questions you'd like, we will do our level best to give you a well- thought-out answer.😜

[Skinnygirl04 16]

Skinnytoobe hi!! I’m June 22 sleeve in Mexico!

[Matt Z 4,138]

8 hours ago, SkinnyTooBe said:

Hello!! I’m scheduled for my surgery for June 18th. Starting to feel a little nervous. I’m excited to start my new journey to better health. Anyone have any pointers for me? Anything would be greatly appreciated.

First, congrats on starting your WLS journey.

Second, Please do not take this as anything negative, but please do some research into the band, it's being phased out due to overhyped marketing and overwhelming under performance. Even the top 2 manufacturers are no longer making replacement parts, one company sold that portion of their business completely. There are far greater numbers of people that have had issues, complications or performance that was so subpar that they required revision to another WLS. I'm one of those revisions.

I was banded in November of 2011. Lost 70lbs or so, but that was it, I was stuck bounding back and forth between 300 - 310 (and sometimes a little higher) nothing I did would break that plateau. I got stuck on foods that should have been fine, I had issues with leafy greens... in the end I revised to RNY and wish I went that route from the start. I got lucky, I didn't have any symptoms of major complications, but my band was 100% encapsulated with scar tissue and took my surgical team over 3 times longer to remove than it should have... I don't even want to know what would have happened if I didn't have it removed.
Just a heads up, be informed and get all the information up front.
Whichever you choose, understand it's not going to be an easy ride, WLS is not the short cut fast track to a skinny you. It all takes time, effort, patience and practice.

Good Luck!

[Karen Kenney 61]

I agree with Matt Z, please re-think the band, I know someone that had major issues with hers and had to have it removed, she could not eat anything, was waisting away and very sick and malnourished. Kaiser won't even offer the band anymore because of so many problems that people have had.

[Karen Kenney 61]

oops sorry looks like you are removing the band you got in 2011and having the bypass?

[wv_happy 2]

23 hours ago, Matt Z said:

First, congrats on starting your WLS journey.

Second, Please do not take this as anything negative, but please do some research into the band, it's being phased out due to overhyped marketing and overwhelming under performance. Even the top 2 manufacturers are no longer making replacement parts, one company sold that portion of their business completely. There are far greater numbers of people that have had issues, complications or performance that was so subpar that they required revision to another WLS. I'm one of those revisions.

I was banded in November of 2011. Lost 70lbs or so, but that was it, I was stuck bounding back and forth between 300 - 310 (and sometimes a little higher) nothing I did would break that plateau. I got stuck on foods that should have been fine, I had issues with leafy greens... in the end I revised to RNY and wish I went that route from the start. I got lucky, I didn't have any symptoms of major complications, but my band was 100% encapsulated with scar tissue and took my surgical team over 3 times longer to remove than it should have... I don't even want to know what would have happened if I didn't have it removed.
Just a heads up, be informed and get all the information up front.
Whichever you choose, understand it's not going to be an easy ride, WLS is not the short cut fast track to a skinny you. It all takes time, effort, patience and practice.

Good Luck!

I was banded October 2011 and had complications from day 1. I had a very large hiatal hernia that needed to be repaired, and it wasn't. It took me 5 years and 3 months and 4 doctors later to find one that would remove it December 2016. It then took me another two doctors to make the hernia repair and do the gastric bypass for me on June 18.

Edited May 28, 2018 by wvpowergirl

[wv_happy 2]

21 hours ago, Karen Kenney said:

oops sorry looks like you are removing the band you got in 2011and having the bypass?

I was banded October 2011 and had complications from day 1. I had a very large hiatal hernia that needed to be repaired, and it wasn't. It took me 5 years and 3 months and 4 doctors later to find one that would remove it December 2016. It then took me another two doctors to make the hernia repair and do the gastric bypass for me on June 18.

[Frustr8 7,886]

The June 18th upcoming or were you a June 18 2017 person? Either way Hi to somebody nice in Charleston W Va!😝

[Matt Z 4,138]

49 minutes ago, wv_happy said:

I was banded October 2011 and had complications from day 1. I had a very large hiatal hernia that needed to be repaired, and it wasn't. It took me 5 years and 3 months and 4 doctors later to find one that would remove it December 2016. It then took me another two doctors to make the hernia repair and do the gastric bypass for me on June 18.

My Apologies, Didn't see the date on the side there, just that you were listed as a lap band, and you didn't state you were going in for revision. Good luck on everything! I hit 50 lbs lost today since my pre-surgical check in on March 2nd!

[angyplus5 470]

Welcome WV Happy!!!

Sent from my SM-G930VL using BariatricPal mobile app

[Kimber628 31]

I am new here, as well!! My surgery is 6/26 and I am converting from sleeve to bypass due to severe reflux. I thought medicine was doing well but I have too much damage. Scary stuff.

[Orchids&Dragons 9,046]

1 minute ago, Kimber628 said:

I am new here, as well!! My surgery is 6/26 and I am converting from sleeve to bypass due to severe reflux. I thought medicine was doing well but I have too much damage. Scary stuff.

Welcome, Kimber! You'll find quite a few people who have had or are planning sleeve-to-RNY revision surgeries. Hopefully you'll click with some folks following your same path!