This is something I read ever so often:

"I'm getting a revision - but NOT because of weight REGAIN!!!!"

Like, users on here are so very eager to point out and make sure everyone knows that they're not getting their revision because of "weight regain" or "insufficient weight loss". So, in a "supportive" community people needing a revision make sure to let everyone know in advance that it's because of reflux or other things but NOT because of weight issues. Wow.

Don't get me wrong. If someone is getting a revision it's absolutely fine to tell people why if you want to. In fact I think it's indeed very important to talk about revisions because of complications like reflux etc. since having surgery is no piece of cake and **** happens all the time (e. g. look at what happened to Alex only recently). However, what rubs me the wrong way is this "but NOT because of weight issues", as if that would be something... dirty or naughty or something to look down upon.

I'm not even sure how that makes me feel exactly. Angry? Sad? Pissed? Disgusted? Anyway, I can't help but being struck by the sky-high judgement level within the WLS community when it comes to struggling with weight/food issues after surgery and needing a revision because of weight regain or because of not-making-it-to-goal-weight (goal weight being of course BMI below 25).

Very curious about the reactions coming my way now.

So true..... I've been on this site for quite a few years and seen a lot of comings and going. In fact when i first got here it was called Lapbandtalk.....

I did really well with the band and even my dr's (band, band remover and sleeve... all different) said i was not the "norm". that most for one don't keep off the weight that long with the band, and for sure most gain it all back after the band is removed (for whatever reason). When i went to the sleeve dr. he was very impressed that i had only gained 30lbs. in 2.5+ years.... I was, omg.... i gained 30lbs. lol..... It was making bad choices and eating more. For years i was never hungry... after removal... i remembered for sure. And i did start eating bread and rice again... Thank God i had the sense to stop.... I wanted the MGB, but this dr didn't do them and i didn't "weight" enough for GB.

So i started this journey at a 31 bmi...... 5'2" SW 173.5.... today... still at 144.4 (two days now). But i know that in a few days i'll start going back down. Not worried.

I have some really good friends that was sleeved. One, never lost a pound, one was a bandmember and hasn't lost anything, one was sleeved back in 2008, lost a lot and gained it all back. One sleeved 2017 and is gaining daily. I also have a close friend that had GB 1999 and i know she has put back an easy 70lbs or more.

I can chime in a little here about sleeve failure (although mine didn't fail me) This is from a surgeon's perspective not mine. And I've asked a few. I wish I would have recorded it.

Some people did not have the correct surgery for their needs.

Sleeve was originally part 1 of 2 of the Switch (DS) but it worked so well some people never needed to have part 2. Then insurance companies allowed it to be billed as a stand alone procedure. But that didnt mean everyone should have stopped at part 1, some people needed to go forward with part 2. (Goodbye honeymoon phase) When regain happens its seen as their fault instead of noncompletion of the process. Shame and guilt adds fuel to the fire and getting insurance companies to cover the "revision" without a complication is an epic battle.

But y'all heard this all before...

Edited November 8, 20196 yr by GreenTealael

10 hours ago, GreenTealael said:

But y'all heard this all before...

It can't be repeated often enough.

@BayougirlMrsS, for me a year out, having the sleeve is like following a fairly strict diet with a lot of help. The diet is easier to follow, but I still need to follow it.

I used to live in New Orleans and just spent 5 days in New Orleans and Mississippi. I was trying to be fairly good, but I drank more and ate off my plan more than I ever had before. At several restaurants in rural Mississippi, there was really nothing for me to eat, and I was taking clients out to lunch. I did the best I could and came home 2 lbs. up. Those 2 have already gone, but I can see how making this a habit would make the sleeve not very useful. I don't think the sleeve fails people (unless it gives them GERD) but people fail themselves by not prioritizing their weightloss goals. I also think it's OK if people DON'T want to prioritize their weight loss goals, but I'm not one of those people.