Roll Call...All having a Revision From Band to RNY Come on In

[Violetflame 0]

me too, everything was submitted May 21. Three weeks waiting.......... my dr submitted gerd, esophagitis, gastritis, band intolerence. praying for relief:crying: i am so sick of sleeping in a chair and swilling maalox on the rox. i want to rip it out myself!!

[jmarruda 22]

Tell me about it. I never thought I'd say this, but I am so sick of eating ice cream for dinner.....

[Nanook 2]

Good luck all you peeps going for RNY. I had mine on Thursday and it was a killer but is getting better every day. Unlike my daugher I'm able to get all my meds in and my supplements but I'm still on liquids and have no appetite. In fact food kind of turns me off! That was an issue for me with the lap band and thank God this seems to be working:thumbup:. Anyway let us know how things progress, Nancy.

Edited June 18, 2009 by Nanook

[jmarruda 22]

Good luck all you peeps going for RNY. I had mine on Thursday and it was a killer but is getting better every day. Unlike my daugher I'm able to get all my meds in and my supplements but I'm still on liquids and have no appetite. In fact food kind of turns me off! That was an issue for me with the lap band and thank God this seems to be working:thumbup:. Anyway let us know how things progress, Nancy.

So Exciting....Love the fact that food is turning you off...So there is hope for some of us!!! Keep us updated with your progress!

[Nanook 2]

JMCam.....

I still think I want to eat something but when it actually comes down to doing so I feel totally different about it. Plus you have a definite restriction which should relax at some point in time. For me it's a couple tablespoons of Protein at a time if I'm lucky. High sugar food makes me feel somewhat ill and I don't crave them like I had before. I'm going on my 4th week and do look forward to some enjoyment out of food again which I hear and see from my daughter will happen eventually. At this point it's hard to believe though, Nancy.

[Bimbabe 1]

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Quote:

Originally Posted by BrendaNNC

Hello, I'm a 59 year old lady and I'm trying to decide on having the LAP-BAND®® or the Gastric Bypass. I weigh 236 and I'm 5'4". I'm a type II diabetic on oral medication and take one blood pressure medication. Please advise!!!!! I live in Raleigh, NC.

Hi and nice to meet you. My name is Sue. Okay, so here is MY story....(lots o' details, I will try to be brief)

I attended an information session, here in decatur, GA in 2006, my weight was 247 at 5'8". I was 100% sold on having LAP-BAND®. I did extensive research (I am a Nurse Practitioner, by the way) and STILL was 100% FOR LAP-BAND®. Unfortunately, I let my dad and husband talk me out of having it done. Fast forward to Jan 2008. By then I was up to 267, this is after going on yet another diet, my fasting blood sugar was 119, I was put on metformin. There was a information session on 05/14/2008, which I attended the MD was Scott Steinberg, who I love. Anyway he discussed the LAP-BAND® and GBS. Again, I left thinking I am going to get the LAP-BAND®, of course! So, I did more research and discovered that the cure for type II DM, is gastric bypass! What???? I then began doing more research and found that there is a 99% cure rate for type II DM with gastric bypass. That is when I started changing my mind. The things I did not like about gastric bypass, was the malabsorption issues and the potential for dumping syndrome (I will go back to that in a min.)

Anyway, I told my dad, mom and hubby that I had to do this...for me!

I have BCBS PPO and the office people were GREAT! They gave me a list of things I needed to submit and viola! After my psych clearance, I was given a date. 10/14/2008, the day before my 44th birthday. On the day of surgery, I weighed 275, I was sooo nervous and scared. Everything went well. My recovery was quite painless. I did have to stay overnight, not too bad.

Then when I got home I began walking 3 miles per day. I checked my blood sugars, and found after week 1 I no longer needed the metformin.

I am almost 1 year out and I weigh....(drumroll please) 185! I still have a way to go and a lot more to learn, but I am on my way for sure.

Some caveats:

Protein: use powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury.com. It is the best tasting Protein shakes you can think of. I have a cup of chocolate soy milk (I don't like cow's milk) with a scoop of the vanilla Unjury and I really feel like I am have a milk shake every morning

Vitamins, Calcium and vit. B: DO IT everyday, if you don't you will have NO energy. I get my Vitamin B12 and bcomplex from biartricadvantage.com They have different flavors of the Calcium mint, chocolate, etc. Yummy!

Exercise: DO IT, I must admit, I am not the best at this. I do yoga every morning and evening. I was someone who could not imagine working out everyday, but I do, walk, it will speed up your weight loss!

DUMPING: DON NOT DO THIS!! :cryin g:If you eat too many carbs, it will happen. You will feel as though you are having a heart attack. Of course, I had to challenge this by having a HUGE piece of cake. Well, i dumped. What is dumping??? Basically, your metabolism changes, so when you eat too many carbs, as you know your body produces and sends out massive amounts of insulin. Remember, if you have gastric bypass your body does not absorb all of that sugar. The small intestine is bypassed, so it goes straight to your gut. This is like taking 5000U of insulin, very scary and dangerous. My husband wanted to take me to the ER, and I refused I was too embarrassed, it did pass, but I really really will never do that again. I prayed to HIM to let me get through it! Thank God for Jesus, really.

One more thing: the people who have had the band the same time I had the GBS, have lost about 50% less weight than I have.

Questions.....let me know!!!

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,280]

Reposted from obesityhelp.com

Post Date: 5/9/09 1:29 pm

In my case, I actually went for the LAP-BAND®, loved it and wanted to keep it; however, mine slipped one year out having lost 75lbs.

Six weeks after replacing my band (Surgery#2), I then found that I would need to undergo gall bladder surgery (#3).

My second band was never as pleasant as the first. It was not seated in the same place and I was never able to get the restriction I needed.

I was either over-filled causing esophagitis, or under-filled due to having to let my esophagus heal. I struggled to maintain the loss I had accomplished and wound up gaining about 25lbs back. The cycle of unfill/fill became a rather large nuisance and I got no satisfaction. My esophagus and pouch took a beating and tended to stretch and slip. I was looking at yet another surgery to replace/remove and/or constant and continual damage to the esophagus and fear of stretching the pouch and slippage.

Luckily, my first slippage was uneventful with no pain or necrosis of the stomach. Not everyone is so lucky and I had no guarantee my next episode would be as fortunate.

I have blood clotting issues and take coumadin and had to be very aware that any bleeding event could be life-threatening.

Not wanting to undo what I had done and having spent 4 yrs dealing with the band, I decided to make this journey a permanent one and give in to the RNY I had attempted to avoid in the beginning.

I started this Quest in 2002, shortly after the clinical trials for LAP-BAND®. I spent that 4 yrs sharing my successes and being one of the original 'rah rah' cheerleaders for the band. I loved it and I loved being a part of a wonderful community of pioneers in this awesome technology. It just turned out that longterm is not always what it seems (or what we dream it will be) in the beginning.

Each person's journey is very unique. One has to make the choices that seem right at the time and educate themselves, try to keep in mind that there are NO absolutes with any of these life/body altering surgeries. Avoid placing yourself in any faction that says any surgery is the best over others or that anyone else is in any way inferior to you, your doctor or your choice of surgery.

This is not a competition, it is a struggle to save lives and change lives and it is hard to bring your own mind and body together to achieve the ultimate goal. Avoid getting caught up in the 'now' and the honeymoon and see yourself 2 yrs out, 5 yrs out, 10 yrs and 20 yrs.

What are you willing to deal with? Do you have the time or money to maintain the band? Will your doctor be within reach if you have a sudden setback?

Will you be moving to a different city? Will anyone there take you on as a patient? Will they take you if there are problems?

RNY presents it's own set of problems/opportunities?

Everything you put in your mouth goes straight to the gut. Some things sit and stay awhile, many will go straight through, sometimes suddenly and inconveniently. Sometimes even painfully.

Are you aware that what you could eat pre-surgery may not be tolerable at all post op? Lactose intolerance is very common and can be a pretty painful and inconvenient surprise.

Dumping on sugar/fat/carbs can be your friend, but is frustrating. Once you've made the mistake of swallowing something, you can't take it back. You just have to own it for what it is, whether you're at work, out with friends and family, or in the comfort of your home, near your own bathroom, couch or bed. Sometimes it passes quickly, sometimes it can take hours out of your day. Some say it goes away or gets better with time and of course, knowledge of what may cause it and the discipline to avoid it at all cost. At 17 months out, I still have it and I can't say I've become so perfect that I have learned to avoid it at all costs. I am, however, a work in progress. :-)

You experiment with what works and what you just can't deal with, especially if you work away from home, travel, etc. You learn to locate bathrooms, probably with all the surgery choices. Do you have the discipline it takes to take the necessary Vitamins and Protein necessary to maintain your health and muscle mass? It's necessary with all choices, but even moreso with RNY.

The weight loss can be extremely fast. Are you okay with the sagging skin that may become your battlescars? Are you okay with your face possibly becoming gaunt and bones showing that you never knew you had? Do you have a plan that might be helpful to lessen this, such as exercise? How do you feel about the possibly loss of your girlish curves? Will you want to have plastics done if everything doesn't turn out looking like you had dreamed? Will you be able to afford it? Will your health allow it?

These are all just lessons learned over a period of 7 yrs of intense research and experience. I no longer participate in the cheerleading, not because I'm not totally excited that today I wear a size 2 petite (which I'd prefer to be a 6 or 8 or 10) as opposed to the 22/24 I began with, but because I see and have participated and I have learned that there is a future yet to be seen no matter the choice and sometimes, though we all mean well we can and do eventually get to retract some of those 'absolutes' we so eagerly profess early on out of our own excitement or need to be 'helpful' or heard.

My most sincere advise is to think about who you are today, what resources do you have and what are your tolerances, your strengths and weaknesses. What could change in the way of those resources and/or where will you be physically? Will the doctor you choose be the doctor you'll still be seeing 5 yrs from now? Do you sabotage yourself now? What will you be willing to do to avoid it going forward? Do you exercise now? Where will the discipline come from afterward if you don't do it today?

It is so easy to envision all the great and wonderful things that can come from losing weight and there are many, but none of these surgeries are magic. They sure do help, but there is that reality that it is 'I' who must make the sacrifices and take the risks that may entail and see things as clearly and realistically as possible, not just the dream.

Spend as much time as you will looking at all choices. Listen to what new post ops have to say about their 'now', but spend more time listening to those who have some time behind them. There is valuable knowledge to be gained by those who've come through the initial periods of transition, trials, error and successes over the long haul. They can save you a lot of your own mistakes if you can take what they have already learned and apply it to your own unique journey.

I apologize that this is so long and I hope it's not a downer. It's not meant to be, but I do believe it's important for every prospective weight loss surgery patient to ask themselves ALL these things and know there is far more to this than just that initial 'YAY I'm losing weight!!' period.

I wish you all immense success and a new-found health with whatever choice you ultimately make.

Wow… Leatha. This is probably the best and most well written post I’ve seen about WLS anywhere. I’m actually going to copy and paste this and keep it forever. I hope everyone on this site sees this and not only reads it, but fully comprehends everything you had to say.

How are you doing? I’d really love to hear from you. I see you wrote this 5 months ago…

[Nanook 2]

Lilmissdiva,

You're right that was a good post. From the beginning when I joined here I was having issues with the band and looking for answers. Was it me, was it the band, was it the wrong procedure for me, maybe all three. It was a very frustrating time especially when I felt like "I" was the only one not losing weight with the band. Anyway that's in the past as it's removed and I revised to RNY and feel like I've really been given a second chance now and still pinch myself and yes there's a lot of skin to pinch especially on them there batwings!

Anyway good luck to all who go through WLS and I hope we all pick the right procedure the first time but if we have to do it a second well so be it! Nancy.:thumbup:

[married 0]

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Quote:

Originally Posted by BrendaNNC

Hello, I'm a 59 year old lady and I'm trying to decide on having the LAP-BAND®® or the Gastric Bypass. I weigh 236 and I'm 5'4". I'm a type II diabetic on oral medication and take one blood pressure medication. Please advise!!!!! I live in Raleigh, NC.

Hi and nice to meet you. My name is Sue. Okay, so here is MY story....(lots o' details, I will try to be brief)

I attended an information session, here in decatur, GA in 2006, my weight was 247 at 5'8". I was 100% sold on having LAP-BAND®. I did extensive research (I am a Nurse Practitioner, by the way) and STILL was 100% FOR LAP-BAND®. Unfortunately, I let my dad and husband talk me out of having it done. Fast forward to Jan 2008. By then I was up to 267, this is after going on yet another diet, my fasting blood sugar was 119, I was put on metformin. There was a information session on 05/14/2008, which I attended the MD was Scott Steinberg, who I love. Anyway he discussed the LAP-BAND® and GBS. Again, I left thinking I am going to get the LAP-BAND®, of course! So, I did more research and discovered that the cure for type II DM, is gastric bypass! What???? I then began doing more research and found that there is a 99% cure rate for type II DM with gastric bypass. That is when I started changing my mind. The things I did not like about gastric bypass, was the malabsorption issues and the potential for dumping syndrome (I will go back to that in a min.)

Anyway, I told my dad, mom and hubby that I had to do this...for me!

I have BCBS PPO and the office people were GREAT! They gave me a list of things I needed to submit and viola! After my psych clearance, I was given a date. 10/14/2008, the day before my 44th birthday. On the day of surgery, I weighed 275, I was sooo nervous and scared. Everything went well. My recovery was quite painless. I did have to stay overnight, not too bad.

Then when I got home I began walking 3 miles per day. I checked my blood sugars, and found after week 1 I no longer needed the metformin.

I am almost 1 year out and I weigh....(drumroll please) 185! I still have a way to go and a lot more to learn, but I am on my way for sure.

Some caveats:

Protein: use unjury.com. It is the best tasting Protein shakes you can think of. I have a cup of chocolate soy milk (I don't like cow's milk) with a scoop of the vanilla Unjury and I really feel like I am have a milk shake every morning

Vitamins, Calcium and vit. B: DO IT everyday, if you don't you will have NO energy. I get my Vitamin B12 and bcomplex from biartricadvantage.com They have different flavors of the calcium mint, chocolate, etc. Yummy!

Exercise: DO IT, I must admit, I am not the best at this. I do yoga every morning and evening. I was someone who could not imagine working out everyday, but I do, walk, it will speed up your weight loss!

DUMPING: DON NOT DO THIS!! :cryin g:If you eat too many carbs, it will happen. You will feel as though you are having a heart attack. Of course, I had to challenge this by having a HUGE piece of cake. Well, i dumped. What is dumping??? Basically, your metabolism changes, so when you eat too many carbs, as you know your body produces and sends out massive amounts of insulin. Remember, if you have gastric bypass your body does not absorb all of that sugar. The small intestine is bypassed, so it goes straight to your gut. This is like taking 5000U of insulin, very scary and dangerous. My husband wanted to take me to the ER, and I refused I was too embarrassed, it did pass, but I really really will never do that again. I prayed to HIM to let me get through it! Thank God for Jesus, really.

One more thing: the people who have had the band the same time I had the GBS, have lost about 50% less weight than I have.

Questions.....let me know!!!

I had my band removed in Dec and am hoping to get approved for bypass. Have you had and problems with Iron and/or ferritin (sp)? levels?

[married 0]

jmcambra,

The thing about the Lap band is that it can take up to 3 years for you to lose the weight. It's a much slower pace and that isn't necessarily a bad thing because in the long run, you are bound to keep it off.

I can understand how frustrated you must be after 2 years and only losing 50 lbs. I am very happy that I was able to have the band removed and converted over to Gastric Bypass because the band was really the wrong choice for me to begin with. I think that if you talk things over with your doctor, the two of you will come to the right decision for you. Be sure to write down all of your questions ahead of time to take with you so that you are able to get all of the answers. Note: there is risk involved with the RNY and luckily I haven't had any problems. I don't know anyone personally that has had any problems but there is always the risk which is something else that you need to discuss with your doctor.

Yes, I admit that I was a little bit scared as they rolled me into surgery, but I knew deep down that it was the right thing to do. I was amazed how I was able to get up and sit in a chair later that afternoon. I felt better each and every day after surgery. The pain was minimal for me and the binder that they put on you really helps when getting up and down or out of bed. I used mine for at least the first 4-5 weeks after surgery. The big reason I used mine longer was because I had basically 2 surgeries in one. They went in Laporscopically and at the very end had to open me all the way up due to not being able to reach a couple areas to put in staples.

There is long term commitment though that you must be willing to make after going through this surgery. This is a life change and if you are not willing to follow the guidelines that are set forth by your surgeon, you will fail. I must take a multi-Vitamin with Iron and Calcium with citrate every day. I also must take Vitamin B-12 (1000mg) once a week. On top of that I must pay attention to all food labels and be sure that I am not taking in more than 6 grams of Fat & Sugar during each meal. I also must get in 65-70 grams of Protein each day. Hopefully you have already found a Protein brand that you like but if not you will need to try some different types to see which one is for you.

I get my protein in by having a Protein shake, protein liquid, or protein found in my meals. My favorite Protein powder is unjury (chocolate Flavor) 20g of protein in each scoop. I mix this with 8 ounces of Skim Milk (8g) and it provides me with 28g of my daily protein. Unjury has many different flavors and you can also purchase individual packets to try different ones. I also purchased some of the New whey Liquid Protein (42g) bullets. They look like a large test-tube and hold 3 oz. of pure protein. I must also note that your taste buds will change some after surgery. I noticed that a packet of sugar free Kool aid was much sweeter after surgery; therefore I must mix additional Water in it to lessen the sweetness.

I'm dedicated to doing the right things so I keep a journal of everything that I eat. I got a journal called Diet Minder on Amazon for $10. It was well worth it because provides you the ability to track everything that you eat along with the calories, fat, carbs, protein, Fiber, and sugar. It also provides an area for tracking 8 glasses of Water, Snacks, Vitamins, and exercise. There is also a section to set goals.

I'm sure that there are some people out there who have had Gastric Bypass surgery but don't bother to follow any of the rules behind it because they think that the weight will just fall off. I've seen some people go right back to their bad eating habits and eventually gain back all the weight plus some. You must be serious about this commitment and doing all of the things that your surgeon/dietician recommends. As long as you follow the guidelines and teach yourself a new and healthier way to eat, you will be successful when having the Gastric Bypass done.

I hope that I have been able to provide you with the information that you were looking for. Let me know if you have any more questions.....Best of Luck, Marie

Can I ask when you say they opened you up was it a vertical or a bikini cut? I have had both a vertical and a bikini when I had prior abdominal surgeries and the vertical was a killer. Thats why I am curious. Thanks

[kimlparker 0]

Hello everyone; I'm new to posting but I've been on this site since my initial lap band surgery 12/12/07. I would like to ask some questions as it seems I'm a complete lap band failure and my surgeon is recommending revision to Gastric Bypass. I initially lost 36 lbs with the band during the spring of 2008 and maintained the weight until January 2009 when I gained 26 lbs back due to physical problems with my neck (three herniated discs). I was not exercising, and was eating basically a small amount of whatever I wanted, but still had restriction and would pb ocassionally. After my neck surgery that spring I had "the worst slip" my doctor had ever seen, and since the symptoms of the slip began 3 weeks after my neck surgery, regurgitation of the stomach during extubation was the given reason. I had an emergency lap band revision with placement of a new band (Realize, this time) on June 19, 2009. Immediately after getting the new band I lost the 26 lbs I had gained and felt good. This band, however, is larger than my former and has only been filled to 2cc's. Each time I went to have a fill, the Fluid would come back up in the needle, showing how tightly the lap band already was. After the summer I starting gaining weight again, most likely because I was having PB problems with small meals, and no complications from grazing. In January 2010 I was shocked to find that I had gained 20 lbs. After a second neck surgery in February of this year, I began exercising five days a week on the treadmill, walking, then jogging. Despite this and eating the right foods and small portions, basically doing all I was supposed to do, I gained another ten pounds. Okay, I buy that some of that could have muscle, but ten pounds? It's been three months that I've been working out, have tried Weight Watchers tracking system, drink Protein Shakes every day, and I haven't budged. I now weigh just 6 lbs less than when I started in 2007! I am positively confounded by this and yesterday went to see my surgeon for a consult/fill. Since I am now frequently regurgitating after meals, my doctor recommended a revision to Gastric Bypass.

I am so confused. I am fed up with the pbing and regurgitation and vomiting and pain from being stuck after eating as little as half a piece of salmon (and yes, I chew alot and eat slowly). Also I'm livid at my body for not cooperating with my efforts and exercise, and at this point I feel like my metabolism has slipped into nothingness. For all these reasons, I am considering this revision. Am I moving too fast? Has anyone ever had this happen to them? If I go through with the revision, howdo I know I won't still vomit frequently? I'm looking for some advice from people who have problems with the band and have considered/done this revision. I really appreciate all your help as I feel I am at a new crossroads in my weight loss journey.

Thank you,

Kim

[married 0]

Had the band in for a year and it slipped. Was unsuccessful at losing weight ...so to make a long story short I just had RNY. I am two weeks out of surgery. Someone from this site advised me to go over to obesityhelp.com and go to revisions. Theres a wealth of info over there on revision surgery. FYI...my RNY surgery took four and a half hours due to all the damage done to my stomach from the band. My surgeon refused to put in another band saying they very often fail on the second attempt and recommended RNY although I know some people have been successful the second time around.

[Nanook 2]

Married,

Good luck to you in your recovery, Nancy.

[married 0]

Hey Nancy! Thank you so much. I have gotten alot of good info over at OH. Thank you so much for the information. I cant wait to start losing weight. Talk again soon. Thanks!

[terilynn112 1]

I am newly surgically approved for a revision from band to RNY. I have had my band for close to two years. Will go directly from band to bypass. The "plan" at this point is september will be my surgery.

teri