I had my band placed on in April, 2006. The first year was a breeze and I lost a ton of weight. In month 13 of my journey, I was overfilled and slipped my band. Since then, I seemed to have developed an intolerance for my band. I have slipped it twice, constantly choke on my food, and have been miserable.

On April 2nd, I will be revising from the lapband to the gastric sleeve. Dr. Aceves will be doing the revision in Mexico. I have decided to chronicle my experience here, so others that have band issues and decide to convert can have an idea of what to expect.

I spoke with Nina, the patient coordinator yesterday and we now have everything scheduled. I am excited and nervous all at the same time. I will leave here on April 1st, have my surgery on the 2nd and return home on the 5th. My mother will be accompanying me on the trip.

Nina advised me that Dr. Aceves is concerned about swelling due to the problems I have had with my band. Therefore, I am going this week for a complete unfill. Then, seven days before my surgery, I have to go on a complete liquid diet. This should alleviate any swelling issues and the chances of having to have the band removed and then go back at a later date for the sleeve. It is very important to me that I get this all done at the same time.

I am looking forward to this, and feel like I have been given a new opportunity at life. To those who have helped me to be able to get the sleeve, thank you. Because of you, I now am looking forward to enjoying life again, instead of living in misery.

I will update as I go through this journey.

WASa, My friend never did have WLS mainly because her husband said no. She has serious health issues and many women in her family have had problems with WLS over the past decade. Her sister almost lost her life twice after RNY! The military insurance paid for WLS & PS. She developed staph infections in the hospital after PS. The military kept moving her family around and it got to where no one would touch her. My friend looks to me as a role model but I am not the bandster to provide encouragement. My results are not great but that's my own fault.

So, I feel you about social eating and the band. But can you tell the doctor how large you want your stomach to be with the sleeve? What if it only holds 4 oz and you are at a restaurant. Wouldn't you have to choose--do I eat the salad first or leave it? Doesn't it look like your whole meal goes home in a doggy bag? And the stomach will always stay the same size right?

WASa, My friend never did have WLS mainly because her husband said no. She has serious health issues and many women in her family have had problems with WLS over the past decade. Her sister almost lost her life twice after RNY! The military insurance paid for WLS & PS. She developed staph infections in the hospital after PS. The military kept moving her family around and it got to where no one would touch her. My friend looks to me as a role model but I am not the bandster to provide encouragement. My results are not great but that's my own fault.

So, I feel you about social eating and the band. But can you tell the doctor how large you want your stomach to be with the sleeve? What if it only holds 4 oz and you are at a restaurant. Wouldn't you have to choose--do I eat the salad first or leave it? Doesn't it look like your whole meal goes home in a doggy bag? And the stomach will always stay the same size right?

You can usually get them to go a little bigger but I darn sure didn't want that. I want tiny and that's what I got. I maintain without effort.

It's a trade off, you can have a bigger stomach and use will power to control portions (HA!) or eat normal size portions every single time.

I do not look at obesity as an addiction to food at all, I look at it as an obsession. With that said wanting to overeat at a restaurant is really no different from an alcoholic wanting to drink just on weekends.

WLS takes the fun out of eating but that's a good thing. We tend to enjoy food, restaurants, etc., a little too much and that is what got us fat.

WASa, My friend never did have WLS mainly because her husband said no. She has serious health issues and many women in her family have had problems with WLS over the past decade. Her sister almost lost her life twice after RNY! The military insurance paid for WLS & PS. She developed staph infections in the hospital after PS. The military kept moving her family around and it got to where no one would touch her. My friend looks to me as a role model but I am not the bandster to provide encouragement. My results are not great but that's my own fault.

So, I feel you about social eating and the band. But can you tell the doctor how large you want your stomach to be with the sleeve? What if it only holds 4 oz and you are at a restaurant. Wouldn't you have to choose--do I eat the salad first or leave it? Doesn't it look like your whole meal goes home in a doggy bag? And the stomach will always stay the same size right?

I believe you can stretch out the stomach but why would you want to? As for eating out, I would much rather just skip the appetizers and dessert and enjoy the entree. If the portion is too much, I can either give out taste portions to those who might want some or bring it home. I would much rather have people commenting on how little I am eating as opposed to how much. LOL.

Not to change the subject, but the family is having pizza right now. I so want to just take a bite, chew it and then spit it out. Just for the taste. But, no, instead I am being good and sitting here eating my soup.

Did anyone notice any kind of change in their cycle or anything? I started my period today and am having the worst cramps I have ever experienced in my entire life.

Not to change the subject, but the family is having pizza right now. I so want to just take a bite, chew it and then spit it out. Just for the taste. But, no, instead I am being good and sitting here eating my soup.

Just keep reminding yourself.. you CAN have pizza again, just not this minute. You are not depriving yourself, it's just that this very minute isn't the best time. You'll have it later and you will.

Did anyone notice any kind of change in their cycle or anything? I started my period today and am having the worst cramps I have ever experienced in my entire life.

Absolutely. Some female hormones are stored in fat cells. You are losing weight like crazy right now. I have had a half dozen cycles in the last 2.5 years... all since surgery. Some have more/harder cycles and some (like me) get off easy. ;o)

ETA.... do you have any Toradol left from surgery?

I find I enjoy going out to eat more now because I spend more time talking and visiting and less time shoveling food into my mouth. :wub:

I actually took some of the Toradol before going to bed last night, thinking it might help the cramps. Thank goodness, it did.

I didn't cave to the pizza craving. I just reminded myself how important it is to keep my staple line intact and that it isn't like this was my last opportunity ever to have pizza. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future to eat it.

That toradol put me in a coma! LOL. I hope you're feeling better today.

You're doing great Susan. I would be unhappy if someone ate pizza in front of me. I will probably be just like I was when I did the post op diet after banding. I stayed away from people who were eating. I live alone so luckily, there will be nobody eating pizza in front of me.

I probably would have wanted to drink some pizza sauce!

Believe me, I wanted to liquify it. My son told me next week, I could just eat the topping for a mushy food.

I just wasn't up for soup tonight, so I went for a protein shake instead, as I am way down on my protein intake. I have to say, this one is quite tasty. I used one tablespoon of peanut butter, one package of stage 1 banana baby food, one packet of splenda, 1 cup of fat free milk and two tablespoons of Whey peanut butter/chocolate flavored protein. This actually reminds me of the peanut butter fudge sundae from Sonic's that I love. Yummy.

Susan: How long does it take you to drink/eat something like the protien shake you described?

That sounds yummy Susan. I really like the peanut butter shake mix.

Hey guys,

Well, I haven't been around much the past few days, did anyone notice I went missing? :thumbup:

On Wednesday, I started having a lot of pain under my right breast area. I started noticing that if I breathed real deep it hurt. Then, as the pain increased, I also noticed that when I drank, it hurt. So, being the dummy that I am, I started drinking less and less. All while continuing to have diarrhea on Wednesday and Thursday. My nausea had become worse, I was very lightheaded and felt like I was fighting a constant battle not to vomit.

By Friday night, I finally succumbed and went to the emergency room. I was released from there about 10:30 last night. I went in thinking something had gone wrong with my sleeve surgery. It turns out, what was wrong with me pretty much had nothing to do with the sleeve. I did get severely dehydrated and was put on IV fluids. They took four vials of blood, two urine samples, an EKG, ultrasound and a cat scan. By the time we got through all this it was determined that other than a little swelling, which is to be expected, I am healing beautifully from the sleeve surgery. However, I have a major urinary tract infection and there is a bunch of "sludge" in my gall bladder. The doctors said that is probably where my nausea and pain is coming from and that it looks like my gall bladder has to go. Just what I wanted to hear, more surgery.

So anyways, I was discharged with antibiotics, meds to help with the nausea and new pain medicine. Oh, and an order that I need to follow-up with a surgeon by Tuesday at the latest on my gall bladder. They said he might be willing to wait to take it out a few weeks based on the fact that I just had surgery, but at the same time, with the amount of pain I am having, that is unlikely.

So, that is where I have been the past few days and what is going on with me. Just thought I would update you.