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.

I am glad I like them. I like them a lot in fact. I thought you said you like the whey gourmet pb and chocolate?

There are also some recipes on the food section of good ways to jazz them up.

Susan, did you ever get any of the hot chocolate?

Cottage cheese is also pretty high in protein.

The peanut butter one is good, but I think I drank so much on the fluids part that I just can't stomach them much now. I do have the hot chocolate, but when it is ninety degrees, hot chocolate does not appeal to me.

I am not getting anywhere near the recommended amount of protein either. However, I just cannot tolerate the protein drinks. So, I am doing the best I can with the amount of food my tiny tummy will let me consume.

I had dinner at my parents for Mother's Day. They barbecued chicken, potatoes, green beans, fruit salad and bread. I had about four bites of chicken and two green beans and was stuffed. Now, my mom is calling me every day because her and my father are very concerned that I cannot possibly survive on that little bit of food. But, what can I do, if I eat a bite more, I fear I will explode!

LOL. Isn't it strange how people tell you to lose weight and then think you'll perish when you eat less? My colleague at work told me I was not eating enough (one of two people who know I had the surgery) and I told her I could easily live off my own fat for a year! LOL.

I had dinner at my parents for Mother's Day. They barbecued chicken, potatoes, green beans, fruit salad and bread. I had about four bites of chicken and two green beans and was stuffed. Now, my mom is calling me every day because her and my father are very concerned that I cannot possibly survive on that little bit of food. But, what can I do, if I eat a bite more, I fear I will explode!

You've just had surgery! If you had just had some regular stomach surgery and not WLS, I bet they wouldn't have that reaction because they'd just accept it as temporary -- which it is.

People are weird. :thumbup:

LOL. Isn't it strange how people tell you to lose weight and then think you'll perish when you eat less?

Exactly.

I forgot it was hot there. It's 50 degrees here.

I bought some tomato soup from my dr.'s office today. it's 80 calories and has 15 grams of protein and only 4 carbs. I am concerned about keeping my protein up because I was told protein is necessary for healing as well as I don't want my hair falling out again. It's been over 2 years since banding and it's still not recovered.

I forgot it was hot there. It's 50 degrees here.

I bought some tomato soup from my dr.'s office today. it's 80 calories and has 15 grams of protein and only 4 carbs. I am concerned about keeping my protein up because I was told protein is necessary for healing as well as I don't want my hair falling out again. It's been over 2 years since banding and it's still not recovered.

Healing is complete in 99% of patients at 4-6 weeks. My hair thinned out a lot about a 18 months after I got the band and it turned out I had hypothyroidism. Synthroid solved that problem but I only got to the right dose 2 months ago.

You should ask your MD to check your ferritin level to see if you have iron deficiency anemia. My hemaglobin was always great so nobody ever checked mine. My cardiologist did and found my iron saturation to be 4% (should be over 15%). After a GI and hematology consult, it was determined I don't absorb iron. I get it intravenously as needed.

Are you taking vitamins? You should be taking a B-complex and a multi in the least. I take a prescribed B6, B12, folate combination.

About how much protein to you take in per day? I don't come close to 60-70 grams/day but my blood work is all normal and I feel fine.

I am not getting in 60-70 grams either. My blood work is also normal, I feel great and I am losing weight and, with all the exercise, gaining muscle. Untill I see something negative physically, I will continue as I have been. I do still do a protein shake in the am to keep the number up. I did not like the protein hot chocolate. I also love veggies, so I follow the "macmadame plan" where I eat a little veggies first, then follow with protein. I don't have room yet to finish off with veggies.

I am trying to decide wether I want to have the band reversed and get the sleeve. My band is making me very unhappy. My family is now at the point of annoyance at meals. I cook every night and sit down to eat w/ my family. First or second bite gets stuck and I'm off to the bathroom. Not alot of fun, then once I bring up whatever was stuck I can eat but they are all usually finished and its wrecking family time.

My Dr. is a sweetheart and told me that the band is only one of many things that we can try. That I shouldn't give up the band is not for everyone!!!!

The reason I went with the band is because I have never heard of any deaths related to the surgery or complications. Also that I love to cook and we are very healthy eaters I'm the only one that is over weight in my house and we all eat the same things. Plus if I were to have complications I could have it fixed.

I'm so scared to have the sleeve, just a bad fear of problems arising and having no where to go and to live very unhappy.

I got banded in sept 08 and have only lost 15-20lbs. All of which was by dec 08. I'm grateful that the weight came off but like all other things I've tried 20lbs gone then some how found again. Dr. told me that we can try a fill again but the stuff i can actually get down will not be able to go down. I need some help here please anyone with advise good or bad!!!!

Don't get another fill if you're getting food stuck now. Being too tight is not good and not the road to weight loss.

In fact, you may consider getting a slight untill. People don't eat right when they are too tight.

I am trying to decide wether I want to have the band reversed and get the sleeve. My band is making me very unhappy. My family is now at the point of annoyance at meals. I cook every night and sit down to eat w/ my family. First or second bite gets stuck and I'm off to the bathroom.

Repeated vomiting is not good and can lead to severe complications including cancer of the esophagus.

Not alot of fun, then once I bring up whatever was stuck I can eat but they are all usually finished and its wrecking family time.

My Dr. is a sweetheart and told me that the band is only one of many things that we can try. That I shouldn't give up the band is not for everyone!!!!

Finally! Most surgeons blame the patient for failing the band and not the band for failing the patient. Your MD has common sense.

The reason I went with the band is because I have never heard of any deaths related to the surgery or complications. Also that I love to cook and we are very healthy eaters I'm the only one that is over weight in my house and we all eat the same things.

I found the band made it difficult to eat a healthy diet. With the sleeve, you eat whatever you like in much smaller portions. It allows you to eat healthy.

Plus if I were to have complications I could have it fixed.

I'm so scared to have the sleeve, just a bad fear of problems arising and having no where to go and to live very unhappy.

Countless people have had all or part of their stomach removed for medical reasons and they live a full life. Why worry?

I got banded in sept 08 and have only lost 15-20lbs. All of which was by dec 08. I'm grateful that the weight came off but like all other things I've tried 20lbs gone then some how found again. Dr. told me that we can try a fill again but the stuff i can actually get down will not be able to go down. I need some help here please anyone with advise good or bad!!!!

I don't know how much weight you needed to lose but 20 pounds lost since 9/08 does not sound like it got you to your goal weight. Another fill when you're already vomiting does not sound like a good idea.

Thank you for responding. I thought the same thing another fill would be worse.

I'm now doing research about the sleeve and am very scared about another surgery. My boss doesn't even know that I had the first surgery. I know that its nothing to be ashamed of but I work for dr.'s and I just dont want them to look at me in a different way.

The band was supposed to be a "slow" weight loss which was perfect for me and w/ exercising, good toning along the way(not very noticable) just good job dieting. Now I havent lost anything since dec08 but am still choking on things I feel I have no other choice but the sleeve. A few family memebers had the RNY and have had weight loss sucess but alot of problems along the way and tons of sagging skin from losing so fast.

My dr. told me that I would be in the hospital 2 to 3 days because of the band removal and then the sleeve. I am the office manager and dont know how much time I should take to recover. My band was very easy 1 week and back to work. That includes the ER trip the weekend before I went back because of left sided shoulder pain which my surgeon never had come across. He then told me the creator of the band did a study on people that suffered the same thing as me. I was his first for this issue. So now do you get why the sleeve freaks me out??? Just nerves I guess.

I dont want to be fat anymore but at what cost to myself and family?

Thank you for responding. I thought the same thing another fill would be worse.

I'm now doing research about the sleeve and am very scared about another surgery. My boss doesn't even know that I had the first surgery. I know that its nothing to be ashamed of but I work for dr.'s and I just dont want them to look at me in a different way.

The band was supposed to be a "slow" weight loss which was perfect for me and w/ exercising, good toning along the way(not very noticable) just good job dieting. Now I havent lost anything since dec08 but am still choking on things I feel I have no other choice but the sleeve. A few family memebers had the RNY and have had weight loss sucess but alot of problems along the way and tons of sagging skin from losing so fast.

My dr. told me that I would be in the hospital 2 to 3 days because of the band removal and then the sleeve. I am the office manager and dont know how much time I should take to recover. My band was very easy 1 week and back to work. That includes the ER trip the weekend before I went back because of left sided shoulder pain which my surgeon never had come across. He then told me the creator of the band did a study on people that suffered the same thing as me. I was his first for this issue. So now do you get why the sleeve freaks me out??? Just nerves I guess.

I dont want to be fat anymore but at what cost to myself and family?

I was a revision from a band to a sleeve and stayed in the hospital for 3 nights. I went back to work one week after surgery and am an RN. For me, the sleeve was a much easier surgery than the band.

It is possible that you are not losing because you are too tight. The band is meant to work with hard protein. People that are too tight tend to eat soft high calorie foods that don't stick with them and they are hungry again soon.

If you're sure you're chewing until liquid that first bite that you said you get stuck on, and still throwing up, you need to get a slight unfill. I would try that before anothe surgery.

Are you exercising?

I am exercising. I'm chewing and chewing but some times something goes down not totally chewed. It's weird that I can some days go all day eating and no problem, but then there are days like yesterday that I get the first bite stuck and I'm screwed.

I'm tired of hearing my kids and hubby say "its stuck already?" Like I'm making it up or its impossible because they are still eating fine.

I just called a personal trainer to set up a consult because maybe I'm not doing the right things that would benefit me.

I am exercising. I'm chewing and chewing but some times something goes down not totally chewed. It's weird that I can some days go all day eating and no problem, but then there are days like yesterday that I get the first bite stuck and I'm screwed.

I'm tired of hearing my kids and hubby say "its stuck already?" Like I'm making it up or its impossible because they are still eating fine.

I just called a personal trainer to set up a consult because maybe I'm not doing the right things that would benefit me.

It's not you, it's the band.

Sounds like you might have first bite syndrome. What if you take two small bites before you sit down for dinner? Then you have the first bite over with before your meal and you can enjoy family time?

Also, if you want to see if it is due to posture next time stand up for your meal. I know, sounds crazy but if you can eat and stand, it's your posture. It's hard to sit slumped over, you'll get stuck.