Sleeved..and apparently couldn't come at a better time.

Yesterday (7/22) I had my surgery scheduled at 3:30pm. Because it was late in the day, I ended up getting pushed bac****il 6pm (18 hours of no food or liquids sucks). My doctor came in and talked to my mom and I about what was going to happen during the surgery and because of the revision from lap band to sleeve, the surgery would take 2 1/2 - 4 1/2 hours. 5 hours later I woke up in the recovery room and moved to a private room. The surgery ended up taking about 4 hours in all. Here's where the "couldn't have come at a better time" comes in - I have had 3 lap band surgeries from 2008 - 2010 due to complications so we were expecting some scar tissue.

According to my surgeon, there was a lot more that expected. Apparently it was on the outside of the band, in between the band and my stomach, all around the area that attaches the band to the tubing, and more at the port site. Because of this scar tissue, my stomach opening was very close to being closed despite no fill in my band. They were not even able to fit the bougie in my stomach without shaving a lot of the scar tissue out first. Now I know that I wasn't crazy about why I had been throwing up and food getting stuck despite not having a fill. Also, he found that my stomach had folded onto itself after my last band surgery sometime. It took more time to remove all the stitching from the previous surgeries and the "cob webs" that were starting to grow and hold my folded stomach together. Scary thought! He was able to get my stomach straightened out (he said it was like an accordion) and was able to successfully create my sleeve to hot dog size (34 French I believe).

I was up and walking within 30 mins of being in my room and walked several times today around the floor. I was sipping water and ice chips late into the night and after two hours of sleep, was able to have my full liquid breakfast , lunch, and dinner. I had no problems with water, broth, popsicles, and a tiny bit of black coffee. I'm not sure about jello since I only had a few bites before giving it to my mom. I was released tonight and was able to go home less that 24 hours after surgery. My pain was literally the worst I have ever felt in my life (no babies or other surgeries beside bands) - I don't take well to pain killers, and it took three different kinds to really find one that actually helped. I'm still in a fair amount of pain, but had my meds filled so I'm able to control that more.

I've been trying my first protein shake tonight, but it is pretty slow going. Hopefully I can fini**** and head to bed. I'm also hoping that the pain subsides fairly quickly. On the plus side, I ended up not having a drain at home because my surgeon does not like them and he said all looked great before they took out the one from surgery. Happy Dance! Another plus, I've lost almost 14lbs since my pre-op diet started and it will only go down from there. Can't wait to see my results and I'm so happy to be back on the loser's bench. 

-Jaime

the pain should improve in a few days , just remember to sip and walk , a hot towel helps if you get gas pains in your shoulder

you will love your sleeve after suffering with the band

Thanks for the tips and Happy Anniversary! 

I'm interested in how your revision works for you,   I had my lapband for five years it worked really well expect for the last year it's been awful.  So yesterday I had my band removed.  My Doctor will not do the Sleeve for three months.  Thank you for sharing your story! Good luck, please keep in touch!

No problem, Jazzy. Let me know if you have any specific questions.

Thanks

Congratulations on your new sleeve.... best of luck and a very speedy recovery! !:-)

♡ Kelly

Thanks Kelly! You guys are all inspiration. Glad I have a place to look for it! 

Sounds like you had a very competent and thorough surgeon.  So glad you had this done!  You'll be on the upswing soon 

Thanks Tracy! I'm glad I went with the Director of Bariatric Surgery of my hospital that's for sure. He took his time and did it all the right way and really knows his stuff. I'm so glad too as I feel this will be so much better to me than the band ever was. I also feel he's going to be very helpful if I ever have any problems or questions. He is all about post-op care. I can't wait for the pain to go away so I can really get this new life going! 

I'm so glad your surgery went well and that you've started your healing process on the right foot.  You can do it if you stick to the plan and work hard!