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I agree about paying for switching to sleeve. I was self pay for my band because my insurance company wanted me to wait 3 months and follow a doctor supervised diet for 90 days before they would approve me - like I hadn't dieted before??? So I came up with the money, but sorry I did. At least my new insurance is paying for my sleeve, but my surgeon made me wait 6 months so that I would be completely healed after band removal. Unfortunately, during those 6 months I gained back 30 pounds - which really irritates me! Thanks for the tip about taking measurements. I haven't done that in a long time, but will be good to know the changes after surgery.
6 years isn't bad. I had my band in 2005, so 13 years down the drain. I thought there was something wrong with me. I haven't been out to eat with anyone since I had the sleeve, but I can tell already that it won't be like getting food stuck in the band. That was terrible. I would have to rush to the restroom because it was coming up no matter what. I'm stepping up on my soapbox now: I was self-pay for the sleeve because I have lousy insurance that doesn't cover anything Bariatric. I think any band patient who had to revise no matter how many years later should be given a heavily discounted if not free sleeve. We were sold a bill of goods. Should be a class action. I guess the band does work for some, but it seems to have a high failure rate. I'm quite irritated. Oh well, I'm off my soapbox now. Slow weight loss is better than no weight loss. And remember to take body measurements. I was too lazy and didn't do that and was too embarrassed to have someone else do it. But do it because remember that even if you are not losing weight, you could be losing inches.
I understand completely about the band. I did the band because I was afraid of the more invasive surgeries and I liked the fact that the band was reversible, but looking back now I am sorry that I didn't have the sleeve in the first place and at the time banding was performed more than the sleeve. I feel like I wasted 6 years being miserable with food getting stuck. It was awful and embarrassing when I ate out with friends. Still I am worried about the drastic food restriction after GS. Do people ask you why you are not eating or why you are eating so little? Anyway, even if the weight loss is slow, my weight has got to be better after sleeve than now and it's never too late to look and feel better.
It's tough but doable. Immediately after the surgery you won't really want anything for a while. I'm scared of when my sleeve relaxes and allows more food. I'm also scared that I'll start producing more of the hunger hormone ghrelin. I had thought maybe the part about less and slower weight loss after revision wouldn't apply to me since I hardly got the chance to use the lap band properly. I went without any restriction at all for many years, because I grew tired of going for painful fills only to aspirate at night. I would then have to go right back the next day to have it all removed. Lather, rinse, repeat. I gained back what little I lost many times over. But even with that history, I'm still having very slow weight loss. I'll spend a week or more at one number and sometimes the scale even goes up. I should have had the sleeve first, but I didn't want my stomach cut and I believed the hype about the lap band. I'll try to stick with this because I guess going to bypass would have the same maddenly slow progress.
After 6 years I had my bad removed because I was not losing enough weight and my fills were either too tight or not enough. I lost 60 pounds, but have gained half of that back since band removal and am scheduled to have gastric sleeve next week. My surgeon did tell me that band to sleeve patients don't usually do as well as people who only did sleeve because your body has already gotten used to food restriction. I am still hopeful that I will loose more with the sleeve than the band. I'm just terrified about not being able to get through the early diet stages after surgery.
It basically is the same thing as bypass. That is what my husband and I had done but the doctor had to do a 1:1 review with insurance to have it approved. It's just another name for bypass, at least, that is how my doctor explained it to us.
You can't measure your achievements with someone else's yardstick!
Revision from lapband to RNY 12/26/17 with Dr. Caitlin Halbert
HW 260 SW 248 CW 154 GW 145
Gallbladder removed 9/18
Beth
Aside from weight gain and GERD, has anyone had a revision due to food rapidly moving through? I have had chronic diarrhea for the past 5 yrs and after my recent consultation with a WLS surgeon, learned that the overstitch could "possibly" help by tightening up my pouch and slowing down the passing of food.
Initial surgery in 2003, gallbladder removed in 2012, diarrhea since then so that contributed for sure.
The issue with GERD is why I had my revision on 9/11/18. I had GERD and hard coughing to the point I would vomit. My PCP also said I cracked a couple of ribs coughing. The sleeve was the start of all this for me. I progressed to having my gall bladder out and then the GERD took over, worsening over time. My surgeon said the sleeve was high-pressure and his conversion to a bypass resulted in a low-pressure system. I have had a little heartburn and he still has me taking omeprazole and ranitidine for the time being. I no longer have the overwhelming GERD so I am thrilled. And with losing weight!
I had my revision from sleeve to bypass on 9/11/18. I can drink a couple of ounces of water at a time and eat probably about 6 oz. But that has resulted in dumping (unpleasant and painful!) so I am cutting back the food I eat. Still with soft foods and 1/2 cup coffee in the morning.
The water is running through me fast and I am striving to reach the 64 oz my surgeon wants. THAT will take some time!
