MrsJroChicago

Just had to share that I went for my 9 month visit today and I'm down 94 pounds since starting the process for my revision last March. I only wish my husband was as excited as I am.

I was lucky enough for my insurance company to allow them to do the revision at the same time as the band removal. I originally had surgery in August 2012 to have a lapband put in. I had complications beginning almost on the one-year anniversary once I had the “right” amount of Fluid in the band to make it actually do something. I had my lapband removed on May 27, 2016 and had a revision to gastric bypass at the same time. It was, quite frankly, miserable but now that I’m three months out, it’s the best thing I could have done. I couldn’t live with the pain, reflux and inability to eat anything with band in and because of the slipping, I had the fluid out more than I had it in. After MANY long talks with my doctor and his PA, we decided that a revision to bypass was the best bet. My recovery sucked. The surgery was longer and more complicated than they originally thought it would be because there was so much scar tissue from the band. But, they had already decided that they wanted to do the removal and revision in one surgery, so they did whatever they needed to get it done. I had two drains when I came out of it and the larger drain I had for 17 days. The smaller on, the “JP drain” came out before I went home. Generally speaking, that bigger drain isn’t part of a normal bypass but is more common when they do the removal/revision in one step. I was in pain, nauseous, and uncomfortable until it came out. I was in the hospital for about 5 days. Since it was a holiday weekend, I wasn’t in any big rush to get out in case I had any problems. I was nauseous on Sunday when they talked about letting me go home, so they had me stay. They then decided to order “home health care” to change my dressings for me since my insurance would cover a few visits, but no one was available until Wednesday, so they had me stay until Tuesday. I was pretty stir crazy by then but it was nice to have them there to take care of me but shaving my legs in the hospital was a pain! I had to fight with them on Monday to let me take a shower even though I wasn’t going home. I needed it. I came home and took the rest of the week off. My mom came by almost every day to help me make food—not that I was eating much—and to keep me company. I needed more help because of the drain. It was painful and hard to put on any clothing including a bra because of where it was. It’s called a “G tube” which basically was a drain from the part of my stomach that would no longer have food going to it and it needed to be “trained” that it wasn’t going to be used anymore. It was not pleasant but it was “capped” so not draining into anything before I left so at least I could tape it up to my stomach to keep it out of the way and from pulling or banging into things. Jonathan took me to my first follow up on the first Monday in June and then I was cleared to drive and go back to work. The following week, the drain finally came out. It was a long 17 days. The drain removal was no fun either! They just kind of yanked it out and it hurt for a good 24-hours! It took about 3 weeks for the hole to completely close, but I got pretty good at the gauze changes. They didn’t stitch it or anything, they said the skin would grow back together and it did. It was about the size of a dime at first. Now it is a small scar to match the others from the surgeries. The tape was awful. I found that if I used the sensitive skin kind, which was about $8 a roll at Walgreens, it was better. I was so happy when the hole was finally closed so I could stop taping up my stomach and start wearing a regular bra! So, I’d had a lot of tape on me because of the tube and because of the drain hole. It took a few days to get the residue off! I had to travel on June 24 for our annual meeting. It was exactly four weeks from my surgery. I was going to be gone a week and I was a little nervous about getting through it. I still wasn’t cleared to lift anything and I was still getting tired pretty easily. But, by then I was already 20+ pounds lighter since the surgery so I felt good and actually built up my stamina as I was there. I managed to get food poisoning on my last day in Philadelphia, so that was no fun. But, after a few days, felt better. Three months out now and I’m down over 50 pounds from surgery day and almost 80 from when I started the lapband journey. I will tell you, even though I was miserable immediately afterwards and asked myself everyday what the heck I did to myself, three months out, I’m so glad I did it. I’m basically eating normal foods, albeit nothing too high in fat or sugar, and I’ve not really done too much salad yet but have added back most vegetables. I’m careful with fruit because a lot is high in sugar. The first few weeks after the surgery with the various stages of liquid diet was really hard and I probably started to add things like cottage cheese in too fast, but I needed to chew! I have a few friends who have done the surgery and we’ve created our own little support group so it’s nice. We come to the same events as well so it’s nice to know other people in the room understand how we eat!

I originally had surgery in August 2012 to have a lapband put in. I had complications beginning almost on the one-year anniversary once I had the “right” amount of Fluid in the band to make it actually do something. I had my lapband removed on May 27, 2016 and had a revision to gastric bypass at the same time. It was, quite frankly, miserable but now that I’m three months out, it’s the best thing I could have done. I couldn’t live with the pain, reflux and inability to eat anything with band in and because of the slipping, I had the fluid out more than I had it in. After MANY long talks with my doctor and his PA, we decided that a revision to bypass was the best bet. My recovery sucked. The surgery was longer and more complicated than they originally thought it would be because there was so much scar tissue from the band. But, they had already decided that they wanted to do the removal and revision in one surgery, so they did whatever they needed to get it done. I had two drains when I came out of it and the larger drain I had for 17 days. The smaller on, the “JP drain” came out before I went home. Generally speaking, that bigger drain isn’t part of a normal bypass but is more common when they do the removal/revision in one step. I was in pain, nauseous, and uncomfortable until it came out. I was in the hospital for about 5 days. Since it was a holiday weekend, I wasn’t in any big rush to get out in case I had any problems. I was nauseous on Sunday when they talked about letting me go home, so they had me stay. They then decided to order “home health care” to change my dressings for me since my insurance would cover a few visits, but no one was available until Wednesday, so they had me stay until Tuesday. I was pretty stir crazy by then but it was nice to have them there to take care of me but shaving my legs in the hospital was a pain! I had to fight with them on Monday to let me take a shower even though I wasn’t going home. I needed it. I came home and took the rest of the week off. My mom came by almost every day to help me make food—not that I was eating much—and to keep me company. I needed more help because of the drain. It was painful and hard to put on any clothing including a bra because of where it was. It’s called a “G tube” which basically was a drain from the part of my stomach that would no longer have food going to it and it needed to be “trained” that it wasn’t going to be used anymore. It was not pleasant but it was “capped” so not draining into anything before I left so at least I could tape it up to my stomach to keep it out of the way and from pulling or banging into things. Jonathan took me to my first follow up on the first Monday in June and then I was cleared to drive and go back to work. The following week, the drain finally came out. It was a long 17 days. The drain removal was no fun either! They just kind of yanked it out and it hurt for a good 24-hours! It took about 3 weeks for the hole to completely close, but I got pretty good at the gauze changes. They didn’t stitch it or anything, they said the skin would grow back together and it did. It was about the size of a dime at first. Now it is a small scar to match the others from the surgeries. The tape was awful. I found that if I used the sensitive skin kind, which was about $8 a roll at Walgreens, it was better. I was so happy when the hole was finally closed so I could stop taping up my stomach and start wearing a regular bra! So, I’d had a lot of tape on me because of the tube and because of the drain hole. It took a few days to get the residue off! I had to travel on June 24 for a big work event. It was exactly four weeks from my surgery. I was going to be gone a week and I was a little nervous about getting through it. I still wasn’t cleared to lift anything and I was still getting tired pretty easily. But, by then I was already 20+ pounds lighter since the surgery so I felt good and actually built up my stamina as I was there. I managed to get food poisoning on my last day in Philadelphia, so that was no fun. But, after a few days, felt better. Three months out now and I’m down over 50 pounds from surgery day and almost 80 from when I started the lapband journey. I’m not sure if you’re considering another type of surgery, but I will tell you, even though I was miserable immediately afterwards and asked myself everyday what the heck I did to myself, three months out, I’m so glad I did it. I’m basically eating normal foods, albeit nothing too high in fat or sugar, and I’ve not really done too much salad yet but have added back most vegetables. I’m careful with fruit because a lot is high in sugar. The first few weeks after the surgery with the various stages of liquid diet was really hard and I probably started to add things like cottage cheese in too fast, but I needed to chew! I have a few friends who have done the surgery and we’ve created our own little support group so it’s nice. We come to the same events as well so it’s nice to know other people in the room understand how we eat! My question to those of you that have had both is what is the daily difference? I feel SO MUCH better! Nothing gets stuck. Nothing hurts. You can have something to drink only 30 minutes after eating which is nice. Doesn't make it so weird when out to dinner with friends. There is still a diet, etc. but it seems much easier to comply. Can you eat in a restaurant? Yes. I find it easier. My husband (or friends/co-workers) and I tend to share things a lot too so I don't worry about having a huge plate of food. What does it feel like when you reach restriction? I imagine what a "normal" person feels like when they are full without being stuffed. If I do completely over do it, I might feel a little sick, but not like before when I thought everything was going to come back up when something got stuck. Can you eat almost anything just very small portions? Limit the high fat, fried, and sugary stuff and you'll be fine. it doesn't mean you can't have ONE BITE of a dessert, but you don't want to do much more because there could be consequences. Sharing is the way to go. I find it much easier to not overdo when I share. How common is it to fail at weight loss after a bypass? This a doctor might better be able to answer but like with anything, there are ways around it. You can stretch your pouch out to take more food and figure out which high calorie foods won't make you sick but will make you fat. It has to be a lifestyle change to really work forever. I know I will need to work at it forever but will bypass make my struggle easier? So far, for me, yes. I'm not hungry all the time. I'm not looking for foods that I can get past my band or that won't make me sick. I didn't eat tomatoes for 4 years because of the acid. I just had a bunch of them on my salad (which was more veggies than lettuce per my note above). I don't get reflux in the middle of the night and nothing gets stuck. It's actually fun to go out to eat again.

Great job! I'm in the "best decision ever" category too. I had my revision surgery on May 27 and I'm down 50 pounds in just barely 3 months. Best I've felt in years. We are leaving for vacation on Saturday and even though I didn't want to buy anything new, I had to get a couple of new bathing suits because my old ones looked RIDICULOUS! Even the ones in the "right size" were so stretched out I couldn't go out in public with them. My surgery and recovery were not easy. I spent a good month to 6 weeks asking why I did this to myself. But, once everything was healed and I started to feel better, I turned the corner.

I had it done at once 3 weeks ago. It was a lot more intense than I expected with drains and pain meds that I didn't have with the band. There may be advantages to doing two separate surgeries if you can take the time to heal from both. You may also fulfill your insurance out of pocket expenses so if you can do it all in one calendar year, that may be advantageous as well. To be really honest, I'm not sure I would have gone back for a third surgery had they not done it at once. Good luck.

78 pounds in 10 months is awesome. I had my revision on May 27. I'm down about 15 pounds since. It was a little more complication and a more difficult recovery than I anticipated, but I'm so glad to have that band out. Now, if I could only get the hole from the G-tube to close, I'd be far more comfortable and happy! Keep up the good work.

Mine came out on Monday, 17 days post op. It was a "G" tube, not the JP drain. Surgeon said 2 weeks after surgery is normal but of course 2 weeks is a day he's at the OR so I had to wait an extra three days. It hurt when it came out. Perhaps a drop of numbing spray would have been nice, but since my skin started to heal around it, it felt like my skin was being cut off. It was not fun. I'm glad it is finally out and it isn't leaking much Fluid at this point. Now if only the hole would close.

My story is similar and I'm in the process of deciding whether or not to do the revision surgery. My band was successful at first and I lost about 60 pounds in 9 months. Then the problems started and I got really sick with a terrible sinus infection and coughing up the post-nasal drip caused my band to slip. Yes, it was some pretty violent coughing! At that point, the Fluid had to come out and it's been a struggle for 18 months ever since. The acid reflux, vomiting, and overall discomfort made me crazy. I got to the point where I couldn't eat anything. A few weeks ago, I visited the doctor and when he checked the band, it was so skewed that not even the barium was going through! No wonder I was dehydrated and sick. We talked about getting me qualified for the revision surgery. He said he can remove the band and do the bypass at one time. The part my husband doesn't understand is that when I don't feel well and when I can't eat anything, I don't feel like exercising. I take the dog for 2 one-mile walks a day. but I don't also feel like going to the gym or even running around and running errands. I have no energy more than I have any energy. I know the bypass isn't a panacea and won't cure all of my problems...and I know I have to still eat right and exercise.. but for those of you who have made the switch, do you find it less challenging than the band? Thanks in advance.

YOu may want to consider 4 small meals so you aren't hungry at night. That's what I usually do, although my day starts much earlier! 4 meals of 200-250 calories with more protein than anything. Sometimes one of the "meals" is a protein shake so I make sure I get it all in. I was banded August 24 and I'm down 40 pounds. It is slow steady progress. Oh, and get in your water. Drink it at least a half hour before you eat or not for an hour after. It really makes a difference and can make you feel full for a while too.

My husband went with me the first time because he wanted to see how they did it. I was on the table not watching and other than the needle with the numbing agent, I felt NOTHING. The doctor has told me my port is a little deep, but so far he's been able to find it. He did have to move the needle around to get the right spot but I didn't feel a thing. I had a little bruise, but nothing bad or for very long. If your doctor is doing the fill without a numbing agent, ask for one.

Congratulations! It's really, really exciting! If you have a post-op diet from your doctor, make sure you have enough "stuff" to make it through the first few days. I found chicken broth and apple juice were about all I could handle the first couple of days. I moved onto strained cream of mushroom Soup and tomato soup (along with the chicken soup and apple juice) after about 3 days. Protein shakes and then mushies are important for week two. If you have a pain med or blood thinner script, fill it before you. As for what to bring, I brought a toothbrush, hair brush,contact solution and glasses, socks, yoga pants, t-shirt and clean undies! I didn't really need a robe since I had my own room and I used a double surgical gown. If your doctor doesn't give you a "Bari-Bear", you want to bring a pillow for the ride home. You'll want to squeeze it against your belly--it helps. It also helps if you have to cough or sneeze so you don't jar everything. I wouldn't be so worries about doing damage, but when the stitches move, it hurts. The pillow or bear will be wonderful! Good luck to you! 2 months post surgery and I'm feeling great!

Agree! Call them. The customer service people are really nice. The woman was so nice at BC/BSIL that I cried on the phone when she told me she was happy for me that I made the decision to do this and it's something she's been thinking about doing. You might also be able to find information online from their website if you can get your plan documents--but sometimes those are hard to find. Generally if they cover the surgery at all, a 40+ BMI and another co-morbidity (diabetes, high blood pressure. depression, etc.) will qualify you. I didn't have a co-morbidity, but my weight and BMI did the trick. Had my second fill today and the doctor was very pleased with my progress! Good luck!

For me, it was a bunch of measurements and a discussion with the doctor to see if this might work for me. I had to fill out a medical questionaire in advance--you might have to on the day of--so they could see if I had medical conditions that would either qualify or disqualify me. There wasn't anything to be nervous about. Just be honest. If you're not, they can't determine if the surgery will be right for you or if there are other pieces you have to work on before you have it. Everyone has different insurance and requirements. Once of the things you can do if you're really nervous is call your insurance company and see what THEIR requirements will be so you can make sure you discuss them with your doctor. If you cover those bases, it will be easier for them to help you get qualified for the insurance. I'm 2 months post surgery, down 30.5 pounds, feeling great and for the first time in 4+ years not nervous about sitting in the airplane seat I have to sit in on Sunday for a flight to LA. Channel the nerves, if you can, to excitement! Good luck!