iamshazza

Hope you're doing better!

I started the pre-op liquid diet on Friday the 12th. My band is empty (I think? The PA took out 5.25 on 2/11, but I'm pretty sure I had 8 or so. He said he got all he could). It's been a little challenging. I did eat 3 peanut M&M's and a few macadamia nuts over the weekend. I did better than I thought considering my sisters are eating all the good food I would LOVE to eat. Rude. However, I've lost 5 lbs so far and that makes me quite happy. I'm really thrilled to see the number on the scale going down, so that's enough for me to keep soldiering on and do even better. It will still be hard, very very hard, but so, so, SO worth it. And by the time I have the surgery and I'm on liquids for a month after that, then purees for a month, then soft for a month...I should have all those nasty carbs out of my system when I get to solid foods and it will be easier to make the healthy choices I should. I've been there before and I'm positive I can get back Now to the TMI portion... I cannot stay out of the bathroom!! It seems almost constant. I finally got some kaopectate yesterday. I guess this is a normal occurrence when you're on these high Protein Meal Replacement shakes, but my word is it awful. It seems a bit better today thankfully.

My band to sleeve revision surgery is scheduled for 2/26/16! My 2 week pre-op liquid diet starts on 2/12...That's THIS WEEK! Holy cow! I'm preparing. I have some of the Meal Replacement Soups and shakes and I'm building up to it. I'll be ready come Friday to do those 5 shakes/soups per day for the next 2 weeks. Oh, it will be HARD. Yes, it will. But I can do it! I'm ready for this.I'm so ready.

This is really helpful! I'm getting my band out 2/2/6 and getting the sleeve (all in one if possible). I'm scouring the internets for a good, chewable Multivitamin. Mostly Amazon. Having some trouble finding one that sounds like it will be good. I was told NO GUMMIES (which is what I'd been taking). Soooo. Any suggestions from you lot? I know they sell some at the doctor's office, but they are a bit pricey, so looking at other options.

Great! Hoping I find that "green zone" too after 2/29/16 Just scheduled my surgery for revision from band to sleeve. At the very least I won't have to feel this dang port in my ribs anymore.

My sister had the sleeve a couple of years ago and has had great success and no complications- unless you do count the refulux, which she had previous to the surgery anyway. I was really just being...dramatic lol. I have reflux issues only when the band is too tight and I never had any issues with reflux before the band. I'll be happy to get rid of this band and get the sleeve, no doubt. Even if I do have to take an extra pill for reflux every day.

Mommytoethan - My story is about the same as yours as well. it's been a miserable year for me. And I was just approved to get the band out and revision to sleeve. Thanks to everyone with all the great information posted here. It's helpful. I'm so looking forward to getting this band out. My sister had the sleeve 2 years ago and has been very successful and hasn't had any complications. Unless you count acid reflux - which she had before surgery. I've never had an issue with that so hoping it won't be become a problem for me.

I was just approved for revision from band to sleeve. I've never had a problem with GERD or reflux (except when the band is too tight). Reading this thread is making me a little bit afraid of the sleeve! Yikes. I don't want to have that kind of problem all the time.

Hi. I've been slacking lately and I know I haven't been getting a lot of Protein. I don't over eat anything, but I haven't been eating all the "right" things for the last week or so - meaning not enough protein and too much junk. My legs and ankles have stayed swollen. Not painfully swollen, but swollen. I had to have my band unfilled by 6cc a month ago and slowly started having it re-filled. I'm now as of last week back to where I was - just over 9cc but the 7 pounds I gained have gone nowhere. Not even for the 3 days I was on liquids after my fill???? I have cut the snacky treats out in the last few days but still haven't been getting much protein. I'm really confused because I've never had swelling like this before that will not go away. This morning I started with a Protein shake and I'm planning to follow that with protein at lunch (powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury chicken soup) and I have some extra Protein powder for snacking if needed. I'm sooooooo frustrated right now. And I've definitely been drinking enough Water.

Hi! I've been banded since 2009. I know there are many threads about band to sleeve, but I specifically would like to know: Those who switched from band to sleeve; what is the main difference you noticed as far as your eating habits (ability to eat, how much you could eat, how you tell you have eaten enough, etc) without the band giving you a "hard stop"? Do you feel just as or more successful? Do you think it's easier to over eat with the sleeve? I'll have to have my gallbladder out - and am considering having revision to the sleeve at the same time. I discussed with my surgeon and he said yes he could do both at once. I keep going back and forth about doing it. I'm back to feeling like I should just go ahead and do it. Ever since my band was too tight like 2 months ago and I had to have Fluid taken out I haven't felt very good. I got it re-filled with 1cc then 4.5 weeks later I got one more cc. That last one was about 3 or so weeks ago. It's so weird - sometimes I feel like I can eat way more than I should be able to - I have about 8.7cc in there now...maybe a tad more - and other times I can't keep anything down. I started having reflux again and went to liquids for a few days. It went away. Now it's back this morning and I haven't even had any solid food. I made a Protein shake for Breakfast and was only able to drink about half of it. I took all my medication, but it hurt (I guess I went to fast, I try to wait a few minutes between pills, but was running late today). I am starting to feel like I'd be better off having the band taken out and switching to the sleeve. Through all this annoyance of the last 3 or so weeks I haven't even lost any weight. Go figure. Since the symptoms for being too tight and a band slip are about the same I'm not sure what to think any more. I'm sure I probably do not have a slip but I'm kind of paranoid about it anyway. I know if I call the nurse at my surgeon's office she'll have me come in and get an un-fill. At which point I guess I'll just start whatever process I need to start to do the revision. It's quite scary to me. The only surgery I've ever had was the band surgery. And of course the anesthesia made me sick after they had to wake me up from it (I take after my dad in that respect lol). Thanks for listening to my little story. I'm sure it's very familiar.

Sounds like you are doing alright that's good. I'm sure adjusting is hard... I'm starting the process to see if I can get the band out and revision to sleeve. My first appointment is today. I've only ever lost at most about 55 pounds with the band. Currently I'm down about 40 pounds from my original pre-band weight. I've had so many issues over the last several months and the last 2.5 weeks was the about all I could take. I was in a lot of pain because my band became irritated and I guess swollen and so I was too tight. Just BOOM for no apparent reason one morning I woke up and couldn't keep anything down. I had to go in TWICE in 2 days to have Fluid out of the band. Everything hurt including liquids, but at least I was able to get it down. It took close to a week and now I'm back to being able to eat again and I've felt hunger for the first time in the last 2 weeks. So normally the cycle would just start again. Fill, unfill, fill, unfill, fill....I'm over the game. Even though this whole revision surgery is scary to me. I'm just going to see what happens if I don't get a fill. If I don't start gaining weight because I don't have enough restriction. It will take about 3 months to go through the program - which insurance requires me to do. So it will be into the new year before I'm finished. Then they will have to re-check to see if anything with my insurance changed from this year. As it stands I have to do the program, show supervised or unsupervised WL efforts and then they will decide if they will cover the revision. My BMI is still plenty high. So I hope they will cover it. If not...then I will just stick with the band and see what happens. I know if I have it out and no revision it will be a disaster.

I'm on my way to hopefully getting the band out and converting to sleeve. I have to do the program at my surgeon's office - the assessment, the mental health eval, nutritionist, etc. Then hopefully insurance will cover the revision. I have to do all that before they even say yes or no. Which kinda stinks because that's all out of pocket for me (the program stuff is about $300). It makes me nervous but I really think it's going to be the best thing for me if I can get the band out and convert to sleeve. After this couple of weeks and the pain I've been having when I try to eat and at the port site. I'm about to call now and have the band emptied I guess. Or at least most of the Fluid out. I had to go twice for an unfill last week and I still think it's not enough

My port site is not normally painful. It might be on occasion. I had to get additional Fluid out of my band on Saturday morning so all together I had 2cc out. I may need more out. I put myself on liquids/mushies over the weekend and decided to try some chicken for lunch today. OUCH. I'd been feeling great until then. Now it hurts again. I barely ate any of this chicken (baked chicken). I do need to have my gallbladder out but my surgeon said I should be fine to wait until early next year as I've never had an attack or any severe symptoms. I had some mild stomach pain previously and they did an ultra sound on the gallbladder. It was nothing compared to what's happening now, but this feels different in that the area is all around the band and it only hurts when I eat any solid foods. I'm about to call the bariatric nurse again.

I did see the bariatric nurse today and got liquid out of my band. So far no more throwing up. It did not look like coffee grounds. She did say if I keep doing that to go to ER but was probably from band being too tight / acid reflux.

I was banded in 2009. I've been having stomach pain for a couple days and this morning (around 2am) I started vomiting blackish watery acid tasting stuff. I've thrown up with that 3 times. I know my band is too tight and had made an appointment today for an unfill. But that black watery stuff is a little worrying. I don't have the stomach pain now, but the port site is a bit tender. What did your doctor say? How are you doing?

Thanks I'll try to check the videos out. I'm going to try the 5 day pouch test in hopes of resetting myself.

I'm still considering band to sleeve revision. I don't mind losing more slowly as long as I lose. I've been on a roller coaster ride with my band for the last several months. I had 6cc removed from the band which put me to just under 3cc in. I gained 7 pounds. I've been re-filled back 5.5 cc as of a week ago. I have not lost one pound. I think I need more Protein maybe? I know I'm not getting enough for the last few weeks. I don't know. I enjoyed really great success over the summer when I lost nearly 20lbs - the most I had lost with the band since I got it in 2009. Then I started having issues and the rest you basically know. I think once you have a large amount of Fluid out of the band it's never the same? It seems that way to me. I do have restriction now, but...I'm just not sure what's going on with this thing. I had decided I needed that "hard stop" the band gives me, but It's not giving me that now. So maybe I'd be better off with the sleeve. I just don't know anymore.

Hi @2babutterly I would rather have my band a little tighter. I'll see how it goes for a week or so before calling for another fill. I still don't feel like I have the restriction I need. This is a mind game...I'm not as tight, I'm not getting the STOP warning so I think I can keep eating or should keep eating. Even though I DO feel full. I definitely went a little crazy right after I got the unfill...because I hadn't really eaten much of anything all weekend before that. Getting myself in check is hard.

I did get 3cc back in my band on Tuesday. So I've been a bit better. I'm feeling full, but there's still nothing but ME stopping me from keeping on eating...so I am still not getting that HEY STOP IT feeling that I had before from my band. I just need to exercise a bit more self control. Which is not always so easy But I refuse to gain back any more weight than I already have in the past week and half! I gained 5 pounds!! UGH. I'm glad I've been working out is all I'll say...I can't imagine if I hadn't been working out how much I would've gained. Scary. I used to do intermittent fasting all the time. I do need to get back to it. Kicking the carbs is really hard. I kicked them once...and they slipped back in and I haven't gotten rid of them again yet. But we definitely don't party as much as we used to at least ...the carbs and I

I had a bad weekend last weekend with reflux, night cough, abdominal pain. The nurse took 6 - SIX - cc out of my band. Of course all my symptoms are gone and I feel hungry 24/7. I'm to the point of giving up. I'm about to call and talk to her about when I can start getting fills. Hopefully it will be SOON.

I've started back to solid foods. I did have a bit of reflux last night. The nurse did mention before that I could be one of those who develops that issue with the band...even though I've never had a problem with it before. I ate a poached egg and a couple of tomato slices (from a small tomato) about an hour ago. I felt the "you better stop now or pay the consequences" feeling. But I still feel like I'm starving for some reason and besides that I feel that pain in my chest that I had before (that came a week or so after the fill though). Did I jump in too quick to eating solid food again?? It's been 4 days since my fill. I did liquids Monday evening (my fill was late in the afternoon) and Tuesday, mushy Wednesday and all day thursday. I ate a couple pieces of chicken (bite size pieces) for dinner with some mashed potatoes and felt fine. I'm sorry my feelings are not all full of happy, fuzzy, rainbows right now about this band. I envy those who don't feel this way. I wish I didn't. The band itself they say is fine (I just did a barium a few weeks ago). The problem I guess - like I said before - I can't find my happy place anymore. It makes me very sad.

I had a .5cc fill on Monday and so far so good. I've been doing liquids and today I'll go to mushy food. Trying to be really really careful this time. Like EXTRA careful. Usually I am on mushies in the 2nd day and back to solid food on the 3rd. I just want to take it slow and easy. I can tell the difference for sure with this fill.

This happens to be almost every time it seems like. It's a pain in my rear. I usually go to liquids for 2-3 days and that helps. Sometimes I do have to get another adjustment and have Fluid taken out. Then I'll be starvin' Marvin. then I go back for a fill. And the cycle starts again. I am going for a fill today and hoping I don't have to go back in a week or 2 for an adjustment. I'm starvin' Marvin right now. I've gained about 2 pounds since I last had to have fluid out about 3.5 weeks ago.

Hi drewr, I think I would opt for the sleeve. Having lived with the band for 6 years. I haven't done very well with it and now it seems cannot find the "sweet spot" again. It only took once to be too tight and have to get unfilled. Now it seems like I'm in every 3-4 weeks getting filled and unfilled and filled trying to hit that sweet spot and it just doesn't seem to be there. I'm hoping to be able to get a revision from the band to the sleeve in January or February 2016. But, some people have had great success with the band too...It's an individual thing. I'd definitely go to a seminar and ask a ton of questions. Good luck to you!

That's scary!! I'm not sure how that works if none of the food you take in is passing through the band. I'd definitely have it out if that's the case. I am pretty well settled on a revision to the sleeve I think. It wasn't an option when I had my band done in 2009 and like you I did NOT want the bypass. You will probably get a lot more response if you post in the forum for band to sleeve revisions under the main gastric sleeve section if you haven't posted there already. I sure did. Good luck!! I hope things work out for you.