Juniper

So who else had surgery this month? My date was June 3rd. Looking forward to hearing from others out there!

Hi to all who come after me! My story, huh? Well, I've been overweight for 20 years now, and I've tried a lot of diets, exercise programs, and have had only marginal success. Two years ago I took the next step for me and had the Lap Band Surgery. That wasn't a good experience for me at all. The "minor" reflux I had pre-surgery turned into a monster, and I was always either too tight or not tight enough... and that was in the same day. After two years of foaming, vomiting, and spitting my way through practically every meal, I decided it was time to take control of my life again. At first, I was just going to have the band removed, but when I learned about revision from band to RNY, and how common it was, I found the courage to go through with it. I had my surgery June 3rd, 2011. It has been a rough recovery, but I'm happy to say it's getting better every single day. I'm excited about my future again, and can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store for me!

yes, i am a revisionist!

Hi Leslie, Here's the short answers Yes, my doctor did everything in one surgery. I ended up with 9 total incisions, though, so it's quite different than just getting the RNY or just the Band. My insurance required nothing more than a letter from my doctor stating the reasons why the band had to come out and why I needed the RNY. None of what happened pre-band mattered. Recovery from the revision was much harder than from the band, but this was in part because my doctor removed the scar tissue that had built up around my band, so I had more to recover from. Plus, we're talking having your insides cut and rearranged. Expect there to possibly be more pain, and definitely more time to heal. The main difference in the diet is that now, I HAVE to stick to the diet. Unlike the band, where you can eat pretty much anything you want - in smaller amounts if it's working like it should - after the RNY, there will be some foods you just CANNOT eat without feeling seriously ill (think flu-like). And it's a lot harder to get all the protein in that I need, since I eat such small amounts at a time and the shakes are hard for me to get down. The good is that the weight is really coming off. The bad is that I'm tired a lot, get dehydrated easily, and both of these are because it's hard for me to get all my food and water in because my "pouch" is just so small! Take care, Juniper

Well, had I answered you last week my answer would have been a little different. But this week I'm feeling pretty good! Most of my nausea is gone, and I'm tolerating "soft" foods better. I AM getting tired of eating the same 5-6 things day in and day out, though. I'm the same way, with only getting in 2 or less ounces of food at a time. My biggest learning curve has been to not drink while or right after I eat. I really don't like the taste of food in my mouth after I eat, so I use a lot of breath mints or brush my teeth a lot now, since I can't "wash it down" anymore! Do you drink much in the way of Protein drinks? I hate them, personally, but they've been my sole source of food some days when I just can't tolerate the idea of eating anything. I just ordered the sample packs of the nectar drinks I've heard people rave about, so I'll let you know what I think. Take care!!

Hi Teri! Glad to see I'm not here ALL alone!