FindingMyWay

for me, it felt like i had just done 10,000 sit-ups. it felt like muscle aches, not like they just removed half your stomach. the incision where they remove the stomach hurt the most and the longest.

i'm having a lapband to sleeve revision done on 10/23/12 with dr. almanaz. i'll be at the hotel ticuan from october 24th-26th. please contact me if you're going to be there at the same time... i'd love to meet up!

i had the lapband surgery in 2008 and lost 110% of my goal weight. my bmi right now is 23 BUT i the lapband slipped and i need to revise to the sleeve. my surgeon here told me it was okay to do even if i was no longer overweight... he would basically be making my stomach the same size as it is right now with the band. i do have to go to mexico because i'm self pay and i did get questioned a couple of times because of my weight but was approved because its considered "maintenance".

my band will be removed before the end of the year. i've had him for 4.5 years. i lost ALL my excess weight but it was because i was throwing up all the time. i just found out in august that my band had slipped. i have mixed emotions. i lost a lot of weight with the band but not in a healthy way. since i've had all the fluid removed from the band, i've gained 20 pounds. i can't wait to have it removed and have the revision!

even if your surgery was scheduled a month away... it would still seem like it was happening too quickly. i think it's only natural to feel nervous!! are you self pay? that usually puts you in front of all the insured people lol

i'm gonna see if i can keep mine too!! i saw someone else took pictures of her stomach that was taken out. that was kinda cool too lol

when i was banded 4+ years ago i was "one of those people" saying i'd never have such a drastic surgery like the sleeve or bypass. it wasn't until someone asked me if i knew then what i know now, would i still get banded? Hell no!! the band worked for me to a point. i lost 90+ pounds BUT i gained horrible acid reflux and daily vomitting both involuntarily AND voluntarily. yes, i became bulumic on the band and in doing so caused my band to slip. i've had all the Fluid removed from the band and i no longer voluntarily throw up but i do still have some restriction. i've gained back 20 pounds since August 1st but i needed those 20 pounds because i looked anorexic. the band HAS to come out so now i'm researching doctors in Mexico that have done multiple revisions but also someone that understands that just because i'm at my goal weight does not mean i don't need another surgery. i know i need the sleeve to stay heathy.

i was wondering the same thing about tipping! i think the $2 each time i'm picked up/dropped off is a fair amount. the maid... since i'll be there for 5 days i'm thinking $20 but i really judge by the kind of service... if it's crappy they'll get less but if it's outstanding i'm willing to pay more.

i have the adjustable lapband that has slipped so i need to have it removed. i'm currently at my goal weight too and choosing to have the revision to the sleeve. i've heard too many horror stories where people have gained all their weight back after their band removal and i REFUSE to let that happen!! like you, i have a hard time maintaining my weight and fluctuate between 120 and 130... when i should be 145. thats when i looked the healthiest. i am worried about the post-op diet that needs to be followed the 1st month after surgery. i'm guessing i'll lose 15-20 pounds which isn't going to look healthy on me but will hopefully gain it back i can start eating solid foods again.

i'm in the same boat as you are! i need my band removed and want a revision. i didn't have any gas pain after the lapband surgery and i'm more scared of THAT pain than the incisions! i did hear that there is a little more pain with the revision because of the scarring on the stomach and around the port area when they remove them.

i was banded back in 2008 and it was an outpatient surgery but i opted to stay one night since i'd never had surgery before. now, my band has slipped and it has to come out soon. i had surgery on a monday and didn't go back to work until that following tuesday. what can i expect from this revision surgery? is it a lot worse pain-wise than the original band surgery?

i currently have a slipped lapband and i'm not 100% sure the sleeve is the surgery for me. luckily i'm not in any pain and i'm able to eat so i have 3 to 6 months before i absolutely have to have my band removed. i'm self pay which is why i'd be heading to Mexico and i'd be traveling alone on a 6.5 hour flight and i'm scared. i need a surgeon who has done a lot of revision surgeries because i'm not sure what shape my stomach is going to be in when the band is removed (scarring). just so much to think about!

i'm currently living with a slipped lapband and need to have it removed. even though i've lost 110% of my goal weight, i decided against getting rebanded because i was told the percentage of it slipping again is too high. the thing is, i'm 4 years post op and i'm still not done paying for the first surgery which is why i need to travel from ohio to Mexico. i'm thinking of going with dr. Almanza because he seems to have done a lot of revision surgeries. how many days are you actually in the hospital / recovery home / hotel? i thought i'd have surgery day one, recovery house or hotel day two and travel back home day 3 but i heard that you're actually away closer to 5 days. there are no direct flights from san diego to cleveland so i'm not looking forward to the 6.5 hour flight home plus layover. how unbearable is this travel going to be? also, i'll be traveling alone.

i had lapband surgery in 2008. i went from 213 pounds to my lowest 114 pounds. i've always had problems with my band (i.e. acid reflux, vomitting, binging/purging on purpose). i did see a therapist about the binging and purging and i no longer do it BUT i think that is why my band slipped. when i was at my lowest weight i looked anorexic... old... haggard... but i couldn't gain weight no matter what i did so i wen to get a slight unfill of my band so i could eat more. that's when i found out about the slip. i'm self pay and STILL paying for it. my choices are remove the band and go on with my life, remove the band and get rebanded and take the big risk of it slipping again or remove the band and revise to the sleeve. luckily i'm not in any pain from the slip so i'm able to take my time and make a decision. since i'm self pay i need to go to Mexico. any suggestions would be appreciated. i worry about life after the sleeve. i'm already below my goal weight and i'll lose even MORE weight after the surgery since i'll be on liquids for a long time but i don't think i can remain this thin without help.

thank you, crystal. you might be right about the band induced bulimia. i never threw up before i was banded and haven't felt the need to throw up since i've had all the Fluid removed from my band. i do know i always had a hard time knowing when to stop eating. my stomach told me to stop but my brain told me to keep eating. i usually listened to my brain. i weighed 145 consistantly for 2 years and then in December my weight started dropping. i was down to 114 which was not healthy for me but i couldn't gain weight no matter what i tried which is why i went back to my surgeon the beginning of August to find out my band had slipped... which could be why i made myself throw up too. since having all the fluid removed i'm back up to 125 pounds but really should be about 140. my surgeon said i have about 3-6 months to make up my mind... i too am worried about half my stomach being removed. it's so... final but i was told that getting rebanded left a very high risk of slipping again. i know if i just have it removed i'll gain the weight back. there is no question about it. now i just have to find a surgeon in Mexico that i trust since i'm self pay!

how was the recovery different between getting banded and getting sleeved? do you have new scars or did they start with "fresh" skin?

no offense taken, valdosta. not one surgeon has said they wouldn't reband me or revise to the sleeve because when you see the before picture, i obviously need help keeping the weight off. yes, i will most likely get very underweight the first month after surgery since i won't be allowed to eat, but i'm confident i'll be able to get back up to my current weight of 125 and hopefully, someday, 140 which is when i looked my best. lzuri, since i'm self pay, i have to have both surgeries done at one time for financial reasons. otherwise it will cost me $4000 to remove the band and another $4500 for a revision. if i have them done at the same time i'll only be charged $4500. no, i no longer see my therapist, not because i think i'm "cured" but she was forcing me into an eating disorder clinic and i don't think i need that. i do see a psychiatrist for medications and we talk. since i've had all the Fluid taken out of my band, i haven't purged at all. i feel good. if i happen to start again, i have no problems going back into therapy. believe me, i have my entire family watching everything i do to the point where my mom or sister will ask me to get on the scale to make sure i weigh what i say i weigh. i have nothing to hide... i just know i CANNOT gain that much weight back and i don't know if i have the self control to do it alone. i'd rather be safe than sorry.