jbart0973

It's so great to read your story and how your surgery went so well. I am looking forward to my surgery in December. Although I am apprehensive after reading some horror stories, it's success stories like yours that make me so excited! Good luck on your journey! I can't wait to hear your progress!

Thank you...I found vanilla at Walmart.

Awesome transformation! You look great! Congrats!

Unjury chocolate splendor is my fav. Today I had it in skim milk with mint extract. I blended it with a bunch of ice cubes and it tasted just like a mint chocolate chip shake. Delicious! The key for me is always using 4-5 ice cubes so it's like a shake. I also like to put in a banana and some vanilla extract. Sometimes I will use a spoonful of peanut butter as well although the added calories may not be such a good idea. I went out and bought sugar free syrup yesterday but haven't tried it yet. As for other unjury flavors, I like vanilla. Strawberry is disgusting!

Wow! Amazing! You look wonderful! Congrats!

I have had my band for 4 years and am getting it removed in 2 weeks due to a slip. My surgeon will not do the revision to VSG in one procedure. He wants to wait 6 weeks with the band out. I am also getting my gall bladder removed at the same time as my band. There is a possibility that he will only be able to take my gall bladder out and then have to go back in for the band at a later time but I am hoping he can do both at the same time. I guess it depends on how much inflammation there is with my gall bladder. I am scheduled for VSG on 12/10.

Hi December Sleevers! My name is Jen. I am in NJ and I am scheduled for surgery on 12/10 with Dr Abkin! I have the Lap band right now but am scheduled to get it removed on 10/12 along with my gall bladder. I have had the band for 4 years and now it has slipped. The more I read and research about the sleeve it just seems like the way to go. I lost a lot of weight with the band but now I am gaining again. I'm hoping the sleeve is the way to go. I was lucky in that my insurance is covering the removal of the band and the revision to sleeve because of the band slip. I just got my approval from the insurance company the other day and I am super excited!

I see a lot of posts about Torani sugar free syrup. Is that something I can find in a grocery store or online?

Wow...what a past few days. I ended up in the ER Sunday night because I had a Gall bladder attack starting at 6am. Pain, nausea, dry heaving, sweats...I had it all. I finally called my surgeon's office that night and they suggested I go to the ER and surgery to take out my gall bladder would be on Monday instead of 10/9. I was worried about this because I wanted to get my lap band removed at the same time so I could avoid an additional surgery just to take it out. So I wa all set for surgery and talked to my surgeon and said he may or may not be able to take the band out because I had not yet been approved for the removal and revision to sleeve and it would also depend on how much inflammation there was from the gall bladder. So after waiting until about 4 pm on Monday I was in pre-op and about to go in for surgery and the dictir's saw something on my EKG he didn't like. So they had to bring in a cardiologist and do an echocardiogram to make sure all was ok. In the meantime because it was so late in the day and the OR was packed I lost my spot for surgery. I was sent home that night and I have been rescheduled for this Friday. It was a bummer but I'm glad my Dr was being cautious. Better safe than sorry. I have a husband and a 2 year old to go home to. On the bright side I have lost 9 lbs in 4 days from not being able to eat and being on liquids until today! And I also got the call from my surgeon'a office yesterday that I've been approved for both the band removal and sleeve! I am ecstatic! Hopefully all goes well with surgery Friday and my band can be removed so I can begin to heal and look forward to my sleeve being done on 12/10!

My name is Jen. I was banded 4 years ago. I lost about 85 lbs with the band but have put back on about 25 lbs. I recently went for an adjustment and was told my band has slipped. I have not been following the diet like I should and have been able to eat way more than I should so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that my band slipped. In addition I need to get my gall bladder taken out because I have gallstones that have been causing me problems. My bariatric surgeon, Dr Abkin will be doing my Gall bladder surgery. He is suggesting that because I have had my band for 4 years and I haven't lost all the weight that I should consider gastric bypass or the sleeve. Before I was banded I was as high as 360...now I am at 300. There is no way I can consider gastric bypass...all that rerouting of intestines freaks my out. I am considering the sleeve although permanent removal of most of my stomach is also freaking me out a bit. I need to make a decision by Friday so I can get my band removed with my gall bladder if i choise to do a revision and avoid a separate surgery just to get the band out. My doctor says its an optimal time to do it because insurance will most likely cover the revision since I have a failure with my band. If I decide to keep the band at this point and am not happy with my weight loss down the road I risk insurance not covering the revision. It kind of seems like a no brainer but the thought of a surgery with permanent removal part of my anatomy is scary. And the fact that there isn't a lot of data regarding long term results also makes me a little apprehensive. Any advice is welcome.

Wow I didn't know he saw patients there. I had just heard recently that he was operating out of JFK. I think I will check into that for future appointments.

Great job! Congratulations on your weight loss so far. Looking forward to seeing your continued progress!

Awesome! What an amazing transformation! I am at about the same starting weight and am hoping for great results like yours! I am getting my band removed in 2 weeks and will be sleeved on 12/10.

Wow! You are doing great! 100 lbs in 2 1/2 months?! Incredible! Keep it up! There's no stopping you now!

I love reading such great stores of success! Be proud of your accomplishments and there will be no stopping you! I must say that comment your husband made to you about you being the one that should have diabetes was sickening to me. What horrible, hurtful words. I am so happy you have been able to lose the weight, build your confidence, and realize that you deserve better! Keep going!

Thanks for all of the advice and encouragement everyone! I have decided that I am going to get my band removed along with my gall bladder. That surgery is scheduled for 10/9...then I have to wait at least 6 weeks to get the sleeve. My surgery for the sleeve is scheduled for 12/10 pending insurance approval. I can't wait!

Does he actually have an office in Edison? I have been going to Florham Park.

I'm in Union County

Tsmyle, Dr Abkin is great! I just scheduled my surgery for Dec 10 at Morristown! I would have liked to go to JFK because it's a little closer but he was booked there until after the new year and I want to get the surgery done ASAP. Good luck with your surgery!

I definitely have that fear of failing again. My head just hasn't been in it lately. I'm really afraid that I might fall off the wagon again after getting sleeved and still not lose all the weight I want or do well in the beginning like I did with the band only to put the weight right back on.

I am considering a revision from band to sleeve. I just turned 39. My band slipped and I either have to have it placed again or do a revision to a different surgery. I want to have another child. I would have lived to be pregnant now but I guess it's for the best since I found out y band slipped. I am pretty bummed that if I have the surgery I will have to wait to get pregnant but I realize that I will have a much healthier pregnancy at a lower weight. My Dr told me he would like me to wait at least a years free the surgery to try to get pregnant because of possible nutrition issues and because you need time to lose the weight. When u told him my concerns that I am 39 and the clock is ticking he said that after 7 months would probably be ok as long as I wasn't having any nutritional issues. So although I would have liked to have had another baby before I'm 40 I have to do what is best to ensure a healthy pregnancy in the future if I am lucky enough to get pregnant.

Hi everyone. My name is Jen. I live in Clark, NJ and I am considering a revision from lap band to the sleeve. My surgeon is Dr Abkin. My band has slipped after 4 years and I also need to get my gall bladder out because I have gallstones. My gall bladder surgery is 10/9 and I need to decide before this Friday whether I am going to go through with the sleeve because I can get my band taken out at the same time as my gall bladder and avoid an extra surgery. After that I will have to wait about 6 weeks for the sleeve. My Dr says it would be the perfect time to do the revision because there is a failure with the band and insurance would have to cover the surgery. I'm really nervous about getting my band removed and having to wait 6 weeks for the surgery and I'm also afraid that I will get my band removed and then for some reason insurance won't cover the revision to the sleeve.That would be a nightmare! Has anyone had a revision after a band slip and had any problems with insurance? I have Blue Cross Blue Shield.