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My doctor asked me what I would like my goal weight to be. Because my DH and I are in the Rockabilly, vintage fashion business (we design clothing) I prefer a curvy, retro look. To me, a size 10-12 is ideal so that's what I'm aiming for which should put me at about 165-175. Of course, I will reevaluate once I get to that weight.

Great idea!!

I revised from lapband to banded plication after 10 years with the band. The plication was supposed to be similar to the sleeve. However, I was my previous doctor's very first plication and apparently, it was not done correctly or how it would be done now. I thought of revising to the sleeve in 2011, but I don't think I was quite ready yet. The plication is when the dr. folds the stomach onto itself and sews it to create a "sleeve". I ended up having a lot problems with my new band and with the Plication so I researched the sleeve and revised June 24. So far I'm very happy with my sleeve.

Aah so sorry I'm sure it's hard now, but know that this is a bump in the road and you will be a happier and healthier mommy for your family! Healing thoughts coming your way.

I have been using my old, dial scale for a couple of months. Pre surgery both my digital scales broke. I dug out my old dial scale and have been using that one. Well, I realized that my dial scale and my doctor's scale are off by about 6-7 pounds. My dial scale weighs me lighter. So I bought a very nice WW* scale with body fat analysis, water percentage and BMI (*at the Goodwill for around $12, brand new!) and it weighs me exactly the same as the doctor's scale. Now, my question is: when should I switch to the higher weight on my ticker, on my spreadsheet, etc.? I'm using 2 columns now because I just can't seem to let go of the lower weight I figured I would just stop changing my ticker until the WW scale reflects this weight but I want to be honest with myself because in the past, I have lied to myself about my weight, my eating and food. This is becoming a bigger problem mentally for me than I expected. Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks!

Well, I made the mistake of going 5 days after surgery!! I didn't plan on riding rides just to pick up passes but of course, my young children wanted to ride everything! We stayed too long, it was too hot and I walked too much that day although I didn't ride any rides. However, with all that being said - I'm sure at 6 weeks, you'll do great! I think... if it hurts, don't do it. Just choose your rides selectively. Maybe ones that don't put a lot of pressure on your tummy. Have fun!

Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear about your complications. Glad that you are in the hospital and you are getting it taken care of. Take it easy. Hopefully, this is a small bump in your road to recovery!

Good luck. I've had 3 WLS, band, banded plication and now the sleeve. So far, my recovery with the sleeve has been the easiest. It was a difficult decision for me to revise again but I'm glad I did it and I'm only 8 days post-op Take care,

Everyone's recovery is different. I was only in the hospital overnight and felt pretty good after about day 4. I think you'll be able to handle the car ride fine. I'd bring a pillow to cover your tummy for the bumps in the road and prepare to stop more frequently for restroom breaks. Bring your Protein shakes, Isopure clear, etc. And just make sure you know where the hospitals are in Mammoth, just in case. I chose the NEW program because of their support groups and follow-up they provide. I've had surgery twice before and didn't get that from my past surgeons so I'm very happy with them and especially with Dr. B and Dr. Q. St. Joe's is very good too. Good luck!

I was feeling quite good so we decided to take our kids to an amusement park on Saturday, 5 days post-op. I wasn't going to ride the rides but we needed to get our passes and I figured the kids could ride a few rides and then we'd be done. Of course, my 2 kiddos (ages almost 5 and 6) were in NO hurry to leave once we got there! Duh...It was soo hot yesterday and I had only had "eaten" about 90 calories. I felt woozy and dizzy. I basically tried to sit in the shade as much as possible, however, we did walk around 3/4 of the park. On our way home, I turned to talk to my son in the back seat and, without thinking I just twisted my body quickly to the left. Oh boy! That was a mistake because I have been soo sore since then!! Today I took it a bit easier. I still made meals for my family but DH helped a lot with the laundry and did the dishes. I have to go to work tomorrow for a few hours which means I have to drive on the freeway (yikes!). I hadn't expected that since I'm a teacher and have the summer off. My 1 week follow-up will be with my dr. on Tuesday so, if I'm still sore I will be talking to my dr. about it. I'm sure my pain is just a muscle strain and will heal itself shortly. Hopefully, I didn't rip or tear anything... For my "eating" I've been averaging around 300 calories per day and getting in about 15-25 min. of walking. I also do housework but I never count that as exercise which I should, cause I'm sure it burns calories! Take care,

I didn't have a drain so I can't speak to that. My doctor generally doesn't do drains, he does it on a case by case basis and surprisingly, I didn't need one!

Wow! As others have said, I'm envious of all your travels!! I'm a teacher and they don't let us travel for work much I agree that RTD protein shakes are probably your best bet. Stick with lean protein, seafood and green vegetables. Yogurt and fruit for breakfast. Lots and lots of water! You might buy some Ostrum jerky, it's higher in protein than regular beef jerky. Good luck!

Yea! So glad to hear. Rest, walk, sip, repeat!

I'm 4 days p.o. from a conversion from banded plication with hernia repair. DH took me to the movies today and it was so nice to get out and feel more "normal". Today I feel like I turned a corner and am definitely feeling better. I'm still sore and can barely drink about 2-3 ounces per hour. My calories are around 300 and proteins are about 30-40 grams. Not what it should be but everyday it's getting better. I'm so happy to have my band out and to be on the sleeve journey! Take care

Hi Liz, Oh my gosh! I'm so excited to finally be done with the band after 12 looong years!! I felt so defeated after I had my band replaced in 2011 and I still wasn't losing much weight. After my sleeve surgery and my surgeons discovered so many problems, I finally felt vindicated. My prior surgeon lectured me on using my band but of course, I know now it wasn't working properly - Grrr! My only regret is that I didn't do the sleeve in 2011. Oh well, I wouldn't be as grateful for the sleeve as I am now! Good luck to you on your journey. I'm sure everything will be wonderful. The recovery is a bit rough but at least you know what to expect since you're experienced! Take it easy the first few days and sip, sip, sip and walk, walk, walk! Take care, Jenn

Hi Ladies, I just had surgery on Monday, June 24, 2013. I'm a conversion from plication with lapband to sleeve. My surgery was fairly extensive but since I've had surgery twice before, I pretty much knew what to expect from recovery. Right now I'm trying to get in as much protein and liquid as my new tiny tummy will allow. Over the course of the day I usually drink warm tea in the a.m. as that is pretty easy to get down. Then Isopure Clear mixed with Crystal Light. Next, I'll have a protein shake probably Bariatric Advantage or Syntrax Nectar. I try to drink water too. Then I'll have about 1/4 c. of chicken broth, maybe a SF jello or popsicle. I can only drink about 1/4 c. over about 30 minutes or so. It's very slow going and I've averaging only about 300 calories per day. I've lost quite a bit of weight so I'm sure when I do add more solid proteins, I'll stall a bit. I'm very happy that my surgery is done and I'm finally on the losers bench! Good luck to everyone!

Thanks everyone! Your words mean a lot to me! I'm slowly sipping my Isopure clear mixed with Crystal Light. I think I've gotten in about 15 ounces of water, tea and Isopure over about 10 hours. It's slow going...I think I'm at about 90 calories for the day, so far. I'm going to keep chugging along and sip, sip, sip!

I had my conversion from banded plication to sleeve on Mon. June 24. My surgery was quite complicated but luckily, my surgeons were able to remove the band, take down the plication and convert my tummy to a sleeve laparoscopically. My liver was still a bit on the large side but due to the pre-op diet, it had shrunk enough! My doctor spoke with me extensively about what my stomach looked like, he also took photos because they hadn't seen a stomach in the bad shape that mine apparently was in. My port with mesh was completely backwards and the plication wasn't done completely so it left a large part of my stomach unplicated. So food would just sit in the large part of the stomach, giving me heartburn and indigestion. I almost cried when he told me this because I believe I really tried to lose weight with my banded plication and although I lost some, it was very difficult. Now I understand why. Thankfully since I've had 2 other WLS I knew what to expect immediately post-op and I think that really helped with my recovery. I didn't have a drain but did have the pain pump. I kept the pain medication to a minimum because I have found that it causes me to feel nauseated. I could hear other patients around me getting sick, dry heaving and having lots of problems...I had a bit of dry heaving and if I sipped juice or water too quickly, I would get the foamies but nothing too bad. I was released to come home last night around 9:00 pm. I slept in my lazy boy through most of the night. Today, I've walked a bit around the house and had 2 tiny sips of my pain medication. I'm sipping warm tea and will start my Isopure clear in a few hours. I'm glad to be home and so excited to be on this new journey. Okay sorry for the ramblings Take care,

I'll be checking in to the hospital for my revision surgery. Gotta get there by 6:30 a.m. for my 10:00 a.m. surgery. DH and I took our kiddos on a little vacation this weekend and it really took my mind off of things. I'm drinking bunches of water to, hopefully, pump up my teeny tiny rolling veins to prepare them for the I.V. (the thing I hate the most!). I'm supposed to be in the hospital for one night. Bought lots of different protein samples, a variety of Isopure clear drinks, and some broth. Kiddos will be cared for during the day while DH is at work. I just need to pack a few things for the hospital - mainly so I don't get bored. This is my 3rd WLS so I feel more prepared. *3rd times the charm* Keep me in your thoughts tomorrow around 10 a.m. please!!

Hi. I'm also a teacher. My surgery is scheduled for 6-24. I waited until summer so I would have 6-7 weeks off, plus I have 2 young children at home. I'm a revision from band to sleeve so I wanted to allow myself plenty of time to recover and get through the liquid, mushy phases during my vacation. I started the pre-op diet the last week of school which was tough but I managed. Good luck to you!

This will be my 3rd WLS so I'm trying to do everything I can to do right by myself. I've had a lapband for almost 12 years. My first lapband was replaced 2 1/2 years ago and I had a plication done at the same time. I was temporarily successful with the plication but I was my doctor's very first plication patient and the procedure wasn't performed correctly, or at least that's what I was told. My band gave me problems right from the start and my port flipped almost immediately after both band surgeries so fills were extremely difficult, if not impossible. I will officially start my pre-op diet on Monday, June 17. I didn't really do too many food funerals since I know that eventually I'll be able to eat (most) everything again, just in smaller quantities. I kinda' got started on my pre-op diet a little early and went ahead and began using Protein shakes as Meal Replacements and ate high Protein, low carb beginning last Monday. I've already dropped around 9 pounds! I've purchased a variety of protein shakes, powders, etc. I've got Bariatric Advantage, nectar Syntrax, some Atkins RTD, Pure Protein RTD, and unjury. I need to buy a few Isopure RTD for the first week after surgery as I remember those being pretty easy to digest after my last surgery. I also started tracking my food. I don't think I ever tracked my food before. I know that I have been the type of dieter in the past who relied on exercise to lose weight. I enjoy exercise classes and sometimes will go to 2 a day, however, I have finally come to accept that my diet is what needs to be changed. This time around I'm really trying to learn from my past mistakes. I started reading The Beck Diet Solution by Judith Beck and I've been slowly working my way through the book and activities. It's been helpful. I also started seeing a therapist about 8 months ago to prepare myself for the surgery and a few other life events that were happening. So I feel fairly prepared for my surgery on June 24. I'm hoping my kids will be okay without mommy around for a few days and I'm hoping the I.V. goes in quickly and easily since that is usually the hardest part of any surgery for me. I'm sure I'll have some naseau after surgery as I usually react this way to anesthesia, but I believe it will all be worth it. I'm having surgery for my health and so I can be a fit, active mom, wife and teacher. Good luck to all of us! Take care, Jenn

Thanks everyone. All set for Monday, June 24 around 9 am. I'm the 2nd surgery of the day so hopefully, doctor will be on time. Not nervous about anything except the I.V. I hate the I.V.!! Pre-op diet is going okay. I kinda got a bit off track this morning but worked out a bit extra today to make up for it. Back on track now though!

Me too, me too!!

Wow! Great job!

Hi, Please add me too, June 24th for my banded plication revision to sleeve! Thanks