SJMusicalman103

I was 420 lbs when I started on the band... I got down to 270lbs which was great but I was still 80-90 lbs overweight and couldn't lose any more... I maintained the 270 (+\- a few) for 3 years... I was tired of having a foreign substance in my body and just wanted it out... I am convinced that the silicone in the band was poisoning my body... I know it wasn't filled with silicone but the band itself is made of silicone... At any rate, I started doing research and a friend if mine had actually converted from a band to the sleeve and raved about it... Of course I was terrified to go back under the knife... I was crying in the hospital before surgery... I was very scared! I'm just tired of being overweight and my surgeon, nutritionist and I determined I needed some tool to help me get it off... I have a very slow digestive track and the sleeve helps with that... I didn't want the bypass because of all of the other issues that come with it... The sleeve is an evasive surgery but still less evasive than the bypass... So far I am happy with my decision! Continue to research and get other opinions.. I would NEVER recommend the band again after going through what I did and I was a huge fan in the beginning... I wish you all the best and if you have any questions I can try to answer them for you...

So I know this may be TMI but I can't be the only person dealing with this issue... When I first got home I had diarrhea which I know is normal after surgery... Now, for the passed 2 days I am constipated.. I took 1 colace last night and 3 today... I know it says it takes 12-72 hours to work... I am getting 64 ounces of water and walking every day.. I am on full liquids right now... Should I be alarmed or is this pretty normal? Any words of wisdom would be great! Thanks y'all!

I'm going through something very similar... My doc told me only to take Miralax for 3 days though and then stop... I went today but not much... Someone else on here recommended Smooth Move which is a natural tea... They said it works very well... I have yet to try it because I just stopped the Miralax... I also take 200 mg of Colace a day still... I also take GasX daily to prevent gas pressure and bloating... It seems to be a common problem until you are a regular diet for a while... I'm only 16 days out... Good luck!

I had the lap band back in 2007... I lost A LOT of weight with it.. However in 2010 I started having issues with IBS and stomach pain, etc... I went to several doctors and all said that my band was fine so I didn't go back to my surgeon... However after a year of no real relief and a trip back to the hospital for the 4th time, I contacted my surgeon... He did a scan and found that my band had indeed slipped, which is what I kept telling my other docs... Anyway he drained my band of all Fluid and we waited 3 months to see if it corrected itself... It didn't! So we decided to take the band out and do a revision... Well not to scare you but I had complications... It was supposed to be a 2 hour same day surgery because he was taking the band out one day and do the revision a few months later but it wound up being a 4 1/2 hour surgery and 8 days in the hospital... Not only did I have tons of scar tissue but he had to open me up... He opened me up to find that the band had started to erode through my stomach! As I said I was in the hospital for 8 days and out of work for 6 weeks beyond that... For several other reasons - I found a new surgeon... I started the slow process of having the revision surgery... I have to say having the band gave me some of the tools for starting with my new stomach... I've had very few issues with nausea so far.. I'm only 15 days out however and my doc gave me dissolvable Zofran that I take when I am feeling nauseous and it takes it away quickly! I would love to know how things go for you! All my best!

I haven't put jeans on yet... We are down the same amount of weight so I'm hoping when I finally put them on I will feel that too! Congrats and keep up the great work... ????

It wasn't thick but was a little sweet...

Your surgeon may postpone it and get you on some meds for a month... I knew I had it and had been medicated... My doc upped my dosage and after a month did the upper GI and it cleared up any erosion issues.. Mine were minor to begin with since I had already been medicated... I continue to take my meds now and have no problems... According to the research I've done this surgery CAN make it worse but every body is different! Good luck to you!

What I did was take 4 oz of milk and mix it with I scoop of protein powder which is 20g of protein... If you drink 3 of those a day and have a Greek yogurt - you will get 70g of protein... But like the previous post if you use unflavored protein powder and mix one scoop in that will give you 20g of protein too... I use Unjury brand..

I actually just purchased these dill flavored krinkle fry things that have 12g of Protein... I haven't tried them yet but they got good reviews! Go to BariatricChoice.com - they have lots of Snacks, meals, Desserts and supplements formulated for bariatric patients!

I was sleeved on Sept 11th... Yesterday was my 14th day! I started at 300 lbs and lost 11 pre-op and then 7 after week 1. I'm expecting it will slow down a lot... I had my surgery by Dr. Salcone at Our Lady of Lourdes in Camden, NJ... He has been AMAZING!!!

All I would say is double check the plan set up for you by your surgical team... I know every surgeon is different... I'm on my 14th day today and have just moved to puréed food... I was very full after dinner and couldn't finish... I don't understand why you doc wouldn't have had you on Protein from day one after surgery... I had a protein Jello in the hospital - which was gross but it got 20g of protein in me at each meal... unjury makes decent line of Proteins... I like the chicken Soup and unflavored! I wish you well in your journey!

My plan has me eating every two-three hours... 3 meals and 2-3 snacks.... The grumbling stomach doesn't necessarily mean you are hungry... I was reading that in one of my pamphlets... It just means things are moving around, which is good!

Anyone going into week 3 have My Fitness Pal and want to be friends? I'll be friends with anyone going through this journey obviously but I thought it would be especially fun to have friends in the same week! My name on there is sjmusicalman103 - Let's do this people!

They used dermabond on my incisions... No outer staples... It makes recovery time shorter generally speaking...

It also takes your brain a while to register that you are full.. The first time I had scrambled eggs I made 1/2 c of egg beaters... I wasn't able to finish it.... My brain thought I could handle it but alas... Some things, sliders, just slide right through and don't make me full... Yogurt is one of those things...

My doctor had concerns about doing the sleeve because of reflux... I really wasn't willing to entertain the bypass... However after speaking to friends who have had both surgeries I was willing to look at the bypass as an option if my doc ultimately felt it was going to be safer... A month before my surgery my doctor had me double up on my reflux meds and after the month he did my endoscopy... He discovered I had no erosion from the reflux and whatever slight erosion I had previously was healed... He was able to do the sleeve and I've had no reflux issues... The sleeve surgery can cause you reflux to get worse but my friends that I've spoken with said they haven't had any issues post surgery! Good luck!

For some reason it won't let me add you... Try adding me, sjmusicalman103... Weird!

I am feeling better every day! Thank you so much...

Weds. will be 2 weeks post op... I will be moving into puréed food for week 3!

When I was on Weight Watchers My "ideal weight" according to them was between 159-179... I am 6 foot tall! When I started my journey back in 2007 I was 430 lbs... I had the lap band surgery... I lost about 150lbs... However I had to have the band removed because of complications last October... I went back up to 300 lbs... I had my sleeve surgery on Sept. 11th! I'm down to 276. I would like to get at least 200lbs and see how I feel... I think that the US weight ideals are crazy low... You should set a short term goal, see how you feel and if you want to go for more- do it! Whatever makes you feel good!

Weeks 3 and 4 should be puréed food... Soft foods are after that... I'm just about to enter week 3... 3 oz puréed chicken, beef, pork, veal turkey or white fleshed fish, 1/8 c veggies and 1/8 starch

I wish I felt that way.,, I've always had a very active appetite and thank goodness now when I do eat, I'm a least satisfied (for the most part)... I'm only 12 days post op though... Get your minimums in though so you keep healthy!