my2bys9799

kclaws I am pre-surgery so can't share any real experience with you but I can tell you that there is risk associated with ALL surgery. You could go in for a simple tonsilectomy, and have a complication. There are tons of real stories on these boards - both good and bad. Only you can decide whether you think this is right or wrong for you. Good luck!

I am in the same situation as you, my lap band did not work and I lost at most, 40 lbs. Here I am now almost 4 years later, reading the posts on this site (which I have become completely addicted to) and having to go through this all over again. The band does not work for many people, whereas the sleeve has significantly higher success rates. Just read all the posts from others on this site. I am not speaking from my own personal experience, as I have not yet had my procedure. I just received insurance approval, and am just waiting for my surgeon's surgery scheduler to contact me with my date, but I have done my research and feel like this experience will be completely different from what you and I have both experienced in the past. Failure, and frustration. I'm not saying this journey is going to be easy - but if we go into this with the right frame of mind, we're at least on the right track. Best of luck to you in your journey!

I have seen several posters on these forums mention a "liquid diet", but my surgeon's office never mentioned anything about this. We are required to be on a 2-week pre-op diet, that will eliminate sugar and fat to shrink the liver. The only patients (in my surgeon's practice) that are required to be on a liquid diet are the gastric bypass patients, so I'm just curious about what all of your surgeons recommend?

Best of luck rodeomom969 - you can do it!!

Thanks for all the replies! I had a conversation with my NUT today and she said that our surgeons only require a low sugar/low fat / high Protein & veggie diet because that is enough to shrink the liver enough so that they can perform the surgery without complications. And she also explained the reason they ask the gastric bypass and switch patients to be on liquids 2-days prior to surgery is because since they are having organs re-routed, and they have found whole mushrooms (and probably other things) when they didn't require liquids only. Makes perfect sense and is a huge relief.

Hi Robbie.lytle07, congratulations on your progress so far, and for making the decision to have the revision surgery. Like you, I am also converting from the lap-band to the sleeve, but I do not have my revision surgery scheduled yet; however just received the news on Friday that the insurance approval is in. Just waiting for my surgeon's office coordinator to contact me to finalize and schedule. I got my lap band 11/1/10, and did not experience any "problems" other than the fact that I just didn't lose weight. I had almost 8 cc's of saline in my band, and due to being so full, could hardly get anything down.. but still did not lose. I am hoping things will be very different when I get the sleeve surgery. Best of luck to you.

I discovered this site when I was trying to find other people like me, who are converting from the lap band to the sleeve. I was amazed to learn just how many of "us" there are! For so long I felt like a failure, and that I just didn't work hard enough, or that I just never learned how to use my tool. I got my lap band November 1st, 2010, and lost 17 pounds during the 2-week pre-op stage, and then another 5-10 pounds the first week post-op. But from there, I really had to work hard to lose anymore weight. I was going to the gym at least 3x per week, I was careful to follow all the rules about not eating/drinking, chewing slowly, but didn't have any restriction and was always hungry. My surgeon was only filling my band with .5 cc's of fluid at a time. Before I knew it, it was 3 years later and I'd only lost a total of 40 pounds (but that includes the 25 I dropped at the very beginning during add-on and the immediate weeks that followed), and I had about 8 cc's of fluid in my band that only holds 9 cc's! I couldn't eat hardly anything and was constantly getting food stuck. I was absolutely miserable, and too embarassed and frustrated to go back to the surgeon so I just dealt with it. Then, my employer added weight loss surgery to our covered benefits as of January, 2014 and I decided to look into whether it was possible to get the band removed and convert to the sleeve. My first appointment with the new surgeon /bariatric office was early March, and just yesterday I got the call from the hospital coordinators that I received approval from my insurance company. Now, I am just waiting for the surgeons office to finalize my chart, and I will have my surgery scheduled. I am both nervous and excited, and my biggest fear is that this procedure will also fail...but the more I come here to this site, and read all of your success stories, the more confident I get.

1Day1Life4Now, thank you so much for your reply, and encouragement! Congratulations on almost reaching two months post-op, and for your success so far! Can you share any helpful information on which Protein powder or shake you used, or what eating plan you have found works for you?

Dreamscometrue - Like littlelaura said above, I also just found your post and find it very motivating. I haven't gotten my surgery date yet, but have been reading the forums because of all the valuable information they contain. I've been having second thoughts because unlike you, I will be a revisional surgery from lap band to GSV. I had the lap done surgery 11/1/2011 and only lost 40 lbs.and just worried that I won't be successful with the sleeve either. I haven't found many people who continue to post here "post surgery", so I really want to thank you for taking the time to do this. I know it is probably very therapeutic for you, but it is very helpful for those like me... still working towards having my surgery. I know you will continue to be successful, and wish you much luck on your journey.