Rev Me Up!

The band SUCKS so badly - I am so happy your doctor made that recommendation. You'll be happy with your choice. The recovery isn't easy, but life is so much better after that. Good luck!

The band was a waste of time, money and energy. I wish I had the sleeve then, but it wasnt as popular as it is now. As far as things I wished I had done before my surgery? Well, I pretty much ate everything I thought I would miss. Funny thing is that you can eat all those things again a few months after surgery. You may not eat as much, and some of them may not taste the same. Otherwise, there was nothing on my pre-surgery list. I just wanted the band out and I was looking forward to being past the recovery. I am so much healthier now, I am just really glad I did it. Good luck on your surgery and recovery--

Good luck with your insurance and I hope you get some relief soon. Be prepared to stand up for what you want - you are your own best advocate. It seems like lots of people have denials and then win on appeal, you just have to be persistent. Good luck!

CONGRATUALTIONS!!!!! BMI charts are garbage, but it does feel good to get over the line. You would be better off using a waist measurement, no? Congrats again on all your success!

Starting Sunday, I have accepted Diva's 30 day challenge and I will be using this thread to hold myself accountable every day. For those of you who haven't seen the challenge criteria, here they are: Eating: No Potatoes No Rice No Breads No Cereals No Candy No Pastries Maximum 5 Servings of Fruit per day Unlimited Servings of Veggies per day Minimum 60g of Protein per day Minimum 64oz Water per day Exercise: Minimum 30 Minutes, 5x per week

Checking in for my challenge!! Day 1 - Off to a good start this morning - scrambled egg and a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese. As usual, pure protein makes me eat a lot less :-) I am going to try and post the challenge list with check marks / status on each items at the end of the day. I might have to have the challenge criteria tattooed on my arm because I keep forgetting the details :-)

So, I've been auditing my intake over the last couple of days to see what I need to tweak for the challenge. I am going to have to cut out my daily oatmeal and I bought some refried Beans to replace it. I need the Fiber :-) I also need to cut out my occasional granola bar - I won't be buying another box of those. I threw out the tortilla chips that were tempting me. I bought some beef Jerky as a snack. The most amazing thing?: I actually tried another Isopure this week. You see, I have never been good with the Protein / Fluid intake. I still have a bunch of those in the mini fridge. I didn't love it, but I drank about a third. It did fill me up and pump up my protein. Good news: at the end of the day, I am eating just under 1000 calories. So, tomorrow is another day to prepare and then I am going to put my best effort into the challenge. Globetrotter: you are still doing great!! By all accounts, these last pounds are the hardest. I am losing a pound every 2 weeks right now - and its ok! I feel like I am happy as long as I am not gaining :-) We can get through this together!!!!

Hello-- I am also one of those who could never get the Water and Protein shakes in. Try to eat some popsicles - they are all water and can trick your tummy into taking it. Also, when I was at my most depleted (because I couldn't eat and barely drink) I did switch to full sugar original gatorade for a few days. I had to dilute it because the taste was so strong, but it has the electrolytes you need. Do your very best make sure to get your omeprazole. You REALLY NEED IT in the beginning. It may take a couple of days to build up in the system, but it will calmdown the rumbling. My doctor prescribed the PPI for the first several months, whether I had symptoms or not :-) Good luck---

For the first month, the thought and smell of food made me want to barf. I had to lock myself in my room when dinner was cooking becuase the smell was terrible for me. Congrats on your new sleeve!

Yikes!!! So sorry to hear about it. Does the doctor say what they think might be causing the trouble? The first few days are seriously rough - but I hope you start to feel better. Most people have some sort of regret off and on during the first 2 weeks becuase they are so challenging. Keep focused on getting better - that's your full time job right now. Also, push the surgeon to answer your questions - you are your best advocate!!!! Wishing you a speedy recovery!

All of us who have been through the band and the revision understand what you are going through. I was really terrified about even having hope when I went in for the surgery. In my mind, the sleeve was just an insurance policy so I would not gain a ton more weight after the band was gone. The sleeve turned out to be everything the band promised, with none of the BS. But, I will also say that having the sleeve was much harder for me for the first couple of months. The restriction on what you can eat will really cause you to examine why your brain screams for food. You will cry because you want to ease your daily stress with a bowl of Cereal that your body will not tolerate. It is emotional, but those are good lessons you learn in the begginning. I will say that I am not a strict low carb diet, but I do eat Protein first. I do that because I hardly eat anything at all (compared to before) and I am terrified that if I fill my body with crap, it will be dangerous. You will also find that things that are bad for you will make you feel terrible. I still can't really stomach anything very sweet. White bread makes me gag. Pasta and rice are so filling and uncomfortable, I don't even touch them. The big difference for me was that the only foods that were comfortable with the band were bad for me and it made me regain weight. So far, the opposite is true with the sleeve. The sleeve also seems to buy me some time in making a good choice. I may be craving a giant hunk of cake. But, the sleeve really takes the physical hunger away and gives me a chance to work through the mental process. Maybe I do have a bite of cake, but I also make sure to have a bite of dense protein to fill up my tummy and then I can't get much of the cake in. It really works!! I don't know what the future holds. I don't know if any one of us will start re-gaining weight in a year or two. There are a lot of successes out there for us to look to. But, the common thread with them is that they took the changes to heart. They started working out. The still eat protein first. I don't want to be on a diet forever. I don't feel like I am on a diet right now, even though I am somewhat restricted. The good food makes me feel better and it is easier for me to stay on track. The physical hunger is gone so it is easier for me to make the right decisions. None of us is perfect. And, believe me, every one of us revision folks has felt the failure and doubt with going through ANOTHER weight loss surgery. I, personally, am extremely happy I had it done. It was hard, but I think the tough journey has really helped me to make some permanent changes. Also, another major plus for me is that, even if I do regain the weight one day, I will not have a dangerous apparatus in my body causing pain anymore. It's worth it to take out the band, whatever you decide. Good luck on your decision and journey---

I just switched to generic Omeprazole and it comes in a very small tablet - it would be easy to swallow or you could crush it. I get it at Walgreens or any other drug store.

No, I don't have that experience. I am a lap band revision and my old port site is a little tender if I push on it, but I heard that is normal. You should call your doctor just in case and make sure there is no damage.

Hey, sometimes you have to give in to the beast! How did you feel afterwards? I still feel pretty sick if I have more than about 3 bites of ice cream and I have only tried it a couple of times. Have a good weekend-

Sounds like he was just having a bad day. Maybe someone said something particular that was offensive? Acai seems like a pretty mild thing - at least you aren't buying prescription diet pills :-) Give him a big hug, let him know how much you need him in your life and then maybe take it easy on the "surgery talk". I know it is almost all I talk about and I bore myself! You can come here to Celebrate your Acai find. Considering the big change you and your partner have been through, he is entitled to blow off a little steam. I'm sure he didn't mean it in a bad way - he clearly cares about you.

The usual response for back-to-back surgeries is 6 weeks, but ask your doctor. Got my tubes tied in 2006 - outpatient procedure. The surgery itself was not too bad, but I always have a weird reaction to the drugs they use to put me out. I stayed home for a week after trying to get my head together. I don't remember how painful it was, to be honest. I will say that periods did get heavier afterwards and I had ovarian cysts for the first time. It was not bad enough to need surgery, but I was put on birth control pills at one point for a couple of months (which made me REALLY MAD). The cysts were painful and I had a lot of irregular bleeding. I can say that, right now, my body finally seems to be at peace with my tubal because my periods are much better. It is worth it not to worry about birth control - I just didn't want to take the hormones anymore. You can expect really heavy periods for at least a year after, seems to be a common experience.

For me, the first 8 weeks was HORRIBLE. It does get better, I promise. Please start taking 20m of Omeprazole in the morning at least an hour before you eat, if you haven't already. That will zap the tummy rumbling and may help with the nausea. We have to be very vigilant about acid with the sleeve. I am 4 months out and still take my omeprazole daily. In the beginning I was taking it twice a day - once in the morning and one before bed. I also slept with 4 pillows to keep the acid down. I no longer have this problem, but it was hard in the beginning. Take care---

Fantastic!!! This will be the first of many victories on your journey. Congratulations!!!

Asian food is the best for hiding your portions!!!!! Chinese, sushi, Thai - all of them are great because they are either family style or they some in small portions (like dim sum or sushi hand roll). The best!!!!!!! I also find it is easier to hide when you have a large group. Unfortunately when I eat with just one other person, they will always ask why I don't eat much. An embarrassing restaurant moment: I was in England for work and ate at one of Jaime Olivers restaurants. I picked a grilled lamb dish, pushed the food around a little, let my companions pick at it and I still had at least half of it left behind. THE MANAGER CAME OUT AND ASKED ME IF THE FOOD WAS BAD. I understand, becuase I am a foodie, that chefs look at the plates when they come back to see if the customer liked it. Not only did the manager ask me, but he wouldn't leave until I told him what was wrong with the dish. I had to get stern with him and tell him I can't eat that much. Embarrassing, but my companions were pretty cool about it. They were colleagues, and not really friends, so it would have been unprofessional for them to ask me about it. Crazy, huh?

Tough question because everyone's body is different. I didn't really get into a smaller size until about 2 months in. Once it started, though, I started going through them quite quickly. I was going shopping for something every 3 weeks or so. Also, my top shrunk faster than the bottom. I was having to buy shirts at a more rapid pace. I think, and I have heard others say as well, that it is slower going through the plus sizes. Once you get out of the plus size and into regular sizes, they go REALLY FAST. Don't worry, it will happen!! You are doing fantastically well!!!!

This is the hardest part, but you can do it!!!!!!! The time right after surgery is the hardest, but it will pass and you will be able to eat again. It happens at a different pace for each person, but it will happen. Hang in there, you are almost done!

I hear ya! I didn't tell anyone about my lap band and I have not told anyone about my sleeve revision. I feel I would be even more misunderstood for the revision because I was barely obese when I went for the revision. Not a lot of people would understand that I needed this surgery to keep me from gaining a ton of weight after I took out the band. To an outsider it might seem drastic, but we each do what we need to do in our lives, right? I know lots of people who have had plastic surgery - nose jobs, face lifts, boob jobs, liposuction, etc. At the most shallow level, I consider this my plastic surgery. It has changed how I look, my health, and how I feel about myself. And, guess what? There is nothing wrong with it. I keep it to myself because I don't need anyone's opinion. I am quite happy with the experience and the results - screw everyone else!

Hi-- I have not seen anyone on this board talk about a revision beyond the initial sleeve. But, I think we would all like to hear your experience and what your doctor says about your sleeve. Also, if you can include details on how big your pouch is and any reason your doctor thinks the surgery didn't work for you. Good luck on your surgery--

This might be just what I needed. I like it that it isn't a weight challenge - the scale is such a weird thing. Ok, my friend, I accept your challenge!!!!! Starting on Sunday - IT. IS. ON!

GO SHOPPING!!! That's the best part :-) You will be amazed at the sizes you can get into and how amazing you look!! Even if you just go to Walmart for a pair of jeans and a couple of t-shirts. Seriosuly, go do it. It feels wonderful, and you will look fantastic. Congratualtions!!!!!