Rev Me Up!

It doesn't hurt to ask a surgeon. Why don't you call up a reputable clinic near you and just talk to them about it? Maybe they can help you work though the process. And, if they don't seem to listen and understand, call a different one. There are lots of doctors out there and it sounds like you need someone that can take their time and listen to your concerns. We probably won't have the answere here, but we will support you on your journey!! Good luck-- Lara

Hey- Good luck to you!! You are in good hands with Dr A!

Yikes! Glad you got medical attention and that it is healing better now. Keep us up to date on your progress. Take care--

I am 3 and half months out. I found the recovery much harder with the sleeve. I had less energy, but I am sure that was because I had a terrible time getting liquids down. Also, once you start eating, you can hardy eat anything at all. Remember the 6 week wait bofore you could get your first fill? And you could eat fairly normally? THat is not the case with the sleeve. You restriction is very tight and very consistent. I had a hard time getting excited about my surgery the second time around. I think once you have a failed weight loss surgery, you are much more guarded about your prospects the second time around. However, I can say with 100% certainty that this surgery works. It does for you what was promised with the band but never delivered. I eat healthier and my restriction is very consistent. Mentally, it is hard because you will have to come to terms with your limited ability to eat. According the "old timers", this gets better after 6 months or so as your consumption goes up a little more. I am so happy with my sleeve. Now I am over the worst of the recovery, I feel more normal than I have in years. No more port, no more food sticking, no more random stomach pain, no more fills. I am losing a lot of weight and I am extremely satisfied with my decision to make the change. Good luck with your decision!

THere was a very active thread on this before, but I didn't read it all so I don't know how helpful it would be. Do a search for "marijuana" on the board and you should find it. You may be able to get more info from the thread starter on that subject. I am in no way judgmental about cannabis use and I support medical dispensing. That said, you may want to try and seek out a medical dispensary (are you in California?) that can help you understand how the side affects may affect you after surgery. I'm not advocating here, but it may help you with nausea after the fact. However, you don't want to self medicate right after surgery. Give yourself time to heal. Good luck-

That is completely normal - I was in a bad state for a week before surgery. Take care of yourself and you will be alright.

I had the spinal in addition to the routine general anesthesia. I have a history of vomiting with spinal and morphine, but whatever they used sat perfectly well with my stomach. I had the spinal for the full 3 days and I would get a shot once or twice a day, depending on what was happening. I like the spinal because almost no pain. I think they do it depending on your medical history. They put the spinal in after you are under anesthesia so you don't know anything about it until you wake up. Much easier than the eidural you get when you're having a baby :-)

So very sorry to hear about our mom. I know I started to feel like my band was a ticking time bomb and I was fortunate to come away from it without serious complications. She must have been terrified and it makes me so angry that bariatric patients aren't treated with more urgency. I am glad she made it through!! I don't have an answer on your question, but I do wish your mom a speedy recovery.

"She keeps telling me I don't know what I'm getting myself into. That I am just looking for a quick and easy fix." It is important that you know what you are getting into precisely because it is not an easy fix. THe surgery is serious, the recovery is hard. It is tough physically but even more difficult mentally. It is going to force you to really change how you eat. A plate of food will not look the same again. I am not saying these things to scare you, but to illustrate the point that this is a difficult journey. But it really works. It works because of all the reasons I mentioned above. Do your homework so that you know without a doubt that this solution is for you. After that, it won't be as important for everyone else to support you. You are very lucky to have a husband that supports you in this,

Giving the therapist the benefit of the doubt, i know that my time spent on this site was pretty obsessive from the time I started researching until about 2 monhs after surgery. I felt like I couldn't get through my day without checking the site several times. This would be considered obsessive behavior and may not be healthy. However, that daily contact really kept me sane through the surgery and recovery process. It is true, though, that it is unethical for a therapist to tell you what to do. YOu are there to explore your feelings and a therapist is supposed to guide you through that exploration. See if you can get a referral. Regarding the not big enough thing - I think our society has been desensitized to how large people really are. Bottom line, you are overweight and you want to do something about it that will really work. I'll tell you - this surgery gives you a fighting chance to get all that weight off and keep it off, Good luck with your decision.

I have seen 3 months stats between 26 and 40+ pounds. I was low BMI and I lost 31 pounds by my 3 month surgiversary date. The interesting thing is that you lose the most from the waist up in the first couple of months so you will definitely look different around your face and shoulders. Good luck!!!

It is a tough choice. It is hard enough to get the courage to have WLS and then to coontemplate a second surgery because the firs one failed is devastating. I got the sleeve as more of an insurance policy to keep me from balooning up after the band was removed. I decided to have it all done at once because I didn't want to go through ANOTHER surgery afterwards. This decision is personal and you will know what is best when you are ready. Personally, the sleeve was the best thing I could have done for myself. The recovery is hard, but there are great results and no more pain. It is understandable, though, if you want to have the band out and not replace it with anything. Keep reading the board and look for those of us that have had revisions. There is life after the lapband!!!! Good luck--

I got the best acid control when I switched to Zegerid OTC. I was on Nexium after surgery, then Prilosec. They were OK, but I would still have evening acid. I bought the Zegerid on sale with a coupon and it worked so well, I never switched back. good luck!!!!

If you aren't in pain, go for it. I would think it would be much less strenuous than sex.

Hi All- I am on my first international business trip and I feel pretty crappy. I am a little over 3 months out and in my normal life, my stomach feels pretty good. The jetlag on this trip has been absolutely brutal. Also, when I eat in the morning and in the evening, I feel pretty bad. I re-timed my PPI so I am taking it in the morning, but Breakfast is AWFUL. I am eating yogurt with no chunks and it take about 30 minutes to get it down. I am relegated to yogurt because the thought of solid food in the morning makes my stomach turn. It feels like I am back at week #4. In the middle fo the day, it gets better. At night I am also uncomfortable. Anyone else have this problem when they travel? This, combined with the fact that I am not able to catch up on my sleep is making me pretty miserable. I am trying to see the silver lining - I am sure I'll drop a couple of extra pounds because I'm not eating as much :-) Also, I am drinking a little more Water than usual. --Queasy in the UK

Thanks, Swizzly-- Yeah, I have never been very good when I miss my sleep. Unfortunately, I have to keep normal work hours while I'm here and getting out of bed has been ridiculously hard. Stomach = angry. I think the sleeve has made it a little more complicated because of the way I eat. I have to eat at least 5 smal meals a day or else I will fall apart. Thanks again!

Regarding the pork and beef: I find they don't agree with me either. Its a completely different way of thinking because beef was my primary food when I had my lap-band. Now, the only meat I can really eat is chicken. Luckily, I realy missed eating chicken from my band days :-) Good for you to go back to basics - I hope you are feeling better.

"Well, I looked at this grup, and thought, "one day I will join them", I checked my ticker yesterday, and only had 1lb to lose to qualify, I weighed again today, and I can join!!!" Nice!!! Welcome!!!!

Sounds like lots of people have weird periods after surgery. Mine have been primarily normal, except this last month came a week early. My question would be: is there any unusual pain associated with the bleeding? If it continues for over a month, I would go see the OB/GYN. They can put you on a birth control pill short term to keep you regulated and make the periods lighter. I know it isn't pleasant , but you want to make sure there is no underlying problem.

My periods have been pretty normal since the sleeve - actually a little bit lighter. However, I had a horrible ovulation experience last month. Horrible back pain and ovarian pain for 2 days right in the middle of my cycle. I am 3 momths out.

I use Zegerid OTC. It has an additive that is supposed to help medicine absorption. Prilosec didn't work as well for me - even though it has the same active ingredient. If the generics and Prilosec don't work very well, try Zegerid.

This will pass!!!!!! Honestly, the first week is awful. IN a few weeks, you will be able to enjoy food with your friends, you will be able to drink and eat and you won't have to worry about measuring everything. The drain location wll hurt for another week or so. It takes time for your insides to deal with the bruising and swelling. Seriously, this will get better. I cried every day for about 2 weeks after. Keep coming back to he forum for support - we have all been through it and we know what it feels like. Take care of yourself and know that THIS WILL GET BETTER. It will. You may want to try a B12 sublingual - it will boost your energy and may lift your mood a little.

As long as you are not in a lot of pain, not vomitting, and don't have a fever you are OK. The first couple of weeks is a blur of weird sounds and unpredictable bowel activity. I was dead-tired exhausted for almost 6 weeks. It could be blood sugar, but it is most likely becuase you are getting in very little calories and you are still recovering from major surgery. You may want to lay off the super-sugary apple juice. Also, you could be experienceing problems from the fake sugar in your Protein drinks. Just check with your doc and make sure you are eating the things you are supposed to and you should be fine. GOod luck!

FANTASTIC!!! Congrats - you must be thrilled!!!

I think, too, that you aren't really going to know how the surgery will affect your mind until you have it. I know that I had a terrible fear of busting my stitches and vomitting after my surgery. Because of that, I have always measured every single thing I put in my mouth. The surgery keeps my hunger at bay so that I can actually think for a minute before I eat and that helps me to make the good choice. Also, I was terrified of starving because of the small amounts of food that I could eat - this got me to alsways choose Protein first and make sure that what I am eating is good for me because I have very limited opportunity to eat. I could not have predicted that I would react that way, but the end result has been a very healthy, nutritionally dense diet. I am not at all interested in junk food or sweets - at all. However, I am still in the early stages and I can't say what will happen in a year ot 10 years. I know that I have honestly developed new habits at this point. It's as if the sleeve has bought me time and sanity when it comes to my food. I am more mindful of what I am doing, so I eat better. Make sure you have a support group to go to and a nutritionist to work with. Also, make sure you have a very clear set of post-op eating instructions so you know exactly what you can eat and when. THat will help you get on track with your new habits. There is a big emotional component to not being able to eat in situations where you used to eat a lot. This passes, but the first month or so is hard emotionally. Set yourself up with some support to help you out.