Mim

Yeah, yeah......I expected it. After all, I lost my hair when I had Band surgery too (and I'm not really sure it all grew back.) About a week ago (exactly 3 months and 5 days after surgery) I got a handful of hair as I rinsed out my shampoo. Every day since, I've left behind a clump of hair in the shower and even more on the bathroom floor as I blow-dry! On the bright side, I'm down 33 pounds - halfway to my goal! I feel great. I'm exercising. I fit in a size 14. Life is good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go sweep my bathroom floor.............

Another Band Revisioner here..... I'm almost 3 months out and I am so, so, so, so happy that I did this! Financially, it was a struggle. Emotionally, it was a struggle. Explaining to my family that I needed another weight loss surgery was a struggle. I'm a single mom to an 11-year old son, and I was nervous about putting myself (and him) through another surgery and recovery. Honestly, my Lapband recovery was more painful than the revision. Of course, the first month on liquids was excruciating..... but it's been wonderful since. No more "stuck" episodes, no vomiting, no pain......... all the things I suffered through for 3 years with the Band. As of this morning, I'm down 30 pounds.....and.......fit into my size 14 jeans this morning! (Early Christmas present to me!) Good Luck!

So, I'm still new to Sleeve eating and I took a big stumble last night........... I should preface this by saying that I have been 99% compliant since day 1 (a cup of coffee and a few sips of wine account for the 1% !) Yesterday, I had my usual Protein drink for Breakfast and some cottage cheese and cucumber for lunch. I wasn't very interested in dinner, but I was very interested in the box of See's Candy that's been in our house since last week. I figured "No dinner, one piece of candy - what's the big deal?" .........Okay, one piece turned into three and I felt guilty, but it was just one (little) slip. About 20 minutes later, my body went into full-on "sugar-shock." My heart started to pound, I got dizzy and weak, and broke out sweating profusely............. It was not good. I had to lie down for about 1/2 hour until the room stopped spinning. My stomach didn't hurt and I didn't throw up, but I never want to repeat that feeling again! I was a very big sugar eater before my sleeve and I've never reacted to it like that before. When I felt a little better, I sipped a Protein Drink, hoping to counter-act the damage. I'll tell you, last night was enough to keep my fingers out of the candy box for the rest of the holidays!

I really hope I can add sweets into my diet in the future. It's weird that this never happened to me with the Band. One of the reasons I didn't want bypass was the whole "dumping" issue. I want to indulge in a dessert once in a while! I think it must have been a combination of not eating dinner and having too much sugar after not eating it for two months. However, it was a good reminder to me that I did this to be healthier, and eating chocolate for dinner was not the healthiest choice I could have made.

Kandy, I'm so glad your experience was as wonderful as we all promised! The first month is hard.....no doubt about it.....but once you get through it, you're on your way! I think I'm 8 weeks out now, and I'm so happy with my decision. In the beginning, I was worried because I was hungry all the time and my energy was low. My weight loss was s-l-o-w for the first two weeks. Then, somewhere around week 3, my body got with the program. By the time I could eat solid food, the weight began to drop, my energy was 100% and I finally stopped obsessing about my next meal. This is my long-winded way of saying "try" to be patient. I think a lot of us experience that moment of "What if I'm the one this surgery doesn't work for?" But it will. Allow your body time to heal. Sip, walk, sip, walk......oh, and nap!

Your date is finally here! I remember not too long ago, you were reading my post-surgery updates. Now, here I am 7 weeks out and feeling 100%. I'm down 23 pounds and haven't found a food yet, that upsets my stomach. Dr. Aceves even approved me for 1 cup/day of my beloved Starbucks Soy Lattes, as long as they don't give me acid reflux (they don't!) I think I almost missed coffee more than food over the past several weeks. I found that I experienced all of my nerves prior to arriving in Mexicali. Once I got to the hospital and met Dr. Aceves, I felt remarkably calm through the surgery and recovery. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

All my adult life, I was a size 6 shoe. When I got pregnant, my feet "grew" to a size 7 (swelling, excess weight pushing my arch down which lengthened my foot.) Since I continued to gain after my son was born, I stayed in a 7 for nearly 10 years. When I finally lost over 100 pounds with my Lapband, my feet settled back into a solid size 6-1/2. Hopefully, your feet won't change much more than 1/2 size, but I do remember throwing out at least 15 good pair of size 7 shoes!

Hi Everybody, I was 1 month post-op last Thursday. All in all, I'm feeling great. I'm down 18 pounds, but also hit a "stall" last week (I even gained 1.7 pounds.) I was down 2 pounds this morning though, so fingers crossed, I'm on a roll again. I'm somewhere in-between mushies and solid food. Still mostly yogurt, pureed Soups and Protein drinks, but I did add in an egg, the tiniest bit of chicken (about 1 tbsp.) and some non-pureed chili over the weekend. Everything went down (and stayed down) well. I too, have trouble getting my chewable Vitamins down. They make me cough and gag, and then when they finally get down to my stomach, I get nauseous. My protein intake is pretty good - roughly 50 - 60 gr. (at least 2 protein drinks/day.) I'm not good with Water, never have been, but I try to drink a couple of mugs of tea (non-caffeinated) at work every day. Unlike everybody else, I'm still HUNGRY. All. The. Time! What is wrong with me??? Yup, I'm the one who ate a whole egg Sunday morning and felt like I probably could have eaten another one (but I didn't.) This worries me ALOT! My energy is back 100%, however, I keep forgetting to take it easy when I'm vacuuming or taking out the trash and then I get a twinge of pain in my abdomen. Some of us are over the "hump" of recovery. Now, I'm just looking forward to getting back to some "normalcy" as far as what I can eat. Hopefully, denser Proteins will make me feel less hungry.

I had this exact same thing happen to me this morning! I'm 30 days post-op today, and so far, I have lost weight every single day (except for the first couple of days after surgery.) All I've had for a month are Protein drinks, yogurt and a few pureed Soups - 800 calories max. So HOW did I gain 1.7 pounds this morning????? Nobody can convince me that losing weight is as simple as calories in/calories out! I fully expect to drop that 1.7 pounds in a day or two.......... but really, GAINING on 800 calories/day?

Congratulations Kandy! I know you will be well cared for by Dr. Aceves and his team. I remember when I sent in my deposit, I felt tremendous relief, knowing that I was committed and Dr. Aceves was going to get this stupid band out of me and "fix" me with a VSG. I'm now 25 days post-op and very close to feeling normal again. My strength is back (I climb 5 flights of stairs to work every day), my incisions are healed (just a little itchy), and I'm doing well getting my Protein drinks in without discomfort. Memories of that difficult first week are just a blurry memory now. Now, I'm just anticipating my mushy foods! Since my surgery was a revision, I have to stay in each stage for 15 days, instead of 10. I want to chew so badly..... I hope the next few weeks go quickly for you.

Since my surgery was a revision, I was told to stay on clear liquids for 15 days!! I NEVER want to see a fruit-flavored Protein drink again in my life. I started to dread Isopure so much that I could hardly choke down one/day. When I finally moved to full liquids, I made 3 different pureed Soups - Black Bean, White Bean & Parsnip, and Cauliflower cheese. It's been WONDERFUL to taste savory, rich flavors again. I still drink two protein drinks/day along with my soups, but they are chocolate flavored, NOT fruit! Now this is doable for the next 15 days.

I arrived in Mexicali on Sunday afternoon, 10/2. I rode in with 2 other patients and we all visited and shared our stories. After our labs at the hospital, we were taken to the hotel and checked in about 4:30 pm. Since we were all really hungry, we met up in the hotel restaurant a few minutes later and had a really wonderful dinner. For a large plate of chile rellenos , Beans, rice, tortillas, chips and a margarita......my bill was $13.00! With a full tummy and a sleeping pill from Dr. Aceves, I had a very relaxing night at the hotel. Ernesto picked us up at 7:00 am, Monday morning and drove us back to the hospital. Since my surgery was the 2nd of the day, I was given a sedative to relax. The rest of the day is a blur. I remember people coming in to get me....blur........I remember looking up at the ceiling as I was being wheeled to surgery......blur.........I remember someone telling me to turn on my side and bend my knees for the spinal block....blur.....and OUT. I don't remember recovery at all. The next thing I remember is being back in my room, thinking it must be over and then falling back asleep again. I was in and out of sleep for the rest of the night, knowing that nurses came in and out, taking my temp and blood pressure, but not really ever becoming fully alert. Sometime early Tuesday morning, I told one of the nurses I needed to use the bathroom. Although I stumbled a bit, I made the trip successfully and immediately fell back asleep. Later that morning, they brought me those infamous 4 little cups of blue "apple juice." They weren't good, but they were tolerable. I sipped and slept, sipped and slept, sipped and slept for hours. Several times that day, Dr. Aceves, Dr. Campos and the nurses came in and told me to try to get up and walk. I'd answer "Sure, ok." with every good intention of doing it, but I'd always fall back asleep. I really had a tough time coming out of all that med-induced sleepiness. By late afternoon Tuesday, I finally got up and walked the halls. I was completely pain-free (yes, really.....it must have been the spinal block), but I felt unsteady on my feet and climbed back into bed about 5 minutes later. Tuesday night was pretty much the same as Monday night, but I woke up Wednesday morning feeling alert and energetic. I took a shower and even put on a little make-up! Wednesday, I walked several times, visited my neighbors, sipped tea and finally got a bowl of that wonderful chicken broth everybody raves about. Yes, it IS that good. By the time I left on Thursday morning, I felt pretty good - minimal pain and absolutely no nausea. It may have been this sense of well-being that caused me to completely overdo it on Friday. BIG Mistake! I met up with a friend Friday afternoon to do a "little" shopping that turned into a 5-hour shopping spree. I thought I was listening to my body.......I sipped Isopure all day........I took sitting breaks pretty often, but by the time I got home, I felt awful. My abdomen was completely swollen with Fluid and gas. I looked 9 months pregnant and felt equally uncomfortable. That was the first time all week I broke down emotionally. I remembered reading somewhere that Day 4 after surgery is the worst..........and that was definitely true for me! So, I sobbed myself to sleep Friday night and woke up Saturday with renewed energy and renewed resolve. I really took it easy that day. I stayed in all morning, sipping Protein and napping. By 3:00 pm, I felt good enough to take my son to a birthday party. It was a huge event, and EVERY single person there must have told me to eat......twice! But I politely told them I had eaten before I came and continued to sip on my bottled Water. The party lasted about two hours and I was definitely ready to come home by then. I went to bed about 7:30 pm, slept pretty soundly, and here I am at 5:00 am on Sunday, finally getting on the Internet for the first time since surgery. To sum up, I've really had a fairly easy recovery. Considering the mess my Band had made of my stomach and liver (Dr. Aceves told me it was NOT and easy revision) I've had very little pain except for the incision sights. I've experienced none of the shoulder "gas" pain I had with the Band surgery. I've had no nausea or stomach pain......just a lot of gas and gurgling. No doubt about it, those first four days kicked my butt, however, I think I'm over the "hump" now. I have one more week of recovery before I have to go back to work and I'm sooooo glad I didn't try to rush it and go back any sooner.

Hi Anne, I'm so glad you're home and your recovery is going well. I'm exactly 14 days post-op with Dr. Aceves, and I feel 200% better than I did a week ago. The first few days were rough, but every day since has been a substantial improvement. Today is my first day back at work and it is going surprisingly well. Even now, I STILL have a bit of a sore throat! Take it slow.........

No need to worry, just pulling myself out of the fog..... My surgery was Monday, 10/3 with Dr. Aceves. Since my surgery was the 2nd of the day, I was given a sedative to relax. The rest of the day is a blur. I remember people coming in to get me....blur........I remember looking up at the ceiling as I was being wheeled to surgery......blur.........I remember someone telling me to turn on my side and bend my knees for the spinal block....blur.....and OUT. I don't remember recovery at all. The next thing I remember is being back in my room, thinking it must be over and then falling back asleep again. I was in and out of sleep for the rest of the night, knowing that nurses came in and out, taking my temp and blood pressure, but not really ever becoming fully alert. Sometime early Tuesday morning, I told one of the nurses I needed to use the bathroom. Although I stumbled a bit, I made the trip successfully and immediately fell back asleep. Later that morning, they brought me those infamous 4 little cups of blue "apple juice." They weren't good, but they were tolerable. I sipped and slept, sipped and slept, sipped and slept for hours. Several times that day, Dr. Aceves, Dr. Campos and the nurses came in and told me to try to get up and walk. I'd answer "Sure, ok." with every good intention of doing it, but I'd always fall back asleep. I really had a tough time coming out of all that med-induced sleepiness. By late afternoon Tuesday, I finally got up and walked the halls. I was completely pain-free (yes, really.....it must have been the spinal block), but I felt unsteady on my feet and climbed back into bed about 5 minutes later. Tuesday night was pretty much the same as Monday night, but I woke up Wednesday morning feeling alert and energetic. I took a shower and even put on a little make-up! Wednesday, I walked several times, visited my neighbors, sipped tea and finally got a bowl of that wonderful chicken broth everybody raves about. Yes, it IS that good. By the time I left on Thursday morning, I felt pretty good - minimal pain and absolutely no nausea. It may have been this sense of well-being that caused me to completely overdo it on Friday. BIG Mistake! I met up with a friend Friday afternoon to do a "little" shopping that turned into a 5-hour shopping spree. I thought I was listening to my body.......I sipped Isopure all day........I took sitting breaks pretty often, but by the time I got home, I felt awful. My abdomen was completely swollen with Fluid and gas. I looked 9 months pregnant and felt equally uncomfortable. That was the first time all week I broke down emotionally. I remembered reading somewhere that Day 4 after surgery was the worst..........and that was definitely true for me! So, I sobbed myself to sleep Friday night and woke up Saturday with renewed energy and renewed resolve. I really took it easy that day. I stayed in all morning, sipping Protein and napping. By 3:00 pm, I felt good enough to take my son to a birthday party. It was a huge event, and EVERY single person there must have told me to eat......twice! But I politely told them I had eaten before I came and continued to sip on my bottled Water. The party lasted about two hours and I was definitely ready to come home by then. I went to bed about 7:30 pm, slept pretty soundly, and here I am at 5:00 am on Sunday, finally getting on the Internet for the first time since surgery. To sum up, I've really had a fairly easy recovery. Considering the mess my Band had made of my stomach and liver (Dr. Aceves told me it was NOT and easy revision) I've had very little pain except for the incision sights. I've experienced none of the shoulder "gas" pain I had with the Band surgery. I've had no nausea or stomach pain......just a lot of gas and gurgling. No doubt about it, those first four days kicked my butt, however, I think I'm over the "hump" now. I have one more week of recovery before I have to go back to work and I'm sooooo glad I didn't try to rush it and go back any sooner. I hope all my fellow October sleevers are well, whether you are just home from surgery or about to have it. Take it easy and follow the rules........you'll do great!

Hi Missy, My surgery is also scheduled for 10/3/2011. I have so much to take care of before Monday, that I haven't had time to freak out yet.... I have a friend flying in to take care of my son while I'm in the hospital so I've been in full house-cleaning, grocery shopping and laundry mode. Plus, lots of projects at work to tie up before I take two weeks off. Believe me, by Sunday night I be in Full. Freak. Out. ! I'm so glad that Dr. Aceves gives a sleeping pill to his patients the night before surgery. By the way, I live in San Diego too! Where are you having your surgery?

Three years ago, I had my band surgery at almost the same time I'm having VSG next week. My first day of "real food" literally landed on Thanksgiving Day, 2008. It was actually one of the most special holidays ever. I ate one bite of EVERYTHING, including the pumpkin pie! I left feeling wonderfully satisfied and absolutely convinced I would have no problem eating like that forever. And I probably wouldn't have, if this stupid band hadn't sprung a leak.:cursing: Although I'm excited to have the revision and get back on track again, I'm entering this surgery with a little less confidence than last time. With the band, I lost 100 pounds in 1-1/2 years..... and then gained back 65 pounds in 8 months! I hate that I'm having to "start over" and terrified that I may not be so successful this time. I just can't go through this disappointment again.:crying: So.........the point is.........Thanksgiving and Christmas will be absolutely wonderful for all of us. We will feel and look so much better by then and we won't feel the least bit deprived of our favorite foods!

Hi TinyTummie, My surgery is also scheduled for next Monday, 10/3...... and I must admit, the nerves are setting in. My surgery is in Mexico with Dr. Aceves. Where is your surgery being done?

My surgery is scheduled for Monday, 10/3/2011, so it looks like we'll miss each other by a week. However, I understand that Dr. Aceves does several surgeries a week.......so you definitely will not be alone!

I was on the lapband discussion forum three years ago. I was banded in October 2008 and was a "success" for nearly 18 months. I lost 106 pounds and felt great! Then the band started tightening and loosening for no apparent reason. It was incredibly frustrating. Each time I went in to have Fluid put in or removed, it cost me $250. I admit I lived with it much too tight for a long time due to finances. I vomited daily and had chest pain with every meal, but I kept trying to make it work! In May of this year, my band lost restriction completely. Fearing an erosion or slippage, I saw my surgeon. He repeatedly tried to put fluid in, but was never able to get any back out. He announced that I had a leak and I would need to have it removed or repaired....... I was devastated. I am able to get insurance coverage to have the band removed, but not to do a revision, repair or replacement. Even with the 50 pounds I've gained back over the past year, apparently my BMI is too low to qualify. (It won't be for long if I don't do something about it!) My family thinks I'm crazy to even consider a revision to sleeve surgery. They want to know what makes me think this will work any better than the band ... not the mention added expense. They are confused about why I can't "just diet like everybody else?" I feel guilty about making the "wrong" decision about the band and guilty about not being able to diet "correctly." Trying to lose weight and get healthy should not involve this much guilt. I live in San Diego, so the logical choice for me would be Mexico. I've read great things about Dr. Aceves, who seems to have the most experience in revisions from the band. Even though it will cost me more, I'd like to have him do the revision in one surgery instead of having the band removed with insurance first. It's a matter of logistics. I can't take time off from work twice this year to have two surgeries and I'm a single mom with a 10 year old. I know this is the right decision for me, but I'd appreciate a little support and encouragement. Mim

My surgery is scheduled for 10/3/2011. We're exactly one week apart. I'll be home recuperating in my Barcalounger on 10/10, but I will send you good thoughts that day!

I financed through Lending Club (peer to peer lending.) It takes about 5 minutes to sign up and depending on your FICO, salary and debt to income ratio, you will be given an interest rate anywhere from 5.49% to upwards of 20%. I wrote a short paragraph describing what I intended to use the money for and within 9 days, I was fully funded at $12,000. My payments are around $350 for 36 months. There is another similar sight called Prosper. If I had not fully funded, I would have tried Prosper to raise the remaining money. Good Luck.

Hi Blondie, Actually, I live in San Diego so that makes it easier for me. A year ago, I never would have considered surgery in Mexico either. Living near the border, I hear too many scary stories. However, I have friends who visit their families in Tijuana every weekend and they said the safety situation is much better than it was a couple of years ago. Plus, I've heard that Mexicali has a very quiet, peaceful border crossing. I'm going alone and am completely at ease with Dr. Aceves and his team. We'll be fine! ....still a month away......but getting closer.

Hi Blondie. My surgery date is October 3rd with Dr. Aceves, so I will be going home the day of your surgery. However, I will probably cross paths with Pod in the hallways, since your surgery is only two days after mine. I look foward to meeting both you and your partner!

This is going to be the longest six weeks of my life.................:drama:

I've confirmed a surgery date of 10/3/2011 with Dr. Aceves for my revision. I know that's still a couple of months out, but if there is anybody else going that week, let me know. Even though I've been considering a revision for three months now, it all feels rather sudden. My band has been completely unfilled (sprung a leak) since May 2011. I've had a CT scan (no erosion) and an upper Endoscopy (slight erosion of my esophagus due to reflux) in an effort to get my revision approved by Insurance (HealthNet.) But no luck. Although HealthNet covers revisions, the Medical Group I belong to does not! Grrrrrrr. I've scheduled two weeks off work for recovery. I've never revealed that I had a lapband and I'm not telling work about the sleeve either. As close as I am to everyone, it's just not a part of my life I want to share. I don't want everybody's "encouragement" when I'm losing and I certainly don't want their scrutiny when I indulge a little! All they know is that my weight has fluctuated a lot in the past three years and they've all been very kind not to mention my current gain. I’m unhappy that I have to go through surgery again, but I’m relieved that I have a plan. I’ve been through recovery before, so I (think) I know what I’m in for ….. and I’ve done the fasting, mushies and Protein drinks before, so no surprises there. I’m glad I’ve got this board to read when I need support.