MimIN

I had a band for 6 years, it slipped and then I had it repositioned. It was never the same. 9 months later I was revised to RNY. It's a brand new world, wish I had gone this route in the first place.

I am now two months post op, down 38lbs but *I* can't really see it. Today I was sweating away in my barre class and had to keep hiking up my tights and tank that once fit snug was bagging. First I looked in the mirror and thought how silly I looked, then realized "holy crap, my clothes are falling off!" Time to go shopping

Hi Heather, You are not alone! I was terrified to go through with RNY, same as you I chose the band because it was less evasive and not "permanent" I underwent revision on May 21st after 7.5 years with the band. Absolutely best decision I have ever made. My band experience was great for the first year or so, I lost more than 100lbs and felt great. Slowly, I started having all of the problems others report and it escalated from there. After the birth of my first (and only atm) daughter, I had a band revision because it slipped while I was pregnant. I had a little relief but as soon as I got a fill, I had issues. By this time, I was over it. My new surgeon believed I was a great candidate for RNY but with a bmi of 33, it was unsure if it would be approved. Well, it was and within days. I have BCBS of Michigan and the approval was easy. So easy that I was sure it was a mistake. It was not and insurance has paid. My recovery wasn't awesome but I'm a big baby and ended up with an infection in my port site. I'm sure it was my fault as I don't know well enough to relax and follow the rules. All is well now and 5 weeks later I have lost 33lbs. Good luck in your journey, it will be worth it!

[ My biggest concern was the port, I asked my Dr a couple times just to be sure it was coming out and each time she looked at me funny and said "Yes Miriam, I would never leave it there" I knew it I just wanted to hear it I haven't had a full on dumping episode but I had something that I think was maybe dumping. I have (had) this horrible habit, when I go grocery shopping I will go to the dairy dept and get a chocolate milk. I usually couldn't eat and the chocolate milk would stay my hunger during the shopping trip. I did the same thing last week, thought it would be fine bc I wouldn't drink it all at once... It wasn't. I felt gross, flush and my stomach hurt and that was after drinking 2 oz. I paid for it and threw it away, won't do that again. I am doing great, approaching week 4 and have lost 25lbs which is shocking to me as I was a lower bmi and was told id lose slow. I am now back in Onderland which makes me extremely happy. I do have struggles, portions.... I don't get the signal that I'm satisfied or full, I don't know if it's just me or I'm broken but I don't so I have to measure everything out. I have over eaten. Attraction to slider foods, I'm so used to it that I have to remind myself I don't need those anymore. I also have a strong fear of stretching my pouch and failing. My pouch is larger than a virgin pouch, years of band abuse stretched the hell out of the top of my stomach. I also have a very good friend with RNY who did amazing for the first 3 years and is now heavier than she started. She has always sang the praises of the band citing she she wished she would have gone with it instead of bypass. I do learn by example so hopefully I can keep on the straight and narrow.

No one can know until they have experienced it, I delt with that too and opted to tell very few people until after I was out of surgery. I had my approval within a week, I hope yours comes as quickly! I used to live in AZ but I now call Indiana home. We visit frequently tho, both my husband and I have family and friend there. I miss it terribly! What part are you in? I lived in the phx area. Well, I'm not going to give good advice on this because I'm a rule breaker unfortunately. I did have help, my mil came to stay with us and my husband but... I still picked my daughter up. How can I tell a baby that I can't? She is my shadow and although I tried, it didn't work out. I survived... I did however end up with an infection in the port site and cellulitis, I don't know if it was related. My best advice would be to try to line up help early on and try not to pick him up from ground up. By week 2, I was fine but the first week was tough.

Hi Jules! I had much the same experience as you, I was banded in 2008 and spent the past several years throwing up daily, no fun! I too have a young child (turned 1 June 11th) and my pregnancy took a toll on my band. I had band revision in August and then band to bypass on May 21st. It has been like a rebirth. I feel like I have to work harder to keep myself on track because of the years of band habits but I has been great. No more gurgling and sliming, I feel normal again Miri

I did and it sucks! Mine was $500 but my policy had a $1500 max so in total my surgery cost $2000.00. I haven't received the bill yet but I have been watching my insurance website closely as claims roll in.

I didn't have any port issues before thankfully, I can't even imagine. This does suck but the light at the end of the tunnel is it will heal. It's already better than it was and it's not as painful.

I did call my drs office but I was the on call. I was told to do hit compress and call Monday. By Monday the pain was intense, I went to my surgeons office and discovered I have a nasty infection that started at the port site and cellulitis on my stomach spread around to my flank. 3 days later it is getting better. The port was removed when my band was, i wanted it gone!

I went from band to RNY on May 21st, all has been good except my port site. It is pretty tender and I noticed today it is quite swollen and hard. Anyone else experience this,

Hi AuriP! You are not at all alone. I was banded in 2006, I did have success but after I became pregnant, it was a living nightmare. During my pregnancy I was sick, a lot. My band suffered and so did I. My daughter was born in June and I continued to have problems that I just couldn't stand to live with. I did not want bypass, the idea scared the hell out of me. My dr said she wouldn't do the sleeve, did not believe I would have long term success and would suffer with even more reflux etc. I reluctantly agreed to the bypass. Although excited I was terrified, I have had a lot of surgeries and this is the only one I cried in the O.R contemplating canceling up to the last minute. I didn't, and I'm glad. Like Alli, my surgery was May 21st, and I am happy I did it. Although I said I would not use a scale, I can't stay away from it. I am down 15.6lbs and feel great and am off the pain meds. I have had my one week follow up and everything is healing as expected. Hardest part for me in the first few days home was my baby not understanding why I couldn't pick her up or play on the floor. That too has passed. To be afraid is normal, This is a big decision but I believe it is a good one.

I wish this was uncommon, but I really don't think it is. I'm sorry you have to go through it, and although this makes her appear to be a self centered judgmental jerk, I would bet she's also jealous. I was banded 8 years ago and my dearest friend in the world was totally against it. She could not believe I would do something so "drastic". She stated her opinions and concerns often but once it was done, there wasn't much left to say. She didn't immediately drop me as a friend, it took about 6 months. I no longer wanted to go eat at Denny's at 2am, instead I wanted her to go to the gym with me or walks at night. I didn't want to have movie and cookie night, I wanted to skip the cookie part. The things that we did together often revolved around food. As my relationship with food changed, ours did too. When she decided I had changed and we couldn't be friends anymore, I was devastated. We had been besties since college and it was a tough loss. Time went on, I missed her but I didn't dwell on it. Fast forward 3 years, one day out of the blue I got an email from her. It was very long and heartfelt, I cried reading it. She apologized for being unsupportive, admitted she had been jealous that I had the guts to make the changes she wished she could. She had missed me as much as I missed her and wanted to try to mend the relationship Today, she is my bestie, I love her to death. I just had band to bypass conversion and she's been by my side. Her opinion has changed about wls and is starting her supervised 6 month diet. What your friend has done is awful, the blog hurts, my friend wrote one too and it sucked. But know this has nothing to do with you, these are her own demons. If she is truly a friend, she will eventually come around and then it is for you to decide if the friendship is worth pursuing. Right now is your time to be selfish, you are taking control of you life. Let her figure out her own, alone.

Cancer sucks:/ Did your dr say why you should wait to start vitamins? I started mine day after surgery and am on quite the regiment. It's hard to get everything in. This morning my weight surprised me too, now down 10. I didn't think it would fall this quickly as so many told me it would be much slower this time around. I starred at the scale stunned. I've been doing Barre classes everyday for 3 months, following low cal/carb diet and chasing a baby around and only lost 12lbs. In less than a week I'll likely do that and maybe more. Seems unfair

We definitely do I'm doing ok with drinking, sometimes I'm afraid I'm drinking too much and I'll stretch the pouch but I am sure I am just hyper sensitive after all the band drama. I have only had pain when drinking a dairy based protein drink so I switched to nectar and crystal light with unflavored protein. I am also eating 2-3 sf popsicles daily but try to have protein in everything I consume. I lost a lot of hair when I was banded originally so I am trying all that I can to minimize it this time around.