sleeveee

Hi Lisa, I can look into the Plainview Library for us. It also has many meeting rooms. What do I tell them about our group to see if we "qualify?" How do I describe us and what do I tell them we are looking for in terms of space, time, etc.?? Let me know if you want me to pursue it there.... Great handout. Happy Spring to all!

I didn't know. What showed up on the barium swallow test (that was just done as an annual exam) was that I had pseudo-achalasia (from what I understand, that is a stretching of the esophagus and is associated with motility issues with food moving from the esophagus to the stomach.) As far as the band and it being embedded in my stomach and liver and me having lots of scar tissue and inflammation, I was totally asymptomatic. We only knew when the surgeon went in to do a revision surgery from the band to the sleeve. That is what he found.... I was soooo disappointed, when I awoke from surgery, to learn that the sleeve procedure wasn't able to be done. But, now I am glad to wait the four to six months for the organ healing to be complete.

I saw my surgeon yesterday. I got a few answers to some of my questions. He does not think the stomach and liver issues will recur now that the band has been removed. He said the band the underlying cause of the problems. I'm going to take Famotidine to help with the inflammation. I'm also going to try to increase my consumption of omega-3 rich foods. We won't exactly know or be able to test for healing.... We won't know exactly what we'll find until we go in for the sleeve procedure again. But, the surgeon said that statistically and from what he's encountered, 4-6 months is a reasonable time to allow for healing.

There is no malabsorption with the band or the sleeve. They are both restrictive procedures, but the sleeve has gained favor over the band of late. Still, if the band is working for you, stick with it. I had no problems for three years and my weight loss went well. And, BTW, I followed the band guidelines to a T and had no negative symptoms. Yes, I will get the sleeve in time because now the band is out. I'm left on my own where I typically lose and regain the weight I lost, plus more. I hope these four to six months will be different. Today I'm doing somewhat better. I took a walk outside as I have been doing daily. I'm improving with the walking. My pace is slowly coming back to where I had been. Some days are a bit of a setback, but then I make a comeback. Recovery is not linear. I go back to the surgeon tomorrow. I just hope that the issues I had with my stomach and liver can't re-occur. I'm going to ask him about that, and more. Best to you and your husband. ~~ Barbara

Yes, Gail10, it's daunting. If I get any answers that may help you, I'll post them here. Meanwhile, don't let them give you too much of a fill. Throwing up is not good for your gastro-intestinal tract, aside from being very uncomfortable. Just follow the food and drink instructions to the word. That is all in your best interest and you'll be doing all you can do that is within your control. We cannot control the adhesions or scar tissue, or inflammation that the band may cause in some people. Just so you know, a woman who had her band placed on the same day and by the same surgeon as I did in 2011 got her band revised to the sleeve last July, with no problems whatsoever and in a single surgery. Each of our bodies are different.

So very sorry to hear about your lap band issues. I had no idea these complications were even possible. I wish you a full and complete healing. I have several questions for my surgeon when I see him for my post-op visit this week. If you know the answers to any of my questions, please let me know. Many thanks. Can the stomach and liver re-attach (i.e., can there be a recurrence) now that the band has been removed, or not? I had no symptoms of pain or reflux to let me know there was even a problem, so how will I know when my stomach and liver have healed, as I hope they will.... Are there any medications or is there any nutritional advice to help heal my stomach and liver? Why didn't the adhesions and inflammation show up on any of the pre-op tests that I had done? (The endoscopy, the barium swallow, the abdominal sonogram, etc.) How common is what was found with my liver and stomach attached to the band?

I had my surgery this past Monday, March 16th. It was SUPPOSED to be the removal of the lap band and then I was to have the sleeve at the same time. As it turns out, I only had the lap band removed. I have to wait the familiar four to six months for the sleeve. I had extensive abdominal adhesions and the lap band was embedded in my liver and around my stomach. My surgeon thought it best NOT to do the sleeve at the same time. He prefers to wait until the stomach and liver can heal a bit. I was (and am) so disappointed to need another surgery.... I had no symptoms, no reflux, no vomiting, no food intolerances apart from the ordinary foods that lap band patients are told to limit (bread, Pasta, etc. ) I started at over 360# and went down to 206 # with the band. Then I had to have Fluid removed due to esophageal issues (pseudoachalasia.) My weight went back up to around 270#. I have to be vigilant with my diet and exercise over the next four to six months. I DON'T want to re-gain all of my weight. I'm sort of grieving the surgery and not having had the sleeve performed. I'm not looking forward to surgery #3, apart from a hopeful outcome in terms of weight loss. The prep for surgery was difficult for me but, alas, I'll do what I have to do. More details to come after I see my surgeon for a follow-up visit on Tuesday, March 24th.

My revision from band to sleeve surgery was attempted this past Monday, March 16th. It was a colossal failure due to stomach inflammation from the lap band and the band being embedded into the both the stomach and the liver. The band was successfully removed, but the sleeve operation could not be performed at the same time (as planned.) I now need to wait 4-6 months for the inflammation to go down and for my insides to fully heal. I'm left with no surgical tool to assist me with weight loss. Still, I will try on my own and hope that the 4-6 months passes quickly so I can be safely sleeved. I don't know how often a situation such as mine occurs. I'd be interested to hear from others who may have faced similar obstacles to getting revision surgery, or to hear from others who may be familiar with this scenario. Thank you in advance for any feedback on my experience. And, I wish safe and successful surgical outcomes for all.

I'm having a lap band to sleeve revision tomorrow as well. Best wishes to you as your journey moves forward! I'm soooo ready too, been on full liquids and now clear liquids today. Eager to be on the other side of this surgery!

I had the band placed on March 10, 2011. Now, I will be having the band removed and will be undergoing the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy on March 16, 2015. That is very soon! My history: The band worked very well for about three years. Then changes in my esophagus were noted on the Barium Swallow tests, and that was followed by band unfills, more Barium Swallow Testing, band refills, more Barium Swallow Testing and on and on and repeated for about a year. Now it is clear to both my surgeon and to me that the band must come out as it is not restricting my intake with the unfills and my esophagus issues arise when I get fills. I put on a significant amount of weight that I had previously lost with a working band. My hope is to utilize the sleeve procedure to lose that weight and more, to reach my goal weight! I hope that others who are facing the same issues will chime in. In any case, best of luck to all who will be undergoing band to sleeve revisions. ~~ Barbara

Jutami2: I am also scheduled for Monday 3/16 in Brooklyn NY. Best to you both pre and post op.

Sorry to hear about all that scar tissue. My surgeon mentioned that as a possibility for me. I've had the band since March 2011. Glad the surgery part is over for you. Now on to the healing phase.

I only have to do 5 days of pre-op full liquids and do the bowel prep the morning before. Still, I think I'm going to do 7 days of the full liquids....

I'm using Dr Gorecki on Brooklyn NY. Are u in NY City??

Rest and also walk as tolerated when u can 2 prevent blood clots. I'm excited 4 u. How many days will u stay in the hospital? Congrats on being post-op!!

My surgery is March 16, 2015! Coming up quickly. I'd love to be in a supportive posting group with other March sleeve-to-be's! I'm going to my internist for my final medical clearance this afternoon. I already had my pre-op testing last week. I have a band that is going to be taken out at the same time that the sleeve procedure will be done. The band gave me complications after 3 years of success. I'm super excited to be sleeved so soon and have the band be-gone! Best to all of you on your pre-op journeys and with your post-op success!

Thank you. I will check with my surgeon. Gr8 to hear you are making progress now that the band is gone.

My original surgery date was October 20th, but it got postponed as the surgeon kept testing and re-testing the band with fills followed by the Barium Swallow Tests. It's re-assuring to read that you are getting comfortably full and that satisfaction arrives along with that comfort. I'll be happy to be back to those feelings once again. Also, I like that the valves are not anatomically changed. It's lovely to hear that things are working for you as nature intended. I hope the same for me. Continued best wishes on your journey.

Right now, I am banded and have been since 2011. I am getting revision surgery to the sleeve mid-March of 2015. As far as my surgeon has shared with me, both the band and the sleeve are restrictive procedures. There is no dumping as with the bypass surgery which works in part due to malabsorption and where dumping syndrome is more common. Still, parts of mindful awareness can be beneficial to eating slowly and saviring one's foods for several types of surgical procedures. Perhaps not all aspects will apply to everyone and bariatric rules such as eating protein first, etc must always be followed.

Thank you. It's nice to hear positive outcomes. Continued best wishes on your journey.

I wanted to address some misconceptions about when I reference Mindful Eating. Mindful eating is not license (at least for me) to eat with wild abandon. It does not promote unhealthy eating, however it does legitimize many-to-all foods. Legalizing foods is not contrary to good health. It does not mean disregarding your health. food choices still matter. The difference in an inner difference as to how food information is "processed." (pun intended!) Mindful eating is self-aware eating, self-awareness of how the food choices you select make you feel. Do your choices make you grumpy, sleepy, sluggish, etc. or leave you hungry or leave you energized, etc., etc?? Mindful eating is a healthy relationship with food in which you are not good or bad for the choices you make. There is no body-bashing or feelings of failure for imperfect diets. You don't secretly stash away "bad" foods to eat for when your dieting spree ends, or for when you decide to "cheat." Instead, you incorporate all foods that you wish into your choices. If done mindfully, formerly secretive "bad" foods lose their power and lose the ability to make you feel "out of control." The loss of a food's power over you is key, and it really can happen! I still eat my Protein first and follow bariatric rules, but there has been a mind shift in me. For me, mindful eating is being "in charge." It is balancing and self-empowering. It is not necessary to dig too deeply into the jar of nut butter or to eat every cookie on the baking sheet. If I truly want a cookie, I have one and savor that one so that I am truly satisfied. I seek out the very best quality in the foods I choose. Eating more high quality foods helps me eat less. As an example, I don't waste my time on mere mortal chocolates when I can have a piece of fine chocolate that is, figuratively, a food fit for the gods. I hope this brings some clarity to when I refer to mindful eating and that people do not mistake it as an eating excuse to be overly permissive or as an excuse for an abundance of thoughtless choices that lead to munching all day and night. Gradually, with practice, mindful eating can lead to the opposite. That is, eating to satisfy one's true (stomach) hunger (eating in sync with the band, and soon to be my sleeve) and the recognition of when eating is an attempt to satisfy either negative or positive emotions. Even if you are mindful and undistracted when eating just a few bites initially, I believe you can reap great benefits from tuning into food and the why's and how's of eating over just the what's....

Thanks so much Lisa. I think I finally found the section on band-to-sleeve revisions, and I will be spending some time there in the next few days. Looking forward to the spring and to our spring meeting. I'm going to ask my local library if they have a free meeting room that we might be able to use for an hour or so. If not, I'll see you at the Atrium! Best to you, your dear husband and your fur baby!