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I can't say that I understand it all, but thank you so much for the interesting information. I guess it makes matters a little more complicated that I don't have a thyroid (medullary thyroid cancer), which is when the weight problems began.

I had my band placed 6 weeks ago. First 2 weeks were great! Then the trouble started - couldn't keep anything down for 3 weeks, was told it was "soft tissue" swelling - last week doc went it to "unbuckle" the band - and I came out with a drain, NG tube, antibiotics, and doc said "your stomach looked like a hard piece of rubber - an abscess had formed next to the band btw my stomach and liver - finally went home - no band - just lots of antibiotics to hopefully keep the abscess from returning and aspiration pneumonia in the process. Lap band surgery - $3200 for "what insurance doesn't pay"; complications - 1 week out of work with no pay - hopefully living through this with no more hope of losing weight - priceless. I have lost 25lbs in this nightmare of 6 weeks and still keep nothing down except liquids - and sometimes the antibiotics. The band is an invasive, tricky surgery and although my surgeon states she has never seen someone reject the band like this - I don't believe her. I would NEVER recommend this surgery to anyone. I said 2 months ago that I was going to lose the weight or die trying - it looks like the latter is more likely to be true. Orange Coast Memorial Center for Obesity is not where you want to place your life.

I'm so sorry this happened to you, but so happy to see that you were able to use insurance for your band. I know it is hard to see any positive in this situation, but the fact that your insurance covered the initial band placement means that they will also cover correction of the complications and even conversion to RNY if you choose to go that route. I know the risks w/the band are very low, but complications do happen (as with any surgery). I had already decided if I had complications with the band, I would convert to RNY. I know it is a very personal decision, but realize that RNY is also a very good surgery for obesity. Maybe not your first choice and maybe not something you are comfortable moving to immediately after this experience, but I would recommend getting a second, third, or more opinions from different reputable bariatric surgeons in your area as to what you can do. Hugs and I wish you the best w/all of this. I know it must be heartbreaking.

I agree. GERD is a potential side effect of the sleeve. It's a minority who get it, but a large enough minority that it's a known complication. Keep on top of it -- because MsMocie is correct - unmanaged GERD can lead to more serious problems down the road.

My doctor did not allow lapband patients to return to work until after 2 full weeks of recovery at home. I kept myself somewhat active by short walks and the like, but no lifting whatsoever during that period. Although I have a desk job, I really needed the full 2 weeks to heal and get my strength back. I had a laparoscopic procedure done about 10 years ago & at the time I felt the need to return to work within a few days time. I paid the price. I ended up with a number of complications and then developed adhesions from being too active too soon, which I still feel to this day. I learned my lesson & felt no remorse for "babying" myself for this procedure!

I didn't have it to begin with. I had a hole in my diaphragm and my stomach was slipping up into that hole and twisting cutting off all blood flow to my stomach. (Form of hiatial hernia). When my stomach would come back down it stretched more and more causing what appeared to be an extra stomach. My surgeon didn't know that until getting in there. He said he wanted to cut that part out but was afraid the insurance would see it as a partial bs and decline the claim so he used it as a wrap. My surgery was very complicated and took about 5 hrs to do.

Thank you so much for the many constructive and helpful responses. To clarify my worries, here it is distilling them to two points of greatest concern: Ability to incorporate good fats into a post-gastric-sleeve diet The foundation of my current diet (that I would be happy to keep for the rest of my life) consists of lots of vegetables, moderate amounts of high-quality protein, and the inclusion of a good amount of healthy fats (avocado, EVOO, butter, animal fats from pastured, organically raised animals). This is supposed to help the body adapt to regularly burning fat (whether from the diet or from our own fat stores), and to much more easily reach satiety and control hunger, in addition to the various documented nutritional benefits of these fats. I read over and over again about directives to keep post-bariatric diets very low fat for the rest of the life of the patient. Also various posts from patients about not being able to tolerate fats and struggling with digestive issues. How much of a problem is this universally (realizing and respecting that everyone's body, digestive system, and hormonal balance are different)? Ability to do fasting and support periodic zero-protein day(s) I have started to incorporate time-restricted eating (16/8) with great success and starting on my first 36-hour fast over the weekend. I have not only had great results on the scale, but starting to see amazing physiologic benefits outside of simply lowering my body weight. I definitely would want to have the ability to have a longer (3 day?) fast once in a while to trigger autophagy and reap some of the other benefits related to insulin and metabolic issues. I realize that for a period following surgery I would have to be adhering to the physician-prescribed diet aimed to maximize healing and avoid complications. But what is the situation six months or a year down the line? Can I incorporate fasting then, or am I eternally tethered to a 70g-minimum-per-day protein intake that I cannot violate without risking my health? Your help and insight are appreciated!

Hey there. I just got banded on 8/30! I'm finally excited about this journey. Has a bunch of complications with my insurance, but the day actually arrived. I'm 28 relatively healthy, but just obese since childhood. This Clear liquids is about to kill me. Everything us just so sweet! The only thing I want is milk BC it's not too sweet. (I did put a French fry in my mouth today and spit it back out...smh just a shame but I know i'm not alone!) I have 11 more days of clear then I get to move to full for 2 Weeks...I hope I can make it lol! I'm already feeling much better, I can lay down all the way and I don't need any assistance getting up or anything. I'm walking around with relative ease and I only took a Tylenol today. Just the gas under my left shoulder is about to knock me out. I can't take it!

Thank you all for your responses. I really appreciate it. After speaking with my insurance and reading the policy, it seems like they would not cover complications. I don't think I can expose my family to this kind of financial risk no matter how remote. I'll have to call my doc tomorrow and see what the options are. Feeling very disappointed.

I think you made a good choice! Don't do anything you are not emotionally, mentally, and physically ready for. I am also 265, but my BMI is 50. I thought I wanted Gastric Bypass about 10 years ago, but it didn't work out with insurance and I felt as though I just needed to give it go on my own as well. Now here we are ten years later and I still haven't been able to keep the weight off. Plus with gastric sleeve being less invasive and having less complications, i felt as though now was my time. I wish you well on your weight loss journey! Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Mine was due to a pre-existing gastric reflux issue. I think they only do it to ensure no complications and to see if there is something else that may be causing it like a hiatus hernia. My girlfriend had the sleeve last year and they fixed hers while they were doing it.....two for the price of one!

Hey Renee! For me, the decision process came down to a few different factors. If I had some of the severe comorbidities like diabetes I would have considered bypass, but I don't. With bypass, I was worried about the greater possibility of complications like hernias and the whole re-routing of the intestine. Also the malabsorption component which would likely require taking supplements for the rest of my life. I decided on the sleeve because I'm in relatively good health and I want to have a big part of the stomach that produces ghrelin, the hunger hormone, removed because I'm always hungry and I need the limitation to help me not overeat.

Try to get at least 600 calories for the above reason; you may have enough body "fat" to function, but you still need calories as well. I found in the beginning of I was running to short, I'ld just sip on a glass of skim milk at the end of the day or make another shake if I could stand the thought of it! It is important to get the minimum of calories in so that you have some energy to get through your day- you'll still lose! Just be sure to get vitamins, protein and fluids in each day to avoid any complications. On Feb. 11th I had my 4 month surger-versary and can tell you that some days I can eat more than 600 calories and on others, if I'm busy and not focusing on my meals, I'll eat a lot less. The hunger isn't there (at least not half as strong as it was pre-op) so the preoccupation with food lessons more and more. Feeling healthy, for me, is just as important as the scale moving lower and my clothes getting looser! So be sure to give your body all the fuel it needs to do what it needs to do; lose the extra weight and make you a healthier you! Good luck!

I'm 3 days post op n no serious complications. Came home yesterday n only real complaint is back pain. Today walking around n sitting on my recliner to ease. So funny, on the day of surgery I almost walked out while getting prepped also. Lol

Wow great job!!!! That is amazing!!! Stories like yours give me hope! I have had my band for 9 years and I have been dealing with horrible acid reflux for the past two and a half years, and now I have found I have a small slip and it may need a revision. I'm so terrified of surgery, I'm so afraid I won't wake up or I'll have a horror story ( I read the complication forum first ????) like a leak or I won't be able to stop losing weight etc. I am glad I read your post! It has eased my mind a little in case I do have to have my band revised to the sleeve

So I'm about 1 week about of surgery, but while in the hospital there were complications so I needed another surgery, which required to be an open surgery. It's about from right below my breast bone to my belly button. For the past week I haven't been able to sleep at all because of the pain from my stomach, and thriving pain in my tail bone, and I can't sleep on my stomach. When will I be able to sleep on my side or stomach. I'm beginning to really get frustrated

Sherrie Jo, Almost the same thing happened to me. I was going to Mexico and then my insurance said they would pay 100% in the states. So I went to the states and put my money into a mutual fund. Save your money as the doctors in Mexico are making enough. I wish I could make 10k for 45 minutes work. I think if the surgeon is in the states with a reputable instituiton with the follow you would need then stick to the USA!!!! Otherwise you will have to find fills from someone not familiar with you. Stick to the local doctor and any possible complications can be addressed in your area.... peace

Trac75 Do you have medical insurance? If yes, that why you were not offered the bliss insurance. If you don't have medical insurance you may want to inquire about the bliss insurance. Your medical insurance will cover any surgery or procedure that is considered medically necessary. It has nothing to do with if your lap band was covered or not. There is no gray area if you have complications from your lap band. The lap band itself is a gray area, that's why there is criteria (because it can be considered for cosmetic reasons). If you have band erosion, slippage, etc., nothing about that is cosmetic. You may have to enlighten your doctor office on billing with the correct diagnosis and procedure code if you develop complications. The risk for complication is low with lap banding. Anything is possible (even for simple dental surgery) but try to stay positive.

I had tons of pre-op diet questions and felt just like you: if I can't stay on a diet 2 weeks, how am I going to do a pre-op diet? So I tried to maintain my low-cal preop diet but failed badly last night & went to bed stuffed. I called the doctor and told them how I ate, but she was really nice and said, "don't worry, honey, the band will help you." I've heard if the liver is too large, the surgery is more difficult for the doctor so they may have to make larger incisions or a more complicated procedure. My surgery is tomorrow at 4pm so I'm on Clear liquids till then, which will be hard enough, let alone several weeks on liquids. But the thing that's so weird is I fasted all the time in my teens. How come I could do it then but not now? To keep life interesting, I drink several glasses of Water in the morning. Then I start diluting Gatorade or juice with 1/2 water. This way I'm tasting something all day long. Meanwhile, I just removed my acrylic nails after 20 years so I can learn to play guitar. I tried learning years ago but gave up, so now I have no choice because I'll need to keep my hands away from my mouth. My obsession is so, so bad, that even when I'm not eating my hands are constantly near my mouth. I either play with my hair, bite nails, pick teeth, scratch nose... anything to get those fingers towards my mouth. Maybe they should just sew my arms down to my sides to keep my hands away from my lips.

Hi Mieko, I am about 5 days post op. I had a Mini Gastric Bypass. I have had 3 other surgeries prior to this one (c-section, gallbladder, ovarian cyst) so it wasn't my first rodeo... but I was still a bit nervous. For me, it mainly just felt really surreal. The great thing about anesthesia is that you close your eyes.. then you open them and it's done! There is no concept of time so it feels like it happens in a blink. Day 1: When they brought me back to my room I was suuuper groggy and tired for the rest of that day. I was still able to walk around and I didn't have any pain at all, really. I did have a LITTLE discomfort from gas bubbles but it was so minor and I just went hard on Gas-X strips to make sure it stayed that way. I walked a lot on the first day, it was easy to do and it felt nice to get out of my room. The first night was very hard to sleep. Not because of pain or anything.. but I would just randomly wake up every 45min or so. The IV was annoying and the drain made it uncomfortable to move certain ways. Day 2: All of the grogginess was gone, I felt alert and more like myself. I had to drink a lot of fluid on this day so the gas was a lot more uncomfortable and caused a little pain but it wasn't awful. Still did my walking and sipping etc. By that evening I had my leak test and they removed my drain and IV (honestly the IV was the worst part for me) and they let my husband and I walk around the mall for about an hour that was across the street. Walking in the mall was pretty difficult that day. It was easy to walk, but walking at a faster pace was nearly impossible. I took a lot of breaks. That night, they gave me a Valium and I slept like a baby. Day 3: Woke up early feeling fantastic and ready to head home. Used an abdominal binder to help with the bumps in the road along the 9+ hour drive home. IT WAS A LIFE SAVER. I highly recommend it for the first few days after you leave the hospital. I was in a little pain when I got home... probably from the long ride even though we stopped every hour or so. That night was awful. I couldn't get comfortable no matter how many pillows I wedged underneath myself. Day 4: I hardly got any sleep and woke up sore from all of the adjusting and readjusting all night. I was tired all day and just altogether not a happy camper. I didn't walk as much as I should have but still managed to drink what I was supposed to. Still wasn't hungry, didn't miss food. That night I took a suggestion to wedge pillows on either side of me to help prevent the urge to roll over.. it worked! I slept great. Day 5: OHHH what a difference one day and a good night's sleep can make. Day 5 was a breeze. Went shopping, did some light cleaning, cooked dinner for the family. I missed food quite a bit more this day. Not really cravings or hunger.. but it just felt wrong that I hadn't eaten anything in so long. I missed chewing I guess? lol I LOVE to smell food but I don't have much of a desire to eat it. Water went down so much smoother today and the protein drinks weren't as much of a chore. Slept fine, was even able to get rid of most of the pillows. Day 6: That's today! I woke up feeling fine. Drove today for the first time, no issues. Bumpy roads don't bother me anymore. Sick and tired of sweet stuff. Sweet protein drinks, sweet vitamins, sweet popsicles... I'm a bit grumpy today, woke up feeling like ''am I skinny yet?'' but I'm doing what I have to do and drinking down this protein and counting down the days to eating a real meal... to be continued... I had 0 complications and my hospital stay was 2 days. I don't regret the surgery because I know that in the long run all of this will be worth it. It isn't fun at first but I know it gets better. These feelings will never be as bad as how I feel being fat. A few things I wish I knew or I'm glad I knew: 1. SOME people have gas pain. SOME people have nausea. SOME people have acid reflux. Don't be afraid because of someone else's experience. We are all affected differently and there is no point in stressing about things until they happen. 2. DO NOT let people project their fears on to you. MANY MANY people will tell you not to do this or not to do that because *insert scary reason here*. For me, it was about which procedure I chose and where I chose to have it. There were fears about mal-absorption etc. I chose that procedure because it was the best fit FOR ME. I and SO GLAD I didn't let them talk me out of it. Another one was about the fact that I decided to have it done in Mexico. I had AMAZING care in Mexico and if I had to do it again, I'd go to the same place. Just trust yourself and the decisions you've made and the research you've put in. Don't let people's fears sway you. 3. Don't go crazy having all of the things you'll miss eating. It seems like a good idea.. and it probably wouldn't hurt to do it once or twice.. but don't go overboard. All the weight that you'll put on from doing that (even just 5lbs) will be weight you'll have to lose and you'll probably regret it. Having this surgery isn't the end of eating. There will be times where you can enjoy a cheat day. Now that this is the longest post ever I think I'm done. Sorry its so long lol

Hi my name is Ashley Osgood, living in Colorado Springs CO. I started my journey for weight loss in December 2014. I had my gall bladder out in December by Dr Wilcox. He happened to be the head surgeon for weight loss surgery at Ft. Carson. That was the beginning for a whole new outlook on life then. I took a few months to think about the surgery and its complications. My mother in law lives with my husband and I. She was less than thrilled to hear of my decision for weight loss surgery. She is absolutely against it and is very vocal about it. Praying for our own place away from her very soon. Anyways I have completed my extensive checklist for tricare approval for surgery. I was finally cleared for surgery on 05/14/15, I was so excited I almost bawled!!! I made the soonest appointment with my surgeon June 10, yeah that seems like such a long wait for something you are looking forward to. Hopefully I can be seen earlier if possible. The wait times for actual surgery after you see your surgeon is about 3 weeks. looks like i might be a July sleever.

I had my surgery yesterday, 3/22 and I’m feeling great right now, the morning afterward. I am enjoying “taking it easy”. I arrived at hospital at 5:30 am, surgery was at 8:00 am. I was in the car heading home at 12:30. Such a smooth seamless event. I walked around the hospital floor, sipped 4 oz. of water, and breathed good enough into the breath blower thing, that I was allowed to come home. Pain has been minimal. The worst was the CO2 pumped into abdomen—it moved to my chest, but walking around the house yesterday, once an hour for 15 minutes helped. Today, I feel tenderness in my abdomen area and some slight discomfort around the punctures. There is a lot to coordinate here from home, so it was nice to have my daughter as a helper yesterday afternoon and evening: ice packs on the puncture sights (very small), sipping water from shot glasses to try to get at least 40 oz in the first day. Also, you need to take medications at intervals. I am NOT on opioids or narcotics. The pain protocol used is called ERAS: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery. I was skeptical but I highly recommend it. I found it helpful to suck on popsicles as part of my water requirement yesterday, and bone broth. Aiming to avoid the complication of dehydration. This morning I am trying a small glass of my usual a morning cold brew (without the almond milk) and it seems like life’s biggest treat. There is conflicting information about whether or not you can have caffeinated drinks, but I’m giving it a try. I will try a smoothie tomorrow or the next day. .l/;’ I hope all the other newbies are doing OK. Let me know how you are.

I admit I don't get why people choose not to follow doc's orders on the pre-op diet. I know I'm very new to this forum and this will likely get me burned at the stake. This isn't about me judging others, but instead trying to understand their reasoning. I am 39 and have likely been under the knife more than most people my age and I have never considered going against my doctors pre-op orders. I am certainly not perfect, but considering the importance of optimizing your health prior to incision time, I just don't understand why you would jeopardize your surgery and your complication odds after you've obviously made the empowering choice to change your lifestyle. Yes I see the irony considering doctors tell you to live healthier day to day and I find myself here, but point blank orders pre-op I don't mess around with. (Braces herself)

Find distractions! This soon post op you could really cause complications depending on what you ate. Head hunger is a bitch! Sent from my KFFOWI using the BariatricPal App

No I was originally sleeved but converted to RNY But if you have the sleeve (with no complications) it was originally created to be 1/2 of the DS (and I guess now SIPS) process. RNY Is the progression to control reflux (what I had) If I had weight regain (but no reflux) with my sleeve I would have seriously considered DS/SIPS Speak with your surgeon and they will conduct testing which will ultimately make the final recommendations. Good Luck 💙