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Just like it says. My stomach is very sensitive and I have a hard time gauging what I can do. Even when it has been well enough time for me to be able to eat again or take a sip of something, it isn't. I have been sick all evening and I guess this happens 2-3 times a week. It is a very painful process for me. I go in for my third endoscopy this Thursday. I just had one almost three weeks ago, I guess it was and another four weeks before that. I have a stricture that keeps coming back. I am not sure how many times the surgeon is going to dilate it before he decides to go ahead and do a revision. I am feeling much better than I did in the first couple of months after my surgery but I am nowhere close to feeling normal by any means. I love the fact that I have lost weight and have more energy and can get around with more ease. My RA and OA have really improved, but feeling like I do right now is the pits.

Hello everyone. My name is Trent. I was banded on 6/1/2010, by Dr. Rowitz in upstate SC. He and his staff are wonderful. I have had success losing weight and have lost about 45lbs. I have had some problems though. My port incision would not heal and kept draining fluid. i had one fill of 2cc, but he had a hard time getting into the port. My next appt to get a fill my incision still was draining but looked better. We agreed to keep watching it and continued with the fill. He tried to find the port again (5 sticks and 2 needles later) I told him to keep trying) we came to the conclusion that I wasnt healing and he couldnt get in the port because it had come loose and flipped. This was on 8/5/2010 and I had revision surgery and the port moved to a new location (a few inches higher) on 8/9/2010. The surgery went well. but I am still hurting at my incisions and the bottom is draining bunches of the clear fluid. hopefully all that will quit soon.

I had my band to sleeve revision on Sept 7, so I'm currently on Day 12. I am really concerned about the post op diet phase. I was given 2different set of instructions for my post op. One set was given to me pre-op and one set was given post-op. There are significant differences between the two, and it makes me wonder if different instructions should be followed for a revision. Thoughts?

It does in Australia with lots of surgeons. They often wont consider self pay for uninsured patients but charge a "gap" fee of a couple of thousand dollars - mine is $3,000 and it covers forever all follow up visits, all fills and any revision surgery. They wont do self pay because if revision surgery is needed it quickly can get to mortgage your house levels of cost and they also insist you keep your private health insurance - no taking it out, waiting 12 months, having the op and then dropping it. Australia's health system is way different though.

Thank you! This is revision surgery. I had bypass done in 2001, but about 5 yrs ago started weight regain and a host of other symptoms with my blood pressure, heart, and bone loss. I also suffer lowback pain that has also aggravated my life. I am sure my doctor wants optimum results from me due to the bypass revision, so I started a little plan of my own but will definitely follow his and the dietician's instructions for preop eating/drinking tomorrow. My target date is either May 27 or May 31. Sooo excited to get this part done and recovery in full gear!! ] Good luck with your diet. I know the liver can be a tricky little booger when it wants to. I found out the hard way when I took the hcg drops. My doctor had a fit and then showed me the results of my liver lab. Thank the Lord it did not do permanent damage. Doesn't it feel good to know we have this great opportunity before us? By the way I am not a guy, I have to change my little head guy. Mac

also i just told my boss what i found out and he said 'humph you could fight it' and walked out. his wife had gastric bypass gee if she needs a revision she wont be covered either. i thought that was rather rude for him to not care. i did email the state of TN insurance dept. and ask them so we'll see what they say. i guess i'll have to pay cash $$$$ for my barium swallow. michelle

Hello, i just needed to talk to anyone who may have had my experience. I was banded on 7-10-03. Everything went well. However I had no restriction. I went in for my first fill and after a few pokes, he decided to give me an Xray and it revealed I had a tilted port. I had a small revision due to a flipped port on 8-14-03. Surgery went well and for my one week follow-up appt, I saw my dr's assistant due to my doc being on vacation. I received a fill. However I felt no restriction and my next appt with my reg doc, he noticed that I had no Fluid in my band and called for xray which revealed I had a leak. So on Tuesday, 9-9-03, I went in for a second revision to my port, at that time I was given a fill and today I have a little bit more restriction, unfortunately I will need another fill. I feel so awful and it's hard not to think that this is not going to work for me. At my first consultation I weighed 222, (gained up to 229 before surgery, left hospital at 227. Today the scale said 212. I'm grateful but there's not much to notice different about me and even though I didn't tell a lot of people, I sometimes think that they are looking at me like I'm a failure, too.:cry

Thanks for the information. I am hoping that this surgery will allow me to get back on track. Having these band slips going on for several months now has really played with my head and I feel like I have "lost" several months of good weight loss. Did either of you have imbrication with your revision? Doctor has offered it as an option for me. How long were you out of work with the revision surgery?

I had a pretty similar situation. First slip in Jan of this year after 2 years of being banded. Complete unfill, waited nearly four months to start filling, went slow and cautious, and then had another slip within two months. Band was removed a week ago, and like christiemr, I am having to wait about 4 months to revise to the sleeve due to the damage caused by the band. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but according to my surgeon (and this is just one opinion), slips very rarely truly fix themselves by unfilling, and once you have a slip, it's likely to occur again. Again, this is just one opinion, but it was true in my case and the case of many others I know. I hope your outcome is much better!

I am scheduled to have lapband revision surgery with a hiatal hernia repair on November 11. I was banded in February 2010 and have lost almost 80 lbs. Have not tolerated fills since December 2010 and the doctor diagnosed me with chronic slip. I am wondering if anyone else has had the revision and how the surgery differed for the first time around. Did you miss more of work than you did originally?

Will I have 7 incisions one about 3 inches long Had a drain tube I had the lapband for one year And had problems with it So Jan 22,2013 had revision surgery so my new Me started that day!!! Doing well tired weak but getting better each day Still trying to get my liquids in ( harder with this Surgery) than with lapband but this revision surgery was more complicated So being 50 yrs old this April I guess that's another reason I'm slow But next week I think going to try aqua aerobics And go back to my tanning (it makes you feel better) Hope everyone is well!' God Bless

Great I just sent request to you My surgery was a revision 1-22-2013 8 weeks out How about you?

I am a band to sleeve revision and to me that does seem extreme. You will feel hungry, not starving like before, but hunger still happens. You don't want to restrict yourself to shakes (they get old trust me) and then binge on the wrong foods. I would make a plan for lean Proteins, and some veggies. Protein shakes are not going to provide you with complete nutrition, and it worries me that a NUT would be ok with that plan. I would run it past your surgeon and see what they have to say.

As a revisionist, Dr Aceves said that I had so much scar tissue from my band that he added 5 days to each food stage. So, I had an additional 5 days (so 15 days I think??) on each phase. I know of another gal that was revised just after me and it was the same for her.. So, I think he just started doing this. I guess each doc is different. I was so terrified of injuring my staple line that (even though it was tough) I was 100% compliant. Best wishes to you!!! Erika

Welcome to the boards Rhonda there are several on here who have had the revision or are in the process of getting it. Stay away from the crap food and you won't dump. Rny is a tool to help you lose weight. The things I worry about is getting all my protein in and exercising. It will all come together... Again welcome to the boards!!

Are you on the small side? That may be why the doc chose the small. Most docs choose the regular size because most of us have a thick fat pad over the belly/ribs and they want to make sure they can access the port center. I have lost most of my wt and will have a port revision to the smaller port so it doesn't stick out the way the bigger one does. Best wishes. Mimi

Revising to a tighter sleeve is not recommended, honestly if I stick to the rules of Protein first, even at 19 months out, I have little to zero room for junk food. You'll do great ! ! !

Congratulations on your revision. From what I know, a friend told me, the gastric bypass works faster. Welcome to the group, a lot of good information here.

Are you on the verge of giving up on your dream? Are you just about to let all your hopes and dreams slip through your fingers? Has the thought crossed your mind? Are you despairing because things are not working out the way you expected? Are you wondering how you will ever accomplish your goal or even whether you really have what it takes to achieve them? If you are already feeling the familiar feeling of despair that accompanies the fear that your dreams and hopes might go down the drain: DO NOT GIVE UP! Get up and fight for your dream. Fight for what you believe in. Here are 8 tips to help you hang on and not give up: 1. Take charge of your life. When you give up, quit, lose hope or abandon your dream or goal, you give both yourself and other external circumstances permission to sabotage your efforts. Don't give in to self-defeating, self-sabotaging and dream choking thoughts. No matter how bumpy the ride is, don't abandon your dream. Get on the drivers seat of your life, wear your seat belt and drive to your destination. It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it. ~ Douglas MacArthur~ 2. Reconnect with your vision. Before you decide to throw it all away, ask yourself why you had the initial desire to achieve that goal/dream. What compelled and stirred your heart toward that vision? Why was it so important to you? As you reflect on your answers, allow the passion for your vision to give you the strength to carry on. When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight. ~ Kahlil Gibran~ 3. Focus on your big picture. When things go wrong, don't betray the plan. Don't let short-term obstacles snuff the life out of your long-term goal. Work on overcoming whatever is momentarily standing in the way of your dream. Bear in mind that achieving the goal is the big picture and not the obstacle in your path to your big picture. Stick to the plan for your life. The race is only over when you reach the finish line. Honor you desire to achieve your goal. Run the race of your life and until you get to the end. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. ~Stephen Covey ~ 4. Believe in yourself. Having your hopes dashed can damage your self-confidence. No matter how bad the situation seems, believe in yourself and in your ability to succeed. The fact that you thought about your idea, worked on it and turned it into reality counts for something and is evidence enough that you can do it! With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable. ~Thomas Foxwell Buxton ~ 5. Persevere The journey to success is usually filled with many obstacles. Dealing with obstacles aren't only time consuming but can also drain your energy, motivation and drive as you struggle to overcome them. Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did. ~Newt Gingrich 6. Be resilient. Resilience is an ability to bounce back and stand on your feet after a hard knock out punch. Simple thoughts such as "I will survive" and "I will try again" are enough to get your hopes high again and to set you rolling and in motion again. When the world says, "Give up," Hope whispers, "Try it one more time." ~Author Unknown~ 7. Change your perspective. Perhaps you just need to see things from a different perspective in order to understand how you can do it better. You may have to rethink your strategy, revise a few things or be creative. The saying goes that "It is hard to see the picture when you are in the frame" Perhaps it would help if you got out of the frame and really looked at the Big Picture! Problems are not stop signs; they are guidelines. ~Robert Schuller~ 8. Hang on! There is no better way of saying this. This quote sums it all up: Hang on! Don't give up! There is surely something in that dream or goal that's worth holding on to. Find it and hang on to it. When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. Whatever it is that you aspire to achieve: Never, ever give up! ~Franklin D. Roosevelt~ by Caroline Jalango

Where did you go in Mexico? And what Dr did you use. I need a revision from lapband to gadtric bypass or sleeve. But im on a budget cant go over $5700. Just dont no where to go. Sent from my SM-N900P using the BariatricPal App For my VSG I went to Ariel Ortiz at Obesity Control Center in Tijuana. I am not sure you could get your revision with him for under $5700, though. You should contact OCC about their current pricing. There are many other excellent surgeons in Mexico, though that might be in your price range. My first suggestion would be to contact BariatricPal's Mexico coordinator, @@Bill Yanez. He could give you current information on pricing with the BariatricPal affiliated surgeons.

Where did you go in Mexico? And what Dr did you use. I need a revision from lapband to gadtric bypass or sleeve. But im on a budget cant go over $5700. Just dont no where to go. Sent from my SM-N900P using the BariatricPal App

My revision is on 8/20.

@@arimerm1 - I posted this message on a band to sleeve revision forum. I am going through my own issues and asking people who have gone through similar experiences as ME. This was not directed at newbies. It's a big giant forum and you will come to see that people have many different experiences that have nothing to do with you and its about being real. Yes, torture! I didn't say you are going to have torture, BUT I dealt with 5 years of torture. I wish you the best of luck with your band but again, my question is directed to people who have gone through a revision.

We had a great support group meeting today and the topic was "Understanding the Desire to Eat" presented by Katie Mckenna, a specialist in both nutrition and psychology - her visits are always incredibly enlightening. http://www.mckennaco...om/default.html Our nutritionist also shared a new resource that looks interesting that I will most likely check out - the paste is from the bariatric section of thier website. I am of the belief that one can never have too many resources to help us long the way on this journey. http://www.amihungry...c-Surgery.shtml Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program for Bariatric Surgery The Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program for Bariatric Surgery helps resolve the mindless habits and emotional eating issues that lead to problems after bariatric surgery. It includes TWO books (both paperback)*: Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program for Bariatric Surgery Companion Workbook and Journal * Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle The award-winning book Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat is the foundation of this program; the Bariatric Surgery Companion Workbook and Awareness Journal shows you how to apply this life-changing approach after you've had bariatric surgery. (This program is appropriate for people who have had or are considering gastric bypass, the band, or the sleeve.) Each of the eight workshops in the Bariatric Surgery Companion Workbook and Awareness Journal helps you apply what you’ve read in Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat to your daily life and explore issues that are unique to people who have had bariatric surgery. Each of the eight workshops also has a special section called "Adjust" to guide you through the necessary skills to adjust to your "new normal." (See Dr. May's article below: It's STILL Not About the Food.) Download the Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program for Bariatric Surgery Companion Workbook and Journal table of contents and an excerpt from Workshop 8 listing the key concepts here. *Available only as a set because the Bariatric Surgery Workbook and Awareness Journal is a companion to Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle. It is not intended to be used alone. If you have already purchased Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat from us, you may email Orders@AmIHungry.com with your name so we can look it up (or you can email us a copy of your receipt). We are sorry for the inconvenience but it is very important that you use both books together! Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program for Bariatric Surgery (set of two books) $39.90 Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Workshops for Bariatric Surgery - Webinar Participate in this workshop from the convenience and privacy of your own home! Facilitator: Jeff Butts (Read Jeff's personal story here) Dates: Wednesdays, March 6, 2013 - April 24, 2013 Time: 5:00 - 6:30 pm PST/6:00 - 7:30pm MST/7:00 - 8:30pm CST/8:00 - 9:30pm EST Investment: $199 Click Here to Register Email training@AmIHungry.com to receive advanced notification of future webinar dates. Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Workshops for Bariatric Surgery - Facilitator Training Do you work with bariatric surgery patients? Now available: Facilitator Training to offer Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Workshops for Bariatric Surgery in your bariatric center, office, or community! Please download the Facilitator Training information packet and contact us at 480 704-7811 or Training@AmIHungry.com to learn more. About the Author Michelle May, M.D. Michelle May, M.D. is a recovered yoyo dieter and the founder of the Am I Hungry?® Mindful Eating Workshops and Facilitator Training Program (www.AmIHungry.com). She is the award-winning author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle that guides readers to eat fearlessly and mindfully. Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat received seven publishing awards including best book in the categories of health, best self-help, best nutrition, and mind-body-spirit and was named one of the Top 10 Diet Books in 2010 by Time.com (though Michelle insists that it is a how-not-to-diet book!). She is also the author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat with Diabetes. Margaret Furtado, M.S., R.D. served as a consultant on this project: Margaret Furtado, M.S., R.D. has specialized in bariatric surgery at bariatric surgery centers of excellence for over a decade, including Tufts Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, and The Johns Hopkins Center for Bariatric Surgery. She is currently a Bariatric Nutrition Specialist at The University of Maryland Medical Center, in Baltimore, Maryland. Margaret has co-authored 3 patient-centered books on bariatric surgery and nutrition, including her newly-revised Recipes for Life After Weight Loss Surgery and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery. She was one of the authors of the 2008 bariatric nutrition guidelines published by the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Margaret speaks internationally on bariatric surgery and nutrition. Bariatric Surgery: It's STILL Not About the Food! Michelle May, M.D. writes about why mindful eating is so helpful for bariatric surgery patients: Bariatric Surgery is Only a Tool While bariatric surgery may be controversial, even bariatric surgeons agree that bariatric surgery is a tool, not a quick fix. This is a critical point because a tool can do nothing on its own; it requires skillful management by a knowledgeable user to work effectively. Therefore results following bariatric surgery depend on learning to use that tool optimally to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Adjusting to a New Normal When people ask my opinion about bariatric surgery, I have to admit that it's a tough question because many people who decide to try surgery believe that they've tried everything else. Most have never even heard of intuitive or mindful eating. Some believe or hope that having bariatric surgery will solve all of their problems—but nothing could be further from the truth. For example, if you’re an “emotional eater,” the situations and emotions that triggered eating in the past are unlikely to disappear simply because you’ve chosen to have bariatric surgery. As one patient said, “They didn’t operate on my brain!” Some discover that they “miss” their friend—food—leaving them with a feeling of loss. As one person told me, "I've cut out my coping skill!" Others believe that after surgery they won’t need to think about their eating anymore. In fact, it is just the opposite. You need to become very thoughtful about eating in order to use this tool optimally. If you’re not mindful about your eating, this “tool” can cause you to experience uncomfortable, even serious consequences—and you’ll be far less likely to get the results you hoped for. Bottom line: It breaks my heart to see people invest so much yet continue to struggle in their relationship with food. Bariatric Surgery and Mindful Eating Since 1999, tens of thousands of people have used the Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program and/or read Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat, to resolve their difficult eating issues. There are often people in our workshops who have had also bariatric surgery. They explain that surgery did not fix their real problem and/or that they need additional skills to cope with their "new normal." Mindfulness is beneficial because it teaches us to focus our attention and awareness on what is happening right now, which in turn, helps us disengage from habitual, unsatisfying, and unskillful habits and behaviors. Specifically, mindful eating skills help resolve the mindless habits and emotional eating issues that lead to problems after bariatric surgery: Eating too quickly Taking large bites Not chewing thoroughly Eating while distracted leading to overconsumption Not savoring food and therefore having difficulty feeling satisfied with small volumes of food Eating too much, leading to vomiting and/or distention of the pouch Grazing throughout the day Eating "slider" foods and high-calorie soft foods and liquids, often in response to emotional triggers Not consuming enough protein or nutrient-rich foods Feeling deprived or left-out in social situations Struggling to establish consistent physical activity Transfer addictions And many other issues... Further, most people who make the difficult decision to have bariatric surgery want to improve their health and energy so they can live the vibrant life they crave. Yet without the additional tool of mindful eating, bariatric surgery can feel like a permanent diet that continues to consume your life. One of the most meaningful changes that happens when you learn to eat mindfully (whether you've had surgery or not!) is that it allows you to think about eating when you need to and free up your energy and attention to focus on living in between. Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program for Bariatric Surgery For all these reasons we felt that it was time to create a mindful eating program especially for people who have had (or who are considering) bariatric surgery. We have a brand new Bariatric Surgery Workbook and Awareness Journal and will also begin offering additional workshop training for Am I Hungry? Facilitators who work with bariatric surgery patients. Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program for Bariatric Surgery (set of two books) $39.90 (For a sneak peek, download a pdf of the key concepts covered in this Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating program for Bariatric Surgery.) I am personally very excited about bringing the life-changing concepts of intuitive and mindful eating to the many people who, despite having surgery, still find themselves stuck in an eat-repent-repeat cycle. After all, even after bariatric surgery, it still isn't really about the food. Eat Mindfully, Live Vibrantly! Michelle May, M.D.

I had the band implanted in March 2001; removed Sept of this year - so 10 years! My band did slip, and other then the fact that I weigh more now then when I weighed when I was banded, I guess I am not too much worse for it, stomach scar tissue aside. There is alot of info out there about how poorly the band performs, but we tend to not want to hear it. I went back through my paperwork and I had a brochure from Bioenterics stating that the lapband was a "temporary device" and would probably need removing. I didn't remember reading that. Looking further, i found a copy of a statement THAT I HAD SIGNED, saying that I understood that the band was not a permanent device and would likely need removal at some point. I have no memory of this, but there was my signature! I guess we put filters on what we want to know and remember. My BIGGEST fear of the sleeve is that "we" are doing that again. I hear very few negatives and I that is exactly how it was with the band in 2001. Sure, we knew about erosions, but that only happened to people who kept their band too tight (who knew that ALL the bands made during that time were probably too tight for most people!). Sure, Slips happened, but that was only to those people who "didn't follow the rules". There was alot of blaming of the people that these things happened to - it was a way of deflecting the real risks I guess. I read a sleeve related post where somebody actually made the statements that "leaks only happen if you cheat on the post op diet" - and I couldn't help but think... sheesh, here we go again. Minimize real and serious risks by blaming the victim when they do happen. I am also very skeptical of certain reported results with weight loss procedures because they do not match my actual experience of people I know. I know several people who had gastric bypass 5-10 years ago and they had very high complication rates. I know only one person who was banded 10+ years ago and still has maintained her weight loss. If she had her band removed, not sure she would tell since she makes her living in a band-only surgical practice. Even a few well known surgeons have had their bands removed! I am normally a very optimistic person, but on the subject of weight loss surgery, well, I guess I think a little skepticism is healthy. Reading forums is very informational, but it is also a poor way to know how things go over the long haul. People tend to move on after awhile AND people who were never successful tend to post less hen the ones who have done well. It tends to bias the impression you get. anyway, I am glad my band is gone, and I do plan to revise to the sleeve, but I do wish there was another path that actually works.