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I know right! That was my theory also. I really thought that I should be doing more. I'm not a revision patient.

Hello Malcolm!! Welcome to VST!! If you're anything like me, I love my sleeve far greater than I did my band. However, I didn't have close to the success you did with yours either. Big congrats for you did exceptionally well with it! Take a look around here, you will find so many of us who have revised. The sleeve by far is everything it's said to be. PS, we also have a Man's section here, since you asked about it.

Anyone else on this day?

Well I attended DR. Maremas Seminar tonight in st. augustine, fl. It was pretty good i think. He seemed alright he seemed to push the gastric bypass more than the band, but i know i will NOT get bypass, he also seemed to like the realize band more than lapband, not sure why he said he likes the contour more i dont know, but i will research both, does anyone have the realize band? Well i weighed in my weight was still 230, bmi was 40.5. So i'm not sure if when i go approval they will go off that what that says, or whatever weight i am at when they submit my approval, i still have to do the 6 month diet.But the insurance lady said my bcbs ppo state employee plan was the best one to have that they take cause she said they are easy to get approval from. And with my bmi at 40 i dont have to have 2 co-morbilities. Not sure when the procedure will be, still have to talk further to them, about all the info that i need for approval, also i'm stll no sure if they want the several thousand upfront, phew still quite a bit i have left to do i think, but we'll see the 6 month diet will be the hardest and longest part to get thru.......... So yeah anyone know the difference between realize and lapband and do the insurance company go off your bmi from your weigh in, or do they go off of the latest weight before approval? thanks LaLa

You are not alone! Im a revision too and am so tired of people asking me how much I have lost. (not that much) I dont count anyhow..and im not perfect..but yes I can relate to the slow loss:) I still have 45 pounds to loose =/

Dinner menu revision; I increased the marinara sauce to 1/4 cup: add 20 cal I added 1/2 c picsweet veggie mix: add 15 cal and 1g protein Snack revision: added 1 scoop unflavored protein to diet lipton tea: add 21 g protein and 110 cal Todays new total: Protein 100g Calorie 730

Hey, RNYTalk Members!It’s time for another RNYTalk newsletter. This is your source for what’s going on at RNYTalk.com. Today we have the first newsletter after the official start to summer, and it’s a hot one! Here’s what you’ll find in this newsletter. We have a winner! Keep reading to find out who won the iPod Touch giveaway! Member Spotlight: Meet DLCoggin – although maybe you already have! Bypass Challenge: Take a photo! Write a review of your surgeon for our database. Keep reading to get the scoop on these stories. Of course, you get so much more when you log onto RNYTalk.com and participate, so come join us! As always, stay in touch and contact us if you have any questions or comments. Take care of yourselves and each other! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder RNYTalk.com And the Winner is… A few weeks ago, we announced the Celebrate, we held a contest to give away a free iPod Touch. Everyone who filled out a complete patient profile was entered into the drawing, and you could increase your chances of winning by participating more on RNYTalk.com with things like forum posts, joining a group and referring a friend to RNYTalk.com. Now, we have a winner! Congratulations to vamplover85! We hope you enjoy your new iPod Touch! The contest may be over, but you can still get your Apple iPhone, iPod and iPad app, your Android app and now the new Kindle app. They’re all fully functional so you never have to be without RNYTalk.com. Posting to the forums, updating your patient profile and photo gallery and blogging are just a few of the features that the apps offer. Member Spotlight: Meet DLCoggin! This week’s sleep apnea and heart disease, and decided to get the roux-en-Y surgery when he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. He’s down more than 100 pounds since his gastric bypass surgery in October, and DLCoggin has a clean bill of health. He’s off nearly all of his medications and has enviable blood sugar levels. Life’s good for DLCoggin. He has the energy and stamina to do whatever he wants. He just got back from a fishing trip that involved tons of walking and hiking. He describes himself as a walking addict and uses his regular walks to stay focused and energized. He’s now looking forward to a healthy life of watching his 2-year-old grandson grow up and graduate from college. DLCoggin offers this advice for bypassers: don’t give up. You’ll have a few setbacks, and it’s okay to enjoy yourself at a party. Just log everything you eat and get back on track. DLCoggin invites anyone to PM him with questions. Thanks, DLCoggin, for being in the spotlight! We feature a different RNYTalk.com member each week in our Member Spotlight section. Is there someone you’d like to see highlighted? Maybe you would like to be our highlighted member! Let us know in the member spotlight forum. Don’t worry: it’s not bragging to nominate yourself. You’re helping others by sharing your own stories. If you’re shy, though, just PM Alex if you want to be in the spotlight. Use the messaging system by clicking on the icon of an envelope toward the top-right corner of the forum. Nobody will ever know that you nominated yourself, and you’ll get to be in the newsletter. Thanks! Bypass Challenge: Take a Photo! Each newsletter has a different Bypass challenge. It’s an opportunity to push yourself a little outside of your comfort zone to make you stronger and give you more confidence in your weight loss journey. It can help you do things you never thought you could, or maybe that you never thought of before! The challenge is absolutely non-competitive. We encourage you to post your results in the challenge forum. This week, the challenge is to take a photo of yourself and describe it. Are you at your goal weight? Is it a “before” photo? How do you feel about it? What will you do to change it if you’re not happy about it? How will you keep yourself looking good if you’re happy with your photo? We’d love to have you post your photo in the photo gallery and describe your photo in the Bypass Challenge forum. Be an inspiration to others! In the Challenge forum, you can always look back at the previous challenges and post your results. It’s never too late to try something new. Post a Surgeon Review Of course you know that RNYTalk.com is an invaluable resource for peer support and information. It’s also a great place to find a surgeon for your gastric bypass procedure. We have a surgeon directory that helps you choose a surgeon based on location and reviews – and that’s where we need your help. If you’ve already gotten the surgery, please take a few minutes to write and post a surgeon review. You can get to it from the front page by clicking on “Surgeon” and then “Select My Surgeon” from the drop-down menu. Your opinions will help other individuals who are looking for a roux-en-Y surgeon make the best decision for their surgery. Thanks! That’s about it for this week’s newsletter. Thanks for reading and making the RNYTalk community as strong as it is. We and the other bypassers couldn’t do it without you! Take care! Sincerely, Alex ==============================================================If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: http://www.rnytalk.c...&tab=newsletter

But I'm terrified. I'm definitely a rule breaker (hence the slipped band 3 1/2 yrs later from frequent vomiting. Never did learn how to eat slowly). My band had a minor slip last year, my dr took out 1/2 of my fill and it worked. no more reflux, so he decided to leave it alone. In the last year I gained 21 lbs. I HATE dieting, why I got the band in the first place. So I've been on the fence for months whether I wanted to just go ahead and revise it even tho I had no symptoms. This past Friday nite, I started having stomach pain. Not bad, just bothersome. Monday nite (after having constant pain for 3 days) it got unbearable and I ended up in the hospital. My band was herniated (a bad slip). They unfilled my 6cc and told me I'd need a revision. My band dr is 3 hrs away, so I haven't been seen by him yet. I called the insurance girl at my drs office and asked if revision would be covered under my Medicare. It is, even tho my bmi is now 27 cuz it's a complication. They don't cover plication, however, which is what I wanted with my band - to improve my chances of future slips. She talked a little about the sleeve (which is also covered) and said most band patients convert to the sleeve. Like I said, I haven't even talked to my dr about it yet so I'm not sure what he's gunna say, but I started doing research on the sleeve today. I loved my band. Helped me to lsoe 104 lbs. But it's so much maintenance - always going 6 hrs round trip for fills/unfills/tweaking and alot of money involved (Medicare only pays for fills for the first year) and worries about slipping. The sleeve doesn't require maintenance, does it? How long do you spend in the hospital? Is it like gastric bypass where over the years your stomach can stretch back out? Whats the difference between GB and the sleeve? Any and all info is greatly appreciated!! Even tho I'm only about 28 lbs from my 135 goal, I know I'd gain back every lb that I've lost if I don't have a tool to work with. I proved that this past year with less than optimal restriction. I never did learn how to eat healthy - the band just stopped me from eating too much. Thanks! Marci

Got the Lap Band in 2002. I lost 30lbs but in 2005, the port became separated from the tube. Not one doctor would help me get it fixed. I finally found a doctor that was willing to repair it. He decided to convert me to a VSG. I had surgery this morning. During surgery, the doctor decided there was way too much scar tissue to convert today. While operating, my stomach tore! Fortunately, it was the section of the stomach that is to be removed for VSG. The doctor decided to proceed with the conversion and I am recovering now. I feel very lucky and relieved that it turned out the way it did. I could have not been so lucky and want to thank everyone involved for their great care.

Would like to hear from people who has gastric bypass at anne Arundel medical center in Annapolis. So they have a support group there?

I have not gotten a date yet but I have some questions. Is it really necessary to purchase a blender? Also I hear some people say the protein powder shakes are not that great in taste. What is best for shakes because a family member had the gastric bypass and she only purchase the Atkins shakes which to me can become expensive. Also there is possibility that I might be starting a new job and I need the job just as bad as I need the surgery. So my next question is how long was you off work? I hate to start a new job and then request time off.

I have watched this site for several months now and it has been so so helpful. I had my band to sleeve revision ( after a slip, and then non-functioning port). Had another hernia that they had to repair as well. Today it has been a week and I am down 11 pounds and feel great although I have over done a bit. You all have been very helpful even to those of us who kinda stay in the shadows most of the time-- Thanks!

I've heard that slips are caused by over eating or by vomitting a lot ... I've never had one so I have no idea. Im sorry about your predicament. Have you been able to keep the weight off during your revisions? Best of luck!

Hello :] My name is Kaylee, I am 20 years old and am 9 days post op from my RNY gastric bypass. My heaviest recorded weight was 276lbs and my weight before surgery was 263lbs and as of today I weigh 252lbs. Still in a decent amount of pain and am relying on my pain killer every 4-6 hrs, but am finally able to walk around a bit without holding my left side (my most painful incision) Required to consume a minimum of 80g/protein and 64oz/fluid a day, is that similar to your experience? If I didn't drink 2 Protein shakes a day (20g/protein each) I'd never make that protein quota. Can't wait to get off pureed foods, but am thankful for eggs and sugar free popsicles :] Can't wait to get to know all of you!

Hey everyone, I'm 7 mths post band-sleeve revision. I've lost all but the last 18 lbs. I've been tossing the same 2 lbs back and forth for about 4 mths now. Actually, fairly easily. Everytime I get on the scale (usually daily), I'm happy to say it doesn't go up - even tho I expect it to. Guess I'm gunna actually hafta do something to lose the last 18... Count something, measure something, weigh something....who woulda thunk it? So happy with my sleeve. I know that once I finally get to goal, I'll be able to easily maintain...

So needed to hear this! Having revision in 3 weeks but was starting to doubt it. Thank you!

Jan. 18, 2013 -- More than 200,000 weight loss surgeries are performed each year in the U.S. Several recent studies have questioned the effectiveness and safety of one type, gastric banding, which has led to a decline in its use as patients choose other surgical options. But the largest and longest study yet of the procedure found that patients followed for up to 15 years maintained significant weight loss -- an average of about 60 pounds. Study: Banding Effective for Weight Loss About half the patients in the study needed additional surgeries to adjust the bands or deal with other complications, but only about 1 in 20 patients opted to have the bands removed. Researcher Paul O’Brien, MD, of Melbourne, Australia’s Monash University, was a pioneer of the Lap-Band procedure, and his latest study was supported by Allergan Inc., which markets the gastric band system. He says gastric banding offers an effective, reversible, long-term solution for weight loss as long as patients get good follow-up care and are willing to carefully control the way they eat. The study is published in the January issue of the Annals of Surgery. “Placing the band is just the first step in the process,” he says. “Compliance and follow-up are critically important. There are plenty of people out there doing this surgery without a follow-up program for their patients, and they are setting them up for failure.” Banding, Bypass, and Sleeve Gastrectomy The Lap-Band procedure is one of several weight loss surgeries performed in the U.S. and the only one that is easily reversible. The band is an inflatable silicone ring that is wrapped around the upper part of thestomach to create a pouch the size of a golf ball, which limits the amount of food that can be eaten. The band can be tightened or loosened to increase or decrease the size of the opening to the lower stomach. The most commonly performed type of gastric bypass surgery also reduces the size of the stomach to that of a golf ball. The surgery also bypasses a section of the small intestine, which limits calorie absorption. The gastric sleeve procedure involves the surgical removal of a portion of the stomach to create a "sleeve" that connects to the small intestine. Just a few years ago, gastric banding was widely seen as less risky, less costly, and less invasive than either of the other surgical options, and about half of weight loss procedures in the U.S. involved banding. But that has changed as the long-term data comparing weight loss surgeries has come in, says Ronald H. Clements, MD, who directs the bariatric surgery program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Fewer Lap-Band Surgeries Performed Clements says just five of the 360 weight loss surgeries performed at Vanderbilt last year were Lap-Band procedures. “We have essentially stopped doing this operation,” he says. “The sleeve and the bypass are just better for helping people lose weight and keep it off. That’s what we are seeing in our patients and that’s what the data are telling us.” A 2011 study from Belgium found that the bands eroded in 1 in 3 patients, while 60% required additional surgeries. And a study published last year that compared banding to bypass surgery found that bypass patients lost more weight and kept it off over six years and had fewer complications. Four years ago, as many as 40% of weight loss surgeries performed at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York involved gastric banding, says Mitchell Roslin, MD, who is chief of obesity surgery. Today, the figure is closer to 3%. “Last year we took out 80 bands and converted them to other procedures,” he says. “Patients do well in the short term, but they tend to have problems later on.” Banding Good Option for Some American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery President Jaime Ponce, MD, confirms that fewer Lap-Band surgeries are being performed in the U.S. Allergan’s sales related to its Lap-Band system reportedly fell from close to $300 million in 2011 to about half that figure last year, and last fall the company announced that it was looking to sell its weight loss surgery division. But Ponce says the surgery is still a good option for some patients. “The band is a device that requires a lot of maintenance and multiple adjustments, and one problem is that our insurance system is not set up to pay for this,” he says. He says gastric banding is much more popular and widely performed than gastric bypass in Australia. “In Australia, aftercare is covered by national insurance, so patients don’t have to worry about paying for adjustments,” Ponce says. And there are plenty of gastric banding success stories here in America, including New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan, who lost more than 100 pounds after having the procedure in March of 2010. Ponce says patients who understand that gastric banding will require careful compliance and frequent follow-up visits to their doctor can achieve good results with the gastric banding surgery. “Patients need to be followed, preferably every month or so,” he says. “If your surgeon doesn’t offer this kind of follow up, you need to go somewhere else.” http://www.webmd.com/diet/weight-loss-surgery/news/20130117/lap-band-shown-effective-long-term-weight-loss?page=2

I have had unusually bad problems with GERD post-surgery. Please note that I'm still happy that I did the sleeve, however. I was always a GERD patient, but 2x Prilosec a day would take care of it for me. However post-sleeve the acid become intolerable, and I was vomiting stomach acid repeatedly 3-4 days after coming home. I can't say this has totally resolved for me, but it's calmed down to a level that for now is manageable, particularly when I got past the liquid phase of the diet and could get some food in my stomach to absorb the acid. Since getting sleeved my GP has informed me that stomach acid is the single most common reason for people getting the sleeve revised. Things that helped: * When I got to full liquids, I added low-sodium V8 to my liquids list. For some reason this helped to quiet down my stomach a bit, which led to my belief that I might have been suffering from low acid instead of high. I'm still puzzled about this; if you do some Google searching you will find that they have quite similar symptoms. Part of me thinks the increased acidity of the V8 just helped activate the Prilosec. * An old household remedy - a shot of apple cider vinegar right before bed, followed by a teaspoon of honey to soothe the flavor a bit. Please note there is, so far as I know, absolutely no scientific evidence that this does anything at all. But I started doing it the day I started feeling better, and superstition or not, I feel not desire to wake up choking again, so I keep doing it. * Once I got to mushies, eat every 2 hours. This means my calorie intake is higher than most peoples' around here (I get about 1500 calories a day), but given my weight this actually still allows for great weight loss - in 4 weeks I have lost 41 lbs. Eating small amounts regularly - which is not what's recommended by many nutritionists - has helped keep my stomach calm. My doctor promises that, as the inflammation goes down and time passes, my stomach will reduce its production of acid and this will get better. I remain hopeful. But as I said at the outset, even with the acid, I'm glad I did this. Don't disregard it as a factor though - it's a real issue that impacts many sleevers and could cause you to need a revision, so it's something you should discuss with your doctors.

The moodswing for a woman of 26 years with Gastric-Bypass was caused by a drop of the blood-sugar-level, they call it hypoglycemia. She sometimes get those low level and the she becomes irritated, faint in the head, and starts sweating. After taking Naltrexone she gets the same moodswing, but no sweating. Now she takes the Naltrexone with quick sugar of grapes and … tadaa : OK ! Naltrexone and Hypoglycemia are connected : https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281644521_Naltrexone_for_treatment_of_impaired_awareness_of_hypoglycemia_in_type_1_diabetes_A_randomized_clinical_trial https://www.google.be/search?q=naltrexone+blood+sugar&ie=&oe=#q=naltrexone%20hypoglycemia Has anyone else had this problem? What an interesting solution to the sweating issue.

Thank goodness you're getting the bypass. You did so well with the band it would be awful if you backtracked because of the MRSA. I haven't lost any additional weight since late September as I've been really ill with fibromyalgia. I am so inactive it difficult to shift anything. I'm hoping to get back on track really soon. Take care of yourself and good luck with the surgery in January!

Because I have suffered so long with getting sick, at this point when the band is at 5cc's or less, I eat right past it because I am so excited to be able to eat and not get sick. I almost binge at times when I can eat. I would love to have gastric bypass if my Dr. thinks I can have that and not have the same issues I am having now. Which I don't think I will. I just have to figure out how to pay for it all. Some good insurance would be nice, but I don't have it and with insurance through work I can't get a supplemental policy, so I am stuck as far as I know.

I am in the process on information gathering. I've been to an information seminar. I've read everything online that I can find - good and bad. Kind'a seems like online is preaching to the choir. I can't find a lot negative. And you know, if something seems to good to be true .... I called my prospective Dr Office and did find out that they haven't had much luck getting my insurance to pay :girl_hug: although they will pay for gastric bypass. (Now that doesn't make any sense. Payfor a very expensive risky operation and not pay for a safer reversible one.) That being the case, I would be self-pay. So, there is no reason to delay any longer. I guess I will call for an appointment on Monday. I am in Sammamish and they are in Everett. Nice that it is so close.

Hi everyone! I have my LapBand revision to sleeve next Tuesday. I'm starting my pre-surgery diet tomorrow. I'm starting to get more excited and nervous. Dr. Aceves will be my surgeon. For those of you who had him, can you tell me about cellular service at the hospital? I understand the hospital is very close to the border. Do you think I'll be roaming or charged for international usage if I use my cell phone there? Only one person knows I'm going to have the surgery, and I'm going alone. I don't want people getting worried if I don't answer my phone for an entire week. (I live alone, too, so my family checks on me every so often to make sure I'm okay.) Any thoughts? Closely related, I think the nurses will call someone when surgery is over to let my family know I'm okay. Is that correct? If so, I'll have them call my sister. She's the one person who knows I'm having the surgery. She's a nurse, too, and she's had the surgery, so she's been helping me about what to expect. Most of my questions now are specific to having surgery in Mexico and by Dr. Aceves. I'd greatly appreciate any other tips/suggestions you want to send my way. Thanks in advance!!

The sleeve is great. There are many people here who will attest to that as well. We have some people who are 1-2 years out and are living healthy normal eating lives out there. We also have a couple of ppl who have gone off the "wagon" so to speak. A lot are band to sleeve revisions and they can give you the best information. LilMissDiva and Tiffykins to name two. One of the great things about the sleeve is that you will still be able to eat almost anything later, just not a lot of it. That was my issue, quantity of food. Good luck and I say go for it! What do you have to lose? Except weight that is LOL.