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Hi - I'm not quite 5'1" and age 56. I never got a goal weight, so I decided on 115. However, my personal trainer says that is way too low for someone who's working out as much as me. I looked up some articles today on body fat % and some experts say that is a more important number. I pulled this off of healthstatus.com: "For women between age 20 and 40, 19% to 26% body fat is generally good to excellent. For women age 40+ to 60+, 23% to 30% is considered good to excellent." I now weight 180 and am starting to think that 115 will look too thin. However, I'm not going to revise my goal until I'm in the 130's and then I'll see where I'm at. I have always been obese. Was 150 lbs in sixth grade and have been as high as 316, so I really have no point of reference. Ellen

Hi, lesliesnavely-- I was initially considering a sleeve and did quite a bit of research before my doctor told me the RNY would be a better choice given the GERD. Have you checked out the band to sleeve forum on this site? It's a very active group, and I think you'll get a lot of insight. All of the procedures carry some complications, but it seems former bandsters that have been revised to the sleeve have good success. Good luck!

I haven't had the bypass revision but I am waiting for my insurance approval for it. So I'll give you all the info I have from all my pre-ops and such. I also wanted to mention I had decided on a band to sleeve revision since beginning of last December but after my esophageal manomtry test came back, my surgeon recommends the bypass. A. Do I have to jump through all the hoops again with the psychologist, nutritionist etc. if I do this? I want to move quickly if I do this. I switched surgeons from the one who did my lap band in 2010 because he doesn't do revisions and I did have to see the nutritionist and psychologist again. I knocked out both appointments in about an hour in the same building so it was no big deal. I had to go through a ton of pre-op tests I didn't have to do for the lap band but it could be surgeon specific. B. Having just had 2 surgeries in October do I have to get all new blood work etc? From what I understand and have been told, bloodwork lasts 30 days... So I would say yes to more bloodwork. C. Do most bypass patients spend 2 night in the hospital My husband spent 1 night total and my surgeon told me to expect 2-3 nights total because I'm a revision and recovery can be harder. D. In revision, how long did you have to do all liquids? My surgeon requires a 3 day pre-op liquid diet and 1 week clear liquids, 1 week full liquids, 2 weeks pureed. He said by 5 weeks out, I should be on solids no problem. E. Post-op....how long liquids until puree's then finally solids? See above. That's all I can really answer. Hope it helps some!

I'm having the lapband removed and revising to the gastric bypass. I should've done that surgery to begin with. Hoping to either get it done at the end of May of beginning of June. My insurance before sent me to Journey Clinic in Moore which is in Norman now. I'm sticking with them because my surgeon did really great the first time.

@@VSGAnn2014 Yes, time to focus on other things. I have a great career, so I'm good there. In fact, I got my current job about a year and a half ago when I was down about 100 pounds. I have my MSN, so I'm mostly good with education, though you never know. As for travel - yep - working on that one! I'm planning a trip in April to sit on a beach. Something I've wanted to do for 25 years and never could bring myself to do it. I have a wonderful and supportive family. So, I definitely feel like I have a rich life and am blessed for it. I don't talk a lot about that here, because I am always focused on weight loss discussions here. I make it my business to stay focused on the changes I've made because I am pretty sure I'm one who would backslide otherwise. I'm definitely goal driven and it makes me nuts not to accomplish them, and I don't like to revise the goal just because I couldn't meet it. This is a case where I had to revise and get ok with it. The original goal was based on the science of BMI, so not really arbitrary. However, I just can't negate the fact that I was super morbidly obese, am 52, and that impacts more than science and the standard BMI chart reflects.

Answering to the best if my ability. I was banded in 2006. Always had GERD issues or unsuccessful long term weightloss. I went straight band removal to bypass in one surgery. I did not want multiple procedures though some surgeons insist on letting your stomach heal first. Mine is fantastic and I trusted his skill. I had gallstones and amd gallbladder removal at 14 and it never made me throw up in the night! That's classic band issues to me and you're right very dangerous. A. Do I have to jump through all the hoops again with the psychologist, nutritionist etc. if I do this? I did not have to jump through too many hoops bc my surgeon deemed removal of band medically necessary and suggested rny. He was also a "center of excellence" meaning they hold a high standard along insurance companies and are more trusted. I had to have an endoscopy, 2 nutritionist visits (mine actually did I two in one for me bc I begged) and psych eval but that was it. B. Having just had 2 surgeries in October do I have to get all new blood work etc? Yes and you need it to determine Vitamin levels etc before a surgery like this. You don't want to be deficient going in. C. Do most bypass patients spend 2 night in the hospital. Many spend 1-3. I spent two but that was bc band removal was very painful for me. D. In revision, how long did you have to do all liquids? 3 weeks post op. E. Post-op....how long liquids until puree's then finally solids? 3 weeks liquids, 9 weeks soft foods (only pureed at first then soft meats etc). F. Do you find it daunting Vitamins for the rest of your life? Are they expensive? Yes but not outrageous. My health is most important. They are expensive if you get fancy ones from your surgeon which I will take for a year bc they are the most trusted and I'm not messing with my health. G. If you need 60-80 grams of Protein per day yet can only intake 1/4 to 1/2 cup of food, how am I reading that people eat apples etc. doesn't almost all food need to be protein? Any way around drinking the shakes? Shakes are great bc you can get 30 g of protein in a shake. First 4 weeks I had two a day. That was all my protein. I'm six weeks out of surgery and know I have one shake and eat protein first at meals. Sometime protein is all I have other times I add veggies. Fruits should be last. (There is fruit in my yogurt double win). H. How do fats work? I try to eat a low carb diet yet I do enjoy my salad dressings, butter and olive oil? I am doing low fat when possible (except some cheese that's my weakness). Olive oil is a good fat. I am not over thinking the fats. Some fat is good. No ribs, ribeyes etc. I. It freaks me out that one can gain weight and stretch out their pouch....hence landing up where they started. This surgery is so final but it would be worth it if I keep my weight off. My main problem is my appetite! So far best thing about this surgery is having less appetite. I never really had that with band. Good would her stuck and painful but I didn't exactly feel full or satisfied. Now I feel satisfied. I will do my best to not stretch out my band but at least we have malabsorption to help us out. They did not take out as much Intestine on me bc my bmi wasn't over 50. There is a food routine you can do if you stretch out your pouch to help it shrink. But don't go there. J. Is it like the band in that you can really eat pretty much anything but just smaller portions...like really small? My band was very inconsistent. It was super tight in the morning and lose at night (sometimes). Mornings I couldn't eat eggs and night I could eat pizza. The restriction is different. I don't throw up now or make myself. I don't get stuck. I just feel full. All my avid reflux is gone. It's a wonderful feeling. I wish I had this to begin with. The band is a horrible procedure for many. Half of them inserted have already been removed. Many respected surgeons have quit doing them entirely. The pharma company that makes the band has been trying to sell it. Many banded patients do not do quite as well when switching to rny as first time surgery folks. We know the tricks of the trade, how to cheat, and are used to severe restriction. Just be aware of this and work the program. Many have great success too. You will experience stalls. Keep pushing through. HW 296 (in 2006) SW 237 CW 212. 6 weeks out. Goal weight 160. I am 5'5".

I've been exactly where you are. I had my band done in March 2011 and lost about 50 pounds but had a terrible time with reflux slimming and poor eating habits because that was easy. Several of my friends started getting the sleeve so I went to my surgeon to ask about getting the sleeve. He did not recommend the sleeve for me because of the reflux and suggested RNY. That was in October. I told him I wasn't sure about bypass but we went ahead and started pre op things such as a sleep study and an EGD. My band was in pretty good position but due to the reflex I had all the fluid taken out and had gained back 40 of my 50 pounds that I had lost previously. So we decided to go ahead with the RNY. I was very nervous but the more research I did the more I decided this was my best option. I needed accountability with sugar. Also the sleeve is more restrictive only which I had already failed with the band so I was also looking for the malabsorption. My insurance approved the revision and I had an out of pocket expense max of 2500 dollars for the year. Went on two weeks of liquid I lost 8 pounds had my surgery on February 13th. I plan on staying on clear liquids for one week not even doing shakes only watery proteins like Isopure and nectar which aren't half bad. The pain is pretty moderate. I think the site of my port removal is the worst. I only stayed one night in the hospital and went home late the next afternoon. So far so good if I can keep moving and keep the pain under control. I will not fail at this like I did the band I'm bound and determined. I do not regret going ahead with the RNY instead of the sleeve.

Hi, Marieze-- My revision is scheduled for Tuesday, so I can be only somewhat helpful. I was banded in 2009, lost 50 pounds, and stalled. I've managed to keep off all but 10 pounds, but I'm still about 130 pounds overweight. I, too, considered the sleeve, but an unexpected side effect of having the band removed was horrific GERD complete with vomiting. My surgeon said the sleeve could make things worse, and recommended the bypass. Admittedly, I'm a bit scared about having my insides re-worked, but it is the "gold standard", and given my lack of success with the band, I suppose I should go big or go home, right? Anyway, I can answer the following questions based on where I am to date in the process: A. Do I have to jump through all the hoops again with the psychologist, nutritionist etc. if I do this? I want to move quickly if I do this. If you want your insurance to pay for your surgery, yes, you will have to jump through the hoops. I had to do a six month, medically-supervised weight loss program, get clearance from my psychopharmacologist and social worker in addition to seeing the program's psychiatrist. I've been at this since December 2013. B. Having just had 2 surgeries in October do I have to get all new blood work etc? This depends on the hospital's policy. The one I'm going to considers blood work current so long as it was drawn within six months. C. Do most bypass patients spend 2 night in the hospital I've been told to expect two nights in the hospital. D. In revision, how long did you have to do all liquids? I have to do seven days prior to surgery and then three weeks after. E. Post-op....how long liquids until puree's then finally solids? The nutritionist advances each patient's diet based on their recovery and progress. I don't know exactly. F. Do you find it daunting Vitamins for the rest of your life? Are they expensive? This is one of the things that scares me about the bypass. Some of the regular prescription pills I've been taking have been switched from once a day to twice a day in addition to the new supplements. I find it challenging to remember to take pills more than once a day. It will be truly daunting for me to change my habits. As to cost, a friend who had the bypass three years ago told me about costco supplements. They are cheaper than other retailers and of good quality. I've been able to get everything I need without spending a mint. Another friend finds her supplements at Walmart. I can't answer your remaining questions. Perhaps someone who currently lives the bypass will respond to your post. Good luck with your decision. Regards, Bridgett

The pain meds are what causes nausea. When I was in the hospital getting the lapband 6 years ago the nausea was so bad the car ride home felt like a roller coaster. Once the pain meds were out if my system, so was the nausea. I just had the revision surgery 10 days ago, when I came to- I told them the pain was tolerable and not to give me anything and I was fine.

Oh wow! I thought about the LapBand at first since I really don't know anyone who's done the surgery and it just seemed like the less invasive, but the more I looked into it the more revisions I saw. It's a long process but time goes by fast :-) especially if you have a good support system!!

How are the February sleeves doing? Mine was a revision surgery on 2/4. I started yogurt & pudding yesterday. I feel like I'm hungrier at night but content during the day. Just frustrated with the cold weather& snowstorms we keep getting

Hope you found in your Options Orientation that Kaiser's information is VERY up-to-date and is quite informative on the RNY and vertical sleeve options. Also, you will find the 12-week Options classes educational and helpful in beginning to learn about our new lifestyle and eating habits. Kaiser will still do the lapband if a patient absolutely insists on it, but it is highly discourged because of the many complications that procedure has had. Kaiser is doing many revision surgeries to remove bands to either the sleeve or RNY. I am 4 years from my sleeve surgery through Kaiser Fontana and cannot say enough good things about the bari program there. Fontana has four support groups per month. Hope you have a similar experience there in OC. Good luck with your decision!

Well I have both the sleeve and now one week out from bypass. My experience with the sleeve was fine in every way except for the reflux was unbearable which is why I revised to the RNY. If you don't have reflux then the sleeve has lots of benefits, however if you do have reflux I would recommend the RNY hands down.

Mine was also 2/4 - it was a revision from band to sleeve. Been eating Greek Yogurt & SF Pudding the past few days. It was a nice change from the shakes.

So to clarify, do you mean the thigh lift with the groin incision or the thigh lift where the incision runs down the inside of your leg to your knee? I had the groin incision version done- eh, I wasn't a fan so far. My doctor is going to do a revision at my next surgery. It seems like you get the best result with the version that has the scar to your knee, but then of course you have the trade-off with the scar. Either way- plastics are the bees' knees, so if you can afford it, totally go get a consultation. I am a HUGE fan of my doctor, and an even bigger fan of the results from my other plastics procedures.

@@Lisa1171, as you meet with your surgeon make sure you talk about your reflux issue. The sleeve can make your reflux worse. I was going to have that surgery and did a ton of research with doctors and on line. Once completing research it was very clear which surgery would resolve my comorbidities. At first I was disappointed and was not bought in so I saw a gastroenterologist who confirmed that it would be a mistake for me to go with the sleeve and would likely end up having to have it revised to RNY down the road. I wanted one surgery and to be done. I have not regretted my decision to have RNY for even one second. Good luck to you!

I was in the same boat. But I had the revision surgery. When the band slips, it doesn't fix itself. And waiting too long can cause more damage. I suffered from heartburn and acid reflux. The morning after surgery.....all gone. Mind you, I had to start all over from 1cc, which caused weight gain. And it's takes more fills to feel any affects, but I'm on the upswing. My advice, if your being given medical advice, take it. They are the professionals. Slipped bands are so dangerous. Don't take chances.

I see on the forums for first time Sleevers how their taste buds changed. What about you all that had revisions? Mine don't seem to have changed

Surgery Date Feb 25th Revision from Band to RNY. From Standish Maine

HI LachaeJ YOU SOUND LIKE ME. I HAD LAPBAND IN 8/2008. I LOST NO MORE THAN 42 LBS THE WHOLE TIME I HAD IT. WAS EITHER TOO TIGHT OR TOO LOSE. AT ONE POINT MY HUSBAND RAISE THE HEAD OF OUR BED TO THE POINT WE WOULD SLIDE TOWARD THE FOOT OF IT LOL! HAD A LOT OF COMPLICATIONS WITH THAT DARN BAND. REALLY BAD REFLUX AND ESOPHAGUS DAMAGE. I GOT MY RNY BYPASS 12/24/2014 YEAH!!! I'M WITH CHUBBSEY1. I FORGOT WHAT I LOST ON THE PRE OP FAST MAYBE 10-12LBS. I WAS ONLY ALLOWED 4 OR 5 shakes AND broth FOR 7 DAYS. WHEN YOU SEE YOUR DOCTOR, HE MAY NOT HOLD YOU TO THAT. MY DOCTOR ASK FOR A 15 LBS LOST AFTER I HAD THE FIRST SURGERY (I WENT IN 8/27/14 FOR REVISION, BUT HE FOUND THE BAND HAD ATTACHED ITSELF TO MY LIVER AND THE PORT HAD EMBEDDED ITSELF IN ME EVEN THOU HE HAD TOTALLY UNFILLED ME IN APRIL. SO I HAD A 2 HOUR PLUS SURGERY TO GET IT OUT. RESCHEDULED FOR BYPASS IN DEC.). I DIDN'T LOSE THE 15 LBS EVEN GAINED A LITTLE. HE JUST SPOKE TO HOW GREAT I HAD DONE ONLY GAINING LIKE 5 LBS WITH NO BAND IN 4 MONTHS. HEY HOPEFULLY YOUR DOCTOR WILL REALIZE HOW GREAT YOU'VE DONE TOO ESPECIALLY BEING ABLE TO EAT AGAIN WITH NO RESTRICTION. BE BLESSED DENISE

@@moyebrady Hi there lady! I have 1 day left of meeting with the Anesthesiologist and the Doctor, that's on the 16th, but after that I am done with my visits. I started the 2 week protein diet. No liquid for me They let you have up to 20 carbs for each meal. But I am trying to keep the carbs to a minimum. I am drinking protein drinks like crazy, I am using Unjury, and they are okay. But then again, I've never had a protein drink that was GOOD....you know. I got all my vitamins and I am ready!!! I am a bandster revision surgery. My band surgery was easy breezy! I was up and walking and going to work a few days later, and I didn't even take any of the pain meds they sent me home with. So of course I am thinking that I am hard-core and can be walking and farting within 1 day A girl can hope right!!! Good Luck to you with all preop appts and diet. We are almost there!!! I can't believe that this is it....I am ALMOST letting myself deam about this summer and having a smallerish...dress on when it is warm outside....instead of that canopy I usually walk around in, trying to hide. Talk to you soon!!!

I would love to hear from the "revisions" what it was like when you went from the liquid phase to the soft foods like yogurt, pudding etc..

Peecheeie & Gendy, I'm following up to see how you are both doing since your revision surgery. I just had mine 2/4th. Still on the liquid phase

Cleo, I understand, it was really hard for me to decide to do the revision from band to sleeve. I am also a self-pay. I had to rob my 401K to pay for it. I thought about it for months and then researched it and followed all the blogs for a few more months. All the while trying to lose weight but only gaining more. I was miserable. It really came to the bottom-line that there was no way I could lose the weight myself and as I aged being obese was causing more health problems. I know my husband was ready to retire and we wouldn't be able to travel or do fun things, and he was concerned he'd have to take care of me for years to come. It is elective surgery but at my age, I really feel I had no choice but to do it. I was scared to do it but even more scared not to. But so far so good. No complications with the sleeve. A few rough days but at 4 weeks out, I'm glad I did it. There is no way I could do this myself. I'm committed to do this. I have to. I don't really have any words of encouragement but at our age I think we have some wisdom to know we only have one more chance to get this right and be healthy. We know the dangers of being obese and watching our joints fail. We are more aware of the lies we can tell ourselves about having just one bite of something sweet. I could still ride a bike at 260 lbs but it was getting harder and harder. I could see me in a wheel chair before I reached 70 along with hip and/or knee replacements and diabetes. The future was looking pretty grim. I'm glad I decided to get the revision to a sleeve. I know there is still a lot of hard work ahead of me. For the rest of my life I'll have to watch what I eat. I have to make serious life style changes. (just read the blogs of people with any WLS who gained back all the weight, it can happen) I have to do this or my final years on this planet will be miserable.

With our history or losing and gaining multiple times, of course it's normal to feel some terpidation. And you can help yourself by knowing tha you probably will gain back at least some of what you lost. There are statistics out there the can help you understand the percentages. I put back so much, that I opted for a revision. I have no regrets. But no, this is not a cure. For me, I feel my weight has always been, and WILL always be , an issue. But the decision to do this has been one wild rider and I only wish I had done it sooner!