Band revised to sleeve revised to bypass! Please help

[tebowfan 70]

Yes, it's amazing, isn't it? I find now that I don't get the sense of "fullness" when I eat solid food, but I can only tolerate a small amount of liquids at a time. The opposite was the case when I have my band! I'm also losing so very slowly, which is logical but still really disappointing. How are things going for you?

It is going slowly in my eyes. I have lost 24 lbs and my doc said that's great for my size. I am a 10/12 right now. My goal is to lose 45 more. I have read it comes off slower after a revision.

I have to try not to drink to much cause it goes down easily. I haven't gotten to solid foods yet.

Keep in touch with me please!

[ohmygoditsmimi 9]

Hi Miss Tebowfan,

I'm so happy for you! I course I'm also a bit jealous because my own weight is just a couple pounds less than surgery day. Please teach me how to awesome so I can get these pounds off as quickly as you ????. You rock, lady ????!!

[ohmygoditsmimi 9]

Okay, that was weird. I was trying to put a smiley face and a sunshine emoticon in that last message, but they turned into some crazy mumbo jumbo. Anyway, sorry for the confusion.

[tebowfan 70]

Hi Miss Tebowfan, I'm so happy for you! I course I'm also a bit jealous because my own weight is just a couple pounds less than surgery day. Please teach me how to awesome so I can get these pounds off as quickly as you dde0a. You rock, lady cdf1e!!

You crack me up!! I feel like it's slow because this year I gained 24 lbs after foot surgery. I am now at the size I have been at for years. I want to go smaller yesterday:).

This is what I have been eating...gnc lean 25 Protein powder chocolate twice aday, 1 pudding, 1 can of Soup. I add unflavored Protein Powder and Water to the Soups. I add Water to shakes.

What are you doing?

[ohmygoditsmimi 9]

Well, my "strategy" is to try to remember to choke down at least 2 whey Protein shakes a day, eat a 1/2 cup of whatever I'm serving for dinner, and rounding it out with some high Protein sugar free Jello. I like to sip ice Water all day long as well, which is harder than it sounds. I have added walking to my daily routine (a leisurely mile or so) and I'm starting physical therapy today for femoral-patellar syndrome. (Bad knees from being a heavyset RN for a long time.)

You sound like you have a nice routine going! I weighed about 212 before I went on my preop liver shrinker diet, and was 198 on surgery day. Today I'm 194.8, but much less if I place the scale on the carpet. I save that for days when I feel especially chunky and my "fat lady asthma" is acting up.

[Lisa's Hope 421]

Wow, I just found this thread and I'm surprised at all the sleevers that have had problems with bile reflux and esophageal spasms. I've been posting since 10 months post op about these horrid pains and spasms. I was post op 2 years on May 21. At the time of posting, I couldn't find anyone that was having them. I've been putting off getting bypass for several reasons. Number 1 being my husband has terminal liver cancer and was given 6 months in January at the age of 48. So my days are filled with taking care of him and that is how I want it to be. Losing the love of my life is the hardest thing I've ever faced and seeing the physical deterioration is traumatizing. Since he was diagnosed I've gained 20 pounds back. I lost 128 and was 168 and now am 188. I'm so scared I will gain back it all.

Recently I've been taking Dexilant for the reflux and levsin for the spasms which definitely helps. I'm just so scared to have the bypass and go through another surgery. Especially,since it will be without my husband because he isn't going to make it. I was self pay for the sleeve because my insurance excluded weight loss surgery. I will have another policy on July 1st but it too excludes weight loss surgery but I was wondering if anyone was approved for bypass because of acid and bile reflux, spasms and gastritis? I would love to hear from all of you that revised and honestly are you glad you did this? I know the spasms are so painful that revising would be welcomed but I'm still scared. Reason is you can get ulcers years and years out and not know you have them because you don't feel the acid anymore. I know of two people that passed away with ulcers. Not mentioning any names because one was family of a friend and the other I just heard about. Hope all is well with everyone that revised. I don't know when I can even think about this. My surgeon has been trying to get me to do this for a year. I'm so sad and heartbroken. Just exhausted. My husband was in the hospital all week last week and now has a picc line which Home Health is going to be helping me with. Hospice isn't an option with me because they want to take away his fluids and meds and dope him up until he dies. Not happening. Only God will say when it is time for him.

Edited June 2, 2014 by Lisa's Hope

[Hellie 1]

@@jamiep5 I understand your concern. Your story is very similar to mine. I just had my sleeve (done in 2010) revised to the bypass and I was 190lbs. I was terrified of dumping, rapid weight loss, and severe Vitamin deficiency. I just had my bypass on 5/16/14 and I am doing well as far as food tolerance. I don't know if it's my sleeve helped with that. I am scared to hinder weight loss because I've already done the whole food progression before and I know what hurts and what doesn't. Lmk how yours is going!

[jnana 5]

<p>jnana and Jamiep5...how are you two doing? Jnana, did you have your surgery yet? Jamiep5, are you doing your pre op diet yet? I am finishing day 5 of Optifast Protein drinks..will do Clear Liquids on Monday, then surgery on Tuesday! Wow, after waiting all those months ... it feels like it is coming fast now. Praying for us all to have a better, more healthy lifestyle.</p>

I was in a slump with my heart issues. So I had the catheter and praise the Lord it turned out to be false positive reading. I got my surgery done with out any complications. Had a grandchild one week after surgery! Things have been going okay, but I need to get my Vitamins, any suggestions? I looked on the post op site, there are plenty to choose from, I want the smallest just like everyone, so I will pic something this week. Thanks for your support and prayers!!!!

[ohmygoditsmimi 9]

I'm sending you hugs and prayers, Lisa's Hope. I cannot even imagine how difficult it must be for you right now. Just remember to try to take care and nurture yourself just as you are caring for your husband. I pray that you have strength and support from those closest to you. ❤️❤️❤️

[CASSIEME1 1]

i don't know why some people just don,t lose weight.regardless. i am one of those people 2. i had aband than a revision 2 gastric bypass, 4 months later i found a lump and was diagnosed with breast cancer. my doctor said that the breast cancer treatment was more important than the weight loss. after 5 years of treatment, chemo, radiation immunosuppressive medication.there will be no weight loss success. making that journey of my life a total waste

[pinklove 7]

@@jamiep5 I understand your concern. Your story is very similar to mine. I just had my sleeve (done in 2010) revised to the bypass and I was 190lbs. I was terrified of dumping, rapid weight loss, and severe Vitamin deficiency. I just had my bypass on 5/16/14 and I am doing well as far as food tolerance. I don't know if it's my sleeve helped with that. I am scared to hinder weight loss because I've already done the whole food progression before and I know what hurts and what doesn't. Lmk how yours is going!

Please let me know how your doing. I'm a band to a sleeve and heading to a bypass. Scared of bypass but severe reflux with sleeve

[pinklove 7]

My name is Jamie and I started my weight loss journey many years ago but my surgery journey started in February 2010. I was 330 pounds at 27 years old. I was always a healthy person but after 4 knee surgeries I gained over 100 pounds and tried EVERYTHING to try to loose the weight. When I hit 330 I knew it would end up being life or death. I attended a bariatric surgery meeting at my mothers suggestion. After meeting with my surgeon and discussing all options with my husband we decided on the lap band. (Man was that a mistake) I had the lap band surgery in May 2010 and it only took me 3 weeks to recover!! I thought I had done enough research to prepare my self but I was very wrong. Eating was hard and I was seeing the Dr almost every 4 to 6 weeks for 3 years trying to figure out where the perfect fill was. After 3 frustrating years of throwing up and learning how to cheat with the band we decided it was time to revise the band. I decided to do the a sleeve, it seemed like a safer and less invasive surgery. I was very excited to start this new journey after seeing co workers have great success with it. I had my revision to the sleeve May 2013. The recovery was much harder then the recovery from the band and I think it was due to doing the band removal and the sleeve revision at the same time. After 6 weeks I was as good as new and dropping weight at a nice pace. I was very excited to eat right and exercise because I was actually loosing weight!!! After the first 3 months I began to get really painful chest pains. Being a person that never had to deal with acid reflux, GERD or heartburn I didn't know what the pain was from. I went back to my Dr and he began seeing me every 2 - 4 weeks and we tried every acid reflux, hernia, heartburn and GERD medication we could. By the time I was 10 months out I was in such bad pain and no medication would help my Dr decided we needed to revise my sleeve to the full bypass to eliminate the acid from being created in my stomach. I am very unhappy with this decision so I went to 3 other doctors that specialize in acid reflux and weight loss surgery and sadly they all agreed with my surgeons prognosis. We began the insurance approval process and it was a little harder to get the bypass surgery approved this time since I am 178 pounds and they didn't see a reason for the surgery. Last Tuesday the pain got so bad I ended up in the ER for 6 hours as they tried to figure out how to make the pain stop. The prognosis was esophagus spasms so I had to be put on a liquid diet since eating hurt. Finally my insurance approved the surgery and my doctor is rushing the surgery date due to the severity of this issue. My revision to bypass is scheduled for May 13 2014 and I am completely freaking out!!!! This is not a surgery I want and I am concerned that I am going to have all the bypass side effects I really never wanted to have! I know the surgery is inevitable and the only way to get rid of this intolerable pain for good! I am coming top grips with it and feel more assured that this will work since I did seek other opinions from multiple specialists. I am telling my story because I really need help from others out there that may gave went thru the same issues I am and what did you do to resolve it? What should I expect to be different from the sleeve to the bypass? Please help! I am really scared and really don't want to have to go thru this again!!

Please tell me how did it go I'm in the same boat. Having a bravo test on Thursday. The reflux is so bad. I've been throwing up etc. wheezing. I'm afraid of bypass and I think my doctor is doing the last tests so insurance approval will go thru. Please let me know how it went. Thanks

[jamiep5 13]

So it's been a very tough 4 weeks since my bypass surgery!! After being in the hospital for 4 days after surgery they let me go home and I developed a very bad infection because my surgeons PA took the drain out before she should have! I was admitted back in the hospital 3 days later and spent the next 8 days there undergoing test after test as they tried to locate the infection. They finally found it and had to put another drain in to remove the infection and had to put a pic line in my arm since the IV's were not staying in!! I had to have IV antibiotics for the next 10 days!! Thankfully they let us do that from home!!! My surgeon recently removed the second drain and the pic line since the IV meds were done. I just had more tests done yesterday and everything shows the infection is gone woohoo!!

As for the acid reflux, I am very thankful that it is almost all gone! Surgeon said it can take up to 3 months to be gone completely but it was totally worth it!! I still hate that I had to have a bypass done but after the fact there really isn't a difference between the bypass and the sleeve! I'm eating just like I did with the sleeve minus the acid reflux pain!! I'm still waiting for the rest of the acid reflux go away but I'm very happy with where it's at now!!

[pinklove 7]

So it's been a very tough 4 weeks since my bypass surgery!! After being in the hospital for 4 days after surgery they let me go home and I developed a very bad infection because my surgeons PA took the drain out before she should have! I was admitted back in the hospital 3 days later and spent the next 8 days there undergoing test after test as they tried to locate the infection. They finally found it and had to put another drain in to remove the infection and had to put a pic line in my arm since the IV's were not staying in!! I had to have IV antibiotics for the next 10 days!! Thankfully they let us do that from home!!! My surgeon recently removed the second drain and the pic line since the IV meds were done. I just had more tests done yesterday and everything shows the infection is gone woohoo!! As for the acid reflux, I am very thankful that it is almost all gone! Surgeon said it can take up to 3 months to be gone completely but it was totally worth it!! I still hate that I had to have a bypass done but after the fact there really isn't a difference between the bypass and the sleeve! I'm eating just like I did with the sleeve minus the acid reflux pain!! I'm still waiting for the rest of the acid reflux go away but I'm very happy with where it's at now!!

You give me hope. So you feel the same afterwards eating wise. This reflux is killing me. What about weight loss. I don't want to drop a ton of weight

[jamiep5 13]

Eating wise is exactly the same!! I was very worried about that too! According to my dr. You might b able to eat a little more, but I think I'm still eating the same amount. I've lost a little more weight but from the after surgery diet not from the surgery it's self!! Now that I'm on normal foods again my weight is stabilizing! When is your revision?