Band off for 2 years, sleeve next month. Advice?

[Redd003 0]

Hey guys. I've been reading these forums and decided this was a good place to seek advice. It seems like alot of people here have been on a rollercoaster ride... So i'm adding my ride to the amusement park.

I was normal growing up, till i hit puberty. Then i exploded. I was active in multiple sports during highschool, and between 13-18 i had tried every diet, drug, and workout plan in the book. Dieticians had no way of helping me, doctors were clueless, and by the time i graduated highschool i was 230lbs.

Fast forward to the end of my first year in college. I'm 20.. And 250lbs. My doctor puts me on phentermine as a last resort in the spring. By the end of summer i have lost 20lbs, and am anxious to lose more. By early december, im almost 280.

I told my mom i wanted to have weight loss surgery and if she wouldnt let me, i'd turn to illegal drugs to lose weight. I was desperate.

I was banded in january 2007. The next 5 years of my life were the happiest, and sickest. I did not take care of my band. I was bulimic. Binge purge. Binge purge. I never intended to be that way. But once i realized how quickly the weight came off if i overate and puked it up, i couldnt stop. In a year i was 160 lbs. i never felt better in my life. Unfortunately i was no longer comfortable having food in my stomach. Which meant i had to keep puking to feel ok. Fast forward to 2010. I'm vomiting black stomach acid 3-5 times a day. Eating or drinking every two or three days, and when i drink Water i puke it back up and its hot. If i drink milk and puke it backup, it looks like cottage cheese. Feb 14 2012 i landed in the hospital with an emergency band removal. The band had slipped, torn a hole in my stomach, and i had several other holes as well. A week and a half in the hospital and i'm discharged at 150, 25 yrs old, scared and afraid of what happens next.

Over the next two years i ate 1200-1500 calories a day, and spent 3-4 hours a day, 5-7 days a week in the gym. I ruined my band and i was determined to maintain my weight loss the right way. High Protein, low carb, lots of veggies, dont drink your calories, you guys know the drill.

I adapted the lifestyle of a body builder. 110%. And i started lifting, too. I worked with my bariatric dietician and did everything i was suppose to do. I did not cheat, i did not hide, and i did not give up.

Until now.

I'm 225, and slated for sleeve surgery june 19th.

I have no idea what to expect.

I know i did this to myself, and i accepted my failure when the band was taken from me. I changed my lifestyle and now i love to work out, eat healthy and stay focused with my goals. Its amazing how dedicated i am and how great it makes me feel to be this way. But this surgery is the last piece of the puzzle.

I need any and all advice about the sleeve surgery. I know what to do. But i dont know what to expect, and this might be my last opportunity to physically look the way i feel on the inside.

Advice?

[Movinon 33]

Redd003,

We all have those demons in our closet, or we wouldn't be using food to calm them , right ? I am so sorry for your journey. Bulimia is a horrible disease to have, and a tough one to break. I am not a professional in this particular area, but I advise you if you haven't already, get with a therapist that you trust and figure out what's going on before anymore WLS. Be kind to yourself. And don't be hard on yourself, you don't need to be perfect, just healthy. These are what I have learned to say to myself, and it is helping along with meditation.

I too, had the band in 2004 then removed in 2005, it slipped, and I also contracted a MRSA infection at the port site so I had enough of the band..................

Wish you all the best...............

[Gr8fulMiniMe 66]

I am sorry about your personal weight struggles. I too have turned to less than reputable methods of weight loss and can relate to so much of your story. I was banded in 2009 and had it removed April 2013. I see it being easy to become bulimic with the lapband. When your food is suffocating you and you HAVE to go throw it up to breathe initially. There were times I really thought of just being bulimic but I had friends I confided in and they supported me through it. Other times I'd be out to eat with people an I'd get stuck and have to abruptly run to the bathroom and rumor had it I was bulimic. I am grateful to have that out now. I am scheduled for the sleeve on 6/5/14 and am very excited. How much weight did u gain after removing your band? I gained 35 lbs or so which my Dr. said is good considering most gain a lot more back...

[Redd003 0]

@qhein

Thank you. The band seems to have given so many people problems

@@aqua

The vomiting almost came naturally. I knew i had issues when i was puking clear slime in my sleep. It just started happening. I couldnt help it. I have gained about 60 lbs in two years. Some of that is muscle, since i weight train heavy weights 3-5 times a week. But at least 3/4 is fat. So i've gained the same as you, but for an added year. You're getting sleeved june 5? I go for my endoscopy that day. Then get sleeve two weeks later. We should keep in touch. We'll be getting sleeved around the same time.

[Movinon 33]

I regret ever trying the band. I too felt like I was choking and couldn't even swallow my saliva. The surgeon chose to cut be open to get access to the port, since he could never access it, to make a long story short I ended up with MRSA in my port, and it was horrible.

On another thought, there was another post here where a recent sleever had to be hospitalized 4 weeks out due to dehydration. They are telling her she is having delayed gastric emptying and possible nerve damage that could be permanent.

This is making me very nervous since my insurance will not pay for any complications related to the sleeve. This could be an area to discuss with our surgeons for the pre opers....