Previous Bander... getting VSG soon... Please talk to me..

[Tracytma 19]

Greetings everyone! So... here I am. I'm 53 years old... 250 pounds and a previous Gastric Bander. I had it in 2009 and removed it in 2012 when I was moving from America to N. Ireland. Present day...I've gained back all the weight and preparing to have a Gastric Sleeve. I'm feeling so desperate!! Thought When I had the band, I'd finally be successful at being thin... but alas... I had so many problems with it, truthfully, I hated it.. but put up with it for 3 years as I didn't want to be a failure. You all know what I mean.. we all have felt like a failure... many times over. I fear failure with the Sleeve again. I've been researching for years. I'd really appreciate any support. Is it all worth it? I'm will to hear the good, the great.... the bad... the ugly. Bring it on. Thanks in advance. I applaud and admire every one of you!!!!

[VSGmary 418]

Hi @@Tracytma well I'm not going to lie, for me it has been absolutely, 100% worth it!

I'm a band to sleeve revision patient due to the band failing. I was banded in 2010, had it removed in August 2014. I was revised 12 months ago and i have not ever regretted that i made this decision. I have lost 154lbs in 12 months and I'm still losing ????.

I have had a few challenges in the first 6 months, i could not eat meat or dairy and i developed GERD. At the 7 month point i was able to meat and dairy and now i can safely say that at 12 months my GERD is all but gone ( once in a very odd blue moon do i have to take meds for it). I have lymphoedema on both lower limbs and that is almost gone.

Life is good!!

I wish you all the very best in your weight loss journey xox.

[Tracytma 19]

Greeting @@VSGmary! I'm thrilled to hear your story!!! WELL DONE YOU! You must be so pleased with your decision! I think I am at that panic phase, when re-researching all the pre-op and post -op diets and thinking...."here I go again!" I have read nearly everything I can get my hands on and I've heard some people can develop intolerance, such as with dairy. That I can live with. I currently suffer from GERD, have for MANY years. I am on Nexium daily, so if I have to stay on that, I'm fine with it. My surgeon did warn me, in some people it gets worse, in most people, with weight loss it gets better.

Thank you so much for your post! Keep up the good work. xx

[taysidebell 176]

Hi I am a band to bypass revision 4 weeks post op don't regret my choice love that there is lots of support online x

[Buh Bye 63]

I'm band to bypass and I don't regret it one bit! I'm 2 months post op and feel sooooo much better. All the best to you!

[4MRB4PHOTO 3,900]

I had the VSG performed last year and haven't regretted that decision once......except for losing over 100 pounds so far, feeling good about how I look for the first time in about 15 years, being healthier, am no longer type-2 diabetic nor have HBL or high cholesterol or low-T, have the energy to enjoy different activities, etc., etc.

Congratulations on your upcoming surgery.

[liannatx 897]

I am a revision from LapBand. I am very pleased with this little stomach. I am losing slowly, but it is so much better than how I lived with the Band. I was throwing up daily even with my band empty... It had slipped and developed so much scar tissue that removal was the only option. I am losing 1-2 lbs per week, so I am not losing rapidly like some people do but it is pretty steady and I have no doubts that I will make it back down to a healthy weight. I have no regrets.

[Bndtoslv 292]

I'm a decision patient. I made goal with band then had 2 kids and developed problems. I am 3 months out with sleeve and have no regrets. I'm down 40lbs and losing slowly but steadily. No awful band stuck feeling. Can tolerate everything.

[Tracytma 19]

Fantastic replies!!!! Thanks so much everyone!!! I've been trying to see if anyone regretted the sleeve... so far, I haven't been able to find too many! That speak volumes!! Now that my band is out, I can say how much I hated the idea of the device inside me... causing scar tissue and the thought of slippage was horrifying to me. I think I was so desperate to have anything to help me, I didn't really pay attention to the face that this devise would be inside of me, with the chance of it causing a real medical emergency if it slipped a lot! And I'm a nurse!! Oh well, chalk it up to how we all feel at one time. WE WANT help! Something to help us lose weight. I would have had the sleeve, but it wasn't available or approved by my insurance at the time. So here I gooooo!!!! Keep up the good work everyone! Keep posting, it helps us all! xx

[Tweety40 52]

I can totally relate to you. I'm in the same boat as you. I'm looking to have surgery in January. Have you stated anything as far as the pre op stuff?

[grammydd 1]

Thank you everyone! I'm also going from lap-band to sleeve after my sleeve broke. My surgery is Oct. 22 and I am very excited. Once in awhile I ask myself "what and I doing?" starting over but I need to do this for me. I lost weight with the band, but was very tired of throwing up every day. The sleeve was not available when I was banded, or I would have done it. Y'all have reassured me that I made the right decision.

[Tracytma 19]

I can totally relate to you. I'm in the same boat as you. I'm looking to have surgery in January. Have you stated anything as far as the pre op stuff?

Hi @Tweety40. Well, I think I am going to move my surgery date from Dec 4th to January, like yourself. I have a few issues that are sort of in my way. #1 I am living in Northern Ireland and have to fly to England to have the surgery, therefore all my pre ops will be the day before my surgery. I'm having a few things done by my doctor locally, to insure I'm ok for surgery. I'm a little worried about flying a few days post op, but everyone says it's fine. It's only an hour flight. #2 my family/friends that know about the surgery are wanting me to change from December to January. The reason isn't only Holiday eating, which frankly, I don't care about, but I have several obligations at work, like big parties I have to organize and be present at. I'm not sure i'll be fit to be there 2 weeks post op. Then one week later is Christmas. Plus, it's just a really busy time and I want my post op period to be calm and relaxing. So even though it pushes me out 4 or 5 more weeks, I figure the sleeve is for life, I can wait a little bit to have a successful first few weeks. Tell me about yourself. Did you have a previous Band?

[Tweety40 52]

Yes I had the band from February 2010 till July 2012. I had lost just over 100 lb and was feeling great, I actually liked the way I looked, which I have never felt before. I ended up having issues with keeping anything down even Water. I ended up having an emergency surgery to have the bad removed due to the band having scar tissue wrapped around it and making it so tight. I hated the fact that I had to have it removed. Everything that I was afraid of happened, gained all the weight back and having medical issues again. So I'm in the process of getting all the pre op stuff done. Hopefully I'll have my surgery in January.

[Cycle4life 17]

Hello, I also had my lapband slip last year after running a marathon:( I was in the hospital for 2 days miserable with a tube down my throat. I pulled out of this years marathon for fear it would slip again. I decided to have revision to sleeve this coming December and it can not come faster. I went to lapband Doctor and had gained 4 lbs. I thought I gained 40 when the doctor said you gained weight after 6 months check up. I weigh 210 lbs. and I cycle and run and I am frustrated with my weight. I am doing a 100 mile bike ride this month and shutting down hard workouts until after being sleeved. Good for you getting sleeved. I know how you felt with this foreign object inside. I think I may have scar tissue as a result. Wish you the best:)

[dalaneys_mommy 13]

Hi there I too had the lap band in 2002 ( 13 years ago) lost almost 100 pounds but it had lots of problems and had to remove the liquid I gained 50 pounds back so sleeve it is I will not go back to being big fat and tired again .... I have my sleeve surgery today at 2 pm .... We got this