Just had revision from Sleeve to SIPS

[MSTieMom 6]

How is everyone doing with the holidays? I’ve had too much chocolate ... I can’t believe the scale drops even when I eat horribly. What is this magic?? I know slow but steady, and I know I shouldn’t press my luck. I have to keep the chocolate to the curb.

Other Sips/ Sadi-s patients... do you know how long your common channel is? I learned mine is 300 cm which I think seems longer than what I’ve read is typical.

[MSTieMom 6]

Sorry for typos .. must be the sugar high. Lol! Also
I can’t figure out how to edit posts on the app...

[disco stu 73]

On 12/15/2018 at 7:06 PM, MSTieMom said:

Other Sips/ Sadi-s patients... do you know how long your common channel is? I learned mine is 300 cm which I think seems longer than what I’ve read is typical.

300 is in the high side, but not terribly. 250 is typical for patients with high BMI. I came with a relatively low BMI, so he gave me 280. Also, Keep in mind that SIPS channels are twice the length of traditional DS, so don't get thrown by those numbers.

Edited January 23, 2019 by disco stu

[disco stu 73]

Quick Update for anyone following my progress on this thread:

I've more or less been stuck on the scale at 211 for the last couple of months, which is partially due to the holidays but mostly due to the fact that I've been hitting the gym really hard. And it shows. I've started to buff out, and people are noticing. At the same time, it's been frustrating not to see the scale move.

Well, two weeks ago I had an accident on one of those Bird electric scooters and blew out the ACL in my left knee. Ouch. I stopped going to gym, and guess what? I seem to be losing weight again. The first sign was, I ran out of belt loops and had to go buy a new one. On a lark, I bought a pair of size 30 jeans too, and guess what? They fit! Checked the scale this AM and I'm at 207. Cool! Gonna stay out of the gym till I break 200, then re-evaluate, because I really do enjoy lifting weights, and some of this weight loss is my hard earned muscles disappearing. Sigh. Balance.

My one year anniversary is in April, so still have a couple of months to hit my goal of 190.

Edited January 23, 2019 by disco stu

[disco stu 73]

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY UPDATE:

Wow. What a year.

Bad news, good news.

Bad news: I'm 3 lbs away from my goal weight. Bad news part II: It's clear that my goal weight was set to high. I need to lose at least another 10-20lbs. ack!!!

Good news: Wouldn't change my decision to have SIPS in a million years. Yes, there are occasional "bathroom issues", but so worth it compared to my life beforehand.

Bottom line for anyone still sitting on the fence: Unlike band and sleeve, SIPS works! And let me tell you why. I still have zero willpower, which is why I got fat in the first place and why after one year I have yet to reach my goal weight (although very very close). BUT. ... DS\SIPS gives me breathing room. If I wanna loose weight, I still gotta work for it. No free pass,. I have to eat healthy, and no over indulge.

BUT....

When I'm can't take dieting any longer... I'm done with that **** and just want to eat pizza and wings and other yummy food....there are no consequences?!?!. I don't lose weight during these periods, BUT I DON'T GAIN THE WEIGHT BACK during these periods either. That has made ALL THE DIFFERENCE in the world!!!!

Let's face it. I doubt there's a single person on this board that hasn't been able to string a diet together for a week, or two or six, only to finally give it up. And then see ALL the weight they worked so hard to lose come back... within days!!! ... or worse, and all too common, come back 3-10 lbs heavier than when they started the diet in the first place?!?

Well, kiss those days goodbye.

My weight loss is on me. But it's always a loss. never a re-gain. Wow! what a difference!

For any of you out there contemplating DS\SIPS vs some other "less invasive" procedure - i.e. Sleeve - stop f**king around! This is the the solution. Go big or go home.

[Strivingforbetter 247]

@disco stuI agree. I feel the DS is the gift that keeps on giving. I'll be two years post op this June, and I haven't regained any weight since my surgery. That in itself is a miracle for me. I'm not a perfect eater, but the DS keeps the weight off. I have a handful of funny bathroom stories since having the surgery, but I have zero regrets. I love the fact that I'll never wear a size 2x shirt again. I wear a size 8 pants and medium shirts. I read about sleeve patients gaining 20 pounds to half their weight back their second year, so I definitely feel the DS was the right surgery for me.

[kl4life2 7]

I want to thank all of you for posting all this information.

I go in tomorrow morning 4/10/19. For a Sleeve to DS revision.

I am at 440 right now and my high prior to the sleeve was 535.

August of 2017 - I was down to 390 - then was in a bad car accident with a mild TBI and I have a disc bulge and loss of sensation in my thumb and pointer finger. I was so depressed I put the weight back on.

I've tried since February of 2018 to get the DS, but the one hospital didn't tell me they weren't considered a COE until five months into the process. I was lost and went back to the original hospital I got my sleeve from. I didn't have to, but I went through the 6-month weight loss. Kicked Coca-Cola. That's probably the best part.

I've lost 18 pounds on the 2-week liquid diet and was told by the PNP that I will be able to eat pretty close to normal after the surgery. I'm honestly craving barbacoa and cooked purple carrots lol. Actually, right about now, I'm thinking of eating my desk at work. I'm on a Clear Liquids only diet today. I look at today... like... well I've gone through physical, emotional, and mental hell the last two weeks. What's one more day?

For some reason, I keep having nightmares about dying. I know I wont, but I'm a person that operates on high anxiety. (Especially when I can't eat to comfort myself.) I am also a very strong willed person and know I have a huge road ahead for me. I need to get in the mid-200's, if not lower. My PNP said I should lose 180 pounds in a year. I like a challenge and so I want to lose 200. I'm not naïve and know this road will be very bumpy. I've tried to warn my wife about the gas, but I'm pretty sure she will experience hell soon.

I am encouraged to read about your recoveries when doing revisions. I was super worried about that. I have about 2 1/2 weeks off of work after today. So, I should hopefully have some idea what I will be experiencing when I eat certain foods.

I do like to workout and unlike some, I've seen increased weight loss when I do workout. I stay to more cardio and when I weight train I do it in a circuit and constant motion so my heartrate is staying in the cardio zone. It's a tip I learned from a professional weight trainer when I was in my 20's. It really cut me up then and I know now, approaching my 40's will hopefully continue to work.

Some stats about me:

Name - Josh
Weight - 440
Surgery - 4/10/19
Married
1 daughter, but trying for one more - hopefully in July.
Age - 38 - birthday in July.

I started crying at my desk this morning, thank god I have an office I can close. I'm an emotional guy. Thanks for all the inspiration and I look forward to posting updates.

Edited April 9, 2019 by kl4life2

[Strivingforbetter 247]

@kl4life2It's a big decision, but you're doing the right thing for your health and you've chosen the best surgery for weight loss. The first year your body won't like carbs or leafy foods, such as salads. They make you bloat up. After a year or so, your body starts to adjust and you can eat pretty much anything only in smaller portions. Really make that first year count because it gets harder to lose those big numbers after the honeymoon phase. Oh, and you won't die. I had the exact same fear. What helped me calm my fears was going on YouTube and watching videos of people who had the DS surgery and lived to tell the tale. I needed living proof people didn't die once their insides were readjusted. You'll be fine. I promise. You're going to have a better quality of life and you'll be around a lot longer.

[kl4life2 7]

On 4/9/2019 at 8:16 PM, Strivingforbetter said:

@kl4life2It's a big decision, but you're doing the right thing for your health and you've chosen the best surgery for weight loss. The first year your body won't like carbs or leafy foods, such as salads. They make you bloat up. After a year or so, your body starts to adjust and you can eat pretty much anything only in smaller portions. Really make that first year count because it gets harder to lose those big numbers after the honeymoon phase. Oh, and you won't die. I had the exact same fear. What helped me calm my fears was going on YouTube and watching videos of people who had the DS surgery and lived to tell the tale. I needed living proof people didn't die once their insides were readjusted. You'll be fine. I promise. You're going to have a better quality of life and you'll be around a lot longer.

Thanks for replying @Strivingforbetter. It'll be a week in a couple days. So far I've done well.

I was told after my surgery I wouldn't have to drink 2 more weeks of liquid diet. Then the morning of my surgery the surgeon changed his mind,. I'm not going to lie, this was not ideal to hear. It's been five days and I really feel like I can eat things. I'm sorta understanding my body better (I know I'm in the infancy of this), but still feels nice to know what I eat (drink) and how it will affect me.

I really want to eat. I'm down about four pounds. I gained a bunch of weight during surgery. They said it was normal.

Talking about my surgery, It went really well. I woke up in moderate pain and it never increased. I was walking within four hours. Using the bathroom, everything. They sent me home after a night. I got home and have been walking a lot. Today I have 11k in steps. Went to the mall, walked around the neighborhood. Yesterday I did 9k - went to costco and Wal-Mart. Being 400 plus - this was hard before the surgery, but it wasn't that difficult.

With all this activity, I feel myself craving real food. I'm drinking about 3-4 Protein Drinks a day and eating a serving of cottage cheese. I feel slight discomfort after drinking. I assume this might be the new connections.

Oh well, I guess I'll continue on the liquid diet. I see my doctor early next week.

If anyone could help me understand, how does it feel when you eat solid food? Do you get immediate pains? Does your stomach start cramping immediatly?

Thanks for the support and help.

[Strivingforbetter 247]

You just can't eat that much. You'll know you're full because you'll feel a stabbing pain. I would also burp a little bit before I was full. I remember when I first ate a few solid foods I could only nibble tiny bits. Eating one scrambled egg was huge for me.

[disco stu 73]

Mini-update:

This is kinda gross, but it's something that's been on my mind for awhile now concerning the difference between full DS and mini DS\SIPS. THere's an article floating around that purports that the fat mal-absorption aspects of the newer mini-DS alternatives fade after a year, compared to the full, old-school DS.

Well, I'm 14 months out, and had Taco Bell last night for dinner. Let's just say there was ample evidence this morning that my body is not absorbing fat...

[Postop 411]

5 hours ago, disco stu said:

Mini-update:

This is kinda gross, but it's something that's been on my mind for awhile now concerning the difference between full DS and mini DS\SIPS. THere's an article floating around that purports that the fat mal-absorption aspects of the newer mini-DS alternatives fade after a year, compared to the full, old-school DS.

Well, I'm 14 months out, and had Taco Bell last night for dinner. Let's just say there was ample evidence this morning that my body is not absorbing fat...

We all lose some malabsorption as time goes on. The body fights to return to 'normal'. It can't do it, though. Most likely, the SIPS will leave you with less malabsorption than the traditional DS, but you won't lose it completely as some other surgeries do.

[Krista2653 5]

I know it has been a while since this thread was updated, but I have been looking for revision posts and just have to say I appreciate this thread! I had the sleeve in 2010, lost 145lbs and after 2 kids and 9 years, I’ve put 80 back on. I’m revising to the traditional DS next month and am worried about the progress that I will see considering they will not be touching my sleeve so I will be able to eat the same amount, which, in my mind, is why I lost the 145lbs to begin with so it is hard to imagine having to just depend on the “switch” part, but I have more confidence now in the “power” of that added effect after reading this. HAPPY LOSING!!

[disco stu 73]

10 hours ago, Krista2653 said:

I know it has been a while since this thread was updated, but I have been looking for revision posts and just have to say I appreciate this thread! I had the sleeve in 2010, lost 145lbs and after 2 kids and 9 years, I’ve put 80 back on. I’m revising to the traditional DS next month and am worried about the progress that I will see considering they will not be touching my sleeve so I will be able to eat the same amount, which, in my mind, is why I lost the 145lbs to begin with so it is hard to imagine having to just depend on the “switch” part, but I have more confidence now in the “power” of that added effect after reading this. HAPPY LOSING!!

Im glad you've enjoyed the thread. I still try to check in from time to time.

You almost cant compare sleeve to DS; they work in completely different ways. Yes, you eat less with sleeve....for awhile... but then things stretch and you end up pretty much back to where you started.

DS works at your intestines; not stomach. It doesn't limit what you eat, but what you eat doesn't fully digest -especially fat- which means it doesn't end up on your belly and thighs. The downside is that the food that doesn't digest has got to go somewhere, and that somewhere is the toilet, which you will be visiting 2x to 5x your current norm, at all hours of the day and night. Takes some getting used to. Regardless, the best decision I ever made.

Bottom line: Sleeve can work for some people; but only those with discipline. DS just works, regardless. I cheat all the time. All. the. time. Haven't re-gained any of the weight.

Mini update: I still haven't broken the 200lb mark, which is frustrating. At same time, I go to the gym 5 days a week and mountain bike about the same. My waist line continues to shrink, and all my friends refer to me as "jacked" or "ripped." Little bit of a pooch still just at my belt line, but some of it is loose skin. Other than the two particularly nasty scars the surgeon left behind on my belly, It feels pretty good to take my shirt off at the beach or pool. Good stuff.

[Krista2653 5]

I actually have pretty good restriction with my sleeve for dense foods....my vice is popcorn and that, I can eat a lot more of. I am definitely not disciplined enough for the sleeve alone. I just want to LIVE and not have to worry (within reason, of course) about counting every single calorie and every single carb. I really think that going all that time of not being able to eat but about 6-800 calories with the sleeve kinda “messed up” my system because now, if I want to lose, I have to stay way lower than “normal folks”, like between 800-1000. The DS is my last resort. I’m more mentally prepared now for the Vitamins and the stomach/poop issues. Nine years ago, I wasn’t ready and chose the sleeve. Of course I’m nervous about the stomach issues, but luckily, I work from home 3-4 days a week and I have a husband that won’t be going anywhere and deserves the “payback” after 18 years of putting up with his poop/gas....so I’m at a point in my life where I am definitely ready and now 7/18 just cannot come fast enough!