I'm Revising from Band to a Sleeve

[nazzy 1]

best of luck cheryl,id get it to if i had the money wtg

[skhopp 0]

4meonly - Thanks for your info, and Good Luck to you! Congrats on how far you've come.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

Are you having to pay for this out of pocket?

I really want to get a revision too but it's a matter of money. I wish I had known about the sleeve from the very beginning.

[4meonly 4]

Thank you for all the well wishes.

I am anxious to get this done. I have been totally unfilled for almost 3 weeks now. I have been able to eat just about anything for the past 2 weeks. I haven't gained but a pound or so. I'm happy for that.

We will be leaving for Mexicali tomorrow. We plan on meeting a driver on the US side of the border at 1:00, Saturday afternoon. They are letting me have all of the tests done on Saturday. That way, we have all day Sunday to do some sightseeing. That should be fun. I have surgery on Monday, and should be out on Thursday morning. I am a little concerned about the long drive home (Seattle area). We plan on going slow and stopping every hour or two.

Denise, the revision from lapband to sleeve is costing me $12,500. My insurance won't cover it. Since I've already had the TT done, this should be it for me.

Cheryl

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

I found out today that an upper GI would cost me $1,500.00. I doubt if my ins. would cover it, if they code it band related. I have a $1,000

deductible and 70% coverage after that. So, if my ins. did pay, it wouldn't be much. I am going to put that money towards a revision some day. I don't see the sense in shelling out fifteen hundred bucks . I have acid reflux at night, but I am fine in the day time. If I am careful not to eat anything after dinner, I am fine at night too. Hopefully, I will stay fine until I can come up with the money for a revision. I would hate to mess up my stomach to the point where I can't get a sleeve.

Not many people even know I have the band, so it's going to be tricky to get to Mexico and get a revision when the time comes.

[verticlelap 0]

I had the sleeve..lots of gas! Walking helps though! I did liquids for 1 week, soft foods for 2 and then eat as you can. I really like it, but do not think my doctor took enough of my stomach. I have stopped loosing weight after 35 lbs and will now try just the opposite of what you are doing. May I ask, you seem to have such great success. Why change what apparently seems to be working?

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I had the sleeve..lots of gas! Walking helps though! I did liquids for 1 week, soft foods for 2 and then eat as you can. I really like it, but do not think my doctor took enough of my stomach. I have stopped loosing weight after 35 lbs and will now try just the opposite of what you are doing. May I ask, you seem to have such great success. Why change what apparently seems to be working?

Have you tried the 5DPT?

Surgical Weight Loss 5 Day Pouch Test

It gets you back on track. It was originally meant for bypass folks but it works for anyone with WLS. I'm doing it now. I had some weight to gain after my sleeve and I did gain what I wanted so now I need to get off the carbs.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

The reason I would like to revise to a sleeve is because I don't like the idea of a band around my stomach. It sounds dangerous to me. When I think of a tight rubber band around my finger for a day, and what the end of my finger looks like at the end of the day, then I think about the band being there. Ultimately, I think it's dangerous. I would like to get the sleeve before I have problems from the band. I already have occasionally acid reflux, and I am afraid this is the beginning of problems to come. Plus I like the idea of never having to worry about another fill.

[MacMadame 81]

Isn't it interesting how our feelings change? When I was going to get a band, and people said "I don't want a foreign object in me" I would think :biggrin: I already have surgical clips in me and people get knee replacements and other stuff all the time. What's the big deal?

But now I see that as a big plus to the sleeve. I think the difference to me is not that the band is "foreign" so much as it's a mechanical device and mechanical devices fail. It's in their nature.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

I completely agree Mac . I feel like I have a time bomb in my stomach just waiting to hurt me. I have heard of so many people whose bands eroded into their stomach and did damage. I hope I can get the money to get revised. In the mean time, by band is really loose and I think that's best for my stomach so I am not getting a fill, even though I sure could use one.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I completely agree Mac . I feel like I have a time bomb in my stomach just waiting to hurt me. I have heard of so many people whose bands eroded into their stomach and did damage. I hope I can get the money to get revised. In the mean time, by band is really loose and I think that's best for my stomach so I am not getting a fill, even though I sure could use one.

I went to dinner with MissMonaAZ tonight, just got home. It took her an hour to get a bowl of Soup down. She's decided to get a revision in Feb to a sleeve.

[youknowit 11]

excited to see how this goes for you. i'm sure it will be great! keep us posted. :Dancing_biggrin:

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

I went to dinner with MissMonaAZ tonight, just got home. It took her an hour to get a bowl of Soup down. She's decided to get a revision in Feb to a sleeve.

Gee, maybe you could start working 24 hours a day instead of only 18,

so you could loan me the money:tongue2::pray2::grouphug:

[youknowit 11]

Isn't it interesting how our feelings change? When I was going to get a band, and people said "I don't want a foreign object in me" I would think :grouphug: I already have surgical clips in me and people get knee replacements and other stuff all the time. What's the big deal?

But now I see that as a big plus to the sleeve. I think the difference to me is not that the band is "foreign" so much as it's a mechanical device and mechanical devices fail. It's in their nature.

And you are right... this is a mechanism, it can break, and it does. Although I would consider myself an anomaly, after 2 1/2 years my band sprung a big leak, holds nothing, and I am gaining slowly. I'm doing my research going towards getting a revision to a sleeve, as I don't want to gain all the weight back, and I'm fairly certain I DO NOT want another band that can break. I never had any other issues, lost 80 pounds with the band, and then it blew up in my face... I understand the back-and-forth you're feeling about what to do... keep the band, or get the sleeve, or? It's tough. For me, it's just a matter of time before I MUST do something, and I will be self-paying (again) so I want to make the best, most educated, long-term decision that I can.

Best wishes -- :pray2:

[DAT 0]

Had my band to sleeve conversion on 10/20. Unfortunately I had a motorcycle accident five days before. So, although no broken bones, I was still allowed to have surgery with a very purple painful right side. Surgery went well, swallow test went well. Right now I'm still on liquids. The horrible stuff they gave me for my swallow test made me throw up and have some dry heaves. I told my doc that I was scared I might have weakened the staple line. He said it should be OK that it would take all day heaving to damage the staple line and sutures.

I am having watery stools since the op. And some burning in my stomach after eating/drinking. Anyone else have that problem?

OK now for the reason for the conversion. I had the lap band put in late 2004. In three years I lost sixty pounds. I am a 54 year old male who goes to the gym three times a week and does martial arts at least twice a week. I'm active and am not hindered by any severe physical ailments. Just the usual scoped knees, rotator cuff repair, etc. Based on what I ate and my activity level my docs and more importantly me, felt I should have lost 100lbs easy. We kept closing up the band until it got to the point where it was too tight and I had bad reflux and food was in my esophagus as much as in my stomach. Previous to that I had tremendous acid problems and was living on Protein pump inhibitors. I also contracted 13 ulcers and an h pylori infection. After visiting some different docs, including gastros, we all were convincing that the benefit of the band had reached its limit. I was one of those who hit a wall and the band was actually causing harm.

Fast forward, Dr. John Sweeney at Emory Hospital in Atlanta did the surgery this past Monday and here I am on the forum on Friday. I'm 5 10 and around 265 now and I just want to get to around 200lbs. My main reason for weight loss is my diabetes. About six years ago I topped out at 378lbs and despite losing over a hundred pounds my diabetes has not been improved one bit. Very discouraging to say the least. I'm going to keep on going though, keep moving in the exercise dept and keep learning how to cook and eat more healthy utilizing a more fresh organic diet. I love Dr. Weil, Dr. Jordan Rubin and that crazy Gary Null.

The only anxiety that I have about the sleeve at this point is staple line failure. Does anyone know whether you come to a point where if you haven't leaked by now you never will?