1 year surgiversary VBG to DS WOOO Hooooo!!

  Well its official. I year ago today I was recovering from my revision from a 22 year old very failed VBG to the DS. I have lost 142 lbs and i am 59 lbs from my goal of 153.(My PCP says thats too much, but 153 seems like a lot to me now... LOL) I started at 354 lbs and today i weigh 212. I want to lose 201 lbs when I am finished.
Not too shabby for a "golden girl" revision. I am 54.
I am the smallest i have ever been in my adult life. I weighed in the 220's when i was in high school 40 years ago. I have gone from a womans size 32/34 to an 18.  No insulin. blood pressure meds, c pap anymore. 
Unfortunately time and gravity has done much damage. The "girls went from a 48DD to a very flat,floppy 40C. My body looks real weird with the shelves (for want of a better description) of fat and "shar-pei" looking skin. Also my incision healed weird so I have a lop sided muffin top panni.There is a horizontal fold that doesn't meet where the vertical cut is. Sorry to whine but it really looks strange. My face has dropped and I look haggard. I always thought my fat face was kinda cute. (sigh)Please understand,  I am grateful for losing the weight. I guess I will have to get over the other stuff.
I do not have buyers remorse. I don't have poo issues and gas only bothers me when I mess with white flour. I wish I had this tool instead of the VBG but I am grateful for this second chance.
I do  my DS. It is very friendly to African american culture (food). I do not feel deprived at all. I love my dreamfields mac and cheese, cheesey grits, pork (bacon oh yeah) in every form etc. I am grateful for all the encouragement and wisdom from this site.
peace mz jojo

congratulations on your success!!!!  I was just revised to a RNY and like you wish I would have done this the first go round.

Good Luck and Continued Success!!

Monica

Monica, I am so glad I found you.  I have been searching for someone who has converted from a VBG to a RNY.  I am scheduled for surgery in three weeks, and so far you are the only person I have been able to find who has had that particular surgery.  Please tell me all about your experience.  Can you eat and drink enough to maintain your nutrition?  Was the surgery difficult?  Do you mind me asking also how old you are?

Hi,  I had a VBG done in 2004.  I lost 78 lbs, and gained back 30.  I am just starting to look into have it "taken out".  can you?  or do you have to have like another surgery to correct what they did?  I would love to lose more weight.  I am currently back on a strict diet, and workout and feeling good.  But I do always have chronic pain in that "area" that band and staples are?  is this normal?  I am going to talk to my PCP monday and ask to talk to a surgeon.  But I have not known any VBG patients that have has a revision or reversal or ect....so I was wondering what was your recovery time?  how did you feel?  I work, have two kids and at this time my husband is deployed so would have to wait for him to come home again.  but want this all straighten out before he comes home!

Thank you!!!

 i,  threw up for 22 years and gained 180 lbs. I was 354 when I had it revised January 2009. I now have the Duodenal Switch (DS).  I know someone who had the band stretched out because of throwing up but she gained a massive amount of weight and ultimately had the same revision as me. I never had pain where the band and staples were. I just chronically threw up and kept gaining weight anyway. This is the most weight I have ever lost in my life. MY recovery was difficult because I had herniated in three area's and also my age (54) was a factor. I feel great now. Go to the DS board. There are a lot of revisions there from the VBG. It is good to hear about different experiences,Do your research and ask a lot of questions. a revision is always harder. make sure if you decide to do it the surgeon has a proven track record with revisions. Also make sure you get the surgery you want. It is your body!!!. Some surgeons do not do all types of revisions and they try to talk you out of what you want. Also not all insurance companies will approve a revision at the first request. Fight fight fight!!!! Best wishes JO