Lap Band to Sleeve --- What Do I Expect?

Long story short --- 2008 I had Lap Band surgery. I lied every month to get the band tightened and drank a large smoothie each day and then ate and "purged" every night. Over the course of 4 years I lost more than half my weight. In 2012 my husband was diagnosed with cancer and in June of 2014 he lost his battle. I was so afraid seeing him deteriorate I had the band loosened. In a matter of 18 months I gained all the weight back. I'm now 290 lbs., high sugar levels, terrible knee and joint issues and still can't eat like a normal person until late in the evening when I binge. My surgeon does not have much of a bedside manner, so his response is have the sleeve surgery and you will be happier.

My fear of the sleeve is that I will not be able to live a normal life. I won't be able to have wine with friends or enjoy a bowl of red beans and rice (I'm from LA.) Can I get some real advice and guidance on what I will expect right after the surgery and the months and years to follow?? I'm scared of the surgery and more so scared of the life after.

THANKS!

You should not plan to drink alcohol after bariatric surgery. Check the main forums, I just posted about the ASMBS recommendations on this front.

It's strongly advised that you avoid carbs, including rice, during the weight loss phase, and many people stay low-carb in maintenance.

Surgery fixes your stomach, not your head, and we need to use food for fuel-- not feelings. If you have a history of eating disorders, you should address that with a professional before seeking further surgery.

So sorry about the loss of your husband.

Now I see a few red flags and please don't take this the wrong way.

Having your band so tight that you could only have a smoothie and then eat and purge every night is not good. I would have to assume that you have done some sort of damage to your esophagus. I had the band for 12 years and had to have it removed due to excessive scar tissue that ended up encasing my band. It was very inflamed and I was eating tums like candy to get relief from the endless heartburn. This was after having all the fluid out of my band for over 3 years. I revised to the bypass because the sleeve was not an option. My doctor had to take a small portion of my stomach out where the band had cause damage to it.

The binging and purging should really be addressed before you have any other type of WLS. I would seek out a good therapist and doctor to help with that.

As for a normal life after the sleeve it is a tiny bit different as in the amount and what you would eat. Alcohol is really not recommended for a few reasons. One is transfer addiction we have seen folks on here die from consuming alcohol after WLS. Then there is the way alcohol affects people after WLS. Even a small glass of wine can make a person feel wasted and very drunk. Of course there is the weight gain from drinking. Alcohol is just wasted calories.

A glass of wine a few times a year and a bowl (more like a cup if that) of beans/rice a few times a year might not be the end of the world, but honestly both of those items are not going to help with weight loss or maintenance in the long run. Your focus will be dense proteins with some veggies and very limited carbs with plenty of water.

There is one other thing I want to mention. The sleeve is a great surgery, but I have noticed over the last year or so those *****vise from the band to the sleeve end up having to have a third surgery to the bypass due to GERD/reflux/heartburn. Just some things to think about.

Best of luck to you.

What makes you happier - being thin or eating? Would you be more unhappy heavy or more unhappy not being able to eat a sub or bowl of spaghetti? I had a band and found ways to "eat around the band" - 4 years out, I really have not found a way to eat around vsg at meals(you can eat poorly by bad choices, candy, ice cream etc.) I have a very limited space for meals - things like rice, pasta, bread sit very heavy and uncomfortably in my small stomach. I also did not get VSG to be miserable. Once I reached goal, I basically eat normal foods in small portions. If I want a steak sub, I cook the meat and cheese and put it in a spring roll wrapper and bake it. It tastes like a steak sub without all the bread, but you still get that good bread taste. If I want pasta, I make or buy fresh pasta and slowly eat 1/4 of a cup with some quality sauce. I have found that after 4 years, I eat slowly and small bites and it generally takes me almost as long to eat my small meal as my full meal friends. No one notices what I am eating/not eating.

Bottom line, this decision is yours. Honestly, you don't sound like you're on board with it - and there is no going back, unlike lapband. Do it because you want to, not your dr. I think VSG is nothing short of miraculous and don't have any regrets whatsoever.

Thank you so much! You are so right that I'm not totally on board right now. My fear of the unknown is very much a part of my hesitation. Can "I" live with the lifestyle change that the surgery will require of me. I'm very worried that I will become one of the many people in the forums here who go back to poor habits and gain it all back. My insurance doesn't cover this and I would be so disappointed in myself if I spent all the money and time only to gain the weight back. This is so much more than a surgery, it is a lifetime, lifestyle commitment. Thank you so much for your candid words and food tips.

I had the lap band...most i lost was about 50 pounds where i was down to 230. I had the band removed 3 months before the sleeve. I'm down to 193 and have stayed there for the past 6 months. Listen to what people say...i started eating sweets over Christmas and haven't been able to give up the carbs since. I also am a wine drinker...few times a week which doesn't help either. I did give wine up for about 6 months post op. I work out 4 days a week and maintain my weight. I'm content...i can buy clothes at regular stores and feel much healthier but i want to lose another 30-40 which i know won't happen drinking wine and eating carbs. Having surgery is no easy way out and you will never be normal...as soon as i feel full (which doesn't take much) i quit eating. It makes you different from everyone around you. I also had a rough road last summer with elevated liver enzymes and horrible gerd/nausea which caused a rapid weight loss. Despite that, it was brutal but glad i got through it and am happier now. You can do whatever you put your mind too...just keep in mind that wine and carbs have consequences. Best of luck and very sorry to hear about your husband!