Desperate for encouragement re: band to RNY revision

I am two weeks post revision tomorrow.  I am already struggling with whether I will make it and I need some proof and some encouragement. I had the band for 2 1/2 years and made great progress the first year hitting a 100 lbs. loss at about 1 1/2 years post-op.  I hit about a year plateau....had the band emptied due to a virus.....then had the revision to RNY on 5/8/07.   So far, I have only lost just under 5 pounds.    It has really gotten me down.  Spoke with my doc's office today and they assure me it will happen.  I have just read so much about faster results and here I am staring at my scale with hunger pains and seeing little to no change.  I am staying right at (mostly under) 1000 calories and my protein and water intake are honestly SPOT on.  The fact is, I stop myself from eating more.  I don't feel full - I just stop.  Tonight I ate a full cup of baked potato soup (actually loaded with protein) and I could have had a cup more!  Is this normal?   I guess I am just looking for some words and stories that will affirm that I made the right decision and I will lose weight.  My pain is still pretty moderate and walking long distances is not an option yet.  I am young - I am recovering fast - but I am worried about my success at this! Thank you!!!

you will lose the weight.  be patient.  if it makes you feel any better, I gained weight the first few weeks  your body has gone through major surgery. if you are really hungry try a protein drink.  I am not sure how many calories you should be intaking but 1000 seems kindof high to me at 2 wks out (I get just below 1000 and I am 14 months out) each doctor is different on the calorie thing.  you might want to check with the doctors office on how many oz they want you having at a time.  if the soup was thn you can eat a lot--it's like liquid.  I eat 6x a day (3 meals plus 3 high protein snacks) keeps me from thinking about food. drink your water or decaf fluids this will help with the hunger (real or head hunger). put your scale away! trust me I was addicted to weighing every freaking day and all it did was drive me crazy. having my revision last yr was the best thing I ever did.  I started out at 362 and now I am at 165.  I am still losing weight.  I want to get down to 150. good luck

Thanks for your reply.  It really helped a lot reading all that.  I will just continue to have faith and keep my chin up!!  Seriously - thank you!

Can I ask why exactly you had the revision to the RNY? If you had a virus couldn't they have just refilled your band once you were healthy again?  I ask because I am in the midst of considering a band revision to an RNY myself. I lost 54 pounds my first year post-op. I was not a stellar bandster but felt great about my loss. Then my band tightened, I developed GERD and had to have a total unfill. A year later, I had to have a second unfill. oh, and I have gained back 30 pounds. My Dr. says that my body just won't tolerate me being tight enough to have a fill level needed to lose weight. And, my pouch is stretched out. He says I really need to have surgery to pull my stomach back down to reduce my pouch size or (his choice): RNY. He just thinks I would have more success. But I chose the Band because it was safer, and reverseable and no cutting! How do you make the switch? Also, I am so worried that if I wasn't good before how do I know if I will be good this time? Sorry, I don't mean to whine. I am just really torn up about this. Lisa

Hi There;  I am going through the same thing too.  I had my band placed in 2003 and was able to achieve only a 55 lb weight loss before I ended up wtih the esophogeal and gerd problems.  I have put all but 7 lbs back on and have a consult for RNY in June.  I understand how you feel.  I am scared too that maybe I wont be successful this time around either but if it is any way comforting, I have met 5 people who all have had the same issues and are looking towards revisions.  good luck to you!

When you are less than a couple months post-op, your stomach nerves are not healed and you cannot tell how much food you're putting in it! You can overfil your pouch and not realise it, and maybe stretch your stoma, the outlet to the intestine. So measure your food, about 1/2 cup several times a day , not a full cup this early out. Many people eat 6 tiny meals and drink all the water, crystal light, or unsweet tea they can hold. Good luck, it will come off.

    I also had the band on 5/2/06 and underwent a removal and RNY on 2/20/07. I agree that this was a very difficult decision but I couldn't live with the band any longer I couldn't stop throwing up anything I ate or drank. I developed GERD like never before. I will have to say that converting was the best decision I made . Of course the pouch is a little larger than a normal RNY because of scar tissue around the stoma. I have lost 35lbs since my surgery and have been losing slower than I wanted to. My DR. seems to think I should be losing faster but I feel great and have lost many inches due to increased excersizing. Was this the right decision? Everyone is diffferent but we have to give this a chance. Here's to our success............