Revision approval 2DAYS AFTER SUBMISSION!!

I'm super excited I'm finally getting rid of this lapband!!  I have done no good with it ever!!!  I have Fed BC/BS insurance, my doctor faxed all of my paper work over and in 2 days I had a yes!!!!!!!!

I had to prove where i'd been having complications.  GERD, VOMITING, SLIMING, NO WEIGHT LOSS, THEY UNFILLED MY BAND FOR ONE MONTH AND THEN SUBMITTED!!

So now I have my new surgery date from lapband to RNY on May 7
I'm nervous, excited, scared, but most of all READY!!!  So if anybody has any pointers on here to help me out before hand that would be great.  Some of the things I'm worried about are the following:

1.  how long before exercising/swimming
2.  what is good for possible hair loss
3.  toning?
4.  vitamins
5.  is recovery time rough from the revision
6.  will i be able to swallow my medications
7.  i had read on here sometimes weight loss is slower with a revision.  Is this true?  I wouldnt see why if I had not initially lost any weight to begin with.
8.  I weigh 278 just curious (which i know everybody is different) those of you in my weight range how fast and much did the weight come off.

Thank You!!!!!

Melissa

Congrats and good luck.
I can not give any advise on this or answer any of your questions because I am in the same boat as you.  I hope I get my approval soon too!  I can't wait to get rid of this band and be bypassed!

You're revising to RNY?  I wish you'd checked out the DS. I had gerd, vomiting, sliming, etc with rny, and had to revise to the ds because of it.

Anyway, going back to your questions:

Post RNY:

1. I was swimming in 3 weeks, gentle pool exercise and such.
2. I took biotin for the hair loss, but I still lost.
3. Toning? Exercises? I went back to the gym at 6 weeks after open rny.
4. Vitamins - I took chewable centrums, then switched over to the RNY regimen from Celebrate vitamins, but looking back I wish I had followed Vitalady's advice.
5. Your recovery time shouldn't be any worse than typical rny, since it's easy to cut & remove the band.
6. I had trouble swallowing meds and stuck with liquids for awhile, and chewable vitamins.
7. Weight loss is slower with revisions but you should not have too much of a problem. You haven't been through a prior malabsorptive procedure. I weighed 221 when I had the revision to DS, at 2.5 moths I am down to 187.
8. I was 328 when I had RNY, made it down to about 175, bounced back to 221 at the 6 year mark. You can see EWL ratios in different locations on the boards.

All the best,
Adele

Thanks for the advice Adele!  I appreciate any and all.  I did look into the DS and decided after a long long long overview I just didn't think I was ready for that.  I'm going to give the RNY my best and hope that it is a success.  I know that everybody is different and different things are different for everybody.  I know people that have had the RNY for over 10 years and have still done really well.  I got my fingers crossed! 

I hope you continue to do great!  and again thank you for the great advice!!!!

Thank you for posting this! I am like you: lapband, federal BC/BS, no weight loss and problems. I need to go talk to the doc but I'm afraid to because I feel like a total failure. I appreciate your posting. I actually called earlier today to make an appt but no one called me back yet. I am looking into revision. I got my band in another state so I haven't really formed a relationship with the surgeon here but he's widely recognized in the field. He even has postings on youtube about revision surgery.

congrats on getting such a quick response from insurance!

Jane

Thanks Jane,

Don't be ashamed.  Trust me I work with probably 7 girls that have had lapband and it has failed all of them!  In order to get a revision you have to report the problems like i did.  I go to another state also and I dont feel like a failure.  The band was not good for me and I'm very excited to have it out and for the revision!!!!!!  Keep in touch anytime!!

I am so happy for you.  I am in the same situation. I had my band in '07 and did well for about 9 months then I had a situation where I got something stuck and ever since I have had problems. I gained most of my weight back.

Jane, i too was scared to say anything. but one day I decided I had had too much and looked up a surgeon that does revisions. I went for a consultation last week and they wers SOOOO nice and sympathetic to my feelings. I almost had an anxiety attack before I saw the Doctor LOL and it was all for nothing. They are going to write a letter to the insurance and see if I will be approved for the revision!


Congrats DaisyGurl!!!   It must be so relieving to finally get the darn thing out. I know I have contemplated ripping it out myself....LOL

Good Luck with your surgery, keep us updated as we may need some advice on how it is different than a "virgin" RNY

Also good luck Jane! You can do it. Just explain to them how you feel and hopefully they will listen!

Yes Yes
It only took 24 hours, after the right paperwork was submitted,

Congrats!!  I too had my crap band removed and got RNY due to the same problems you are having!

1.  how long before exercising/swimming - I think it was 2 weeks
2.  what is good for possible hair loss - it started at 3 or 4 months and for me, is just coming to an end
3.  toning?  I need to start this too 
4.  vitamins - I take lots - 2 multi vites, 6 citrical petites, dry vitamin D and biotin, spread over 4 doses during the day
5.  is recovery time rough from the revision - I would say 2 weeks
6.  will i be able to swallow my medications - ask your dr, but mine had me taking pills in the hospital the next day.
7.  i had read on here sometimes weight loss is slower with a revision.  Is this true?  I wouldnt see why if I had not initially lost any weight to begin with - I lost about 15 pounds the 9 months I had the band (I was about 215ish when I got the band) - I was about 200 - 205 day of surgery, and today I am 118, I will be a year out on April 6.  So, I think yes, you will lose slower than if you had went with the RNY initially.
8.  I weigh 278 just curious (which i know everybody is different) those of you in my weight range how fast and much did the weight come off.   See above.

Finally, after having the lapband surgery on September 07, 2007, I see that I am not the only one that is having problems with this band.  On surgery day (lapband) I weighed 221, I now weigh 177 pounds, so you can see I have lost my 20% (44 pounds)and probably won't lose anymore. The band worked for about a year and then nothing.  My weight loss has been stagnate ever since.  I have been experiencing problems with GERD, pain in the port area(since day 1), slime no restriction and NO weight loss.  I went to my surgeon and the consultation was submitted and granted, tomorrow I have the psych appointment and after that it is sent to my medical group and taken from there.  I, though have opted to get the VSG.