Scared, not sure I'm making the right choice

Please keep me updated so I can follow along.  If you are talking about physical pain, the bariatrics surgeries barely hurt.  Now the plastics, on the other hand, OWIE!!

The financial pain hurts the most!

I'm glad to hear that the bariatric pain wasn't bad, my lapband pain wasn't that bad other than gas pain, my gallbladder surgery was worse.  I won't do plastics because I keloid and I'm not paying to scar even more!

I'm lucky that my insurance covered 95% of my WLS!!!!

I revised from RNY to a DS. I had a miserable ring around my stoma, and it caused constant vomiting, foaming, etc. It was disgusting.

I haven't had any of those problems since the revision. The sleeve has worked nicely, I have a lot of restriction without pain.

I had severe anemia with the RNY, and that's what ultimately led me to having the revision. I had severe, painful swelling in my joints and went to the doctor, who said it was due to acute anemia. He figured I was bleeding internally and sent me for an endoscopy and colonscopy. Both were negative, but the endoscopy showed esophageal erosion from the constant vomiting.

I had the initial tests in January and February of 2009, made the decision to have a revision in July, and had surgery in December after jumping through the insurance hoops. It's been worth it, believe me. This was the first Thanksgiving in 8 years where I could have the turkey.

I won't get anything with another pouch or stoma, that's why I'm looking for the sleeve.  I'm so glad you had such a good experience with your revision!

Michelle, if you haven't already post this on the VSG forum, there are many band to sleevers on there. I didnt have a band but my mom does and is having all of your complications and then some. I have the VSG and my aunt has the DS. she actually got too skinny and had to work at gaining. I am loving my sleeve so far. restriction is great. I do feel hunger but only 2 or 3 times a day and then I eat my 3 onces and am full. I can eat the things Im supposed to unlike my mom.she has a hard time with meat and veggies and tends to eat unhealthy things because they go down easier. I also like that there is nothing inside me to slip or be too full or not full enough. they went in, fixed my tummy and Im done. If somewhere far far down the road I fall off the bandwagon I cant look into a DS, but Im not planning on letting that happen.

Thank you Stephany, I did post on the VSG board and got great responses.  I have an second opinion appt on the 17th and am hoping to like what I hear.  I'm not worried about hunger, I just worry about irrational things :)

I'm glad to hear you're happy with your sleeve!  Is your mother looking into a revision?

she would really like too, but is scared insurance wont pay and she'll be left with nothing. I am trying to gather info for her. She's not focused on it right now, my grandpa has been very ill with cancer and my sisters wedding reception is coming up in a week...I cant fix my grandpa and I am a horrible party planner....so Im researching.

I feel for you, my 91 year old dad is in the hospital dying right now and my head is pretty much up my behind if you know what I mean!  When it rains it pours

 
I am band to sleeve revision and I'm thrilled I did it.  Best thing in the world.  I have true restriction now and not a feeling of ... If I eat I'll barf.  Honestly, I only know of one person that did not do well with the sleeve AND the sleeve was done correctly AND she had perfect restriction AND she was following the rules to a T.  And that is EastCoastGal.  She started out with a band and while she never had restriction she did have really bad reflux.  She was over 400# with the band.  Then she revised to a sleeve and got down to 235.  But she's really short and that was nowhere near enough so she revised to DS.

I've read a few people that don't like their sleeves or didn't do well but most of them had the sleeve done incorrectly.  One had an hourglass sleeve, one had a cone shaped sleeve and both of those people could only be revised to bypass due to their own anatomy and the damage done from poor sleeve surgeons.  Most of the people I see that are not doing well long term simply have huge sleeves.

I'm 2.5 years post op and I can only eat 3oz of dense protein so I still have fantastic restriction. Some days I almost wonder if I have a bit too much restriction but after I think about it I realize I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

A good surgeon is critical for revisions to a sleeve.