SCHNIKEEES! Got Approval!!! :-}

Just heard from my surgical coordinator late yesterday -- I am approved!!! So YAY and YIKES... simultaneously! I'm mostly pretty good with all this but it's so PERMANENT -- eek -- still freaks me out a little! I'm so paranoid that I'll mess this one up too. I know it sounds like I'm whining but after a lifetime (well, almost... I actually didn't start gaining weight until I was 22) of failures I am totally afraid to let go and HOPE. All of the wonderful people on this board have been so encouraging, and I thank you very very much. And hopefully at some point I'll pull a Peter Pan and "Believe"! Until then, I'll remain positive and post on here as needed. Seriously - I couldn't do it without your support and the friends who've encouraged me from the beginning! Thanks for all the hand-holding and stay tuned...

Oh, and Hawaii in April so I'm hoping to be much thinner by then! Mahalo to ALL!

Congratulations!!!!  Please keep us posted on your journey

Regards,

Member Services Team

So excited for you! Please keep posting so we can follow your awesome journey.

YAY!  I also have the same fear of failing again, I think all of us who have had or are thinking of having a revision have that same fear.  Take things one day at a time and stay positive and take care of YOU.  Please keep us posted!

Congrats on your progress! So wonderful to see and very inspiring! When was your surgery? It must be exhilarating to see so much success so fast - I've never felt that since it's usually such a slooooow process when only dieting. Of course the thing I'm most worried about is KEEPING it off. I mean how many of us have LOST weight (although for me, never ever to goal), only to regain it all back a year or sooner? I'm sooooo hoping and willing to do the work, to actually KEEP it off this time.

My progress is a little misleading...I have had problems with strictures in my stoma. Basically, the scar tissue from my removed lapband went into turbo drive after my revision surgery and closed off my stoma so that I could not hold anything down.  I have had to have 4  EGDs with dilation to stretch the scar tissue and am headed for my 5th.  My surgery was 9/6 and my first dilation was 9/27 then weekly there after.  Not exactly the way I want to lose weight but I am still losing.  Unfortunately there isn't any thing I can do to stop the scar tissue problem. Good news is that during the last EGD doc confirmed that my stomach has healed so the stricture issue should be coming to an end soon.

 

Oh man! Bummer! And that kinda freaks me out... how common is the issue you've encountered - do you know? Since I also am having a band removed and going to RNY, I'm really concerned.
Good luck - and I hope this last one does it!

I am not sure of how common it is, on this site I've had only one other person tell me about their experience which was very much like mine.  Typically, I am a slow healer...when I had PRK on my eyes it took me twice as long to recover as the typical person.  I also scar really bad from minor scraps/cuts.  I would talk to your surgeon about how many strictures due to scar tissue he/she sees.  Also find out if he/she thinks that doing two separate procedures (one to remove and one to revise with some healing time between the two) would help prevent this risk.  The process to correct the stricture isn't bad, just time consuming and annoying.  Not really painful, just like regular EGD.  You've also got to remember that all surgeries come with risks.   

Well I feel worse for you, but better for me... sorry! I heal very well and when I do get boo-boos that scar, the scars heal quickly and with no complications. My doc has already said that if he gets in there and thinks it needs to be a two-stage process, he'll only remove the band then do the RNY later after I've healed. I'm not too concerned about THAT part... just the internal scar tissue makes me a little uneasy.... but if I heal well on the outside hopefully I do on the inside too!
Good luck!

The fear of failure has kept me from seeking a revision until now.  I've had to accept that I'm not succeeding without WLS.  CONGRATS on getting approval and best of luck to you!!!!