Surgery and stuff

My revision to RNY is scheduled for August 9th, and I started my pre-op diet yesterday (a little early, but I tend to be an overachiever ).  I started the journey this time in October 2014 when I sought out a doctor to remove my lap band (surgery was August 2007) and revise to the sleeve.  I let life get in the way for almost a year, stalling the process.  Back in October 2015, during a pre-op endoscopy, it was discovered that my lap band had eroded into my stomach.  My doc scheduled the removal surgery right away, but wanted me to wait 6 months to do the revision in order to allow my stomach time to heal.  During that surgery, he found that the lap band was almost entirely inside my stomach with scar tissue surrounding it.  In March they did a follow up endoscopy to see how my stomach was healing and, following another round of tests, found that I now have gastroparesis due to the damaged nerves in my stomach - caused by the band erosion - and reflux issues.  Doc recently told me that the sleeve would worsen the reflux and suggested that I have RNY done instead.  I was initially apprehensive about the permanent re-routing of my insides, but have come to terms with it.  Doc also told me that without some type of corrective surgery, the damaged nerves in my stomach and the gastroparesis will get worse, which will increase the reflux occurrences, which will likely damage my esophagus permanently.  He mentioned if that happened that removal of my stomach all together may be the only fix -- which scared the hell out of me!  I didn't know that was even possible - to not have a stomach.

I'm going to be 50 in October, and am determined not to spend the rest of my life on meds and insulin for my Type II Diabetes and other co-morbidities.  Losing weight is important to me, but not just to look better.  I want to be healthy.  Being a sometimes non-compliant diabetic in the past, I know I need this surgery in order to get rid of the diabetes and live a healthier life.  I see the nurse practitioner tomorrow and have my last pre-op class and visit with the nutritionist in a couple of weeks.

So I don't have a question or problem that I need help with, I just felt like I needed to put some of my story out there.  Maybe someone else is going through something similar and needs support. 

Welcome! I had a band that slipped back in 2013, and it was removed then. I hadn't really planned to have any revision surgery, but kept gaining weight. I started this process in fall of 2015 and had the RNY May 2, 2016. So far I've done pretty well with it, definitely wish I had done it instead of the lap band to start with, but I thought I was doing the "less invasive" procedure, or at least it was sold to me that way. I'm honestly surprised surgeons are even still offering it. I know my surgeon does and I had a hard time keeping my mouth closed about it during the classes.

Chassibi - thanks for the reply!  I'm glad you're doing well with your new WLS   When I got the lap band in 2007, I had originally wanted RNY but my husband (ex now) convinced me not to.  I lost 70 pounds with the band and maintained a loss of about 60.  I hadn't had any fluid in my band since 2012 when I had tried to get a fill and the doc was able to add 12 cc to my 10 cc band that supposedly already had 6 cc in it.  He wasn't sure what the problem was, removed all the fluid, and then refused to treat me further (he wasn't my surgery doc).  I should have known then that something was seriously wrong, but went on with life with no fluid.  I gained and lost the same 10 pounds over the next 2 years, and continue to do the same since having my band removed last October.  I'm confident that this new surgery will get me to where I want and need to be.

I'm not a revision, but I had uncontrolled type 2 diabetes prior to surgery.  My surgery was nearly 11 months ago and I haven't taken insulin since 1 week before surgery when i started my pre-op liquid diet.  My A1C on the day of surgery was 8.7 and it was 4.5 in February when I had it tested last.  

I know that the thought of rearranging your insides is scary, but I don't feel like I have rearranged innards.  I just feel like I have a tiny pouch for a stomach, which you would feel with the sleeve as well.

Deanna798 - Thank you so much for your response!!  I am so encouraged by this and cannot wait to get off of insulin.  It's only been 2 years on the insulin (diagnosed in 1999 and maintained with diet and other meds previously), but I never wanted to be on it to begin with.  I have a friend that had severe type 2 and an insulin pump before she lost 200 pounds and I swore I would never go through what she did.  Thank you for calming my fears