New here

Hi Everyone,

 

I am new here and this is my first time posting. I had a lap band about 2.5 years ago and i lost 50 lbs and then gained it back. In the last year foods started to get stuck and I would have to vomit. My doctor wants to take my band out and do a revision, either sleeve or bypass but I am leaning towards bypass. I have a 6 month old at home and I am worried about recovery time and if i will be able to take care of him after surgery. the thought of another surgery makes me really nervous but i know its what i need. my family thinks i am taking the easy way out and I'm not sure what to do. Any help would be grateful.

 

thanks so much

Lindsay

Hi, Lindsay.  Welcome. 

As long as things go according to plan and you don't have any complications, you should bounce back from surgery pretty quickly.  I went back to work after two weeks (admittedly, part-time for the first week).  I had virtually no true pain (I only took my pain meds the first night back), and was walking my dog the day after I got home from the hospital.

You won't be able to lift more than 15 lbs. for a good long while.  With a baby, I suspect that will be most challenging.  But otherwise, I found this a pretty easy surgery--a heck of a lot simpler to bounce back from than my hysterectomy.

Good luck!

 

Welcome!   I had my RNY when my son was 11 months old and I did just fine looking after him - my husband even went back to work the day after I came out of hospital!

I think it's often a case of needs must - if you have the time to lie around thinking about how rough you feel, then you will, if you have a child that NEEDS you to take care of them, then you have to just get on with it!!!   I had no narcotics after the day of surgery and really nothing more than slight discomfort the whole of my recovery.

At least at 6 months you are not having to run around your baby so much - they pretty much stay where you put them LOL!

I think it depends on how well you heal. I don't know how much a 6 month old weighs so you might need a little help with him.

I'm probably in the minority, but I've had very little pain. I could have driven myself home from the hospital because I was off pain and nausea meds (had half of a dilaudid the morning after surgery) and could look behind me in either direction. Bending over is getting easier and I'm making sure I don't lift more than 15 pounds.

My lap band story is almost identical.  I had it revised to bypass in December.  My doctor told me that, because of the band and the fact that I was already restricted, that I probably wouldn't lose as much as someone starting out.  He said I might only lose 40-50% of my excess weight.  I'm six months out and have passed that.  The weight is coming off slow now but still coming off.  I felt I would lose the most with bypass rather than the sleeve.  No regrets, even though I'm still 196 pounds I feel so much better and am no longer embarrassed about how I look.  Good luck to you.

Btw my family is totally against this. They think its too dangerous to do with a baby at home god forbid something happens to me..they think I should try dieting again before I do it...I don't know what to do anymore...ugh...

Hi Linnyann,

I know all about dealing with negative family members! I just recently had the RNY surgery and the majority of my family was very negative but the best advice I was given was to realize that it is their issues and not yours. I finally was able to get my Mother to realize that no matter how much she was against this she wasn't going to change my mind. I did this to improve my health and improve my life. I have had several heart to heart discussions about it with her and my sister and they realize this is not an easy way out but rather a tool to help you achieve your weight loss goal. If it will improve your health as well as the quality of your life they should understand that and support you!

I hope that helps, I understand it is difficult when no one supports you, good luck to you!

I wish I had control of my weight when my boys were young. I applaude you for doing something now... and giving your child(ren) a mother that can be active and healthy throughout their childhood.

As to recovery, I did have a rough start from excess blood loss and very anemic at discharge. I could not have taken appropriate care of a young child those first few days. Line out a back-up plan just in case, but still go in knowing the chance for complications is pretty rare.

Good luck!