KarenG.

i had 6 but i have heard of 4 or 5...

I lost over 100lbs with the band. I was 257 went down to 149 then I had a tummy tuck and one year later was pregnant (good planning right) I weighed 166 at 8 weeks pregnant. My band was loosened a about 1/2 way at 2 months pregnant. I was gaining weight really rapidly so I asked my doctor to put more back in. I was partially restricted for most of the pregnancy but still gaining weight at above the recommened amount. I was completely unfilled last week due to bad, bad heartburn and even thought that is helping me I am hungry all the time and gaining weight really fast - I am now 33 weeks and am up to 212! I am totally freaked that after all this hard work I will never be able to lose the weight again and that I will gain even MORE in the next 1 1/2 until I have the baby. Any tips/ideas/support? Thanks in advance!

I am about to have my baby any day now and I have gained over 60lbs with this pregnancy. I am getting filled 6 weeks after delivery and CANNOT wait. I lost all of my weight (like over 100lbs)and had a lower body lift before getting pregnant a year after the lift. It has been really really hard for me to gain all this weight. Everyone tells me that I will lose like 1/2 of the weight just after delivery - within 6 weeks and the rest will be from resuming my normal expercise routine, breast feeding and restricting my diet. I CANNOT wait to start losing - it is really killing my self-esteem and unfortunately preventing me from fully enjoying my pregnancy as much.

Thank you for responses. I am outgrowing maternity clothing!! I was a size 6 and now I am wearing a size large maternity and it is tight. I was told I can fill my band again 6 weeks after I have my baby but I am soooooo scared at how big I will be by then! About 6 weeks to go I should be ABOVE 220!

I am 33 weeks and unfilled (see post) I was told I can get filled at 6 weeks post delivery and it should not effect breast feeding if I get the proper nutrition.

THank you so much for that! I am trying not to worry but I bet I gain 50lbs if I am lucky only 50lbs. The nausea combined with being unfilled has made me a nightmare - I just get flashbacks to my out-of-contril eating before. I need to remember that I will get filled after I give birth and eventually lose that weight! It really helps to hear that you went through it.

I have gained close to 10lbs this month! I just went for my 8 week check up and ultra sound and everything looks good but OMG the weight is KILLING ME! I had just had a big meal and a lot of liquids so lets say MAYBE 7lb gain but my doctor tells me that 8 lbs is the total I should be gaining for the first 20 weeks! That means I shouldnt gain anything more for the next 3 months. I am kind of upset about this - can you tell?

I was 1/2 way unfilled 3 weeks ago at about 4 weeks preg and I have gained like 5-6lbs so I am totally freaked out. I have been at goal for over a year. My ob appoitnemtn is Tuesday and I am afraid what he is going to say!

My surgeon unfilled me 1/2 way 3 weeks ago when i was about 4-5 weeks along. Now I am almost 8 weeks and I can eat everything and I do! I was having really bad heartburn as a result of the band/pregnancy combo and now it is basically gone. I am pretty nauseas but I find that eating keeps that at bay. I have been at goal for about a year and now I have gained over 5lbs in the past 3 weeks! Yikes.

I am considering a second surgery. I had a lower body lift in September and am thrilled with my results. My arms and breasts really need skin removal/lift. I am concerned about the scars on my arms. Also concerned about the costs - I would need to borrow the money from my parents which makes me feel awful considering the current economy. Does anyone have any thoughts/experience about the arm scars? I don't know what exactly I am asking since I know there will be scars there. MY ps said that I heal well (so far) but that the scars will still be visable. What do you think?

The top thing is a big issue. I wear a suit for work and I am a size 6 everywhere else but suit jackets don't fit on my arms! I am so torn about this. The lower body lift was a no-brainer but the arm scars still make me nervous. Thanks for your input JFran

Thanks so much everyone. I am still very conflicted about what to do! I hate my arms but am worried my scars will be awful too. If I do it I am aiming for April...

While you don't need your Primary care physician if you are selfpay you really need one who is on board for your follow up care - someone who understands that band and that you can feel comfortable talking about your concerns with. Surgeon's can be good for follow up but you need a pcp who you feel comfortable disucssing band related health concerns with. This is aalso a real bummer if you need a letter for insurance about medical neccessity. I have heard of this happening before.

I think it is a fabulous NSV and so great that you can shop at your favorite store. A medium is a very exciting accomplishment - so nice not to be "large" even though we are not at all defined by our size. Feels good anyway and enjoy!

I have no idea but there are an awful lot of stitches. I don't think you should focus on the amount of stitches so much as the size of your scar etc. how much muscle repair you will need because that is what really effects the pain. I had a lower body lift but I didnt need much muscle repair so I think my procedure was less painful than if I needed a lot of muscle repair with a plain old tummy tuck. That said, I think all ps is painful.

My therapist said the same thing to me and it kind of annoyed me because I have always been assertive and I think objectively speaking it is other people's treatment of me that is different. My therapist is thin and I don't think he completely gets it.

I already had a lower body lift in september - this would be the boobs and/or boobs and upper back. I think the recovery is less - wonder if I could go back after 10 days.

Anyone know the answer to this? I have a fairly active job (no heavy lifting or anything) anyone have a guess about how long I would need to take off for an upper body life or alternatively just a breast lift? THanks!

Happens all the time. Other things - shock - people almost don't seem to know how to talk to me. SO many people don't recognize me - I am talking about people I have worked with in the past who maybe saw me every few months for years. They completely don't recognzie me and I have come to recognize this blank look on their face when they try to place me. I hate that almost as much as the hostilty i get from some people. Several weeks before I was banded I had a weird experience which I am almost embarrassed to share. I had lunch with a friend who had lost 75lbs without surgery - she was abotu 25 lbs from her ultimate goal. I didnt realize she had lost this weight since I hadn't seen her in a while - I had such an immediate negative reaction to her weight loss that I had to double take. It took me several minutes before I could have a normal exchange with her. It was a total gut feeling and nothing that I am proud of. Now, she has gained most of her weight back and I am passed goal and she has had almost the exact same reaction. We have never talked about it and I don't see her very often because she doesnt live near me. I would say that overalll men are nicer to me and women are not as nice to me. This is really hard for me since I have always had really close female friends and an easy time making friends - I guess that was because I wan't a threat before.

Mine was moved during PS about 3 inches above my right hip bone. My bariatric surgeon had a really hard time because my waist and torso is so narrow now that there really was no good place to put it. In my opinion the port is a giant flaw in the system - I love my band but hate my port - always in the way somehow.

Nobody has ever said anything to me but I am sure some people suspect. I have a particularly hard time eating in front of people when I am stressed out and my co-workers and I often eat together. I often stop eating after 2 bites or have to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of a meal. I am sure that the co-workers who don't know about the band suspect bulimia. It almost makes me want to tell them... but then again it is none of their business.

The hiccups sounds normal because you are still swollen but the nausea doesn't - could you perhaps have a touch of the stomach flu?

Not sure if I understand your question but if you are asking what happens to your port during plastic surgery such as a tummy tuck -- don't worry because they can move your port during a tummy tuck if neccessary.

I didnt get covered but that is because my pannus really wasnt very bad - I had no documented rashes and it didn't hang low enough. Most of my excess skin was removed from the backside with a LBL. That said, oxford has been great and 100% if my overall hospital costs (all together 2 nights in hospital 7 hours in surgery) becuase of hernia repair and I also had a lower body lift . All I paid was the plastic surgeon's pay which is care for a year. good luck

With great reservation I am putting up one month before and after photos. I hope I made them decent enough. I am going to take them down really soon so if you PM me I will send them to you seperately. I am really pleased with the results. I do not have butt pictures which is by far the greatest change for me but you can tell a little from the side view shot. As you can also tell by my belly button I am still pretty swollen. I am hoping to get more definition in my waist. Here goes!