meggs353

I’ve read over and over again that WLS is not a magic bullet. It takes dedicated, sustained lifestyle changes. But, if we can’t maintain those changes (eliminate carbs, low calorie diet, avoid trigger foods) before surgery, how can we expect to maintain them after surgery? I’m thinking long term here: 5, 10, 15 years after surgery when the magic of weight loss is gone and it’s just daily life. If I can’t stop eating now, how could I expect that to change in 10 years? Really looking for help here. I had lap band surgery in 2014 and I weigh 15lbs more than my highest pre-surgery weight. I gained back all weight I lost and more, and have the same bad habits. I’m thinking of revising to gastric bypass, but I’m wondering if I’ll just fail again. BUT, if I can theoretically make a sustained life-style change post-surgery, why can’t I actually just do that now? (I try, every single day, and I fail week after week). I feel like it’s possible or impossible. If surgery doesn’t make it easy, what benefit does it have beyond short term (1-3 year) weight loss?

Hi there, I listen to a podcast called Half Size Me, which has changed the way I think about weight loss. One of the things I’d recommend is using the free Happy Scale app, which gives you an average weight, so you can track even small decreases over time. Then focus on losing a pound a month - it will take you 2 years, but 2 years will pass and you’ll either be where you are now cycling the same 5 lbs, or 22 lbs less. It’s just about small, but consistent changes - so not giving up when it seems like the scale isn’t budging, since it might just be inching down. Good luck!

Hello, I have a lap band and am seriously considering revision to gastric bypass. With the lap band, I have by far the most restriction with my first meal of the day. If I’m going to get stuck, overly full, or throw up, it’s almost always with breakfast which can set off a chain reaction throughout the day. I know the surgeries are very different, so I’m curious if people with bypass notice differences in their ability to tolerate food throughout the day. Thanks!

Thanks all for the feedback, very helpful!

The pre-op diet’s purpose is to quickly reduce fat around the liver to make surgery safer. So 5 chips won’t sabotage that. But, get right back on track and definitely follow the guidelines for 24-hrs pre-surgery as those requirements will make sure your digestive system is ready for surgery. Good luck!

Thank you so much for the thoughtful replies. Helps give me some context and some new things to think about.

Yes, I still get pain from time to time especially when I’ve eaten too much. (Banded almost 4 years ago).

Good luck ang! Go slow to avoid getting stuck and to make sure your brain gets the full signal

Thanks for sharing your story! People should not stop looking for dr's until they find one like Dr Mihil. They are not disappointed, they don't blame, they just do their best to help. Good luck and keep us posted!

Thanks for sharing! Good luck getting fills and getting back to losing again! And enjoy mommyhood!

Sorry you feel that way! I hope you follow-up with your dr for help! Acid reflux everyday can lead to major complications. You and your dr can work on strategies to get back on track!

Great work getting back on the "band" wagon! I'm in a similar place but had a set-back much earlier in my losing process. But it's not a race and I know I'll get there eventually. If I do something drastic I won't be able to keep it up so I just need regular sustainable habits

Sorry to hear about your struggles! It's not easy. But the more I'm on these boards the more I realize that almost EVERYONE struggles by gaining weight at one time or another (sometimes a little, sometimes a LOT). It doesn't mean you're a failure or you've done anything wrong, it just means you're human. The good news though is I've also read lots of stories of people who have come back from weight gain and lost all or most of it again! So it's okay if you slipped now, you can still get back to where you were! I would recommend going back to your dr (or a new one if your surgeon retired). They are so used to seeing this that they won't be surprised or disappointed - it's just part of the journey. And the surgeons want to help you be successful, so they can help you get back on track. (If you don't have that experience, get a new dr, please don't let anyone make you feel bad about it). The other thing is getting back to basics. Go back to all the band 101 rules. The band is a great but imperfect tool. Good luck, I believe you can both succeed!

I didn't lose any weight for the first few months after surgery (actually I gained some). But that's normal! The band on its own doesn't do anything for most people, you need to start getting fills over the next few months to experience appetite suppression. Good luck and do your best not to get discouraged- it's a journey!

Oh man, that sounds frustrating. It's so easy to beat ourselves up about weight gains. Yes, parts of it are within our control but so much of weight loss is a biological and psychological mind field. In other words - it's tough. Kudos to you for staring over and not giving up. Break your goals down into small chunks to help them become more attainable. Be kind to yourself and take your time losing weight the right way. The band should help you feel full with less food, rather than physically restrict you from eating. Good luck as you continue your journey!

This has happened to me twice. My theory is that it starts with multiple incidents of vomiting and then that creates inflammation and eventually leads to not being able to eat or drink anything. Both times this happened to me a small unfill of 0.5 did the trick to give relief (in your case since you were away so long I understand why they took more out). For me, I'm going to be super cautious about stuck incidents. They shouldn't happen any more than once per week, if that. Both times I got way too tight I was throwing up every day, sometimes multiple times per day, leading up to the point where I could l longer drink. Not a way to live! Good luck!

It's not unusual to gain weight before your first fill so don't worry too much (it definitely happened to me). The goal of the band is to put pressure at the top of your stomach to tell your brain you're full with less food. You'll need some fills to get to that point. Make sure you follow the dr's orders and eat slow!

If it gets bad insist on seeing your doctor, they need to see you same day or next day if you can't eat or drink. I agree to take it easy on your esophagus, but another incident, even on soft foods, can make you even tighter. Good luck!

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

Good luck! I've heard about plication, but don't know too many details (I have lap band on its own).

So here I am in the ER :/ I had my LapBand placed 13 months ago and mostly things have been great. A couple of times I've been too tight. When I have the adjustment at the docs office I'm fine, I can easily drink Water before I leave. Then days or weeks (sometimes many weeks later) I have a few stuck incidents, which create inflammation and get worse and worse until I can't comfortably eat or drink. Once before I couldn't swallow my own saliva which was very worrisome. Luckily all of these incidents happened on week days when my doc's office is open so I could get in same day or early the next day for care. Unfortunately this time it happened on a Saturday. Friday evening I could eat fine, but Saturday I got stuck eating ricotta cheese in the morning and couldn't eat or drink a thing after that. (Now that I think about it, the last time this happened I also got stuck on ricotta in the morning, yikes, need to remember to never do that again). I thought by taking it easy I would feel better by Sunday morning. But today (Sunday) I still can't drink, and am constantly needing to throw up. I searched Google and these forums looking for tips to ease the tightness and all I read was to see a dr asap. Since my dr's office isn't open until Monday I didn't want to risk dehydration. I really, really REALLY didn't want to spend my Sunday in the ER but what's the alternative? I'm not in any severe pain, and I don't think my band slipped, but to make sure I'm not putting continued stress on the band I want to make sure I'm taking care of everything. I'll let you all know how it goes. So far I had an X-ray taken to check for a slip and the hospital is checking to make sure they have the correct needles for an unfill. Self-care first, even when it's not fun!

Thanks for all the support! I think a key learning for me is to take it easy after I get stuck. After a stuck incident I would keep trying to eat again until I finally could. I think that by not giving myself time to settle the inflammation just kept compounding until it gets to a "point of no return" where I need an unfill to relieve the pressure. Now that I'm looser I need to be careful not to gain. When my band is a little tighter I eat slowly because I HAVE to eat slowly. Now I need to do it because otherwise I'll skip right past the point of satiety and become "too full". I was just messaging with another bandster and saying that even though it's been over a year, I'm still learning!

I finally got an unfill, and I drank 2 glasses of Water (yay!) The ER doc here had the right needles but he couldn't get them into the port (ouch!). He called someone at my practice and she came over to the hospital to do the unfill. It turns out my practice has someone on call 24/7. I didn't realize that! The woman who came said that sometimes they will advise us to go to an ER but they can also tell us which ER to go to. Now I know! Calling ahead is probably a good idea for others who are in a similar situation (or just got to your surgery hospital) to make sure they have the right needles. I called an Urgent Care center first and they confirmed they don't do it, but I assumed any fully staffed emergency room in NYC would be able to handle it. But I was wrong! So glad to be on the road to recovery! Having the LapBand means not living in discomfort, so I'm glad I got medical attention even if it took 5 hours to sort.

As an update, the X-Ray was good and the band is still in place (no slip). The bad news is the hospital I'm at doesn't have the needles needed to do the adjustment. I'm in NYC so I came to the hospital nearest my apt, but I need to visit the ER of the hospital where I had my surgery (and if this ever happens again I should go straight there). Am waiting for discharge and then will take a taxi over there.

It definitely makes it easier, but it's not fool proof! I lost 25 lbs with the band (of 55 total to lose). I'm still on my weight loss journey. But I know that if I didn't have surgery I never would have lost those 25 lbs and I would have just kept gaining. The losses are slow going but so much better than gaining!