kossde

I don’t think there’s really anything that tightens skin. Muscle development can fill you out a bit and make the skin less noticeable. Plastic surgery is the only thing that research shows successfully removes extra skin. also your husband is a d**k.

I weigh daily because my monthly cycle has a huge impact on my weight. If I weighed weekly, some weeks I might be higher simply because it’s getting close to ‘that’ time of the month. Without knowing my daily pattern, that would really upset me. So I weigh daily knowing that stalls and periods happen. I just don’t let them get me down

I can tell you aren’t very happy right now. You are 18. 18 is a rough age. I don’t think you have actually hurt anyone, though. Try to stay positive, be true to yourself, and understand that 18 sucks... it gets WAY better.

All, I am reeling! I am about 3 weeks post-gastric bypass and am shocked at how extremely depressed I am. I am physically uncomfortable, constantly nauseated, and struggling to find energy to do anything. This surgery has thrown my entire world into disarray. I feel like I need to clarify: I am a chronically optimistic person so I still don't regret the surgery (though sometimes my mind moves in that direction). I am also not even an itsy bitsy bit suicidal. I have a 4 year old and 2 year old and the thought of dying fills me with absolute dread - that dread of leaving my two children alone is a big part of why I had this surgery. My husband has been extremely supportive but suffers from chronic anxiety and depression- he is dealing with his own roller coaster right now. I need to beat this.. quickly. I don't have time for depression and all that jazz. I need tips, tricks, and any bit of mental or physical suggestions that might help me move past this extremely trying experience.

I was actually able to fix it. Turns out, I was dehydrated. Once I began legitimately drinking 64 oz of water, the depression disappeared within literally hours. I had no idea the two could be related but apparently they can. In fact, I feel better mentally now than I have in years!

I wanted to update this post because I’ve identified the EXACT cause of my depression: dehydration. While I still haven’t figured out how dehydration was causing depression, I have consistently been able to cure it by drinking 30+ oz of water. When the depression sets in, I know I haven’t had enough water. I drink a boat load and within hours, the depression is completely gone, and I feel just fine. I realize this isn’t a quick fix for everyone with depression but I don’t have a history of depression so it seemed strange that surgery would get me so down. Of course it all makes sense now. There have been at least two times that I probably should have gone to the ER for dehydration. Instead I just drank water nonstop to cure it. I have had trouble focusing my eyes, extreme depression, exhaustion, nausea, etc. and all of it has been due to dehydration. very weird o_O. I am now making DAMN sure I get 64 oz of water a day and it has really, REALLY helped!!

I had surgery in July 15. Since the , I haven’t been able to sleep in my stomach or side. When I try, it feels like my insides are all moving and a weird muscle in my left side abdomen cramps up terribly. I need sleep :( I can’t sleep on my back. Pillows aren’t helping. Is this normal?? When will it stop happening?

I really hope that’s how it is with me!!

I actually did call my doctor. I was told it was from the ‘anchor stitch’ during surgery. I was also told it should go away in another week or two... and that it’s their number one complaint from bariatric patients post-surgery. Wish they had told me before now so that I could have expected it

I am almost 3 weeks post surgery - transitioning from a 12 year old lapband to gastric bypass. I lost 200 lbs on lapband and gained 120 of it back over two pregnancies. I am in shock of how ill-prepared I was for this transition. The lapband came so easily to me. I lost weight quickly, followed all the rules, etc. This time around, I am struggling to eat, sleep, take my vitamins, etc. I am severely depressed (Covid-19 doesn't help this), physically uncomfortable, and I feel hopeless. With that said, I've lost over 25 lbs in 2 weeks, I'm not having nearly as many actual eating problems as other people who had this surgery, and I know I'll get through this. I do not regret the decision at this time.

The title really says it all. All the normal surgical pain is under control but the bloating is so bad I can't even wear a bra without being miserable. Any tips for getting that crap under control?

I always thought it was a complete farce- the idea that a person could gain weight exercising simply by putting on muscle mass. I was wrong! One day about a month ago, I suddenly started craving Protein again- something I haven’t really craved in 6 months or so. Of course, at this point, I know when my body is trying to tell me something, so I went back to the old (and very useful) rules for the band and began eating protein before anything else. Within a few days, two things started to happen. 1) I started gaining weight. 2) I could quite suddenly began noticing increased strength at the gym. For a few days, I was a little worried about the weight gain, but a trip to Old Navy, Macy’s, and Express put my fears to rest- I’d dropped a clothing size. I am now a size 4 rather than a size 6. So I’m ok like this! I’ve started losing the weight again but chances are I will fluctuate like this forever; drifting between 125 and 135 lbs. I figure as long as I maintain a good cardio and weight training routine and listen to my body, I’ll be just fine!

Go for healthy, my friend! I am 5’3 but have a very slight body build (but we never knew it until I lost all the weight). I weigh about 132 lbs right now- drifting between 125 and 135 lbs. I am of the impression that if you intend to lose weight, you should go all the way. There’s a chart at http://www.freebmicalculator.net/bmi-chart.jpg that you might find helpful.

yes!! That is exactly what happened to me. Granted, I've been going to the gym for about 18 months, but last month, I noticed that my body had started craving meat (protein). So, I obliged and within a week, I’d gained about 4 lbs. Two things clued me in to the fact that it was the gym causing it: 1) I had dropped clothing sizes – down from a woman’s size 6 to a size 4. 2) Pretty much overnight, I could lift more weight and for longer periods without it hurting or bothering me at all. I have absolutely no clue what caused the very sudden change in how my body reacts to exercise, but I know enough to listen when my body is telling me something, and I figured after 193 lbs of weight loss, it was telling it’s time to tone up :smile:

My port moves every night when I sleep. I go to bed and it's hanging out with my belly button; I wake up and it's creeping its way up my chest like some pervert at a night club. A good stretch puts it back in its place though. It's been like this since I hit goal and it doesn't hurt or feel weird, so I've never been worried about it. I figure it’s something my muscles do when I sleep since I do sleep on my stomach.

My surgeon didnt say anything about how much I should lose. I can, however, tell you that I started out at 321.6 lbs and now weigh 128 lbs. I look good at this weight – I could probably stand to lose another 8 lbs. My regular doctor said at 5’3 I should weigh between 113 and 140 lbs depending on muscle tone and body type. He also pointed out that I most likely only have 4 – 5 lbs of extra skin (the skin issue is slowly going away by the way), so if I include that, 117 – 144 would be considered healthy.

I've been overweight since I was about 3 years old. I had the surgery in April, 2008. I've since lost about 190 lbs and now weigh a happy/healthy 133 lbs. It's the first time in my life that I have not been considered overweight that I can remember. It CAN be done! Just make sure you are honest with yourself and that you familiarize yourself with things that might inhibit weight loss (such as eating around the band) Best of luck :smile: I'm sure you'll be a great success

Ok I'm at work so I gotta make this short. The band has been a complete success. I've lost 190 lbs and now weigh about 130 lbs. I exercise regularly (5 days a week) and am much happier / healthier. But I've got one or two little issues that I've been ignoring for some time. When I walk too far or for too long, my back, hips, or stomach begin to hurt. It's always one or the other - either my stomach will hurt as if I have gas, my back will hurt like i've been bending over too long, or my hips will hurt like I'm carrying too much weight. This isn't significant pain and has been going on for over a year now; it hasn't worsened at all. It also hasn't gone away! A few details: the pain is worse if I walk a lot after I eat (this is especially common for the stomach pain). When I sit down- it goes away almost instantly. Any idea what is causing this? It only occurs when I walk or jog- swimming, biking, eliptical - none of those cause these issues. I also make it a point to lift weights in order to keep my muscles strong (including Core muscles)- that has never caused pain either. Any suggestions are appreciated :scared2:

LOL! This made me laugh!! I've also been there. I'm at goal now and don't have nearly the sag I had before, but I'm certainly not destined to be a nude model. Ah well- I'm ok with that :thumbup: I look pretty darnsexy clothed- not caring too much about the naked part :scared2:

Hello everyone! I just registered here today, but I have been reading the forum for months – since I started working with my doctor to go through Lap Band surgery. Anyhow, I have Aetna Choice POS II and thought that I’d share some of my experience. I think this will be a long post, but I hope it’s helpful to those of you who are trying to get approved. I began working with my doctor four months ago to prepare for the surgery. We did the three month pre-op routine. Over all, I went to both my primary care doctor (who also managed my diet) and the nutritionist four times – The initial visit plus one each month of the diet. I also was advised to have a psychiatric evaluation – though according to Aetna’s website, that isn’t actually required unless you have a history of mental illness. The counselor who completed the evaluation made a note on the evaluation that he felt I would be an excellent candidate for the surgery. I don’t know if this impacted Aetna’s decision or not. The whole process cost me less than $400 (though I think I may have to fork out another $1000 for out-of-network deduct able for the actual surgery). I paid a $20 co-pay for all of the primary care visits and the two visits for psychiatric evaluations. The nutritionist charged me $50 a visit. During this time, I lost approximately 21 lbs (gained 3 lbs the first month and lost 24 the additional two months after my doctor threatened me with the phrase, “Aetna won’t approve this surgery if you don’t lose weight). I followed Aetna’s requirements to a tee – excluding the aspect of having a 5 year (now 2 year) medical history. While I have had a BMI of at least 40 for at least 5 years, I went to a doctor maybe twice during that time. I was upfront with my doctor about this dilemma but she assured me that we’d figure a way to work around it. And, to make matters even MORE complicated, the two doctors I did visit LOST my records!! Both of them! So, about 3 weeks ago, I had completely given up hope of ever getting approved when I read on this site that Aetna had lowered their requirements for medical history. Immediately I scanned in a whole bunch of pictures of me from between 2005 and now. Four of these pictures were official headshots – Passport, Drivers License, Work ID, and College ID – I did this because I knew that an official picture which had my name on it would be a lot harder to deny as ‘proof.’ Then, because I don’t generally look nearly as obese as I really am, I included about 6 full-body pictures. None of these pictures were flattering, but then again, none were inaccurate in any way either. I put the pictures in a nice little word document, placed a caption below each one stating the approximate date of the photo as well as what was going on (such as during my trip to Las Vegas or when my niece was born.) Then, I wrote Aetna a letter. This letter was about five pages long (notice how I write too much?) and detailed my weight struggle from practically day one (I was about 8 when it became a problem). This is where it got interesting. I emailed the entire ‘letter and pictures’ over to my doctor and asked her to go ahead and send it to Aetna as is. The doctor faxed Aetna the request, but it took Aetna over a week to actually receive it and document it. I called Aetna every day for an update. On about day 4 after they actually received the fax, I was told that the request was ‘pending additional information’ – You guessed it, the nurse who reviewed my documents needed a medical history. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that! So, after going around with my doctor for several days on how to proceed- my doctor was notified by the Aetna nurse that she would have to send the information up to the people who deny or approve the requests as is since she couldn’t wait any longer. I was a little relieved; I hadn’t realized that she wasn’t the one who approved it. Well, after my Doctor called and woke me up with the ‘bad’ news, I told her to tell the nurse to go ahead and PLEASE send the request up so that someone could make a decision. The request was approved the very same day she sent it up. I just found out yesterday. I had to call Aetna twice because I had convinced myself that the first person I had spoken to was giving me inaccurate information – that was entirely too easy, I thought. Now, I am just waiting for the letter so I can fork over the cash and get the surgery done with. One last thing: My BMI is over 40 but I have absolutely no co-morbidities. I do have an under-active thyroid, but that only began to occur about two years ago – didn’t cause my obesity. Sorry for the long post, but I thought it was important to let people know – YOU CAN GET APPROVED WITHOUT THE RECORDED MEDICAL HISTORY! Good Luck everyone! :smile:

Hello everyone. I posted this thread well over a year ago. I wanted to just let everyone know (even tho this is in the insurance coverage area) that I have succeeded! As of today I weigh 131 lbs. I've lost 190 lbs total since I was banded at the beginning of April, 2008. I exercise, make healthier decisions, and generally have a better quality of life. I don't regret my decision for even a moment and I also don't feel that this has been an earth shattering or incredibly difficult experience. In fact, I think that the hardest part is paying for all the clothes that I had to buy while I was dropping clothing sizes.

Ok so this isn’t the type of issue most people on here complain about, but I’ve got a unique problem. I’ve lost pretty much all my desire to eat. Now- the psychological addiction to food is still quite real but it’s taken on a rather complicated appearance. You see, it’s quite common that I find myself heading for Popeyes or KFC or some other equally fattening fast food restaurant. However, once I have the food in my hands, I begin to mull around unconsciously finding excuses not to sit down and eat. It’s a very expensive and pointless habit. I went out to dinner with my family last night and spent the entire meal staring at my food, poking it with a fork and thinking, “I probably should eat some of it.” But after I take one or two bites, I lose interest and end up wasting pretty much the entire meal (we’re talking $10 or so). I DO take it home as leftovers- but it usually doesn’t get eaten. I have good restriction, although I’ve not had a fill in over a year. But it’s not restriction that’s causing the problem- because I can tell internally that I’m not physically full. I’m just not interested. Some people would be like, “YAY!! THAT’S THE BEST PROBLEM IN THE WORLD TO HAVE!” and even four months ago I would have agreed. But I am at goal now – (I’ve lost 180 lbs) – and am trying to tone muscle – a task that becomes complicated when you aren’t giving your body the nutrients that it needs. Also, because I AM still addicted to food, I find myself buying chocolate or ice cream or some other simple carb to make up for the lack of energy (more $$$ spent). The ONLY saving grace regarding that is, I am losing interest equally fast with sweet foods- so ice cream will sit in the freezer for months; cookies boxes sit on the counter until they expire. Cake… well that would be a waste and a half. I don’t really feel guilty for buying the candy and sugary foods- because I don’t end up eating them anyway – but I do recognize that this is an incredibly bizarre and unhealthy habit to get into. I should point out that I have very severe ADHD. It went undiagnosed my entire life because I was so overweight, the disorder never presented its self in a physical manner (wasn’t hyper) but rather in my behavior, work output and attention span. But once I began losing weight and quite literally bouncing off the walls, my own mother suggested I see a doctor. So for the last year, I’ve been on Adderall. Adderall does impact the appetite in some people (not all people tho) and never really caused me too many problems before. My goal from the beginning of this surgery was to be healthy and I know what I’m doing now is NOT healthy. I have been contemplating a very slight unfill – but part of me is afraid I’d begin gaining weight. I also know that Adderall isn’t helping this problem at all, but can’t go off of the meds because I do need them in order to function normally (although ‘normally’ is a relative term). Oh- also, I exercise every evening after work. Exercise has a history of absolutely destroying my appetite, but because of my work schedule, it’s kind of the only free time I have. I want to eat healthy – this means healthy type and amount of calories. Right now I fluctuate anywhere from 300 calories a day to 1200 – weekends tend to see around 300 or so… can’t seem to sit still long enough to eat breakfast or lunch. I am completely open to suggestions on what I can do about this. :wink: <-- What is that?? (ADHD...)

That's actually really good advice. It IS entirely possible that the medicine is impacting me differently than it used to. I'm going to see my doctor tomorrow and discuss it with him. I'm not nauseous after I eat so I CAN force myself to eat a healthy meal. I just dont always realize I'm not eating until well after the fact. I'll have to be more careful from now on, that's for sure

You know - I did not mention this earlier because I didnt even think of it. I have hypothyroidism. However, my doctor monitors it closely and with synthroid, I havent had any issues at all. My primary care physician sees me once every six months and does a complete blood work-up because he isn't familiar with the lapband procedure and doesn't want to 'risk' anything by overlooking a potential nutritional deficit. So far, so good. I'm not even low in Iron or anemic.

The nutritionist doesnt seem to understand the band. I was also told no carbinated beverages (as far as I know that's a legit no-no) but the rest of it doesnt seem to be. I dont have issues eating bread (although I dont eat as much anymore cuz it feels like Im wasting space on it when I could be eating something like meat) Also- I (and probably ever other banded person out there) burp all the time.