BetsyB

No matter what route you choose, the behaviors have to change. That's it, period. Until you accept that, you will struggle with your weight. (And if you're as frank with the surgeon you choose as you've been here, I think it very unlikely you will be taken on as a patient. You may one day be ready, but you are not now.)

I hope you get good news from the EGD--what you're experiencing sounds miserable (and expensive)!

My doctor's gastric bypass rules are identical to the recommendations he makes for banded patients. (The only difference is how rapidly diet is advance postop; bypass patients introduce solids more slowly. That, and bypass patients are cautioned about possible postop lactose intolerance.) The malabsorption of nutrients related to bypass will work in your favor--temporarily. The body is pretty amazing in its efficiency, though; it "learns" to work with the alterations in anatomy, and corrects its response to malabsorption within a couple of years. That's why you see initial huge losses with bypass--followed by about the same result as banding 5 years down the road. Just as with banding, you can "eat around" a bypass. Yes, dumping syndrome can be a deterrent to some overeating--but it's not experienced by all (or even most) bypass patients. If you haven't been able to make the modifications required for banding, I'd think long and hard about having bypass. You will need to make the same modifications---and MORE. To avoid dumping, you will have to avoid a whole class of foods that I suspect you still are eating with your band. OTOH if the issue is that the band causes you physical discomfort that prevents you from eating properly, that may be a different story--as long as you keep in mind that you might be experiencing a whole different world of discomfort if you are noncompliant with bypass.

Well, you didn't really gain 3 pounds overnight--that sort of gain is related to Fluid retention. However, you really need to get a grip on the eating. It's natural to resist big changes--but you've gone to pretty drastic lengths in the name of losing weight, so it's imperative that you do make those changes. It sounds like your mind is playing games with you---and that you're playing along by not sticking to the preop diet and testing the limits of the postop diet. These are NOT things that support weight loss. You need to make the decision to to what you need to do to lose weight. That means choosing the right foods, in the right amounts. It means NOT pushing the limits. It may very well mean being hungry---which is not pleasant, but if you remind yourself that this is the LAST time you will be hungry in the name of weight loss, it is liveable. Your body has enough reserve that you are not going to starve to death if you follow your doctor's instructions. No one has yet died from hunger during the time it takes to achieve restriction. So you simply have to make the decision to do what you need to do to lose the weight. And not just so that you get those 5 pounds off so that you can get a fill---but because it's what your body needs. You're in control--but you have to exercise that control. ETA: if you go to another doctor to "speed up the process," yo may well find your aftercare with your surgeon compromised. Mine would be VERY unhappy if I were to do this; I suspect he would discharge me from his care.

Have you finished taking it? The effects should taper off pretty quickly---within a week (probably far less), you should be feeling lots better. You might find, though, that the carb monster has been triggered---and that it's tough to turn back from it. If so, eating carefully for a few days will remind your body of what it needs

I don't--my doctor okays it after 6 months, but I decaffeinated myself before surgery, and have felt really good, so I didn't start back up with it. I do occasionally have caffeinated tea, but not often. You mentioned that you were worried about being able to get fluids in when you have restriction. I have good restriction now, and can still drink very freely. Not tiny sips, but drinking. Clear liquids move through the stoma rapidly. Immediately after a fill, I have to stop after every few ounces and wait a minute or so if I want to drink more. But most of the time, I can very freely drink.

You can take the guesswork and suspense out of waiting by reading your policy; it will spell out, very precisely, the conditions you have to meet. Mine specifies that for BMI 35-40, 2 comorbidities are required in order for banding to be covered. For BMI > 40, no comorbidities are necessary. At my first preop visit, I was just at 40; this is the number that was used for approval. However, by the time I hit the OR, I was lower than 40.

Steroids are notorious for causing carbohydrate craving--and they skew carbohydrate metabolism, which can really make your blood sugar swing wildly. The best way to combat it by upping your Protein, sticking to carbohydrates that come from veggies, legumes, and WHOLE grains (and I'd skip the grains, to tell you the truth), and really being careful about sodium. Your satiety will be increased if you aim for a good balance of protein, "good" carb, and heart-healthy fat at each meal. This will help with the blood sugar swings and also, if you are generally well-fed, leave less room for binge-y stuff. Be aware that the steroids may well affect Fluid balance--don't be surprised if you see a gain. The meds are short-term, so you won't see the fat gain that can occur with long-term use---but you may well retain fluid.

I would go ahead and get the fill. For me, portion size is never really affected by fills; rather, the duration of satisfaction is changed. If you're getting hungry quickly, your pouch is emptying too rapidly. A fill will address that. The size of your pouch will remain the same--so if you're not eating sliders (which would go through a bit more slowly with more restriction), then you should not notice much of a difference in capacity.

For me, that sensation means I've eaten too much.

If you can't drink water, you need to make the trip back to your doctor. Sooner, rather than later.

I don't do the fake foods, in general. I do use artificial sweeteners, but things like oils, butters, cheeses--I use the real deal. It's not like I can get all that much of them into me these days. I'd rather have a tiny amount of a good-quality food than a larger amount of crapola food.

You've had a really rough time--I hope things improve for you fast. I know they seem enormous--and they have been really bad for you---but early postop complications like the ones you've described are relatively minor (not in terms of inconvenience to you, but in terms of safety and threat to your health), and once cleared up, are usually followed by smooth sailing. I hope that for you, this is the case. That said, "only 35 pounds" since July? You don't really think that that is a small loss, do you? If so, it's time to readjust expectations; your loss is really good!

Well, a fill is a great first step! You've done tremendously well with only 2 fills---100 pounds down is pretty darn amazing. With a fill, you will find it easier to get the ball rolling again. Sometimes, you just need a break to adjust to huge changes in your body. You've had that time, and now you're ready to move down some more. What kind of food plan does your doctor recommend? What are you eating now? What are you willing to change, and what are you unwilling to change? What kinds of exercise are you willing to commit to doing regularly? You can do it--you just have to make some decisions

I do have a bodybugg and highly recommend it. However, for a long time I relied on a good Omron pedometer and Fitday.com. (I still use Fitday for journaling; I plug my totals for the day into the bodybugg site.) Fitday is pretty darn accurate in terms of calorie burn from activities. Where I find the bodybugg to be more helpful is with the calories burned just from activities of daily living--it helps me keep an eye on how my loss affects my metabolism, overall. Not something critical to know, but useful to me.

I have had fibromyalgia through thick and thin---literally. I am not sure whether it's the weight loss itself that has given me (huge!) relief, or the way I now eat. I suspect the latter, because as I mentioned, the diagnosis predates my obesity, and even when thin (but eating differently than I now do), I was more symptomatic than I am now.

No, I would postpone.

I had a hard time finding liquid adult acetaminophen, too--my pharmacist ordered it. I was told NO Advil (or other NSAIDs) at all, post-banding, so check with your doctor about that before taking it.

Insurance only provides the coverage an employer purchases; if you want to have the coverage, making a case with the insurance company is futile. The place to start is with the benefits person at your (or your spouse's) place of employment. You can make a pretty strong case in favor of purchasing coverage for bariatric surgery when you identify the costs related to obesity (and health care related to obesity) for the employer. Every insurance provider has a whole spectrum of different coverages---and employers choose which to purchase, largely based on cost. If their employees demand other coverages, however, they may opt to include them when they renew policies.

My doctor's a three-meals-a-day guy. And he has pretty stringent recommendations for those meals. I supplement those meals with snacks---ones I carefully choose for their benefit to my body. I'm losing at a rate faster than most of his patients, and he is fine with it.

Donna Jo, I think low-carb is important for glycemic control, too--at least for some of us. When I want to make a big batch of cheese "crackers," I do it on a parchment-lined cookie sheet in the oven. I really like these made with good quality shredded Parmesan. Bariatric Eating sells packets of cheese crisps for an astronomical price--much easier to just make some! (They also recommend doing the same thing with pepperoni slices--they get crispy like chips, too. I haven't tried it yet, but would do it with turkey or soy pepperoni, just to reduce some of the fat...)

For me, the band does not make the "full" signal stronger; it makes it completely different. "Full" is very uncomfortable---it's the one bite too many that pushes me from comfortable to feeling as though I need to vomit. So, I've had to learn to listen to my body. To eat slowly and pause in between bites to be sure that the next bite won't push me over the edge. While there are plenty of "full" sensors in the upper, banded, portion of the sensor, if you don't know how to listen to your body, you won't hear what they're saying any more than you "heard" before banding. I can easily waltz right past full--and feel miserable. I have concentrated on feeling satisfied. I stop before "full." For me, full takes it too far. If you are the type who continues to eat past one pizza all the way to the third pizza, it's NOT because you're not full. It's because you've learned that "stuffed" is an appropriate feeling. The band WILL teach you---FAST----that it is NOT an appropriate feeling.

It's true that the right level of adjustment will make a world of difference. But it's also true that no matter how well-adjusted your band, Haagen-Daz is going to go down just fine. That means you really MUST start doing the things that support weight loss instead of sabotaging yourself. Look, you're not where you want to be, fill-wise, yet. And many will tell you that you won't lose until you are. But it's not true. You CAN choose to make appropriate food decisions and lose weight as you work toward restriction. It's hard, but it can be done. It's not a decision you have to make, but you're unhappy with your progress now. What would happen if you were to really commit to eating the way you'll need to eat when you do have restriction? What do you have to lose? Seeing success as you work toward restriction really might be the boost you need. If nothing else, knock off the self-sabotage with stuff like ice cream. It's great that you stopped with a scoop instead of a pint--but even that is getting in the way of what you want to achieve. Just because you CAN eat doesn't mean you MUST eat. You can do it!

My lists are very simple, but come from a few different places. From Bariatric Eating Inspire Protein powder PURE unflavored protein Cancun chili seasoning mix From the grocery store: spinach lettuce garlic whatever other fresh veggies look good berries, or whatever fresh fruit looks good broccoli slaw mix--I eat a LOT of this Ken's Lite Asian sesame salad dressing cheeses--cheddar, cottage, Parmesan Greek yogurt (sometimes--it is a little slidey, so I don't have it as often as I did preop) almond milk ground chicken (for chili) turkey Italian sausage beans--fat-free refried, black Beans, kidney beans, cannelini beans, etc. from Market Day (ordered monthly from my son's school): shrimp tilapia-tortilla-crusted and plain scallops salmon cod rack of pork boneless pork chops chicken breasts portions--plain and teriyaki ground beef

I would skip the Water fast, and just concentrate on making conscious decisions, as Jacqui suggests. I love sweets--really, I would eat them all day long if I could. But the space in my stomach is limited, and it's important to me to get what I need, nutritionally. Sugary foods just don't provide that. That doesn't mean I don't ever eat anything sweet; I do. But on a day-to-day basis, I really concentrate on making choices that meet my nutritional needs. When I do that, the craving for sugar really subsides. (Now most things taste far too sweet to me--which sort of reinforces my resolve to avoid them.)