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I do miss food. But I miss that refreshed feeling of drinking water. I had some complications so that also contributes to my feelings.

I take Protonix RX for 6 months now. this is a new symptom....long history of complications. I am asymptomatic which is good and not at risk for esophogeal issues at this point. not eating - tube feeding, which my body is handling just fine. who knows?? it is just yucky.....(10# to go, but i might change it from 140 to 135 when i get healthy.)

I'm the same! I had my orientation at Kaiser a little over 2 weeks ago, where they told us to start on the pre-op diet. I had a BMI of 35 -- I'm 5'4" with a SW of 215. I've already lost 12 pounds, which drops me down to a BMI of 34. I have my first meeting with the surgeon tomorrow... I'm hoping to schedule surgery for July. If I keep up the weigh loss, I have to imagine I'll be at least at a 33 by then. Thankfully, I'm told that Kaiser goes by the orientation weight, so it shouldn't matter. If anything, I want my body to be as healthy as possible by the time I have surgery in order to reduce complications. But I'll also see what the surgeon says tomorrow when I meet him!

Okay, so here's a quick rundown of what's been going on. My dad wasn't informed about this surgery until after I got insurance approval and that is the route that I decided would be best because my dad doesn't like it when things are half assed. After checking this route with my mom, she agreed with me. That way, after my consultation and all the tests I would be able to answer his questions. And I decided to wait until after getting insurance approval because if I got denied by insurance, there wasn't any point in getting him all worked up about it. Well, he wasn't happy with that decision, or any other decisions I've made for my life, especially those regarding this surgery. For the past two weeks, we have been fighting nonstop. Calm talks turn into screaming matches and then I get upset and then we'll go days before talking again, and then the cycle repeats. He went as far as to say he would pull me from the insurance policy if I continue to say that I would go through with this. But at the end of yesterday's conversation, that threat was mentioned and I think he's relenting because he said, "Cate, you're going to do whatever it is you want to do anyway." Our relationship has always been rocky and complicated. He was never around when I was growing up and recently, because of my mom's declining health, made more of an effort to be present in the last three years. But I will stand by how I feel and that's that he can't just decide to waltz back into my life and stop me from making major decisions for my life. He's never been to a single doctor's appointment with me. Which brings me to my next point. He called all my doctors - my PCP, my endo, my gyno, my gastro, my neuro, my suregon - who all spoke to him, except my suregon, and not only did they speak to him about my medical records without my written or verbal permission, but my endo told him inaccurate and incorrect information! My suregon, the gentleman that he is, requested a meeting with both my parents and myself to answer any and all questions that they may have, (I went to my consult with a friend because my mom is disabled and homebound, except in cases like this, and my father was still in the dark at that point.) and also asked for my permission to speak to my parents about my medical history. It just makes me crazy. If I don't get pulled from the policy and I do have surgery next Thursday, I'm going to be going to the hospital alone. I have one parent that supports me and can't be there and one parent that could be there but doesn't support me. I just hate how friends that I known for my whole life and even those that I've only had for a year or two support me more then my own family. I'm so tired of fighting with him and I'm sorry that he doesn't like what I'm doing but I'm doing this for me. One thing for me and he needs to understand that. And I know that, regardless of how 'in' my life he was, he's still my parent and he's still concerned, but he doesn't want to know anything about this. He is so stubborn! So, if things go as planned, I will have surgery on Feb. 9th. I'm just so completely stressed out. Thanks for letting me vent, I needed to get that off my chest.

If you don't mind my asking, why did you have to be rebanded three days later? Did you have serious complications?

Ok, allow me to give you some background info, bounce my problems off you and see if you can sort this out for me... I was banded 9/18/2006. I've lost 100 lbs give or take depending on the day. Since mid December I've not lost much of anything. I had a .50cc fill 2/2/08 lost 4 lbs then totally stopped loosing again. At first I chalked it up to too many Holiday treats, now I'm getting worried. It's March-there's no more Holiday treats to sneak! I told my Doc I only wanted a .25cc fill. I thought .50cc would be too much. I feel tight, but I'm not sure it's too tight. I have a coffee & yogurt for Breakfast, salad w/grilled chicken for lunch, and most of the time I have a Protein drink for dinner. Granted I have a wicked sweet tooth, and I usually have a chocolate snack around 3:00pm. But that's nothing new, and it's usually very small, like a chocolate pudding cup, or a couple kisses, or hot cocoa. I don't think I eat enough not to be loosing anything. My God, if thats all I can eat to maintain 180+ lbs, I'll never make it to 120! What would I be eating, a rice cake every-other day??? I slipped my band 1/16/07, and I now live in constant, consuming fear of another slip, or other complication. I digress... For all of you still reading my ramble, thank you, now allow me to get to my point. Since my fill, some days I feel like I can only drink my meals, somedays I can eat everything in sight. I always gurgle. I have HORRIBLE burping fits. I sound like an 85 year old man with no manners left. I sometimes scare my 5 year old, he thinks it's a monster coming to get him. I get the shoulder gas pain often. It doesn't feel like my slip felt, but I don't know. Am I just mental? Am I normal? Is there something wrong? Any of you get the burps this bad? Can I do anything about it? Honestly, my coworker came to my desk the other day to tell me, and I quote... "What are you doing over here, it's the grossest thing I've ever heard!" I need help!

Hi SL I sent you an email previously today through another site, but not sure you got it. I clearly still don't know what I'm doing. Thanks for your well wishes. I hope you're doing wonderfully well on your diet...I am still not focused yet. All of the possible, but rare complications appear to be hitting me, quite literally, in the face right now. The bruising is down, do I don't look so much like Panda anymore. The swelling, visual disturbances and now a small scar tissue tumor behind my left lower eye lid are quite troubling. They are supposed to work on the "granuloma" next Wed. They also told me not to fill my eye glass prescription yet, because changes in vision often occur. When one signs the list of complications on the release form just before surgery, one seldom has to worry about all of these things...It's just like the lapband was to me...I seem to encourage odd and unusual occurrences, Sky It's July 4th -- Independence Day here in the U.S. There will be fireworks and celebrations tonight, but only in the places that aren't under a ban because of the drought we are experiencing. We have forest and grass fires in multiple locations. It seems like the whole world is experiencing natural disasters and tragedies of one kind or another. Take care of yourself, my friend, and do well on your high Protein, low carb. I know you can succeed. let me hear from you!! Grandy

Had you not seen Dr in those 3 mos with complications? Sent from my SM-G900H using the BariatricPal App

My 30 pounds overwieght became 80 pounds overweight w/in 5 years. The problem is that many people can lose 40, 50 and even 100 lbs. The big question is, Can you maintain that weight? I can lose 40-45 pounds but I have never lost more than that. I knew that lapband would be the best tool for me to lose my weight and maintain it. That's what I'm hoping for. I feel very positive about getting the weight off more so than I ever did pre-band. I keep saying to myself that I did something so major as LapBand that I'm not about to screw it up. I can't think about the "what ifs". I just know that if I get the most out of my band and lose the weight, I have won the battle. There are risks and complications with almost everything we do in life. As you know, being overweight is a risk in itself. One that I'm not willing to take. The risks of lapband are far less riskier than being obese. You have to be extremely comfortable with your decision. I expected this to be so life altering as far as my eating habits. So far so good. Of course I haven't had a fill yet. So we'll see what happens after that. My advice to you is to talk to patients who have had this surgery by your surgeon. There is probably a support group that you can attend. I found once I attended the support group with patients who have had the surgery with my surgeons group, I felt much better about my decsion. Every person in the support group was thrilled and excited with their new life. Some people on this site are on it for good reasons. They may have minor or even major complications and need answers. But look around more. There are many people on this site who are very happy with their decision. Wishing you the best of luck with whatever you decide. Keep us posted.

Hi there people, The more i stay on this site the less positive i am about being banded. My banding date is October 18th but.. Im not sure if all the " adjusting " being banded will be worth it. You see i,m 6,1, tall ( 185 cm )and was about 260 lbs (120 kg).BMI 36 So i do look big though it,s more of a belly, BUT since seeing the surgeon i have been on Optifast VLCD and lost 22lbs (10kg) and by surgery time i will have lost another 22lbs (10 kg) and my goal wieght is about 200lbs (90kg). So i will almost be there any way. After banding i will have to change my eating habits , exercise ect so why cant i do that without being banded and avoid all the hassles.And possible complications and disapointments the some of you have. I have been overwieght for the past 25 years and have yo yoed up and down most years Am i making sense or just confused. HELP............ Mark

When I went to the doctor last for a case of bronchitis, I had a huge shock when I stepped on the scale -- 204!!! I'm 4'11. That gives me a BMI of 41.2. I've been maintaining at 170-180 for about the last 3-4 years. My highest weight ever was 244 when I was 19 and on birth control pills. When I wasn't in a relationship I decided to just throw them away -- they were costing me money and it wasn't like I was in danger of getting pregnant... my allegedly underactive thyroid got into the normal range within a month of coming off of them. I got down to 145 over a year, then have crept back up. The thing that changed me from the 170-180 up to this was dislocating my kneecap nearly two years ago. I've had reduced activity -- it still hurts to walk through Wal-Mart. When I saw the scale go up over 200, I wanted to cry, and not just for physical pain. I know to some I don't have a huge weight problem. People say I "carry it well". They don't want to offend me, I'm sure. And I even admit it's not as bad as it used to be. But I'm terrified. My mother had gastric bypass at 265 lbs, she now weighs 120 but has had major complications -- says she doesn't regret it a bit tho. Four of her cousins had it. My paternal grandmother should have had it, but at the time Medicaid didn't cover it. She died in a nursing home at 62, weighing 600 lbs needing double knee replacements but too heavy for them to do them. I don't want to live that life. I don't know if I have severe comorbidities because I've not checked. I haven't had a cholesterol test, sleep study, EKG, anything else like that -- almost too afraid to. I do have asthma and my knee, but I have Aetna insurance and I know those don't qualify. But am I crazy to be thinking about the Lap-Band when I'm only 29 and only a 41.2 BMI? (If the pre-surgical diet takes me down much, and it doesn't take much at 4'11, I might not meet Aetna's qualifications for the surgery from what I can see....)

Six months post op following gastric sleeve and thought things were looking up. Finally got in for my 3 month checkup 3 months late due to complications) and asked if my PPI could be increased because of all the burning pain in my stomach and throat. The nutritionist said he would ask. Received a call from the MDT to say that a surgeon on the team thinks that I may have an ulcer and wants to personally do a gastroscopy urgently. The soonest he can do it is the 16th of December. Problem is that the burning has gotten quite a bit worse in the past few days. Using the prescribed lansoprazole and Gaviscon, not eating trigger foods etc. but I recently started taking the bariatric supplement Forceval (prescribed) everyday. This is new because I had previously been too ill to take them. I am going to lay off them to see if that will help. I hate to stop my supplements because I am nearly bald as it is but this burning, gnawing business is no joke! I will go back to Clear liquids (fourth time lucky lol), then full. Any other ideas to get me through until the 16th? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

First of all, this journal won't be specifically about lapband surgery and weight loss. I'm on this site every day more than once usually, and I need to start journaling again. So, it's just common sense to use this space. Secondly, I like to write. Last year, 2005, was the toughest roughest year I have yet experienced. My mom had surgery, stayed in hospitals for 5 months due to complications, and a septic infection finally ended it. Her funeral was on what would have been her 73rd birthday. There will be more about this in other entries. Part of this journal's purpose is to work through this grief. So, the first half of 2005 was spent in hospitals. I decided to face this weight problem and the health problems associated with it and had lapband surgery in July. In November, the day following my 50th birthday (THIS was the highlight of 2005 - my 50th birthday...go figure!), my beautiful, wonderful 92 year old grandmother passed. She had a stroke that led to a coma and she passed peacefully. Yeah, she had a great, healthy long life, but dang! My mom and my grandmother in one year? I told you it was going to be about other stuff. Attitude of gratitude - well, that's just a reminder! One way to handle loss is to try hard to see the good stuff you have. Seems like that might be a good idea for us "lapdancers"...that's what my DH call us...to have the attitude of gratitude, too. I'm sure I'll explore more of that idea, too. I'm grateful for this journal space, and the invitation to use it. I'm grateful for the blessing in disguise offered by the dr. who told me I was too heavy for him to realistically treat my ankle...and suggested this lapband surgery. I am grateful for my little girl's unquestioning, unconditional love (if you don't count being held hostage by the desire for more Polly Pockets!) To be continued...

I everyone. I am beyond happy that I found this site. Like many of you, I have tried to lose weight for the past 7 years(I'm 25) and I just can't seem to lose it. I lose the weight and gain it right back.. My sister got sleeved on January and OMG she went from a size 18 to a small .. Amazing I know.. So at first, after seeing her have some complications, I said I can't do this, forget it... But just 3 days ago, I was trying to wear something for work and it wouldn't for properly and after trying few other outfits, I said that's it, I will have the surgery regardless what ends up being. Not for nothing, but I have an amazing life, I have a awesome job, I go to school which I graduate next fall, but I'm not happy with my weight. This is where the problem arises, I weight 200... I could of swore I was more but I was too scared to weigh my self. So 2 days ago I wanted to see how much I weighted and I was disappointed lol.. I calculated my BMi and it's 34 Uhg so frustrating.. Now some of you may say well wtf are u doing here, but that's not the case.. I am very self couscous and I don't ever go on dates bc I feel like I am huge (which 200 is not small) I am 5'4 also... I am registered for a seminar for Wednesday 10/2/13... Not sure if I qualify? Would I? I mean I do wear a size 16 so you would think I do? Right? I was always a size 4 until I turned 19.... I know it's wrong but should I gain a little weight? I did have a heart surgery in 2010 and my heart beats more than normal peoples so maybe they can consider that right? Worse comes to worse and my insurance say No, can I do it anyways paying cash? Will they allow me even though my BMi is not 35? I really want to be at least 130 and I have tried almost every single diet on the planet.. I just want some insight since I really want to do it but my family won't really support me since they still think I have a heart condition which I don't anymore.. I have decided I am going to do it even if it costs my life in the end... That's how serious I am .. And I have read so many of your stories and I am inspired.

I started out with a 49 BMI, and I got the sleeve. I’m six months out and I just hit a BMI of 29. No complications whatsoever, but I also was very healthy prior to surgery. My only comorbidity was being super obese. I love that I feel the “same” for lack of a better description. I still have the cast iron stomach I used to have (just a lot less of it) and basically the only change has been my hunger doesn’t control my life anymore. Part of my reason for picking the sleeve was that I wanted the surgery with fewer long term complications- if something was going to happen I wanted it to happen right away so I wouldn’t worry about it. With that said, complications in either surgery are very low. I don’t think either one is the wrong choice. If I had it to do over again I wouldn’t change a thing.

I've been battling my weight since I was 6 years old. I've been big for as far back as I can remember. I did just about every diet there was and not a single one worked. Eventually I just gave up. I had looked briefly into WLS in my 20's but I didn't think I'd be able to change my eating habits so drastically. I didn't think I had that kind of willpower. Plus, potential complications scared me and the permanence scared me. So I stopped looking into it. When I was 21 in May of 2009 my eldest niece was born. I was still in pretty good health despite being over 300 pounds. So I didn't really have the determination to go through with WLS. However, when her sister was born in February 2019 my health was very bad. I was 389 pounds, I have two permanent back injuries (one caused by my osteoarthritis), high blood pressure, tachycardia, hypothyroidism, the aforementioned osteoarthritis, I was pre-diabetic, have EoE (an autoimmune disorder), and I'd had brain surgery in May 2017 for my trigeminal neuralgia. When I held my new niece I was hit with the realization that if something didn't change, if I didn't find a way to get myself healthier and lose weight, then I likely wouldn't be around to watch her grow up. I cried, because watching my eldest niece grow up has been my greatest joy. It broke my heart that I may not be around to watch her sister grow up. That made things more real for me, I suppose. It pushed me into making that change and taking it seriously. I was referred to a bariatric surgeon and had to do a 6 months of monitored weigh-in's per my insurance. I didn't actually have to LOSE weight. I was just told not to GAIN weight. But, I took the initiative to try and make myself as successful as possible by using that time to prepare myself for a new way of eating. I used the first month to cut out seconds and cut my portion sizes down. The second month I cut out soda. The third month I cut out rice. The fourth month I cut out pasta. The fifth month I cut out bread. The six month I cut out potatoes and beans. The last two months before my surgery (they were overscheduled and pushed me back) I just maintained that diet and on my surgery date I was 321 pounds, meaning I'd lost 68 pounds on my own. I'm still very proud of myself for that. For me, the final push was my family. My family is my strength. They are what pulled me through the absolute worst time in my life (August 2016-May2017 when I had a 10 month TN flare that led to my brain surgery) when I KNOW I would have given up without them. Since my weight loss surgery? I have a new niece (from my brother and his wife) and my first and only nephew (from my sister and her husband). Now that I've lost over 200 pounds I don't worry so much that I won't be there to watch them grow up. And when I see my 2 year old niece light up when she see's me I know I made the right choice, the best choice, to have this surgery because now I get to watch her and her brother grow up just like I've got to watch her 12 year old sister grow up and just as I'll get to see her cousins grow up. Everyone has a different reason for why they do this. Sometimes it's for family, like myself. And sometimes it's personal. Every person who goes through this has a different journey, different experiences, and a different story to tell. And I wish you the very best on your own journey.

Hey all, My name is Amy and I have had my band for a little over a year now. The day of my surgery I weighed 277 lbs and as of this morning I weighed 255. I was down to 249 but we went on vacation and I gained some back (although I don't know how because I threw up A LOT while we were gone). I originally decided on having the surgery because I tried EVERYTHING to lose weight. Every diet, every diet pill, exercise, you name it I probably tried it. I have diabetes, PCOS, anxiety and depression. My aunt who I was very close to passed away a few years ago from complications of diabetes. I am pretty much just like her when it comes to my health. I favor her in looks as well. As much as I love and miss her so much, I do NOT want to be like her and die in my 40's. I am 31 now and I have an 8 year old little boy who is my world. I know this is kind of jumbled up right now, I'm just typing as things come to me. I knew that having this surgery was just a tool and not a solution but most days, I feel like it was the WORST decision of my life. I have lost little weight and even though I don't always follow the rules of having a band, for the most part I stick to them. I am so discouraged and tired of throwing up. I told myself before having surgery that I would NEVER let myself throw up because I despise throwing up. And now its a weekly occurance it seems. I've had Fluid removed and then put back in and I am just now to the point where I feel FULL when I eat. I am a stress eater and this past year has definitely been stressful. My husband just returned from our second deployment in September and I feel like a failure. I had all this time to lose weight while he was gone and yet, I lost a measly 20 pounds. Sigh. Sorry for the rambling, but I guess I don't feel like I can really talk to anyone about all of this that REALLY understands. So I probably sound like Crazypants McGee, but I promise I'm not. I'm just a girl who is trying to regain her health and control of her life.

I had to do the at home sleep study test. The one i used was a small.machine by respironics. There are 2 straps. One goes around the upper part of your torso and the other goes over top of your navel. There are 2 wires that run from each band and connect to the machine which sits on the first mentioned band on your chest. Lastly there is a cannula (apparatus for the nose, i.e., oxygen patients) that hooks into the machine , also a small mic that hangs from your head (very small). Its sounds complicated but it isnt. The only thing i hated was that i had to sleep on my back as the machine rests on your chest. You push the kn button when you are on your way to sleep and push to cut it off in the morn when you wake up. Take it back to the doctors the next day and walahhh!!!! Your done. Insurance paid for mine. Hope this helps!

Stick with what the nutritionist says. This surgery/life change is to important too risk any complications.

Actually, it's possible anytime. It gets rarer overtime. But I don't know why folks are told that these complications can't happen anytime. Alternatively it can be that your body is reacting to the new antiacid meds Hope you find your answer and cure

So happy to finally be home after being admitted back in the Hosp. for an obstruction/swelling issue. 7 days on IV's was so not fun.... Has anyone had any similar complications after wls surgery? Please share Sent from my SM-N900T using the BariatricPal App

I had gastric sleeve surgery 10 weeks ago. Ever since I came out of it I had a terrible reaction, bloody vomits with clogs. 7 days after surgery I came down to the ER with a leak at the union between the esofagus and the stomach right at the Hiz angle with abdomen infection and they opened me up to wash the abdomen. I had several bad diagnoses that bring me to the tenth week without any improvement. I am consulting a second doctor and he recommended enteral nutrition with a probe from my nose to the jejunum at the intestines. This probe will keep me feeded and helps relieve presion from the sleeve and that would presumably to help close the leak. This is the second time I have this probe because the first time it was wrongly located by the first doctor. The second probe was introduced just this wednesday through an endoscopic procedure, they noticed my sleeve was twisted and obstructed because of the small width at the first cut with a transversal appearance. So with this finding they presume this is the cause for the leak which is located exactly at the "his angle" , where the esofagus and the stomach meet. The doctor says it is imperative to resolve the twisting at the sleeve and the obstruction so that the leak can begin to close. The location of the leak makes it very difficult for a bypass conversion. The next step to prevent the stomach from twisting is inject botox to the stomach so that it won't move for a period of time and also use a special balloon to expand or dilate the part of the stomach that is obstructed because of the width. Other options are a speacial prothesis to prevent the twisting, stents and ovesco for the leak, and thinking about the worst case scenario a bypass convertion of total gastrectomy in about 6 months. Can someone tell me if they are going through something similar, if they went through a complication relatable to mine? What has been your experience and what do you think about my options? Thank you for reading!

I am so sorry you have gone through so much. My situation is not quite as severe but I do have a sharp angled bend in my new pouch, which is the presumed cause of my vomiting since about a week post op. I had balloon dilation and vomiting resolved for a little over a week then returned. My surgeon thinks serial balloon dilations may work but I know this treatment is more suited to strictures and he admitted to never having a patient with this complication. Have you been to the Cleveland Clinic yet? Any update on progress and how you are feeling?

Following this topic. I have kept an empty band for a couple of years now and now have to either get it out or revised. (My band was emptied due to its interference with the vagus nerve which was provoking atrial fibrillation.) I just saw my surgeon yesterday who has given me three choices: accept my weight where it is, diet the rest of the weigh off, or mini gastric bypass. She is not pro-sleeve for my situation, as she views the sleeve as the next "lapband" in that she has more and more sleeve patients gaining back their weight and doesn't think the longterm weight maintenance is proving to be the case with restrictive methods such as lapbands and sleeves. She has floated the idea of a mini-gastric bypass as her best recommendation for my situation. I'm researching this but I doubt I will do it. The potential complications from the malabsorptive WLS are rather scary to me. Enough that I will probably just go back to Weight Watchers and grit my teeth to get the rest of my weight off.

I am sorry to hear youre having complications. I think that you are experiencing swelling and you may just be more sensitive than some. I think that staying on liquids and waiting for the swelling to go down is going to be the answer... Along with crushing your pills. Hang in there.. This isn't the most common issue but it can be resolved I am sure.