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Thanks to everyone replying to my post! I appreciate the questions and the concerns and has helped me be more selective with my decision. I have chosen to go with Dr Mario Camelo Ramos through Medical Tourism Co. It's still a risk to fly there and back but I've wasted so much of my life being overweight and unhappy..My underactive thyroid problem since birth has contributed to most of my depression and weight gain over the years. I am so sick of wishing that one day I might not hide from life as well as having children with my wonderful husband one day, because of my weight. ~~Kind regards to everyone, Suzan~~

Our marriage wasn't affected by the surgery but rather by my weight gain. I got to the point where I hated myself so much I never wanted to leave the house and to be honest it affected our intimacy which I know was hard on him. But I'm down 120lbs and can walk more and I want to go out more now. Unfortunately he got used to me behaving like a hermit so now whenever I say I want to do things he doesn't really believe me I do wish he was more generous with the compliments. Sometimes I really have to beg for them. And one day after hearing him say how good one of our friends looked in a costume she wore for a musical they were both in I had to finally tell him that "I'm working so hard to loose weight, can you not talk about her like that, it really makes things harder for me"

I want to ask a few questions to. I am new to this site. I have Hashimotos and fibromyalgia. Autoimmune diseases are the worst. I take 200 m of thyroxine and am constantly exhausted. Plus all the other things I take for pain and reflux. My body is truely a mess..I am post menopausal and my hashimotos has gone out of control. My weight gain has been 20kg( sorry I am Australian ) about 55lbs. In 4 years... Just crazy. I have been on every diet known to man...lol...hence my name... So I have been reading what others with the same disease are saying and they do have success. My 1st appointment is next week. Do the Drs know the true answer to malabsorption of vitamins? Having autoimmune diseases I am concerned getting more such as Parkinson's because of lack of the proper vitamins to support my body? Will the vitamins I take orally be enough will they absorb? Should I get vitamin injections instead. What are the crucial questions to ask the Dr in my first visit? Looking forward to hearing back from you any thoughts will be well received.

I had RNY nearly 18 months ago. I stopped losing after 6 months. I've been very disciplined, following all the rules. I never reached my goal and probably never will. I hover around 172-178 and I'm 5.4 I decided to go for skin removal and am set for surgery next month. All the naysayers have said horrible things. Stuff like, "it's way too painful, worse than RNY", and the more sensitive comments that have to do with weight gain. I don't want to hear about the whole tummy tuck being for nothing if I gain weight again. I won't gain weight. I'm not that person... and I'm not in denial. I am a person who is grateful for every gift I get, and I can handle the challenge of staring sugar in the face and walking away. I'm looking for positive support, someone to tell me that I'm not insane for going through a double hernia repair, abdominoplasty, and lipo on my back all at once, because I'm tired of dragging around the baggage of the fatlady I once was. Thank you.

Greetings! This is the super short version. I'm 45. I'm married. I have one 20 year old daughter. I was diagnosed in 2011 of colon cancer and I've had to battle it twice. I did 2 six months bids of horrific chemotherapy. Some days, I honestly wanted to die. Since my initial dx, my health has gone downhill. Diabetics, High blood pressure, sleep apnea, blood clots, anxiety, depression and excessive weight gain. Not to mention chemobrain which has clouded my speech, my reading comprehension and writing skills. (so please excuse the typos in advance) My doctors believe that getting the sleeve can possibly jumpstart some things that would help pimp slap the other complications that I've have due to cancer. I'm approved and scheduled to get the sleeve this Monday....and I'm nervous. I'm scared of pain. I'm scared something going wrong. I'm just a big ball of anxiousness. So, welcome to my world. I'll be journalling on the way in hopes of inspiring someone else along the way.

Reversals are actually done a lot more often than you would think. I may be doing this by the end of the year. There are Facebook groups for gastric bypass takedowns and support. Lots of people have had mechanical issues and needed reversals. They are definitely high risk, however if they can take you apart, they can put you back together, although I wouldn't go to just anyone that's for sure!. I'm personally experiencing malnutrition, and severe weight loss (and no, none of this is my doing. I did all that I was supposed to over the last 16 years). Had a revision in September, and still having complications. Seeing my doctor again next week to discuss next step, which is most likely the takedown. They also do them on those who continue to get ulcers, or severe dumping (which I also get from everything I eat). In regard to weight gain from the reversal, it's one's choice to eat badly and put the weight back on, just like you can start making bad choices with rny and never expect to stretch your stomach. It happens in most cases. I learned a lot about eating well, healthy/organic, locally grown as often as possible. (wish I knew then what I know now, I regret my surgery a lot) I would actually give anything to eat a salad or a piece of fish right now, instead I am getting tpn through a picc line. So even though you follow the plan, like I did it doesn't mean you wont have issues.

Okay, here's the deal. When you're stressed (such as the worrying you're doing now), your cortisol levels increase. High levels of cortisol cause weight retention and weight gain, particularly around the abdomen. You're self-sabotaging with stress. Put away the scale. Cortisol is a steroid. Steroids cause weight gain.

I'm a year a three months out of my surgery, and I figured this is as good a time as any to share my story. I always found other people's journeys so helpful, and I hope someone can benefit from hearing mine. I definitely struggled a bit with my weight when I was younger. Even with playing sports I was heavier than my friends, and I have a critical mother who frequently put me on one diet after another, fostering some pretty unhealthy feelings about food. My weight didn't really become an issue until my late teens, when I struggled with some mental health issues that resulted in a weight gain of more than 50 pounds in a year. In between high school and college, I went to a summer weight loss camp, and that helped bring me down to a more regular, albeit still unhealthy, weight. However, the following years I really struggled and was eventually diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. In the period leading up my my diagnosis, some poor medication decisions and my emotional struggles contributed to a rapid weight gain of around 80 pounds, bringing me to my all time high of 250lbs. I tried dieting, weight loss programs, weight controlling medication, and I never could get more than 20lbs off. I had finally got my psychotropic medications right, but I was left feeling pretty defeated and exhausted by everything that had transpired. Even though I was struggling, I was always an excellent student and I was accepted to attend an Ivy League school for my master's degree. My program was extremely intense, and my peers were all very high achieving and disciplined. I was one of two people in our class of over 100 with a weight problem, and I isolated myself a bit because I was so uncomfortable. I am an avid traveler and studied and work in the International Development field. During my lower weight in college, I spent close to a year studying and working in Madagascar and Uganda, and felt very much at home traveling and learning about other people and cultures, and working on projects to tackle rural poverty. My early twenties were very fulfilling, and I went to grad school wanting to continue the work I had done. Towards the end of grad school, I was on a trip to Alaska with my family and it struck me how miserable I had become because of my weight. I had already been participating in a weight loss program luckily run by a physician, and so when I decided to have surgery I had already fulfilled all of the requirements. I decided to have the sleeve, and within a month I had surgery. My life has improved drastically and I am ten thousand percent certain that this was the best and only option for me to be successful. Seven months into surgery, I accepted a position with a very large US NGO, and was relocated to South Africa to begin managing the NGO's 21 country programs in Africa. I work on public health programs for people with intellectual disabilities, and am so thankful that I have been able to work in an area that I am passionate about. I would not have been able to do this job at the weight that I was. Just in the seven months I've worked in South Africa, I have traveled to our programs in Nigeria, Uganda, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. These trips require a lot of physical activity, and I'm often in areas where you have to walk long distances is very warm weather, and spend a lot of time sitting on the ground and working long hours. For a vacation this summer, I went on a horse trek to Kyrgyzstan, riding for 6-8 hours a day and sleeping on mats in rural yurts with nomadic people. I cannot properly articulate how amazing it feels to be able to do the things I've always wanted to do. Having WLS was certainly not a walk in the park. I struggled a lot for the first several months with fatigue and a series of frustrating medical issues. I had my gallbladder removed a month after surgery, and I got c diff in the hospital. Finally being able to lose a significant amount of weight helped me to stick with the program and kept me motivated. As of this morning, I've lost 103 pounds and am solidly a normal weight. I'm still working on those last stubborn pounds, but I feel confident that I am going to reach my goal. I'll end with this--last week I was working in Malawi at a training for Optometry students to help them learn how to work with people who have intellectual disabilities. We screened a hundred kids, and many of them got new glasses to improve their vision. It was close to 100 degrees, and I was able to walk kids between different locations and carry heavy equipment for over eight hours. People didn't look at me strangely like they did when I was obese (unsurprisingly, obesity isn't as common in many parts of Africa), and I just felt normal. I've realized that being a healthy weight doesn't necessarily induce euphoria like I imagined it would when I was at my highest weight. Instead, it is the constant noticeable absences of discomfort, shame, and sadness. We all have our own feelings about body image and weight, but for me, I have a new perspective and appreciation for my "normal" problems. My boss might piss me off, I might get stressed about money, I might just have generally bad days sometimes, but I don't spend my day feeling like everything about my body is uncomfortable, embarrassing, and limiting. I very much admire and appreciate everyone on this site. If you are new, know that there will be some very serious struggles, and that perfection is not a long term reality. The further out you are the harder it gets to stay focused. But don't let that stop you from fighting. The sleeve helps stop the spiraling out of control that many of us have experienced, but ultimately your brain and attitude are responsible for keeping you on track. Good luck to everyone, and when you inevitably fall, get the hell back up.

@@sleevingbeauty17 First of all, great name! The only part that was worrisome to me was a big saga about whether I needed a sleep study. The pulmonologist said it was completely unnecessary, the NP said she was getting confusing messages, the NUT didn't really care but tried to rearrange appointments because she wasn't comfortable holding sessions until that was resolved, and the hospital admin kept scheduling and rescheduling once it was cancelled in the system...even after the date of my surgery! Incompetence... I had some weight gain during pre-op that alarmed both the NUT and the psych, but by the time I was a few minutes into my psych appointment, I could tell he wasn't going to give me trouble about it, because I had come back down by the date of the psych eval.

Don't be so hard on yourself. Remember this is a mental change as well. Did you ever address the reason behind your weight gain, mind set, and eating habits? Like another poster said you acknowledged the situation but how are you going to cope in the future? Have a plan for holidays and get the crap out of your house. You got this!!!

I think what you lost is pretty much exactly what you want in this situation for the most part. You don't want to disqualify yourself from surgery, but you also don't want to arouse concern due to weight gain (practically impossible if you've followed the prescribed program...this is the proxy they use to determine whether or not you have done so). So there is a Catch-22, but there is a sweet spot that avoids it, and it is right about where you are. You have more than a shot...I expect this to go through without a hitch.

So sorry to hear about your weight gain, of course we all fear that. I have been at my goal weight for 3 years (took me one year to get there) but in the past month I have gained 5 lbs and have now hit the reality that I must get this off before it becomes 10 lbs....and I'm really confident I can. Knowing my surgery is in Feb is an incentive because my doctor wants me to lose some weight before hand so it will be more successful. I am easing into the 5 day pouch test with doing the 5:2 this week....today being one of my fast days. I'm just curious though, it sounds like you think you should have waited to have the surgery until you were at goal weight? I can't imagine the trauma your body and your hormones went through with both a hysterectomy and a panniculectomy.

I was very fit, competitive roller skating (figures, dance and freestyle), racing bmx and playing field hockey. In my early twenties I was an ice skating coach and skated 7-10 hours a day 5 days a week. I could eat whatever I wanted for as long as I wanted because I was so active. After giving up coaching and moving to an office job after having a child I ate the same and the weight piled on. I also have an underactive thyroid and have been on meds since I was 18 years old. That coupled with an ankle injury (8 surgeries and another on the way) lead to even more weight gain. Like others here I was also sexually abused - by my grandfather, on my 13th birthday among other times. I dated several guys who have commented about my weight. The last one said to my face "You are too fat to ever be loved" - that was a catalyst for another 25kg weight gain. Ironically then I was only 20kg over weight. I haven't dated in the last 13 years as a way of protecting my already very fragile self esteem. I now have 50kg to lose. My surgery date is Dec 1st 2015. Currently on the pre op diet and gagging at the Protein shakes - too sweet, too powdery tasting but know it's for my benefit so sucking it up!

Took my waterproof dressings off today - 6 days post op. Have 4 puncture points/incisions. 3 are tiny and the longest is 2 inches long. They don't hurt any more unless I stretch or lean on them or carry too much. But it still feels very tight and swollen - and I'm still lethargic as my body heals. Have attached photos for the more curious amongst you. The one at the top (just under bra line) is barely even visible any more, the other 3 have a fair bit of bruising around them.... NO weight gained or lost without band so far.... I returned to work today (but working from home) however will get back into the office tomorrow. I have an office job but I manage over 50 IT staff so its high pressure role and I know the fatigue will be tough this week.

Hi there - Sleeved on 11/12 ... Home from the hospital yesterday. How long until the gas goes away and I can see the progress on and off the scale? Thanks! Becca

Im thinking of doing it because on top of the 75-80lb i also have pseudo tumor cerebri which is caused by weight gain, migraines, urinary incontinence, positional sleep apnea, joint and back pain, high cholesterol and pre diabetes so its so much more than the extra weight but i was just wondering about RNY since the friends that i know are bony skinny, thanks for your answer

Hi all, So, I was just discharged from Hospital yesterday. I had yet another bout of my D.R.E.S.S syndrome. (I had two episodes back-to-back) When I have these flare-ups, I have to go on high doses of IV corticosteroids called Methylprednisolone. Well, the last flare up I had (in the middle of Oct) they gave me the IV and then my treatment was done. Well, I flared up again within 5 days. So this time they did the IV steroids and now they are doing a long tapering down dose of oral Prednisone to see if this extra treatment will nip these flare ups in the bud. (like over 3 months) I am now also on a different corticosteroid/immunosuppressant called Cyclosporine and apparently going to be on it for a year. *whimper *whimper With being on steroids there are A LOT of side effects. Guess which one I'm most petrified of..? WEIGHT GAIN! -it might not be literally weight (or fat) gain but it could be Water weight. -my appetite may increase -my weight can redistribute -I may feel extreme exhaustion all of the time -I may feel jittery and shaky -I may be forever irritable -I may be severely out of breath even with a mild walk -I may have insomnia ** the reason I say I may have these particular symptoms is because I did have them the last time the doctor had me on this tapering dose of the steroids. The difference back then was that I didn't have the WLS, and I DID gain actual weight because I ate a sh*t ton more than usual, wasn't watching it closely and didn't even think about exercising at all. I'm devastated to be back on these steroids and I feel like I am going to be putting my weight loss on hold for at least the 3 months. I weighed myself this morning and I am still up 4 pounds from last week. Even in hospital I ate the best I could, ate my Protein, drank my water, and walked around as best I could. Came home yesterday and the first thing I did was went out for a trail walk. Am I going to be stuck for at least 3 months? WAHHHH To make a LONG story short; I am looking for other people to tell me that they beat the odds and lost weight while on this nasty medication. Please tell me that I am not going to work my ass off, struggle as all heck, but not get anywhere! Has anyone been on Prednisone and lost weight anyways? I know it'll increase my appetite but I will ignore hunger and still eat what I'm supposed to eat. I know I will most likely experience water weight too, but I will do my absolute very best to beat the side effects of Prednisone. I guess I need a little bit of hope that I might actually win this battle.... Heather

I would suggest talking with your bariatric team/NUT/PCP, and going back to basics before even considering anything a drastic as diet pills or a new surgery. It may just be a matter of refocusing and recommitting to your program, which you can do! You have come so far already. Embrace the Stall! (Which can apply to weight gain.) http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

So what are you eating? If it's anything besides Protein and veggies then YOU are failing your sleeve, not the other way around. If you sit down to a plate of grilled chicken and broccoli, how much can you eat? If it's a cup or less, then your sleeve is doing exactly what it's supposed to. If it's more like 2 cups, then yes, your restriction is not what I would expect for 4 months postop and you may want to discuss this with your surgeon. And remember, you will not feel full on liquids or softer foods or definitely not slider foods. Are you measuring and tracking everything you eat? If so, what are your numbers looking like? If you aren't, maybe that's what you need to do to stay on plan and figure out why you aren't losing. Unless you have other medical issues like hypothyroid or PCOS, or you are taking certain medications that can cause weight gain, you WILL lose weight if you stick with the program. If you are honestly following the plan and still not losing then you should probably chat with your surgeon or PCP to see if there's something else going on.

Hi, my name is Theresa. Had my sleeve on Aug. 21, 15..I was a nervous wreak. I had been on several diets to no avail. I had several strokes and had to take a lot of meds; so help contrition to weight gain. I was disabled for about a year. Bed exercises etc. I just tried all any fad to get rid of the pounds. Unfortunately, I had no self esteem, no energy and felt total defeated and ashamed. I was asked to go see Dr. Barnett to see options were open to me..A year later, I was on my way. SW 250 CW 216...I am losing very slow. Approx. 1.5 pds per week. Any insight would be appreciated. I must be doing something wrong. Thank you for help and feedback.........losing, just slow

Hi, my name is Theresa Bailey. I live in Magnolia, DE. I had my surgery in Aug. 21, 2015..My SW was 250 CW 217. I only average 1.5 a week. A lot people claim it is because of my age. I am 5'4, and 64 yrs young. I have two major stokes and unfortunate for me they had me a lot of steroids and other meds that assisted my weight gain, (of course the rest of my own doing. Can someone help with the best ways to help boost my lost..I have registered to join the gym..any thing would be helpful..

Actually my insurance doesn't state weight gain part at all. I was just worried because I read many cases that have been denied.

It really depends on your insurance company. If it doesn't say anything in the bulletin, you should be fine. I have Aetna and in the bulletin it states that you can not have a net weight gain during the program. I gained weight during the process and was denied but was later approved by appealing.

@@longjohs ME TOO--- "emotionally" attached to some of my old big clothes. Made me smile. I really like some of my big girl clothes AND I have some fond memories of places I went in them. I'm keeping a few. But to the topic of weight gain after WLS. I had a lap-band in 2006, lost 75 pounds and over 6 years slowly gained it all back and then 15 more pounds. I had a terrible time with the lap-band, had it replaced early on after a erosion, hurt all the time, finally had to have a total unfill and it still hurt. I could only eat soft foods. A piece of chicken would send me into serious stomach pains all day. Jump to Jan 2015-lap band revision to sleeve. The sleeve is a much better WLS for me. I am not in constant pain. I'm 10 pounds below my lowest with Lapband. I'm 64 yrs old and I know this is my last chance. I am very serious about changing my eating habits and way of life. So I am following the food plans pretty much to a tee. I don't eat sweets and rarely bread/potatoes/starchy stuff. My worst slip-somedays-I eat 2 apples instead of one and an extra piece of cheese. This is my new way of life. I plan to keep this weight off no matter what it takes. It's life or death. At age 64, it's real.

Talk to your NP. Make sure you are logging your food counts accurately by using an online tool like FitDay or MyFitnessPal and that you include everything--even your coffee/tea and "no cal" sweetener and that 1/4 oz. of cheddar you had the other day. (Wait. That was me.) I miscalculated twice last week and went over my counts even though I was carefully measuring and planning. It happens. Stalls also happen. They can be maddening. Have you taken measurements of yourself or written down things that have changed physically for you (crossing legs, not breathing so hard, feeling like you fit into that movie theater seat more easily, stuff like that). It's really tough to get through those periods. Can your surgeon point you to a support group you could attend? It always helps me to realize I'm not alone even if no one there actually knows how to fix it. I would make absolutely certain I was eating correctly 100% for quite some time and still experiencing weight gain before I even thought of putting myself through the expense and health ramifications of another surgery. You know what? You can do this. You went through I don't know how many months' weight loss before your pre-op diet, a week or two or even a month of pre-op, plus all the post-op relearning. You've lost forty-eight pounds. That is freaking amazing. You should be damned proud of yourself. Your hard work will pay off. Sometimes it takes our bodies a little extra time to catch up.