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Just go and face the music. I'm sure a little tough love never hurt anyone :blushing: I know the doctor is probably not going to be happy with me either. I had a fun filled weekend of lots of beer, Dairy Queen, mexican food, and even a fried gas station burrito at 3AM last weekend. Thanks to all that, My 6lbs came back and then some! RIDICULOUS! My total weight gain is 7lbs since unfill but I have until Friday to work out and eat right again so maybe I'll only be up a few pounds. I've been thinking though, if I didn't gain a lb with being unfilled, they might not want to put any back in soooo showing a few lbs weight gain might not be such a bad thing. I've almost got myself talked into buying a Gold's Gym Stride Trainer 595. Anyone have any experience with ellipticals? When I was 300lbs, I tried to get on one and definitely thought I was going to die/have a heart attack after 30 seconds.

Well I am 2 weeks post op and gained 1.4 lbs!!!!! How is that possible? Things have been going great but when I stepped on the scale this morning I had gained weight. Of course I was disappointed and now all I wanna do is figure out what I was doing wrong. Could I already be hitting a stall? Some advice would be great!!

Well I am not skinny yet, but I used to be, and every time I would go out to eat, the server woukd ask me if my meal was ok because I only needed a few bites to fill me up, which left most of it on the plate! That's was years ago, before my sleeve, but see? That's how skinny people are skinny and stay skinny. They eat enough to satisfy themselves and that's that. Since I got fat, I don't like leaving food on my plate. Hey, I paid for it and I was gonna get my money's worth! I also NEVER brought home doggy bags when I was skinny, which at that time in my life I believed help me stay skinny. Also, when I was skinny, I was always so cold! I used to bring little granny sweaters with me to every restaurant, department store, and casino because the air conidiotinng was just too much. I used to practically run outside into 100 degree heat from an air conditioned building and just stand there and soak it up, like a cat through a sun filled window. Now all I do is sweat. It's been a LONG time since I've been cold due to my 100 lb weight gain, even in the snow lol! Last year I took my son skiing, and I was so HOT underneath all the gear. I wanted to start stripping layers and I was drenched in sweat underneath. Not fun. Not a good feeling. That never happened to me when I was skinny.

I has gastric sleeve surgery March 30, 2015 and have not told many people. Medical professionals know, my parents know, my aunt, 1 cousin, and 2 close friends. Most others do not know unless they have speculated. I lived across country when I had surgery and only came home to Boston once a year for Christmas. So this has kept my "secret" safe. I am not ashamed of having surgery. However, I did not want to tell the world then run the risk of failing afterward. I didn't want others to watch everything that I eat with "no-no" eyes shaming me for having a drink, a cookie, or something they assumed I should not have. I did not want to be judged for doing well, or poorly, or for regaining any weight afterward. My poor cousin had gastric bypass surgery in 2013, lost over 100 lbs, and toned his body and looked marvelous. As his marriage started to crumble and fail, he slowly gained weight then quickly gained some more. He is now much larger than he was before. It hurts to see how hard he worked to have his progress erased. His surgery and weight gain are no secret and has been the subject of chitter amongst family. And that is exactly what I do not want for myself. As awful as it is, I must admit that my weight has become a complete OBSESSION for me. I truly do not want to be the cause of my own death. I do not want to be a size 2. I just want to be healthy. And I get there and stay there is my journey, and battle. Sent from my SM-G920P using the BariatricPal App

Thanks for asking and any other suggestions you may have. Here is the specific wording in the denial letter: "Diagnosis: esophageal reflux,vomiting, abnormal weight gain Type of treatment: longitudinalgastrectomy The service is not recommended asmedically appropriate for the following reasons(s): Authorization for Sleeve Gastrectomy isnot recommended, as clinical criteria for this procedure are not met.For example, per SPD: Recent history and documentation in MD notesthat the pt has participated in and reasonably complied with at least1 physician-supported weight loss program (including nutritionalanalysis, education and regular clinical encounters with a healthprofessional), documented by a physician who does not perform weightloss surgery, lasting for a minimum of six (6) cumulative months andoccurring within two years prior to surgery. Also dietary therapy,i.e., restricted calorie diet, increased physical activity i.e.,exercise program, behavioral therapy to reinforce dietary therapy andincreased physical activity."

I can respect your opinion Cheryl, although I do disagree with you. I do think a forum like this can be used to talk about things like pain, etc and to get perspective from people who have actually had the procedure. Though surgeons are obviously educated they, most likely, never had this surgery. So they may not have tips and tricks that people here have. For example, I saw one thread for dealing with gas pain that discussed a yoga pose that was helping people deal with the gas pain. No ones surgeon knew that would help. That was discovered through talking to people in the same boat as you and someone figured out something that was helping others. To me, that is what this is all about. Yes it was a newly started thread that discussed that topic and it had a lot of activity. I get that this is a hot button issue for some of you. For me I see the value Ina new thread, but I believe forums allow for the ability to agree to disagree. That's part of the beauty. If you ever feel like someone is seeking advice that they should be paying for... Then I hope you exercise your right to move along. In my opinion, people aren't trying to use veterans in place of doctors.. It's more about talking to people with practical experience, who may have something to offer that a doctor doesn't. I can also assure you that I will not be eating an entire pie at Christmas and seeking your input about it. I've actually never had poor eating habits, so it's also not about changing the way I eat. My weight gain was due to a medication that I took for many years. I have always eaten healthily and made wise choices since I was a young child, as that's how I was raised. I was finally able to get off the medication and my doctor recommended this path for me. With that said though, people are human. They are going to make mistakes, and sometimes they are going to come here to talk about them. I'm sure there will be a time that I will put something in my mouth that I shouldn't have and I might go here to seek support from the only people who will really understand the torture that goes along with such a decision. I suppose why I commented I this thread is because I felt like there were comments intimating that newbies just didn't know how to play here correctly. I was hoping to remind everyone that all were newbies at one point in time. Perhaps my attempt failed or wasn't appreciated. Either way, I'm going to continue to post and be a part if this community even if the way I participate is frowned upon.

A bariatric surgeon named Dr. Matthew Weiner has several informative videos on YouTube, and one is about the reasons people regain after losing a significant amount of weight due to WLS. He was not my surgeon, but I found his videos to be very helpful. Besides lifestyle choices such as being sedentary and overeating, there are other possible causes of regain, such as certain conditions or medications. Steroids such as Prednisone can cause rapid weight gain. If someone injured their knee, as an example, and was prescribed steroids as part of the healing process, he'd have the double challenge of having to limit physical activity and taking medicine that will likely cause weight gain. Many antidepressants cause weight gain, as do various hormonal medications. Your stomach does not significantly stretch after having the VSG, but as your body heals and adapts after surgery you will be able to consume more than you initially did. There are many caloric "slider" foods that you can quickly consume without having the same level of restriction as with denser foods. I had the VSG in 2015 and have been maintaining a BMI on the low end of the normal range for over a year, but my weight bounces around about 10 pounds due to medical issues. I have Addison's disease which makes me dependent on steroids, which can cause my weight to rapidly surge. Anytime I'm going to be encountering a stressful situation, with work or even just something like a really long flight where I'll be sleep deprived, I have to take an increased "stress" dose, and I gain weight. I then just work to get that weight off again. But I can see how if someone was in a chronically stressful situation, that would be much harder.

Recently at the gym I spoke with a person that had gastric sleeve surgery about 3 yrs prior. She lost a tremendous amount of weight - 275 lbs. and over time gained back 200 lbs. My question is, how does that happen if your stomach only holds 1/2 c of food. I had the roux en y procedure and if I eat one tsp more than I should then I am miserable.

As a fellow asthmatic I can tell you steroids are notorious for weight gain. Ah you can't live with them and we can't live do well without them. As the King says in Anna and the King of Siam says " is a puzzlement" Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

Some thoughts...one is about thinking about food all the time. This is a reality of life for many people, especially those that are overweight. I always thought about food, and I still always think about food a year out. I still think about planning my meals out and if I'm going somewhere I plan what I can throw in my bag, I think about making myself drink Water and I think about getting all my Protein in. Even if you did not have surgery, if you don't think about food you won't always make the best decisions. Sticking to a diet involves thinking about food. As far as missing eating fast. Well surgery or not you're not supposed to eat fast. Eating fast is one of the main factors in weight gain. When you say that you did your research and then say that you don't want to to think about your meals, you want to eat quickly, you want to have large meals...it seems contradictory. If you did your research you would have known about these things I read some interesting comments today and I wanted to make something really clear. Out of all these people around the globe that are on this website, there are going to be some of us that have found post op, that this surgery was the wrong decision. If you want this website to be honest and truthful, a source of good solid information for people considering surgery and a source of support for people post op, then everyone's experiences should be welcome. The reason's I think this surgery was wrong for me has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with my post op complications! And as for comments about people who regret their surgeries and have complications because: • "houses were dirty" • "they didn't follow instructions" • "they haven't seen the great results yet" • "they are just negative people and negative people are more vocal So, just let me tell you this, some of us simply made a mistake. We thought this was a good plan, we took advice, did our research, attended the seminars and weigh ins (in my case, two years attending). We met our surgeons, we discussed our pre existing conditions, we spoke to our family and friends. I myself have a counsellor, did CBT counselling for the entire two years pre op and am deemed emotionally and mentally sound. (just as an aside, my NHS CBT counsellor did not agree with this surgery). I checked with my pain mgt team about the efficacy of my medications post op. And it was still a mistake! And so what? It happens. And people like me should be able to explain these things without others trying to negate our admission of this mistake by offering excuses as to why we are unhappy with our decision. I could have floated onto a cloud, had magical unicorns lick away my stomach, and woke up in paradise fully healed, sipping a cocktail in the sun and I would still tell you that this was a mistake for ME. And for many of my friends. It doesn't matter how many years post op I get, I will consider this a mistake. My house is not dirty, I followed instructions to the letter, I consider my bariatric discharge booklet my life guideline and I never variate. I keep in touch with anyone and everyone in my medical care stream that might be helpful. And complications happened. And yes, to many of us in our bariatric system. But again, it was not the complications that disturb us. We all have different reasons for regretting it. Most of us feel that we were misinformed, which doesn't help. My neighbour regrets her bypass because of her now permanent diarrhea and no improvement in her diabetes. She tells me that she has to think about food most of the day just to keep herself fed (choosing the right foods so as not to vomit), and she could have simply dieted harder if she had known she would have to think of food all day. She is three years post op and she still struggles with dehydration. Her hair never grew back after the initial drop out. I myself am only 9 weeks post op and have had complications so I can't know what my future holds. I miss eating quickly and simply in a way that doesn't have to be well thought out. I want to be able to eat a full salad, maybe even with dressings, without worrying about which component might not agree with me. I want to be able to eat any kind of meat I want cooked how I want in the quantity I want. I want to drink beverages with my meals. I miss a morning coffee or afternoon tea. I miss ice tea. (I know other people can drink it but I can't now). I don't want to have to plan my food day meticulously or be different from others around me eating. I want my medications to work again in the way they did pre op to control my fibromyalgia symptoms. And I have definitely seen weightloss results. As I was lying there starving to death for seven weeks, I have lost all but 20lbs of my expected and required excess weight to satisfy my healthcare team. ( I am still only getting around 500 cals a day in, but have constant diarrhea so who knows how much stays in). I now look "normal" except for the grey pallor in my skin and the nappy I now have to wear because of fecal incontinence (my IBS-d was totally controlled before surgery). I am six dress sizes smaller but can only leave my house if I don't eat anything and wear adult protection in case of water causing an "accident". Or in case I become faint from lack of food and fall. So I do actually feel that had I read a forum entry like this, I might have thought twice. And that's a good thing. If people are scared, that's okay. Let them hear more than just "don't worry, I was fine, you will be too!" Because maybe they won't! So this is not about complications, it's about people. One size does not fit all. Some of us should have simply accepted our weight, or worked harder to diet it off. Had I taken in only 300 to 500 calories a day for 9 weeks pre op, I would have lost all this weight anyway. If you are happy, well done! If you are dead set on going ahead, ignore this. If you are a high BMI person (think 600lb life), God bless you, this may save your life, if you are a food addict, I feel your pain. You will still have to diet post op! You will still have to exercise. If you are undecided, then simply take a breath, think about it, really examine your food issues. Could you do more to lose weight? Could you move a bit more and eat a bit less? Anyway, I am where I am and I plan to make the best of what I have left. And I intend to keep making sure that pre op people have a good think and post op people like me have someone they can talk to. Thanks to everyone who is supporting me. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I initially empathised with the situation myself being a few weeks in. But the more I read the more I question why ? I don't like seeing false accusations of bullying... Know one here is bullying anyone. However there are many caring posts trying to point out and correct various under thought careless inaccurate statements that have been made. And how ridiculous some seem to them. Everyone has an opinion and is entitled to it. I don't think anyone is obsessed by this thread. Unfortunately anyone posting will get follow up emails pointing new posts out. Most logical people seem infuriated that the gastric sleeve is being portrayed as useless. When if weight loss occurs it is working. It is only useless if given to someone who carelessly made their medical team believe it would work for them. This can be done by someone portraying themselves as medically and mentally fit to cope with having the operation. I have just read a statement referencing mental instability and the use of counselling. No councillor worth their weight would sit reading this thread with a client laughing! It is blatantly clear to everyone with any intelligence that we all individually have to ultimately take responsibility for our own actions and decisions. If we have had the gastric sleeve and regret it that is our own personal problem. The gastric sleeve is nothing more than a simple operation where you have your stomach made smaller. With one aim to lose weight and control it. There is nothing that can go wrong unless you unfortunately get a leak. This is avoided by following all your post op directions given to everyone who has the operation here in the UK. Nothing in your body changes. The only difference is everyone having the operation has to take responsibility for changing their habits of a lifetime and learn to eat properly again. This process is difficult but not impossible. It takes support and mental stability to overcome . Newborn babies suffer colic, wind diarrhoea, allergies and numerous health issues while their bodies adjust to food. If a baby can do it I'm sure so can we. It will tell you anywhere that six weeks is not long enough to fully recover from any major surgery. We have all just had major surgery ! I hate my sleeve! What an admission but it's a very personal one. How awful it would be to have to admit that made made a ridiculously wrong decision for myself. If I was unstable I'd try to blame everyone but me. Probably because I was upset and couldn't cope with the thought I was wrong id want to pass the misery into other folks too. If I was stable I'd tell people I was a fool and if they where considering having the operation to make sure they researched and researched. It wasn't right for me but it does work for many . We must think very logically before complaining the gastric sleeve was not right for us only a few months after the operation. Our bodies minds and diets need a long time to adjust. There is no way in a few months this can happen. Any intelligent adult would wait and make sure they have made a full recovery. We can't make a fully informed decision like this until at least 1-3 years post surgery because everyone is different. By that time we will have reached already our lowest possible weight. We will be healed. We may be gaining again . But hopefully because of personal decisions you will have either succeeded or failed at your initial goal to lose weight and learn to control it. If the gastric sleeve isn't working and there were no post op complications it is a personal problem. We need to ask our support team for help, question what am I doing wrong. If we we are not able to cope with the decision and what we have done. The operation can effect some people mentally. Ask for help. We need to question ourselves why can't I cope ? What can I do to help myself and to make it work? I've just read a statement somewhere on this thread 'I didn't know anything about it ' SERIOUSLY! Come on pull the other one that's Impossible . We all have access to a team of support and the Internet. At any pre-op initial NHS consultation for bariatric surgery we will have been verbally informed exactly what any operation entailed. We are also evaluated and asked what our personal lifestyle and eating habits are like. Know one is just granted this operation thoughtlessly. A lot of people are turned away. If granted the operation on the NHS it's because they consider our obesity to be of serious threat to our health. Having internet access at home anyone with any intelligence making the decision to have a gastric sleeve would start researching. If we didn't do this it only goes prove we don't care about our health. If we don't care why should anyone else care about us ? This type of person is a danger to themselves and yes they should not be given the operation. If? the UKs NHS is actually at fault and have a case to answer too! Here in the UK there is a simple complaints protocol in place that anyone can follow to forward complaint too. The NHS has recently had many major shake ups of hospitals and protocols and It is now more than their jobs worth to treat any complaint with distaste. Their is no fear involved in complaining. They will now bend over backwards to help. I have already read a reference to PALS. http://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/1082.aspx?CategoryID=68 If? I had a genuine case For malpractice I would not sit on a forum chanting to the world with 'oh woe is me' stamped on my head. I'd pick up the phone and action my concerns today. There are also many medical claims companies that will pursue a claim for anyone. If you can prove you actually have something to complain about. Heres a good link. http://www.patientclaimline.com/?utm_source=PPC&utm_medium=dynamicsa&utm_campaign=medicalnegligence&gclid=CI6ftv6W684CFWUo0wodc-YO5g When given a house moving date by the council, or housing association you have to make a choice do I move? Or don't I ? Know one forces your hand. It's a case again take personal responsibility for our own decisions. We are in control of your own destiny always be logical think what is best for me? If someone is critically ill no healthcare or social team would move you. It would be a case where the candidate would have to prove they where well enough and had enough personal family support to make it possible. CDIFF is nothing to do with the gastric sleeve operation. It is an illness anyone can pick up or carry in our bodies it is sometimes transmitted by poor personal hygiene, and in rare instances during any major surgery. It can generally be caused by over use of antibiotics and a very low immunity due to poor health. CDIFF is highly contagious. If actually diagnosed it would never go untreated! If it is contracted in serious form it can ulcerate the bowel and cause a tear. This need monitoring. In a real emergency symptoms would be high fever and serious illness you would be immediately hospitalised. CDIFF is not caught from dirty living and housing conditions. It can only be caught by poor personal hygiene. This is why hospitals use anti bac everywhere and surgeons scrub up prior to operating. C. difficile bacteria and their spores are found in feces. People can get infected if they touch surfaces contaminated with feces and CDIFF spores and then touch their mouth. Healthcare workers can spread the bacteria to their patients if their hands are contaminated. Can CDIFF be treated?Yes, there are antibiotics that can be used to treat CDIFF. If you have a mild case you are given these antibiotics and advised to carefully self care. In severe cases, a person might have to have surgery to remove the infected part of the intestine. This surgery is needed in only 1 or 2 out of every 100 persons with CDIFF. We all know here in the UK the NHS is funded by our tax contributions however we do not pay enough it is severely underfunded. That is why there are hospitals closing and we have a general shortage of doctors and nurses. Limited care and pay disputes... I have also read references to this. You would have paid nearly £10000 for this op privately. I was too was immobile on heavy medication this all contributed to my problems. However more importantly I stopped exercising. I also ate more calories in a day than I needed. Hence the weight gain. It is a scientific fact. This is why we become over weight. Hospital operation appointments are not rushed. They always ask you have you got any questions. You sign pre- op consent form to say you are happy to have the operation. We must take responsibility for our own decisions. If they are uninformed it is our own fault. Operations are definitely not rushed at all. I have now just read quote "in the pre-op stream people think surgeries should stop for now, while the team concentrate on treating veterans that are sick" My opinion here is this actually an activist statement. It could be instigated by people who dislike the NHS paying to help the obese ? Is this a deliberate attempt to undermine those who have had or are thinking of bariatric surgery? Bariatric surgery is done by a bariatric specialist, they cant mend hearts, age related problems or broken legs? If I said I was losing too much weight and I didn't like it. Folks would laugh at me. Considering the reason I had a gastric sleeve was to lose weight. in the first few months the weight loss is faster . It does slow down. Eventually we learn to control what we lose by how much we consume in a day. It's part of the learning curve. No point in me having a lazy attitude I've got to learn to take responsibility and help myself. Again it's down to being mentally stable intelligent and choosing to do the right thing. Firstly by ringing your support team, group , doctor and getting proper advice . But only we can action that. This site gives you all the information you need. The only thing it can't help you with is your own personal journey... http://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/bariatric-treatment.html We definitely don't lose the support of your bariatric team only three months after having the operation. We all get follow up appointments. A few weeks months in its all still very very early days. We all need to make sure we get the right help we need. We need to be honest and let the proper people know we need help if we are not coping and struggling. This is a hard journey for any of us to make. But the health improve the that can be made by losing weight would make anyone's life more bearable. I was disabled and on crutches at Christmas. This morning I ran down the stairs to answer the door to the postman. Need I say more... Given time things will get better. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am new here, too. I am planning on having surgery in July or August, too, but Dr. Illan in Tijuana. The sooner the better but I am having difficulty scheduling around six family weddings this summer. SIX?! I have told my husband, my mother, my oldest daughter, a very good friend from high school who had RNY in December of 2015 and actually her progress was a factor in my decision and a very close friend. I maintained my weight at the high end of normal (but I'm also VERY muscular always ranking in the 95th percentile for muscle by age and gender) throughout all three pregnancies and into my late 30's, but I've always had to work at it, at least since high school. But job and lifestyle changes contributed to my packing on 10 lbs per year from 2004 to 2012. My highest weight has been 240 and I've hit that 3 times, but I'm usually around 220. But I have to eat lean protein, veggies one serving of fruit and nearly no grain at all to maintain that. Going below to my lowest weight since I started losing the battle, 207, requires nearly a full time commitment of measuring everything I consume and hellish amounts of exercise. Anyone who knows me knows I HAVE tried. I don't have the comorbitities - yet- but I'm pretty sure that's just a matter of time if I don't get this weight off. My husband has never complained about my weight gain, but I'm sure he's not happy about it. He weighs within a few pounds of what he weighed when we got married in 1989. He just said that if this surgery will make me happier then he's in full support although he's less than enthusiastic about possible moodiness and hair loss, but still willing to take it in stride and with humor. My mom, whose going to accompany me, is very supportive. I get my ridiculously efficient metabolism from her. She spent a good portion of the 60's and 70's eating no more than 700 calories a day just to maintain her size 6 figure. Of course a size 6 then was waaaay smaller than a modern size 6. She and I are both convinced that the malabsorbtion is necessary for massive weight loss with my genetics. My oldest daughter was also supportive and realizes that I've been putting in a lot of effort with very little to show for it for years. I wasn't really even ready to tell my adult children, though I will tell the other two. But she's pregnant with her first baby and I'm so concerned that she's started down the road to obesity, eating burgers, fries and ice cream in the first trimester. I wanted her to keep in mind the possible consequences of relaxing her guard so much. Telling my high school friend was probably a big mistake if I don't want my WLS to be common knowledge, at least in my hometown of 5500 people. I didn't tell her not to mention it, and she's at the center of pretty much every civic group and charity in the area. And she mentioned two other classmates who are planning WLS this year, too. Not to be gossipy, but to make me feel better about my own struggle....I don't really plan on keeping it a state secret, but I also wish I hadn't mentioned it. I don't know why I care, but I do. My other friend was also supportive. But I almost wish I hadn't told her. She was in a very bad car accident a few years ago and gained a lot of weight during her recovery. She's still not well but has lost nearly 80 lbs mostly because she can't keep her food down but also with some help from Metformin. Unfortunately, that 80 lbs. puts her current weight roughly equal to mine; similar numbers but she's 2 inches taller and I am much more muscular. After I told her, she was very supportive because that's the kind of person she is. But I wonder if I sent the message that 220-230 is just not good enough. And 220 is pretty impressive compared to 300 in one year without any surgery. I feel badly about that! I don't want to tell my sister but that's not something I'd keep from her either. She's thinner than I am, naturally, and that's always kind of been her thing. Not that we're competitive, but really that's the one part of life where she's had it easier than me. My husband, finances, kids, etc. have always been drama-free. Her's haven't. My other person I would LIKE to tell I can't really have a deep discussion with right now. Oddly, my high school boyfriend is one of my very best friends. My husband is fine with that and knows he has nothing to worry about, but my friend has recently met someone and it's looking pretty serious so far. Most people are not nearly as confident and trusting as my husband, so I tend to stay far more distant until his relationships are more established. But I'm truly feeling the loss at the moment. As far as your age, all I can contribute is that I'm sorry I've spent the last decade of my life dodging cameras and not being comfortable in my own skin. Congratulations on figuring out this is for you now! Sorry I lack brevity!

Hi everyone, I thought I would just give those of you who might be interested a not so quick update!!! Be warned that I have written a bit of a novel. I had my mega surgery on September 9 and the 2 surgeons were able to do everything (yeah!!!!!). I have been told by about a dozen nurses and doctors that having everything done like that was probably as big of a surgery that could ever be done. Both of my surgeons have been positively giddy since the surgery, and I think they are very impressed with themselves :cursing:. I had: Anterior bowel resection (took out about 1 foot of my diseased colon and reconnected the remaining pieces) Reversal of my ileostomy – which means reconnecting my small intestine with my large intestine (for the last 2 and ½ years I had not been connected and was managing my bowels through my small intestine which had been poked through my abdomen and I “pooped” into a pouch that was attached to my abdomen – I had no bowel control). Repair of two huge hernias (one in my belly button and the other a peristomal hernia which was as a result of my ileostomy) Panniculectomy – the plastic surgeon removed about 5 pounds of excess fat and skin in my abdomen. I was in hospital for 10 days and had a wound vac for that time – special dressings attached to a type of vacuum that sucks out Fluid and guck (frangi has one) to help with wound healing. I had 3 drains across my abdomen and 46 staples. The wound line is about 28 inches from one back side of my hip to the other (the line is straight across the hips but then goes up and around my genitals – the doc said he had to take the cut a bit higher than they usually do). I believe he went higher to assist with the bowel surgery and to be able to remove the bad skin where my ileostomy site had been – I had a whole there plus some wounds that had not healed for a couple of years). When I left hospital they removed about half of the staples and two of the drains. The other drain I was supposed to keep – it ended up coming out (with some assistance from me) about 4 days later. I was noticing a bulge on my other side (which I was worried was a recurrence of the hernia), but when I went in to see the plastic surgeon to get the rest of the staples out it was a build up of fluid. He ended up draining 360 cc’s fluid that day, the next day 190 cc’s of fluid. I then went and saw him last Tuesday (four days later) and had 2 separate pockets of fluid (800 cc’s of fluid between them), so the decision was made to “reinsert” 2 drains again. To drain the fluid, they stick a really big needle into the wound line and start pulling out fluid – not a really pleasant experience. I was told it is not really unusual to have fluid build up, but the amount of fluid I have is unusual. Radiologists reinserted the drains this by ultrasound. They froze the areas separately by needle, cut two new wholes and inserted the new drains, which they stitch to the skin to hold it in. This time they used industrial size tubing and drain bags (the bags can hold up to 600 cc’s which is more than 2 cups), which I strap to my leg. What can I tell you – I am a fashion statement!!!!! I will likely have these drains for a couple of weeks. Worst thing – I can’t shower now until they are out). I have lived with an ileostomy for 2 ½ years, so taking care of the drains is really simple. My other main complication has been fluid retention in my legs. I went into surgery weighing 164 pounds and left hospital at 194 pounds :cursing:– all fluid being held in my legs (NOTE - I am NOT changing my ticker ). It is incredibly painful and uncomfortable to carry that kind o fluid. The docs finally put me on a mega dose of Water pills (80 mg per day). I have lost 17 pounds in the last 3 days – which really drains you (literally and figuratively), but at least the legs are starting to look and feel a little better. I am trying to sleep with my legs above my head - interesting position let me tell you). I have an appetite, but can’t eat much (which is pretty ironic considering the weight gain – I mean REALLY - gain that much weight but not with anything good to eat sucks horribly :smile:). I had very little restriction before the surgery, and I didn’t get any solids (clear fluid only) for the first 8 days after surgery. My band is being pretty picky right now – for the first time since being banded I am struggling with bread and some meats- although some days I can eat quite a bit and others almost nothing. Ironically, Pasta seems to slide right on down. I have been told to load up on Protein, so I am back on Protein shakes. My port feels like it didn’t move at all as a result of the surgery (I was not unfilled for surgery). It is hard to really say what my body looks like now, with the drains, fluid retention, etc., but the first time I put pants on I was incredibly excited because I had no extra stuff hanging in my abdomen to stuff into my pants. I could feel it was flat before, but wow it felt different and great when I put on pants :cursing:!!!! Because I didn’t have any lipo, my mid section is pretty square and boxy (I have never really had a waist though). I will never be able to wear a bikini (oh yeah – I also don’t have a belly button any more), but I am excited about what I can see (or not see). Sorry for the length, but I wanted to get it off my chest (or thighs or ankles :cursing:) and I have always felt very supported here. The first week or so after surgery was very rough - but I would gladly do it again. I hope to get my arms done in the next year (no hurry though). Thanks for listening!! Jacquie

A powerful story and one that perhaps has an equally powerful lesson. This journey is about control, not denial. So what would be the first sign that a bypass patient is losing control? Weight gain. More specifically, MINOR weight gain. That's the time to seek help. You won't be the first and you certainly won't be the last. For Pete's sake, seek help from your team - that's what they are there for. Losing ten pounds is nothing. Losing 100+ pounds, again, that's a very different story. The surgery can be defeated. In the words of Winston Churchill - "It is of no use saying 'We are doing the best we can'. Success means doing what is necessary."

Hi July, have you been given a date yet for your operation. Good luck and much success with it! Geri, hope you haven't been caught up with the flights situation. What date are you due to have the op? Keep telling yourself that you are about to do something really worthwhile and life changing! Brenners, thats great news that VHI should pay for the gastric bypass! It must be a huge relief for you. Good to know that you are healing well from the band removal. Don't be hard on yourself over weight gain. You've been through such a difficult time. When you have the bypass the extra weight will fall off! Its probably frustrating you now but keep telling yourself its only a temporary gain. Just a quick update on my progress! Really pleased with how things are going. I have lost inches right below my bust, lots gone from my thighs and bum. Friday is my last day for soft/mushy food. I've had more fish in the last 10 days than what I had in the previous 3 months. At times I'm forgetting to eat, me, who was a compulsive emotional eater. Ina way its hard to believe that its only 3 and a half weeks since the op as I've been so active that Im hardly at home now. Hence the reason why I haven't been posting here much recently. Maree

Read this every day. You all keep me encouraged. Sometimes I must admit I get overwhelmingly jealous, but that’s ok!!! I’m 6 weeks post surgery and at 2 weeks I had lost 20 lbs, then I added purée/soft foods and immediately gained 4.5 lbs. I have truly had major issues with bladder and kidney problems. Just don’t feel good. Therefore my “exercise” program has mainly been running to the bathroom. Ha! But....FINALLY, this past week the weight gained is gone plus a couple more lbs. yeah I wish I could say, “6 weeks and I’ve lost 35 lbs,” but I’m seriously glad for my 23+!!

Dependence on food will be habitual, while addiction to food will be somewhat unpredictable (e.g., a morning cup of coffee versus the sudden, inexplicable drive to eat four servings of cheesecake) Dependence on food will have few, if any, emotional causes, but addiction to food is provoked by emotions and circumstances that cause feelings of powerlessness (e.g., a treat to get through a trying day at work versus a binge to avoid focusing on painful thoughts Dependence on food will have few, if any, emotional effects, whereas addiction to food will cause great anxiety if not properly attended to (e.g., being cranky due to caffeine deprivation versus feeling panicked because a planned binge is interrupted) Dependence on food will cause minimal interference in other areas of a person’s life, but addiction to food will disturb every aspect (e.g., a love for red wine with dinner versus preferring to eat alone for the sake of overeating) Dependence on food can be controlled at will, but food addiction appears as an unstoppable force in the person’s life (e.g., giving up pizza after noticing slight weight gain versus trying to stick to a healthy eating plan but derailing constantly; having a divided mind that seems to want opposite things) Dependence on food is pleasurable, but food addiction is a torment (e.g., traditional Christmas cookies versus the horror one has that one has eaten the whole box of cookies, coupled with the knowledge that one isn’t done yet) Dependence on food is casual, whereas food addiction appears to the addicted person to be closely tied to his or her identity (e.g., the guilty pleasure of Cheetos versus the shame and feelings of inadequacy that often accompany a binge) Perhaps one of the most important paragraphs is below: (helpful to read the entire article) What happened in this scenario demonstrates what, for many people, is the central issue of food addiction. Bingeing allows the food-addicted person to avoid dealing with threatening emotions (such as his or her perceived failure, powerlessness, or inferiority) by replacing them with guilt and shame, which are also threatening, but in a familiar, almost comfortable way. In the mind of the food-addicted person, the pivotal issue is lack of willpower. But in truth, they are using food to defend themselves against the pain in their life. By facilitating this transfer and avoidance of emotions, food has become a drug, and it is at this point that the food-addicted person needs to seek help. Bingeing has a different meaning for most people. When I was obese I thought it meant that you ate in the closet in the dark with a whole package of Oreos and a gallon of milk. Of course I didn't do that so I didn't think it applied to my behavior. (umm...denial) Finally I realized that my weekend routine of buying a huge Bucket 'O Chicken and locking myself in my apartment from Friday evening until going to work on Monday morning was certainly a form of bingeing. The same thing applied to my Quarter Pounder with Cheese obsession. I'm sure the Dallas quarterly earnings dropped significantly around the time I woke up to my dependence on this junk food. Most importantly please, please, please....do not walk the path of shame. From that same paragraph the very important part of the article... "In the mind of the food-addicted person, the pivotal issue is lack of willpower. But in truth, they are using food to defend themselves against the pain in their life." How sad it is that we are just trying to avoid the pain of life by using food. The problem is that it never works without paying a great price. Ask for help, educate yourself, and know that freedom from this disease is truly possible.

I tried Loestrin for a month or two but I felt like crap on it and it made my blood pressure go up so I stopped it. I've also tried Femcon and was on Seasonique for many years until my insurance didn't cover it anymore (it's pretty pricey). I have been on Nuvaring now for over a year and I love it! I don't have to remember to take a pill every day and I find the side effects are much less than taking an oral contraceptive. My gyno said that it's also one of the hormonal contraceptive methods that is less likely to cause weight gain. Pretty much all birth control can make you gain weight to some degree though. Depo Provera is probably the most notorious for this (it's an injection you get every three months). Have you ever used birth control before? You may notice some symptoms like nausea, breast tenderness, spotting between periods, etc. These usually go away after a few cycles. I never had any breakthrough bleeding on Nuvaring except after the surgery, due to a combination of powerful antibiotics and stress from the procedure. BC does usually help with cramps too...it does for me, anyway. If you never want to have children, you may decide to have a tubal ligation down the line. Most docs won't do it if you haven't had children before because they are afraid you might change your mind. Reversals of tubal ligations are rarely successful so you really have to be sure. I'm sure your doc probably told you this but you have to use backup birth control for at least a week if you start the pill on a day other than the first day of your period otherwise you could get pregnant. Hope this helps! Good luck!

Awesome advice! I am a firm believer that staying busy with good stuff, helps. I knit, walk, play a game with my kids and keep a book and puzzle going at all times. It helped a lot. I also journal, plan meals, and watch every bite that goes in. But remember that Water, etc., fluctuates a lot, so don't get down by day to day weight gains.

It is wonderful to read all your success stories and the mounting rewards as December 2018 sleevers! Wow.  My surgery was 12/17/2018 at NW Medical Center in Coral Springs, FL. I am currently three poundsaway from onederland!!! A total of 57 pounds from 258 start weight the first of December. Usually major consecutive holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas thru New Years in the past, meant a weight gain for me. I tried to use restraint, but all the rich, high calorie "specialty foods" of the season just continued the never ending weight battle + cycle resulting in feeling more discouraged and hopeless with each passing year. :[ BUT NOT THIS New Year of 2019! I love my sleeve and so glad to have begun a new, hopeful and promising track! Does anyone else feel the same? Refreshing, right? My blood pressure and blood tests all came back healthy - And, left injured, problematic knee is much improved. Bowels have stabilized andVitamin regime no longer causes nausea. I follow closely Dr. V and my nutritionist's recommendations for balanced nutrition with moderate exercise, at this 3 ½ month juncture. Other aspects I am thrilled about is the ability to be satisfied with so much less volume of food. I really have not missed sugar, salt or fat laden recipes and Desserts. While I had made major changes in my diet losing 41 pounds (298 at highest point) before considering surgery last November, the sleeve just simplifies and propels me forward in getting to my healthy weight. I desire to drop another 40 pounds and feel the confidence I can now do so. Not to mention, keeping it off and maintaining a healthy weight via reduced stomach - Breaking the vicious cycle. I have not seen the scale read under 200 pounds in over 23 years! That's a lot of baggage for this petite 5'0" frame and interior designer constantly on her feet. My clothes closet has been purged and taken to a quality consignment shoppe or Goodwill - Now shopping in regular departments for limited clothing in size large for tops and XL for slacks. Most of these sale items are quickly becoming too loose. So happyto no longer see 1X, 2X or 3X (at highest weight) on my clothing labels. Right? Excited for my size 10 and petite medium goal.  Really proud of all of us! Let's keep on sharing our victories and "all the nuances" of becoming our best physically and emotionally. None can truly appreciate nor understand this journey we embark... except for us. That makes us a pretty fabulous group of comrades. Happy spring everyone! ;]

I'm not a fan of birthcontrol at all. I did one round of depovrovera injection back when I was 19 or twenty, and I turned itno such a misrible person on it. I stoped it and did not do any form of bc since then. I also have had menstral irregularites from fibroids in the usterus. I also have PCOS, and fibroids and menstral problems go hand in hand with the weight gain. Have any of you girls that have bad pain with your cycles been scanned for fibroids? they can make you very ill when you get your ycle. I did ont voimit but I did feel nauseus and had bad pain with my period and the bleeding was very heavy wich lead to anemia. My doctor encourages me to use some form of birthcontrol to prevent pregnancy. I feel like laughing omg like pregnancy would ever happen? But with my luck i'd dropp like 1/2 of my desired amount then get pregnant. I have an allergy to latex so rubbers are out of the question for us, so my husband said he would obstain for like a year. what would be our chances of conceoption anyway i think they are pretty slim to none at this point without medical intervention. My surgon says i can be banded and pregnant I just have to use some caution as far as banding is considered i guess.

Hi, ManningFan.... First Question: Peyton or Eli....or Both? You bring up a very interesting series of issues, and I'd like to offer my point of view….which might be a little different than others here. First, congratulations on your achievement thus far. You've lost a very significant amount of weight, and you should be very proud of that. With or without the band, that is a wonderful accomplishment. However, there are a number of things that come into play here. First, you have lost a lot of weight in a relatively short period of time. Dieting in a conventional manner, it would/should take you about 2 or three months to lose that much….UNLESS you were crash-dieting. I hope that is not the case. When you are as heavy as you were, and you have a "young metabolism", it IS possible to lose that much in the amount of time you have suggested….but, I am thinking that you may have been a bit extreme in your dieting, perhaps? That is NEVER a good idea, and ALWAYS leads you back to weight gain. I do not know that this is the case in your situation, but from the time period you have indicated, it is a possibility. Another component of this is that you have your Surgery scheduled. That is almost ALWAYS a motivator that leads people to significant weight loss, because they know that the band is "waiting" for them a short distance down the road, and they won't have to diet quite like that forever. Thus the motivation is a bit artificial, and it is possible that you might not be able to maintain it without the surgery. Now, having said all that, I will tell you something that I believe very strongly: The BEST Weight Loss Surgery is NO Weight Loss Surgery. That means that if you can do it without surgery, you WILL be better off. No one should ever have surgery unless they really NEED it, for ANY reason. You are in a unique position in that you are a self-pay. You don't have to worry about insurance, and you are very fortunate for a number of reasons. You can choose your surgeon, the hospital, the aftercare, etc. You aren't tied to what your insurance will pay for. You can also choose when to have your surgery. You have the CONTROL. In my own process of rebuilding my body, I have been through a rather unique experience. I won't go into details about my "Banded life", but I will say that during a process that has lasted nearly a decade, I have learned an enormous amount, about my body, about my self, about the Medical industry, about Medical Science, and many other things. I have worked within the Medical Sciences field in that period, so I have the unique experience of having seen this process from virtually every angle, including that of a patient. And while this comment might raise a few eyebrows, I will tell you that if I knew prior to my surgery what I know NOW, I would never have had the surgery. Now, I say that as I sit here at a PERFECT weight for my body type, having had a Lap Band, in excellent health, and one might rightfully ask me why I would say that. It's complicated, and I am NOT here to tell people NOT to have surgery, but to assist them in making the best choices for their health….and if that includes surgery, then I will say that. But….I have learned so much about Physiology, Nutrition, Psychology, (I had a background in those PRIOR to surgery, but my experience taught me things that were NEVER taught in school…) and the components of good health and vitality. I have realized that our culture and society has SO corrupted our concept of what is good nutrition and what good health actually means. As a result, I began thinking and eating and moving far differently than I did prior to this process, and I am quite convinced that had I been aware of these things earlier in my life, surgery would NOT have been the path I would have taken. My suggestion to you would be this: You have TIME, and you have Money. You're only 25, and some Medical Professionals will tell you that the body really does not reach full physical maturation until 28 or even 30. I wouldn't say this to you if you were in your late 30's or 40's, or if you had only lost a few pounds, but you are YOUNG, and you have lost FIFTY POUNDS so far. I would call your Surgeon's office, and postpone your surgery for a few months, maybe 5 or 6 months. See how you do. If your weight loss continues, then postpone it again, until you reach a BMI where you HAVE to make a decision and then cancel, or have the surgery, depending on your experience. Take those 6 months, study nutrition (I will PM you some information on materials, if you like), develop an exercise program, and see if you can get control of this yourself. I think you can. You have demonstrated your ability to do so thus far. Quite frequently on this forum, someone will spout out one of the numerous "statistics" that have been floating around about weight loss and related matters. One of the "Statistics" is "of people who Lose weight on their own, only %5 are able to keep it off". Most Fitness professionals (and that includes quite a range of professions) would disagree with that quite strenuously. Those people who do it CORRECTLY can very often keep the weight off, and develop TRUE health and vitality. Those "statistics" (where do they get that crap?) more often refers to the class of people whose idea of real "dieting" means reducing their intake of Snickers from Four bars a day to Two. That ain't gonna work. And, unfortunately, THAT is also one of the reasons that SO MANY people fail with the Lap Band….they simply reduce the amount of garbage they consume. But so often the problem is WHAT they eat, as well as the amount. So, that is MY take on your situation. Because you are YOUNG enough, and you have lost so much of your excess weight on your own, I would give it a try. Some people might say that should not waste any more time and just get the Lap Band. I would strongly disagree with that, because you have NOT wasted ANY time. You have brought yourself several steps closer to Good Health, and if you continue along this path, you will complete the task. But, again, I would caution you: Do NOT do this by crash dieting or by eating unhealthily. I will be happy to assist you with finding materials that will help you with this. But Do it the RIGHT way. Or you might become another statistic. I heartily encourage surgery (including WLS) where it is NECESSARY. But, as I have said, you should never undergo surgery of any kind unless you really NEED it. And you might have a unique opportunity to avoid it. And 17 grand can buy a LOT of bikinis...... If I can help you in any way, please feel free to PM me. S.

I wouldn't describe you as a "failed gastric sleeve", you lost 84 pounds! I know how frustrating it is to have to take medication that promotes weight gain, it happened to me with Prednisone. My condition was life-threatening, so I had no choice but to take it. Fortunately, in my case, I didn't have to take it for long and the side effects dissipated pretty promptly once I got off it. You didn't say how long you have been off the medication that caused the problem - is it possible that it is still affecting you? If your bariatric team is not knowlegeable about that particular medication, they may not know what to tell you. Have you tried going back to the doctor that prescribed it? He/She may know better how to manage the after-effects of taking that med. Also, have you googled it? You'd be surprised at how much information there is out there from patients sharing their experiences. For example, I learned online that limiting sodium intake is particularly helpful for mitigating Prednisone weight gain and that helped me a lot. There may be info out there about your particular med as well. I had my surgery right around the same time you did and I'm only up to about 800 calories per day. Maybe try cutting your calories a little more? Also, I'm sensitive to refined carbs, so even if I eat a low calorie diet, my weight loss will stall if my carbs are too high. I generally keep my carbs below 50 per day. I do a 30 minute walk almost every day and strength training three times a week (nothing too crazy, I have a nice beginner's low-impact full-body workout with dumbbells). I found the routine on YouTube and I chose it because it's something short that I can do consistently. The strength training really helped me to keep losing as I added a bit more muscle mass. I started with this routine and then added a little more to it over time: Anyway, don't think of yourself as a failure, life happens. Sorry you ran into this obstacle and hope you are able to get back on track soon. Keep your head up!

Hello Everyone: This group is very large now. I was gone for 3 days and it took me so long to read and catch up - Glad everyone is doing fine. Today is the 1st day of my mushie stage. Next Thursday I'm on Solids. I called and made my appointment for my 1st fill (3-27-07). I drink up until I eat then 1 hour after. I ate at 10am yesterday and didn't eat again until 10:30pm. I wasn't hungry. I did drink and clean up. I was kindof glad I had no appetite yesterday. I weigh in today and I gained 4 lbs. That is ok. I know the reason I lost more weight was because I was on liquids only, as you add food - Thicker, solids - that is more calories. I plan to start an exercise plan to counteract the calories I'm intaking. Good Luck all you March Bandsters, I wouldn't change anything. My family & my husband family knows that I had the surgery. They are so use to me eating a lot of food, but when we went to dinner the other night I only had a very small piece of fish (started before mushie stage). They were like your full, I told them yes - they had several pieces of fish, fries, chicken, salad. Later that night my SIL asked me - so how does the band work - I explained - I think she called my MIL because she called me later and asked me about it also. I tried to explain - I'm not a big person now - 5'1, 195 @ surgery, I'm small framed - If you saw me you wouldn't think I needed it, but 3 months ago I weighed around 140 lbs. I eat when no one is around. I would stop and get something to eat on the way home and then eat when I got home also. I was on my way up and I wanted to prevent the weight gain before I started having real problems, (no offense) but I didn't want to wait until I was 250-300 lbs before the surgery. I am so glad I did this!!!

There is no worrying about weight gaining while you are in bandster hell. So stay off the scales. This time is for focusing on recovering and learning. Hope everyone is feeling fine!