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@2021NewMe First congrats on making yourself a priority. Know that your thoughts, feelings, and fears have been shared with what i would say is 99% of the people on here. Start by saying i'm now 52, 5'2" and 120lbs. I started this process back November 2009 (right before Thanksgiving) at 232lbs 44bmi with the lapband 14cc. I LOVE MY BAND... she and i had a wonderful relationship. She was the best thing I had done for myself. Like others, I had dieted for years only to lose and then gain it all back plus some. The sense of failure was some days overwhelming. That carried over to the WLS. The thought of failure. With any WLS you have to be 100% committed to the entire process, not just pick and chose what you want to do. It's hard and I still fall short and have weak moments. Like the other night, I ate chips and two cookies... The guilt is real. There are so many inspiring people on this site. I've been here since 2009, on and off. But if you search you will find a lot of people have the same issues as yourself and just having those people is, somedays, everything. BP is my secret place. I don't tell anyone i come here. Makes me feel free to ask questions without feeling embarrassed or judged (although some people can be). I, personally prefer the don't tell anyone route. When i had my band i told nearly everyone and always felt like i was being watched and judged. Like they were waiting for me to fail yet again. In 2017, I had one of my worse days.... i had to have my beloved band removed due to a slip... she was my BF, the absolute one thing in my life i could count on. I did my best to continue eating the way i had for years, but Tina (band) wasn't there to help. Over the next 2.5 years i put back 30lbs and got back up to 173lbs. I had always known i need WLS help, but 1) couldn't find a dr that would do it because of my low bmi... 2) couldn't afford it. But as fate would have it.... My divorce (26 years) property settlement was final and i finally found a dr that would do the revision..... So Sept. 28, 2019 at 173lbs and 14k in hand... I revised to the sleeve. Only my husband knows. I didn't tell anyone, not my kids, family, friends, co workers.... and this is sooooo much better. My org size was a 18-20.... down to a 6, then up to a 10-12..... Now I'm a size 0-2

Nice to meet you. I have been gone from this forum since June 2019 but am back again and looking forward to sharing with all of you and supporting each other.

That's a good list. Those are the things that caused my 10 lb weight gain. Well, that and going into Walgreens every Friday night to buy chocolate! 🙂

I can relate! I have been off of this forum for a year but really should have stuck with it. I kept the weight off until March when my husband got COVID but then I ate every cookie and every chocolate bar I could get my hands on. The damage was 10-12 pounds, thankfully, but I'm finally psychologically ready to get back on track. I kicked myself in the ass for gaining weight, but that didn't fix the problem and I had to remember why I had the surgery in the first place. So I started in KETO two weeks ago and have lost 4 lbs and feel like I'm headed in the right direction, even through the holidays I feel confident that I can do it. You can too!

Well, to be fair, it was all my fault. The sleeve did it's job. I was really struggling with COVID and the racial tension in this country (no excuse) and Depression and I was eating two giant Hershey bars a day and cookies. Sweets are my weakness. Once I quit eating the sweets, the weight started coming back off. I can't eat very much at a time. The sleeve cuts off 3/4 of your stomach so you end up with a teeny tiny stomach that can't hold much. Therefore you can't eat much at any one sitting. That being said, if you ate or snacked every few hours, it's possible you could still eat too much, but if you stuck with three meals a day and maybe one snack you'd drop the weight like crazy. On the bright side, I was able to stop myself at the 10 pounds and not gain back 20, 30 or 50. So in the long run, I've learned my lesson, I didn't regain all of my original weight, and I caught myself before I got in too deep and I'm back on track. Hubby and I are now doing the KETO diet and it's amazing how little I can eat due to the stomach size restriction. Like I said, it's a Godsend.

I use either Trader Joe's Pea Protein Powder (affordable) or Garden of Life Vanilla Protein Powder (pricey) and blend with soymilk. The Garden of Life tastes better but it's expensive $35-$45 depending on where you get it. If I remember correctly the Trader Joe’s is $10 (don't' quote me), and they also have a hemp protein powder but not sure if that's allowed.

Hey, WOW thank you for your quick response. I really am so confused, can I ask with the sleeve, how does it physically stop you eating, as I am worried I will overeat (not that I do now as I have the band and it doesn't allow me to, but if I didn't have any restriction then god knows!). As you said above you have gained 10-12 pounds, that would really worry me as if you can put that on then I know I probably will too and I don't want to be in the same situation in another 10 years. Thanks x

It's tough, isn't it? It's a lifetime struggle for many of us. I can highly recommend the Sleeve Surgery as I had it just under two years ago and lost 60 lbs or so. That being said, this year with COVID, I gained 10-12 of it back, but I just got back on track again two weeks ago and have already lost 4 lbs on KETO. What's different about dieting post-op to pre-op is that your stomach is smaller so you can't eat as much. It's your best friend and aid in dieting. As long as you're choosing the right foods with the focus on protein, the portion sizes take care of themselves and that's a huge impact on your success. I can't speak from experience as to a revision because I never had the lapband.

Hey guys I really need some help from "real people with real experiences", my weight is increasing despite having a lap band in and I need to do something to stop it in its tracks. I have been dieting forever but this year I have done about 7 different diets, from Keto, SW, Calorie Counting etc and I am now heavier than I was on January 1st and what worries me is what my weight will rise up to if I don't do something. My history: - Starting Weight before Lap band: approx. 17 stone (size 20) - Lowest Weight after Lap band: approx. 10 stone (not for very long, comfortable weight was about 11 stone) (size 10/12) - Current Weight: 13 stone (steadily increasing weekly) (size 14) - I had a gastric band in April 2010, everything was fine overall, but the last few years haven't been so good, I developed a pouch in oesophagus so I only have 6.25ml in my band, this isn't really providing me with much restriction at all, I do have a little reflux however. I have also suffered with constipation for about 20 years! As I said above, I really need some help from "real people with real experiences", I am considering what my options are, revision surgery from the band to: Sleeve, Bypass, Mini Bypass or anything else? I have spoken to a few surgeons this week and they have all given different advice, so it is even more confusing. My questions are: - Has anyone had a similar experiences and what did you decide to do and was it the right decision? - It worries me if I have the sleeve or a bypass, will I be in the same situation in 10 years time? - Would anyone recommend a particular company or surgeon? - Has anyone had the band deflated and maybe had the balloon? I don't know if this is even possible? I thought this would mean surgery wouldn't be needed? Any advice would be welcomed, thank you all for your time 🙂

I just did a major closet purge. I finally got rid of my size 14 pants and XL tops. After loosing 48 pounds (5'7", CW 146) I'm wearing size 10 pants and M tops.

Wow we have the same stats I am also 5'6 and weigh 241 currently . I've lost 10 lbs since starting my pre-op program.

Congratulations on your surgery date! That's awesome. My gastric sleeve surgery was on 10/28. I was so worried about multiple things I read that other people experienced I almost changed my mind. I am so glad I didn't. I was in the hospital for 2 nights. The only tough time I had was immediately after surgery when waking up. Extreme nausea which they dealt with very, very quickly. I didn't have gas pains or problems with swallowing. I can't say enough positive things about my experience thus far. I'm really, really grateful. I 1000% agree with not weighing yourself after surgery. My weight was higher and I didn't begin to show a loss for about a week or so. That can be a tad discouraging. In summary, stay focused on why you have made this decision and know that everyone's experience is different. Blessings to you on your journey!

I am a newbie. Gastric sleeve on 10/28. I struggled with being committed to my decision to have surgery a few times BUT I am so very glad I went through with it. My experience thus far has been amazing. It is very hard when you read of other people who had complications or struggled in so many ways post op. That will definitely influence your thoughts regarding the unknown outcome. I can honestly tell you I had absolutely zero problems. I live alone and was perfectly fine post-op. Eating according to plan has not been an issue. In regards to sticking with the requirements of the plan, I find that your body will do it for you. You can't overeat (in my experience) as it will make you far too uncomfortable. It becomes a habit to take smaller bites and to chew your food thoroughly. I wish you the best.

It didn't hurt as such, but just felt a bit sloshy and tight inside when I took too much fluid in and made me feel nauseous. Someone on this board gave me the idea of using a shot glass to measure water and fluids so you don't over consume, and setting an alarm on phone for every 10 minutes to drink. I don't really have to think about water now though, I can taken reasonable sized gulps and get enough in no problem. So at 8 weeks out I finally completed a qualification I'd been working on, and my friends threw me a surprise celebration with champagne and a beautiful homemade cake!! I held the glass, and sipped it very slowly. I had a sliver (2mm) of cake that I picked at over two hours. They know I'm watching my weight, so didn't say anything. It wasn't in my plan, and not ideal, but I went with it and was careful and I'm so glad I did because I hadn't seen them all since March and now we're in another lockdown. Like what catwoman7 said, my normal sized friends would have done similar sometimes. So after that I felt like having a social life and celebrating special occasions were things that i could do, even if I didn't consume as much as my old self, and that made me feel so much better. I was also very scared of dumping, but I haven't experienced it yet. You will be fine, and so glad you did it afterwards 😊

I was sleeved 11/9 went home 11/10 the first couple days I had a lot of energy to walk but felt sore when going from laying to sottingnor standing, I’m 7 days post op now and have only taken Tylenol a couple of times in the past couple of days and am back to work today! More of a discomfort than pain

How old are you? I know when I was in my 30's, I was not skinny, but not fat. As I got older (I'm 57 now) it seemed like each year another 5 or 10 pounds was "acceptable, but not ideal" I found myself saying "I felt good at 210, if I could just get there!" and then "I was always happy under 230, let me try to get there"...and then I realized I'm going to be at 300 pounds in 3 more years at this rate and decided I needed to do something! I wish I had done it earlier, but who knows? If you are not committed to changing your lifestyle, you might go through this and end up back where you are. Or, you could decide you want to change your life anyway and do it without surgery. I am only 3.5 months out, so I hope I can commit and feel great forever, but at 50 pounds down, I'm committing now! Also, I have been able to eat out, hang out with friends and still lose weight...I just order an appetizer and take half of it home and have one drink when I would have had several before (PS. I'm saving money, too!) Good luck on your decision.

Prior to surgery I weighed 216 pounds. This was on my initial consultation with my surgeon in August. Immediately before surgery on 10/28 I weighed 196 pounds. Today my weight is 185.2. It's not super fast but I'm happy about it. I'm 5'3.

Hello ladies! I am also flying solo...😉 I had gastric sleeve surgery on 10/28/2020. I have experienced zero problems. I had friends and family to call to check if I needed anything but I didn't. Very grateful. I had plenty of broth, protein shakes, sugar free jello and popsicles available here at home. I don't know if my surgeon is a magician or not but I promise you...I had no pain. Little bit of tenderness but nothing that warranted pain meds. Sending you both much support and encouragement!

@Glowup Jess I also had surgery in October (10/16 Sleeve) this was also a concern of mine. Mentally I reminded myself of all of the reasons I chose to go through with surgery and made it about me. I put myself 1st for the 1st time in a long time. I have a family and also care for my grandmother and mother who has cancer. For many years my focus has been my family and still is but I allowed myself to focus on me 1st. We deserve it 😉

If you haven't run into this in your research, I found this to be an interesting point/counterpoint discussion of the LINX (the "Yes" vote is linked at the bottom). http://agaperspectives.gastro.org/is-linx-the-way-to-go-for-gerd-surgery-no/#.X7K6SWhKiUk I also found another source that indicated that LINX was not appropriate for bariatric patients, but didn't explain why (possibly simply because that group didn't have much experience with bariatric patients?) The "No" vote above did lift out the prospect of erosion from the foreign body, and given the history of the lapband, that is probably a good point of caution. I would suggest getting a second (and possibly third) opinion on this. I am a fan of second opinions, particularly when it comes to revisions and complications, as both the causes and solutions are often more varied than the original surgery, and hence the opinions as to the best way to go often vary more widely - what one doc is comfortable doing to solve the problem may not be the ideal for you, while another doc may have different experiences that allows him to offer something better for your need. Or maybe not - but as patients it is hard for us to evaluate, but one solution may make more sense to us than another. I have found that with the sleeve, being a relatively new procedure to most of the bariatric world, the solutions to problems that may crop up are often limited - some docs are limited to simply revising to a bypass as they don't have much experience with anything else. Most bariatric surgeons here in the States are fairly well experienced with the sleeve by now (as opposed to 6-10 years ago) but may not yet have that much experience in correcting problems with them, which is why it can pay to seek out alternate opinions. Sometimes there are shape issues with the sleeve, stemming from either the original surgery or from subsequent evolutions, and surgeons can vary widely on their ability to address these. Some can do fundoplications to address the hiatal hernia, while others can't (there isn't that much fundus to plicate after our VSG.) I would suggest a second opinion from Dr. Ara Keshishian, who does a lot of complex revisions (people come from across the country to see him, particularly as he is one of the few who can do the RNY/DS revision) and if anyone can get things working better without a major revision or devices, it is him. If one can avoid an RNY or an implanted device, that would be ideal. Conveniently, he is right around the corner from you in the Glendale/Pasadena area. I do have a hiatal hernia, though a fundoplication is inappropriate for my case, and as GERD is mild and well controlled with moderate OTC meds, and EGD shows nothing exciting happening, it is a wait and see thing for me at this point. Hope yours comes out well, whatever path you take,

@MarvelGirl25 Thank you so much for sharing. I'm somewhat of a newbie, had sleeve 10/16. All of your food seriously makes me inspired. While I am going through the 1st 8 weeks taking each week as it comes has been somewhat difficult at times. I'm excited to be able to expand my options and try new recipes. Thank you 😊 💓

@Barbwired & @toytoy Our stories are so similar..... I to was banded 11/10/2009. Did great till 2017 when i was going through a divorce (25-26 years) and then i got a stomach virus and couldn't stop throwing up..... slipped band and ER removal 3/23/2017... Worse day EVER. I lost my beloved band Tina. At the time i lost her i had not gained any weight and was at my steady 143lbs. Because it was ER i was not giving the option to wait or revise. Looking back on it i wish i had been given the choice.... But because i didn't gain, my dr said i didn't weigh enough anyway. And that's what i heard from every dr after that. Fast forward a little... i started with a few lbs here and there and no matter what i did i could not get the scale to go back the other way. I was starting to get depressed and then the beginning of 2019 i started menopause (50). When May-June came around i was up to 173lbs. (30lbs). Planning a wedding for Sept and i was steady gaining..... so i upped my search and found a dr. here that agreed to do the revision. I really wanted the MGB, but he doesn't do that.... so the sleeve it was. It went quickly as i told the dr i wanted to go as fast a possible, all other appointments went... bam bam.. Done. He noted in my chart that i was a "revision" (2.5 years later) and what my BMI was back in 2009 was 44, how well i did and that in 2.5 years i had only gained 30lbs. Handed over 14k and was sleeved 8/28/19..... Married 9/26/19 20lbs lighter. As of today i'm at 120lbs and have been since Juneishhhh.... (-53lbs) Barb.. i'm the same way, i like the gym but i have to go straight from work, do not stop anywhere, do not pass GO... hehe.... if i do, i'll go home and that's where i stay. I have not exercised a day since Covid started. I did for the months of Aug-Jan...(crossfit). But nothing since. Honestly, the sleeve sx was one of the easiest i ever had.... sx on Wednesday and back to work on Monday he even fixed a HH. @toytoy Is there a reason they can't do the removal and revision at the same time? The weight loss has for me been pretty easy and no complications. No vomiting, no getting stuck, no fills... I went see the dr every 3 months and now i'm on maintenance and only have to go once a year (unless i have issues). Personally, i think us Band-members that did well with the band do well with the sleeve. I know the band taught me how to eat better and it has made a huge difference. People that didn't do well with the sleeve i see them having more of their same issues.

I just realized I didn't read your whole post... I understand chronic pain VERY well! ESPECIALLY nerve pain! I have TN (Trigeminal Neuralgia) and had brain surgery 3 years ago in an attempt to relieve myself of the agony even if it would likely be temporary (there isn't a cure for TN the surgery just stops the pain for a few years). I have atypical trigeminal neuralgia. It's on both sides and I had both type 1 and 2 pains on the left side and only type 2 on the right. I can handle the type 2 pains, but the type 1 pains... there is nothing comparable to it. It's the worst sort of agony imaginable. NOTHING has ever equaled or surpassed it. The best description for it I can give is most times it felt like I had a scalding hot poker jab into my face where it would twist and twist and twist and twist before pulling out only to repeat itself endlessly. I had the surgery (Microvascular Decompression) on the left side of my brain to get rid of the type 1 pain and it amazingly got rid of the flare ups and I had no pain for 2 amazing years. Around the time I started my weight loss journey last year I started having type 2 pains again on the left side. I couldn't stop CRYING! I was paranoid and panicking and CONVINCED that the type 1 pain was going to return. If my surgery hadn't worked to get rid of the type 1 pain I wouldn't be here. TN is called suicides disease for a REASON. It's recognized as one the most painfully excruciating conditions know to mankind. I was in absolute agony with my TN with a flare that lasted for 10 MONTHS before I had my surgery. I was barely sleeping because it was worse at night. Everything set it off. I was in a never ending world of absolute AGONY and I only held out for my family. I had overdosed on my meds on at least 3 occasions... 1 particular one I was incredibly lucky that I didn't end up in a coma because I'd taken 600mg over my dose (900mg was my dose and overdose for me was 1000mg, I'd taken 1500mg). If the surgery hadn't worked... I wouldn't be here. I was BARELY holding out for my family. I thought I was losing my mind from lack of sleep and pain and I wanted to cry all the damn time but I didn't have the energy or the tears because I'd cried myself dry months before. EVERYTHING set it off. Sleeping, eating, bathing, talking, touching my face, brushing my hair or my teeth. The happiest day of my life was my surgery day. I woke up with the worse headache of my LIFE and at that point the worst nausea I'd had in my life (only beaten by dumping syndrome), but it was 100% WORTH IT! When my TN came back in the form of the type 2 pain I felt like my life was over. I had been so strong and held out to make it to my surgery, but I just didn't know if I could have that kind of strength again. I didn't think I'd survive a repeat. So I fell into a very deep depression. My doctor put me on anti-depression and anxiety meds and when I saw the psyche doc at the bariatric clinic I told her my TN coming back to how it was before my surgery was my absolute worst fear. I honestly don't know how I even passed my psyche eval because I was a MESS! While I was going through that I read a lot. It DID help to take my mind off it a bit, even if it was still there lurking in the back of my head. I also watched quite a bit of anime to distract myself lol. I'm 33 and yes, I watch anime. It's an outlet and very easy for me to turn my brain off when reading doesn't work. Also like watching home renovation shows and anything that'll make me laugh and let me turn my brain off. I ended up getting a really bad rash due to the anti-depression and anxiety meds and had to get off them, but by that time my mind was in a much better place. I made the determination that the very SECOND I get the type 1 pains back I'm calling up my neurosurgeon and scheduling another surgery lol. I won't wait it out. I won't let it EVER get that bad again! And if for some reason he recommends me to do the Gamma Knife instead, I'll do that (my surgery was really difficult as I had a lot of tissue damage and my 3 hour surgery turned into a 6 hour surgery. I had a lot of brain swelling and there was talk of putting a stint in, but I didn't end up having to have one. I did end up with meningitus though... so I just have the feeling he'd probably want me to do Gamma Knife instead). I'm so incredibly sorry that you're going through chronic pain issues. I don't wish that kind of pain on ANYONE! It feels impossible and makes you feel so helpless. I felt so very, very, very alone. Like nobody understood it. Understood me or what I was going through... So that's the reason I told you about my own experience. I just want you to know that you are NOT alone in living with chronic pain. I really hope that the pain clinic gets back to you soon. My mom has fibromyalgia and they gave her Gabapentin for it (it also helps her neuropathy too and helps her sleep). I don't know what meds they'll start you off with, but I hope the first one they give you works for you!

I am going through the same thing. Wish I had some answers for you. After 2 bites, I get a pain that feels almost like the food is tearing into my stomach as it goes down. It makes me not want to eat at all. Sometimes it even does it with liquid! Btw my bypass surgery was 10/28/20