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I’ve got two tattoos so far. My next will be a lucky cat, probably on my outer/upper arm.  This will be for the surgery, as I feel lucky to have the opportunity and means to have the surgery. I also want to get a tribute piece for my dad and incorporate some of the lyrics from Dropkick Murphy’s “Rose Tattoo”. I’ve got my cats name on my shoulder and I’d like to get it touched up, as weight gain prior to surgery kind of made it too fuzzy to read clearly. Have to make it more visible or cover it with another tribute to her. (I sound like a crazy cat lady, but I’m cool with it!) I’ve also got a shamrock on my back hip. Most of my cousins on one side all have some form of shamrock or clover tattoo. My husband is not a tattoo person, but yeah, he’d never in a million years tell me not to get any more. That just wouldn’t go over well. 😂

7 Months out and I've been hit with baby fever! My older 2 are 2.5 years apart, and if I were to conceive now, the middle and baby will be 2.5 years apart! I've lost 100lbs with another 50 to go till goal. Am I crazy for wanting a baby now? I was planning a tummy tuck for the beginning of 2016 so I'm not worried about stretching my tummy. A little worried about weight gain. Any insight? Also, does anyone have 3 kids? Is it bad having an odd number? I have 2, and would have my tubes tied after the third.

The sleeve fails too.. So if that fails your screwed anyway.. But just a little info.. If your band slips, leaks, or erodes.. A majority of insurance companies consider that a medical emergency not an additional surgery. Andddd As u can read on this board, people that were banded years ago, lose the weight, gain it back, then 4-5 years later.. Are starting their journeys over (with the same exact band) just by adjusting their fills and eating a proper band diet. You can seek a second a opinion sounds like your surgeon prefers sleeve for his own reasons.

Ok so I know this is not a Lap Band topic, but I'm looking for some help. I have RLS (aching, itching legs, muscle cramps, can't sleep, etc). I have been taking Mirapex for some time now. It seems to really help. But one of the side affects is weight gain. Since I started taking it, my appetite increased and I definitely did gain weight. Now since I"ve been banded, I'm afraid of taking it, but without it I can't sleep. I was wondering if anyone else suffered from RLS and could give me some advice on other medications or options. Thank you so much!!!

My doctor recommend not drinking Becuse the alcohol is now digested in the small intestines which will absorb the alcohol much faster thus giving you a buzz faster then normal. That and the fact that alcohol is a bad habit that will lead to other bad habits that will lead to weight gain and then frailer at WLS. For me that scares the hell out of me I don't want to be FAT ever again. So if it means giving up beer,soda,candy,fatting foods I'm ok with that. I love the way I'm looking and haven't been this light in 40 years. Surgery Anniversary 7/30/12

Hello! I have never joined a forum before, have been searching for one & so glad I came across BariatricPal. I am looking for some advice, suggestions, support, etc. I had gastric bypass surgery on July 25th 2012 & have lost a total of 114 pounds, 8 pant sizes, 1 shoe size & any/all health issues!! Life is pretty great, but I am starting to get nervous about gaining some weight back. I'm one of those people that reads all those worst-case scenerios & starts to panic - I do not want to be a statistic. I want to succeed, not go backwards. I have read that gaining some weight is normal but am interested in some ideas as to what is normal. The lowest I got was 156, my surgeon didn't think it was a good idea for me to be less than 165 so I was thrilled as the scale continued to drop & my waist line continued to shrink! I am religious when it comes to the scale; I weigh myself every morning before I get in the shower & sadly, depending on what figure stares back at me, determines my mood for that day. The past few months I have seen a weight gain of 1 pound here, 2 there, 3 lost, 1 gained & so on. This morning I stepped on the scale & it said 166...I was horrified. I called & spoke to a nurse & she said that was a normal amount of weight to gain, considering I ended up lower than my anticipated weight loss. That doesn't make me feel any better...wish it did. Just seeing that I'm 1 pound over than my original goal scares the crap out me. Instead of crying, I finished getting ready for work & hauled out the old food journal, Protein powder & determination. Also, my husband & I are trying for our third (and final) baby...I thought I was mentally preparing myself for the expected weight gain w/pregnancy but considering how upset I was this morning I'm not even close to being mentally prepared. I guess I'm still considered a newbie; not 2 years out yet so I welcome any suggestions, similar stories, etc. Thanks!!!

I was very lucky and had a good experience. Our local hospital has the sleep study rooms set up to resemble a hotel, so maybe I just went into hotel mode. There was a TV, etc. My spouse dropped me off and then came back for me the next morning. The nurse was very nice -- he stuck on the sensors and put them into a kind of pony tail at the side so I was able to fall asleep. I was worried about having to get up and go to the bathroom but when I did it was very easy as everything unhooked from one place. They checked on me from time-to-time and I had what for me was a "regular" night's sleep, i.e. waking up constantly, otherwise known as apnea. No wonder I was exhausted all the time -- and endangering my health. The next thing was getting the machine. A respiratory therapist set it up and I was fortunate to be able to have the kind that has nose pillows rather than a thing that goes over mouth and nose. It's a bit like how oxygen is done but the nose is sealed. Straps over the head to keep the thing on but they are pretty well-designed for minimal intrusion. I travel with the machine and last year even shared a hotel room with a friend for the first time. She did not laugh at me! Prior to that only my husband had seen the thing, and he is not horrified. It's just a little weird but really it's so amazing to be able to go to that place of deep sleep. I didn't realize how long it had been since I was there. Really hoping that a big weight loss will enable me to sleep without the machine, but I suspect I have had apnea and sleep issues my whole life, even prior to the weight gain. We'll see, though -- it's definitely a goal for me. Good luck -- I think you'll do fine on the sleep study. A sense of humor is always a good idea because the whole thing is kind of bizarre. Let us know how you do!

I'm so glad you are in a good place now. I had my surgery April 2nd 2012. I was 182 pounds by surgery date. I was at 211. I have Cushings and this was the solution. I met my goal of 145 in 4 months because I couldn't stop vomiting. My goal is 115 and was 9 pounds from it and they don't know why I have abnormal weight gain. I'm back to 146. I have never stopped vomiting or gagging every day. My food still consist of the step above fluids. Sometimes I can eat something solid, but an upper GI showed the food or liquid hesitates before going down. Real food feels like glass ripping my insides all the way down. I had been off of here for a while because my Parkinsons symptoms got real bad but where my doctor left me the good Lord showed me a way. I had lost 75% speech and thought process. I did my own research and found something to try. It worked well as an off label test and now it is on record. I have no symptoms at all and hopefully we can try for a grant to study more patients. My brain is like a sponge, wanting to learn everything. I have full speech and thought process back, but I'm still vomiting or stay nauseous but promethazine helps. I got discouraged because I went from a 6 back to a 12. I didn't lose my waist length hair until I had to go on heavy rounds of steroids. I finally cut it myself last week. I did a reset and now if I eat the sweets the dumping happens and I don't care for that. No one told me about gallbladder problems or digestive problems that would occur. Keep up the great work and attitude! You are doing great!

About a million times so far. Especially after losing 8lbs this first week on my liver shrink diet. Sitting here thinking "Now... I can do this on my own, and at this pace, I could hit my goal weight without surgery." Then I remember every single failed attempt from the past, and my hormonal issues that have contributed to the weight gain, and all of the other factors. Then I un-second-guess myself. [emoji4] I'm nervous, but mostly that surgery goes okay and I come home safely to my family. Everything after that is something I know I'll acclimate to in time. This is all for a healthier me for my family, so that's what I always come back around to.

Hey all! I had surgery on 3-14-11 and gained weight its only 4 lbs but i have maybe had 1,500 cal. all week because im on the clear liquid diet...also i have had horribal gas... just wanting to know if this is normal, and once the swelling and what not goes down will i wake up one morning and be like 5 lbs down or something? help please?

Claire if you are trying to be a normal BMI you have to start eating like a normal person. 5 bowls of potato Soup tastes good and on occasion is not a big deal, however, it has almost no nutrients. Your on the right track with exercise, you need to start building muscle to burn the last few pounds that you are needing to lose but you are going to need to feed the machine if you are going to exercise. My .2 unfill was almost a month ago and I have actually lost another pound or 2. Plus you might want to read some of the posts for people who have had to have their bands removed, a lot of them start the story with " I was too tight, for too long, acid reflux, etc." Acid=erosion. I'm not trying to be mean, but I feel the need to speak plainly. Fills do not always equal weight loss, and unfills do not have to equal weight gain.

Was on it after my 2nd child. Thought it was great not having a period , Even though in the back of my head I always thought that wasn't "right" , but It was great. Then started having serious eye problems after about 2 years. Eye doc couldn't figure out why my pressures were so high and said I was going to have to be on drops for the rest of my life. After moving to another state and trying to find a new gyno. I missed my shot. Took over a year to get my period again and more importantly I went into a withdrawl causing me to miss nearly 2 months of work. I was a mess!!!! Emotionally thought I was going to wind up in an institution. Finally saw a new gyno she explained the pros and cons and the office of 5 doctors DO NOT recommend the Depo shot. They've seen way too many side effects. Inknow everyone reacts different and this was just my story. Good luck with whatever u choose:) ...oh ANd when I went off the shot I lost 35lbs!!! Weight gain was horrible. OH and the pressure in my eyes went back to normal as well.

On Monday I'll be 31 weeks pregnant with my first child a little boy :-) I'm feeling great just tired....It's been a great pregnancy I can't really complain at all. Aside from sore breast and feeling tired I had no other symptoms. My favorite thing about being pregnant is being able to feel my little man moving around in my belly. My only concern is when am I going to deliver...I'm high risk because of my blood pressure so they are talking about inducing me sometime between 37-39 weeks. As for weight gain I am up 21lbs but didn't really start putting it on until maybe 20 weeks.

Hi, Was just wondering if we could have a pregnant mama check-in? How far along? How are you feeling? Any concerns? Weight gain? Boy or girl? Favorite thing about being pregnant?

Coops,, have you considered a medical issue or medications? Why Aren't You Losing weight? By Carol Sorgen WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Feature Reviewed By Charlotte E. Grayson, MD You're following a weight-loss eating plan. You're exercising almost every day. You're proud of the new healthy habits you've learned. Yet week after week, the scale barely seems to budge. What gives? Chances are your food portion sizes have crept up (time to get out the scales and measuring cups again). Or your workouts may not be quite as intense as you think (start checking that heart rate). But if you know you've followed your reducing plan religiously, there's another possibility: A medical condition -- or medication -- may be to blame. "If you haven't been able to lose weight and you can't understand why, you need to determine whether there's a medical condition underlying your weight problem," says Peter LePort, MD, director of the Smart Dimensions Bariatric Program at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in California. "You need to cure that problem first before you can address the weight issue." Medical Reasons for Weight Gain Several conditions can cause weight gain or hinder weight loss, says Rebecca Kurth, MD, director of PrimeCare at Columbia-Presbyterian Eastside and associate professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University. Among them, Kurth says, are: Chronic stress. When you live with anxiety, stress, or grief, your body can produce chemical substances -- like the hormone cortisol -- that make your body more likely to store fat, especially around the waist. That's the type of weight gain that really increases your risk of serious health problems. (Extra weight around the hips and thighs poses fewer health risks.) Cushing's syndrome. This happens when the adrenal glands (located on top of each kidney) produce too much cortisol, which leads to a buildup of fat in the face, upper back, and abdomen. Hypothyroidism. If your thyroid is underactive, your body may not produce enough thyroid hormone to help burn stored fat. As a result, your metabolism is slower and you will store more fat than you burn -- especially if you're not physically active. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This disease, the result of a hormonal imbalance, afflicts more than 5 million women in the US. Common symptoms are irregular menstrual bleeding, acne, excessive facial hair, thinning hair, difficulty getting pregnant, and weight gain that is not caused by excessive eating. Syndrome X. Also called insulin resistance or hyperinsulinemia (high insulin levels), syndrome X goes hand-in-hand with weight gain. Syndrome X is a cluster of health conditions thought to be rooted in insulin resistance. When your body is resistant to the hormone insulin, other hormones that help control your metabolism don't work as well. Depression. Many people who are depressed turn to eating to ease their emotional distress. Hormonal changes in women. Some women may gain weight at times in their lives when there is a shift in their hormones -- at puberty, during pregnancy, and at menopause. Two other considerations: people tend to gain weight with age for unknown reasons, and though it's not a medical condition, drinking alcohol in moderate to excessive amounts can sabotage your efforts to lose weight. Alcohol (including beer and wine) is a refined carbohydrate, similar to sugar, candy, and white flour. Besides adding calories, alcohol may raise blood sugar and insulin levels, which can contribute to weight gain. A Prescription for Weight Gain? It's not only medical conditions that can add pounds. Some medications can also cause you to gain weight, or keep you from losing it, says Ken Fujioka, MD, medical director of the Scripps Clinic Nutrition and Metabolism Research Center in San Diego. "It's not only medical conditions that can add pounds. Some medications can also cause you to gain weight." This was from a quick search.

Ok- So My life is always a little weird, but here goes... BANDED 5 years ago- lost 120lbs.. great.. 2 years ago started haveing complications,... let out fluid and then progessivly kepts getting more fluid let out... and gaining... and heartburn... lost heath insurance so did not have upper gi etc... I had major body and mind trauma 1 year ago in a accident where i was rescued out of the ocean after 3 hours in alaska... i was very thankful for the extra warmth layer of fat!!! anyhow- my physical system for the last year was up and down with adreiline, sugars, shock, -i gained 70 llbs,... had band completely deflated and still had major acid flux... lost health insurance. i suspected something was not right... was told i neede to do something... i was dying with moe weight gain, etc. soooo with little $ for usa.. i schedualled a fix it op. in mexico... went well. but due to extensive scar issue etc surgery itself too awhile. i had been living with a band to tight and slipped and scr tissue grown over etc.. so i was used to the pain and not really being aware anymore.. NOW I am 7 days post op... DR wants me on clear liqu 15 days THEN 15 days of shakes, milk thick, THEN 15 days of the puree.... Im not EVEN looking at cottage cheese for another 4 weeks!!! WHAAA im not sure im gonna make it.. I have an incredible pain tolerance and think im super human.... soo liquids are no problem... i drink them till the cows come home... i am DYING for SOMETHING... not sure what to do cause i dont trust myself to KNOW if it hurts enough to not do it... i really can not screw this up.. but at same time my body is crying out for some milk or something... im scared...worried that im gona die os some weird complication cause my body does not heal well, and i was in mexico, and on and on... IT is nice to have No more heartburn... i am geting in liqu and protien... CANT I MOVE ON??? 7 more days of this i dont know.. im gona start self medication with smoking and sucking on candy soon.. and that is not the route I want .. i want this oppurtunity to really change the way i handle life and food... Im scared... my back hurts much.. are my kidneys ok.. (Urine DARK) ... I can not afford to keep running to DR. at least not for a few more weeks.... i need to get back to work to earn...because life is life i have been up much and carrying a little. i hope i am not ripping things out in there... I cant sleep well- I think im just anxious.

Best of luck!!!! And you WILL be gaining - the GOOD kind of gaining - not gaining weight - gaining a new life!!!!

From the pic (this is of course speculation on my part!), but the majority of your weight is in your upper body. Your legs are not huge, and unless you have on 2 pairs of full length Spanx under your leggings, I think you're golden on the lower half. You may end up with loose skin on the arms if you fail to exercise post-op (once cleared by your MD of course) and do lots of weight training / bands etc. for your arms. Since you've had 3 c-sections, the retraction of your belly will be different from others who have not been cut with a transverse 'bikini' cut like you have; that causes a loss of muscle strength which is worsened by weight gain and the fact that it's been done 3 times. Also, there's likely a seperation of your upper abdominal muscles that can only be repaired with a tummy tuck. If you do decide to have an abdominoplasty after your weight loss, they can create magic for you, and you'll end up with a really nice, flat tummy. I think you'll do great! Youth is on your side!

Hey guys, sorry I havent been on to respond to the comments.. I've had this nasty cold from the weather going from hot to cold and back.. I've been trying to heal myself b4 the surgery in 7 days... WOW the time has past quickly since I made the date.. I cant believe it is around the corner.. I dont feel like I have lost any pre op weight and feeling sad about it.. I think my body realizes that I am stressed and needs that extra comfort to hold on to any fat I wanna lose..lol.. but i can rest assure that after the surgery I will lose.. it is just a matter of when and how much.. Ok getting back to why I am here...lol.. I just wanna say again how much your comments and support have lifted my spirits and confirmed what I knew a long time ago.. that this behavior isnt right and I deserve better.. but b4 I look for better I need to work on myself and that means changing who I am as a person.. inside and out.. once I get there I can then decide what is best for me.. I wanna give a little background on who I am.. My whole life has been about mental abuse.. my father was the sherriff of our small town and a law enforcement guy b4 then.. my mother was a very kind and forgiving woman but most importantly a very strong christain..she did anything and everything to find ways of help other ppl.. she worked as a special needs teacher and had a heart of gold.. I learned through my childhood that life is rough and we need to work on what God gives us.. I saw my mother abused many times in my life and always felt that wasnt right that she needed to get out.. but she never did.. her motto was that when we marry that was it.. in our family she believed that divorce isnt an option and that you work on things when it wasnt right... She past away when I was 18yrs old with a long battle of breast cancer.. it started when I was 10 and didnt get any better.. even in her time of sickness she always thought of others, was always willing to help or give tons of support.. she never gave up and I find that was a great quality that I learned from her.. they always say that when a daughter takes a husband that they will find a guy like their dad.. well in my case it was very true.. I just didnt realize it until yrs after my marriage and tons of conuseling that I was back in my childhood and didnt know what to do.. all I do know is the voice of my mother reaching out and saying that divorce wasnt an option that I needed to work on it.. I have worked many yrs on my marriage but it gets to the point when the one working on it gets tired and gives up... hence all the weight gain from many yrs of food abusing myself... that was the only place I could find comfort and feel satisfied... I hear all the ladies that say they would never take this kind of abuse and that they would leave but no one will ever know how to react until they are faced with it.. this is all I know.. the counselors have told me that I cant recongize what true love is because I have never seen it myself.. all I know is abuse and it is hard to accept anything else.. I am a very strong christain woman and know that if I keep praying that one day god will set me free from these strongholds.. it may not be now but I know one day I will... whether it is here on earth or up in heaven... all I do know is that I am trying to be a great wife and mother and do what is right in the eyes of the lord... at the end of my journey i can say I did my best... I do wanna say that I Do hear everyone and DO appreciate all the feedback you have shared.. it means a lot to me and trust me I have been thinking a lot about this since I have posted it.. it does open my eyes to the things that arent right and that needs to be changed.. I feel like all of you have empowered me to step up to have a voice again and tell him when things arent right.. so thank you all and sorry this letter was all over the place.. writing letters wasnt a strong point in my schooling.. so please forgive me on that.. oh and the lady that said it was good to have some education.. I wanna say that I do have a degree in radiology and worked many years in my profession b4 having kids.. so I do have something to fall back on.. it is another thing my mother taught me b4 dying.. to always have something to fall back on.. she also taught me to save for a rainy day.. you never know when you might need it to run away.. lol.. but right now my rainy day money is going for my surgery since he is making me pay for it.. it is self pay in Mexico but I look at it as a very good investment that I could give myself... plus if I ever leave him he couldnt say he gave me the body i will earn.. I would never give him that satisfation... Dont worry guys.. I am a tough and strong woman with a basket of lots of emotions.. it is just a matter of when I have had enough that I will finally figure out what to do... thanks again guys and please dont think i am knocking anything that anyone has said because it has all helped in my spirits... I ask one more thing of all of you.. could you please pray for me on the 21st.. I need all the prayers that day so i can get through this and return home to my kids and husband.. yes I said husband.. he isnt going with me and made me find a friend to take.. that choice wasnt his fault but his mothers that chose not to help watch my kids,, I know the whole family is screwed up and trust me I am mad about it... but what doesnt kill us makes us stronger.. have a wonderful weekend...

stress can even cause a weight gain - stress about weight - stress about anything - stop stressing - stop weighing yourself - and emphasize how you feel - how do you feel?

If you are undecided, and feeling like you need to overcome being scared about the surgery, it tells me that you are not 100% committed to making the life style changes required to be successful with using the band as a weight loss tool. For a bandster to be successful with weight loss, it requires daily compliance with your diet, a commitment for regular exercise, and letting go of the maladaptive eating patterns which contributed to your weight gain. If you don't have that level of commitment for change, then I believe you will likely set yourself up for negative feelings about you, your band, and may even label yourself as a failure. It's a better choice to wait until emotionally you are ready for these required changes. Best wishes...

Hi, I have a neurological disorder called CRPS and I have been really hit hard with pain since 2011. The pain in my feet had doctors increase medications which resulted in a 50+ pound weight gain. I know I am so lucky to be in a position to slow down, not work and focus on aggressive treatments but the extra pounds were really causing the pain in my feet worse. I had elevated blood pressure and sleep apnea. Happy to say that after my surgery on Mar 29, Mt apnea and blood pressure have normalized. Too soon to tell how much of my chronic pain will be affected but just loosing weight alone will be a huge start! Sent from my SM-G900T using the BariatricPal App

Please don't be discouraged. I know it isn't easy when you don't see the progress on the scale. It can be very frustrating!! I have found that my body goes through adaptation periods especially to something new. It's been 5 weeks and your body has gotten used to what you are doing. You need to confuse it to get it going again. Have you tried different cardio to change it up? Different muscle groups? I have had stalls and when I see that the scale is hanging up, I know its time to change it up a bit. I have numerous different cardio that I do, cross country walking, biking, Zumba, treadmill, Kinect with numerous DVD workouts, numerous exercise DVD's, Hatha Yoga, swimming, occasionally canoeing, and kayaking (I live by 2 lakes and multiple rivers). I try and switch those up and rotate them often so that my body doesn't get used to the same routine, which keeps my body guessing and get it jump started. I promise that you are still transforming and most likely losing inches!!!! During stalls, focus on how clothes are fitting and also how you are tolerating longer cardio, which feels amazing when you couldn't do something the week before and the next week you can! Celebrate and focus on the NSV's (non scale victories) during stall periods. Significant weight gain doesn't happen overnight and neither does significant weight loss, although wouldn't that be awesome because it would make our journey's so much easier right? One stepping stone at a time, 1 pound at a time. Don't worry, it will happen and you are just beginning!!! Keep going you are doing great!!!

Sooo i need some help! My preop is July 27 surgery date is august 25th. My Bariatric coordinator keeps telling me that if I’m over my original weight my insurance will deny me. She keeps saying Aetna is strict but i don’t have Aetna i have Medicaid but it’s called Aetna better health Maryland. I even called my insurance company and they said weight gain is not something that will deny me that’s not something they look at. Help please!

Most of my weight gain was due to medical conditions/medication. Don't get me wrong, when I feel bored I still want to snack/graze but I now go for a walk and it seems to take away the boredom/hunger.