Search the Community

I just got my 4th fill a dew days ago and I think I am a little to full.. I am PB'ing even after I eat yogurt.. I am taking small bites and eating very slow... Even after I drink a few sips of Water I am burping... No Pbing.. I can drink Protein shakes just fine.. Did I read this correctly that you drank beer?? how is that possible? I miss beer and can't drink it.. I have a date (first one with this guy) I think I have to cancel... I have no idea how I am going to eat. Is this okay to PB all weekend or should I stick to Protein Shakes?? Thanks to all of you. It is VERY nice to hear I am not such an exception! I read these boards often and no one seems to have the problems I am having. Even my doctor says my case is somewhat unique to her. I know a few people personally who have gone through being banded. A couple successful and a couple not so much but none of them had my kind of problems. 1 year and 3 months into this and I am FINALLY getting restriction!! The unfill did help A LOT!! I am still able to eat what I feel is just enough. The scale is starting to go down too!! Let this be a lesson to you. DO NOT LIVE WITH THE BAND IF IT IS TOO TIGHT BECAUSE YOU ARE AFRAID IT WILL RESULT IN WEIGHT GAIN!!!! It can mean the difference between misery and your green spot!! Bonnie, Cassie and Sara I hope it all works out for you in the end! (Knock on wood) I am doing REALLY WELL with this NOW!! LOL

Thank you for replying. Do u mind if I ask who did your VSG, was it in Mexico? I have schedule to go with Dr. Illan and I'm pretty nervous about it. I' definitely tight from the weight gain. Parially due to my thyroid bottoming out. Again thank u for sharing

The amount of requirements and perquisite's for insurance to cover can be C R A Z Y no matter what state or insurance company you have. I live and work in IL and I have Healthlink PPO. My insurance had no real perquisites per se other than I had to go to 2 seminars for the program. Now I cannot speak for everyone's journey but my own and this is what I came across. Although my insurance had no real requirements to be met, the Dr I chose sure did!! I started my first workshop on Oct 28, 21. Since I already knew my health insurance had little to know requirements I had it set in my head that the week after Christmas Id be scheduled for surgery WRONG lol. I met a nurse practitioner at my Drs office that was like hitting a brick wall LOL. She is awesome dont get me wrong but she set me straight real quick. Depending on the Dr there are loads of tests and other Drs you have to be cleared by first. I mistakenly thought it was my insurance that required alot of this and I couldnt understand why by Feb I still had not been cleared for surgery. This nurse politely informed me that my insurance is not the one that determines the surgery clearance but the DR, they are however the source of payment so a major point to but in my program I had to show I had no weight gain in 6 months/ April was my 6th month since the start. Once I weighed in and still had no weight gain they then sent for insurance approval and like Future Sleeve Diva above, I had approval very quickly and surgery was scheduled within days of that. It can be a long process for some but it will happen in due time. It can be frustrating to have to wait but it will come and when it does then you may start asking yourself if your ready for it lol. PS....I have not had any out of pocket yet except the initial consultation with the Dr ($35) I believe I had 1 other office visit charge of $35 but so far thats all

Hi Everyone, I could really use some input, if you'd be willing to share your thoughts. On Friday (6/24), I had my first appointment with Dr. Hoehn (in the Kansas City area). Was really looking forward to getting a surgery date maybe as early as August, when he told me he had a cancellation for (gulp) this Wednesday (6/29)! I was instantly thrown into a half ecstatic state/half panic, thinking maybe this all had gone too quickly, especially since insurance won't cover and we're self paying ($16K). My questions: --I never seem to hear anyone regret the surgery--why not? --If I'm 5'3" and 210 lbs, I obviously love to eat. Will I ever get to eat yummy food again? Maybe after the weight is off? --My weight gain hasn't been due to extreme overeating/bingeing... more of a sedentary life style. Does this mean I might not lose weight with the band? Maybe I should just hit the gym HARD (for once) instead of going through with the surgery? --Since this has gone so quickly, I haven't made it to a group support meeting. Bad decision to go through with the procedure without talking to a support group first? Panic... panic.... thanks, everyone! Lisa

Lots of good advice given by the previous poster! Given the mental health issues and how they tie into weight gain/loss I second the suggestion to find a counsellor to help you walk through issues as they crop up and creating a support network to give you encouragement and motivation when things get tough. I'm sorry about your brother and hope you are confident in the care he receives in the group home, so that you can focus on taking care of yourself now

I had complications with my band and required two extra surgeries. Right after that I had to take a drug that caused weight gain for a good stretch. I got discouraged because nothing was working and just had it completely unfilled. I tried losing weight in all sorts of ways over the years, nothing worked, and I finally came around to the band again. It's working this time!

All the PBing starts a vicious cycle of swelling your stomach. I got to the point after this fill that I could not even drink coffee in the mornings, and coffee usually opens me up, so I can eat by 11 or noon. I had them take out about .5cc's and I am better now. I can actually eat solid foods in the morning. Here is the thing. You think by not being able to eat, that you are doing yourelf a favor weight loss wise, but in essence, you are not, you are slowing your metabolism down. That is what happened to me. I could not eat anything but slider foods (high in calories), and then the metabolism slowed down (body thought it was starving) which inturn equaled weight gain. As soon as I had .5cc saline removed, I lost 3 Lbs in the first 2 days, just because I could actually eat something. So be careful! You do not want the vicious cycle to start.

I love Mythbusters! I don't weigh any time after I get up because I figure any number after that is basically random as there are too many variables effecting it. I lost 3 lb. or so from yesterday to today, btw. Of course, there is no way I really did. I figure I was losing all along in the past 3 week but the weight training was masking it with Water weight gains.

I was started on a new med that says it may cause weight gain. I've been on it 3 weeks. Anyway, I'm eating 1300 calories a day. 70 grams of Protein, 14-16 grams of Fiber and less than 100 carbs a day and I'm jogging 30 minutes 3 times per week and I've gained 2 pounds. I know that doesn't sound like much to some of you but I need to get a handle on it before it's 5 pounds, 7 pounds, 10 pounds. Ideas on what to change up? I'm 150 and I'm trying to get to 135.

I was sleeved in Mexico in 2009, and two years later I lost my gall bladder because all I did was focus on protein and nothing else. I wish I had known that we CAN overdo protein. I wish I'd known that too much protein will kill your gall bladder, your kidneys, and your liver. I wish I'd exercised from the get-go instead of waiting 3 years to finally start getting on that elliptical. It would have given me more muscle tone and less hanging skin. I wish I'd stuck to my exercise instead of letting myself get overwhelmed with all the tragedies I experienced from 2014-2020. I wish I'd gotten therapy instead of looking to Xanax, Ambien, and alcohol to distract me. I'm 23 days out of a revision from a sleeve to a bypass due to weight gain. This journey is going to be much harder than my sleeve. Treasure your sleeve, work with it, respect it. *Edit: You're goal right now should be to hydrate and keep walking. Even just the shuffling around the house is good. It helps prevent blood clots and helps flush out the anesthesia and water retention from the IV fluids. Shuffle around the house 3 or 4 times a day. Count 500 or 600 steps each time. It gets easier. Don't be bending over to grab stuff from the floor. Ask someone to help or get a $10 extended arm grabber thingy. That helped me a lot when I would drop my sock or my vitamin on the floor. 😊

I also had my band surgery on 1-22 and have never experienced any weight gain. I lost 18 pounds the first 6 days and have not slowed down much. I have now lost 97 lbs and gone from 54BMI to 32 BMI. As the other person said I lost most of my weight without feeling any or much restriction. I have had 3 fills.

A lot of insurance carriers have paid for the revision with out a hitch and others drag their feet. I'm thinking it depends on yours. I was self paid because my insurance doesn't cover wls at all. As for weight gain between band and sleeve.. UGH... I gained 75 lbs, but because of severe complications and damage from lapband I had to wait 18 months to be cleared for sleeve. Good luck!

I don't like sleeping with my CPAP, but my goodness it makes such a difference in how I feel. I am hoping the weight loss after surgery will eliminate my need. My insurance paid for it, with a co-pay. I had an FSA for all of my out of pocket needs, so I honestly don't remember how much I had to pay, I'm wanting to say it was $100 - $200. My insurance pays for my supplies with I think a $45 copay for 3 month's of supplies (which last me almost a year). There are places you can get CPAPs for little or no money, the National sleep Foundation has a program. As a nurse, I will tell you it's best to get it treated, even if it is short term. It has so many health implications, from high blood pressure to stroke to weight gain... it's nothing to be messed with. And in the hospital, they'll have you on a pulse ox during your recovery, and if your oxygen keeps dropping, they'll keep waking you up. And it's hard enough to sleep in a hospital without that!!!

Relax! It happened to me too. It's not weight gain. It's probably water weight/ etc. theres no way you can be consuming enough calories to gain weight. Keep on plan and don't weigh yourself for a week and you will be down those pounds plus some. This is normal!

I would check with your doctor again. Tsh blood tests are backwards. When the number is low your level is high( hyperthyroid) you are getting to much thyroid they usually decrease your dose. When your level is high you are not getting enough thyroid( hypothyroid) and then they increase your dose. Hypothyroid can cause weight gain, hyperthyroid weight loss. Both can make you tired.

we dont eat them in our house. this was an issue with my nutitritionist. she was really pushing them. i am 7 days post opt and doing fine. everything tastes weird from ketosis anyway. lol i use a natural Protein shake (plant fusion) and plain yogurt. i have small amounts of fruit. i'm not really into super sweet things anyway. i love chocolate.. eat the dark stuff. use small amounts of maple syrup and honey. bought coconut crystals to sweeten my ice tea after surgery. it has a low GI. growing up, my dad was fat, drank tons of diet pop, used saccharine in his coffee, even sprinkled it on french toast and pancakes. lost weight, gained it back, died at 56 from a second massive heart attack. they dont help much.

Does this medication cause weight gain?

I am hesistant to post this but its on my mind so I wanted to share. I somehow gained 6lbs between Sunday morning and Tuesday morning. Monday mornings are my usual weigh in but I missed it yesterday. As I have mentioned I do still struggle with making the right choices but I have not experienced any weight gain till this point but 6lbs was alarming. I blame the birthday cake but I had a slice not the whole cake. It was a bit of a wake up call just how quickly things can change but I will chalk this up to carb bloat.

I mean really...a little searching of the site and I am sure you will find your answer! So please bare with me, while I break my own rule. Hey..I looked but this is a HUGE site...lol1. How difficult did you find the pre-op diet? I keep thinking I can't possibly do a liquid diet for a week.2. I have had 3 cesareans and my gallbladder laproscopically removed. Does anyone know how the pain and/or recovery is in comparison?3. Now this is one I really haven't seen at all and am a bit shy to ask, but it's better to ask now then end up in the ER. How soon can one umm hmmm be intimate and are you limited in well you know <whispers> positions?4. After going on solids, is there a weight gain? I plan on eating only healthy (low carbs) on the liquid and solid stages and fear that once I go on solids I may actually gain weight. Should I jus eat whatever I can tolerate on liquids and solids and worry about losing the weight and low carbing after I go on solids?5. What is the longest a person went without any fills (after surgury) and STILL lost weight?6. For some reason it is very easy for me to lose 40lbs (after each of my 3 pregnancies I have lost all of my pregnacy weight which has been 40-45lbs within 2 weeks after delivery AND each time I have done Atkins I have lost 40lbs and then I stall). Do people stall on this and if they do and it has nothing to do with the restriction, how can you tweak your program to break the stall? Or is it a matter of just being patient and waiting it out? That has always been my downfall with Atkins, I would get discouarged and just start eating the foods I liked again because I figured I wasn't losing anyway.I'm sorry if you guys get tired of the same ole questions. At least I was specific and didn't just come on here and say can someone tell me about lapband...lolThanks in advance

I was just banded on 12/13 and I saw my Dr. today for a follow up a week early due to the holiday and her taking time off. I will answer the ones that I can 1. How difficult did you find the pre-op diet? I did not have a week liquid diet, I had to loose 8% before surgery. I gained some back and my Dr. let me have surgery even though she usually does not allow that. She has cancled surgery before for weight gain. I had one day of clear liquid and that was a bit tough at times. I would suggest getting protien shakes or other foods that are filling and drink lots of water. Can they give you a diet pill for that week. I was prescribed something preop to loose the weight. I will get the name for you. 2. I have had 3 cesareans and my gallbladder laproscopically removed. Does anyone know how the pain and/or recovery is in comparison? I had my gallbladder removed and was prepaired for the same pain, but it was so much easier. I did sleep on the couch for a while but that was because I was afraid I would roll over on my stomach as that is how I usually sleep and did not want to due to my swelling and bruising. I had a bit more swelling and bruising my Dr. said than she normally see's because my body was being difficult and not letting the band and port in through the incision. Not normal. 3. Now this is one I really haven't seen at all and am a bit shy to ask, but it's better to ask now then end up in the ER. How soon can one umm hmmm be intimate and are you limited in well you know <WHISPERS>positions? My Dr gave me a binder at the hospital and this is one of the items addressed. She said as soon as a person feels up to it. I was taken off birth control and so I am going to be a bit careful. No ooppss for me : ) I can not answer the rest but having just done this a week ago, I would do it again in a heart beat. I lost 9 lbs my first week and I was drinking lots of empty calories (apple juice, orange juice) that I am now cutting down on so I can maximize my weight loss. I do not feel any restriction and my Dr. said to just keep with the post op diet and I will get filled in Jan. I drank a lot of soda and that is hard to give up. I drank it up to the day of surgery. If I could go back I would have stopped before that because that is hard now. I know I can not have soda, but I am only on liquids so it is a huge adjuestment.

Thank you for writing about your son. Certainly he has had a rough time and of course you yourself have been sharing in his troubles. It strikes me that your child is now stuck in a place where he has a number of factors working against him with respect to weight control. He has severe breathing issues and this will interfere with his level of physical activity. He is also on a number of drugs which cause weight gain. (I was briefly put on an antipsychotic and watched, with horror, my weight skyrocket.) It also seems that you are a bandster member because you yourself have weight issues due to the beautifully efficient metabolism, the very tool which was so useful for survival in primitive times and which, ironically, causes modern folk to end up with the problems of excess weight. This is also something which is hereditary. Your son may have inherited your metabolism along with his other hassles, the ones which lead him to suffer from weight control issues. Who knows? Certainly your child is in a very different situation from that of the young girl who has been the topic of discussion on this thread or, indeed, from the case of any pre-teen or child who is only just entering into her teen years with a weight problem that is neither hooked up with other medical issues nor a case of serious morbidity. In the case of your child his weight issues are both the cause of pre-existing medical conditions and the result of these; and your son's weight problem will seriously erode his health if this is not checked at some future point. All of my heart goes out to you and your boy. He sounds like a champ - I love the "rubber band'" request - and you sound like one, too. It certainly sounds as though the Nemours Children's Hospital will have criteria in place which ideally will assess the medical needs of the child and the maturity of the family before deciding whether the child should be banded or not. I am sure that none of us who were engaged in discussion prior to your post had no intention of dissing people such as you or your son or, for that matter, those young people who are morbidly obese. Weight issues of this nature are medical issues. We were more concerned about this particular kid who had already undergone a year of liposuction/liposculpture while she was still a preteen. Now she has hit the news again because she has been banded at the very young age of 13. The kid is nowhere near 100 lbs overweight and neither she nor her mother seem to have a firm fix on the bandster's role in responsible food behaviour. It was at this point that a couple of other bandster mums waded in to say that all good mothers do insure that their kids learn proper nutritional habits. Knowing proper nutritional habits is never a guarantee that one is going to remain slender, of course. I have superb nutritional habits. My downfall was portion control. I was a healthy fatso, eh. :heh:

I was banded 2006, repaired a broken tubing 2009, leaking again so im converting next week- - no weight gain to convert. I am a 24-25 BMI, Im self pay so insurance is not dictating the decision. My surgeon is converting since Im a band success but I am tired of mechanical failure. I dont trust myself to maintain the lifestyle and portion control, I need the mental sitter of the band or sleeve. 5-7K every three years for band repair is getting old so Im converting and hoping to be done with surgery for weight loss. I want the "irreversible last surgery" and to never have to see my weight loss surgeon again. I completely get the need for emotional control and the desire for the sleeve.

Most of what happens will depend on insurance requirements. For me, at my first appt, I was weighed, we went over diet history, I talked to the NUT and had to give a rough accounting of my daily eating habits-don't worry, a crappy diet is a good thing because it shows that you need help. Then after that, we talked about weight loss goals and which surgeries would be a good choice. When I left, they pulled my insurance info and told me I would be doing the 90 day program(which scares the crap out of me because I had already wrapped myself up in the idea of a 6 month supervised diet). It was all pretty straight forward for me. 90 days, 4 NUT visits, 1 psych eval, no weight gain and we worked on little changes to make to my diet and exercise at each NUT visit, and then there was a class on life post surgery as far as eating and vitamins etc and that was it! I had my surgery 11/9 and so far so good!

I agree that worrying about weight gain and our lifelong obsessions with body size are never more inappropriate than when we are pregnant. It's perfectly healthy and normal to be a bit bummed or annoyed even at the fact that we will have to work harder to lose weight after childbirth, but as long as weight gain during pregnancy doesn't affect our health or the health of our children, then it is merely something we should see with humor and grace as one more thing to worry about later on.