Search the Community

First of all..Having surery at 450lbs was a major risk in itself. It is indead sad and painfull that she passed away, but I am sure it was more that having the gastric bypass itself that caused her death. Having worked on a gastric bypass wing as a RN I can tell you. I have seen sadness and miracles with this surgery. The largest woman we ever operated on was 800lbs and I was truely terrified for her because I ddin't know if i was going to see her after surgery or not. Needless to say, she survived and to this day is doing well. The surgery saved her life, but it could have turned for the worse..A close firend of mine had gastric bypass, lost 200 lbs, and needless to say gained it back and has now also passed on from complications FROM WEIGHT GAIN.... so you,,,it can go either way.... I am glad you had your surgery. You are onestep closer to being healthier. As for telling your family, it is up to you to make the decision. I believe in the end, they will be happy for you because you have chosen to take control of your health... Peace and may you have a happy and healthy 2011... Onenuttynurse

I have my pre op appointment in a couple days. They are shooting for April 30 or May 1 for surgery. I am very aware that this is going to be a lot of work. I am hearing all these stories of weight gain after bypass surgery that I am so afraid I will be one of the statistics that do gain it back. As many of you all know the feeling of diets not working, I can't help but keep asking myself what will make this any different? I know me getting the sleeve is different then bypass, but I am still very scared. Any advice would be so appreciated.

I am 5 days post op. I wouldn't worry about the weight gain as the hospital pumps you with so many IV fluids. Try using 1 oz cups to sip that helped me swallow less air. Also walk walk walk, that will help pass gas and alleviate pressure. I'm not sure what to say about the numbness in your tummy :-(. I hope this helps.

Hi ladies! Has anyone had any experiences with getting the depo shot post-surgery? My surgery was Nov. 23rd, 2018. I'm terrified of the weight gain aspect and I was thinking of switching to the patch instead. Any advice would be much appreciated! Thank-you. [emoji3] Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Lets see.....My friend told me about it a year ago, but I didn't think about it for myself at the time. She then one day asked me, when I was crying about my dieting and recent weight gain, why I didn't look into banding. She told me to come on here. Nov. 22 was the date I joined and started asking my questions, made my decision about choosing Dr. Ortiz, bought his book, my financing that I had been trying to get for home improvements that had not gone through for 6 months was now "miraculously" coming through now, for such a time as this..... I scheduled surgery for Dec. 18 but had to reschudule since the money didn't come in in time, a few days too late. Resceduled for Jan. 5 and had it done!!! So, my time line from the date I even considered it for myself to the time I had it done, was only about 1 1/2 months!!!!! Had my money come through, when I was hoping, it would have gone to wood floors or granit countertops!!!! Audree

I had an increase in my menopausal symptoms after I had my gall removed in 2921. We increased my dosage but nothing changed (except a small weight gain) until my GP wondered if I wasn't absorbing them well anymore since the issue started after the gall surgery which also caused a protein absorption issue. She put me on a HRT patch as a trial. Well, she was right. The symptoms are gone & I’m only on a low dose HRT again. Malabsorption can be a concern with bypass so maybe ask your doctor if the absorption of your HRT could be being affected. Bonus of the patch is no pills - yay. Just replace the patch every 3.5 days. Oh, & I’ve slowly lost some of the weight I’d gained.

Caffeine headaches ouch! Several articles I read say that diet soda causes weight gain and cravings. Hard because for a long time that's all I drank (not good). Who knew that diet pop was worse than regular? Ironic.

I don't want to put a damper on the Saturday weigh in but I read an article in PreventionGuide Weight Loss magazine that I found interesting and would like to share. Im not saying it's right or wrong but would like other's opinions. "Researchers found that dieters who stepped on the scale every day lost an average of 12 pounds over 2 years and were less likely to regain lost weight (weekly scale watchers lost only 6). Daily monitoring helps ID the behavioral slips that cause weight gain." It's not a significant loss but it does make sense.

I would appreciate your prayers for me for tomorrow. I am having a nuclear stress test. When they did the routine EKG on me for the lap band they saw an irregularity on it. They then did an electrocardiogram and saw something else. I had breast cancer in 1989 at age 39 and it seems the drug they gave me for chemotherapy might have damaged my heart. Great huh? Take this drug to save your life from cancer but it might give you heart damage. 12% of patients that get that drug have damage in their left ventricle. That is the main pumping chamber of your heart. So, tomorrow they are doing the stress test to see how much damage I might have. I don't have a lot of the symptoms (except weight gain and I'm not sure that's why I gained) that people with severe damage have so please pray there is no damage or minimal damage. I'll post when I know more. Blessings, GG

1st fill if it happens. I have lots of troubles getting so many pills about 20-27 pills a day 4-5 x's throughout the day. It fills me up with luquid and takes awhile before I feel like eating then there are days I can't hardly eat at all but not losing weight too much because some pills are weight gaining meds. So we'll see how much I've lost in since preop and guess at what I might lose if filled.

Today has started off not so good..................First I start my morning by stepping on the scale and it reflected a weight gain of 3lbs since yesterday morning. I was devastated!!! From there everything started going downhill. I went in for my first fill (after the surgeon made me wait what seems like a year) and he only gives me a 2cc fill. When I first went in I told the nurse and surgeon that I hungry ALL the time. After he did the fill and told me how much he put in, he must have noticed my expression because he went to explain that he normally only give 1 1/2 cc on the first fill, but since I was hungry all the time he gave me a little more...........WOW thanks doc (sarcasm)!!!! And that if that does not do it and/or I am still hungry to come back for a fill in a month. Seems my "bandster hell" shall continue. I pray that I will be more optimistic tomorrow.

I'm so happy that your hubby's reservations have changed & am happy I could help with that Men are very visual creatures and it helps seeing another 'regular' person v's a model like we get bombarded with on TV weight loss commercials.... I think our failed attempts at those diets made our guys lose faith in the ability of things to work for us since we aren't models/actors.... and since the band is more scarey sounding than a normal diet (cause of surgery) as well as more expensive they get both scared and think we might be being 'conned' yet again... . plus they are our 'protectors', they love us and don't want us to feel like we have 'failed' again if it was just like one of those other diets. My BMI (i guess that's the only way we can compare being different heights) I think was 39 going into surgery, (sz.22 at millers, 20 at 16/26, medium at my size). I went to genesis for a month (where i seemed to be most peoples idea of their worst weight nightmare) and then switched to fernwood (heaps better!) and went religously once the doc cleared me for exercise and got the best runners for my feet (for me that was nike tn's at the time $249, now with current changed needs is nike shocks $199 but footlocker frequently have 30% off sales so you can get better prices - without the best shoes for your feet - and everybody is different - you wont be comfortable or have the same drive - i couldn't believe just how much difference the right shoes for my feet made).... it took ages for me to get restriction (literally - it was october 12th 2005 when I put my foot down and went to a different surgeon to get restriction to make sure I wouldn't gain my weight back because my motivation and will power was really stretched to the limit and I was sick of living on appetite supressants when I had a band - wasn't going to take t he 'waiting 8 weeks' between adjustments any longer, I had had this thing in me long enough it should be doing some of the work by now! - he gave me a huge fill (what i was suposed to have was not in there) and I finally knew what having a band was all about) but I persevered without much restriction those first 8 1/2 months and it took 10 months 13 days to get to 'healthy' bmi. With your attitude I know you will do it too!! I attribute my weight loss to my band because without my band I would not have had the motivation to actually lose all that weight - every other diet proved that - but every other diet didn't cost as much as the band (even if the band didn't do all or any of the work physically those first months just being in me brought out the tight ass in me that wasn't going to spend all that money and fail!). I did gain back nearly (shock!) 12kg when I lost that precious restriction and was hungry 24/7 like a rabid hyiena. A year had passed so it was to be expected; I saw my surgeon who didn't think it was a big deal since he still thought i was skinny and my bmi was still (barely) healthy and then I went back to that other surgeon again (i mean i didn't want to be gaining and crazy out of mind hungry) - he gave me an adjustment which took away my hunger - those 12kg melted back off once the hunger was gone. Therefore I know my band is the only reason I am still a normal weight - if that rabid hunger and weight gain continued i'd be obese again by now.... gut wrenching hunger regardless of how much you eat is the most awful thing.... the band squeezing the vargus nerve just right stops that which is a miracle. I eat a tonne more than most because I don't have a "tight" band like others describe..... I still get up in the middle of the night sometimes and have a piece of vegemite toast with my dog (now when I cook 2 pieces one is for me and one is for her.... before it was 2 each!) - other people hear that and I can see the pained look on their face as they imagine trying to swallow toast lol. The band is so individual, we all need it to work differently in terms of tightness for our lifestyle.

Hi J, I think you are right that Sarah does not really seem ready or willing to get the weight off. She didn't really want to exercise either, although I can understand that at her weight it must be hard and painful. I think if she comes back she has more of a chance of changing her life. The home environment may have contributed to her weight gain in the first place. These girls like her and Cat ( Who looks amazing) are so lucky to have men that love them and care for them. I just figure at my weight that I can't find a man who would love me so I just hide because I fear rejection. I would like to find a special someone, because I don't want to be alone anymore, and I would like to have a baby because the clock is ticking. Right now it is all too hard to deal with for me. I have too much on my plate to be honest. Susannah

Hi I had my surgery 12/28/12. Everyone thought I was crazy to start this during the holidays but having the pre-op liquid diet of Optifast worked for me. I even did a 7 day cruise on 1/28/13 with my doctor's knowledge. He said to use wise choices on the cruise and that nobody was sticking a gun to my head to eat. Well, I did OK because I came back from the cruise with a 10 lb loss. I had my first fill on 2/6/13 but now I'm not getting that stop feeling I was getting when I started. I also made some bad choices like yesterday I went to the movies after a yr hiatus. I still can't resist the smell of movie popcorn even though it is unbuttered. I shared the popcorn with a diet coke which I only took mini sips of because I didn't want to wash the food down. Anyway, even though I didn't eat all the popcorn I felt guilty. I was also unable to eat anything else for the rest of the day because I didn't feel full but I wasn't hungry at all, so I didn't have dinner. My question is this: does anyone slip with a bad choice and feel guilty? I'm concerned I'm going to have a weight gain for making a bad choice

Hi Lizalee thank you SOOOO much for posting this. You have eloquently verbalized what I've been thinnkng for some time. Weight loss has been nil for some time. Weight gain....I don't want to go there. I found out that the food I shouldn't eat goes down well and the food I'm supposed to eat sometimes comes back. Talk about negative feedback. I also seem to get a delay in my full sensation. I agree that journaling is a good way to keep track of eating, I don't like to, but maybe that's because I have to own up to what I put in my mouth. I also agree that carbs are poison, so how do you get off them? My willpower and desire seem to be gone. So, having found a kindred spirit, we can do this. I liked feeling slimmer, less aches and pains, clothes fit better, more energy, the numbness in my hands when I'm typing isn't there, I fit in an airplane seat better and don't crowd anyone (I want to fly to my girlfriends house and visit, been puttng off because of the flight issues), and so one. So, 1 hour at a time? We can do it! Sue

I'm bummed. ALL my exams and evals and stuff are done. I found out that I'm a tad "sicker" than I thought and even in more need of a band yet well enough to "survive" the surgery. Endo. found a wee hernia. Surgeon's office claims he doesn't "do" hernias. PCP said it's only an itty bitty one. Got my CRAP mask (intentional misspell) - because surgeon's office claims he won't perform surgery without the mask for the hospital stay. Pulmonary technician says my setting of "4" is the lowest setting for the CPAP masks. Cardiologist highly recommends Toprol (Beta-blocker) as a result of my 3-day series of tests (2-day stress, echo and MRIs) I immediately googled and learned that a delightful side-effect is WEIGHT GAIN! - (that monstrous metabolism thing again.) Also - may also cause sleeplessness and/or disturbing dreams. may also interact unfavorably with psychiatric meds may also mask diabetic symptoms (hypoglycemia) may also cause diarrhea (this one's OK - my hemorrhoids from hell will be relieved - literally!) And having said all this - I still must satisfy the 6-mo diet requirement as my insurance company's weight-management program doesn't count. although it may be factored in with my "official" dietitian/nutritionist program. SO - "If winter comes, can spring be far behind?" And - Here in the beautiful Northeast - 2-3 inches of the sloppiest snow against my stubborn roses with more to come overnight (snow that is - no more roses until the aforementioned spring!) Any comments about beta-blockers and LBS? :biggrin:

Hi everyone! I'm popping back in with an update. Still no job for DH. He was supposed to hear from someone "by the end of the week," and ... nothing. That is just plain rude, if you ask me. So we have gone from four job possibilities on Monday to one long shot today. On a brighter note, Dr. Tran gave me a full 1 cc. last Thursday after seeing my weight gain. I'm at 8 cc. in a 10 cc. band, and finally have decent restriction. Finally!!! I'm definitely having to be a lot more careful, and eat a lot less, but I'm having no problems that would indicate an overfill. I'm still stress grazing, and I am trying to get that under better control, but at least I am nibbling on things like Jerky, sugar snap peas, cherries, and the like. And the scale is gradually coming down. That helps me keep a better mindset. So, as I was saying to a friend in an even more stressful situation, we just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other and take one day at a time and hope that things straighten out soon.

Angelshere: Have you figured out your calorie intake for an average day? I find it hard to believe you will gain "fat" weight at what seems to be a low calorie count. Commercially prepared Soups and boullion do contain a LOT of salt - sodium will cause Fluid weight gain. Plus, you're healing, and even thought it doesn't seem like it, there is fluid from swelling of internal tissues. I did notice the same things going on post-op and from time to time. Also, certain hormones and cause cyclic weight gain. It's really hard when you think you're doing everything right, and the scale just doesn't cooperate! If your calories and Proteins are where they should be, I really think you will make progress. I think solids are easier since you have other choices than all that salty stuff like soups. I too have been on plateaus, even gained weight and I can't figure out what the problem is, but they do end! I must have a pretty low metabolism, because I have found I need to keep my calories to about 1,000 or less a day or I don't seem to loose. But when you add up the totals, I am doing great. SO...hang in there. Keep up the exercise, look at the total picture of what you're eating. Give youself time to heal. Consult your dietitian for some suggestions and advice.

I would totally send you my bra size, but I seriously have about 3 or 4 different sizes from years of weight gain!! Ha! Once I run out of these, I'll let you know! THanks for the offer!

Ya know, I was thinking they are making clothes bigger these days too!!! I think they really are, to accomodate all the heavy people and obesity in the country. THey make the clothes bigger, put the smaller tag in, wah lah, people don't have to deal with weight gain.....its a conspiracy!!

Happy Fat Tuesday y'all. Decisions, decisions. Do I eat the Paczki or the Coldstone Peanut butter Chocolate Ice cream cake I got for Dan's birthday???? I just can't decide. Polish heritage or Coldstone deliciousness? Both? 10 pound weight gain this week? Maybe I will just have a salad.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. We just got back from my folks. It was a nice time. I wasn't going to eat any of the food - just have some protein shakes, but I ended up having a small amount of a few things that only come around this time of year. Overall, I'm pleased with myself. At the end of the day, I want to be able to eat normal portions of foods that are good for me. On the other hand, I could totally see becoming anorexic or developing some type of bulemia (most likely exercise). I wonder what the stats are for people who have had bariatric surgery who become scared to eat real food due to potential weight gain... Hmmm... Something to research once I get my papers done for school. I felt bad, though - I had planned on getting up and taking a nice hour-long ride this morning around the golf course and lake, but I didn't sleep past 2:30 this morning. I know that my outlook on life is changing because I didn't just say "fuck it" and blow it off - I debated and decided that with that little sleep on a new route, it might not be too safe. I did ride in the trainer for about an hour and 15 minutes - not too shabby. I've named the bike. It will be henceforth known as Bulboso. Sounds way more impressive than the English translation - Buttercup... I wanted to name the bike Katherine Heigl, but the wife got a little pissy when I talked about riding Katherine Heigl hard in the afternoon . Before I started my ride, I put the Speedplays on Buttercup, and they were an exact match. Thanks for finding the right color for me Stephanie! The Speedplays feel so different from the SPDs that I had on the Trek. They will take a little getting used to. With all of the float, it feels kind of like not being clipped in, so I kept yanking my foot to make sure I was really in. I need to adjust the cleats on the shoes a little, and I'm not sure why, but it seems like the left one requires almost twice as much heel-out to unclip as the right. It may be because that when slack, my left foot turns (heel in) a little more than the right. Not sure - have to figure out a way to adjust it. J - Good for you with the new jeans! That has to make you feel wonderful to go from a 30 to an 18 in one year's time! You didn't mention it, but did you get to spend the holiday with Allison? Was Santa (and Mommy) good to Zoe? It's back to the grind in the morning. I'm so glad this will be a short week. Good night everyone! B

Hmm.. for MY weight gain it was this: I was too tight. I couldn't eat more than 2-3 bites of anything without pain. No matter how small the bite or how much I chewed. I could eat about 3 bites, wait 10-15 minutes, eat a few more, etc. That was frustrating emotionally and mentally. Not to mention, I am just not into pain with my food. So I was LIVING on things that went down easily - ice cream, candy, cookie dough, Pringles, cheese puffs. It's weird, cause I couldn't eat yogurt (maybe 1/2 container when pain would set in) but I could eat pudding fine. Anyway... So living on sugar for 6 months doesn't help weight loss.... BUT. Now I'm down from 8cc to a more manageable 7cc and feeling MUCH better. I can eat REAL food for the first time in 6 months and it is amazing. I can probably eat too much... I think I was at a good spot several months ago when I had 7.5cc, but I screwed that all up... I go back in 4 weeks to see where I"m at and how I"m doing. I might get a slight fill, we'll see how I feel in 4 weeks. But hopefully eating protein instead of sugar will help my body feel better. It sure as heck is more mentally and emotionally satisfying!!

I can say that mine started off as a medical problem. I have PCOS and I KNOW ppl will think I blame that a lot. BUT I've had it since I started my period. If you look up the side effects of PCOS I have every single one of them. Most importantly is easy weight gain and it's really hard to get the weight off. I'm not like some of the posters who have done weight watchers and lost a hundred pounds and then gained it back. I would kill myself eating very few calories and going to the gym doing cardio for an hour at a time sometimes twice a day and would only see a pound gone in a month. It was extremely frustrating. I've battled weight my entire life without even trying. Ok that being said, I think a part if me gave up and just embraced food as a friend and gave in. I was one of those who said "but I don't eat very much" well after surgery, I'm seeing how much I really did eat and it makes me ill! I am so thankful for this surgery! For the first time in my life going to the gym and eating healthy is paying off! I've lost 60lbs!! I've never been able to do that on my own! I see and realize now that I'm a total food addict! But i am working on it! Every day! My name is Michelle and I am a food addict!

Georgia... WTG Girl!!!! I'm so happy for you! Now you are all set for Sat. Don't worry about the weight gain... it'll come off! Renewed... keep on sittin around and heal up so you can continue to kick whosya's butt! Sugar... sounds like we are both very close in our battle. Its totally emotional now for me! I so badly want to get to Onederland, but also to that 100lb mark, which comes close on the heals of Onederland. I'll cheer for you and you cheer for me! Leslie... congrats on getting back to running. I hope you're still going for the race on Sat with Georgia. It'll be a good motivator for you. Well, I didn't get my run in today. I rolled over when the alarm went off instead of getting up, and now I'm just pooched! I knew it was going to be hard to get in a routine for running once back to work... but I'll do it!