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Thank you so much! I'm probably going to look into these doctors when the time comes. I think I'd rather pay to have it done than go with Kaiser. I'm very comfortable with my Health Plan. I'm still talking a ways down the road but that's ok. I can't give up my band until it's run its course either. It is helping lots with weight gain prevention if anything. I've already come a long way. Who knows? In time more insurances will start to pick up on this procedure. I don't think I'll ever get the Rouxen-Y though. I'm not knocking it at all, I just already have nourishment issues. I'm sure that surgery would be bad news for me.

I had the band in 2010, revision to sleeve in 2014 due to major band slip (couldn’t even drink water with empty band), and now having acid reflux and weight gain following a hysterectomy in 2016 and looking for options to revise again. Anyone else have a similar situation and any success with insurance approval?

I have an Allergan omni form (latest band) 14cc band with 2 fills of 1.5cc each time. The surgeon pre-filled with 1.5cc during band date. So I have 4.5cc in a size 14cc band. My surgeon wants me around 2 pounds a week loss or 8 pounds per month. He really doesn't care about "green zone". He believes long term for a patient to adapt to good eating habits first rather than the band doing most of the work. I'm scheduled for a third fill visit on Dec 11, but I'm close to 8 pounds a month in weight loss. So, I might not get another fill until he sees a possible weight gain. I have a very cautious doctor.

The genetic theory does not apply to me. I was Slim all my life till 2014. You can check my photos in my Gallery. I also suffer from depression on and off, and never gained weight because of it. My Graves Disease (autoimmune thyroid disorder) did 180 degree turn 2 years ago, I piled on weight 2014-early 2016, yet my Endo says that Graves contributed about 25% to my weight-gain, rest was my unhealthy eating during those 2 years. I gained 90Ib in 2 years due to eating loads of chocolate and fatty foods, and stopped even going for walks, let alone exercise. I have lost 70Ib so far, and nearing goal weight, albeit slower 8 months post op. If genetics were true, and even Graves Disease where you have high metabolism and can eat almost anything without putting on weight, I would have never gained this 90Ib! I wish ......

I'll bite and say that after I found out my Mom had terminal cancer, I went into a tail spin of depression and anxiety. Yes, depression meds can cause weight gain - but 5 pounds of weight gain. My depression/anxiety (which I'm still medi cated and in therapy for) may have helped my weight gain but 95% of it was me eating cheap convenient meals. It wasn't so much fast food as frozen carb loaded dinners and pizza/chinese delivery. I will probably have to take meds my whole life. And maybe they'll cause me to have a lower metabolism. But that just means I have to work harder and eat smarter. We made excuses to the point of morbid obesity. So, I'm done with excuses - even if there is a slight (note slight) bit of reality to antidepressants causing weight gain.

Hey there. So...I had the lap band in 2008 and had a pretty stable and successful lap band life up until last year. I started at 225 and the lowest I got was about 165. My goal is around 155-160 so I was pretty close. Last year, around this time of year, I started having a lot of issues PBing and I could barely keep anything down. This went on for a few months and it was very difficult because I moved to a new state and the doctor there was giving me problems about scheduling an appointment because I had the surgery elsewhere. After dealing with it for so long, getting frustrated then finally throwing up blood, i decided to go to the ER. They unfilled me completely and said I had some reflux along with pre-ulcer symptoms. They advised me to keep it unfilled for a while and follow up with a lap band doctor. Well, then I had to move again for work to another state. So in the process of all that, I haven't had it refilled again since then. With that said....I'm now back up to 210lbs. That's about a 40lb weight gain from where I was this time last year. :-( Discouraged and disappointment doesn't even begin to explain how I feel. It took so long to get to the weight I was comfortable with. After moving it took months to finally get an appointment scheduled with a lap band doctor where I'm living now and I have an appointment for next week. In the photos you can see me at my heaviest and lightest. I'm not all the way back where I was but I'm almost there. The picture of me in blue button down sweater is recent and feel like that's going to be my "heavy" picture again. I feel like I'm starting all over again.

Today is January 27th. I am very close to being finished with all of my prerequisites involved with getting the Lapband. I only have remaining: 2 Nutritionist Meetings 1 Support Group Meeting I have been reading these posts for awhile now. I am just as determined as I was before joining this website but I do have a better knowledge of the fact that this is not a "sure" thing. When I first knew I was qualified for this surgery I began eating whatever I wanted and stopped exercising altogether. There was a large part of me who said, "you will have surgery soon, eat and do whatever you want". That attitude has lead me to more weight gain and left me feeling very down. Plus, none of my clothes are fitting. But things have been different this week. I have begun to make some small changes. I met a friend who needs to lose weight even more than I do. She refused to even walk as far as my house, which is only a block away from hers. I have inspired her to start walking with me. We have begun to walk from here to there and even went to the gym together this week. I hope that helping her will help me to help myself as well. I saw the same doctor earlier this week. He repeated what he had said before about bariatric surgeries, "I would guess that 50% of patients who received bariatric surgeries gain the weight back after 5 years". I told them that his words have made me more determined to make lifestyle changes which are necessary to keep the weight off. I pray I can do this. Cynthia

Ddsweighin, don't stress over the weight gain. Perfectly normal the first month post-op. Stay on your eating plan and it will come off soon. Your body's been through a trauma, and it's healing. After the first three weeks I started to lose at a good pace. Two weeks post-op I developed a head and chest cold, and it hung on forever. I'm still coughing sometimes and I'm now six weeks post-op. I'm pretty sure the duration of this cold had something to do with being compromised by surgery, having a breathing tube, etc. I'm prone to bronchitis in the winter anyway. It's getting better, but slowly. If you're truly worried about any specific symptoms, call your doctor. Really! They can't help if you don't. But feeling generally lousy from time to time the first month is par for the course. For me, walking and lots of Water improved things. The days I felt crappy I was usually dehydrated and didn't realize it until I logged my calories, water and exercise in MyFitnessPal. Good luck.

ok..this blog may be somewhat disjointed but stuff i just want to offload somewhere.........so clearly this evening is not finding me in a happy state. I find myself feeling lonely and sad this evening. I would like to blame this on anything other than what it is..... Who among us has felt at one time or another: 1. third wheel 2. the "pretty" fat girl with the great personality 3. last single one of your friends 4. etc. etc. Now, I do know (but apparently have a hard time believing) that I am a wonderful smart, successful woman, who is beautiful and who has a lot to offer- recently been told by a few people and one bandster friend- things of the sort. I look in the mirror and see who I want to be,who I can be, but why can't I see that I am me no matter what. -there is just a better/healthier me hiding in all this somewhere. It's amazing what doing all of this stuff for preperation for surgery will do to your mind too.....I think about they why's of my weight gain, why I am not in a relationship currently, - and how I blame a statement made long ago by my dad(who said it because he cares...?? misguided as it was and hurtful all the same) "no one will want to be with you if you don't lose some weight"......digging deep here/unload,unload unload....did i say this would be disjointed? (great news though- my dad is very supportive of me through all of this and I have told him how hurtful that statement was. ) Anyway- what I look forward to most is this journey, despite the things that it may dredge up, may make me acknowledge and ultimately bring me to the point of fabulousness that is truly me. I am inspired and so glad to have this forum to just share....and hopefully soon I will be able to share weight loss with you all. Ok...new day tomorrow. Going to Yoga this week, going to move ever forward. Thanks all! my rant is done

I never did reach my goal weight (140). I got close at 165 but am already back up to 190. I'm not sure how my insurance battle will go - I think it's doubtful since they denied me for 3 reasons (band problems not life-threatening, they don't cover VSG which isn't true, and I'm not over 35 BMI any more). I'll try it but I suspect I'll just get more roadblocks. I'm going back for another fill and band check next week and am doing one of those shake/meal programs my friend likes in the meanwhile. Figure I can keep the stresss off my band without going back to full liquids. I asked myself today if the band was working would I even want a VSG and the answer is no. I didn't even have any symptoms of the dilation or slip or whatever it was other than weight gain. I don't like having to chew to goo and can't stand the food stuck incidents. But I can control those by how I eat. One part of me just wants to go forward and make an appointment with Dr. Aceves and just go for the VSG. I'll lose weight just from the switch alone plus a renewed focus afterward. On the other hand I worry that if I could gain so much weight back with a band maybe a sleeve isn't going to work for me either. And my local doc wants to do it in two surgeries which I definitely don't want. I think I'll move forward with fighting the insurance company and trying to get my band working again at the same time. I'm just so depressed about gaining so much weight back. I really thought the band was the answer for me. Thanks everyone for your thoughts and suggestions. Britt

Does it seem difficult to lose weight before during and after your menstual cycle it seems I always put a .5 to 1 pound on prior to my period and it takes so long to get it back off it is so frustrating. The bloat and the retention just frustrated

I haven't had any weight gain at all since the surgery, but this specific issue was not a problem pre-op for me either. I am wondering about this though, I am 5 1/2 months out from surgery and have not had my period in 2 months, the doctor can't really answer why and doesn't seem concerned, I thnk it might be the surgery/body changes combined with stress. Menopause (I am 40) Has anyone else experienced this?

So, I'm the type of person to obsessively watch the scale. Which I know is completely unhealthy but nevertheless, I do it. So I went into the surgery on Monday 6/6/16 and now it's Friday. Starting weight was 285, and now I'm 292. All the fluids have me completely bloated up, and It's miserable. I just feel so dehydrated no matter what I drink or eat. The first few days I could barely stomach Water so you can imagine that wasn't fun, I was hooked up to IV fluids and had to stay an extra night. Then my blood pressure has been high and my pulse has been low so I had to go back to the hospital and get some more fluids last night. The pain has just started to be manageable without the pills, and i've been trying not to take them because they make me too dizzy, but if I dont take them my blood pressure gets too high. Honestly the recovery is such a bitch and I almost regret it, I just hope that I can get past this stage quickly and start losing weight. I just feel kind of helpless right now..like I'm not gonna lose weight and like it was all for nothing. Please give me some validation that things will be ok and I'm not the only one feeling completely depleted after this surgery.

I agree with everything already posted and I also believe that so many people are on antidepressants that cause weight gain that it is also a big factor in the higher weight that seems so prevalent. I am happy with lexapro- and was happy with celexa, but they both cause blood sugar issues that I know contributed to my weight gain. Seriously- there are so many prescriptions for these drugs that it is in our drinking water! When I met with my surgeon first time he actually said that my body has well protected me for a famine, while he will die!

Well I went yesterday for my first appointment. BMI 36.1, so I meet that requirement (remember I have diabetes and high triglycerides). Met with the endocrinologist (for diabetes) I have to get my blood sugar down under a 8A1C, currently at 9.3, had a ton of blood work done, met with nutritionist, and a surgery coordinator. Dr told me I have a 90-95% chance of leaving the hospital without my insulin pump! How awesome that will be! The surgery coordinator, gave me a list of requirements for my insurance. One BIG problem.....I have to give a 3 year weight history, well I have that, but I having not been over a 35 BMI for 3 years. My BMI blow up after being put on insulin. And continues to raise. I have been obese for years, but not morbid obese until the past year or so. I ask if my BMI had to be at 35+ for the past 3 years to be approved, she said, "normally, however it depends whose desk it lands on and sometimes what co-morbiditys you have"! I have called my insurance (CIGNA) and searched and searched everything I can find on the web and no where does it say that being at my current BMI for 3 years is required for approval. Dr said I have MAJOR insulin resistant which means, I make insulin, I take insulin, but my body cells won't allow it in. This mean I have to take more insulin!!! OMG, which causes more weight gain, it's a vicious cycle! So now of course I'm upset! The Dr said the surgery is the best thing I can do, to put my diabetes in remission and get off all the meds I'm on. I'm going to proceed. My company's insurance is self-funded, which I've read I can appeal with my employer if Cigna denies me. I can't imagine them denying me when I lay in front of them how much they pay out every year for all my medicine and Dr visits due to my diabetes! They will save a tone of money in the long run. So now I have to track my blood sugar before every meal for 5 days and fax that back to the endocrinologist . Then he will adjust my insulin! I have to make an appoint of course for my psych visit. Then I have to have a endoscopy of my esophagus, I also have major acid reflux and Barrettes esophagus. The surgeon wants to let at the "territory" before he operates. Plus 3 month of classes/diet. I suddenly feel like my head is falling off!!! It's a lot! I'm going to try and remain positive I need to make this happen! Ren

Is it normal to have some weight gain after one month of surgery? I just want to ask if this is a normal thing ocurring to me. I will transition to solids finally tomorrow and dont know if that will help with the weight gain. I was doing fine while on liquids and for the majority of pureed. Just feel bloated and my chest feels very tendered which dont know if that is something normal for men. Thank you..

I had surgery on the 2nd of April I was just wanting to know if the scale says I gained 2.4 lbs is that normal

Just yesterday I responded to a blog about someone who was potassium difficient with a great website with potassium rich foods. Ironically, today I go to the doctor and since I hadn't had a call about my labs from a month ago I asked. Turns out the lab never sent them over. My motto...no news is not good news, it just means they haven't gotten the results and I need to call about it. So she calls me back and said she knows why my joints and bones have been hurting. See I just thought it was because I lost weight and the tendons were stretching in a new direction, hence the pain. WRONG!! Anyway, the labs showed I am potassium and vitamin D difficient. The vitamin D is the worst. My doc said they have never seen it that low in many many years. We should be at "30" and mine was "8". So now I have to take presciption meds for both. The potassium pill is the size of a horse pill. Guess I am crushing that one and the vitamin D is 50,000 IU and is a tiny little thing. Crazy! Anyway, make sure you get your vitamin levels checked. Low potassium leaves you achy, tired and dizzy. Low vitamin D causes bone loss, joint pain. Explains a lot. She said I should be feeling spectacular soon after starting the meds. I will let everyone know. Now on to my visit. I lost 8.5 lbs in 3 weeks. I felt so guilty on vacation because I was eating a small (salad)size plate of food at each meal. I wasn't hungry for 5-6 hours after but I thought I was overeating and in desperate need of a fill. Turns out that is exactly how I should be eating and feeling. I am in the green zone and didn't even realize it. The green zone is not eating tiny amount of food and being satisfied. It is eating 1250 cals a day in the way of salad size plates of food and not being hungry for at least 4 hours. I was so glad to find out I need to eat more. She said "see you ate more food and lost more weight in 3 weeks." AND I am bloated if you know what I mean and that usually means weight gain for at least a week. I was thinking all wrong about my food intake. I was so happy. I go back in a month to see how this stage is going. Wish me luck! Oh my total loss now is 45.5 lbs.

I don't know you so take what I say as not critical of you personally. I see so many people come to the forum with absolutely no knowledge of how our bodies lose weight and I mean, knowledge about their own body. Each of us will lose differently but it seems like many have never been on a diet that requires daily or weekly weigh-ins? Many are shocked that they can gain 1-5 lbs in one day? Many believe that the weight(fat) automatically falls off as soon as the band is placed? Our bodies contain fat, muscle, bone, organs and lots of water(LOTS). Obese people can retain 40+ lbs of Water depending on their height and weight. The early stages of any diet or WLS forces our bodies to shed many of those lbs or gallons of water stored in our fat cells. So, the weight loss is primarily water early on. Sure, some weight loss is losing fat, but losing fat is all part of the calories in and calories burned math equation. Losing fat is the goal and of course any weight loss be it fat or water is good. Weight gains at this point in your journey are normal until your body sheds most of the excess fluids retained in your fat cells. IMO 6 weeks out is when you can really start burning excess fat. Until then, it's mostly water loss. tmf

I have generalized anxiety disorder. I have been on LOTS of different anti depressants over the years because of it and every single one made me gain weight except the one I switched to back in December. Its Celexa...only the generic brand. The issue with this one is fatigue which was pretty bad the first couple mths. Now its manageable. I found out after the fact that I could have talked to my doc to have the dosage reduced because of the fatigue which I still may have to do after surgery if it becomes an issue. But weight gain hasn't been an issue. Just feeling tired sometimes.

Hello Everyone! I just wanted to share this information with anyone else that may be suffernig from PCOS. I saw Pulmonary the other day and they suggested I try metformin for PCOS. He said he was afraid that seeing PCOS causes weight gain, that I may have trouble keeping the weight that I loose from the surgery off, he said Metformin would help me do that. So I brough the name of the medicine to my Primary and she liked the idea and prescribed me 500mg once daily. In addition to letting you all know about it, can anyone else who may be on it tell me how it is working for them? THANK YOU! :biggrin:

Thank you all for your condolences. I don't think my weight gain has anything to do with Phycological trouble or things I haven't dealt with. I had a rough first year but now my life is fantastic, I'm back on my feet and loving life again. I think most of my weight was due to not making proper meals and endless snacking cause I didn't have someone there to give me the sideways glance when I go for the huge bowl of ice cream. Or popcorn, coke and bag of candy at the movies. Lol Even my dog has gained weight cause I now share with her instead of my late hubby. I really really want the change and currently feel like I'm a young skinny athletic girl trapped in this fat girl body. I know I hear all the success stores but I just worry with out having someone to be accountable to I will fail myself and the band. I have an amazing surgeon lined up but he's based across the country. What tricks helped you stay in track and accountable? I'm also concerned because for the last 12 yrs I've struggled with esophagitis and this causes me to choke on my food and have bad reflex. Is there anyone out there that has dealt with this issue and the band was still successful or the esophagitis got better after the band?? Thanks again!

I hear ya!! I am doing a carb day about every 2 weeks per my NUT, not sure if it's the right thing to do but I do start losing a ton of weight the week after carb load day. I weigh myself daily and haven't noticed weight gain because of the carbs, so maybe she's on to something? Who the hell knows!!

I had my VGS on May 8th. I am almost 1 month post-op and am feeling much better. The decision for surgery took over a year of research, seminars, classes, tests...and a long discussion with my husband. Together we decided this life change would be best for me and my health. Let's go back to the beginning.... At age 6 I was diagnosed with Legg-Calve-Perthe's Disease in my left hip. As described below: Legg-Calve-Perthes disease occurs when blood supply is temporarily interrupted to the ball part (femoral head) of the hip joint. Without sufficient blood flow, the bone begins to die — so it breaks more easily and heals poorly. My form of the disease never healed. the femoral head died and fused with the rest of my hip. There are many who go through puberty and the hip heals itself. My childhood was spent in braces keeping my hips aligned to help with the healing process. I was never allowed to play like the other kids, participate in sports or pretty much anything else. It was a long childhood...that turned into long teenage years. From that and poor food choices by my parents and myself I became the fat kid. I was the one everyone made fun of. I had to ride the handicapped bus for 2 years and that's what started it all. The constant bullying made for a very angry girl/teenager. Fast forward to age 20, we went to the orthopedist's office to try and have my hip replaced but he refused stating there could still be some growth in the hip. Most of my 20's were spent on pain meds and weight gain and depression. In 1994 I decided to go on a diet. I went from 288 to 222 pounds in 6 months. I managed to keep it off for a year. It slowly crept back on...again, poor food choices and no exercise. When I was 28 I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis & Fibromyalgia. Medication was added as well as gaining weight. I was in such extreme pain and found comfort in food. In 2001 I found a surgeon in Seattle to discuss the possibility of hip replacement. At my appointment he was shocked it hadn't been replaced years ago and was disgusted at my previous provider's decision to not help me. During the surgery it took 5 people to dislocate my fused hip so they could replace it. Recovery was a long process and a lot of bad food choices since I couldn't cook. Even after having my hip replaced I struggled with my weight. When I married my 2nd husband in 2005 I weighed 304 pounds. Later that year I was diagnosed with Diabetes, peripheral neuropathy and a slew of other conditions. I was put on Metformin and over 2 years lost 40 pounds. I decided again to lose weight before I turned 40. I managed to get down to 221 pounds for about 6 months. My father passed away in December of 2012. I lost it...didn't care about anything. I was so depressed and had so much anxiety that I turned to binge eating for about a year. The physical pain was way better than the mental pain. I finally admitted to my provider at an appointment what I had been doing and we started working towards being healthy. Yet I still had a hard time controlling my diabetes, my RA was bad, the neuropathy was horrible and I felt so defeated. Like so many others I just gave up at that point. I ate what I wanted. My husband works nights so getting takeout was the easiest choice. I rarely cooked but when I did it certainly wasn't healthy food. In January of 2017 after many years of only having one insurance, I was able to be double covered!! I work for a Hospital and the insurance covered the bariatric surgery. I checked the benefits on my husbands insurance and sure enough...COVERED!!! I went to the seminar and from that point I decided this is what I needed to have done to save my life. (I've struggled with anxiety of thinking I am going to die at 60 like my dad did). Had my nutritionist visit, nutrition class, labs, EGD, EKG, Pre-op and surgery was May 8th. I like many others questioned my sanity after waking up from the surgery. I was so uncomfortable and in pain and depressed. That first day anyways...when I got home I felt much better. I am fully committed to this lifestyle change. I've struggled the past month with spasms, feeling too full, trying to get in my water requirement and the protein but this is what I signed up for. I want to live past 60. I want to be healthy. I want to get off my medications. I want to be happy with myself. Today my weight is 215. On admit I was 246 and on 5/10/17 I was 256. I am not in a hurry to lose the weight. I feel blessed where I am right now. I am still learning to listen to my stomach and not my head. I am focusing on the future and trying to live a healthy life. It's interesting to see what your stomach can and can't handle. Sometimes it's painful but heck at least I know for right now what I can eat. If you are reading this, thank you for taking the time. I know it's really long, I just wanted to share parts of my life and struggles with you. This surgery is a blessing. I am taking that blessing and holding it tight and am going to do what I need to in order to live a long life. Angie

I would go back on he protein shakes for at least a couple of meals a day. I had me band removed but did not have the water taken out before surgery.....thus I did not have the weight gain and I had to be on 2 weeks of the pre-op diet just as with the lapband. You will lose that 6 pounds and more so do not worry too much. I would be careful as not to gain too much before surgery as it is just more that you will have to lose once you get the sleeve.