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I've been stuggling with depression and anxiety for 10 plus years and am wondering how this will play into getting the lapband surgery in May 2012. I also am a compulsive gambler and attend GA which makes me more depressed. With these I also have been suicidal. Is there any advice out there or thoughts on how the lapband may affect me. I've heard some get depressed with the lapband and I don't need any more depression. On the other medical side of this, I have diabetes and only 1 kidney. Any opinions/advice on "if the lapband is right for me"?

My starting weight was 303 on my scale. I had the gastric sleeve done on 8-22-2013. My weight the day before surgery was 259, a loss of 44 pounds in 4 months pre-op. Over the next 5 months or so I lost about 33 pounds & then I stalled. Nothing would break the stall. I did lose another 5 pounds over the next 10 months. On 12-8-2014 I had a panniculectomy where my surgeon removed 15 pounds (!) of excess skin & fat. This was covered by insurance since I had documentation of recurring severe rashes under the "apron." I did hit a low of 201 pounds about two months after the panniculectomy but that was very briefly & I have gradually regained to a weight of 218. My BMI was still just over 35 & I still have the co-morbidities, although markedly improved, that I did when I started. I can’t say the sleeve didn’t work. After all, I was down 84 pounds from my starting weight & 95 pounds from my highest weight. When they say patients lose an average of 65% of their excess weight, there are many on both sides of that average. I’m just one of the lower percentage people. So, after much consideration I decided to have the duodenal switch as my surgeon originally suggested. The major malabsorption of the classic duodenal switch still scares me so I had decided to ask Dr Srikanth if he would do a longer common channel when I learned of the single anastomosis duodenal switch, AKA loop DS or SIPS, which has an even longer common channel. He & I agreed on a 300 cm common channel which I am comfortable with. I got insurance approval one week after I completed the pre-op testing. On December 29, 2015, I had a revision of the sleeve, the loop DS & an hiatal hernia repair. Recovery has been a bit rocky. A week & a half ago I spent the afternoon & early evening in the ER getting IV fluids & a CT scan because I was having difficulty getting my fluids & Protein in & was vomiting quite a bit - four times just that morning. Two days later I had a repeat upper endoscopy & my surgeon dilated two strictures in my sleeve. There was still a lot of edema in the stomach but I'm doing much better now. I do wish there was a way to speed up resolution of the edema. I still feel a lot more restriction, especially in the afternoon & evening, than I ever did with the initial sleeve.

I am so sorry this happened to you. It sounds very frustrating. I know that the consent forms I signed said that if the surgeon needed to make a change in procedure on the fly because of what he finds when he opens me up he could. But, to have a surgeon perform a surgery based on a conversation he THINKS he had with you without documentation is scary. I truly hope that even though this wasn't what you hoped or wanted to happen that you will be successful. One thing I noted in your follow up was that you have lost 8 lbs but feel you should have lost 10-15 pounds. I am not aware of any surgeon being able to predict weight loss that specifically. I am sure that 8 pounds is within a range that is expected as much as 15 pounds is. No one knows how much we will lose and how our bodies will respond right after surgery whatever procedure you have.

My first fill was a couple days ago. The doc asked many questions on how I was doing with this whole banding thing .I said I was doing wonderful. He asked if I had and trouble with heartburn. I told him no! Now I am back on regular foods and am getting heartburn almost everytime I eat. WHATS UP? Am I doing something I shouldn't be? It was my first fill. He put in 5cc in a 10 cc max band.Please give me some feedback .

I have searched also to try to find people who have had the band 10+ years and could not find any really. But lets not forget that they have been doing this operation in bigger volumes only in recent years. I did ask my doctor how long does it last and she said if there is no complications, you can keep it for the rest of your life if you want.

Hi there... I had my surgery on January 21st and will have my first fill this Thursday. Can't tell you how excited I am. From everything I have read... some people don't lose anything on during this time frame. They don't start losing until they start getting fills. My doctor does fill at 4 weeks after surgery. I also was getting a little bit down as I've only lost 10 pounds all together since starting the whole process.

I have been dealing with back problems for almost 10 years -- in fact this injury is what caused my weight gain. My surgeon had me stop my celebrex prior to surgery and post surgery I have been okay with it although I can restart if I want to. I have visited with my back doc and he says I can have my epidural steriod injections whenever I need them - no problem. So far I have been able to stave them off with yoga which I practice a couple of times a week -- works wonders. Seems that one of the benefits of the weight loss is that hopefully we will eventually be able to get off these meds :biggrin: Share your concerns with your doc -- dealing with chronic pain problems is really tough and it is scary to think about not being able to take meds if you need them. Good Luck!

I like that you said you kept 52 pounds off longer than 10. What a wonderful way of looking at any weight loss. Thanks.

@@ohio2016 I got my date today and it is 10/24 also!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App I am getting bypass. U? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Finally, I found someone near my timeframe in this journey. I am 5.5 months out, have lost 60 pounds, down from size 18 to size 10 and have reached all my goals. But, I am working everyday to maintain and keep toning up my body. I've always exercised so this is not all new to me but now I have new wrinkles, new sagging skin-but not too much. I seem to be able to eat carbs easier but not too much and somewhat slow moving when eating my meats. I'm worried that we both have hit the mark where our sleeve has done most of the work and now it is up to us and our behaviors and will power. Hang in there...I'm worried that I can eat sweets and I better behave myself. I sometimes think this is all a dream and we could lose the benefits of our sleeve.

Last week was a very bad week for posting. Very sick last week. Only missed 2 workouts though. Tuesday nights leg workout and Wednesday mornings cardio. Oh well. I'll start anew from todays workout. Working the 1015-1815 shift, so I got both cardio and upper body in this morning. Week 3 of my 2nd cycle of this big cycle. Upper Body: Rev grip lat: 130 x 11 Incl bench: 145 x 11 Cable crossovers: 60 x 11 DB curls: 30 x 11 Skull crusher: 80 x 11 HS military press: 60 x 11 Back ext: 55 x 11 DB shrugs: 90 x 11 Total of 3 circuits. Cardio: 100 minutes on elliptical-8.14 miles/1715 calories. Resistance btwn 6-10

Well, I am basically 7 months post op. My weight loss has slowed down to about 10 pounds a month. It doesn't bother me as long as I continue to see results. I haven't been super strict with my diet. I am on the go a lot and started relying on my bars and shakes a little too much I think. I need to start cooking more so I am in control of my food and get that dense protein in my diet. I think that would help me a lot. Other than that things are well. I have no complications. My surgeon is happy with my progress and thinks that I will be very successful. I don't see him until my 1 yr. post op appointment. My blood pressure and resting heart rate is lower than his!!! I believe it is all the cardio sessions I do. I continue to work out 5-6 days a week and feel awesome. On the days I feel I need a break I just take a break. I don't feel the stress like I used to pre-op. The stresses of what I eat, when I eat, how many times I work out etc. I guess I just have faith in myself and this process. It is working, is continuing to work, and I am faithful that if I do the right things it will work in the future. Thank you body for adjusting to this process and doing what you are supposed to be doing...LOSING WEIGHT!

First of all, did your dr say you could eat regular food after getting a fill? I know most drs say to wait 24 hrs on full liquids before trying food. Some are even longer. And it took me until my 3rd fill (4 mths into it) until I felt any difference at all. For the future tho, sometimes you can feel the restriciton right away, sometimes it takes up to 10 days to feel any difference. No clue why. You have to be patient. Unless your one of maybe 1,000 bandsters, you're not gunna feel any difference for a few fills. Good luck! Marci

So I am pretty sure I know where my port is, as I have been able to feel it since surgery. It is located just to right of my belly button and I can still feel it there. But I have a new lump just above my belly button that has just appeared today. I dont know what it is It doesnt necessarily hurt but I am kinda concerned about it. I have felt pretty good the last couple of days and did a little bit of very much needed housework and some laundry. I made sure that I didnt pick up anything heavy. I am going to call the doctor in the morning, but wondering if anyone has heard of this as of yet. Post op is 10 days out.

Had my first fill today. I was afraid the surgeon wouldn't do it since I was ahead on weight loss. He said he'd expect me to lose a pound every week to 10 days, and I lost 7 lbs since my two week post-op visit and today (9 lbs per my scale, sans clothes). He put in a full 3 cc's and I can completely feel it. He had me drink a cup of water before I left to make sure he wouldn't need to remove fluid. All was gravy until the drive home when I felt like the water was going to come back up. He said to start out slow though, liquids until tomorrow night, then puree, then back to soft. I'm going to seize this opportunity to get my diet completely in line with what they recommend. I didn't "cheat" per se, but I wasn't eating the healthiest options over the past five days. My next fill is July 16th and he said if I'm down 4 pounds by then he would be ecstatic. My goal for the next month is to get down to 205. I'm doing a combo jog/run every day for at least 20 minutes and have been taking in around 80-100 ounces of water. Feeling great. So here I go onto my next little goal. 8 lbs in a month...I can SO do this!

SISTERS! :sleep: I have three sisters. One is 10 years older than me, one is my twin, and the other is 6 years younger than me. At first, I was hesitant to tell them I wanted to have surgery. My eldest sister is the cute, stylish, and always put together one. My twin is the tiny petite one and my little sis is the young and hip one. My title has always been "the fat one". So I was a little apprehensive about sharing my desire to have weight loss surgery. My thought was they would think I was taking the easy way out. So I did not say anything right away. When I finally got word that insurance would cover the surgery (after being denied first and resubmitting) I new it was time to tell. To my surprise they were all three very supportive and excited for me. :confused: Even in the beginning after surgery they would congratulate me when I told them how much weight I was down or would give me rave reviews about how I looked. This all sounds great doesn't it?????? Times have a changed! I am nearing my goal and have officially gone down a whole size smaller than two of my sisters and I am the same size as one of them. Talk about a complete turn around (there attitudes I mean). I get comments like "What size are those jeans???" it the snottiest of tones. My younger sister even said to me "You are no better than a bulimic, because if you eat too much you get sick." How RUDE!:eek: So I am at a loss for what to do or say. I have gotten to the point where I don't even want to spend time with them. So the question is, Is it better to be "the fat sister"? and still have your sis's or be the "slim sister" and have them green with envy? I wish I could make them realize that none of this ever had anything to do with the way I look, but with the way I feel. They should be able to realize that I am happier and healthier than I have ever been. My hope is that eventually they will get over the jealousy and embrace the fact that how we look is not a competition! I think of the many times my weight made me feel miserable and my sisters new just how to make it worse. I will give one example. We were at our Aunts for our grandmothers birthday. We were all sitting at a table and it was cramped. I ended up sitting in a spot that had a cabinet behind it and I was so squished in it was uncomfortable. I quietly asked my sister to switch spots with me, as there was nothing behind her giving more room. She refused and on top of that she loudly made such a stink about it that my cousin across the room offered me her chair because she could see how embarrassed I was. I was completely humiliated. :thumbup:

SISTERS! :iagree: I have three sisters. One is 10 years older than me, one is my twin, and the other is 6 years younger than me. At first, I was hesitant to tell them I wanted to have surgery. My eldest sister is the cute, stylish, and always put together one. My twin is the tiny petite one and my little sis is the young and hip one. My title has always been "the fat one". So I was a little apprehensive about sharing my desire to have weight loss surgery. My thought was they would think I was taking the easy way out. So I did not say anything right away. When I finally got word that insurance would cover the surgery (after being denied first and resubmitting) I new it was time to tell. To my surprise they were all three very supportive and excited for me. :confused: Even in the beginning after surgery they would congratulate me when I told them how much weight I was down or would give me rave reviews about how I looked. This all sounds great doesn't it?????? Times have a changed! I am nearing my goal and have officially gone down a whole size smaller than two of my sisters and I am the same size as one of them. Talk about a complete turn around (there attitudes I mean). I get comments like "What size are those jeans???" it the snottiest of tones. My younger sister even said to me "You are no better than a bulimic, because if you eat too much you get sick." How RUDE!:biggrin: So I am at a loss for what to do or say. I have gotten to the point where I don't even want to spend time with them. So the question is, Is it better to be "the fat sister"? and still have your sis's or be the "slim sister" and have them green with envy? I wish I could make them realize that none of this ever had anything to do with the way I look, but with the way I feel. They should be able to realize that I am happier and healthier than I have ever been. My hope is that eventually they will get over the jealousy and embrace the fact that how we look is not a competition! I think of the many times my weight made me feel miserable and my sisters new just how to make it worse. I will give one example. We were at our Aunts for our grandmothers birthday. We were all sitting at a table and it was cramped. I ended up sitting in a spot that had a cabinet behind it and I was so squished in it was uncomfortable. I quietly asked my sister to switch spots with me, as there was nothing behind her giving more room. She refused and on top of that she loudly made such a stink about it that my cousin across the room offered me her chair because she could see how embarrassed I was. I was completely humiliated. :grouphug:

Today marks my first 10 lbs loss since my surgery on Monday, July 2nd. I was so happy and so excited, but then I began thinking about a lot of things. The lbs are melting off of me, but my best friend who is actually working VERY hard to lose weight without surgery hit a plateau she hasn't been able to move from for a while now. It's not fair and I feel so guilty. Before this surgery I tried everything to lose weight and I would only lose about 40 lbs then I couldn't lose anymore. I tried for years until I finally decided to have surgery. I know I should be happy and excited for myself, this surgery was the best thing to ever happen to me but I'm so depressed for my friend. She's does everything she can and still isn't seeing results she should be seeing. It's just not fair. I just needed to vent. I needed to let all this guilt out.

I know it sounds crazy and I NEVER thought I would ever feel this way but I want the weight loss to stop! my original goal was to get down to 160 lbs Well I am currently at 141lbs when I started my journey I was 219 lbs. I am not happy right now I find myself getting depressed at times, I am having bady image issues. I try to tell myself it's only because I have gotten used to seeing myself one way for so long that I am not used to seeing myself thinner but to me I am starting to look sickly this is the wildest experience ever! for yrs I was so unhappy with my weight it was constantly on my mind every day all day now that I have lost the weight I now feel like I have lost too much weight and right back in the same boat about feeling uncomfortable in m own skin! going shopping used to be hard because everything was too small now everything is too big! I was only happy for a few months with this weight loss. I am actually trying to gain back at least 10 lbs. Is anyone else going thru anything like this?

Hi There! Yep, I had my surgery September 16th and I've only lost 3 pounds since surgery, but lost 10 pounds during the two week pre-op phase. Amazing, huh? I thought there was something wrong with me until I read all these posts and found it is pretty normal. I'm so amazed that for the first two weeks after surgery, I couldn't eat much AT ALL and only lost a few pounds. Now, I feel like I don't even have the band since all the swelling is gone and I can eat like I did before surgery. However, now is the time I'm relying on behavior mod and exercise and trying to accept that I won't feel the restriction until after my first or second fill. So....I think we are normal in that regard:cool: I can't speak to the healing issues, but others on here seem to have some solid recommendations! Good luck and keep us posted! Matchamaiden

My doctor doesn't base decisions regarding whether I need fill only on my loss. It's only one part of the equation. Why? Because if I eat the way he recommends, I will lose whether I have restriction or not. He takes into account how I feel, as well. It really is important to consider hunger in addition to loss. hair loss really isn't due to rapid weight loss. It's due to an interruption of the hair growth cycle by trauma. In this case, the trauma is anesthesia and surgery. They interrupt the growth cycle, and the evidence becomes apparent a few months later. It happens for most of us, regardless of how much we lose, whether we eat enough Protein, and so on. As "insurance," it's not a bad idea to ensure that you do get adequate protein and Fluid, as well as Biotin and zinc. Using a shampoo/condition system like Nioxin can help, too. But mostly, these things just let us reassure ourselves we're doing what we need to do to prevent undue loss; our bodies still go through the changes, and ultimately recover, and hair growth resumes as normal. ETA: My loss is slowing now, but I consistently lost 10 pounds a month for the first 8 months I was banded. Now I lose that in 6-8 weeks or so. Because my doctor gives banding patients the same dietary guidelines as his bypass patients, this does not surprise him at all--it's what he likes to see. (Banding rates are slower because we don't have the malabsorption that bypass patients do, but your loss doesn't strike me as outrageously fast.) Your loss is not what one would expect at the year mark for bypass. It makes me wonder how much experience the practitioner who does your fills has with either procedure.

I've been doing a lot of research on VSG and found great news coming out of the Second Internationa Consensus Summit for Sleeve Gastrectomy in March, 2009. "During the consensus part, the audience responded that there was enough evidence published to support the use of VSG as a primary procedure to treat morbid obesity and indicated that it is on par with adjustable gastric banding and Roux- en-Y gastric bypass, with a yes vote at 77%. CONCLUSION: SG for morbid obesity is very promising as a primary operation." *The Second International Consensus Summit for Sleeve Gastrectomy, March 19-21, 2009. (2009) Q-Sensei Another article stated that: "There are signs of progress with multiple insurance companies. It should be expected that in 2010 sleeve gastrectomy have its own code and a formal acceptance." http://bariatrictimes.com/2009/06/18/laparoscopic-sleeve-gastrectomy/ Yippee!