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Lol yea I had weight gain after but it started coming off I only had a 3 day preop diet and then surgery on Saturday the 14th and I'm down 12 pounds and already onto puree food I video blog on YouTube my username is CreamyMoo it really helps to document every day and focus on what's getting better

4 Days post op and I am up about 4 pounds. I did the 2 wk liquid fast and have not had to much to eat, is it the IV's? I still feel so bloated and hurt alot at the port site.

There's a difference between losing weight during your 3/6 month supervised diet and following your pre-op diet. It sounds like Melissa is talking about her 6 month diet, not the preop diet designed to shrink the liver. I didn't loose more than a few pounds during my 6 month supervised diet and by the end had actually gained a few pounds. (I'm sure my family doc thought I was crazy.:001_rolleyes:) Anyway, I knew this wasn't an issue for insurance approval (by my insurers guidelines), but it was a problem for my surgeon's guidelines. So, I started my preop diet early knowing that I needed to loose a few pounds or risk having my surgery cancelled. I did so well that I lost 15 pounds preop in 2 and a half weeks. So, Melissa you will probably be fine with insurance, but may have a problem with your surgeon if you've gained. If they suggest that they might have to cancel your surgery due to weight gain, ask them for a chance to start your preop diet early to loose a few pounds before surgery. Then you can come back in to weigh before the surgery. I think most doctors will work with you on this. And I don't think this is any indication of how successful you will be after surgery. You will just have to be aware of what you're doing and eating and you'll be fine.

I have yet to set up a consultation with a doctor, but have the paper work to start filling out before I can agree on an appointment. How likely of a candidate would I be for coverage from my insurance? I know all insurances are different, and they all have their set of rules. I just don't know if I would even be considered. Like most of you all, I've always struggled with weight. I've been able to lose weight, then gain it back and so forth and so on. This time around it's much worse as I had my spine fused a year ago, and have gained 70lbs and am in a lot of pain. I know it's largely because of the weight gain. With me being in pain it's very hard to eat healthy and find the energy to work out. Even if it's low impact excersising. I have a family history of type two diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure and I have asthma. Not sure if with all of this if it would even get my foot in the door. I'm 5'8 Male 265 lbs and 29 years old. My fusion was an L5-S1. Just looking for some input. Thanks!

Good morning all! Correction!! My surgery date is in fact 9/15/10 and not 9/14/10. Whoops! What a booboo, but hey at least I didn’t not (grammatically incorrect I know) find out and it was the day *before* I thought. Ha-ha now that would have been a big deal. Besides I'm sure the surgeon’s office would have been sending me reminders and it would have clicked eventually. So, all is good on that front! I will need to arrive in San Diego a day early. The reason is I will be riding into Mexicali and shortly after; I will undergo all the wonderful pre-operative testing that is imperative to be performed before undergoing such an invasive procedure. I’m getting ready though! More ready than I have ever been with any previous surgery. I’m also so glad I have the funds to be able to make my own decision this time, and not rely on insurance to make it for me. I need to create myself a to-do list since I will be traveling a distance to get there. I won’t fly in either since I’m scared to fly. I’m not that far anyway. San Diego is only a 7 hour drive from me. I will undergo any extra stress to do what I must. To be perfectly honest, I never thought I’d be so excited to have my band removed. I sincerely have zero faith in it anymore. At some point you become so detached with something that had so much promise. When you get like that, it’s time to move on. I had a choice though, keep the band and risk more complications, weight gains and misery – or work to have it removed, revise to something else and get your life back. I choose the latter. I am a fighter and until my last breath I will always forage on to become the best person I can be. All that starts in the head and it will manifest itself onto my body, my personality and everything in between. If that means cutting my losses and admitting a failure (not in a bad way) and making that into a success then I have done what I needed to do. I would encourage anyone to do this for themselves. The band did get me semi-results before it started going bonkers on me. It was very short lived. Only up to 4 months in, and I had gone from 283 on the day of surgery down to 227. The difference I felt in those 56 Lbs was incredible. I felt so freed of the bonds of that extra weight. I was wearing clothing sizes I hadn’t in more than a decade. I was so energetic and life was just bliss. I want that for myself again, more than anything. I was a much better person, easier to get along with and my outlook was super positive. Well when one goes in the wrong direction, and especially with WLS surgery this can be quite amplified, it can really put a strain on your inner self. Sure the bones can feel it physically, but the heart and mind I think go more into self-destruct than anything else. It spirals and spirals until you wake up one day and realize you have lost total control of that steering wheel. What do I do then? Accept the path I’m going down into certain crash? Or, rather do I grab back onto that wheel and veer it back onto the road. It will be a bit jittery getting back on that road, but at least I did something about it. I do not accept a negative fate. I have way too much to live for, to fight for… So with that, you all know a little where I’ve been and surely now know where I’m headed. Blessings for the day!

I'm 31 and I'm pregnant with my first child. I was banded June 10, 2010 and by May I was pregnant. My doc is thrilled and gave me a slight unfill because my band tightened with the pregnancy. There is absolutely no reason why I can't have a vaginal birth because of the lap band. Now, that's not to say something else would cause me to have a c-section, but right now everything is trucking right along. I'm currently 17 weeks, i'm on target with my weight gain, and I'm happy as can be. So far, baby is too!

Hi Mellifrits, you are doing brilliantly, and I am very excited that this operation may help one of my daughters who has inherited mums weight gain propensity, poor lamb. Jane x

Yeah we have all been there and it is hard. My doctor told me not to worry too much about trying to lose until I had my fills, but I wanted so bad not to gain what I lost. So what I did was increase my consumption of veggies that basically have no calories or very few, this kept me satisfied longer and did not cause weight gain. It does get better, but it is a tough time between surgery and fills...

Good luck hopefully you will be scheduled in Oct and heeled up for holidays. Wow can you imagine a Christmas without the weight gain! I am figuring it wouldn't be until January, or even Feb before my date, thats if all go's as planned and no insurance hold ups.

Wow, I had no idea that weight gain was common. I lost 10 lbs the first week and since then have put 1-2 back on even though I am not eating that much! I still am wondering why it is that this happens. I am wondering how a fill will change things because like I said, I am not really eating that much - about 3 cups of food for the entire day.

My Dr. warned me also of the possible weight gain. I did not have 2b on a pre-op diet but I lost 12lbs 1st week. I knew that once I started incorporating food again some weight wld come back on. I decided not to weigh myself at home until my next appt on Aug 31st which is when I get my 1st fill. I have also read on here that it can take 3 or 4 fills b4 feeling good restriction. Dont get dissapointed. The weight will eventually start to come off. From the time the swelling goes down after surgery to your 1st fill is considered "bandster hell" cuz you have no restrictions, you get hungry & you dont lose any weight or gain a bit. Make wise healthy food choices and exercise, drink your 64oz of Water & drink your Protein drinks. I try to stay within 800-1000 calories a day. Good luck & be patient. Take this time to learn new eating habits & enjoy the journey 1 day at at time.:cursing:

Just like your doctor said, this is to be expected. You probably aren't too far out from surgery and you should really remember that for the first 6 weeks, your weight will fluctuate. The weight gain is usually only temporary, so it's not much to worry about. You're healing after a major surgery and weightloss should not be your main goal right now. As hard as it is, you should really focus on healing and giving your body the time it needs. Yes it's nice to see the scale move down, but you can't expect your body to continue to shed weight after something so serious. Give it time. Besides, plenty of things can tip the scale in the opposite direction. Walk, eat properly, drink your water, and get your protein in and the scale will move. If you're on the scale each day, I suggest to only weigh yourself a few times a week, in the morning, naked. Good luck.

There is so much to comment on and I will probably miss people and stuff. Linda, what a sweet baby, both of them, your DGD and Merry. You two are so cute in your matching aprons. Looks like you are having fun. That is an ugly tumor...hugs to you and to Merry. I hope for the best outcome for both of you. Laura, really glad to hear your Mom is doing better. My sister swears by those epidurals. She's on other drugs that have contributed to her weight gain, but I don't know which ones. It doesn't help with her arthritis either, but then I guess it's a balancing act. Sorry your Dad is feeling poorly. Hope he gets some relief. Lots of work with that party, but your parents will really appreciate it. Hi Dee, nice to see you again. How's NO treating you? Joyce, sorry to hear about your DD. I hope she gets the help she needs, unfortunately its tough to do. Phone ringing...bbl

Thanks Cheri! That frizz stuff is really helping to keep my hair in place and also shiny. Maybe with Janet's help you can find the right body shaper. Julie......I am so glad you had a good visit with the pain doc. Your family dr .....forget her. Personally, I like the PA at the doctor's office better than my doctor. She listens. My new great niece was two months old that day. I used that pic because she covered my budda belly. lol Laura....such good news....the shots worked. Yep, those pills can really cause weight gain. I attribute xanax to my hunger for so many years. I didn't realize it till I was put on Lexapro. I fear taking xanax now because I will eat everything , but the kitchen sink. So cute about Nels finding the cake.

I had my surgery yesterday and when I weighed myself today, I gained 5 lbs. Is this just water weight or weight from being bloated? I haven't had any "food" since Monday, so I can't imagine that it's actual weight gain. But, I have a heart condition and have to also watch my fluid retention, so I'm wondering if I should take a water pill or just let it run it's course over the next few days and give it a chance to leave on it's own. Also, when does the bloated stomach go down? The top of my stomach area is bigger than my bottom and I'm assuming it's just from the gas and swelling. I'm looking through my paperwork, but there is nothing there listed about looking bloated. I haven't had any pain in my shoulder, just around my port and getting in and out of bed has been a struggle. I'm finding that sitting in a chair is easier for me.

It's really, really important not to compare your process with others, as that will just discourage you. Make sure that you're losing, but over the long term -- don't weigh yourself ANY more frequently than once a week, and even that is pushing it (every other week or once a month would be better). Water weight gains can easily swallow week-to-week fluctuations. In the end, just focus on the fact that you ARE losing and it's a healthy loss. You'll get there, even if it's not right this instant.

I'm single, and my mom is always saying after my surgery I may want to start dating. I tell her I doubt it, if a guy does not like me now because I'm over weight, I will not give him the time of day when I'm thinner. Plus I can not wait to become thin and see my exhusband who left me because of my weight, and flant myself in front of him, and then tell him where he can go. JERK I agree with mini-me, why should we be treated any less because we are over weight. I say they are the shallow ones, and we maybe come thin, but I think we will all treat overweight people like everyone else because we have been there. I can say from personal experience that when I was younger and thin, I did treat overweight people different, and I was a very shallow person, and I guess you can say maybe the Lord made me this way for a reason, because with the weight gain, I became a good person on the inside, and now I feel what all those people I made fun in high school felt, because they were over weight. I hope this made sense. lol

congrats, cindy! i'm due dec 13th and we're having a girl too! :thumbup: i haven't had mine un-filled. i'm feeling less and less restriction which i'm a little nervous about. as of july 26th, i'm down 3 lbs this pregnancy, but with my feeling less restriction, i think i've gained at least those 3 back. my dr. also gave me a 15 lb weight gain goal. at 22 weeks with no gain, i'm hoping i'm still ok to meet that goal but we'll see... i'm super excited for my little girl. with the weight loss i was finally able to get myself ready for our little one. i'm trying not to dwell on the weight loss but it is difficult considering hte long journey we've all been through. Good luck mommy's and mommy's to be!

It has been 2 1/2 years since I was banded. I got down to size 10 and my lowest weight was 155 lbs. My husband and I were traveling in March to May this year. I got sick with a kidney infection on our drive to Florida. My stomach got upset with my IBS and I was nauseated. My band got really tight in the middle of all that and the end result was MILKSHAKES! My stomach was so upset and my band so tight that I was living on very little food but could drink milk and milkshakes felt very comforting. They settled my stomach and filled me up. I got antibiotics when I got to Orlando but they made my stomach more upset. I was throwing up a lot and had terrible heartburn, throwing up if I laid down. I spent most nights sleeping sitting up. I was in misery. It was not caused by my band but my band got into the middle of everything. I needed a defill but was out of my country. I tried everything - bland foods, eating mushy or liquids, using antacids constantly. Nothing helped. We got home from our trip to Florida and I got more antibiotics because I felt like the infection was still there. I also got a small defill. We were leaving again only 10 days later for Hawaii for our 40th anniversary. When we got to Honolulu for the first week, I got really sick again. I was very nauseated and throwing up. My band felt very constricted again and I stopped taking my antibiotics. My stomach settled down but the band stayed very tight. When we got home from Hawaii the first week of May, I was sick again for about 4 days, vomiting and nausea. My band seemed even tighter and I could hardly eat anything. It was hard to even drink tea. My band seemed to have tightened on it's own again. Then I started having choking episodes and I felt like my stomach/pouch was up in my throat. I had a few episodes where I couldn't breathe and had to concentrate to relax my throat and let the food or drink go down so I could get my breath. I was terrified. I could not understand what was happening. It seemed like the band had slipped. I phoned and talked to my clinic and they advised me over the next few days to get a big defill. I did that and my stomach and band settled down. I had severe gas pains for about three days following the defill that doubled me over and I was in agony, pacing the floor and crying with the pain. Bandster hell. Finally that stopped. I then felt no restriction and was eating too much and too much junk. I started gaining weight and felt so upset with myself. I tried to stop overeating and watch what I was consuming but continued. I needed my band refilled. A month after my defill of 2 cc, I went back for a fill of 1 cc. that gave me back some restriction but I was still gaining weight. We had our 40th Anniversary party on Aug 7 and I felt self conscious and fat. I changed dresses to cover up my 14 lb weight gain. Other people didn't notice but I could feel the extra weight around my middle especially. I missed feeling svelte and beautiful and in control. I have had a lot of company and been too busy to spend any time on my Curves program or eating patterns. I am feeling more restriction now but have had another setback.After all the problems with my stomach, my doctor sent me for tests. One test I had on Monday this week was a barium swallow. The radiologist asked me questions before the test about what had been going on. He was not knowledgeable about lapbands but could see it in the xray. He told me that it was sitting on top of my stomach not like the picture on my lapband card I showed him. I guess my band has slipped and I am anxious to get it back to normal again before I gain too much weight. I wish I could control my eating and lose some weight through just diet. I really love my band and how wonderful it made me feel to lose all that weight in the first place. Wish me luck! :wink2::glare:

Exercise is not my favorite thing by far, but walking is something I think I can do. Right now I am on vacation from work, by usually work is a really active place for me as I am rushing from one place and thing to the next. I do feel like i have good restriction as I am full after eating about 3/4 of a cup of food and don't need to snack between meals, but this weight gain is getting the better of me.

Need Advice! I was banded 3 weeks ago. Prior to that I went on the liquid diet for 2 weeks and up until a week ago I had lost 27 lbs. I have started eating real foods now and sometimes get 1000 cals in and sometimes less. I have gained back 8 lbs in the last week. I feel discouraged and don't know why I am gaining. When I drink I can gulp water and even know I eat less than before the band I am not lossing weight. I have never vomited my food back up, but I find chicken can get stuck at times. I haven't had a fill yet and am eating about 3/4 cup to 1 cup of food at meal time. Why am I not lossing weight is my body thinking it is starving? Right now I am not super active as I am on vacation and not at work. Help me with some advice.............please?

One year ago I was rolled down the isle in an 2XL gown, big ole booties and a smile because I knew my life would change. I went in prepared to face the challenges and joy that this decision would cause me. The first month I survived the liquid diet, post-surgery pain and discomfort and lost bonus 10 lbs that I have yet to see again. The second month I noticed my clothes getting looser and another 5 lbs gone, I can eat but the problem was I wanted to eat everything so I was welcomed to Bandster-Hell. The third month I had gotten my first fill 2ccs humm felt tight for like a day then back to eating it up… good thing no weight gain and another 2lbs gone. Month four, I noticed my size 22’s are falling off of me literally and another 2lbs gone, this is going slow I thought time for a fill and off I went another 2cc’s now 4ccs in a 10cc band. Month five another 2lbs goneI am still hungry and my 20’s are fitting loser, food still goes down pretty easily, and I have yet to experience a stuck episode I was so happy. Another .5 ccs in the band. 4.5 ccs Month Six no weight loss nothing, not a pound, I am starting to feel full faster but I can still eat two burritos and taco bell. And my workouts are sporadic time to make an appointment with the doctor .5cc’s he said I say more but I will see. Month Seven, Had .5cc’s in my band I don’t think that will do much of anything for me, but I took the doctor said wait another week and if it doesn’t work out then I can come back however, I got really busy with life and alas no weight loss but bread is off the menu forever, I experienced my first episode of slime and stuck with a piece of pork chop, and then a piece of bread. 5.5 ccs in the band I am halfway full that has got to count for something. Month eight, I am feeling discouraged I ended up not losing any weight this month, I lost 5lbs with my fill and I gained it back. I don’t know why because I can’t eat as much, and I am moving more it is spring and hot around here. I ended up having hernia surgery and couldn’t get a fill until I recovered from my surgery and I finally got the fill I wanted 1 cc’s now I am more than half way there 6.5cc’s and I am really feeling that day to day stuff that I have read about on the boards, feeling tight in the morning, I can eat a yogurt and be stuffed, and be satisfied for hours oh and my 20’s are now gone, I am now in a very loose fitting 18…I can’t wait. Month nine, it has been a few weeks since my fill I lost another 5lbs which is nice and my 18’s are gone I am in a 16 which I haven’t been in since 2003, I still have a ways to go I somehow thought I would have gotten further in my pounds lost but it is not that bad. I would have hit this point without my band. My eating is good I think I have hit my sweet spot but some days I am a little tighter I have learned to eat slow, I can’t eat fries, bread, and dry turkey oh and nothing on the McDonalds dollar menu goes down… so no bad foods for me. Month ten, weight loss has slowed down I think my body is doing the starvation hold, so my goal to combat it is to increase my exercise. Month eleven, I have increased my exercise and I am starting to feel better, I went shopping and no matter what store I went in I fit the 16’s and some were even loose and I lost another 5lbs this month. Now at month twelve I don’t regret my decision to have the band, my life has changed in my activity level my confidence I am still struggling or say dealing with the consequences of not planning my meals, eating too fast or trying those forbidden foods, but I know I am this for the long haul which is awesome to me. I have increased my activity level and plan to keep that up, I will be at my goal weight next year this time and with my band to use as my food tool, and my motivation as my next I will be there… Happy Bandiversary!!!

Thank you! Okay now I feel a little better. I try not to worry about the weight gain (just want my baby to be healthy) but it is hard! Gonna quit being negative, focus on keeping me and baby healthy and look forward to the future!

Ok, you have me laughing. I just had the boob conversation with my best friend. I don't want to lose my boobs! I have big boobs and I want to keep big boobs. Ok, all joking aside, here is what I am looking forward to in no particular order: Not being embarassed of my body anymore. Getting of my diabetes meds Resolving my adrenal gland issues Reducing my PCOS symptoms Wearing clothes that I like and not wearing clothes just because they fit. I can't wait to see my face again... The face I always had before the weight gain. CONFIDENCE a good role model for my children HEALTH Energy sharing the journey with people on this message board. not having to wear the sexy CPAP mask. wearing a nice nightgown if you know what I mean. helping others buying new clothes everytime I drop a size.

If you suspect nerve pain you should check with your GP. I have nerve pain in low low back. I asked rheumatologist for Lyrica or Cymabalta and got samples first of Lyrica...worked well but common side effect is weight gain - 5 lbs the first week!...then Cymbalta...common side effect is loss of appetite but I think I will muddle through. It made a HUGE difference...still some pain but far less. As far as doctors are concerned you might see if the hospitals nearby have bariatric programs. I am near Houston and you can't spit without hitting a doctor who does banding. I can't believe there is no doctor there who won't take a transfer, especially if you might need a removal which would be more pennies in their pockets.