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I'm 3 months out of surgery and it took me 4 fills to reach restriction...even though I've had restriction now for a few weeks, learning to eat again has been tough. I still reach for food I know I can't handle, try to eat it, and get the pain that I knew was coming...perhaps my brain has short-term memory loss about how much the pain from eating the wrong foods or overeating causes?! Be kind to yourself, though. Luckily, I haven't had any significant weight gain since the surgery. I've gone up and down a few pounds here and there (especially during Spring Break), but I've maintained a constant downward trend. When you've had enough fills, there will be a COMPLETE change in how/what you eat...even if your brain doesn't accept it. I'm still fighting with my brain/eyes on a daily basis...but I've recommitted to myself today and plan on having a good journey from here!

Congrats Cindy! I am in my 27th week and so far i've gained just under 10 lbs. I've had 2 slight unfills so far. The first was at 8 weeks (-0.3 cc) and the second was yesterday (-0.5 cc). I've been happy with my weight gain and my OB has no problem with it either. I know i will start to gain more in the home stretch so i didn't mind putting too much on in the beginning. I was also lucky and didn't have any morning sickness to worry about. Enjoy your pregnancy!

Bob--welcome back from the Farm. I was beginning to think you'd been lost in a freak combine/thresher accident. What game will provide your next diversion? Dottie--I’m sorry your doctor wasn’t supportive. I am not sure why some doctors seem to approach giving fills as somehow bestowing a great, yet undeserved, gift. I’m with Leigha and Jim--remember that you’re paying him, and that he has a job to do. Heaven knows you’re doing your part of the job very well. Now he needs to do his. Preferably without making you feel bad in the process. (Phhht. Screw his stats. Does he really think they're reflective of his success? They're not.) TJ--I agree 100 percent with you. We have to be responsible for our own bodies. I’ve been remarkably lucky, because my doctor is very well-rounded and we click. But even so, there are decisions I make that don’t quite mesh with his “plan.” I am perfectly fine with that--and so is he. It works well. I’m glad you have a doctor who approaches things with you similarly. I think it makes a tremendous difference. Good aftercare is so important--and having it with a good doctor is a pleasure. Denise--I love your plate NSV! Good luck with the doctor--I hope you get set on a path to get good answers so that you feel well again. Stacey-- I will send a friend request on FB. I’m Betsy Banks-Golub. I’m glad you’re seeing your PCP. Getting your asthma under control will help a lot. But remember, exercise doesn’t have to be punishing in order to be effective. Can you walk without experiencing symptoms? I’m sorry you’re battling depression, too. It can throw a wrench into the works, for sure. There are lots of options for treatment. While some meds can produce weight gain, usually relieving depression makes it easier to comply with eating and exercise plans, so loss is quite often a feature that accompanies recovery. I took Cymbalta for fibromyalgia pain for a few years. It was very helpful in terms of weight loss. It’s one of the antidepressants for which this seems to be a common feature, so it might be worth looking in to. Wellbutrin, too, is frequently chosen because it promotes loss. But in general, the most important thing is getting the depression under control so that the lifestyle stuff can follow. Don't underestimate the value of exercise and good nutrition to reducing depression. Once you're in a better place (both in terms of your asthma and depression), you'll feel the changes these promote, and one good day will be the foundation for the next. Before you know it, you'll have a chain of successes. And that will help motivate you on the days when doing what you need to do just isn't all that appealing. I hope you get good guidance and help and are soon feeling much better. We’re all here for you. HB--That’s quite a video LOL Bobbie--I’m so sorry your “interview” wasn’t an interview. You must be so disappointed. We’ve had to endure the double-unemployment thing, and it’s so, so hard. Your family is in my prayers---I know you will find something soon.

Hello. First-time poster here. Had sleeve surgery February 19, 2010. Lost 20 pounds in 5 weeks. Was on blood pressure meds and was taken off due to much better readings. Then the water weight pounded on me. I've gained 6 pounds since getting off the Benicar (bp meds) a week ago. I'm so discouraged. Not losing anymore. Eating the same. I am a huge fan of fish...eat it daily. Very few carbs. Hoping it's the water weight gain and it will even off soon and I'll start losing again. I drink water all day long...I mark my cup with a marker as I drink all day making sure I drink plenty! I know it's water weight gain because Benicar is a diuretic...and suddenly I am no longer taking one...plus I can't get my rings on my fingers! AND my eyes are SO puffy! Thanks for listening!

HB-That video is creepily beautiful lol! Is creepily a word?? Bobbie-Sorry to hear it didn't go quite as you had hoped. When a door shuts a window opens. Me-I really need to vent so sorry..apologizing in advance..and I am not looking for sympathy. I just keep asking myself can I DO THIS?? I have eaten crap, not exercised like I should and I just can't seem to get myself on track. There is no motivation and willpower at the moment and it is honestly breaking my heart. I hate that food is where I turn to. My feelings just make me want to run to ice cream. I used to smoke...that was my escape. Quit that for food. Gained lots and lots of weight (so who knows maybe I would've been healthier a smoker!). I don't deal with stress and anxiety well. There is alot of stress & anxiety in my life right now and I just can't deal with it...and now I am feeling like a failure on top of it :smile2:. I have an appt with my PCP, but soonest I could get in on an evening is the 22nd. I don't know if there is anything he can give me for anxiety/depression that doesn't have weight gain as a side effect. Also seeing him because it seems my exercise induced asthma is in full swing again (which is not helping with the whole weight loss thing). GRRRR....Isn't there just a skinny/happy/life is perfect pill??

My reflux was extreme with my band, so I removed the band, then had the sleeve put on 2 years later...NO RELFUX! I can sleep without junk coming up my throat--it is sooooo nice, . I agree that the sleeve has very little stretching, and very little ability to stretch--I know serveral people (most in my family) who have done gastric and the weight gain is one reason I went with the sleeve this time...it just made more sense to keep the digestive track intact as much as possible.

I also have bipolar disorder and ADHD. I take seven different medications (lamictal, adderall,klonopin, navane, cymbalta and trazadone), and according to my shrink they don't really cause weight gain or increase in appetite. This is the cocktail that I have been on pretty much the past 2 1/2 years and it's working for me. The only new things are the trazadone, because I was having trouble sleeping, and we switched from ritalin to adderall. I know I can't stop taking my meds because my former psych wanted to detox me and kept me only on lamictal and valium, and I became so depressed it was horrible! Anyway, these meds have kept me out of the hospital the past 2 years and I thank god for that. I am now wondering if the lapband will affect my mood at all, since I will be taking in much fewer calories? has anyone felt a difference in their mood since getting their band? I keep having night mares lately that I'm in the hospital right after getting banded. Maybe I am just worrying too much!

Well I told myself that I wouldn't gain my weight back but guess what I am now 24 pounds heavier than I was on December 8th. Today I went to the doctors, I am disgusted with myself, I am in menopause, I have been going to ZUMBA 3 days a week and ZUMBA toning 3 days a week, with walking each day and no change on the scale and its all because I can’t control myself around food- all the work it took me to lose the weight with the band and I’m putting it back on. The doctor said you did it once without the band you can lose again, you have to change your mind set he is right so starting tonight I’ll go shopping for some healthy food, no more fast food, no more crap fat laden meals. I have 50 pounds to lose and I’ll be damn if not having my lap band is going to make me not lose that to hell with MENOPAUSE- its time to take control of my life! And get to hell out of these fat clothes OMG summer is here and I can’t stand myself in shorts.. I have let the past 3.5 months of food control me, no more!

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

Oh, the comment came for a man, so that must be bad or the "source" as you call it. I wasn't trying to be a jerk with my comment, however you are going to have to train yourself to eat better within this first 6-12 months, because it's extremely difficult to lose more weight after this period. My wife had surgery in 2001 and went from 308 to 155, but now sit at 220. She eats like a bird and still can't lose the weight, despite exercise. Here is the basis for my point: I met this lady in Mexico that had her lap band removed, after 5 years, due to erosion. She had lost over 100 lbs to something like 115 now, but had put 30lbs back on. She went to Mexico to have her band adjusted she thought, but due to erosion, it was just removed and she was sent home to let her stomach heal. She told us that night she went to KFC to have chicken and who knows what else. She also said that for 5 years she has figured that since she could not eat more than a few bites at a time that she was eating whatever food she wanted, mostly bad foods. So my point here is that she never learned to eat healthy. She basically got a band so she could eat less of whatever she wanted. That is a terrible mindset to be in and now that her band is gone, her weight gain is inevitable. It is not going to kill you to have some soft foods early, potatoes, grits, etc... It's the continuation of these bad foods that is going to defeat you years from now.

The shoulder pain is really a phantom pain. You have heard of people having shoulder and left arm pain when they are having a heart attack. This is due to the fact that the nerves in our core interior run to the brain thru the same path as the nerves in our shoulder. What is happening is that your band is rubbing on your diaphram or some other organ inside of you. It is creating a pain response in the nerve at the location that your brain is interpreting as shoulder pain. The pain is not really in your shoulder and doing thing to your shoulder will not really relieve the pain. Most of us find that the pain goes away after the first week to week and a half. The calf pain and cramping is probably a potassium or dehydration issue. You are probably getting less Fluid and electrolytes then you think during the liquid phase. All food has fluids. Before you went on the liquid diet, you drank and ate. Now, you only drink so your intake of essential minerals and fluids are probably low. Try Powerade Zero, no calories, potassium and sodium. Beware, sodium will cause you to retain Water and you might mistake that for weight gain. As new bandsters, you will probably be on the scale a lot. (I was). You will learn that your weight flucuates due to water retention. I forgot to take my BP meds Fri and Sat, ate salty foods, and drank a lot of fluids. I gained 8 pounds in 24 hours. (all water weight). I am flushing it out today by drinking lots of water, avoiding sodium, and exercising. Bet it will all be gone tomorrow. Good luck to you all in your journey, learn from this site as there are a lot of great, knowledgable posters to learn from that will keep you from freaking out about your bodies adjustments. TJ

Kyoto you won't regret having the swallow study. I'm glad you got help with your reflux. Yes...they do stitch the band in place by folding part of your stomach over the band and making a small flap (so to speak). That is then stitched so it almost makes like a belt loop that holds your band in place however, slippage can still happen or more so prolasps. The rest of the band is still free so your stomach can prolasps up above it or the band can slip slightly. It's almost as if it's hinged in place by the flap they stitched. They do this because in the beginning they did have issues with people slipping their bands and found this technique helped reduce that by a great amount. Weight gain stinks for everyone, no doubt...heck we got the band for a reason but, it's still best to know for sure and stay healthy. Throwing up and reflux are not healthy and can actually cause more health issues in the long run. So good luck with your swallow study....I hope it works out for the best and you can start getting slight fills again. Good luck!

AnnJones, i understand. Life is not easy. I am sorry to hear of your losses. Tthis has to be so overwhelming at times. (I , too lost my mother , when I was losing weight w/o the band and I did a 360 on weight loss and gained it all back). You only gained 20 #, which is remarkable.You know what the changeds are and you can make further changes for your health. Many thingse ,i am learning , affect one's band, esp emotions, coughing, crying- sinus problems. I''ve been on liquids only after a sinus infection which was 'gone' (but the sinus draining continued to point I woke up vomitting at night). yes i drank stuff I shouldn't simply to get something down. Ann, do see your doctor if your band is that tight, still. Do talk with someone, even us; about losing your son and BIL This would to knock anyone for a loop; You deserve to be nice to yourself and not beat yourself up about the weight gain. If there is a local WLS group or some other group you might like, do join them. Do let us know how you are doing. Remember, Your sone and BIL would not want you to be unhappy.

Welcome! On this site you'll find many differing opinions. As you can guess, most of us are pro-sleeve and couldn't be happier with our decision. In fact, there are many here who started with the band and then were revised to a sleeve. I am a low bmi sleever who was fortunate that I never battled weight until the past two years. I do have a very long family history of morbid obesity and comorbidities though so I knew that if I didn't eat right and hit the gym everyday they would come for me too. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia about 18 or so months ago and as my pain worsened my will power lessened and my drive to stay ahead on my workouts and nutrition took a nose dive. I slowly gained weight the first year. The next 6 months the pain became almost unbearable and I was put on a mix of meds that all had weight gain as side effects. Combined with my lack of mobility and my lack of heartfelt focus on anything but getting through the pain (I used food as a coping mechanism) I gained about 50 pounds in 6 months. My doctor took a radical approach and suggested WLS as a tool to keep me healthy. If I could get the weight off my fibro pain would likely subside a great deal now that we have found a med mix that works for me. Even though I had a relatively low BMI I was still obese and headed for danger (high BP, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, etc). Together we decided wls was the right move for me. After discussing the options we also decided that RNY was too extreme for my situation. The band also presented its own issues in that a foreign object may cause me to flare repeatedly. I also didn't like the idea of chasing the sweet spot and potentially having a visible port bump. That left the sleeve, which all around sounded like the best option anyway. One incision, no malabsorption, no adjustments, etc. Once we decided on the sleeve I was on the hunt for a surgeon and feel that I selected the best in TX. I know everyone says that and I'm glad they do. It's of the utmost importance that you have a GREAT relationship with your surgeon. I am a month post-op, have lost about 20 pounds, and more importantly am feeling about 70% less pain. I still have bad days here and there, but I think I might be able to go back to work full time pretty soon! You have no idea what a blessing that is. Prior to WLS my Dr was encouraging me to look into disability because even my part time contract position was often too much to bear.

Currently I am taking meds for all three. I have taken some meds that did cause a huge amount of weight gain, but I stopped them as soon as I realized that. So far, I have stayed at my weight for the past few months, if I have gained it's because of eating bad stuff. I don't want to stop taking any of my meds because I have been stable and out of the hospital for more than two years. I have had a few bouts with depression, mostly due to stress. My self esteem is shot because of my weight, I hardly leave the house because of it. But other wise I am ok. Thanks for responding. susi

I have bipolar disorder with major depression and adhd. I am only taking meds for the bipolar disorder. I refuse to take medication that will cause any weight gain, so therefore no meds for the depression. I am not taking anything for the adhd because the medication that was recommended for me causes serious liver damage. I am as stable as I can be considering I no longer have access to marijuana, which really helps me with my mood swings. It was a very hard adjustment after getting banded because of all of the throwing up and other nonsense associated with just being banded. I'm ok now as far as band stabilization. I go for another fill in ten days and I'm almost two years post op.

Concerning WIC, let's see how you twist this "drama" around: How WIC Helps WIC saves lives and improves the health of nutritionally at-risk women, infants and children. The results of studies conducted by FNS and other non-government entities prove that WIC is one of the nation’s most successful and cost-effective nutrition intervention programs. Since its beginning in 1974, the WIC Program has earned the reputation of being one of the most successful Federally-funded nutrition programs in the United States. Collective findings of studies, reviews and reports demonstrate that the WIC Program is cost effective in protecting or improving the health/nutritional status of low-income women, infants and children. The following highlights some of the findings (pertinent references are provided). Improved Birth Outcomes and Savings in Health Care Costs Improved Diet and Diet-Related Outcomes Improved Infant Feeding Practices Immunization Rates and Regular Source of Medical Care Improved Cognitive Development Improved Preconceptional Nutritional Status Other Improved Outcomes Summary References Improved Birth Outcomes and Savings in Health Care Costs Research has shown that the WIC Program has been playing an important role in improving birth outcomes and containing health care costs.7,20 A series of reports published by USDA based on linked 1988 WIC and Medicaid data on over 100,000 births found that every dollar spent on prenatal WIC participation for low-income Medicaid women in 5 States resulted in: longer pregnancies; fewer premature births; lower incidence of moderately low and very low birth weight infants; fewer infant deaths; a greater likelihood of receiving prenatal care; and savings in health care costs from $1.77 to $3.13 within the first 60 days after birth.3,4,5 Improved Diet and Diet-Related Outcomes Studies have found WIC to have a positive effect on children's diet and diet-related outcomes such as: higher mean intakes of iron, vitamin C, thiamin, niacin and vitamin B6, without an increase in food energy intake, indicating an increase in the nutrient density of the diet;19 positive effects on the intakes of ten nutrients without an adverse effect on fat or cholesterol;14 more effective than other cash income or SNAP benefits at improving preschoolers' intake of key nutrients;14 and decline in the rate of iron deficiency anemia from 7.8 percent in 1975 to 2.9 percent in 1985 which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attributed to both a general improvement in iron nutrition and participation in WIC and other public nutrition programs.20 Improved Infant Feeding Practices WIC promotes breastfeeding as the optimal method of infant feeding. Studies show: WIC participants who reported having received advice to breastfeed their babies from the WIC clinic were more likely to breastfeed than other WIC participants or eligible nonparticipants;18 WIC breastfeeding policy and program activities were strengthened in the early 1990's; Between 1996 and 2001, the percentage of WIC mothers breastfeeding in the hospital increased by almost 25 percent, from 46.6 to 58.2 percent; The percentage of WIC infants breastfeeding at six months of age increased by 61.2 percent, from 12.9 to 20.8 percent; and, For those infants who are fed infant formula, 90 percent received iron-fortified formula, which is recommended for nearly all non-breastfed infants for the first year of life.1 Immunization Rates and Regular Source of Medical Care A regular schedule of immunizations is recommended for children from birth to 2 years of age, which coincides with the period in which many low-income children participate in WIC. Studies have found significantly improved rates of childhood immunization and of having a regular source of medical care associated with WIC participation.19 Improved Cognitive Development Cognitive development influences school achievement and behavior. Participation in the WIC Program has been shown to: improve vocabulary scores for children of mothers who participated in WIC prenatally; and significantly improve memory for numbers for children enrolled in WIC after the first year of life.19 Improved Preconceptional Nutritional Status Preconceptional nutritional status is an important determinant of birth outcome. A previous pregnancy can cause nutritional depletion of the postpartum woman, particularly those with high parity and short interpregnancy intervals. One study found: women enrolled in WIC both during pregnancy and postpartum periods delivered infants with higher mean birth weights in a subsequent pregnancy than women who received WIC prenatally only; and, the women who received postpartum benefits had higher hemoglobin levels and lower risk of maternal obesity at the onset of the subsequent pregnancy.2 Other Improved Outcomes WIC participation has also been shown to: increase the likelihood of children having a regular provider of medical care;19 and, improve growth rates.6,8 Summary: WIC reduces fetal deaths and infant mortality. WIC reduces low birthweight rates and increases the duration of pregnancy. WIC improves the growth of nutritionally at-risk infants and children. WIC decreases the incidence of iron deficiency anemia in children. WIC improves the dietary intake of pregnant and postpartum women and improves weight gain in pregnant women. Pregnant women participating in WIC receive prenatal care earlier. Children enrolled in WIC are more likely to have a regular source of medical care and have more up to date immunizations. WIC helps get children ready to start school: children who receive WIC benefits demonstrate improved intellectual development. WIC significantly improves children’s diets. WIC reduces fetal death and infant mortality. I don't see how you can call yourself pro-life and be against WIC. Of course, you will notice that I don't call you pro-life, which you aren't, but rather anti-abortion, a BIG difference. But it doesn't really matter because people who are heartless can find numerous ways to justify it.

It's official. I gained 6 lbs since my "unfill" on March 10. It's probably not a full 6 lbs because I'm very bloated in a womanly way - I'm guessing it's about 3 lbs once I unload all this fluid. The thing is, I really don't feel badly about the weight gain. I've been able to wrap my head around the idea that this is a process and with any long term endeavor, there are ups and downs. In this case, it's still mostly downs (as in weight going down) and I'm way ahead of where I was mentally and physically, even a month ago. Sure, a month ago the weight was falling off but it was at the price of vomiting, feeling unwell and feeling mentally punished for being fat all the time. With the unfill, I was able to replenish both my body and my mind. I like to think of this period as a mini vacation from the band that allowed me to refresh and start anew...just like coming back from vacation and going back to school or work. Yesterday, I got a fill. Only 1cc which brought me back to 6cc, exactly what I had after my first fill. I couldn't feel any restriction when I had my soup for lunch and fluids go down fine but I decided on some soft cheese, salad and hummus for dinner and I could feel it. Yay! Restriction is back and not too much. I may still need another adjustment but I'm really ready to get back on the wagon and correct these bad patterns I fell right back into over the last month: 1) Drinking while eating 2) Bread, bread, bread 3) Eating too fast and not chewing well enough - even with very little restriction I had a bad PB incident with a bagel 4) Slider foods and candy 5) Diet soda 6) Booze 7) Snacking It was a great vacation - eating, drinking, my birthday, having too much fun with food - but I'm back now and tightening the reins. Happy Easter, Passover, Spring to all!

It's official. I gained 6 lbs since my "unfill" on March 10. It's probably not a full 6 lbs because I'm very bloated in a womanly way - I'm guessing it's about 3 lbs once I unload all this fluid. The thing is, I really don't feel badly about the weight gain. I've been able to wrap my head around the idea that this is a process and with any long term endeavor, there are ups and downs. In this case, it's still mostly downs (as in weight going down) and I'm way ahead of where I was mentally and physically, even a month ago. Sure, a month ago the weight was falling off but it was at the price of vomiting, feeling unwell and feeling mentally punished for being fat all the time. With the unfill, I was able to replenish both my body and my mind. I like to think of this period as a mini vacation from the band that allowed me to refresh and start anew...just like coming back from vacation and going back to school or work. Yesterday, I got a fill. Only 1cc which brought me back to 6cc, exactly what I had after my first fill. I couldn't feel any restriction when I had my soup for lunch and fluids go down fine but I decided on some soft cheese, salad and hummus for dinner and I could feel it. Yay! Restriction is back and not too much. I may still need another adjustment but I'm really ready to get back on the wagon and correct these bad patterns I fell right back into over the last month: 1) Drinking while eating 2) Bread, bread, bread 3) Eating too fast and not chewing well enough - even with very little restriction I had a bad PB incident with a bagel 4) Slider foods and candy 5) Diet soda 6) Booze 7) Snacking It was a great vacation - eating, drinking, my birthday, having too much fun with food - but I'm back now and tightening the reins. Happy Easter, Passover, Spring to all!

I am currently 15 weeks pregnant and I have not gained any weight, I have lost about 20 lbs since I got pregnant..However, it is because my morning sickness is so bad..I plan on keeping my fill the entire pregnancy, if it becomes harmful to the baby then I will get unfilled...I think you kinda have to take the good and the bad...getting pregnant you obviously gain weight, I think a person can control weight gain by eating healthy and getting enough exercise..but I rather gain 100 lbs and have a healthy baby then not gain a pound and not be able to get pregnant...hope you get your positive soon :thumbup: I have been down the road of fertility problems and that 2 week wait is a pain in the butt..

I've had it all my life. I was pulling whiskers and wondering why Lady Shaves wouldn't get rid of the hair on my legs when I had my first bra. Menstruation has been hit and miss. I usually only knew it was coming an hour after it arrived! Not fun to deal with. A lot of my time was spent soaking and scrubbing blood stains. It does not encourage you to revel in your womanly cycle! PCOS was finally diagnosed by a specialist when I was 42 and just as things were getting right the Thyroid went and pushed the IR up and over into Type 2 Diabetes with more weight gain. Most annoying thing for me is that I fought and struggled with the IR related weight gain all my life as well as the hair and skin issues and then once the PCOS was finally diagnosed and they gave me Metformin; my weight started dropping and when a couple of nurses I know noticed and commented on my missing 20kg, I explained the diagnosis and medication and one of them said 'well now you've managed to lose some weight you may feel more inclined to try and lose some more' and I was like....didn't you hear me....I just take a tablet that corrects a medical problem and it's going away without changing anything else....I have fought for nearly 30 years and you pat me on the back for taking a tablet!!!! I was so annoyed and the GP's that failed to diagnose it will still not recognise the diagnosis even though all the test results are there and Medicare pays my bills for it's long term management. Same attitude from my band medics - you are fat because you ate yourself this way- you must eat more than you admit to yourself or you wouldn't have been morbidly obese....and my personal un-favorite from my GP when I pointed out the test result diagnosis of Insulin Resistance...'Yes, well Insulin Resistance hmmm just a buzz word, the latest excuse'. It is not the condition or it's symptoms that I struggle with, it is the attitudes of people who just decided I was in denial about why I was fat. I over heard my mother-in-law saying that I must stuff my face as soon as they left because I hardly ate anything when anyone was around!! AAARrRGGGGHHHHH! and now...oh you are doing well...what diet are you on....stay with it this time it's working. Sorry for ranting, get's me very upset. And yes, the soulcysters website/forum thing is brilliant. Info on every aspect. I even went on the teenage pcos section and it was so sad, it was like reading a diary of my torment when I was that age. Still, onwards and upwards....:-) Good luck to all of you. It ain't easy but I know it could be a lot worse!

Yes it does. I had un-diagnosed PCOS for 30+ years. When it was finally spotted and treated the Metformin and hormone troche together meant that I dropped 20+kg without changing my diet. Then the thyroid went and my TSH was off the scale almost at 57, I thought I was dying. The result after 18 months with no thyroid was that my weight had gone up and over my previous untreated PCOS maximum and was at 138kg. I am now down to 105kg since my op in Aug 09. The band, with some restriction, stops me feeling hungry early in the day then lunch-time onwards I just eat the normal low GI food that is best for PCOS folks anyway. The weight loss helps with the insulin resistance which in my case has turned into type 2 diabetes due to the thyroid collapse, I think I am now back down to just plain old fashioned IR again now. :-) I thought like you that it wouldn't be any benefit but once I hit 138kg, after fighting the insulin resistance weight gain all my life and then having the thyroid do so much to add to that side of it, my GP recommended it and I said...but I am overweight because of medical conditions that will still be there working against me even with a band and I felt very mis-understood by them. I talked to a top diabetes expert and my trusted endocrinologist (who had diagnosed the very obvious PCOS missed by my Gp's for so many years) between us we decided that at 45 years of age I did not want to spend the next 3 years trying to get my weight back to where it had been before my thyroid packed up. My life was wasting away and I decided after much research and heartache that I did not want to die of a heartattack while I undid the damage from the PCOS and Hashimotos. I felt cheated, like it wasn't my fault and why did I have to have the operation. I also struggle with the pre and post op care as no one reads my records and assumes I am a junk food addict that sits on my butt watching TV and stuffing my face all day and that's why I am overweight! If your excess weight is due to the IR then so long as you are having Metformin for it, hormone treatment for the excess androgens and Oroxine or whatever (none generic, go for the full price brand,,,there is a difference!) for the Hashimotos it should benefit you. Make sure your T3 & T4 are at the high end of the range and your TSH at the lowest end to get the best benefit from your thyroid meds. PCOS is hard to deal with as it is a collection of symptoms that are too often attributed to other things. The PCOS symptoms are related to an excess of androgens and Insulin Resistance. These need to be treated by a doctor with specialist knowledge. Menstruation needs hormones to regulate it. The body hair is the wrong sort, male hair not the softer velus female hair, hair growth can slow down and lighten if hormone and hair treatments are used at the same time. Excess body weight, probably carried centrally - small bum, skinny legs and big round belly, is caused by Insulin Resistance which prevents you from using and causes you to store too much of the energy you consume, Metformin deals with this and then the band will give you the best help to get rid of the excess weight you have probably amassed throughout the years. Both Hashimotos and PCOS are autoimmune type conditions. Auto Immunes tend to run in packs!! Most people that are diagnosed with one have or end up with more than one. Good luck with your decision and journey. I would say that the band in conjunction with Thyroid treatment and PCOS management will take you where you want to be. I'll see you when you get there :-)

Kooaburra, Have you every watched the show called "Ruby". It's a reality show following Ruby through her weight loss journey. It's a great show. She weighed over 700 lbs. at one time. I think she is down in the 300's right now. It's similar to your story. She has blocked out years of memory because of something most likely traumatic happening to her when she was young. She is seeling a psychologist and delving into the idea that her weight gain is acting as a barrier. You have gotten some great advise here! :thumbup: