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@btlombardo68...I have not cried yet, just frustrated sometimes that I have done this to myself and need surgery to correct. Not that I think I did this purposely, but having babies, SSRI's (weight gain side affect noted and used), and menopause, have made me quite the plumpkin! I think it's normal to have emotional rollerecoaster feelings over this, but if you go to support group and listen to the stories from the veterans,...It's going to all be okay and you will more than likely be saying you wished you had done it sooner! I'm keeping busy and refuse to allow my head to take in any negative thoughts. If I have any doubts creep in (and they do) I look into the future and what I want for me going forward after surgery. I want to fit in regular clothes. I want to take better care of my health (55+ and don't like the idea of diabetes, stroke, and electric carts at walmart!) I want to feel like a human being and be treated that way. Try to focus on the outcome of the surgery and you will be on the other side with me counting the pounds we lost. Good luck to you!

When is the last time you had it checked? I worry you are showing signs of a slip, which would explain the night reflux as well as the weight gain. I'd get into your surgeon ASAP. Best wishes to you.

so sorry you are dealing with this.. I always get my fills done under fluoroscope so they can see whats going on with my band.. I had been told the same thing in September and at that time I actually was going on a long trip and had signs that I was actually overfilled.. In September I opted to take out all of my liquid out of the band and had every intention of going back and having everything checked out and seeing the dr.. well things happened and I didnt.. then I started gaining a little weight.. since September I gained about 20 pounds or so and with the weight gain I was afraid of going back quite honestly.. I was afraid of what they would tell me and was afraid that I would have to go back in and have surgery.. Well I finally bit the bullet and went back last week... my band has gone back pretty much to where it needed to be and I dont need to have any corrections.. I was able to get 3 cc's in my band and Im excited to be back on track.. Ive had enough of a scare to do what they tell me to I cant imagine 30 days either, but you can do it!! Keep your chin up.. just think how you'll feel at the end of those 30 days when you get the thumbs up..

Teacher, A sudden weight gain could mean you're just holding more Water weight (possibly close to your menstrual cycle?) or just too much salt the day before or the scale gods are just messing with you. If you've been exercising and working out a lot, it could be you're buildilng muscle mass. Muscle weighs more than fat. Don't let it get to you. Just keep on with what you're doing. If your caloric intake and caloric output are the same as they were before the unfill, you'll start losing again (assuming you were losing before the unfill). Hang in there. .

I hate posting this post, but I need some help. I had my last fill at the end of September. As a result of my fill I lost 12 pounds in two months! During December I cheated like crazy. Don't pound on me, as I have beaten myself up, and continue to do so. I was able to eat, eat, and eat. I didn't seem to get full. I thought what the hell-let's just have a great time. Well to make a long story short I gained 5 pounds. OUCH. I did earn those pounds honestly. (Tip: Do not bake 50 dozen cookies, and only give away 40 dozen. Enough said.) Sometimes I was able to eat eight at a time, but even then I didn't get full. I figured it was Christmas. (Not a good excuse!) I did keep exercising, which is the only thing that saved me from gaining a lot more weight. I was recently put on medication that causes cravings for carbs, and therefore causes weight gain. (No excuse.) I have also had a extremely stressful season. FAMILY- enough said. Also I was diagnosed with epilepsy- hence the medication. I called my doctor at the beginning of December, because I could feel that I was able to eat more; but because of the holidays the earliest I could get an appointment was January 15th. My issue I have now is that I feel really bad that I cheated over the holidays. I feel guilt that I have gained 5 pounds. I am wondering if I deserve a fill. I understand that we bandsters have to be responsible with our food, and the band is a tool, and just a tool. I feel that I wasted a whole month- I feel that I didn't respect myself or my band by chowing down during Christmas. I am trying to slim down and I am using my bodybugg. My calorie count is still high. I have cut sugar, and bad-for-me carbs. I am not eating out. Having said that it is 2 in the morning and I woke up starving. In one hour I was able to eat: (I did wait 15 minutes before I ate the next meal, but I was still hungry.) 2 servings of cheerio’s and 1/4 cup of milk 1 Quaker granola bar 1 sugar free hot chocolate 10 crackers with peanut butter (So much for bad-for-me carbs, and sugars.) I am finally full. (Please don't lecture me on my food choices. I just put them out there to show you the quantity I am able to eat.) My concern is that I feel that I don't deserve the fill. I fill like a failure. I have been banded since October, 2007, and I lost 75 pounds- well now 70 pounds. My question is should I go to my doctor's on Jan 15th for a fill? Or should I try and lose the weight on my own? Has this happened to anyone else? What did you do? Would you go for a fill if you were in my shoes? (This is the first time I have gained weight with my band.)

Butterthebean -- I think your response to what I wrote was a gross overreaction. Did you read the original post in this thread? She said she was eating two meals a day, gaining weight, approved for surgery and her doc had drawn an absurd line saying if she gained one more pound . . . . and you took what I said out of the whole context of my comment. And she was only talking about two weeks. Do you seriously think eating three meals a day for two weeks versus continuing what she was doing for two weeks is going to make any meaningful difference in her post-op recovery and establishment of new habits? Obviously I have no criteria by which to judge this person's actual NUT. Have you met a lot of middle aged nutritionists who have devoted their lives to undertanding the nuances of how nutrition affects the human body, working to understand human metabolism, hormones, hypothyroidism, etc? I haven't. I have only met NUT's, and at some fairly prestigious institutions, who are young, poorly trained and, with a couple exceptions, fat bigots who don't believe patients can gain weight while not eating much food. Also Butterbean, you seem to give MD's a lot more power than they deserve. Has anyone reading this ever been misdiagnosed multiple times as I have? It is called the PRACTICE of medicine for a reason. People undergoing any major surgery have to trust their surgeons but let's dispense with the notion that surgeons are all knowing or that many of them know much at all about nutrition, hormones, thyroid issues. My surgeon performs surgeries five days a week. She does bariatric surgeries on Tuesdays. I don't kid myself that she knows about all aspects of my nutrition, my metabolism. And I do not trust the NUT I was required to see (fortunately only once) to be approved for surgery. Two weeks. One pound. Two meals. Three meals. For two weeks, it doesn't much matter. I don't think I crossed a line but you are entitled to your opinion. I think it is a disservice to encourge people to have blind faith in the health care system -- the system does not deserve it. Lucky for me, my primary care doc knows about my deep skepticism and distrust. My bariatric surgery office thinks I blindly trust all of them. Here is what I trust: my own very deep understanding of nutrition, my own personal biochemist-trained nutritionist independent of my bariatric clinic and my surgeon's skills. All the insurance hoops, advice popped off by mostly young and often poorly educated "nutritionists" is a lot of sound and fury signifying little. I am the one who is going to have to eat right post op, gaining or not gaining a pound before surgery has little to do with anything. I reiterate my earlier position: she needs to be honest with herself about what she is eating. For two weeks, what she does hardly matters. Being honest with herself about what she is eating matters hugely . but it is a common non-professional's fantasy that alll health care 'professionals' are knowledgeable and have state-of-the-art advice to offer. That's fantasy. Surgeons, even bariataric ones, very very rarely know anything about nutrition, metabolism, how weight can fluctuate with no changes in food. It's a common fallacy in this culture to believe weight gain and loss is about calories in, calories out. I liked the person who wrote about how they gained weight because of hypothyroidism. We all want to have the fantasy that our doctors are gods. They aren't. And I didn't tell her to lie to her doctor. I told her not to tell them. The doc was only looking at a number on a scale so give him the number he wants to see without telling him how you got it. Denying someone for surgery for one pound is absurd and I bet the doc was bluffing. I have observed that many folks involved in prep for bariatric surgery freely use manipulative techniques to bully patients. Manipulating people is not going to get them to change life patterns. and Buttertebean, since you appear to have had your surgery a long while ago and I assume it has been a success and you have kept the weight off, I also assume you know that how much a person weighs, how much a person gains and loses, is not always -- and in fact rarely is -- a simple calories in calories out calculation. Obesity is complex. Medical science is showing increasingly that much, if not most, obesity is the result of health issues and not what a person ate. You want to believe in the fantasy that medical professionals are gods, go ahead. But they are not. I told her to trust herself, be honest with herself. for two weeks. over one pound. Any doc who would actually cancel surgery over one pound is no doc I want to see. They were being maniulative, I think. I toild her to trust herself.

thank you guys. i haven't had my first doctor's appointment yet, but i did ask my band doc. they said they used to unfill for every pregnancy and the women would gain 100 lbs. being obese, my ideal weight gain is 15 lbs. so, i'm going to try to stick with thtat. i think i've been preg for at least the past month and i've lost 20 lbs. i've read that you need to eat 2200 calories when pregnant. i can't wait to meet with my ob/gyn to find out minimum calorie requirements and Protein requirement. i know that the baby takes it from the mother, but it still worries me. my first son is 7 now, but i didn't know that i was pregnant until i was 4 months (i didn't have periods then, and i didn't have them this time either..crazy huh?) well, i was struggling with anorexia again, so i wasn't eating then either. when i got pregnant i was fine with eating, but i only gained the recommended weight (i was not heavy then). my baby turned out healthy-ish too. he was jaundice really bad and got down to 3 lbs, but they never said that was due to early diet. my band doc called last night and told me to do what i can to avoid throwing up. so, i'm sticking with Protein drinks and solid Proteins in the evening for now. hopefully i'll be getting enough nutrients and Vitamins from my prenatal.

I agree. I have hypothroidism. Low thyroid hormones which makes your TSH levels high. Synthoid is a synthetic hormone to replace what your body isn't making. Weight gain is just one of the symptoms.

If someone has had a clot in the past, the mirena IUD can still be use (they don't recommend putting it in someone with an active DVT).. It's progesterone. Estrogen is contraindicated for people with DVT's. The progesterone is mostly local, in the uterus but there is minute amounts in the blood stream. The weight gain is minimal or none. The paraguard (10 yr iud) has no hormone so if hormone is a concern, it's a great choice. It's amazing to me that there are surgeons who requires removal of the IUD before surgery because to me if you get pregnant for whatever reason you will GAIN A WHOLE LOT MORE WEIGHT. Just my opinion, I'm an ob/gyn

Living in fear of anything will keep you from enjoying this journey and life. You are not on a diet anymore. You are creating a new way of life that includes new eating, drinking, and the physical and mental changes that happen also. Follow your plan and don't hesitate to reach out to your team if you have questions about what and how much you can eat. I do think most of us have a hard time seeing our own changes. That goes for weightloss and weight gain. It takes time so don't be so hard on yourself!

I've had same problems. Always having band deflated and refilled until major problems occurred. Could not swallow , massive gerd, reflux. Regurgitation to name a few Band has been deflated for six months and experienced 35 lb weight gain. Revising to RNY.

I think a little weight gain is normal but be very wary. For me, when I see my weight gain more than a couple of pounds I try to diet. If that doesnt work I go atkins untill my appetite and habits are under control. I also increase excercise it helps to control appetite. be very careful of carbs they can give you the urge to eat. I think that urge- appetite- is more of an enemy than real hunger. I think it will always be a battle for us but keep up the fight and dont feel discouraged. You got this far already !

You said you had no co-morbidities and that your bloodwork came back fine. Did you have a sleep study? Did they rule out sleep apnea? What about a pulmonary breathing test? I presume you had all the heart stress tests, etc... If all of this too is negative, then go for the weight gain - it will be the only time in your life that you intentionally wanted to gain weight. Have fun, eat your favortie foods and wear your heaviest clothes. Good luck.

Erosion is serious business. Your stomach can be extremely damaged... it's not the same as a slip at all. Depending on the degree of an erosion, it can not only prevent a surgeon from placing a new Band, it can keep him or her from doing any revision surgery. It really depends a lot on how badly the stomach was damaged. Personally, it would seem too risky to me. I'd look at other options. But here are some studies anyway... Obes Surg. 2005 Jun-Jul;15(6):849-52.Links Treatment of intra-gastric band migration following laparoscopic banding: safety and feasibility of simultaneous laparoscopic band removal and replacement. Abu-Abeid S, Bar Zohar D, Sagie B, Klausner J. Department of Surgery B and the Advanced Endoscopic Surgery Service, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel. dr_subhi@tasmc.health.gov.il BACKGROUND: Intra-gastric band migration (band erosion) following laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) is a known complication requiring revisional surgery. Management has most often involved band removal and suturing of the stomach wall, followed by delayed replacement at a third operation. We report our experience with simultaneous band removal and replacement. METHODS: Between May 2001 and December 2003, we performed 754 laparoscopic operations using the Lap-Band ®. Patients developing band erosion were treated by laparoscopic band removal and immediate replacement of a new band following gastric wall repair. RESULTS: 16 patients (2.1%) developed band erosion after a mean of 23 months following surgery (range 11-40 months). Patients presented with epigastric pain (6), port-site bulge (3) or were asymptomatic (7), band erosion being suspected during fluoroscopy for band adjustment and confirmed by gastroscopy. Postoperatively, 11 patients developed fever that responded to antibiotics. No patient suffered from intra-abdominal infection, wound infection, pneumonia or pulmonary embolism. Mean hospital stay was 4 days (range 1-8 days). CONCLUSION: Band erosion following LAGB can be treated safely with simultaneous laparoscopic band removal, gastric wall suturing and immediate replacement of the band, thereby preventing weight gain, the appearance of co-morbidities and the need for additional surgery. PMID: 15978157 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Obes Surg. 2003 Jun;13(3):435-8.Links 11-cm Lap-Band System placement after history of intragastric migration. Vertruyen M, Paul G. Department of Laparoscopic GI Tract Surgery, Europe St-Michel Clinic, Brussels, Belgium. marcvertruyen@belgacom.net BACKGROUND: Intragastric migration (erosion) of the band after laparoscopic adjustable silicone gastric banding (LAGB) is a serious late complication. It requires removal of the entire system. Subsequent recurrence of obesity can be treated by laparoscopic placement of a larger band: the 11-cm Lap-Band System. METHODS: In 727 laparoscopic gastric bandings using the 9.75 Lap-Band, 10 cases presented with intragastric migration of the band. The same complication was encountered in an additional 4 patients who had previously been implanted with an Obtech band in another hospital. Laparoscopic removal of the band was performed in all cases. In 9 cases, after a delay of 6 months, a new gastric band was placed using the 11-cm Lap-Band, because of uncontrollable recurrence of obesity. RESULTS: No complication was observed during the laparoscopic removal of the system. The placement of a new band required conversion to laparotomy in 1 patient who had previously received an Obtech band which had been placed using the pars flaccida technique. After a mean follow-up of 21 months, no intragastric migration of the new bands was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic placement of an 11-cm Lap-Band in patients with a history of intragastric migration is a safe procedure. It allows effective control of recurrent obesity. The laparoscopic procedure was easier in patients initially operated using the perigastric technique. PMID: 12841907 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Obes Surg. 2001 Dec;11(6):744-7.Links Lap-Band erosion: incidence and treatment. Niville E, Dams A, Vlasselaers J. Department of Abdominal Surgery, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk, Belgium. erik.niville@ping.be BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) is an effective and safe surgical treatment for morbid obesity. Migration of the band through the stomach wall is a well-known late complication that may jeopardize the aim of the treatment--permanent weight reduction. METHODS: 301 patients were followed for > or = 2 years (mean 39 months) after a Lap-Band procedure. Cases of erosion were studied retrospectively. RESULTS: 5 patients (1.66%) developed erosions. Laparoscopic band removal was carried out in these 5 cases without complication. The first 4 have received a new Lap-Band, and all are doing well. CONCLUSION: Band erosion is a bothersome late complication after LAGB and requires band removal. Rebanding is a feasible option. Further study and longer follow-up are necessary to determine whether these patients will develop erosion again. PMID: 11775574 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

This has been the hardest thing for me. I gained 5 pounds right off the bat. Now I am actually 4lbs under where I was when I got preg. I am preg with twins and am having some bleeding issues right now and am on bedrest. So for me, I have stopped worrying about the weight gain and more about having 2 healthy babies. The weight will come back off.

I was banded on 5/12 and lost 10 lbs by the time I had my first f/u. I am due a fill on 6/18, however, I have not lost another pound since 5/21 my f/u. I have type II diabetes and am on an insulin pump. Have you considered being tested for insulin resistance? This can cause weight loss to stall as your body is not using the insulin you produce properly. This can also cause weight gain - even if you are eating 1200- 1500 calories a day. Don't give up, ask them to test your hemoglobin A1C - if it is between 6.0 and 8.0, you probably need glucophage to jumpstart your body into using insulin properly. This will assist you in your weight loss also. Talk with your doctor.

I just had surgery a month ago. I'm not in a relationship currently. I'm 30 years old. I don't have any plans on ever having a child, but if I did... I have a huge concern now given the bypass. My mother gained 100lbs when she was pregnant with me when she was 22 (she ate very healthily, but her hormones went nuts). She is just now losing that weight... 30 years later. I am terrified that would happen to me and destroy any potential weight loss success I've had. Has this happened to anyone that has gotten pregnant? Is this a concern for anyone?

I'm sorry you are struggling and feeling anxiety about the water weight gain. That is bad that you had to change meds and it's affecting you this way, but they should be able to understand. Try to get in a lot of fluids, perhaps that will help your body start releasing the water you are retaining. I am sending you positive vibes for a good outcome and a surgery date soon!

I'm 10 months post-op and 11 weeks pregnant. You will just have to be monitored more closely. At least that's what they told me. More doctor's visits, more sonograms, and make sure to get plenty of Proteins. Don't freak out about weight gain and maintain a healthy diet. I have heard some people who could not get enough nutrients during pregnancy had to receive them intravenously, but I guess that would be a worst case scenario type situation. My bariatric doctor said not to worry though. Hope this helps. Good luck!

BMI of 18. He is telling you you are going to continue to lose weight for the next 6 months. Does he have you on a supervised weight gain? Over the shelf weight gainer or medical grade? What are his instructions?

When I gained a ton of weight I was convinced I had pcos but nope, the weight gain made my cycles irregular & I was having hard time to conceive. I was warned that I needed to be on bc for 12 months after vsg so I am excited to start trying after my one year post op I'm 25 yo also.

There is another factor that affects restriction: My gastroenterologist told me that he's seen many pts like me who have developed GI motility disorders causing us to feel overly restricted. Also, the stomach can spasm due to being irritated by the band. This feels like tightening, because it is, but it's not your band that tightens, it's the stomach muscle. It's not necessarily a "fickle" band as much as an irritated stomach. Since going on a low fiber, low residue diet almost 2 weeks ago, I can eat again and I'm not vomiting, PBing, or otherwise having "stuck" episodes. I'm eating rice, noodles, potatoes, breads. No problems and no weight gain, since my portions are small.

Yep, I suffer from it too. It is a vicious circle depression and weight gain. Not sure who you get your scripts from but a real pyschiatrist is a must as GP are not for mental health. Also I suggest a counselor to talk to because you need that to help with why you eat and what to do to get it and keep it stopped on a mental level. Don't leave this problem hanging, the band can only help with the hunger not the monsoon of other problems we suffer from. Divide (problems) and conquer! Although husbands are great it is common to suck at understanding this issue. Find help today, call and get a referral or whatever you need. I know that is a lot to do when your depressed so ask a family member or a close friend for help. Hugs, Colleen

Hey All, Mrs. Husker, you are one of my many mentors here. We all know we have our ups and downs and at times don't want to post. But then we get the courage and come and post. My reason this time was when I last posted I was losing and excerising and taking fitness classes and yoga. Since that time I had gain back 10lbs, taking fewer classes and less yoga. We at times find a reason to blame our weight gain on something. Mines is my frig needed repair and I was relying on my freezer to temp as the frig. Being it could only hold buy so much, I found myself eating take out often. Lending to my weight gain. I can't fit any of my new clothes and can't seem to find anything I like this summer. So, I decided to come back and just post my results thus far. And it's not good. So, I going to take a stand and get back on track. 1st I need to get to back to going to the gym in the mornings. To work on time to get to leave early to get to my exercise/yoga classes on time. And once I get into that habit, I'm back on track. But, we all know starting it is the hard part. So, thanks for being here and encouraging each other. Atleast this is the one place where we know, there are others that can relate to our problems. Love to you All. Thanks for being here and coming back...

I'm not sure if this is the best place to post this question, but here it is. I have suffered from depression all my life. I'm sure that has contributed greatly to my weight gain over time. Although I have my depression under control a good share of the time, I still suffer from depressive bouts that immobilize me. I am entering this WLS process without any support, although I am married. My husband is pretty much oblivious of me and my needs. He lives in his own world. I have a difficult time making friends so I don't have a support system there. So, I'm on my own. I am worried that I will fail because of my depression. I have been on several medications over time and have not had any success with them. My questions, how many of you suffer from depression and how do you or will you plan to handle it and succeed with WLS?