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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...

The unfill, rest, refill idea occurred to me too as did the possibility that after 8 years it is highly likely some fill has evaporated and you dont have as much as you think. For those thinking this should work for life - over the years, we do get older and 8 years is almost a decade after all. You do loose your lean body mass over time, and gradually your energy needs decline, normal unbanded people have to work harder and harder to stay the same weight and most people spread with age. Exercise is the best defence against this kind of weight gain, maintaining bone density and muscle mass is vital. Thankfully with a band you have one more weapon in your arsenal against weight gain over time.

Yesterday and this morning lots of pain in abdomin and around port site. Today, less pain, but still pretty sore both topically and in the gut. Unable to urinate well due (I think) to anesthesia. Lots of diarrhea and a weight gain of 6 pounds, despite liquids only diet for 3 days. Could it get any worse?

I had surgery in 8/09, lost 50#, had my port flip and have gained back 45#. I didn't like how I got stuck on healthy foods. I got in the habit of adding sauces, gravy, etc.. to be able to eat healthy food. Then I started eating more junk food like ice cream, yogurt, cookies, even an donuts sometimes. Junk food doesn't get stuck. I have been debating for over a year whether to have my port reattached or just have the lapband removed. Also if I did have it fixed, where to have it fixed. I had my surgery in Mexico, my fill doctor is 100 miles away. I am thinking that I want to get it fixed here in my hometown by a doctor that will do my fills and also have a regular councilor/ psychologist on staff that could help me work thru my issues. Do any of your doctors have a councilor on staff for regular sessions to help work thru issues? Thank you for any advice MaggieGT

Banda Its good to read that you are doing much better now. Im sure the weight gain is hard but it probably your body adjusting to eating more and keeping it in. do you work out? that may help you start losing again. you will probably also notice that once your body adjusts that you may start losing again. good luck with everything

I am just curious if there are any people out there that have been banded and lost the weight, but then gained it back even though they were still banded? Is it common for someones stomach to strech that much? :confused:

Its amazing how putting on a few kgs can affect your whole attitude. Each day I weigh myself the scales have gone up, even if it is only a little bit. 2 weeks and 4 kgs is ALOT. I havent been eating any differently to what I was, only more because the restriction has gone to nearly zilch. My mood is back to that depressive state. I feel fat...so fat. The new clothes I have bought are tight and snug fitting now. I feel yucky and I feel sh*t. Its been 6 months and its never been a problem to him before, why now? Its controlled and I dont even know I have it if I take my meds. For me my prior post is weight gain inevitable...welll right now....yes it is. I cant stop it. The difference in eating little amounts and now eating more normal ppl amounts is making me put weight on in itself. No one here (in real life) understands so please excuse my whining and if you think I need a kick in the butt and told to wake up then please do it. Tell me something...anything just dont tell me that this is the way it has to be...not with a few months left to my dream wedding.

I want to lead off by saying I am an outlier. I had a very easy surgery and recovery. I have an iron sleeve, almost nothing bothers it, and hasn't from the beginning. I have lost 100% of my excess weight, am below my goal weight, and have maintained for nearly 6 months now. So, take what I say with a grain of salt, knowing that I have been supremely lucky, and the stars have aligned for me, for now (who knows what the future holds though). I am also a foodie. I eat out very frequently, both for business, and just as my personal lifestyle. I have not have any issue eating a very wide range of food (with one exception, I'll get to later). My first business trip was 3 weeks post op. It was a week long wine and dine event, with elaborate meals, dinners being upwards of 20 courses. I ate ahead of my plan, and had little tiny bits of just about everything. I don't recommend this, but it caused no issue for me, other than a weight gain of 3 lbs when I returned. I have been on multiple international trips post op. I ate meat pies and drank beer in Scotland. I ate pasta and drank wine in Italy. I ate falafel and drank tea in Egypt. BUT, it wasn't all just eat whatever I want, but smaller portions. I balanced "off plan" meals with being very disciplined, especially when I was home. For many months, until my hunger returned, I was routinely under 500 cals a day. I took advantage of not being hungry, and not having head hunger triggers, by eating to only get my required protein in, and therefore consuming very few cals, many days. Now that I am in maintenance, I have been fortunate so far. My BMR appear to be north of 1500 cals a day. I still have a fair amount of restriction, so I am able to eat relatively freely. But I log everything I eat and weigh myself nearly everyday I am home. I am willing to adjust my diet and cals in order to maintain at a weight I'm happy with (which may eventually end up higher than my current weight). But even if I do end up having to be more careful with my diet, it will always be a combo of disciplined and splurge meals. It will just be about finding the balance between the two. On the topic of digestive issues, I have had no accidents, no diarrhea (other than the occasional that everyone gets from time to time). I was constipated early post op, and added Benefiber to every non-water liquid I ingested. I can get nausea if I over eat, but it passes quickly. I have only gotten sick twice, and it was vitamins on too empty of a stomach. The only negative consequence I have had, is dumping-ish symptoms, from time to time. Occasionally it is random, but the most common trigger is liquid sugar, such as Vietnamese coffee, or Baileys Irish Cream for example. I just get extreme nausea and my heart races. So I've given up any large quantities of sweet beverages, or anything similar, like ice cream, pudding. So, it is possible to live a normal foodie life, post sleeve. But this journey is very, very individual. It is a true YMMV situation. So just as there are outliers who have lots of complications & food sensitivities, I am an outlier that has had practically none. I am at one extreme of the bell curve. Hope that helps!

I cannot warn you away from Mirena fast enough. Great for 18 months, no period at all, just 30 lbs of weight gain IMMEDIATELY. Nothing else changed. Then the spotting started and continued constantly for two years. Yes ladies years. And to top it off even though insurance covered putting it in I had to pay $300 to get it out. I realized within minutes of having it removed that the horrible abdominal pressure i had been living with was gone. It is great birth control though because you sure never want to have sex!

I have read and at the seminar on Saturday the doctor said that there is people with the band do better in the long run keeping their weight down than bypass even though in the weight loss with the bypass is faster. Did you get the band thinking it would be a quick and fast fix? I also go to another forum and a lot of the people with the bypass 3 yrs out or more are complaining of weight gain, even the doctor's helper at the seminar, she is 4yrs out and in the past year has gained 25 pounds that she is struggling with. For the lapband people the great thing is the fills you can get a fill and feel full sooner the bypass people once their stomach starts to stretch there is nothing to help them.

Hello Everyone : ( I am so sorry, I know what it’s like, not only to hear the words you have a leak but everything that leads up to it, the weight gain feeling like a failure the disappointments with each fill thinking this might be the one to restrict me, getting the lectures on what to eat and how to eat each time I went in, I was going in every 3 weeks for 5 months before they told me they thought I had a leak and it was confirmed on a port a gram, had to have a second surgery the do a port replacement. I finally reached my "Green Zone" 1 year and 4 months after my 1st surgery Its been a struggle but I have not given up yet, but I do feel you pain

So, if I had my hyst to remove the faulty tubes and ovaries, is it possible that I still have the metabolic issues that go along with this disorder? Yes. However depending on the amount of weight lost it may have reduced the insulin resistance significantly. If this is the case, could this have been an issue with why I gained 76 lbs in less than one year back when I was 19 years old? Absolutely. Insulin resistance and obesity are inter- related with each other. Example, women pack on weight during pregnancy rather quickly. This is because the entire insulin axis tilts. From an evolutionary standpoint, gaining weight as fast as possible during pregnancy is good thing. It helps ensure the survival of the mother and child and ensures the mother can feed the child for months even if food was scarce. So the body cranks up the fasting insulin level which causes fast weight gain. Then you have issue like gestational diabetes pop-up. All related to each other. Conversely you have obese women who cant get pregnant who have PCOS. They lose 30 lbs and bango! (no pun intended :]) are pregnant in two or three months after weight loss. Similarly women with PCOS put on metformin can get pregnant even though they are still obese because it improves the insulin sensitivity which was causing the skipped periods and messed up ovarian function. Could it have been a factor in all my weight issues ever since and why I've been a slow loser even with the band? Absolutely. This is why its so important to curb your carbohydrate intake even after you get banded. You still have high fasting insulin levels for a while until some significant weight loss has occurred. Insulin release upon carb intake slows or stops your weight loss. 5% of Gastric bypass patients gain all their weight back! Why? They become sweet feeders. Same issue us banders have to watch out for. would having the hysterectomy/ovary removal have basically cured the metabolic issues associated?? The full hyst would not have cured the metabolic syndrome.

I lost 18lbs pre-op and 20lbs since surgery on 8/11/09. My wedding set has gotten very loose on me. I've already had mine sized twice; once when it was purchased and then again due to weight gain. I just picked up a ring guard from the jeweler for now as I want to wait until I have lost all the weight I want to before getting it sized again.

Okay, so I got pregnant with my oldest, and what did I weigh? 208 I had her, lost some weight, gained some weight, then lost, and settled at 208. I got pregnant with my youngest and weighed 208. Had him, lost weight, gained wieght, and never saw 208 again. I weighed 223 when I got banded, and quickly lost some weight. Guess how much? 15 pounds. And that put me at 208. And I have stayed there since day 12 after surgery almost 8 weeks ago. My body LOVES 208. I HATE it!! So today on the scale I weighed 206.4 I'm still not convinced I'll never see 208 again but at some point I'll get below it enough to know I will never look back. It has taken me weeks to convince my body that 208 is BAD. Our bodies tend to get stuck sometimes. Keep pressing forward. 8 weeks is a drop in the bucket compared to a year from now. And you can be pretty well guaranteed that you will NOT be in the 200's in a year. I know you are frustrated. I'm really sorry, but we can do this!!! With the Band, it's not that you just eat whatever just less of it and lose IF you DON'T have good restriction. For me, it simply makes the diet possible day after day after day. And THAT is what speaks to my 208.

I am on the way to the pot of gold. I am so excited that I could sing, wait a minute I am singing. :redface: I am scheduled for my surgery on 12/8/09 at 5:00 am. I am told I should be on my way home by 2:00. I start my liquid diet on the 24th. I am working on getting us to that diet. I am finding it hard to eat only a dime size bite as well as chewing that piece 30 times. I have always drank something with every meal and now that too has been hard. I know I shouldn't complain after reading pages and pages of stuff on this site. I have nothing but to forge on. I will do that. I am not sure where to get protein drinks from. My son said that you can get it just about anywhere but that a lot of them are nasty tasting. If there is anyone out there that can fill me in on the do's and dont's of protein shakes. That would be wonderful. I am 48 years old and am about 180 lbs over weight. That is a terrifying weight gain when you think about how toxic fat cells can be to your body. I am so ashamed of myself for getting this size.:confused: I truly didn't think about the weight until I became diabetic then took a long look at myself (I think that was the scaryest of all so far) and here I am. After the blood pressure was going up and up. I began this process. I would be lying if I said that it is all overwhelming right now. I have information swimming around my head like a over crowded fish bowl. This to shall pass I have to doubt. :confused: So as the journey is underway. Lay back and enjoy the ride. TaTa For Now:smile2: . How can you beat that

Hello everyone. I had surgery scheduled for July 25th but due to my weight gain(yeah yeah, I know spare me the lecture please !) the surgeon does not feel comfortable going forward with the original date. So yeah, I know this is for safety reasons---I have to shrink my liver but still am disappointed. I know surgery is not the end all be all--I'm currently seeing a therapist regarding my food issues and emotional eating patterns. I guess this just makes me feel like a failure, like I went through all the pre op visits and now I am set back. Better safe though , I am trying to see the bright side of things. Thanks for the vent session.

If you had PMS, bloating & weight gain before surgery, you will still have it after surgery. Relax. It's all a part of the process. In a few months you will have something to compare this against. Blessings2u--BJ

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.)

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]

Well I am really bumbed. I was not going to share my problem I am having but decided I am bumbed enough about it I would go ahead. About a week and a half ago I started taking calcium because I was told to. Well, now I can't go to the bathroom, you know..... poop!!!!! And today I weighed in with a 1.2 lb weight gain. :frown: I am so depressed. It was my goal to never have a gainl. But they assured me that if I take the benifiber I will start going again. What a hassle. Well okay I was told in group today that for every negative I say about self I have to say a positive so, this week I am able to drop one of my blood pressure meds and my blood sugar is staying around 100-115. So there we go. Oh and I had a pair of shorts on for the first time in 2 years today. yeeha!!! Man are my legs white. I'll have to work on that.

Hi Michelle! I'm also new to the blogging and Banding! I'm going to the seminar tonight. My insurance has been pretty cut and dry about the approval requirements, and I fit them, so I'm hoping for a smooth process (but doubt I will get it!). I just wanted to say - I noticed not only a weight gain but also a resistance in losing weight after my hysterectomy. I did well with my immediate post-op HRT but had to switch 6 months after surgery and literally gained 15 lbs in a month! I insisted I switch back to the original HRT (Vivelle Dot) after a few months. Good luck with the insurance piece! I'm nervous and excited for the seminar tonight. I've been looking forward to it for a week!

Why did you/Doctor feel the need to remove saline from the band? Were you too tight? having symptoms? Most often taking saline out is done to resolve problems. I'm curious why he felt that was the "right amount" . I've has saline removed due to reflux on occasion but usually.5 cc. waited about a month then went back for a refill. I don't know your age but when going through a menstrual cycle some women have complained about "Water weight gain" which is possible our body retains water in the cells constantly, due to different reasons, salt intake etc,and the body is 60% water in general. Call your new doctor ask them to come back in, but some saline back in and I think you'll be surprised at how quickly that 10 lbs will go away. Good luck

My first posting after lurking... I've been thinking about this surgery for a while but just now starting to seriously do the research. I lurk on other related Yahoo groups and hear so many stories of bad post-surgery health, taking tons of pills to make up for the loss of nutrition of not being able to eat normal quantities of food, weight gain, and scary surgery complications. This is why I'm thinking more of LapB than the bypass surgeries. I haven't gone to any support groups yet but one is coming up that I'll go to. I live in the San Jose, CA area so am just starting to research doctors. The support group I found is for patients of LapBandSF (San Francisco). One issue I wrestle with is the thought that doing potentially life threatening surgery to lose weight is the coward's way out and that I should be able to discipline myself and ignore my food lust and lose the weight. I just turned 48 and first went to Weight Watchers at age 12 and have never been 'normal' weight since then (I always quit too soon). I get frustrated that I am unable (or is it unwilling?) to do what it takes to get the weight off and quit whining about giving up food and having to change my life (exercise more, lay off junk food, etc.). I should just toughen up and DO IT and not do surgery. Fortunately I'm fairly healthy considering being 100+ lbs overweight, no aches/pains just mental anguish and frustration. I know this surgery is a tool and not a quick fix (I wish it was, of course) but it's hard to admit I'm a failure at controlling my desire for food and that I need this drastic solution where I should instead pay the same $$$ to a sadistic personal trainer and a cook to come to my house and make to do 'the right thing.' Does this ring true for anyone else or am I too hard on myself? I've never been one of those obese people who have accepted their body and don't let it limit their lives. I wish I was but I obsess about it and fantasize about the day I can be normal weight (hey, even slightly fat would be wonderful) and do all those things I want to do. My life is on hold and I'm too stubborn to accept this is my life as a fatso and just "get over it." I think if I could experience what it's like to be thin for 1 week that I can use that as motivation of what life could be like. I've always been fat (passed 200 lbs at age 18 and never looked back), haven't worn a dress since age 14, no short sleeve shirts, no bathing suit, etc. I haven't discussed this with my husband, he's the opposite - skinny and not food obsessed. I casually mentioned surgery years ago and it freaks him out and doesn't want me to do it (scared that I'll die). I need to tell him I'll probably die of obesity related issues anyway since I have failed to get control. He says I just need to eat better but he's not obsessed like I am, it's an addiction just like alcohol or drugs (legal or otherwise) and it never really goes away. Ten years ago I did a medically supervised fasting program (500 cals per day) and I lost 3-4 lbs per week for 36 weeks. I ended up quitting early because I was traveling too much for work and couldn't attend the required weekly meetings. It worked great for me, was easy to follow, I wasn't hungry, and no medical problems came up. I was very committed to the program after hitting my max weight of 275lbs; it freaked me out and now I'm 30lbs away from that high point. :omg: I wasn't married at the time so having no food in the house was not a problem, it made it easy. I now have regained 80% of that weight so that's why I'm thinking of surgery. Deborah

Just thought I'd pop in and say hi again. I've been struggling with weight gain since an unfill in Sept 07 as well. I've had several re-fills but still can't seem to relose those pounds. I know it is mostly head issues at this point but sometimes I worry I may also have a bit of a slipped band. If I could only commit to following the bandster rules again for a couple weeks to see if I still have problems I'd go back in and start asking for some tests to confirm or rule out a slip.

confidence and how you carry yourself is everything my dear... well not everything, but it plays a huge roll in how men see you. i always had bf's when i was bigger and i met my husband when i was at the weight i am now; i ballooned to 278 lbs within months after we got married, he never said a word about the weight gain, but when i would bring it up he was always supportive. different strokes for different folks, ya know what i mean? so, YES there are men out there that do like big girls, you just got to look more closely :laugh: