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I agree with a statement above regarding that the marriage was not a happy marriage before only because the person stayed in the marriage because that was comfortable with them and their weight. My husband and I were on the same page we are doing this (he didn't have surgery but is on a diet) to become a healthier family unit. I was skinny when I met my husband but he has stuck with me throughout my weight gain and NEVER commented on my body figure once. I love him with all of my heart.........I couldn't imagine a divorce after this. He is my soul mate and we have a wonderful little family. I can see how it could be hard if you are married to an extremely unhealthy person after this who continues to make you day to day lifestyle change hard for you. But in that case I think the other person may need to be talked, I know my hubby cheats but he hides all temptation from me. He does this to make my transition easier.

It depends. I was blessed to have been able to have mine removed. My quality of life improved dramatically and no more weight gain then I would have had with the band. But I can eat more healthy foods now.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I had my bat wings, moobs, and tummy tuck all in one go. I'm now 19 days post-op. I had 6 JP drains. The 2 in my arms and the 2 in my chest came out after a week. The 5th one in my groin got clogged somewhere around 2 weeks, so it was removed. The last one is still draining about 85cc / day of a slightly yellow, mostly clear liquid, so I really doubt it'll come out at today's visit. The day after surgery, they tried to stand me up. I passed out, probably because of low blood volume. Because of that, I spent a total of 3 days in the hospital, but by the end I was doing laps around the nurses' station. I had a button for pain meds & an IV antibiotic while I was in the hospital, plus Norco (hydrocodone + tylenol 5-325). A Norco every 4 hours actually worked better for me than the button, and that's exactly what my doctor prescribed for me to use at home. I also tried 500mg tylenol to see if I could get off the harder stuff sooner, but nope. I went from Norco every 4-6 hours down to just a Norco at night, down to nothing. I've been off all pain meds since day 15. The scale numbers are just plain depressing with all the fluids (and probably weight gain from being out of the gym),. My shirt size is now a men's medium! I was somewhere between a large / XL. I started working from home at day 14. I'll start going back in to the office on a regular basis once this last drain is out. Here's some tips I learned: You need lanyards for the JP drains. The nurses will pin them to your hospital gown, but once you start showering, that does you no good. Amazon sells a box of 25 for under $10. Use Glad Cling-wrap once you've only have a drain or two to keep dry but have otherwise healed up enough to shower. Don't be afraid to cut a hole in the butt of your compression garment for #2. My particular compression garment looks like a men's one-piece swimsuit from the 1920s. It has clasps and a zipper down the front. It also has a hole in the front for #1, but no flap in the back for #2. Especially with drains in your arms, it'll be hard to get in and out of the garment to use the toilet. The compression garment I got tended to roll up my thigh and cut off the flow, so my thighs collected a lot of fluid. A bed wedge or pillow + workout tights under the garment worked wonders for this. I wish I had a tip for getting rid of the glue from all the bandages. Nothing worked. I tried water, soap, ice, oil, and rubbing alcohol. I had to scrape it off with my fingernail.

I've just started my liquid diet today. My surgery date is October 5th. I am at my highest weight at 225. I am 59 years old. Can’t stay like this much longer. I realize that I have to make some serious changes in my life. I’ve decided to write a sort of journal of my experience of going through this time in my life. I admit that I am somewhat scared and anxious but it is something that I want very much. I want to feel HEALTHY again. Just had my first shake. Not so bad. Probably won’t say that after a few days of these drinks. I’m nervous and I don’t know why. I realize that I have to do this for 2 weeks. Will I succeed? I will really try my best. To come this far. I must push myself like I never have before. I have all the co-morbidities that go with the weight gain such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, joint, back pain and sleep apnea. Very dangerous combination.

Green I hear you about the history of depression and yet have little to feel depressed about. Interesting times we live in huh? i mean so many popel on depression meds. What is going on? Cloe do not wean yourself from Effexor it can be hell, do it as your doc tells you so you don't have a hard time of it okay? I don't know is it our weight that contibutes to or is thecause of our depression or a side effect of being depressed is the weight gain? I mean look at me now, banded, liek I am taking care of this busness and still stuffing my face, although I can't get in half of what i used to, even before the restriction, but I have messed up already so many times. I am now on pureed but sick of that so I am eating normally sort of. Anyway correlation definetly between the wirght and depression although i like the depression with the losing weight issues others have. I could've used that for a year or two. Anyway I am stil goign to try and get to the gym today bt I ahve to take my Newf sophie to the vet and I have a feeling it might be time to put her down.

Jeni, glad your feeling better. Don't worry to much about a little weight gain right now, you need good nutrition for proper healing. Just get a walk that will help with those extra calories. Keep us posted. Carol

*WARNING* LONG REPLY *WARNING* First of all, i have a new non-scale victory to share with everyone because i literally can't stop smiling from ear to ear:biggrin:. I wen shopping today for last min. things for my vegas trip. And me and my friend were at JCPenny's, i was looking for some bottoms to wear and she pulled a pair of capris' off the rack and said hey Jen these would look nice.. And i looked at her like she was nuts:glare: because they looked like they would be small; and when i looked at the size (15) i thought she was even more crazy. She said they will fit and to got try them.. So i figured prove her wrong.. But instead proved myself wrong!!! THEY FIT!!!:tt2: I was shocked, not only did they fit but they look great!!! (i got the problem now of getting my mind to majorly catch up with the body change, because i got myself still in size 20 mind set...) Juli, thank you some much for your words of encouragment, I really need that as i register for classes. You always know the right thing to say!!!:thumbup: And still completly jealous about the disney world trip!!! LoL Janine, i wish you all the very best of luck on getting re-banded.. I know you will get it!!! I was so happy to see your going to do it again.. And dont be discouraged by the weight gain because it is gonna come back off .. I believe in you, You are a strong person and from previous posts of yours that i have read you always are so optimistic and determined. So i nave complete faith that you will get the band and be even more successful this time around!!!:cool2: As far as what group to be in, I would love for you to stay with the Marchies because you bring a lot of input into our group and you fit in perfectly.. And like juli said, ONCE A MARCHIE, ALWAY A MARCHIE!!! We will continue to help each other out!! Lastly, I am going for my Adjustment on monday (yay!!):w00t:. And i wanted to do something for my surgeon to show him how grateful i am for all that he has done for me.. I got him a thank you card but want to do something more... Any suggestions???? I was thinking maybe a good bottle of wine, or since im polish a nice bottle of vodka??? But i dont want to come off as being weird.. HELP!!!:thumbup: I feel and have a need to give something to someone who has done so much for me DO you think that this is a good idea?!?!?! Sorry all for the long post i had a lot to say, and at least i warned you!!:tt2: At least I made sure to keep it fun and colorful !!!:biggrin2: I know im a Dork!!

Edie, thanks for your message. I don't think I am trying to hurt myself. Why do I eat or anyone here who go to this place? I dunno, But all I know is that I have eaten for celebrations, grief, just about everything and even numbness and continued well after i wasn't hungry. I am seeing a shrink right now as I know I needed help with the eating thing and it was she who suggested the lapband, I didn't know anything about it before. AS far as why I eat....I still do not know or how I got here. I have taken wellbutrin and as you know many antidepressants have side effects that are worse than what they are for and the one big one is weight gain, so I had little alternative. Thankyou for your concern. This has been hard for me...I have stumbled and fell a few times and this is the only place I feel safe and accepted to discuss my fears and hopefully success. I am inspired by the many folks here who are there for each other and me too, so I tell all, and do not worry about judgement and that alone is very freeing. I must say I had a non weight victory today if that is what they call it. This was the first day I actually did some excercise and was able to do half an hour on my tread mill. I may not have been able to get with it in the aug challenge that Cloe started but hopefully I can get with it for Sept. I thank you for your care and concern.:hug: Kim

Dear Dave, I completely agree with what you are saying but (there always has to be one ) the drinking with meals seems to be washing my food through my stoma and allowing me to eat more food before my brain gets the signal that I am full. You're right in that water has zero calories so more food was being taken in than I needed hence the stalling and now weight gain. I currently spend 2 hours 4-5 times a week at the gym doing mostly cardio exercise and I don't want to do any more than that right now. I am on day 3 of avoiding water with meals and its very tough for me to do but I have noted a decrease in food intake due to this small change. I hope that I did not give the impression that I believed that the water caused my weight stall and gain if so I apologize to anyone that thought that was what I was saying. I absolutely was overeating and the water flushing my food through was making it possible for me to do so. I will continue with withholding the fluids during meals at least until I see the doctor again in 10 days I really hope that this breaks the stalemate and that I begin a cascade of weight loss. If this happens I will know for sure that the no drinking guideline is one that I will have to follow. Thanks, Dave, for the good thoughts and well wishes, I really appreciate having you root me on and also for the sharing of your personal experience. I'll certainly let everyone know how it turns out the Tuesday, August 9th after I see the doctor again. Tom

Well had a long chat with my surgeon after a 7 pound weight gain on my 5 month follow up two days ago. This issue came up as I told him I routinely drink 24 or more oz. of water with every meal. I havn't been loseing anything for 3 months and he was surprised that I was drinking like that. He thought I was following the no drinking with meals guideline and confirmed what others have said that drinking with meals is the # 1 reason for non weight loss. This highlighted a real dilemma as adjustment to this non drinking mode is scary and a hard habit hadn't been able to break. I can look back on it now and without bullshi**ing myself that I have been eating much more than I thought I was and in effect self sabotaging my weight loss goal. Sheesh! do I feel dumb! The doctor gave me lots of non judgemental encouragement and re-eductated me on the band basics. For the past two days per his instructions I have avoided drinking 15 min prior, during and 30 min after meals. God its hard. First couple of bites of my first meal after seeing him I realized that along with the drinking issue I was taking too large a bite and not chewing long enough thus I got stuck for a few mins. I waited for the food to pass and thank God it did. I then resumed eating with much smaller bites and lots of chewing and the meals now take a lot longer. Now I'm the last one done. I have noticed already that I feel full sooner and stay satiated longer and don't need a snack between meals (I was browsing a bit too, lotsa bad habits I now see) Perhaps these adjustments will make the difference and get the scale moving. I have a follow up appointment in 2 weeks to see how I am doing and hopefully the scale will show improvement and joy back to mudville... So to all of us who like to slosh our food down and derive comfort while eating that way I can really relate. If this turns out like I think it will with the weight coming off quicker I'll be sure to share that info. Gosh it's had to give up the fluids while enjoying the meal but I am determind to get slimmer and this may be the key to why the weight hasn't been coming off. Heck, I am sure that its a major part of the problem. Good luck everyone.. Tom

I am on the nuvaring and I haven’t had any weight gain. I am down 80lbs . 5months out . Surgery was in December

Hey Leslie!!! I posted on the other thread, but I thought I'd post it here too. Copied and pasted...Well hey there, Leslie! It's been a while. Sorry you are not doing so well with your band. When are you having your band removed? I have heard lots of good things about the sleeve. Might be worth checking into. I miss talking to you! I was thinking about the 5k we ran a while back and how you got lost on the course, lol. Good times I haven't been doing too hot either. I'm still 40 lbs lighter than I was when I had my surgery, but still...I have gained A LOT of weight back. My weight gain started when I noticed I was losing restriction really fast after my fills. They started measuring the fluid and I was losing fluid everytime I went in. I thought they were going to fix my band, but they kept putting it off saying I wasn't losing "enough" fluid to validate surgery. I was having to go in every 2 weeks to get a fill and I just got fed up with it and stopped going all together. I was also diagnosed with cluster headaches a while back and had to go on a high dose of steroids for 2 months. I gained 30 lbs in two months from the steroid and I couldn't seem to get back on track after that. I've been meaning to post too. I've been walking with a friend of mine for a couple of weeks and that's been helping. It's nice having a workout buddy....it makes all the difference! I really miss the support we all used to give each other. Anyway, it was good hearing from you! Please check back in and keep us updated! Are you on facebook? If you are, look me up and add me. I keep up with most of my lapband buddies on there now instead of LBT. georgia girl

I don't know if it will effect how they look afterwards after a boob job. I can tell you this. I nursed both of my children (way too long) and my breast have deflated and headed south. (lol) My breast also seems to be the first place I loose weight, so figure after I'm near goal they will have to be unrolled from my bra and somthing will ahve to be done about them. I joke about what nursing did to my breasts, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. If you are interested in breastfeeding future babies it something I would certainly discuss with your plastic surgeon. They have come along way over the years, but it used to be it could effect your milk supply if breast tissue was cut or moved in a lift or implant. Now with the tummy tuck I was advised by my plastic surgeon that it was best to wait till you were done having children. Key word best. The worst that I think would happen is that you have to have a re"tuck" after child birth though. (but this could happen with any weight gain or loss...a friend had a tummy tuck then lost more weight and needs a revision tummy tuck now.) Melissa

so im now 6 days post-op. i still dont have much energy cuz im not getting in enough calories. Today ive had 10oz of water, 6oz of protein shake, and 1 ice-pop so far. i know im not getting in enough fluides just having a hard time with it. Every time i drink i get a pain in my tummy im sure its just trapped gas, i have to sit up to drink or i cant get my burps out. I had weight gain after surgery im guessing due to IVs and stress on the body, im only down 4lbs since my surgery weight. Im feeling better and better every day and i cant wait to say that i really enjoy my sleeve right now hes just OK

I had my first fill 4-16-10 and could be more happier with the process! I thought it would be a bit painful due to my port site still being a bit sore. But nope PAINLESS and that's always a plus and it was performed using xray (do think I'll have it done any other way). My friend said "No pain no gain (weight gain that is!)

Jersey, Just hold firm with your surgeon that you want to go through with the expected date. Acknowledge your responsibility for the weight gain and assure him/her that you fully plan on giving this 100% effort going forward. I did lose weight required by my surgeon pre-op...But before I made up my mind to have the surgery I said to myself, "I'm going to try my very hardest for 3 months to lose weight and if I can't do it, I'm getting the surgery" Needless to say, I gained 12 pounds in those 3 months. I think I almost did it on purpose??? Anyway, don't beat yourself up over it. Think positive and move forward with your very best effort. Don't cheat yourself this time. Treat yourself as you deserve to be treated.

I start my preop diet friday. I stopped smoking years ago, but recently realized how comforting I feel from food. My marriage is not good, I have no one to tell about my surgery, by choice in some ways, as I don't want to. I've isolated myself drastically since this last weight gain. I avoid going home for years...bc I don't want anyone to judge me! I will not smoke or drink after surgery...I want to but it's something I have up. It's hard not having any crutch. What's going to happen when I lose food? I'm scared and emotional over this, although READY....just struggling. I don't know what to do when I get emotional or angry about not being able to eat. How do I handle this right???

Reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus can cause scarring and narrowing of the opening as well as ulceration. The test of restriction is with real solid food. If you're too tight, you will start to move away from solid foods to softer foods so you avoid the golfball feeling of pain in your chest and heartburn. This can actually cause weight gain as you drink your calories down or let them melt down as in the case with ice-cream.

I'm only three months post-op, so I can't speak to the long-term life of a gastric bypass patient, but based on what I've seen of my experiences and what others have said on here, most people live a fairly "normal" life after gastric bypass. As The Greater Fool said, not everybody gets dumping syndrome, and a lot of the people who do see it as a benefit of surgery because it deters them from eating certain foods. I don't even know if I get dumping syndrome because I haven't tried eating anything that would cause it (I was told to stay under 15 grams of sugar and 15 grams of fat in any meal to avoid dumping). If you are someone who gets dumping syndrome, it's not something that happens every day; you can control it by not eating the foods that cause it -- which are often the same types of foods that cause weight gain. Hunger varies a lot from one person to the next. "Head hunger" is a thing for any type of WLS, and you may already know about that from your lapband. Most gastric bypass patients maintain some amount of restriction for life, and most say that if they eat the foods they're supposed to eat (focusing on lean protein and veggies) and follow the rules about not drinking with or right after meals, they get full with a much smaller amount than they used to. There are certain foods that people call "slider foods" because they go down easily in larger quantities, and you have to be careful with those because they can cause weight gain. I don't think "accidents" are all that common. "Accidents" are associated with dumping syndrome, so if you eat the wrong things (foods with too much sugar and/or fat), it can happen, but again, for most people, it's not something that happens all the time. The opposite problem is actually much more common. Drinking can be an issue. Alcohol has a stronger effect on gastric bypass patients, so we can't drink much, and drinking at all is generally not recommended (especially in the first year). After the first year, you probably could have a glass of wine, but you'd need to be really careful not to drink too much. I just had family visit and they don't know about my gastric bypass surgery. I was able to serve "normal" meals all week and eat small amounts, and my family didn't seem to suspect a thing (maybe they did and just didn't say anything, I don't know -- but they raved about the food I served). Omelets and low-fat chicken sausage for breakfast. Grilled chicken salad for lunch. BBQ chicken and ribs (with sugar-free BBQ sauce on mine) for dinner. There are some things a gastric bypass patient probably won't be able to eat, like fried foods or bread, but there's lots of "normal" food that we can eat. All that being said, your weight is relatively low. I don't know your BMI since you didn't enter your height, but my highest weight was 341 pounds and my weight the day of surgery was 270, so I had a lot more weight to lose than you. On the other hand, GERD seems to be a big factor for you that wasn't an issue for me. Only you can decide if it's worth the risks for you based on your own situation. Even at my high weight, it was a hard decision for me that took a long time to make. Maybe you could have the band removed and see how you do on your own before you make that decision?

Hi again... I see Amlodipine, Seroquel and Lyrica all have weight gain as a side effect. I would definitely meet with Dr. to see if there are other weight friendly substitutions. I recall my surgeon warning against this for the rest of life—-to be sure to ask prescriber for something that won’t make the journey more difficult. Hugs and prayer that answers are right around the corner for you!

Sorry to hear this Wouldnt this be normal to gain weight with no fill for 1.5 yrs? Was she going in for a fill to prevent more weight gain and this iswhen they detected it? Lisa , remember I got a phone call from a bandster friend who was banded by Ortiz at your house in Vegas, she went to Tj and had an endo to find out she had an absess under her port, no erosion however, not yet anyways, but had to have her port removed and the absessed drained for 5 days..but back in November she had to have her flipped port surgically fixed, wonder if there is any connection? Hmmm.. The sucky part is erosion is a possibility, I wonder if it has anythingto do with the Dr.s who preform it or if some people are more prone to it then others, it is obvious from those I know who have had erosion being a perfect bandster not does not stop it from happening. Erosion is something I worry about everyday of my banded life!

hmm that is very interesting TBM, we might have to pay the outrageous small group plans premiums that we are just to have coverage. Is there any way to find that link? a certain search word or thread name? For a group of 2 healthy people no pre-existing conditions (except weight gain and loss) we pay $700 per month. Through Humana one (individual policy) my husband was paying $98 a month with our daughter on his plan! I won't even go into what I think of the insurance industry lol they certainly aren't out for our benefit. BCBSFL had us go through tons of testing for our son, get different opinions by "the best medical teams in FL" then diagnosed him with Autism at age 2. They sent us a "dear john" letter cancelling his coverage because of the long term care and benefits. We Appealed, talked to Ins Commissioner, appealed again - bottom line: get on the state's care for him. So I can believe they would find a way to deny coverage if you have the band

Every time I joined any kind of "program" (Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, etc.) I did have short-term successes. I lost weight, thought I had fixed myself, and was depressed and saddened to find that not only would I fail to keep the weight off, but it seemed like every blessed bloody pound came back carrying three or four of its closest friends and neighbors who all wanted to take up residence wherever there was room. For me, the roller coaster of emotions and weight loss/weight gain got to be enough already. I know without a doubt--WITHOUT A SHRED OF DOUBT--that if I don't restructure my stomach with WLS, I will never get the upper hand on my weight. Not permanently. Not reliably. Am I nervous about going under the staple gun? Of course. But I've done my research and my surgeon is well-respected and has lots of experience. Am I scared I'll somehow find a way to self-sabotage and fail again? You bet your sweet patootie I am. That's why I'm going through with the sleeve. It has to be out of my hands; I have to surrender control of my food intake until I can reset my headspace to see food as a fuel rather than an emotional outlet or boredom-bandage. As it says above--when WLS is right for you, you will know it. Trust yourself to make the best possible choice. If now isn't the time for you to get sleeved, you can always try MediFast and see how it goes. For me, it would be an exercise in futility, but that doesn't mean it will be that way for you! And if MF lets you down, if the weight comes back (or comes back with friends and neighbors), the sleeve procedure will still be here. I know that once you give yourself time to think about all your options and all the pros and cons, you'll make the choice that will be right for you. Good luck!

Update: After taking another x-ray and nothing has changed with the band, we're going back into surgery next month. I appreciate all the input, and 2muchfun mentioned the band coming unbuckled. I feel like that is all that is left, as we have checked everything else. My doctor says he's never had that happen before. Dr. Kureshi has been very supportive, and open about this. He is over the bariatric unit at TMC in Denison, TX, and they've just received awards for their efforts that rank them above others in north Texas. I have confidence them. I have read enough forums to know that when I made this post, that I would get the usual, "Control your eating" responses. Because, that's why I shelled out 15 grand in cash, to get a surgery that I didn't need, because all I had to do was watch what I ate! <sarcasm> I have tried it all. Atkins, juice diet, Zeal, Plexus, etc, etc. Even after the band, I walked 3-5 miles every night. At the end of the week, I had gained 2 lbs. "It's muscle!" everyone said. I could care less! Weight gain is weight gain to me! I had an episode Jan. 4. The wife made a meal of red Beans and cornbread. All I can figure is that after I ate, it expanded in my stomach, possibly forcing the band to unbuckle. I had intense fever that night, and then again 2 days later. For the next few days, I had to go back to liquids, broths and Soups. Before the event, I had normal restriction, and just a cup of food would keep me full for hours. A cup of coffee, and about 3 of the Peanut Butter toast crackers is all that I could get in for Breakfast, and that would keep me full until lunch. I was losing weight steadily. After the event, when I could start eating, I noticed that I could eat foods that before I couldn't. Rice, potatoes, heavy beef, etc. So, back under the knife I go. If the band has simply come unbuckled, then the doctor will re-buckle, and stitch it so that it can't come undone. I will keep everyone posted. Thanks again for all the support!

I'm struggling with how much I should be eating at a normal meal. Sometimes I think that I have no idea of what I should be eathing. If I eat 1/2 cup to a cup of food, I feel like I'm not getting enough nutrients. I can eat much more than a cup of food (depending on the food, even if it's healthy food), and since the holidays, I have done just that. Getting back to small portions of dense foods has been a challenge, and the 10 pound weight gain since October is making me feel horrible. So, for a healthy meal, how much are you eating?