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I keep hearing that Rachel Platten song on the radio, and I know that i need to start working on my inspirational playlist to get me through the next few months, or maybe even years. But each time I hear one of the songs I want to add to my playlist i start to cry, ugh, why am I so emo? I am pre-op, 4 months in to my 6 month appointments quota for insurance approval. Nutritionist and Psych eval booked. Cardiology work up done, and A-ok, and no sleep study needed. I am genuinely huge. In my eye, I am an exceptionally large woman. I know that most times I am the largest person in a room. I get anxious now when i eat out, what if there are only booths? Its so cliché to say that I have been fat my whole life, so I wont say that. Specifically I have been fat since the 3rd grade. I changed schools and was genuinely and cruelly bullied for 4 years. I was molested by a neighbor when I was 7-8 years old, and he liked to remind me of it once and awhile when I played with my friends in the neighborhood, my parents didn't believe me. I had a mental breakdown at 12, and was nearly hospitalized. Instead they opted for drugs and a child Psychiatrist. I tried to live on cucumbers to lose weight, it worked for awhile. When I was 13, I actually looked cute in a bathing suit. That was the last time lol, I ever looked cute in a bathing suit. Home life was terrible. I had a Mother, who was morbidly obese, with severe untreated mental illness (it was very taboo in the 80's, and hard to get treatment for regular people), and a father that was an enabler to her abusiveness. Her depression and food addiction left her ill equipped to be a parent, and my father worked all the time to put food on the table, so he couldn't really step in. I grew up quick, taking as best care of my little sister as I could, working as much as I could (had a job at 14), and trying to be positive. I knew there was a better life for me out there, in the great unknown. I lived in a bustling metropolitan area, where opportunities abounded! So I thought.... I fell in love with Mr. Completely wrong at 18, and messed up college. Got an office job, that eventually evolved in to a position at a bank, where my met my ex husband and baby daddy, who was in the Navy at the time. My insecurity, and low self worth permitted me to overlook major flaws and marry him. We divorced, and I moved back to the East coast, my home. I am now remarried, and in a much healthier relationship. I have always been big, but in the last 4 years I have gained upwards of 70 pounds. My mobility is shot. I have fallen twice spraining my ankles, tearing ligaments and tendons, which makes my ankles tender and sore when I walk. My hips and plantar fascilitis in feet make walking like walking on coals. So pain = sitting, and sitting = weight gain, and you multiply this by my age, and add a few more comorbidities, you die in a chair, connected to an oxygen machine, like my mother. I don't want to die in a chair, after wasting away for years. My insecurities are like a cancer. It eats away at everything. I know having WLS isn't a panacea for all my life's challenges, but perhaps if I am not largest gal in the room, and I felt like I belonged in this world, somewhere, I could be on a pathway to happiness. I just want to fit. Fit in a chair, fit in clothes from a regular store, omg, i want to fit in a kayak so bad, hee hee. I get stared at, looked up and down, and the worst, simply ignored. I just know that a picture of my @ss is going to show up as a graphic image on one of those local news segments on morbid obesity, or some video clip of me walking down the street (from shoulders down of course), because I don't have a face, I am not a person anymore in society's eye. Its not going to be easy, its already not easy, but it's time. I pray for the strength to use this tool the best I can, and heal myself of my hurts and find hope in a new life.....

My husband NEVER notices weight gains/ losses. Which is awesome when I got super heavy. But now I'm thinning out again(for GOOD) and I'm like, dude where my compliments at? I gotta fish for them sometimes, but once I point out that I've reached certain goals, or that certain things fit/don't fit, he will obvs be excited and supportive. Sometimes ya just gotta go get those notices yourself [emoji849][emoji23]

Hi! Question ( not judging promise just looking for clarification) Your food choices were Still plan perfect and you gained 60lbs? No medication interactions? Only reduced exercise caused weight gain? Thanks! Oh and speedy recovery 🎈

Update: Third trimester!!! So far so good!!! Baby is healthy! Mom is healthy!!! Due to my being a Bariatric patient the glucose testing has been altered. Testing glucose levels 4 times a day, first fasting and 2 hours after every meal for 7 Days. So far so good. Ready to ride this last stretch out with minimal weight gain and a happy and healthy mom and new baby girl💜💕💞🙏🏽 Total wt gain thus far=10-14lbs. 😔

Ditch the idiot nutritionist for starters! That is such irresponsible advice. One thing any bandster knows is that once you have good restriction you do not mess around with it. It is so easy to lose that perfect place and unfilling your band is one very common way for that to happen. It can also cause slight shifting as has happened to me (mine was unfilled for a major surgery), and whilst that's not a problem, I've never gotten the same sort of restriction back, even when my band has been FULL. Luckily I've changed my lifestyle, kept my weight off for so long my body is now used to it and having less restriction really hasnt been a huge problem. And the second thing is, if you've really changed the mindset and lifestyle of a fat person, then holidays arent all about scoffing food anyway. You dont need an empty band to taste new things, enjoy small portions of them, etc. But certainly, if you're wide open with an as yet filled band, starving hungry and are prepared to wear the consequences of eating more, then you can safely do so. But it might be an idea to eat things that will fill you without too many calories - a wholegrain sandwich full of salad vergies and Protein is very filling but also very healthy, and less likely to cause weight gain than stodgy, heavy bistro food for example. That's what I did when I had to be unfilled and the only weight I ever gained was weight I'd lost due to being sick and just took me back to a BMI of 21.

interesting concept there motherof4. . never thought about doing that. . maybe i'll try it next time a craving hits and i'm not really hungry. . .retraining really sucks. . . i struggle with it every day. . before surgery i thought it wouldn't be all that hard, damn it's hard! tomorrow i start my 5 day pouch test to get back on track. . .no weight gain yet, but it could happen any time soon huh?????? that would be a tragedy!

Tell Chris I'm proud of him..my husband gave up smoking for the New Year and I' loving it..I love to kiss & hug him now, sex has never been better. I used to hate to have him close to me cuz he would reak of ciggarette smoke and I'm a smoker but not a 2 pk a day smoker like he was..I smoke a pack in 3 days I wash my hands after every cigarette and have a mint or something to make my breath smell good. It has been the toughest thing my husband has ever done but he has done it so far..it has only been 17 days though. He is like Chris, he sleeps better, feels better and seems to have become a better father from it spending more time with the boys. Way to go Chris, you too Lisa for this new found will power..I think I need to start calling you now for support..being bandless is tough. I'm working my head like never before..exercising more since the weight is not coming off and Iam able to eat larger portions. No weight gain so far though and I'm tickled pink about it!

So, my 4 weeks is officially today. I've lost 26lbs. I should be thrilled, right? Nope. I have this total mental derp happening that makes me feel like I will somehow be the only person in gastric bypass history to ONLY lose 26lbs and that's it. I'm done. No more weight loss. lol! I think because I've had so many failures in the past, I just anticipate this being another one of them... even though I am following everything the best I can (in light of my ulcer, I am low on protein - working on it!) I also have a mental derp against protein shakes. Aside from my whey allergy and getting super nauseous... back in 2009 I had liposuction when I was a mere 140lbs. After surgery I drank TONSSSS of muscle-building/weight-gaining protein shakes because the plastic surgeon said I needed them for muscle recovery. Welp, I gained 40lbs doing that! I had no guidance and was an idiot, basically. But that's where the weight gain started - so I have a creeper lurking in my brain that protein shakes = weight gain = super morbid obesity. I am trying to get over it; I have a sweet home gym and was just told yesterday I am not allowed to exercise because my protein is currently too low. So, that has motivated me more and I started a soy shake last night. Gunna keep it up. I feel like I have conquered so many of my cravings-issues, though. I read just a few chapters in Never Binge Again and it is so helpful. I highly recommend that book. I feel very in control, and did have one mishap the other day when I got very stressed (I overate, but not a "banned food")... we're all human, though. Why are our brains so self-defeating?! I know I am championing through this in light of the complication and there is NO reason I will fail... unless I set myself up for it. So, nipping it in the bud now, for sure. But it sure is hard to overcome some of those mental blocks. If it wasn't, I'm sure most of us wouldn't be here. Just my random blurb o' the day.

Y'all know how much I HATE to feel feel down. This week, I have not been losing and this morning on my official weigh in day, I was up .6. (At first I thought I was up a whole pound, so I'm not going to get too upset about just over a half!) Anyway, when I think back to why... Exercise: I exercised for a total of 3 hours last week. One hour of Jazzercise, 2 - 30 minute treadmill sessions (couch to 5k), & 60 minutes with my trainer. Not bad, but far from my best. Food: If I am honest with myself, I know that I did not make good food choices this week. I don't think it is about stress or comfort. I think that I'm hungry and I have no will power. The doctor had said that he thought I was close to my sweet spot and might not need another fill for a while, but I think that might not be the case. Typically, I'm not hungry in the mornings. I will usually drink a protein shake in the morning (around 9:30-10:00), not because I'm hungry, but to make sure I'm getting good protein. Today, my stomach was growling (with hunger) by 7:30 AM. I don't want to be so tight that I can't eat, but I do need to be tight enough to curb my hunger more. Punishment: because I have gained weight this week, my punishment is to log my caloric intake. I HATE DOING THIS! I know some people are completely focused on this and I know that it is probably extremely helpful. But I HATE IT. So, it is an effective punishment and motivator to not have to do it again. Interestingly, I seem to do better when I'm away from home. Pre-band, vacations were weight gain guarantees! However, now, it seems to have the opposite effect. I don't snack much and I find time to work out. So...I will track my calories Mon-Wed. If I'm on the right track by end of Wednesday, I won't track my vacation (Thurs-Tues). When I get back, I will have one week until my fill. Now that week includes my birthday...so wish me luck!! Ha! Random question: do you all update your avatar pictures? I know that picture is how people here know me, but it isn't me anymore. Do you all leave them or update them??

Kashia: I am so sorry to hear you are going through this. Unfortunately I am currently on the other side of that decision. I waited on having mine removed almost too long. If you are still getting liquids and mushies you should be ok for a while. I lasted about two months between being diagnosed and having to go in for emergency surgery because by then I had been five days unable to even get liquids. Not trying to scare you, I think maybe I was a worse case type scenario. I had to pay for both surgeries my insurance wouldn't cover anything whatsoever even though it had become life threatening. As long as you can get liquids and mushies you should be ok, it shouldn't cause damage. Check with your Dr's though. I chose to have it removed as I am too financially wounded now to have been able to do anything about a third surgery if something had gone wrong. The hospital charged me full price same as original surgery, anesthesiologist the same. My surgeon didn't charge as it happened in the first year. I had the tighter time around my cycle as well. Yet another lovely signal of womanhood. How far along are you in your pregnancy? I think they don't really know what causes slippage, there are a lot of theories and speculation. I know I followed everything too the letter and still wound up with slippage. My band was never loose though at any time which resulted in internal swelling at the outset which caused me to be unable to keep down even my saliva. That lasted about three weeks. My Dr. said that it wouldn't have caused the slippage later. I suspect my slippage occured about the time I had my fills. (.3 the first, .3 the second, two days later had to have .3 removed, couple weeks later another .1 removed. No improvements over next couple months, went in for barium swallow & was diagnosed with slippage) ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????? As for weight gain, I am dealing with exactly that problem. It sounds as if you had time to be a true bandster and develop some good habits however. If you do have to go the route I did please hang on to those good habits. Best wishes, Tuff

It's notorious to cause metabolic syndrome. I have been on 150 mg of Seroquel for four years to treat my disassociation due to PTSD. It saved my life and was a game changer in my mental health. It contributed to a 100lb weight gain in one year. I can eat vegan, fast food, paleo, Atkins, you name it, and my weight won't budge from 247lbs. I am scheduled to have my sleeve in February and I am petrified that I may have to go off the medicine.

I am 6 years out from surgery. I started out at 371. I am now at 234. I’ll answer your questions in the order you asked them: - What foods do you avoid? (Fatty foods? Carbs? Can you tolerate small amounts?) Foods I avoid: Rice! and Carbonated beverages. Both have a very negative effect on my stomach even now. Rice seems to grow once it gets in my stomach causing it to feel overfull. Carbonated beverages are to be avoided anyway but occasionally it’s the only thing around to sip and never has there been a time that I didn’t regret it! - Do you have diarrhea? Occasionally but it’s rare and usually something I know is going to happen. Constipation is a bigger issue and my go to remedy is a slice of plain cheesecake. Seriously. It works better than anything else. To help keep things moving I am sure to add real butter to any carbs I eat. Sometime I use MCT oil to help keep things moving but be careful cause it can cause very loose stool.  - How many Vitamins do you take? Have you experienced Vitamin deficiencies? Have you had to get infusions? I use PERSONA now for vitamins They do an assessment that determines your vitamin needs for me that is one Bariatric Multi, 8 Calcium Citrates spaced out in three doses, Vitamin D, and a Probiotic. I was seriously anemic and had to do iron infusions until I had a hysterectomy July 2019. Now I’m normal and won’t need them again. I take powdered Collagen in my coffee everyday to keep my hair growing, my skin from drying, and my muscle from aching. - Do you struggle to maintain your weight loss? Do you feel like you are constantly on a diet? Weight loss is a constant struggle, you will not lose on a smooth downhill slide. It will fluctuate and drop suddenly then rise and fall like ocean waves. Keeping the weight off is the challenge and with the DS weight gain is less likely it still is very possible if Carbohydrates are your source of comfort in times of struggle and stress. You won’t feel like you are on a diet, you will feel like you are a slave to your stomach. You’ll spend an hour making the most delicious meal and take two bites and be full. You’ll find that foods you once loved now don’t make your new stomach all that happy. But with all that you lose and all that is frustrating comes so much amazing stuff like feeling average sized. Shopping in a average clothing store, sitting in theater seats or airplane seats or really any seats and not worrying about what the person next to you might think. Saving so much money cause you can split meals with friends.  - Anything else you wish you had known before surgery? My words of advice: find a local support group or an online one if you can’t find one in your area and stay faithful to going to meetings and events for at least one full year but two would be better. Your family and friends will have no idea what you are going through and will say things that will be surprisingly hurtful but they won’t mean it that way, like “Wow, you look how small you’ve gotten!” (Internal thought: I must have been huge) You’ll need people who know not to say those things and instead say “You are making great progress! I am so glad to see you again!” Good Luck! It gets better! Walk Sip Walk Sip Never Trust a Fart! 😜

Sorry for the late response. My weight loss has been slow but steady. I too, packed on the pounds after my hysterectomy. Don’t get me wrong, I was overweight to start with but after the hysterectomy my weight gain went to a whole different level. Good luck with your VSG. July is almost here!!!

I am almost done with my 6 month supervision diet. I'm on my 5th month. March is my last. It's going by quickly. My bmi is 55/56, I have yet to lose a pound. Well, I lost 3 pounds in 2 months but gained that back plus an additional 6 pounds. Yup, 9 pounds. I've been eating and exercising the same as my pcp told me too. I guess I am just worried I wouldn't be able to get the surgery because of my weight gain after doing all of this. hopefully I have lost weight when I do my next 2 weigh ins. Has anybody gained weight during the 6 months diet and was approved? Tell me your experiences. Thanks. PS, I have bcbsil H.M.O & my surgeon will be Vafa Shayani. They want you to lose 10% of your starting weight. Not sure if it's required but they said it helps the liver for day of surgery? (if this info helps any)

It'll be 6 weeks tomorrow & I haven't lost any in 2 weeks, GRRR !! I know we all go through it, but it's so frustrating . Going to start the gym tomorrow , hopefully that will help, at least there's no weight gain. Just had to vent .Any tips would help , thanks

That was me, when... 8.15.12 It has been 4 months since I posted my first blog entry. I am happy to write that this week - Monday, August 13, 2012 - I was officially approved for surgery by Cigna. My surgery date is scheduled for September 9th. I am very excited and know the next 20 days will fly by! I've waited so long for this that it almost doesn't feel real. I guess as I have my pre-op visit and do the pre-op diet it will seem more real. When the coordinator called me I was ecstatic. I can still hear her voice telling me I was approved! The insurance process was so long and drawn out for me it was a dream come true to be approved. Right now I am struggling with a weird guilt. I can't articulate exactly how I feel but *guilt* is the best word I can come up with. I think part of it is that I am a low BMI'er and not as deserving ? Maybe, I can't tell for sure. I can say that I've always had issues with being overweight. I yo-yo and have gotten slim and then put all the weight back on quickly. I worry that I am putting myself in harms way and at risk because I have no self control or will power and almost like I don't deserve the surgery. Its odd, hard to explain. Add that to my excitement and you have my current frame of mind. I worry about being a good example for my daughters and wonder if this is setting a bad example for them. Hey, if you can't control yourself then just have surgery like me. Ugh... I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and that is a real struggle for me and the main cause of the weight gain over the past 3 years. I know if I get my weight under control the joints and body would feel so much better. I know I need to do this and I should do it but I almost feel like I need to make myself suffer for being heavy. I have this stigma that this is what I deserve for not being good enough like *regular* people that can control their weight. You know this fat girl guilt. Well, just wanted to get an entry out that reflected how I was feeling right at this moment. I can't wait to look back at this entry a few weeks from now and smile because everything has worked itself out and I am post op and feeling good.

If you are going down bands but your cup size is the same (44DD to 42DD to 40DD, for example), then your *volume* is going down. Because the cup size is the difference between the band and your fullest measurement, if your assets are staying the same size, then every time you size down a band, your cup would go up. So, for example, I went down two band sizes (44 to 40), but only lost a size in cup -- going from 44DDD to 40F. If my assets had been just as big, I would be in a 40G now. But yes, I know what you mean about wearing the good bras. I have so many fancy special ones from Lane Bryant, and It breaks my heart to see them go -- pink and black plunge lacy numbers with matching garter belt skirts and stuff. So sad! :-) I am going to go some place and get measured when these are all too big. What I meant by band size was all my 44DD were tight and uncomfortable, not they are all comfortable. I have a lot of bras so I can rotate. Before I was using bra extenders because Cacique gets really frumpy after the 44 band size but I don't have to use those anymore and I can wear all my bras on the last hook, even the newer ones that aren't stretched out. I have a lot of back fat, but the front never really changes even with 150+ lb weight gain. Yeah yesterday I was desperately looking for clothes that fit so I could go shopping and I opened my sexy lingerie drawer and it hit me that all of that was going to be toast. It is a nice decade plus collection. Hopefully one day soon I can fit into Agent Provocateur and the sacrifice will be worth it.

For my visit, I talked on the phone to a nurse and after met virtually with the physician's assistant and dietitian. I can post about my dietitian's visit later if anyone is interested. First, I spoke with the nurse over the phone for about 15 minutes. She asked the following questions: What type of surgery or intervention are you interested in? What is your current weight? What is your blood pressure? Tell me about any prior surgeries? Next, I met with the physicians assistant (PA-C), for about 50 minutes. She asked the following questions: What is your weight history? How long have you struggled with weight? What do you think is the cause of weight gain? What are your lifestyle habits? Have you taken weight loss medication? Did the weight loss medication work for you? How much weight have you gained in the last year? What is motivating you to lose weight? What type of exercise are you doing? What's your living situation like? Do you eat out? Who does the cooking in the household? Do you eat three meals a day? Do you snack? What are you snacking on? Do you struggle with emotional eating? Have you been diagnosed with a kidney stone? Do you have an irregular heart rhythm? Have you had an EKG? Any bleeding disorders or blood clots? Have you been diagnosed with an eating disorder? Have you met with a therapist? Do you have heartburn? Do you have a stomach ulcer? Do you use your CPAP? Multiple family planning questions. Next, we discussed my medical history. She gave a general overview of: Obesity Metabolic processes Emotional health Coping skills Lifestyle changes Weight loss medications Expectations The differences in surgery, benefits, and risks associated with the sleeve and RNY were discussed. She made a surgical recommendation. There is a 2-form of contraception requirement. I was given an outline of tasks to complete. Those were: scheduling a blood draw and contacting my sleep center to request my CPAP usage download. A scheduler will call to schedule a psychological assessment, physical therapy, and an appointment with the nurse clinician who'll act as my contact throughout the process. It was also encouraged that I attend the support group for bariatric and weight management patients. Lastly, I was given the clinic's late policy and the reminder that if I gain 10 pounds before surgery, I will be re-evaluated to be sure I'm a good surgical candidate. I had the blood draw and eight tubes were taken. I was tested for vitamin deficiencies including B1, B6, D. Also, calcium, iron, prediabetes, cholesterol, creatinine for kidney function, parathyroid hormone, and others. Hope this helps anyone curious about the first visit.

I am only four weeks out, but I went to a wedding and had a small amount of salad, chicken, and potatoes, and it wasn't obvious to anyone that I had surgery. I even ate a whole cupcake later! (Special occasion exemption:-) Last night, I ate a whole Chalupa from Taco Bell. Now I know I shouldn't be eating that really because it is not that good for me, and I probably should have eaten only half of it because I was really full when I was done. The good news is that, in the past, I would have eaten two Chalupas, a taco, a apple empanada, and then chocolate later. The point is here that, instead of eating huge amounts, you will actually eat like a normal person. You should actually be looking at everyone else and the huge quantity that people eat, not the other way around where they are looking at you for the small amount you eat. You are about to eat like a normal person, and your family should want that for you, and they should want you to be healthy and not overweight. Diets don't work, and I think we all know that. You may lose weight on one more diet, but chances are really good that you will not keep it off. I have 30 years of dieting and weight gain under my belt, and so I speak from experience. I agree that watching You Tube videos are very helpful. Check out some of these ladies: GastricSleeveReviews, AmySDMOM, luvenit1979, scneaux, cecelialane, vsgtanya2011. They have all documented their journey, including what they eat now. Lastly, even though you may never eat the huge quantity of food that you may now have with your family, that doesn't mean you can't sit down with them and talk with them and enjoy them and let them enjoy you. You will adapt and eat slower. The focus shouldn't be on the food anyway; right? It should be on each other. I am sad for you that you don't have the support that you need. I would hope that your family would be behind your decision to get healthy.

Everyone who has had the surgery or mostly everyone wants to move forward before they are suppose to. I know I did, but I didn't because the doctor stressed how important this stage was to the healing of the stomach and possibility of the stomach coming thru the band. Moving from clears to a full liquid a day or too early may not do too much. But you have to be careful you don't fall into bad habits to test the band. I was on clear liquids for a week, full liquids for a week and then pureed foods. It was hard and I wanted to eat other things just so I can chew something. The one thing I did that could be considered cheating is that I didn't puree in a blender. I followed the meal plan, portions and foods on it, but I didn't puree, I chewed extremely well to almost gone. The first two weeks are the hardest, once you move up it gets easier. You didn't do all this to hurt yourself or the band. The first six weeks are all about the healing so it is important that you follow your doctors instructions. Don't worry about what he is going to say, worry about what could go wrong. A little here and there adds up to bad habits and weight gain. You got to break them now so when you get the fill, they are gone. Plus you said your doc has you on pureed, there are so many things you can have during that stage. He actually has you on pureed very early according to most docs. But, you can have pureed chicken salad, tuna salad and egg salad. I wasn't able to have those until week 3 but your doc has you on them sooner. I know it is hard, you aren't alone, but please stick with the plan. You may be lucky and nothing happens or you may not. I don't think at this point you have done harm, but if you continue it can. Plus, as the weeks go on, you will find yourself a lot more hungry than you are today. So you have to learn self-control now. I wish you luck and hope it goes easier for you. It is a hard process to get use to, but you will. Just listen and trust your doctor, they wouldn't have you do this if it was for no reason. Good Luck.

Hello all! I was also denied by Aetna for weight gain. I don't know where u all live, but I was given a lil tip from a friend on sending my appeal into Aetna... CONTACT YOU STATE REP AND UR STATE SENATOR!! I live in PA, I contacted and emailed my Pennsylvania senator Stewart Greenleaf and emailed him my appeal letter on Monday night. Today I was received a call from his office stating that they received my request and sen. Greenleaf was writing a letter on my behalf to Aetna supporting my appeal. Apparently insurance companies DO NOT LIKE THE REPS AND SENATORS involved. HOPEFULLY this will help my appeal!! I'll let u all know if it works!!

So now I am aggravated. After being told by the nutritionist that me gaining weight wouldn't matter with Aetna apparently it matters. My file was submitted to insurance today and the lady who submitted it called to tell me there was a 90% chance that I would be denied because Aetna has been very anal weight gain. I wish they would have told me this 4 months ago when I started this all. January 19th I will no longer be covered by my parents insurance so it's kind of a countdown to try and get this done. I guess all I can do is pray for the best but I really wish I would have known about this months ago. What was excitement that my papers had been submitted is not dread and anxiousness.

I totally agree with missbliss. The eval is basically non-eventful. They just ask questions about why you're doing it, have you always been heavy or what prompted your weight gain, are you dealing with any emotional instability in your life etc. My doc sent me the MMPI ahead of time and had me bring in the completed test. He also said that the test was originally designed for general mental health evals so a lot of the questions seemed completely un-related. My favorite was: true or false, "sometimes, I feel like swearing." My roommate and I still giggle over that one. Don't worry over it and be honest about your goals and dedication. Good luck!

I had my husband tie my shoes, but we walked the neighborhood because Dr. said no to the treadmill. Perfectly normal to have weight gain after surgery. They pump you full of fluids. Every thing else seems normal. I ended up taking some Miralax in order to get the bowels moving.

Hello Everyone. I just wanted to drop by and introduce myself. I got banded almost three years ago on 9/29/08. Since then I only lost about 30lbs of which I have gained back PLUS SOME. I haven't experienced any problems with my band and at times it seems like I don't even have one. I am able to eat the same things as before being banded. (With the exception of potatoes..they are they only foods that act like they want to get stuck). Right now, I am filled with about 4 or 5ccs. I got frustrated with the weight gain after being filled, so I stopped going to my doctor visits. I felt like I was wasting money on something that wasn't working. Lately, I've been thinking that I gave up too soon. Today I made up my mind to "start over" on the pre-op and post-op diets to try and trick my body into losing some of this weight. At this point, I don't know what else to do. Perhaps I just haven't had my "right fit" yet. I'll look into possibly getting an increase in my fills. If it doesn't work, then maybe I just need to have the thing removed and the gastric done. Previously I didn't qualify for it because I didn't weigh enough, but by golly I betcha I do now.