New Mom and gaining weight

[dpirrello 0]

Hi all! So I've had my lab band since 6/2012. I've had great success with it by losing and maintaining an 80lb loss until I got pregnant and had a severe cardiac issue.

My son, now 2 1/2 months is a very healthy baby but I just can't get back on track. My cardiac issue resolved after I gave birth thank god. My band has about 1cc in it and even the smallest amount of stress makes my band so tight that even the easiest of foods get stuck. Im at a loss on what to do. I'm afraid that if I get an adjustment and I get stressed I wouldn't even be able to keep fluids down. All I do know is, is that I'm 40lbs heavier from my lowest and it's making me very depressed. I literally fit in only my maternity clothes and that's it.

I feel like the old me, the me prior to my band and I don't like it.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated

Sincerely a very tired new mom

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[Who'sThere 331]

I understand your frustration. Here's my story. My pregnancy was complicated too, but in a different way than yours.

I was banded July 7, 2009. I started at 283 and got down to 218 by March. I held steady between 223-228 until I got pregnant in 2012. I had a very tough (but so welcomed!) pregnancy and got up to 244. I was hospitalized Dec 20 and she was born Dec 28. I was discharged Dec 31, but we didn't go home until Feb 23. By then, I was back at 228.

Fast forward until today, and I'm sitting here at 267. Apparently, the stress of her birth sent me into a Hashimoto's tail spin. My thyroid was decimated, but I didn't know that until this March. My levels were all over the place but because of staff changes at my primary care office, no single person was really keeping track. Thankfully, my neighbor who is now a FNP working in that office took a look at saw that something was fishy. She referred me to an endocrinologist. Despite being prediabetic and having PCOS and thyroid issues, I had never been referred.

I have tried to get back on track several times, and nothing seems to work. I used a trained for months, I did weightwatchers, phentermine and Topamax, myfitnesspal, you name it. It was the old me again...

I had to have my band completely unfilled while I was pregnant due to hyperemesis. I was at 5cc in a 10cc band. Since then, I have not been able to tolerate a fill over 2.5cc. Still about 3 days a week and sometimes more, I can't eat anything except sliders stuff until later afternoon or early evening. By then I have either eaten a ton of garbage or am starving. When I can eat, I don't get full any faster than before surgery. It's like the only thing my band does for me now is cause me trouble.

My endo wants me to have a revision to sleeve or bypass. I see the surgeon tomorrow. I don't know how I feel about this. I chose band for many reasons, and I'm sad to now think I made the wrong choice and have to essentially start over.

[Bugaboo77 18]

Wondering how you are all doing?

I got my band in November 2010. Starting weight was about 260, surgery weight was approx 245? I lost weight with my band but never below 200 lbs. My Bariatric doctor moved his practice and I had to start with another doctor. I saw this new doctor but it was 1.5 hours away and I had gotten a different job, so it was hard to get there to see this doctor. In the mean time, my band was getting too tight, caused a lot of pain and I became anemic. I couldn't get the Protein in that I needed. I was eating easy things like potatoes and such. Fast forward to recent...tried the Sanford Profile diet to try to get excess weight off (My new Bariatric doctor was aware of it). It kind of worked but I have a hard time not being able to eat fruit, potatoes, some breads (which you can't have while on the Profile diet). I am back up to 260 lbs.

I have an appointment with my Bariatric doctor again on Monday. I'm contemplating a revision to RNY. My husband says he supports whatever I decide to do. My mom thinks I should just try to diet the old fashioned way.

I struggle because my job is a lot of travel. So it's hard to always eat properly when all you have is a gas station to pick food from.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[BayougirlMrsS 3,935]

@@dpirrello Congrats on the new baby. My suggestion to you.... starting moving more.... If you don't want to get an adjustment, start the exercise process again.

sometimes it's hard to get back to the green after an un fill..

[2Anne 10]

I've noticed most people posting here had their band put in during the last five years or so.

I had mine done in 2001 and had it removed last October in 2015 after 14 years. My surgeon never advised me that it should come out after ten years,especially with old technology. I had the band removed due to pain in the port area and worries about how long I had it. My total weight loss never exceeded 65 lbs and if was 280 lbs when I had it put in.

The side effects of the band was bad acid stomachs(told by the removal surgeon this was normal!) and extreme hunger.

The surgeon Mr Sutton who removed my band had a lot of problems taking it out and the operative report makes horrific reading. There was acute inflammation and bad adhesions. The band was eroding into my stomach. Because I have had a band I cannot have the gastric balloon and certain other surgeries. My stomach looks like a patchwork. At my age I would not wear a bikini(I'm 69 now) but if I was younger would consider myself disfigured.Its a total mess.

Also after having the band removed I had developed a huge appetite that was out of control.and I think the band irritation had caused an over-secretion of Ghrelin. This is my theory anyway and I had to fight this for 9 months as recently it has subsided. I put on 12 lbs and it could easily have been three times this amount re the extreme hunger all the time. Even after a big meal I was hungry and never felt satisfied.

If you have had a success with your band you are fortunate. I wish I had never had it done but it seemed like a good idea at the time. I spent £13000 having the band inserted as there were problems,and over £4000 having it removed. Its a lot of money and having had a recent consultation with a Bariatric surgeon have decided against revision surgery.

I'm sure my experience is not unique and the GB has many failures. My advice is look before you leap because I made one hell of a big mistake!!