kristallynn13

I too fell off the wagon and making a commitment to myself to turn this around. Good luck to you!

Sharpie I am not 188. I am 284. I can't figure out how to change my weight that shows on my profile. I also don't believe my surgeon is pushing me to make money. I am probably pushing him more. He told me flat out that my success rate with GB isn't going to be any better. He said it is an option but that I should give my lapband another try. I have failed the lapband. I know it is all me. I know I need to go to counseling but I have done all that and am unsure how much it really helps me. In the past year or so since I have been gaining my weight back I have been suicidal most days. So taking care of my life was something not high on my list of priorities. The band does not like my antidepressant Zoloft. For some reason it gets stuck and I have terrible heartburn for hours later. I have worked with my PCP to try other antidepressants but none seems to work as well and I am tired of feeling like a guinea pig for pharmaceuticals.

Six weeks ago my surgeon removed all the Fluid from my band and I was able to restart my Zoloft. I was feeling much more upbeat and eager to start losing weight again. After getting a 3cc fill yesterday, my Zoloft got stuck. I am going to try and crush the pill and see if I can tolerate it.

I do believe that every new day we are blessed with is an opportunity to make a change. I am making this change again. I just really wanted to reach out to someone that could help with support. I welcome and appreciate all constructive criticism.

Congrats Prettythick1 for your success!

Three years ago I had set my mind into having bariatric surgery. I searched information on the internet and came across lapbandtalk. Through this website I found the information I needed to make a decision and a commitment to have lap band surgery. I lost about 50 pounds before I was banded in Sept 2011. I lost another 60 pounds by Feb 2012. I felt like the model lap bander. I loved working out. I loved Protein Shakes. Everything was easy peasy.

I had a really bad break up from my boyfriend on Valentines day, 2012. After that day, I just didn't care anymore what happened to me. I gave up. I ate with reckless abandon. Fast forward to now. I have gained ALL but 24 pounds of my weight back. I finally went back to my surgeon a few weeks ago after my gastrointestial system began rebelling and causing great discomfort. He removed all the Fluid in my band and sent me for an upper GI series. Thank goodness everything was ok with my band.

I just got home from seeing the surgeon. He and I had a very long discussion about the band, my weight gain, and where to go from here. We discussed having gastric bypass. I am cautiously considering this as an option. In the mean time, I have to give my band another try. The surgeon gave me a 3cc fill. He is sending me back to the nutritionist and the psychologist.

I know I have it in me to get it back on track, but I need some help. So I am reaching out to the good people at the place where I began this journey. I would love to find a texting buddy or email buddy that will hold me accountable and encourage me to make positive choices.

I wouldnt consider my journey a total failure, but if I had know then what I know now, I probably would not have had the surgey. Okay, let me lay down the ground work of my story. I have been overweight my whole life, numerous failed weight loss attempts, etc, etc, etc. About 2 years ago, I found myself with a job that had excellent benefits and would pay for weight loss surgery. I searched the internet. Considered gastric bypass vs banding. Banding obviously won. I started the Atkins diet May of 2011. Lost weight very rapidly. Loved the diet. Had lap band Sept 2011. Had already lost 65 pounds before surgery. Times were trying and difficult after surgery, but weight loss was great, loved working out, could not see myself ever being fat again. By Feb 2012, I had lost 135 pounds. Weighed 183 from well over 310 pounds. I was on top of the world. I was within 25 lbs from goal, no major setbacks with the band. I was beginning to get a little cocky about my weight loss. I was smaller than my teenage daughters. This created alot of anxiety among all three of us. I was madly, deeply in love with my boyfriend. Life was perfect. Valentines day 2012, I had intended on asking my boyfriend to marry me. Never happened. I found out that day that not only was he cheating on me, but he was having affairs with no less than 4 other women. I was totally devastated, heartbroken, suicidial, despondent. The women were all bigger than me. I went into a couple of months of really being anorexic. Working out to the brink of passing out. Got in really great shape. But then, it just all started to fail. My weight loss, and mental health has been downhill ever since. I am up about 30 pounds. I hate myself for gaining weight back. I told myself I would never weigh more that 200lbs again, but here I am. I know it is not the bands fault, it is mine. But my problem is not weight, it is not food. My problem is the lack of effective coping mechanisms in dealing with emotions. No surgery, exercise, or diet is going to fix that for me. It is a mental problem. I have had overfills, underfills, stucks, PBing, vomiting, everything, you name it. I am probably really in the green zone right now, but I abuse my body and get my stomach angry. So I am sitting in front of a very small plate of normal people's food, PBing in my plate. I used to get up and hide it from my family, but what is the point. It isnt a secret. I get mad alot of the times, because I want to binge and stuff food down my throat. The band doesn't allow me to. I try to eat what I am supposed to. I can't. The band doesn't like chicken, or vegetables, or anything else. It loves shakes and chocolate. Never once have I been stuck on a piece of chocolate. McDonalds shakes have become a mainstay of my menu. I can always drink them no matter what the time of day, and I can drink them as fast as I want. It almost satisfies my need to binge. Tonight, I just wanted to eat a nice healthy meal with my family, but the band wont let me.

Jennypenny, I feel your pain and I can totally relate. I was banded 9/2011. I lost all my weight because of the Atkins diet, not due to the band. I was diagnosed with kidney stones in March and was told my high Protein diet was probably the cause. Everything I eat healthy gets stuck now. I dont know if I have gained weight back or not. I dont weigh myself anymore. I have been throwing up alot, can not take my pills, and am so totally frustrated that I too have considered having the band removed. I keep telling myself this is a phase and it will pass. I just keep putting one foot in front of the other and hope for the best. I have had several fills, and suspect I need an unfill, but I just cant bring myself to have an unfill. Good luck to you!

I am a an RN and work in an ambulatory care center. I needed at full two weeks. Not so much because of the physical activity, but because I was so weak from not eating or drinking much. Good Luck to you all!!

Does the pain subside after some time? I too hate fills. It is because I had alot of pain from the injection one time. Now I cringe when I even think about getting a fill.

I have noticed that before with me as well. I attribute it to my body having to work harder to digest the food, therefore creating more body heat.

The gas and the pain are probably normal. It takes the body awhile to get ride of the built up gas from anesthesia. This can cause alot of pain in weird areas you wouldnt expect. As far as burping and passing gas, get used to it. It will be a way of life for you now. It can be quite comical at times, but embarassing at times as well. Continue using the gas pills, they will help some but not totally alleviate the gas. It will also get better with time. It is normal to not be losing weight right now, even gaining is ok. Your body takes time to get back to normal after surgery. It will probably take a good 3-4 weeks before you start losing weight. Sounds to me like you are doing exactly what you should be doing. Good luck.

Congrat on reaching your goal. Great work!

Couldnt live without liquid pain medication, Atkins shakes. Wasted my money on liquids I knew I would never drink...broth...popsicles...jello...and Protein Powder. Wish I had had more of? Support from my familly, more sleep, more time off of work. Even through recovery I was expected to be on duty as a wife and mother. I still had to wait hand and foot on everyone even though I was weak as Water.< /p>

_{My 6th month is March 27, 2012. It has been a long, hard journey, but well worth the effort! I have lost a total of 122 pounds pre and post surgery and looking to lose about 35 more! Yeah us!!}

Ive heard of different people trying the "pouch diet". If you search it here, I am sure you will find many links for it. Good luck!

I started at 317. I am 5'7" and was squeezing into a 26/28. I am now 197 and wearing a 16!

Julie from Ramseur. Banded 9/27/2011

I had deep dark depression during the 2nd and 3rd weeks post-op. I was told it was a common side effect of anesthesia for many people. Thank goodness for me, it did pass. I would call your doctor and let them know what is going on. Your body and mind will be going through many changes. It is often hard to detect the reasoning behind it all. Good luck!

P.S. The nurse even listed sadness, depression as a possible side effect on my discharge instructions.

Definitely not the easy way out. This has been one of the hardest things I have ever done. It has been a struggle physically and emotionally. You are an adult. You have to do what is best for you. Good luck to you!

I was banded 9/27/11. Hadnt had a period for at least a year before that. Started my period 9/14/11, and it just stopped two days ago. Over 3 months it lasted. The weight loss, stress on your body from surgery, etc. can really mess with your hormones.

Warning Mature Content To be honest I was having sex with my wife and I noticed I couldn't go as deep as I use too, because of my belly. So I guess I did it because I wanted my d**k to look bigger…LOL And all the other stuff you guys mentioned too.

Too funny!! I love it! I have heard somewhere that for every 50lbs overweight a man is, he loses one inch of length!!

Last night I think I got overfull. Was very uncomfortable. No stuck feeling or PBing. This morning though I feel really tight. liquids are going down very slow. Has anyone else experienced this?

So I went to my primary care doctor last week. I hadn't seen him in six months. It was the beginning of my journey into lapband and weight loss. At that time I was 295 or so. I told him I was going to lose all this weight and have lapband done. I am sure he has heard the pledges of many overweight patients to finally lose the excess weight. He probably put very little faith in my statements. My weight was 225 when I went last week. That was a 70 pound loss. I could see the disbelief and pride in his face. Toward the end of the visit, he asked, "What was the one deciding factor that finally made you decide to lose weight?". Well, in the past 6 months, I have been asked this question many times and already had a rehearsed response. It came out like a reflex. I said I was sick of hurting everywhere all the time. Although this is one of the reasons, it does not begin to scratch the surface as to why. I failed to mention the very important reasons why. Such as the fact that at 317 pounds, I was wishing death upon myself almost everyday all day. I became a prisoner in my own body. I was ashamed to be seen in public with my children, boyfriend, friends, and co-workers. I knew my children were embarrassed to be seen with me in public. Hell, I was embarrassed to be seen with me. I was unable to wash my private areas without becoming a contortionist. I was unable to use tampons because I couldn't reach. My ankles, knees, hips, legs, chest, hurt all the time. My self-esteem was in the gutter. I was short of breath with any physical exertion. I couldn't hardly fit in my larger model car. I could barely heave my large ass out of the car when I did get in it. The reasons go on and on and on....

I have so much to be thankful now. My energy level is through the roof. I am confident. I am much more active in my social life. I have dumped the abusive boyfriend I had been settling for. I have discovered bones that I didn't know I had. I enjoy foods that are healthy. I seek out new friendships and relationships. For the first time in 42 years, I can say I love myself and really feel it and mean it. Life is good. I feel truly blessed to have had this opportunity to reclaim my life and begin living.

Xavier that is what I should have said. Unfortunately my self esteem is still tanked and not able to confront people in this manner. Im working on it though.

I have found the more weight I loose the more prominent the port becomes. Its all good though. I can deal with it. It is a constant reminder of the positive changes I have made in my life.

My daughters and I are baking several holiday treats this weekend and I am a little concerned about my ability not to taste everything. But we have to continue to live our lives. I don't think we have to totally restrict ourselves from any food. This type of mindset helped to get me to 317 pounds. Sample, but don't overindulge is my suggestion.