SnowWhite760

My surgeon mandated I lose weight before surgery - as may be the norm - and I lost, and lost and lost and lost. I was the smallest person he's ever operated on at 144 lbs. I thought for sure I'd never see my weight above 145 lbs again. Boy was I wrong. I have had my band since October of 2008 - been in and out of his office for fills and unfills and am not seeing results. I won't lie, I have considered seeing a bypass or sleeve doctor to have this modified because I'm feeling hopeless. Friends who have had bypass one year after me are skinnier than I am. Not sure how much frustration I can handle. Nobody seems to understand and I am hoping to get some form of support or wisdom from you guys. Any suggestions besides go in for another fill? He's reluctant to fill me as I get tighter around "the time of the month" and it's hard to get stuff down. I will note that I do have PCOS (poly cystic ovarian syndrome) that makes it hard to lose weight as well as a thyroid problem I'm still working on getting balanced. (I have heard the medications I am on for depression do not aid in the slightest to lose weight either...) I've been traking what I eat on sparkpeople.com and honestly, I don't know how I'm not losing. The Jillian Michaels 30 day shred is what I'm working out to. My last resort is to sign up for a 10K and do it by my birthday 9/12. I was a cross country runner in jr high and high school until I blew out my knee. I'm hoping I can do it again because I am just at my wits end!

I was banded 10/08. I have NO SIGNIFICANT weight loss, in fact, I had weight gain. I'm ticked off as I was 20 pounds lighter before I went into surgery. I am in and out of the surgeons office and it's just frustrating. Totally in the same boat. Bleh. Half tempted to tell him to take it out or lock me down so I can do nothing but drink.

I was banded 10/21/08 and it's not been an enjoyable or worthwhile time for me yet. The first go round with fills was miserable. My first fill for my 10cc band was 4cc's because the doctor assumed he put me in a 14cc band - which was the standard - but somehow the smaller got into the operating room and instead of remove that band, he left it in... but the first few days I couldn't eat or drink much. I went into the ER and they had a doctor come take out 1cc. I went to the doctor two days later and he took out one more... and still it was hard to get food down, well the protiens anyway. So I went in again, and it was surprising to the surgeon... so he took out the last two cc's that were left in my band and then double checked my chart, and that'[s when he discovered that I had a small band and it was just not me making up the difficulty to eat and drink. He thinks that my stomach tissue was swollen and irritated... An aggressive fill for a first go round is 1.5 cc's and I got 4! I was still experiencing acid reflux bad, so two weeks later - all the air and any Fluid (a 5cc syringe container full) was removed and I was on negative pressure for 3 weeks. I went in for a fill 2 weeks ago because my weight is creeping up on me... and my port site is still sore, as is the area where I thought my band is... I'm frustrated, and I think I had a rough start which has made it hard to do a meal plan from "go" because most of the first 2 1/2 months were hard to get any protien down... I was told I went into starvation mode and that's why I didn't lose... whatever the case, I have a fill tomorrow, but I am just having a hard time thinking this was even worth it... I've only got a little to go until MY goal... as I lost a lot of weight before surgery, but he wants me to lose another 40 - 50 and I'm thinking 20 - 25... however my psychiatrist said maybe 5.... what a mixed review.... Geesh. It's been so frustrating. I keep getting told - "I told you so..." and "see???" And it's ticking me off. Any feedback would be so appreciated. Thank you...

i did notice a difference within the first 15 pounds with sleep apnea just disappearing.... (I am one handed at the moment, I'm babysitting a friends 3 month old) the cholesterol, back and knee pain have all improved too... weightloss is slow right now but i'm ok with slow :0)

My doctor submits to insurance at your highest weight, but mandates you lose 10% of your weight before surgery. The approval or paperwork - I can't remember wich - took a while to get in, so while I waited, I kept losing because I was told if I gained ANY back, he'd not operate. We're told to lose that so it shrinks our liver - less complications - and to prove we can do the diet after surgery I suppose. Ideally, he'd like me at 97 to 107, and for me that's rail thin... I am happy at about 120-125... so, that is why I say I've got like 20 more to go. And yes, the insurance paid. I had co-morbs that were apart of my obesity. (I think you can find all your previous posts you've done, so you can see my story, or even hop by my blog and read about it there. I started my Crash diet in July, so if you go to my blog, you can start reading from July and then move forward. I have sleep study info, weights as I was losing, pics of weight loss, current pics too...) soapboxamy.blogspot.com :thumbup:

It was stuff stuck from lunch on Friday... I kept that stuck for 18+ hours... it was terrible as lunch was cottage cheese.... GAG. Totally turned me off to that now.

I went from 175.8 to 142.5 before surgery on pre-op diet

I know from here on out that it's okay to be vocal and question things. Initally he was going to put some restriction in my band at surgery, but decided against it... So, when I went in for a fill I figured 4cc's is what I needed since he didn't fill me and that HE was the surgeon... I should trust him. I also learned to trust my guts... no pun intended. Never assume anything... I learned my lessons...

Hi guys, wanted to let you know what happened today at the doctors. He was incredibly puzzled that I would still be in pain after only 2cc's left in my band, so he removed it all out, then checked his notes. There was a bit of dead silence for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. He said that he was just talking about the last 10cc band patient he had done, it was an accident as he's mainstreaming all surgeries to the large 14cc band, but they left it in anyway... guess who got that band? ME!! So, 4cc's was indeed WAY too aggressive of a fill for me, he said more like 1.5cc's is what should be considered aggressive for a 10cc band fill... and we get to start all over Monday, with "smaller" fills... *sigh* All this poking around... yuck. At least I know food is moving through now, I felt it slop to the pit of my stomach once I stood up and moved a bit... so that was what caused the terrible sour stomach garbage...

Everyone I talked to thought 4cc's was really agressive, seeing as I have about 20 to lose until MY goal weight. He still wants another 20 lbs on top of that. I think what bothered him and why it was so aggressive was because I admitted I could eat bread... I've not had problems with it yet, and I'm sure that concerned him... but, I'm back to taking it easy. Liquids and whatnot are not fun, but I'm just tired of throwing up...

I've had one fill - 4 cc's and two unfills 1 cc each... I'm not at a sweet spot though I think he filled way too agressive to start, and it irritated my stomach tissue... it's been rough going for me...

no fever, no chills, nothing in my labs... I had the runs from not having anything but little bits come and go through the stoma... kind of like post surgery stuff... I still feel like crap, all achy and sore... but I hope I survive 'til Monday when I can talk to my doctor... this sure doesn't feel normal.

I went in for my first fill December 1st and got 4cc's.... right off the bat. I had to go in two days later and get 1 taken out. However, last night I started sour stomach symptoms, throwing up, the "trots", and pain in my chest after probably overdoing it while cleaning the heck out of my house. I was worried my band had slipped because on another thread, my symptoms were that of slippage. So, I called the docs office but my surgeon wasn't on call. A co-worker of his was and told me to go to the ER to get an unfill... but I thought it would be better to totally unfill me, and let me recouperate. Nope. I got there, got stuck on fluids as I hadn't had anything stay down in more than 24 hours and was barfing for 18 hours after eating cottage cheese, cheese chunks. It was terrible. They gave zofran for nausea, and the doc came in and did a terribly rough and uncomfortable unfill... yanked the needle out, shoved it in sideways, took forever.... etc. It was terrible. I still have a pain in my chest near my collar bone and I ache like bad where the band would be, but never felt like this before, even after surgery. Anyone else have slippage with sour stomach symptoms? I am so belchy still... after removal... and I am pissed they didn't do a barium swallow to check... and even more so that they didn't do a complete unfill... GARH! Anyone help?

I was told that the sensation we are experiencing goes away after a few weeks. It's the nerves reacting to having a port stitched to muscle and trying to adjust to something being where naturally it isn't. It doubles me over sometimes, so I trade off heat and ice and take an ibuprofen and that helps. Maybe it can help you too. It does get better with time, less frequent at least. I'm 11 days post band... I will hope that it gets better for you too!

I was banded the same day as you! I am experiencing a lot of the same things that you are, including the growling - if not hollering - stomach. I assume most of it is from our guts being shoved around and having to readjust, and getting used to processing smaller portions of food. I just kind of eat slow and see where 15 minutes gets me. I drink a little bit all day long so I don't dehydrate. I really hate this phase because I'd like some mashed potatoes, but I'm hanging in there as best I can! A whoop whooop! to a fellow 10-21-er:thumbup:

I have UHC (through the railroad) and was approved within 24 hours of submitting paperwork, but let me tell you, I took every precaution when submitting my paperwork so I couldn't be denied. My BMI only got to 37, but I was documented as being in the lower to mid 30's for the last 5 years. I had mild sleep apnea, depression, frequent migraines, back pain, knee surgery... I sent in copies of my weight watchers weigh in cards for the year - and then some - when I was on it too. I think that helped a lot. I did the current surgeons diet and weighed in with him too - which I lost - but I could show proof that I had tried and tried and paid out of my own pocket to get weight off and nothing was working. I also opened a carecredit account just in case my insurance doesn't cover something immediately... but under my benefit, the doctor and hospital are in network so I pay nothing... just my inital visit with the surgeon of 35.00. On the other hand, I had to pay for my nutritionist, and all the co-pays to psychologists, psychaiatrists, general practitioner, and the 'scrpits over the years. Carecredit does offer bariatric surgery financing and their rates are much lower than anything I have ever heard of before! I know my doctor and hospital both take them and it might be a route you can go and fight the insurance later? All in all though, I do feel lucky that my coverage is so good and wish it were just as good for everyone else. Just keep fighting, it will be worth it...

I'll send you a PM with my email so we don't have to be so noisy in the forums! LOL

My 10%, once I got the diet plan from Meg and met with Jolyn (dietician) - I dropped most of my weight in 5 weeks? I had 20 to peel off because I had gained from my inital weigh in... terrible... However, staying committed has proved to be so beneficial for me. I weighed myself this morning and I'm down 27 pounds... Kind of scary seeing as I have like 5 more weeks of this before surgery and I'll probably go into surgery weighing something a bit more normal than my start weight. I'm new to Idaho as well. We moved here January 1st of this year, so I've been trying to make friends as well. My best move was getting involved at church and keeping friends there. It's tough to be going through something like this without family or friends. Thankfully, I have friends who are fabulous and would help me if I needed it. All my family is in California. I head to Boise once a week to see my counselor - who is FABULOUS - so maybe we could meet up sometime or even arrange to meet at Dr. Andersons? It helps to have someone going through it with you, and I've been going at it alone for so very long. I'm feeling pretty accomplished now because I've been able to stick to my diet so well. The benefits - like instant weight loss - outweigh the "losses" of garbage anyway. The first two weeks was 10 pounds... but I am on the really small end of the weight scale at a bmi of like 36? So losing big like this is rare for me, and would probably be higher numbers with someone who has more to lose. At anyrate, lets keep in touch and hope that we can be cheering eachother on in the future. I'm good at rooting people on if you need it - and the tips I gave are tried and tested and will work! :smile: I'm proof! Take Care Caryn!

I was given Body Fortress- buy it at walmart for around 13.00. I think that the carbs are too high - as is the fat content too... but each doctor and dietician is different. Also, my dietician said to add extracts to the protien shakes to change the flavors more often!

Adhesive comes off with nail polish remover or Simple Green. I promise! I did a sience experiment on it ages ago!

HI! What a good question! I came here months ago - before I even met a surgeon to feel out the Water and what I was getting into... so KUDOS to you! I am on a pre-op diet - because my doctor requires a 10% loss before he'll operate, and you can't gain any back. His diet is much different than what I would have expected. I do either 3 egg whites, a slice of turkey bacon, and cottage cheese. I should be having an 8 ounce protien shake, but I cleared the above fuller breakfast through the dietician. Salads for lunch or dinner with fat free lo carb dressing, tuna, chicken, salmon, green veggies... and that's about it. Things that helped me stay focused: I found that if I posted notes around the house in placed I'd look for a snack, I'd re-evaluate why I was standing at the fridge or in my pantry. Keep sugar free hard candies in your sweet spots where you go to snack. Or, if you have a chocolate craving, three semi-sweet chocolate chips... melt one at a time in your mouth because your brain only really enjoys the first three bites of anything anyway... it helps and won't blow all your progress. A 9x13 of sugar free Jello in the fridge and a spoon ready to slurp it down with - go grab a bite of that when you need cold and sweet or you've done the habitual 'walking to the fridge to see if anything new is there from 10 minutes ago' bit - that's what I used to do when I was bored. Sugar free popsicles at night are a great treat too. Make sure you're drinking enough water to help fill your stomach. When all else fails, find someone to whine at for a moment.

I cried when I wasn't losing weight for the 10% requirement. I cried and cried in front of Meg. She said she didn't think I would get it off very fast, but I stuck to the diet and made it work and dropped weight really fast. She was surprised and pleased, as was Dr Anderson. (Me too!) Things that helped me stay focused: I found that if I posted notes around the house in placed I'd look for a snack, I'd re-evaluate why I was standing at the fridge or in my pantry. Keep sugar free hard candies in your sweet spots where you go to snack. Or, if you have a chocolate craving, three semi-sweet chocolate chips... melt one at a time in your mouth because your brain only really enjoys the first three bites of anything anyway... it helps and won't blow all your progress. A 9x13 of sugar free Jello in the fridge and a spoon ready to slurp it down with - go grab a bite of that when you need cold and sweet or you've done the habitual 'walking to the fridge to see if anything new is there from 10 minutes ago' bit - that's what I used to do when I was bored. Sugar free popsicles at night are a great treat too. Make sure you're drinking enough Water to help fill your stomach. When all else fails, find someone to whine at for a moment.

HI Caryn! I am on the books for either October 28th or October 21, possibly even sooner if my insurance approval comes in. I lost more than what I was supposed to, and I'm okay with that for now. I am committed to staying focused and making this work more than ever before. I went in and saw Meg after trying Weight Watchers for 4 months and gaining on it. She gave me the meal plan, and I stuck to it. I've lost 26 pounds-ish now however, the diet isn't long term, so it's not something I could do the rest of my life. Weight Watchers never worked for me. On my cards I never lost more than 8... in 2 years. It was terrible but partially a blend of bad medications (birth control and antidepressant because of pregnancies 9 months and 10 days apart) and a post-partum body that wouldn't get it's act together - even WITH a personal trainer! FYI - Meg won't schedule you until you lose your weight. I promise. I tried. She wouldn't even get me on the books to see Dr. Anderson until I lost 3/4 of what I was supposed to. But once I really set my mind to it, I got it done and nothing was going to stop me. Realizing that the weight reduction would help shrink my liver and start me on habits I will need for after surgery helped too. Less weight means less risk too. The "torture" diet isn't really that. It's just the first phase of getting skinny!! I know it's miserable. I white-knuckled it the first three days, but I am more than used to it now (7 weeks in) and I'm done with carb cravings pretty much. I am willing to head into Boise and meet up with you and others. I've not heard of support groups happening, but when I talk to Meg on Monday, I'll see and let you know what I hear. From the sounds of it, you and I might be weeks within eachother, possibly even the same day - if all goes well, and can probably offer a lot of support to eachother! If you get yourself wrapped around the idea that you get your weight off that he requires (which I know you can - even though it sucks!) you and I can do it the same day! At least we can whine together and laugh when we're doped up on pain killers!

Thank you TomatoGirl... :wink_smile: I'm feeling a bit better about belonging now...