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I'm on Effexor 150 also and have pending LapBand or Bypass - I can't seem to make up my mind about which procedure. I am concerned about not being able to get down/keep down the Effexor also - Does anyone else get major dizziness if they miss a dose? I'm afraid I'll be a mess after the surgery!

I was banded on November 20th. I wake up every day feeling better than the day before, but nights seem to have been tough. For the past two nights I have gone to bed feeling very bloated and very down. Has anyone else experienced this? I have read the board about how most people have gone through the bloated gassy stage. I have also read the board that a lot of people have gone through the OMG what have I done stage. I am just wondering if anyone has had the experience where both things peak at night time? Any thoughts why? It is 7:30 AM right now and I am not looking forward to the evening.

Hi Sharon, I am still learning this banding/diet process as I go along, but since you and I were banded only 8 days apart, I thought I would throw my two cents in for what it's worth............ 1) I think exercise is really key, and unfortunately there is just no way around that. The good news is that once your workouts become habit, you will probably start to enjoy them. I know that this has happened to me, and for the first time in my life I actually enjoy and look forward to my workouts. 2) Portion control. I have learned from others on this board to portion out my food on the plate and once I have eaten that portion to stop eating, even if I am still hungry. I do occasionally have slip ups and eat more than I had planned to, but most days I manage to do this. 3) No eating or snacking after dinner. This has always worked well for me -- even before I was banded. The band makes it so much easier for me to do this now. 4) My current diet consists mostly of Protein, fruits and vegetables. I try to limit my intake of bread, Pasta and starchy vegetables as much as possible, but have not eliminated them completely from my diet. As I said, I am still learning this as I go along, but this is what is working for me at this point in time. Good luck and congrats on your weight loss so far! Crazy Ates November Exercise Challenge 17/16 Days of Exercise Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico 9.75 cm/4cc Inamed Band 2 fills (both under fluoro): 9/07 & 11/07

I'm new to these boards and am just starting paperwork for lap-banding. I don't know how it will go with insurance approvals and what not. I'm a short girl 4'10" and weighed in on first visit at 172 BMI of 35.9. I come from a family of heavyweights. My dad had gastric bypass 5 years ago, and my baby sister is needing some medical surgery for weight loss as she's now tipping scales at about 300 lbs. I was told by a doctor, several times, that the dieting I have been doing the last five years has staved off the 250 pound girl in to the 160-170 pound girl I maintain well. I am afraid if I gain any more weight I'll balloon like my sister did. The 170's and beyond are the death trap for us. I tried weight watchers and it never worked, only when I was down to 800 calories a day did I lose... it was sad. I have a bunch of co-morbs; probably sleep apnea as everyone else in my family has it, pre-diabetic, UBER high cholesterol (genetic - average with a good diet is 206 for me was at 265), pretty severe depression and a bad back that my orthopedic said would get better if I could lose weigh. He said about every pound we lose, it's like 5 lbs off your back... Gosh, wouldn't that be lovely? So questions are... Anyone else here have Railroad health benefit coverage through United Health Care? If the 5 year history is overweight and not obese will I be denied given above co morbs? any clue? Why doesn't insurance cover the dietician, but they cover a sleep study? I was told that the doc I am working with has put through people under 35 bmi before... but the co morbs gotta be bad. I've also gotta find a way to lose my 10% weight as is required by my doc before I can have the surgery.... I am at a loss of how to do that minus diuretics and laxitives... Can anyone help? I would be so grateful....

My BMI was 38 when I started with my surgeon. He was willing to do either surgery on me, it was my choice. If I had been diabetic vs. pre-diabetic, this would not have been the case. But with my BMI and health history, he said either procedure would be fine for me. My reasons for choosing the lapband are listed below. There is a list of reasons to pick bypass and also lists of reasons to not choose either. You have to decide which list is more powerful. 1. Hubby did not support gastric bypass, was much more comfy with the idea of the band. 2. That rubbed off on me as well. The bypass re-routes your innards and totally scrambles things up. Lapband doesn't. 3. If food gets stuck, band can be unfilled and food passes. With bypass, they must go down the throat and remove it. 4. Should I become ill and need more nutrition, band can be unfilled. 5. Weight loss is slower at first than bypass. I think this lessens the questions from people about your weight loss. Slow and steady is the way I want it. 6. I am in control of my restriction, if there is too much, I ask for an unfill, too litte, I ask for a fill. With bypass, what you have is what you have. I did not do any research into the Sleeve procedure, thus cannot speak to that. Denise

I have read the 'rules of the pouch' and they mention 'water-loading'. Is this for bypass patients or for lap band patients as well. Does anyone use this technique between meals?

I chose lap-band over bypass 1) because of the cost. Bypass is at least twice as much 2) My BMI was also 37, and my Dr. told me my age, along with a lower BMI, made me a better candidate for the lapband rather than the bypass. Plus, bypass and the sleeve just scared the hell out of me.

I selected the lapband because: 1) My husband had gastric bypass in August and has lost 95 lbs, BUT it took him a long time to recover - probably a good six weeks. There were times he was sooo sick. The idea of actually having your parts cut and rerouted just werent for me. 2) The cost of the gastric bypass for my hubby was around $35,000 which was covered by insurance. The cost of my lapband is around $14,000 which is NOT covered by insurance. 3) I do not have 6 - 8 weeks that I can miss for work. 1 - 2 weeks is about all I can take off due to workload. BTW, your BMI is not all that high which would be another reason I would select the lapband. Hope this helps!

I am 3.5 years out and yes my appetite is back. I think that is normal... The whole idea is that the WLS helps us develop new habits, and even all these years later I really CAN'T eat as much as I used to as long as I stick to dense Protein first... everytime. My advice is to go back to basics. Protein first. Don't drink with meals but hydrate really well between meals. Limit carbs - and don't eat junky slider type foods. dont drink your calories (soda, fruit juice, booze etc) and watch out for "healthy sugars" as they can trigger cravings too - examples are fruit and fruit juices. Watch Protein Bars as they are high calorie/high carb. It is a lifelong struggle but I will say I am alot happier fighting it out in the 150s than I was fighting it out in the 300 plus plus range.... Hang in there! Oh I am sorry, I thought you were a sleever like me... it seems you posted in the bypass forums so I assume you had a different surgery. I suspect my advice/comments are similiar though regardless of the WLS type...

I had a hysteretomy in my 30's. I was in a car accident in 1998, broken leg. My weight gain was gradual since the hysterctomy. I love to eat, and I work for cardiologists, so I am aware of good food choices, and made them some of the time. I had periods of regular exercise, and was going to Curves fairly regularly. My PCP had been after me to lose weight, and in my head I understood it. But put a pizza or sub or chips and dip in front of me and I was a goner. I have high blood pressure,high cholesterol, GERD, knee arthritis, sleep apnea (or as my surgeon put it, metabolic syndrome all but the diabetes). When my liver enzymes were elevated on my cholesterol test, my PCP started again about weight loss. My sister had gastric bypass about 2 years ago, but I wasn't sure I wanted to go that route. I checked my insurance (they cover bypass and lapband) and went to a seminar about weight loss surgery. Then I started going to the support group to learn more. I found this site and obesityhelp.com and did a lot of reading, ultimately deciding the band was what I wanted. I had to do a 6 month documented diet for insurance(lost 10 lbs), consult with surgeon, psych eval, and was finally approved in February of this year. Prior to surgery I had to do a pre-op liquid diet for 2 weeks (ended up 3 weeks because I caught a cold and surgery was postponed for a week). I lost 25 lbs on the pre-op diet, so by 3/25/08 I had lost 35 pounds. 2 weeks post op liquids, 2 weeks mushies, then regular food, just a lot less than before. Some foods have a tendency to get stuck, like bread/rice/pasta, so you will be altering your eating habits. I read labels like a maniac, looking for the lowest fat/carb/sugar content. My eyes are still bigger than my pouch, and if I eat too much I feel uncomfortable, but that is getting better. I am also learning to chew more. I used to inhale my food. Sorry to be lengthy, but I think you can benefit from the band. It doesn't affect what you put in your mouth, just how much. And when you start losing, you will tend to make better choices in what you eat. I also bumped up my exercise with walking. I found a lovely park with a 2 mile path. I started walking weekends in January and when daylight savings arrived, I now go almost every day and do 2-4miles. When I lose daylight in the fall, there is a county rec center gym with treadmills near my home, and I still belong to Curves. There is also an aquatic center 5 minutes away with Water aerobics. So it is a package deal. The band is a tool to help with portion control. Since surgery I lost another 35 pounds, so I would say go for it!

nope. It varies by clinic, not by surgery. Our clinic has the sleevers and the bypassers on the exact same plan.

Yes to the weight loss and the thrill of it all.... but there is something about the simple victories and the internal feeling of success . Being able to cross your legs comfortably is amazing Take the little victories in too.... they are equally as fulfilling HW 242, SW 236- (Bypass 12/20/17) GW#1- 199 [emoji736] (2/11/18) GW#2- 175 CW 190 5’6”

I thought I was 100 percent set on getting the gastric sleeve as it seemed to e the "least invasive." However, I have been reading up on the mini gastric bypass and I am wondering if that would be better for me. I am 5'5 a little over 300 lbs with a BMI of 51 and wonder if I will be able to get to my goal weight at that size with just the sleeve alone. I have scheduled my surgery or June 14th for the sleeve but now I am wondering if I chose the right surgery. I do not suffer from acide reflux, I don't want it and of course I want the least amount of complications possible. I also dont want to have a second surgery if one doesnt go as planned. Feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hey y'all! I'm a 21 yr old from SC. I'm having Gastric Bypass December 18th, and just looking for people around my age or even close to me that are going through the same thing!

I got a sleeve. Sleeve Pros... Shorter surgery, fewer complications, statistically. Fewer issues with dumping syndrome Fewer issues with vitamin deficiency, anemia and malnutrition. Does stretch a bit (to me, this is a pro, to others it might be seen as a con....I like the idea of my anatomy returning to something that could pass for its original design eventually.) You won't lose as much weight with sleeve as bypass, though.

Has anyone ever had days when nothing stayed down and then the next day be fine? I had this with the lap band, but did not expect it with the bypass! I am 8 weeks out....WTH??

I have carefirst blue choice of MD. I was approved for the lapband 2 years ago within 3 days. I'm waiting to be approved for a revision from lapband to gastric sleeve. The documentation was sent in November 5, 2014. So we will see. I'm praying that you get your approval.

I had Gastric Bypass on 3/25/2021. I came home yesterday evening. I was shocked at the amount of post op meds I have to take and some are for over 90 days! The most daunting med is the shot to prevent blood clots. Thank god for my loving and supportive hubby, he really came in clutch and offered to give me the shots (2x a day mind you). Anyone else blown away by having 9 post op meds added to existing meds and vitamins?

Hi I dont no if this group is near you deTAILS BELOW. West Midlands Support Group Members and any one interested in attending this group. The Support Group is scheduled to meet, First Saturday of each month 2.30pm till 4.30pm The venue is BUPA HOSPITAL, Solihull 1 Damson Parkway Solihull West Midlands B91 2PP 3rd February 3rd March 7th April 5th May 2nd June 7th July 4th August ALSO THERE IS A GROUP DETAILS BELOW:- 1st September 6th October 3rd November 1st December The Support group is for both pre and post-op patients. We welcome patients, support members family members, you may be a part of the group regardless of where your surgery was performed. Our group is held In a open format. Each group will be different depending on the needs of the individuals in attendance. If after any group meeting you feel that your need have not been met, please feel free to contract me for further support or advice.

Thanks Maryb. I appreciate it. I hit the half way mark in December and havent lost anything since. I am not following the guidelines of being a bnadster and need to get back on track. With losing my grandmother in November and now my husband has left it has taken a toll on me emotionally and I have been doing that emotional eating. I need to get out of that period and start losing. I do need a fill too because I just feel like I can eat anything. Angie

Hi You, Yes gotta love it when the scale is not so kind to us !!! It's been tough as you know staying on track. My last appt with Lisa the nutrtionist I told her i'm tired of " Food" I'm tired of the same things over and over!!! She told me to stay positive and keep going... so I went home and took a week off.. NO COUNTING NO MEASURING and I still did good but the pressure was off. So now I'm back on track again trying to get these last stubborn 7 lbs off so I can be at what he wants for Surgery!! I had then Endoscopy done and they found a medium size hernia...go figure... Dr. White is unsure what Dr. B wants to do... they may have to fix the Hernia at the time they do the band. I have my appt with Lisa next week and then my last one will be in November. Karen Darley called and I have my Pre-Surgery class at the Hospital in 2 weeks and the only things left are the Stress Test & Echo Cardiograhm. Then I'm done so by the 1st-2nd week of November I will be done. I'm really hoping to get the Lap Band for Christmas. Where are you in the scheme of things?

Congrats on your date! I just recieved my date on Tuesday. My surgery is scheduled for November 4th. I am feeling the same, a little nervous, but excited! Well good luck to you!!!!

Sounds strange to say but i didn't know what options were available to me. Before this i've only ever heard of bypass and the lap band. I wasn't nervous about the actual surgery. I was more scared of being obese forever and the health issues that comes with that later on. Once i found out about the sleeve, i was like "when can i do this? Tell what i have to do, let's get it over with"

For those of you that have undergone surgery and/or are still thinking about it, what are the top things that would come to mind (whether legitimate or not) that caused you to hold off on making the final and ultimate commitment to proceed? For me in prior years it has been the following (and please note that I'm not saying these are logical or rationale concerns and many are excuses...there is no right/wrong answer here). Assume that there are NO insurance/financial concerns. Also, some of the concerns/thoughts listed are still true for me today (namely #8, #5, etc.) 1) Oh Dear God, they slice away chunks of my stomach (bypass & sleeve) and it is not reversible (in case of the sleeve) 2) Surely instead of going 'under the knife' and the risks it will involve, I can commit to FINALLY losing the weight on my own once and for all 3) I'll never get to enjoy/eat 'XYZ' again OR I can only eat 2 TBSP's of 'XYZ' if I do this (rationale side says why wouldn't 2 TBSP's be enjoyable and also that food is 'fuel' not 'sport') 4) I'll never be able to have a drink again (FYI - I RARELY drink so this was kinda silly for me, but it was a thought) 5) What if something goes terribly wrong (often tied up with the thought 'what if I die') 6) The process takes so long, there is 'too much' I have to do...see multiple doctors, lose weight before, yada, yada, yada 7) What will I do with all of the loose skin (this one makes me snort out loud...don't ask me why I thought having 'loose skin' as opposed to 'fat filled skin' was an issue) 8) The side effects/issues related - dumping, malabsorption (sp?), etc. 9) My family/friends/coworkers thinks it's crazy risk...or crazy idea...or that I'm just too 'lazy' to actually "work at it" (and part of me used to be mad at myself for having to consider 'resorting to such drastic measures') 10) Regarding sleeve - keep reading we don't have history on the gastric sleeve like we do on gastric bypass, what IF something really bad shows up over time that we don't know now?

I just wanted you to know that I work for surgeons who perform both the Lap-Band and the Gastric Bypass and the decision has to be yours. Our Bypass patients all feel like they have had the best procedure and our Lap-Band patients all feel as though they have had the best procedure. There's a chance for complications with either procedure. You must have discipline in order for the Lap-Band to work and as long as you know that, I think that you will have great success! Good luck to you....I wish you the best!