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You're welcome! 🤗 I got my band in 2013, and within a year or so I hit my lowest weight and I got stuck about ten pounds above that number. For years I was stuck. I gained about another ten back after GERD, and I thought that I wouldn't be able to lose anymore weight either. But it's coming off. And as far as not feeling restriction... I feel/felt the same way, but this week I started eating grilled chicken again for the first time since before the revision, and now I feel soooo much restriction. My surgeon told me that I have some nerve damage from the band and that's why I wasn't feeling restriction. But I can definitely feel it now as I'm able to eat denser proteins. Previously I was still eating a lot of chicken that I made in the crockpot, so it was a softer consistency. I think you will notice more restriction once you're fully healed. You're early out still. Give it some time and just follow your surgeons eating plan and track your protein and water. You got this! Best wishes!

14 lbs in two weeks is excellent. I lost 16 lbs the whole first month! (not a revision - I have a virgin bypass). people tend to lose slower after revisions than they do a virgin surgery - but again, 14 lbs is quite a lot. I wouldn't throw in the towel yet...

It's best to take anything someone says in one ear and then right out the other! You're doing what's best for you and it's not anyone elses decision. I'm having the same problem with peoples negative comments. Especially my sister. Oh she knows 10 people (yea right) that have had surgery and they all gained weight back! I just laugh. I'm being banded on April 10th! That's one day after you. I'm excited! I've lost 46 pounds since November doing the treadmill everyday and LA Weightloss. I'm still doing the lapband so I have a tool to help me lose the rest and help keep it off. I've lost weight before only to gain most of it back. My husband is getting gastric bypass soon also. Just waiting his visit with his surgeon. We'll be eachothers support. Don't need peoples negative comments! Good luck to you on your surgery! Take care. -Dawn

Thank you so much, I haven't talked to many who have had the band. I went to a seminar but they really went into the bypass surgery. I know it is slow, my PCP says that is the best. Heck, I have been obease for 30 years, what is a little longer......... Slow is good, healthy and slow.

i had gastric bypass a little over 10 years ago and the weight is back and then some. i'm looking for other options, as it's unlikely that my bypass would be revised (it's not broken, just stretched). i've seen lap band commercials, and since i believe everything i see on tv, i figured it must be worth a look :thumbdown: has anybody around here had lap band as a second weight loss surgery? to which section of the forum should i venture for this info? thanks! ffff

Hi, I'm Selena, I have had my band exactly 3 years this week. I have had several fills and unfills. I sometimes wish I had gone with the bypass surgery since those people seem to lose all their weight and not struggle like me. I started at about 285 lbs. I have gotten down to around 235, but Ib know it is my own fault I haven't made my goal of 183. I don't eat right, but I have enlisted some new buddies and goal systems to finally move forward. I joined CURVES in May and have lost over 10 inches and 10 lbs. I just started their 6 week challenge to boost metabolism, do more exercise and have both group and leader support. My discouraging thoughts come in when one woman who started last year and then had the gastric bypass instead of banding has already lost over 100 lbs. I know that she had more to lose to begin with, but I feel like maybe I should have done it to. Has anyone felt like me?:help:

Selena, I think you made the right choice with the band. Bypass patients might lose it faster, but if you maintain bad habits you'll just gain it back. You have to work with the bypass just like you have to work with the band. Keep going! Never give up! That's the beauty of the band. There's no "magic period" where you've lost your chance to lose the weight. You can keep right on going.

Hi @@Phoenix40! So last Thursday I went for my Nutrition/Surgeon/Coordinator appointment. I'll describe each appointment below: First you are weighed in and your height is taken Nutrition: The nutritionist is a very nice lady and she will ask you about what type of diet you have been on (I started following the 1200 calorie diet after orientation). You will have to describe what you usually eat for Breakfast, lunch, dinner, Snacks,etc. She also talks about Vitamins and what type you will need post op (this will depend on if you get the sleeve or bypass) and what to expect as far as diet goes in the first weeks after surgery (i.e. liquids, soft foods, etc) She also informed me about the different types of Protein drinks and answered any questions I had. Surgeon: Dr. Hahn was very patient. He went over my BMI, co morbidities, medications, etc to ensure that I would be a good candidate for surgery. He said it would be my choice whether to go for sleeve or bypass as I would be great candidate for either (I don't have acid reflux). We talked about the differences between sleeve and bypass (right off the bat he discouraged from the lap band so we were in agreement about that). He reiterated that regain was possible with either surgery and so is dumping (so it really comes down to the patient being willing to put in the work to not only lose the weight but keep it off). He went into detail about possible complications withe each procedure (ulcers, reactive hypoglycemia, reflux, etc). He then set a weight loss goal for me. Normally they ask the patients to lose 10% of their body weight but Dr. Hahn only requires a 7-8%, of total body weight, loss. For me 7-8% was 19 pounds (I had already lost 9 pounds since orientation and he credited me so I needed to lose 10 pounds to get a surgery date and 5 pounds to get a psych appointment). The only other requirements Dr. Hahn set out for me, besides weight loss, is attending at least one support group, and an EKG (I already finished my bloodwork). Coordinator: She was very pleasant. She informed of what my next steps to surgery are (support group, psych appointment, etc) and that to be sure I call monthly to update them on my weight and progress. Before the psych appointment each patient must fill out a surgery quiz (located in Chapter 9 of the Bariatric binder) and send it in before the appointment. Overrall it was an interesting yet quick appointment. I was told to expect to be there for 3 hours but for me it was more like 2 hours. Sent from my SM-G925T using the BariatricPal App

I had bypass 10/21. I can drink comfortably with no problem. At first it would take me hours to drink a protein shake, now I can drink a premier protein in about 30-40 minutes. Some days I prefer something flavored like propel and other days just plain H2O. My program does not allow rice, bread, pasta or quinoa. They have more low carb/paleo program.

My husband and 3 sisters. The oldest sister had a bypass in 2012 so I told her first. Everyone else can mind their own business. I'm very private. I won't lie, but I'm not volunteering.

I started my program in February and I’m finally scheduled for gastric bypass surgery on July 6th!! I am so beyond excited, nervous and just feeling all the things right now. Let’s chat about our upcoming surgeries!

wow can I empathize with you. The only thing I can say is at least you found out BEFORE you had surgery!. I was approved and had surgery (revision from lapband to sleeve) in November 13. I was hospitalized 4 days due to complications. A few weeks later I get a bill for ..... wait for it.... $132,000. So I have a major anxiety attack and call my insurance who tells me they indeed did approve the surgery but my policy only covers up to $25,000 per life time. They never told me that nor did they tell the program coordinator at the hospital I went to. Now, I have to tell you, the hospital did "reduce" my bill to $47,000. That was nice of them. When I called to make payment arrangements, the lowest they would accept per month was $800.00. That just isn't going to happen, I'm a social worker who works for a non profit agency. Scary stuff.

That is quite good to know (the pushing of a yogurt rich diet). Depending upon the brand and such, they can have an extremely varied microbe content. I suppose an interesting test would be to break down post surgical success based upon which yogurt brands (and in turn, which microbes) lead to the most desirable outcome. That experiment would be much further down the line however LOL. Speaking with my mother, she remembers being pushed into an extremely high protein diet post bypass, and told to avoid fruits and vegetables. I had forgotten that fact. Thanks for the insight, Brad We are all encouraged to eat a high protein/low carb diet. Yogurt is a great option immediately post op because of it's soft consistency. Some of us are even allowed it in the "liquid" phases. It remains a good option later on as well, due to its high protein content and low carbs/sugar. Another thing that might be interesting to explore is the prebiotic Fiber content of many high Protein Bars. Many use isomalto-oligosaccharides and a major brand, Quest, just switched to soluble corn fiber. I was an avid Quest Bar eater until the switch and my gut bacteria definitely didn't take the switch well. I became HORRIBLY bloated and flatulent. I couldn't even be in the same room with myself it was so bad. I had to switch to another brand that was still using isomalto-oligosaccharides.

That's exactly what I want to know. I'm currently taking Pregabalin, Metformin, Cyclizine and Morphine. I was wondering about how the RXY bypass especially might affect medication absorption. I've just started looking into this, so please do feel free to suggest a good starting point. I won't see a surgeon for quite a while as my clinical psychologist has said I have to lose 5% of my bodyweight before she'll start the funding request process. Thanks Hi, I don't know about the various meds, but while I was reading about Bi-Polar meds, I came across Morphine and pain meds, and it was talking about extended release and immediate release, and for some reason they were saying Morphine was one of the only pain meds that was being absorbed in the patient studies. Don't know if that helps, but just thought I'd throw that out there. Thanks, I did find a thread after posting. I did look but still managed to miss it! Oops!

I had my EGD on March 5. It wasn't bad at all. They give you sleepy meds and you don't even know what's going on. By the time I woke up I had no clue anything had happened other than I was groggy. Some people get a little throat irritation but I didn't even have that. My doctor ended up finding a hiatal hernia that he said he'd fix when he went in to do the VSG. I'm wondering if it would matter where the ulcer is as to whether they would do the bypass rather than the sleeve. My simplistic mind thinks that if it's in a spot they are going to remove anyway maybe that would be okay?? I'm not really sure.

I would say if you are steady in weight that you might not want to do this? I don't know your BMI but in the Netherlands the minimum for a gastric bypass/sleeve is 35 with co-morbidities or 40 without. If your lap band is giving you problems, you can consider it, but I wouldn't expect too much weight loss after? Good luck either way

First off, congrats on your surgery and hope you are healing well. A certain amount of depression/buyer's remorse is very common with life-changing events, and a bypass certainly qualifies. It might help to know how many of us wish we had had surgery earlier in our lives. You should certainly be able to have children. In fact, after weight loss you should have less trouble conceiving than an obese woman at the same age. You are less likely to have issues with gestational diabetes and your baby is more likely to be born at a normal weight. By the time you reach maintenance, you will be able to consume sufficient calories to support a healthy pregnancy. And when your toddler runs, you can run, too! The first month is hard, no two ways about it. But in the grand scheme of your life, this will just be a challenging chapter. The one right before all the good stuff starts! Best wishes!

You have lost a massive amount of weight. Congrats. Given that you are 6ft you may need to be eating more to sustain such a weight loss and have good energy levels. Are you currently under the care of a bariatric dietician? If not please check in with one so that your tiredness can be investigated. Have you been having regular blood tests done to see where everything is? Having a bypass may result in malabsorsion of nutrients and lead to deficiencies that can show up in blood tests. Being back in the gym will also require more fuel for energy. You may want to throw yourself back into the thick of it but dont. Slowly increase the rate and weights that you exercise with. Dont pop another hernia by rushing things. Does the gym have an exercise physiologist that can give you guidance? Please seek one out. Walking is a great place to start. Your wife IS right. You just had major surgery and that by itself will take time. Dont try to run before you can walk.

Hello I am in philly but am from Pennsauken Nj I am having gastric bypass on 12/15

I had my gastric bypass in 2013. I did really well at maintaining until I suffered a serious knee and back injury. As a result of being unable to exercise or be active I gained weight. 9 days ago I started the reset diet. So far its working miraculously. It is teaching me to eat properly again, reducing my intake and lots of more energy. I also started using patchaid vitamin patches as well.

Tomorrow will be my 1 year anniversary since my gastric bypass surgery. I have lost 86 pounds. I’m not going to lie, I honestly thought I would have lost more by now. Although weight loss has slowed down tremendously, I have yet to see a gain on the scale so I take that as a win. I would like to lose at least another 50 pounds so I have to remember this surgery is not a cure-all, it’s simply a tool. I’ve been extremely lucky and have had no complications whatsoever. I don’t experience dumping syndrome at all (well I did once when I ate some ice cream and have steered clear ever since) but other than that there really isn’t anything I can’t eat, I just eat a whole lot less. I can definitely be better about my diet, like always, but one thing I’ve incorporated into my life that has stuck is exercise. I don’t feel good unless I exercise so it’s become addicting (in a good way). Anybody who is reading this and contemplating this surgery, or is in recent post op and struggling, I have absolutely no regrets about having this surgery. The first 2 months were rough, but I got through it and so will you!

Hi guys! Been casually observing this forum but now I’ve decided to take the dive! It’s day 2 post op gastric bypass. Generally feeling ok, except extreme bloated ness (a mix feeling of bloated ness and muscle pain) at the upper abdomen area. Is this normal and will it subside? What do you guys do/ask for to make this feeling go away?

I chose my initial goal as the high end of normal BMI; then I got down to my weight in college when I was an NCAA athlete; and now I’m at the low end of normal BMI but am not worried about it as my labs are great, I feel wonderful, and my docs aren’t concerned. I’m only 19 months post-gastric bypass so there’s room for bounce back and still be within normal BMI range. My horrible joint issues, especially knee pain, is sooooo much better at a lower weight that I don’t want to regain too much as that could lead to less mobility and early total knee replacement (bilaterally).

Hi! I’m 6 weeks post bypass and have lost 19lb since surgery. I’m getting 1.5/2l fluid a day. Hitting my protein targets and getting some exercise in. Why is my weight so slow? If I’d known that it was going to be like this, then I never would have put my body through a major op.

Hi, I'm waiting on my insurance to approve my band to RNY revision. They have approved my port revision (three months ago - which I had to wait on pre-existing condition clause) until now to have. I was banded April 11, 2008 by Dr. John Bagnato, Albany GA. Assessment day I was at 271, with a pre-op diet I went into Surgery at 259 pounds. By my first fill I was down about twenty pounds - or perhaps I should say attempt at a first fill - my port had flipped. So I had to schedule revision surgery, which I had in July. I think lost an average of 15 pounds a month. I found out right after my revision surgery my husband was having an affair - emotionally I was a wreck but I think it gave me a push. By November I was down to 214 (my lowest weight). I worked out, followed all the rules - strictly and even ran in a 5k. My marriage continued to deteriorate and by December I asked for a divorce. We separated in February. I ended up moving to my hometown in Florida (four hours away) in March. It never dawned on me the impact of moving to another state would have on my health due to my band. I ended up getting sick and had to get an unfill a few months after moving to Florida. I went back to Georgia for one fill which I had to have removed due to esophagous spasms. When my divorce was final in October 2009 I lost my benefits. I quit my job when I left and it took me four months to find a job (and it didn't offer benefits). But with two small children to feed I didn't feel I had much choice. So no doctor, no follow-up. I tried to find a doctor in Florida to see me, closer than four hours away. No one would take me. I tried everything. I finally found a doctor in Pensacola that would see me. He was able to put in 1cc (I have a 10cc band) in November 2010. I went back in March for my second fill and he couldn't access my port. By the way my port is in my chest, stitched to my left breast muscle). He said it has to be moved. We filed the insurance and they denied me due to pre-existing condition (June 2010 is when my insurance took effect, so I had to wait until June 2011 for anything related to my band). In May I started having port pains and reflux issued - I had an upper GI done. I have mobility issues in my esophogus and some erosion...so I'm told that the band has to come out. I had an appointment Wednesday of this week with him. He confirmed it and we discussed alternatives. I had been reseraching the RNY for a few weeks (once he told me bye bye band)...so now I'm waiting on insurance approval. I'm curious how many of us are out there? and if it is specific to the doctor or type of band? Is there a specific timeline when the failures/complications begins. For the longest time I blamed myself - thought I'd done something wrong. It appears after getting back on LBT (after a two year departure), I'm not the only one. I really hope this RNY site takes off...looking forward to talking to everyone...