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Happy1957, thanks so much for posting this. I was coming in this morning and planning on asking the same thing! I hit week 3 yesterday and I haven't lost any weight in 5 days. As a matter of fact, I had gained a pound at the end of last week and when I weighed this morning that one pound was back off. I was soooo discouraged. I am a band revision and had no idea that even a slight gain would be possible after getting sleeved. I too, have been reading about all these people that have already lost 20 to 25 pounds by week 3 and thought that this meant I wasn't gonna have good success. Now to hear that everyone seems to stall like this or have a little gain when transitioning into "real" foods, I feel much better. I guess some of us are just slower losers. I go to the doctor today and hope he tells me I can start exercising. I know this will help me to lose faster and kick my body back into gear!! Thanks everyone! P.S. can someone tell me how to post your weights, goals, and that weight loss ticker tracker so I can post. I just joined and can't fiqure out how to do it!LOL!

I am with desertmom - did they explain how bypassing your intestine would aid your esophagus???

I wanted some flexibility in my diet so I chose the sleeve. I know we have to still watch the carbs but I didn't want the dumping effect that come with the bypass. Not being able to enjoy the sweeter things in life is not living in my opinion anyway.

Hello Alicia. I understand just how difficult of a decision this is. It has taken me 2 long years of studying everything I could find and questioning doctors and patients before I made the decision to move forth with the lapband. For me, I chose the lapband because it is not cutting away part of my stomach. I chose the least risky surgery because things can and do go wrong. I just don't want the associated chronic diarrhea nor malnutrition that can happen with the bypass. Even with the bypass, there are cases where people don't keep the weight off. I know one person who I had no idea had the bypass years ago, and she is heavier than I am now. I think people can be successful with any of the WLS options. In fact, I don't think the success depends on which surgery you choose, but rather on how diligent you are in following the plan, creating new habits and a new lifestyle. I'll admit, I'm not yet a successful lapband patient, but I will be! My honest opinion is that it doesn't matter if we need to lose 100 pounds or 200 or 300, with enough diligence and determination, anyone can be successful.

Hi everyone, my name is Alicia. I am 37 years old and have about 230lbs to lose to meet my goal weight. I have 2 boys, 6 yr old and a 10 month old. I have been wanting a Bariatric surgery for a long time but insurance always denies it. The company I work for has decided to help me out with the financial part of it. I was told the best surgery form me would be the gastric bypass but that is COMPLETELY out of the question because of the cost. I am so afraid I will get the lapband and won't lose very much. I have diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, hypothyroidism, you name it. I hope I will hear back from people that will make me feel like this is still a good decision and not a waste of 14k.

Hi, I'm new here. I joined this forum with the expectation that my surgery was going to be about 10 months from now. I went to the surgeon today and I'm looking at two to three months from now. Which yay?!? I don't have to think about the what if's as long, but now I'm overly anxious about "holy crap, it's so soon I don't have time to prepare". I'm having the bypass which is what I went into the appointment expecting him to say I would need. I'm just nervous and jumping in head first reading all the posts. Thanks for sharing your stories, I didn't want to read them while being a creeper and not sharing mine.

Yes! I did this before starting with anything because I wanted ALL of my medical records just in case. I called my ins., saw my surgeon's NUT, went to my surgeon's seminar, AND saw my surgeon ALL before visiting my PCP (I had to wait 6 months anyway to be approved so I had time on my side) but when I did finally talk to my PCP, I was pleasantly surprised that he was supportive. I had previously asked about bypass and he had sort of steered me away from it (giving me thumbs up to try South Beach, and Meridia, and eventually a card for a place that sold medifast-like supplements) so I was thinking he might not be on board. When I did see him I had taken ALL of my medical records and made a chart of my weights over the last 10 years (he's been my dr. at least that long!) I wrote down every single diet I had ever tried (with lots being recommended by him) and the results of those diets, how much I lost, how much I regained and how much I spent. What I realized during the whole process is that he just didn't want to be the one to suggest surgery. Faced with the overwhelming report that diets had indeed NOT worked for me, he was 100% on board. Good luck, time to take charge and get the paperwork you need and deserve to have!

Research on 1700 patients of my surgeon’s bypass patients - after 1 year, most are eating about 750 calories a daywith a little variability but not much.

I was recently approached about carrying Subtle Butt disposable gas neutralizers in the BariatricPal Store. Subtle Butt disposable gas neutralizers use activated carbon to eliminate bad odors and save you from the smell (or the embarrassment). These 5 saving graces (also affectionately known as fart pads or fart filters) effectively filter the odor caused by flatulence. Simply stick one to the inside of your underwear and you're good to go. I personally know many weight loss surgery patients that suffer from really bad flatulence after gastric bypass or duodenal switch weight loss surgery. We would start selling them if we were told that our members were interested in this product. Please let us know by voting in this poll!

She had the sleeve, not the bypass, so she wouldn't necessarily be sick from the candy. It's still a really bad idea though and a form of self-sabotage.

I had a full RNY revision from VSG due to reflux and a hiatal hernia and it really helped me! I wish I had just had the RNY from the start. So happy I had the revision!

My doctor is recommended I have a bypass revision done (currently 5 years put on my sleeve) as I have severe GERD and weight gain. For those that have had this done….. which bypass did they do? Full ? Mini? Or? and did it help? Thanks in advance.

Welcome and best wishes with the insurance approval. I'll tell ya the sleeve is fabulous. NO sliming, puking, good foods getting stuck constantly, and the gammet of other issues that are hosted by the band. The sleeve works like the band is supposed to, and the restriction is immediately, and forever. It's not a magic pill, but 10000 times better than the crapband. I've had one as well, and was so glad to be able to revise to VSG.

Ask your doctor about the liquid protien shots. My doctor told me it was a waste of money. here is how he explained it, anything liquid will stay in your stomach for a very little time before it is passed on through to your bowels/intestine. The idea of having a sleeve rather than a gastric bypass is to allow all nutrients/vitamins/protiens to be absorbed into your stomach then go into your blood stream. If you take the protien in liquid (watery) form it will pass into the bowels/intestine and be PARTIALLY absorbed there and then the remainder will be expelled as waste. So even though you are getting a large dose of protien down, not much is being absorbed. So I would suggest trying going to your health food place or doctor finding a 'unflavored' protien powder and mix it in with your food (soups, stews, sauces, ect). Remember just because it is 'unflavored' does not mean 'no taste', so find something you can tolerate well. Also you can have a spoonful of peanut butter or cottage cheese or heck on some rough days I do a shot of Cheese Whiz (low fat, but 5 grams of protien). Also sprinkle cheese on your food. i hope this helps, but digestion of protien in the stomach is my total goal. But as always check with your doctor. Another goal is to NEVER drink my calories for the day. Instead only solids will have any caloric value.

Not sure I have anything to add... 1) Less invasive surgery - no cutting & re-routing of organs & therefore much safer 2) Adjustable as weight drops 3) Reversible if necessary 4) While the weight loss is slower, the end results 5 yrs out are similar. 5) No malabsorption issues, although I heard recently (on here?) that this is no longer the issue it used to be. Since I worried about my long term compliance with taking lifelong supplements. 6) Personally know people who have had life-threatening complications from RNY 7) Personally know people who have gained back their weight after successfully losing it with RNY My primary doc recently told me that every patient he has who has done the gastric bypass has ended up hospitalized with complications at some point. Whereas his patients with lapbands are doing great! (me included) Now he tells patients looking at WLS to do the band and avoid the RNY. Of course, I'm sure there are plenty of healthy, slender RNY patients out there or else they wouldn't still be offering the surgery. Still, I will freely admit that fear was definitely a part of my decision to go with banding. :thumbup:

Today is 3 weeks post-op since my Lap-Band. It's four weeks since my pre-op visit when I started a no carb/no veggie diet in prep for surgery. I am the same weight today as I was 6 days after surgery - that's dissappointing! I do realize that a lot of that weight loss may have been from being on a liquid diet, for 6 days, too. So I'm still 12 lbs. down from my visit one week pre-surgery. I should just be happy. But I've been working VERY hard, and doing pretty well, and I want to see more results. I don't see anything yet except on the scale, which will have to suffice for now. He told me to stop obsessing - I'm down 17 lbs. from my heaviest - which I think was back in July when I visited him to kick this off again. So,... that's promising! I kept reading about fills here and on Bandedliving.com where people talked about how many cc's of saline their doctor added. Lots said that their doctor will only do 5 cc's at a time. My surgeon had previously stated that I will leave there after every fill at the perfect point, and I'll come back when I notice that I'm able to eat more than I used to be - for another fill. Huh. Today I asked him how many cc's he starts with. He was like, "WHERE did you hear that nonsense? STOP listening to anyone but me!" (Jeez - I wasn't "listening" so much as hearing! I'm following no one's recommendations but his. I tell him that - that I can't believe how he only had me on liquids for 6 days following the surgery, when I see elsewhere in print or online that people have up to 6 weeks on liquids and purees. He says, "There's no reason for that - it's just that some doctors don't treat any of their weight loss surgeries any differently. They do the same thing for band, sleeve or bypass. And their patients are suffering needlessly if they're band patients. Of COURSE they lose weight - they're on a liquid diet! He says that it's not the end of the world, and it usually doesn't hurt anything. But it's really unnecessary. He says that he'd love to do an experiment where people who want WL surgery are told, "You're having WL surgery", but not told afterward which one they had. Then treat them all the same as if they'd had the bypass, and you'd find out that they all have the same results. He's convinced of it. Lol. Says that of course bypass patients are on liquids and purees longer than band patients - because they NEED to be - their stomach can rip if they don't do things slowly enough. But doing that to a band patient is just scaring them when there's no need. Interesting. Anyway, he lays me down on the exam table, he asks me where my port is. I point. He wipes it off with alcohol wipes. He says, "Little pinch", and I feel the needle puncture my skin (such a little thing). He pushes in some saline. Then he sits me up so my legs are dangling over the table. The syringe is still in my stomach. He hands me a glass of water, and says, "chug". I do, and he makes me stop after about 4 gulps. Says, "Okay, where's the water now?" I point to my stomach. Says, "Okay, tell me when it goes down past the band". He withdraws a bit of the saline back out, and I think I feel a change. So I say, "There". And he says, "Okay, then we're good", and pulls the syringe out and puts a band-aid over the port. I tell him that I'm not sure of what it feels like for something to go down past the band - I've never had that sensation. He says, "That's okay - you go home and try this. If it's not enough, you just come back and we'll work on it more next time." Ummm, okay? I asked him a few questions today. I said, "Your information packet says that the point of the band is to keep the food above the band for a time, alleviating hunger. But elsewhere, I see that it says, "wait for the food to pass your band before you take another bite." He says, "Dang - NO ONE has asked me that in all the years we've had that packet. Now I'm gonna need to fire my nutritionist, who put that in there." (he's obviously joking). I say, "So which is it?" He goes into a long explanation with me about how the band is designed to make a pouch at the top that food holds in for a few hours. If food is passing the band as you're eating, then the band isn't tight enough - and it's virtually pointless. K, got it. Next I ask him about why the band needs to be tightened/filled over time - does the saline seep out? No - it's because of a few factors - one being that your stomach below the band is thinner than above it - just like once you get a ring past the plumpest part of your finger, it slides off from there on down. So you need it tightened occasionally. Also, it can slip down a bit and need to be tightened more for that spot. This is not the "bad" slippage - this is more incremental migration. I also asked the doctor what makes the food in the pouch above the band move down past the band eventually? Is it just a log-jam effect that takes time? Nope - it's that the stomach acid starts eating at the food in the bottom of the pouch, which makes it break down and fall through the band. Ah - got it. I'm going back in a few weeks for a pre-holiday check. I'm hoping to get down past 300 in HIS office (vs. my home) this time!

Well the BIG difference that did and would still make me choose the band over the bypass anyday is that it IS reversible. Even tho it's an additional expense I'd be willing to bet Michelle's $ outlay is less than it would have been 2 years into a bypass. In most circumstances w/ the bypass, there is no going back. Like you'd ever get to say the "hell with it" when it comes to weightloss, Jenna. Funny... that's the phrase that almost goes thru my mind before I EAT.

Greetings everyone! I just wanted to share my experience. I was banded first time in 2006 with a 4cc band. Everything went well aside from sliming, food getting stuck & vomiting. I figured this was just the price to pay to finally be able to lose weight once & for all. I lost 50 lbs (not quite goal) but I was so happy to lose weight successfully. At my lowest weight I started having horrible reflux at night. I would wake up choking on burning stomach acid (sorry for the gross factor). It was not only painful, but scary. Apparently my band had slipped. From what I understand this is common for the 4cc band. So the process of removal of fluid over months began until I had no restriction. The hope was the the band would correct itself which it did not. The decision was a new band. I got a 10cc band a little over a year ago and have since gained all of my weight back!!! I can't begin to tell you how discouraging this has been. I know that it isn't totally the band to blame because as my disappointment in my new band grew I stopped exercising and ate "bad" foods. Since may 2009 I have had several fills. At one point I was too restricted and could barely keep anything down. For some reason I cannot find the sweet spot with this new band like I did with the old one. I go in for yet another fill and I am going to talk to dr. about a sleeve. My insurance has been very good about everything so far, but we know how insurance companies are ;0. I know that there isn't a perfect surgery, but from what I can tell the sleeve offers the benefits of a band yet without complications of bypass (which I would never consider). Thanks for listening!!:thumbup:

Thank you. Now my next question is did you get rebanded, choose gastric bypass or any other surgery? I still need to lose 70lbs but would be happy to get to 50. I still have restriction even tho he removed the saline. Since I am 4 yrs out & have gained really concerned that I will have to have it removed. Bottom-line, I know this isn't normal & will keep making appts to get it resolved. So many posts here are saying they have the barium w/the fill & that concerns me that mine doesn't. He has a big practice and affiliated w/Baptist hospital. I guess I will break down and ask him why. To be honest he is very intimidating and patients who aren't losing the weight well get an earful from him. Not so much mean but very stern.

Hi All, surgery went great, had some issues about 4 days out with rapid heart beat, sweating, feeling faint for several days. After a visit to the ER today and lot of tests, I was told that I was dehydrated. Even though I drink 64 oz a day I can't seem to drink enough. But that aside I am happy. One week out and I have lost 7.7 pounds. Nice!

Thanks. Both doctors are close to me. If I want a doctor associated with my hospital to do the DS, then I need to go to a hospital 3 hours away. The doctor who is close to me and in my hospital system only does the bypass.

It is very sad that some people don't understand how much a dr means it when they set rules for aftercare. My doctor told us a horror story about what may happen if you move to solids too soon. Actually there were many little ones but I will never forget this. A man was on his way home from bypass surgery, made his wife stop at Subway and he ate a footling. I don't know if he really ate all of it but his esophagus exploded and he spent almost a year in ICU. He wasn't my doctors patient, but a gal who was having surgery the same day as me knew the man, or of him! It's just crazy! I don't think people realize that food addiction is no better than a heroine addiction. Just very very sad.

I was shocked too, so however long you're in a stall be patient and still to the plan. I'm down almost 11 lbs in 1 1/2 weeks. It will come off if you are diligent. And cursing at your scale doesn't make it move, I tried it Revision 1/31/13 by Dr Cabrera and Venezuela in MX

Hey everyone! Today is exactly 4 months since my gastric bypass....I have lost exactly 50 lbs since surgery and 80 lbs total since I started this journey....I had a very rough month of April battling horrible diarrhea and then constipation! Finally for the past few weeks now I'm starting to feel somewhat back to normal [emoji3]....I have yet to start a regular exercise routine ...I know that's bad!! If only the weight would fall off as fast as my hair is lately! [emoji15][emoji37] Anyway..I would like to thank everyone for helping me along the way with any advice you have given to me...I find a lot of great information here...along with some humor and drama...makes for good entertainment at times...lol

I am so sorry this happened! Ridiculous! I was just talking to my sister-in-law yesterday who recently completed her personal training and group teaching certifications and talked about my eating, success, etc. (she is VERY supportive by the way). I was telling her how the personal trainer I had was spouting stuff they didn't know and she agreed that people in this profession should NOT be giving nutritional advice - at least without previously getting at least some nutritional advice. She has a new client who had bypass a few years ago and has gained back most of her weight so I was really stressing to her how important it was to be cautious with nutritional advice for our sort and she agreed. (I also told her to encourage the person to seek therapy which might help.) Anyway.... this person said "and tell me i was doomed to fail and this would just create more issues then i already had"??!! You need to report her to the gym (or wherever). I don't care what you are doing to lose or gain or maintain, no one in this profession should spout these words and those to whom she reports needs to be made aware before she continues to do it to others.