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So I am having Gastric Bypass on the 21st... Yay 16 more days!!! So here is the big one- I have an appointment with my primary Dr on Saturday to go on birth control - I have been using natural family planning with success for 2 years now but I know that after surgery I will have a huge fertility boost and I dont want to risk a pregnancy... Soooo I know the pill is not a super great option due to absorption issues- but what birth control have you all tried? I was thinking of the depo prevara because I have had success in the past with it- but I also gained weight on it and I am worried about using a birth control that could be counter productive. Have any of you had any success with the depo? What birth controls would you recommend?

I had my surgery with Dr. Ortiz on April 16th 2012 and I can honestly say it was the best decision I have EVER made!!! I am down 142 lbs and I feel amazing!! I am actually on his before and after section of his website and I have a featured youtube clip. I am an advocate as Dr. Ortiz has changed my life. He and his staff took such great care of me! I have posted several times about my experience so if you search under my posts you should find more info. One of his coordinators, Lori Wrights had her band to sleeve revision the same day as me.. We call each other "sleeve sisters"!!! LOL I also use his Enspira vitamins.. I have never taken the recommended dosage (4 per day) but I try and get at least one down a day. I also take an additional B12 not because I have too... I just believe in B12 so much for overall wellness. Haven't been sick a day since my surgery. I have pictures posted of the facility and of my surgery day if you are interested in looking.... As always... I am here for support as well... So, if any of you have any questions or concerns please let me know.. I am glad to help! Best of Luck!!! Emily

Alright, so... It seems that I rather suck at eating. I was fortunate enough to have my appetite and hunger return a mere 6 weeks after surgery, so getting appropriate nourishment hadn't been much of a struggle from that time until recently. Somewhere around 4-6 weeks ago, my appetite and most of my physical hunger (barring perhaps the middle of the night or first thing in the morning) seem to have just switched off. Since then, hitting my goals has become quite the battle. This morning I poured over my MFP entries to average out my calories and Protein for the past month, and it came out to 687 calories (current goal range is 900-1100) and 68g protein (surgeon's goal range is 75-113g, my personal minimum is 90g). And if I'm being entirely honest with myself, several of those days were 'padded' a little. Not deliberately - just things like recording a Protein Bar but only finishing half, recording a snack I intend to eat at work but forgetting, things like that. I know that I shouldn't be consuming so few calories at this stage, and that getting my protein in should be my top priority. I know that I need to suck it up and eat whether I like it or not. I know that eating when you don't want to is no walk in the park for anyone. But I feel that I am having a particularly difficult time with it. I've no problem with the timing - its not that I'm just getting busy and forgetting that its time to eat (okay maybe a few times, but its not the main issue), so setting an alarm won't help much. The problem is that if I don't feel like eating, then not only do I flat out not WANT to, but I am physically averse to doing so. The thought of it turns my stomach. Having food in my mouth can trigger my gag reflex. Swallowing becomes very difficult. I instantly feel 'full' and like I'm stuffing every bite. Now there is nothing physically wrong with me, as I can eat just fine when I actually want to. I really don't know what the problem is. Full disclosure: I do have a notable history with eating disorders (nothing threat-of-hospital-worthy since my late teens, however I've had more minor relapses as recently as 2010), but I truly don't believe that's what's going here. An eating disorder involves a certain mentality that simply isn't present right now...not to mention that I've grown too old for that sh*t. I don't know if its the summer heat, the upset of my recent move, working for the first time in a decade, having to share a house...whatever. I don't want to make excuses. I've been considering returning to a liquid diet for a week or so to see if the absence of solid food will re-trigger my hunger/desire for it. Does anyone think that might work? I'm quite certain I'm not the only one in the history of WLS who has struggled with this. If you are one of them, what has worked for you? How have you been able to get passed this? Does anyone have any suggestions? Harsh words are as welcome as supportive ones here - I know that I'm totally f*cking myself over right now. I'm going to end with a few stats and tidbits so no one is forced to dig around in my profile or past posts for relevant information if they don't want to: Gastric bypass on 25 Jan 2016 (5.5 months post-op) Pre-op loss = 86 lbs, Post-op loss = 64 lbs (month 1: 26 lbs, month 2: 13 lbs, month 3: 9.5 lbs, month 4: 10 lbs, month 5: 3.5 lbs, month 6: 2 lbs so far) Age 35, 5'7", 205 lbs, goal 170 lbs I currently have NO medical team due to my recent move to Canada, so consulting my surgeon/nut/psych is not an option. I must fulfill a 3 month residency requirement to qualify for insurance here, then I can get a referral to a new team for further care (paying out of pocket is not possible for me at this time). The vast majority of days still include adequte Fluid intake and Vitamin supplementation Thank you in advance to anyone who takes the time to read my novelette and reply to it.

I would suggest you really try your best to get your calories up. By having low calories for an extended period of time it will damage your metabolism... and once it is damaged.. as soon as you go above your new RMR you will gain weight... and you already have had the bypass...conversion to other surgeries is limited. I stupidly stayed on lower calories for 7 years.... and in hindsight i wish i had known that you could damage your metabolism doing so.... this is the reason i had to be sleeved... i was maintaining until my band failed... then once i got above 800 cal.. i gained weight quickly.. and thats eating good clean foods and small portions! Now because of the metabolic damage i have to be at 800 for life! Pleased try your best to increase your calories... can you add a healthier Protein rich semi slider food.. just to reach your protein and calorie goals? What are your macros like? Are you having small amounts of complex carbs?... reason being is that you might still be in ketosis if you are limiting your carbs.. which when in ketosis it reduces your appetite.. so that could also be contributing.

Hello... I thought I would post this must read article by the surgeon who invented the "Green Zone" and how the band should "ideally work".... http://bariatrictime...1/#comment-2133 Gastric Banding and the Fine Art of Eating BT Online Editor | September 22, 2011 by Paul O’Brien, MD Dr. O’Brien is from the Centre for Obesity Research and Education (CORE), Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. Bariatric Times. 2011;8(9):18–21 Funding: No funding was received for the preparation of this article. Financial Disclosure: Dr. Paul O’Brien is the Emeritus Director of the Centre for Obesity Research and Education (CORE) at Monash University, which receives a grant from Allergan for research support. The grant is not tied to any specified research projects and Allergan has no control of the protocol, analysis and reporting of any studies. CORE also receives a grant from Applied Medical toward educational programs. Dr. O’Brien has written a patient information book entitled The Lap-Band Solution: A Partnership for Weight Loss, which is given to patients without charge, but some are sold to surgeons and others for which he receives a royalty. Dr. O’Brien is employed as the National Medical Director for the American Institute of Gastric Banding, a multicenter facility, based in Dallas, Texas, that treats obesity predominantly by gastric banding. Abstract The author reviews the physiology of eating and what the adjustable gastric band does to the function of the distal esophagus and upper stomach of the patient. The author also provides the “Eight Golden Rules” on proper eating habits for patients of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, including what, when, and how they should eat, in order to achieve optimal weight loss results. Introduction Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) has been shown to enable patients with obesity to achieve substantial, durable, and safe weight loss,[1,2] which can help reduce or resolve multiple diseases,[3] improve quality of life, and prolong survival in patients with obesity.[4] LAGB is a weight loss surgical procedure performed solely for the purpose of affecting a key physiological function in weight loss, appetite control. In 2005, we conducted a randomized, blinded, crossover trial that showed that the LAGB controls the appetite.[5] However, if the LAGB is not placed properly or if the patient does not eat properly, it will not perform at an optimal level. For example, if the band is placed too loosely, then it will not provide the proper level of reduced satiety and appetite, and likely will have little effect on the patient’s weight and health. If the band is placed too tightly or if patient eats too fast or takes large bites of food, slips and enlargements can occur, leading to reflux, heartburn, vomiting, and sometimes the need for revision. Optimally, the band should be adjusted so that it squeezes the stomach at just the right pressure. If the patient eats correctly and the band is placed correctly, the LAGB should adequately control the patient’s appetite, resulting in optimal weight loss. The Physiology of LAGB Dr. Paul Burton, a bariatric surgeon at the Centre for Obesity Research and Education, Melbourne Australia, has studied the physiology and the pathophysiology of the LAGB closely. He used high-resolution video manometry, isotope transit studies, endoscopy, and contrast imaging to understand what happens during eating in normal controls, eating in patients who are doing well after LAGB, and eating in patients who have symptoms of reflux, heartburn, and/or vomiting after LAGB.[7–15] In Burton’s series of articles, he concluded that in LAGB, it is not the band that fails, but rather the patients who receive the band and, more importantly, the doctors who care for them. Many years ago at the Centre for Obesity Research and Education (CORE), my colleagues and I developed the Green Zone chart, a conceptual way of identifying the optimal level of band restriction (Figure 1). When a patient is in the yellow zone, it is an indication that the band is too loose. When in the yellow zone, a patient may be eating too easily, feeling hungry, and not losing weight. When a patient is in the green zone, he or she does not feel hungry, is satisfied with small amounts of food, and is achieving weight loss or maintaining a satisfactory level of reduced weight. When a patient is in the the red zone, it is an indication that the band is too tight. The patient experiences reflux, heartburn, and vomiting. The range of food the patient in the red zone can eat after undergoing LAGB is limited and he or she may start to eat abnormally (so-called maladaptive eating), favoring softer, smoother foods like ice cream and chocolate. While in the red zone, patients will not lose weight as effectively and they may even gain weight. Burton measured the pressure within the upper stomach beneath the band in numerous patients when they were in the green zone. He found the optimal pressure was typically 25 to 30mmHg. The art of adjustment is to find the level of Fluid in the band that achieves that pressure range. That level of pressure generates a background sense of satiety that persists throughout the day. The patient, when correctly adjusted, normally will not feel hungry upon waking in the morning, and throughout the day should feel much less hungry than he or she did before band placement. In my experience, it is common for LAGB patients to have no feeling of hunger in the morning. Then, during the day, a modest level of hunger will develop, which a small meal should satisfy. One of the key lessons learned from Burton’s studies was that each bite of food should pass across the band completely before another bite is swallowed. There is no pouch or small stomach above the band and there should never be food sitting there waiting. The esophagus is a powerful muscular organ that typically generates pressures of 100 to 150mmHg, but it is capable of generating pressures above 200mmHg. Esophageal peristalsis squeezes the bite of food down toward the band and then progressively squeezes that bite across the band. Each bite must be squeezed across the band before the next bite starts to arrive. Figure 2 shows a bite in transit across the band. A single bite of food, chewed well until it is mush, will move down the esophagus by peristalsis. At the level of the band, the esophageal peristalsis will squeeze that bolus of food across the band. It takes multiple squeezes (usually 2–6 squeezes or peristaltic waves) to get that bite of food across in a patient with a well-adjusted band (Figure 2). Those squeezes generate a feeling of not being hungry and stimulate a message that passes to the hypothalamus to indicate that no more food is needed. If a single bite of food is able to generate between two and six waves of signal, a meal of 20 bites may generate 100 or more signals. This is enough to satisfy a person and is enough to signal him or her to stop eating. We recognize two terms for appetite control, satiety and satiation. Satiety refers to the background control of hunger that is present throughout the day regardless of eating. In the LAGB patient, satiety is generated by the band exerting a constant compression on the cardia. Satiation is the early control of hunger that comes with eating. In the LAGB patient, satiation is generated by the squeezing of the bolus of food across the band during a meal. Each squeeze adds to the satiation signal. There are sensors in the cardia of the stomach that detect this squeezing. The exact nature of these sensors is still to be confirmed but they must be either hormonal or neural. We know that satiety and satiation are not mediated by one of the hormones currently known to arise from the upper stomach.[16] Ghrelin is a hormone that stimulates appetite. A number of hormones that can be derived from the cardia of the stomach are known to reduce appetite. None of these hormones are found to be raised in the basal state after gastric banding and none can be shown to rise significantly after each meal.[16] Vagal afferents are plentiful in the cardia, and one group of afferents has a particular structure that lends itself to recognizing the compression of the gastric wall associated with squeezing of the bite of food across the band. In my opinion, the intraganglionic laminar endings, better known as IGLEs, are the most likely candidate as mediator of the background of satiety throughout the day and the early satiation after a meal. The IGLEs lie attached to the sheath of the myenteric ganglia and are known to detect tension within the wall of the stomach. They are low-threshold and slowly adapting sensors and therefore are optimal for detecting continued compression of cardia of the stomach over a 24-hour period. The several squeezes that go with the transit of each bite stimulate the IGLEs further. The signal passes to the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus and the drive to eat is reduced. The lower esophageal contractile segment. Burton developed the concept of the lower esophageal contractile segment (LECS). It is made up of four parts: the esophagus, the lower esophageal sphincter, the proximal stomach (including the 1cm or so above the band and the 2cm of stomach behind the band), and the band itself (Figure 3). As the esophagus squeezes the bolus of food down toward the band, the lower esophageal sphincter relaxes as this peristaltic wave approaches. It then generates an after-contraction, which can maintain some of the pressure of the peristaltic wave as a part of the food bolus is squeezed into that small segment of upper stomach. The upper stomach, including the area under the band, is sensitive to these pressures. It generates signals to the hypothalamus. These signals may be hormonal but are more likely to be neural. A correctly adjusted band will generate a basal intraluminal pressure of 25 to 30mmHg, providing a resistance to flow. The segment of the bolus that is squeezed through generates more signals from that area. Keeping the LECS intact is a key requirement for success with the gastric band. Bad eating habits (e.g., insufficient chewing, eating too quickly, taking bites that are too large) hurt the LECS. If those bad habits go on for long enough, stretching occurs and the power of peristalsis is lost, leading to the return of hunger (Figure 4).[11,12] The Fine Art of Eating A quality aftercare program is essential to successful weight loss in patients after LAGB. Before making the decision to proceed with LAGB in patients, I promise my patients three things: 1) to place the band in the optimal position safely and securely, 2) that they will have permanent access to a skilled aftercare program, and 3) that I will give them the information they need to obtain the best possible weight loss from the band. In return, I ask for three commitments from my patients: 1) that they follow the rules regarding eating after undergoing the procedure, 2) that they follow the rules regarding exercise and activity, and 3) that they always come back for follow up no matter how many years have passed.[6] The “Eight Golden Rules.” At my facility, we summarized guidelines for eating after LAGB into what we call the “Eight Golden Rules” (Table 1). These rules are included in a book and DVD given to every patient who undergoes LAGB at the facility.[6] The rules are also posted on www.lapbandaustralia.com.au and are reinforced at most aftercare visits. These eight golden rules must become part of each patient’s life. The effect of the LAGB procedure on hunger facilitates a patient’s adherence to the rules, making it more likely that he or she will follow them. However, achieving positive results with LAGB requires a working partnership between the physician and patient. Adhering to these rules is the patient’s part of the partnership, and he or she ultimately is responsible for the success or failure of weight loss following LAGB. What to eat. After undergoing LAGB, patients should eat small amounts of “good food,” meaning food that is Protein rich, of high quality, and in solid form. Each meal should consist of 125mL or 125g (i.e., about half of a cup of food). This measure of “half a cup” is a concept rather than a real measure of food, as some foods, such as vegetables and fruit, are composed largely of Water and this has to be allowed for in some way. Thus, I allow exceeding the “half a cup” limit a little for vegetables and fruit. We instruct patients to put each meal on a small plate and to use a small fork or spoon. The patient should not expect to finish all of the food on the plate, but rather he or she should plan to stop when he or she is no longer hungry. Any food left on the plate should be discarded. Protein-rich foods. Protein is the most important macronutrient in the food a LAGB patient eats. At our clinic, we recommend that our patients consume approximately 50g of protein per day. We have measured protein intake of our patients (Table 2) and have monitored their blood levels. We have not seen any protein malnutrition after LAGB, indicating that a daily intake of about 50g a day is sufficient. Table 2 shows the energy and macronutrient intake of 129 consecutive patients measured before and at one year after LAGB. Note the mean energy intake is reduced by approximately 1500kcals.[17] The best source of protein is meat; however, red meats, such as beef and lamb, tend to be difficult to break up with chewing in order to be sufficiently turned into mush. It is much easier to break up fish with chewing, and many fish are high in protein, including shellfish. chicken, duck, quail, and other birds can also be cooked to be easily chewed to mush before being swallowed. eggs and dairy, including cheese and yogurt, are also excellent protein sources. For nonanimal sources of protein, a patient should consider lentils, chickpeas, and Beans. Half of the “half a cup” allotment per meal should comprise protein-rich food. The other half should be made up of vegetables and/or fruits. I recommend to my patients that they eat more vegetables than fruit because vegetables have less sugar. Any space left in the “half a cup” can be used for the starches, (e.g., bread, Pasta, rice, cereals, potatoes), though I recommend to my patients that they eat a minimal amount from this group of foods as they tend to provide no important nutritional benefit. High-quality foods. High-quality food are foods that are minimally processed, natural, and whole. We encourage our patients to look for quality over quantity—for example, they might try sashimi-grade tuna, smoked salmon, duck breast, lobster, or even a simple poached egg. It is also important to remind your patients that there is no limit to the amount of herbs and spices that can be used to enhance the flavors of their foods. Solid foods. The patient should choose solid foods over liquids whenever possible. Liquids pass too quickly across the palate and, more importantly, too quickly across the band. There is no need for the esophagus to squeeze liquid, and without the squeeze, there is no stimulation of the IGLEs and no induction of satiety; therefore, eating calorie-containing liquids may negatively impact a patient’s weight loss. When to eat. After undergoing LAGB, a patient should eat three or less times per day. If the patient is in the green zone, meaning that the band is adjusted correctly, there should be no need for him or her to eat between meals. In fact, even three meals a day may be more than needed for satiety. In my experience, patients have little interest in eating in the morning. By late morning or early afternoon, patients may start to notice some hunger, which indicates that it is time to have a first small meal. In the evening, patients may have another meal. Most importantly, patients should be instructed that a meal missed is not to be replaced later on. The typical human body is satisfied with a maximum of three meals per day but often is happy to accept two or even one meal per day. Patients should be reminded that there should be no snacking between meals. If a patient finds that he or she is hungry by late afternoon, encourage him or her to eat something small and of high quality, such as a piece of fruit or some vegetables, just to tide him or her over until the evening meal. The patient should then visit the clinic to check whether or not he or she is in the Green Zone. It is important that the patient adhere to the aftercare program to monitor whether or not he or she is in the green zone. If not in the green zone, the patient will need to have fluid in the band increased or decreased. How to eat. Take a small bite and chew well. The “half a cup” of food should be placed on a small plate. The patient should use a small fork or a small spoon to eat. A single bite of food should be chewed carefully for 20 seconds. This provides the opportunity to reduce that bite of food to mush. It also provides the important opportunity for the patient to actually enjoy the taste, the texture, and the flavor of the food. Encourage your patients to enjoy eating more than they ever have. After chewing the food until it is mush, the patient should swallow that bite. Swallow, then wait a minute. The patient must wait for that bite to go completely across the band before swallowing another bite. Normally, it will take between two and six peristaltic waves passing down the esophagus, which can take up to one minute. This is probably the biggest challenge of educating the patient who has undergone LAGB. You must instruct the patient to eat slowly—chew well, swallow, and then wait one minute. A meal should not go on for more than 20 minutes. At one bite per minute, that is just 20 small bites. The patient probably will not finish the “half a cup” of food in this time. In this case, the patient should throw away the rest of the food. After undergoing LAGB, the patient should always expect to throw away food and to never eat everything on the plate. If it takes between two and six squeezes to get a single bite of food across the band and each squeeze generates satiety signals, then 20 bites should be generating 40 to 120 signals. The actual number will depend on the consistency of the food, the tightness of the band, and the power of the esophagus. With good eating practices and optimal band adjustments, the patient should not be hungry after 20 bites or less. As soon as the patient is no longer hungry, he or she should stop eating. After undergoing LAGB, the patient should never expect to feel full. Feeling full means stasis of food above the band and distension of that important part of the LECS above the band. This destroys the LECS, the mechanism that enables optimal eating behavior and appetite control. A patient should always keep this process in mind. If the patient finds that after eating the “half a cup” of food he or she is still hungry, he or she should review his or her eating practices, correct the errors, and consider the need for further adjustment of the band. If this is occurring, it is usually an indication that the patient is not in the green zone. Eat a small amount of good food slowly. These eight words are the key to success. Small amount refers to small bites, the small fork (e.g., oyster fork), and a total meal size of half a cup. Good food refers to protein-rich, high-quality, and solid food. Slowly refers to chewing well, swallowing, and waiting a minute. Try to repeat these eight words to every patient every time you see them. Get them to repeat it at every meal. The failure of the gastric band can almost always be traced to failure of this process. Addressing the Challenges The two principal challenges after LAGB are weight loss failure and the need for revisional surgery due to proximal enlargements above the band. Weight loss failure will occur if the band is not placed or adjusted correctly or if the patient does not adhere to the guidelines of proper eating and exercise. When a patient is not achieving results after his or her LAGB operation, the doctor should check to ensure that the band is correctly and safely placed. The most common reason for weight loss failure is poor eating behavior, which leads to enlargement above the band. There are three common eating errors: 1. The patient is not chewing the food adequately. Food must be reduced to mush before swallowing. If it cannot be reduced to mush, it is better for the patient to spit it out (discreetly) than to swallow it. 2. The patient is eating too quickly. Each bite of food should be completely squeezed across the band before the second bite arrives. 3. The patient is taking bites that are too big to pass through the band. Each of these errors leads to a build up of food above the band where there is no existing space to accommodate it (Figure 4). Space is then created by enlargement of the small section of stomach or by enlargement of the distal esophagus, both of which can compromise the elegant structure of the LECS. If the LECS is stretched, it cannot squeeze. Without the squeezing, satiation is not induced. When satiation is not induced, hunger persists, more eating occurs, and stretching continues. If our patient continues this each day for a year, it is inevitable that chronic enlargement will occur, the physiological basis for satiety and satiation is harmed, and stasis, reflux, heartburn, and vomiting supervene. The doctor should continually review the Eight Golden Rules for proper eating and exercise with each patient. For optimal weight loss following LAGB, the patient should have access to a comprehensive long-term aftercare program for clinical support and optimal band adjustments and he or she must follow the guidelines regarding eating and exercising for the rest of his or her life. “Eat a small amount of good food slowly” is the key to optimizing the gastric band.

Stigma - you have touched on a different topic then the usual "to tell or not to tell" so I am going to be honest even though it is UGLY! ( Not asking for those of you on here to tell me my feelings are wrong and I should change them, they are what they are and I am admitting up front with UGLY I know they are, but feeling have a mind of their own- they are not facts or chosen beliefs that we control) #1 I am EMBARRASSED I felt I needed to and decided to "not do it the right way" and I am taking the "easy way out". #2 I have judged others for years and wondered why they would have WLS and take that giant risk when they could have just changed the way they ate and exercised more. #3 I do not feel like people understand the difference between the different types of WLS and when I say I had the sleeve even with an explanation of what it is, they just lump me in the WLS category with everyone else and I feel I am so different and made an informed decision and was unwilling for years to get the bypass because of the complications. I do not want to be considered "One of them" ( see UGLY judgement on my part once again) #4 FEAR! So many I know who had WLS have gained it all back and I it breaks my heart and I feel so bad for them and can only imagine how difficult it must be. To have taken such a big risk and failed. I fear that will be me and if others do not know I had surgery it will just be another in my long list of diet fails - some how that I know I can handle,but a WLS fail seems bigger and I would feel much more judged/disapproval so I would rather they did not know. #5 I have way to many friends who would be watching me, asking questions wanting explanations of why and how come and asking me to help friends and adding a lot of to-do's to my daily life -when I am taking time to establish a new healthy lifestyle and do not need the stress or burden that would bring. So if they do not know about my surgery, I do not need to be bothered to help, inform, explain or whatever would arise by their inquisitive minds #6 I am loosing about 1 1/2-2 pounds a week which is so normal there is no need to give details. It is the easy way out by not telling them. Except for the tiny bit of guilt when they are all excited and proud of me and just can not believe my will power and ability to eat such a small portion and move on. That tiny bit of guilt ..... for now I can live with.

How much have to lost to date with revision?

How long was your approval time for the revision? Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Has anyone done this due to GERD? Nervous!

Thank you BrandonKea for posting this! I have been feeling so alone in my struggles. I had my bypass Oct 23rd and have since then been unable to keep any sort of foods down, sometimes liquids even become a struggle for me. Liquids seem to be getting a little easier, but I just gave up on eating much of anything. My surgeon simply said chew longer, wait longer between bites...I decided to try another GI doctor. I go Thursday so I hope that the news is not bad, but I already had to take a trip to the ER once for dehydration. I even get nauseated just thinking about eating at this point. I've had nothing but complications since this surgery happened and felt like my dr didnt take me seriously. So i just kept it to myself. I really hope your struggle is over soon. I think the most important thing for people to remember that decide to do the surgery is keeping in mind that these sorts of extreme cases happen, its rare, but it happens.

It's 6 months since my mini gastric bypass. I have lost total of 55 Kg or 121.25 lbs. My weight loss trend is still hovering around 6 Kg (13.2 lbs) loss/month. But from last 3 months, I have seen increase in my hunger. In terms of percentage, the increase would be 20 % as compared to the 3 months back. Is this normal? I am also spending a lot of time for workout - around 6 hours of cardio and 12 hours for strength training + HIIT + weights every week. Not sure if that along with muscle i am developing is causing this hunger? or maybe its normal? Also, lost my job to layoffs recently but finances are not an issue. So just trying to maintain calm and avoid any emotional eating. My current weight is 92.5 Kg or 203.5 lbs. Should I get my metabolism evaluated to see my calorie requirement or wait upto 1 year for weight to stabilize? I had my surgery outside country of residence due to surgery wait times. I do teleconference with bariatric surgeon every 3 months, but no in person visit option available. Please suggest. Thank you

it's still in place. They just separate the two parts with surgical staples. As far as I know, the two parts are not physically cut apart or anything. In fact, the RNY is technically reversible (although they don't do it unless the patient has some severe issue that can't be resolved any other way - or if they're going to revise it to a duodenal switch - in which case they reverse the RNY and then sleeve your stomach)

Thanks for the advice guys. I dig y'alls passion and commitment! It's evident that y'all are winning the battle of obesity. I should have made my question a little more clearer. I totally understand that alcohol equals useless calories and can lead to poor choices in general, namely food consumption! I was referring to the sleeve itself, and the potential harm that alcohol could have on the healing sutures and such. As of now, I am self funding my revision (appeal in progress), so I am in no way planning to waste my hard earned money and sabotage my potential success. But having said that, I still want a life! I am a very light drinker and may go months without nary a drop. There are times and occasions that I like to be social and partake in the "party". That's all. Thanks, Ray

And I had no pain then, mine came a few weeks later when I developed a stricture. Every day- in so many ways- you will start to feel better, right now you and your body have been through a lot together. It was Major Surgery so be kind to You, the ones who boast of being dismissed and going right to the mall shopping are a very small minority. Even I had moments of What Did I Do To Me? And I worked over 3 years to gain my RNY bypass, so I wanted it very badly. Yeah not pain per se but I did feel like somebodythrew me ovee a cliff and left me in a heap below. My 72 year old belly felt I had gone through the most extensive Gym Workout of my life. You can vent to us as much as you want, the futurebenefits are surely there, but this initiation is ROUGH. I owe you one big hug as soon as you're less tender!

Regarding exercise...whether you have the band or bypass, exercise should be incorporated into your lifestyle. You can do other things besides walk...swim, bike (recumbant) yoga, etc. Personally, I thought the slower weightloss was better for me. I'm almost a year into this and down 53 pounds. It came off fast at first and then slowed. I need another fill but am waiting until after the holidays just so I won't have problems like getting stuck, etc. My weightloss has slowed mostly due to lack of exercise and not always eating properly. Good luck with whichever you decide.

I'm approaching three month out from my surgery. I started with a BMI just a little above yours. My decision to have the band instead of bypass was based on the fact that the band does not require permanent re-routing of my digestive system. I was never comfortable with that concept. As for hunger....even though my band is only at 2cc in a 10cc band, I rarely feel true hunger. When I do, I stop to think and it's usually been four hours or so since I've eating....a small snack, such as a handful of grapes or a string cheese stick, will hold me nicely until my next meal. I do constantly battle with the 'head' hunger.....boredom, snack attacks.....but that's getting better as well. Fortunately my doctor was/is very supportive of the band. She does both procedures almost equally, but gives each patient the pros and cons for both procedures. The outcome, a ways down the road, with lap band and bypass is practically identical so it made no sense for me to have the more invasive procedure. I am also a self-pay.....the difference in the price between the two procedures wasn't a major factor, but certainly lap band is less expensive.

Thanks for the tip about having fruit with dinner, Susanbee. That seems like it would be a very good way to "wash" down food. I'm so glad that you're having such great success. Good luck, Regang. I hope you hear back from your insurance soon. I have some good news. I went to a seminar with a different surgical group and had a completely different experience. The doctor was very positive and gave a more balanced view of the lap band procedure. I also went to the seminar equipped with a lot more information after spending hours reading this site. I'm going to call their office in the morning and schedule an evaluation and cancel the appointment I made with the other office. I do think that if the doctor that actually performs the lap band surgery, rather than the gastric bypass specialist, had presented last week's meeting it would have been much better, at least for me. I'm glad, now, that it pushed me to find another office.

Hello everyone. I have so many questions and concerns. The message board has already been very helpful to me. I'm 46 and have been considering the surgery for about an year. My bmi is 39.5, so I think I can put on the extra couple of pounds to qualify for the surgery without too much trouble. :wink2: I went to the doctor's seminar the other night. It ended up discouraging me more than anything else. The doctor who spoke is the head surgeon, and he's not very supportive of this procedure. He is top in his field in gastric bypass surgery, and he highly recommends it over Lap Band. He has surgeons in his practice that perform the Lab Band surgery though. A couple of his thoughts (my paraphrasing): 1. It does nothing to relieve the constant hunger. 2. Over the many years he's practiced medicine, he's seen several restrictive surgeries come and go, and he said in Europe, where Lap Band has been used for several years, it is falling out of favor do to its less than favorable results. After reading this message board, one of my concerns is the inability to drink fluids during meals. I can give up my diet coke addiction, my rare beer, and bread, but having no fluids during meals is going to be hard. I also was under the impression that the surgery was much easier to reverse than it seems to be. I'm worried that like all the other diets I've tried, that I'll not lose, and I'll be stuck with the Lap Band. I'm self pay, so I won't be needing a insurance authorization. My doctor's evaluation is scheduled for next month. Thanks for reading ~ Kiz

If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't choose lap band OR RNY bypass, but would choose DS or VBG instead. You get better weight loss with the last two and less complications. Perhaps you should look into all of the bariatric surgery options to help decide which is best for you.

entwife, I'm so glad that you posted. I'm learning so much from reading about other people's experiences. I have one person that I know personally that had the lap band, but she lives out of town. There's no way I would have gathered this much info without this site. I hope you get some tips on how to lose a little quicker, but it sounds like you're doing very well. Going down several dress sizes and getting your blood pressure under control is wonderful. I know I'll go through times of feeling discouraged too, and I hope to lean on this community to get me through and for encouragement to continue. anitaj, you've given me a lot to think about. I wouldn't consider gastric bypass at my current weight, although I have a lot of weight to lose and fear the continual upper climb in pounds as my metabolism slows with age. I really do see that a last resort proposition, and I had no idea of the bathroom trouble that people experience. I really can't decide what that doctor's motives in not supporting the Lap Band treatment. I do think he truly believes in the gastric bypass as a life saver, but it seems like a sledge hammer solution for someone like me. As far as questioning about the Lap Band removal, I'm not going into this with a defeatist attitude. I just want to be sure I understand all the ins and outs. If I were to have an adverse reaction to the band (erosion, slippage, etc), I want to be sure I understand what my options will be. If I decide to get banded, I'm going to be 100% committed to success. For one thing, this is coming from our savings (our insurance doesn't cover it), so I really want to be sure this is an investment that will not be wasted. I think after trying Weight Watchers several times, physician assisted diet meds, plus all the self inflicted yo yo dieting it's easy to become cynical of ever keeping off the weight. As you were able to tell from my post, I am very concerned about hunger. I'm so glad to hear that it hasn't been a problem for you. I know everyone will have different experiences, but I left the seminar with the opinion that hunger was going to continue to haunt me indefinitely. ~ kiz

Other than the really bad acid reflux which I am going to see the doctor about in my appointment in a few days, I feel pretty good. My resting heart rate is now 70. It used to be around 80-85. I used to have the band and had a revision to gastric sleeve. Whenever I used to take deep breaths, I could feel the band and it felt like a stricture. Not having it in my body feels great just because I was always aware that it was there and it was always bothering me. I huff and puff less when climbing the stairs.

You sound like me, GramaLisa. I want to read up on everything I can get my hands ahold of, to make the most informed decision possible. After I finish reading here, I'm going to look into ordering the book your nutritionist recommended. I'm sorry to hear about all the difficulties your friends at work have experienced with gastric bypass. Some of those are heart breaking. I don't know how I could cope with gaining all the weight back after going through such a life altering surgery. I hope you hear back real soon from your insurance. Thanks for your kind words, froggi, but I'm not surprised, because you come from a great part of the country. My husband and I were born and raised in Parkersburg. We haven't lived there for years though. I think you were probably a little baby last time we called Parkersburg home. Where will you have your surgery?

Can you drink on the band? I like a few beers or a Sangria with dinner-will I have to give that up? Will it make me sick? Will I get drunk faster? I know someone who had gastic bypass and she gets drunk really fast-I don't wantthat but I am a Jersey Girl and love an occassional drink or two on the weekends.

As far as I know, we can still drink. Probably a few months after surgery or when the Dr clears you though. It won't be the same as bypass people where they get drunk quickly. We just have to be mindful of drinking too quickly and calories from liquid.

Rachele, thanks for letting me know you love your bypass but what is a ds bypass verses a regular? How much more weight have you lost. I am down about 117 since getting my band done. My new dr. says I should lose another 65 to 70lbs. Have you been able to lose easily?