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I'm on day 3 of the pre-op diet and I just had a hypo ????. I'm using less insulin as directed, but obviously it is still too much. The only thing I had to hand was a nut/muesli bar. I had to eat it to stop myself passing out, but it feels like I cheated ????. What is worse though is that I am at work, an hour from home, and I am supposed to leave in an hour so I am there when my kids get home from school. But I'm not sure I will be able to drive by then ????. Tried ringing my husband, but his team went to a restaurant for lunch and he won't answer his phone. Feeling guilty I ate when I wasn't supposed to, and I don't know how to get home ????

I agree with JerseyGirl, slow and steady. I just turned 60 and am 5 weeks post op. I lost 20 pounds pre surgery and I have lost 24 pounds since surgery. I also have hypo thyroid, had a total hysterectomy 5 yrs. ago. With 44 pounds gone I am now off 2 of my 3 blood pressure medications! I knew it would come off slower than my younger sleevers but at least it is coming off which is something I could not do by myself. Hang in there

I just set my date for surgery and got some blood work back showing a really high c-reative level. I emailed Dr. Alvarez's office to ask if I might not be able to have the surgery.... I was hoping for a " well of course you can still have the surgery!" email back and I didn't... I need to wait to hear what the dr says.. soo nervous now.. anyone else with high levels before surgery?

Thanks for all the support everyone! And my surgeon is Dr. Chu. The process for me was a little different than others. I started this journey last year February I attended 2 seminars and then met with the nutritionist and surgeon. But after that I wasn't too sure if I wanted to get the surgery so I decided to try one more time on my own but failed! So by November I decided this is the best thing for me and I called Bariatrics but had to get my referral reactivated witch took about a day or 2. Then they called me once they got the referral to set up an appointment over the phone with my surgeon. I had the over the phone appointment and next had to lose 5 pounds to be within 5 pounds of my surgery weight to see the psychiatrist and do blood work. I saw the psychiatrist and she said she was going to give all my paper work over to my surgeon and in a week I got a surprising phone call that I was all good to go and my surgery date is February 6th and pre-op is January 25th.

The condition you are experiencing is called reactive hypoglycemia. A few patients after gastric bypass surgery experience this condition. Reactive hypoglycemia (postprandial hypoglycemia) refers to low blood sugar that occurs after a meal — usually within four hours after eating. Signs and symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia may include hunger, weakness, shakiness, sleepiness, sweating, lightheadedness and anxiety. These links discuss the condition: https://www.ridgeviewmedical.org/services/bariatric-weight-loss/enewsletter-articles/reactive-hypoglycemia-postgastric-bypass http://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/25/4/217 [Most patients with dumping respond to nutrition modification, comprising frequent, small, low-carbohydrate meals. In this article reactive hypoglycemia is referred to late dumping syndrome.] http://www.weightlosssurgery.ca/before-after-surgery/reactive-hypoglycaemia-post-gastric-bypass/ https://www.stjoes.ca/patients-visitors/patient-education/f-j/PD 7972 Reactive Hypoglycemia after Bariatric Surgery.pdf

I will be four years out from sleeve surgery this June. Maintained at 130's first two years easily. My third year I had a gain 10 to 15 pounds. I got it back down. Maintaining for me is chasing the same 10 pounds up and down the scale. My health is fantastic, Type one pre surgery my a1c is in the non diabetic range. I'm in the best shape of my life, I am making up for lost time. Only one small complication. Reactive hypoglycemia ( Low blood sugars ) Its manageable with food. I've been managing my blood sugars all my life so this is nothing new.

Yes you can take an OTC PPI like nexium or prilosec (omeprazole). Keep in mind it's not a reactive drug, it needs to be n your system to work effectively. It may take up to 5 days before you really feel any relief. Start with 40mgs and see how that works. Pay attention to the time of day you feel the acid the most and take the meds 2 -3 hours before hand. If after 2 weeks you don;t feel any relief, call your doctor.

3.5 years post op.. My blood pressure came down, hypo thyroid meds decreased.... Blood sugar lowered... Cholesterol lowered... I have a herniated disc in my neck that I had to have an epideral injection into ever 3 months but with the weight lose I only get one a year. Joint pain has greatly improved. I didn't have a lot of diagnosis medical problems but if I did nothin for another two years it would have been bad.. I'm 35 now.. And wish I would have done this sooner, just for the health benefits

Coneflower- I have graves too and was treated with RAI to slow my thyroid. yep, it's gone... on sinthroid. I was banded in March 2010, and have been working really hard for every pound lost. I can barely muster -4 a month. Proper eating and lots and lots of exercise. I am up to 5cc's now, with better restriction- but I would think I'd be loosing more... I think I might post something today. I'm super curious what the loss rate is for bandsters with a thyroid diagnosis. Hyper, Hypo, they all suck. I'm just wondering if it is what makes me slow. I know the graves really messes with me, by my thyroid levels seem to be steady. Has anyone had thier sinthroid level lowered after weight loss? Take Care!

I've never had a complication, but I can share what I've learned over the last two years. can you feel a difference between vomiting vs PB? I know the health complications related to vomit, and I also am not asking about the flu etc. -There is a big difference between PBing and vomiting. PBing is a gentle burping up of stuck food. Vomiting is a forceful retching. When you PB, it's literally just a burp that brings up food, almost like when you think of a baby spitting up. When you vomit, it makes your stomach contract and forcefully spasm. It's that forceful, violent nature of vomiting that is so dangerous because it can lead to a slip. Did anyone feel Ok but were told you slipped or eroded etc? ​-It's uncommon but you can have serious complications without pain or significant symptoms. How fast is papaya enzyme or pineapple juice supposed to clear you from being stuck? -It can take minutes or hours to resolve a stuck episode depending on the severity. However, if you're having them regularly, you should probably evaluate your eating habits to make sure you're not taking too big of a bite or eating too much. Stuck episodes shouldn't be a 'regular' thing. If you are having concerns about your band, call your doctor. It's always better to be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to matters of health. Good luck.

Well we all have our stories and with them we have success and failures. My is failure but it will be a success soon. I started out not knowing how sick I truly was. I had a stroke and 3 TIA which are like mini strokes, High blood pressure, Diabetes, Hypo- thyroid, A blockage in the vein in my brain and a ton of minor problems. After surgery I had a bad infection that was caused by the hospital staff and a Minor heart attack. With all this I do not regret having this surgery. So remember that we are all not a like and the horror stories are not every bodies. I did loss some hair but it was a lack of vit. Also some of the stories are about people not being honest with themselves and have problems afterwards. Good luck I hope it helps.

SuzyB Banded April 23, 2008 Lost 25 lbs before surgery from liquid diet Nothing lost yet, just getting started Just got my 2nd fill today, which was a big one, now I think Ill have restriction. I have been rather depressed. I thought I would have lost quite a bit by now, but haven't. I also have Reactive Arthritis and have been having alot of foot pain. But my family doc changed a med for me which seems to be helping both with depression and pain. So....Im doing better and am optimistic. :biggrin2:

All hail its power! Three months after having my band unfilled, this morning was the day! It could not get here fast enough. All my old behaviors around food were circling the wagon, just waiting for my willpower to break. Three months, while not long in the scheme of things, felt so very long for me. But what a reminder of how powerful the band is--three months without any restriction and my mindset was right back to that of a non-surgical weight loss patient: always thinking about food, counting hours between meals, ability to eat anything in any amount and trying desperately not too...and sometimes failing and feeling horrible at being so weak-willed. The radiologist told me before he filled me that there was no way I'd go back to my sweet spot---6 cc in a 10cc band--in one fill, as three months with an unfilled band means my stomach organ had a chance to relax and expand and I'd be too tight if he filled me back to my prior level. But when he got in there, and filled to 5 cc, I didn't have enough restriction when I drank the barium so he did top me up to 6 cc. This means that I didn't do too badly during my hiatus; had I eaten whatever I had wanted to eat, I surely would have stretched out my stomach to pre-band size. So hooray for the little self-restraint I did show! (I gained 5 pounds over the three months, but that easily could've been much, much more.) I cannot overempathize how WONDERFUL it feels to have restriction again. My appetite was instantly turned off! As I walked back home from the radiologist's office, all the gorgeous displays in the bakeries didn't call to me. (Unfilled, I had to avert my eyes...this stuff is so very triggering to me.) In a very perverse way, I have to say that this three-month period was a gift. It really drove home how powerful my band is. I will never be someone who will say "I did this all myself, with my good choices and discipline." Being unfilled turned me right back into a [failing] dieter. I am SO grateful that I made the decision to get a lapband, and not keep trying to find weight loss success on my own. It's crazy evident that making those good choices in foods/portions is only possible because the band turns way way down the part of my brain that drives me to eat compulsively. I truly am a different eater when banded, through the power of this little piece of plastic, So happy to be back in the game. It is so very freeing to go through the day without fighting my cravings. Sipping a coffee---very slowly and carefully, because I'm so tight that it backs up into my throat--and looking forward to the next drop in weight. Here we go!

I spoke with Bariatric RN at Aetna regarding my VSG Approval concerns. I just feel like I'm going to get denied, and I can't allow that to happen. I have a BMI of 41, but had a 38 BMI the previous two years. The RN said I wouldn't be denied outright for this, but that it would go to to the Big Boss for review. I am getting a letter from my PCP, stating that I have been attempting weight loss and management for 10 years. I'm also including this letter. Thoughts? To whom it may concern: My name is XXXXX. I am 43 years old and have been obese since early childhood. At age 13, I weighed 200 pounds. At age 17, I weighed 225 pounds. At age 23, I weighed 245 pounds. At age 33, I weighed 215 pounds. At age 42, I weighed 232 pounds. In the last 10 years, I have fluctuated between 200 and 255 pounds. Regardless of how much or how hard I exercise, no matter how strict my diet, I cannot seem to get down to a healthy weight and to maintain that weight. I am writing this letter to ask for your help. I have been consistently dieting and exercising all of my life. I spent 3 years on the Atkins plan, faithfully eating less than 20g of carbohydrates per day, which allowed me to maintain an average weight of approximately 200-215 pounds. I spent 6 months on Nutrisystem, which resulted in a 5 pound weight loss. This past year, I paid $130/week for 12 weeks of 1,200 calorie per day meals from Diet2Go and, from that, lost one pound. I was exercising a good amount during all of these weight loss attempts, and I still continue to move each and every day. I don’t give up. But it seems that, no matter what effort I make, the number on the scale continues to rise and, the older I get, the more difficult it is to stop that number from its seemingly steady incline. I have been on a high-Protein, low calorie diet for the last four months, and I have been recording my diet and exercise and meeting with a nutritionist, who seems to agree that I am doing a good job of staying on plan. 10 weeks ago, I ended a pack a day, 30-year smoking habit and, while I haven’t managed to lose a substantial amount of weight during this quitting process, I have not gained a single pound. Of this, I am proud. At 43 years old, I weigh 251 pounds. My BMI is over 41. My body is straining to support this extra weight, and I am greatly feeling the effects of this strain. I am experiencing pain in my knees, in my back, in my feet. Despite remaining physically active, something as minor as climbing two flights of stairs leaves me winded, sweating profusely and with an alarmingly-rapid heartbeat. Without medical intervention, I fear that these existing maladies will only deteriorate with the coming years, and that more ailments will soon join them. Should my condition continue to deteriorate, I fear that I will require a succession of reactive surgeries. I have an immediate family history of Diabetes, of Heart Disease, of Heart Attack, of High Cholesterol, of Hypertension and of Cancer. I know that my weight and my propensity to hold the majority of this weight in my midsection increases my risk of Heart Disease, Cervical Cancer and Diabetes and, as a morbidly obese person, this is of great concern to me. I recognize that weight loss surgery is not an answer, but a tool. I feel that I’m well-prepared, dedicated and disciplined enough to effectively use that tool and to become a Weight Loss Success Story. I hope very much that you’ll give me this chance to do so. Best regards,

If hypo is the one where you have an unnaturally slow metabolism that's what I have, and I take medication for it. It didn't interfere at all with my getting banded or my weight loss!

Sha0717 I am hypoyjroid also and just have. 50 lbs to lose. I was approved because of OA in left knee and hypo struggles and borderline diabetic.. Are you still happy with results? I have surgery in 2 days

I am hypo/ hashimotos thyroiditis and when I began my insurance process, I was told by my surgeon that they would not schedule my surgery unless my Tsh levels were under a certain number. For optimal weight loss. I think it was 5. My surgery has been scheduled for 3/14 since my levels are good now.

Low for you may be in the 90's and that is why you are having hypo symptoms. I have a nondiabetic daughter who experiences hypoglygemic symptoms when her bs is in a "normal" range. I would talk to your endocrinologist about your symptoms and what your bs levels are when they occur. Good Lucke!

Hello everyone, my name is Terrie and I am one month away from having the Lap-Band Procedure performed. I am scheduled with Dr. Jason Brodsky here in the District of Columbia. I decided to have the procedure performed after my last appointment with my endocrine specialist. My doctor suggested that I consider surgical procedures to aid in my weight loss in an effort to get my thyroid gland functioning normally. I have a condition known to many as hypothyroidism, it is complicated by the fact that despite continued symtoms my blood work routinely fluctuates from hyper to normal to hypo. My thyroid gland is currently twice the normal size. Over a four year period up to 4/2003 I gained an average of 15 to 25 pounds per year despite dieting and exercise. Since I started going to my current thyroid doctor in 4/03 I have gained only 15 additional pounds topping in at a whopping 263 lbs at only 5' 5 1/2''. Well, I have decided that now is when and I started making arrangements for the surgery. I considered (although briefly) having the gastric bypass procedure done with Dr. Fullum (who does not perform the Lap Band) and after one meeting and a ton of research I decided against it and decided the lap band was the best thing for me. Well, this is my story and I look forward to sharing my progess with everyone.

I was diagnosed with Graves in 2005. For a while I was a looser with Graves, then it turned and i gained. I was treated with RAI and went total hypo. It has taken years for the synthetic replacement to level off. I gained a bunch my weight post RAI. 40+, which they said shouldn't happen once my thyroid is balanced. If you are gaining with graves and treat it, you will probably gain if you get RAI. Graves sucks either way because you can only treat the symptoms not the disease. So even if you treat the thyroid, you can still get all the wacky autoimmune effects. Like hives, etc. I think if you are healthy, and thyroid is under control, you will be able to get the band. In my opinion, the sooner you start the journey, the better. Good luck!!!!

Dumping is different and involves your blood sugar going very low which causes nausea, sweating, throwups, shakes, fast heart rate. (It's usually a result for some people who have too many carbs/sugar at one time or who might have too much fat.) It can also result in big D. You're talking about foamies/throwups from not chewing your food, eating too fast, or eating the wrong thing that your tum doesn't like. It actually gets stuck in your pouch. It may also cause a RH (reactive hypoglycemia) attack which would lead to the dumping phenomenon...but only cuz it's stuck in your tool and your body released insulin on what it "thought" you were about to send down the pipes that didn't end up showing up.

One last general comment for food for thought, directed at ALL of us (particularly myself): If what Alexandra had described was really a bite on your CHILD (or beloved pet), would you have waited to seek medical attention or questioned the need for it? Would you have thought, "I should probably take Billy in, but I'd hate to waste the $20 if it's nothing."? I think we all need to take a hard look about how we care (or don't care) for our own health. Why is it that we brush off for ourselves something we'd never poo-poo if it were happening to someone else? I know that if my sister had that gallbladder-like attack I experienced earlier in the month, I would have been taking her to the emergency room kicking and screaming, instead of home to her bed like I made her do for me. I have chastized my mother for ignoring pains and symptoms that I myself would have ignored if they were mine. I'm not suggesting that we all become hypochondriacs, but... There is a fine line between being too reactive and non-reactive. Perhaps asking ourselves what we would do if it were a child in our care would help us strike a better balance. At the very least, we should do what Alexandra did and get other people's opinions, and then hopefully act on the best consensus of advice if it did not conflict with our own better sense. Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?

The science does not support that high of stats on reactive hypoglycaemia in bypass patients. It seems in your case, you did not continue to have it with the sleeve, but now need the rny to combat something causing you daily pain and a definite issue. I would go with fixing the current known issue.

Laundry Detergent...I have never been sensitive. But I had this problem and I switched to a hypo allergenic detergent and I got better. I think as we age so to some of our sensitivities. Also - high sugar...when my diabetes was out of control I had to deal with it.

I was never a ketosis kid either. I was very intent on avoiding post-bariatric reactive hypoglycemia, so I always tried to eat at least as many carbs as Proteins (grams). I reached goal (150 pounds at 5'5" and 69 years old) at 8-1/2 months post-op. And now I'm 3 pounds below that while trying to stop losing. I'm averaging about 1400 calories/day the last few weeks. But still losing very slowly. I eat extremely healthy -- lots of good veggies and fruits, typically 100 grams of Protein daily, whole grains, very little refined sugar and other refined carbs. Always take my vits/mins, and my big four-page blood panel results found everything was normal and good. Feeling good. Looking good. All going good here. So here's my challenge of the moment: It's a challenge for me to mentally *agree* to stop losing. Seeing the scale go down, even 0.2 pounds, is definitely a more positive feeling than seeing it stand still. Honestly, I'm a little worried about that. The idea that I could become anorexic is ridiculous to me. But I do realize that I've got to change my attitude into one that feels rewarded by seeing my weight stabilize. Anybody got any thoughts on that front? BTW, many thanks to @@Rogofulm for lobbying Alex to open this maintenance forum. Thank you, Rog.