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I was banded in '09. Oh, I remember those seething post-op hunger days. Actually, it was ~6months of hunger, being on that MediFast liquid diet pre-op and then through long weeks of those post-op early band adjustments. Oy! I fell & got hurt literally, just before the surgery & injured pretty much all my soft tissues beyond belief. I think if I wasn't so overweight, my injuries would've been far less. I Ended up having 8 surgeries in 4 yrs (including the band installation). Because I wanted to be sure I had enough nutrients to heal well from the surgeries I had to eat for nutritional value, so my plight was a bit different. I had to get enough hi-nutrition calories in to heal in me, and still lose weight. For that reason, I requested the band adjustments be increased slowly over time. I think it was all that pain from being injured, and owey post-surgeries that eradicated my hunger, over those 4 long yrs. I lost 100lbs. I couldn't exercise like I used to but I have a few long stints of physical therapy which kept me in pretty good shape while I lost the LB's. Now that I'm mobile again, I haven't figured out getting that exercise in & I've gone a bit flabby & notice my skin sagging in all the wrong places. Def Need to get on that exercise wagon again! After the last surgery my hunger rose and I gained 15lbs in about 4 mos. It scared me. I was more active. Just walking around all over sans devices triggered that hunger button again. I'm now back in the tweak-it stage. Life-stress, & I mean mega-stress, encroached upon me, so naturally I did the worst thing I could do & picked up smoking cigarettes again after being 5yrs smoke-free. Ugh! It began when I was told I needed that 2nd hip replacement. The stress hasn't let up. Nope & I haven't yet toned my mind down enough to quit yet. It IS a priority though! Yes, for all the bad things about cigs we know about, but what I didn't know was: smoking irritates the band site big time. I ended up with a bad case of acid tummy, burning esophagus, up all night with those signature band hacking night coughs & waking several times a night throwing up blood to boot. Literally, No rest for weeks. So, I was treated for a possible ulcer. Fairly Easy fix. Omniprozole (sp?) to calm the tummy & some other liquid tummy stuff too & the symptoms went away. YAY! Right now, we're still figuring out that sweet-spot of a band adjustment. Last visit, I lost 3 lbs in a month. I thought it was terrible. My PA said it was great because most who get liquid taken out of their bands come back in with 10-15lbs up. That made me feel a little better. Right after that, he introduced me to 2 nutritionists who, according to him, were super excited all day to meet me- all week, in fact, he said. Wow. That really surprised me. I thought I was doing really terrible. We talked about my methodologies for band success & I got their rubber stamp of approval for my consumption techniques as well as a free consult with two good nutritionists, which really got the much needed wind back under my sail. What I've learned in all this is that eating for nutritional value instead of counting calories keeps the body satiated. Whole grain carbs (Not wheat, multi-grain) brown rice, more veg proteins; Beans, nuts, hummus, using almost exclusively olive oil, hardly any butter, buying organic whenever I can 'cuz the food supply in this country is one of the worst, nutritionally, in the world. supplements, I try to remember to take them religiously. Far from perfect, I go in spurts, but do my best to remember. I also get ice cream now & then, eat dark chocolate fairly regularly (for the nutritional value, of course), fall off the boat, get back in. Not wanting to go back up in weight is a big motivator. I was a very unhappy (with myself) fat person who's hunger button just would not shut off. Ever. I was perpetually hungry, Yes, plus a stress eater and all that other psych.-junk in you head-eater too. But now, I honestly think I have a mal-functioning hunger button now that I've done a bit of research on it. I still live some days perpetually hungry. On those days, I graze, conscientiously all day; a few bites of yogurt, one egg, a palmful of nuts or two here and there. It doesnt take much to satisfy. Eating well eventually gets to be habit. I stopped thinking about food all day, every day, some time ago. Not sure when it happened. It just went away without me noticing it. hmmm.... what a relief! The moral: Take it slow & steady. We banders won't lose overnight like the Bypassed & sleeved do. Do your best to keep active & switch your focus onto something else, thats fun. Just when you think you're way, way off, you'll surprise yourself how right on track you've been. Like me, just when I thought I was doing terrible with my tummy tool; a couple of young, skinny, pretty nutritionists came along and told me just how Fab I looked & how impressed they were with my success, (wha-whaaaat?)- and got me all chit-chatty wanting to know the nitty-gritties about how I did it. Go figure. Hang in there doll. The best is yet to come! You can get through this early hunger phase, like I did, like we all are- one day at a time. <3

Sorry, my phone was dead, wrong charger was brought up. So I am ok, did not have bypass surgery as expected as when they got in there the surgeon found no gallbladder. I guess I never had one since my surgery when I was 2. My parents were told that I had no appendix but still had the gallbladder. What they were seeing was that my upper intestine was attached to my stomach. They had to cut out 6 inches of it because it was full of scar tissue. There was so much scar tissue that they could not do the Bypass so I had an abdominal rearrangement done. Surgeon said it was like a bomb went off in there, he has never seen anything like it. He even called a couple other specialists in during surgery to help him find the gallbladder but it did not exist. The scar tissue they saw was being diagnosed as gallstones. Was pretty disappointing. I came home this afternoon. The surgeon was pretty down as well cuz he could not do what we wanted to do. Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

Had my revision from sleeve to band on Dec 30th. Here's how it's gone so far... Weight loss weekly Dec 30- 222 Jan 3- 214 --8 Jan 13- 208--6 Jan 20- 203--5 Jan 27- 203--0 1 month 19 lbs Feb 3- 203--0 Feb 10- 197--6 Feb 17- 197--0 Feb 24- 196--1 2 month 7 lbs Mar 3- 193.8--2.2 Mar 10-

Hi there!! I also had gastric bypass on 6/27. I'm also struggling with gas and abdominal pain. My doc only wants me to focus on liquids. When I see him on Wednesday, he's going to remove the drain which I'm hoping will help with the pain. Then he wants me to focus on protein and vitamins. I'm glad he took the pressure off for the first week to just let me focus on hydration. I'm having a really hard time walking due to the pain.

I'm band to bypass as well! Surgery was Oct 3. Down 44 today. Love my progress. As the others said. It can be slow in the beginning. Don't worry. Just keep working it! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

It does get better but not overnight. It took me 6 months before all the problems seemed to melt away and I reached a "happy state". So back to basics. The three most important elements after RNY gastric bypass surgery are to meet your daily protein, fluid and vitamin requirements. Food is secondary because your body is converting your stored fat into the energy that drives your body. Thus you lose weight. Weight loss is achieved after surgery through meal volume control. You begin at 2 ounces (1/4 cup) per meal and gradually over the next year and a half increase the volume to 1 cup per meal. With this minuscule amount of food, it is next to impossible to meet your protein daily requirements by food alone, so therefore you need to rely on supplements such as protein shakes. The transition to solid food such as steak and chicken can be very rough. I found that softer foods such as chili and soups went down much easier than harder foods, so that is what I primarily used. Also It has the benefit of being much more flavorable. So I made my own version from scratch packing in a lot of extra protein. I have provided recipes to these at the end of the following article. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf Also your inability to eat solids may be due to medical issues such as a stricture or an ulcer, which is a common problem after surgery.

It’s costing me £10,645 in the UK fixed price for GAstric Bypass

The hospital I went thru charges about $12000 http://kcbariatric.com/laparoscopic-gastric-bypass/

Did anyone else see the news about lap-band being approved for lower BMI patients? Here is a link to one of the articles: http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/bf0ef1ec-62b7-5f8e-adec-5151c1de71b5.html I suppose it is good that BMI requirements are coming down for some weight loss surgery, but as a lap-band revision hopeful, I am really concerned about how the news media is covering all this. The article says there are only 2 weight loss surgery options: lap band and gastric bypass. I don't know, with all the lap-band billboards and this news coverage, I am really frustrated that there isn't more real information out there. I am so glad this board is here - it has given me hope of a better option. Have a great weekend, everybody!

Its for revision patients only so he can check out the band and see what he has to deal with during surgery. We will not have to have anything extra like that done.

My answers below in blue. First, for those of you that have lost the weight, is the port identifiable under your skin? I have a mental image of seeing a small circle protruding from some part of the body where the fill port is pushing from the inside out onto the skin. Hopefully this is just a crazy, paranoid question but I might as well ask. I'm down about 175 - 180, still have 30 - 50 lbs to go. So far my port is not visible, but I can easily find it by touch. Where mine is placed, I'm not sure it would be visible unless I actually became underweight. The boxing class does not allow blows to the head but body-blows are acceptable. Same for the martial arts classes. Considering I'll have a port near/at the surface of my skin, should I rethink my exercise choices and take up Yoga instead? I was an avid Aikidoer pre-op, but gave it up post-op. For one, the port area is sensitive to the touch, even when you're healed. Not to the everyday touch, but direct pressure smarts a bit. I talked to my surgeon's nurse about this and she thought I was crazy for even thinking about it. It amkes sense, a direct hit could do some damage. I'm not thinking of trying to do this in the next week or two after surgery - more like six months or so (or what ever the doctor recommends). I'm just wondering if anything changes as a result of having a port... Women mostly find that some sexual positions become uncomfortable. I take it "Mike" is not used in a female way. :biggrin: Some people have their port placed in an area where it does show, so they either deal with it (I have seen them to where they show through clothing), or seek revisions to low profile ports. If it's something you're concerned with, maybe talk to your surgeon now about a low profile port. Can't think of any other times that my port is even something I remember I have... Hope this helps.

Hello All! I was banded in '09 and was having issues as well as not losing and gaining even being tight. My Dr. want me to convert to either sleeve or bypass (sleeve being his preference I believe). Anyway it was my preference. I was scheduled for pre-op this week and band removal on the 6th of this month. Due to my B/P that's too high, He wants me to get a clearance from my personal Dr. I'm glad I took time to check out these posts while waiting for my appt. b/c I'm finding out that there are some folks that still have to have bypass after being sleeved. I regret that I chose the band over bypass anyway, so even though my Dr. said that I could still convert to bypass if the sleeve doesn't work out, Why not just go with the bypass. Anyone else feel this way? I need help with this b/c my weight is at 215 right now and my diabetes is climbing along w/ all of my other numbers.

Hello! I am currently in my 5th week post gastric bypass. My question is when did you all eat a protein bar? What ones were you able to tolerate and taste good? I will Be traveling to Europe around week 11 and I want to bring something that I know I can eat.

well two years ago when I began I just had one that my insurance company sent me to got half way through with the process then decided to give it a little bit and see if i could give it a real chance.. then after all that stuff with my dad (the worlds greatest dad) I actually talked to a couple friends that did more research than i had and they had bypass with this one of two docs that i am going to see. They actually hold several patents in laparoscopic surgery. and was one of the first ever to preform that type of surgery.. His name is dr steven scott. I feel very comfortable with knowing all of those things.:sad:

So my hubby had the bypass, I had the sleeve. He is loosing weight faster, I have to work harder and it's slower. BUT, I am getting stronger and healthier by working harder. I can do things I have been able to do in years. The sleeve hasn't effected my meds I have to take for my bipolar. The absorption seems to be the same. My hubby hasn't had complications nor have I, but his recovery time has been longer. I think...for me...the sleeve was the better choice. I am changing my bad habits and learning healthier ones. It's slow, but constant. This is my experience. Sent from my XT1650 using the BariatricPal App

@Jon_gets_skinny How are you doing? How did everything go with your surgery? My surgery is just under 3 weeks away and this is my second one (being revised to bypass from sleeve) and I am so nervous.

I'm following this! I'm feeling very emotional all of a sudden, 2 weeks pre-op for gastric bypass. I've been planning away but it's getting real now!

Three nights due to nausea post bypass. One day at home before onset of vomiting due to out of control nausea. Six days in the hospital. If you’re prone to nausea don’t mess around! I’ve got three alternating prescriptions and am ok thus far (released from hospital yesterday).

Im on the 3 months nutrionist stage. Hopeful rny revision by Nov or Dec

Hi! Just joined the Pal today! I had gastric bypass at Magee on June 12 with Dr. Corcoulas. Down 38 pounds! Count me in for the chapter.

I didn't have a revision.... just gastric bypass. Most recommendations I saw were for 2-4 weeks off work. I chose to take 3 weeks off. It probably depends most on the type of job that you have... and perhaps on the post-op nutrition plan. 3 weeks was a good amount of time to take off except that my first day back at work was my first day transitioning to solid food. That was a struggle. Your doctor will likely support you in whatever time off works best for your circumstances. Share your preferences and thoughts with him/her.

I read this forum for months before ever posting. I too found it hostile feeling especially when I was preop. There are negative people, but that is true everywhere. The biggest change is me, the truth of the matter is I was overly sensitive. If info and experiences shared here are valuable, stay, if not, go. I am sorry that this is negative, but honestly, you will run into some of that everywhere. I am sick of answering questions about stalls etc too... I have over 1000 posts and i bet 100 of them are answering questions about stalls...lol. I just don't answer anymore and there are plenty of others who aren't yet sick of it, that is fine! There are things that someone like me (had band for a long time, poor results, revised to sleeve with great results, started with high BMI etc) can offer in terms of experiences and advice that maybe others cannot. I try to focus more on those type questions myself. I credit the support and info on here being one of the things that have helped me lose 145 pounds since Dec 1 2011 so i wouldn't write it off too quickly...

What Laura-ven said. The bypass scares the crap out of me because of all the malabsorption. I don't like the rerouting of the intestines either. I had a lady come in and tell me that she had tried to convince her husband to let her get it done and he was totally against it. I saw him last week and he decided that I look so much better and healthy that he is all for her getting it done now.

Sorry I just got to reply. Was away with my daughter on a Civil Air Patrol mission. I just started walikg, I started small. I walked a mile, then mile and a half the following week. Eventually I was walking 3 miles. Then I started to jog-slowly. I used my music as a guide. Walk a song, jog a song, walk a song, jog a song. Then I started tryign to jog 1/2 mile straight. The next week 3/4. Add a little every week. I have a running body now who had Bypass 5 years ago. She really pushed me to go more, jog further, and encouraged me. Biggest thing I can say is just do it. I know it sounds cliche but our moto has been -"I can do anything for a 10th" which a 10th of a mile. You will feel the urge to go out and run once you start. I hated running when I started I was just going to walk but once I pushed myself out of that comfort zone and just decided I'm doing this for me and noone else I just went for it and got addicted. The couch to 5k is a great app. I use Nike runners app because it tracks my previous runs and I can walk or run. The key is- for me at least- is be your own cheerleader and push yourself outside of that comfort zone. You can do anything you set your mind to. Will you be sore- yes!!! Will you die- no!!! But the sense of pride you get from doing these small races means way more to me than how much weight I have lost. I no longer focus on pounds- they will come. I focus on miles and time. Once I took my mind off the scale I found I was less stressed about my diet and how I am doing post surgery. I focus on the miles and time and gettign those in and the diet kinda fell into place afterwards. If you eat crap or not enough protein your runs suffer and you can feel it. Now that I count miles and improving my time I keep my protein up and my diet looks good. I only weigh every 2 weeks now. I use to weigh 3-4 times a DAY!!!! It stressed me out!! Now I focus on how my pants fit, how much better my time and distance is getting and when I get on the scale it is only to make sure I'm still going in the right direction- which it will be because I'm burning a shitload of calories. I did get advice from my surgeons office and the dietician to make sure I ate properly with the increased activity.

Hi my surgery is on Friday November 10. Just wondering if anyone was told to be on a liquid diet? My Dr said only 2 days... have you all heard anything different!?! Sent from my SM-J700T using BariatricPal mobile app