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When I was told, oh you don't need that.... my response really? Well, thanks for thinking so, but my doctors disagree. Easy way out? So...If I needed cardiac bypass surgery or be miserable and at risk of a heart attack, I should not take the medically proven treatment to get better? I need a kidney transplant, once becomes available, but I should not accept it because dialysis is fine and a transplant is the easy way out????? Many in our society see obesity as a sign of laziness, not a of medical condition. So, I don't "deserve" to get well? I don't deserve to get my blood pressure under control? Or my blood sugar. I don't deserve to avoid losing limbs to diabetes? Easy way out? I have to eat carefully for the rest of my life. For the rest of my life, I will have an implanted medical device inside me that I need to be concerned about. Having yearly tests to be sure all is well. So, by having abdominal surgery, wrapping a ring around my upper stomach that will forever change my relationship with food. It has also changed my relationship with my husband, and will some friends. I have taken the easy way out. Easy way out from what? Endless diet attempts that all end up in the same place? With me heavier that I was before it began? My joints hurting worse as I put more pressure on them. Taking meds for blood pressure, cholesterol, and a couple years from diabetes. I say, it might not have been the right choice for you, but after all my research, it was for me. Thank you for your concern. (crawling off my soap box now)

I agree she has a right to keep it to her self, BUT not use it to get Media attention or sell her book and on that 20/20 she implied that her book was about her journey and that it would include her weight loss which I have been told she doesnt tell in her book either. I guess she thinks people must have forgot but back in 2003 she did tell and she did have Gastric Bypass, it was not only on Entertainment Tonight but also that NY Post had an article in 08/25/03 that stated Barbara Walters was thinking of doing a documentry detailing Co-Host Star Jones Gastric Bypass Surgery. Just my 2 cents worth!

I have a co-worker who hid her gastric bypass surgery. She didn't even tell her family, she only told me because she needed someone to pick her up at the hospital and go to the store for her. It bugs me when I hear her telling our fellow overweight coworkers that she went on some kind of "milk" diet. I guess I'm just a big mouth, I probably tell more than I should about my antics and I certainly told about the surgery. I don't get being secretive about it but some folks are just more private.

I think it is more likely that she had Gastric Bypass. I've seen her on the View several time eating food. She didn't chew, chew, chew, and went along sampling several dishes that they were featuring on the show. From what you guys have said I find it unlikely that she could do that without getting that "golf ball" effect in her chest, or sliming. What do you guys think?

Star Jones, who used to say she was big and beautiful has changed her tune now that she had gastric bypass surgery. She now can only talk about how bad she felt about herself and her health issues. She doesn't quite come out and admit she had GB but she did. It's very obvious in the way she talks. I can't stand her anyway...annoying is not the only word I would use. She is a hypocrit sho raved about being big and loving it, and has done an about face.

I too am addicted to food. Cycles of binge eating followed by periods restraint; I have worked my way up to 310#. Three years ago I began the process for gastric bypass(259# at this time) During my three month nutrition counseling I began to loose weight and working out. I convinced myself that I didn't need the surgery. Yes I worked hard and lost nearly 100#. I told myself "I'll never go back". Fast forward, I could not maintain the 100% lifestyle it required for me to succeed. 310# TADAAH! All I can think is if I would have stayed on track with surgery, where would I be now. I am now 2 days away from surgery, very nervous, but I know this is the tool I need. This will not be an easy journey and requires commitment and a present mind. Do not get discouraged by mistakes. That only leads to a vicious cycle and sets yourself up for future disapointment. It has helped me to admit where and why I "failed" , pick up my bootstraps , leave it behind and move on. If I need to reformulate the plan, I do, if not then I'm back on track. I know you too will come to a conclusion about what is right for you. There are a lot of resources out there.

Thanks for weighing in, I really appreciate it. I guess I was just so convinced I was missing something.... Maybe people in my area opt more for the bypass only because it's what they are most familiar with? -K

I also have a six Diet Cokes a day habit, and I think that might be harder for me to quit than some of my favorite foods! I have gastric bypass in February 2019 and am hoping to taper off slowly until then.

@JRT Mom Don't they remove some of the intestine though? And isn't recovery much harder? My primary motivation is getting healthy for my kids - but I don't want to die on the operating table or have some severe complications and leave them with just one parent I chose the band because it seemed so safe. But man, it sure sucks, and it doesn't help me. Do you like the bypass? Does it make you feel better?

I been craving for pickle juice since yesterday I'm 6 day post op by the way I had the rny gastric bypass,

I have tried to keep upbeat during my journey even though it has been through it all. Band 2009 revised to sleeve 2014 and revising to bypass in April. One thing that I do know, is if I hadn't been through this journey, I would still be diabetic. I take the good with the bad and being diabetic for me was the really really bad. My family has had both my maternal great grandmother and grandmother losing legs to diabetes, my mother is diabetic and when I was diagnosed in my 30s I wasn't having any of that. Yes I have had so many complications, but I also have my life and I am thankful for that. I am concerned that someone on this page is so adamant on not getting revised that they are trying to scare people into making decisions that are only their own to make, not their families, not truly their spouses, this decision is truly only between that person and their doctor. My spouse is supportive, my mother is not. I don't really care. I have not been diabetic since 2009 and that was my main goal!

There is honesty with positive support and then there is bullying. Being supportive and honest does not require negative attitudes. I'm sorry your surgery didn't go well,but don't push your opinions and negative feedback on people who need to hear about the good their surgery can do for them. There is always pros and cons to getting WLS. You don't need to try sabotaging others hopes. We all know the risks surgery has and we sign consent to have it done. Complications suck, but we deal with them as they come. Statisticly, more WLS goes off without a hitch than having complications happen. I hope you have a successful revision this time around.

I have tried to keep upbeat during my journey even though it has been through it all. Band 2009 revised to sleeve 2014 and revising to bypass in April. One thing that I do know, is if I hadn't been through this journey, I would still be diabetic. I take the good with the bad and being diabetic for me was the really really bad. My family has had both my maternal great grandmother and grandmother losing legs to diabetes, my mother is diabetic and when I was diagnosed in my 30s I wasn't having any of that. Yes I have had so many complications, but I also have my life and I am thankful for that. I am concerned that someone on this page is so adamant on not getting revised that they are trying to scare people into making decisions that are only their own to make, not their families, not truly their spouses, this decision is truly only between that person and their doctor. My spouse is supportive, my mother is not. I don't really care. I have not been diabetic since 2009 and that was my main goal!

So do you think bypass may be better? My Doctor is giving me the option of either

Pasta, red meat, or rice. Some ppl can and others cant. There's no guarantees which one you will fall into. I will lose weight. But I won't be able to eat like a normal person ever again even in moderation. 2) Acid reflux is a serious issue with the sleeve. I never ever had an issue with the band. I am dealing with rather bad GERD even though I am taking prescription meds. I have chatted with folks that it got so bad over the yrs that they had to revise to gastric bypass. 3) Vitamins! You can't live without them. Daily intake or I will develop issues. Are committed to do that? 4) NSAIDS! Even if your surgeon tells you that you can take them. There's significant debate on whether sleeved folks should take them or not. These meds are very hard on a normal stomach let alone a thin sleeve! Continous use will most likely lead ulcers which are very dangerous with little or no stomach left.Think about aging and the lack of NSAIDS. 5) You can still get stuck! I just had to vomit food yesterday. You still experience that nasty slime....eww! I cried the first time it happened cause I lived with that for 8 yrs. Please feel free to message me. Think about life beyond weight loss cause there's no turning back with the sleeve

Not everyone has "damn complications." I'm doing very well after gastric bypass, and I say that even though I developed an internal hernia nine months later. This is a SERIOUS complication but I caught it on time, had outpatient surgery and am doing great. I am grateful I was able to have surgery and I don't regret it one bit.

I used premier after my sleeve surgery but find my stomach won’t tolerate them after my recent revision to bypass. I highly recommend trying these samples. https://store.bariatricpal.com/products/syntrax-nectar-protein-powder-trial-sizes-17-flavors-to-choose-from?vec=eyJ2ZVRwIjoiRk9SVU0iLCJ2clRwIjoiTU9TVF9QT1BVTEFSIiwidnJJcCI6IjEifQ%3D%3D my favorite is the chocolate truffle and I tolerate them very well. I would be Leary of a one per day vitamin. Iron and calcium will counteract each other in certain doses. Also check with your team as they may require you to start on chewables. I take the bariatric fusion. Bottle says take 4 per day but my dr assures me that if I take two twice per day I will get the same results. I like that I don’t need any extra d3, iron or calcium with these. good luck!

Wow!!!! That is amazing!!! So happy for you! Still battling my insurance on my revision but I have hired an advocacy group to help me. You are doing awesome!!!! Congrats! If I get a second chance with this, I hope to do as well as you ❤️

Hi all! I am scheduled for revision of my bypass on March 16! Original stats : 260lbs pre-op RNY Bypass : November 2009 Lowest : 135lbs Plastics - Abdominoplasty; Panniculectomy; Thigh Lift : June 2011 Divorce - Remarried - Regained Sept 2020 : Re-entered Bariatric Program at 279lbs Current : 245lbs I will have my pouch resized and reconnected distally for a little bit of malabsorption. Hoping for ~ 70lb weightloss and then to maintain.

So let me start by saying this , I got the lap band to improve my quality of life. Because I have PCOS ( Poly Cystic ovarian syndrome ) and migraines I am at greater risk of things like stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure as it is. Being over weight adds to that. So I wanted the band to reduce that risk BEFORE anything bad happened to me. I am a mother of 2 boys who need me . After I first got the band things were great, I could eat what i wanted, just smaller portions and occasionally threw up after eating too much , or so I thought .. I even changed the way I ate, what i ate , i felt better so I ate better. I was , as you can ask my doctor , the model patient, i did everything I was suppose to (with the expectation of working out and that lesson has been learned trust me ) Eventually what I ate seemed to come back up more often , But after losing 125 pounds I thought I was doing ok. At a year out a slipped my band , that is where my stomach comes up through the band and can potentially be very serious. After it corrected it self I gained some weight ... It slipped again , more weight gain . I was then told my band had scar tissue build up around it and I could no longer get the fills I needed to lose the weight the opening to my stomach would be closed off it was filled again . That was around 2-3 yrs ago . As time has gone on I have slowly gotten worse. You see because of where the scar tissue is I still have " restriction" Meaning , I am still limited on what i eat , so things like steak, pork, chicken , solid Proteins wont go down . The food literally sits on top of my band until it gets either pushed through , which is very painful , or it comes back up . If I throw up too much, my stomach swells and eating any form of solid food is impossible for several days. So i have to go to liquids, milk shakes, Protein shakes , mash potatoes things like that. Those type of things are high in calorie and cause me to gain weight , but what other choices do i have ? broth, Water ? Yeah those fill you up ?? NOT ! So my day goes like this ... Breakfast: Protein shake cause eating in the morning is nearly impossible. That's if I can get it to go down if I cant and anything comes back up then its liquids for me the entire rest of the day Lunch: I try to eat something semi solid but I usually end up eating Soup Dinner: Some times a salad works but most evenings I throw up my dinner several times over and end up in pain from the swelling . By that time liquids hurt to go down ... NOW that leads me to my "other issues" Joint pain Fatigue body aches head aches My teeth are deteriorating because of how much I throw up Cold feet cold hands numb feet cysts on my feet numb hands You see they are finding out now that people who have had bands for several years are developing auto immune disorders like Fibromyalgia .. Problem ? Docs done believe it yet .. So no doc will help me out . With out insurance I cant get proper diagnoses . You can read more about that stuff here . I am now 20 or so pounds away from my original start weight before surgery . That's right I have gained nearly ALL My weight back . And at the rate I am going by next month or so I will exceed the 250 pounds i was before my surgery . I had my revision surgery on 11-14-2012 after surgery they told me the band removal went fine and they were able to repair a hiatal hernia , that was a surprise to them ( and me ) and sleeve me in one procedure. I was SO relieved to have had it done in once procedure. The day after surgery I started throwing up water and unable to keep it down . After a couple more tried they ordered an EGD for me . They told me if the scope went through easily then and showed no obstructions I should be fine and not need another surgery , but if it did not I could have excess scar tissue from the band and I could need another surgery . WHAT !! Yikes . So they did it and it showed no obstruction some swelling around the band area ( where the band was ) they told me to take liquids slow . For several days I was still throwing up just water, in fact it freaked me out because it looked like I was throwing up some blood as well. Finally around day 3 or so the water was staying down . So finally I was able to go home today . NOT an easy process that's for sure , but I am glad its over. The doc told me to progress my liquids slowly , as long as I was keeping liquids down I was fine , the minute i started if i did throwing up liquids I needed to come back . But to just take it slow . I have been home for about a week now and its still a back and forth issue with food. I encourage ANYONE reading this to NOT get the lap band, do not ever tell anyone abou the band and Hope some day it falls off the face of the earth !

@bearhugs1975......so you had a journey filled with complications post op from your initial revision and yet you recommend the revisions! Lool. So you're a triple threat in the world of WLS! Please be honest, your complications are due to your revision! These ppl are asking questions to seek advice and not hear meaningless platitudes. They want to avoid our mistakes! There's no shame in admitting your revision from the band to the sleeve led to so many complications you needed to be revised to the bypass. That the revision may have staved of diabetes but led to more surgeries and other issues

Has anyone heard about DR. Opie in Olathe, ks??? I met with him in June 2006 for a hernia and he suggested gastric bypass or lapband. And I am going to the Seminar on Jan 9th of 2006

You need to listen to what your doctor tells you. I found out at the support group meeting that patients done by the same doctor may have been given different instructions so at my first post-op appt. I asked him about it. First thing, he has changed some of his instructions from when he did a band lets say for example a year ago. Secondly, the instructions given pre-op are general instructions. These may change once the surgery is actually done. There may have been complications, something he found once he was in there, etc. Or you may be one of the lucky ones and everything go as he said about my surgery "about as perfect as I could have hoped for". Then things can change down the road like they have for me. Bummer! I was losing a significant amount of weight the first 3 months post op and now I swear I just lose and gain the same 2 pounds. Seems like I am stuck at this plateau. I go for another fill in a few weeks so I am hoping that it helps. But we all know this is a long journey, not a quick fix so I am being patient. If quicker was my only consideration I would have chosen bypass. I had many variables that made me decide on the band instead so I will take it slow and steady. Good luck and hang in there. You are doing super fantastic.

Today I had lunch with a friend of mine...I met with her to give her a job..before we could even get to that part lunch fell apart...she suggested Taco Bell I said ok...knowing I would just have the small bowl of refried beans ( surgery was Sept 6th)....she asked how my progress was going and I said really well..and she said " it can't be that hard u barely eat anything and can sit around and lose weight"...she is a bigger gal who's mom had gastric bypass 8 years ago so I though her of all people would be supportive...I have a pretty sharp Italian temper and before i thought I said back to her..."I bust my ass 4 miles a day on my treadmill..yes ur right it does take much to fill me up but I still hafta watch what I eat and make sure it's the right foods...you were prob full 2 freaking tacos ago but choose to ignore it"...I got up and left...ok soo I do feel a little guilty abt snapping off on her like that...but I'm guessing this was a friendship that was not gonna last once i started losin weight and she did nothing for herself..such a shame we had tons of fun together

I am very concerned. Tomorrow will be 4 weeks out from my bypass surgery. I have only lost 11 pounds since my surgery. I had a week long hospital stay and gained 6 pounds in the hospital, and I've lost that too. I am getting bummed out and am wondering how this is even possible that I'm not losing weight while eating right around 500 calories or less and drinking tons of Water. Anyone had this happen? And what did you do? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App