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Elektralite Buddy, don't give up hope. Your GP (Aussie-talk for doctor) has already told you that he doesn't know much about the band, but then says he wouldn't recommend it anyway!?!?!? You know from your research that for YOU, the band is the safest way to go, with the option of being reversed should complications (God forbid) arise. As for the bypass being a 'fast' way to lose weight (as your GP advised), did he also mention that studies have shown that after a 5-year period. weight loss for both banding & bypass patients is relatively the same anyway? If you already have your referral, as hard as it may be, you may have to agree to disagree with your GP, and go ahead & make your appointment with the surgeon. He (surgeon) may know of a GP who can see you regarding any banding appointments/issues. (?) I don't have a regular GP so just went to my closest bulk-billing medical centre. The poor old GP I saw there had to ask me 3 times what I wanted the referral for, and even then I'm not sure if he was 100% sure on what it was. He didn't seem that interested in hearing what research I'd done, so I ended up not saying much to him at all about it (had the 'spiel' prepared & everything too, darn it) I used to have a regular GP, who I'd been going to for years. I last saw him 15 years ago about suffering hypos (low blood sugar). He actually said to me "What are you worried about. Diabetes skips every second generation - your mother and sister already have it, so I doubt that you will 'get' it. Stop worrying". :faint: I suppose what I'm trying to say is even those he's your GP & you respect him for all the training/experience he has, GP's are not infallible and don't always have the best/most extensive knowledge on a certain illness/procedure - that's what specialists are for. If you've done the research, and you (& your family) feel that this is the best step for you to take, and are happy with your decision, go for it Buddy. We're all there for you too - that's what these forums are all about, hey?

I found out I was hypo in 1976 and have been on thyroid medicine since. Before banding, the weight was so hard to lose. I was banded 09022010 and have lost 24 pounds, which doesn't seem like a lot to me but hey at least I am losing and that is the main goal here. I just had my 2nd fill so hopefully it will go faster but because I do have a thyroid problem if I plateau or it is just slow I don't sweat it. But by all means take your medicine, because it not only messes with your weight but with so many other parts of the body especially the nerve center. Losing weight is already a depressing process but if you are on thyroid medication and don't take it you will get depressed and it will make matters worse. Take it from an old pro. LOL

Wow! ((hugs)) You've been through the wringer backwards haven't you?!!! I don't know the answer to your question, but I do know you must do something. It can't hurt to start the process and schedule in a teaching hospital if possible. That way you may have more access to the surgeon to ask your questions. I do know you need to have your med issues sorted out prior to surgery...especially when they deal with thyroid and psych meds. But I don't think it's impossible. But I'm just a schmoe on the internet that makes crap up all damn day! I'm hypo. Take endocrine therapy to keep me in cancer remission. Have so many comorbidities and am on 3 bp drugs and still fight with blood pressure every day. My metabolism is crap. But I'm pursuing this surgery with the hopes that I will have a metabolic reset that might make it easier to lose the weight. Hang in there and congrats on fighting your way through the massive grief you've experienced. You're a fighter and survivor!!!

At least 20 yrs. ago, they finally discovered that I had Hypothyroidism . I had been tested as far as 37 yrs. ago, and even though the Dr. said it was, when I saw a specialist, and had die shot in me, with X-RAYS in a Leaded Walled Room.... They said I was fine. Turns out mine fluctuates from Hypo to Hyper says the PCP. The Endro. says no its Hypo. So I went through synthroid, it does not absorb into me. I was asked time, and time again if I even take the Medication ? Yes why do you think I'm here for a blood test, if I'm not taking them. Anyway it never worked. So I moved, and I explained it to a new PCP, and she say's she has heard of this happening, so she prescribed the Generic. Fast Forward in time I started to feel Terrible, and she told me I was at a good level. Well it got worse, so I stopped taking them. I seen her and told her, and she flipped ! Don't you know you could DIE ? NO! No one ever told me about this. So she said I'm putting you back on, and don't stop taking them ! ! ! I told her why do I want to take something, that makes me feel terrible ? I want to see a Endocrinologist... She looked at me and said your right ! I'm not qualified to deal with a problem, if its that complex. So i will send you to one. He said we start fresh, forget the past, and I guarantee you will feel better... So he put me on Armour Thyroid "a natural medication" It works ! My levels are Normal "for the first time in my life" I agree that it tastes terrible, but what are you going to do about it..... So I see him next month, and see how I am doing. But I can't complain about it. Not when it works.

My experience was the other way around.. I had lap band surgery 5 years ago.. then I came down with a very nasty auto-immune disease. I had no idea of the connection until I read the following.. which I pasted into my wordpad from a lap band website.... it was only a few days ago, and I cannot seem to find the source in my favorites.. I'll keep looking.. Lizzie Silastic reaction It is possible that the material of the Band could create some type of body immune reaction that stimulates a separate disease process such as arthritis or Systemic Lupus Erythematosis (SLE). However the Band is made of a silicone elastomer which is completely non-reactive to the body tissues, as far as it has been possible to determine. The same type of material has been in use in a number of implanted medical devices over time, and no problems with tissue reaction have been demonstrated. Here again, the early data is reassuring but no true long-term information exists.

I am more than 14 months post-op. I do not dump, which happens to approx. 30% of gastric bypass (RNY or MGB) patients typically after consuming sugar. Nor do I experience Reactive Hypoglycemia (RH), which may show up 1+ years after gastric bypass; it is low blood sugar occurring 1-3 hours following a meal. Eating too fast or not chewing food properly and then getting the foamies and/or needing to vomit is not the same thing as dumping (aka rapid gastric emptying). Make sure you’re eating small, moist portions of protein and to eat slowly, and then these incidents should abate. Good luck.

I've had thyroid disease for many years. I've had more than one Endocrinologist tell me "you can't blame everything on your thyroid". Like being overweight, thyroid disease does run in families so it's very likely that you could have a thyroid problem. If you're being advised to take thyroid medication by a PCP, don't take it! Go to an Endocrinologist and have your thyroid function checked. The biggest mistake people make is listening to a doctor who has no clue what they're dealing with. See a specialist. When you start toying with your thyroid function you are playing with more than just your weight. Your thyroid controls a host of functions in your body that you won't even think of. Over-medication, under-medication, and non-medication of your thyroid can causing lifelong damage to your other glands and organs. If your TSH level is between 1.5 and 5.5 and a doctor puts you on thyroid medication that doctor is a quack. That is a normal thyroid function and medication can cause your thyroid to become hyperactive, which is just as bad as hypo. In all the years I've been on thyroid medication I've not been able to lose the weight I want to lose. My thyroid function has been in normal range for many years. I lose some weight, then it just stops. I eat a healthy diet always and see my Endo every 3 months to have my TSH checked. Sorry to sound like a medical journal. My thyroid almost killed me several years ago and I hate to see anyone taking chances with theirs...I hate even worse to see doctors handing out thyroid medication.

As I understand it (purely from reading research studies, not from personal experience), reactive hypoglycemia is a post-WLS condition more likely to occur in RnY patients than sleeved patients, although it's not unheard of among sleevers. Sorry you guys are having to deal with this. Best to you.

@@Renkoss I learned my lesson that day with the glucose tabs. My sugar was too low, I couldn't find them and I don't keep juice in my home. I literally tore the cabinet apart and found them and then even struggled to open the container because I was shaking so bad. Now, they sit right on my end table. They are opened and ready to use. I do not use Protein powder at all. Because I have kidney problems I have to be careful not to have more than 70 grams of protein per day. I get that between my one premier Protein shake that I have every morning religiously and my other meals. I have oatmeal or cream of wheat very rarely when I have a craving for it and have learned that I just need to make sure I get that protein snack between. I have found that if you let more carbs into your diet on a regular basis the chance of you developing reactive hypoglycemia is much higher. I try not to let that happen but there are days I simply want something besides protein and veggies. I eat a lot of fresh fruit, dehydrated apple chips and once per day I have a starch in one of my meals. My nut believes in a balanced approach vs. just protein and veggies and so far it has worked for me. Thankfully I only experience that reactive hypoglycemia on occasion. The bad part is when it happens you can actually cause it to go on all day. I have learned to stop it as soon as it happens.

Sorry I hadn't noticed this post sooner. Let me start by saying, I am a very lazy person, hence the reason I got fat. My time in the gym has been ZERO. I do walk a lot with my wife. I babysit a 3 years old 5-6 days a week 12 hour days. I love skateboarding again. But as far as exercise, workouts? Nope, not my cup of tea. 95% of my weight loss has come through the kitchen. I am blessed in as much, I am now reactive hypoglycemic. I cant cheat with sweets without paying a dear price. I have gone unconscious 3 times since surgery from low blood glucose below 50. Also my appetite has been a struggle. I have to force myself to eat. Trust me I could lose more if I wanted to. I am 6'3" and 163 lbs is already skinny enough. I was a very skinny young man, and I think post op my body went back to its natural state. I was about 145 lbs into my early mid 30's. So yeah I was quite skinny. Diet wise, I was probably stricter with myself than I needed to be. I eat eggs, cheeses, meats of all types, green vegetables. Very little fruit, sugars aren't my friend. I use TESPO liquid vitamins. I'm not a good example. I enjoy the occasional chili dog. I eat the occasional chip. My portions are obviously a fraction of what they were in the past. There are much wiser, better examples of peoples disciplines and diets on here than mine. Again, I am not typical in that I have to force myself to eat. I actually seek out fattier foods now just to maintain weight. Not necessarily junk food, but not the leans foods most of us have to eat. It has taken me many months to stop losing. My doctors were starting to get worried. for my health based on how rapidly I lost and my inability to maintain. I am doing much better now though.

Dumping is often the result of eating foods with too much sugar but it can also be the result of eating carbs (for example white rice). Although decidedly unpleasant, dumping is seldom serious and rarely requires medical attention. It's also important to remember that many bypass patients never experience dumping. It's a mistake to count on dumping as a benefit of bypass since it may never occur. From a weight loss standpoint it makes no difference. There is no scientific evidence that patients who dump are any more or less successful than those who don't. For folks who experience dumping, about two-thirds experience early dumping. Early dumping usually occurs twenty to thirty minutes following eating. The remaining one third experience late dumping which usually occurs two to three hours following eating but can occur twelve hours or more later. Late dumping is usually reactive hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and symptoms can usually be resolved quickly by eating just about anything that contains sugar. I seldom dump but when I do it's late dumping. In my case, white rice and popcorn are definitely off the menu options. The list of things that might result in dumping would be pretty long. But probably of little value anyway on an individual basis. Person A dumps on "X" every time while person B has no trouble at all with "X" but dumps on "Y", and person C doesn't dump on anything.. Regardless of whether you dump or not, you're gonna love the new you!!

It's funny... I've always wished I was hyper rather than hypo.. That way, the weight would just fall off... make it a great day Hope you get stable soon, krakow! make it a great day

I've read so many times in various threads about people eating super low calories, and it always worries me. And also high fat, high Protein, low carb diets... I wanted to post about the dangers of very low calorie diets and of high fat/protein low carb diets, so here is some info and the sources it comes from: "When you want to lose weight, a very low-calorie diet can seem attractive. After all, the sooner you lose weight the better, right? Well...no, that's not right. Eating fewer than 1000 calories a day can, at best be a short-lived attempt at dieting, at worst it could be a recipe for long term health problems. Your body is not designed to function well on a very low calorie diet. In fact, it goes into starvation or famine mode and tries to preserve essential functions at the expense of the less essential ones. So what happens to your body on fewer than 1000 calories a day? Your metabolism slows down to conserve energy. Your body uses blood sugar, made from carbohydrates, for fuel just as a car uses gas (petrol). Without blood sugar, the brain and central nervous system, as well as other bodily systems, will cease to work efficiently. To try to counteract the lack of blood sugar from carbohydrates in the diet, your body will break down fat, which is what you want, but it will also breakdown muscle and other lean body tissue. Losing lean body tissue can be very dangerous. Even organs can be broken down to use as fuel. Losing lean body tissue can also be counter-productive. Muscle tissue increases the resting metabolic rate. With reduced amounts of muscle, your metabolism will slow. When you come off the diet, increased fat cells will form because your metabolism is slow and so your body needs less blood sugar for fuel. It is also a survival mechanism in case of another 'famine'. With very low calorie diets, an imbalance in minerals and electrolytes can occur, which can be dangerous. These govern the balance of fluids in the body allowing nerves and muscles to function. Osteoporosis can be another danger, especially for women. Often dairy products like eggs, milk and cheese are cut out of a very low calorie diet so cutting out a major source of Calcium leading to loss of bone mass. Anaemia (a lack of Iron in the blood) can also be another risk. If taken to extremes, women can find that menstruation (periods) becomes irregular or stops altogether. A lack of serotonin in the brain can be another problem which leads to clinical depression. You might find that the lack of essential nutrients on a very low calorie diet leads to a deterioration in the condition of your hair and nails. One of the great dangers of this kind of dieting is that you can become acclimatised to it. As your body reduces some of its functions, including those of the brain and nerves, and as depression takes hold due to a lack of serotonin, you can slip into anorexia nervosa - a truly life threatening condition. As mentioned above, when you finally come off this diet, you will almost certainly regain all the weight you have lost plus more leading to yoyo dieting, now believed to be dangerous. Altogether, very low calorie diets are a danger to physical and mental health. They are counter-productive and can lead to long term problems as well as a lifetime of yoyo dieting. It is far better to lose weight safely and slowly on a sensible diet." (source reference: http://www.allinfoaboutdietsnutrition.com/index.php?page=21 ) "Low-carb/high-fat diets pose dangerous health risks and may increase the risk of contracting serious chronic diseases. Studies have linked extreme low-carb/high-fat diets to an increased risk of developing certain disease states, including: • Alzheimer disease • blindness and macular degeneration • some forms of cancer • cardiovascular and heart disease • c-reactive protein/inflammation • metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance • osteoporosis • kidney stones This is due to increased levels of saturated fat and dietary protein in the diet, with inadequate nutrition coming from plant-based phyto-chemicals. [/url]Low-carb diets may increase the risk of birth defects and childhood cancers. Bread, Pasta, Breakfast cereals and orange juice — foods that are “off-limits” in a low-carb diet — are fortified with folic acid, a micronutrient essential to the neurological development of fetuses. The U.S. food and Drug Administration currently requires that enriched grain products be fortified with the essential Vitamin folic acid (the synthetic form of naturally occurring folate, or vitamin B-9, found in many leafy green vegetables, fruits and legumes). Since the fortification of grain-based foods with higher levels of folic acid, beginning in 1999, there has been a remarkable 19 percent drop in neural tube birth defects in the United States. Followers of a low-carb diet do not receive the benefits of folic acid fortification. Low-carb/high-fat diets are not more effective for weight loss. According to studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association, there are no significant differences in weight loss between low-carbohydrate diets and conventional weight-loss plans. The study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (April 9, 2003) reviewed studies of low-fat diets conducted between 1966 and 2003, and found that weight loss from low-carbohydrate diets was associated with length of diet, pre-diet weight, and the number of calories consumed, but not reduced carbohydrate content. The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (May 22, 2003) found greater weight loss with a low-carbohydrate diet than a conventional diet during the first six months, but no significant differences in weight were observed after one year.1 Low-carb diets are perceived to be effective because of the rapid, initial weight loss. However, the weight loss is primarily due to the loss of muscle glycogen and Water — not body fat. Loss of muscle glycogen can result in lethargy and fatigue.1 Foods high in carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables, are generally more filling — more “bulky” — than foods high in fat, and less prone to overeating. Foods high in fat can increase energy intake (calories) because they are more energy dense, not as “bulky,” and taste good, leaving eaters desiring more and making it easy to over-consume them. A lifestyle that is high in high-fat foods and low in exercise can lead to weight gain. Carbohydrates, such as pasta, do not make you fat. Consistently overeating calories— whether they’re from carbohydrates, fat, or protein — will make you fat. The only genuine, time-tested principle of healthy, long-term weight loss is to take in fewer calories than your body burns. Low-carb diets may cause cognitive difficulties. Carbohydrates are the only source of fuel that the human brain — the most energy-demanding organ in the body — can use. Muscle cells can burn both fat and carbohydrates, but the brain does not have the “machinery” to burn fat. Depriving the brain of carbs means depriving it of energy — and the shortfall can affect intellectual performance, such as memory and cognitive processing.1 Once the body’s glycogen reserve is exhausted, the brain ends up using ketones, a by-product of the breakdown of fat. Ketones are not the optimal energy source for the brain, and their increase in the body has been shown to impair mental judgment.2 Low-carb diets can make people — especially women — short-tempered. A new study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that the brain produces serotonin — which regulates moods and emotions — only after a person consumes sweet or starchy carbohydrates, in combination with very little or no protein. A shortage of serotonin can lead to mood swings and depression. Eating a healthy pasta meal encourages the brain to make serotonin; eating a steak actually stops it from being produced.3 A Healthier Choice According to the American Dietetic Association, the voice of nutrition in America, there are no good or bad foods — only good or bad diets. At “Healthy Pasta Meals,” a recent Barilla-sponsored conference in Rome, Italy, a team of 38 nutrition scientists from around the world concluded that the “Mediterranean diet” is an excellent choice for maintaining overall health. The Mediterranean diet includes abundant plant foods (such as vegetables and pasta); olive oil; dairy products; fewer than four eggs weekly; fish and poultry in low-to-moderate amounts; red meat in low amounts; and wine with meals, in low-to-moderate amounts. A 2003 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of death from heart disease and cancer.4" Low-carb/high-fat diets pose dangerous health risks and may increase the risk of contracting serious chronic diseases. Studies have linked extreme low-carb/high-fat diets to an increased risk of developing certain disease states, including: • Alzheimer disease • blindness and macular degeneration • some forms of cancer • cardiovascular and heart disease • c-reactive protein/inflammation • metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance • osteoporosis • kidney stones This is due to increased levels of saturated fat and dietary protein in the diet, with inadequate nutrition coming from plant-based phyto-chemicals. Low-carb diets may increase the risk of birth defects and childhood cancers. Bread, pasta, breakfast cereals and orange juice — foods that are “off-limits” in a low-carb diet — are fortified with folic acid, a micronutrient essential to the neurological development of fetuses. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently requires that enriched grain products be fortified with the essential vitamin folic acid (the synthetic form of naturally occurring folate, or vitamin B-9, found in many leafy green vegetables, fruits and legumes). Since the fortification of grain-based foods with higher levels of folic acid, beginning in 1999, there has been a remarkable 19 percent drop in neural tube birth defects in the United States. Followers of a low-carb diet do not receive the benefits of folic acid fortification. Low-carb/high-fat diets are not more effective for weight loss. According to studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association, there are no significant differences in weight loss between low-carbohydrate diets and conventional weight-loss plans. The study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (April 9, 2003) reviewed studies of low-fat diets conducted between 1966 and 2003, and found that weight loss from low-carbohydrate diets was associated with length of diet, pre-diet weight, and the number of calories consumed, but not reduced carbohydrate content. The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (May 22, 2003) found greater weight loss with a low-carbohydrate diet than a conventional diet during the first six months, but no significant differences in weight were observed after one year.1 Low-carb diets are perceived to be effective because of the rapid, initial weight loss. However, the weight loss is primarily due to the loss of muscle glycogen and water — not body fat. Loss of muscle glycogen can result in lethargy and fatigue.1 Foods high in carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables, are generally more filling — more “bulky” — than foods high in fat, and less prone to overeating. Foods high in fat can increase energy intake (calories) because they are more energy dense, not as “bulky,” and taste good, leaving eaters desiring more and making it easy to over-consume them. A lifestyle that is high in high-fat foods and low in exercise can lead to weight gain. Carbohydrates, such as pasta, do not make you fat. Consistently overeating calories— whether they’re from carbohydrates, fat, or protein — will make you fat. The only genuine, time-tested principle of healthy, long-term weight loss is to take in fewer calories than your body burns. Low-carb diets may cause cognitive difficulties. Carbohydrates are the only source of fuel that the human brain — the most energy-demanding organ in the body — can use. Muscle cells can burn both fat and carbohydrates, but the brain does not have the “machinery” to burn fat. Depriving the brain of carbs means depriving it of energy — and the shortfall can affect intellectual performance, such as memory and cognitive processing.1 Once the body’s glycogen reserve is exhausted, the brain ends up using ketones, a by-product of the breakdown of fat. Ketones are not the optimal energy source for the brain, and their increase in the body has been shown to impair mental judgment.2 Low-carb diets can make people — especially women — short-tempered. A new study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that the brain produces serotonin — which regulates moods and emotions — only after a person consumes sweet or starchy carbohydrates, in combination with very little or no protein. A shortage of serotonin can lead to mood swings and depression. Eating a healthy pasta meal encourages the brain to make serotonin; eating a steak actually stops it from being produced.3 A Healthier Choice According to the American Dietetic Association, the voice of nutrition in America, there are no good or bad foods — only good or bad diets. At “Healthy Pasta Meals,” a recent Barilla-sponsored conference in Rome, Italy, a team of 38 nutrition scientists from around the world concluded that the “Mediterranean diet” is an excellent choice for maintaining overall health. The Mediterranean diet includes abundant plant foods (such as vegetables and pasta); olive oil; dairy products; fewer than four eggs weekly; fish and poultry in low-to-moderate amounts; red meat in low amounts; and wine with meals, in low-to-moderate amounts. A 2003 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of death from heart disease and cancer.4" (source: http://www.barillaus.com/Dangers_of_LowCarb_Diets.aspx ) Take care of yourselves! and research the effects of your choices!!! XO Leila

I had this issue really bad at my heaviest. I was on medication for it. A couple years ago I carried my eldest to bed - I'd just laid her down and boom - if I'd have been pregnant I swear my Water had broke. Pee just ran down between my legs and onto the floor. I ran to the bathroom freaking out. I didn't know what was wrong with me. My doctor tried to narrow it down. Blamed a lot of it on my thyroid condition (hypo). That seems to be the "blame catcher". Anytime something is going on weird with my period, blatter, or body it is my thyroid. That's what they tell me anyway. It seems that my 275+ frame was putting excess pressure on my bladder and causing it to spasm. I was eventually weened off of the medication. As I've lost weight I've noticed the - run like hell and unbutton your pants as you go urge has become less frequent.

I've tried going on the weight watchers diet and I followed the meal plans, I managed to gain 6 pounds lol. But, I also have hypo thyroidism so I think thats why I gained weight. The whole cutting of the stomach scares me to pieces, lap band is no longer an option, too many side effects. Its a good thing I have 4 more months. But, I do feel that I'm on yo yo dieting so the sleeve will probably be my only option. Thank you so much.

To Floridays: I really don't who to blame. but I think all 4 factors come into play somehow. I blame myself for getting angry and giving up too soon, I blame the doctor for not being understanding enough or listening to me when I told him in all honesty that I was following the rules, I blame my slow metabolism because it can interfere with weight loss. I didn't want anyone to baby me. I wanted someone who would listen to me (even though we disagreed) and not to accuse me of things that I was not doing. And I do not have hypo/hyperthyroidism at all. I was misdiagnosed. As for calories. I kept a food diary and logged in everything I ate in my fitness pal. I was consuming 600-900 calories a day. There were days when I would consume 1000 calories. I followed each stage of liquids, mushy foods, and so on. I drank nothing but Water and when I got tired of water I mixed in crystal light. Don't assume that just because I didn't include my food intake and calorie intake that I wasn't following the rules. And I never said I ate until I was full, in fact, I never mentioned that at all. My portions were eaten out of a 1 cup tupperware container. Everything I ate was baked, boiled, broiled, grilled, or steamed. And there was always food left over on my plate. Just because you were extremely successful doesn't give you a right to be pompous and throw the fact that you lost LOTS OF WEIGHT, especially at the faces of those who weren't successful at all or not as successful as you were in your weight loss journey. Kudos to you though for losing all the weight and kudos to your tenacity to keep going until you reached your goal, but please understand that everyone is different, that everyone's body works differently, and that the lap band does not work for/or as well for everyone. Please understand the frustration that comes with not losing weight with the lap band because it is a real thing that many lap band patients go through, but are reluctant to admit out of embarrassment and people like you who are quick to assume that we didn't work hard enough or don't exercise enough. I did work my butt off just like you did and would lose then the weight I had lost would come back despite eating right and exercising, changing the exercises and changing the amount of calories. And I wanted it as much as you did but apparently you were more successful. Please don't forget the frustration that comes with losing weight and gaining weight. I know you are thin now but don't become a mean thin girl please. And I think a new doctor would help and for you to tell me otherwise is ridiculous. I'm pretty sure you have changed doctors in your life time and have had family members or friends who have needed a change in doctors. And if you say that the band does 70% of the work then you better believe that I was contributing that 30% to lose the weight but I wasn't as successful as you were. I also want you to know that I am trying to turn this around and that in this process I am trying to reassess what went wrong and trying to work on those wrong things. You were overweight once too and please don't forget the pain and frustrations that come with that. I'm not coming on here to get "babied" I'm coming on here to receive support in continuing my lap band weight loss journey.

I have a hypothyroid second to Hashimotto Disease. I still have my Thyroid, but it's not in good shape. I just wanted to let you know that we have a Hypothyroid thread or 2 on this site. Just type in Hypo thyroid Bandsters, and it should come up.

Whatever you decide to do: ask yourself if it's something you might still be fine with in e. g. two years or five years. Of course you can never know if you will really be fine with the approach you choose a few years down the road but giving yourself an honest answer might help you rule out any approach you're uncomfortable with from the beginning on. So when part of your brain wants to turn around on the heel and run away, screeching "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" when thinking about going to the gym six days a week, living off lean protein, shakes, no fat, no carbs, no nothing forever - then don't do it. No, you won't "get used to it". Yes, you can kickstart things with sort of a high-speed diet for a few weeks if you're comfortable with that approach - but have a plan how to proceed from there and ask yourself if it's the time for a kickstart. It might not be the time for a really restrictive short-term diet if you feel very stressed, need lots of energy for your working days, have an injury or acute illness to deal with or if you're prone to reactive bingeing.

My doctor called me about 48 hours after I got my lap band plus had given me his number in case I had any issues and said to call. That was several years ago. When my lap band was removed in February 2017, my current doctors office called me the following day to check on me. I appreciate the follow up and think it is very thoughtful of them to do this as I know it can be time consuming. But let's face it, there might be little things going on that we don't think anything about and by asking you a couple questions and giving you an opportunity to tell them how you feel you very well could proactively catch any post op complications before they get worse rather than wait a few days until you are miserable enough for feel justified to call them to ask if XYZ is normal. Better to be proactive rather than just reactive. 🤗 Sent from my XT1635-01 using BariatricPal mobile app

No, no eliminating anything from my diet - I am not eating anything new that I didn't eat pre-op, and I'm not eating anything I don't have permission to eat. My surgeon mentioned it may be a systemic reaction, something I ingested at the hospital. Maybe the thrush prevention mouth wash thing I had to take, who knows. I stopped the heavy duty painkillers about 4 days out. Have you considered shingles? It comes out with stress in the body and is only mildly reactive to steroids.

"Bottom line there is not a "easy" solution no matter what you do" I'm truly hoping that you didn't mean to suggest that those who get banded assume they've found an "easy" solution to their weight problem. The people here who've had success have worked their weight off. I have hypothyroidism. I have been taking medication for it since, oh, the early '90s. My level gets checked twice a year, and it's been stable for as long as I can remember. I've successfully lost over 100 pounds, so hypos can succeed at weight loss. (The only problem was me gaining the weight back by overeating high calorie foods and stopping my exercise program.) You are making a really strong statement to us about our personal health choices, but you also state "I'll take what I can get" when it comes to your own doctor and treatment. You "know more than any nutritionist", but have you consulted more than the one that disappointed you? I appreciate your concern for my well-being, but my own experiences and the faith I have in my own decisions will guide me.

The Quest bars are my "go to" for sweet cravings. They're high in Protein and Fiber, and do not spike blood sugar. For me, if I have a regular cookie, cake, candy.....any of it, it sets me up for an out of control eating frenzy. Also, being that I have reactive hypoglycemia, it messes badly with my blood sugar in a way where I have to eat a lot just to balance it. Not worth it... The Quest and Atkins bars are fabulous, and eating one doesn't leave me wanting to eat the entire box.

I was reactivating into the program so the process for me was a tiny bit different. I got my referral July 13. I had a health education class July 27 that covered general details about bariatric surgery and the program. After that you need to talk to doc again and say you're interested they then refer you into the program. August 4 was my orientation (4 hours long!!!!!) This where they weigh you and only this weight and their scale will be the one that matters. Since I'm reactivating I had to take 4 bariatric lifestyle class (extremely helpful). They are every Wednesday. On my 4th class day I called to schedule my psych eval, I was SO lucky I called when I did because it was either the next day September 8 or all the way until October 4, I took the 9/8 because I would be on a trip for the next available appt. Dr. Z (psych) cleared me and scheduled me for my surgeon appt w/ Dr. Mostaedi October 11 (where I'll get my goal weight) I've already lost 23lbs so that must be why Dr. Z cleared me quickly. I have to wait till December for surgery because of school but I would have to wait anyway because I was a vaper. If you are a smoker you will have to be 3 months nicotine free before surgery. If I wasn't a vaper and didn't have school I would probably be having this surgery in October.

There's plenty of people around in Australia who have been banded for 10 years. However it was made very clear to me by my surgeon that there is no longer term data, they simply do not know whether the band will last us our lifetimes. Silicon supposedly does not degrade and is non reactive in the body but who knows.

This is my first post. I had Roux-en-y (RNY) in September 2009 by Mr Date in The Luton & Dunstable Hospital in England. Have gone from 26-stone to around 16-stone. All seems pretty well except I suffer from Hypoglycemic events even though I am not Diabetic. Anybody else get this? Also I have Terrible-Tinnitus and my life (day and night) is becoming a living hell. Anyhow that's enough from me, any replies GREATLY appreciated. Bye-4-now - Neil :-)