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This is what I did and it really helped. I started with weaning myself off of d. Soda and any carbonated drinks (soda, beer, etc ). I was tracking daily whatever went into my mouth. I was getting at least 64 oz of fluid and 60 grams protien. No fluids 30 min before, during or after meals. Concentrating on chewing food well and eating slowly. I was walking 15 min at a time 3 times daily. I'm almost 5 months out and have been blessed with no complications. I haven't experienced any nausea or vomiting. Food still taste the same as it did pre-op. I started at a lower bmi of 38. I am losing around 12#'s per month. Hope this helps.

Hello all! I had my lapband placed in 2011 and after pregnancy in 2015 band didn't sit right too many complications with eating/drinking.. my surgeon removed it this morning and I feel great!! Waiting for stomach to heal before walking down the sleeve route..[emoji5]🥀

Jane's right, it does get better. Only a couple of weeks ago I was wondering when I was going to feel normal again but now at 4 weeks out I have practically forgotten that I had an op! Mine was a bit more complicated as it was open surgery and all my abdominal muscles were stitched up as well. You will be running around in no time!

First let me say Thank You for all your prayers. My surgery was Friday 9/16. Here is my story and I'm sticking to it. First I am still very sore and still alot of gas. My surgery had a few complications. I have a hypo-Thyroid so this played a little issue with the surgery but not bad. Then they discovered that I was bleeding under the skin and had to put a drain and bag on. I only say this so everyone knows that not every surgery is perfect. That being said I do have to say that outside of the complications it really was a wonderful experience. The people from Belite were there with me all the time. They were great and compassionate and honestly caring. JoAnne from Belite was actually there and when she came to see me after my surgery, she immediately ran to the Dr's and told them that I did not look well. I had every Dr and nurse in my room. I tried to get up severval times after surgery to walk to relieve the gas but as I sat on the end of the bed I fell back and passed out. They were there to fix the situation and since I had to stay in bed...no walking,,,hence a slower recovery. Belite was there to pick me up, transfer me to the hospital in Tijuana for pre-op then take me to the hotel for the night. We met with the surgery team that night at the hotel and they answered every question we had. INT hospital is one of the cleanest hospitals I have ever seen and I was a little hesitant of going to Tijuana. We felt very safe. I actually felt more safe there then in some of the US cities. And we were full-time RV'ers for 10 years so I have seen alot of cities. Dr Rodriguez and his surgical team were the tops in their field. We are now thinking of going back in a few months for my husband and will not hesitate to use Belite and Dr Rodriguez. Any questions I haven't covered pleas ask. Everyone else that had their surgery done the same day as me had no problems. I think my problems were a result of a combination of a 58 yr old women 5'0 245 lbs and with a Hypo-Thyroid problem. I really can't say enough good about, INT Hospital, Dr Rodriguez and his team, and all my new friends at Belite....Thank you especially JoAnne, Jamie, Amy, and Alberta (driver) Good Luck to all approaching their surgery and my prayers will be with you all. Janet

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.algaecal.com/expert-insights/the-surprising-long-term-complication-of-bariatric-surgery/amp/

I'm 18.5 weeks pregnant. I won't have any issues losing the pregnancy weight. I'll just low carb it again until I get the weight off. I gained a few pounds over the holidays and dropped those pounds in a little over a week just by cutting alcohol and carb consumption. As for the breakdown of weight gain with a pregnancy, this is what they've outlined for my weight gain: Maternal Fat- 7lbs Baby- 6-8lbs (average is 7.5lbs) Increases Fluid (blood volume)-2-4 ( a mother's blood volume typically doubles during pregnancy) Amniotic Fluid- 1-1.5lbs Placenta- 2lbs Breast tissue/mammary system weight increase - 1-2lbs Watch out for the ROSE procedure, it has an 85% failure rate. This is also discussed heavily on the obesityhelp.com Revision forum. ERNY (extended RNY, where they remove more intestine to start malabsorption again since intestinal adaptation has taken over at this point for you) is also an option. They will shorten your common channel by another 50-100cm. You definitely want to know before you agree to a revision if you have a pouch or stoma dilation because if you have actual mechanical failure with your RNY even a band over the pouch isn't going to do much because once the food passes through the band pouch into your RNY pouch, you will still be able to more food, and your malabsorption is gone. As for Jerusalem clinic, honestly, out of over 3 years on weight loss forums, I have never read of one patient having a RNY take down and revision to the VSG being performed there and honestly that is possibly why they are recommending the band over the bypass pouch to give you restriction again. Seriously, I can name 4 surgeons worldwide that are experienced with these surgeries, and with self-pay patients the cost just for the surgeon run upwards of 20-30k because it is such a complicated and exhausting surgery to take down an old RNY. I promise I researched revisions for months once I knew my band had to come out. The risks for complications especially leaks from scar tissue and adhesions literally quadruples with revisions vs. a virgin, unaltered stomach/intestinal tract. I had a leak with a band revision to VSG after only having the band for 8 months, and actually lost more stomach tissue because of the damage the band had done. My surgeon was experienced with revisions, and I happen to be a statistic of his that I'd like to take back. I was his first and only VSG leak so it can happen even with really experienced surgeons. I'm not slamming Jerusalem Clinic, but revisions are super tricky, complicated, and I would hate to see you fork out the money, get a surgery that is as high maintenance as the BOB procedure and then continue to struggle with your weight and be looking at or for another surgery. There have been RNY to VSG revisions performed due to reactive hypoglycemia symptoms and diagnosis after RNY, but again, it's a very complicated surgery with high risks. Just choose carefully, and continue to research your options.

Thanks for the input! I have wondered myself about the complications that may come from already having had surgery; but when I asked them at the Jerusalem Center, other than telling me that they recommend the band over the sleeve for former bypass patients, there didn't seem to be an issue. It is definitely an area that I need to look into more closely. Thanks! Also, one more question for Tiffykins. How pregnant are you? Or have you already had the baby and are on the way back down the scale? I am interested in how easy it is to begin re-losing once you have begun putting weight back on, as that is one of the things that I was thinking about as well. I mean, at one time, my stomach was just large enough to eat 2 oz., so maybe there is something that I could do to re-shrink my stomach without the need for additional surgery. But I haven't found anything yet.

Lol- yup, MFP always said I was near death with my low calories, low carb and low fat diet so stopped using MFP after that. Besides I am not really a tracker. I like to keep post op things ultra simple as life is complicated as is. Stopped tracking after month 1 and never looked back. All turned out fine in the end.

You say you lack the energy to be an exercise partner. I know personally the one thing I would love to have more than anything is a walking partner! Walking is good exercise, you should not walk so fast that you can't carry on a conversation so it's a great social time and it costs nothing to do...in these financial times, something free that's good is not to be sniffed at! Okay, you say, but I don't think I can do that. Well, tell her you will walk with her until you feel that must turn around. Every time you go out, try to walk a little further. You will benefit from this AND SO WILL SHE. You will get stronger, and she will feel that you are making a big effort for her and that should inspire her, too! Do you cook at all? You can cook simple meals and surprise her and provide meals that are within "the plan" and maybe even provide some leftovers that can then provide a healthy lunch the next day. Example? Grill chicken, steak or lean pork OR FISH. There is a flat thingie with small holes to put fish on on top of the grill grid. Spray it with PAM so the fish doesn't stick. Grill vegetables! Some fruits even taste better grilled because it intensifies the flavor! Experiment. A little leftover steak can be added to salad greens with some sauteed mushrooms and low fat or fat free salad dressing. Instant lunch. Support isn't complicated. Reward her with a surprise now and then. There's a thread here somewhere about rewarding yourself. I suggested a nice (though certainly not ostentatious) piece of jewelry at 50 pounds. Maybe a silver (or gold, if you can afford it) charm bracelet with just one charm on it. Then add to it every 5 or 10 pounds. Silver would make more frequent charms more affordable. And what a nice surprise to have you pick these out for her! Love is the best support of all, my friend!

Yes, she's likely thinking of a vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG), an earlier incarnation of gastric banding. It may have been laparascopic (as in lap-) but what it wasn't was adjustable. The device that the FDA approved in 2001 was the first adjustable gastric band available in the U.S. It's not done much anymore since it had a high rate of complications and failures.

Much of what you are feeling is happening because of the significant change in hormones, it will get better with time. That being said, you should not be having significant pain at this stage. Most people are completely off pain medications within a few days post op. What kind of pain are you having at this point? You might be having a complication such as a stricture. Have you called your surgeons office?

Hi Panda I'm getting nervous too. Am having brachio and inner thigh lift with vertical incision half way down thigh on Monday 6th in France. Had an LBL there last year which was tough enough for a day or too but not so bad afterwards. My brachio is a re-do. First time round no lipo was done so they are still bulky and the incisions were badly placed. I too will stay in hospital for 5 nights and then I'll be alone in France until I come home - 11 days post -op. I have to be back at work 3 weeks post -op so am hoiping for no complications. I'll be able to take it easy for a few weeks though. Hope all goes well for you. Ellen

Hi everyone, I had my surgery done in Il.. Dr. Horton was his name, i had some complications and to get it done over.. I so desperatly wanted and needed to lose weight.. That was about 4 yrs ago.. I'm having issues with keeping food down, i throw up all the time.. Now i'm having reflux issues.. I wonder if i knew all this in the beginning would i have still gotten this surgery..

When I first started this process I really appreciated hearing peoples experiences (good and bad), so I thought I would return the favor. About 1 1/2 years ago I had an abnormal mammogram and it really scared me. 3 big contributers to breast cancer are drinking, smoking, and obesity. I quit drinking and smoking immediately and made an appt with the lap band surgeon. Tomorrow will be 1 year since I had my band placed. I consider the band to be a complete success. This morning I weighed in at 151.8. My highest weight was 270 lbs. I was 250 when I first met with the surgeon, 231 after the 6 month supervised diet, 218 on the day of surgery (after 2 weeks of liquid protein diet). I am wearing a size 6/8 pant and a medium shirt. I didn't think it was really possible since I had failed at so many diets and diet programs in the past. I am still surprised when I pick up my jeans and I think, "look how tiny these are, how is it possible that I fit into these". I follow a high protein low carb diet 80% of the time. I don't count calories, but I estimate about 1000-1200 calories per day. I work out about 5 days a week. I mostly do cardio, but I want to start adding weights to see if I can help this sagging skin. I have an appointment with a plastic surgeon on Friday to see about a tummy tuck. This has really been a life changer for me, I am back to running which I used to love to do. I have done a couple of obstacle course 5k runs and a 4 1/2 mile mud run. I am taking my son to Chicago to do the Lucky 7k on March 16th. In 18 months I have gone from being morbidly obese to 2.8 lbs from being considered a normal weight. I think I have had 2 stuck episodes. I have vomited due to eating too much or drinking too soon after eating, mostly in the beginning while I was learning to work with the band. I have been on these boards pretty regularly since I started thinking about having this done, it seems like the journey is different for everyone. For me it was a fairly easy, complication free experience. I think the hardest thing for me is that I keep thinking it is going to quit working. Every time I go clothes shopping I think, "I better get these now, I don't know how long I will be able to stay in a size 6". I have had a biopsy and I still get mammograms every 3 months, but at least I know I have done absolutely everything I can to live my healthiest life.

I everyone. I am beyond happy that I found this site. Like many of you, I have tried to lose weight for the past 7 years(I'm 25) and I just can't seem to lose it. I lose the weight and gain it right back.. My sister got sleeved on January and OMG she went from a size 18 to a small .. Amazing I know.. So at first, after seeing her have some complications, I said I can't do this, forget it... But just 3 days ago, I was trying to wear something for work and it wouldn't for properly and after trying few other outfits, I said that's it, I will have the surgery regardless what ends up being. Not for nothing, but I have an amazing life, I have a awesome job, I go to school which I graduate next fall, but I'm not happy with my weight. This is where the problem arises, I weight 200... I could of swore I was more but I was too scared to weigh my self. So 2 days ago I wanted to see how much I weighted and I was disappointed lol.. I calculated my BMi and it's 34 Uhg so frustrating.. Now some of you may say well wtf are u doing here, but that's not the case.. I am very self couscous and I don't ever go on dates bc I feel like I am huge (which 200 is not small) I am 5'4 also... I am registered for a seminar for Wednesday 10/2/13... Not sure if I qualify? Would I? I mean I do wear a size 16 so you would think I do? Right? I was always a size 4 until I turned 19.... I know it's wrong but should I gain a little weight? I did have a heart surgery in 2010 and my heart beats more than normal peoples so maybe they can consider that right? Worse comes to worse and my insurance say No, can I do it anyways paying cash? Will they allow me even though my BMi is not 35? I really want to be at least 130 and I have tried almost every single diet on the planet.. I just want some insight since I really want to do it but my family won't really support me since they still think I have a heart condition which I don't anymore.. I have decided I am going to do it even if it costs my life in the end... That's how serious I am .. And I have read so many of your stories and I am inspired.

So, I’ve read various posts about regretting the journey that sleevary (yes I’ve created a word) brings. However, do some of you fully regret being sleeved or are you impartial to it? For instance, my journey to sleevary was quick fast and in a hurry. I never considered having WLS. In fact, I was one of “those” individuals whom laughed at the very idea of WLS and even said “I’d never do that”. Until June 2011 hit and I was diagnosed with Diabetes. That is when I said I HAVE to take control of my health and weight and must be proactive about it. And proactive I was. I was dieting, exercising and losing weight. Until, my cousin told me about a WLS forum. I attended not thinking anything of it. And the surgeon announced the fact that WLS reversed diabetes. Instantly, I said “sign me up”. I did not hesitate nor did I think about it. My insurance had a short process – 3 months, and since I had a comorbid disease the doctor said I would be approved. I did my research and sure enough it was proven in the research that WLS fully reversed diabetes. So literally, less than three months from my first WLS forum, I was on an operating table getting sleeved. I did minimum research, I knew about the risks, but to me, being diabetes-free far outweighed any leaks or any other complications. July 17, 2012 I’m sleeved. Told no family members, coworkers or anyone and went through the recovery process by myself. Thankful to God, I had no complications (and still do not have any). It’s January 2013 and I’m down 91lbs thanks to my sleeve and exercise (I’ve been a gym rat). 91lbs Horray!! One would be ecstatic right!? I look good (like a new person), I feel good, and best of all I’m diabetes FREE. After all, that was my goal for sleevary… Right!? Absolutely. One would think I’d be living the high life, I’m no longer classified a “big girl” I don’t have to shop at Ashley Stewart or in the plus size section(s). I should be happy. Shouldn’t I!? Well, I’m not. And here’s why… I can barely eat. I throw up sometimes but it’s very minimal. I feel most foods going down my esophagus, and although it doesn’t hurt it is uncomfortable. I can’t enjoy basic foods anymore…! Am I miserable? Am I unhappy? Absolutely not. I was never a food junky. However, do I believe I should have and could have lost this 91lbs without being sleeved? Certainly!! So why did I do this to myself!? Why did I take away 85% of my stomach? And now I can’t even enjoy the simple things in life... I can’t go out to eat with friends or on a date to a restaurant with a cute guy or participate in work functions that involve food because it’s embarrassing to be full off of three bites and have everyone sit and stare and wonder what’s wrong with her!? There’s just so many “normal” things that you just cannot be a part of post sleevary -- like enjoying a full slice of pizza, or popcorn at the movie theater (granted NOW I can eat popcorn but a month ago forget about it, pizza not so much) or how about a bagel with cream cheese or a full sandwich (and I’m not talking about a gigantic 12in sub just a measly homemade sandwich with two slices of bread), or how about indulging in thanksgiving dinner or eating a snickers candy bar without feeling stuffed or eating more than 1 egg or to have to chew EVERYTHING to a paste-like consistency before you swallow. The list goes on… Two of my friends know about my sleeve, and one is overweight. She is so excited to be sleeved and I told her if you do not have any medical problems it is not worth everything that you are giving up. Sure, you are skinny but is it worth the basic joys of life!? To some it is. To others it is not. To me, a person formerly (I love that word) living with a horrid debilitating disease YES it’s worth it! With that being said, I DO NOT regret my sleeve. And I thank God that I have not and prayerfully will not in the future have any complications. I just caution those whom are out there to try to lose weight naturally (unless you have severe health problems) and truly think about whether the sleeve is worth you losing your basic liberties (whatever they maybe)…! But, I can and will say. I love my sleeve. I love my surgeon and I love God for allowing me to become insulin and finger prinking free! However, I do wish that I would have taken control of my health BEFORE I became diagnosed with diabetes. Had I had any inkling that I was even close to that diagnosis of that dreadful disease (and I don’t care what people say, IN MY OPINION, that disease is like being diagnosed with HIV it is just awful – don’t even get me started on how life altering living as a diabetic is and how depressed I was… Ugh!) I would have ran to the nearest gym and stopped all the ice cream and soda (because that’s all I used to eat) cold turkey!! All I am saying is… Think about it! Truly, sit down and think about whether being sleeved is right for YOU! If it is, WELCOME TO THE LOSERS BENCH!!! If it isn’t, WELCOME TO THE LOSERS BENCH ALSO!!! You can do whatever you put your mind too! Persevere and rise to the challenge. God Bless you all~!!!! I love my VST-Family. SmoochieS~! TinaMari – Sleeved & Loving It July 17, 2012 – Washington Hospital Center.

I was going to have the gastric bypass, which I did a lot of research and it scared the crap out of me.. A lot of possible side effects with that. Dumping syndrome, hair loss, malnutrition is a big one too. When I found out my insurance co would cover the sleeve, my personal Dr was very excited and recommended that surgery due to less complications. Where I had my surgery done, which was Puget sound surgical center, I voiced my concerns about side effects and I also did my research. Unfortunately this is a newer procedure so not a lot of long term information. But, speaking to my Dr, he informed me out of the 250+ surgeries they had performed to date, they only had 3 complications. One, was due to issues the patient had prior, one was a leak and I cant remember what the other was from. I think having the sleeve will be one of the best decisions you ever make. I hope your friends are just kidding when they say they will never speak to you again! A true friend will support your decision on this and you need that support when you have to make a life changing decision that will effect the rest of your life! Best of luck to you

One more comment: If you chose to go ahead with the surgery, I'd strongly recommend getting travel insurance. I would imagine the Africa trip is quite a financial commitment and this way you have at least some peace of mind. Complications, while unlikely, are still a possibility and you also don't know how you'll feel (people here report needing to use pain meds anywhere from not at all to two weeks...). Are you heading into the bush or staying close to civilization? I postponed my first fill because I was heading to the Galapagos the next week and didn't want to risk needing an emergency unfill so far from any medical care. Dealing with the lap band requires special equipment/needles that are not likely to be found in many developing countries. I can appreciate your impatience to get started. Realize that lap band works over months or years and that two weeks more or less are not likely to matter in the long run...

Yeah? Wait until you see part of it try to slide out. LOL. I have to keep a tight rein on those puppies. I'm already on it. I've been to my dermatologist and complained about the rashes. He gave me cream of course. My insurance says the panni must be below the pubis and it must cause complications like rashes and back pain. I think I've got it covered. The rashes aren't bad, but I already have the beginnings of osteoarthritis in my lower back and it's causing some pain. I'm already starting to document things.

I had the sleeve done while I had 3 bleeding ulcers. All I can say is that I went to hell and back with months of hospitalization. Still recovering :-( Your Dr. is very smart, give your body a chance to heal even if it takes a year. It's not worth the complications to do the surgery prematurely. Hope you heal quickly!

I was banded on 8/13/07 and then re-banded on 8/17/07 due to slippage and herniation. I didn't have any complications after that except starting my fills later than most people do. Since about the end of this September (2008) I've been experiencing some vomiting after eating. This was attributed (by my dietitian and surgeon) to not chewing well enough and eating too fast. I took the advice to chew better and slow down. The vomiting was almost instant and the relief was as well. I'm sure that some of you know that feeling of relief when the food isn't stuck anymore. This past week, I had a BAD experience with lunch and was vomiting for almost an hour after only eating a couple of bites of my lunch. It hurt-I had pains in my stomach that I had never had before and I've never vomited more than once after eating a meal and this time it was 3 times. In between vomiting, I had these awful sharp pains that traveled from my stomach up my esophagus and then nothing happened, and I would get another one that started in my stomach and traveled up. I had never experienced this much pain from vomiting before. I was scared, because of my complications so early on-that I decided to contact my surgeon's office. They again said it was from not chewing well enough and/or eating too fast. (This was food that I had tolerated before and not had any problems before that day) They told me to do Clear liquids the rest of the day and if I couldn't keep anything else down or got the sharp pains in my stomach again, that I would need to go to the Emergency room of the hospital that she is in-which is 2 hours from where I live. Luckily, I was able to keep some Soup down for dinner and avoided exercising for the night, just to let my body settle down. The soup made me sick to my stomach, but I think my stomach was just sensitive from the vomiting earlier that day. So needless to say, I didn't have to make the 2 hour trip to the ER. Well, this past weekend, it happened again. I had dinner on Saturday night (leftovers from dinner on Friday night, that I had tolerated fine on Friday night) and this time I had the same thing happen- I felt sick for about 10 minutes before I finally threw it up, then still felt like I needed to vomit again. This time I vomited twice, and it hurt again. The pains in my stomach weren't nearly as bad as they had been during the week when I got sick, but I still felt like it hurt more than it should have. Now I am having pain/discomfort/pressure in my port area. Sometimes I experience discomfort just because it's there and sometimes it's when I'm exercising. I had a fill on 10/14/08 and now have 2.5ccs in a 4cc band. So I am a little over half full. I still don't feel like I am all that restricted, although I have lost quite a bit of weight since surgery (although I am discouraged by losing weight slowly and wish I could lose more) The prospect of needing an "unfill" has come up, but I feel like it's counterproductive to my weight loss. I have to drive 2 hours for everything and I don't want to drive up there again to get Fluid taken out of my band- it's discouraging to think that might be a possibility. Soooo, basically- I am kind of worried because I'm afraid that my band might slip again, or might be slipping, or eroding-or some other BAD thing. I don't think my surgeon would do another band on me, and the idea of having to have surgery again is UNTHINKABLE! I had such a hard time having it twice in one week, I don't think I could do it again. Has ANYONE out there experienced anything like this? To be vomiting at this stage in the game is frustrating because you think it's something would deal with in the beginning-not over a year out. And does anyone know if a band will slip suddenly, or can is slowly slip until it's completely slipped? I know what signs to look for-because I had a slip before and it was absolutely awful. It was right after surgery, so I thought the pain and stuff was normal, until I started to vomit blood-that's when I knew something was wrong. I haven't vomited blood this time, but I'm just paranoid about this. Does anyone have anything for me? Trying to be patient and positive about this...

Anyone else? Pre-op diet starts this Thursday! I am so nervous and excited! I have three boys (7,5, 10 months) and I'm most scared of a surgical complication. I am looking to lose around 150 pounds. I'm 6'0 tall and have always carried a lot of hidden weight. In 2009-2010 I lost over 100 pounds on my own, but I have gained a little more than half back. So ready to get it off and keep it off!

Chris, Can't wait to worry about loose skin! Out of curiosity, did your insurance go by your starting BMI for approval? Is your surgery going to be out patient? Mine will be barring any complications. I'm super excited for you! Best of luck! Tasha

Tasha, Thank you foe explaining . I was asked by another Washitonian if I was going with Eviva too but they never told me what it was. I only had to have three month of monitored dr visits, so I chose to use my surgeon. It was no big deal. Each appt went over weight, BP - as mine is high and a indicator being used for my justification for sleeve, diet intake and any other questions I had. I also had to have an ekg, labs, and pschy eval. All of the later were good. Yes a week from today is my surgery. The hospital called today to pre-admit me. I'm not nervous. I have had 4 major surgeries since Feb 2015. Unfortunately they all had complications which either required longer surgery time, readmit to the hospital or a second surgery. So I am being told I should be freaked out about now....LOL. I am excited, ready for it to be done. I think I have more concern over the loose skin issue. Christina

I too have read many threads/posts from banders that have their tool locked away as you discribe. I know there must be a fine line between being too agressive with fills and not agressive enough. I agree that the banster who lives in banster hell too long needs to comunicate with the doc and if things are not going well, find a new doc. My doc was fairly agressive with the fills and I am happy about that because I spent a very short time in banster hell. It also saved me time and money because I do not live in the same town as my Doc's office. As I've read these posts from bansters who get 6, 7 , 8 or more tiny fills to feel restriction, I wonder if there is a much larger risk of getting leaks. I have read posts where ports have been missed and fills have been complicated and painful. Elfie, your example of a Dr. not listening to a cancer patient was a great example. My mother died because of one of those types of Dr.s. Over the years I have changed Dr.s for the same reasons. I think as patients we all need to be aware that if we know something is wrong and the doc continues not to listen, we need to find one who will.