Please Help --Gaining Weight--Changing Doctors Again

[karibensea 7]

It has been almost 3 yrs since I had been banded and I have started gaining weight!! I have have no major issues with the band, NO pain, NO anything out of the normal except major STRESS for the past year sitting all day working at a job I absolutely hate. I moved, working hard at getting my life in order. NONE the less there is a problem here

I am so not sure what is going on. I do not seem to be eating anything out of the norm of what I had been but maybe what I had been has been wrong from the get go. I moved to NJ a little over a year ago and although my doctor is one of the best in the state I really feel as if he is not the best for me. I had a couple very small fills and it has been almost 8 or 9 months since he filled my band the last time. Now with the weight gain he seems to think that the band has reached its point of no use. It has NOT even been 3 yrs! He now wants to remove it and put in a sleeve..WHAT another surgery I DON'T THINK SO>> Now keep in mind that since I have found him when I moved here, He has not one time done an ultra sound to make sure all was ok with the band, not one time did he even do any kind of xray! Really how would he know anything was up or not..

So bottom line here is this, I have gained weight and I mean like 10 lbs of weight and I am angry with me and at him because his quick fix is to take out the band and do another surgery without every getting to the root of the problem. I am going to a new surgeon here closer to my home who once again has come to me highly recommend from many different directions and hopefully we can figure out what is going on. Maybe I just need a fill! Maybe there is a leak in the band, maybe something horrible is going on and I just don't know. Although if something very bad was going on I think I might know, don't you? I have been getting a bit of heartburn as of late so I am really a bit nervous about it...

Please help..any thoughts or personal insight would be helpful. My appointment is at 2pm Est today

Michele

[Holly Dolly 575]

ok, so you have gained 10 pounds. The first thing I would do would be start logging my intake on www.myfitnesspal.com. You say you don't seem to be eating anything out of the norm. Have you journaled your intake to see how many calories you are eating every day. I know for me, If I didn't keep track I could go way over!

[auntielle 42]

You are doing the right thing in finding an experienced dr who you trust & will give you the quality after care you deserve. Hopefully, the new one will be a fit!

Regarding food, I started out using my fitness pal & tracking everything. Then slacked off thinking I was ok. However, I'm back to using it religiously b/c it keeps me focused & there are sooo many things that seem they should be lower cal than they are. Same for measuring food. My guess is usually larger than the actual portion.

As for making other life changes, that is part of the challenge. Therapy has been helpful to me and I am going in a new (and happier) direction at 51. So, it's never too late to do what you want to do. Most importantly, give yourself credit for ALL of the positive changes you have made so far! I know you will find the support you need.

All the best!

[honk 780]

You mentioned it's been awhile since you were filled. My nurse said that saline does evaperate. Slower than Water but it does happen. I would have them pull out all your fill; see how much is still in there and then refill to at least the original level. You may have lost fill. I don't think I would move to a new surgery just yet. I agree REALLY CRITICALLY look at what you are eating. Are you drinking coffee at work? Do you use sugar/cream? That alone could be adding literally 500 cals. to your day.

[LarraineM 6]

I am with u girl.............I was banded almost 2 1/2 yrs ago . I ve enjoyed much sucess with looseing 104 lbs but now I ve gained 8lbs of thoes lbs back. Its my fault I am sure I LOVE ICE CREAM and soft foods that go down easy so I ve been eating around my band. I ve also gotten away from weighing my 4 oz a serveings.I ve let myself and my gaurd down and been entirely too easy on myself. We both know this is a marathon NOT a sprint. So I picking myself up I attended my first support grp meeeting for banders last nite . I ve never been much of a support grp person so i never took andvantage of this service that has always been available to me. I t felt good just to verbally tell the grp of my struggles. I ve made an appointment for Monday with my Dr and I ll go tell him" how I lost My mind " and get another fill. I havent had one in about 3 months. Even after all this time I am NOT in control EVER and need to use MY TOOl. So, I invite you to do the same its been eight months for u I read,don't be ashamed just hold your head high you and I are learning everyday and thats ok...................we know what to do.Good luck girl we are both in a good place we know how to take back our lives !

[Holly Dolly 575]

well said Larraine! I love my support group meetings though I cut back on them because I have so much going on. Now I feel so out of the loop that I can't wait to back this coming Monday night!

[karibensea 7]

Other then the my fitness pal is there that you all know of an app for calorie counting?

[JustDoIt130 369]

I think some people use one called lose it...

You're doing great- find a doctor you think fits, that is so important to feel like you're a team.