today has been one day amongst TOO many that was one of the worst.. not sure if it makes sense but its how i feel.. for too long ive been sad and border line depressed about my weight and ttc for over 4 years now.. i have pcos and really need to get my weight under 200 pounds (im 270 pounds currently).. and fast. ive always been a thick girl but at this point i feel huge. ive tried low carb, which is pcos friendly but havent gotten the results.. im looking to hear from people who have had the lap band and if the recommend it or advise against it and etc.. i feel it is extreme but my last resort honestly.. i feel helpless and cornered without any other options.. i hope someone can shed some light on it for me.. i live in lehigh valley pa so if anyone can suggest a dr i would greatly appreciate it.. thanks guys :0)

I think you inadvertantly swerved into a subject that I've never seen discussed here. When is the best time to consider bariatric surgery? Most people would say "as a last resort" and I might have to agree with that line of thinking.

RE: lapband surgery, I think it's a huge step and one must be totally committed to making it work. It's not a panacea and it is a lot of work and a mental challenge. I think one must come to the realization that diets won't work for them. I've always had to fight being overweight. From when I was 25 to 52 I successfully dieted and exercised weight away and probably had a BMI around 25. But as the years went along and my knees wore out and my career took a turn towards sitting in front of a puter 10 hrs a day, the weight could not be held back.

It took me nearly 10 years to give up on dieting. So, at 63 I knew I was ready to do this. I knew that dieting of any kind would not be the path to being thinner. So, for me, I know I made the right choice, even if for some reason this fails, I had no other option.

You need to look at your life and where you've been and where you want to be? It's going to be different for every forum member. If you can make a commitment to this, you can be succesful too, but be sure you have no other options or you'll always look back and say, what if? What if I had tried that Jenny Craig or that Dr Atkins, South Beach, or the latest Acai berry smoothy weight loss scam?

Good Luck and you have a lot of support here.

tmf

Regarding surgeons? At the top of this page is a link to a search engine for surgeons in your area. Click on it, input your city and state and you'll see your options. I highly recommend going to several seminars. Not just one, but 2 or 3. Go to one of their support group meetings. There are always lapband wannabe's at our support group and it's a good place to learn.

tmf

ive tried a lot of diets, and i honestly feel like i dont have the 100% fight in me anymore, i need help. thank u

Hi. Welcome. I too have PCOS and have struggled with my weight my whole life. I would have some success, but gain it back plus. We have been TTC for over 11 years now. I actually got banded in hopes of getting pregnant and getting my PCOS under control.

I did well initially. I lost 100 pounds. Unfortunately I have had some setbacks. Gallbladder surgery, a leak in my port that required a second surgery to replace the port, and most recently I have been diagnosed with a hiatal hernia and I am scheduled to have it repaired and my band will be repositioned at that time.

I did re-gain approximately 54 of the 100 I lost when I had a leak in my band and no restriction. Once my port was replaced I quickly lost pounds again. Then I had some life drama and I gained a few. I am back on track right now as I prep for surgery and am losing again. I am down 70 overall from my pre-surgery weight.

Have you tried diet and exercise with the use of Metformin? Diet and exercise is essential if you have PCOS, sugar and carbs are absolutely EVIL and will stick to you like superglue. Metformin helps with the cravings and helps your body regulate your insulin levels so you aren't having insulin spikes and dips. Some people get pregnant with the use of Metformin, diet, and exercise.

I was banded over 4 years ago, still not pregnant, and PCOS is still not under control. I have had more road bumps with the band than most. But I want to be honest with you as to where I am right now. Now, there are quite a few bandsters that HAVE lost really well despite PCOS, reversed their PCOS, and achieved pregnancy! So it is a realistic possibility.

It still takes A LOT of work with the band. You still need to make good food choices and exercise. I don't think I would still have the 70 pounds off if I was not banded. So I have mixed feelings about my band. I am not as successful (yet) as I had hoped to be... but I also recognize that 70 pounds is a lot of weight, and I am healthier now that I was pre-band. So even with all of my complications... I am healthier. Hopefully this last surgery will fix the last of my "issues" and I will be back on track permanantly.

Keep reading the boards. Do searches for PCOS and you will find quite a few threads about it. Good luck with your decision!! Sorry this is so long! ACK!

Just wanted to add... that for most of 2009 and 2010 I went back and forth with trying to figure out if I had a leak or not. My restriction was crap/non-existant.. and I was frustrated and gave up. Hence the re-gain. I literally wasted 2 years before getting my band fixed. It works when you work it and it is functioning properly.

I don't want you to be dscouraged by my journey but I do want you to see that not everyone has a smooth ride. This isn't a magical fix. This is SURGERY. Make sure you really truly have given it everything. Looking back, I wish I would have given diet and exercise one more try.

@chalk full nutty goodness, thanks ;0) i was on metformin briefly, but was taken off for bad side effects.. i know they are common though but my dr felt i was feeling too sick, so he put me on Glumetza, which is like metformin but not as harsh on your system.. i have tried watching my carbs and can stay strong for a few day/weeks, but eventually fall right back into the same patterns.. ive had a ton of people tell me to stick with metformin bc it WILL help.. mayb i need to discuss it with my doctor again and see what he says..

@chalk full nutty goodness, i thank you for your honesty, even if it wasnt the easiest ride for you, i appreciate hearing both negative and positive.. not everything is perfect :0) but i will be contacting my gyno and asking for metformin again.. i will try that for few months before deciding on lap band.. i get the worst cravings, and i just cant not give into them. :0(

I still have cravings!! ugh! Actually, I am refilling my RX for the liquid version of Metformin tonight. (I can't take the pills because they are too big for me to swallow with the band.) I am excited to be able to get back on Metformin. It really did help me with my cravings.

The side effects are AWFUL! But if you go SLOW in the beginning, it isn't as bad. Also, you have to be vigilant with restricting your carb intake on Metformin or you will be sick. Another motivator to avoid the crabs!

I am not trying to dissuade you from choosing band surgery. Everyone's situation is different. Just make sure you are mentally there. I wasn't in the beginning, and it has made my bumps a little longer than they needed to be. I am finally mentally there, and it makes working with my tool a lot easier. The band has definitely assisted with curbing my overeating and binge eating... I am struggling with sugar and carb addiction. Unfortunately, ice cream goes through the band wicked easy. Boo. That is where the strong mental health will come into play. To pick up where the band leaves off.

I can totally sense your frusstration, I've been where you are right now.

Today I saw my regular obgyn who i'd not seen in almost two years and told him about my diagnosis of pcos and my decision to have a lap band placed. He had thought I'd had pcos all along but could not diagnnose it because he is just a regular obgyn. I hd to see an infertility specialist and ahve other labs/scans done. He said that the best treatment for the PCOS is lap band surgery if the weight will not come down with medication, diet change and exercise. He also said that for our speciffic case that IVF is our only recourse if we want children. that was very hard to hear but in my gutt I know that might be the only solution. I also have a history of fibroids in the uterus, and it appears tha they are back for another visit. Sometimes fibroids and pcos go hand in hand. Have you mentioned any oddites with your cycles, and any pain with intimicy to your doctor or a frequency in going to the bathroom but not having alot of urine come out? these are all S&S of fibroids. They can do ultra sound to scan the womb for the non cancerous tumors and they can re move them via d^C. They however for some(lucky me) reoccour . Hope you find what works best for you.--icestorm

thanks guys, @adorkbl- sorry i thought your name was something else, my bad lmao.. i have heard that alot that metformin really helps with the carb cravings, which is my BIGGEST issue.. i really think im going to call my dr asap and ask him if he thinks i can try it again..

@icestorm, i do have pcos so my cycles were not regular for a very long time, i worked with my reg obgyn for almost 2 years and she helped me get them back on schedule, then when i realized i wasnt getting pregnant i switched to a infertility specialist.. he diagnosed me with pcos. i had a lot of cysts on my ovaries, but the glumetza i take has vanished almost all of them, i also had a dnc in late march to help as well.. i was a little upset when i went in after the dnc and he advised me to just keep taking the meds, ugghh. i seriously feel that with more weightloss this can finally happen for me.. plus im so uncomfortable at this size the weight needs to go asap.

one thing that does have me concerned with lap band isnt my sticking with the needed diet plans or anything im totally ready for the help to lose the weight, its the extra skin i may get. for the weight i am (270), im not very saggy, although recently i have developed a bloaded looking tummy :0( which im sure is the carbs.. i just worry about having the extra skin.. its like if i go through everything and finally get to a decent weight i dont want to feel worse about my body bc of the skin ya know.. do any of you have that problem or had it removed or anything?

I just want to reach out and give you a huge hug, pcos sucks.

So my idea that something basic like IUI would work just got shot down yesterday by my regular obgyn, he said considering the PCOS that IVF(the big expensive fertility treatment) is our only option.

he advised me to keep taking the metformin and to continue with loosing wit the band and that the surgery is really one of the best things to treat the obesity related issues with the pcos.

Have you talked to a reproductive endocrinologist? or just a regular obgyn? I guess obgyn only can diagnose and teat so much and if it's anything dealing with our hormonal/endocrine systems they have to refer to an reproductive endocrinologist for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Having the lap band done has been the only way i've lost so much weight without starving myselrf. I would talk with your insurance company and see what they require to cover surgery, then find a surgon who takes your coverage and meet with them to discuss if surgery is the right option for you. I remember at 270 pounds I was on the "edge" and i very quickly slid into over thee hundred pounds.

Also you said your tummy is bloated considering the pcos I'd ask to see if you can get an ultrasound for fibroids they can cause tummy bloat almost like you are pregnant if they get large enough. they can also change the chemistry of the womb itself causing you to not get your period they way you should. They can also cause frequency in urination, a heavy feeling in the pelvis different then menstral cramps and they can make intercouse painful. When you do get your period they can cause labor like cramping that can travel around the pelvis up the back and down to the knee. I hope you don't have fibroids cuz they are a bear to deal with and can make pregnancy that more complex if you do have them.

The good news is they can remove them if caught soon enough via d&c without to much dammage to the uterine wall.

@icestorm, thanks., yes it is horrible. so many fine lines you cant cross ugh. i have a reg obgyn who was treating me for about 2 years before testing my blood.. now i see an infertility specialist for the last 2 years or so. hes been pretty good. helped me to get rid of a lot of cysts on my ovaries, and had me on metformin which made me so sick i requested to be off of it. he put me on glumetza which is kind of like metformin except less strong, i still get sick if i try to up my dose :0( the mood swings and feeling of depression has been very bad lately... he performed a dnc back in late march and told me it could happen naturally but they still want to test my husbands sperm before continuing any type of therapy. of course ins does not cover it so were trying to save the $ for that.. i do not have any of the symptms of fibroids that u speak of, plus ive had an US so many times ive lost count, and a dnc and nothing came up there either.. i scheduled a free consult with a surgeon to hear my options, plus im going to call my specialist today about getting back on metformin.. ive been hearing so many good things about it i feel like i should try it again.

I hope the consult with the surgeon goes well!! Make sure to write a list of questions out so you don't forget what you want to ask!! Ask him about his experience with patients with PCOS.

Do you keep track of what you eat? Are you volume eating? The band will help with volume eating for sure. I am convinced that is the 70 pounds I lost and have maintained through the years.

The sugar and carbs are what are killing me now! I am Day 3 back on liquid Metformin and I have not had ONE sweet treat or carb. I felt like having something sweet after dinner last night, but it quickly passed. I think I wanted it out of habit. Eat dinner, sweet treat. Evil habit! lol.

I hope your consult goes well!! Keep us posted!

I too have pros and the symptoms th come with it. I recently decided that lab band was the best for me. I'm scheduled for mid month. There's plenty of device here. Wish you the best in making our decision.

I didn't read all of the replies but I will share my story.

I was 271 at my surgery and have pcos which caused me not to ovulate. We ttc for a few years when I decided to go towards the Lapland. I think it was the best decision. My surgeon wanted me on birthcontrol for the first year. Which I lost a bit over 100 lbs and after getting off bc I had two 28 day cycles n then got pregnant.

I had a very difficult pregnancy when I weighed 300 lbs now this pregnancy was/is a breeze. Plus I got pregnant naturally. Im 34 weeks now n say go for it.