Where are the other strugglers?

[Band07 374]

I know I'm not alone...I would love to hear some updates from others like me who did great with their bands and have struggled since day one with their sleeve. I'm getting desperate again. I'm almost 10lbs heavier than when I had my sleeve surgery 1 yr and 4 months ago. I've literally been hungry since I woke up in recovery, I can now and have always been able to eat much more than any other sleeve patient I've ever talked too. I know it's because of the damage that was done by my band. I'm looking into what is involved in being re-sleeved now that I've had time to heal and stretch from the first surgery. I don't want to hear about my calories and my exercise or my Protein and my Water, I know all of it, I've been a VERY successful post surgery patient losing over 100lbs and maintaining with my band for over six years so I also know that I have to do the work, BUT I should also have a TOOL that helps me out and right now, I don't have that at all.

[susieq321 31]

I am struggling but for a different reason. I have lost about 30 lbs with the sleeve and need to lose about 30-40 more. I am bouncing up and down the same 10lbs eating about 800-1000 cals per day.

I am hypothyroid and we have been messing around with my meds so my levels are low which means I can and have gained weight on 600 cals a day (right after surgery I went up 10 lbs on 600 cals or less per day) I know my meds are still low by the way I feel but there is only so much self medicating I can get away with so I am waiting on the results of my last test and to talk to my endocrine.

I need to get back to my personal trainer and working out to build strength but I hate winter and tend to hibernate and not get out.

[*Lexie* 1,486]

@susieq321 Wow, that's not cool. I would be on anti-depressants if I gained weight on 600 calories per day. I hope they get your medication worked out.

I am struggling but for a different reason. I have lost about 30 lbs with the sleeve and need to lose about 30-40 more. I am bouncing up and down the same 10lbs eating about 800-1000 cals per day.

I am hypothyroid and we have been messing around with my meds so my levels are low which means I can and have gained weight on 600 cals a day (right after surgery I went up 10 lbs on 600 cals or less per day) I know my meds are still low by the way I feel but there is only so much self medicating I can get away with so I am waiting on the results of my last test and to talk to my endocrine.

I need to get back to my personal trainer and working out to build strength but I hate winter and tend to hibernate and not get out.

[Dr-Patient 830]

I'm not using the word "strugging" for what I'm doing. I'm just not doing what I know I should do, and hence, have actually gained 6 pounds. [in fact, I signed in to change my ticker, because in honesty, I am NOT '184' anymore. Groan.]

Like you, I'm just over a year post-VSG; mine, Dec. 4, 2013. But I admit I got lazy after I hit Onederland in May. I DO want to get to ~165-170 by April, so...after I whittle down this food I cooked for Super Bowl guests [ribs.chicken salad. chili. pizza [toppings]--mostly stuff I can eat without too much guilt], I will get back on the high protein-only regimen and start moving again.

I'm not beating myself up too much since I KNOW it's ME, not the VSG "not working."

I don't have the LB experience, so I hope that someone who did the LB-->VSG switch can share their advice with you. Just know you're not alone with some of the fluctuations (of weight and mental energy) we experience. Let us carry on!

[susieq321 31]

I am struggling but for a different reason. I have lost about 30 lbs with the sleeve and need to lose about 30-40 more. I am bouncing up and down the same 10lbs eating about 800-1000 cals per day.

I am hypothyroid and we have been messing around with my meds so my levels are low which means I can and have gained weight on 600 cals a day (right after surgery I went up 10 lbs on 600 cals or less per day) I know my meds are still low by the way I feel but there is only so much self medicating I can get away with so I am waiting on the results of my last test and to talk to my endocrine.

I need to get back to my personal trainer and working out to build strength but I hate winter and tend to hibernate and not get out.

It happens nothing I can do but get blood tests and argue with my Dr. I know my surgeon isn't happy but I also know I lost 150 lbs with the band and kept it off for 10 years. I only gained when my band was replaced and not positioned correctly so I could not get any restrictions. It will come off just slower for me.

[Band07 374]

I agree gaining on so few calories would be terrible, I sometimes feel like that's all it takes for me too though I know that's not true lol It's definitely harder to stay motivated in the winter and I know we all face struggles for lots of reasons though I also know that we are all here because we couldn't do it alone and right now, I'm doing it alone and I'm failing miserably.

[Dr-Patient 830]

What does your surgeon say about your stomach--size? ghrelin? Any innervation damage [nerve damage], maybe after the band? Did you have erosion into your stomach or anything? What size bougie did he/she use? Was it too big, maybe, and didn't give you enough restriction?

[Band07 374]

All great questions but I haven't asked any of them honestly. I did discuss what I saw on the x-ray and was told that was definitely the result of my prior band but also that it shouldn't necessarily impact weight loss. Also, I requested an x-ray at my one year follow up and was told by the x-ray tech my stomach appeared to be about 50 % the size of what he would consider a "normal" person size.

Edited February 4, 2015 by Band07

[LSF 264]

I know I'm not alone...I would love to hear some updates from others like me who did great with their bands and have struggled since day one with their sleeve. I'm getting desperate again. I'm almost 10lbs heavier than when I had my sleeve surgery 1 yr and 4 months ago. I've literally been hungry since I woke up in recovery, I can now and have always been able to eat much more than any other sleeve patient I've ever talked too. I know it's because of the damage that was done by my band. I'm looking into what is involved in being re-sleeved now that I've had time to heal and stretch from the first surgery. I don't want to hear about my calories and my exercise or my Protein and my Water, I know all of it, I've been a VERY successful post surgery patient losing over 100lbs and maintaining with my band for over six years so I also know that I have to do the work, BUT I should also have a TOOL that helps me out and right now, I don't have that at all.

I didn't have much success with my band but I'm also not dropping 20 pounds a month like I've been reading others are . I'm going to be a " slow loser" and its not been easy. But I keep reading these forums to keep me motivated

[bpfrummy 1]

OP I am like u. I did amazing with the band and now I am not loosing at all. I am gaining weight. I am sooo frustrated. I only got PG with my son because I lost so much weight before and would love to loose it so 1. I can have another child and 2. so I could be healthy again. I don't feel good!!! I am always hungry and can eat soo much compared to others who have the sleeve. I am trying to decide where to go from here. If I do anything it might be the D/S. I am glad to see I am not alone.

[Band07 374]

I'm seriously researching the MGB right now, Iv read great things and even talked to a few others who revised from sleeve and have done very well.

[Saxinj31 5]

I have also been struggling. I've lost 15 lbs. since my band to sleeve revision (Jul 2015). I had the band for 8 years and kept off 88 lbs. I have ben hungry since day 3 after surgery. I can easily eat twice as much as I used to with the band. I've been exercising, but probably not as much as I need to. My doctor told me that there wasn't any permanent damage from the band. I am seriously thinking about the bypass. I also need a tool to help me, and the past 8 months have been the most frustrating of my life. Best of luck to you.

[Nettie225 0]

I know I'm not alone...I would love to hear some updates from others like me who did great with their bands and have struggled since day one with their sleeve. I'm getting desperate again. I'm almost 10lbs heavier than when I had my sleeve surgery 1 yr and 4 months ago. I've literally been hungry since I woke up in recovery, I can now and have always been able to eat much more than any other sleeve patient I've ever talked too. I know it's because of the damage that was done by my band. I'm looking into what is involved in being re-sleeved now that I've had time to heal and stretch from the first surgery. I don't want to hear about my calories and my exercise or my Protein and my Water, I know all of it, I've been a VERY successful post surgery patient losing over 100lbs and maintaining with my band for over six years so I also know that I have to do the work, BUT I should also have a TOOL that helps me out and right now, I don't have that at all.

I'm so glad to hear I'm not alone. I have certainly felt like a failure since I woke up from this surgery too and have been incredibly depressed. I lost 20 pounds at first when I had my surgery because I was following the diet so strictly, but it was a huge struggle because I wasn't feeling full or even satisfied with the food I was eating and as time has gone on, it got too difficult to manage starting all the time. I have tried a few times over and over and still no help. Also, I inreased my exercise. When I explained all of this to my doctor's at my last visit, they just keep making me feel like it's my fault and that I must be eating the wrong foods and doing everything wrong. I have explained this to my primary care doctor and they are a lot more understanding and have seen my struggle. I have resorted to asking my primary care for an appetite suppressant to try to get some help. I'm hoping this will help and plan on working my butt off (literally) for it to be successful, but I feel in many ways that I am back to the whole roller coaster that got me to the point of having bariatric surgery in the first place and that is not a place I ever wanted to go back to. I loved my lap band and it was successful and was broken-hearted that the complications caused so much damage to my esophagus that they felt they had to remove it. I feel like this sleeve surgery was a complete failure and that my doctor doesn't care to listen to me.

[Nettie225 0]

I'm seriously researching the MGB right now, Iv read great things and even talked to a few others who revised from sleeve and have done very well.

What does MGB stand for?

[Band07 374]

Mini gastric bypass, I thought I wanted to be resleeved but now I feel like this is my best option. I'm tentatively scheduled for 4/23/15. There is a MGB board here with some good information. I'm sorry to hear you are struggling too. I'm now the highest weight I've been since 2007 and it really sucks. I know there are a lot of people who have great success with the sleeve but I think it's important for those who have not had surgery yet to realize there are no guarantees! Especially going from band to sleeve and I feel like I wasn't prepared for that before my surgery.