Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

This probably isn't an original answer, but I was pushed to get my sleeve procedure because I was becoming a dad. I was fat my whole childhood, starting from around age 6. In highschool it distributed a little better, but there was no mistaking the fact that I was a fat kid. In college I went on a low-carb diet for the first time, and lost about thirty pounds. I was the most fit I had ever been. But the weight inched back on gradually so that I had gained back 20 pounds of it by the time I graduated. the summer after college I had surgery to get rid of my man-boobs, which had stayed with me even as I had lost weight from the rest of me. And I felt great again! Bu…

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea in May of 2013 weighing 321 lbs. I already have diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, so being diagnosed with sleep apnea was the final straw. I went to see my primary care doctor and got a referral. My first visit with my bariatric surgeon, Dr. Amin, was in August. Dr. Amin said that I was a good candidate for the gastric sleeve. He told me that I would have to get some tests done, get a psych eval and have to take a class. I had done Weight Watchers for 2 years prior and because of this, I was put on the fast track to have surgery. That was fine with me. I had to take the class for 6 straight weeks. Other people ha…

Hey there! I'm new to the forums and very new to this process. I've definitely decided to get the Lap Band surgery and have had a meeting with my surgeon; also have had 3 consultations with my nutritionist - I've lost almost 15 pounds so far, still over 100 to go!! The doctors and nurses are great and I love the meetings but I'm unfortunately doing this alone and thought it would be great to take this journey with someone local - maybe look into some support groups in the area. My sister is having the procedure done but she lives in PA, so it's not quite the same as having someone local. Are there any pre-surgery or even post-surgery members in the Waldorf, MD area?

I'm away for the weekend and my surgery is on Wednesday 12/3. I had trouble sleeping tonight and I walked to the bathroom and I was greeted by my reflection. Tired, nearly naked and in front of a wall sized mirror. At first I was horrified. Look at me! How did I let myself get this way? My arms can't go down to my sides, I carry most of my weight in my belly, and every curve and ripple have seemed to shout at me from the mirror. At 42 I'm way to young to look and feel like this. All I kept thinking was that I WAS FAT! Then I thought o a post I saw on Facebook earlier this year: You are not fat, you HAVE fat. You also have fingernails, you are not fingernails. Part o…

Has anyone we had Ultra Meal? It has 15g of protein. Is that good? I have used these powders before n r filling. If these are allowed I'm good. Waiting till Jan to see nut. Going to see gastro n still need as sleep apnea test etc. Got sick w bronchitis n messed up my schedule. Hope I have enough time to complete everything. I know do my best n give up to God, I only have so much control.

Hello everybody this week was my soft diet.. but I was scared of eating too much so I just ate a few bites of my meals.. so my question is how will I know when I'm full? Is it the same feeling than before? Thank you. I was sleeved nov the 7th. Next sunday start regular food diet.

As excited as I am for surgery, my Valentine's gift to me, I still have list of my fav foods to kiss goodbye. Some I gave already had turned out to be yuck n was better in my mind than actually. I will miss prime rib, French bread n hot fresh buttered popcorn!

Hi! I'm a newbie here. My name is Susan and I'm 61 years old. I've been on the diet roller-coaster since I was 18. Usually I'd lose 30 pounds. Then gain it back plus. Up and down up and down. I just can't go through another diet only to 'fail' again. I needed something to help me keep it off. I started to read everything I could on weight loss surgery. Thirty years ago I remember thinking to myself that if I had the means I would definitely have opted to have it. Now that the means are available I am looking forward to it. Currently I am 250 pounds with a BMI of 30. I am 5'5 with a large frame. My goal would be perfect at 150. I am on day four of the liquid diet and I fe…

Anyone out there who is just starting their entire process? I've just seen the 1st doctor / 1st doctor visit that will do my surgery once all the other doctors have reviewed and tested me / my medial history etc. Just looking to see how it went for others out there? I have private insurance and I've contacted them directly to see if I had bariatric benefits, which I did and they referred me to where I need to go so it can be covered.

So Tuesday is the day of my surgery (((: I'm all smiles! Can anyone give me suggestions on what to take to the hospital with me? I have to stay over night so I'm going to take my stuff to crochet! Lol but thats the end of my list !!!!

I am having my surgery 12/12/14. I am so excited but also nervous. I know everyone is different but I'm worried about having a lot of excess skin. I need to lose 160lbs. Does anyone have any advice about this? Is this something everyone has issues with after surgery?

Hello, I am new to this, but I am glad I found this group. A little about myself, I have been struggling with my weight since high school. I am 36 years old I have 3 beautiful girls, ages 19,12 and 20 months old. My breaking point happened when I became pregnant (birth control failed) I was already unhealthy and having several issues. My worse nightmare came true, my health issues made me go into early labor, my daughter was born at six months weighing 1lb 11oz. She is my miracle baby and is doing wonderful I have truly been blessed????. After seeing my baby fight for her life in the NICU the guilt kicked in and has not left me I blame myself for putting her through so…

So I found out today my out of pocket is 4000!! It'll be hard wit being a single mother of 6 kids but just thinkin about the outcome and how it will be so much more easier to run behind my little one.....im READY my doctor is one of the best guys around so im super excited that he was an easy fellow to get along with and funny!! I've never been more nervous or ready in my life!!

I have been going through so many changes with my weight the up and down scale. You try everything but it may work just for a little while, you see yourself as a be big fat person with no will power. I hate people when they say you just need to cut back or why don't you do something about it. People talk but they don't know my story. Sometimes it best to just walk away and pray because people can cut through you and mostly it's your family. Prayer works because I am going for surgery on December 9th. Please pray for me.

My doctors say that your diminishes after surgery. How it for you that already surgery? Are you hungry and tempted by food? Please fill me in on what expect?

I had my lap band surgery August 15th 2014. So far I have lost 33lbs and feeling much better about myself. I started my journey at 257lbs I am currently 224lbs. I made my decision for health reasons, myself esteem and I needed to get back into my uniform (lol). Fortunately my health has improved, I am feeling much better about myself and I didn't have to get bigger uniforms. I did gain about 2lbs over the Thanksgiving holiday, but I have picked myself up and have moved on. I know having lap band surgery has been one if the best decisions I have made.

Good morning, I am so glad I found this forum. I'm new here and have already been encouraged by the things I've read. Hi, my name is Melissa. I'm a single mom to three amazing kiddos, ages: 18 (girl), 14 (girl), and 7(boy). I have a great education, a great job, and great kiddos - it's time for me to be in great health. The gastric sleeve seems like a good tool to get me started. Thank you all for your encouragement. I hope to give you the same in return. I'm ready to let my outside reflect who I am inside. -Melissa

I'm almost 1 mth out and so far I only lost 20lbs. Am I doing something wrong

Going to purée the last of the Thanksgiving turkey for after surgery (which is Dec 22). Anyone have some good recipes to make it taste good when I can eat puréed foods?

Good morning! I am Amy and I joined a few days ago. I got approval from insurance yesterday morning and scheduled surgery for 1/6. After more than a year of prep, shit is suddenly starting to get very very real. And that's good, I want this, but it's still anxiety-provoking. I'm 42 years old and live in Wisconsin. I've been gaining weight slowly but surely most of my life, more pounds each year, until I hit a tipping point. I have had sleep apnea for 14 years (or longer for all I know), have mildly high blood pressure, mildly high cholesterol, and mild diabetes that is sure to get worse over time. Almost as much as the health issues, I just find myself unable …

Hi everyone, Well, it's a pretty fine day in London, Ontario, let me tell you. The snow is flying and my heart is, too! I have a sneaky feeling I'm going to sleep like a baby tonight! After a stressful ride with a Toronto WL clinic (that shall remain nameless - don't want their lawyers after me!), I have: a) Cancelled my lap-band surgery with them that was slated for December 19th, 2014 Received confirmation that my $1500 deposit would be refunded to me by their Finance department (thank God!) c) Had a deep and enjoyable consult with the delightful Dr. Cobourn from the SWLC (Surgical Weight Loss Centre) in Mississauga this afternoon d) Booked with Dr. Cobourn f…

Last year at this time I was about 2 weeks post-op. Some of my family didn't know I had weight loss surgery, so I pretended to be sick and stayed at home. I was cleared for a tiny bit of mashed potato and a little (well chewed) turkey. I remember thinking "What did I do to myself?" I felt sorry for myself. The following 12 months was a whirlwind of emotion, hard work, giggles, tears, frustration, etc. If there was an emotion, I felt it. Today, I ran a 5K to support our local food bank. A year ago, I would have never imagined I would run a 5K - OK, full disclosure, I ran and walked. A year ago I would have never imagined I would be addicted to hot yoga and I lo…

Does being a 61+/- BMI leave me with my surgeon denying surgery? I have seen 600lb ppl having RNY, why would a surgeon deny my bmi? We haven't met to discuss RNY revision yet (I have the Band) but I see on here that ppl are being turned away. I know I have to lose 5 or10% of my weight pre-agreement. I weigh 370@ 5'4". My consult is on 12/15, I'm scared he'll tell me I have to 1. Get band out first, and 2. Lose 70 lbs first. How can I do that! Will I be turned away?

Hi I'm Val H. I had my gastric sleeve surgery December 2 2014 Yes it's been 1yr..today is my 1yr Anniversary i have no regrets having the surgery. The only thing is i wish i would have had sooner but i love it had no complication..haven't been back in the hospital after surgery. Know i can say the first couple months was rough cause you know you been on liquids for bout 2-4wks no solid food at all. Know that is roughs thing i had to do cause you be wanting to eat something. But other than that it's been good, my energy level is good, I feel good...i thought it was going to be hard but it is not as long as you do what the doctor say you will be just fine. My goal weight to…

Today I found out my surgery date. December 20th to cant wait start my liquid diet on monday.

Hi I'm new here and I would like to say congrats to everyone on their lose.. As for me on the 9th will make 3 months since surgery. I I have lost 34lbs right now.. Is that good or should it be more? Everything has been fine except for 2 days ago my acid reflux has been acting up.. Who do you guys recommend? Thank you..

Im half way my second month post op nd im NOT LOSING ANY WEIGHT AT ALL.. im seriously going nuts.. i dont believe anyone telling me about stalls any more. I just believe it was a mistake i did this surgery.. all i lost was 22 pounds.. nd thats it !! Im not losing any more and never will!!! Sooooo frustrated.. sooo depressed... feeling like shit :@

Greetings Beautiful People! I have decided to self pay after waiting for almost 5 years for health insurance to offer it as a benefit. I am excited and have been overweight most of my life. Realizing that you need help and that WLS is a great tool and motivator was a beautiful thing. I'm anxious, excited, optimistic about the things I will be able to realize with a lighter me! I am going to Mexico and feel super confident about the decision based on all the research I've done, I truly look forward to the experience scheduled for Dec 15th, 2014 Whooo hooo! I look forward to getting to know all of you and hope to gain friends as this is a wonderful journey I (we) are emba…

I had my lap band in 2008 i have lost close to 70 pounds from 236 to 160 presently. I will go months and go back and forth on the same 5 pounds, then over the past 2 years began dropping more with added exercise. Very happy with the loss. Will be having a tummy tuck in January, should I have the lap band removed? Side effects so far are occassional vomiting if I just eat too fast or have a very tough piece of meat. Also salads except finely chopped are out. Happy with the results and the progress. Appointment this Friday with Dr. whom ddi my surgery to discuss this. Dr, Nyguen, UCI Medical Center, Orange , Calif.

If any of you have a Facebook page I have started my own page Obesity/Weight Loss...look me up my facebook is Val mamavee Holder you will find me...please go check my page out i have different information bout weight its for people that is struggling with their Weight..struggling with obesity...im just wanting to encourage...inspire and motivate others...so yea please go check it out!!!

It's been a long journey I have decided to give lap band 2 years ago I chickened out and told myself if I hadn't lost the way on my own then I would make sure that I got to be in to lose the weight here it is 2014 and I did it the process took a lot. A little frustrating and having to deal with insurance company and the doctors office I was ready to give up but it all work itself out and I am 12 days out and feeling great with the 12 days plus my pre op diet I am down 16 pounds so I'm very excited to see a little weight off. I do pretty good with the pre op diet and the first two weeks out what does no liquids I didn't give any headaches ... I've done liquids before my ad…

Tomorrow I have my first fill. I am so excited! But... I'm also nervous wondering if this will hurt! Did it hurt you guys and did you feel pain with the tightening? How much do they generally put in for a first fill and do you feel it as being effective? I am definitely eating less food but does the first fill make a difference? How many fills did it take you to get to your "point" of comfort for loosing weight?

Yesterday marked 2 months post op for me. I'm down 27 lbs and happy. Needing new, smaller sized clothes which is awesome. People comment to me in person and when I post pics on FB how great I look. It feels wonderful. Also, my BP meds have been adjusted from 4 a day down to 1 a day. I travel for work often and find that one of the most difficult things is making smart food choices. I've started to travel with protein shakes to keep me on track. I've had two fills since surgery and now up to 6 ccs in my band. After my second fill last week I feel tighter in the mornings and usually only have liquids in the am. It took a while to get adjusted. I have gotten stuck with chick…

Hello all!! I am being banded on Wednesday and I don't know what to feel. I've read so many negative things about the band and I'm feeling kind of pessimistic. I was told to stay off the Internet, but then I found this forum and it seemed pretty positive. Im getting pre-op nerves. What if I don't wake up? What if this surgery doesn't help me lose weight no matter how hard I try? I want to be excited, I really do, as this is something that I've wanted for a long time and it's finally coming true, but it just doesn't feel real to me. I should be excited about this new journey I am about to go on, but I'm not as excited as I thought I would be. Did anyone else feel like th…

Hi all haven't been on much the last few weeks or so. Last week November 8th I had my lapband done. This year as just flown by. A lot of family stuff, husband working 70 odd hours a week just been busy. Last year at this time I was 291lbs. Today I am down to 165. Five pounds away from my doctors goal weight for me. Ten from my personal goal. I think I have finally hit the green zone. Didn't think that was going to happen. My main reason for having this done was my daughter had a son. I wanted to see him grow up. I didn't want to be the fat grandma who couldn't play and chase and have fun with this beautiful child. I can do that now. I went to an amusement park thi…

Okay, so I am being 'banded' tomorrow! I have so many feelings and thoughts whirling around between these ears right now; nervous, excited, scared....most of all though, I am feeling exceedingly grateful. The opportunity to have this surgery is one that too many people will never know, millions of people suffer with obesity, and I am a fortunate member of an all too small group of 'approved' individuals. Individuals who, after laying bare their very personal medical records, and jumping through extra large hoops for an extra long time, have been deemed 'worthy' to proceed, proceed with a surgical procedure that could improve the quality of life for millions of deserving p…

Well...that was tough! I attended a house warming this evening which included tons of yummies and margaritas. It felt like the people who know I had been banded kept watching to see how much I would eat. I got small plate and made sure to stay out of the area, as for the drinking I stayed away also but still had a great time.

I wanted to share my personal story because I've recently found that I'm not the only one that has struggled with these issues and it was really encouraging to hear that I'm not the only one. In November, 2010 I contacted a doctor to see what were the options I had for weight loss surgery, I was then sold on the idea that the gastric lap band would be my best option due to me not wanting to do invasive surgery on my stomach by having it cut. I was banded on November 26, 2010, at my heaviest weight of 383. As soon as I came out of surgery within 30 minutes I was sent home, and began my liquid diet. I’m not going to lie but the results were amazing within the first 2 we…

Finally got my date for December 4th. I was told to start my PreOp diet the day after Thanksgiving. I'm kind of worried that it's not enough time. I'm nervous!

Hello all For all of u that are looking to get more Protein in your diet. Here is a web site to check out. Nashuanutrition.com

My belly no longer touches the steering wheel when I drive!! I'm short so I have to get pretty close to the wheel anyway and this has always been such a source of embarrassment to me when others rode with me. YEAH!!

It's after midnight on the east coast so my surgery is today! I'm not nervous at all but it does feel like Christmas came very early this year. Praying for a smooth surgery and recovery!

i'm thinking if I should get the sleeve or not I was told I would lose 100 pounds minimum being 110 is a little bit too skinny for me I was also told I would gain some weight back through out the first year ..is this sleeve the best option for me? I'm looking to lose 70 to 80 pounds

Let me just say this first: If I read this two years ago, I would have had second thoughts about having the surgery. Having had the surgery, I don't regret having it- at all. This story is mine, and I'm ok with it. When I had my surgery I was 336lbs. I am 5'6" and at the time I was 29 years old. That was 2012. Today, I weigh 260lbs. In October of 2013, I got to my lowest weight of 210lbs. Gaining weight was never a fear, not losing was a fear. Gaining back 50lbs has been a nightmare. I have a million reasons for how the weight gain happened. That feeling, that nagging hungry/craving feeling returned in August 2013, I got married, moved and started a new high stre…

I'm a 45 year old mother of an 8 year old boy and I want to do this for him. I want to be around a long time see him grow. In addition to having gastroparesis I also have issues with my kidney do to the bacteria I'm not digesting my food well. The doctor says it will help plus losing weight will help me all together. My surgery date is December 18th I start line liquid diet tomorrow my doctor has a 14 day liquid plan. My anxiety stems from me being able to follow through this two weeks liquid diet. I got to keep in mind why I'm doing this and keep strong. Please send positive thoughts my way of strength. Thanks.

No bashing!!!!! I just was wondering how many people really do cheat a little on pre op diets? Ik its hard and you wanna cave so much because I myself am doing it right now and everytime I cook I wanna nibble on what I'm making for my family. I dont! But I have took nibbles of other things in the beginning. I felt bad because ik im not supposed to but im still allowed a little bit of food but it just dont feel like enough. The last 3 days im not allowed any solid food at all. Which will be terribly hard. But ill do it!!!!!

I just got off the phone with a friend of mine who also lost quite a bit of weight (no WLS, just low carbing it). I was jokingly telling how how I've become so scatterbrain lately....... for example, I forgot to press "save" after adding a phone number to my phone contacts, and thus didn't have the number the next day when I needed it. We laughed, but then she quite seriously said that she had been experiencing similar "cognitive malfunctions".... like not being as sharp as she should be. She went on to say that she had researched that rapid weight loss causes fat loss in the brain as well, which according to her...... the brain has fatty tissue. My response to her was…

I recently decided that I did not want to be larger than everyone in the room anymore so I had the lap band surgery. I am doing okay so far however I have this awful pain in my left shoulder everytime I eat. It doesnt matter if I eat 2 bites or a lot, IT HURTS!!! I'm not sure what to do :-(

I am getting it done on the 8th of December and I'm a little scared I just hope nothing gos wrong and I'm ready to see results

Hi, I had my first consult today I went in sure I wanted the duodenal switch, but the surgeon felt the gastric bypass was better for me. I started a medically supervised diet in October, so I am hoping my dr will sign off and let me count those 2 months so I only need 4 more months - if not, I have to have 6 more months. I've lost 30 pounds in the last 2 months, so I am hoping that continues so I will be that much smaller when I have surgery! I have enjoyed reading everyone's stories and questions and hope to be active here while waiting.