Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

Hi. I am having my first consultation with a Dr. I met at a seminar a few Weeks ago. I will be self pay since my insurance will not cover the lap band because I don't have serious complications from being obese. I have wanted to get the lap band for about 8 years now but my family has not been supportive. I am now married and my husband has decided to back me up and help me through this journey, which is great and a big relief but I am still deciding if it is worth 15,500 I guess I just need some advise from someone that has been through a similar situation. Thanks for any advise. :-)

I LOST 30 LBS BEFORE MY SURGERY IN OCTOBER 2011 AND AFTER SURGERY LOST ANOTHER 40LBS....AND I JUST GO UP AND DOWN RIGHT BEFORE MY PERIOD EVERY MONTH ..JUST TRYING TO START WORKING OUT AGAIN ANY SUGGESTIONS.

I'm going to have the lapband done on sept 25th. I can't wait to get this done

Hi everyone, I'm very new to this whole process, just recently decided on my surgery date (17th of October 2012) and am looking for any tips or advice anyone has for the 5 weeks leading up to surgery, anything in particular I should be doing (aside from the optifast). Also any advice/info about the surgery itself would be super helpful! One concern I have is a bit silly but I can help it, will the surgeon see you naked during the surgery? I know it's a bit ridiculous but being overweight I am VERY self conscious about this!!! Obviously the surgeon does this kind of thing a lot and won't care, but I just can't help feeling self conscious haha so as I said any advice or…

It was a decision that has changed my life as far as my health is concerned. I put it off for over a year trying to do it on my own and realizing that i could not. My wife and son need me to be around, I didnt want to become a burden to them because i had no control over food. I am 48 and my wife is almost 10 years younger and have a 9 year old. We went to Cedar Point and at 442 pounds not many rides for me to ride so i felt embrassed walking around and not being able to have fun on the rides. This is life a new opportunity for me to get my life back to enjoy my family [ATTACH]4726[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]4727[/ATTACH].

Hey forum! I am new to WLS process and when i first started researching i was adamant on having the lapband put in and nothing else was an option. The more research i did and after the seminar i realized rhat i eould rather go with a sleeve. I am 6'5'' amd 405. Big Boy! From Queens, NY and thinking about having the surgery at NYU. My insurance is CIGNA and i only have to do 3 months of supervised diet which is good comparing to other ins. Companies. I have switched from LapBand Talk to this forum and have been reading a lot of posts ans it seems to me that sleevers have it easier than bandsters. I am really turned off by waiting to find the right fill and finding…

Hi all i have been down the long road for the Gastric band. I started to pre opp diet and on tuesday morning went to derby for the opp. When i was brought round i was told the opp didnt go ahead because my liver failed to reduce in size even though i lost 20 pound in weight. So i have now got to do the pre opp diet for 4 weeks and then go back to derby for another go. Why did the liver fail to shrink

My journey started July 2012 to get banded. I'm 5 10 and started at 293.. I was banded August 28 with a surgery weight of 273. I'm currently six days post op and down to 262 my goal is 160 by July of 2013.. I prepared myself by getting in the gym in may 2012 and going completely vegetarian.. I'm soooo exited for this new life I have given myself .. Banded August 28 2012<br />Starting weight 293<br />Day of surgery weight 273<br />Current weight 262<br />Goal weight 160 5ft 10

Im on day 5 of my pre op diet...i asked my coworkers if they wouldn't mind eating their lunch (delicious burgers and fries from this place around the corner) in another room instead of our little office. I assumed they would do it, we're all really good friends...so lunch just gets here, and they all just start chowing down at their desks. I just got up and said "I guess I'm the one that has to leave" was this too much to ask? Am I overreacting? Ugh. I'm STARVING and I just found it incredibly insensitive. *sigh* at least surgery is on Monday. Then I'll be out of work until the day after labor day. Wooooo-sa.

Hello everyone - I was banded on August 22 by Dr. Derek Nagle at St. Mary's Medical Center in Grand Rapids, MI. I am 5'3 and was 215 at my first presurgery visit, 198 day of banding and won't know where I am now until I see Dr. Nagle on Friday Sept. 7. I feel great!! Just really really hungry with liquids only these first two weeks post. Am trying to keep my eye on the prize and my kids (all 5 of them) and hubby have been great support. Walking the dog twice a day and getting the kids ready to start school on Tuesday. I am so happy to have found this site and all the wonderful advice and stories and support! I plan to be a succes story by the end of my journ…

Does anyone know how to add a picture to your square thing with ur name from an iPhone?

Ever sice I woke up from having my vsg i cant help but regret it. Maybe because im still in the liquid phase and i am hungry. I feel ashamed that i did this to myself. I only have 90 lbs to lose I wish I would have just tried harder. I feel like I am torturing my body and can not go a day without crying. When does like go back to the way it was?

Today is my 50th birthday! I am 10 weeks post op. I am down almost 50 pounds. I feel as good as I did at 35. I have more energy than I have had in a long while. This surgery was the best thing I could have done for myself. It's not been easy and I have had ups and downs but it is all worth it. I'm so looking forward to the rest of my journey. Happy birthday to me! :-)

just tried soft foods for the first time how much should i be eating before feeling full

i have 2cc in my lap band and i dont feel full..will i ever?

Hello! My name is Brittany. I am a 25 year old mother of 2 beautiful girls, I work and am in graduate school. I had my surgery last year on 11/23/11 (the day before Thanksgining). It has been one of the best decisions of my life. I have been lurking on these boards since before I had surgery and have finally decided to stop being antisocial and join already! I glad to be a part of the group now! -B

Fter visiting my parents for three month i got off track and gaind 14 lbs. feeling so disapointed in my self. Been home for a week and have struggled. Today i weighed myself and finaly lost 2 lbs. ok back on track still feeling frustrated and disapointed.

Hey I am 15 I am going through the process of getting tests run and stuff before my sleeve surgery I'm currently 6'0 and I weigh 313 pounds I just need some advice on what I need to expect and how everyone has done with the surgery I am super nervous ! Thanks (:

Hi I a was operated on August 27, and i am doing great. Wanted to know if anybody has had any complications and if everyone keeps burping like i am all the time.

i had a NSV today! i bought this reeeally cute dressy trench coat like 6+yrs ago. when i bought it, it was really snug but it still "fit". i figured id lose more weight & itll fit good. then i gained weight & literally couldnt put an arm in the sleeve. well, i just tried it on & it FITS!!! like its even a lil big but asize smaller would be snug. im like so shocked right now. it feels good to know that im doing what i set out to do!

Hi I'm Kesell I'm 22 and I just had my surgery 3 days ago and it seems to get easier to cope with day by day any tips on how to deal with the first months diet

Hello all and good morning from Oregon! I have enjoyed reading many other posts and I thought it was time for me to post a long one of my own. My surgery date is September 10th in Corvallis, Oregon. Dr. Yarborough will be doing my surgery Rou-en-Y. I started my journey at 256lbs (5'5") and now I'm 240lbs. My program required me to loose 5% of my body weight via a normal diet. This was sooooo difficult for me! A normal diet? Huh? No shakes, bars, pills, or injections? They said, "You're in the real world, we want you to start eating like a real person, in the real world" It was more difficult than I thought it would be but, I finally was able to loose my 12.7l…

Binging for me is a horribly scary, out of control feeling. It was before the sleeve and is more so now. I have binged twice - each time with chips. I liken my reaction to one bite of potato chips and onion dip to Gollum and the Ring. I can see how I might eat around it and go right back to where I started from: A 5'1" woman on her way to 300 pounds and DEATH! I hate to get all serious on you guys, but I think I was close to death. I couldn't breathe, couldn't sleep and I was starting to feel sick ALL the time. I could not stay awake driving or at work. food wasn't even enjoyable, but I'd still stuff my face. I became a recluse. I would send my husband to get-together…

So happy! I had my doctor consult today and I am set to go for surgery in six weeks! I have to set up my pre surgery stuff on tuesday but he said no later than six weeks maybe even earlier. I can't wait it is finally happening and I am ready for my life to not be about my weight but about my happiness. I am so looking forward to starting my new life!

Again here I sit after having the same insane conversation with myself that I've had a BILLION!!! times, it makes me feel so CRAZY and disfunctional to have this same exact internal conversation, as to should I have this or shouldn't I have this wls. I must admit I was like...yup it's time seriously..it's time to have it done, I had abandoned all fear and thought to myself..self you can do this you NEED to do this your so young, blah blah blah. Then I read a post that for the life of me I CANT ESCAPE!!!! I don't know how to do all that cool stuff where you attach the thread sorry:( but anyhow the woman is pretty much in hell trying to recover from her surgery and has been…

I have just had my surgery a week ago on Wednesday. I came home with little pain, just tired from the anesthesia, but surgery was great. Thursday and Friday I didn't get much down. By Saturday, I hadn't been able to get a full protein shake down, but the little that I did felt stuck. I kept gagging and clear fluid kept comming up but it wasn't like I was throwing up hard. (I know.... kinda gross)... This happened on Sunday also. This happened around 5 times. Everyone has told me to make sure that I don't throw up or my band will slip. Monday, I didn't feel full at all so I am worried that it might have slipped. Others that have had bands said that my stomach was heal…

Ever since I started thinking about a sleeve, my biggest worry was, "Will I be able to lead a normal life again?". I see that question asked a hundred different ways in this forum. Let me add my experience. I should mention that "normal" for me looks different than "normal" for most Americans. I get to a lot of places, and eat a lot of different foods. I was terrified that I would not be able to function in that lifestyle. Today is my 6 week anniversary, and life started getting back to my "normal" I am writing from my hotel in Singapore. On this trip I have survived 3 airline meals, and 3 formal hosted Chinese dinners with 5 to 7 courses. I managed to g…

Hello! I've been lurking in this app for a few weeks before joining tonight and I think it's great everyone is so supportive! I have been going back and forth for years with this surgery and finally jumped in with both feet. I am scheduled for September 13th!! So far the pre-op diet has been tough to stick to, but I'm doing okay. I look forward to seeing everyone have success and just wanted to say HI!! ~Kensington

The past two days have been birthday celebrations at the office. The executives were chowing down on mini-cheesecakes, Cookies, cake...you get the idea. I partied with ice Water. And you know what? I didn't crave the food, I didn't feel left out, and I didn't feel like everyone was watching me. Woo hoo for emotional victories!

How long post Op do I wait before I can have coffee again? I really miss it...

Hello LapBand Talk, LapBanders, & Future LapBanders, My name is DeShawn and this is my first post here on LapBand talk! I am 30 years old, married with 3 kids. I'm a veteran of the US Army and now I'm a defense contractor. I've always been a big guy and losing weight has always been a troubling and not so fun task. When I graduated high school and decided to join the military, I was 315 lbs. and climbing. One day I mentioned joining the military to my best friends dad who was in the reserves and needed to drop a few pounds before his next PT test. So the next morning we met and started a year long journey of running 2 to 5 miles daily, along with push-ups, sit-up,…

Can you tell!

Come join us on the "September Members" thread(pre-op forum) There are 29 of us so far. September its gonna be a life changing month... Yippie!!! Jessica

My sis just got out of surgery. Coughing a lot. Fluid in lungs. Anyone else have this kind of reaction to anestesia?

Hi everyone, This is my first post....so a little about my story...... I've been contemplating this surgery for more than 10 years. When I first started thinking about it I was about 260 lbs. I've done every weight loss program known to man. The only success I've had was with Jenny Craig. Too bad it was so expensive...... Fast forward to today.....I'm now 320 lbs. my heaviest ever. I started my journey again on January 6, 2012. My goal was to have surgery in April. Well, that didn't happen. I have been through every test known to man and then some. My weight loss dr heard a heart murmur and this spiraled into an extensive check of my heart. Multiple stress …

Well all my pre-op testing is complete! I finished my last two today, which was a UGI and blood work! I also visited Potomac Sentara and the Bariatric Center Coordinator and staff who will be responsible for my care. Everyone was soo nice!! I am finally getting excited, and May 16th seems more real the ever!! Here is the downside: I have to start my OptiFast diet tomorrow, and it’s for two weeks. I knew that upfront so am not complaining but unfortunately my job decided to send me on business travel. So now I am starting the diet while on the road for a slew of meetings! This is going to be hard, especially when my fellow coworkers and colleagues will be eating lunch wit…

Hi there, I'm a newbie to this support group. I have a date for my sleeve...September 27 2012 at Flinders Medical Centre. I'm on Optifast now for four weeks prior to surgery. Day two today. I'm having a tough time at night time as this is when I normally eat? I ate too many sugar free lollies last night and paid the price on the loo all night I'm focussed though and determined to get through it. I'm lucky enough to be on the Public list so this is free for me including any post surgery skin corrections I may need? My surgeon is Jacob Chisolm. He seems cool. Can anyone tell me if it is ok to have a day off from the Optifast or is it every day for the entire four…

Had my education session 3 weeks ago.... Endo next week... Then all I have to do is have dietician appt and psych appt. Got my dietician appt in mail today... November 16th! Omg, I totally thought I'd be done by then and recovering.... Just need a pep talk!

K I'm 5 months Post op at 6cc and I've only lost 40ibs (20) i lost before surgery. I havent worked out as I should but still this is a little crazy. I just am not sure the bands working for me. I'm really discouraged. Anyone else had this problem?

Hello all. I'm Juli. I am 5'9, my current weight is 245 and my BMI is 36.2. As an elementary music teacher, I am looking forward to having more energy and less injury with my students. It's been three years since I first attended a weight-loss seminar and the "beginning" is finally in sight. Originally, I went through all the lab-work, psych consult, supervised diet for 3 months, and was ready to submit everything to insurance for approval. Then, one roadblock after another found its way in front of me... 3 surgeries followed by my mother's diagnoses and death from cancer. Now, finally after redoing psych visit, lab work, nutritional consult, and sleep study, I …

I was sleeved nine days ago and i am still having a hard time drinking water, had a mini melt down the other day because i was so thirsty and wanted to just drink the water normal and couldnt. I am tired of sipping and is ready for the next stage has anyone else experienced this and if so what advise can u give....

I am new to this forum and posting on threads. So forgive me if I ramble too much. I am having my Lap-Band surgery next Saturday, 9/8. I have to admit, I'm a wreck ( I'm not a very good patient). I started this journey to having surgery in October 2010. After doing a lot of research and thinking, I opted to try to lose my 150lbs on my own.....One.More.Time... I got myself started with a nutritionist and a personal trainer. Worked my butt off 6 days/week 2 hours/day. I was able to lose 40lbs and then just hit a roadblock. That roadblock turned into me, once again....feeling so defeated by my biggest nemisis, my body!! March of this year, I decided to restart my jo…

Hello my name is Terselle and I am 1month post surgery. I feel great and alot healthier. I had the gastric bypass for medical reasons. I no longer take metformin, insulin, use c-pap machine, snore and I can wear heels because my knee and back dont hurt

I'm torn between the mini pill, depo shot, and my Obgyns recommendation of Mirana IUD? Has anyone tried any of these and any good or bad experiences? Thanks =)

Hello, I am new and unsleeved. I am certain like many of you Can attest; i am in the debating stage. The stage that makes you question why you are considering something that seems drastic. I ask myself daily can't I just do this, but hire a personal trainer and nutritionist this time around. I wonder aimlessly what are the ramifications of having part of my stomach removed. Will they discover in about 10 years that this may cause harm..... My story...I have been overweight most of my life. About 10 years ago, I dropped about 50 pounds, but over the course of the years, I've gained it back. I yo- yo constantly and enjoy exercise. However, my joints suffer do …

Hello VST Family. I've read some amazing posts on here from the good, bad and indifferent. I decided a few weeks ago that enough is enough. I've been "dieting" and exercising over the last 3 years to only lost 80lbs, gain 50, lose 15...you see where this is going. Having NEVER considered wls, I woke up out of my sleep a few weeks back and said I'm going to get wls. I'm over it! So as quick as that thought came I feel like everything has happened so quick. Within 30 days I've attended a seminar, had a consultation with my surgeon, scheduled my psych and nut exams, attended a pre-op seminar and I even have my surgery tentatively scheduled for November 9th. This is going…

Hi anyone know if it's ok to do the slim fast shakes for 2 weeks before surgery to restring my liver??

had my surgery 8/9/12 and still on liquids and not feeling full when i got to soft solids will i feel full this is a big fear of mine

I try to set a few mini-goals along the way and Celebrate them as I accomplish each. My first goal was to when I got to 250 we would celebrate and we did. My next mini-goal was to get to 240 by vacation. I may miss this goal by 1lbs but it still feels like a victory! I cannot believe how far I have come yet I still have a long way to go. My next mini-goal is to be down 75 lbs and half way to goal when I see my doctor in October. I have 13 lbs to make that mini-goal and they weight loss has fallen off...so I guess I will up the exercise. I hate not reaching goals. I am 54 years old and will get my Master's Degree next year...I think we are never too old to reach fo…

Should I tell family and friends about me geting lapband and if so how do I tell them im kinda scared to let people know i dont want hear them