Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

Hello! I'm a 21 year old college student, thinking about getting the lap band procedure done. I have to admit, I am a little (okay, maybe more than a little) nervous about it. I'm 140+ lbs overweight and I feel like getting the surgery done would help me get the excess weight off (along with a strict diet and regular exercise). I'm still slightly hesitant about whether or not it's a good idea for me though. I desperately want to lose weight because I know how much at risk I am for serious health issues (and I also don't want to spend my college years feeling bad and ashamed about my weight and not really living life to the fullest and being happy and confident about mys…

Hi - I'm Pam - new to the forums and have decided that Lap Band is the tool that will help me lose the weight I need to lose. Question for the folks in Denver - I had originally been conisdering doing self-pay with Dr. Brown at Colorado Bariatric, but it seems there may be a lack of aftercare there. So I'm now looking at Dr. Chae and Dr. Weaver. Dr. Weaver lists the total price as about 9k and I was wondering if anyone has done self-pay with Dr. Chae and what the cost was? thanks! Pam

I started a new blog with my story & journey so far. If anyone wants to read it and/or follow it! http://njsharonjourney.blogspot.mx/ It is basic, but would love to know what you think. I know I was hungry for any & all info before being sleeved, so hoping it will help others!

I'm not sure of anyone else feels this way but i actually hate meal times now. I feel like i cant eat much and i believe i am under eating a lot. How do you all cope with meal times and whats on everyones plate? I find eating just such a tedious task and where as i was a huge food lover i just cant handle much any more. dinner today for me was one small fish finger home made and a small meatball.

Hi everyone! My surgery date is may 31 and it's all I can think about!! I wish it would hurry!! I know it will be worth the wait though. Ive started purchasing my clear liquids and my protein shakes and all I'd the things I will need to make this life style change possible! I am so blessed to have such an amazing family and church family! I'm hoping to get to know some of you on this forum!! God bless

I'm on my way to the hospital right now!! I'm nervous and excited! Good luck to all you other May sleevers!

When i was released from the hospital my doctors said follow the plan in the book for the first two weeks. Then they said a clear diet. I have been doing the clear diet but the plan in book says i can eat cream soup made with 2% milk. That is not very clear. Does any body know which is right?

Hi everyone! I am new to the site tonite but I have been going through the forums for help. I have not seen one that has my symptoms. Monday, May 14, 2012 will be 4 weeks post surgery. Everything was going fine until I started getting diarrhea. I am not sure what to do. I am eating soft foods such as mashed potatoes to keep me from staying hungry but meat is not agreeing with me at this time. I drink Water and I have to go to the bathroom. I eat string Beans and I have to go to the bathroom. The same goes for my Protein shakes. The only time I dont go is when I eat mashed potatoes and pudding all day. I went to the hospital and my test results were good. I had to make an…

What r they looking for with the psych eval?? How can I pass? Fail?

So... It's been 21 days since my VSG surgery. I feel absolutely terrific! 24.5 lbs lost so far! Currently losing about 1/2 lb/day... No complaints at all! I fill up with 4oz of mushy food and never feel hungry! Best of all, I'm sleeping better since my obstructive sleep apnea is already greatly improved, I have much more energy, my joint pains are practically gone, and I already feel 10 years younger! My only regret so far is that I didn't do this sooner!

before surgery Last month Before surgery The night before surgery One month after surgery 2nd month after surgery 2nd month after surgery My first day back to work Before surgery I weighed in at 401 lbs I lost 16lbs on the 7day liquid diet before surgery. Today is May 13, 2012 and weighing in at 330lbs. My goal weight is 140 and when I reach it I'm having a 360• body lift btw I fired my nutritionist for telling me I couldn't reach my goals of 140lbs.... Your fired!!!!!

so i just dl this app yesterday, and already love it. wish i had found it sooner. i have my surgery on may 11. i think im ready. i already put it off once which i regret, so i am 100% having my surgery... just a little nervous is all. ps. anykne know how to change my profile picture? i can seem to figure it out.

hi all, I am very new to these kind of forums . I had failed my lap band that i did in 2007, initially i lost about 50 lbs with it but then i developed acid reflux n my doc has to unfill it to the point that i started to gain weight and in the past 5 years with no liquid in band and a pregnancy, i gained all my weight back. I wanna to convert to by pass my surgeon said that sleeve is better option for me so i got my revision to sleeve done on this thursday may10th, 2012. The day of surgery i was weighing 265 lbs ,mmy surgey went, upper GI xray look good the second day. I m home now n trying to keep my self hydrated. I m not really sure how much i should be drinking or ea…

Things are happening very quckly for me right now. After waiting and waiting for a denial so we could appeal, my MD called the insurance, talked to another MD and they approved me!! No appeal!! I am just barely qualified with a BMI of 35.2. The insurance company requires that I lose 10% of my body weight which would have put me below the acceptable BMI. So we were prepared for an appeal especially since I have lost 100 pounds and kept off 65 in the past 4 years. I did a lot of extra work and got letters from 4 physicians supporting my need for weight loss and the surgery. So I start my preop diet on Tuesday. I feel like I have barely caught my breath. And I am choosin…

I'm not sure if its just a muscle pull or something serious but this morning after i attempted to get out of bed (after 2 hours of watching tele) i felt a sharp pain in my right shoulder/ neck. Has anyone else experienced this? It hurts when i take a deep breath or bend down and my doc is all the way in india i'd really appreciate any response.

I tried multiple times to opt out but the keep coming. I don't want to mark the email as spam, please remove me! Thanks! Ps the surgery worked great for me!

How bad was the bowel prep?? Sent from my iPhone using RNYTalk

To all the moms like me working hard to be healthier for their families! Enjoy your day! We have struggled and are giving our all to be better examples and to live healthier, happier normal weight lives! Now that a reason to celebrate!

First, I never regretted having the sleeve nearly two years ago. I went from a size 1x pant to now a size 14. I was doing ok for the first six months, but then started on antipressants and the weight loss stopped . I hoped to drop down to a size 8 by now, but it's not happening. I can't eat a lot, but that's ok. Although I have just recently started to get some control over eatting to fast...something that has haunted me forever. I feel after reading many comments, I will make an appointment with my surgeon to see what must be done to start the weight loss once again.

I'm so exicted, anxious, scared, happy and everything in between. The 6 month physician supervised diet was probably the longest 6 months of my life. I'm in the early stages of my surgery process but I'm hoping to have it done within the next month! I'm ready to start this new chapter Ashley

Surgery date 4/2/12 Starting WT 265lbs Pre-op WT 245lbs Today 219lbs

I want to wish all the Mothers and Aunties a happy mothers day..May your day be filled with blessings on mothers day and everyother day for that matter....Enjoy

I just received my sample packets of flavored Nectar protein and mixed the first one (apple) with 8 oz. Cold water in my little blender ball bottle and it comes up half froth and then liquid on bottom. Is this right? How are you all mixing these drinks? Lol

My name is Beck. I have just started my six month plan for my insurance. I am one month down and 5 more to go. I am super excited to get this started and am looking for info, idea's, and friends.

I was wondering about sugar alcohol and if anyone has experienced any negative effects or dumping? My dietician never mentioned anything about this. It was kind of a comfort knowing I didn't have to give up sweets completely because of the sugar free chocolate I've seen in stores prior to having surgery. Lol. I mean I know moderation is key but has anyone been told any specifics on this stuff?

Hi, I'm 5 days post op and feeling good about being sleeved. I'm feeling somewhat overwhelmed with the eating plan but Im getting there. Anyone have suggestions on a multivitamin, i ordered some specifically for wls patients. They are huge and taste dusgusting. Look forward to chatting with folks who have been there.

Having op on the 24th May Anyone from Sydney having it done shortly

Having op on the 24th May Anyone from Sydney having it done shortly

Hey everyone. I just got my surgery date and I am so excited!! May 22 is my date!! They offered 3 weeks from today but I can't do it till May. All for reason right?? Any advice for me until I begin all liquids??

I am having a Thallium Stress test Tues. to rule out angina. Dr. Thinks I have Prinzmetal's angina atype of resting angina. reg. stress test in Nov was fine but I could only walk/run the treadmill 3 1/2 min. My friend who had gastric surgery had to have a colonoscopy.Are some of these tests common? any other test I might have to have presurgery?

Just had my surgery Monday. Any thoughts on non-narcotic pain management, liquid diet ideas or when I'll have some energy?

Hello all. Today is day 3 post op for me. Today I went shopping at Target to pick up a few things. Then did laundry and loaded the dishwasher. I walk a lot and sip a lot. I walk 4-5 times a day for 15 min each. Also use gasX a couple of times a day. My first day in the hospital was rough. My body does not handle surgeries very well. I had extreme pain & nausea. Walking helped tremendously. The nurses were wonderful. Gave me meds when I asked for them. I complained of chest pain--which I'm sure was gas but my doctor who is very thorough wanted an X-ray to make sure there was no leak. The best recovery has been at home! So glad I made this decision and can't wait for th…

Hello Sleevers, This morning I woke up with a bit of numbness / tingling on the side of my right calf. I began walking immediately and called my surgeon. He called immediately back saying since the pain is on the outside of the calf it is a compressed nerve. Generally patients get these from a particular position during surgery. From my description, he was not concerned about a blood clot but he added this could take a couple of days before relief is felt. Basically there is nothing that can be done. Other than that I feel fine.

hello fellow sleevers had my right knee relacement last month 4/26/12 - I'm sure many others have gone through this surgery too. I had my left knee replacement about 5 years ago, i hoped i would be more prepared for the second surgery, i was right. more prepared for the pain etc. was able to walk with the walker quickly after surgery, but in such pain - taking it ever so slowly, not to rush - slow and steady etc. etc etc. i have to work with PT big time on strengthening the leg, will take a while - but everything worth having, is worth waiting for, did i say that right? finally made it home from rehab yesterday. how wonderful is that? taking a shower at h…

I am sick of all these shakes haha... Do they make drinking shots that you can take?

Anyone else going in on June 30 with Dr. Aceves?

I am scheduled for May 25th in Concord, NC. I am not required to do the liquid diet pre-op but I have been trying to figure out which Protein powders I can tolerate. I have tried the unjury and that really bothered my stomach. I have also tried several of the premixed shakes and they made me sick. The only one that I seem to be able to tolerate is the muscle milk. I used the banana cream one and added berries. What other protein sources have people used during their liquid only phase? I will meet with my nutritionist at two weeks post op so I know they will help me with the transition to soft foods. I am very nervous about the surgery but I know that this is my be…

M getting sleeved on Tuesday!! Pretty nervous!! Started the clear liquid diet but I am not even hungry!! I think nerves have kicked in.

Well..I'm sure a lot of people on here can relate. I've been overweight for most of my life (I'm 23) and I started getting chubby in like 2nd grade..so I've missed out on having a "normal" childhood and being a "pretty girl"..I mean I don't think I'm ugly, but I've always been the fat friend out of the group. When my friends and I go to the mall, I head for the make-up and beauty products and they head for clothes! They walk in American Eagle, I go in Lane Bryant..I'm tired of being the fat friend!! BUT....I cannot picture myself being smaller..I just feel like I'm going to be the failure! Like I'm destined to be forever fat! Does anyone else have this issue?? Please resp…

My name is Mike I am 35 years on. I had Gastric Sleeve Surgery April 2011. At the time of the surgery I weighed 529 pounds I am a year in and I currently weigh 355 pounds! Feeling great! Still have alot of work but its a whole lot easier now! Do get me wrong I still have my bone head moments like eating to much or to fast! It takes alot of work! But if I can do it everybody can! Good Luck to anyone who is in the first stages and keep up the good work!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

Had my last pre-op appointment today & everything is all set for surgery on Monday afternoon. They did a body analysis that showed my weight to be 266.5 (my scale this morning said 266.4), which is down 7 lbs since starting my pre-op diet & 13 lbs from 4/29. It showed my BMI to be 39.9 - I'm 5'8.5" tall - and my fat percent to be 49.8%!! Yikes!! It said I have 132.5 lbs of fat! Needless to say, I am SO ready for Monday to get here to have my surgery and start my way toward a healthier life!! On a really happy note, I've been stuck between 274-280 lbs since January even with diet & exercise, so seeing the scale drop to 266.5 with the pre-op diet is amazing …

Hi all, I was banded on 7th May and feeling so bloated and am afraid to have anything to drink even though I am thirsty. Is this normal? Also, is there a typical time that it takes for the pain on the left side to subside? Thanks.

I was Sleeved on July 28th 2011. I was 245 lbs and I am 5'3. I currently weight 182 lbs. So I have lost 63 lbs. I am very grateful but I would like to go down 40 more lbs. I have had a lot of health issue. I have had Breast and Uterus cancer scares within the last month. So I will be have my Uterus removed on the 18th. So excerise has not been on the top of my list. My calorie intake has been around 1200-1600 or less. Should I go back to a liquid diet for a few weeks? and exercise after I get released from the doctor from surgery.. I can only eat a few bites at a time.... So I am so frustrated that I have not been able to lose but a lb. every few weeks for the last three …

hello, about 10 years ago, I had the lap band done...it worked for me, until about a year ago. I found out that it was leaking, my surgeon replaced it, but i became septic, so I had it removed again...about 6 months later i got the sleeve.....my starting weight with the sleeve was about 180lbs.....my weight loss has been, very very very slow comparing to the lap band, im so afraid that i wont reach my goal weight that I was before...has anyone else experienced this...thanks

Hi everyone! I need advice. I'm a 28 year old mother of two. I am 6 feet tall, but I weigh 250 pounds. At my healthiest I was about 175 pounds, but I want to get back to at least 180. My bmi is 33.9 and I have been trying to lose weight for over two years. Nothing is working! I have literally tried everything, except for those drugs that make your heart race. I am hoping that I am a good candidate for the lap band. I know I'm not for gastric, but I need something done. My body aches, especially my feet and knees from the excess weight and I get heart palpitations. Do you think I'm a good candidate? Do you think insurance will cover it?

How do you add friends on here?

I husband has finally told me to go ahead and have the surgery done. I will be having the Sleeve Gastrectomy done. I am still in the process and have my Psychiatric evaluation next week and then one more 2 weeks later. What type of questions should I expect in this evaluation? Also, my Insurance Company, United Healthcare failed to relay some information to me when I called for benefits back in January. They have now told me that I need to see my primary care physician for 6 months in a row with documented weight loss management. If I would have known that I would have 4 months of that done already. I really do not want to wait until the end of the year because I …

Lost 70lbs and 14weeks post op update pic before and now

Anticipation Nation For all of us who are anticipating everything from our sleeve surgery date to becoming our goal weight, let us join forces and stand together! I have been researching this option since early 2011 and never made the move to activily pursue it .... till recently. I had my consultation with the surgeon this week and have more appointments in a couple weeks. I have my mandatory appointments set up with the nutritionist, psychologist and support group meetings, and believe it or not, my surgery date is scheduled for September 4th 2012! It's completely set up, all I need to do is stay determined and follow all the necessary things (medical tests, ap…