Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

I'm up and down to the fridget 10 times an hour, and I use going to Starbucks as a way to take a break at work. I am always fixing something or making something... I'm trying to imagine, after being banded, what I will do with myself! Does this drive you crazy?

How much does the band help you alone, vs. you really pushing to follow a plan like weight watchers or something else? I know everyone says "the band is a tool" but I want to know what that really means... If you just eat what your body tells you, do you lose nothing??

Hello all, My name is Charlie i am 27 year old male and have been overweight since about the 3rd grade, so basically my entire life. I never had a tramatic experiance or significant event in my life that triggered this sudden obsession with food, that i can remember anyways. A little bit about my self, I live in New Jersey, my parents were divorced from each other twice with several seperations togehter inbetween that so my childhood was quite fun as you could imagine. Deep down i think alot of the stuff i went through with that has played a huge role in my eating but who knows. I have always looked to food for comfort my entire life whether it be for happy,sad,mad …

Does anyone have any long term problems with their lap band? I have had my lap band for over 4 years and had a couple of things go wrong with the actual surgery but it was all fixed. Since then i have only lost 40 lbs. but the weight is not bothering me what's bothering me now is all my stomach issues. I have ulcers in my stomach and in my intestines, I belch all the time (which is so embarrassing) i have gas problems and just anything related to gastric issues and most doctors are so hestiant to touch you as a lap band patient that its so frustrating! SoI have tried looking online to see if there was much research on long term effects of the lap band but I can't seem t…

Well, here goes nothing. I have made it to the brink of the new life. I get sleeved in just a few hours. Those of you who have been before know the things I'm feeling at this moment and the others will be here soon.

Has anyone else jumped thru Aetna insurance hoops and if so did they deny first time?

I feel like a kitchen sink. When I eat any solid, I gurgle for about 10-15 minutes after. Anyone experience this? I'm 6 weeks post-op. When might this little inconvenience stop? It's so loud. I hope I'm never in a quiet room with my co-workers after I eat. I STILL LOVE MY SLEEVE!

Hi! I haven't followed a forum in almost 4 years now so I'm pretty excited about meeting new people, exchanging receipts, advice and motivation I'm not quite sure where to even start, any suggestions for a newbie? Looking forward to hearing from you! Ali

I have been "ghosting" on this forum for over a year, and just recently became a member. I am finally scheduled to attend my pre-op appointment on 2/15, with banding date of 2/24! My journey to this point was beset by unanticipated life events which created delays. If there had not been any serious medical issues, I would have been banded in April, 2011. In October 2010 I began the insurance required mandatory 6 month supervised diet with my primary care physician. On 12/31/2010 during a routine colonoscopy a benign (thank Heaven) tumor was discovered in my colon, which needed to be removed. I was advised that my banding might have to be delayed, as you have to recove…

Hey everyone! I'm eleven weeks out today and have lost 48 pounds. However over the last week nothing is settling. It stops at the end of my esophagus and comes right back up in a ball. Always nauseated before and after I eat. I have to lay down to knock it most times and to top it off I have stalled. I've been the same weight for almost three weeks now very frustrating. Any suggestions? Is this nausea and vomiting normal? I'm miserable. Help!!

Hello everyone, I had my surgery on Nov 8, I've lost 38 lbs. I'm havin a hard time because I'm always hungry and I can't figure out why! It's frusterating, Im stalling for wks, can someone give me a sample menu of what ur eating? My Dr told me protein n produce which i do. I don't think I'm eating many carbs. I know I'm not gettin enough fluids. I dunno what else to try! Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

I am 42 years old and been married for 8 years this feb.21, 2012. i have two 16 yr old girls and a 7 yr old girl. my wife had a D.S Switch in 2001 and has lost 200 pounds and has kept them off all these years with the ocasional 20-30 pounds of up and down. she kept telling me to have it but i did not want 2 and kept telling her i could do it myself. in 2003 we lost our daughter at 20 weeks and it was very hard on me to anything but sad and this went on for about 2 1/2 years. after losing the baby we decided to take the family on a vacation to yosemite and i decided this would be the time to make a change in my life so i started the atkins diet in august 1 week before our …

I am probably older than most others on this site. I am still on the supervised diet and I can't wait to be sleeved. My cardiologist suggested I look into WLS. It just never occured to me previously. I am so glad that I did. I have alot of medical issues that I am hoping will get better with the surgery. Most of all I want to look good as well as feel good. I sent my two children to professional school, now it is my turn.

Hi Everyone, I made it home from Mexico. I feel fantastic. Gas is a little heavy, I am slow at getting in some fluids but overall life is good. Our flight was layed over in Houston so we did not get home and in bed until 3am but all is well. I will write more later this afternoon, time for a nap...lol. I am so happy and most of all very thankful for all the prayers!!!!! One thing, the entire experience was much better than I would of ever expected, it was awesome.

I have tried writing this thread many times but always end up hitting 'cancel' in the end. When I typed the topic it made me think "Who Am I"? I always end up introducing myself as "so and so's wife/mom" that I forgot for a moment who I was and that I was joining this forum for me, not my husband or children. So here goes, I am an energetic, well organized, glass half full kind of lady that enjoys spending time with family and friends, and will always try to see the good in a person or situation. I am a full time Mom that moonlights as a Forensic Chemist 8 hours a day. My struggle with my weight began so long ago when puberty came knocking. Yo-yo dieting and crazy…

I am new to the forum here, and about 4.5 - 5 months out to surgery. I did my first dr. visit the 8th of December, and have to be on dr. supervised diet for 6 months prior to surgery per my insurance (BCBS). So far have not lost on my diet, but have increased my protien, and started slowly on some exercise. I am planning to have my surgery in Decatur, TX, by Dr. Stowers. Anyone have experience with this facility??? At this point I am excited and nervous. Hoping I have made the right decision. I have had friends so far that are supportive, and those that have to tell me every horror story they know. Some that tell me of friends that have been very successful, a…

iM 23 years old and am 247lbs. Dieting and excersise just has not worked for, in my recent doctors visits my cholestoerol has been a bit elevated and i am boarderline to have diabetes, ive been considering the lapband but need some advice on how to go about it, or is it even a goood idea?

Hi, in March it will be 2 years since my band-I am down 35 pounds-it would be better but I have had a stressful 2 years. Took on a management position and the death of my Mom. Now its time to get back on track,what do I do first?

OK FELLOW WLS...IM 26 YEARS OLD STARTED MY FIRST APPT.ON 1/24/12....WEIGHING IN AT 5/3 366/ LBS I IMMEDIATELY STARTED DIET HAD PRE-OP 1-30-12 TO FIND OUT I WAS DOWN 11LBS N THAT I HAD TO GET A CLEARANCE FROM PULIMONARY DOC....UGH!!!!SO I MADE APPT SEEN THE DOC ON THE 2/3/12 AND THANK GOD I WAS CLEARED WAS TOLD TO TAKE C PAP MACHINE WITH ME SO I WAS SCHEDULE FOR. THE 2/13/12.....AND THEY CALL N SAY I NEED ANOTHER CLEARANCE FROM PCP BLOOD COUNT LOW /CALICUM...BUMMER HUH!!!!!!!

I am getting my sleeve in March. My mother is very supportive, even to the point of helping me pay for it, only because she can't stand to have a fat daughter. What do you say, or has it even happened to you, when people think back and say "can you believe you were that HUGE!!" My thing is, at 277lbs, I can take off 20lbs and put them right back on and no one notices, but if I get thin and put 5-10 back on I don't want the "ohhh remember when you were big, you don't want to go back there stare." Alana

I was sleeved Monday, Feb 6th and spent two nights in the hospital. My belly is sore and I came home w the drain. It was so good to be home and get in the shower! It made me feel immediately better! I keep getting rid of gas...which is a relief. I'm having a hard time w drinking my Isopure. Just small sips. I get a bit of a heartburn. I'll be so glad when the weekend gets here. I know I'll feel so much better by then. I see my doc on Monday to get the drain pulled out. In the hospital, I never worn anything but the hospital gowns. I got up and started walking right away. But go at your own level. I worn a nightgown and robe home. I couldn't have put on …

I'm scheduled for February 29th, I'm still a little worried if I doing the right thing. Is there anyone out there that wished they wouldn't had the surgery?

I was banded Jan 19, 2011... a couple of times my band was too tight so had to have a half cc taken out...I just had a fill a week ago and it isn't going too well, I keep regurgitating and some times after I fall to sleep I wake up choking and it's hard to breath, but I get through it, then I'm fine, but I lose sleep over it. I haven't lost that much in a year which bothers me but Dr. Valentine' assistant Annie said it's better to lose slow...all toll I have lost 44 pounds, but I don't feel any changes in my clothes either...is this normal...how long did it take any of you to lose a considerable amount of weight and how did you do your first year out?

I was banded w/plication on 1/25/12 and I have lost a total of 20lbs. YAY ME!!! (I have a mini mental celebration everytime I lose a pound ) I have had minimal complications thank God. The one annoyance that I have had since my surgery is a sharp pain in my my left shoulder. It drives me a bit bananas, but I'm not so concerned about it anymore because it seems as if this is a common occurrence after being banded. **God bless and here's to a healthier, happier today **

I was banded a little less than three weeks ago. My husband and I kept my banding very quiet because we know some people can be very ugly. Today I got my first experience with ugly. There was a woman on my facebook page who was talking about this new fad diet she was doing and how much weight she had lost. I told her I had lost 18.5 pounds. She told me that was unsafe and asked how I was doing it. When I told her that I had the lap band done she said it's people like me who make her sick. It's easier for us to write a check than to get off our azz and go to the gym and quit stuffing our faces with comfort food. While I understand how she feels it's just not that e…

My name is Michele and I live in Texas City, Texas. I was banded 2 yrs. ago by Dr. Duc Vuong. I was a full pay patient because my insurance would not pay. In his contract that I signed he has agreed to free fills for life as long as I go to him. Well guess what, he has uped and moved to Illinois. Now if I want a fill I have to pay $175. to become a new patient with another Dr. and $200 for any fills I get. Would y'all consider this a breach of contract? I have read the contract 5 times and there is absolutley no mention of another Dr. in the area honoring his free fills for life in the case he should move.

I was just sleeved a week ago yesterday. The reason I am an odd bird is that I am pretty close to my weight and I am a vegetarian. I so far have lost 18 pounds in a week. I have gone back to work and resumed most everything despite the complications that I had(I had a leak during surgery that made them have to tube me and also put a drain in me). My problem now is that I can barely eat anything. I've learned to drink Water, G2, and tea to stay hydrated. I do my b-12 and Multivitamin in the AM on the way to work. But the only things I can mange to eat are Jello(I know not vegetarian but I caved), Ensure, and greek yogurt. Almost every Soup makes me feel sick. I…

Hello all, I finally decided to finally post here..I love love love the support and information on this site. Ive been creeping around for sometime now. I am just getting started with this process. Ive only gotten as far as the Presentaion and this is the 6th one I went to! NOt sure why I attended so many but, I finally chose a Dr. based on information I have researched and also due to the procedure I am interested in (Iband...banded plication). I hope to stay connected and I am sure I will find lots of support here until next time....Keep losing and staying motivated to all that already took that leap. Every moment is a new opportunity to a healthier life....Im excited…

Thanks Alex. I'm so dissappointed. I was banded on January 19, 2011 and to date I've lost 34 ponnds. For the past four months I have not lost a pound. It's very slow for me. I feel that within a year I could have lost that amount on my own without the aid of the band.

Good afternoon everyone! I sit here today and I notice that sometimes I feel overwhelmed, and down, and I feel like getting to an ideal weight, or even my goal weight, is an unattainable task. I am not banded yet, and my BMI is 37. I have been overweight for 21 yrs (Im 28 yrs old) and I have never been under 199 lbs in my entire adolescent or adult life. I am very nervous about getting a surgery to lose weight, and I guess I just feel defeated. I say all of that to say ... I want to think about my goals for after my weightloss. And I want to to hear your goals as well. In a time of doubt, I just want to focus on the positive and the future, and the possiblity that may…

My name is Frank and I had my Band done almost 3 years ago, my band anniversary is April 15 I have lost a total of 100 pounds !!

Hello, I am a 31 year old wife and mother who works full time. I have been contemplating WLS for several years. I recently began to do some serious research and have decided that the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy is right for me. I feel that this is the right time in my life to make this life long change to be healthy and the best me I can be. I'm not only doing this for myself, but also for the benefit of my family. I know the journey will not always be easy, but I am confident that I can accomplish the goals I set. I have a strong faith and know that God will be with me during this process as He always has been through anything I have faced in my life. "He will never le…

hi i have been lurking this site for awhile and i can say i have learned alot and you guys are full of information and support. well im 34 years old and have been on this rollor coaster ride with my weight, up and down, i been researching the lap-band but then i heard of the sleeve and starting getting as much info as i could on it and realize that was the best way. i have a friend that has the lap band and she hates it, and only lost like 30lbs with it and its been over 2 yrs.. now she is trying to do the revision with bypass..i have beening having mixed emotion about the whole thing because this is a life changing event. i have sleep apnea and borderline diabetic , my …

I have been waiting patiently for more than six month to hear that "Oh were already Approved" After completing my six month of Nutritional visits, and having done all my blood work and scans, i go to my last visit to tell me that i need to do a sleep study.. omg my schedule n stomach turned out so bad because i thought that by now i would get my approval and surgery date.. uugh.. so in a moment of stress n depression, after doing my sleep study, i call three days later, speak to the receptionist regarding my case, and she tells me i have to wait up to two weeks for them to get the results. I ask her do u know who i am, since a lot of people call, she assures me she knows…

Hi I have had my band for 13 months. Have lost just over 4 stone. But the last 6 months have been awful one day i can eat. the next i cant. I have had more in and then out. They seem to think its stress but at present i didnt think i had any. I am 11 stone and 6ml in my band. Any ideas. is it me.

So on Jan 5th I visited Dr Dietrick and was told that I am an eligible candidate for the LapBand....WOOHOO!!!! On Jan 13th, I had my EKG, UA, Blood work and Chest X-ray the only thing left on my list is to get my mental health evaluation. Our next step is obtaining copies of my weight for the past 6 yrs as proof that I have been overweight. I am a little stressed because I was pregnant for 3 of the past 6 yrs so they do not want to use any weight from those years in fear UHC will deny the authorization. So now, we are just trying to gather what we can and work from there. Has anyone else run into this problem with UHC and verifying weight? Dr Dietrick and I have discus…

Yesterday, I had my first outing, to the grocery store. Luckily my son went with to help. I felt pretty good until the end. By then I was TIRED! I guess I didn't realize just how much surgery takes out of you! Today was a good day! I am 2 weeks out and according to my doctor's schedule, I got to go to the mushy stage of food today. Never would have thought that 1 oz. of tuna and 1/8 c. applesauce would have made me happy, but it did. I think, and hope the tide is beginning to turn. The first 2 weeks were hard, but hopefully it will be easier to get all my protein in now, something I have struggled with. Tomorrow I have my 1st post-op check up. Life has …

I was sleeved 2/3... But I'm wondering when I will see the scale move. When did you notice the pounds starting to drop?

Hi there... Sorry if this is a repost, I'm not sure my other post went through (can't find it!)... I was wondering if you guys wouldn't mind sharing your experiences: 1- How long did you have to wait before your surgery from the initial consult? Did you feel that was too soon, too long? 2- How quickly were you up and around. And just *how* up and around were you? Were you ok to do work or were you lying in bed... Could I be on the computer? What was it like post-op? Things are busy for me right now but I do see a lull for a few weeks in April, so I could do the surgery at that time. But since May will be stressful, I'm not sure I'll be 100% up to it. I wouldn…

Hellooo My name is Rebecca and I am having surgery on Feb 20..I'm on day 2 of my 14 day pre-surg liquid diet and any tips or tricks that anyone can give me will help. I had a killer headache yesterday but today seems to be better so far (allthough I am def having issues remembering things/diet or just me?). I'm going to say a "nice to meet you" ahead of time and hope I find some great people with good advice here. thanks

I was banded on 1/4/12 and have not lost an ounce! I haven't gained an ounce either (thank God), but I'm getting very frustrated. The protien shakes were making me nauseous, so I switched to Slim Fast but I still feel hungry and snack on fat free yogurts and crackers throughout the day. I get my first fill on 2/6 and am praying the weight starts coming off. After a month on liquids, protien shakes/bars and about 1-full meal a day I was expecting at least a few pounds. Anyone have any advise and or experiences they can share.

i had a gasric sleeve in june 2011 and since november 2011 i have started to become more hungry after eating but also gettin pains in my stomac.. i was wondering as anybody else experianced this or as anybody got any diet tips? x

Hi my name is Stephanie, I am new to this site but have been banded for almost 4 years. I could not be happier with the weight loss, I have lost about 229 lbs in the 4 years. I am very happy I did the band I feel much healthier, just wish now I could afford to have the skin removed so that I could feel I look as perfect as I would like. I look good in clothes but do not like to look at myself without. I have about 16 lbs to go til I can be considered normal weight. I do exercise but nothing seems to help. any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Hello everyone I'm a 40 year old female who was banded on Saturday Feb 4, 2012. I had my banding done at NYU medical center in New York city. I must say my shoulder hurted so much but as of today, i havent felt any pain. What i do feel is the funny sensation on the left side of my chest. when i get it i just freeze in position until it passes. im wondering if anyone else has felt this strange occurance? anyway i joined the forum to get and give support. I look forward to hearinf from you guys. Thank you.

I was sleeved 2/3... But I'm wondering when I will see the scale move. When did you notice the pounds starting to drop?

Ladies and Gents, I have my first meeting with a doc today and scheduled for October 15th to be "banded" - long lead time so I can pay with my childcare rebate I am a writer and am considering doing a no holes barred, raw, funny, sardonic, ironic and all-vomit auto biographical book about it all. I wanted to do it for travelling, for pregnancy, for launching a business - never managed it, this seems like as good a time as any to do it! Anyway, that's what I'm thinking now, keen to learn all about it as it was fascinating watching the comings and goings at the doctor's office today - and I am terrified of a world without steak, bread and sushi - my three favourit…

So I went to pick up my post-op pain meds cause my surgeon wants us to do that beforehand. The pharmacist was explaing them to me and asked if the meds were "for after I had the baby". I laughed it off but was kinda embarrassed. LOL!! More reason to have this surgery!!!

Hello all. I am a 34 and morbidly obese. I am 226 lbs right now. I am in my pre- op diet phase. My Lapband surgery is on Februaru 17. I am so ready for this tool to be placed in me for my future health and success. I have wanted this surgery for about 7 years now, and now that it almost time for my surgery I can hardly stand the anticipation. I am ready for all of the steps of the journey. I am sure I will have good and bad days, but I am sure that there will be more good than bad. Good luck to all of you, and God bless.

hello, I am new here and being banded on Valentine's Day. My present to me. I am super excited but a little nervous also.

I'm so glad to have found this site. I was banded January 11, 2011 and have had quite a journey the past year of my life. My pre op weight was 292 and as of today 2/6/12, I'm at 235. My goal is 180. I have been "stuck" the past few months..losing a pound or two to regain it back. I had some fluid taken out of my band recently because of severe heartburn and hoping that my band was just too tight. It is great to read and see everyone else's progress and hoping that this gives me the inspiration that I need to get to my goal. I've come so far the past year but still the old me in my mind...such a hard image for me to change.