Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

To date, I've lost 64 pounds, and I am a couple of weeks shy of my 6 month anniversary. I feel great, and I love all of my energy. It is hard to believe that photos taken just 6 months ago are really of me. I never felt like that was me. I feel like I am myself again. My diet has recently had to change back to mostly liquids and soft cheeses. I have braces now, and the lower brackets were installed just over a week ago and boy did it hurt. It still doesn't feel great, which is why I'm on a mostly liquid diet. And I am thrilled with the results I am seeing. I can't wait to continue to see improvements.

Hello, Sleeve family I am new to the forum. I am looking to get this procedure done. I am in my late 20's and have always battled with weight loss issues. I am boarder line diabetic(insulin), blood pressure, and tyroid problems. Just would like some tips on if this has worked and if the weight stays off. I walk at least three times a week, and does not consume a lot of food. I wonder my self why I am fat. I am about 5'3 and weigh 279 pounds.

I will be sleeved on Feb 4th, so truly I do not know what it feels like. I have had other surgeries and have worried and complained afterwords about the pain. I also stressed myself before hand. I noticed though reading others experiences that it is vital to keep a positve outlook. I know that it is natural to experience "buyers remorse" but overall, I beleive it is imparitive at this stage, for me, to go in this with feelings of "I can do this, yes, I will work through the pain I will have a few months of major discomfort but this to shall pass". I have been the other patient that was, this is terrible, this sucks , I can not handle this and It only made it worse. …

hello, i have had my band for almost 2 yrs now. i got sick in september and they had 2 take my fill out. i was at an eight and after i got better they put me at a six. i was struggling with the fact of the weight not coming off like i thought it would and now even worse i have gained. i started at 234lb and was at 170lb, i go tomorrow to see my dr assistant. by weighing at home ive gained 15-20lbs. talk bout frustrating but then it gets even harder for me. i have 3 other friends that have had the procedure done, 2 of them were after i had it done. i had talked to them about how great it was, and now not so great. they have all been at a 6 and with in a year look amazing, …

Today I am having a total knee replacement on my left leg, just one day before my three-month sleeviversary. My knee surgeon is delighted that I have lost about 55 pounds since I saw him last summer (27 pounds on pre-op diet, 28 pounds since surgery). Since I have been unable to exercise after the sleeve surgery, I am looking forward to being able to get walking again over the next few months and hopefully my weight loss will pick up a little bit. I've been losing about 1.5 pounds per week since I started solid foods, which is certainly acceptable, but tries one's patience! It will be interesting to me to see the differences in recovery from the two surgeries so clos…

I'm wondering if anyone here has been diagnosed with thyroid Cancer and removed. If so, has had the lapband surgery afterwards and how succesful it's been for you. I had mine removed in 2004 and doing well. I know metabolism plays a big part with thyroid and losing weight. I am scheduled for lapband surgery a week from today, the 27th. My doctor didn't see any contraindications to both, but I never asked if he has had anyone with a simialar situation and how things went for the patient.

Hello everyone!!! My name is Carmen, I am one week post op from gastric sleeve surgery and have lost 13.5 pounds in my first week!!!! I am so excited about this. I have struggled with my weight all of my life and at the age of 32 decided this was the right choice for me. Hope everyone is having a great day!!!!

Hello Everyone, I just want to say I am so happy I found this website!! So I am 27 live in Phoenix, AZ. Married with two children one 4 and one 2. My surgery is set for Feb. 2nd and I am working on my pre-op diet currently. I am on day 5 of the 14 day liquid diet required from my surgeon, Dr Schuster in Mesa, AZ. I am so excited for next Thursday! I cannot stop thinking about it and those around me that have not gone through it or those who do not know are probably getting a bit sick of me always taking about it. It is sometimes hard to focus :-) I am ready for a great life change and another great leap into a healthier lifestyle. Anyone have any suggestions or comm…

So I guess that since I'm now posting in the forums, I should write an introductory thread about myself, right? My surgery is scheduled for March 27th. Deposit paid, everything done. Well, minus the pre-op diet, obviously. It's with Dr. Oritz at OCC in Mexico. About me: just turned 24. Lives in Portland, Oregon but from San Diego. Lover of dogs, science, music, forums, and blogs. Microbiology major at Portland State University. Huge geek/nerd. I have the most amazing support system (boyfriend) ever and my golden retriever (who is going to love the new active me!!) is my pride and joy. I'm 5'8-9ish. My highest weight is 265. Currently, I'm sitting at 225. My weight ga…

I just finished all my pre-surgery test yesterday. I am schedued to meet with my doctor on 02/01/12 to schedule my surgery date. Her assistant told me that it would more than likely be 2 weeks from the 02/01 date. I am concerned because I am scheduled for a business trip at the end of the month (02/27). Do any of you know if I should postpone my surgery to after my trip?? will it matter or will a flight complicate my recovery? I plan on telling my doctor about the trip and asking her for her advise..... But it seems like I am stressing out over this because #1 I want to schedule the surgery asap and #2 I cant cancel my trip

I have had my sleeve for little over a week, and the person who started the process for me was my dad. My dad, is also a little overweight, but not much. He works out like mad so he can eat and drink alot, thats the system he has been using for some time now. I don't think thats a healthy lifestyle but I expect he knows that already. Ever since I started this journey my dad has been telling me that I talk about food too much, that I need to not only operate on my stomach but my head too. He does not understand that to me talking about food does not make me want to go out and binge or cheat because I am committed. Sure in the past I have gone on diets and then stopped an…

Was looking around the web for more info and stories about life after gastric sleeve surgery and found this nice place. Back in Jan of this year, I decided to investigate gastric surgery after hearing about the gastric sleeve. (I never liked the radicalness of the all up gastric bypass and heard and saw too many lap band failure stories from friends) I am an engineer by profession and the sleeve operation appealed to me by being between those two extremes. I am 6'1", 54 years old and weighed 420 lbs when I attended my first doctor sponsored seminar here in Fort Worth in Jan 2011. My health problems were numerous: type two diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, high trig…

Here I am three weeks post-op and down 22lbs "officially" since the morning of surgery. People keep asking how I feel. Well honestly, I still have alot of pain in my left side... it hurts to sneeze, cough, lay on my back, side and just about any other position...It feels like my insides are ripping apart. The dr says this is normal. My doctor was Nick Nicholson in Plano, Tx. He is a dream and his office and coordinators rock. I had to go back to work yesterday. I have a desk job and it goes without saying that sitting all day was a serious pain. The last two hours I just stood up because it felt better. I have not been able to work out much since surgery becaus…

I really want to do this....but I'm so scared. I have some strange questions like...can they take the lapband out after you've reached your desired weight? Will I have a bunch of saggy, loose skin? I really, really want this and have enjoyed reading everyone's stories. Any advice out there???

Received my lap band eight months ago and have lost 44 pounds to date. The past eight months have not all been smooth, getting stuck, having deflates. The hardest part is conditioning myself to eat slower, taking much smaller bites and the trial and error of which foods I can and can not eat anymore. I also find that the weather! affects my band if the pressure is up my band seems to swell making it difficult to get foods down, would not have believed this but others at the doctors office had the same thing happen to them. Overall I am happy with the decision I made to get this procedure my surgeon Dr. Adam Smith is wonderful and his office staff in Forth Worth are the be…

It has been one year since my lap and surgery and I couldn't be happier! For me, it has been the best decision I ever made. I went from 240 lbs to my current weight of 159 lbs! I am in a size 6 jeans!!! I would still like to loss about twenty more pounds. This has been a life changing experience for me! The lap band has given me the control I lacked before by letting me feel full after a normal amount of food. Occasionally I eat too fast and things get stuck but that happens rarely now. There are some foods that I can no longer eat that I miss, but it was so worth it for me. I feel good. I feel confident. I am me again!

Dr Oz is on tv right now, recommending the gastric bypass and the success of patients that have had it done. Hopefully he talks about the lapband!

Hey All, My name is Diana and I'm new here and i'm going through the process of getting my lap band. Im so excited. I'm finished with the pre req like got an endocopic exam, psych eval, EKG, blood work, and Sleep study. I meet up the the doctor on 2/11 to get the ok to submit it to my insurance. I hope they approve it soon. I've been over weight for a long time and with this oppertunity to become healthy i'm up for the challenge. Here's to new beginnings! My current weight is 260. My goal is to be 150lbs. I'm not worried about the surgery at all. This will be my first time having something done to me. I have managed to avoid the hospital for everything other than basi…

Hello I have been on here since Nov 2011 but I didn't introduce my-self. I live in a small town in the east part of Alberta, I am going to be banded on March 2nd in Vancouver through the surgical weight loss centre by Dr.Philip Mitchell. I am going to be 35 at the end of the month I weigh 296lbs I'm 5foot 6 inch which gives me a BMI of46 something if I remember correctly. I have been really excited, until just the past few days as I keep looking at you tube stuff on lap band vs the sleeve, I'm not sure if I'm making the right choice.. I sure hope so. I have found my_self eating like crazy thinking this will be the last time I may have it. I start my pre-op slim ti…

Hi, my name is Jennifer and I just got my lap band on Friday, 1/21/12. I had the SILS procedure and stayed overnight in hospital. Looking forward to discussing lots of things on this site with everyone. I'm having a hard time with the clear liquid diet as the clear Isopure protein drinks are a bit sweet. I've been cutting them with water so it's not too sweet. I just know that this is the really hard part and hopefully each week will get better once I can have more and more. Saturday I can start with protein shakes and full liquid, yay!

Dr. Zubin Besanhia as moved to St. Joe's Mercy Hospital in Port Huron. He is no longer doing surgeries with Port Huron Hospital and thier LapBand Center. They will refer you elsewhere. They are advertising that they have done over 3,000 lapbands and that is untrue.... it's Dr. Besanhia who has and Dr. Bout. Sounds like a lot of political stuff and I don't like it. I wanted to set it straight.....If you want Dr. B's, you can call either of two numbers:810-985-1352 or 810-987-3556.

I had my surgery 4/18/11 at 271. I am 10 months out and weigh 207. I stalled for a while due to not exercising but am exercising and loving it. Weight loss began again..but slowly. I feel so good, but I feel i should have lost a lot more at this point. A little bummed about that.

Hello everyone! I posted a hello to all the fellow Texan lapbanders a couple of weeks ago and even got to meet a few of you at the true results meeting (nice to meet you!) . This hello goes out to bandsters and prospective bandsters accross the country! Every day is one step closer to the big day (Jan. 27th)... I am really looking forward to it. Please check out my blog, I will be writing about the experience there often. Looking forward to going through this journey (as I know all of you are) Best of luck. http://gerryslapband.blogspot.com/

Yesterday I found out that my sleeve surgery date is Friday, July 29, 2011.....only a week and a half away. I am so excited and SOO nervous!!! I am ready to be on the other side already. If only there were a way to go to sleep then wake up and it's over. OH WAIT......that's called surgery. Well I'll just say this....I'M READY! I'm most nervous about complications and the what-if's AND the cost of the what if's. I'm a cash patient so if ANYTHING happens as a result of the surgery, I'm up a creek....or might even be 6' under. See, my insurance won't cover the surgery or any medical complications resulting from the surgery. Well that stinks. Looks like my Dr bett…

When I was eight years old I broke my neck in gymnastics. Until that point I was very active from Ballet, to tap, I was in some kind of lesson almost every night. After I broke my neck everything changed, I went from being active to having to stay in bed and having horrible headaches. Not really ideal for an eight year old. I started again weight and being from a family who struggled with weight the pounds just kept piling on. My biggest fear is to be like my grandmother, when she died she weighted over 700 lbs and hadn’t really been out of the house for 7 years. I sometimes have nightmares about not being able to get through the doors of my house and people having to c…

Hello everyone: I have been going through this process for 216 Days and I just got the call today to schedule my surgery. I get banded on 2/7/2012 I am so excited! I can't wait. Wish me luck

Let me preface this by saying, my surgeon does not require a liquid pre op diet. I have lost 30 lbs so far. On Friday, I got my surgery date which is next Friday. I figured that I would do my own liquid diet thanks to some helpful people on here. My problem is this, how do I cook for my son? Last week before I knew I was approved and had my surgery date, I bought all the ingredients for a butternut squash, spinach, gruyere and penne Pasta casserole. It's out of a "Cooking Light" magazine, so it's not completely full of fat, salt and other unhealthy ingredients. My son wolfed it down. I had a small bowl. I did really good all day with Protein shakes. And I di…

I am new to thie talk fourum.. I am going to my seminar This Sat. How do I find out how many Lap Band procedures my Doctor has done? I started this journey last April. We were living in NC and I went through all my pre Lap Band appointments and was going to have surgery done in Oct. and my doctor told me threre was a problem with some part of the band and he would prefer waiting until it was resolved. While waiting for this we had news that we were moving back to upstate NY. I have been trying to find a doctor that will do my surgery using all my pre-opp records. I think I found one but I want to be sure he has done quite a few before mine. Do I just ask at the s…

I know I have lost some weight. At this point I'm not sure how much. I refuse to weight because I rather weight at my doctor appointments. My next appoinment is the 18th and I will be sure to let you all know how much I have lost. Thanks for your support.

I can hardly eat I can't eat usual foods as family no chips no pizza no bread nothing that bulky (GOOD) I'm better eating soups but surely this can't go on, shouldn't I at least have lost something I've stayed the same since 23 Oct 2011 13st (I'm only 4ft 9") I've always been about 8 1/2 stone so to carry this extra weight around has played havoc on my joints I suffer from arthritis and have 2 total hip replacements, soooooooo can anyone enlighten me or reassure me it's gunna kick in soon coz I'm getting worried

So, today has been very interesting, emotionally draining and just UGH!!!.. Thought I'd sit down, breath and write a little note to my sleeve... Care to share yours?? Dear Sleeve, It seems like so long ago that I first heard of you... Initially, I was quite taken aback by all of the hoops, loops and rings of fire I had to jump through to make you mine... Then I found this site.. And oh, the joy!! I've seen people loose tons (literally) of weight and go on to have beautiful babies, marriages, divorces and lives!! I mean, geez... our weight is not just heavy on our physical frames, but also on our mind, emotions, spirits and esteem.. You know I love myself and now …

Hi Everyone, I had my lap band more than year ago and I had my ups and downs. So far I lost 75 Pounds and I know it was not enough but that what I lost so far. After the surgery, I had some doubts about myself and how my life would be . I didn't follow any of the instructions that were given by my surgeon. It took me 3 months to commit to the process. I am very happy that I can do a lot of things that was not able to do. This December I rode a horse for the first time. I used to be 255 pounds and it was impossible to ride a horse. so, I like my life style more than my weight. 3 weeks ago the doctor removed all the Fluid from my band because I wasn't able to keep food i…

Well, I'll start with my name. It's Craig, I was 29yrs old and 500lbs when I had my Roux en-y. I'm from Dayton OH and there were a lot of things leading up to my surgery. I was born with a hip disease called leg perthissess. My parents & Dr. caught that at around the second grade. That is probably where I had my biggest weight gain. I was pretty much forced to strict bed rest by my Dr. & my parents... So while all my friends were outside playing I was inside watching reruns of Mr. Belvedere & eating comfort food. I was in a exercise restrictive leg brace until the 6th grade. After I finally got my hip back to 100% or as close to that as possible for me.…

I started on this journey last April when a surgeon refused to replace my knees until I lose 80 pounds. Nearly unable to walk and in constant pain, I still have struggled with the decision to do this. The moment I knew food was going to be "taken from me," I began to eat every morsel like it was my last meal, and gained about another 20 pounds, taking me to my highest and most unhealthy weight ever. The beginning of October came, and the holidays with all the eating events were ahead. I decided to go on a low-carb diet to allow myself some leeway to gain over the holidays without contributing to my all-time highest. To my great surprise, low carb worked for me. I'v…

I'm nervous, excited, then calm I will be getting my lapband surgery done this Tues. I have read up all I think I can handle, have talked to several people some with gastric bypass some with lapband. Some with good results, some not soo good. I was supposed to get it right before Christmas but I chickened out and here I am again. I have to think positively about this, its better for me and those around me. Any suggestions for a newbie?

Hi peeps My name is Claire Im from Manchester England. I am due to have my WLS next Thirsday OMG !!!!!!! I cant wait so excited and nervous at the same time. I would really appreciate a buddy to help me through is poss if anyone would like that challenge please let me know. Thanks Claire

Hi all! My name is Amanda, 23 years old and getting the lap band in less than three weeks. My surgeon is Dr Arif Ahmad out of Mather hospital in NY. I am looking towards blogging here and giving/recieving support!

I got the band almost a year ago and I got fion filled up 1/9/2012. I start pbing and tvommiting and I dont know what to do. It hurt really bad when I eat but I chew up my food really good and sollow but it still hurts. Any suggestions on what I should do?

I had my surgery on April 18, 2011 and I have lost 30 pounds. I have not lost a pound since oct. I am frustrated and feel like a junkie of carbs. I eat the right foods, but I also eat small portions of the wrong food from time to time. I can honestly say That there has not been a day I have been absolutely carb free. I work out and enjoy working out, I just feel like I should be doing better. My doc says I should have lost 50-60 pounds by now and I know he's right because I've been messing up. I don't know how to get back on track. I cough all the time and I have a pain under my rib cage. I'm scared to tell doc for fear he'll tell me he has to take it out. It …

So my first doctor's appointment is Tuesday and I'm waaaay nervous. I keep thinking, "what if I dont qualify" (of course I then look down on my plumptious stomach and realize THAT wont be a problem). Strangely enough what popped into my head when I got the appt was, "What am I going to wear?!" *rolls eyes at self* I know that I'll have a bunch of hoops to jump through, but how long did it take ya'll to go through all the steps and get a surgical date? My dad took 7 months, but he kinda seemed to just meander through it all. I'm definitely more proactive than he is so I'm hoping for 3-5 months. Is that realistic? Thanks! ~Lyra

My port has moved so high up almost to my rib cage. I'm concerned the doctor said I'm fine and need to go to my doctor on monday and see if I maybe need a port revision. How much does that normally cost. Also when people say they are switching to the sleeve are y'all having to pay 10,000 for a new surgery? That's almost 20,000 dollars in surgery. How can I switch and not have to pay all over again.

Well, well, well Here I go on my journey to success. I've first started my journey May 2011 with my seminar I was doing all I needed to controlling my diet cutting out/down on sodas, sweets and fried foods. As part of my insurance and surgeons requirements I have to have 6 months of doctors visit's to track my progress. Well I just had no more appointment but I got cold feet and didn't keep my appointment. I got scared people always have something to say about what you should and shouldn't do! After longer talks with my husband and cousin (gastric bypass success story) and they both let me know that It was my life and my choice to do what I feels is best for me and …

I had my lapband removed Sept. 2011, and had the gastric bypass done. I wish I had done the gastric bypass first.

I am 38 years old and have been overweight my entire life. I have been on numerous diets loosing up to 35lbs but gaining it back within a few years. I hit my all time low last year when I couldnt stand to be in this body any longer. I began researching weighloss surgery as I have done so many times but this time I found a new one, VSG. The more I read the more I liked. The problem was, my BMI was only 38 (5 foot - 206lbs) which meant no insurance, I assumed. Luckily, I have a wonderful husband (of 20 yrs) that knew how badly I have wanted this for so long so we agreed to finance and get it done! I began looking into local Docs and found that most either didnt do it or hav…

Hi I'm Teri. I'm 40 yrs old. I gave myself the gift of a new start for my 40th birthday. Timing was perfect, I'd had my surgery long enough before my 40th birthday I started on puree's on my birthday. I went into my lap-band believing that was the tool that was right for me. Learned very quickly it wasn't. Started seeking a revision before 1 year was up. Had a long talk with my surgeon at one year. Said I had to wait until June (lap-band was placed 9-16-08) 2010. I started doing the appointments I'd need to get approved as soon as June started. Was approved for the bypass pending the results of an EGD in September. The EGD couldn't get done before November 17th. …

Hello everybody. I had previously had an account on here but havent been on in forever and created a new account. The twenty-fifth of this month will be my one year bandiversary =) I have lost almost 80 lbs and have been at a plateau since August but began the insanity work-outs almost three weeks ago and have lost three more lbs. I have had my struggles as we all have had or will have. I'm glad to be back and amongst others who have been where I have been and understand on a level that not many people do. =)

New to the site! Ibanded on 12/9/11. My 1st post op appt was 1/19/12, I have lost 10.5lbs since surgery 6 weeks ago. My surgeon says I should have lost much more. I am following my diet and exersice instructions. What am I doing wrong? Help!

I was on again off again for over a year to have bariatric surgery. I initially wanted to have by-pass. So I joined Weight watchers to get a start of managing my eating habit. I started at 310 pounds, I got down dieting alone to 260, so I cancelled my consultation appointment figuring I could do this on my own. wrong. So after gaining half of that weight back I scheduled another appointment, I did very well pre-op losing weight. I was down 47 pounds b4 surgery. It's been 1 year since I had lap band (the doctor felt I had the self control that I didn't need to have such a drastic surgery). I was so excited to have the surgery. My days of being fat are over. Well here I…

Hi, I had my sleeve done on 5th Dec and i feel fantastic. Pre-op I weighed in at 219.7kgs... (horrified to admit that). Nearly 7 weeks on and im down to 194.7kgs. i was terrified goin down for my op but since i had it done I just feel so positive about what the future holds. I'm very lucky because I have had no bad effects at all from it. I can eat anything and have done since day 3. I dont feel hungry at all anymore. I have tons more energy than I used to. I suffered with migraines constantly and I suffered with sleep apena. Both of these have stopped since i started losing weight. I also suffered from lympodemia in my leg but since surgery it too has gone. I really feel…

I was sleeved last Tuesday, and was on my way home by Thursday. My first week was a little harder than what I expected because 5 days after surgery my period arrived and it left me so drained. This cycle kicked my butt, harder than surgery. Nevertheless, today is my 8th day post op and I feel great, the only thing I don't like is that I feel full all the time, but I know its because my poor tummy is still recovering. I've had gas pain, and been nauseaous, but I don't regret this decision for a minute. Cheers to a new life!!! :biggrin2: