Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

Hi ! I am having the Lap Band procedure performed on Friday, January 13th. (Trying to not be superstitious) I have had trouble losing weight over the last 8 years. I will get started for several days to a week, then give in and go pig out at Chilis or similar place. I work as a midwife and deliver babies for a busy practice at our hospital. My 5 day work week is much more than that. I have to keep going sometimes on no sleep. I struggle with feeling like cooking, exercising, or pretty much anything else once I get home. So, I have put on about 40 pounds I would say over the last 5-6 years, and I was already overweight to start. I am sick of my body, being tired, stre…

Hello my name is Lora Beth! I live in Juneau, AK. I am a stay at home mom. But by trait I am a RN. I have been struggling with my weight since I was 10. But this is my heaviest and I have decided after a year of thinking to have the band placed. I was approved last month but due to a vacation and my husband's schedule (he is active duty military) I am being banded Feb 20. I am scared, excited, and trying to learn more! I am going to blog about my journey. So I would love to have some people join me. I would also love to read some of your journeys! http://lorabethlosesit.blogspot.com/

I am 5'2" and about 205lbs giving me a BMI of about 37. I have struggled with my weight my entire life and have tried every diet out there. I began thinking about getting the Lap Band surgery so I made some calls to schedule an appt to consult with a surgeons. Out of the three calls I made, only one office considered me to be a bariatric surgery candidate. I am very excited but am also skeptical- has anyone else had the surgery with a lower BMI and no major health issues??? My appt isn't until the 31st and my anxiety is going to be through the roof by then!!

As I am starting this blog, I feel like I am beginning in the middle of a long journey that it took to get here in the first place. Since Childhood, I have struggled with my weight, and rarely has a day gone by where my weight was not at the forefront of my thinking. While some may see bariatric surgery a prison where they can never eat like before, I see it as an opportunity to break free from the burden of my weight issues. I am very "HOPEFULL" as I prepare for surgery. Please excuse my ramblings below as I reflect on the early years of my journey... I was born and reared in a remote rain forest/ jungle of South America and one of my memories is that I was the only…

Hello my name is Nikki and I spoke with my family doc yesterday and told him I was interested in getting the lap band. He gave me all the ins and out and asked me if I really want to do it. I said yes, I know I want to and he said he would write a letter to my insurance company once I found out if it is covered under my policy. I have SISC III Anthem & BC/BS Federal... I have Lap Band VIP checking my insurance, I know SISC Anthem covers at 80% but not sure about BC/BS Federal. Has anyone had any experience with either of these insurances or a "lower bmi??? Just anxious and glad to be here to read all the post.

My name is Bri and i've been going through the process to get the band since june 2011. Yesterday I recieved approval and my surgery is on January 20th. I'm excited, nervous, scared... you name it. I'm only 25 years old and I never thought I would be in this position... but I'm ready to change my life. I am the heaviest I've ever been.... 285. WOW that number makes me so sad. This has been such a painful journey for me... I've been tormented by myself and others my entire life for being overweight. I have gone through depression... physical pain... I am ready for some positive changes. In June I will be finishing my masters degree in social work and I am looking forward t…

Hi! I'm new to the forum and just wanted to post a little about who I am. I was banded on December 23, 2011, so like two weeks ago. My surgeon is Dr. Salimitari who is heaven sent! AMAZING! If anyone is considering Surgery in So Cal Dr Sal is the way to go. You'll get extraordinary care! I just had my first post op visit and I've lost 20 pounds. YOWZA! I feel like a million bucks. I have two kids ones 17 the other is 2. I'm a nurse and a make up artist in Los Angeles California. Looking forward to sharing experiences and stories with everyone.

Hi All! Im new to this site as i was originally getting banded and was on the sister site lapbandtalk. i changed my mind and decided to go with the sleeve and i just need to vent a little. my surgery date is scheduled for tomottow and i have been on this liquid diet for a week now and i am almost flipping out because there has been no word from the insurance company yet. my surgeon is open until 5pm and after that the deal is off and i have to reschedule for a new date. im almost in tears. i feel like the surgeons office waited until the last minute to submit. They gave me this date in Nov, but dont submit for approval until last week. the insuarance company said they di…

I went to the Dr. today, and after seeing that I had lost 61 pounds he asked me when I wanted the surgery done; I said as soon as possible. The Dr. said I could have it done on Tuesday of next week, when I heard that I think my eyes bugged out and I couldn't say YES! fast enough. So after months of waiting for insurance, then bloodwork to be done the day is finally right around the corner =) Thank you Jesus, because you made this possible!!! My highest weight was 380 First Dr. appointment 368 Today!!! 307 I am soooooooooo happy =)

This might be a stupid question, but what is gas pain like? I have read about it being there right after surgery, but I have no clue what gas pain is.

Just popping in to say hello! I am just at the very begining of my journey. I had an "ah ha" moment at the end of last year and decided its time to do something. My specalists have suggested weight loss surgery before but I wasnt ready. As of Monday (when the Dr office opens), I am calling and booking myself an appointment. There is a little bump in the road of financing the surgery, but there are a few options so hopefully 1 of them is suitable A bit about me I am a Mum of 2 boys (1 and 3) from Australia. I have battled with my weight most of my adult life. My weight started to get out of control after I had surgery to remove thyroid cancer. Before then I was "in…

In a lot of pain but hopeful it will get better. I will post more soon.

Hi everyone! My name is Nancy. I am 40 years old. BMI is 30. I am 5'6" and weigh 218 (well, before my pre-op diet). Now I am at 213. I thought for sure I'd lose more than that especially since I was totally faithful to the liquid diet. I hope I have better results after the procedure, which is TOMORROW! I am a bit nervous, which is the whole reason I wound up here. I was seeing if anyone had any regrets. I'm having the "what the hell are you doing?" talk with myself right now. I know in the end I will be happier and healthier. It's last minute jitters Surgery is scheduled for 8:00 am. I am 2nd one of the day. I just wanted to drop in and say hello and introduce…

I am almost five months post op from having my Verticle Gastric Sleeve. I had my surgery at the INT hospital in Tijuana, Mexico. Right off the bat, I have to say, it is the best thing I have ever done for myself. I feel SO much better, having lost 90 pounds so far. And I know that I look better! My family has had mixed reactions. But I am thrilled! I have always been heavy, fat, fluffy, large, obese, what ever you want to call it. Once, when I was pregnant with our second child, I was so nauseated, I lost about 30 pounds at the beginning of the pregnancy. My doctor told me to eat more. I told him how nauseated I was, how I just couldn't eat. He said "You have …

Good morning, I am new to the forum. Am very interested in having a lap band procedure done. Attending an informational seminar on Wed that discusses everything. I am looking for lots of information to help me make a decision!!!

Well since we can't have the sweets we used to eat what kinds of things do u substitute it with

Evening! I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Yvonne and currently needing to lose weight before I can get scheduled for surgery. My BMI is too high so I need to lose about 20 lbs. I have been working on losing for 3 wks now and only down 1 pound I have added 30 min of exercise a night and cutting back on carbs. I am here to start creating myself a support group, recipes, weight loss ideas, etc. **Editted to add** Guess I should add more to give more of a background. I've been pretty discouraged by 2 PAs who said the lap band would not work for me due to my BMI (50) and diabetes. So I have been pretty beat up (so to speak) by negativity in my decision to ge…

Hi all, I went to my seminar this week. I have a BMI of 36. My cholesterol is 274. The cholesterol meds made me feel awful so I can't take them. Has anyone go approved in NC with just having high cholesterol? If I read the policy correctly, I think I would qualify for lap band. Anyone have a similar experience with NC BCBS?? Thanks, Linda

My name is crystal and i am 22 years old. im excited to start this journey at such a young age because i feel it will prevent me from may illnesses that i can get if i continue gaining wait. at first i was very hesitant about getting the surgery i thought that i could just do it on my own and was ashamed that if i got the surgery i was "taking the easy way out" but at 254lbs i am pre dietetic and have high blood pressure and i know i need this surgery in order to live a healthy life. im so young and still feel ashamed of letting people know about my surgery cuz im scared they will ridicule me. the only person that really knows is my sister and although she has informed m…

I have never been able to drink enough fluids. I am doing good to get one 20 0z bottle drank a day. I think my weight loss would be better if I could just remember to drink. My day goes something like this: 7:30 drink one cup of decaf coffee. 8:30 eat my little breakfast- I wait so I can drink but I am working so the next thing you know its almost lunch. I drink about a cup of Water around 11:30. 12:00 eat my little lunch. wait to drink and then its 3 now and I finish or almost finish my bottle of water when I realize I havent been drinking. I eat a snack around 4 waiting to drink water and forget.....get off work and drive home. I have a few sips of water I…

I was tired of eating babyfood and things that have little or no taste. Today I was looking at the list of foods high in protein and I decided to try and make something that was tasty. I started with a can of Bush's Great Northern Beans, a package of frozen mixed peas and carrots and some sliced ham. I cooked the peas and carrots until tender(about 1 1/2 cup), then I took about 8 oz of the ham and cut it into small pieces, and added it into the 16 oz can of the beans. I covered it all and microwaved it for about 5 minutes stirring occassionally. It makes about 3 cups of finished beans, ham and veggies. It is not bad if I say so myself. You could make this into a soup i…

Hey I'm Kelly. Lapbander for almost 1 1/2 years. I had an account on here in the beginning, but wanted to start fresh. I have fallen off the wagon quite a few times and have my first fill in 6 months on 1/25. I am really struggling mentally with this. Still eating everything I ate before, but of course in smaller amounts for the most part. I am down 28 lbs as of 1/3. I have been up and down about 5 lbs since I hit my 30. I hope I'm not in the same boat here...Stubborness is my biggest downfall. If anyone has any advice or a particular thread I should look at, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and Happy New Year

Hello my name is Joyce. I had my surgery today and was so nervous. So far no complications. My surgeon was Dr. Kwon and I had the procedure done at Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis. My starting weight was 294 and I was at 262 this morning before surgery. My goal is 160 so I have a little over a 100 pounds to go.

Hi, I'm new to this forum. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this site. I believe it'll help me throughout my journey. I'm being banded on January 22nd and I'm nervous, but I guess it's only normal. I can't wait for it though. Lately, my only concern regarding the surgery is whether I'll be able to lose weight as much as a lot of people on this forum have. My current weight is 226 lbs and I want to be somewhere around 155-165 lbs. I have previously lost 115 lbs, but gained 60 back, which is why I decided to go through with the surgery. I've been morbidly obese my whole life. I was on diets since I was 10 years old - I'm 20 now. It's about time I fulfilled my dream of being…

Hi everyone, Im already appreciative of all the interaction on these boards, have been reading everything I can find on gastric band surgery recently as Im planning to get it done next month. I live in Kuwait and havent had the opportunity to meet ppl here to openly discuss out experiences, so again these boards are a treat. Anyway, im a 5'6, 30 y/o mother of two girlies (4,8) and have been putting on the weight ever since i got married ten years ago. Before that i was always quite active exercising at least 2 hours a day, doing laps at the pool and weight training. While married i was holding a job, studying in the evening and eventually shuffling that with sleepless …

Hello all!! First of all, congratulations to everyone here for all successes large and small. Second if you have joined and are still deciding if this surgery is right for you, then you are in the right place. Just reading through these forums gave me the reassurance I needed to make my final decision. Getting the lap band has really saved my lfe and I would most certainly do it all over again if I had to. As of this morning I have lost 44.4 lbs and I feel awesome! In addition to my band I have been using a Bodymedia armband to assist me in my weightloss efforts and so far it's been very successful. It's kind of expensive but I feel worth it. Also, I have been usi…

I am checking in with my sleeve community to let you all know that I am 1 day post op and ouch! I'm very uncomfortable, I get why "gas" hurts so bad and my head is doing all the stuff you all told me it would. I am making a choice to completely surrender to this process. Instead of feeling regretful because I don't feel well, I choose to believe in your success stories. Not one of you said you were sorry so my goal for today is to walk, follow direction and continue to have faith! Faith that this will pass and that I will be a strong and healthy woman as a result of the choice I made!

March 15th(or maybe a week or two earlier),and the journey begins. I'm really ready to be thinner and healthier. Specifically,I am really anxious to get into the gym postop and start working on my flexiblity and stamina. Looking forward to everything I hope to learn from this site....... Thanks in advance!

I'm approved!! Surgery date is scheduled for 1/30! I am so relieved and so excited and so nervous and so....many emotions right now. I am so ready for this journey!

Hello everyone, my name is Hilda and I've just decided to begin this journey. I am attending a seminar this weekend and maybe setting an appointment with a Surgeon, I don't have a doctor yet. I have been overweight since middle school and hit 200 in high school. I graduated high school 5.5 years ago and have gained over 50 pounds since!!! I've tried working out and eating right, but after months with no losses I give up and gain all of the weight back. I am hopeful that with the Lap Band Surgery, my serious efforts to lose weight can be more effective! I live in the San Fernando Valley and if there is anybody out there in my situation, I would love to hear from you …

Hi I am 25 yrs old I was banded on April 1, 2011! My starting wieght was 373 I am currently 309 but I have been as low as 293 but since July I have found that I have let myself go. My goal was to be 220 by April frist, I feel like that isn't to unrealistic but lately I feel like that obese unhappy girl that went into the surgery room! She went away when I found a gym and followed the rules but do to a high stress job I hate as a teacher and other life issues she has seemed to popped her head back out! Is there anyone out there that can help me! I feel like I am dying on the inside! I need to get it together and not waste my parents money because they paid for it out of po…

My name is Pamela and I am 32 years old. I cannot remember a day of my life that I was not big. I first started looking into weight loss surgery six years ago and this year, with the help and encouragement of a lapband friend, decided that I would do it. I start my liquid pre-op diet on New Year's Day and my surgery is scheduled for the morning of 5 January. I am nervous to be doing this surgery in a foreign country (I'm an American in Kuwait), but because my insurance wouldn't cover the procedure it actually worked out nicely because it is much less expensive to do it here than back home! I have an ever-increasing list of goals running through my head and I have begun re…

Hi all after being banded 1 yr ago and still having issues w keeping food down, esp protien I decided to join support group and see who had similar experiences. I started out at 292 pre band,but at my highest wgt yrs ago was 350, now 1 yr out I am 177, which at 41 I weigh was I did at age 11. Anyway, I never had trouble losing weight after surgery esp once I had my 5th fill in june. However, I have issues w keeping food down esp protien, sometimes soup, even ice cream comes back up, just depends I guess as it is not always happening. I eat 1 afternoon meal, and try to sip on something in the morning, but there are days I puke 5 times. I have even gotten up in middle of n…

Hi all after being banded 1 yr ago and still having issues w keeping food down, esp protien I decided to join support group and see who had similar experiences. I started out at 292 pre band,but at my highest wgt yrs ago was 350, now 1 yr out I am 177, which at 41 I weigh was I did at age 11. Anyway, I never had trouble losing weight after surgery esp once I had my 5th fill in june. However, I have issues w keeping food down esp protien, sometimes soup, even ice cream comes back up, just depends I guess as it is not always happening. I eat 1 afternoon meal, and try to sip on something in the morning, but there are days I puke 5 times. I have even gotten up in middle of n…

Hello, I was banded on 12/29/11. My surgery included a hernia repair. My post op was not without complications. I vagaled down, which means my heart rate dropped. It dropped into the 30's, probably a combination of anesthesia and my blood pressure meds. I got up to walk and within an hour developed a hematoma at my port site. Ugh, My stomach looks like Bella's on Breaking Dawn! Everything is slowly returning to normal, though. I have had issues with the post op diet, of course I have tried to eat things I knew I shouldn't. Today, I am returning to liquids and trying to be good. Luckily, I haven't gained any weight back but the loss is much slower than I would li…

Getting very nervious time is ticking - have my psychiatry appt tomorrow - then pre-op Class and Per-op surgery appt on the 24th. Lost almost 35-pounds I have gotten a lot of great infol. on this web site. Great Support

Hello all - new to the site. I'm considering lapband, but haven't made a final decision yet. (Hope you guys don't mind me jumping on this forum early!) Can anyone give me advice on how to get started? Some questions I have: 1. I'm a "bored eater." I "graze" when I'm bored, but not necessarily because I'm hungry. Will shrinking my stomach and appetite help, do you think? 2. I have very mild IBS. Does anyone else have experience with this? 3. I'm visiting a lap band seminar next week. Any suggestions on questions I can ask? Thanks, everyone. You're all an inspiration! ~Illuxi

I had a lap band and stomach plication performed on June 28th of 2010. At first the weight loss was awesome and I was so happy with my important and expensive decision to have the surgery. But since the middle part of November I have been really struggling. I had the surgery because of my obvious issues with food. I had thought that after enduring the pain of surgery the result would be that it would be difficult for me to overeat. I hope that you do a better job of listening than I did. When they said weight loss surgery is only a tool, that is exactly what they meant. My father had a bypass performed back in 1972 and he was able to eat all and whatever he wanted and he …

Tomorrow begins my Gastric Sleeve journey as I embark on what is expected to be a miserable two week preop diet. My surgery is scheduled for 01/20/2012 with Dr Thomas Umbach in Las Vegas! I am a southern girl from Alabama so I will be traveling cross country to have this done. I am so excited but also very nervous!!! My pre-preop weight is 243 and I would like to be down to 180 by my 30th birthday in May and then ultimately down to 135 as I am only 5'1". Any advice on getting thru the next two weeks would be most helpful!! Thank you all!!!!

Hi Everyone!! I just recently completed my 6 month program. I saw my surgeon on Tuesday and apparently, I lost too much weight. In his professional opinion, I can do it on my own. I'm a bit frustrated and confused. Has anyone else had this problem? I am afraid the insurance company will not approve me, even though they are supposed to go by your starting weight and BMI. I have BCBS PPO.

2 years ago I weighed over 350 pounds. I live in Iowa so I went to talk to one of the surgeons here about weight loss surgery. They suggested that I have a lapband so after getting approval from my insurance I had the lapband surgery. I had some success and lost about 85 pounds. I finally stopped losing weight about a year ago and my weight remained the same for a year. I had reached my maximum water fill for the lapband. However this still left me with another 90-100 pounds to lose. When I went back to my surgeon here in Iowa he told me that with the amount of weight that I had to lose initially that I should have had the gastric sleeve.....nice time to tell me after I …

So last night and the night before.... Both mornings I have awoken with my pjs bottoms below my butt because..... THEY'RE TOO BIG!!!

You can't wait to wear? Besides a swimsuit, what is the one thing you most like to picture yourself in once you are at or near your goal. For me it is a dress (I have recently been looking at wrap dresses) with nylons and strappy not too high heels (I'm 6' tall barefoot) and I have always wanted to have a blazer to wear with jeans (a pair of jeans is the first thing I'm buying when I lose a little more!!)-Goodbye polyester stretch pants!!!!! I have not been able to just go to a store and buy clothes for probably 20 years. Not only am I big, but I am also tall so tops especially have had to be custom made (so they are long enough to cover my belly and hips) because we …

Pre-op I managed to get down almost 20 pounds... but i was 18 pounds below my start weight on operation day. I had my surgery on the 16th of december ... and weight loss started off slow. I can honestly say my weight loss is on free fall this week. On operation day I was 380--one week ago today I was 368 and in the last 5 days I have lost TEN pounds. Its amazing but I am a full 42 pounds lighter than my initial weight 37 days ago.. I am losing over a pound a day..and some days two and three pounds. My Doctor said that I can eat any soft foods or pretty well what I am willing to try. So far.. I have been able to eat some cheese..scallops,shrimp,fish and lobster..pretty …

Hello everyone it's been 13 monts since my surgery everything is going well 61 pounds down feeling good. Still learning the band had some ups and downs about when i am full but getting that under control,I had to go buy size 32 pants yesterday for my birthday present to me down from men size 42.This site has help me out alot so thanks to everyone who post the good and the bad.

I was sleeved on December 20, so I am just over two weeks out. While I knew I would feel better over time with my weight loss, I have been so thrilled with the unexpected immediate benefit of waking up with hope. I think all of us here know all about self-loathing. For years now, I have awoken each morning feeling disgusted with myself and hopeless for change. The pain and shame of being fat has prevented me from doing so many things. Knowing how the world views a fat person has not helped, it has made me terrified of putting myself in a position to be judged by my weight. Although I haven't lost too much yet, and in fact am in a weight loss mini-stall just two weeks …

Tomorrow is my surgery date! The planning and waiting and all of it doesn't end tomorrow, it starts tomorrow... Wish me luck, and say a prayer for my friends and familys peace of mind tomorrow.

Ok so how do you know if your addicted to food or if your just an over eater? I'm still pre op and I really don't know if I'm addicted to food or not. I'm some ways I think I am because food kinda controls my life but then I've done the HCG diet for five month and was very successful if you don't know about that diet its a very strict 500 calorie diet. Then of coarse gained it all back. So what I'm asking is how do you know if you have a food addiction?

Hello all I am 2 weeks in and so far so good. I go to my Dr for my first post op visit tomorrow. I am excited about my new life with the band and I'm looking forward to this website to assist me in all areas.

Hello! My name is Tracie Steves and I am just started my attempt to take the Lap Band journey. I will attend the seminar on January 11th and turn in the paperwork at that time. I plan to contact the insurance company next week, I have just switched from Select Health to United Healthcare and all I know so far is that they cover it but I don't have the requirements for my plan yet. I found this board that night and it had a lot of helpful information so I decided to join early. It sounds like this is a roller coaster of a journey but I am excited at the prospect.