Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

Hey everyone! My name is Andrea but everyone calls me Bing! I've recently had lap band surgery. Obviously, I'm new to all of this so I'm not sure what all to write. I do need support from people that have been where I'm at. Anyone that I know that had any bariatric surgery had gastric bypass so I'm not really able to relate and vice versa. I hope this help me in my new adventure and I hope that I can be a support and help to others!

Greetings! I just made the big decision last night to schedule my banding for July 18 with Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana, MX. Since my BMI is only 33% and I have no co-morbid conditions, I decided to be proactive and lose the extra 70 pounds, instead of gaining another 30 so my insurance would pay for it in the US. Dr. Ortiz came highly recommended. This morning, I have begun my pre-op diet and am expected to lose 10 pounds in the next 3.5 weeks. That's about 3.5 pounds per week, which seems somewhat unlikely. Can anyone tell me if the surgeons will really cancel your surgery if you only lose 5 or 6 pounds? I'm a tiny bit concerned about flying to CA only to be told I cann…

I used these forums to get through the approval process and everyone was so helpful. I was Banded on Oct 19th 2009. A month later we found out we were expecting. I guess I wasn't infertile after all! My Dr. was quite disappointed that I became pregant so soon after surgery, but honestly I had been diagnosed as infertile and we were going to start fertilitly treatments in 6 months. To say we were overjoyed and felt blessed was an understatement! I never had my band filled during my pregnancy but tried to eat sensibly and I'm happy to report I'm still down 50lbs from my original starting weight before being banded. I had two fills this past year since delivering our little…

Hi everyone. My name is Brent I'm a 45 yr old RN from Utah. I have battled my weight for the past 20 years. but in the last year it has become unbearable. I am at a BMI of 52. I've been the "Healthy Fat Guy" for years but I havent been happy. I have worked as a Gastrointestinal Nurse in endoscopy for the past 17 years and have a real aversion to bypassing my intestines. I started working on approval for this surgery about a year ago when I heard about sleeve gastrectomy. I know it's not a "magic pill" but I am so excited to start this journey, and get my life back both at home and at work. I know I need support and thats why I'm here. I've loved reading your posts and lo…

I'm on my third day of my preop diet and will be banded on 6/29. I'm excited and encouraged by many of the entries that I've read. I'm not nervous yet and am not really struggling on the liquid diet. Hopefully things will go well over the next week.

I've been off and on with my 2 week diet. How bad is this? Surgery is in 2 days.

Im 35, now overweight after being on an insulin pump. I am no longer ovulating. ANyone out there with a similar story that got the lapband? what were your outcomes?

Hello newbies!! I started a blog to document my journey and I am trying to find others that are kind of in the same place as I am. I have found (& follow) a ton of bandster blogs, but I would like to follow some of you that are in a similar stage that I am. So...if any of you are out there please let me know! Here is the link to my blog...I would love to get some followers! My blog Have a great night! Jen

"IN ORDER TO SUCCEED, YOUR DESIRE FOR SUCCESS SHOULD BE GREATER THAN YOUR FEAR OF FAILURE." This is a quote from comedian Bill Cosby that I hope will speak to you the way it spoke to me. I am in the planning stages of a trip to Disney World with friends. I will admit to you that I HATE, and really fear the roller coaster rides. In fact Dumbo, the Tea Cups and It's a Small World rides are about as close as I am going to get to rides. As we met up planning food, which park, where to stay and such the whole issue of roller coaster rides came up. I have never done an adventurous thing in my life none to speak of any way. So I have decided I am going to attempt to be …

Hey LB People! Ive been stalking this site and feel well into this LB experience to shout it out now...I'm having Lap Band Surgery!!!! I went to my first appt at Bariatric office last Friday June 17th and here I am less than a week later with all appointments booked and im scheduled for surgery Aug. 18th..may be moved up to Aug 11th since I will be done with all dr visits by June 13th. We'll see! Just wanted to say Hi and intros. Wishing everyone well on this journey and any bandits out there can share a story, motivate the masses, or just say Hi lemme know!!!! Thanks Cara

Hello everyone! I was banded on February 2nd of this year. I currently have lost 108 lbs. Up until the past few weeks everything was happening pretty fast with the weight loss, then I got my 3rd fill 2 weeks ago and since then have only lost 4 lbs. I feel like I need another one already (I was starving the day after I got the fill), yet my doctor thinks I was losing so fast that I don't think he will agree.My next fill is scheduled for July 12th, so hopefully I can manage not to over do it

Hi, I am new in this forum and I just need some advise. I was reading about all kind of surgeries but I am most interested in lapband or plication surgury. I have Dr appt to disscuss about lapband and semminar on April 20th, I am vey nervious but at the same time very excited because I really need to lose weight, well as all of us that's why I am here. I was reading about gastric plication surgery and I found it is very interesting I am just scared for the pain... I will see Dr Peter Henderson in Raleigh NC. I would love to know is someone in this forum had surgery with him, nobody refers him, I don't know nobody who had these kind of surgeries in NC. Please give me some …

Hello all! I’ve been reading this forum for a few weeks now and I told my self I would not post until I received approval. Sounds silly, but I was soooo afraid to jinx myself! I got the call this morning from a Tricare coordinator and everything is good to go! Pre-surgical testing is set for June 8th and my surgery should be June 14th. It was still up in the air pending insurance approval, so I will find out this coming Monday if that is my date for sure. For anyone dealing with Tricare here are my stats. I started out at 5’2 and 225lbs my only co-morb was sleep apnea. I was so afraid I wouldn’t get approved but I am ecstatic that I was!! Over all they were really easy to…

Hi! I just joined the forum. I started my VSG journey in March when I told my primary I needed help with my weight. Since then, it's been a whirlwind of activity. My surgery is scheduled for July 20, 2011 (28 days). The only thing I'm waiting for is my insurance pre-auth....the most important piece! My anxiety gets worse everyday and waiting for the insurance company isn't helping matters. I've battled with my weight since childhood. I've gone on every diet imaginable & lost some weight, just to gain it back plus the reverbial 5-10 lbs. Here I am today, almost 50 years old at the heaviest I've ever been. My physical and mental health have taken a toll on …

I am scheduled to be banded on the 29th, is there any South Floridians out there?? Would love the local support. My doctor is Dr. Choi from Strax Rejuvenation in Ft. Lauderdale Florida

my names ashley. i just recently had the surgery but i feel like the weight loss has come to a halt and its super frustrating. i am following the food plans and i do my shakes and go to the gym but i cant get passed 236 and 237. what am i doing wrong. someone please help me

Hi all, it has been reassuring to read other posts and know that things will be okay. My surgery is 6/27 and I am ready to get it over with. Looking forward to the future.

I have been overweight all my life. My mother-in-law underwent bypass surgery more than a year ago and it has given her her life back! The changes in her are amazing and most of her health problems are gone! Needless to say, I'm a bit younger than she and I do not have all of the health problems. I started at our local Weight Loss Clinic in December and I did the 6 month diet. After hearing about all of the risks involved with gastric bypass surgery, I opted for the LapBand. I had not been able to attend a support group meeting in my town, so I decided to visit Lapbandtalk.com and boy was I ever taken back!!!!! Sounds like there are SO MANY horror stories with the b…

HELP…I just joined. I need some support. I was banded about 3 years ago & lost weight and 1st then plateaued around 60 down. I joined a gym and hired a trainer and lost 25 more pounds. Being a single mom that was all to spending, so within less that a year 25 is back. So I began the journey again. I think I can, I think I can…. I feel like such a failure, I have so much more to go....

My name is Ashley and I'm 21. I am 5'10" and weigh 240. I have been struggling with my weight since 3rd Grade. I've always been the odd one out. Not only with my weight, but being tall doesn't help to blend into the crowd. I have 2 sisters and 2 brothers and they are all thin. As well as all of my cousins. I feel so uncomfortable in my own skin and get emotional on a daily basis because I can't fit into anything and have absolutely no energy. I've been researching the sleeve since Christmas after finding out that my boyfriend's sister had GB and has lost 100 lbs! She's so much happier and I ask her for advice. My boyfriend is very supportive! The few people I have told ar…

Hi all. My name is Nechama and I am getting banded on June 30th. I am a vegetarian (which I have a feeling may make things easier when it comes time to eat solids again!) and an Orthodox Jew. Looking forward to sharing this journey...

It's been quite a journey. I had the VBG a little more than 13 years ago and didn't realize revisions were even an option until late last Fall. I researched this for 3 to 4 months non-stop. Decided the sleeve was the right choice for me, then trying to find a surgeon willing / capable of revising a VBG to a sleeve has not been easy. I found a surgeon back in February, went through all their hoops for 3 months, lost paperwork and ultimately finding the surgeon's office is engaged in some very unethical business practices 2 weeks before I was to have surgery. Aetna got involved and now that surgeon's websites are all down. So, was able to find a new surgeon, got the …

Hello everyone, my day has come, im in the waiting room waiting to be taken in. Im not nervous like i thought i would be, more anxious. Well wish me luck!

Hi Everyone ! Well, I finally made it. Made it to the approval stage from my insurance that is - yippee ! Received my letter from the insurance company yesterday. Nice to see APPROVED in print. It's been a haul thus far starting with my PCP, the orientation session, sleep study, stress test, heart echo (x3) - thank goodness all was eventually good and the nutritionist. Now, I'm ready to start the pre-op diet (in 2 weeks) and then onto surgery on 7/21. Can't wait to get to my new life. I've been reading LBT since my initial appt with my PCP - you've all been so helpful and now I'm ready to join in. I've been overweight my entire life and at age 47 - I simply mu…

Hi all, I keep searching and searching for active lap-band websites. I'm very pleased with this one so far. I was banded about one week ago now, on June 15th, by Dr. Milton Owens in Orange, CA. I'm very happy with my experience with the doctor and his office. My insurance refuses to cover anything WLS related, so I'm self-pay. During my first visit (6/6), I weighed in at 243.5lbs. My highest weight had actually been 247lbs about a month earlier. On surgery day (6/15) after 9 days on liquids, I weighed in at 234lbs on the dot. Tomorrow is my first "official" weigh in, 1 week post-op, so we'll see what happens. I'm very happy with the results so far and sticking to…

Hi There! I'm back after at least a year away from Lap Band Talk. I had surgery on 10/28/08 and am back at working on getting to my goal weight by 10/28/11. I've spent the better part of the past year dealing with a foot injury that caused my exercise to go from 5 days a week to nada. Of course that lead to poor food choices and I'm now looking at a 10lb weight gain. I'm still down 74 lbs from surgery and 93 from my heaviest, but really want to get back on track. Looking forward to reading this forum for support and finding others who are restarting with the band!

just tried a product called "OH Yeah!" 32g of Protein 220 cal 4 carbs no bad at all.Im having an issue with all these Protein drinks.that taste just grosses me out. so if i can drink one of these a day,ive got half my protein grams out of the way and the dont tate too bad

This is where LadyVelvet and I get most of our exercises from www.bodybuilding.com/exercises Just thought I'd share! Toodles! :D

Hi all, This is my one month update. Since surgery I have lost 32 pounds, 72 pounds down altogether!! I am so amazed and motivated by my weight loss. I've had some minor stalling since I started eating food, but it seems like that's pretty normal. Still struggling to get in all of the things I need, but I'm hoping that will continue to improve the further out I get. I want to thank everyone here for making this such an easy transition for me. I LOVE that there is always someone available to answer questions and provide support. It has made such a huge difference in my life. Erin

i just joined today. a little bit about myself. I am a 51 y/o married male that is a 7 1/2 year cancer survivor that decided if i can beat cancer then i can beat morbid obesity. i had my sleeve done 3-2-11 by Dr. Josh Roller in northwest Arkansas. i can't say enough about Dr. Roller other than if you need WLS and live anywhere nearby he is your man. in the 3 months since my surgery i have lost as of today 83 lbs. that puts me just 65lbs from my goal. In the last 3 months the changes in my life have been profound. simple things like looking down and seeing if your shoes are tied without having to move your foot forward, going to your favorite place to eat and watchi…

Hi I'm Lisa going for my surgery this wed June 22nd, I have been on liquids and soup for about a week and I think i lost about 8 pds. Anybody else going this wednesday to Syosset Hospital? Wish me luck

Hello all ~ I am trying to get this ball rolling as fast as possible!! Does anyone know of any psychologist in the Houston, TX area that does the bariatric evaluations? Thank You

I've been gone for a week - I was on vacation doing some genealogy research. I had an absolute blast doing it. The hardest part was the 3 block walk from the hotel to the library as I am not used to walking anywhere. But by the time I was leaving yesterday, I was getting pretty good at it. Not nearly as winded. I didn't walk today as I was driving but I actually am MISSING the walking. Wow - I never thought I would say that. I didn't do so great eating last week - I just got too tied up into the research and managed only Breakfast each day (fruit and bagel - they didn't provide any Protein nor did I think to pack any). I know my body went into starvation mode, but I al…

Hey everyone, just wanted to stop in and say hi. I am debating getting the LAP band, I gained about 50 lbs when I quit smoking 2 years ago. I started running a year and half ago. I lost 15 lbs almost immediately and can not get past that barrier. I run about 10-12 miles a week, and at one time as much as 15-20 miles a week. My former doc put me on phentermine to try and help but it just made me extremely anxious. I watch what I eat, how much I eat and how fast I eat it, but for some reason my body is in love with this huge spare tire around my midsection and my moobs lol. I finally had the courage to bring it up to my wife yesterday and she was understandingly hes…

Hi Everyone I have not been banded yet, but will be on July 6th. I know of 2 family members that have been banded and one family friend. I have researched all things Gastric Banding for over a year and thought about it for what seems like forever. I see a lot of people in their 40s, 50s, even 60s say that they wish they got it in their 20s. Well, I'm 23 and ready to lose this weight get healthy, and start my life. Only one problem-- some people that I tell about the band are either not excited or try to discourage me. I have limited the number of people I tell because I haven't gotten a very positive response. And at this point, all I want is support for my decisi…

Here's some pics when I was near my highest and then some from my vacation to Miami last week. I've lost approx 80 pounds but have a lot more to go. First time posting pics hope it works.

Greetings I am officially beginning my weightloss journey.

I am new to the forums and I am wondering how long it takes for insurance to approve procedure?

Hi Everyone, Thank you for all your posts and comments on this forum, it has been very educational to read about everyone's experiences! I am scheduled for the gastric sleeve surgery in July 2011 and I am so excited! I have tried everything to lose weight for the past 15+ years and it's like my body is totally fighting me so I'm looking forward to this new tool. My husband had the lapband in 2007 and has lost over 100lbs and is still looking and doing great. I can't wait to join him on this journery except I'll be getting the sleeve. I'm trying to decide between Dr. Kelly and Dr. Mario Almanza so any additional info or comments on that would be helpful. Plus any …

Hello all, I was banded on the 8th and I have a wierd soreness in my stomach like rt where the band is. Its more of an internal soreness. Is this wierd or common. Has anyone else experience this with banding.

hi i'm ed,a 56 year old insurance salesman in west central louisiana, that has decide to do something about my weight. i've weighed over 300 lbs for 12 years and its time for a change. after seeing the results of weight loss surgery from several friends and clients, i've decided to use vsg. i have my initial consultation with dr merriman in shreveport, la on july 14th. cannot think of a thing that will make me change my mind. ready for the thinner ed i used to know. have seen a lot of good results and comments on this forum. will keep posting as time goes on. wish me luck

Nearly one month out and I am feeling amazing. I am getting used to the size of food I need to eat. I do not feel hungry. There are a few times when I have had short term desires for other foods but the results from my weight loss have made it a lot easier to ignore them haha. As many of you know I am an opera singer. I am happy to report I have not had any problems with my voice. The only thing I am noticing is that I do not have quite the same amount of stamina when it comes to breathing. It is gradually improving though and I am not worried. If you are considering this surgery I urge you to do your research and think about it long and hard before you do it. …

Good morning all: Today is Monday June 20 and my daughter found this site for me. I am scheduled for a vertical gastrectomy July 28 so of course I am apprehensive. I am with the Univ. of Chicago Center for Obesity and it is a great program. I don't know where to start, since I've never been in a chat room before. Hope I get some good responses. My pre-surgical date is July 18 and that will be my final meeting with the anestheologist, the surgeon, the nutritionist, and a final physical. I will also start a limited (1200-1400 calorie) high protein low carb diet. I'm at work now so my time is limited. I will check my email at home tonight to see if I got any responses.

Hello, I am new to the blog. I was approved for VSG and my appointment date is set for July 22, 2011. I have a few appointments left to attend-pre/post diet class, pre-op at hospital...then surgery. I am nervous, excited, scared....all sorts of emotions running through my mind. I have taken 3 weeks of vacation from work for recovery. I am having my surgery done at Scripps La Jolla Green and my surgeon is going to be Dr. Takata. I have been overweight since I was 8 years old.....I will be 31 in October. My heaviest weight used to 250. Then after the birth of my daughter I went up to 275lbs which then was my all time heaviest. Slowly over the next 6 years I managed to put …

Tanya from st cloud mn and after a year and a half from first date I saw surgeon I am finally getting banded.

hi guys! my surgery date is july 6th and i was just wondering if anyone else out there has the same date? I will be having my surgery at about 7:30 am in Buffalo NY.

Last August I was 12 days away from my surgery date. I had started my liquid pre-op diet and I was ready for this new chapter in my life. My pre-op labwork came back abnormal and so I had to reschedule my surgery and go see my primary doctor. It turned out that I had mono. I had been feeling really tired but I chalked it up to a busy work schedule, teenage children, and perimenopause. The tiredness got worse and the surgery got postponed indefinitely. Finally, here I am almost a year later and I have been cleared by my hematologist for surgery. I left a message with my surgeon's office (I've kept contact with them every couple of months throughout the ordeal) telli…

Hi All.... I'm brand new to this and have surgery this Thursday, June 23rd. Anyone else have the same surgery date?

Hi. I am from Texas and I am in the process of getting a date (have been approved for a while now) but first I have to a educational class which is this Wed. I'm sure I will know more about some of the food questions I have but I have some real life questions I need answered. I have been on this site for a while now but took some time off because I was trying to get the money together to have the surgery done. Being a single mom and trying to do something to better not just my life but my kids life is taking a lot out of me (being over weight isn't helping the matter). I'm working two jobs now and have finally saved enough to have it done! YAY!! Now f…

Hello! I'm a newbie here...I was approved for gastric bypass last year but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. So, here I am a year later and I'm really ready for change! I am going to a seminar about the Lap Band on Thursday. I am really hoping with this surgery I can get my life back. I'm 38 years old and take 9 pills a night plus have sleep apnea. I want and am ready for a change. I want to be able to keep up with my 5 year old. So wish me luck, and I will check back in after the seminar.