Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

I spent the day trying everything I could think of to get rid of this gas. I accomplished the mission! YAY!!! It took, miralax, prune juice, and a freakin fleet's enema, but hey- tasked accomplished. I'm so happy now. I also took pictures of how I looked the day before surgery and I took a comparison pic just now (exactly a week after) and the difference is astounding! Like, my stomach area alone looks alot smaller. I started out at 312 pounds (pre-op diet) and today when I weighed myself, I was at 279lbs. I'm amazed. I intend on stepping away from the scale for a while because I know that soon enough there will be the "dreadful stall" and I'm ok with that. I think I'm…

I just got the phone call from my surgeon's insurance office saying that I came back as approved!! I'm soo excited I can hardly stand it! Just waiting for a call to schedule a date! Might be as soon as the last week of this month! Wow!! :-)

Hello guys and gals, Just a little over 2 months out now and all is great! Since i started this journey,i've gone from 301 to 240, managed to tick off about half of my goals on mo pre surgery weight loss sheet! I must say that my recovery was a breeze, and the weight loss awesome! If you are having doubts...Don't. it's really worth it. i'm presently in a stall...but it happens, and i know this is just a minor setback. now i'm able to actually have the energy to do 3 miles on a treadmill and get in a good toning resistance training on the bowflex no pain...no pain! just do it and don't look back!!!

Too make a long story short - here it is: i had the lapband surgery in August, 2010....my BMI was only 36 but i had diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis in my knee. It is now 8 months later and i no longer am on diabetic medication. I am down almost 50 pounds and 6 pant sizes (i am 5'9). I should be so skinny because i vomit almost every day and not by choice! Either it is the food i am trying to digest or i am still eating too fast - at work for lunch i eat mashed potatoes and soup for fear of running to the bathroom - Its funny - i can drink alcohol no problem and chips (potato, tostitos, corn chips, the like) and chocolate in any form! When I…

Hi everyone I'm new to the site. My surgery is scheduled for 4/28/2011 but insurance approval is still up in the air. Is there anyone else out there going through this agony?

Going to get sleeved by Dr. Almanza on May 23. I'm super excited. Anyone else going on that date?

It is never too late in life to consider having WLS (Weight Loss Surgery). I was 63 years old when I had the surgery. I never had a weight problem until after having two children. And then I seemed to struggle with being overweight for years. I now know all the reason why, I became less active, and ate more than I should have. I have tried most of the diets that you have tried, some with success and most no success. But, I would always manage to gain the weight back because I NEVER changed my lifestyle. My top weight was 235 lbs and I am 5’3” tall. My body hurt, my back ached and I had a pain in my leg that felt like I had a hot poker burning me most of the time. …

Hi, I am new to this site and would like to share my weightloss journey this far. I was banded back in Sept 2007 in Mexico by Dr Zapata. I had many fills and some unfills in the US during this past 3+ years. Due to extreme heartburn and food getting stuck I had all the fill removed in mid December to allow things to calm down. I have gained over 30 pds back and went back in for a fill. However, they discovered I have a slipped band and it needs to be removed. At first I thought I would get another band but after learning more about the vertical sleeve there is no way I want another band! I saw a surgeon last week and he did submit paperwork to get approval from my insur…

I was called this morning by Dr. Nicholsons office letting me know that the insurance company approved me for the Sleeve!! I am so excited, and it was really fast too, My nurse faxed the last of the information that the insurance company needed on friday and this morning she got a phone call saying I was approved!! YAY I screamed, cried laughed all on one phone call when she called me this morning! My surgery date is set for May 9th as I have to do a 2 week pre op diet. I cannot believe that its finally here. This is just wonderful! Thanks for listening to me all, and if you have any advice, hints, recommendations for me, PLEASE let me know I need all the info I c…

I'M 30YRS OLD AND VERY CONCERNED WITH MY WEIGHT AND MOST OF ALL MY HEALTH. I'M SUFFERING WITH HBP PROBLEMS, SLEEP APNEA AND A SIGNS OF DIABETES. MANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS ARE INHERITED FROM FAMILY. I HAVE BEEN CONVINCED INTO STARTING THE PROCESS OF THE BARIATRIC SLEEVE. OF COURSE I HAVE MANY CONCERNS. I'M NOT SCARED BUT WHAT IS THE OUTCOME , WILL I HAVE THE SAME OR SIMILAR AFFECTS AND WHAT IS THE VERY WORSE SCENARIO. A LITTLE HELP WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

Howdy from Texas! I was banded on 4-4-11 and just joined the sight yesterday for support from other banders! Looking forward to this journey and all that this website will bring to me!!

Hello, I'm a journalist, writing an article about lap band surgeries. I've been looking around this fantastic forum, and learned a lot. But I am hopefully trying to find a very young person who has had, or is about to have the lap band surgery. I have seen reported cases in the news of 12 year old children having the surgery, but I'm asking you all- do you know of a younger child having it? I'm also interested to find any other interesting stories....perhaps you know of a whole family that have had the lapband- I'd love to know how much weight they lost in total! Or perhaps twins who had the lapband. Maybe you think your story is worth telling in a magazine. Either…

Hi everyone I’m 31 and over weight. I have been battling being over weight most of my life. Until recently it has been an issuse due to all the side affects of being over weight.. DIABETIC..HIGH CHOLESTEROL..HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE..SLEEPING.etc.... Like most of you I have tried it all.... I have gotten to the point that every time I tried another diet or exercise plan I lost weight but it all came back and some. NO BUENO!! Have been thinking about weight loss surgery for the last past 2 years. I finally step into a doctor office but only to be turned away... Time went by and I meet a doctor that would finally refer to someone that would help me... So my journey began J…

Hello! Am awaiting my WLS approval as I begin the that process. I have selected St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in Cleveland Ohio. Dr. Aviv Ben-Meir will be my surgeon. I did their web seminar and spoke with my patient advocate and have my initial Consult on Thursday, April 21. Can't wait!! Have started a blog www.workingtoloseit.com to record my journey towards a healthy me. Steve from Ohio BMI 55 Initial Consult 4/21/2011 Pysch interview 4/26/2011

Hi all! I've been stalking these forums for a while now but since my surgery date is fast approaching I thought I'd make my grand appearance! LOL! I'm Beth, I'm a 40 year old SAHM of two - a dd10 and ds7, married for almost 16 years to my college sweetheart and have struggled with my weight since the onset of puberty. Like many others, my condition is a result of a combination of poor eating habits, lack of exercise and genetics - pretty much every family member on each side is heavy and heart disease is commonplace on my Dad's side of the family. My oldest brother was diabetic, 300+lbs and dropped dead of a massive heart attack at the age of 44 in 1998. My Dad die…

I was banded in 07/2010. I have PCOS, (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and was told that my weight loss would be slower then the average cause of the PCOS. As of today I've lost 54 pounds. Which I'm happy with, don't mind the slow weight loss as long as i'm losing. The past two months, I feel like I've lost my motiviation. The weather is still cold, im bored with my exercise and haven't been doing them. Find myself wanting the foods I shouldn't have. It's like I forgot why I had the band to begin with. I need to get my motiviation back so I can get back on track and start losing more weight. Anyone else get in a rut and have some thoughts on how to get back to being mot…

THIS IS MY FIRST TIME HERE I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM DOING ALL I KNOW IS THAT I AM 29 DAYS AWAY FROM MY SURGERY AND I AM SCARED TO LEAVE MY CHILDREN BEHIND AT THE SAME TIME I WANT TO BE HEALTHY FOR THEM AND LOSE THE WEIGHT!!!

I'm new to these forums, but I just wanted to take a few moments to introduce myself to the boards. My name is Mike, I'm 33 years old and am married with 2 beautiful children. I had my sleeve done on April 1 and it's already paying dividends. Since the surgery, I have lost roughly 20 pounds, but I know there's a long road ahead and I'm prepared to keep going. I've been heavy all my life and now I really feel like I've been given a second chance. I don't intend to screw it up. Anyway, just wanted to say hello and lend my support to everyone who has had the procedure done or are thinking about making this life-changing decision. If you have any questions, please f…

Hi Everyone - just joined and wanted to say hello. I am having my surgery on Thursday and am both excited and nervous. Mostly, I am anxious about succeeding....the pre-op diet has been a challenge . Any and all advice and support is welcome. I am so happy to have this forum to learn and share.

Once I put my mind to something, I mean really put my mind to it, I'm beyond tenacious. Can you say BULL DOG?? Seeing the obstacle course before me (compliments of the evil insurance fairies), I've bitten, chewed up and am about to swallow the bullet. Yep, swung by Fort Knox and abracadabra'd the gold bars then handed them off to the Doc and will do the same with the hospital later this week. My journey has now gone from building my go-kart to a funny car extravaganza. Ladies and Gentlemen, my engine is revved, ripped and ready to roll. Can't believe how quickly those obstacles were removed once the leprechaun showed up with the pot o' gold. Good thing I am so very…

For the first time since my surgery I was able to take in just over 600 calories yesterday!!! I am so excited! I can't stomach the Protein shakes so I am have been working so hard to get in quality calories. My medical paperwork from Kaiser says I should be striving for 600-800 cals per day and I was wondering if I would ever get there. I know for sure that I have a lot more energy since I started the mushies. One day at a time :-) Lara

I have my surgery date!!!:woot: April 26, 2011 is the day I begin my trek to the new and improved ME. I'm so elated and amazed and can hardly wait. I start the 15 day preop liquid diet phase on Monday. I'm not looking forward to that, but I can do anything for 2 weeks, right? But for RIGHT NOW I'm doing my very best HAPPY DANCE! :Dancing_wub:

Has anyone out there had surgery with Dr. Weiss at Central Baptist in Lexington, KY? I'm scheduled for my EGD on Wednesday this week and then for VSG on May 26. Just wondering how everythig went. I'd love to chat with someone to discuss pre and post op surgery worries. Thanks!

Greetings, I was banded 08 Oct 2010 and have lost 50 lbs to date...but it has not been a smooth journey. I'm looking to connect with other lap band patients to learn how to enhance my progress. I need to lose another 90 - 95 lbs to get to y goal weight, and need all the help and advice I can get.

I am schedueld to have my lap band surgery in 11 days. I was reading some of the blogs and people talked about having a pre-surgery diet. My surgeon/office never told me anything about having to be on a certain diet before surgery. Where you all on a pre-surgery diet? Also, I am a diet coke-aholic. I know I can not drink my diet cokes anymore but I am so afraid that I am going to be thirsty all the time. You know some times there is nothing better to quench that thirst then to chug a lug a big glass of cold Water or in my case it has been icy cold diet coke. Since the stomach is so much smaller how do you handle not drinking a whole glass of "water" or other liquid all a…

So, I am 33 years old and I have been plicated for about a month. I have noticed some differences in my clothing so far. The story: Well to be honest, I was an athlete growing up playing American football at the Semi pro level up till I was 23. I have been heavy but mostly muscle and then at the age of 24, I had a car accident which messed up my back something fierce. Almost overnight, I went from running everyday to not being able to be on my feet for 10 minutes without severe pain. I ballooned. After a job change and 2 years, I made my first attempt to get surgery. Well, my doctor a Japanese man from St. Vincent's in New Haven, CT told me that I wasnt mature enough f…

Had my band put on last Monday, discharged Tuesday. Back to emergency on Wednesday due to consistant regurgitation. They completely drained my band after numerous sticks trying to find the port. Everything seems to be going good now. My stomach must be on the mend as I am beginning to feel some hunger. Even started back on my walking program with 30 minutes yesterday. Just curious - would anyone be interested in becoming my friend on Facebook?

have my seminar this week , echo, labs and then on wed. i get a date for surgery !!! wow i can not believe i am really here !!!! i am going to make thos work ! i have to make this work for my health !!!! nut i am really going to try to do this right !!!! can anybody tell me how much weight lose i can excpect the first month ? My friend lost 20 pounds she said ,but i do not see that much of a weight lose . Any advise to get me thru besides good old prayer !!!! what shakes are the best tasting out there ? help please !!!!!!!

Hi all! My name is Pam and I am a 29 year old married woman. I don't have any children yet but eventually plan to. So I just want to tell everyone a little bit about my story. I have always been on the heavier side. Even as a child I was the "chubby kid" . My mother passed away when I was 11 and my weight went up like crazy. I went on a diet when I was in 9th grade and lost a lot of weight. I was down to about 160 (from 230) and felt really good but as soon as I wasn't under the watchful eye of my family I ate what I want, when I wanted, and how much I wanted. Over the course of the next 15 years or so my weight got completely out of control. Stress, depres…

I'm Rebecca, 37, mom of four. I've been Married for over 7 years to my soldier husband who is stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington State. I've been overweight since I was 16 years old. I did manage to lose weight twice over the years but only to regain that weight plus some. I am an active, working mom. I workout 3-5 times per week and have done so for years actually. My father's parents both died at young ages of obesity related conditions. His mother died of heart failure at age 38 and then his father the same at age 43. I never knew them. My mom is quite tiny as is most of her side of the family. I always wondered why I was so big and it wasn't until I was about 20 wh…

I took my nutrition class this morning. 5 hour class covering everything we need to know to be successful with our new weight loss tool. And it covered all 3 major gastric surgeries (band, bypass, and sleeve) and the differences and pros and cons between them. I had my psych eval last week, still haven't heard from anyone about it so I'll ASSUME I passed (I would like to think the psychologist would call me and tell me if I have any problematic mental issues). Hopefully the surgeon got the fax from my PCP with my medical records that I released on Wednesday, but haven't heard from anyone one way or the other. So it all comes down to this: whether or not the surgeo…

So I'm now a little over three weeks since being sleeved. I actually typed this up once before but somehow lost it and was too tired to type again until now. My time in the hospital started off with a glitch and ended with a glitch. At first (after being at the hospital for over 5 hours- also had a vena cava filter put in) my bloodwork showed I had low potassium. If they couldn't get it raised by taking what I call potassium "shots", which were super nasty tasting, then my surgery would have to be post-poned. Yeah...I freaked, but my levels did raise about 40 minutes after the potassium shot- so yay surgery! Everything with surgery went fine. The surgeon said if I had…

My surgery is on Monday and I'm more excited than anything, but I slightly feel scared. So not looking forward to the pain, but I'm really looking forward to being off work and taking a break from school. I'm graduating from college this summer and this will be my last break, 4 years of college and that freshman 15 turned into freshman 100. It's exciting to know that my life is taking a great turn. I'm finally adjusted to the Pre-Op diet, but for some reason my weightloss has stalled (kinda scary). I've almost got to the point where I don't want to eat which is weird. But yeah, I am very happy and I hope that you all are experiencing the utmost happiness as well! Candac…

hey all! i am going in for my lap band surgery on april 22nd! I am excited but nervous.. i am on the shake diet now and feeling hungry... it's tough can't wait for the surgery so I won't be hungry

Hi Everyone, I am still trying to figure this out,i just started the classes for the lap band surgery,my bmi is 37,but i lost some so now it is 35,i have severe sleep apnea high cholesterol mild arthritis,i am worried about getting denied for surgery,i weighed 210 now i am 205,5'3 trying to maintain for now.I have 4 months to finish all the classes im in,then see the doctor.Any suggestions to help me along the way?

I thought it was time to share a little of my experiences since having a VSG a year ago. Both my wife and I had the surgery, 19 days apart. To date I've lost 140 lbs while she has lost 120. Losing is not coming as easily now but we're still making progress towards our goals. We had the surgery at the Michigan Bariatric Institute in Livonia, Michigan. They have great doctors and a wonderful support team. I did have some complications after surgery (a touch of pneumonia and Fluid near the surgical site) which put me back in the hospital for a few days and required 20 days of IV antibiotics but everything resolved satisfactorily. The doc kidded me about screwing up h…

Hi all, My name is Annabelle. I have not yet been banded. My surgery date is April 20th. I am 5' 10" My highest weight was 390. I am currently at 369. I wear a size 34-36 (4X) pant and 38-40 (5X) shirt. I have been looking at getting WLS since September 2010. In October 2010, I went to the hospital because of chest pains and was kept overnight for observation. I woke up three days later in an ICU ward. I had stopped breathing suddenly during the night. I was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea. I also have borderline high blood pressure. This situation was a wake up call to me. My weight really was having a negative impact on my health. When the doctor gav…

Hi all in bandland. I was banded on December 28,2010. I intially weighed 280 lbs and as of today I weigh 231. My question is?? Is this a good amount of weight or not. I feel like I am not losing it as fast as other people. Any input would be great. Thanks.

I got a tightening yesterday, and I have noticed everytime I eat, or drink it comes back up. Is the band perhaps too tight?

I'm new to this site. I'm looking for somewhere to go when I need help. Everyone I know that has had bariatric surgery has had the bypass. Although somewhat similar but sometimes you need help from another band patient. Ive had the band for almost 2 months now anddoing well. My weight loss seems to be a little slow lately. Ive had my first adjustment 2 weeks ago and will be having another monday. I'm hoping that I'll be able to know when the adjustment is where it is supposed to be with the least about of trips to the office as possible. My only weakness is trying to figure out what machines to use at the gym or what kind of workouts should i be doing to get the best res…

FINALLY!!(I can't believe I'm really here) I was sleeved on 4/6/2011. I just came home from the hospital, right now I just have a bunch of gas I want to thank everyone for telling their story, giving advice, and just being supportive. I need a nap, I will follow up soon I have tons of questions.

I just got banded on 4/5/2011 which is 5 days ago, I am tired of the clear liquids already,..... I keep thinking of all types of foods to eat and I am hungry everyone says they weren't hungry but I am or either its in my mind......... I am tired of just drinking broth, water, shakes, crystal light, sugar free ice pops and sugar free jello........ PLEASE HELP, I WANT MY SURGERY TO BE A SUCCESS........ THANKS

I am less than 24 hours out and so happy I got it done finally. I will tell you, the gas pain is really bad but no worst than any other abdominal surgery. I still have not had anything to drink so I am really thirsty but feel fine. The staff here at INT is great and so sweet. I will write more on how my trip is when I get to my hotel room but just wanted people to know that my doctor Jaime Ponce De Leon is a very good and caring doctor. I was worried that there wasn't any info on him but I see why now. He doesn't do it for just the money. He does community service ppl don't know about. He even helped ppl unable to pay. A real classy type of dude that I thank so much.

Hi all! I'm 5 days pre-op. I will be sleeved Thursday morning. I was freaking out about this a few days ago, but have calmed down a lot. I'm actually excited. I think it's because now on day 9 of my pre op diet, I'm not hungry anymore. I like this feeling. If this it what it feels like having the sleeve, I will be so happy. I still cook for my family, even though I'm not eating. This was really hard at first, but now it doesn't bother me. I hope this lasts forever. lol. I am so grateful to all of you on here who ask such wonderful questions, and have such wonderful answers to questions. My family was not supportive in the beginning of my journey, so you all were my o…

Hey guys, I was only suppose to stay in the hospital overnight after surgery, but my blood pressure was very high so I had to stay longer(I've never had blood pressure issues). They let me go home Wednesday afternoon and the only pain I've continuously had was gas pains. I sneezed about 10 minutes ago and I thought I was going to faint lol. I've been attempting to drink more water, and it's kinda hard cause I actually think I may be having hunger pains as well (could it be???) Last night my mom set up a nice spot for me to sit, a heating pad, some warm water to drink and it was like magic, I woke up this morning with no pains (except for gas pains). She also mixed prune …

Hi Everyone, My name is Tammy. I am 48 years old. Mother of two, grandma of one. Ready to change my life. I am about 100 pounds overweight. I start my 3 week preop diet tomorrow. I feel bad because I have really been cheating over the past week trying to get the last taste of my favorite foods. I am ready to start my new journey tomorrow. I was torn between bypass and lapband. My insurance company would only approve lapband so here I am. I AM READY. I WILL SUCCEED. I am starting this new journey for my health. I want to be around a long time for my kids and grandkids. Look forward to making some great friends here and help contribute to a support system.

And I'm scared, and excited. I lost my sheet with my post surgery diet, so if anyone could let me know week-by-week what I can have after surgery? Can anyone tell me important to-do's and not-to-do's in your opinion, and important things to watch out for after surgery, based on experience? What is this thing I read about called "stuck"? I have lots of questions, and the Dr.'s office isn't open until Monday!

:blink:The little ticker in the corner tells me I haven't been on this site since September 2007, and I have to believe it (but where did the time go?) So, I'm back.! I was banded July 2006, lost great the first year, some the next year, and then...well, I started to write this huge paragraph of what I went through, but I don't want to scare off anybody from doing this. Stuff happens. The surgeon and I finally said ENOUGH! Obviously there is something wrong with the placement of the band and there is no doubt a hiatal hernia in the mix. As well, by the last month I had developed a leak in the band. so... I was re-banded 4 days ago! :-) I gained back 40 of the 100 po…

I am new to this, so forgive me as this is my first post. I had the VSG on March 7, 2011. I began my journey at 213 although they have me at 207, so to date I am now at 181 I had my surgery on a Monday and was due to come home on Wednesday but they kept me until Thursday as I was having some issues from the medications stringing me out and making me very tired. Once I got out and came home, I have been fine. It was a quick and painless surgery as well. It hasn't been too bad so far, but I'm having a hard time because I've always been a picky eater. I'm a meat and potatoe person and I'm not much on fruits and vegetables so this has become somewhat hard for me. I …

Good Morning fellow Banders, I am new to this board but not newly banded. I received my band two years ago and used to post on the True Results boards but have found them to be mostly inactive. I heard this forum was active and I am looking for fellow banders for support. I lost 50 pounds in the first year, the second year didnt lose or gain any mostly because I just let life get in my way. I went back to my surgeon after a year of not going and thankfully it is in perfect condition and i didnt stretch out my pouch. I guess my perception of how much I was eating was a bit skewed since I thought I was packing it away. So much happier after seeing my surgeon. Am back…