Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

Hello All.... I am so glad I found yous. My name is Kelly and I am from Syracuse NY. Im really ready and really excited to start this journey to now make healthy choices and no im not on a diet...LOL! Im incurring behavior modification into a new lifestyle for myself and family. I am 29yrs old, happily married and a mother of four. The reason for the Lap Band surgery is Ive had to back surgeries and can not get NO weight off and Ive tried it all. I had most of my testing on Jan. 4th 2011 which came back great. On Thursday Jan 27th I met with the Nutritionist and had my Pshycological Exam which they too went very well. Im Pshyced!! So now I have to lose 7 more Llbs befo…

Hi everyone! My name is Eiysheva, and I am so happy to be a part of this community which is so informative and supportive at the same time. I made the right decision to have WLS and finally I got my surgery date for 1/2/11. I praised the Almighty Yahweh for helping me during the process. Also, I want to add that IF anyone has a question(s) re my previous posts ... I am more than willing to help answer. Blessings to all.

Hi everyone! My name is Crystal and Im 20 years old. Currently sitting at 285 pounds at 5'4. My BMI is 48.9. I also have a lot of health problems. I am married and have a 4 year old child. Im looking forward to gaining my life and my health back for both myself and my family! Also, Dr. John Brebbia is doing my surgery here in Delaware.

Hi! I am a 58 yr old female, 5'1" with a starting weight of 237. I got my lap band on 1/25 here in NY at the NYU hospital. I am doing well. No nausea. Some problems with gases. I'm sure it's expected. Any hints on how to get them moving and any interesting food choices to make the "thin" liquid phase more interesting. Thanks for the support!

As I sit here in the airport waiting to board my flight to San Diego, it all seems kind of surreal. 3 months ago I attended a WLS seminar and decided the bypass and lapband weren't for me. More research led me to VSG and Dr. Aceves and today I am on my way. Up until today I had felt completely comfortable and was not nervous at all with my decision, alot of that due to all the information I have learned on this site. Tiffykins and LilMissDiva have been an unbelievable source of knowledge and their posts have answered so many questions that I have had. I have totally felt okay with my decision and kept telling everyone that I wasn't even nervous. Okay, today I am nerv…

Howdy, This is my story in a nut shell. Born thin.... Stayed thin all thru school. Was thin after first child was born, back to 125 in 6 weeks after giving birth. Thin at 25, thin at 30, thin at 35..... THEN baby # 2 Delivered at 205 and was never thin again. YoYo dieted my way to 139, gained it back. Phen-Phen'd my way back to 151, gained it back. Weight Watcher'd my way to 172, gained it back. Medifast'd to 176, gained it back plus 10. Somewhere in by life I developed hypothyroidism. Somewhere in by life my metabolic rate dropped to 980 calories per day (yes that was medically tested). Somewhere in my life, thin Kim turned into 2bslimkim. I don't recognize my…

I got my band done Jan 23, 2011, i when to Hospital Angeles in Tijuana, Mexico and all i can said the place is unbelievable clean, upscale, nice, safe, modern and all the above. I havent visit many hospital like that in Los Angeles. About the service and caring was the best i ever had at any hospital. I cant even explained how well i was treated and care for in Mexico. The Hospital is only 5mins once you cross the san diego border. The reason why i choose that place is because my insurance collapse and i didnt have any coverage and everyplace i called was charging 15k+ Just too much for me. In Mexico i pay 5k and didnt have to get a loan at a interested of 13% like i wa…

Well, I am here hoping to find others like myself that have had this surgery. Many of the doctors in my area are not doing this surgery and so when I try and go to support groups I end up talking to people who have had the Lap Band or the RNY surgery. I am finding that my surgery is different than those and I really don't have anywhere to go to get support or ask questions. I had my surgery on December 28th of 2010 so I am about a month out. I am doing pretty well except for the eating portion of all this. I never seem to be able to get all my protein in and if I do I don't get in all my water. It is becoming frustrating. Well, I didn't mean to whine just wanted to introd…

Hey all! My name's Shannon. I've been researching Lap Band for several years, but never really considered it an option as my insurance didn't cover it and I knew I could never pay out of pocket. However my Christmas present from my parents this year was that they'll cover for the cost of my surgery! I've had my initial consultation with my surgeon already and started my pre-op diet yesterday. Since I don't have to deal with waiting for insurance approval, things are moving quickly. I'm still waiting for my final clearance from blood work and I've heard a rumor that the surgeon may require an endoscopy since I've been having heartburn the last month or so (hoping not!). …

I picked up my new friend, Mr. CPAP Machine, five days ago and have used it every night. My air pressure is set at 12. The mask is fitting pretty good (nasal cup, no mouth) and I have been falling asleep quickly. I've been able to deal with it the entire night except for one night. I have been waking up often but falling right back asleep after a turn or an un-needed adjustment of the mask. One night, I simply removed the mask at 1 a.m. because I was annoyed with waking up so often. (Turns out I had the humidity set on 3, a notch to high, and I was getting to moist under the mask.) Last night I finally had a pretty solid sleep. I know this for several reasons..…

Hi, Everyone calls me Cyn. I had my sleeve on 01/03/2011. Great way to start the new year . I will be 59 years old this year, so making this decision took a while. I've been overweight most of my life and probably know more than any dietician about losing weight. I have also come to the realization that I am a compulsive overeater. Food has been my drug of choice. I'm an ex-hippie, ex-nun, I'm married 27 years and have 3 children and a wonderful support group. Gratefully, I am fairly healthy. I've had none of the medical problems associated with obesity, except for what I've done to my feet and ankles. I'm 4'11 and my highest weight has been 420lbs. (about 7 ye…

:D So, I got the call this morning, and my date is 4/4/11. It's a lot further out than I wanted, but that's ok. My doc's office found a bit of a 'workaround' to getting a pre-cert. They can do the surgery as an outpatient (which doesn't require a pre-cert), and when I have the surgery, it will be up to the hospital to get the insurance company to authorize me spending the night. Without a doubt, the staff at the Institute for metabolic and bariatric surgery in Abington, PA, really know their stuff. My hats off to them!! If anyone is on the fence about going to this office, don't hesitate. They are awesome. My surgeon is Robert Josloff, and he has been absolutely wonderful…

Hello, I'm looking to get the lap band. I've been to an initial consultation with a local surgen. He said that I qualify for the surgery and my insurance will cover it, yea!! He scheduled me for further tests and told me that if all goes well, I could have the surgery mid-March. The program fee is $250.00, to be paid pre-op. However, I will have 5 scars because he does not preform the single incision surgery. I would prefer not to have any scars. So, I contacted another surgen. This doctor is located 4 hours from me. He is the closest surgen to my area that takes my insurance and does the single incision lap band. His first available appointment is at the end of March. …

Well wensday is the big day for me im starting to get a little bit nervous now but no turning back now i have my plane tickets my passport and i payed my down paynemt so i hope everything goes good i never flew in a plane b4 so i cant belive im having this surgery plus out of country,on top of that in Mexico my doctor is dr. jose rodriguez so wish my luck guys. My stats im 26 6'2 bmi 46

Its been a year since I had the surgery. Dr. Derek Weiss performed my surgery and it went without a hitch. I lost 35 pounds right off the bat and was delighted. However the weight loss has stopped more or less. I lose 5, gain 5 - I've had 4 fills since January, 2010 and currently only have 5 in the band. I had an Upper GI run this morning to be sure everything was in place and all is good. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced not losing and if so what did you do to correct it. I go to a gym and I walk my dogs everyday so I am active.

Hi everyone. I had my surgery on Tuesday, so I am 3 days post op. I am 5'2" and had a pre-op weight of 254 lbs. I've lost 17 lbs so far, which is probably not because of the band...but because of that horrible Atkins pre-op diet I was on added to the fact that I am on clear liquids. I am slightly hungry. I try to keep my mind on other things. Can't wait for next week. That's when I begin to eat 'full' liquids! WooHoo!!! I am excited about this new journey and can't wait to share every step with you.

Good Morning, Im posting today while im waiting for the Dr, I get banded keep me in your prayers, I weighed in at 227, im 5'1 an Im ready for this new challenge in life I will be back to keep you guys posted with my results

today i arrived in mexicali for all of my pre op testing... everything went just as i had expected from reading so many post by others. now tomorrow is my date with dr aceves. please say a prayer for me. thanks for all of you who have gone before and shared you experiences. kelly

I went in to have my first fill today and I was told that they will have to use flouroscopy to try and do my fill because they couldnt get the needle in the right area. I am concerned. Anyone else have this happen?

I was so excited yesterday, I had my first visit with my surgeon to discuss the lapband. He is a very good surgeon and I have 3 friends that have used him in the past 2 years. I have a low BMI. After he was in the room about 2 minutes he said well how much weight do you want to lose. ok, 50#, he said well I don't think you will lose that, maybe 30. I could feel the pitch coming on about the gastric sleeve surgery. He said that 1 in 5 of his patients don't lose the weight, so 20 % failure. I looked at it as 80% success. I could lose 60 pounds and still not be at the bottom of the scale on my ideal weight. I was hoping for him to get me excited and cheer me on but ins…

Anybody else scheduled for surgery on feb 11 with dr. kelly

I am a 34y/o african american female I currently weight 400lbs. I will be going for my first doctor's visit in June 2011. I have been reading different forums and I am stil trying to feel my way around the site. Please bare with me if I am posting in the wrong area...lol..I have a few questions, I wondered if excercising prior to surgery helps with the saggy skin? I have to be under the care of my doctor for a year prior to the surgery, and a year is a long time I plan to start trying to do some muscle toning now cause I acctually have saggy skin on my upper thighs and if it sag any more after surgery and weight loss, I fear it may sag to my knees....HELP

Hi, I am so glad I was blessed to find this site! I am going to my first orientation/meeting next Tuesday. After reading many posts of folks at different stages of this journey, I don't feel so scared, alone, and clueless...THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! I found this site because I was using a career exploration tool called Typefocus.com--it is great and I'd never since such a tool with work/balance, including stress management and weight loss for your Myers-Briggs personality type. What truly struck me for this first time was that they gave an example of setting your original goal but to initially target to lose 20% of your current weight, then maintain it for 3 months, the…

Hi, I am new to this forum, only posted a couple of times. I went to my first supervised wt loss program and my BMI was 40-41. I do not have co-mobidities. I am supposed to lose about 15# before surgery. That will put my BMI under 40. I am scared that if I lose that my insurance will not cover it then. My surgeon's office said they submit the starting weight, but that I need to talk with doctor when I see him the end of February whether I need to lose the weight since it may jeopardize my surgery. I have Federal BCBS, live in Indianapolis. Thanks for your help!

Hey Everybody, my name is Mike and I am new here. I am scheduled for VSG on 2/7/2011 with Dr. Brathwaite in Long Island New York. I am 30 years old today, well yesterday now it's after midnight. I am just starting my liquid diet tomorrow and have preop testing scheduled for 2/3/2011. I quit smoking about a month now. I am 461 lbs, 6'2 with a bmi of 58 or 59. I have severe sleep apnea, really bad acid reflux which has turned to Barrett's esophagus, and Crohn's disease to name just a few. So basically, I was told by my surgeon that the vsg would be the only choice for me, which I was very happy about because after doing much research of my own, I felt most comfortable…

I got the flu. Yup, my kids are learning to share, and share they did! Couldnt keep anything down for 12 hours, and now I cannot hardly even keep Water down! My Fill doctor is 1.5 hours away, and I leave tomorrow on a long trip, so seeing him is not an option this week(end). Are there any methods out there that might help soothe the swelling I'm sure I have around my band? Has anyone else had this problem? I have an 8CC band, with 6cc in it. BTW, I'm new here! I was banded on 4/26/10, and have lost 100 pounds and counting!

Hello Everyone, I was banded on January 24, 2011. I am a bit scared, happy, and excited. I lost 13 pounds before my surgery but none since. I believe my first fill is set for Feb. 22, 2011. I look forward to learning alot from everyone here. JuLz

Hi, My name is Tracy and I posted a bit in the general questions section when I was just beginning this process and I think I did an intro post...something about being in my forties married with 3 kids, been fat nearly all my life...blah, blah, blah. I started looking into wls years ago and chickened out many times. When I got pregnant with my second child and had gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia and got up to 340 pounds my husband agreed to look into surgery again after I was finished with children. Well, after kidlet #3 I lost 80 pounds so I was all back into the I can do it myself mode. Fast forward 3 years and I now have full blown diabetes and am in the earlies…

Hi everybody, I am new here.I already lost 14 pounds since surgery and my life is changing for better.It is great to have found this suport group.

Hello all, My name is Beth and I’m 38. I’m in the early stages of the process, just 2 months into the 6-month pre-op dance. I went to the initial seminar w/ the surgeon in November thinking that I wanted to be banded…but after hearing him talk about the sleeve & reading quite a bit, have come to the conclusion that it may be a better choice for me. I am still not 100% sure, and my doctor doesn’t need a decision until a month prior to surgery so I’ll probably obsess about it until then . I’ve got to admit I’m a little nervous about having so much of an organ permanently removed…but the more I read, am beginning to accept that this is a safe and effective procedur…

Hello all, well I think I have turned the corner since finding out I am a self payer which crappy insurance thanks to my employer. I did a lot of looking into the Lapband but don't have the time or $ to work in all the fills etc. So, I came across the sleeve. I have read many of your stories and so many were great. Although I do sometime wonder about the horror stories not told. I have contacted a long distance Dr in Michigan (I'm in Mass) named Dr. Mark Pleatman. Seems nice and pretty confident. I can do his price of $11,700 and all I need to do is buy my plane ticket and give him the day i will come out! But I just find myself really nervous about cutting my stomach …

I had my initial consult in October, I had psych eval, dr's talk, watched emmi online, did several support groups, talked to the nurtritionist, had some of my preops done. Finally got an approval from my insurance company. I received a call from the Dr.'s Office yesterday and they told me they had good news, they told me I was scheduled for my procedure on 12/5/2010. (this was the earliest appointment they had) I am furious, can someone please give me advice to calm my nerves and temper.

I keep seeing this and don't know what it means. Can someone please fill me in?

Howdy; Here are a couple of observations from 1/11/11 sleeve procedure: I never want to see another granule of Protein powder! Extreme food swings from intense hunger/craving to revulsion Stunning improvements in diabetes (completely off medicine), blood pressure, even atrial fibrillation The road ahead will be long (over 200 to lose), but the beginning has been exhilarating.

Hello everyone, I have never posted before but for months now, I have been secretly sitting here reading all your wonderful stories of success that have been such an inspiration for me. I have finally taken that step and scheduled my surgery to start on my own track for success. I have scheduled my surgery for March 3. I can't wait. I am 32 years old and at my initial visit have weighed in at 304lbs, the highest of my life and cannot believe I even told anyone that but for months you all have done more for me than any others have. I feel like I know most of you, lol! The days cannot pass by fast enough and can't wait for the pounds to start coming off. I am tha…

I have been in SUCH a bad mood...I guess I am just TIRED of being overweight and very anxious to have the surgery! I am SO ready for my surgery! I have my sleep study test tonight to see if I have Sleep Apnea so my insurance will cover it!! ( I think I do have it!) If not, I am just going to finance!! I have been dealing with being over weight since I was 14..I am 32! It's time!! I hope the insurance does not take long to approve me..I have Anthem BCBS!

In the pre-op phase of things. Started my liq diet last Thurs. already down 8lbs. Very exciting. I have't lost 8lbs in years!! Not too bad with the diet so far. I did wake up hungry in the middle of the night, but got through that. Not much support from my spouse which is disappointing but He has NEVER had a weight issue... UG very difficult to get across to anyone who has never been in this situation or even close to it. I saw my surgeon yesterday and things are on the go for Next Thursday Feb 3rd! I can't hardly wait to start this new journey, but I guess I have already started it. Any encouragement or good advice for a new band would be welcome. Thanks in …

I was sleeved on dec 17, 2010 and am 5 weeks post op. My surgeon is Dr. Prokurat in NJ and he is wonderful, he has the most amazing bed side manner. My recovery was easier than i thought it would be, but am running into difficulties now. I have lost 35 pounds soo far but now find myself stalled for the last 2 weeks. It is very frustrating when you are following dr's orders and eating waaay less than u did before and not seeing any results. I am trying to hang in there and stay positive but find myself having a little buyer's remorse. Am I the only one feeling this way?

Hey everyone! This looks like the place to be for lapbanders like myself, so I figured I'd jump into the Water right away. I got banded 8 days ago, and I feel GREAT! No problems, pain, or complications whatsoever since the surgery except for the passing of the gas which took about 14 hours. I can honestly say at this point 8 days later I am 100% and feel as strong as I did before the surgery, but with the added bonus of having shed 15 pounds since the surgery (35 pounds total) I felt good about having the surgery, and now I am very happy I had it done. I know I will meet all my goals and more importantly BE HEALTHY the rest of my life! My Surgeon was Dr. Malcolm Rob…

Today I had my 2 week post op visit. Part of the appointment was to meet with a dietitian and another patient. It was such a good experience speaking with someone who had also went though this procedure that I wanted to check out this forum. My journey began when I visited my family doctor on Oct 14, 2010. I wanted to consult with her about weight loss options as I was nearly at the end of my rope with the yo-yo weight life style. 3 times in my 39 years I had lost 100+ lbs only to eventually gain it all back. I realized that if I had been fortunate to have not developed some of the horrible weight related illnesses like diabetes, but that I was realistically pushin…

I was poking around the web to see what the port will look like on the outside of my skin and wasn't so pleased to have found this terrific website! I live in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and my surgery is being done by Dr. Mumford in just two days. The clinic has been great so far (the level of support, the professionalism of the staff and the materials I have received to help me make an informed decision to proceed with my Lap Band). I am incredibly proud of myself for making "me" top priority so that I can live the rest of my life healthy, happy and with confidence. I feel so empowered right now and can't wait to watch my transformation! Cheers.

Hi everybody, my name is Renee im 23 and i hope to be banded by mid July 2011... I'm on step 1 of my 3 month medically supervised weight loss.(as opposed to 6 months). My first appointment is Feb 8th 2011, and im so excited! My surgeon is Dr. Hugh Houston... ive been going back and forth for about 2 years with the wls options, but finally decided to get banded! Has anyone else gone through centennial medical centers 3 month plan? im kind of scared to do the 3 months because ive only heard of the 6 month plan and i don't want to waste time...

Hi all, how's everyone doing, hope u a are all ok, well i started the yoghurt diet again,(4th time) on my second day, not gone too well, but this time i am eating better, although fed up with yoghurt already, plus i have a few carrot sticks to chew on which another surgeon said would be ok, just avoid all fats, anyway, i'm being sleeved on 1st of feb, i hope, after 3 cancellations i am a bit cautious about that date, but i am trying to stay positive and i am praying it will go right for me this time, bag is already packed, got a few things in there from the advice you all gave, like wipes, chap stick, something for gas, which i have to say is pretty hard to find here in t…

Good Evening! I'm Debbie. I started my pre op liquid diet this monday. I'm scheduled for surgery on Monday February 7th. I am just so excited about getting my life back. I'm 37 and have struggled most of my life with obesity. I'm sure most of us have similar stories. I just wanted to say hello!

Hello there Bandsters. I am brand new to this site. I had my initial consultation with Beverly Hills physician, but was told due to my insurance (Anthem Blue Cross) that I had to go through Dr. Feiz's private office since he is in-network. So far I have made a few calls to them only to be told by Susie that she will call me back without actually doing so. My insurance assured that they approve pretty quickly and I really want the process to be as soon as possible. Any idea of the out of pocket costs, I can't afford much. Any info about experience with his office is greatly appreciated. If you have Anthem Blue Cross, even better! Thanks~Signed hopefully banded ASAP!

Hi everyone I live in the UK and had a lap band 20th Dec . I had my first band fill today which was a bit of a trauma as the band port is lying vertical instead of horizontal. I have lost 22lbs so far with much more to go .Good luck to anyone contemplating this surgery. The only advice I would offer is to be as well informed as possible and take care of yourself x

Hello, I'm entering this journey with a open mind. I've lost about 25 pounds since I started the process, but I'm wondering if I should lose a good amount of weigh before the procedure. Given the fact that I was at 253 lbs presently at 227 lbs highest adult weight 267. Will i be able to lose about the same amount of weight with the procedure or less?

Hello everyone, I just had my band put in yesterday. Today has been ok so far very little pain but I am nervous to take in anything. I also wanted to talk to someone else about their jurney however, when I went on the chat they do not seem to be talking weight loss.,

Hi Everyone. This is my first time on. I had LapBand 1/19. I am very scared because I feel hungry. I drink my three protein shakes each day and sometimes some broth or jello. I drink water throughout the entire day, but I am hungry. I have lost about 10 lbs, but my stomach is swollen. I don't go back to the doctor for a few more days. Anyone have any help on this. Please.......I am very scared. Thank you!

Hello everyone! I am new here, I am just starting my journey. I am 33 years old, 5'7, and weigh 258 lbs. I have thought about doing this for so long, have done so much research and soul-searching, and have finally decided it is my best option for a long and healthy life with my wonderful family. I would love to hear any advice/tips anyone has to give, what has worked or not worked for you. And I would just love to hear your stories! I think the support this forum provides is fabulous, and I look forward to being a part of it!