Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

Hi there! My name is Susan and I live in Washington. I am doing my psych exam today and then I'm done with the tests! I've already been approved by my insurance, Tricare. In October I went to a seminar, and things seemed to be dragging along but now it feels very close. I'm really excited to start my new life! I have type 1 diabetes and also curious to see how much better my control will be. I am hoping to lose 100lbs.

Still no regrets. I think this was the best decision I have made. I have noticed I am still having these little spasms? In my tummy, like when I swallow air. I think its normal. What do you guys think? As far as pain goes, I have little. But am still takin it easy. Back to work at my desk next week. Kinda anxious, I hate sitting around.

Hello everybody! My name is Candice and the reason why I joined this forum was for support! I have struggled with weight damn near my entire life and I am tired of it!!! I was introduced to the sleeve when I was in Mexico getting a TT and people there was asking me why didn't I get the sleeve! I did not think I needed it !! I am tired of being over 200 pounds and I want 2 leave a healthy life being lean!

http://princesslaurenashli.blogspot.com/ I just started a highly personal, yet highly necessary blog about my journey with weight loss and the band. But as anyone who blogs knows a blog is nothing without readers and people who you can read back!!! Its not something I want my friends or family to see because its highly graphic and personal, but I am going to keep it public because there is nothing I would care if they read or saw. Im a pretty open person so I dont think it would shock them, haha. However, my struggle with weight is one few friends and family understand, they just know I struggle with it and they support me. So while Im not going to put the link on…

Hi All, Just wondering if anyone has experience with Dr. Philippe Quilici out of Burbank, Ca? I went to the consultation and they told me that he was one of the best doctors in California and I even spoke to patients in the waiting room waiting for a fill who said they loved him. The feeling I got from his office staff was that they were pretty busy and wouldnt start working on my paperwork until I had my psych eval.... I was just curious to see if anyone else on here has used him for their surgery?? Thanks, Stacy

hello fellow bandees.my name is michele.i was banded oct.15,2010 in pittsburgh by dr.giselle hamad.i've had one fill so far and just had my 3 month band anniversary.my heaviest weight was 242 in march 2009.weigh in at surgery was 186.i lost 56 prior to being banded by cutting out all sugar and lots of help from the appetite suppressant adipex.i am currently @ 168.thats 18 lbs. since being banded.so far it's been 14 weeks and the doc says i'm right on track.my goal for now is 130. for my height(5'00) and age(36) my range is said to be 95-127.well, we will just have to see about that.one day at a time,right?i was wondering if anyone wants to share any issues they are having…

Hi everyone, I am so happy to have found this website. The others seem more dedicated to the RnY WLS and I had the sleeve done exactly 1 week ago. I weighed 256 pounds prior to the surgery, down from about 300 at my highest. I had been hovering around 250 for the past 8 years. Anyway, I had Kaiser Insurance and they have a program that is extremely rigourous. First, you have to prove that you have tried all other weight loss options. You need solid proof, like your Weight Watchers log or documentation that is extensive. Once you pass that hurdle you wait to go into a class that lasts 6 months! You go once a week for 2 hours for 6 months where you learn about the…

Hello everyone! I have been around for a short time and have even responded here and there but I wanted to formally introduce myself. My name is Tanya. I am 38 and weigh (gulp) 280 pounds. I live in California, about 1 1/2 hour drive from San Diego. I am married to a great guy (just celebrated 8 yrs) and I have a 14 year old son. I have always been heavy but in the past year there have been some rather difficult times in my life and I gained about 30 more. I have prayed that God would help me somehow and I do believe my prayers have been answered. I had my first doctor appointment to discuss with my dr the Lap Band surgery. It was awesome. After being on this si…

I will get my first fill tomorrow, I am very excited. I have been eating more lately. Trying to take it one day at a time!

Hey everyone My name is Tyler Ashton im 21 years old and I am currently 2 wks and 4 days away from surgery! My surgery is Feb 2nd and im very excited but nervious as well. I start my pre-op diet in 4 days and im struggling on figuring out good things to eat and which shakes are decent enough to curve my hunger!!! please let me know!!!!! Height 4ft 11 inches weight 208 goal weight 130

Hi, My name is Cheri and I just got approved for my sleeve surgery! I have struggled with my weight for most of my life. I would lose 70 lbs then gain 80 over and over again. The one exercise that I found that I loved was weight lifting. I did that for a couple of years and was able to keep the weight off. I looked and felt great. I had just turned 42 when one day, my back hurt so bad, I couldn't get out of bed. Turns out I have adult onset of idiopathic roto-scoliosis, degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis. All non curable and progressive. I've had 2 lumbar fusions, one failed and one cervical fusion with no pain relief. Needless to say, I was n…

Hello, I am new member,wanting to introduce myself ...I am in So Cal went to a seminar on 01/04 and recently had my psych evaluation ...going for my sleep study on 01/27...not sure what to expect after that...I have been reading alot and trying to get my mind set to do this...sometimes I am really nervous about it and other times I am strong and ready to go for it....The waiting is what gets me the most. But I want to feel good and be healthy and outgoing again and thats what keeps me going.

I am new to this discussion forum and have been fairly quiet about my band. I have been banded since October 2003 and have not lost all the weight that I need to since then. I weighed 342lbs and now I am 265. I have had a lot of ups and downs with the band. All the usual stuff from too tight to not tight enough to pain etc which all have been addressed. I am now facing a challenge where my band I am told is filled to capacity or just over yet I have no restriction. I am sometimes experiencing a very funny sensation going up my neck and jaw but it does not last very long but is very uncomfortable. It is very hard to describe almost like a cramping feeling. I would like to …

Hello. I am new to the site. I started my WLS journery in 2010 but surgery got delayed by other procedures that needed to be taken care of first. I was originally set for RNY but have been reading more about banding and really liking what I am seeing. My doctor will be Dr Douglas Olsen and currently my status is under review since I was approved in 2010 and trying to have the approval extended or renewed or whatever they have to do.

Can anyone offer any suggestions? My PCP suggested I look into WLS 8 months ago. I did the research, went to meetings, and spoke with everyone that I could find. I decided that the Lap Band was what I really wanted and needed to do. When I went back to my pcp for my bi-annual BP check I brought up the topic of WLS and what I had found. She was all for it if this was what I wanted. However, she will not help me on my journey. My PCP says that her office only deals with one weight loss group in my area of NC. I met with that group when I did my original research and did not care for the surgeon or the office staff. My insurance requires that I have 6 months of …

hi i just got banded on jan 3rd 2011. so far ive lost 8 lbs. but im losing interest in my foods. i am getting dehydrated. i just cant seem to drink enough. i was so into it and i dunno what happened. i just keep thinking of the foods i cant eat anymore. it hasnt even been 2 weeks. i feel like a failure already.

Hello everyone, I was banded on January 10, 2011 in Chicago. And everything seems to be going fine but, is there an problem that i'm not really feeling hungry, and when i stand up my belly feels so heavy i know it's swollen and sooo tender. Can anyone out there please tell me what remedies if any did you use to help with the swollen and tender feeling. Thanks.

Where to begin.....After being thin my whole life,1 pregnancy at 20 (lots of complications as well as quit smoking) and I spent most of my 20's over 200lbs. Pregnancy #2 at 30 (which was great and no weight gain on top of what I already had)and now I am into my late 30's and really didn't want to wait for health problems to arise from being obese any longer. Diabetes and heart problems are VERY prominent in my family history. After many years and countless hours in the gym with and without personal trainers,injuries have always held me back from achieving my goal weight. The RnY was out of the question for me, due to the malabsorbtion issue and I know how important vitami…

I will be at 6 months tomorrow, this is really hard for me because I still see the fat girl when I look at pics, but here is a before pic and a now pic. Be nice please .

Good morning all! New to the site and due for my surgery on Thursday (13-01-2011). Scared, excited, biting my nails, up one minute - down the next, apprehensive, euphoric...but most of all I'M READY!! Hope you will all put up with my up's and down's, I have only told 2/3 people about my impending sleeve surgery, so need friendly people to share my news with! Thank you all in advance... scales (both kitchen and human), at the ready

Okay, thought I would toss this out there for anyone that is interested in joining us ! ! ! Myself and Vinny Mac from OH are trying to plan a lunch date for us VSG'ers in the area. We plan on meeting in Pensacola for lunch. Plan on it being a long lunch, and maybe some shopping while we're down there. He'll be driving in from Mobile, and I'll be coming from Navarre so I can pick up a couple on the way. He's not a member over here to my knowledge, but we can all correspond via email, or phone if you want to join us. We're trying to pick a decent place that can accommodate everyone regardless of which food stage they might be on. I think Mexican food is the easi…

Hi all... I was banded on Wed. Jan 12th... I remember waking up following the surgery thinking, "Wow, I really did this." So, I'm now 3 days out and 3 lbs down... looking forward to the journey (and the destination)... Just out of curiosity... What diet does your doctors have you on in weeks following your surgery? Mine prefers Clear liquids for 5 days, shakes for 2 weeks, mushy foods for 2 weeks, then low carb diet after that... Lisa

Ok I am new to this site. I was banded on 1/10/11. It is hard to believe after all the classes and nutrition visits that the day after surgery I acted like I had no idea what I was suppose to eat. Almost 6 days out and I amj ready for some kind of food to chew. The liquids is killing me

Today is my sleeve anniversary. Hard to believe. I had written a letter to myself one month before my surgery and never looked at it again until today. It basically listed all of the things I hoped could change by losing weight. Every. Single. One. Has. Changed. All 36 of them. For any of you who are pre-op, I suggest writing the letter...it really is an eye opener as I look back one year post-op. I still remember writing it, crying and thinking that this was all such a long shot. Here are my stats: Highest weight 1/1/10: 251 Surgery weight 1/13/10:243 Maintenance weight: 146-148 I've lost a total of 132 inches in 19 places on my body. My waist went …

Hi all- My name is karen and I have been overweight my whole life. My current BMI is 37-38, but I have co-morbid conditions such as high blood pressure, sleep apnea. I am determined to lose the weight and want to use a band to help myself achieve my goal. I want to be close to a normal BMI or even be at a normal. It would mean slimming down from 246 to 165. I already started to use the diet my doctor's office gave me (lotsa Protein, low low carbs, low fat, low calorie in general). My doctor is in Middletown NY at Tri State Bariatrics and his name is Dr. Peter Kwon. I get to meet him in two weeks (so far I went to the seminar, dietitian, nurse practitioner, bariatric nurse…

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I was banded on 10/11/10 and I have been very happy with my progress. I have lost 34 pounds so far and until my last fill I was feeling great. It seems that I have what feels like heartburn or reflux no matter what or how slowly I eat. When I drink cold liquids I have actual pain in my chest. I'm also having trouble even drinking my water each day because I seem to stay full for so long. The water feels like it is sitting at the base of my throat. It's a very weird feeling. Any suggestions about what I can do?

I finally got the nerve to tell my mother in law...against my husband's advice. Well the first thing she said was "Why can't you take Dexatrim"...."I have to watch my weight all the time, if I can do you, you should be able to do it." I was nice but I told her "Giving yourself an enima or taking laxatives everyday is NOT a HEALTHY DIET". I told her you told me you could NEVER SEE ME SKINNY because I have a pretty face...do you know how much that hurt me? She said, well I can't see you skinny and you do have a pretty face. She said, it's funny "MOST FAT GIRLS DO HAVE A PRETTY FACE". Then she went on to tell me about the people that she knows that have failed at WLS. …

Hello all, Kinda new to the site... Just got banded on 1/12/11 and looking forward to the new lifestyle! Can't wait to see how this works.

Hi everyone! I'm Marcy, a 35-year old mom of three, wife, and nurse. :-) I'm in the process of getting insurance approval, but the clinic I'm going to is going to hold off on submitting a request until I get sleep study results (work up for sleep apnea). I see my PCP on Monday for a referral to a pulmonologist. I passed my psych eval just fine, and also saw my surgeon yesterday for the big consult. So, right now it's a waiting game. I started with a BMI of about 54, am at about 51 now, but my insurance requires a comorbitity regardless. I'm hoping to have the actually surgery no later than about 3 months from now. If insurance denies my first claim, the clinic will send …

Been trying since 2007 and today I was finally banded....so excited to start my journey..

I'm scared but I'm excited. First let me start by saying I have been big a long time and I'm only 33. My mom, aunt, and cousin all got the lapband last year. To start with I was so against it. My mom asked me to do the research for her as she can't use a computer and I was still against it. Fast forward a year. My mom had her surgery, lost a bunch of weight, and has now started to gain it back. She has blockages on a daily basis. This was not for me. So I decided on the sleeve. I know I can loose weight. I've done it many a time. But I can't maintain it. It all goes right back on. I have a great husband and 2 wee ones. I never had a "problem" with being overweight. I hate…

I'm trying to find out which option is better for financing the portion that is not covered by my insurance,I have Blue Cross Blue Shield,Northern Virginia. The coordinator told me that the doctor needs $5000, deposit to put me on the preoperative list and schedule the surgery. A friend of mine has also BCBS, but with different, options and they wanted from her a deposit of only $2000. She had the surgery 9 months ago and is super happy, with the doctor,everything. But for me having to come up with an extra $3000, it too much. My question is if someone has use this financing options Blis pay or Care credit,which is better and faster,and offers the best interest rate. T…

Hi, My name is Larissa and I recently have been looking into lapband because for years I have been dealing with my weight and not being able to lose it. I finally consulted with my mom since mother knows best and we decided that maybe lap band was the best option. I'm seeing the doctor in two weeks to decide if this is the right decision for me. I just wanted to come here so I could get to know more about lap band from people who have actually experienced it. My biggest concern is if I will even qualify for it. I have read the general qualifications but It scares me because I feel like this is my last chance to get where I want to be and what if it doesn't happen? I'm …

Hi Everyone, I had my lap band placed on Dec 20, 2010. I feel like I am doing really well. I actually lost 24lbs with the pre and post op diets. I will get my first fill on Monday Jan 17. I am excited and scared! I have had lots of silly questions up til this point and have been googling the answers but all the discussion I had found till today were sooo old. I was happy to find this site with current discussions. Is it abnormal that I feel like I can eat anything without any problems at this point? Having said that, the quantity I eat is 1/3 of what I would normally eat. But I do not seem to have problems with any types of foods. Knock on wood, I have not had a…

Hello everyone - I am a 38 year old married mom of two boys. I work full time as a paralegal. I was banded on December 2, 2009, and have lost 40 pounds so far. I feel with the holidays passing by I have fallen off the band wagon and need some support from fellow band members! I didn't gain weight over the holidays, but didn't loose either. One of my concers is I think i should have lost more weigt than i have so far. I started out at 246 and weigh 203. I don't exercise and haven't found the motivation to do so. I am in a bit of a depresive slup and need help. My next issue is that I have learned what bad foods to eat that go down easily and need to stop eating…

Hello everyone! I got banded Jan 7, 2011 and this is my first post. I have been lurking for a little bit, and I just want to test the waters here. I have only been on one other forum (for something else), and it seems small and intimate, and this seems huge! I was banded by Dr. Soong in Las Vegas. Everything so far seems normal compared to what I have read on here so far. I go in to get my wounds check tomorrow. The gas is subsiding and so is the pain. I find I have an incredible amount of energy and my skin looks great! The only thing I am having trouble with right now is scheduling. When to drink Water and how to space three meals and one Protein shake out between 1…

I know, it sounds strange, but I went into surgery on Dec.29th expecting to have RNY surgery and woke up to a sleeve. On top of it all I knew nothing about the sleeve after doing months and months of research on RNY. How could it happen? Well, I am one of the people that have pretty much every co-morbidity that you can name, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension and my personal favorite, stress incontinence and was pretty much assured that they would go into remission, or be cured with a RNY. Sold. Into surgery I go, with game plan in place and what do I wake up to but my surgeon telling me because of the adhesions and scar tissue he was not able to do a RN…

My Name is Tara and I will be getting my sleeve on Janaury 18, 2011. My surgeon is Dr. Singh and the surgery will be done @ St. Agnes Hospital..I have been wanting the WLS for years. I tried 5 years ago went thru everything and than was turned down becasue it was a clause in my insurance stating that members who worked for a small company 50 or less was not covered. Needless to say I was devistated... I contineud on with weight loss and was successful but as usual gained it back. I would lose 90 gain 100. loose 100 gain 120 a never ending vicious cycle... I thought qbout this surgery again in June after reaching my highest weight of 305.. I am literally miserable and unha…

Hi everyone! My name is Jillian and I am 25 years old. I am scheduled for banding on December 23rd (at 7:30am to be precise!). It's been such a long time coming and I'm excited (and nervous) to start my weight loss journey. I've been struggling with my weight for about six years. I've tried EVERYTHING--Atkins, Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, etc. I've worked with numerous dieticians and personal trainers only to have short term success. My weight loss would eventually plateau but I'd still be considered obese. It was incredibly frustrating. I know this is going to be a huge lifestyle change. However, I feel like I need to be proactive NOW and deal with my weight diffi…

My name is Tyler Ashton and Im having the lapband surgery Feb 2nd at Baptist Hospital in Nashville Tn. Dr. Morton will be my surgeon. Im pretty excited but nervous at the same time. Im only 21 years old but I feel as if im better off getting this surgery while im still young. Im exactly 2 wks and 4 days away from surgery and just 4 days away from starting my pre-op diet. I would love to get some more information on things I can eat and drink during these 2 weeks of pre-op diet!!! Thanks

Mt Carmel Col Ohio,Has any one been banded at this hospital and what are your experiences, Im afraid of loosing my admin fees because of ins unapproval. I have med mutual/ supermed, any info will be helpful. thanks in advance.

My doctor told me to stay on a liquid diet for four weeks after surgery. I am finding this impossible and have been eating solid foods. Am I the only one who is doing this? Any pointers for me? Has anyone experienced complications due to eating solids right after surgery? I really appreciate all the replies!

Hi everyone...... My name is Annette, and I am new to this site. I am pre-op, but I hope to have a surgery date soon. I had my EGD yesterday, and I received a call today from my doc's office, telling me that they were ready to submit to my insurance company. All they needed was to know which surgery I wanted to have. Of course, therein lies my problem. I know that I definitely don't want the RNY, but I'm torn between the Lapband and the sleeve. My BMI is 53.2, and I really only want to lose about 100-120 lbs. I considered WLS several years ago, but I had such a bad experience with both doctors that I went to see, that I decided this probably wasn't for me. In 1997, I…

Hello, Tomorrow is my 6th month appointment with my nutritionist for my supervised diet. This is an insurance requirement for my UHC insurance. I have been meeting with my nutritionist once per month since July. My supervised diet consists of no carbs. Each meal should consist of 3 ounces of Protein one cup of fruit and one cup of vegetables. I have been following the diet to the letter and I have not lost during these 6 months. Each month I go in and she tells me something different to do. I thought finally I was down but then nothing changed in my diet/lifestyle and I gained it all back. I'm so frustrated. Obviously diets don't work for me and that's why I am wanting …

For the last month I have been making my round of doctors, tests, and counseling sessions. I hope to be approved within the next couple of weeks. One good thing about the tests is that I found out I have sleep apnea and need a CPAP mask. While I have had yoyo weight issues all my life, my weight did not become alarming until the last 5 years. Just this last year I passed 250 pounds for the first time, and I have decided I must do something about it now. I am beginning to have problems doing things like tying my shoes. I quit smoking three years ago, and am now in my mid 50's, so these are all factors that are making conventional dieting and exercise less effective. …

I recieve SSI for bipolar disorder, and I have Medicare A&B with Kaiser. I've read online that if you have medicare A&B that you will be covered. But I'm not sure with Kaiser. I have a BMI of 65 and I also read that if it's over 40 you don't have to have a medical condition to be covered. Again I'm not sure of this with Kaiser. So I was wondering if anyone has been in this sitsuation, and has any advice. Thanks!

Hi..I just joined this forum tonight thanks to a very special person in my life.. My real name is Cathy but my friends call me Muffin.. I was banded on Dec 13th 2010. I wish I had found this forum sooner but am glad I did now. I have lost 22 lbs since surgery a grand total of 49 . I have not taken pain meds since day after surgery. I think I am doing pretty well. I am concerned though maybe I am not eating enough.So I will do some searching but if anyone has any comments feel free to give me some opinions. Nice to be here ..Thanks muffin56

Hello All! I was banded 12/30/10. My starting weight 246.5 today's weight 229.5. I can't wait for my first adj. This is easier now to say but it really wasn't that bad of a first two weeks. Wish me luck!! Prin

Hello all! I was banded on December, 14 2010 so I'm a "newbie" I actually am going for my first fill today and really excited about it!!! I started my journey at 346lbs and currently at 320 4 weeks post op.