Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

HI EVERYONE I HAD THE LAP BAND SURGERY TWO YEARS AGO. I LOST ABOUT 50 LBS AND SO FAR NO MORE. BUT WHAT I DID GET IN THE LAST TWO YEARS WAS KIDNEY FAILURE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANYONE CAN CONNECT THE LAP BAND TO KIDNEY FAILURE?

Knocked of 4 more appts today and am now waiting for insurance clearance. The scales tipped at 231 an all time high. I feel awful:sad:. I have to attend my husband's family reunion this weekend and had to buy new clothes just to make it through 3 days. I want to proceed with banding asap and find the waiting to be very hard. Is it common to be down on yourself prior to surgery? I am so mad at myself for getting to this unhealthy, uncomfortable weight in the first place:mad:

After months of calling the Dr office and our insurance I finally have my surgery date. It is October 20. I am so worried about the two week diet. My Dr said I will only be allowed to have four to five no sugar carnation instant breakfast a day. I totaled a car when I was in high school because I wasn't eating right (yeah, crash dieting, lol) Now I drive with my children and work with as a special education teacher. I am so afraid I'm going to pass out or be crazy because of low blood sugar. Is anyone else afraid of this or have suggestions. I made it this far I certainly don't want to give up. I just wish I could have a different type of protein shake. I have experi…

New to the site. Here's my story. I got a Lap-Band in 2007. I lost 100 pounds, mostly so that I could have both knees replaced. After that surgery was complete, I started gaining weight in spite of the band. Finally, this summer, my surgeon said, "I don't think the band is working for you." Good thought! So, after some careful study and consideration, I had my VSG last Monday. I'm feeling pretty good. My only pain is on my left side. It gets me pretty well once in a while, but other than that all is well. And thus begins a new journey.

I am sooo confused :thumbup: I have finally made the decision to do something about my weight once and for all and now I may have to wait 10 months! I had a horrible time trying to find a surgeon within my medical group (hmo plan) so I made the very difficult decision to switch my IPA just so I can see a specific surgeon. This was very hard as I have been with the same medical group/doctor as long as I can remember. Then I find out that the medical group I switched to requires a 6 month program before I can even get a consult with the surgeon. It seems like this is something new that ALL medical groups are doing??? This includes exercise program, nutritionist, and psychol…

I started my 2 wk pre-op liquid diet yesterday. I don?t think a fattygirl like me realized how big a part food played in my life until I had to give it up. Granted, I'm doing the Opti-Fast plan and will have shakes, Protein bars, and Soups ? plus all the SF Jello, SF pops, and all the crystal lite, Water, decaf tea/coffe (unsweetend) that I want, too. BUT, going from being a fatty-foodie, to being soooo conscious of NOT putting food into my mouth has been hard. Its more of a mental thing than anything. Tho I won?t lie ? around 4pm on the first day ? a migraine hit me like a Mack truck! Then the dizziness, weakness, and irritability (of course). I just kept saying out lo…

I am at my largest weight ever and my lungs are slowly giving out on me. I can do a low carb diet and lose 50 to 60 lbs, but then I put it right back on and add more on top of that. So, I decided to go to a seminar and I have chosen the sleeve. My insurance told me the only requirements I had to meet for obesity surgery was to be over 21 and have a bmi over 40 and I wouldn't have to have any other symptoms to have surgery. Now, I'm waiting on them, the doctor has sent a predetermination. Can you guys give me a little feed back on ur results and would you do it again? Any side effects? Any helpful links you might know? I am so glad I found this site, I think it will be lo…

I have never posted before, but I am so frustrated and not sure what to do. I was originally banded back in February 2007 and everything was going well. By August 2007 I was down 45 lbs and feeling great. To my surprise, I found out I was pregnant. I was elated since we had been trying for over 4 years with no avail. My doctor thought it be wise to remove all the Fluid out of the band while pregnant. The pregnancy went well and I had a healthy baby girl in May 2008. Since I was breastfeeding he did not want to put fluid back in until I was finished, which was in October 2008. I had several fills and nothing seemed to work. We found that my band had slipped and I …

I really want to have the Lap Band surgery but my insurance compnay won't approve or pay for it. Does anyone know of any doctors that accept payment plans?

:scared2:I'm getting my surgery September 23rd. Does anyone have any advice on the pro-op diet?

Hi my name is catherine. I am from alabama and I am so looking foward to meeting more people that are being banded. My surgery date is Sept.13,2010. I am 25 and ready to start my way for a better me!!

Well I have been researching the LAP-BAND® for quite a while. I have finally got through the consultation with My Surgeon ( Dr. Macik ) and clearance from my PCP, I go for more test (upper GI and Chest Xray) tomorrow. Im starting to get really excited. If all goes as planned, Ill get my band at the beginning of October. I can hardly wait and I think Im starting to get obsessed with reading all of your blogs, threads, etc. I cannot wait, Im a self pay patient and in Atlanta the average cost is around $17k, so this has been a very difficult decision for me to make. I have struggled with the idea of not being sucessful or complications costing me more money. But I am so read…

just saying hi....Ive already been to the seminar and I have an appt with my surgeon on the 23rd....I dont have to wait 6 mths luckily and I already started some of my tests (bloodwork, sleep test etc) I am so excited I wish I could have the surgery tomorrow. Weight has been a big issue with me my whole life both mentally and physically and I cannot wait to change. so yea thats it...yay where do u get the counters that measure ure weight loss?

Hi, I am in the inland empire of southern california. I am just in the "looking" stages adn hoping to get started soon. I have begun by searching for dr. informaiton online. It is overwhelming. not much cost info is provided on dr. websites ( I will be self paying)-- I'm confused... I think I have over researched and I'm stuck. Is there anyone with experiences good or bad in my area that can share? I need a dr. name for a starting point.. thanks

Hi everyone...I'm finding it very daunting to research dr.'s...online they do not give information about cost..they make you call..I have called a few to get ideas on cost and am getting a wide range of prices from $11,000 up to $16,000... I would like to ask what you guys paid (or are going to pay) and what it included as far as pre-op testing and fills? thanks

Hi Everyone ! My name is Mary, and I'm almost 3 weeks post-surgery. As of a week ago, I was down 24 lbs, but that included the weight I lost during the 10 pre-op diet period. I'm starting to feel pretty good, other than I get tired easily. That may be compounded by the fact that I have other chronic illnesses (hypo-thyroid, ulcerative colitis), but I'm glad to be getting into the pureed food stage ! Was anyone else bothered by the odd sensations of the gas exiting your body? It kind of made my left shoulder hurt a little....nothing major, just a discomfort. :thumbup:

I have my first surgeon's appointment on Thursday (in TWO days) and I'm going insane!! I can hardly sleep. My mind just swims with questions, information, hope, fear, worry, excitement. I'm going crazy! I feel like I'm a stalker. I'm reading as many threads on here as I possibly can. I've gone over just about every before and after picture available. I even downloaded and sent some of them to my mother (who is a bit of a downer). I've saved them onto the computer and called my husband over to see them. I am going insane!! I am so excited that I can barely stand it. Lap-band is all I talk about! It's all I think about. I'm soooooo ready to get my butt to the gym aft…

Well that subject is almost all true. I'm actually starting down the insurance gauntlet for the second time. I had all the poking, prodding and everything done back in 2007 when I was considering the lapband. I chickened out near the end of the process when it was time to submit everything to insurance. I convinced myself that somehow this time it would be different and that I had a new-found desire to avoid surgery and commit to non-surgical diet and exercise. I'm now 75 lbs over where I was the day I made that decision. So now its time to go for it. In many ways it was a blessing in disguise because part of the problem was that I wasn't interested in having a…

Hey frndz...:thumbup: I am very happy to join this forum to discuss further more on relevant to health and fitness.. I am fitness and diet freak.. and love to work out for 1 hour.. Hopes I will enjoy my stay here.. Thanks & LOL!!

So I started looking on the internet today and came across this site. I am fascinated by all the support and good advice in here. I had a lot of questions that have been answered. I got all my clearances completed as of last week. So now I have to follow up with my surgeon and get myself a DATE!! The only thing I haven't done yet is go to one of the support groups/seminars. I'm doing that this week. I just wanted to post today to say hello to everyone. I will definitely be spending some more time in here. I'm a bit embarrassed to say it but one of the first threads I read through was the "marijuana" one. LOL. I was hoping that a little post op ganja was better…

Hello All, I had my band done on Aug 16th 2010. My start weight was 333.5 and as of today I am 312. I feel completely back to normal in all areas. My question is, I had my surgery 2 weeks ago and i have progressed thru the cycles faster than reccomended. I am eating soft meats, mashed potatoes and so on. Is this normal? I havent gained any weight and i have not had any problems so far. Has anyone else progressed fast like me?????

Hi :thumbup: to all, My name is Shelley and I'm will be having my surgery soon,I have a date set for Oct 12th but I may move it to Nov.Dont know what I'm going to do.....Im stuck between having the sleeve or lapband done??!! Im 34 and no kids due to weight and PCOS,Dr advised me that I need to get weight off and it will help with PCOS and having kids.Here is where the problem is......I want to have the sleeve done cause.... 1.dont have to go back for fills(drs office is 1hr 30 away) 2.dont have to worry about band slipping 3.with the band I can have it loosened while PG,with the sleeve I have to worry about the baby and myself getting enough food so I have no c…

This may be the stupidest ever question... I get REALLY thirsty at times... usually if I wake up in middle of the night and it's almost a painful, guttural NEED to drink a ton of Water... When I get this thirst, I usually down 1 1/2 bottles of cold water. My concern is that I will wake with this thirst and a mere sip every 5 minutes won't quench it... Anyone else get super thirsty before the band? Does it continue after? How do you deal? Everything else I'm OK with-- this is literally the only (stupid) concern I have.

New to this site....really needed to reach out and get some support. I have totally backslided and need to get back on track. I was banded March 08 have lost 100 lbs.

Hi. I've been fat all my life and finally decided that diets alone don't work for me. I'll be banded on 9/17/10 in New York. I started my pre-op diet last Friday. It consists of 5-6 diet Protein shakes per day and 6-8 glass of Water. I can also have HerbOx, diet drinks, diet Jello and no sugar ice pop (up to 30 calories per day) so I have less choice in food than a lot of bander posts indicate. I chose to have the Carnation Instant Breakfast No Sugar variety pack because I like the variety it offers. I've been mixing the packs in 8 oz of fat free milk. Sometimes I add crushed ice and sometimes I shake it up so it is very well blended. I like variety. However, …

Hey there... I think I have been on this site atleast once a day, I am putting my deposit down on my new life next week.. I have decided to have my surgery at OCC with Dr. Ortiz the week of Thanksgiving. I am soo excited yet sooo nervous. I have ALWAYS struggled with my weight... I would loose 10... 20.. 50 pounds to ALWAYS gain it back.. IT SUCKS.... Then I get the joy of adding Menapause to the mix at 41 ( whew no one tells you how fun that is going to be) I had originally thought about doing the Lap Band , but A good friend of mine had hers fail( she eventually did gastric bypass) Sooo gastric sleeve here I come. My best friend is going to meet me there, she is …

Hello Everyone! I am in the process of having a gastric sleeve procedure in Beaumont, Tx. It will probably be October before everything is processed and I actually get to have surgery. I found this webiste and am in awe. I have sooooo many apprehensions about this surgery and I am so enjoying reading the posts. A lot of my questions are being answered and I am beginning to feel more comfortable about having this sugery. You have all done tremendously well and should be so proud of yourselves. Thanks for sharing your stories and experiences for us newbies.

I went to my seminar Seminar 1 and the next day submitted application to Surgeon and waiting for his office to call me to see if my insurance pays for the surgery. I am just starting my journey and I have UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus. I hope it is a simple as everyone here says.

I'm 36 and live in Longmont, CO. Are there any others out there that are close? I've been seeing Dr. Johnell in Greeley/Lafayette and had my surgery last week. I made the decision at the beginning of the year that this was the year for me. I feel like the journey so far has gone fairly smooth with no surprises. I was just banded last Thursday, July 29th in Greeley, CO and am doing really good. The one thing I wasn't fully prepared for was how tired and little energy I would have after the procedure. My friends and family keep reminding me that I just had surgery, but I'm feeling really good otherwise with very little pain or discomfort so I think that's why I'm having …

have gone by since surgery. I have lost 14 lbs in those 2 weeks. I have a grand total of 33 lbs including the 19 lbs pre op. I feel FANTABULOUS!!! I can tell in my clothes. This is such a great feeling!!!!!

I had my surgery on March 16 2010. I weighed 280 and am now down to 228. I had the 9cc realize band and am on my 4th fill to 5.5 cc's. I have good restriction, and seems like it has been good since the first fill. At the end of each month I feel like I can used a fill. Total lost is 51. My goal is 130 as I am 5' 7". If I start to look too skinny before I get to my goal, I will stop there. The scariest thing I have had happen so far is after my last fill. I had eaten a little bit of hamburger that was cooked small and soft. I started to vomit in my sleep and didn't realize till my bf woke me up. My short term goals are to lose 4 to five pounds over the next 2 weeks and ano…

Hi there! I'm new to the forum. I have my consult next Wednesday to begin my weight loss journey. I am from Florida, but I currently reside in Abu Dhabi, UAE. I am looking forward to reading the wisdom in the posts of those that have walked this journey before me! Sandi

Hi everyone my name is MaryAnn and I am 23 years old. I am getting what is called a Super Sleeve July 12, 2010 in Tijuana Mexico by Dr. Rodriguez. There are not many on the site that has the Super Sleeve so I am hoping to keep everyone updated on how it goes. If anyone has had the Super Sleeve or knows anyone that has gotten it I would love to hear from you. Right now I am in my Pre-op diet so I think it has really hit me that my Super Sleeve is only a week away! Any advice you have on my packing, pre-op, or even post-op I would love to hear from you! Thank you!

Hi everyone! I am seriously thinking about getting the lap band from Dr.Ortiz in Mexico. The only problem is my boyfriend is super against it. He thinks I can work out and eat better and everything will be fine. What he doesn't understand is I have struggled my WHOLE life with being over weight and all the emotional stress that has on a person over a lifetime. I am just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how I could get some support should I decide to go through with it. Thanks

This is my first blog post as a Bandster! I am 8 days post-op. I think I am adjusting pretty well. I cheated a lil’ today though, I had a small slice of cheesecake (damn it went down easy). I started felling hunger again yesterday; I only got 1 week of no hunger L I thought that a diet of sugar free pudding, Yoplait ® light and soup broth would result in dramatic weight loss, but I am only down 4 pounds since my pre-op appointment. My highest weight was 300 pounds and I weighed in at 284.7 today (after a little over 3 weeks of modified eating). I know I should be happy with these numbers but part of me just wants a little more. Hopefully in a few weeks I can begin…

*editiors note: if you are easily offendable - pls pass on this post. Comedy is my coping tool of choice. Be ye advise) Welp, Tuesday was the last of a slew of pre-op tests. :w00t: *giggety* Abdom sono, pulmonary function, xrays, and the dreaded Barium Swallow. Actually, the drink itself wasn?t so bad. But, the rolling around on the table like a beached whale (which is EXACTLY how I felt - so I hope no one is offended with that description)? Sooo not what?s hot in the streets? I thought I was doing somethin when I wore some of my "sexy" big gurl pannies. The sheer, ruffly, extra girly kind. At least I would ?feel? cute underneath that heinous blue, ill-fitting hospita…

ive been wandering around this site for about a year now, just reading up on everyones success stories and also the complications people have had with this surgery. Ive been overweight all my life and my family doctor recommended that i have a surgical procedure done to combat my obesity. So I attended all the seminars, doctor visits, so on and so forth and became eligible for surgery. Im self pay so i i didnt have to deal with insurance companies. My two week pre op diet started on July 5 and was at the weight of 364. Operation was July 19 and operation weight was 354 so a 10 lb loss during the diet. Today is September 1st and im at 309 lbs. So ive lost a total of 55 lbs…

My surgery is scheduled for Sept 13. I'm not nervous about the surgery. I am nervous about the complete change in my eating habits. I hope I feel satiety with the amout of food that I'll be eating.

Hi to all, I had my lapband surgery a week ago and am doing much better. Sleeping just fine, got cabin fever and have been out and about since last tuesday, but did too much- got really tired and sore again. I have port pain, some intestinal issues, am still doing ibuprofen 600 mgs daily, see the doc today for 1-week followup. Am still on liquids for another week. These shakes from the doc's office are drinkable only if over-diluted and blended with fresh fruit... really bad. I am so craving real food... but the good news is I'm down 16+ lbs in 3 weeks, so the 2-weeks pre-surgery liquids plus this last week have seen lotsa weight lost!!! Good kick-start, would be so…

Hello everyone, This is my 4th day after surgery and everyday I am feeling better. However, I am having trouble releasing gas and that makes me feel miserable. Any suggestions? It was a long journey to get to this point but it was worth it. I live in a small town in southeast Texas, 30 minutes from the border of Louisiana. I hope to make many friends and supporters and in return support others. My number one question at this moment is should I be feeling hungry? Confused?

Hi I new to this sight, but not to weight loss surgery. I had a lapband which worked great until it didn't. I lost all my weight and more but had to have the band removed due to a slip. I gained the majority of my weight back. There was a reason I had the band right? I'm booked for a sleeve in Nov in Mexico as my last chance at being healthy and painfree. Looking forward to reading your posts and gaining knowledge.

Hi! I am scheduled for surgery on Jan 15, 2010. I am competitive in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and I am so affraid that I wont be able to compete after surgery b/c of the port (if you arent firmiliar w/ BJJ it is a submission based Martial Art). I know that I have to wait to get back into training, that I'm fine with. Does anyone else had/have the same fear? Im at the point that I will cancel my surgery instead of giving up my passion. My surgeon is great but I am leery about answers he will give me. I think they may be biased. Any help would be WONDERFUL!

Hello everyone! I have been reading thru all the posts for the last week or so and am waiting for a seminar around my location (1 scheduled later this month). I have a few questions so am looking for any guidance anyone can give me. The first couple of weeks you are on Clear liquids and then onto Soups and Protein shakes. Do you feel this helps you get the sugar out of your system so you don't feel addicted to it any longer? For those that have lost the weight they needed to, how do you rate the difficulty in maintaining now? I have lost it and gained it back so many times and was horrified once again at seeing myself in a dressing room mirror as my daughter was…

Hey there, I was banded in June 2009 and had a slow start, but have had my 4th fill and wow weight is starting to move now!!! Hoping to find some firends and support on this page. Good luck to everyone on your journey!!!

I finally figured out how to post pictures without having to go to photobucket and get the 'invalid file' message. I have decided to post pictures of my journey every 4 months. Seems the greatest changes take place in that time period.

Hey everybody! I've been lurking for a bit and have decided to finally say hello. I'm pretty early on in my journey as I've only just recently started researching different surgery options. I'm not sure yet whether or not I will make it down that road, but I've at least decided that if I do, getting a VSG is the way to go for me. I've struggled with my weight my whole life, but now that I'm 31 and nearly 300lbs, I've decided I need some help. I don't have any health issues other than the occasional back/joint paint (thank goodness) but I want to make sure I keep it that way by getting rid of this excess weight. There are so many things I want to accomplish in this l…

I?m new to the forum, but I have been reading and digesting a lot of information from this site. I would like to say Thank You to everyone who posts the information is very enlightening. My name is David; I live in N. Oklahoma with my wife, two kids and six animals. I will turn 41 in week and I weigh 345 lbs and my BMI is 49. I?m the unhealthiest I have ever been in my life and I don?t see it getting better in the future without some assistance. I am working towards getting my procedure scheduled and I?m really happy about my decision. I wish I hadn?t waited so long to make this decision but I have always been a person who just thought I could handle it myself. With…

Hey there! My name is Kris. Just joined. I had my sleeve done this past Tuesday (8-24-10). I've already lost nine lbs! I can't believe how good I feel this soon after surgery. I have a little tenderness in one spot where I had a drainage tube but other than that I don't feel like I've had surgery. I have had a little heart burn a couple times a day, not sure if this is normal. My surgeon was Dr. Merriman of Shreveport Surgical Specialists. I've been walking up and down my street at night. I feel like I could walk further but I'm not sure how far would be over-doing it. Before surgery I was walking 3 miles 3 times a week.Pre-op I weighed 271. I was so excited before I star…

Just had my surgery on 8/31 and I'm home (and sore).

I just started my journey. I am still in the qualification stages with my insurance company. I have a scheduled call with a RN on 9/8 to go over everything, I have all my literature and have done a ton of research. I am scared to death as my sister-in-law had it done and was not pleased with her results at all. I tried to tell myself everyone is different and hopefully my experience will be different. HOPEFULLY. Any info anyone can provide me I would greatly appreciate it. The ups the downs, the pros and the cons. Let me know it all.