Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

Hi, New to this site; going to get the LAP-BAND®® on July 15th. Very excited but I am very aware that it is only a tool and it is only as good as the commitment I am willing to give to change my bad habits to good ones and have a new lifestyle change! Out with the old and in with the new healthy me! Wishing you all the best of luck with your journey to a healthier you!:redface: Any suggestions on how to work this site is appreciated!

Hello, Some of you may remember me. I was going to have the sleeve done on 4/15 but my lawyer (trustee) wanted me to try and lose the weight on my own instead of spending all that money out of pocket for the surgery. Since then, I have been trying really hard to eat right and work out. Of course I haven't lost any weight. I've actually gained weight and can't understand it! (No I have not gained muscle b/c my clothes are tighter so I know its fat!) Anyway... One big stresser was my job! I finally got a new job working for an insurance company so I have excellent benefits now and according to the benefits list, the insurance I picked will cover bariatric surgery 100…

Hey im a newbie that keeps cheatin but gettn back on track! Needing advice and loving the chatroom!:thumbup:

Hi, I am a 26 year old man and I have been obese for as long as I can remember. I also suffer from pretty severe gynecomastia (man breasts) so I am extremely shy about exercising or even being seen outside. Almost my entire family is obese as well and I can tell that we are on the fast track to an early grave. I often have pains in my chest and frequently suffer from acid reflux. My grandfather and aunt both died of heart attacks. I do not want to keep living this way and as far as I can tell, bariatric surgery is the only way to change. I do tend to eat a lot of sweets and greasy fast food, which I know is wrong but I cant seem to help it. I don't like to go outs…

Hi, I'm a first time poster. I've been going through the approval process for almost a year and finally got my surgery date... It's in 3 weeks :thumbup: After waiting for a year, I never expected it to be so soon. I'm excited, but scared out of my mind and I'm not sure why. I don't know if I'm more scared of the procedure or the effects it will have on my life. I've been crying with worry for 3 days now. Is putting myself through this really worth it? I'm already so disappointed in myself for letting myself get to this weight. What if I get this surgery and it doesn't work? That will make me feel like an even bigger failure.

Hello everyone my name is Kevin. I am from Texas and I am about to go for my first consultation with Dr. Idhe in Dallas July 1st. We will be discussing the Gastric sleeve. I look forward to seeing all of your success stories and gathering info from all of you. From what I have seen in this forum, there are alot of caring people who are willing to share their experiences. Thank you all in advance. I cant wait to someday share my sucess story :thumbup:

Hi Everyone: I was wondering if any would share their experience that they have had at BIDMC with Dr. Schneider. I am having my procedure on August 2nd and was wondering what to expect. Thank you for any information. Debbie

wish me luck everybody! lol :001_wub:

I am new to the banding, I was banded on yesterday. I was very nervous and afraid. I am still in the same state of mind. I am sore and filled with gas. I started my weight gain around the time of having y child and from that moment my weight has been crazy. People still ask me am I pregnant or when is the baby due. My son is 3 and will make 4 in September, so you know thats depressing. My weight was 188 prior to surgery and I have a goal of getting to 135 - 140. My clothes don't fit properly and I hate shopping. I don't find bras that look right on me either. I made the decision to change and my change has started.

I have just found this wonderful site. I have not have my lapband yet. I had to wait 12 months for my hospital cover to cover me. I now have a date for my banding 21th July 2010. I am really excited about it. Look forward to meeting you all. Cheers Sharon

I started my pre-op diet today. having surgery on 6/29. very nervous but excited! I have never been put to sleep before nervous about that, my husband is reassuring me everything will be okay. I am a diabetic and when i went for my pre-op labs the surgeons office called me yest and told me my glucose was high and I had to be cleared by my physician to be put to sleep! IDK just made me more anxious. Going thurs to see my dr. I told them it was high because I did not take any rx that morning because I could not eat until after my pre-op testing. I'll see how it goes:confused:

Hey all! The name is Julie. I just had surgery last Thursday! I figure I should get involved in as many blogs as possible, and talk to all of you out there that are going through the same thing I am! First off I have to say... IT'S REALLY FREAKING HARD! I'm STARVING. My incisions hurt and I'm tired.I just want to freaking CHEW something! But... Knowing that the number WILL be lower every time I step on the scale is definitely my incentive. I had a dream that I ate my FLIP FLOP yesterday. Maybe that can give you an idea of how hungry I am. Not only did the dream consist of me actually biting my flip flop and eating it, but I stopped not because I was eatin…

I have my first set of consults tomorrow, nervous about it, and not sure why. The clinic I have chosen is a one stop shop kinda thing. I have all my appointments already made and the final one(I hope) with the surgeon on Aug 11. I debated whether to tell people or not, for the most part, everyone seems to support me. Ok....so I am babbling. I know I'll have to give up some of the foods I like and may not be able to have the cold beer I so enjoy from time to time. Right now my biggest concern is that pre-op diet, I am quit the "bear" to be around when I am hungry. I work retail and will have to deal with customers and associates....How did you all cope with the grumpies…

I am very worried re the pre op diet because I get a lot of low blood sugars. I am worried about getting the diet done and doing it well! I was not expecting to have to do this diet either. My surgery is on 7/7/10. I have not gone to any of the support groups because this process has taken so long (over a year)it so totally slipped my mind! Yikes! Eileen:scared2:

Ok everyone I need some advice. The nurse from the surgeons office called me today and told me I was approved for my Lap Band surgery (which I was super excited about) but then she told me I needed to lose 27lbs before surgery! I know it reduces your rick in the OR is you can lose some weight first but 27lbs seems to be so much. I am kinda discouraged. If I could do this on my own I wouldn't need the surgery. Any advice on a helpful diet? I have already started protein shakes 2 weeks ago and I only drink water. I am so discouraged right now!!:biggrin:

Hi: Still pretty new here but all the info. here helped me make my decision for sleeve instead of band or bypass. Insurance won't pay for sleeve but after reading all the wonderful posts on Dr. Aceves and his credentials, I decided he is the one for me. I was approved yesterday. Only downer, we have to finance so I will have to wait until Jan. when my flex spending account is available again to at least not have to borrow that portion of the $$$. Maybe we'll win the lotto and I can get it earlier!!! Monica at Dr. Aceves' office is so nice to deal with. I feel at peace w/this decision. I saw a nutritionist today to try to help lower my cholesterol (I can't take the statin …

Hi Everyone: I am having my surgery on August 2nd. My son is being presented with an award on August 4th at 2:00 in the afternoon that I need to attend. It will only be for a few hours. Do you think I will be able to do this? It is sitting at the ceremony and sitting in a car. I will have my husband with me at all times. Thank you for any advice.

Hello All, After much prayer, success and failure, I am seriously considering getting the band. I must admit that I am all over the place emotionally though!! Some days I am ready to have done right then and there and other times I am terrified hoping I am making the right decision. My wife is fully on board and continues to encourage me which really helps to calm the raging waters inside my head. I have been reading the threads on the forum and must say that you all are great resources for honest information.:thumbup: I am having trouble with landing on one side or the other though. I am praying I can come to the place where I am sure this is the road I want to ta…

Well Ladies & Gents, I'm excited to say I am almost 5 weeks out and I've lost approx. 20% of my weight I've projected to lose!!! I have not needed to take anything for my Diabetes or high blood pressure since the day of surgery, my clothes are definitely looser, and I'm more grateful than these words can express! Life is good and I'd like to say thanks to all you for your input! This is a wonderful website which has inspired me through ya'll's experience, strength and hope! Thanks again, Sheryl:aureola:

hi all, I am new today, so I am still trying to navigate my way around the site, so please forgive me if I mess up. I am going into my 8th year with the band. last year started to have major problems, band replace in April 2010 and hiatal hernial repaired at the same time, unfortunely my damage is too severe and the band has to be removed (warning on allergan's package also) I have pseudoachlachia, dysmotility, megaesophagus, erosion I loved my band, I was 300lbs got down to 126, now with all the issues since last year, reoperation, (band is empty and will not be filled, just waiting to removed and pick a different surgery) I am up to 190 -very difficult. thanks

:001_smile:I am penciled in for July 13th with my surgeon, Dr. Mitchell Roslin at Lenox Hill Hospital here in NY. At this point I am just waiting for final insurance company approval which I hope to have this week. I've been a little frustrated with the process, but that seems mainly to be because I think the surgical coordinator in Dr. Roslin's office is relatively new and I am not so sure she knows what she is doing. Anyway, some of you may remember me from my introduction. I am 44 and the widowed father of three kids 15, 10 and 9. I've battled my weight my whole life, but gained about 25-30 pounds in the last few years as I coped with my wife's illness, death and the…

Hi everyone, my name is Becca. I had surgery on July 28th of 2008. So far I have lost 100lbs. It should be more, but I fell into some old habits that I'm trying desperately to break...again:mad:. I started out at 330lbs and today I am 231. I WAS 216 about 3 weeks ago:confused:, but I love to cook and got on a baking binge. So now, I'm not allowed to bake, haha. Before and after pics coming soon. OOPS...I had surgery 2007! 3 years out! Wow, has it been that long??

Just wanted to share with everyone that I received my insurance approval yesterday :thumbup::thumbup::smile:! It's like I've been walking on air all day! The doctor's office told me that my file was with the surgeon and that as soon as he reviewed everything she would be calling me back to schedule. Looks like I might have a date of July 12:laugh::tt2::laugh:. If I'm able to lose a bit more weight on my own, I may only have to do one week of liquid pre-op diet - that would be nice :tt2: I'm so excited though, I almost want to do 2 weeks to get more weight off and just be healthier and down a few more pounds. I'm fully expecting to "do this on my own" for a while unt…

Hello i have been coming on this web site since i first started my nutrition meetings. I think it is very helpful. Well i finally have a surgery date june 24 is the big day. I'm at that time where i'm kind of going back and forth with myself, but i know i have to do and that im going to be okay the surgery is the easy part it's what comes after i'm nervous about, but i will just take it minute by minute and eventually that will turn into day by day.

Dearest Experts, I am researching WLS and wanted the real expert (you guys/girls)opinion on the gastric sleeve. First a little about me: I used to weigh 260lbs with a BMI of 42. As a joke I went to Weight Watchers for a new years resolution with my friend. 120lbs less and 1 year later it turned out not to be a joke anymore. I thought I was on top of the world because i had beaten my food addiction!! WRONG!!!! The first year it all went quite good but after that it all became one big battle. The weight flew on and of and on and off again. I must have gained and lost over 200lbs in the last 2 years!!! Now I weigh 184 at 5'6". My BMI now is 29.4. I know I need …

We went to the Dr today and we are all set for 30 July! The Dr was a little concerned about doing us both on the same day, but we asured him we had a great support network here at home. So let the countdown begin! We could have actually got in sooner but someone (Me) has to go to Hawaii in July for work...yeah I didn't think I would get too much sympathy on that one. OK we'll keep you posted on how we are holding out with the countdown to slimdown! D:lol0:

so im 4 days post-opp and having a hard time eating anything as I am in pain and bloated. At times, it feels like i have to burp, fart, go #2, and throw up, all at the same time. my stomach hurts and it just comes and goes all day and gets to the point where i just want to scream. plz.. any advice? did you go through this? when does it END>:sigh:

I am in the the process of getting ready.I've seen the shrink and now have papers to prove that I'm not crazy.LOL!! I thought I had my mind made up for the lap band surgery until I visited the surgeon this week. After talking to him I have just about come to the conclusion that maybe the sleeve is the best option for me. I go to a support group meeting Monday that will have patients with all 3 wls types there. I'm hoping to get some good info there. After reading your stories here it sounds like many of you have had good results with the sleeve. Everyone here seems so positive and encouraging. I'm glad I found you...Carole

Hi everyone new to the site. My date to be banded is July 14th. I am excited and nervous. I am nervous that the banding will not work( I think that comes from being overweight my whole life, so I cant imagine what it's like to be thin. ) I am looking forward to meeting new people, and to learn alot of imformation as well as maybe giving some info to people

Started my 10 day liquid diet today and I'm doing a lot better than I thought I would be. Then again it's only the first day!!! Surgery is on June 30..excited but nervous

Hello All! I'm not much of a poster (at all, really) but I have been reading here and OH every day for a few weeks now. I love all the information I've gathered from you guys! I'm 5'9" and 230ish pounds. I'm juuuuust under 35 BMI. (My surgeon said they'll round up- haha) I'm also Type 1 Diabetic for 6 years now. I was diagnosed later than most Type 1s, at 20. Here's my deal. Should I go through with the surgery? Recently I had bloodwork drawn and my cholesterol and triglycerides are enviable by even a fit trim person. (They were higher before, and I sort of half-assed tried to bring them down) I've been dieting and exercising forever on and off and I struggl…

Hi guys! I'm Denise and I had surgery 5/24/10 in Hurst, TX. I had Dr. Marsden and he is the greatest IMO! Everything has gone just as he said it would. I am a nurse and fortunately I understand the post-op process, and I knew what I needed to do for a smooth recovery. I have had a couple of times where unexpected, severe nausea has hit me, but I have overcome this now and hope to continue succeeding. I am also trying to start my ticker, so forgive me if I have invited aliens or some other beings into the website! I have never done this before. Well, here goes...hope it is successful!

Hi all! I am new to the forum and am currently working on all the requirements to get my insurance to approve my LAP-BAND®® surgery. The doctor's office told me to plan for September as I have a 3 month weight loss program requirement per my insurance. I am very anxious to get started and look forward to learning from all of you! I am working with TLC Edge in Grapevine, Texas if anyone has feedback to share.

My Surgery is on June 30th and I am very excited. My starting weight was 243. I was required by insurance to lose 24lbs and I have currently lost 40lbs. I am starting to struggle. But in just over a week i will be on my way to a better me!!! :smile2:

Hi everyone---This is my first time here! I had LB on 1-12-10. As to date, I have lost 30 lbs. I lost 8 of that before surgery and most of the rest while on liquids after the fills. I follow my diet well, but have trouble with the excercise part. I work 12 hours on night shift, so my meals are pretty backwards from a regular eating schedule. I'm just wondering if there are other "Nite Owls" out there having problems with their eating schedules, or if anyone has any tips on speeding this weight loss. It's been a while since I've lost any serious lbs. and have been stuck for some time. Any advice will really be appreciated. Thanks!

Hi fellow Bandsters! I had my surgery over a year and a half ago and should have been on this forum long ago. I am hoping to learn more about best practices for more success and ease of eating. I am looking forward to getting to know all of you! -Kari

Just wanted to drop in and say hi to everyone. I just joined today. I have just started the process. I have federal employee BCBS PPO (Standard). Just curious if anyone else has went through the process with it. I am planning to have Dr. James Nazarian M.D. do the surgery in Beverly Hills. Yesterday I went to the seminar and he was very nice, yet very much a Dr. (Which is what I like) opposed to a "presenter" as I've seen when I went to 1-800-get-thin. I am a very methodical person, and I've studied various forms of surgery for the past 5 years or so. Being so close to Mexico, I've been extremely tempted to go there. I've trolled many forums for quite a while,…

When I was about twelve years old, I was in a depression stage. I started eating alot more and not being as active. When I was fourteen years old, I noticed that something was wrong with my body that I wasn't aware of. Momma took me to the doctor and she thought I had PCOS. I went to another doctor to check my blood sugar (glucose tolerance test), and it was normal. We tried dieting and excercising.. eventually, we gave up. When I turned sixteen, I was around 182 pounds standing about 5'2. Momma has been worried about my weight since I was younger. I would eat Breakfast and be asking about what was for lunch while I was still eating! Anyways, when my 11th grade school …

Hi Im close to having my surgery and Im still trying to figure our some of this lingo. can someone elaborate and let me know what some of these things mean that evryone abbreviates. such as PBing for example?? THanks so much!:smile2::biggrin:

Everything happened so fast. Insurance said no. Insurance said yes. Saw the doc for preop on Friday. Nutrition class in the morning. WOW! Brain overload. Anyone else out there with a July surgery date?

Hi everyone! Well after fighting with insurance for several years, I gave up the fight and I am self-paying. My surgery is July 2nd and I am starting to get a little nervous and overwhelmed! I am a planner and I like to know I have all my ducks in a row! I thought this would be the perfect place for me to get more great advice and find out what to expect so I can be as prepared as possible.

We had recital rehearsal all week, Monday thru Wednesday was regular rehearsals, Thursday night was dress rehearsal until about 11:30, Friday night was our first performance followed by two more on Saturday so I have been living at the auditorium all week. I made sure I had beef Jerky around and tried to make the best choices I could thru the weekend. I did try to eat a few pringles and those seem to be too dense, I might have gotten two down. I am sure I have gained a little cause my Fluid intake was down the past three days, I worked in the dressing room and backstage and just never slowed down. Having a down day today trying to get back in my routine of eating …

Hello! I've been reading messages on this site for months but never took the time to post anything, (I'm not that savvy on the comp.). I have been banded since July 2009. I have been slow at my weight loss but I have recently had a fill in my band and I'm up to 9.5 in my 14 band. I was wondering who else has a 14 band and how long did it take you to find your sweet spot?

Hello all. I was banded yesterday and got out of the hospital today. I cannot bend down. Its very hard to sit down or get up. My throat and neck muscles are sore and I have trapped gas which is making my chest/shoulder/back hurt. Generally I feel like I was run down by a truck. It was a lot rougher than I thought! Its done, now, though, no turning back!

I have been lerking in the shadows for a few weeks now. Reading all the posts have really helped in my decision to have this life changing procedure. I am 32 years old from Dallas, Texas. I have been that big girl "with such a beautiful face" all my life. I am scheduled to have the sleeve done on August 16. Dr. Barker is doing my surgery. Needless to say, like most of the stories I have read, I have tried EVERYTHING. The most I have lost is 30 lbs. I keep it off for about 6 weeks and then gradually gain it all back plus some. I am so EXCITED to have this done and READY to lose the weight, stop the CPAP machine and bp meds. Thank you to everyone for al…

Hey all, I am new here. I am about a week post-op. I had my sleeve done one 6/7/10. I am not hungry at all and have issues even remembering to drink Water. Is it normal to have the "ball" in your chest after surgery. It is really bother-som. I am still on thin liquids and Monday I will start the thick liquids. I hope to get to know you guys, I have been lurking and finally came out of the shadows. There is a wealth of information available and I thank you guys for it! =):biggrin0:

:sad:HI! I'm 8 days out and still have some pain in my port site and it has a hard lump in the area, i hope that is normal . My problem is i am starving!!! i do the protein shakes and liquid and am seeing the Dr. in 2 days (Monday) the nutritionist i talked to says hang in thier till then but it has been so hard, i am allowing myself creamed soups instead of broth and hope that is ok, I also had sweet potato caserole. I just feel like i'm never going to enjoy a meal again in my life.... tell me it gets better!!!!!!

I finally have a date!! August 31st in Texas with Dr Nicholson! The excitement is more than I can imagine! My husband is going to be traveling with me. I hope that goes well as he hates seeing me not feeling well! If anyone lives in the Plano area, any website suggestions on things we can go while there? We arrive Aug 29th and head out Sept 9th! I cant wait, its the beginning of a new life!

I am new here. I have been thinking about doing this. 300plus This is the biggest I have ever been. I am worried about my health. I try to diet but I lose and I gain it back and then some. I heard some ins will pay for it. Need to find out if mine does. Anyway I am babbling . Hi all and hope to gain information here.:smile2:

I have been thinking about doing this for quite awhile. I'm going to the seminar sat. and then hopfully surgery the next week. I am fat tired and miserable... I need to be a new me...