Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

this is just a test to see if my ticker works :thumbup:

Hello all, haven't been on for a while but wanted to post my progress because I was once a pre op patient wanting to know how everyone's progress was going, so here is mine: I just passed my 3 month mark and I am proud to say I have lost 48 lbs and a whole lot of baggage and bad emotions with it! My self esteem and attitude is better than ever. I never thought I could feel good about myself again or appreciate my body, but I have a new found outlook on myself and life. I remember before deciding to do this surgery, I thought to myself, what if this doesn't work for me, what if I don't get the results, what if I can't handle it, what if, what if, what if....all I say, is…

I had my consult today with my surgeon, and it is official....I have a surgery date!! June 28, 2010 is my lucky day!!! Thanks to all of you who have given me unlimited amount of knowledge and tons of support!! I am so thankful that I found this site and OH.com!!! Nothing but blessings.... Karen

I read and researched for over 6 weeks before I discussed my desires to have the Sleeve with my husband. He is the king of negative! I knew I would have to "educate" him somewhat, because the only knowledge he has is with my sister's RNY experience. (She has done great, btw, except that she is 18 mos. post op and she JUST started taking her Vitamins and supplements! So, until recently she didnt look very "healthy") One week ago today, I talked to him. I was proud of him, as he didnt shoot me down. He told me he would support my decision. He asked me if I thought it was a "necessity". I asked him to go to a seminar with me, and he told me I needed to figure out how…

I am psyched for this and can't wait for surgery so I can put the last 15 years of see-sawing weight gain behind me. Now just turned 41, I know I won't ever get back to that 25 year old fit footy player but I am very excited about making permanent changes that WILL have results. My dream is to be able to buy clothes from a 'regular' menswear store instead of having to find "high and mighty" (big men) stores. Currently 130kgs (286 pounds) I am hoping to lose 35kgs (77 pounds) but most of all being able to run around the park with my daughter climb rocks with her and race her in the pool etc. I can't wait for the change. I have already given away drinking in preparati…

Hi everyone. We, my wife and I are getting ready to have VSG together. Sounds like June or July time frame. We have started on the "Pathway" as they call it at Madigan Army Hosp. So our first rounds of classes are complete, we have one more set of classes then we see a head doctor (lol) and will finally get to see our surgeon. It makes it so much easier going thru this with your best friend. Having that support at home makes it very comfortable. We have only told a select few others about what we are doing. We already know who the negatives in our lives are so why put ourselves thru that? We will just lose the weight and say it's our new super diet LOL. Ha…

I was just banded 1 week ago... everything is going great, but I think I just got my first intense craving for my favorite sandwich at claim jumpers and I am a little upset about it. I just hope that maybe someday I may be able to have a small portion of it again. I think I am just anxious to see which foods I will tolerate and which ones I wont... I have 3 more weeks of clear liquids (my surgeon requires liquid diet 2 weeks before and 4 weeks after- super militant style) and I just hope that I will still be able to enjoy the foods I always have at somepoint down the road. I don't regret my decision to have done this at all and I knew that I would have moments like this …

Hello, My name is Jason and I got my surgery date on May 27th. I go in on May 20th for the blood work, upper G.I and EKG and also start my clear liquid diet on the 20th. Dr. Wagner's office submitted my paperwork to the insurance this past Monday and it was approved 2 days later on Wednesday. And they called me right away with the surgery date. So far this process is going fairly smooth for me, and the staff at Dr. Van Wagner's office in St. Louis have been awesome. I will post pre-op pics soon.:redface:

Hi my name is John and I got the Lap Band on May 13, 2010. I'm 46, live in a suburb of Seattle and have been overweight all my life. On my first doctor visit on May 6th my weight was 361 lbs. So far... just on my own and following the clinic's food plan I've lost 22 lbs. (The lap band isn't inflated yet.) I go in for my first adjustment on June 14th. I've decided to keep my own blog of ALL of my experiences around the Lap Band at: John's Lap Band Adventures This blog follows my adventures and experiences as I try to adjust before and after having LAP BAND surgery and trying to make a life long change for me and my family. I would welcome the traffic and co…

Just got banded on Monday, 17 May 2010. Everything went well and I'm headed back to work tomorrow. I've been lurking here for a while, so I figured it was time to stick my neck out, so to speak. I'll be happy to answer any questions anyone has about the pre-surgery/surgery period. I'm sure I'll be looking for answers to some of my post-surgery questions. Glad to be here and extremely grateful to be back on the road to my life.

Hello Everyone! My name is Mary and I'm from northern Michigan. I had my first appointment with the doctor today. Long day but learned so much. Spent 1.5 hours with the dietician and 3 hours with the doctor. LOVE him! He's great. Looking forward to "meeting" others and hearing your stories!

I thought a thread about losing weight on the doctor supervised diets would be a good one. There are so many of us who have to complete this necessary step for insurance approval. I resented it so much at first, but now I am kinda thankful for the process. I am really takiing a hard look at my diet and triggers, which I believe will help me be successful after the wls. I also am going into this process with eyes wide open. Maybe I'll be one of the lucky ones who never feels hungry without the first fill...not! I'm trying to view the diet I'm on right now as the beginning of my weight loss. It's also the diet that will carry me through bandster hell that can last se…

So my husband has a job that has great insurance, he just got the job in Feb. 2010. I just found out that the insurance company will pay for my WLS after three months with a dietician. I went a week ago to the dietician and started getting things on track to hopefully have my surgery in August 2010. The problem is my husband HATES his job, well he had an interview today with a company that he applied for when he got his current job. They have benefits but we do not know if they will help or pay for any of the WLS. My job gives me benefits but does not cover any cost of WLS. My husband will call on Tuesday and find out if he has the job, he and I are worried that this will…

I found out yesterday I was approved for my surgery. I have my nutrition and exercise classes Wed the 26th and pre-op appt with the surgeon the 28th of May. I have a 2 week pre-op diet that will be similar to the Atkins diet. I have enjoyed and learned so much from reading the posts on this site. I'm kinda addicted to it actually.... It's nice to see that other ppl have the same feelings and concerns that I do. I look forward to having such a great site to use while going through this process. Right now I'm scared although I don't really think it has totally set in yet. I worry about the pain, if I will be a failure, bandster hell, and never being able to eat again. I kno…

Hello all, I am new and from Australia.... I was banded in 2002 and weighed 341 pounds I have lost over 143 pounds and now weigh 198 pounds. It has taken me longer due to having 3 children since having the band which is a big plus since I am also a PCOS sufferer.... It has also done wonders on my asthma which is all but gone and I feel fantastic. On June the 9th I am off to get a tummy tuck to remove a ton of skin removed.... so yes nice to meet you all :laugh: and thanks in advance for reading ....

Hi everyone! This is my first time on here as a member, I admit I've lurked on some other discussion threads just reading everyone's inspiring stories. But now I think its time for me to participate - I'm officially banded! My surgery was performed yesterday by Dr. Hollis in Houston. So far, a little sore but not too bad! A little about me, I'm a 24 year old female, been overweight my whole life and I guess I just finally decided to do something real about it. I started my pre-op diet at 292 lbs () and after the 2 wk pre-diet I went into surgery at 280 lbs. My goal is 180, I know its a lofty goal but I know I can do it! Oh and also, I'm getting married in 5 month…

I have been so elated the last few weeks anticipating getting sleeved on 6/4/10. But, today I met the devil who was cleverly disguised as a cardiologist. I showed up to his office for a nuclear stress test. (My back problems prevent me from doing the treadmill.) I was taken back where they weighed me, and took my blood pressure. Shortly after that, a tech came in to do an EKG. After just a few minutes the devil came in. The first clue was that as he introduced himself and I to him, he never made eye contact or shook hands. He blurted out, "your blood pressure is out of control and the meds you are taking are all wrong for you". A bit shocked, I sat there and…

I had the sleeve done May 14th, 2010 in Mexico. My surgeon was Dr. Almanza. My surgery went well. Here are my details... My husband and I flew to San Diego with another couple. We were picked up at the hospital and taken directly to the lab for blood work. From there we were taken to Jerusalem Hospital. I got ready for surgery and was on the OR table and I don't remember being put out! (Must be pretty good stuff! LOL) I woke up in the recovery room. (I also had my gall bladder removed at the same time. Heard many stories about people having gall bladder problems after losing weight so quickly and wished they would have had the gall bladder removed right away). I neve…

I created a group for us!!! Please join!! Oh, and it's Band Divas! haha LAP-BAND

Hi there! I've been researching WLS for a few months. I've attended a seminar for Lap Band, verified my insurance will cover it after the typical 6 month medically supervised diet and psych visit, I found a surgeon, discussed my decision with my family and have an appt with my PCP on Thursday morning to get the ball rolling. As I was talking to a friend about it tonight she asked me the one question I never asked myself..."What if your doctor says no...what if they tell you all you need is diet and exercise?" Now I'm freaking out and starting to panic!! Has anyone had this happen?? What DO I do if she tells me no?!! I have fought this battle for 15 years, my BMI i…

The news I was waiting for arrived at 9am yesterday morning and it was to say the least shocking. I was approved!!! My inforamtion was faxed in on Monday morning and I had an approved first thing Tuesday...talk about excitment!!! I couldnt contain myself yesterday, I couldn't focus and wanted to tell the world; there was only one problem only about 4 people out of the whole entire world knew that I had been trying to get approved. I kept from telling most of my family b/c they are worriers and I didn't want that to interfier with what all I had to do in order to get approved. I just didn't think I needed to tell anyone and everyone until it was set in stone. Needless to s…

I was banded on January 27th, 2009. I started at 327 pounds, a size 28. I am 5'4. I am 30 years old. I have lost 140 pounds and now way 187. I am a size 14. I still only 5'4". :laugh: Those are my statistics. Those are my numbers. They are not my entire story. I cannot tell you how my life has changed and continues to change on this wonderful, amazing, and sometimes scary journey. I will not bore you with tons of details, that is what my blog is for. You can find a link to it in the signature. I just wanted to say to all of the newbies that the band is not the easy way out, but it does make things easier. It will be hard or slow at times, but it ha…

Any one had previous abdominal surgeries and been turned down for Lap-Band? I am mortified that I will be turned down. Anyone had adhesions removed abdominally and then had Lap-Band surgery? Thanks for your time. :thumbup:

My name is Amy and my plan is to have the Lap Band surgery. I am 44 years old. I have four children, three of whom are grown and out of the house and one still at home and have been married for 15 years. My process started on April 3 with my first visit. Then I had a follow up visit with the Doctor (Greenville, PA, Dr. Myers). Today is my first nutrition visit. According to my insurance i have to have seven nutrition visitis. Wish it wasn't such a long drawn process, but Im ready for the journey!:w00t:

My name is Cristie and I live in North Dallas. I'm 33, married to a wonderful supportive husband and a mom to a very supportive, very excited 13 year old daughter. I work as an IT professional, so my job is very sedentary. I have had a weight problem since I was a young child. I've battled it since the age of 8. Eventually, I lost my battle of the bulge and ended up with Type II Diabetes and found myself about to bust out of a size 28 jeans tipping the scale at probably close to 340 pounds, but I'm not exactly sure, since my scale stopped at 330. I carried that weight for a long time - probably close to 7 years. Eventually, I lost about 30 pounds on my own. The…

Hi, everyone. I look forward to contributing to this community. I was just recently banded on May 10, 2010 by Dr. Thomas Bass in South Florida. I've lost a total of 27 pounds since May 3rd when I started the pre-op process which is kind of crazy, but very exciting. I'm looking forward to losing weight, exercising, toning, all that jazz. Hopefully, we can all support each other through this journey. I look forward to learning much from everyone! -KidLaw

I haven't banded yet I just received my approval today and I will meet with my doctor on Thursday to set the date for the surgery. I am presently at 319lbs and i am looking to get down to 195 after the surgery. So I will let you all know how it goes Thursday

Hi all!!....my name is Jenny and I have an approved surgery date of 5/10/2010...I am excited and scared...a little about me...I know this is probably not the best way to start but here goes....I was never really over weight until I went through cancer...steriods are awful!!!...I gained about 80 pds after going through 15 wks of chemo and 32 radiation treatments...(they only gave me 8 months to live) so I am glad im still here...this was all in 00-01...so now I am still 80-90 pds overweight...my body completely changed...I was not as active...my thyroid is not my friend...and the fact that I am 38 now and been like this so long....well I finally sat down and thought "jenny…

Hi everyone, has anyone had the LB procedure done in Mexico

It has been only two weeks since I got the lap band. I have lost 14lbs to date! Is this normal? I hear all over of people losing 40lbs their first month and I keep thinking I am doing something really wrong! Help:bored:

Hello, My name is Emma and I am making sure I haven't left a stone unturned as I wait for my insurance!! I am British and moved to the US 7 years ago and went from a robust and overweight 196lbs to 249 lbs! I decided on Weight Loss Surgery 2 years ago, and finally got around to doing it after making sure I knew everything! That is just me :-) Well wish me luck Emma

My dr is doing a live webcast of GBP htis week on the net. Although this is not the LBP, I thought it was cool that this info is being put out to educate and show what goes on during weightloss surgery. He is also going to take live questions over the internet during the procedure. Here is a clip on it....the surgery is going to be at Baptist Hospital in Miami, and I think it may be tomorrow...but I am not sure. Look it up..if you are interested. Dr. Anthony Gonzalez is doing the surgery. It is exciting to me. Woman to Lose Weight Live on the Web - News- msnbc.com

Ok so i am a 34 yr old female with a bmi of 33. I have always been overweight and have managed to loose 130 lbs on my own. I really would like to get this band to help me out.. As some of u know ,its a constant battle.. And one im tired of. Could anyone suggest a doctor here in Colorado. And the funding part is whats stopping me.. Any one know of other options. I do not have insurance and any doc I have called said my bmi is to low and I have NO underlying conditions.. Just over weight.. any help or info would be greatly appreciated.

Hey all! Just wanted to let you know that I have finally been approved and will be having surgery with Dr. Aceves! I'm still working on scheduling but after two years of wanting this, I finally feel like I am making progress. I am thinking about the beginning of August. I will be a nervous wreck this entire summer but will have satisfaction in knowing it will be my last as a big gyrl.:wink0: I need to follow a 7 day pre-op "liver shrinking diet" which is not the same as a liquid diet, thank God! As I get more details I will share them with you.

Less than 24 hours and I will be walking through the hospital doors:001_wub:! I will try and update as soon as I can after surgery if not then I will try and teach my husband how to:lol0: The day is finally here..WOW! Hope to update as soon as I can wish me luck...and thanks for the prayers!

OMG. After reading about what you should do after surgery, I went shopping for Isopure, protein powders, extra strength Tylenol, pill crushers, SF popsicles, Crystal Light, a heating pad, and a Sippy Cup. Well, all I have to say is, I am going to die of dehydration if all my liquids have to come from a sippy cup. What is up with that, a micro-drop each time? I said to myself, obviously I need to think like an infant and treat it like a nipple and suckle. Guess what? I think I have lost the operating instructions for nipple suckling. I'm gonna die of dehydration. I don't suppose someone could send me instructions? Other than that, I am ready. T minus 2 and coun…

Hello! My name is Terri. My surgery was performed on April 5, 2010. I'm 5 weeks post-op and to date have lost 37.2 lbs. I have a long way to go, but I'm getting there finally :thumbup:

Hi everyone I am new to this site and forum and I have been researching this procedure and am liking what I have found so far, except I haven't been able to find out if there is a doctor in Alberta Canada that does the vertical sleeve procedure. I have found that the procedure is only in Mexico. can anyone help with this? Thanks!!

Hi, I'm 21 years old with a BMI of 40. I have struggled with my weight my whole life and two children later and dieting and exercising has left me not losing the weight and actually gaining it. I had my gallbladder removed last july due to complications from my weight and pregnancy. I was referred out by my PCM for a consult for the lap band.

Is there a group established with a kick a$$ name yet?

At Saturday's seminar my surgeon told me his idea to get BCBS to approve the sleeve (which is his first choice) instead of gastric bypass. I've had four open abdominal surgeries and the last one was to remove about a foot of my colon. His plan is to suggest that another surgery involving cutting my intestines would not be wise. :lol0: He has done 80 sleeves and see it as the best WLS for the future. He said he's had only one leak. I have an appointment for my consult. It is June 17th. He requires all patients to work with his nutritionist for 3 months and lose 5% of their body weight. Surgery won't be scheduled till then....:frown1:...so I'm probably not going t…

Wow..Wed. that is the day of my new lease on life! I can't wait..I only got nervous for a lil bit today i'm sure it will really set in tomorrow. I am so excited and it really just hit me Wed. it's gonna happen:biggrin0:! I started a new blog about my journey and just made my first post...I can't wait to take this journey...YES:thumbup:!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here's my blog link if anyone wants to follow: The Losing Side Of Life

Hi everyone, I am set to have surgery in one week, and I am TERRIFIED. I have been going through this process for over a year and was rejected by my insurance 4 different times. I finally decided I would make sacrifices and pay out of pocket. I am starting to doubt myself, did I make the right decision? Could I have tried harder to lose weight other ways? I know in my heart this is right but I am still nervous. :thumbup:

I have to give myself a pad on the back today. My surgery is set for May 25, and I am on my pre-opt diet. I was invited to go to a 5K run/walk last night. So this morning, I actually got up at 6 am, dressed, drank my shake, and hopped in my neighbors car. I walked the whole thing (no running at this size) with a time of 54 minutes. I actually did it. I didn't give up, I didn't stop. It was hard, and my neighbor was with me the whole way. The feeling at the finish was so exciting, because I finally did something that was outside of my comfort zone. I have never done a 5K before, even when I was younger and in shape. My husband didn't believe me this morning when …

I am going tomorrow for my consult with Dr. Borland in New Iberia, La...I am sooo ready!! It is a good feeling to know that this is all beginning to come together.... Now, hopefully I wont forget to ask any questions.... Wish me luck!!:thumbup: Karen

well i was going to get banded at first ... but after talking to my DR sat ... im thinking of getting the sleeve...still a lil unsure ...but i do have a date for july 26th.... HELPPPPP.... :thumbup:

I stumbled upon this website when I googled lapband fills. I was banded Dec. 3rd and have had great results. I am down about 40 pounds so far with no fills. I have been feeling lately that I am able to push the envelope and eat more then my recommended amount. It is a scary thing since I have been doing so well and have come so far. I am thinking that maybe it's time for a fill. I am SCARED TO DEATH about getting one. I keep reading all kinds of icky things. Any words of encouragement?? :thumbup:

I'm meeting a Lap-Band® surgeon for the first time tomorrow. Kinda nervous and kinda excited. What was your first appointment like?

Do u have to be on meds and shakes ? Or eat certian foods?

Three more days of waiting and the time is passing so agonizingly slow. I have the final appointment with the Dr. and staff today where I assume they are going to read me the riot act about post-op behavior. Bring it on!! I will do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, to get rid of this insipid disease. Craftychristie is getting sleeved the same day. Continue to keep us in your thoughts until we can join you on the other side. Jerry :thumbup: