Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

I had my first visit with the dr. last week. Lost the weight I needed to and am now ready for my pre op appointment. What can I expect after surgery??? Any help would be appreciated, I don't know anyone that has had lap band surgery.

Just curious...have any of you been banded by Dr. Jessee in the Tampa bay area? I went to one of her seminars and was very impressed. I was wondering if anyone had any experience with her and her staff? Thanks!! Deb :tongue_smilie:

Well I just got back yesterday from Tijuana and have to admit I'm pleasantly surprised. Everything was great for my surgery and the people that work there are so nice. My coordinator Melissa from Obese Solutions was very helpful both before and during my stay. I though it was wonderful that she was there in person. Dr. Almanza was very nice and professional and always had a smile on his face. I love that he took the time to explain the procedure to me and the others in my group. We had a group of 7 people. 5 sleeves and 2 bypasses in all. They did all the surgeries in the first day after our tests except for one person who happened to have a kidney problem and th…

I've been lurking, then posting a bit, for a few weeks now, so I figured it was time for an official introduction. I'm MLK, female, 51 years old, 5'2", scheduled to be sleeved on March 17. My mom put me on my first diet when I was not quite 9 years old, and I've been fighting my weight ever since. Thought I was fat all through high school and college (although the photos certainly prove me wrong), then after my son was born 23 years ago I gained a ton of weight and spent most of my 30s hovering around 190, which on me was HUGE. Dieted down to 125 after I got divorced in my mid-30s, kept it off pretty well for almost 10 years doing 10-15 hours of martial arts per week…

I'm new to the forum and wanted to say hello. I have been researching Lap-band for a while and now have saved enough to cover the costs since I will be a cash-pay patient. I contacted a locally recommended surgeon and was told that to start the process, I have to attend an info session that they hold. The next one will be scheduled in March and seats aren't guaranteed. I hope that I can respond in time to get one of the slots. Although I am a little bit concerned that I have to attend a session like this even to be able to get a consult. I have a fairly public profile in my area (in terms of my career) so I am not sure about the group setting. Is this normal? A…

hey everyone!! I joined the site because i just started the surgery process and have no one to talk to about it. my mother went thru gastric bypass about 7 years ago. im only 21 so i dont have any friends to really talk to about this and i have no friends who understand what im going thru. im not sure what to expect with all of this. hoping to have my surgery my august and i have my first intro class next week. so any advice or anything that you could give me would be much appriciated

Hello All! My name is Stephen Bennett, and I am a Senior in High School. I am 18 yrs old, 296.4, and 5' 7". My scheduled surgery date is 3/2/10. The purpose of this thread is my concerns during college. I am going to Arcadia University in the Fall for physical therapy and was wondering if there were younger people who areor have gone through a similar situation. 1.) How was college life with the band? 2.) Was there a cafe that helped you out with regards to your surgery? 3.) Did the band interfere with classes? These are just a few of my concerns, but I figured for my first thread I would start it out with this! Please let me know if you have any experienc…

Hi there. I just wanted to introduce myself here before I start posting in other forums. I am being banded in March (unless something horrendous comes from my tests) by Dr. Van Vallina out of Central DuPage Hospital (suburbs of Chicago). Psych is finished, I do a group meeting requirement tonight, Barium swallow and blood tests Wednesday, PFT and exercise physiologist March 2nd and then I'm done. It's through BCBS HMO so I did a 6 month diet through the end of December. Looking forward to getting my date in mid-March. I have three children ages 6, 3 and 1. Unfortunately, having all of those babies in a short span of time gave me an umbilical hernia, but th…

Hi All! I am new to the banding crew. After a lifelong battle with the bulge I took the step to surgery. Surgery was straight forward and everything thus far has been great. Just wanted to say hi!

So, this week marks a pretty awesome point in my WLS journey. I started my WLS journey with the band at 270lbs, sleeve revision at 263lbs, and today I'm weighing in at 135. I've lost literally half of pre-op self ! ! ! Just thought this is a really awesome moment for me so I thought I would share. I bought new skinny jeans this week from Rue 21, they're a size 8/9 and they are way smaller than my other 9's in the closet. I seriously love my sleeve. For those of you debating this surgery, do it. I couldn't be happy with my sleeve. I couldn't imagine living the life I'm living today.

First Im so glad I found this site have been reading lots of posts and it been very helpful! I just have a few questions. I understand that the band is suppose to make me feel full but did anyone have depression or problems because they couldnt eat? I know I am not the only one who eats for emotional reasons!! Also has anyone out there been banded by Dr Armando Joya in Puerto Vallarta, MX? And lastly I notice most people are getting lots and lots of fills, I thought you only needed a couple??

Hi everyone! My name is Kim and I am from Orlando, FL. I am scheduled for the sleeve on April 6th at Florida Hospital Celebration with Dr. Keith Kim. I have been reading all your post for a couple of weeks now and decided to join as my surgery is getting closer. I have enjoyed reading all your post and some of the information has been very helpful. I am very excited about my surgery and can hardly wait. I had a couple of questions I was hoping some of you might be able to answer for me. How long did you take off from work? I know this is very dependent on the type of work that one does but I was hoping for an average. Especially for those people whose work is of…

Good Morning everyone! February 17th is finally finally almost here! Tomorrow's my day to become a Sleeve Sister! All of you have helped me figure out this journey and decided on the Sleeve. How lucky I am to have found VST. I knew I didn't want RNY and thought I wanted the Band until I came here and started reading. I feel so fortunate. So to each of you, thank you for helping me along the way. I'm so excited. I'm visualizing the best possible outcome for my surgery and immediate recovery period. I'm visualizing no gas, no nausea, no incision pain. I figure I might as well start from the most positive aspect to create a positive experience. My mant…

I enter the 3rd month today and have lost a total of 40 pounds in the last two months. Considering the lon duration of stalls that I have had, this is a landmark achievement. Other than the weight loss some significant events are: 1. No diabetic and hypertension medication for 57 days now. 2. Able to walk into a regular clothing store to pick up polo shirts instead of a Big and Tall store. 3. Joined a gym and loving it ! 4. Wearing old clothes from my wardobe (never worn before as they were too tight). 5. And last but not the least, the constant motivation fromt the wonderdul folks in this forum who kept encouraging me during the inevitable stalls. :001_smile:

Hi I am Mallory. Made a very big decision with my Husband last night. We decided to do what ever necessary to get this procedure done. I am about 210lbs. I could be more or less but i don't currently have my scale. I am in Japan for 2 more weeks, been here already for a month and a half. Before I left i was about 208-209lbs ish. Some would say I don't weigh enough but i am small boned and 5' 1inches. I am a small short person other than the fat I carry. I do not think this is some magic cure but I have done the Diets and counting calories and have had small success as in 10 or 15 lbs but that all comes back slowly if any portion of my routine changes. :sad: I nee…

Hello, My name is Robin and I live in Cincinnati, OH. Dr. Trace Curry performed my LAP-BAND®® surgery on 2/15/10 I also had a hiatal hernia repaired. I think the recovery from the hernia repair is more difficult than the actual LAP-BAND®®, anyone else think that that went thru what I did ? The breathing in heavy hurts so bad and coughing is a killer. Starting to wear off now some, but now most of my pain is now to the right of my belly button maybe up a little bit, feels like a pulling sensation whener I walk and move my right leg when I walk it pulls. I seem to be doing pretty good on my pureed diet with getting in my protein and the right amount of fat & carbs seems…

Hi everyone, I am scheduled to have my surgery on March 1st and am so excited. I'm looking forward to being able to run and play with my grandkids. At 53 I have gone from "maybe this will be the year i can finally stay on a diet and lose some weight" to " I'm ready to have the Lapband surgery and get this show on the road! Woo-Hoo!" :redface:

Feb 17th the start of a new me!!!! I am so excited and a little scared. I am so glad I found this website and was able to learn from everone elses experiences. Thank you all!! I am in Michigan and having my surgery at St John Oakland. I work there so hopefully it will go good. Hope to talk to you all soon. Marie

I met with my surgeon 3 weeks ago and am ready for my first shared class on Feb 1. You guys have been so free in sharing your anxieties, your experiences and your successes. Your postings have been educational and inspiring. I will share my progress from time to time throughout the process. At this point, I am holding on to the idea that I know I can lose weight...I've done it many times. BUT, it always comes back. Someone said that "brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live FOREVER!" My purpose in going with the LAP-BAND® is that I have confidence that once I lose the weight, I'll be able to keep it off. I have no confidence that I can keep it off with…

Hi all Just a Australian newby to the site, Banded on 05 May 2005 and have lost 54kg. A great result and a fantastic experience so far.

I'm so excited! I just got my first fill. I'm ready to start feeling full. I had surgery on Dec. 31st 09 and from the first of my journey with insurance requirements, then Dr. Neals office requirements, I have lost 30 pds. The last two weeks have been challenging because I could eat about anything. Now liquids for two days and away I go. I am ready to see the scales go down again! Dr. Neal did my surgery in Olympia WA. He is awesome, really nice. His whole staff have been wonderful. Love reading how others are doing along the way. Lots of good info.

looking for a way to pay my insurance says no and I don't have the money and the finance company says no what do I do??????

hi, ive been visiting the site for about 6 months waiting for a date for banding. the photos of weight loss are amazing !!! iam a forty year old man with cardiomyopathy which was diagnosed 6 years ago , i was about 16 stone and told i needed to shift a few pounds. tried every diet known to man ! it seems like ive always been on a diet! i now weigh 26 stone , its amazing how it creeps up on you! anyway i have been refered to my local hospital for banding and have been told i can have it . i had the usual interigation as to my eating and drinking habits, did i eat crisps drink beer eat sweets etc i was starting to feel about 12 years old the way they were goin on! just wai…

has anyone else experienced being sick so much since surgery!!! i have had a virus about 2 weeks ago- diarhea and vomiting. now i have a head cold/flu that is making me feel so drained. i can't drink hardly anything or eat because my throat is so sore. i am really sabatoging my weight loss. i didn't feel like exercising today due to this cold. i have no energy!! does any one have any ideas. also should i start taking some extra vitamin C? i don't want to keep getting colds and viruses just because my immune system is weak. please help!!:eek::sad0::frown1:

Hi everyone! My surgery date was December 18, 2009. I was banded by Dr. Salamentari at Tri City Hospital. I lost 14 pounds pre-op, and 11 pounds since. I had my first fill on February 2,2010 and am going for my second fill on February 23rd. I am at a stand still right now and feel no restriction yet. I am eating a lot less than before I was banded, but I do not stay full longer than 21/2 hours. I hope the second fill gives me some resistance. I have had a rough week and have been eating some junk food. I was doing so well up to now. I guess old ways are creeping in again. I am looking forward to the support on this site, everyone seems so nice and knowledgeable.:sad::w00t…

I looked into lap-band here but because my BMI is under 40 insurance won't cover it, so am seriously considering going to Mexico or Costa Rica. I am concerned about complications and getting follow up care/fills after the surgery. Please share your experiences with follow up back in the US after foreign surgery - or should I do gastric bypass instead?

I have been lurking on the forums for a couple of months now. I want to thank you all for your honest and support right now. I couldn't have made my decision without you. I spoke to my Dr. yesterday and he agreed that a sleeve was a good option for me. I was ecstatic!!! Now I can't wait for a date. I have two more nutritionist visits and my psych eval. left to do. I am hoping for a June date, I am a teacher, so I will have lots of time to get in to the swing of things before I have to go back to work. Anyway.... thanks again for your continued support... I look forward to visiting lots more. Please be patient with me... I am still learning. Lisa:001_smile:

Hello ALL!!! I am new to this sight and learning my way around. I hope to get to know everyone soon!

hey everyone!! I joined the site because i just started the surgery process and have no one to talk to about it. my mother went thru gastric bypass about 7 years ago. im only 21 so i dont have any friends to really talk to about this and i have no friends who understand what im going thru. im not sure what to expect with all of this. hoping to have my surgery my august and i have my first intro class next week. so any advice or anything that you could give me would be much appriciated

Hello, I'm Tracy. I've been lurking here for some time, but I've decided to come out of hiding :confused:. Yesterday, I got the call from my doctor with my surger date, March 12. I'm excited/scared/nervous and more then ready to get my life back. Because of my weight, I sometimes feel invisible when I am in public and although I am not happy about this, I am used to it. I often wonder how I will react when I don't have my "fat shield". Scary and exciting at the same time. :confused: I have enjoyed lurking here and I hope to participate more in the future. Thanks everyone, Tracy:smile:

Hi everyone! Let me introduce myself since this is my first time here. My name is Victor and I am 24 years old. I am currently in Med School (studying abroad). And I have been dealing with weight issues all my life. Ever since I could remember I've been on and off diets. I have never reached my "ideal" weight. With that said, I will be getting a VSG on April due to my class schedule (wouldn't mind getting it tomorrow but I have to wait till my vacations). The surgery will be done in Florida. I measure 5'7 and my weigh in at 235; that gives me a BMI of 36.8 What should I expect after being sleeved? I am very anxious.. Never been "thin" in my life. If diet and exercise…

hi, i am scheduled for surgery on march 1st. just wondering if anyone has heard of dr. mehta in new brunswick, nj??? ive heard good things...but i guess i am just getting a little nervous...ive never had any surger before! thanx!

I'm just over a week out from having my band put on. I do have some morning nausia, but other then that things are going along well. I haven't had any hunger problems until today, it was the first time that i even felt hungry. I had my surgery done At St Lukes In Phoenix AZ by Dr Juarez. I feel like i'm ready to start eating "mushy" foods but i guess i have to wait a couple more weeks. When did everyone else start to eat other then liquids? Don

Hello, My name is LaQuita and I am 'new' to this board. BUT I am not a new bander. I was banded in August of 08. I am 5'2 and weighed 241. :thumbup: The first fill I was supposed to have, I couldn't have b/c the port had sliped and turned sideways. The Dr could not access it for the fill. I had to have surgery again 6 weeks later so the Dr could secure the port with more stitches. I had lost over 40+ pounds (down to 198) before I had my next set of problems with my band.:eek: I got to 7cc and started throwing up so the Dr took out 4 cc, waited a ferw months and we started back again. I got up to 7cc again and this time I started throwing up and wouldn't stop. …

Hello, my name is Brandi! I started my two week pre-surgical diet today and my Lap-Band surgery is scheduled for March 1st. I'm getting a little anxious and thought maybe talking to others who have or will be having the same experience might help. Any suggestions or pointers would be great!

I have been a lurker here on and off for a few months. Just thought I would say Thank You to all of those that post their expriences and their support out here for those of us just starting this journey. It is much appreciated. I have had a fairly short journey as I am a military dependant and I didn't have to jump through as many hoops as some...for which I am very thankfull.... Anyhow, just wanted to say thanks and let you all know that I have a date...2 weeks from today. March 1, 2010 is going to be my new birthday!

Hello there everyone.. Today is my "big day" I have to be at the hospital in a little over an hour. I haven't had anything to eat or drink since 10pm last night. I am very anxious and excited at the same time. wish me luck!!!

Hello everyone! I have finally made the decision to take control of my life and make this major lifestyle change. Any help & support you can lend is greatly appreciated. I am weighin in at 255 right now :thumbup: I am terribly uncomfortable to say the least! But I do have a question...I not a heavy drinker but I do like to go out & have drinks...I actually think I drink more for the sociability because I am so very heavy & relaxes me & takes my focus off of the weight & allows me to have my fun. So my question is what are the drinking restrictions? :biggrin:

So I'm new..I just found this sight and thought I would check it out. I had surgery on January 28th, so almost exactly 3 weeks ago. My first week on liquids went well and I lost 10lbs, but since I've struggled with portion size and how often to eat. I know by week three I should be eating 3 meals a day. Now I'm eating mostly cottage cheese, yogurt, Beans, oatmeal, caned fish. But I've only lost 15lbs. And I'm starving by 4 hours after tthe meal, plus I don't reall feel "full" after the meal. Tonight I cheated and had a mouthful of crackers after dinner (which was 1/4 cup kidney beans and 1/4th cup steamed baby carrots) plus i had a few extra carrots and a bite…

Hi guys! I am new! My name is Mary and I am from Alabama! I have decided to get banded and started a blog! I go to my first seminar Saturday! I am super nervous and really hoping to get this band in me soon! Hope I can get some followers! Thanks! bandmeimready.blogspot.com

I am at my layover and will be arriving in San Diego in about an hour...I can't believe it! Although, the minute I got off the flight there was a Cinnabon place....and I LOVE me some Cinnabon....the devil is out to get me :001_smile: I am elated, nervous, scared but ready! I can't to meet my girls when I arrive. I will post as soon as I get up!!!

Hi everybody. My name is Jessica, I'm 23 years old and lately I've been doing a lot of thinking about LAP-BAND® surgery. Right now I'm in a constant push-pull struggle when it comes to my weight. I'm at my heaviest: 270 pounds (5'4"). I've tried dieting on my own and I've tried Weight Watchers. The most weight I've ever lost was 35lbs, then gained it all back with an extra 40 to find myself where I am now. I just joined WW again but I get so frustrated and discouraged because I know how hard it is to lose any weight, but how hard will it be to KEEP it off?? I don't think I can. My body is just too used to being this size. My sister had gastric bypass two years ago and…

Lap band surgery was suggested to me by my surgeon after being hospitalized. After surgery I was unconscience for 7 days and developed a nerve problem in my leg which is aggrivated by my being overweight. I had three options: 1. live with it (not an option-too much pain) 2. have surgery to slice the nerve in half leaving me with no sensation at all (not an option for me) or 3. lap band surgery (well I guess you already know which option I chose). Actually my first Lap Band Seminar is tonight. Looking forward to it. So here I am joining everyone and hope to share and get to know everyone. :thumbdown:

I am having surgery on Monday the 22nd, and I am both excited and nervous

Hello all I'm just waiting for the hospital to call, and let me know what time to be there tommorrow. I'm very nervous and hungry. Ill post tommorrow and let you all know how it went. My surgeon is Dr Edward Cussatti in Bay Shore Long Island N Y. Talk soon Jimmy :biggrin:

Hey Everyone! I found this website a few weeks ago but haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Mary and I live in Utah. I've got three wonderful girls and an awesome hubby. I'm having my LapBand place on Monday, February 22. I'm currently on my liquid diet and I feel like I'm dying! Ok, not really but it really sucks when I have to fix my girls lunch! Anyways, just wanted to hop on here and let you all know about me!

Hi everyone! I am brand new here..this is my first post!:lol0: I belong to OH also. I happened on this site through google as I was researching the VSG. Glad I did..I love this forum. I am not for sure if my insurance will approve VSG..I called today and the lady wouldn't tell either way..just that if Bariatric surgery is medically necessary then your Dr. will do the rest. I am new to insurance just got it first time ever in July. I was 2 weeks from having the DS(self pay)...I had some financial unforseen circumstances happen and I had to cancel the surgery! I was a wreck I was so siked for it! I was really mad at the hospital for not working with me at all.I guess t…

Hi, Im Bob. Im from Greensburg Pa.(30 miles east of Pittsburgh) and having surgery in Pittsburgh Pa. on March 3rd. I would greatly appreciate if someone could tell me what to have on hand before and especially imediately post-op,Gas-x strips, Heating pad, protien powder etc. Thanks and good luck to all.

Hi all, I just want to let EVERYONE here know that during the snow storm here in the North East, the power went off and on a few times in a row and my desk top computer crashed! I'm at my mother's house now using her PC to write this. Anyway I had to get on the phone with HP and troubleshoot and my files were wiped out so I'm waiting on the mail to deliver recover CD's and then I'll get back on the phone with HP and have them walk me through the steps to "restore" the computer to its original factory settings. I'm so pissed because I want to keep up with you all. To those of you who have recently had your surger God bless and keep you. To those of you about to I wis…

Big sigh....I haver surgery in TWO days...I almost can't believe it. I have been reading and preparing myself mentally and emotionally to start this journey. I am so excited to finally get a new lease on life BUT I am also so scared. The one thing that I hate, that controls my life, I am scared to give up....what is wrong with me??? The unknown is always such a scary thing, but what I will gain in the end is worth any and all sacrifices to get my health back for ME and MY KIDS. I just hope I have the strength and courage everyday to get through this. I have learned so much from so many people on this site...and with all the knowledge I have gained I can only hope I am a l…