Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

Hi there, Does anyone know of any doctors in Canada who perform the VSG? I have been looking for months and months. Preferably Alberta.

Hi, my name is Rhonda and I live in West Columbia, TX. My surgeon is Dr. Robert Thompson and I am about 3 months pre-op. I have been overweight all of my life and lost weight over and over again but I have never kept it off. This is my new lease on life and I am very excited. I really enjoy making friends and would love to hear your stories. If you want a new friend that is going through the same thing or if you have had the surgery and can give me some tips, please feel free to email me ms.rhonda71@yahoo.com. Have a Blessed day!

Hi, my name is Stephanie, I am 22 years old, and live in Richmond, VA. I am happily engaged and hope to get married on 10/10/10, and am currently waiting to get accepted to a nursing program. Needless to say, I am trying to get my life on track. I moved to Richmond to be with my fiancé, and after 3 years here, I still don’t have many friends. My weight has been a battle since I was a child. I have seen everyone possible, and tried every diet. I manage to lose weight, and then its right back up the second I look at something like a soda. My weight plays a big part in me being miserable and I am ready to change my life, and get back to the happy, playful, fun person that I…

Good Morning Everybody......I will be hanging out here a little more now that the first hurdle has been crossed. BCBSIL gave me a fit but that over and on to the good stuff. I am hoping to be banded somewhere around March 18th. To actually lose more than the same 20 pounds, wow, I'm excited. Have a great day everybody...:thumbup:.

Hello! I had my band applied 2/5/10 and I am still in the liquid diet phase of recovery. (mmm. . . Protein shakes, broth and Popsicles!) I am 38,and the mother of 3 children ages 16,9, and almost 2. I live in Western NY state. I love looking at the success photos, and reading all of the tips and hints you have all posted. It has helped me these last few days getting through this diet phase.

:thumbup: I am at my wits end!! I can’t take it!! All this waiting is killing me!! I don’t understand why does it take so long for simple reports to be done!! I did my part why does t take so long for the nutritionist and the psychologist to send their report to my doctor so that all information can be sent to the insurance company already!! Whyyyyyyyyyy?? Lord Whyyyyyyyyyyyy?? It’s in sane!! Or maybe I am going insane!! For the love of a french fry!!! I am so excited and anxious to start on my journey that I bout to bust!! I try to find stuff to do but that is not working!! I try doing my assignments for school but my focus just is not there!! I need help any suggestions…

Hi- I just got my insurance approval and I'm supposed to have my pre-op today. Unfortunately DH is kinda freaking out about my surgery. He is insistant that I get life insurace before the operation. SO FAR I haven't been able to find any company to approve me because of my BMI. Any Suggestions?

For those vsg-mates who have gotten through the journey..how much weight loss and inch loss can be expected at the following intervals: - 2 weeks - 4 weeks - 2 months - 4 months - 6 months I am 6 days post-op and cannot wait to buy new clothes. :001_tongue:

Hi ya'll I had mine done Feb. 4th and have lost 13 punds. I am starving though, I can't have anything but liquids until I see my surgeon on the 9th, he was very strict only clear liquids and protein shakes. I can't hardly stomach those shakes at this point.HELP:angry:

Hi all you CPAP friends...:regular_smile: I am still trying to get used to the dang thing...I am on the mild APNEA side, my setting is 8. Yesterday I came down with a chest tightness and drainage- post nasal which makes me cough... Should I still be trying...I emphasize trying since I've never made it through the whole night with it...?? My mask is my full face...Martian man...so I can open my mouth but??? Help please:sad:

I got sleeved six days ago and feel a loss of control on my bladder as compared to pre-op. Have to run to the loo immediately after there is a call. Since I am on liquid diet so its natural that there will be more calls, but not having enough control...kind of freaks me out. Any one else facing the same issue? :001_tongue:

Does anyone (please anyone) know how long it takes for the insurance to approve the surgery once all your requirements have been met??

Hello everyone... I have posted here before, but I really need to get on here everyday..I need the support and strength of all you seasoned bandsters~~ Anyway, my highest was 258, I went down to 248 on the week pre op diet, then on the day of surgery my scale said 242...I am now 230.2 in 15 days...which is really good, but it seems to have stalled the past few days. (It is almost that time of the month for aunt Flo to visit so I am hoping that after she leaves it'll just fall back off) I am doing pretty good with eating, especially for having no restriction, which I am pretty amazed about. I am getting impatient for my first fill, which my doc wont do until 6-8 wks…

Hello.... My name is Shellie and I am 34 yrs old. I am single and without any children. I have been struggling with my weight for my entire life...and what an exhausting battle it has been. I am very interested in getting a LAP-BAND®®. As a matter of fact, I have been researching it for several months now. Of course in between those months life just kind of takes over and as I have done most of my life...I put my needs on the back burner. I am looking for anyone who may have any advice on the insurance approval side and any advice in gereneral about the procedure. I would love to hear about the pros and cons people have experienced. Thank you so much for taking the time t…

Ok I'm having some trouble making decisions where to have the sleeve done. I am trying to have it done here in Philly thru my insurance. My insurance will cover it if my BMI is over 50 and if it is part 1 of a 2 part operation, the second part with in 2 years.My BMI is 43 so I do not qualify. It has not been approved as a stand alone procedure. I'm jumping through all the hoops for insurance to see if the will substitute it for RNY. i hoping my surgeon will write a letter deeming it medically necessary. I'm pretty sure I am not eligable for RNY. I sometimes take steroids for my back and NSAIDS for my back and osteoporosis runs in the family. I want to get a dexascan to s…

"Hi" I'm new and about to get sleeved on the 18th. I am scared and excited at the same time. I have been doing research for over 5 years and decided to self pay the sleeve. I have about 80 pounds to lose but have acquired 6 co morbid diseases along the way that motivated my Doctor to convince me that it was "time". I'll pop in from time to time to say "hi" but I am always lurking... TNTPOP means Trinity and Troy's pop... Those are my kids... I am their Pop :biggrin0: TNT also goes pop... but that's not.. oh well you get it :thumbup:

ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thats right, I finally got my date ( ok so I got it last week but I have not been here.) So its April 16, 2010...

I am having surgery Feb 15th (Yeah). I am on the the 9th day of the liver shrinking diet. I am getting throught the starving part (hard) but the fatigue is what gets me the most. I feel like I cant really do anything because it exacerbated my hunger and makes me feel a bit faint. Will this go away after the surgery?:lol0:

I got my surgery date today of March 8th so I am exactly a month away. I started low carb today just to make it easier after the surgery. My surgeon is Dr McDaniels in Victoria, Texas. I want to lose 100 pounds.

I know people that would love to get it at that price but the link is broken. how do you fix it or have another link to it?

Been reading everyone since Fall 09 but waited to post to see how it all played out. 1 mo postop; sleeve on Jan 8, 2010 in San Antonio, TX. In hospital for 4 days, tough recovery early on but soreness 100% gone by week 4. Lost 26 lbs w/o exercise that first month. Just hit first stall so riding my recumbant bike for 30 mins every am. Water intake ok but hard to down so much solid Protein (never thought I'd say THAT!)... Am I crazy for ordering size 16, 14 & even 12 clothes??? :001_tongue:

Hi all. I am Meg, a 40 year old woman living in Clearwater, FL. I have been obese my whole life and have tried every diet on the planet. I have got all of my preliminary paperwork into my surgeons office. Now, I am waiting for my first visit with her on the 15th. I am hoping to be banded in the next 4-6 weeks!! I have a wonderful partner, 2 dogs and 2 cats. I want to be able to take my dogs on long walks without pain. I have terrible arthritis in my knees and ankles and I hurt 24/7. I am an online college student, trying to finally get my degree. I am looking to make support buddies and will do everything my surgeon says. I'm having a bit of anxiety, but I know …

I am officially in wonderland !!!!!!!! 198 lbs !!!!!! yessssssssss!!!!!

Hi Everyone! I am just starting the process to try to get approved for the lapband surgery. I was wondering if anyone has experience with BC/BS OK? I recently switched from a PPO to a HMO because it said bariatric surgery was covered. I haven't been able to find any information on what surgery or the requirements for it. Please Help!

Hi everyone I live in Perth Western Australia and was banded at the Mount Hospital on November 2nd 2009. I lost 4kg on the Optifast diet and am now up to 16kg. I am not sure how much of this has been due to the lapband and how much to sheer willpower and truth be known OUTRIGHT FEAR:scared2:. I went to a talk prior to having the band fitted and the presenters were talking about blockages and PBs and it terrified me so much that I was determined never to experience them. I have pretty much cut out red meat altogether ( lucky I like fish) and haven't eaten bread since the op....I'm a real scaredy cat but couldn't bear the thought of the possible vomiting or having to go …

Hey all. I actually have a surgery date here in the states, have done all the psych and preop, however it is still a terrifying thing to me that I must put down 3500 and then make payments for years until I pay off my 14000 loan. I chose to go to this center because they are a center of excellence and have a great follow up program and I know that post surgery I will need all the help I can get, I have a very unhealthy relationship with food and I know that surgery alone will not change this. So, I guess I am looking to hear about your tips, experiences, and what it actually cost you to have surgery in Mexico. I had it all lined up at one point and the reactions I got fr…

Well, to make a long short, due to some documentation issues I can't fix, my insurance company will deny coverage for WLS. I could keep appealing until it's approved. It may take a few months to a year but doable. BUT... My company was just purchased by Manpower and my insurance could switch over to a new policy anytime in the next four months. So the timing is looking bad right now, I could spend a few months getting approved and then have my insurance change over and not cover it at all or find it is covered and the requirements require less rigor for approval. Either way, I need to wait. Or fly to Mexico LOL. -Mark

Hello folks! This is my first post. I am 26yo, 5'5", and I have no children. I am 335lb:( I am so ready for a change. I was just approved for lapband and have been on liquid diet for 4 days now (sigh). My surgery is scheduled for 2/18/10 (YAY!). Good Luck to everyone

Hi! I was wondering if there are any Muslims (especially women) who have had their wls in Mexico? I'm expecting to go down there next month but I'm just trying to find out how other Muslims have been recieved in Mexico. Did you experience any type of prejudice while there? Were they accomodating about your privacy (modesty/hijab) and diet? Thanks!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IF4-9gEpoA]YouTube- PANTS ON THE FLOOR BARIATRIC[/ame]:sad0:

Hello all! I'm new to the band community. A friend got banded a few months back & my best friend had gastric bypass a couple years ago. I know GBS is not the way to go for me, but I'm seriously considering the band. So much so, that I've begun the insurance phase & am about half way to my 6 month fulfillment. That would put my surgery at the end of April/early May. Just trying to get saturated in the world of bandsters to make a final decision. Please see my new band blog at Band on the Run

I left hospital on Friday Feb 5th . Doing well just a little sore.

I am in the NW valley of the Phoenix area. I am hoping to be banded by the end of February (need to wait on the passport). I have been crazy reading all the info on the internet about going to Mexico for the procedure. I think I have narrowed my choices to 3 doctors. 1.) Dr. Ortiz--Tijuana, 2.) Dr. Jose Rodriguez--Tijuana, 3.) Dr. Aceves--Mexicali. I would love to hear and good, great or bad experiences anyone has to offer. I'm not really interested in anyones "opinion" that has not had a personal experience with any of these docs. Thanks in advance. I look forward to hearing from some of you. Jenn

hi everyone. my name is Delores, my husband Brandon and i live in washington with our beautiful son Jet. Brandon is in the navy. i have been over weight all my life. and it's time for a change. my motivation is my 9 month old. i want to live long enough to see him grow and see him have his own family. i want to be able to keep up with him when we go out and play. i want to be able to do everything my husband can with him. i hope and pray that i will get approved to get the surgery. :mad:

Hi everyone! My name is Kira. I am 22 and I have made the decision to get the lap band. I am still totally new to all of this and to be honest, I have been more or less reading a LOT of the posts here and learning a lot! So I decided to go ahead and make an account here =) I am married to an awesome, supportive husband and I have a 10 month old little boy named Quincy. He was born in April. I had gestational diabetes during my pregnancy (most likely due to the fact I am very obese) 6 months later I had to go to the hospital for a rash and found out my gestational diabetes decided to hang around and turned into type 2. My nurse at the time dubbed it a "Hang ove…

Hello everyone. I am new to this site and to the lap band system. I have an appointment to attend a seminar this Tuesday. I am 33 years old, have been married for 10 years, have a wonderful husband and great kids. I am about 5'6 and am 255 which is higher than I have ever been ( even while pregnant). I have hypertension, had gestational diabetes with both children, and have a herniated disc in my back. I have struggled with weight my entire life and am excited about lap band and this site! My surgeon will be Dr. V. Prachand at the University of Chicago Hospitals which have an excellent reputation. I have United Health care insurance that will cover the procedure at 100% t…

Just thought I'd do a boring formal intro...:thumbup::ohmy::thumbup: I am Katherine... 26yo from Australia... I work in the medical field.. I work crazy oncall hours.. sometime 60-70hours a week! but I do love my job... I've been overweight my whole life at least the last 20years! Ive got high blood pressure, kidney problems and now some insulin intolerance! I am desperate to loose this weight so I can live a long healthy life and maybe one day have a baby! I have approx 60-70kg to loose... :thumbup: My op date is the end of March 2010!!! I just cant wait:tt2::wink5::ohmy::wink2: K xxxx

My name is Rolanda and I had my lapband place on 12/28/09 by Dr Alan Geiss in NY. I feel fantastic. I am well on my way to my weight loss goal, eventhough I have a ways to go. I am very happy to be a part of this group to be able to read and share experiences with fellow bandsters/bandees. Rolanda

I have been floating around the site for a while and thought it was about time to introduce myself. I am Carissa... 22 from Perth, Australia. I had my lap band op on Monday 1st Feb 2010 so am currently 6 days post op. I managed to lose 11kgs in the pre-op Optifast diet for 3 weeks and to admit, it was the easiest 11kg i have ever lost. I was hungry, tired and grumpy yes, but knowing i was doing it for the operation made it so much easier. I started at 150kg, and at the time of the op 6 days ago I was 139kg. I'm not sure what i would be today but i see my doctor on the 9th for the first checkup so hopefully i can weigh in then. I have really just been sleeping since I …

Thanks to all you great "Sleevers". I visited Dr. Alvarez Monday and confirmed my Sleeve date for February 1st. The thing I dread most is he requires me to be on a liquid diet for 3 weeks. I understand why, but for a food addict I think it is going to be tough. Anyone have any suggestions what a food addict can do to make it through. :001_tt1: :crying: :001_smile:

Hi all!! My name is Natalie and I was just approved for the LapBand. My surgery date is February 10th, 2010 and I am SO excited. I have been reading this forum for weeks now in anticipation of my own surgery date! My best friend was recently banded and she's already down 20+ pounds. My husband is in the Army and has been away from home for more than 1 1/2 years now. When he finally gets to move home at the end of this year, he won't know who I am!! Can't wait!!

Hello All! I was banded this past Monday, Feb.1st. This is the first day that I am starting to feel "normal". Now that I am feeling better, I am starting to mourn my old foods and habits. Even though I am not physically hungry, my mind is craving hamburgers and donuts. Tomorrow is the SuperBowl and I am sad that I can't pig-out like the rest of America. I hoping that these feelings will start to pass in the next week or so once I can start eating soft foods. I am excited to have found this website and I hope it will help me on this journey.

Hello everyone. I have been looking into the LapBand for around 9 months and finally in January decided that it was right for me. I am now scheduled for surgery with Dr. Oliak (Brea, CA) on February 24, 2010. I have approximately 85 pounds to lose. This seems to be my last hope and I worry that I still won't lose the weight. :thumbup:

I am currently on week 2. I got banded in Mexico and was very impressed with the whole procedure. Any Questions feel free to ask. Brent

Help..I was banded last Friday 1-29-10 and starting yesterday my stomach has not stopped growling..I feel like I could eat a whole pizza! I am sticking to the full liquid diet but no matter how much I drink, It is a temporary fix. I get puree next week and then soft foods a week later. Will I be this hungry my 1st fill in 4-6 weeks? Yikes, I hope my will-power stays strong.

im about half way done with my classes at Kaiser which means im half way to getting my surgery im liittle scarred not gonna lie. but i was wondering how painful was it after the surgery? how long did you wait before going back to work? and also do you get alot of the dumping syndrome? i heard you get it with the gastric bypass more. i can ask these types of questions to my doc or some other medical person haha but i think i can find more accurate answers from people who have experienced it already. thanks i hope to hear from everyone!:thumbup1:

Hi, im Bob. Im having my surgery on March 3rd. Im getting pretty nervous, most of it is from surgery but im wondering if i can be back to work in 2 weeks(assuming everything will go ok). Im a self employed plumber, job usually involves heavy lifting. Could possibly do "lighter" duty for a week or two. My dr. told me she doesnt put a time frame on returning, she said if i feel up to it, its fine. She said everyone is different and she encourages getting into normal routine as soon as possible. She also does not require a liquid diet, just no solid food the day before. Im going to try to do liquid diet 1 week before on my own. Just wondering if its possible to return to phy…

This support group is for the KC area LGBT community offer support bariatric surgery patients. This is a safe place to share motivation, encouragement, recipes, and exercise tips. kclgbtbariatric@yahoo.com . We’re on FACEBOOK! 2-20-10 11:00am to 12:30pm Meeting place: Antioch Library 8700 Shawnee Mission Parkway Merriam, Kan. 66202

Hi all! I hate writing about myself but I'll try it out. I just had my doctor's appt on Wednesday and he put in my insurance referral for me then (I love Tricare and haven't had any issues with them ever! *knock on wood*). He said it'd take a week for a decision. I checked it the next day and they received it then, Thursday Jan 14th. Last night, I checked it again and it was already approved! So, Monday I'll be making my first appointment with my surgeon, Dr Terry Simpson in Phoenix, AZ. I've also made a blog to document my journey and will keep it updated regularly if anyone wants to follow me (I'll follow back!). It's lapbandiary.blogspot.com :w00t: Oh, by th…