Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

Hi my name is Lexi from Kyle, TX and had LB surgery on 11/4/09 with Dr. Richard Symmonds in Temple, TX. I had a very long journey, but I finally got my surgery done and I couldn't be happier. I went to my first consultation with True Results in Austin, TX and have insurance through BCBS. I was told I was approved and needed to go through a 6 month weight loss valution, and a few other requirments. Got to my last weight loss valution appt. and was so excited because we were going to talk about surgery dates and was told that my insurance would not cover TR to do the surgery, because they didn't use a Blue Distinctioned Center which just means an approved hospital that …

Hello, I am currently in the process of researching whom I would like to get my lapband done through. Right now Im leaning towards True Results in Austin Tx. I will unfortunately have to finance my surgery since TX bcbs doesn't cover it even if it is medically necessary. I'm fairly overwhelmed at this point :thumbup: and am open to any suggestions or pointers. Hope to talk to all of you soon.:tt2:

Well, I?m scheduled to be at the hospital at 7:30 tomorrow morning for my surgery. I thought I would be freaking out right now but actually I'm ready to go to bed so we can get going. :ohmy: I can't wait to meet you all on the 'loser bench'. Prayers are ALWAYS excepted!! :001_tongue: ~Marci

Hey there! I'm Donna, and I'm not yet banded, but am scheduled to be banded on Feb. 3rd, 2010. My surgeon is Woody Denham and so far I'm impressed with him and his staff. They have been great. I will be starting the liquid diet on Tuesday the 19th, and I'm a little nervous about how everything is going to go. I would appreciate any tips/tricks you have for preparing for the surgery, recovering and successfully losing weight! Thanks! Donna

Hi all my name is Tina. I am from Michigan, Metro Detroit area and became a bandster yesterday, 1/12/10. My surgeon, who is wonderful is Dr. Gazayerli of Troy. Along with getting banded I had a hiatal hernia repaired, boy was that news to me. I arrived at the hospital around 10:30 am and the case in front of me took much longer due to some "issues" so I did not go in to the O.R. until 2:45 uugh boy was I ever frustrated! But all turned out well and here I am. I am sore and the gas pain has been living in my right shoulder since I got home last night, OUCH! But other that that I am doing good and looking forward to all of your support.

im new to this site and just stumbled upon it moments ago,i immediatly feel like this is a wonderful site and i have some feelings of relief reading other post.im in the process of learning all i can about the suregery as today my doctor urged me to consider im 34 years old and weight is 240 pounds on a 5'2 tall body developing many physical issues with my back,feet and knees anything you can tell me would be appreciated as im a little afraid and excited at the possiablity of getting the weight off:w00t::tt1::thumbup:

Hi...new here.. was banded 12/07/09.. I have been overweight most of my life and hope to reverse some of the health issues i have related to my weight.. I have lost about 22 pounds so far and already feel great.

hi everyone my name is mike and i have my consultation feb.9th and get my surg.date that day! i cant wait! im hoping to meet some people on here to learn and share information with.and keep track on eachothers progress!

Hi fellow Banders, I have just set my surgery date for February eighth. I am now running from doctor to doctor recieving consults and having exams....this is exhausting but apparently necessary so I am running!!!! I have just one more consult to schedule...Psych! Saved that one for last. lol Figured if im still sane after all the above.. then I must be ready for surgery! I decided to band for several reasons. They are really all connected as you will understand as you see......before I married I was a size 12 and 145 pds. I lived in NYC, had no car so exercize by walking was natural. After marriage at 32..I began to gain some weight....then became pregnant. High blo…

Hey Everyone, I have been lurking on here for the past month, OMG....the information on here is so aweseome, it has helped me decide on the sleeve and the doctor, I'm self pay so I'm heading to Mexical and have already been scheduled, Nerves are sure going all over the place. I am looking for a support group located around Tacoma, Washington, in hopes to help with the emotional side of things, please let me know if anyone knows anything. Wendy

Hey, I'm Nae I stay in Houston,Texas. I was banded in July of 2009 I have lost a total of 31 pounds still trying but, it's a great start.:thumbup:

Wow I'm so excited I just can't tell you how much I wish I had done this years ago. Nov.16th 2009 I had my Gastric sleeve done at Emanuel Jerusalem Hospital in Mexico. Dr Almanza performed the surgery and Dr Betancourt saw everything before and afterwards was in order. Here it is Jan.8th 2010 and I've lost 37 pounds and I feel wonderful and this includes all of the holidays and being surrounded with food. But I know when enough is enough. Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me Dr Betancourt and your team are amazing.

Hello! My name is Stacy, I'm 44 and being sleeved in either two weeks or six weeks--depending on what the surgeon says tomorrow and whether or not I can get coverage at work this quickly. :confused1: I'm 5'8" (last measurement told me 5'7"... I say b.s.!!), and starting out at 252 lbs. (although I swear I hit 258 a couple of months ago), and am hoping to get down to between 150-160. I'm self pay, and I've done the seminar, had the physical from my PCP, done the nutritional seminar...all that's left is to meet with the surgeon personally tomorrow. Part of me is hoping to schedule for Monday the 25th, but that's only 13 days away (so not much time to lose pre-op), and…

I wanted to give a quick intro... I'm a part-time student and mom of three. I haven't been banded yet, but am hoping to be by the first week in March. I went for pre ops back in December and thought I'd be all set for the first week in January...but my thyroid was too out of wack...I'm hyper. So, my doctor adjusted my meds and we are waiting until my thyroid levels are better. I've been overweight all my life...so a few more weeks aren't driving me crazy. I want a safe outcome. I am here for support and to hear everyone's story. :thumbup:

Hi all, this is my first post! I still in the pre-surgery process, but I am so excited to begin this change. I went last week for my consult with my new doctor, and next week is my psych consult and dietician appointment, then I get to set a surgery date!!!!! I'm hoping I can set it for the end of the month. I have been so inspired by so many of the stories you all have posted and I can't wait to get to know some of you!

Hello, I have been banded about three months and it's pier frustration because I'm not dropping the weight I want. I have dropped about 20lbs in the 3 months. I have talked to the dietician and she says I'm doing great but when I see/read folks that have dropped like 50lbs by now I wonder what I'm doing wrong??? For the record I follow my diet and work out @ least 4 days a week. So I would really appreciate some suggestion on what I can do to drop the lbs. Thanks, Chaka :thumbup:

My husband and I have always had a fantastic relationship until the discussion of the lapband came up. Now just a little history, we have been together for 17 years and when we met I was a lean 130 pounds. Over the years pounds have been creeping on and on and on. LOL Our hobbies has been going out to dinner and enjoying cocktails on the lake in the summer. Now that I have almost completed all the testing and will be turning everything into the insurance company he seems non supportive and irritated with my decision. He is afraid of any side effects from the surgery sedation, blood clots. He made mention that I'm going to leave once I get skinny. I told him he had n…

I have my appointment with Dr. Alvarez on Friday and I am excited and nervous. I decided to get the sleeve despite being one of the 'lightweights' (I really don't like that word!). I have several motivations- I have struggled with my weight for too long. Have tried every diet in the book. The last straw had to be when I finally lost 12 pounds in 2 years (after working out 6 days a week, writing everything I ate down, keeping under 1400 calories every day and even completing a triathlon), and then put all the weight back on plus 6 more pounds for good measure in less than 7 weeks. In addition, both sides of my family have women who are extremely obese and have a myriad o…

Hello my name is Jamie. I am 37 years old and I am on the journey of having the Lapband done. I have been over weight ever since the birth of my daughter 18 years ago. I have a few friends that have had this done and they say its the best thing they could have done. I have been on this sight for sometime now just lurking in the background reading and learning everything I can. I have decided to have my surgery thru Dr. Sid Rohrscheib's office in Clinton, IL. His staff really makes you feel at ease. I have already got the ball rollin. I am in my 6 mo supervised diet right now. Ive already had my phy eval and consultation. The reason I am just now posting is because…

hey everyone!!! so my mom, dad and I are often to Tijuana tomorrow morning(thursday jan 14th) :thumbup: I am very very excited, and kinda nervous/scared but i know it will all work out good! My mom and I are both getting the VSG on the 15th with Dr. Almanzo I am not bringing my laptop but my dad is so once we are out of recovery I will get on here asap and let you know how it went! I just wanted to thank everyone for answering all my questions pre - op, you really helped calm me! Talk to you soon

Arrived in Mexicali today, completed all my tests at the hospital, met Yolanda & Dr Campos, had my "last" meal tonight at the hotel & am now in my room relaxing with my hubby! Thought I'd be a lot more nervous, but instead am calm, cool & happy with my decision! I met two other very nice people who will be having surgery tomorrow as well & think we will create a good support system for one another in the hospital! Looking forward to life on the other side!!!

I'm being banded January 18th, so I thought it would be best for me to get a start on joining a support community. Not to mention this pre-op diet has me so bored and hungry that I can't sleep! Short bio: I'm 23, I've had weight issues since the 2nd grade, especially problems with weight fluctuations. I've lost 80+ lbs. three seperate times in my life, but unfortunately gained it all back within 3 or four years. I'm hoping that having the surgery will either cut back on the yo-yo weight changes or stop them completely. I currently weigh 245, and my goal weight is 135. I'm 5'5". Also, I'm terrified of vomiting, and not at all looking forward to this "PBing" stuff I kee…

Dear Bandsters: I had surgery one week ago. I was in a lot of pain. It was no cakewalk. Today I am feeling a little better but I am very tired. I have had ups and downs. I’ve questioned myself about if this was a good decision. I have many questions that I tried to find answers in this lap band website but it’s been hard to find all the answers. They are spread out everywhere, and I feel so weak and tired. I would really appreciate if you could help me. Below I have some questions with numbers. I want to have the best nutrition possible. Can you please copy and paste it to your answer so you can answer them? You have no idea how much this will help (or probably you do s…

:thumbup1:Hi everyone! Since my VSG surgery on December 30th I have been busy losing weight and starting back to school. Tomorrow my stitches come out and I have lost 15 Lbs. since the DOS. I feel great and I am NEVER HUNGRY. What a big relief that is. I am now like one of the people I used to hear about who eat to live. It is a HUGE relief let me tell you as I have been consumed with hunger and thoughts of food. Everyday I step on the scale I have lost more weight. I feel fantastic!The only difference is that I am a little more emotional...i am unable to eat emotionally any longer. I go through the motions ...walk to fridge, open it, think of it, just never do it anymore…

Hi everyone, I just wanted to say hi and introduce myself to the boards. I have been reading these boards and your stories for the better part of the morning and I just can't believe how much has reminded me of myself and my own experiences. So I look forward to continue reading and talking you all as we all take this amazing journey together.

I had the seminar and initial consultation with the surgeon yesterday, and I have a tentative date of 03.26 for my surgery!! I'm so excited. He worked with me to schedule it around my Spring Break. I went to the first psych visit, and I have my second one next week. I had the first of three dietitian consultations. The surgeon wants me to lose 15 pounds. (I thought, for sure, he'd say 30!!) I am SO pumped and motivated right now. :smile2:

I am really nervous and really excited! I would love it if anyone could tell me more about what to expect. My surgery date is February 3 2010. Can't wait to lose this weight!!!:smile2:

Hi everyone! I am new posting, but have lurked for awhile. My insurance doesn't cover any type of weight loss surgery. My credit is bad, just lost house to foreclosure last year (hubby is a car salesman, need i say more!) so have been turned down for credit. I am determined to do this? I'm terrified of the future medical problems. I've lost and regained hundreds of pounds and been through all the shame and humiliation. Does anyone have any creative ideas for financing? Please? thanks, Jen

Hello, I was banded 12-29-08 (just about a year ago) and my doc discovered a leak in my band. He gave me the option of getting a new band or a sleeve. He highly suggested the sleeve. I decided yesterday (my bandiversary) to go with the sleeve. I'm nervous and scared. My husband got a band on 2-16-09 and has had great success. It took a while to figure out that I had a leak...the excuse "men lose weight faster" was always said. I am have always had a huge phobia of needles...I've passed out just at the sight of them. I'm proud of myself for having band surgery but never thought a year later I'd be looking at another surgery! Anyway, I'm 30 and live in SW Florida…

About 2 years ago I lost over 100lbs but gained it right back plus more by going out friends and stay up late and eating. Never seen the weight coming back till it was to late. Will my insurance see this and deny me for it? I just thought of this and now I am thinking of not ever giving it a shot and getting my hopes up.

Hi everyone!!! I have been checking this website for a while and this is my first post. I am having lapband surgery on 1/5/09. I am very scared. My Dr. has done 13 LB surgeries. I will be #14. He is one of the best surgeons in Atlanta and is starting to do LB. What I am scared the most about is not the actual surgery, but I'm scared of my quality of life afterwards. Statistics show that 25% of the patients with a LB have to have it removed. I have watched several youtube LB diaries and the patients are not happy with them. Can you give me hope? Can you tell me it will be ok and that I'm making the best decision? I am having nightmares every night. I am scared but exci…

Well its been 4 weeks now since I got my "sleeve" All is going very well. Im stalled at 46 lbs lost, but have been told that is normal so my body can adjust. I have had no problems so far, I know I dont get all the water im supposed to but im working on it still. I have had a very bad knee for the last 2 yrs and boy I cant believe what a differance this weight loss has made on it already and I still have a long ways to go. :biggrin0:

Hi Everyone! I registered on this site to get more information regarding the Lap Band procedure. Great site, really like the support out there. My PCP has recommended me for the LapBand procedure and has referred me to a local bariatric surgeon. I have my first consultation with them in a few weeks. My insurance does cover this procedure if qualified, so I'm just anticipating what will happen at my initial consultation? I was told it was a 45 min appt, can anyone explain what happens at the first visit?

I feel great, except that I am starving... i cheated a little today and ate a sugar free pudding... the clear liquids just aren't filling me up... any suggestions?

I am new to this site and not that familiar with computers and this sort of thing. I like what I've seen so far and have been encouraged by other people's experiences and appreciate the information available. My surgery is not until March 29th. Sandy

Hello everyone my name is John. I am 24 years old and don’t know where else to turn. I have tried every pill, system, and diet out there since I was in middle school. I have always been a big kid but was always very active in sports but always stayed big. Middle school was the hardest with people picking on me but I was a very tough kid and never took it to heart. In high school I hovered around 250lb. The name calling got worse. I was still very active in sports. I took gym every day in high school even took it twice a day in 12th grade since I had all my credits. I was the caption of the Tennis team my last 2 years. I was always big but very quick for my…

I've lost 26.4 lbs since beginning this journey. The doctor told me that I should lose about 22 lbs every six weeks, so I'll take it. He's put me on 100 grams a protein/day to speed the loss 50% supplements/ 50% real. Since I started that, the weight has definitely dropped faster.

Hi everyone - I am a newbie to the site. I am seriously considering lapband surgery. Can people in Melbourne recommend a good surgeon? (I am in Rowville) Info sessions etc? I have tried everything, and from the info I have so far and people I have talked to - it seems like a good option. Cazza :smile2:

So after a year on the waiting list, I am finally getting banded on Feb 1!! I am so excited and terribly nervous. I went through my 6 week class (i am going through Kaiser) & they had told us our surgeries probably wouldnt be until March or later..however, when they called me today to see if I had chosen a surgeon, they happened to have an availabilty Feb 1. I cannot wait

I've been trying to do this for almost two years. I've done the 6 month recommended diet but I missed a month (not consecutive) so I was denied. Now I am going through an appeal process -- first one was denied by Cigna. I also had a bad psychologist who kept asking me if I was currently eating like I had the band - duh..how can I when I don't know exactly how it's going to feel and I told her I was months away from actually getting it -- so she didn't write a favorable report for me - saying I wasn't "ready" because I hadn't already changed my eating habits. So Cigna didn't want to approve me based on that. I am a 34 BMI, HBP, (2 meds) cholesterol meds, Type II diabetes …

I am considering the lap band, they gave me a tentative date in May. My concerns are after initial few weeks of liquid can you eat reg food again , just small amounts? Also are medications a problem to swallow and digest. I currently take meds and supplements that are quite large.

I am 3 days post op. My husband just made dinner for himself and the kids and I really feel hungry. Should I feel this hungry? I am drinking liquids and the protein shakes. Why do I feel so starved?

I had my lapband surgery in May of 2009. I lost 35 lbs. prior to surgery, and 26 lbs. after surgery. I've had a total of 5/6 lapband fills. But I am having alot of concerns about progress with my weight loss, along with eating issues. Would love to have someone to connect with that I could get feedback concerning issues with the lapband procedure.

So I had my first appt with the doc today and I've lost 24 pounds so far. Yay! lol

Hi everyone Well for those of you who know me, my original goal was to have my weight off by my 50th. Well yesterday was my birthday and I did not make it! You know I'm not upset at all, I made that goal when I got my band in March. Well the band and I did not get along, so here I'm 11 days out from the sleeve! I would have been about 18lbs out from goal but with the sleeve I added 10lbs to my goal. I know I will reach my goal with the sleeve and be happy with it. The weight is coming off faster than I thought it would and I can actually keep food down! So far I love, love, love my sleeve!!

Hi guys! I'm new to this forum, but I'm post op almost 4 yrs. I've been at my goal weight for a yr and for about 2 yrs I've been having issues with my hair thinning out. I didn't have thick hair to begin with and it's been one of the most frustrating parts of being banded. I try to get an much Protein as possible, I take a Multivitamin and Biotin. If anyone has any other suggestions I'd love to hear them! Hope to hear back from all of you out there in cyberspace! Thanks

Just wanted to say I am glad to be getting a second chance. Was supposed to be baned in the begining os September. That didnt work out because they discovered I had a-fib during the pre admission testing. So after getting cleared by the cardiologist last week I am now scheduled for 1/20/10. Was tough and kinda depressing for the last 4 months but I held my own. Am still down from alltime high but havent lost anything in the last few months. Am looking forward to my new life with the band.

Hi there! I haven't had the surgery or anything yet including going to a Dr. My Dr has recommended that I have the surgery. I am not sure what surgery to have.

Hey All, My name is Myra and I am a new bander. I had my lap-band done on Dec 31, 2009... Way to keep a New Year's resolution. I am a week and two days into it and have just started on my mushy food stage. I am feeling pretty good about my decision, but had you asked me a week ago, I would've had a different answer. I seem to have the itchiest port hole ever!! I had some Fluid behind it, but I think that's starting to heal itself. Other than that I have been a model patient. I started my journey at 243lbs, in Sept 2009, which is when I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I am now down to 214.2lbs as of this morning. My pre-pre-op diet weight was 239, then I lost 11lbs …

I am new to the site, so hello to all. I went to see the program coordinator this past Wednesday. It went well and lasted about an hour. The nurse told me I had to do all these tests and blood work before I could have the surgery. Amazingly, I got all blood work and tests done the very same day. Luckily I hadn't eaten that morning b/c one of the test had to be fasting. The dietitian was also free for that same day, so that was great. I go see my primary care doctor this coming Monday to get checked out and get her to sign something saying I can have surgery. I go see the weight loss doctor Jan. 25. so I think I will be able to have the surgery early Feb. (I hope). How …