Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

hi i am going to my first seminar at the weight clinic on friday and my doctor suggested i get the surgery.. i would love to here your stories.. good or bad.. they would be greatly appreciated.. thanks:smile2:

I was banded on July21. I feel pretty good but I am stillsore when I sit up from laying down.My bra seems to rub on the skin right above it which is very tender.When I get a fill will this start all over again? I feel like I don't want to do anything to aggravate it so I have been laying low for a while.I just need to know how long befor the tenderness goes away?

hey everyone i'm new! sooo looking forward to input from people in my boat! question: has anyone had hiatal hernia corrected at the same surgery as lap band? mine is scheduled for aug.19th. would appreciate feedback. lisa:thumbup:

Hey all..My name is Tamm, Im new on here..I have been reading forums for months now and finally I decided to create a profile. I am six days pre-op. I am SOOO eXCITED!! I just started my low fat diet, kinda boring...Looks like im going to live on canned chicken, brown rice and stewed tomatoes!! Yum!! I just had to get my passport renewed..what a pain in the arss, because my surgery is in Costa-Rica!! Oh yeah my surgeon is Dr. Carlos Quesada..At least I get to enjoy the nice weather while i am recovering! LOL Anyone have any good pre-op suggestions?? Thanks! :biggrin:

My surgeon requires a PURELY liquid diet for 9 days Pre-Op. I am struggling. The mandatory shakes (HMR shakes) have an okay flavor but the texture makes me gag when I'm trying to drink them. Anyone else have similar problems or advice? I am trying not to cheat but it is SOO hard.

hey! new here. what does pb mean? my banding is aug.19th and 3 days till my pre-op diet so getting prepared for a new way of eating! i read about foods not going down so well and pb, but i don't know what it stands for. thanks!!:thumbdown:

I am a little over 200lbs and only 5feet tall and was looking for anyone around the same as me that has had the lap band and how thier weightloss has been. I am having mine on in September but all the stories I have read everyone is over 200lbs and I was just wondering if the weightloss is similar, slower, or faster. Thanks,

Hi, my name is Jerry. I am a married police officer from Missouri. I am on day two of the preop liquid diet and my head is about to explode. I am peeing more than I did in college at a keg party. I was looking for ways to make this diet a little less painful and found these forums. So hi! :smile2: My surgery is Aug. 10 2009!

Have any of you changed surgeons part way through? I have done all the preop testing and nutritional requirement through one group.... HOWEVER they are NOT meeting my needs and very impersonal and 2.5 hours away. They have multiple surgeons so I don't know who will be doing my surgery, and anyone could do my fills... I have just had this bad feeling in my gut. I want to get this done and the allure to them was the one stop shopping as far as pre-op etc. Now ..... do I want them doing the surgery? I can't get a hold of a knowledgeable person on the phone when I call it is simply a call center. I get tossed around from line to line, leave messages that don't get r…

I was on the Optifast diet for two weeks, and let me tell you, i cheated a couple of times, somehow over that period i lost 9 kilos. I put on 2 kilos again after the first week, lost 2 kilos just after the half mark of the first week. When i got weighed at the hospital on the day of my surgery, i lost 7 kilos! i was like what on earth, oh well.. yayyyyy! Im struggling to just eat liquid. its hard. Im a very picky eater. Does anyone have any delicious recipies for Soups? im not a very Soup sort of girl, but i guess i have to make the soup like me instead. Any tips? What are some things i can make for the two week after surgery period. I have no idea, and i listened to my …

i hate my life nothing is ever simple i dont know how to appeal it. i dont know how i can pay for it and i dont know how i am going to live like this. someone pleace tell to me something

Hello everyone, So good to find an active site dedicated to "Sleever's", WOW. I've been on the TT site which has been so useful but the majority of posters are either lap bander's or ByPassers. So i'm just going to help you to get to know me and my journey thus far, some of this post I will copy from previous post - just to save time. lol. So far it has been a bit of a roller coaster ride. I'm currently pre-op, i was added to the waiting list 23rd January 2009 with the expectation that I would be having my surgery in May '09. Anyway as you read you understand my journey. I origianally posted this 10th Feb.'09 on TT, so you'll see where my head was at back…

This is a story about not giving up on your hope for change. If God is with you,who can be against you. Four years ago I tried to have the RNY. During the process of getting my medical approvals my Cardiologist found out I needed another type of bypass and I ended up having a Quadruple Heart Bypass operation instead. Fortunatly I had just lost 25 lbs. and was walking every day preparing for the RNY. I believe because I was trying to get healthy it ended up saving my life. The checks I had already written for the RNY surgery were returned to me. I was not to eager to have surgery again right away, nor could I until I completed my Cardiac rehab. I attempted to lose the…

i was banded on july 29th 09.all went well. i am feeling good. need to know if anyone has sugestions for the liquids for 2 wks. i have had v8 jucie and done well with it. :thumbup: do u think i could try some creamy soups.:scared2::thumbdown: thanks for any help.

hi im just looking for anyone who may have been banded by fairfield county bariatrics i have a seminar with them and just wanna know how they are is all

This is my first thread. I attended two seminars in the past, and chickened out. Thinking that I could lose the weight myself. I was working out at the gym and injured my knee, to the point of needing surgery. Now, I haven't been able to lose any weight - I fear messing up the other. I found a doctor in Troy and liked him. I decided to go forward with the surgery. My coworker had it done by this doctor, and I've watched her success. I feel confident with this doctor. I passed the psychological evaluation, and I have the EGK, Cardio/stress test/and motility test this upcoming week. On Monday, August 10, I meet again with the surgeon and hopefully will be sc…

Hi well I am just starting my lap band journey. I heard about the lap band 3 years a go but it was not avalable where I live at the time. Now our surgical weight loss center has been doing the lap band for about 2 years, so I went to the seminar may 13 2009. I had to do 6 weeks dr. supervised weight loss. Then met with cordinator that reveiwed and okayed all my paperwork. Had my psyc eval. July 20th. Now I am waiting for the committee to okay me, (they meet Aug. 6) then I will get first appt. with the surgeon. I have been overweight all my life. I have tried so many thing to loss weight that never work. I really believe that the lap band will be the tool that will help…

My surgery day is Aug. 11. 10 days left!!! I am excited..but at the same time scared to death of being put to sleep. This will be my first time. I am one of those people who have never even taken pain meds because I dont like the whole feeling groggy thing. Anyone have any suggestions as to what will make it easier? How long will I have that "groggy" feeling? What will they do if I start to have a panic attack? Im terrified I will becuase I have horriable aniexty!! Can anyone put my mind at ease?!

Hi, I'm Sara from Mi and getting banded on 6/27/07. Looking forward to getting to know you all here. I've also posted a bit on OH, which is how I found out about this site. Nice to meet you all -Sara

Hi Does anyone know how to put in an English county instead of state or province? As I really want to join but the facilities are not in place? Its just set up for the USA and Canada . Sorry folks I hate to start with a moan but I do really want to Do the right thing! Thanks so much Marymary1:rolleyes2:

hi everyone my neurosurgeon just informed me that i have too bad disks ontop of the 4 i have fised now and if he fuses them the next two may go bad so he opted not too touch me but did make a suggestion too maybe look into lapband surgery so i did some research last week and made my choice too go too the seminar this week aug 5th cause with my bad mack and multiple health issues. sleep apnia, hypothyroidism, high blood pressure my weight (305) and i also have gout so he figures that this surgery may be of great help too my well being im a little nervouse i have read a bunch of the inputs on this site and like what i read im just worried he won't do it cause i have hypo t…

Hello everyone - I haven't been banded yet - I've just started the process. I have met with a gastroenterologist and have an appt for an endoscopy next week. It was suggested to me that I find a support group as I go through the process, so here I am. I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone. Thanks, Mary.

Hey all, Just had my band done 5 days ago and super excited about the new life ahead. No time really for group sessions so I thought I'd come aboard and ask questions or express thoughts and concerns on here to a much larger group of people in my own home!

That's the bariatric surgery center my insurance company (Anthem Blue Cross HMO/Monarch) would have me use. Interested in feedback about each of their doctors, or the one you're familiar with: if you have preference for one doctor (& why?) patience? responsiveness if there's a problem or concern? Will one or both doc's really go to bat for me with the insur company if I only want the band, or just make a half-hearted attempt to appease me? if its not the insurance comp requiring it, do either of these doc's put you thru the hoop with 6mos or a yr of dieting beforehand, psych eval, that esophegeal test I've read about, etc? Any other thou…

Hi all, I'd like to say hi and express my joy and gratitude for this group. I'll be banded on the 19th and I think I will need some support. I am an introverted person and it's hard for me to ask for help but I think I will need friends who understands, need to share feelings and thoughts. Now I am pondering if I will tell people about the surgery or not. I would like to keep this private, but I don't want to tell a lie when people ask me how I am losing weight. I thought about saying something like..."less food and more exercise",... which is true, but I would like to hear from you, your experiences and thoughts about this. Thanks nan.utah

Hello-Hello-- I recently moved to SLC from L.A. and would like to have the lapband surgery done here. I have serious rhematoid arthritis for which I take lotsa meds so I'm sure I'll need to coordinate many docs and many things to make this happen. I AM determined to make this happen. I am about 80 - 100 pounds from where I'd like to be. I would so appreciate friendship, support, advice, doc recommendations, ect. ect. from anyone in this area. And thanks in advance!--Cherie:thumbup:

Hi, I am a 33 year old disabled woman and my BMI is 37% I have GERD, Migraines, IBS, high choleserol, PTSD and more. I am currently looking into this surgery as a hopeful fix to some of my problems. I feel like I'm 66 with all the meds I take, so my question is can you still take alot of medication (pills) when your stomach is the size of your thumb? and does medicare ever pay for a lapband of someone less than 40% that doesn't have diabetes or high blood pressure?Thanks for your time.

Hey everybody, I am 23 years old and have scheduled my surgery for August 11th. It's like a week and a half away. I am totally starting to freak out. I am going in by myself and have only told 3 of my friends that I am going. Not to mention I am actually moving down to California right before the surgery so I am not going to know anyone there. I was told that I would be able to care for myself after the surgery. I am starting law school in 2 weeks and that was probably my biggest motivation to get the lap band. I want to be successful and I want to look great while doing it and I am really tired of hating my body. I feel like I am rambling, but yea I am just rea…

I'm in Mission Viejo, and Monarch only uses the Bariatric Center in Fountain Valley, Dr. LePort. I'll be making consultation appt next week, but I'm not interested in bypass, only band. I've heard my insur co may consider it experimental, on the otherhand, I've heard they might approve band with a compelling letter from doctor. Would love to have feedback about the above, and how you liked Dr. LePort or Dr Frances, if you prefer one over the other, etc, etc. I'm basically healthy, just fat. 5'0', 255 lbs, 57 y/o, blood pressure 120/60, slightly high blood sugar, no other health problems. Thx in advance.

Hi, Just thought I would introduce myself and say congrats to all who have already had this done. I am Nancy and I currently live in Grovetown, GA (it's where the Army wants us for now). I am 5' 7" and weigh 236 with my BMI about 36. I met with the General Surgery dept. here at the hosp. yesterday and they told me that I qualify for the surgery. I was given 2 choices: The surgeon for the military hosp. (who come highly recommended) is deployed and will be back the end of the year, with surgery right after the first of the new year, or I could Tricare out and have it done by one of a couple of Drs. out in town. I have read a good many of the post on here and a fe…

Hello All!!! My name is Renee and I am 35 single, and never married. I guess the best place to start is to just tell you all that I have been battling my weight for a little over 10yrs. I've tried everything, and spent a lot of money with results that last a short time. It was extremely frustrasting. Deciding to have lap band surgery was a hard one for me. For one I felt like a failure in that here I was a healthcare worker who can't seem to loose weight and look healthy. I want to be healthy and I want to have a long life. I don't want to deal with the comorbidities that come with being obese. I have always been a flirty girl. Never had a problem meeting men or dati…

I had surgery on July 28th 2009, just 2 days ago. I am 20 years old and have been very over weight all my life. After going through diet after diet, nothing was working. I watched a couple of my friends go through the gastric bypass and my roommate had the realize band surgery. after seeing their progress I decided I needed to make a decision. There were so many things I liked about both but the fact of having something that couldn't be reversed scared me. Even though I know I will probably never have the band removed, if something were to go wrong I would want the option to have it taken off. So far things are going good, although I'm not sure what I can and cannot have.…

So, I have been thinking about the lapband for a while now. A few weeks ago I went to a seminar and think that it could be a help, unfortunatly it doesnt look like anyone else does. I have spoken to my doctor about my worries about my weight. I have always had 'obese' listed as one of my health issues, but she still doesnt seem worried about it. Perhaps its because I have no health problem, Im just a 'larger' american. Last time I saw her I tried again and the only thing I got out of her was 'Well, I guess you could try seeing a nutritionist." Thanks. My husband says its an idea, but only if its the last thing I can do. Im not sure what he thinks I have been doing my …

Hi there. I was banded on 7/13. I have lost a total of 7.7 lbs since surgery, but 20 from the beginning of the liquid diet prior to surgery. I have not had a fill yet. No blog at this time. I am excited to start this new venture in life. I am going to succeed.:laugh:

Hi Everyone, I'm scheduled to be banded in August. I'm so happy that I found this site...everyone seems so great and supportive. Any advice would be great! Are there any other August 2009 or Connecticut Bandsters out there?

Hey all, I'm really new to this forum but I'm in need of some feedback. It may be long winded so bear with me. I had my surgery back in Debruary of last year, i was 315 then i went down to 230. Along the way though, mostly since say 245 and below I've noticed some things. I've also since gained back 20 pounds up to 250 so I've had a fill. My second one ever. Prior to this fill I felt like I had very very little restriction from my band. I've also had some problems. While eating sometimes I felt like food would get stuck, and it would be uncomfortable. Occasionally if it was really bad I forced myself to throw up, not like a full on throw up since I've never known how to…

I have really been researching the lap band over a year now, and alot of all the stories i have read, helped me come to the decison that I want to take the first step in saving my life. I'am going to my first seminar with Lap Band Solutions. I will keep you all updated.

ROBOTIC SURGERY : In 1997,Dr. Menon was recruited to become chairman of urology at Henry Ford Hospital to revive the prostate cancer program,Menon and the staff at the VUI would develop robotic procedures in general,( for example bladder,Kidney cancer ) and the prostatectomy in particular,The robotic prostatectomy developed by Menon is called the “Vattikuti Institute Prostatectomy”. Specialized Laparascopic instruments are used for the procedures. During the operation images from a 3-D camera are projected to a remote console. The surgeons operates in virtual reality,observing the images on a screen. This technology serves to make the surgery less invasive …

Hello everyone, I just found this place from some youtube videos. I have started my journey this past January and I have my surgery scheduled for 7/2. I am very anxious and I am looking forward to learning from all of you!:tongue_smilie:

Well, I have another date. I've always heard that the 3rd time is the charm. Dh and I will be leaving on our 7 hour flight on Sept. 30th. Tickets are booked and paid for and date cleared with Nina. I will be missing 3 days of work but don't have to be back till October 13 due to fall break. Hubby was told last week that he would be laid off this week. Things will be tough for awhile but we decided to go ahead with the surgery, I have canned a lot of fresh vegs. from my garden and hubby has a freezer full of blackberries and a hog he killed. He always gets a deer too. Plus I have over 100 chickens. I plan to down size on the chicks though, so I won't have to buy a lot of …

My name is Michelle, I'm 20, and I was banded in July of 2007, my surgeon was Dr. Parviz Daniels with Surgilite in Torrance. He started his own practice. I have a different Dr. now, and I just got my band filled a few months ago. I have had it filled 4 times. I don't know how many CC that is. I would have the surgery again, in a heartbeat!! My surgery was not really painful, and I got out of the hospital a day early. I need to refine my diet a little further, but I am definitely on my way. I had a few set backs a few years ago, but now I love working out and doing yoga. That's about all, you will probably see me posting on here from time to time, so I jus…

I had the sleeve g on july 7th, I starved for 2 weeks, and now I am eating everything in site and a lot of late night snacking....I lost 15 lbs during the first 2 weeks and have gained 16 in one week. I crave everything and as a result I eat what I crave...can't help it. I think my stomach has stretched. I can eat about 2cups of food at one sitting. Will it get better for me?

After what seemed like a really, really long time, I got the call from my insurance company!! I immediately called my Dr's office & the scheduler is on vacation.....so no news on a date until Monday. I'm still so excited!

I started a 7 day colon cleanse tablet 4 days ago and yesterday I couldn't keep any food or liquid down. I feel like I have a rock in my stomach. This is still going on today. I have a call in to the doctor but haven't heard back yet. Anyone have this problem before???

I have had my lap band since Nov. 2006 and have lost 100lbs. (give or take 5) and would like to lose another 50lbs to get to goal. I have not lost anymore weight for the past 1-1/2 years and think now I may have a dialated pouch. I don't have any reflux or symptons but my upper stomach is bloated and I swear it has gotten much bigger! I know I should make an appt. with my Dr. but was hoping for some of your thoughts before I do. I am very restricted and my last fill was 2-1/2 years ago. Thanks so much!

Welcome all newly banded, soon to be banded, or bandsters new to the site. I was thinking this morning, now that I am a little over 3 months out, I could share some information with those of you just beginning your journey. Some of this is kinda common sense, and some of it is info I wish I had understood better before the band. 1. before get very far into your journey, take some measurements. I forgot to do this and now I wish I had my beginning measurements. This is good, bc sometimes when the scale is not moving...you are still losing inches! SO MEASURE YOURSELF! 2. Take some before pictures. I take pictures all the time, but I know some people hate the way they lo…

I was first banded in Feb 2005 with the 4cc band and lost 78 lbs. It was great and I made my target weight!! Then around summer 08 I started gaining weight back slowly but steadily. It was really frustrating since I had been working out and it was swimsuit time! I went in for a fill and did a barium swallow to find out that my band had slipped. I went in to see my surgeon about 2 weeks later and scheduled the replacement for 11/12/08. I am so disappointed in this new band that holds 10cc. They said it's new and improved but they weight loss is slower. Let me tell you what! I gained another 20 lbs:thumbdown: after having the surgery and have just now begun to lose…

Hey everyone!! So I just joined because the psychologist I just met with, who was awesome, mentioned this site. where has the summer gone? umm I had two appointments today.. the morning one went well everything is good... the afternoon one was the psychologist appointment. To be perfectly honest I was nervous to meet with him, and I have no idea why? But it went very well! I'm set for the surg. I started my liquid diet on August 1st. From August 1st to my surgery is liquid phase. ( I have my pre - op and meeting the anesthesiologist on August 5th) August 11th at 8am I have to be at the hospital. My surgery is at 10 am. Then I'll spend the day/night in the hospital. On…

:thumbup: after almost 8 months of waiting finaly got a call from kaiser to start my classes right from the start they acted like they were doing me a favor and made me feel like i was a 12 year old child. the doctors and the instructors are never on the same page i don't think they even talk. i have a problem with nicotine i was told i had to quit and did but from the first class the doctor would call me and tell me i had to drop out and wait 2-4 more months and start over. now 4 classes in they have made me drop out and i have to wait another 2 months and restart. i am so mad i can't even tell you. now i don't think i even want to get this done. has any one else had thi…

Sorry Last Post Had errors did not know how to edit. I have really been researching the lap band over a year now, and alot of all the stories i have read, helped me come to the decison that I want to take the first step in saving my life. I'am going to my first seminar with Lap Band Solutions. I will keep you all updated.