Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

Was banded on jan 17th,2009. Have lost 82 pounds so far. Getting the lapband was the best decision i have ever made. Have adjusted to the new eating habit, feel so much better, lots of energy have more self confidence and a new step in my walk. Wish everyone who has the lapband done the best results,:confused:

My name is Katie and I'm new to the site. I have been looking around at the Lap Band for several months and have finally made the decision to do it. I have a question :tongue_smilie: though...I am going to be self pay. Any suggestions where I can get financed? Did yall just go to a bank and borrow the money? That's the only thing holding me up right now and I'm ready to start the process. Any help would be great! Thanks! :frown:

Hi, my name is Kate and I'm JUST new to this ENTIRE lap-band process. It's something that I've been thinking about for a long time and today I finally took the steps towards getting the ball rolling. I had done a few things already, but, today I called the office and got things moving towards getting my first appointments made. I should start in August sometime, waiting to hear when. They said that in order to fulfill my insurance requirements, I need to do a 4 month program and then they'd submit the paperwork for surgery. If all goes well, I'll be looking at surgery in December! I can't wait! Wish me luck! I'm curious to see what people that have had this done have to s…

im coming really close to my surgery and im really scared i really dont have the support i need at home and im only 19 and im freaking out

Hello everyone! I've been a lurking here for sometime and truly appreciate all of the information I've learned. I just had by lap band surgery yesterday 7/8 with Dr. Hoehn in Overland Park, KS. Everything went great! My surgery was at 9:15am and I was home at 4:30pm. I'm sore now, particularly at my port site but am managing the discomfort with tylenol since the lortab makes me nauseated and goofy. I feel so good to finally post and introduce myself. Thanks so much and good luck to all!

Hi everyone, I'm scheduled at long last to have my VSG surgery with Dr Aceves on July 14th!! woohoo!! I'm excited and scared, just like I'm suppose to be I suppose *lol* Looking forward to getting to know more of you for both support and for support as my journey continues. If there are others going to Mexicali around this time give me a holler please! I'm hoping to run into a couple of others from this forum. Best wishes to all, pre and post ops! Beth

Hello Everyone, I've been on this site since I started my journey a couple of months ago. Fortunately, insurance approval was pretty easy once they received all the info they need (Empire BCBS). I have a choice of August 19th or 26th. I am thinking the 26th as I would have the surgery on a Wednesday and take the following week off work. Since it is the week prior to the Labor Day Holiday it will be a pretty slow time at work. I can work from home too. I'm excited!! I have my pre-op appointment the week of August 3rd and will be starting the pre-op diet the week after. I'm not looking forward to that, but if everyone else here has been able to make it through, I …

Wow, it's been such a long road to tow! I have been morbidly obeise for many years. More than 30. I was always afraid to have any surgery but am so greatful that I finally found such a tremendous surgeon as Dr. Aceves, in Mexicali.!!!!!! Yes I have not had it perfect, there have had to be many changes in my eating habits. I was smart though and started these changes in Nov. of 2008. I actually lost about 150 lbs and lowered my BMI nearly 50% before I had the surgery. Was still hard to do but worth every agonizing minute. Thank the Lord that Dr. Aceves agreed even then to do the surgery. I came through with flying colors though. Never had a leak or any insicion p…

So after 7 months of jumping through 101 hoops...I FINALLY got a surgery date! August 18, 2009! I'm so excited and can't wait! :confused: Anyone else getting banded on or around the same day?

So I went to get my first fill and was nervous but excited to hopefully begin to lose more weight. My fears plus more came true. They poked me a bunch of times with the needle and still couldn't find it. They had two people try then finally got the actual surgeon to come and try and he still couldn't find it. I was pissed because I feel as though they should have done an xray prior to the first fill. Maybe I am the exception and they usually don't have difficulty, but it was not pleasant to say the least and dissapointing to have left without an actual fill. I hope this does not continue if so I may just decide to not have any fills. Please tell me I am not th…

How do I get a weight loss tracker on my profile. new to this and need help. Michelle:wub:

Hi my name is Cece. This whole forum is new to me. I was banded at CMC in Manchester NH by Dr. Campbell on June 30th, 09. Found this website extremely helpful. Been on the liquid diet and I am looking forward to Phase 3 diet. I assuming this is" mushies" diet like some people call it.

Hi, to all. I'm new to this site. I went for my consultation on Mon., 6/22. I had decided on the band but after I had gone to the seminar a few weeks ago, the sleeve sounded like a better option for me, my surgeon agreed. I'm 37, happily married, mother of two awesome kids (ages 20 and 10). I'm 5'6, 250 lbs. I was very athletic in high school and weighed 115 on my wedding day, 17 years ago. After several personal tradgedies, I became very depressed and ate my way up to 200 and have gradually added the last 50. Like many of you I've been on EVERY diet. I read a post earlier that said she loved to exercise but paid for it later. That's me too. My husband and I have alway…

Hi everyone! I am pre-op - just scheduled my surgery today for 7/21/09. I believe that support is crucial for all of us. I can't wait to read stories from all of you, wherever you are in your journey. So I'm off to read! :tongue_smilie: Amy (or you can call me Bunz)

:thumbup:Hi All, My name is Dawn and I am from PA. I am a 44yo mother of two beautiful girls aged 19 & 9. I have been dieting & overweight all my life. So here I am. My hubby is 44 also & started gaining weight after he gave up active sports. Hubby & I will visit our surgeon next Thursday for our initial consult. We have Highmark PPO Blue & they require 6 mos of dieting. My BMI is 37 & I have Hypertension. Hubby's BMI is 40; he has sleep apnea & hypertension. This site is a wealth of info & I will be here often. Thanks to all of you for your help & congrats to those of you who have been successful! -Dawn

I got my band in 9/07. I stopped losing weight about 9 months ago. I did manage to lose 90 pounds. I have not had an adjustment in 6 months because I am afraid to go in as last time I had gained weight and the Nurse Practitioner for my surgeon said if I kept gaining they wouldn't adjust the band anymore. They finally talked me into coming in but now I have to have the adjust vs nonadjustment with an upper GI since it has been so long since I had an adjusment. I am excercising my butt off and just can't seem to lose anymore. I am stuck. Then to boot I have to have an EGD (scope) on monday because I have such awful reflux which I have had for years but has been getti…

Hello everyone! I am in the beginning stages of this whole process and have come here often to help me through the process and to find answers to questions I have. I had the consultation with the surgeon about 2 weeks ago and am just waiting for the insurance approval to come through to schedule all of the other appointments needed. I have a question about the sleep study though... What exactly is done? What can I expect? Why is it needed? Thanks! gtbadkitty

My name is Debbie and I am scheduled for the lap band on Monday. The only problem is that I keep second guessing myself and wonder if I should have chosen the vertical sleeve. Did anyone have any doubts? I am having to pay for this procedure out of pocket and I dont want to make a mistake. I feel so bad that I am taking so much money out of our family savings. :thumbup:

My surgery date is August 4,2009. On September the 4, 2008, when I attended the WLS seminar I was so excited. I just did not realize how long it would take to actually get the surgery. Madigan (MTF) requires all weight loss patients to go through what they call "The Pathway". It is a series of 6 educational classes plus about 3 meetings with the case manager and a psychological evaluation. Finally after attending all the meetings and appointments from February 2nd through May 1st. I was finally given the paperwork "Passport" to see the surgeon on May 15th. Unfortunately, after seeing the surgeon on May 15th, I still did not receive my surgery date, because he need…

Hi I had my surgery on the 6th April 2009 with the hospital group in the UK. I lost 14llbs initially, had a fill on the 21st May and have not lost anymore since!! I have booked in for another fill on the 16th July and am hoping the weight will start to shift. I know the band is in place as certain foods get stuck also if I don't chew, or eat to quickly I throw up, but other than that I can still eat relatively large portions and get hungry alot. does this ring any bells with anyone and if so how did they over come it, I am feeling really frustrated as it cost £7000.00 and for that I only get four fills, of which I will use the 2nd next week!!

My name is Terri and I am here to find all the information I can from people who like me have had or are considering having the surgery. To all of you who have succssfully had it congrats...to those of us still waivering in the wind; let's encourage each other to make the BEST possible decision. :tongue_smilie:

Well my doctors office submitted my paperwork yesterday. Now its just a waiting game. I have BCBS of Illinois and I was told they are the hardest to get to approve the band. Has anyone else heard this? Has anyone gotten them to approve and if so how? Thanks for all your help

Hello- My name is Sheila and I am new to this site. I had the lapband surgery in October 2008 and have lost 40 pounds. I really wish it were a little more. I am making an effort to exercise at least 3 days a week. Today, I am having horrible pain- it is right in the middle of my chest. It is really, really bad- crushing pain. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you!

I have been approved by have to wait for my first doc visit until August 14th because it's an 8 hr drive one way. I have been trying to hard to lose weight for so long and they have told me to stop trying b/c if I start losing then the insurance won't pay. Which I understand and makes sense but I have no clue how to eat without feeling guilty or watching every bite I put in my mouth. I wanted to try to do the big liquid diet that everyone is talking about to make sure I can do it so when it comes time after surgery that I have to do it for real but I'm scared to. I'm so ready for this miracle and feel so lucky that my insurance approved me so easily. Just seems like FOREV…

I was banded in California 1/3/03 weighing 289 lbs. I got down to 223 stayed there for a few weeks. I then bounced back and forth between 235 and 260 for years. I just had a baby 11 weeks ago. I gained 30 lbs and dropped that 30 within 2 weeks. Now I need to figure out how to get back down to the 220's again... I have always worked out, right now I work out at the YMCA 3 to 4 days a week. I do need a fill, and need to find a Dr. in Nashville that will fill someone they did not do surgery on. I am so sick of being so heavy still after all these years. Amy

I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY WHERE TO START I FEEL LIKE GIVING UP AGAIN I DUNNO WHAT TO DO .. WERE IN JULY AND MY WEIGHT IS STILL 215 I HAD MY SURGERY IN NOVEMBER 08 .. 2 MONTHS I HAVE LOST NOTHING PLEASE HELP ME WHO DO I NEED TO DO THIS IS REALLY DEPRESSING ME AND MAKING ME FEEL LIKE A FAILURE IS THERE A PLAN I SHOULD FOLLOW OR WHAT IM GOIN TO HAVE A FILL ON THE 28TH PLEASE ANY IDEAS WILL BE APPRECIATED :thumbup::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying:

Hello everyone, I've been reading forums on this site for sometime now and decided to actually join and tell my good news too. I just found out yesterday that my insurance co approved me. I'm just too excited!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am using Dr Gary Stevens in Lafayette Louisiana, about a 45 minute drive from my home. The staff there are the greatest. Waiting on psych eval report then we can set the date!!!!!!!!! :thumbup:

Today I went to Austin to meet with the people at True Results. Did the initial visit and my physical. I have all the appointments scheduled for psych eval, nutritionist, sleep study, and 6 months of weight supervision required by BCBS. I am ready. My mom had the surgery 5 years ago and has lost over 200 lbs. One of my friends had it almost 2 years ago and is doing great. So I have lots of support. I am just scared that something will happen to cause it not to happen. So I wait....

I'm getting my testing done on the 14th of this month! I'm soooo excited/nervous about this process. Looking at the success all of you have had really helps. Feel free to send me an invite to be your friend :smile2: I'm on the site daily. I've been over weight my whole life and really want to let that sexy person shine. I have low self esteem but don't show it to many. I asked the Dr. to book the surgery after my vegas trip in sept because i don't wanna give up the drinking beer and eating crap for my birthday trip (One lastnight of yummy beer/buffets...lol) I have Dr. Orris and Dr. Dabarros from the WLIA. So far i am really:thumbup: pleased with them and their staff. …

Hello Everyone- I'm new to this site and hope to meet some new friends and get and offer support. I had my surgery in October 2008 and have lost about 40 pounds. My goal is to lose 70-80.

Anything I need to know now?? I am so ready to get my health back.

MY DR'S. OFFICE CALLED AND ADVISED ME OF MY SURGERY DATE THIS MORNING! IM SO EXCITED. THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN SO SMOOTH THUS FAR. :tongue_smilie:

Hi, my name is Leah. I am 31 years old, weigh 230lbs and am 5'3" tall. I have a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression. I suffer from PCOS, and with it mild depression and anxiety. I go for my nutrition, exercise, and mental health evaluation tomorrow(7/9). My diet and exercise will last a combined 2 hours. My mental health evaluation is an hour and is with a licensed social worker. Is there anything that I should know about before going in for my evaluations? I really want to be successful. From what I was told, as soon as my evaluations are through my paperwork will be sent to my insurance company. The scheduling coo…

Hi, This is my first chat room anywhere and I hope I do this right. Has anyone had a bad experience with Dr. Billy and staff? I'm going to be scheduled for surgery pretty soon, but am scared to death right now to go ahead with it because of my office visit and the general attitude. Just wondering, because all of the chat rooms I've found go on and on about how wonderful they are and now I'm thinking maybe they really are that great and just don't like me personally. I'd appreciate any comments and what you think, thanks! scared

Hi there, I am new to this forum, 1st post! :drool: I live in the Bay Area and I started my process at Kaiser Fremont in June. I went to my first orientation 2 weeks ago, I thought I was there for the lapband, but as the day went on the Dr. (Christine Chu) only talks about the Roux n Y bypass, and she was very negative about the Lapband. Next Step - I have my first 3 hour appt. July 22nd with Dr. Hahn, a Nutritionist and a Coordinator. I thought I was getting Dr. Chu, but they put with with Dr. Eric Hahn. The scheduler told me they may not do the lapband for me. :thumbup: Has anyone had Dr. Hahn do their surgery? Has anyone had Dr. Christine Chu? Has anyone ran in…

I just started my 10 day liquid diet. My surgery is the 13th of July! :smile2: I'm so excited, but very weak from just drinking shakes and crystal light etc. Anyone have any suggestions on what they did for their 10 days? HELP!!!!!!!!!

Hi everyone, I just had surgery on July 1st and Im still getting use to drinking all the liquids Im suspose to. I feel ok not great yet but getting there.

Hi Everyone, I have been browsing the internet looking for a place where I can find people who have something in common with me and I've found it! I had my Lap-Band placed on 6/16/2009 and i'm still adjusting to it. Mostly still having occasional pain near the port site. I went for a 4 mile walk yesterday and had to stop a few times because of a sharp pain near the port site. Normal? Anyway, I'm glad to be here and hope to learn new things every day from all of you! :thumbup:

In a week I will have mine :smile2: I was wondering how you guys get those great trackers on your profile, I have the new tracker but have no clue where to put it. Hope to get to know lots of you and here I go on this journey soon!! Fingers crossed!! Jessie

Hello, I am around 100lb over weight, high bp, sleep apnea, bad knees and dehydrated spinal disks. I am also a martial arts practitioner. My question is, will I be able to train with hard contact after the band is inserted and healed up? Thanks for any info.

Hi. I had my surgery last Thursday and am feeling a little better each day. I'm happy with my decision to do this but I can't help feeling a little "alone" right now. I intentionally chose to only inform a few people that I was having this done...mainly because I wanted to be the one to let people know. Unfortunately, I knew that some of the people I wanted to tell would no sooner finish talking to me than be on the phone telling everyone else. My kids don't even know. They know that I had 2 hernias repaired but that's all. I plan to tell them soon though. Anyone else out there with a similar situation?:thumbup:

My pre-op visit isn't until a week before the surgery.. but I think I should be on the pre-op diet now... so what is it?

I am getting excited my surgery is comming soon. I am less than a week out from the clear liquid fast. I am a little nervous. I want to be strong and follow the pre-op diet.:thumbup:

Hi, everyone I'm Betsy, and I'm a bandster-in-waiting. I've done the seminar, and am awaiting my appointment with Brian Lahmann at Silver Cross in Joliet, IL. While I am not yet 100% certain, I believe he and Dr. Joyce lean toward Realize banding for their banding patients; I will learn more on August 21. I am not yet sure whether I will be required to be followed preop with a medically supervised diet; our insurance plan has loosened its requirements for WLS, and I don't know where they currently stand. Either way, I'm ready, and willing to jump through whatever hoops necessary to get the show on the road! I'm a long-time weight watcher (not just with that particular …

Hello to all the readers out there @ lapbandtalk.com my name is Joe, and I am having lapband surgery on the 14th of July 2009. My Dr. is Dr. Nunn who is a surgeon at the Barix Clinics in Ypsilanti, Mi. I am 6'1" and currently tipping the scales at 354lbs. I have tried various diets and exercise routines. I currently have joint pain, bad asthma (inhaled steroids daily to control), Acid Reflux, and have had several severe bouts with depression. (taking daily meds for that also) My mother's family has always had weight issues, and my mother herself has successfully had a Gastric Bypass and lost over 70% of her excess body weight. She encouraged me to pursue weigh…

Hi all I'm new to the site. I was banded on 5th of June 2009 at Glengarry Hospital, by Dr Dolan. I started off at 125 kilo and hope to get down to 75 kilo. I'd love to hear from anyone who has some good advice and ideas to help me along. Also anyone from Perth, who wants to chat.:tongue_smilie:

I just got back from my final meeting with my surgeon..and i am waiting insurance approval!!! He said it should be no longer than a week...and then i will schedule the surgery... I cant belive its here!!!! YUCK they took pictures of me today too... as of today i am down 38 pounds from my first visit to him back in October of 2008 :smile2: :wink2:

I live in Austin TX and have federal BCBS and was approved for the surgery. The insurance approval was easy-the problem was just getting the psych paperwork done. But thats all completed and I have a Jan 28 surgery date at Innova Hospital in San Antonio. Anyone out there have any experience with this hospital or doctor. I was very impressed with him at the seminar and his office staff have been great too. I would love to talk to someone who has had the band put in there. Hope to hear from someone. Teanne

Hello everyone! My name is Doris. I live in in Alamogordo, New Mexico. I've been throwing around the idea of lap band surgery for 3 years now. I went to my second informational seminar last night and I'm ready to do this. I'm soooo sick and tired of being sick and tired. I weigh 284 lbs. and I'm 5'5". BMI is 46. I have type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, plantar fasciitis, back pain, chronic heartburn, etc. I have my initial consultation appointment with Dr. Acosta from Del Sol Bariatrics Surgery in El Paso, Texas on July 23rd. I'm so excited. I just signed on today so I haven't had a chance to really read any posting but I'm looking forward to learning from everyo…

Hi, My name is Michelle and my surgery is scheduled for 9:45 tomorrow morning in NC. Any advice is welcome.:smile2: