Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

Single parent w/2 kids, i need a change...

Ive been in bed now for 4 days with this vicious flu virus, & im getting banded in 2 weeks time, went to dr's today put me on pencilin & a throat spray (difflam) i have never felt so ill in all my life, fever,I have blisters back of my throat, Trying to stay positive as my post op ass is next tuesday,but its hard to keep my spirits up, my doc thinks i should be ok by then, but the way i feel, i doubt it, but hopes to god i will be, I have lost 16lbs in a week cos of it & im on my pre op diet & for the last 3 days i havnt been able to eat or drink, Tonight im forcing warm drinks down me, cant even have soup as its not allowed on the pre op diet, but i n…

Hi, I am from Marshall County (Arab) and my doctor has suggested the Lap Band to me. He says he has the six months needed for the requirements since I have been trying to lose weight for literally "forever". I have had all kinds of issues with digestive problems, joint pains, reflux, high blood pressure, etc, etc. Doc says it will all be alleviated with weight loss. I am also ready for a breast reduction which doc says would be relieving my back pains and shoulder pains. In order for my insurance to pay for it, I have to lose about 25 or more pounds in order to get the size I want. I don't want to be so small that all you see is my stomach, however if I lose my stom…

:tt1: I just wanted to say hello and let u know that i start my liquid diet this friday and my surgery is jan.19th with dr.dwayne smith, i have heard nothing but good things about him and i really like him. i am a littli scared,but ready! i do have a ? though, i need chewable or liquid iron and i can't find it anywhere, i found everything else, any suggestions?:wub:

Good morning, all! I am writing at 8 days post-op and happy to report that I am feeling very well. I feel nearly normal already and am getting lots of exercise which is helping a lot. I hope that all of you who are thinking about the surgery will seriously consider it. I think it will be very positive for you. It sure has been for me! Take care out there! Jody

Hi everyone! I'm new here and just wanted to say Hello! I am two month into the 6 months of doctor supervised diets and am approved for the surgery at this point, it should be done in May or June. My BMI is 44 and I am ready to change my life for the better. I look forward to learning from all of you and doing this together. :wub:

Hello to all! Yes, I'm a newbie - I WAS BANDED 7 days ago today (12.30.08), talk about a New Year resolution. I started the day of surgery at 237.8 and today I'm at 230.4 in a week, (is that about on track?) I'm sure its all water, but ghee it sure does make you happy to look at the #'s going down for once. I hope to follow in all of YOUR success and continue to my goal! (Which I'm not really sure what # that is - I just want to be healthy, off the RX's, and enjoy my life the Lord has given me) I'm from TN about 40 miles north of Memphis, if anyone from this area is connected, let me know. I would love to know. I'm so open to any and all suggestions, yes, a…

Hello all, I'm Mehgan from CT and was just banded a week ago today. Found this group online while searching lap band topics and think it'll be a wonderful support tool. So far (including 2 week pre-op diet) I am down about 25lbs and looking forward to continued success!

Hi all, I am a new member from Murfreesboro, TN. Had my Lap-Band surgery on December 17, 2008 at Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro. Dr. George Eckles is my surgeon. Did my two week followup last week and all seems to be working 'as advertised'. My biggest 'holdup' is overcoming that 'loss' of being able to eat the foods I've enjoyed so much over the years (fried stuff, breads and the like). It's gotten better over the past few days, but I still have some of those cravings from time to time. I am curious as to how long some of you have had to deal with pain after surgery? I am over two weeks post-op and the pain in my side fluctuates from tolerable…

I am scheduled for lap band on Jan 8 and I am terrified. I keep reading about all the pain associated with feeling the band inside the stomach, the gas, potential for hernias and gall stones and general discomfort. This is my second time being scheduled. I backed out in Aug 08, have not gained weight but have not lost any either. Tried on my own but I can't do it. I don't know what to do. I really want to lose the weight but I don't know if I'll end up with the psychological side effects of being "banded". Did anyone with the band feel this way before surgery? How did you overcome it?

can people please tell me what the following means please PB , is there anymore i should know about cause im lost here lol

Hello everyone, I am so glad to have found this website. Can't wait to receive more information from all of you. I wish you a well in your journey!!!!

I am 32 yrs. old. I have a wonderful husband and two wonderful kids (BOY AND GIRL) and a wonderful Step-son (TEEN). I am from Newark, NJ. I am going with Montclair Surgical Associates (Dr. Fresco). I have been cleared by the Psychologist, Cardiologist, Gastroenterologist and Pulmonologist...I have 3 more Nutritional visits to go to and I need my PCP to write the Letter Of Medical Necessity with 5 yr. Weight History. Problem is that my PCPs office has never written one of these letters and I've only been seeing them for 1 yr. I am not a Dr. seeing person and never had a PCP before. Does anyone have a Sample that I may be able to provide my PCPs office with...for them to…

Hi all. I have Kaiser Permanente in California, which refuses to pay for lap-band surgery, only the invasive gastric bypass (and even then you have to spend months and months going through a pre-op program, which I cannot miss that much work for). I am going to have lap-band done in Mexico, either through my own research or through a medical travel firm. Any recommendations? I've seen varying prices from $5,500 from a doc in Tijuana who has gotten some pretty bad reviews, to $8,000 by a doctor Ortiz, who has gotten good reviews. Any other advice? Money is an issue, since I'm paying for this myself, but I also don't want to go with the lowest possible price if the doc is d…

Hello everyone, I'm 48 and was concerned about my health as well as being very frustrated with the dieting scene. So I was Banded on 12-15-08. As of the 3 week interval I have lost 24 pounds. I have adheared to my Dr.s orders very exactly. So far so good, very pleased with no extreme hunger. First fill to be on 1-29-09.:tongue2:

I am scheduled for surgery on Jan 13 . Although the pre op liquid food replacement is causing me a bit of difficulty, I look forward to the end results. I've been overweight all my life and although I have lost weight before, I've not ever been able to keep it off. I'm hoping this is the right choice for me.:Yawn:

I am 44 year old,overweight I am a diabetic takeing 4 pills a day also high blood/and bad knees. I have not had lapband surgery yet .I am scheduled for a information session on 1-20-2009 and also on 1-23 -2009 with the nurse practioner.:tongue2:

Hello everyone, as you may tell i'm new to this site. I had my surgery on 5/12/08 at Lenox Hill Hospital and it was an success. The surgeon was Dr. Roslin. A very amazing man I thank him for saving my life. I was heading down a road of no return and thanks to him the old me has resurfaced. I used to weigh 282 pounds for some they may think that nothing but for me that meant everything. Now I 220 pounds and feel great. I want to go as far as maybe 150 pounds by the summer.:wink_smile:

Just got banded on 12/12/08. Started this journey 12/2/08 at 264 lbs. after 10 days of liquid diet hell at surgery my weight was 258 and now after 3 weeks I have lost 12 lbs. I have been at a stand still for a week now that I don't understand since alot of things make me sick and I don't eat much. I know for a fact I can not eat breads. I know they told me they left 3 cc in when they put it in and I have not even went for my 1st fill yet. Am I expecting to much to soon? Should I stop freaking out? I am scared of gaining. My doctor said I should be eating soft solids by now and start exercising after 4-6 weeks of surgery but I already started walking. I am taking a Multi-V…

Hello! I am going to an informational session tomorrow at Great Lakes Weight Loss Center. What can I expect? I believe this will be the right choice for me as I have struggled with my weight since I was 8 years old. I have yo-yo dieted since then and have been over 200 pounds for the past 14 years. Any comments as to my situation would be much appreciated!!!! Sally:smile:

Hi Everyone, I have finally worked up enough courage to introduce myself. I started my Lap Band Journey on November 4th when I went to the WLS seminar. Since then I have met with the surgeon, and done all the pre-op testing required. I completed my 6 month diet requirement through Jenny Craig last year. I am now schedelued for my final Surgeon visit on 1/14 and then they will submit my packet to Carefirst BCBS and see what happens. I am so nervous about the possibility of being rejected and that is why I have been afraid to post. I currently weigh 223 and am 5'2" tall, my BMI is 40.5. I am the proud Momma of 5 boys and 2 girls ranging in age from 20 - 1. I am thrilled …

Hi, My name is Sandy and I was told that I could find an abundance of information on this site. Hopefully, I do not ask you things that you have told a million times before. I am looking for some information in regards to a Canadian getting surgery in the U.S. I was told that it is easier than I had thought. So far, not true. I am already having problems with the form to fill out by myself and my doctor. If you have time to help a desperate, tired of being overweight person, please get back to me. Thank you.

Hey there, I was banded in June 2007 and have since lost 65 lbs. My weight loss was stagnant for aproximately 6 months but I recently got back on track and lost another 10 lbs. and am feeling great about myself again. I had my surgery at Credit Valley hospital in Toronto and my only regret was that I didn't access outside support from fellow bandsters before now. I didn't tell anyone about my surgery for fear of having judgements made and having to explain myself to people. This was a very personal decision and wanted to keep my weight loss issues to myself. I think that it was the best decision for me but am very happy to be able to communicate with people who sha…

Hi everyone! I've been a wall-flower here for a while, and now I'm making official introductions. I'm from Wisconsin, and am planning to have a bariatric surgery of some type, probably Lap-Band, at Aurora Sinai in Milwaukee. I'm going tomorrow for my nutrition/psych consults and am so excited. I can't wait for the surgery now that I've commited to the process. I went to my introduction seminar on Sept 2, and it took me this long to actually put into motion the whole thing. Why did I wait? I'm not sure, but I'm glad the ball's finally rolling. I look forward to posting nice progress about myself and supporting all of you who are in the same boat as me! Hello to ou…

Hi all. I'm beginning this whole process. The only appointment I've gone to as of now is meeting with the nutritionist. I have my psychiatric evaluation this friday, and am VERY nervous about it. I feel like it's a test and i have such a fear of tests. Any suggestions on surviving the Psyc Eval? I also have my gallbladder ultrasound on monday, another meeting with the nutritionist, then the actual meeting wtih my doctor next thursday. I cant' wait to get moving with all these appointments and finally get to the surgery. I want to move on to the next phase of my life. Here's to all you LapBanders out there!:wink_smile:

I just sent all the information for my LapBand surgery to Cleveland Clinic. I am 80 pounds overweight and my health is worsening as we speak. I have everything wrong with me that they listed and more! There is no way I am going to loose any weight without help. I guess I have come to the realization that at 59, if I haven't done it yet, I never will. So, here I am, feeling sorry for myself and found this website. Help me get excited about what I am about to do. I am scared to death!

Hi, I was banded on November 25th and will have my first fill tomorrow. I am scared to death. I have been reading the posts on here and hope that it won't be too bad. I am very excited to get started with my weight loss! I am tired of being fat and out of shape. Wish me luck.

Hi My name is Crystal I was banded on 10/31/2008 by Dr. Kurt Sprunger of Scottsdale Baratric. I have lost 46lbs and 6 of those were 2 weeks after my first fill on 12/16/2008.

Hey all, I am being banded Wed. 1/7 I'm very excited. It's taken since April 08 to get to this point. Insurance.... I've been over weight all my life,or shall I say morbid obese. I'm out to lose a body lol. I hope my next 40 years are skinny and wonderful. M

I'm Erika and I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. I live in South Bend, Indiana. I'm a wife, a mother of two wonderful children and I'm in the beginning process of the Lap Band. I've been through all of my different appointments, (Exercise Physiologist, Medical Doctor, Dr. Credi - Surgeon and Behavior Therapist) and now the waiting games starts, for my insurance to review and approve me for surgery. I'm so happy that I find you guys. And I look forward to getting to know you and your journey to take back control over your weight. Erika

Hey guys! My name is Kristin Seely. I live in western washington and i'm 18 years old. I'm scheduled to have my surgery on January 14th. I have Dr.Lauter, does anyone know him? It would be an understatement to say that i'm a little nervous. I'm not too worried about the actual surgery, I just REALLY want this to work. I'm so tired of being overweight and not fitting in at my high school. I'm also a little unsure about the recovery after the surgery. I'm going to have to go back to P.E the week after my surgery and i'm hoping i'll be able to participate? How long did it take for you guys to recover and be able to walk around? I am really glad I found this site. I looked ar…

Hello everyone, I've been contemplating weight loss surgery for years now. I started working for a company about three years ago that covers the surgery under their insurance plan and I knew it was time. But after getting the wheels in motion for Gastric Bypass I started getting scared by all of the possible complications and life long side effects. So I decided I could do it on my own. Well, a year later, I was up another 20 pounds, so I decided I had to do something and even though the Lap Band doesn't work as fast as GB, I really liked the safety and lack of side effects, so I contacted my surgeon's office, and here I am. I look forward to the information and enc…

Hello all forum members i am jack here. I am a bussiness man in newyork. Hoping to enjoy my stay here.

Hello everyone.. My wife is CanadianChubling here.. time to make my introduction.. I am 39 years old male.. originally an american moved to canada about four years ago (grimsby ontario area). I have always been fat.. since my first computer at age 13.. Apple IIe.. It was love at first site, i went from a hyperactive pre pubescent to a huge bulgy man. I am 6'4' everything about me is big, I need XXXL gloves, Must wear custom watches, have a size 8 1/2 head, can pick up a basketball with one hand. I have always been heavy, just how heavy always been hidden by my extreme size. If i asked people how much they thought I was about 50 lbs ligther than i always was. I am 6'…

Hey everyone I wanted to post that I have just been approved to be banded in Feb. I am a little nervous, but being on the site helps. Thanks to all of you who have inspired me with your great achievements. Cross your fingers.......:wink_smile:

Hi everybody, I suppose I'm a lot like most of you. I was always heavy for as long as i can remember. I was "the" fat kid growing up. I remember getting teased in grade school and that just fueled my compulsive eating habits. I lost 70 pounds my freshman year in high school by starving. Got down to 160 lbs then. Kept it off about 4 years. 10 years ago I lost 60 lbs. doing weight watchers. Gain it back plus some. Lost 50 pounds doing the south beach. Gained it back. Now I'm at 285 with high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and constant pain in my joints. I'm ready to take it off and keep it off. I am still waiting for my surgical date. Have had my pshyclogical evaluation…

Hello-from Lancaster, OH. Had my surgery on 12-8-08 in Cincinnati by Dr. Trace Curry. He and the staff at Journeylite are really great. I've lost about 23 lbs so far (that's including what I lost on the pre-surgery diet) I'm going back down to Cincinnati in the morning for my first fill, and am pretty excited. Hopefully all will go well, and my first fill will give me some results.

Hi everybody, I've been lurking through the forums for a little while now and finally decided to jump in and introduce myself. I am Heather and I have been going through the decision to do the Lap band surgery. I've been overweight my whole adult life and it's finally gotten to a point the last few years that I don't have control and I've eeked into the "obese" catagory of the BMI charts. Through reading the forums and some of your experiences I've decided that my fear isn't worth staying fat for the rest of my life. Your stories and experiences are so helpful and informative that I couldn't ask for a better resource. I hope that this tool will finally give me the upper…

Well Jan 4th I am 1 month post op from LAP-BAND® Surgery and I am down 36 pounds!!! I'm really excited about it. My clothes are getting lose, and everyone is commenting me at work. I feel so much better about myself. I'm going to give myself a Valentines Day challenge to lose another 14 pounds. This way I will be 50 pounds even! Its funny how when you are so obese, it seems like you will never lose your first 10 pounds. But now that the weight is comming off, I can say and finally believe that I CAN do this. I will post pictures up as soon as I can. yay me!!! :thumbup:

Wow thanks so much for your comment! It makes me feel so good that I am inspiring people.:thumbup: But yes, at one point I was really depressed and lost all of my ambition. I was really hard on myself and I was in denial for a long time that I really needed help. It wasn't until I was ok with admitting that I needed help and getting the LAP-BAND®. It didn't mean that I had given up and taken the easy way out. It was just the opposite. I was trying to do something to help save my life! Once I was ok with that, it all fell in place. I thank God for my band. I needed the constant "personal trainer" I like to call it. Well the rest is history from that day and today I am DOIN…

Hello! I'm a 42 y/o stay at home mom to 3 girls ages 13,4, and 2. I'm 5'7" and I believe I weigh about 295 (maybe more). I don't get on the scale except at the Dr's office. :wink_smile: I've contemplated this surgery for quite some time, but didn't think it could happen for financial reasons. After lurking around here a bit I started realizing the health insurance we got a year ago might actually cover the surgery. I've enrolled on-line for a seminar on 2/11/08. This is the soonest one I could find for the surgeons that are considered "in-network". I look forward to getting to know ya'll!

Hi everybody, here I go. After being fat my whole life I am finally claiming my right to be here and seeking the help I need. I hope to God I can get the doctors and insurance company to agree that I am worth it and deserving. If not I am afraid I will burst out in anger and rage. I have been dancing around with doctors heads in the sand and looking at me like everything is just fine as long as I take more pills and try to loose a bit of weight. Ive lost weight at times via full time effort and insane dedication and obsession to the process. As soon as real life kicks back in it hops back on. Oh but you have probably all been there, and this book has already been…

This is new territory for me! I was banded last May, and I've lost 43 pounds. I'm very happy, but experiencing some pain.....so I turned to the internet. I haven't blogged about my experience to date, so this is something different. I'm trying to figure out why I'm in so much pain lately...about 4 days now. Can hardly eat anything.....just a few bites puts me in terrible pain...I'm wondering about a possible blockage?

Hey, Im really worried about surgery. I NEED to lose weight. Im 420 pounds and am getting lap band in may. I have heard so many bad stories that I am losing hope. I am paying for this surgery myself because my ins. wont pay for it. Its alot of money. I cant lose weight on my own because I never feel full. All the bad stories make it sound like the surgery doesnt work. The lapband web sight saise you have to eat healthy and exercise. well If I could do that why get the lapband. Does it help a little. Im just scared. Could someone please assure me it will help

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE TO ALL. THIS IS MY VERY FIRST POST AND I AM VERY EXCITED.:laugh: I AM HAVING MY BAND PLACED ON JANUARY 23, 2009 IN ALBANY, GA BY DR. BAGNATO AT PALMYRA MEDICAL CENTER. THIS AWESOME NEWS CAME TO ME THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS AND THAT WAS THE BEST GIFT/NEWS THAT I COULD HAVE EVER RECIEVED. I HAD HONESTLY ALMOST GIVEN UP BECAUSE MY INSURANCE COMPANY WAS SOOOO SLOW ABOUT APPROVING THE PROCEDURE. :tt1: BUT, I FINALLY GOT THE CALL I HAD BEEN PRAYING FOR. I COULDN'T HELP BUT CRY :eek: BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO BE A NEW BEGINNING FOR ME FOR I HAVE BEEN OBESE ALL OF MY LIFE. I AM 30 YEARS OLD AND FEEL THAT IT IS TIME TO GET MY WEIGHT UNDER CONTROL AND HAVING THIS …

Hi everyone, I really enjoy reading the message boards as it has really inspired and added to my knowledge base. I got banded in Dec 2, 08 and to date have lost 25lbs. I originally weighed 200 lbs and now down to 175lbs, my 16 year old daughter soon to be 17 on Jan 1, 09 will be banded tomorrow 12/30/08. She lost 20 lbs pre-op and is now 190. I got inspired by my doctor who is one of the few doctors that bands teenagers. My daughter has been battling with her weight for over 5 years and her self esteem was really low. After my own banding and reading extensively on teenage bandsters, I realized it was to their advantage, minimal risk and as for their self esteem, it sho…

Hi everyone!!!! My name is AMY! I just my lapband on December 22, 2008. I decided to get on the forum and reach out to others. I am a little dissappointed b/c I haven't lost anything since my surgery. It's been 10 days and nothing. I am a little annoyed. Is this normal? I look forward to making new friends!! Amy

Hello All... I just joined. I am glad to see so many people are in the same boat I am in. Hoping for surgery by Jan early Feb.

hi im new to this site :tt2: im scheduled to have my lapband on february 12th 2009, im really nervous but also very excited:w00t:. as i dont know what to expect i thought i would join and get the view of people that have already had thier band fitted, my surgeon has told me i need to go on a fat free diet 3 weeks before my sugery does anyone know what is classed as fat free? i can't seem to find anything in the supermarkets apart from water that is completly fat free! even fruit and veg has a certain amount of fat, im very confused

Hello, My name is Carrie and I live in Westminster CO. I am just beginning the journey toward banding. I have always been overweight but have really struggled with obesity since my first childs birth 10 years ago. I have recieved an info packet after a referral from my physician to Dr Johnell in Greeley. I am intimidated by it all. The mental health issue freaks me out because I have had treatment for deppression and anxiety for a long time, am on meds and my psychologist is talking that I may be bi polar 2 which will disqualify me from banding from what I have read. I could use some input and thoughts. I understand the concern over bi polar etc but can anyone tel…