Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

Hello y'all! My name is Bea, I am 42 years old and have 2 beautiful kids, a husband I adore and is been very supportive thoughout this journey. I have been yo-yo dieting since I can remember, always after loosing; the weight came back with a vengance some pounds added on... I got tired of it, want to feel good about myself .. the wakeup call for me was my dad having his 3rd stroke, diabetes II high blood pressure just to keep the list short... and we are our parents offspring. With a very good likelyhood of also getting these illensses when I get older and with some of it ...I might be bordeline. I got started in Sept. I am now on my pre-op diet and scheduled to have surg…

Hello my name is Carla, I am from Reseda, Ca (Los Angeles County/San Fernando Valley Area). I am 21 years old 5'1" currently 235lbs. Tomorrow I am going to get banded. I am really nervous but really excited. I didn't have weight issues during my childhood years once I got to high school everything changed for me. Now I am ready to change my life to healthier one :]

I finally decided to join and make my first post. I hope I'm doing this correctly, using this site is kind of tricky. Anyhow I have been on here "listening" in since June. I didn't want to join until I was further along in the process. Well that 6 months has flown by and I have a surgery date. I'm excited and want my band in place like yesterday! My doctor is putting me on Optifast :thumbup:, I'm afraid I will do someone bodily harm for a piece of chicken by the end of my first day:lol:. But I know it is for my own good, too much belly fat. Speaking of fat, I know this sounds ridiculous, but I was wondering about back fat (rolls). Has anyone that has lost a bit of weigh…

I'm a new person in your midst. Just started considering the lap band because a friend of mine got tired of watching me suffer through my eating issues for years and years, gaining and losing weight and being miserable. She had the lap band a few months ago, and highly recommended it to me. At first I wasn't interested, but now I find that it's a real option for me. I'm going to an informational session about it at the hospital that offers it, and if all checks out well, I think I will be banded in January, between nursing jobs when I have some time off. Pretty cool New Year's present to myself, eh? Being healthy, getting off a med or two, feeling good. Neato! The on…

I was banded in Mexico Nov 19th by Dr. Gonzales. It was an amazing experience. I was very well cared for. My Pre - Op weight was 271. I am as of Dec 4th 249. I just started a website to send to my friends and family I will share it with all of you. If any of you have any recipes or any advice to help others please leave a message on my message board. http://tammi-thompson.gotmeonline.com/ I feel really good for after 2 weeks but I am very board with the diet thus far any help here would be great. I have been walking on the treadmill 30 minutes in the am and 30 minutes in the afternoon. Does anyone know when I will be able to eat a salad? I know it wont be for a wh…

it took 3 weeks to get approved but i had to be on their butt! i didnt check in till the first week and a half then i asked if they had an answer yet but all they said was that i would know soon. I guess their fax wasnt work at the doctors office and so the insurance company wasnt getting my papers but finally i got a new number for them to fax to and in like record time they approved me in less then 24 hours. it was one of the best things i have ever heard. but if i want my surgery in december i have to loose 10 pounds i guess in a week...i hope i can do it!

What kind of protein shakes are best. I am really confused about this. There are so many to choose from.:thumbup:

I titled this thread "Listening to my Body" because that is exactly what I realized I have to do since surgery. This past weekend I experienced my first case of :tt2:heartburn, indegestion, acid reflux.:cool2: So many different names you use, but they all mean the samething. At first I had no idea what it was, but after a day of feeling that way I realized and than again it was only after a dear friend of mines came to the house and I told her I was feeling she said it sound like... Since I've never had:frown: heart burn, indegestion, acid reflux:frown: I had know idea what I was feeling. The feeling. My throat and chest was hurting. Everytime I swolled it just hurt. F…

i did it! nov. 26 and i am so happy to share my journey with all of you! i hope to make lots of new friends here:)

Hello Everyone! My name is Wendy and I'm 46 years old, I've been married for 13 years, have two awesome kids, three dogs, 1 rat, and a ferret. By day I teach Middle School. I drive a multi colored van, and in my spare time I paint, act, write and direct. I've struggled with an eating disorder for most of my life, and I am sooooo tired. I haven't been "banded" yet, but I have a date; December 22. I'm so excited! When my doctor told me that I was a great candidate for surgery, all I could think was, "Oh, you have no idea how great a candidate I am for this surgery." I mean, I'm fully aware that this surgery is not a quick fix or a magic bullet, but rather a "tool" th…

Hi,,,I am from Kentucky. I had the lapband surgery one year ago and am still losing. It has slowed down a lot but as long as the weight is still coming off, I'm happy. I have lost from 214 to 150 in one year. I go and get a fill every 8-10 weeks. I will have my 4th fill on December 23rd. I started out wearing a size 18 jeans and now I am in a size 9-10. I do not regret one minute of the surgery. I am 52 years old, so losing has been slower for me because of my metabolic age. I have severe arthritis and do not exercise as much as I should. When it gets close time for another fill I start getting hungry. I had my surgery in Ashland, Kentucky at Kings Daughters Ho…

I'm new to the site, and I am scheduled to be banded December 18th. I have been on my pre-op diet for 3 days and I am hating the shakes. My doctor is Dr. Collier with JourneyLite and he sold me AmazeRX powder. I chose chocolate but the smell is so bad I almost gag trying to choke down two a day. I am wondering if I can just get a different type from a health food store and get the results he wants. I'm bummed because I bought this huge 1 month supply and now I don't even like it, and with every passing hour I am dreading when I will have to drink the next one. The only positive is according to my scales I have lost 5 pounds in 3 days. Anyway, I'm really excited about the …

Hey Ladies, Happy Sunday to ya! I hope everyone had a pleasant weekend. I was banded on 10/30. Everything went very smoothly. I wasn't and haven't been in any pain. Just a lot of soreness, like I've been going a million crunches. I was released on Friday afternoon, and I was feeling so good that I even took my 3 yr old trick-or-treating. The walking was good for me. It was nice to stretch my legs, plus I had some gas that needed to be worked out.....LOL I'm so exicited to be on my way to a slimmer me. YAY!:cool2:

I am on my 6th day of a liquid diet and my doctor wants me to drink Slim-fast and i am geting sick of the 3 flavors. (i still have 5 days to go on it):whatchutalkingabout Is there any suggestions on a replacement?

Hi there. I just joined this site and was reading alot of posts on here before i had my surgery to prepare me for it. I was banded on Tuesday December 2nd 2008. My surgery went well and there were no complications. The scars are alot lower than i had origanally thought they would be. The pain that comes form those incisions is horrible. I feel like fire is blazing out of them everytime i get up. I hope this goes away soon. At this point the weight loss isn't even on my mind... what i constantly think about is when does the pain go away! I dont have a very high tolerance for pain unfortunately.. i am not even thinking about food either - not even the slightest bit hungry. …

Hello everyone. I am new to the group and it looks so informative! I am very interested in the lap band but I live in California near Sacramento. Does anyone know of a good place to go in the area. I could even travel near to San Francisco if need be. I really feel this surgery could help me. My daughter has had 22 surgeries and through it all I have put on so much weight that I just can't get off!! I would really appreciate any info you can give me. Thanks, Heather

Where are my GRITS....Girls Raised in The South. Come on ya'll we gotta represent. No disrespect to the North, East, or West. Just want to see who is here from the dirty,dirty. I am from New Orleans, Louisiana. I'm sure you've heard of the place. The city Katrina tried to wipe off the map, and the place apparently George Bush forgot about following Katrina. Sorry, I digress. So Holl Ya'll:w00t: FYI: I will be getting banded on July 25, Yay:thumbup:

I just heard from my Doctor...I'm having my Lapband surgery January 12, 2009! I am so excited!!!! I have been going thru the process since July 29, 2008 and it is finally going to happen. I also feel a little scared and doubting myself now that its really going to happen. I'm afraid I will fail at this like all the other diets I've been on. I guess I should be happy and not worry! Yeah right!:whatchutalkingabout

Hi I am Donna from Il and tring to find out if meciade will pay for lap -band. I am at my hights weight now at 410. I am just getting to where I can exercise due to health problems. I am in a wheel chair due to sever arthritsis. So can anyone tell me of a dr that takes medicaid in or near Paris IL?:tongue2:

My friend Mary led me to this sight and I thought I would say good morning to everyone.

I am a diabetic on an oral med and am wondering about diabetic life after the surgery. I know how bad I can feel if I don't get enough to eat or can't eat on time, how does the surgery affect this and how can I take my pills if I am not allowed to take pills?? Someone please give me their experience! :whatchutalkingabout

3 mths since surgery, lost 34 lbs. I feel wonderful! Lost a lot of weight first month. Second month did not lose any weight! Always hungry and sometimes cheated. :cursing: After second fill 3 wks ago, I lost 8 lbs. Food gets stuck a lot though. Sometimes I can eat fine, other times impossible. Proteins shakes get me through tough times. Very happy!

Hi, my name is Annete and I was banded on September 25, 2008 by Dr. Howard Simon at University Hospital in Syracuse, NY. According to my calculations from my starting weight to present, I have lost about 25 pounds. :thumbup:I lost 5 pounds just before my surgery as instructed by my doctor and the rest after. I feel like most of that loss was due to the dietary restrictions in the beginning and tissue swelling in the area where the band was placed causing me to feel full. :confused_smile:The frustration is that I can't seem to lose any more than that and I am feeling like maybe that is going to be it. I feel hungry like I always did and the only indication that I hav…

Hello- I was banded 4 years ago, lost about 70 lbs, kept it off for about two years and then slowly gained it back, have gone thru fills, unfilled, reflux issues and now I am almost back to pre surg weight. I have done it all- counseling, nutritionist, trainer, I just can not seem to control my eating. Now I am trying prayer since i feel totally lost. How do you regain your momentum and not keep beating yourself up for failing yet again at weight loss?????

Hi everyone!! My name is Michelle, I am from Long Island, NY. My surgery is for next week dec.10th~I started my liquid diet today..ugh! I am nervous & happy!! I am so glad to have found this site!

Hi! my name is Pascale, and I am getting ready for my banding surgery that will happen on January 6th 2009. Im having my surgery done in Montreal by Doctor Christou. Im very happy to have found this site for support.:cursing:

Hello, I am new to this site, I am thinking of getting the Lap Band procedure after years and money trying to lose and STAY that way. I am a true chicken, I have anxiety anyway, and the thought of something going wrong, stuck or slips, really scares me. I am going to see Dr. Choban, she recently did my husbands gallbladder surgery, and she is direct and to the point and very professional. I want to be skinny, HEALTHY, and reduce or get completely of all the medications I take. I already have high liver counts, so that worries me too. Did I already say I am afraid???......LOL My Aunt had the Gastric Bypass and actually died from complications and my Uncle went to h…

Hi, I was banded November 19th. Surgery went well, however, I tried doing those shakes up until November 28th when I finally spoke to my surgeon. Up until then I was not able to get one shakes down to save my life! After trying the shake, I couldn't even get Water down past that. Come to find out 10 days after surgery I have become lactose intolerable. I am sure you can imagine how weak and sick I was from not getting ANY fluids in me for that time period. This isn't my problem though. I have been extremely witchy at home, unfortunatly my husband is getting the brunt of it. I am starting to feel much better now that I am getting the nutrients I need, but still n…

Hi there, nice to join everyone. I am from Northern New York (yes it is freezing up here!!) and hope to have the Lapband surgery sometime in the next 6 months. I did not realize it would take so long, I do not have an appointment for the orientation/seminar until late April. I am very discuraged about that-I was hoping things would move a little faster! :thumbup: I have researched on the net and I have read a lot of your questions and comments on here but of course, I still have a lot of questions. I am 41 years old, 5'7" and 240 lbs, my BMI is 37.7--I have stuggled with my weight since I was 10 years old. You all know the story, tried it all and nothing seems to wor…

Hello from Michigan .I will be banded on Dec. 18. It has been the bigest thing that I have ever done. I have been looking into it for about a year. I have to start the 2 week liquid deit tommrow. I hope it will be a little easy.But we will see.Im glad that this site is here it has be helpful the past year.

Just thought I'd say hi, now I'll spend some time reading.

Hi i am a 34 year old mother of two; I have been trying unsucesfully lose weight for about 8 years. I lose 20 and gain 30 lbs back. I see my surgeon this week on 12/3 for all of the pre-op clearances. I am really looking forward to a new healthier life style. Angie

Good Morning Everyone, I was told about this site by a patient that I met at my doctor's office that just had lap-band 2 weeks ago. My scheduled date for surgery is December 4. Ok, my name is Gretchen, I'm 30 and live in a suburb of Washington DC. I'm on here to start my weight loss journey with others that have experienced lap-band; learn from each of you; and hopefully share my experience post-op. I really can't wait to start this process! Gretchen

Hello everyone - I am excited that there is a forum for us "banders". It seems that the "by-passers" get all the attention. Nonetheless, I just received my brand spanking new realize band on 12/1. Amazingly I feel great! My only issue a few days out is the growling underbelly. I am hoping that it goes away with time....please tell me that it goes away with time:smile2:. Im slowly siping Water all day, whilst having 6oz broth for Breakfast lunch and dinner with a suger free 2 oz Jello on the side. Any words of wisdom?

Before I start, I would just like to say hello to everyone in this forum. Hi, I am Sarabjeet Matharu (Neena) and I am new the forums here. I had a lapband surgery 6 months ago. I am not having any luck losing weight within the due time since the surgery has taken place. I lost only 12 lbs approximately. Is there anyone here who is vegetarian? Can anyone of you vagetarians give me a meal plan so I can find out what I am doing incorrect. I am fairly disappointed about my surgery. :wink2: Please, can anyone help me? I will be greatly appreciated. :smile2:

Hi. New to the site. Just had my initial consultation with surgeon - Dr. Bryce Schuster - on Fri., Oct. 24. Hoping my surgery will be no later than 2nd week in Dec. My insurance plan - Humana - will change in Jan. '09 and I will have less coverage. Nervous, giddy, excited, anxious and frightened about the surgery. NEVER had any surgery or been hospitalized for anything. Will be having my surgery at St. Mary & Eliz. Hosp. My Momma has been a nurse there for 32 years, so I kinda grew up with the staff and know they'll take care of me.:tongue: Looking forward to using this as part of my healing process...mentally and physically.

Hi everyone, I have been looking into getting something done for almost 10 years. At first I was going to get staples, but husband didn't want me to go through it. I was then refered to Dr. Beausoleil in 2005 and he told me he could do the surery in three monthes but it would cost me five thousand dollars. Needless to saw I am still waiting and saving. It looks like the sun is shinning bright for this year to have the money. I'm scared but very excited. I'm a diabetic (type2) and that is one of my main reasons I'm doing this. Sorry if I went on abit but so need people who really know what I'm going through. Thanks:smile:

Hi i am type 1 diabetic on insulin pump,i am scheduled for lap band on 12/19 anyone in the same situation and has got the surgery.

Hi I just joined LBT , I just started my process for lapband. I am a little worried for my BMI is only 39.4 and that has me right at the mark. Any one also go through this 11/19/08 seminar 11/26/08 met surgeon 1st dr visit 12/2/08 went through psychological and passed 12/8/08 appointment with pulmonary dr 12/10/08 cardiology appointment 12/12/08 gastroenterology appointment 12/16/08 first nutrional class I hope I am well on my way and wont be let down

Now I'm wondering if I should've did it!

Hi, I am new to this site and very happy to be here ! Does anyone happen to know if the Army insurance will cover the lap band surgery ? Thanks !

I was wondering the process of a trial compared to self pay or insurance paid.

Hi everyone! I have been banded since April 08 and just found this site. I think I could spend all day on here reading the posts. I have the Realize Band, and have been happy with the results. So far I have lost 81 pounds and have 40 more to go till my goal weight. No regrets on the surgery, one of the best decisions I have made for myself. My surgeon was great and I feel very lucky! Best wishes to everyone out there considering this surgery!

Hello, I'm not sure why I didn't think to seek out the message board months ago. But I'm here now :cursing: I'm having my lap band surgery on Tuesday. Any last minute advice is always welcome!

Hello and thank you for being here! Im flying out to Mexico Sunday AM and all of the sudden full panic is setting in??? 4 months of research, plenty of financial manipulation (self pay) and tons of conversations with anyone and everyone who knows me and now I panic? I guess the fear is in having it done in mexico and living outside of DC... I mean what if something does not do so well?? I feel like I am jepardizing my families financial security (that is if something happens and I end up needing to get to the local hospital/Dr's to get it remedied. Are these normal thoughts? Is it normal to freak out like this?:cursing:

Hi, I'm at the start of my journey I go to my first intro meeting at the jax weight loss center on 12/11. I believe my insurance won't cover the surgery (bcbs fl employee)so I'm expecting a very long uphill journey to lose weight. I am also hypothryoid and I'm wondering if they surgery will actually help me.

HI, I've decided that the band is probably my last hope for health and am waiting for Healthnet to approve. Then I can get things started. I have about 110 lbs to lose. I have high B/P, asthma, a bad knee, and rising glucose levels. I have tried every sensible diet and a few stooopid ones with limited success. I did Nutrisystem twice and lost a lot of weight, but put it all back on. I did weight watchers also. Seems like Healthnet is taking an awful long time. Dr's office tells me they've been taking 8-12 weeks to respond to referrals. It's been 6 wks now. I'm anxious to get started. I bought a cute little blender and have been practicing chewing my food re…

Hi everyone, I am Harold and have started the process to get a LAPBAND mostly due to my weight and failed diets but also to support my wife who is also attempting to get one. We are on TRICARE and they started approving them last Dec. I go for my dietitian and Bariatric coordinator appt. next week. I also hope to get the Psychiatric eval completed next week as well. Then I guess I will be on the 8-12 week wait to see if TRICARE approves it. I see by the adds on this site that the prices are alot lower than our doctor has told us, oh well, if insurance covers it then just fine.

Hey y'all. It's been a while since I have posted. Just thought I'd check in. The scale finally changed digits!! I have been 225ish since April. My doc said my body is fighting losing weight because all it knows is being fat. I was last 225 at age 14 so I know I have come a long way; especially when considering my highest weight ever was 368. I am grateful but I have visions of Onderland now that I am so close. Doc suggested i try something new. So I quit Curves after almost 2 years and started walking our track at work (aim for 3- 4 miles) and working out with my exercise videos at home. Also use treadmill and exercise bikes at work some. I have been having Curves withd…

Hello there! I am nervous and I am craving a toasted cheese sandwich. I am being banded in 20 days. I have had to be on the Optifast diet for a month. I have lost a little weight so far which I am hoping to keep off. I started at 151kg. Which means I have to lose half my body weight to be in the right vicinity of the right weight for my height. I think I am starting to mourn the foods that I can no longer eat in any quantity. Like cheese and bread. I just have to be remember that I am sadder as the person that I have let myself become. Thanks for making for interesting reading Beck