Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

I have just started the process for getting ready for lap band. I went to my seminar in Sept and have went for my consultation. I have my sleep study scheduled for Oct 31st, and my psychologist and Physical Therapy scheduled for Oct 13th. I am excited and ready. Any tips from anyone.I am also on Weight Watchers during my 6 month waiting period for insurance. Anyone else in the same cycle I am in?

Good Morning....... My name is Frugaldibuys...... I am just beginning this new journey, and I am a mixed bag of emotions. I am excited, scared, relieved ( that there is something that is going to help me towards a better life for me and my family) I am embarrassed that I have let myself get SO unhealthy! I am hopeful that TODAY is a new day!!! I have been married to my best friend for 14 wonderful years now and we have been blessed with 1 fantastic daughter (11 yrs. old) The last time I was at my primary Dr. for a knee injury, I said "Thats it - I need intervention........ I am waving the white flag! I cannot do this on my own!" Well, you all must know the rest,.......…

Hello everyone, I am so excited to have found this web site. I have sat for a few days reading and have found answers to a lot of my questions. So thank you for helping me. I am currently waiting on approval from my insurance company. I am on pins and needles. :teeth_smile:

And I've landed here for continued support and inspiration. So far so good... :teeth_smile: I have a long way to go, but everyone seems to have had such success and I'm so very hopeful! So far I've been doing really well, watching my portion controls, trying to "listen" to my belly, etc. My only concern is that I have had absolutely no problems swallowing or anything. I have 2 cc's in my band from when it was installed, but again - no problems. I'm worried that I am not conditioning myself for my upcoming fills....several weeks out. Any words of advice. Oh. And I was wondering what the harm is in having some ham salad - since it's basically mush. I feel the n…

Hi there! I'm new to the site and all things lapband. I'm in the process of trying to find an insurance plan that will cover the lapband procedure in cincinnati. My husband's insurance will not cover it, so I'm attempting to find a part time job that offers insurance that will. The surgeon's office manager gave me a list of about 20 companies that they have had success with and one of them is Avon. Now I just need to choose from about 10 different plans from United health care. Does anyone know what type of plan from UHC doesn''t have an exclusion for wls? Any help would be great! I feel like I'm kind of floundering around out here!:thumbup::thumbup:

Finally after all the back and forth with the doctors office to get my paperwork submitted:angry_smile:. Appointment after appointment:thumbdown:. Cigna approved me on Tuesday, September 23rd. :wink2:. Of course the doctors office didn't call me. I called Cigna this morning and found out (three days later) and than called the doctors office this morning and received my date... drum roll please OCTOBER 23RD. Gosh you ladies know how happy I am right now. Of course you do. I guess that makes me a Smashing Pumpkin. :tongue2:

Hi I'm new here and don't really know what to say LOL. I am considering the pro's and con's of getting the LapBand. My Brother has one and he is very happy with it. He's loosing weight at a good pace..not too fast or slow. I'm scared to get it though. My concern is that I eat for all the wrong reasons, not just when I'm hungry but bored or for the sake of oh what's the word...um..well I seem to just almost always need to put food in my mouth an I love the taste of food. Plus I hate exercise so I wonder if it's worth it for me to get the lapband if I don't exercise and could I actually live with being able to eat what I want when I want. Little portions are ok …

Hi, I finished the 6 month presurgical program at Lehigh Valley Hospital. I am waiting for a date. I have been obese all of my life and now I am struggling with diabetes, apnea, osteo arthritis. I had lost 25 lbs, but now I see it going back on. I have had a consult with Dr. Richard Boorse. My BMI is low and I freaked when I thought I might lose too much weight for approval by my insurance. Now I'm having the opposite problem, I can't control my eating.

I'm Kelly, I'm from West Hartford, CT. My attending is Dr. Darren Tischler of Connecticut Surgery Group. I'm going in for my procedure on Wednesday, October 1st. While I have been an emergency and a psych nurse, I've never actually been a patient before so I'm a little freaked out. The doc pretty much tells me that I just know way too much because I've really only see what can go wrong post op. Anyone else freaked out like me? Also, I'm not treating patients right now, just doing more in office utilization review stuff. Am I REALLY going to have to be out of commission for 7 days? And, I have a nifty bottle of an obscene amount of liquid narcotics. How much pain …

Hi All: My twin sister, Sandy, had the lap band done about a year ago. She is looking great and she has inspired me to want to look into this procedure. I am going to her surgeon. I have about 100 lbs to lose. The nice thing is that Sandy has already been through the procedure so I can ask her lots of questions! Sandy lives in Anaheim Hills and most of her support group is in the Orange County area. I will meet them soon. I want to ask if there is anyone close to me (LAX area) that is about to have the lap band procedure or has had it? Anyway, looking forward to chatting with you all.:thumbup:

Hi I'm Kathy. I am 34 and have been looking into weight loss surgery for some time now. I had been looking towards Gastric however didn't like the way people I knew that had it ended up looking sickly. A co worker got lapband and has done well with it. I love that its not as invasive. I currently have Kaiser insurance and they cover no kind of WLS. So, to get myself started until I can get back on BCBS I have started the 6 month diet w/ my PCP. Started out 3 weeks ago at 321 but when I went back last week was down to 314. Gotta love the bronchitis diet. :thumbup: I figure my 6 month weight loss will be over in February and I can start the rest of the process In January. …

In 13 days I will undergo the procedure. Self Pay. A bit anxious. Highest weight 296lbs. Currently 275lbs. 1st target 199lbs Surgery slotted for October 10. in San Antonio with Dr. Patel. Wish me luck!:thumbup:

Hi! My name is Eileen and my husband Mat and I are starting to investigate the LapBand System. I am 5'10", weigh around 283 and am pre-diabetic. My husband is 6'3", weighs around 380 and is asthmatic. Our insurance says it covers one bariatric surgery per person per lifetime. So I guess our bases are covered there (have to call to double check, of course). We're a little nervous about how this will completely change our lifestyle. At the same time, we're really excited about how this will completely change our lifestyle! I'm going to call around over the next few weeks and find out as much information as I can. It looks like our insurance will let us see doct…

Hello everyone! 12 days to go. Very excited.

Just wanted to jump in and say "Hello!" I'm scheduled to be banded on January 17th. It looks like this forum will be a great support! Right now, I need to get out of the "holidays mode" and get serious about losing a few pounds before my pre-op on 1/11! :-)

Not banded yet, my husband and I are set for 10-24-08 in TJ kinda nervous....:tongue2:

Hi, I'm Barb. I was banded Aug 26th 2008. I've lost 27 lbs! I feel good most of the time. Occ., I'm Nauseated in the morning- not sure why. I haven't had any episodes of food getting stuck, or vomiting though. I don't know if the nausea is from what I ate, how much I ate, how well I ate it or something totally unrelated. Does anyone really know how long it takes for food to get from "the pouch" to the rest of the stomach? I still don't get it about the drinking. It's hard to know when to drink. What about when your meal consists of soup? If you drink this as a meal, couldn't you also drink with it? Is it just that it pushes the solid through quicker or can it ma…

Banded two years ago - having some bad heartburn lately and wondering if I should be concerned. Never really joined any groups over the banding thing before. -Me:whatchutalkingabout

Hello, I have been over 100 pounds overweight for most of my life. I am just beginning the process and want to learn from others who have been banded. I was turned down by GH Coop 3 times because my BMI was 39 and my comorbidities were not severe enough. So am now going private pay and have found St. Francis Hospital Center for weight loss and they understand that I need help and if I pass all my labs, phych and physical tests will be happy to help me. Can anyone tell me what kind of questions will be asked at the phych evaluation? pkw

I'm 40 years old and thinking about getting banded by Dr. Ortiz at the OCC in Tijuana. I'm scared to death, so any advice is appreciated!!:bolt:

Does anyone know what happens to band if flying on plane too soon after a "fill"?

Hello everyone! Just wanted to tell you ladies that I had surgery on sept 10th and there wasn't much pain at all. When I got to the center I was being a big baby so they gave me some happy drugs after that they knocked me out and performed the operation. After surgery I felt alot of pain from the incisions but after a couple hours it wasnt as bad, I didn't even take any of the pain killers that they prescribed. There is some slight discomfort but not enough to take pain killers. I had my 1 week follow up appointment today and i lost 7 pounds since surgery :thumbup:. I will probably get my first fill when I am at week 4.

Hello, those who have traveled with your C-Pap; Have you needed a doctor's statement to get through security to take on the plane? Thanks for your answers.

Hi everyone! I am hoping and praying i get the lapband. I have been to every doctor on the planet already and i am just waiting for the dr consultation so i can summit to insurance (qualcare) and set a surgery date. Any helpful words are wellcome because i am sooo nervous and excited and dont want to wait any longer!

My surgery was okay (i had minor complications), and my discomfort now is not too bad. I just can't help wondering if i did the right thing. I know i'll get over these incisions. I know all the clear liquids/full liquids/soft foods, blah, blah, blah, will pass. But today, as i sit here, it seems like everything has changed, and I don't know if i like it. I can't eat anything my kids are eating, everywhere we would go on a saturday isn't an option because i don't want to deal with the food issue. I know this strikes right at the heart of the reasons why i'm overweight--My relationship with food. But right now, its depressing. I know i'm whining but, Help! Any word…

I am new to the forum....my name is Lori and I am from NC. I have enjoyed hangin around for a few weeks and reading. I felt it was time to join in and get to know people. Looking forward to meeting people and learning from everyone.

Hi - I just "surfed" over from a post on ObesityHelp, can't have too much support or info is my motto. I'm scheduled for Lap-Band in Charlottesville on 10/13. I am self-pay so it has been an incredibly fast trip so far! Seminar in August, surgeon consult 9/22, dietician and psych eval this week, surgery in just over 2 more weeks. Yikes! Look forward to looking around and seeing what this site has to offer (ObesityHelp is great - I'm marysbandlog over there). Mary in Charlottesville VA 50 yrs old, BMI 43, surgery 10/13/08, personal goal: 150 lbs!

My name is sharon and I am 3 1/2 months post banding and have a total of 30 lbs (13 pre surgery and 17 post sugery. I am very discourage right now because I have been stuck at this weight for over 2 weeks. I had a fill in late july early August. Does anyone else out their have bowel issues? I have to take MOM to have a bowel movement. I do't like having to be dependent on something to be able to go then I have the runs. I was taking 2 Fiber Choice a day and Colace, but still the only thing that works is MOM and then the the runs occurs. The nurse at the doctors office says this is normal. I just hope this will not be an ongoing problem. I go back to the doctor Monday…

newbie needs help getting around site. banded 09-23-08

Tomorrow is the banding day for me and i am so nervous about anesthesia, and so excited about the road ahead!! Any advice for a newbie??? I know the bowel prep was lots of fun!!lol Any tips would be great!:girl_hug:

Being banded Monday, any advise!:thumbup:

Hey there My name is Krista and I just got my Lap band placed 9/25/08. Still having some pain but from what I have read from other posts on other sites I am doing well I have been able to lay on each side with minimal initial discomfort and I sleep well on either side, in fact laying flat on my back makes the gas pains worse! Just now feeling like I can handle the protein shakes and soups, but not more than one or two servings in a day.:bolt:

Can someone tell me what is on the list of MUSHIES????????? What are MUSHIES??????? Thanks Gigi

Hi - I am new here and am happy to have found this site. I have been overweight my entire life and done it all! 95% of the diets failed and the 5% that didn't I struggled to keep the weight off. My BMI is 33 and have found a surgeon who performs at this BMI. I have my consult next Wed. and since I am paying cash understand that it can happen much sooner. I look forward to be active and learning all that I can!

hi everyone..i am a 36,single mother of two beautiful girls from perth,western australia.ive made the decision that i will be getting a lapband.i have struggled with my weight all my life.i have joined up with medibank private a couple months ago and now have the long wait of 10 months to have this procedure done.i literally cannot wait for this to be done and i congratulate everyone on this site,u r so inspirational!!i have been told so many times that im so pretty but what a shame i have a weight problem!!the thing is i havent felt feminine or pretty for years.my youngest daughter has been teased at school because of my weight and this gets me so down.being overweight …

hi my name is ali and i live in perth w.a ,i was banded on the 21st august 2008. i have lost 7kilos and have had my 1st fill done on the 24th september which was 5ml in a 10ml band and are feeling quiet restricted but getting mush down and fluieds. would love to talk to anyone about my expericences and may like to ask someone with more experiences on the lapband life.:thumbup:to my band its the best diet yet ive ever done:thumbup:

Hello everyone! I am new to this site and have not had surgery yet. I am scheduled for my second appointment on Nov. 13. This time with the actual doctor...I think...Hope to learn alot on here. Thanks:thumbup:

I'm so happy I found this site! I was banded in Feb. 2008. I've lost 40 lbs. so far. I hope this site can answer alot of questions I have been having. Looking forward to hearing from anyone out there.:thumbup:

Hello all, My name is Melissa and I am scheduled to be banded the 15th. Yes tomorrow. Yeah me. Anyway I was just reading some of the new post today on this board and I came across one that shook me a little. Needless to say it caused me to come running (well not running more like my normal slow stroll). The post was on hair loss. Several women reported that they have lost a third of there hair since being banded. I know the make up is a little different for us so I wanted to see if any of ya'll had come across this since being banded. Some women even said it was coming out in clumps.:smile2:

Did anyone get a Pedometer with a f.m. radio from Lap-Band when you had your surgery? In my folder from my doctors office when I had my band surgery, was a free pedometer with radio if you filled out a questionaire form. I did that and one was sent to me. However, I misplaced the instructions and have not a clue how to work the darn thing! The doctor office is out of the forms where I probably could email or call them. If anyone has one could you please help me out on figuring out how to use it.:thumbup: Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone, I am new to this but here I go. I am finished with all my test and will have my surgery on nov 3. I am excited but also nervous. It took me a year to make this decision, last xmas eve I was at the table with my family and extended family and made the decision, just like that and I never looked back. So here I am 38 days to go and I can't believe it went so fast.:thumbup:

still sore but moving about well...don't like any of my protein drinks except no sugar instant breakfast....hungry...any ideas. thanks.:thumbup:

Hi, My name is Vickie and I had my lap band placed two days ago 9-23-08. I am so excited to start this journey to a better me. I am excited to become a healthy person again, and it wont hurt to look great again. I was skinny (even did a TV commercial) until I got pregnant and had my son 19 yrs ago..from that day forward I never lost that 100 pound baby weight.....lol. I am a single parent to two grown children...I want to lose 70 lbs......My journey begins and I am on that ever lovely clear liquid diet then will upgrade to full liquids on Monday. I would love to hear some success and uh ohs from people that have been on this journey awhile. It is great to hear suc…

Hey everyone! I'm a 28 y/o newlywed hoping to take quite a bit of weight off in order to safely conceive eventually. I have PCOS, hyperthyroidism and hypertension, but my cholesterol is perfect (go figure). I just found the site, but have been considering banding for a while. I go for the first information seminar on July 17th, which is required to get the ball rolling. I am going through Norton's. Would love to find a local buddy to share experiences with. :biggrin:

Hi! My name is Kim. I was banded on 9/17 and am doing fairly well although I must admit that I am still hungry at times. I have lost 9 lbs so far and am thrilled. My big problem is that I have 2 small boys, ages 5 and 2, that I have to cook for and who beg foe McDonald's on a daily basis. I am finding hard to stick to my "full liquid Diet" while trying to cook a "regular" dinner for my husband and children. Any suggestions?:girl_hug:

Hello all. My name is Tiffany. I am 27 years old from NE Ohio. I am a wife and mother to 2 children, and a step daughter. I am in the research stage right now, considering if lap band is the right option for me. I would like some input from those who have been there as to what to expect in the beginning. What are the requirements to qualify, what testing is generally done (i know that it does vary) What is required leading up to surgery as far as diet, restrictions, etc.. I have read all about the surgery it self, but they don't tell you the down falls of what to expect before. And the restrictions, etc. I want to be well informed making this decision, as it will…

accompished something else on the begining of my journey... my consult is done!! I have the list of dr's to call... First this morning i will call my primary dr to get my approval letter. Do i just call these drs and say i am getting the lap bad and i need their approval??? What do i say??? THANKS SO MUCH .. sorry.. im trying to educate myself as much as i can :tongue2:

Hi everyone! My surgery is scheduled for Oct. 1st. It's right around the corner. I've been on a liquid diet for 7 days now and have already lost 12 lbs in prep for the surgery. I am so excited, but nervous at the same time. I just can't wait to be on the other side. Wahoo! Shanna

Hi I was banded in Nov. of last year. ( 197 lbs) I immidiatlyy lost 12 lbs which made me very happy, got a fill in March, lost another 8lbs. Got a second fill in June, Shortly after I got the flue I now have acid refux all of the time constantly throwing up bubbles my heart burn is just about to kill me. My Dr. says I should come back and have an un fill but to fly to San Diego 250.00 get to the hospital and have the un fill150.00. Then Im thinking I'll have to go get another fill for the same 400.00 in a few monthes. Does anyone have an ideas?:thumbup: PS I'm now 54lbs lighter and loving that part. Gone frome a size 16 to a 10:tongue:

Just wanted to say hello, being new to the community. I was banded last Friday, 09/19/08, and am feeling pretty good. Haven't rellay had anything but Water and a few sips of broth since then, but feel pretty good. Look forward to the jouney ahead with all of you!!!!!