Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

After reading everyones comments Im sure that Im doing the right thing-however I do feel terrified of the surgery and things going wrong. My consultant is Mr Sigursson and really seems to know what he's doing(I should hope so) Have read some bad feedback on THG however im opened minded and know that there is good and bad reviews with everything in life. family and close friends say that im bad getting the band i should just diet but ive done all the diets under the sun lose the weight then gain it again. I just what a weight that I can stick too and be happy.......:biggrin:

Hi, I'm going through the process of getting banded. I have had my initial consult with Dr. Ferrara, and my nutrition meeting. I have my phych eval tomorrow and hopefully will be scheduling my surgery for August or September. A little about me...I'm 5'5 and about 225 pounds. I want to lose at least 80 pounds. I'm married with 4 kids (just in case you didn't get that from my user name ). I don't have the spousal support for the surgery, so I'm hoping to find a friend that would help me through it. This site has been great but wanted someone locally to talk to in person (lunch visits, phone, email, whatever). Would like buddies that have been there done that...and someone…

Today is my 2 week anniversary with having my band. So far I'm down about 23 lbs from my starting weight. I seem to be doing ok. I have some port site pain still when i move a certain way or bend over. Anyone else have this?

Hi I stumbled across this forum whilst doing a search about regurgitation and coughing! I have been looking for just this type of place in vain for a while. THe post op care I get here in France is pretty minimal and I have so many questions! I am a 37 SWF who lives in south-west France. I had a gastric band fitted last August and have lost 30 kilos to date. I only started losing weight after my 3rd fill at Christmas. I have had quite a few problems with the band but I have lost lots of weight so I can't really complain. I am plateaued out at the moment but this is pretty self-enforced as I have been trying to feed myself up a bit after nearly passing out from malnutr…

Hi!! This is my first time on the forum, and I am looking for advice. I am 31 yrs. old, and considering lapband. I am about 100lbs over weight and my bmi is 38. My parents and brother are diabetic and I do not want to end up in that. I am not so nervous about the procedure as much as the after. Do you experience of nausia? Is is easy to become chocked? I am very excited to be able to do this, if the doc. agrees. Also does anyone is Mississippi know of a good Dr. in MS, or LA. I have heard of Dr.Clark Warden is good in Slidell, LA.

hello, my name is nancy i'm 38 yrs old from philadelphia. i am a mother of 3 a wife and an x-ray tech. i have been banded for 10 months (SEPT 07).i had my surgery on sept 13 2007, i was visited by mom, dad, and husband after surgery. 4 hours later my dad dropped dead of a massive heart attack and was brought to the same hospital where i stayed overnight. sept 13 was supposed to be the beginning of a new life for me but all i can think of when someone asks how long since your surgery is the day my dad died. so for the past 10 months i have had nothing but trouble with my band. i have a 4cc band and have had 10 fills(1 a month) since surgery.i lost 18 lbs from surgery un…

I went to the Dr for a seminar on June 18th at which time I set up an appointment with the psycholigist in his office the next day followed by an appointment with the Dr the same day and scheduled my surgery before I left the office. I am scheduled for 7am July 28th. I have Federal BCBS which does not require any pre auth since by BMI is at 40. The surgery center has already called me with my co-pay and it looks like my cost will only be about $1000 out of pocket including the 1st yr of fills. The Dr. has a wonderful personality and all his staff, even the psychologist gives you their cell number. I think I am in wonderful hands. Will keep you informed after surgery…

Hello All, I am a newbie here. Awaiting banding from Dr. Wolfe here in Portland Maine. I have my first appt with the Dietician August 6th and I am very excited. I'm trying to loose a little weight and exercise. The waiting is the hardest part. Would love to chat with anyone and esp folks here in Maine! Thanks!:smile2:

Hi folks, I just found this forum and I thought I would introduce myself. I am coming up on my 2 year anniversary of my surgery on Monday. I figured that you all would appreciate this, so here are some before and after photos: BEFORE This is me at my brother's wedding. I am running 335 here. AFTER This is me this morning. 235 on the scale before I got dressed. Now you can see that the pants are belted down as tight as they can be. They are a size 46, I now wear a 36-38 depending on the pants. They are flat-fronts but now they have pleats! The shirt has gone from a 4XL to a 2XL, so I have a littel work yet to do.:cool:

Hello all. Pat Noble here. I was banded July 9th, 08. Can somebody tell me how long it takes for pain to subside? It has been 5 days post-op and I still feel like my stomach wants to fall out when I stand or walk. However, it is much better than yesterday. I weighed 238 on 7/9/08 and today I weigh 227. Has anyone also sweat severely after getting up and walking? I get soaked and nausious when I attempt to walk but I do anyway. Any advice? Pat :cursing:

I went to a siminar already for one Dr. then was told not to use him because of surgery concerns. I am going to another siminar Wed. for another group of Drs. I just wonder how long the process will take after you go to the siminar. I am anxious to get things started!

Hi, My name is Mutt sorry but im a little shy. I am thinking about getting this done. I see the doctor on Aug. 14, I am sure I will have some questions then.

HI just had lap band surgery june 27th 2008 I dont feel any restriction is this normal:confused2:

I got thru th surgery and am home 1st day, still in a little pain, and I saw the post about TV commercials WOW I guess I nevere relived ow many are food! I'm head to the kitchen for my broth, crysl lite, protien, and jello for dinner . Hope all the new "bandits" all the luck MAX:biggrin2:

Hi, I'm from the San Francisco bay area and was banded this past Monday, 7/7. Anyone else from the local area who has been recently banded? I came home on Tuesday and had 2 bad days of depression. "Why did I do this?" "What was I thinking?". I feel better today. Still on the soup diet. I'm getting real bored with that though. Sipping on some egg flower soup right now, has little pieces of chicken and egg. I'm just chewing it up so good that it's like it's pureed. How are other's out there?:party:

I am going in on Tuesday for my lap-band and I am excited and nervous since I have to trust the medical facilities here and sometimes they are not as good as the ones in America or Europe. It is great to have this site as support. Hulahand:w00t:

Hi Everyone- I am new here and my surgery date is September 8th. I want to thank everyone in here for sharing there stories and experiences. I cannot wait until my surgery. I am a little nervous and want it to work more than anything. I think that everyone in here will be able to help me out. In advance THANK YOU!!! Nicole:rolleyes2:

Hi Everyone! I am just starting my research on the band procedure and a friend recommended this site. I know many of you have asked these questions and have the answers so I figured this was a good place to start. I have done some reading on the procedures, how they are done. Some post op etc. Anyway, I have Highmark and don’t know where to begin with them so if any of you have Highmark (PPO BLUE) and can offer suggestions, I really appreciate it. Okay so a little about myself. I live in Pgh, Pa and I’m pretty confident that I will use Dr. Quinlin. I am 29 (about to be 30 next week) I weight 225 and I’m 5’2. That puts my BMI around 41.1 I have tried many diets, l…

Hi, I am taking a multivitamin daily. I am confused on what other vitamins I should be taking. Are we also suppose to take calcium citrate and B12 or just one of those? I also want to confirm that I am suppose to be taking at least 60g of protein per day, right? I am on my 6th day after being banded (7/7/08). I think this forum is great. I wish I had found it earlier. Good vibes going out to all. Thank U:cool2:

Hello all! My name is Nicole, 29 yrs old from Queens NY, I'm excited about this forum. Its nice to have people that you can relate to and ask specific questions to. I was banded on June 16, 2008 and have officially lost 20.5lbs according to the scale at my doctors office. My scale at home, which is suspect says I lost an additional 6lbs. My question to all you losers (weight loss that is) is how has your diet been? Are you low carbing or counting calories? How about exercise? How soon did you start exercising and what have you done? I'm waiting for the go ahead to start working out, right now I can only walk on the treadmill. I have really big arms and I was wondering w…

:confused:I am 44 years old and have been wanting to have this surgery for about two years. I did a lot of research and talked with several people who have had the surgery. All were very encouraging and said they did very well and that I wouldn't regret having it done. So I went through ALL of the necessary pre-op test, classes and discussed in thoroughly with my family and friends. Everyone was very supportive. I had my surgery this past Thursday and came home on Friday. I woke up on Saturday morning feeling great and thinkng this is going to be so great. Then the pain hit. I can't seem to figure out what is the right amount of liquid, thin, thick, to comsume to …

:rolleyes2:Hi guys, I'm so glad I found this site it's awesome. I just started the process and hope to have the procedure within the next 9-12 mos. Any suggestions, comments, encouragement welcome.

I don't do shout outs. But if I did I'd like to give a shout out to: Skinny1day for joining quickly so that we could have a forum-McDonald’s has angus? Wow…:eek: Cajeal for not needing a girdle:thumbs_up: Chaneljack5 for being excited about our social group:lol: Sxevan9 for going through the 6 mos dr. visit torture:cursing: 2blite4life for getting banded in a couple of days:thumbup: Ziahmama for having 2 c sections and a 9 lb baby-my shero:scared2: Cantwait2bfree and her future wearing pumps:shades_smile: Claudine1975 and her boca burger and wanting to break the cycle:wink_smile: Tammygirl for creating the phrase “bandster size” Nancy33 and…

Hey girls, Just joining.And saw this group for support, Is there anybody that just got band :confused2:

HI EVERYONE: SO MY SURGERY IS TOMORROW IM REALLY NERVOUS I WAS ABLE 2 LOSE 14LBS ON THE PRE-OP DIET BUT NOT W/O A LOT OF CRYING AND SUPPORT FROM FRIENDS FAMILY AND EVERYONE WHO HELPED ON THIS SITE! PLS SAY A PRAYER FOR ME IF YOU CAN I'LL LET EVERYONE KNOW HOW IT WENT AS SOON AS I CAN!!! I CANT BELIEVE THE DAY IS ALMOSE HERE IM SO HAPPY YET AT THE SAME TIME SCARED TAKE CARE FOR NOW!!!:scared2:

Right now I am trying to swallow the mag citrate that my doc ordered. Even adding water to it is hard-- Maybe add the Cran Grape juice will help

As I have I stated ,this has been a long road for me and I have finaly made the decision to have WLS. I see that I am much older than most of you ladies, so I have had many more years of up and down in my weight. I have not been banded yet. I have been approved and had a date set for Jun 12, but cancelled. My PCP is obese herself and so she has never encouraged me to get WLS. It was my diabetes doctor and orthopedic doctor that have been pushing me to get Bypass surgery, which I have avoided like the plague. I don't think they really know that much about the LapBand surgery. In the last couple of years I have developed co-morbids and my PCP has finally said that she can…

:wub:I would like to say "Hello" since I just joined the Forum, encouraged by my 2 fantastic daughters who were real concerned about their mom this last week. I was banded on 7/2/08 Wed. and was told I would be fine to go back to work on Monday. On Sunday I became very nauseous and could not get up without tremendous discomfort in my stomach and my mouth flooded with hot Water that I could only spit out because I knew I would throw up if I tried to swallow it. It was an awful day. Hot Soup would soothe for a few minutes, if I kept it down and my stomach hurt deep. :mad: Long story short, they discovered I was having a major problem with reflux. My stomach hurt whe…

Hello everyone! I'm having the LapBand done, don"t have a date yet. All my preops are done, just waiting to see my surgeon one last time to get the op date. In the beginning I was really excited, I knew this was for me. Lately, I've been hearing alot of stories on how you usually regain the weight within two years or some don't lose weight at all! These stories have been really discouraging and I'm starting to have doubts. Please help, I really need some support.:confused2: Thanks so much.

The other day I went to GNC to check out their Protein shakes for the two week pre-op diet. The clerk mentioned that they have a taste guarantee on all their store brand mixes and if you do not like the taste you can exchange it for something else. Has anyone taken advantage of this guarantee or if it is too good to be true? Are there any other stores with similar programs? Some of these shakes are expense to only find out you don't like the taste.

-i had the will power to do that but not the eating thing. I smoked a pack of Newports for 20 years and quit March 2006. I gained 40 pounds in 40 days damn near. - I pray for the same determination with this journey.

Hello everyone! I just signed up with LBT and thought I would properly introduce myself. I am interested in getting banded and am scheduled for a one on one consultation with a Lap Band surgeon July 29th. I am trying to remain patient until then, but I am just so dang excited to meet with him! I have been researching WLS for the last 3 years and have finally had enough of following the fad diet, losing weight, then gaining it back plus some! I picked the band because it was more versatile then RNY and you lose at a better rate (then just WOOOOSH!). Anyway, I am here and ready to learn!

Hello- I'm Raquel and I was banded two weeks ago today. :cool: I am new to this forum and hope to connect with fellow minded individuals who have the goal to finally get healthy and stay that way. I was a self-pay (ouch:ohmy:) but I feel it will definitely hold me accountable for staying true to the 10 golden rules. I go for my 1st follow up with my surgeon next Thursday. I had to commute to Dallas from the procedure (3+ hours) so Dr. is trying to be reasonable with visits on gasoline. Luckily, my fills can take place in Austin (only 1 hour or so). So, Hello, and I hope to be hearing from you guys. Best of luck!

Hi there! I'm a newbie for this, just read about this site from an article that was in our local paper. For me... I'm getting 'banded' this upcoming Wed. Looking forward to corresponding with other 'banders' online here as we gooo! Catcha later, Jackie :party:

waiting for approval from insurance and doing good making sure im getting my protein and less carbs but i heard some1 mention something about protein shots what are those ? are they pretty good? and where do you get them?

I was banded in Mexico on June 24th. I'm doing great and have lost 16 pounds so far. I was taking insulin as well as 4 pills a day for diabites and am now down to one pill a day and no insulin. I was treated like royalty when I was down in Mexico. A canadian liason was with a group of us as well as a driver and interpreter at all times when we were out of the clinic or hotel.

About to be banded in September and looking forward to having a fitter, slimmer me! Hopefully I will be posting more down the track. I gave about 50kgs to rid myself forever.:biggrin:

Hello my name is Melissa and I live in Ky. I have thought about having this surgery for sometime now. My paperwork has been sent in to the bariatric center and now I am waiting on them to call me for my appt. I already have 6 months of documentation from other Dr's on trying to lose weight so I hope I don't have to go through another 6 months of the same thing. Anyway I look forward to being on the bandwagon with the rest of you.:biggrin2:

Hello everyone! I just signed up to be apart of this wonderful forum. I was just banded on Wednesday, July 9th, and so far everything is going well! Of course I wish my weight would just fall off now, but I guess I need to be patient! I am 28 years old, mother of a two year old, and married to a supportive man! I have struggled with my weight since childhood, and I am now on the road to recovery!

Hi All, WLS has been in the back of my mind for several years now. About 3 years ago, I attended a seminar at Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN to inquire about gastric bypass. I decided then that gastric bypass wasn't really what I was looking for, too evasive and too much risk (a friend of my mom's died due to complications several years after her surgery). Enough of my background...here we are today and now and I went to see my new doctor for a physical this week. I mentioned I was signing up for a 4 month weight loss management workshop where they work with you on changing your lifestyle. She mentioned that lapband might be a good procedure for me since I am currently …

I just wanted to introduce myself. I had the surgery on June 3rd and am going in for my first fill tomorrow! So far everything has been going well, but I feel a bit in the dark as to what I should be experiencing so decided it would be a good idea to join a support group. The morning of the surgery I weighed 233 lbs. and so far (according to my scale) I'm down to 216. The surgery itself went really well (performed in Germany by Prof. Weiner), and I had lost 10 lbs. before I left the hospital. They didn't offer any supplements from the doctor here, just instructed me to follow a liquid diet for the next 5 weeks until my appointment for the first fill. So, I've b…

I've been a slight lurker for a few weeks and I must say - you've all been so helpful as I went through the decision making process to get banded. I am likely getting banded at the end of August (still waiting on final confirmation to schedule the surgery) and I'm really excited to walk through the next season of my life with you all! In my spare time, I am planning my destination wedding in Cancun (Feb 2010) and learning to do advanced ballroom dancing. One thing is for sure -- I certainly wont miss being in pain while dancing. Just wanted to say hello!

:thumbup:Hello, I am new to this web page, and I love all of the information. I was banded on 7/20/05 and have lost almost 60 lbs. I need some new motivation as my weight loss has slowed. I expected all of my weight to just fall off lol!!! However, I see that journaling my food and exercise are key. I am very glad I had the surgery, I just need to get back on track. I had my surgery in Sacramento and I go to Olympia, WA for my fills. Dr. Neal staff is great!

Well let me start by saying hi to all, i will be getting lapband surgery in Mexico in August but I am really weary anyone know of good places?? Anyone had it done in Mexico??

:mad: I just wanted to let everyone know i started my journey on June 6th which was my 1st consultation with Dr Boe. I had atena and bariatric surgery was excluded from my policy so i took matters into my own hands and switched companies. My new company Personal Choice became effective July 1st and i was suprised to get approved so quick...My surgery is scheduled for September i could of went as early as August but i have to quit smoking 6 weeks before surgery...so i just wanted to let everyone know the new me will be here soon!!!:biggrin:

Hey! So my name is Mary and I'm 21 years of age. I'm new to this..and very nervous. I really don't know what to say. I just scheduled my surgery for Aug. 11 with Dr. Ortiz in Mexico. I leave for T.J. on Sunday, Aug. 10 and come back home on Wednesday, Aug. 13. For those that are questioning prices (as which I did), the total cost is a little less than $8,000. This covers surgery, pre-op tests, hospital stay as well as 2 nights at a 5 star hotel, and transportation to and from San Dieago Airport. I think it is a pretty sweet deal :biggrin: Umm...so a little background about me. I currently work for an airline, so I have free travel benefits. I can fly down t…

Hi banders, I have been reading post for weeks now and I have been thoroughly enjoying all of the information and insight about banding. I have had all of my appointments. I am just waiting for my primary insurance to deny me then my secondary will approve it.

Hi I am new to the Lap Band forum talk. My appointment is for early next month. I have read through a few forums and must admit I am not doing mine in the US. I have had weight issues my entire life and in the US I can't get insurance to cover it because I am not quite high enough. Which I think is just ridiculous. Plus, there was a long list of other doctors that had to get involved and it just seemed like a bit much. I think the American health care system is a little off when it takes no effort at all for things like breast enhancing, botox, or lypo but when it comes to something to actually improve entire health and well being it is hard as heck. Sorry that was me …

i have my first appointment with my surgeon on august 1. I am going to go to silver cross hospital in joliet illinois. Has anyone been there? What was your experience like? I will be talking to dr. Joyce. I am an insulin dependant diabetic. I so much what to get off insulin or cut back on my injections. I have my concerns about surgery. Does anyone regret having the procedure?

Good Morning! I have my lapband procedure scheduled in Juarez, Mexico on 7.15.2008; 3 days from today. I researched all of Dallas, and the prices were from $12,500 to $22,500. I have researched a wonderful facility in Juarez, having the head surgeon doing the procedure for $7000. I did not go into this blindly - believe me. My husband and I went to several seminars. I am only 40 pounds overweight, and now there are many clinics in Dallas that will perform the surgery if you are moderately overweight, but for $22,500 I thought that was an astronomical amount! Have any of ya'll had a similar experience? I will be picked up by a driver and taken directly to the the mai…