Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

HELP!! My surgery date is July 18 and I am scared! I see the dietician this Thursday so I am unaware of what the 10 day diet before surgery consists of. I am excited to have the surgery and ready to get on with the banding, but I am scared. Are these feelings normal? Thank you in advance for all the support you can give!!

Hi Everyone, I wanted to introduce myself. I was banded on July 2nd and so far I am doing well. Dr Daly did my surgery at Northside Hospital in Atlanta.:redface:

I have not yet had the surgery as a matter of fact I am still in the thinking it out process. I am scheduled for the class in September and hope to get some good answers then but for now I would like to know from any of you about your positive and negetive expereince from the time you started the process to the present. Since this is such a major decision for me because I have done everything in trying to lose weight and surgery is the one thing I said I would never do but the lapband sounds like it may be something I could do but until I get more information about the good, bad and ugly of it I still not sure yet, so anything that you are willing to share with me about…

Hi Everyone! So glad I found this site! My name is Sherrie, I am 40 and live in Liberty, MO, suburb of Kansas City. I am pre-op and going through the insurance hoops of getting approval before a date will be set for my surgery. I am still learning so much about the procedure and hope to make great friends through this venue to helping me along our way to wellness. I will be Dr. Stanley Hoehn's patient if all gets taken care of with my insurance. I have already seen the dietician, been going through 6 months of supervised medical dieting with my primary physician and attended 2 sessions with a clinical psychologist. I think I am getting closer to the reality that thi…

Hi, Today is my first week of being "banded":tt1: I am sore, but getting better each day. The Unjury protein shakes are helping, but still have pain at the surgery sites.

I am not banded yet. I am still discussing insurance options with husband, He wants to choose blue cross federal basic and I am leaning toward bluecross federal standard. I really wish I knew which way to choose to get quick approval. I am at the weight where people think that I am actually not obese enough to consider the surgery. But these people have never had to deal with the weight issues that I have had to deal with. It is going to happen just dont know when, where or which one. I have been contemplating this for over a year so it is not a quick decision on my part, something I have really thought about. I plan on hanging in here with you guys. Cindy:help:I can…

:thumbup::tt2::tt2::tt1::tt2::thumbup::tt2::thumbup: I made you look! :smile2::tt2::crying::tt2::tt2: Hi Girlies! What are you eating on the Fourth of July? How has being banded impacted your holiday cookout? I'm from the dirty south so you know it's always about food and more food. But to tell the truth-I really don't feel like washing the smell of grill smoke out of my hair! I haven't been banded yet but i still would rather eat sushi and sip plum wine. It's hot in Alabama and I have spent too many meals sweating and eating:cursing: lmao Holla! PS Thanks skinnyoneday

Questions about Tricare Prime, received a call today saying that I had to self refer to tricare even though my PCP has sent in a referral, has anyone had to go through this and if so what's it all about. I want to be prepared before I talk with them.:redface:

Hello I was banded 11/30/07.. I am losing but it is very slow...please send me some pointers and what I may be doing wrong.

HI OUT THERE! JUST MADE MY FIRST APPT, MY SISTER HAD GASTRIC BYPASS, AND MY OTHER SISTER HAS LAP BAND. I'M GOING FOR THE BAND. HOW LONG DID YOU GUYS HAVE TO WAIT FROM CONSULTATION TO ACTUAL SURGERY DATE?:confused2:

Good Morning all. I am looking to get banded in August. Although I have only started this journey in April, I feel like it is taking forever. I know several others have had to wait much longer. I am nervous about the procedure, as I have never had any type of surgury, however am very excited about what awaits. I am excited to see what I will look like being thinner and heathier. I am excited about the many more things I can do with my wife and boys. I will keep you all posted as I go through this milestone in my life. There is really allot of support and great people on this forum and I apprecitate reading their comments.

I was seriously considering the Lap Band procedure, but after looking through internet sites I'm getting a little scared of the future complications and long-term success rate (75% failure rate after several years). Is the mini-bypass safer in the long run, or is there just a lot of negative hype.:confused2:

Hi all - I am so excited and so ready for this!! I'm a 43 year old gal, over 240lbs with a BMI of >40. Well, I just had confirmation today that I have a surgery date of August 20th with Dr. Kuri in Tijuana Mexico! I live in Regina, SK Canada and through an exhaustive search, finally discovered this doctor, a manageable fee (forget the over ten thousand dollar + stuff...) an incredible patient facilitator, and the gorgeous state-of-the-art facility where the surgery will take place called Hospital Angeles Tijuana. Part of me is in disbelief, part of me is a bit scared, but the majority is a state of euphoria... this lifelong burden may finally be lifted by the grace of …

My name is Brian. I live in south central PA. I started the Lab Band process in May. Met with my surgeon Dr. Richard Gorman the second week in June. He is a really nice guy and very down to earth. Dr.Gorman did some work at Hershey Medical Center which is an amazing facility Started my first round of blood work last week and attended my first dietician appointment yesterday with my second scheduled July 30. I think I am excited and scared all at the same time. I realize it is a life long journey that will totally change me for the better. I hope to have surgery sometime in late December or early January if everything goes well. My wife also plans to have Lap Band …

Hi 7-9-08 I'm new to all of this. Surgery was 6-30-08. Was a scary decsion. But after much research and talking with many who had it done I did it. I have a 19 year old daughter in College and I don't want to be a fat mom when she gets married. My insurance wouldn't pay for it, so it was a struggle financially, but did it. I The only problem I can really complain about is immediately in recovery I had left shoulder pain, that is still there, it has eased up some, it is the air that they put in your abdomen to see what they are doing sometimes gets trapped and oo is mine been trapped. But it is slightly better today. Diet wise hasn't been bad at all. The first few …

my name is chris. i live in jacksonville florida. i want the lapband surgery. in fact, i feel that i need it. one problem: i have no insurance. i dont have 20k + saved up. my credit is in the drain. is there an agency that would help me finance this procedure, or maybe medicaid or medicare or what not? any advice? i need direction thanks

just wanted to let every1 know that i am waiting for my insurance to approve me yippi ! its been a long ride boy! my insurance usually takes about a week so hopefully i will have a date by next weed im so excited thanks to this forum every1 here has been great

So I am 30 years old and about to finish my first degree! As excited as I am about that I cannot help but feel overwhelmed by the factor that I started college at 185lbs and now I weigh over 230lbs. I am 5 foot 7 inche with a BMI of 36. I have struggled with my weight all of my life and I am really tired of struggling and feeling like I never see results. I am have been married for a over a year and I do not like the way I look! This is so despressing that I find myself finding other ways to get me to forget about me being fat! My husband is in perfect health and weight and I would just like to be healthy for him so that he can rely on the factor of me being there f…

Hi everyone.. my name is Mallory i'm 20 years old and considering the lap band surgery. unfortunitally i'm totally unsure about if i should get it done or not. i am currently at the weight of 268 pounds and 5'9" tall and only 150 pounds over weight. i'm not sure what i should do and i'm very nervous and dont know what to do. please some one help me and kinda try to make a choice! thanks everyone for your help! thanks again Mallory:unsure:

Well here goes the 1st step of the rest of my life. Creeping up on 300lbs. Creeping up on 50 yrs. old soon enuff. Time 2 get the weight off & no excuses! Anybody out there scared sh*tless like me?

hello everyone, i am trying to find a doctor in utah? i am very ready to get this done yes i am scared but i am so tierd of being over weight and with having diabetes i realy need this. any help or support would be great. i live in eagle mountain utah and i am looking forward to hereing from all of you:smile2:

Hi everyone, I've been lurking since May and haven't ever posted. I'm set for a fill-in this Thursday and I'm hoping to get an "aggresive" fill. Lately, I've been hungry hungry hungry and I find myself able to eat ANYTHING, so it has been a real struggle to stay (kind of) on plan (not really). Needless to say between all the 4th of July barbeques I've not lost any more weight in the past two weeks. I was just wondering, what is considered an "aggresive" fill? I have no idea what size lap band I have, I just know that I have nothing in it now. And how soon will I feel the restriction after the fill? Thanks!

Good afternoon everyone. My name is Amanda and I am looking into the Lapband Surgery. Today I have an appt for my consult, but wanted to hear some personal experiences first if possible. Please feel free to share any info you can with me. I want to know all the ups and downs of the lapband. Thanks agian and I look forward to making some new friends.

I was recently banded on July 3rd. I'm really looking forward to having full liquids soon. I'm so eager to see how this progresses. I've heard in some places that I can't eat rice anymore, but in some places I've read that I can. What's the deal with rice?? Thanks, Tasha

I am new to this site. I am from South Carolina and I am exploring my options. A very good friend of mine had the mini gastric bypass in North Carolina and is doing great. I have heard from several people that the lap band has higher risks and usually does not work. Can anyone help me? I really need to lose about 100 lbs. Thanks, Dream Skinny :wink2:

Hi Everyone, my name is Angel. I am 24 years old, I have a little boy who is 2 now. I do not have a date scheduled yet, I am just looking for more information on LapBand and everything that goes with getting the procedure done. Thanks and Hi again!! :biggrin:

This is my first time posting! I have been to this site many times in the last couple of weeks. I had an appointment with my doctor today, he is putting in a referral to the surgeon this week. I am so excited and nervous at the same time. How long do you have to wait after seeing the surgeon before you have the lapband surgery?:wink2:

I am still in the decision making process....i am nervous but open. i am hoping to get some answers and research through this site while i make this big and important decision. hi everyone!!!!!

Hi my name is Angie i have my lap-band surgery scheduled 4 july 14th but im still waiting on hip 2 approve it im going crazy on this liquid diet and not knowing i scared im doing all this 4 and if the insurance denies me i dont know what im gonna do!! help!! any advice??????::wink2:

Hi, I am new to this site and I had my surgery June 16th. I am still a little tender at my port site. Is it normal to still be tender in this area? I have not yet been able to sleep on my stomach. I have a couple more weeks of mushy foods. Looking for some good recipes!

Hi folks. I have a BMI of 35 and hypertension plus high cholesterol. In order to avoid dropping dead and to lose the extra weight I've been carrying around for about 15 years, I've decided to get the Lap band. I'm a self-pay, and I have little time to recover before driving my daughter to college and unpacking her stuff 7 days later. I"m looking forward to hearing from all of you to find out if I am going to experience problems. I also would like to know how much other self-pay people actually have paid. Thanks

I was going to wait to join until after I was banded but I thought hey.. why not join the fun now! I am nervous about the upcoming surgery and I have all the normal concerns.. Also the life change seems so drastic.. I have been reading a lot and some bandsters have scared the crud out of me.. But I guess in the end I would like to know is is worth it? does your weightloss and ability to do new things out weigh the troubles? I am looking forward to being more active and keeping up with my husband and 9 month old! Or maybe I can even beat him in a race!

I swear I must be the slowest looser on the planet. I've lost about 25 lbs. in about 4 months, so that averages to about 6 pounds per month. It gets frustrating when I see others drop it more quickly, but I know that any loss is a good loss! Anyway, today I finally have officially less than 100 lbs. to loose! It isn't a huge goal to meet or anything but it makes me feel better. My next big personal goal is to be less than 200. Can't wait for that. I know I could do things to loose faster, but I don't really want to cut any foods completely out (unless the band doesn't tolerate it, that is). I know me and I won't stick to something like that long term. So I've b…

Hey All, I'm new to this forum...had my first consultation last week. My insurance provider requires a 6 month "medically supervised diet" before they will provide reimbursement for the procedure. I was looking forward to 6 months of support, talk therapy and input on how to change my eating habits and the way I view food, before being banded. I am definitely a "carbaholic" and need to change my entire perception of food; however, I was surprised at the lack of pre-op resources they had to offer. I left the office with a folder that included only paperwork on the procedure, required tests and fees... nothing at all about food or how to prepare mentally for this whole thin…

I'm still on the fence. Any comments?

It's finally here and I can't believe it. I'm so excited and nervous...the excitement outweighs the nervous now, but check with me tomorrow morning and I'm sure that will change. So today I'm just hanging out at home, well until noon or so when I get to drink the magnesium citrate. I think then I will be going up and down the stairs a lot. :biggrin: I can't wait until tomorrow!

Hi,I am new to the forum, a bit nervous after reading some of these posts. I am reconsidering now, has anyone had a smooth experience? Or am I just reading the wrong posts? I only have to lose 70lbs, self pay and 55. Should I be doing this? Yikes!!! Any comfort out there?

Hi!!! I have been lurking for the past couple of weeks, and since I had surgery on July 2nd, decided it was time to say Hi! to everyone on here. You are a very informative and supportive group. I can't wait to get to know ya'll better. I had my surgery in Dothan, AL by Dr. Scot Robbins. He was great and his staff was so helpful. When he started the surgery, he found that I had a hiatal hernia, that I was unaware of, and repaired that for me at the same time. I am sore, and am not quite sure how much is the band and how much is the hernia. I lost 18.0 lbs pre-op and have lost 8.5 post-op so far. :biggrin: Any advice or suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

Hi Everyone. My name is Melissa. I am newcomer to this site and wanted to introduce myself. I was banded on June 2nd and I had a horrible week of post-op pain but started to feel better on post-op day 7. I have lost 25 pounds since I started and I go back to the doctor tomorrow for my second check-up and weigh-in. I am a little nervous because I feel like I have not lost any more weight since my first weigh-in. At first I was barely able to eat anything but now I feel like my appetite and ability to eat food is creeping back up. I am still not eating anywhere near what I was able to consume pre-op but those old habits are really hard to break. I feel like I am way…

Hi Guys My name is Anna and I live in VICtoria Australia. I was banded 4 1/2 years ago and have lost a total of 60 kilos and have kept the weight to date. I was banded by a kind and beautiful surgeon called Harry Frydenbers who is situated at Epworth hospital ion Richmond. Since having the lap band I have had many family and friends also do the surgery and be successful in losing as much weight as me and even more. I highly recommend the procedure to anyone who struggled to lose weight and to keep it off. I love my life now and I truly believe that the band saved my life!

Hello, all! Was banded last Monday and so excited to start losing. Couple questions. Has anyone heard of the powder you can add to Water called, "Emergen C". It's a Vitamin C drink. Just wondered if this would be okay to have. It's a little fizzy, but not carbonated. Also, my doctor's office said it was okay to start creamy Soups after one week, but a lot of what I'm reading says to wait for two weeks. Thoughts about this? Thanks in advance for your responses.:thumbup:

Hello everyone, --first time here. I am scheduled to be banded on July 14. After considering lap band for about 2 years, I finally decided to go for it. I am self pay. Everyone that I have told about being banded has been constatnly asking me "Are you nervous?". And up until now the answer has been NO. But now...??? I feel like ..ok .. this is my last chance at a normal life. What if I can't do this? If I fail at this then there is nothing left out there to help me achieve a healthy weight. I am normally not this negative sounding and I don't want to set myself up for failure. I decided to be banded a little over a month ago. I was relieved to have finally mad…

Hi to all who contribute to this site - I am in Australia's Hunter Valley and have a surgery date in Sydney with Dr Michael Crawford on July 31. I'm nervous and excited; dreading the Optifast stage (quite panicked about this actually) and hoping that this decision is going to work for me. Thanks to EVERYONE who contibutes to this site - I've learnt so much in the lead up to this decision and so much of it is from this site. I've started a blog journal - it seems important to document one of the most significant decisions of my life. I knew that one day it would come to WLS - I nursed some of the early gastric bypass patients in the late 70s and early 80s as a studen…

I have had my band for about 10 months now. My first fill was in Nov it was 4.5 cc in a 10 cc band. Yesterday 7 July 2008 I had another 2 cc put in. Last night I tried to eat soup and I couldnt pass it. And this morning I tried to drink milk and I can 1 sip and then after that I couldnt pass it either. Has anybody had this problem before. If so let me know what you did to solve it and or if it went away in time.

Hi all, I am in the research stage and am seriously considering lap band but I have a few questions: 1. I have limited time off from work and would like to have the surgery discreetly. I was informed that I could potentially have the surgery on Friday and return to work the following Tuesday. Is that possible? 2. What are the average costs? I've seen it vary a bit. 3. Can I qualify if my BMI is 37? I don't have diabetes, high cholesterol etc. (I do tend to throw out my back often. Would that help me qualify?) 4. Is the surgery tax deductible? Thanks! Kins

Hello all, my name is kimberly, i am interested in lapband. Hopefully i can get some great info on this site.

I'm scheduled for surgery July 18th. Nervous, scared, slightly panic'd...what have I done? Can I go thru with this, hell, I can't stick to a diet, look how fat I am, and what am I going to tell my boss, she is skinny as a rail. When people ask you what you are doing do you tell them you needed a tool to help you? Deep breaths, I can do this, I deserve to feel good. I can do this...reading your posts helps! Thanks.

Hi Everyone. I was banded on April 4, 2008 by Dr. Spivak. All was good for the first 3 weeks....i lost 15lbs but have been struggling ever since. I went for the first fill...and that didnt work so I went back a week later and he filled it with some thicker stuff. Although that has helped some....I still have a hard time. I am able to eat more than they say I should be eating. My weight loss has slowed down tremendously and I get discouraged too. I am going to try my best to start walking some each day and hopefully this will help. Being a single mom of three can somtimes be very stressful but I will not be defeated again. Anyone with suggesstons would be greatly appr…

Hi I am in Indiana. Surgery date is the 16th of July. I am excited and scared at the same time. Sometimes my will power is not the best. I am having my surgery in Dayton Ohio it is closer than Indianapolis. I have always been heavy as a child and grew more out than up I am 50 this year. Looking for info and support. Thanks

I just found this website and what a god send it is. I can't wait to meet everyone! I'm in Texas where everything is BIGGER and everyone is trying to get smaller. haha Well I am anywaya. I am so happy to be here. Im considering having the lapband and am hoping to get some good advise from my sistas in Texas!! :redface: