Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

OK, I've decided to go the band route, however I cannot figure out what the 1st step is? Do I consult with a Doctor first.....the process seems very intense, however I am very interested. I live In NJ, work in Manhattan so any advice would be great. Thanks, Steve:confused2::confused2:

I had my first fill on 4/28/08 and I am hungry 45 minutes after I eat. I tried eating small portions and making the meal last 30 minutes, but I feel like I am starving. Are you supposed to be hungry? I thought with the fill I would feel a full feeling after eating a small portion.

Hello to everyone.:tongue: My name is Georgina and I live in West Sussex UK. I am 41 years old and have a gastric band op scheduled for Fri 20th June in Bromsgrove, so I will be hoping to get tons of info and help from all of you on the website who obviously know how it all goes. Been so encouraged by all the positive posts and fantastic weight losses. Your doing great and I very much hope to be joining you all on the losing side very soon

ok, so i am overweight (5'5" and 248 lbs) 29 years old and sick and tired of being fat. People are always thinking that I am older, I believe it is because I am fat. I went to the ER one day and read the notes from dr. It states "slightly overweight" young woman . Also, my PCP has a label on my chart that says "OBESE" (bright orange sticker by the way):sleep:. I am sick and tired and ready to take some serious measures! My coworker and I are the only obese people in the entire company (just about). So we have decided to go to the seminar together. I am excited but disgusted that it has come this far. I have done everything, you name it, i have done it (with no success …

Hi I'm going for my first appt. Tuesday to have the lap band surgery. I'm so excited and a little scared. I was jsut wondering if anyone could give me some good tips about what to expect during this whole process.

I've been trying to have Lap Band Surgery for over a year. I went to my first seminar April 2007. I have been to every meeting required. I jumped through every hoop the insurance company required and yet they sent me a denial letter. I was devastated. I decided that I was going to give up that easy, I was going fight this, so I appealed the case. I met with a Nutrientist a few times, got a second psych evaluation, gather all my information together and sent it off to the claims appeal office. Two months later, I recieved word that I had been approved!! I can't beleive. I am in total shock. I am estatic! YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I joined this forum in January. I'm married to a very supportive husband and we have 2 dogs and 2 cats. We live near Casa Grande Arizona. Half way in between Phoenix and Tucson. I have done a lot of research on the net and have chosen to get a lap band. I have been to 2 seminars and have received a referral to a surgeon. My consult with the surgeon and my psych eval are both on Monday 4-21-08. Then in May I have to go to a class called the ABCs of lap band. My Doc is Hilario Jaurez. I expect to be put on a 6 month diet but I won't know until Monday when I see the surgeon. I hope my insurance doesn't make me jump through too many hoops. So far they haven't. I'm …

Hi to everyone here. I've been reading the posts here and working up the nerve to post my intentions. I am 59 years old today and have had a weight problem all my life. I have been underweight,overweight,obese, and morbidly obese. I am currently 285 lbs after being at an all time high of 350 lbs. I did loose down to 240 lbs, but back up again to 285 lbs. I know this yo-yoing back and forth is not healthy and I truely want to do this banding procedure to get my health back. I was taking medication for type 2 diabetes while at 350 lbs and after loosing down to 240 lbs I no longer needed the medication. I'm afraid that it won't be long till I'm back on the meds. How do I get…

Hi everyone. I'm starting to look into the Lap Band procedure and I know next to nothing about it. It sounds good because it's less invasive than gastic bypass and sounds safer. I've asked my insurance to send their requirements and coverage info and waiting on that. I have a consulation with True Results in Atlanta next month. I really want to talk to real people that have had this done, so here I am! I want to know the good AND bad. I do not want to be talked into something that isn't right for me and if I do decide to go ahead I want all the info I can get. My main question right now after skimming some of the info is: why do you have to go on a diet BEFORE your …

Hi all Just posting as i have my first appointment tonight at the GP for a referral for my specialist!! (I have already pre booked specialist for WED)!!! So excited!!!:tt2: So Scared!!!:wink_smile: Cheers Nicole

I am a newbie here as well and will be getting my band on June 9th :biggrin2:. My process went a little faster than others because I self-financed my procedure :wink2:. Just wondering if there was anyone on here from the Savannah or Brunswick area that go to any of those support groups that could provide some information for me. Thanks in advance.

Greetings. This is the first time I have ever been in a forum. I started searching and found this site when I began thinking of being banded. I am not sure I am going about this in the right way but I would like to converse with others who have done this and can give me info and encouragement down this path which I have chosen. I have already come across some hurdles but nothing I have not been able to overcome, yet anyway. My gp wants me to have the banding done locally which I can agree with but one doc in this area just gives me the creeps, one does not take my insurance and the group of others want a lot of the money up front and the insurance will repay me. Well…

I got my first call today to start the process for banding! I meet with a nurse practitioner and mental health therapist on June 16. I think if I 'pass' that, I'll be scheduled for an 8-week class to learn more about the surgery, post-op care and the impact this surgery will have on my life. I am 5'6" and weigh about 265 pounds. I never thought I would weigh this much! I have read several books on bariatric surgery, though most of them are for the hardcore surgery, not banding, so I'm not sure which side effects I'm likely to have. I've read lots of comments in the Forum which is helpful. I suppose the earliest I could have the surgery would be in September. What woul…

Hi, Ive been looking into getting the lap band done. I have alot of questions and am hoping that some of yall may have the answers. First off let me tell u a little about me. I am a 36 yr old mom of 3, divorced(not a bad thing!), and am weighing in today @ 280. 6 months before my divorce, my now ex-husband told me point blank that if I would lose 50 ppounds he wouldnt sleep with other women. well, im a contrary sort of person, and only ate more just to spite him. I have never liked my weight. but when i lose weight its gotta be for me and not anyone else. I almost passed out when i stepped on the scale today and saw the 280. My weight just keeps steadily growing. I live i…

Hi old friends!! Wow I haven't been here in so long. It was a long 2007 and not a very good one. I had several family menbers pass away including my mother. I seem to be so busy that I don't find time for my friends on LBT:frown: Sorry. I do miss talking to everyone. There seems to be a LOT of new names here. WOW the list has grown!!!:Banane22: It wasn't a very good year for me and my band either. It is working fine but I have found ways to eat around it. I am a big emotional eater and have been very emotional this past year. Don't get me wrong I still LOVE my band and it has done a great job for me. 135lbs gone.:eek::biggrin: I am trying to get back on track with eating…

Hi, My name is Tonya. I have never joined one of these sites but I thought I would give it a try. I had surgery June 14 2007. It was the best thing that I have ever done and has been very easy for me. I never have been sick and the weight keeps coming off with little exersice. I am very luck. I have lost 100 pounds already and am close to my goal... or what I am told is my goal as I never really set one. The only thing that has been a issue for me is my port. Mine is on my right side of my belly button and causes issues when I wear a belt and sit down or when sleep on my stomach. I have been told that I can get a low profile port if needed so Ithink that I will be h…

I've been lurking around here for a little over a month and have even replied to some threads, but I thought I'd formally "introduce" myself and say hi. Hi! I'm going to get banded by Dr. Kirshenbaum in Colorado on July 16. I'm excited and nervous at the same time, but more excited than nervous. I know what makes me the most excited is that I feel like I have finally found the tool that will allow me to be successful. I've known for many years now what the "right" decisions are, but making them consistently is tough! But hopefully this will make it a little less tough than before. Anyway, hello, and best of luck to everyone. I look forward to learning more about…

Hello to everyone! I am new to the forum, but have already come across some really insightful information. I am 28 years old & 5'10"...from the Seattle area. I was banded on February 6, 2008 at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, Washington (Dr. Srikanth). Surgery went really well. Unfortuanately I developed a blood clot in my leg, and subsequently 2 clots in my lungs, and was hospitalized for a week. I hope I don't scare off any potential bandsters! These can happen after any surgery, but I am wondering if any other Bandsters suffered from the same complication? So far my Lap-Band experience has been great! With the Protein shakes and all the Vitamins, I feel w…

Hi everyone, I'm new to the site and have my Lap-Band scheduled for May 23rd. I've been looking forward to this since last fall when I was first seen. I got sidetracked when I couldn't pass the cardiology consult and ended up having a cardiac cath with a stent placed. I found out around 2 weeks ago that my insurance (Humana) approved my procedure, had a pre-op last week with my surgery being scheduled for this Friday. It's all happened so fast, which I am not complaining, I just can't believe it is going to happen. I will be having the surgery at Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington Ky with Dr. Weiss. I look forward to any words of wisdom that anyone would like to …

Hi Everyone, I found out about this site from Obesity Help, and hopefully with all the wisdom on this site regarding the lapband ( one word or two please!) I can get excelent help and resonable advice. :scared2: I had a RNY done in 2000 at Baratric Treatment Center, a wonderful place but not a real success for me. Let me begin by saying I had a RNY done in Feb 2000 my initial weight was 235 lbs, I am 5'2" tall and my overall weight loss was 55 pounds. Currently I weigh 215.5 with a BMI of 38.5 so you do the math. I am real depressed and I feel like such a failure. After reading on Obesity Help that revisions were possible (Baratric told me it was something I had done …

Hello Everyone, My name is Lyn and I have been poking around this site for a couple of weeks now. I thought it was time to introduce myself. I am just barely starting the process. I meet with my new PCP next week to get a referral to the weight loss center at Cedars Sanai here in LA. I am very excited and scared all at the same time. I actually made it to the center last year and even had a consult with the surgeon then chickened out. I have gone back and forth with this decision. I keep thinking that if I just try a little bit harder I can do this on my own. Well a year and twenty pounds later I have finally come to terms with this and know that I need help. I surrende…

Hi! I just had Lap Band Surgery and am hoping to share with and learn from others on this forum.

Hi Everyone, my name is Linda and I just had my surgery less than a week ago. And I am doing great but still hungry!

Hi Everyone, I'm so excited that I got the call yesterday about my surgery date July2nd with Dr. Geiss on Long Island. Anyone else with Dr. Geiss? Any advice? I look forward to this journey and sharing it with you all and giving any advice I can along the way. Lisa :thumbup:

The safe amount of food we can consume at any one meal is still a little confusing to me. My main concern is I don't want to eat too much and stretch my pouch. Am I correct in assuming that if I consume a 1/2 cup of food that that portion is ok? I'm talking more solid food, not food like cottage cheese or yogurt. My dietician had guidelines for the mushy stage and later but to tell the truth it still isn't very clear for me. I also eat 2 oz. of meat and no more than 3 oz. meat at any one meal. Does anyone have any real guidelines to follow from their Dr. or nutritionist? Also I need to visit the dietician again to figure out how many servings in each food group I …

Hello: New to this site! :confused_smile: I can’t believe I’m on this road again. I ran into a Mother of a friend of my oldest daughter and didn’t recognize her. She was a completing new person. She looked out of this world. I asked her what on earth she had done and she told me “Lap Band”. She told me all about the center she found called “TLC Edge” and how it was the best thing she has ever done for herself. When I left her that day I was determine to give myself that same gift. Having done all the research myself over 5 years ago I am pretty informed with most of the details (not sure if something has changed), but I am firm in saying this… “I am going to get t…

Hey there.... well My name is Tara and i am 20 year old student from Ireland.... I got my band fitted on the 28/01/08!!!! :wink_smile: I got it done in Prague but have only lost 10lbs to date!!! please check out my blog for full story!!!

:wink_smile: I am very happy with the outcome of my surgery. Yes, I am still sore where the port was placed but that was to be expected and my Great Dr. Bobby Bhasker-Rao, Md had explained that it would be. I felt like I was lying on the beaches of cancun when they rolled me into surgery. I feel that is because of the confidence I had with my A+ Doctor performing my procedure. Dr. Bobby also has a group of people who work with him that explained everything from my preop diet to my post op diet and everything else I need to know. They were so clear and precise and wanted to make sure I understood everything they were teaching me. I felt like I had a B.A. in Bariatri…

HI , My name is nancy and I am getting banded on May 15!!! I am soooo excited! My Doc is Dr. Jan in Emma Pattersons office in Portland, Oregon. They have not asked me to do a pre-op diet but I will be doing one for about a week, anyway. This is a great forum and I look forward to getting to know everybody. Open for any and all suggestions and encouragement! I will post my blog address, too when I figure it out.

Hi, is there any one in South Alabama who has recently been or is going to be banded by Dr. Chris Dyas? I am interested in your experiences so far. Thanks! dblack:smile2:

I stumbled across this site a few days ago, and have been checking it out everyday since. Well what can I say, I live in Tasmania, Australia and have been banded now for about 11 months with no worries so far. Of course i've learnt a few lessons along the way, especially how my body does'nt appreciate lot of gas, less beer:cry but a new found love for red wine:) . I am going along well with a start weight of 164 kg and a bmi of 49.9 to, now 132 kg and a bmi of 39. So the experince for me all round has been pretty good with no regrets with the decision to have the procedure and a new found addicition for the gym.I'm looking forward to catching up with fellow banders and …

Hello :wink_smile: I'm Erin, an almost 31 yo living in Maine with my partner of 8+ years and two kiddos (3 and 16m). I was in process in '06 and '07 with a surgery date of March 5, '07 when my insurance at the time denied me because I had no comorbidities (that they recognized anyway). I have new insurance as of April of this year, so I started back up and have moved through the steps very fast -- and I now have a surgery date of July 2nd! (A day after my birthday and three days after I move... ugh..) Now I just wait to make sure my current insurance (Anthem BC/BS) covers me, though I've read the policy and it looks like I meet all their requirements, so I'm hopefu…

Greetings! New to banding and new to the forum! I was banded this past Wednesday, May 14 at the Mercy Hospital in Springfield with by the excellent Dr. John Kasper, son of the renowned and now retired Dr. Robert Kasper. I have to say, compared to an inguinal hernia I had repaired a few years ago, (along with a few small hernias that were found at the time), the pain from this has been nothing. I had my bed and bedroom set up to be on my back unable to get out of bed except to the bathroom for a week. What a pleasant surprise to find almost no pain from the surgery itself! HOWEVER, the stomach pain thing is altogether different from anything I ever experienced. I have …

My name is Crissy Gore, I was just banded on 5/9/08 by Dr.Ray in Bloomington Indiana. I am still having a lot of pain in my ribs and my Left shoulder/neck area. Is this just gas? I have tried everything. Also, I am running around 100.3 fever. I called my dr and he wants to see me on Monday. Anyone else experience this?:leaving:

Hello everyone. I've been browsing the posts for the past hour or so and am amazed and very pleased to have found such a wonderful source of information about the entire Lap-Band process and for such caring support and advice. I've been feeling a bit alone in my decision to start the process (attended information session 5/14/08). I do have the support of my family, but I carry the shame and self-consciousness of being overweight, so am keeping my decision, to move forward with this life-changing event, somewhat to myself. I plan to be a frequent visitor to the forums and will update my signature as I progress. Wish me luck!

hi I hope I am fat enuf to get a banding.. I am 5'5" and am 230.lbs.. I went over the 200 mark around the turn of the century.. LOL.. I was 170lbs after my last child and just kept on gaining.. I have tried dieting.. ephedra,, etc but the weight alwys comes back with plus more. I hope I can get the bandilng and I hope it works.. and yes I know I need to work with it.. I am a nurse and I do a done of walking.. but I love to eat.. BMC told me taht it takes approx 3 months from the time of the infomeeting to the actual surgery porvided of course the insurance is ok:wub: Soldouthippie

I find a lot of time I go to get on this site and I can't get on. Is it my computer or anyone else having this trouble.

I am a 60 year old male, and was 100 pounds overweight. I was banded on Monday, 5/12/2008. So far the post-op process has been pretty much by the book. Incisions are healing, and everything seems to be intact. Starting to get really sick of Isopure, and Protein Shakes, but I can see the light till the next phase.:thumbdown:

I've been looking around to see if I could find out what things like PB and BO and Sliming and other such initialisms and lingo mean. Is there a thread already? THANKS! JohnG

Hi Everyone! I am new to the lap band forum and am looking for a place for more information, support, etc. I am a 30 year old teacher who is being banded on June 25th. I started the process 2 years ago by researching both gastric bypass and lapband. I made the decision to be banded after turning 30 and realizing that this problem wasn't going to fix itself. I went for my initial consult two months ago at VCU. Dr. Maher wanted me to lose 20 pounds (which i did within a month) before he would schedule the surgery. I received immediate insurance approval for the surgery and now have a pre-op date of June 17th with an operation date of June 25th. I am excited, nervous…

I've finally made a life altering decision and now it feels as though I'm stuck in limbo. I've joined this forum so that I can get some feedback from those that have gone thru the process and also from those that are at the beginning like myself. I decided about a month ago to have the lap band procedure done. Spoke w/my personal doc about it and he endorsed the idea and referred me to a local surgeon that heads the Bariatric program. Unfortunately I have to go thru the free "informational session" before I can even meet with the surgeon. Is anyone else coming up against this? I'm kind of feeling put off and more than a little annoyed seeing as the next free session the…

I am not quite sure how I feel...I started to research the lap band about 6-8 weeks ago. Then attended an orientation through the N.E.W. Program, followed by meeting with my primary care physician - who was totally supportive and wrote a referral letter that obviously did the trick...after less than 2 weeks of waiting, I received the call today that I have been approved by my insurance!!! JUNE 30th is the big day!! I have between now and 6/12 to get all my pre-op done and figure out how I am going to finance the fees that aren't covered by insurance (approx $3500) and then I go on the 2 week pre-surgery diet. I'm overwhelmed. I thought for some reason, I would be de…

Hi, I am 32 yrs old, thinking of having lap band after I get out of nursing school. I have a 2 yr old son, and a wonderful supportive husband. I have a BMI of 45, and am sick to death of being obese. I want to live!:biggrin2:

Hello to all and God Bless! My user-name is "ready_2_live" and that describes this change I am anticipating perfectly! I am a wife, mother of four, and a college junior - off for the summer though! I am so very new at this and don't even know if I qualify yet. (if insurance won't pay, there's no way I can!) This Thursday I go to a Lap Band Seminar and am very excited to learn more about it. In a nutshell, I'll say that I have been trying since 2004 every way to lose weight. The most I have lost is 41 pounds, and within seemingly no time I gained 46 back. I fluctuate between about 15 lbs now, but am so miserable both physically and yes, I admit it is an emoti…

Hello, I just found out about this website in one of my nutritional meetings and I am so excited that I will have other soon to be banders, or already banders to chat with. I have finished my six months that my insurance required me to complete. I've had my upper GI done among everythings that had to complete according to the Weightloss Center. I am waiting for my appointment with Dr. Weaver in Memphis and then I will find out when my surgery date is. After that is complete my information can be submitted to the insurance company for approval. I am so excited but I think that my surgery date may be in Sept. because I heard that her surgery dates are that far away becaus…

Howdy all. My name is Teri and I am new here. I have my first appointment with my doc on May 28 and they "say" I should have my surgery in June or July. Sigh. I am nervous about the lifestyle change but I am looking forward to a healthier me. Just wanted to greet everyone so no one wondered where the crazy lady came from as time moves on. :woot:

Hi everyone! As you can see from the thread title, I'm new to the forum and I've just begun to research the lap band system. And when I say "just begun" I mean, I know nothing about it yet! haha I'm a 24 y.o. stay-at-home mom and half-time student. I have a daughter and a son and a wonderful husband of about 5.5 years. My BMI is almost at 32. I'm 5'10" and hover around 220. Does anyone else have similar numbers here? Where have you all found the best info? I look forward to "meeting" you all!:woot:

Hi my name is Crystal and I am from the Eastern Shore of Maryland. i recently was banded on the 1st of May. I had my surgery at St. Agnes Hospital with Dr. Averbach as my Surgeon. I was looking for a blog area so that I could get support from all those who have been there done that. Last night I had my first scare. I had been doing fine, no nausea, no vomitting, no real issues, until.......... all of a sudden I had an issue with acid reflux. It wouldn't go away and it had done enough damage to make my throat sore and scratchy. I then began to feel very uneasy with a burning sensation that went all the way around my chest area to my back shoulders. I felt dizzy and slightl…

Hey everyone. I got officially weighed in today and turned in my application. I am going forward with the surgery, but it will be a couple of months before I have the surgery. I have two sons 5 and 8, any suggestions about what to say to them? Thanks.

hi, my name is Kristy. i am 23 and according to my ticker, i have over 200 lbs to lose. uhh..has that been done before? LOL. holy damn. haha. according to the law of attraction, that of which you think of most, becomes yours. SO, instead of joining this forum once i get a surgery date, i am going to immerse myself now. :thumbup: i had an apt. on the 12th with my doctor. she asked if i had thought about lap band and i was like..WHOA...? i thought that was like plastic surgery because the only place i heard about it was on the radio! haha. so i totally jumped on it. so, when i left the office, i called the dr. she referred me to, the receptionist told me …