Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

Hello to everyone, I am scheduled for lapband surgery on 10/31 and thank you for the excellent & informational posts. What an encouragement - you are all very knowledgeable and experienced. I look forward to being a part of this network.

How do I change my username. I set it up without really thinking about it and would prefer that my family members don't know I am pursuing the band. I tried going to User CP, email and password, but no username option comes up. Thanks

I am considering having the LapBand procedure done. Currently, I am looking into whether my insurance will cover it. I am 23, and I have been overweight for most of my life. It is currently causing PCOS, high cholesterol, and prediabetes. My family has an extensive history of diabetes and heart disease, so I am certain that I will end up with both if I don't take care of my weight. I have tried many times to lose weight, but it always comes back, plus some. I even tried a medical weight-loss program, but was only able to lose about 15 pounds. Of course, I gained 20 when I went off it. I have a BMI of 37, so I don't know if my insurance will cover it or not. I am …

Hello I have been reading stuff on internet about weightloss. I am very interested in this lap-band surgery. But it is not cheap...I have alot of questions. I am 340 pounds 5'7''. 43 male. My knees have been hurting and hips too. I tried walking,riding bike...I work a physical job.. and when I lose weight I which takes along time..I gain it all back plus some...I was seeing a doctor who tried to help but it was hopeless. I need some serious help. I have a 3 year old daughter and need to keep up with her. I do not want her to be ashamed of her heavy father. This all makes me very sad. I work for one of the big 3 (not so big anymore) and have some coverage. what will OHI…

Hi everyone. :wave: My name is Marcy and I have to tell you how excited I am. I started researching WLS almost 4 years ago, even had a consult with a surgeon for a LapBand. But soon found out that my insurance plan would only cover RNY. No way was I having RNY! Instead I waited patiently every year for open enrollment time, hoping that this would be the year they would finally add LapBand to the list of options. Fast foward to this year. I finally resigned myself to having RNY. I was feeling desperate, like I could not wait another year, and after this long the chances of my insurance company adding LapBand was pretty much nil. So I found the surgeon I wanted to do my…

Hello everyone. My name is Etty and I live in London, England. I've been going to the obestity clinic at the hospital since June, hoping to get WLS. I've lost a bunch of weight in order to qualify, and I have my first appointment with the surgeon on November 15. Because I have liver disease I may not be eligable, but the liver docs say there's no reason not to go ahead (unless the surgeon sees a major problem dring the op). So, we'll see, but I am praying like crazy that I get this. I have over 100lbs to lose, and I will never be able to do it on my own, and keep it off. It's helpful to read about everybody's experiences here. I'm a bit nervous about the whole thing, bu…

I have many questions and posted them. Everyone here is great. I'm still trying to decide if its right for me. Anyway, my question is about not drinking during a meal and 30 minutes after. This really scares me as that is when I usually drink the most. I have tried several times to not drink and have failed. Is there anyone out there that struggles with this same problem? And what did you do to adapt? Thanks again :help:

hi i am from long island ny and i am about to get the band nov 13th i cant wait but still a little nervouus

Hoping for people to come in and chat 3 are there so far Vickie

:paranoid:nervous OK here it is . My daughter and I have been thinking about lapband for some time. The decision has been made to go to Mexico, the end of January 07. We havent decided which group to go with, its between Tijuana/Bajanor or Puerta Vallarta/Joya. My problem is I'm scared to death, not of the surgery but of the bad things you hear that happen to people while there, crime wise I mean. I'd like to do some shopping but am afraid to go out alone, do they usually send a guide with you for these type of things. Am I just being a baby. Which do you all feel is safer PV or T? You need to understand I grew up and live in a community of 300 people way up in the NE m…

Hi everyone--I've been cruising around this site for a couple of weeks..Lots of great info and nice people.....I'm 51, a nurse, and a guy--doesn't seem like there are to many males here. I have my first appt. with surgeon in 2 weeks--will get the process started and check out my insurance--lap band has just been approved by BCBS in my state though I guess indidvidual policies vary--so we'll see. I'm kind of nervous about all this--it's hard for me to imagine my life with such a change in eating habits--I don't have much of a choice though if I want to go on living. The last couple of years the weight has really begun to affect how I feel and what I can do. I've got lo…

I'm from NYC, and I have made my appt for the operation on November 14th. My doctor is Marian Kurian affiliated with Lenox Hill Hospital. I'm excited but do have some worries. I'm worried about the tightness of the chest feeling. I'm confident that I will follow the rules. I guess its just last minute jitters. I have two toddlers 3.8 and 2.6 and they are a handful. I will take off about 3-4 weeks since my company pays my salary 100%. I hope this is the right thing. In my 20's I did lose 60 pounds on my own through my own diet and exercise. It was easier then because I was single. Now two kids later (and will not have any more) I find it difficuult to get motiva…

As you can see, my pic sits down where my weightloss trail is; how do I put this up above beside where it says Katgirl? Thanks in advance. Kat.

Hi, I'm Dave and I will be getting my Lap-Band on November 6th. I'm on my pre-op liquid/protein diet right now. I am both anxious and VERY nervous. I understand all the risks and that's particularly what I'm afraid of, not the procedure itself. Anybody been through this and have any words of advice for my post-op life? THANK YOU, feel free to Email or message me any time, btw.

I was banded on June 28th, 2006, and including the 28 pounds I lost pre-surgery in June, I am down 116 lbs so far. I have had an extremely easy time of it so far by sticking to the bandster rules every day. I started at 325 lbs and today weigh 209 lbs and am looking forward to breaking the 200 lb mark in the next few weeks. I have set Thanksgiving as my goal to do this. (BTW I have had 4 fills and am at 7ccs in the large band). I own a Mail & Parcel center and pursue my passion of (on-camera) acting on the side. (Who knows, maybe someday I can give up my day job! :gluck: ). I look forward to reading other peoples experiences on here. Jay Z

I have gone to a seminar and picked my surgeon out. My insurance will pay 80%, so I have to come up with the other 20%...I am saving now. I am hoping to have the surgery done between January and March. 2007. I am excited but very nrevous. I keep thinking of all that could go wrong...all kinds of what if's. But I can't wait to start losing weight. I want to be able to walk further and be able to breathe, not get short of breath. I want to be more active. I do things now but I want to be able to keep up with my family. I have been overweight for years and I am afraid of having a heart attack or something. My dad and his sisters died young from heart attacks. My dad died …

Hi Everyone, My name is Kim and i am getting banded by Dr Ortiz next Thursday. I am very excited and cant wait to get to bandland. I have updated my profile on here but i cant seem to get my picture to show up.. Any suggestions on how to get it to appear? Good luck to all the newbies and thank you to all of you that have been in bandland for awhile that share all your information with us newbies. Kim

Not sure what to do on the new thread, but i would like to say hi, and would love input. I am seriously considering being banded, but have so many question. My BMI is 37.7 i need to lose about 65 pounds and was wondering who is out there that has about the same weight lose and have they been banded. Also is mexico a good choice vs. US. HELP!!!!!!!!!!! and Thanks

My name is Christie and I'm a SAHM to Emily (almost 6) and Andrew (2). My Lap Band is scheduled for November 2. I have been overweight since I was about 5 or 6. I grew up with the name-calling and without many friends until I got older. Now I suffer from CFS, arthritis, depression, high cholesterol, HBP, migraines, and B12 deficiency. I take so many meds daily that it's embarrassing. I can't play with my children like I want to and should be able to. I can't go into any store at the mall and pick out a dress or outfit and say "I'll take that one." I have to order everything from a specialty shop. I am having my procedure done at Norton Hospital in Louisville. …

:help: Hello! I am new to this forum and will be having surgery with Dr. Benavides on 9/28/06. I am a 38 and started the process in late July and was just approved by my insurance company - Aetna - last week. I was surprised how fast everything moved. I have started my 2 week pre-op diet and had some questions that have come up since I found your forum yesterday. My understanding is that the purpose of the pre-op diet is to reduce your liver size thru the reduction of cholesterol, saturated fat, carbs and sugar. I have been give a Protein powder to drink 2 x's per day and can have 2 healthy meals each day i.e lean meat and veggies. The lady at Dr. B's office …

I travel every week. Because of this, I eat out for most meals. (not all hotels have fridge or microwave). Has anyone else traveled as much and been successful?:help:

Hey is there anyone out there from Michigan? Dr Obeid is my Dr.

Hello, I'm a new member here and I will be having many questions! My surgery will be November 15th :clap2: . I am getting really excited and nervous at the same time! I live in Texas and my doctor is Dr. Waechter in Arlington. Now I'm going to head over and ask some questions :cool:

Hi there, my name is Stacy and I just got the call I've been waiting for. My ins. co. approved me without any of the usual red tape. I go for an intial psych eval tomorrow (the 25th of Oct.) and then a group meeting on Nov. 1st. After that, it's on like Donkey Kong! Am new to this site but am looking forward to sharing everyone's successes and helping to cope in failure (which there will not be much of, I am sure of it!). Take care and be blessed by who or whatever you believe!:girl_hug:

Hi, All: I am new to this, so please bear with me. I was just banded by Dr. Rumbaut in Monterrey, Mexico on September 28th. The first week was rough, but now things are much better. I've lost 30 pounds as of today and am feeling good. I know I'm going to have lots of questions, so I hope there will be some experts out there who can answer them for me. Thanks...

Hi All, I too have been lurking for a couple of weeks. I attended a seminar a few weeks ago and had my first consult appointment last Monday. I will be completing all of the pre-surgical tests over the next few weeks. This is such a great place to get info on everything to do with the band. I was pretty nervous about the surgery, but after hanging out here for a while I'm more excited about it. Thanks to everyone for all of the great info sharing. Susan

Hi everyone. I am due to see my surgeon for my first consultation on the 3rd November. I am very excited. I am a bit worried though because at the moment my BMI is only 33.5 as I did manage to lose some weight at slimming world in a last ditch attempt at a diet. I hit a plateau. AGAIN Most of the weight has come back on. I am desparate to be accepted though. The surgeon I am going to see is Dr Marc Focquet. Has anyone else heard anything good bad or indifferent about him? Nice to meet you all

I know my insurance won't cover it, because they consider it "cosmetic". How much did you all pay for it? :help: :omg: :faint: :hungry:

Hi. My name is Kim. I'm new here but not new to banding. I was banded on 11/4/02 and find that I NEED some support. I have gained 25 lbs over the last two years. My husband and I underwent fertility treatments starting in February 2005 ending in June 2006. All treatments failed so we have moved on to adoption of older children thru DCFS. I've been told that medically, my body will not get back to normal for a year from last round of hormone injections. My band was unfilled for 2 months. Now getting back on track but not really losing, jut maintaining. Anyway, I'm glad I found a good place to hang out and get and give support. :faint:

Hi. just joined forum today, bit nervous. i haven't been banded, just going through the process. i hope i'm doing the right thing. so many things going through my head.

I am seeing the dr. this week for when I will have the band.Tell me anyone, do you regret doing this or should I be go go...luv

Hi ya'll! I live in Katy, TX and just had surgery on 10-18-06. My doctor is Felix Spiegel. The surgery went OK with very little pain afterwards, just very tender and sore. I did have alot of difficulty swallowing liguids without feeling like I was choking, but that is getting better. I am having pretty bad acid reflux which I also experienced before surgery. I was told by Dr. Spiegel that this would go away after surgery and that I would no longer need to take medications for this. So far, not true. I have lost about 15 lbs so far, but what can you expect with a liquid only diet and difficulty swallowing. I have to admit that I wanted the band removed after the f…

I saw my surgeon at Ford Hospital in Michigan,and,,, he hooked me up with my Date to be Banded. 11/02/06. I can 't weight. He also put me on a Protien Drink Diet for 1 week before surgery. Any one out there have any suggestions on a good protien drink? even with flavors would help. I'm the new kid on the block I guess, so I could use some input. I started at 356 now at 253 since last October. That's on 1200 calories a day. So that alone is a nice loss, but I can't waite to be Banded and on my way to a new me, wich will be like the old me. 130 - 150 is fine by me. Shirley

Hey everybody, this is my first posting so I hope I do it right. My name is Barry, I'm 41 and just got banded on 10/23/06 by Dr. Spivak at the surgery center. Once again it seems that everyone associated with Spivak are top notch people. Everyone was so nice and the surgery was a breeze. This morning I got up and felt pretty sore, which is normal I know, but the soreness was very noticable this morning.....ouch. I didn't sleep very well last night and ended up on the couch, I just couldn't get comfortable. I haven't been truly hungry yet but I did have a small packet of grits this morning as I felt a burning sensation in my stomach. The grits went down just fine and that …

Hi. This is my first posting, although I 've found some valuable information on this site in the past. Thanks to all for your openness. I had Lap-Band 02/26/06. It has worked o.k....I'm down 5 sizes and about 40+ lbs.(From 247 to 205) However, I have had more pbing and vomitting than I ever have. It sucks. I have talked to my DR about removal but he has been reluctant and only wants to adjust. Tomorrow I go back to see him...I've come to realize that it's time to get it out. I can hardly keep anything but liquids down and I'm experiencing severe and frequent headaches. I am thankful that I have lost the weight thus far. I am just tired of the drama...to…

:clap2: My daughter and I have decided to have the lap band placed, we've chosen Mexico because of price but now as I do more and more research I am getting more and more confused. Does anyone have any insight on the Bajanor Obesity center. I see a few have had their bands there but I'd really like to know about staff, cleanliness, the hotel, etc. Experiences from others would help our decision greatly. Thanks April

My name is Fran and I was banded by Dr. Kwon on August 30,2006 in Port Jervis. I had been turned down from two insurance companies so I self paid. To date I have lost 41 pounds and am happy. It is not easy and I realize that the band is a tool and I have to constantly watch what I eat. I am grateful for this forum, and anticipate making many new friends.

31 days until I get banded. I currently weigh 153kgs am 173cm tall (5'7") and I am so excited but nervous I can barely wait.

Well, I guess I should start off with my stats: Sex: Male Age: 22 Height: 6'2 Current Weight: 370 lbs. All Time High Weight: 460 lbs:embarassed: Lapband: Not yet, still in the decision stage I have a few questions, but will lurk a little more to see if my questions have already been asked and answered by others . I know how annoying it is when a newbie comes in and asks the same thing that has been asked 1000's of times lol .

Found this forum through a member on OH. Just wanted to say Hi! Was banded on Sept. 18th. Have been struggling to stay on program. NEVER new it would be such a chalenge! Talk to you soon, Kathleen:)

My Name Is Michele I Am 29 Years Old And Had The Lap Band 3 Weeks Ago(oct 5th). I Lost 26lbs My First Nine Days And Since Then Have Been Staying The Same. I Am Very Nervous That I Have Not Lost More In The Past Week. All I Have Been Eating Is eggs And Egg Whites Along With 2-3 Protein shakes Per Day. Any Advice

Hello Fellow Band Fans! My name is Kevin and I live in Southern California. I received my VG Band on October 16, 2006 (one week ago). My surgeon was the renowned Dr. Ortiz of the Obesity Control Center located in Tijuana, Mexico (barely its a 3 minute drive from the border with California). Before I embarked on my new banding I had a full physical, lab work, and psychological testing on my own in the states. My BMI was high so I lost 30 pounds on my own during the 5 weeks preceding surgery. All was well and I made my surgery appointment. We arrived on Sunday evening, had labs and surgery on Monday at OCC, and was released to go home on Tuesday. Today I will be making my…

:clap2: Hello from Albany, Georgia. I was banded may19th in Mexico by DR.Del La Garrza. I went back to mexico for my first fill in august. I have lost 44 lbs. and doing very well. Having the lap band surgery was the best thing I've ever done for myself. I would like to hear from other people who were banded in May, about how much weight they have lost.THANKS, HOT NANA. :D :clap2:

:nervous I was banded the 12th of September. I've lost 20lbs, but have to wait until the end of november for a fill. I'm not really feeling as restricted as I did the first 2 weeks post op. I'm getting scared, because I feel like I'm going to gain all I've lost by the time I have a fill. Does anyone have any suggestions??? Thanks for all of your help and suport.

I'm 36 5' 10" 290 I really don't know what to do. I have been over weight pretty much 26 years of my life. I have tried every diet known to man. I'm very lucky man I'm married to a very beautiful woman in great shape. She wishes that I was in shape to she worries that something will happen to me and I willn't get to see our kids grow up. Here is some background info on my problem I love food, I love to eat, I eat when I'm not hungery. I was wondering if I had the lap band surgery if this will help me. Please help me out making my decision on if I should get the lap surgery. I live in houston texas what are…

Hello I found this forum through a member of OH. Just wnated to say Hello. I was banded on September 18th. Am struggling with staying on track.

Hello all, Well, I'm a newbie here from New Jersey and have finally decided i need to do the lap band for myself. However my downfall comes as this.. My BMI is 33.5 which basically puts me into the self pay catagory which is fine ( not fine but its do able). So now the decision is , where to go, where to go, where to go. I have heard good things about mexico and my decision is to basically pick between Dr. Rumburt, and Dr, Sanchez. (hopefully i spelled both correctly) Ok so my point is this has anyone who had surgery in mexico able to get fills in the usa. I heard this is difficult because many of the doctors in the us won't fill those who went for surgery in mexico. …

:)I have been studying up on the lap band procedure. I am 51 years old and fairly healthy except for the weight. I am concerned because I am unable to get health insurance because of my weight. Hanging around 300 at 5 ft 6 Inches. I am looking for a reasonably priced lap band procedure. Found some in Mexico, but am wondering about fills. From what I've been reading they are very expensive. I live in northern Wisconsin. Looking for some insight.:faint:

This is my first post. I am schedued to be banded on Nov 28 in Mexico. Michael

Hi, I'm a newbie! I've been waiting for this day since last December, had to get insurance approval, do all kinds of tests and now I have made it! I was scheduled yesterday but it had to be postponed till today. Today, its here! YEAH!!! What is it like after surgery?