Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

Hey guys, I'm new to this whole thing, right now I'm in the information gathering stage. I will be attending a "seminar" tomorrow night with my wife to get some more information. I've been seriously thinking of getting the lap band for about 3 months now. I'm 26 years old (is that too young?) 6'0" tall weigh about 280lbs and have a BMI of 38. The main reason for getting this done is due to health concerns, it will be nice to look much better as well... but in reality it breaks down about 85% health 15% looks. I've been battling weight issues evern since I was a little kid, I was always the chubby kid at school, in Middle School i somehow picked up the unfortunate ni…

I have not been banded yet but, hope to be asap.I will be a self-pay so,getting fund's together. I live north of Dallas but, plan to be banded in Mexico. I am really excited and ready to go. I have been reading here and like the help everyone seems to give. I will take any advise you have.

Banded on 2/14/06 Dr Rehnke at Palms of Pasadnea Hospital (St. Petersburg, FL) Lost so far: 51 lbs. Starting BMI was 49 First fill on 2/23/06 1.1cc's I LOVE MY BAND!! :clap2:

Hi all, :nervous I am a 40 year old man and am scheduled to get banded with Dr. Kuri on 4-4-06. I hear nothing but good things about the experiance. I live and work in the Los Angeles area and the general LA feeling about TJ is grim. I could use some stories about your experiences and what I might expect.:phanvan I'm hoping for some enlightenment. My wife will be there with me as well, and she's not really looking forward to sitting in a hospital room for 2.5 days. How far is the hospital from anything where she can "safely" kill some time? Thanks, Harpseal Al

Hello all. I want the lapband,but like many of you, my insurance will not cover it, and I can't afford the $20,000 in the USA. I have concerns about surgery in Mexico. Any thoughts from anyone on Dr Ortiz, Mexican surgery, or even being in Mexico in todays world would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, and good luck to all you bandsters!

I have been reading for a couple of weeks. I am contemplating LB surgery and just need info. I live in Washington State, married and looking forward to retirement maybe in a year! Yippee!!

Hi everyone. I am 3 days post op and still having gas pain and really sore. The worst is I feel like I have to burp but I can't. I have heard this is normal but feels weird and I am ready to get better. I would love to hear from anyone who experienced this as well! I have lost a big 2 lbs, but know the best is yet to come. Thanks for all the good info, it has helped me thus far!:eek:

hi all i have been on this site for a few days and already made some wonderful friends and got great advice. i even found a band buddy that is having the band the same day as i am. she gave me lots of info. i am 43 and have one beautiful daughterof 22 months and a great husband. i need to lose about 150#s . i was overweight almost all my life but the last 2 years it really took a toll on my health. i want to do this for me and also for my daughter gracie. i want to be there when she groes up. its 2 weeks till my surgery i am from green bay wi and i am a surgical tech i am going to have my surg in tj mexico by dr kuri when you work in the is expecially in surgery you h…

Hi everyone, My name is Alison Koussis and I'm 39 years old. I am an English woman living now in Athens Greece...(married a Greek- blame the internet for that one!). I have had weight problems all my life but was able to turn a blind eye and work through my problems. Then I got diabetes. It was hard for me to control and so a year ago the doc put me on insulin. My weight just went up and up and up. After Christmas this year I realised I was a mess physically and as I had been reachering the band for ages, I discussed it with hubby and we went to see a doctor in Athens. We got part payment from insurance (immediately, no questions asked) and agreed we would pay…

Hi all!!! I am so happy to have found this group with so much valuable information. I am new to LBT and have a lower BMI of 30-32. I have been considering surgery for about a year but found that that my BMI was too low for surgery in the US because I don't have other complications. If any one can suggest the best doctor for lower bmi and low cost for cash patients I'll be your best friend . I feel a little hopeless because of my BMI and financial restrictions so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

I was banded on March 24th in at the Bajanor Hospital in Tijuana. I am returning to work later today and feel pretty good. I am still on liquids and sometimes feel like I have no energy. I appreicate this web site and all the post because it helped me in my decision and I am sure will be useful in my recovery. Thank you!! JoAnne

Yea I Did It!!! I Am So Excited, Because I Am Actually Having A Quick Recovery. I Have Had No Gas Pains Yet, The Only Pain That I Have In The Incision, And Thats Just Mild Pain. I Have Been Drinking Soups. So I Am Doing Pretty Good, I Just Thank God, My Family And This Site, Which Has Helped Me Get Through My First Surgery. The Worst Part Of It Was Just Getting An Iv, After That Everything Was Cool!!! Thanks To The Staff At Twelve Oaks Hospital, They Really Were Great!!!! Thanks Again!!!

Hello fellow bandsters, I am a 37 year old from Houston, Tx. and after months of contemplation am scheduled for the lap-band procedure on April 3, 2006 with Dr. F. Spiegel :clap2:. It's comforting to know that through LBT, I am definitely not alone and look forward to sharing my journey of weight loss with you all!

I was just banded 12 days ago, My Dr. is Walker Byars in Oxford MS. So for I have only lost about 12 lbs. I will be glad when this clear liquid stage is over. I would like for someone to tell me how they felt after the surgery. I still feel some what stuffy in my chest feel alot like gas I hope that it will subside soon.

Hello everyone! I just joined the site yesterday. I live in Oxford Mississippi. I am 29 years old. Wife to Kyle of 10 years and mom to Blake who is 6 1/2. I am at my highest weight of :confused: 292 lbs. . I am scheduled to go in on Monday morning :clap2: . I look forward to sharing my journey with you all!

Hi, I am considering lapband surgery. My husband is concerned about complications. I need to know if I should go to Mexico or spend the extra cash and do it here in the states. We have a great doctor close by but the surgery is $4000 more here in the states. If I go to Mexico do I use a patient broker? And who do you recommend using? I was scheduled for surgery in Mexico but my husband felt a little queazy about it so I cancelled. Aneladee

I have surgery date for banding April 21st with Dr. Bauman in Concord, NC. I researched band for 2 years before deciding this was the surgery for me. I have been visiting this site since Feb and have gotten lots of info and tips for safe weight loss and better health. I hope to rely on a lot of you for more help and encouragement as I need it after surgery. Congratulations on all your weight loss and encouragement of others.:clap2: Surgery Date 4/11/06 Dr Roc Bauman Northeast Medical Center Concord, NC 286/286/170 or whatever

Ok, so this is new to me. I am being banded in 6 days. I have been doing the liquid diet for 6 days now plus for a week before, I really watched what I was eating, substituting 1 meal with Slimfast and having yogurt and fruit for Breakfast. Prior to starting the liquid diet, I lost 9 lbs and have lost 7 lbs so far on the liquid diet and still have 6 days to go. I have to say that I am worried that I will feel hungry after the surgery. I have a friend who had the band done and has had all sorts of problems from slippage to hernias. She has also gained 40 lbs since her surgery (she had it 3 years ago). I am worried that this will also happen to me.:nervous The doctor tells …

Hi This is Laine. I'm from the UK and I was banded last November. I've lost two and a half stones since being banded. (Maybe more - havent been weighed since early February. I'm also a member of a great site in the UK called Weight loss info. (WLSinfo). Perhaps some of you are too? Best wishes to you all. Laine:)

Hi there. I haven't had my surgery yet, but I'm scheduled to for April 24th. I was hoping to read about other success stories and get some pointers and hints on my own journey. Thanks, Debbie

Hello Folks I'm reading the "Lap-Band for Life" book, came across this website so thought I'd visit. I'm very strongly considering this surgery. I've been to three sessions addressing lap-band/bypass surgery in the last couple of weeks and have a dr. appt. with the lap-band dr. in mid-March for the first time. I'm really concerned, though, that maybe I'll really fail (again) at this attempt to lose weight & keep it off. I'm enthusiastic about the surgery & the way it helps you control your eating but I'm really worried that I won't follow through & be a good patient eating the right things, excercising, etc. Have any of you had these concerns? What if I…

Just was banded on Thursday, March 23. I have my post-op appt. tomorrow. I am from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and had surgery in Green Bay, WI. So far so good!

Hello everyone, I've been reading up on all the threads and thought I would go ahead and join in. I was banded Dec 21st in Houston by Dr. Speigel. I had my first fill in January and lost 20 pounds without a fill. Since my first fill , mid January, I've only lost about 7 more pounds. The fill went fine, but I've noticed that I can usually only eat lunch. Breakfast is a Protein drink. Lunch varies. dinner almost never happens and if it does, I have to keep moving to get the food to go down. I am usually more stressed during those evening hours because of the boys' activities and housework. Does stress have anything with food getting stuck? Once it gets stuck, I …

Hi everyone!! I am scheduled for surgery on April 13th with Dr. David Kim at North Hills Hospital. I've been waiting a long time for this day and now after reading some of the posts on here I am FREAKING OUT :omg: .. Any reassurance would be greatly appreciated. How is the post op pain? What can I expect the first few weeks? Thanks, Kathy

Hi i'm Reyna and I am going to be getting my band next week, april 5th, I'm 24i'm nervous, and just thinking how will i do in the 6 weeks before i get my first fill, is it really difficult to stick to liquids and mushies?

New to the web site and new to posting...hope i'm doing this right. my name is susan, i live in fort worth, and will be heading down to mexico to get banded on april 14 by dr. joya. :clap2: i hope to learn lots from you guys and have great success with my band.... ready to start my new life.... Susan:p

Hi everyone! I am researching Dr.'s in Mexico. I am excited and scared at the same time and hope that I am making the right decision. :hungry:

Hi All! I've not been banded yet! I went to a seminar of Dr. Sewell, Southlake, TX. I will be a self-pay! His fee is $18,800 for 1 yr of service. I'm interested in info on Dr. Benevides, Dallas, TX of Dr. Smith, Hurst, TX. Does anone know if I decide on a different phy do I have to attend their seminar too before making an appt? Also, what is the average wait time from appt date to surgery date? I've done alot of research on LB and am SOOOO ready, just trying to decide on the doctor. Also, one thing I'm dreading is the Protein shakes. I can't stand that stuff. Any good receipes? Any suggestions for alternate methods of liquid Protein that might taste good!! …

Hello, I'ma 37 yr old female from Delaware and I am scheduled for my Lap Band surgery..... April 27th!!!!! I am veryu nervous but excited. I have been doing alot of research and my concerns are regarding after the surgery. The gas, the pain, my mental state, etc... Is there anyone out there sho can provide some encouragement or comfort... I am sure about my decision to do this, but my nerves ae starting to get the best of me.... Nicole:omg:

Well, I haven't been banded yet, doing lots of research, since I'm cash paying opting for Mexico but attending Dr. Jay's seminar tomorrow. I'm currently 242 with a BMI of 42, my goal weight is 150....see ya at the end of my goal:clap2:

Hello everyone - I currently have my surgery scheduled for June 13, 2006. Waiting for the insurance approval. I have ejoyed this sight and all the information everyone has shared so far- I thought I had done my research BUT this site provides alot more. Look forward to talking/reading more That's all from- Bubbyville

Hi Everyone, I just thought I would take a moment to introduce myself. I have not had lab-band surgery, nor am I scheduled to. I am actually just starting the research process on it now. I am going to attend a information session on it at our local hospital on Wednesday night to hear two physicians speak about it and learn more about my options and if I might be a candidate. I am married to a wonderful man who is very supportive of me. I have two beautiful kids (13 and 15) and three lovely stepchildren as well. I have been fighting obesity for 20 years now. I am approximatley 140 pounds overweight and am starting to experience health issues related to my wei…

Hello My name is Kim and I am scheduled to get a band on April6, 2006 with Dr.Ortiz down in Mexico. Anyone else been to him? I am very excited to get started with loosing the weight. My Doctor suggested protein shakes called getfit365, anyone ever tried them? Thanks for listening, Kim:)

Good evening all, This is my first attempt at LBT so be kind... I had my surg on 1/24 and had my 1st fill last week. I have read a lot of the postings and I know not everyone gets filled quickly. I was glad, however, b/c I was starting to get hungry. :cry I have lost 20 lbs to date since surg and I am not sure this is the average or not. Any input??:help: I did get an upper resp infection two weeks ago and was glad not to be filled or too restricted b/c I needed to get in more than average fluids due to the fever.:sick That has passed and I am back on track. I welcome any advice since this is all new to me. Thanks! Dr. Spivak-Houston Banded 1.24.06 1st fill -…

Hi everyone, it's so wonderful to see so many people going through the same experience I hope to be going through myself soon. This board is really helpful and informative, I'm still very confused and doubting myself and my decision to have the band, but with all this help I'm sure the choice will become clear. The choice being of course LapBand vs. RNY bypass. Thanks!

Anyone out there from Chicago? I was banded 14 months ago, and I'm still trying to figure it all out. Now I'm figuring out how to use this message board. Your reply would help.

Well Hello everyone, just here to introduce myself, well I am 20yrs old, I live in Houston, Texas. My doctor is Dr. Speigel, @TLC. I weigh now 223, @ 5'7, my goal is around 150. I get my lap band surgery next Wednesday, I went for my Pre-op yesterday. I am very excited about it, and a little nervous too. I have been reading some posts and some kinda scared me a little, but I know everyone keeps telling me that everyone is different. Well wish me luck.

Hi I am new to the board and I was banded 3/16/06 and I am excited. I am still sore but not too bad. I look forward to making some new friends who understand. I love to chat and look forward to hearing from all of you. I am a mom of 3 and have been married for almost 14 years. I have been fighting my weight since my 1st child where I gained 65lbs. I weighed 98lbs at 15 yrs old and at 16 right after my son was born I was 149. I lost some but gained it all back plus. All my nurses and docs did during my pregnancy was shake thrie heads when I stepped on the scale. I am very resentful of that. I went fron dancing with my friends 5 hours a day to sitting around while my man w…

Hi! I am new here. I was banded on 1/27/06. I had my first fill on 3/8/06. I have a 10cc band with 4cc fill. I have not had any problems to date but I still takes a lot for me to fill full. I have scheduled another fill for 4/4/06. I know everyone is different but can anyone with a 10cc band tell me about their expericence? I wondering if I will ever fill full. I started at 256 and I'm down to 238. It is a struggle because I get so hungry from one meal to the next and I do eat Protein. Thanks for your help and suggestions. Dollie:help:

Wouldn't you like to be a bandster, too? I'm so happy to have finally had my surgery and am on my way to being a smaller person:clap2: ! Yeah! Yesterday I had my first fill by Wendy and her daughter in Phoenix, Arizona. I live in Tucson and flew to Puerto Vallarta for my banding with Dr. Joya on the 10th of February. I am 5'3" and weigh 240. My goal is to feel comfortable shopping! But I would like to lose about 80 pounds and I feel confident I can do it. I am 52 years old and have 2 daughters, 19 and 13. I have a question to all of you out there who have gone to Mexico for your surgery and I think you are the majority. I met a really nice lady who had her band…

Hello everyone, my name is Angela, I am a single mother of two-yr-old twin boys. I am almost 200 lbs overweight. I have been to the emergency room 3 times since September 2005. I have been told I have acid reflux disease and costochondritis. I was told these conditions would subside if I were to lose weight. Well as you all know that is easier said than done. I have been trying to lose weight since about the sixth grade. I have recently submitted my paperwork to be approved for the lab band. Please keep your fingers crossed that I get approved.

Hi Everyone! My Name Is Stephanie And New To This Forum. I,ve Been Researching Lb For Several Months And Am Looking Into Several Drs. In Mx. Does Anyone Know Anything About Dr. Sanchez? Hoping To Schedule Surgery Soon!

This is my first visit to the website. I really like it. Been looking around. I found it by using Google. I had my surgery Jan. 31st 2006 and had my first fill March 8. Im enjoying losing weight. Something I havent been able to achieve in some 18 yrs or so. Im looking forward to losing the weight. And I am also looking forward to meeting everyone on the board.

I received my band Tuesday, March 14, 2006. I am feeling a little down today because I am having a lot of gas pains (I think it is gas). I also feel like vomiting. Anyone else feel like this in first week?:help:

I am being banded 3/30/06 and I keep reading about erosion and the band slipping. I was first approved for RNY (which I never really wanted but they sent the pre-approval by mistake). I am beginning to question my decision. This just has to work. I figure if I work really hard I might be able to get the weight off before I have any problems. How often do problems occur?

I've never been on one of these support sites as a user. I have been reading some of your threads while I've been deciding about my surgery. I just got word last week that my insurance was appoved and will receive my band tomorrow. I know I'm going to be looking for support since eating is my favorite thing to do. I'm not really nervous about the procedure itself, I'm more worried about how to live afterwards. I'm 48 and I've been severely obese for most of my adult life. I gave up drinking 19 years ago and substituted food. I had always fought my weight before but managed to stay within 30 or 40 pounds of my ideal weight. Now I'm 110 pounds overweight. I don't h…

Hi everyone, I'm very new here, so i'd like to say hi and please bear with me while i find my way around. I'm based in the UK and looking at going to Brussels, Belgium or Lyon, France for Lap-band surgery. I want to make sure it's the right thing for me and also find the best possible surgeon, hence all this research! I'm looking forward to sharing everyone's experiences, good and bad, and offering my support where i can. Jenny.x

Feel great! Tummy just a bit sore. Sleeping well. No appetite to speak of. Mostly drinking protein shakes,eating yoghurt and the odd soup. I'm really amazed at how normal I feel. Don't quite know exactly what I expected ...but was somewhat apprehensive. Hoping to learn from those who have gone before.

hi folks thought that i would introduce myself my name is Dee. I was banded here in the uk back in june of 2005 and i ahve lost a total of 6 stone 2lbs or 82lbs and i ahve lost 5 dress sizes. it has not been a simple path as i am sure that many others will say. i Have had 2 fills and have 7mls in a 10 ml band I had my second fill in january and i can still tollerate only fluids. My service provider is not willing to give me an unfill and becasue my health authority pays i can not do anything to change that, so i try to get as much nutrition in as far as fluids that i can. I am a single mum to 4 children and i work with teh homeless my life had become so restricted so t…

OK heres another stupid question. How do you get the weight ticker on your signature? I keep trying to insert but I just get the address, not the ticker.