Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

the lady from Phoenix whose name is NOT Bianca ot Bianca. Oh, yes, and the two ladies in Miguel's van...I'm sorry. It was a long day and I have misplaced my recall of your names. I was so nice meeting you at Dr. Kuri's and I hope you did decide to drop in here! Sue

Hey everyone! I'm lala and I recently went to an informational meeting with the surgeons at Alexian Brothers Hospital in Elk Grove Village, IL. I have sent in the paperwork and am waiting to hear back from the insurance company. I have a consultation scheduled for June 5th. I hope I clear all my tests so I can get the lapband soon! I have been researching WLS for over a year and have decided to take the plunge after a year of infertility. Wish me luck!

Hi, I'm Kim I'm going in for surgery with Dr. Deol on Monday! I'm excited yet a little freaked! I was just wondering if there was anyone out there that has had these feelings:nervous Also is anyone out there that has had Dr. Deol and the crew for awhile? I would love to chat with someone if your out there!:cool:

To everyone that reply to my other email...Thanks for the encouragement! Well I am at day two and feel pretty good. I thought I would be in alot of pain but I am not. I have been walking around and trying to allow this extra air to move out. My doctor said everything went great and based on the xray my port was in a good place. I haven't been sick. I am having a hard time with the liquid thing. It is like I don't want liquids, but when I drink them it is not long before I feel weird. I think it is the sign of me being full. I haven't learned what is what yet. I just had about 4 spoon so tomato Soup and feel okay but full. I ask my doctor PA about Vitamins and protien d…

Hi everyone, I have been reading all the great info on this site for days. My surgery is scheduled for May 21st. I have my plane tickets and now I am just waiting for the day. Getting real close, a little nervous but I have to tell you. Reading all these forums has helped me tremendously. You are all such great support, I am so glad I found this site. Weight has been a issue in my life for as long as I can remember. I finally feel that I have found something that will truly work. And all of you have only confirmed that for me. My wonderful supportive husband of 29 years is accompany me to Mexico, my surgeon is Dr. Lopez. which after reading the forums I am very h…

I had my esophageal motility test, which by the way was the worst thing I've ever experienced, and found out that my esophagus is so messed up that I can't have the lapband. I've pretty much been in shock for the last two days. I had determined, from the beginning that I would not have the bypass, under any circumstances and felt so good about that decision. The decision I have to make now is whether to have the bypass or not do anything at all. I think to do nothing is crazy, yet I had my heart set on the lapband. I've gone ahead with the rest of the tests and have the psychologist's appointment on Friday and will let her know what's happened. I feel so disappointe…

Hi all, I am a new member here. I have had my band for a little over 1 1/2 years and I love it! I have lost about 90 pounds so far (not sure exactly where I'm at right now since I have a cast on my foot and have no idea how much it weighs!) I had my surgery in Mexico with the wonderful Dr. Kuri and couldn't be happier with the results so far. I'm hoping to lose at least another 30 pounds then I'll see how things look at that time to decide if I should lose any more.

Hey everyone I am finally banded. I am sorry I haven't been on.But I have been tired. I am doing great so far. Today is my 4th op and I am starting to want food but not. I am not really hungry but slim fast and Water gets old.Any suggestions? Well Hope to hear from all. Thanks Joyce 4/28/04 banded Dr.Spiegel

Hello, I had surgery in Mexico and was wondering if any U.S. docs will see other docs patients here? Preferably in Ca. If anyone has had any experience with this, please respond. I'd really appreciate it! Thanks!

I HAD LAP BAND ON 04-28-04. THE FIRST NIGHT WAS ROUGH. THREW UP OLD BLOOD IN MY SLEEP. WAS DISCHARGED ON 04-30-04. FEELING A LITTLE BETTER. WENT TO BED ON SAT. 05-01-04 FELL ASLEEP ON RIGHT SIDE. HEARD AN AWFUL RACKET COMING FROM STOMACH WHEN I TURNED ON MY BACK. A FEW MIN. LATER GOT UP AND DRANK A SIP OF WATER 10 MIN. LATER IN BATHROOM TROWING WHAT LOOKS TO BE OLD BLOOD. HUSBAND STATED IT COULD BE ACID FROM THE STOMACH. BEEN DOING BETTER TODAY. WAS ABLE TO HOLD DOWN 4OZ. OF PROTEIN DRINK WITHNO PROBLEM. OPEN TO ALL SUGESTIONS. THANKS:( :mad:

I have just a few questions i need to bother ya'll with......I read somewhwere in my research that 51% of people who have had lapband has had nausea & vomiting..have many of ya'll experinced this?......Is it true that you can eat bread after you have had the procedure or drink carbinated drinks?:mad: Is it painful?....Im sorry im so full of questions but i am seriously thinking about having this done ( i'm going to a seminar on tuesday ) and want to know everthing i can (clinical and personal ) before i decide that this the right choice for me. Thanks for any information you can give me.

Hi! I am very happy to have found this site! I have been researching the lap band for years and what has kept me from the surgery is the fact that there are no resources in my area to perform fills. I have finally decided to get the surgery and think I will do it in Mexico. It looks like either Dr. Ortiz or Rumbaut are good options, but I am definitely still in the selection process. My big question is how infrequently can I have fills & check ups? I am self-pay and flying to Mexico every few months is not an option. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

I just found this site and I am happy to be a new member. I want to be banded very badly. I am 5' 3" and 275 lbs. I have been heavy for about 20 of my 43 years and have tried just about everything I lose but gain it back. My insurance has an exclusion but it is through my husbands employer and they have their own insurance that is managed by BCBS so I still have a fighting chance and I am doing just that. I really think this is the tool I need to get my weight under control. Now a few details about me I have two daughters ages 25 and 21 four grandsons ages 7, 5, 2 and 7 months and they are angels. My husband is a long haul truck driver for McKee foods( Little Debbie snack…

I was banded on March 26, 2004! I have to give a HUG to my Doctor.... Love you Dr. Jayseelan!!! I am so thankful that I found this site! I have had so many questions and concerns and reading each topic has helped me alot! I feel like I am losing weight slower then everyone else though. Since my surgery I have lost about 14lbs. Am I doing something wrong? :straight Don't get me wrong... 14lbs has been wonderful...I had to get off and on the scale a few times to make sure it wasn't lying! I think I wish I could just lose faster. I am so proud of each and every person in here though. It makes me feel better to know I am not alone. Maybe when I get my first fill I'…

I have been contemplating the lapband for about 2 years now. After tons of research and prayers I have decided to go for it. My daughter got banded in Nov. last year and has lost 40 lbs. I'm very inspired by this, but I'm sure my loss will be slower due to the age difference, and a life of yo-yoing. My ins. excludes barriatric surgery, so I am forking over the $$$$$. I am going to have Dr. Rumbaut in Monterrey, MX place my band. It seems from my research that he is very experienced and his liason here in the states, Ann Marie is so oo nice and helpful. Has anyone else gone through the Mexican connection, any advise or tips? My BMI is 37.5

Does anyone have any prior experience or knowledge of Dr. Nirmal Jayseelan in Dallas TX. I'm considering of doing my surgery w/him and would be most obliged if anyone had neg/pos feedback on him. Regards!

I went to my consultation yesterday and met, not with my doctor, but with one of the residents who will be assisting. I'm not sure why that was. In any case, she told me that the doctor I'd chosen doesn't do the lapband on anyone with a BMI over 45 (mine is 50), so I will be having the other surgeon at this practice do it. He only does them up to a BMI of 50, so I barely made it in with that. The resident discouraged me from having the lapband, as I knew would happen. I was prepared with all of my reasons for wanting to have the lapband and she said that I had obviously done my homework. She said she didn't see any problem with me having it done and that I needed to…

Hi friends, I just had my surgery on Monday the 19th and I am doing much better today, it's Friday I was beginning to get concerned. Anyway I have been on liquids for almost 2 weeks and I am starting to get hungry. I talked to a friend who had the surgery and she said she was eating soft6 foods her 2nd week. Ant 2 days after the op. she was on soup. What do yall think also what do I do with this gas? Thanks Ginny

Has anyone had an espohageal motility test? How, exactly, does it work? I know it's something that goes down the nose and checks the esophagus for twists and anatomical obstructions, but what is the actual experience like? Also, I have to have a small bowel series. I've had the upper GI before, but what is the small bowel part of it. The scheduler at the clinic said I could be there anywhere from 1/2 hour to 3 hours, depending on something that we have to wait for. Does anyone know what it is that I'd be waiting for? Laura

I am having my surgery Wed. Did anyone have staples and did it hurt when they took them out? Joyce

Hi all. Just banded on 4/16. Feeling great on the liquid diet. Worried about my transition to soft foods. Any advice?

I am only 2 1/2 weeks into this and my weight loss has slowed down (I know this is normal, but I really liked it when those numbers went down faster!!!). I won't be getting a fill until at least 8 weeks post surg., but I am curious - does the weight loss speed up again after the fill like it was right after surgery?? And I'm still having a bit of port pain - is this normal?? Thanks~!!

I went in to see the doctor for the first time on Thursday, after going to the mandatory class. I was told, what I already knew, which was that I needed to make the appointments for all the tests that needed to be run, make sure the paperwork is in and sent to the insurance company and wait for an indefinate amount of time for them to give approval for surgery. Well, when I left the doctor's office, I stopped at the appointment desk, where I was told that Humana wouldn't let me make any appointments without prior approval. I left there frustrated knowing that it was only delaying the already long process. I immediately called the insurance person at Cleveland Clinic …

Hi, My name is Karen and I have just started to look into Lap band and Gastric bypass surgery. I live near the WISH center outside of Chicago, has anyone been there? I think Gastric bypass would probably be the best fit for me, but it scares me so much! I have a bmi in the mid to high 40's and don't know if the Lap will do it for me.... ****What do you discuss at your meeting/consultation, I am already worried I will not say the right thing and then I will not qualify for surgery. Any advice? Thank you and I am glad I found this site. Karen:phanvan

Well I went yesterday and signed the rest of my paper work and did blood work.Now I can start counting down.Any other suggestions? Joyce jjfredericks4@aol.com Dr.Spiegal

I am in my second week (was banded on 4/8) and am starting to go a little stir crazy!!!! I am fine all during the day until dinner time - I have 3 kids a mother and a husband to feed, so I have to cook dinner and for the last 2 days it has been driving me crazy!! I have been drinking the yougurt smoothies, apple juice, water, and tea and I have been "eating" sugar free popsicles (1 a day), smooth sorbet and thinned yogurt. What kind of diets are (or were) the rest of you on for the first weeks after your surgery??? The only thing that keeps me going is my daily trip to the scale - I get so excited even if it is only one pound. Thank you for all the help you can give!…

Hello everyone! I just discovered this site moments ago. I'm going to be banded in 12 days and I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOO excited!!! (and scared!) Any advise on what I should do for these final pre-banding days? I'm looking forward to getting to know you all! Have a great day! Melissa

I am a new member. I have been researching WLS for several years and have finally found a doctor nearby who does the lapband. Next step the paperwork UCK! Even If my insurance will not cover I am determined to have the proceedure. I have a 15 year old and a husband who need me.

Does anyone know if the lap band can be done with an epidural instead of under a general anesthetic, since it's done laproscopically.

Hello. I was banded 3/9 and so far I've lost about 17 pounds. I was thinking this was kind of slow, but maybe not. I go for a follow up today and hope that my doctor will recommend a fill to speed things up. I feel like I can eat way too much before getting full. I've pretty much given up bread because it just doesnt feel good going down and I've had things get stuck 3 or 4 times. This only happens when I drink Water with my meal (I keep forgetting not too). Has anyone had a problem with colas? I havent had one in almost 2 months and I would love to just take a sip. I've heard that carbonated beverages are not good for gastric patients. Thanks in advance for the infor…

Hello, I am new to the site! My big day is on Thursday. Today was the day of my consult with the doctor. I am getting pretty scared now. For the past 3 months. I was like "I'm Ready" and now I am ready to say nevermind. My questions... I got the list of items that I could have after the surgery. What items has anyone found that were excellent? Protein shake too. Did anyone else feel the butterflys 2-3 days prior to there surgery? I don't do well with pain. Is there alot of pain involved in this? My doctor told me that 50% lose 50% of there excessive body weight and less than 20% lose 70% of there excessive weight. Has anyone experienced 70% or greater loss of…

Does anyone else have this problem? I have lived with it for 18 years. He is slim and eats everything. I am fat and I eat diets all the time. I am planning to be banded as soon as the insurance process is finished. What will my eating (tiny bits) and his eating (large portions) be like? Does anyone have the same situation? I think one reason I am fat is that I make our plates look about the same. He burns it, I do not.

Hi Everyone I'm new to this site and just wanted to introduce myself and say hello to everyone. I am a member of a UK based forum and the link for this forum was posted by a fellow member. I'm 25 years old, 5ft 9 with a BMI of 42. I've been overweight all my life but put on more weight after having my son 2 1/2 years ago. I didn't actually put much weight on during the pregnancy...it all piled on after!! late last year i started suffering from muscle spasms in my lower back and my BP went up....and so did my weight. I'm at my heaviest now and have gone from overweight to morbitly obese. I have health cover with BUPA and also cover with CIGNA through my work. BUPA pa…

I am thinking of having this procedure and i have a few questions....Is there alot of pain involed? Can they take my galbladder out @ the same time ( i have been dignosed with galstones )? How can i find out if my insurance will cover it? How long will i have to off from work? SORRY about all the questions but i didnt know who else to ask...everyone else i know that has had WLS has had the gastric bypass...but that just worries me....i want my body to still do what it is supposed to do..i am fairly young (32) and i am gonna have to live a long time with my decision ( hopefully ) and i want to live as "normal" as possible....please give me any advice you think might help m…

I have my consultation on Thursday with the surgeon. I went into all of this with the absolute conviction that the lap band is for me, but after having gone to the required class last week, I'm waivering on that conviction. The doctor who spoke said that the average weight loss with the lap band is only 50% of the excess weight and that they don't recommend it for anyone with a BMI 50 or above. I'm right at 50, actually 49.9. While I knew that before, I don't know what to do now. I don't want to have my anatomy changed that dramatically, nor do I want the malabsorption and dumping syndrome problems. On the other hand, if I'm going to do something drastic, like hav…

Hello.

i am at a week with the band. the day after getting the surgery done I started second guessing my decision. why did i get the band? did i really need it? why can't i do this by myself? will i ever feel normal again? why did i frankenstein myself? i feel like a monster. like something less than human. i do not particularily like medicine, doctors, etc. i see alot of people's personal support habits as crutches, yet i was blind to food being one of mine - until i got introduced to the band. i thought the band might help. give me that catalyst i needed to recognize what weight loss felt like. a boost of good measure, a routine of healthy eating and exercise, then rem…

Hi, I am new to the site. Have been researching for sometime. I am planning to have Lap-Band surgery in US but may need to do follow-up in South Africa. Does anyone know a surgeon in South Africa that performs the surgery or who can do follow-up? Thanks

Greetings from Aberdeen, WA....I am so happy to have found this site! The more information out here available the better off we all are! I was banded in Mexico 2 years ago this July. With little or no education it has been a interesting journey. Shortly I will be meeting with a doctor in my area that is doing lap-band surgeries and fills. What a blessing this will be...a local doctor for help & fills when needed! Hoping to hear from any others from my neck of the woods... Trixie

I was banded on 3/1 this year, and for the first week or so I kept telling my sister, who lives with me, that I felt like I had to learn how to burp again because it just wouldn't come up. I understand that for some people the gas goes up, others it goes down, mine ultimately went down, which was a little disgusting at times, but sure felt better when it had passed. So, from my own experience, it's normal to feel this way right after surgery. I found that by sleeping in my recliner at night the gas wasn't as bad, not sure why, but it helped me a lot. Lying on my back or side just wasn't comfortable. Felt like I had a big bubble just rolling around inside, nowhere to…

I am a new member and not sure what I am doing. I am meeting with my doctor on 4-9. Any suggestions for what questions I need to ask him? I am just starting the process of getting approved for the band.

I NEED SO HELP I AM SO CONFUESSED ABOUT WHAT I WANNA DO I AM 215 POUND AND 5'5 I KNOW THAT ALL I REALLY NEED TO LOSE IS ABOUT 70 POUNDS BUT IT SEEMS SO HARD SO I AM GOING TO GET ON THE BAND BUT SOME PEOPLE ARE TELLING ME TO GET LIPO-SCULTURE FRIST SO I GUESS WHAT I NEED IS SOME ADVISE ON WHAT I SHOULD DO . DID SOME ONE HAVE A SIMULR PROBLUM I JUST WANT EVERY BODYS OPINION THANKS IN ADVISE FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ME ...

hey everyone ! Well I am counting down once again for my surgery and hoping it will happen this time.I was wondering if you all could tell me what I should stock up on for the nexts 2 weeks after my surgery. That would help so much.Also tell me what not to do . Thanks Joyce

HI. MY NAME IS ED IM FROM SLC. UT. MY WIFE NIKKI AND I ARE GOING TO BE BANDED HOPEFULLY LATER THIS MONTH OR NEXT. WE ARE JUST WAITING FOR APPROVAL FROM OUR INS. WE HAVE FIRST HEALTH INS. AND HAVE BEEN TOLD IT'S A FAIRLY FAST APPROVAL PROCESS. WE HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROCEDURESINCE LAST JULY BUT ITS TAKEN US AWHILE TO GET OFF OUR BUTTS TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT IT THOUGH, SO ANY ADVISE WOULD BE HELPFULL. DID ANY OF YOU START TO CHANGE YOUR EATING HABBIITS WELL IN ADVANCE OR GO OUT ON A BING RITE BEFOR SURGERY? ALSO HOW LONG WERE YOU ON A LIQUID DIET BEFOR AND AFTER THE OPERATION? OUR DOCTOR IS TELLING US WE WILL BE ON A LIQUID DIET FOR 1 WEEK…

I have been reviewing as much as I can and found this website. I am happy to find so much information. My very big thanks to everyone who posts to any and all concerning expierences for WLS.

I just came from my 5wk post op visit and I am down 24 lbs !! I am so excited and it gives me so much modivation to keep on track and use this wonderful tool !! With this loss the Dr said I probably will not need a fill for a while even though he said I could call him when i felt like i didn't have enough restriction. He also said I could begin excercise so that is a great feeling too !! Nothing could ruin this DAY !!! Thanks for always listening and being soooooo supportive !!:banana :banana :banana karen 3/08/04 241/217/175 for starters !!

Hi all, I'm a new user of this forum, It was only two weeks ago i had the surgrey by Dr Wertimer in Tasmania Australia, i have already lost 6 kilo which works out to be around 10 pounds (i think) in your terms i don't know the ratio of kilo and pounds but i know it's good (it took my sister seven months to loose 6 kilo the hard way) I am excited to have found this site so i can share my experience with others. I have coped very well i have had no vomiting at all, all my cuts have just about healed and am walking 20 - 30 mins a day which is a big thing for me, my start weight was 143kg (290pounds guessing) none of my friends know my weight as i feel to ashamed to tell them…

I have my first visit with Dr. Felix Speigel on Friday. I know that my current insurance covers the lap band surgery, but I was wondering if anyone knows how much money we have to come up with before surgery? When I called the office, they said it depends on your insurance. So I still have no clue. I was also wondering if anyone knows if Blue Cross Blue Shield covers this surgery. Thanks.

Hi everyone. I heard about this forum on Obesityhelp and decided to check it out. I had my surgery on 4/6/04, so I'm a newbie at being a Bandster, but so far, everything has been going great. My recovery is looking speedy, and has been relatively pain free.

thanks all for the comploments