Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

I have been wanting to do this surgery for a couple of years now, going to a couple of different seminars and even changing insurances to be able to get approved. I have just had my appointment with Dr. Boutt at Port Huron Hospital in Michigan, and have now had a surgery date scheduled of March 12th, I was completely ecstatic!! I am on my way... I now have my good friends really scaring me. Telling me how dangerous this is and don't I want to see my 6 year old grow up, and I could die... and the complications are risky. You know they have really made me start thinking I should reconsider.. I just was looking for some support I guess that is why I am here! And I am …

Hi everyone: My name is Sherry and I am new to this forum. I have heard that this is a great place to get information and support. I have an appointment with Dr. Spivak in Houston on January 29. I can't wait. I am so excited. Anyway, thanks for having me. Sherry

Hi everyone, I'm new at this and I have just got banded on 12-29-2003. I am hoping to find out information and just see how everyone is doing .. I am very pleased so far.. but then i am so new!! I wish everyone well with this new year upon on.. Good luck..

Hello everyone, I'm so glad I found this group and I learned so much from all of you so thank you. I have made a decision to be banded few months ago and did a lot of research. Since I am smaller than most people that get the surgery, my INS wouldn't cover it. I have PCOS, hardly ever ovulate and the only way to relieve me of some of the symtons is loosing weight. Well, it is not that simple if you have PCOS. I excercise every day, bike, treadmill, weights, classes...I rollerblade, ski and swim....but I of course eat as well. I'm always up and down ten pounds around 205 ponds. Highest ever has been 212 and I believe my girlfriend didn't order her wedding pictures where…

Hi, I heard about this site last night at a support meeting. I got a lap band on 11/24/03 at Good Sam Hospital in San Jose, CA. My doctor was McKeen and so far he seems great. I've lost about 30 lbs so far. Grant

Hi there, I posted a message ( i think) not heard anything. am i doing it right let me know

Hello 1st time for me posting on this site. I wanted to know if anyone that has been banded has had any kind of pain near the port area? I was banded on 11/4/03 by Dr Chua in Milwaukee WI. I have had my 1st fill on 12/8 and my next fill is coming up on Monday 1/12/04. I have had this pinching or bruising pain in between the 2 incisions the port and the top incision. It hurts no matter what, walking, sitting, standing. If I bend its enough for me to put my hand over that area as it hurts. Does anyone know is this common for this to happen this far out after surgery? I appreciate any help or suggestions anyone has. Angel 11/4/03 Dr Chua Milwaukee WI 270/252/1…

Hi I'm currently considering going to France for the Midband (it's much cheaper than the UK!). I'm quite confused and scared though after reading some stories about people only losing a few pounds in the first year! I'm financing this myself and can't afford for it to go wrong! I know I'm going to end up doing it as I now feel it's my only remaining option but I just need some reassurance. As I understand it the midband isn't used in the States but is there anyone out there who has had it....and do the differences between the midband and the lapband just lie with who manufacturers it or is one more successful than the other?? Sorry to sound so confused!

Hi! my name is peggy. I was banded on Dec 22. What a Christmas present! MAny family members thought I was crazy to have my band placed just before Christmas, but if i didnt I would have to had waited till summer break, I drive public school bus and have no sick time to take off for the surgery. I am doing good and havnt steped ona scale for 1 1/2 weeks now but will be tomorrow but the first week after banding I had lost 11#, bringing the totla lost to 93# since April 2003 initial consult for lapbanding.( i had a bout with cancer and actually didnt eat for a while that is why the big loss before surgery, but still is weight gone and my band is going to help it stay of…

Looking for a reliable doc in Louisiana or Northeast Teaxas ,or southern Arkansas ,Any ideas???

Hello all banded dec1st 2003 all is going well . Look forward to talking with you all down 38# already.

I'm new here and want help on finding information and support on lap-banding.I've pretty much tried ever diet there is.I'm 40,female and married with 3 kids.I feel that my life is in total shambles because of my weight.I'm tired all the time.I have high blood pressure,sleep apena due to my weight problem.I have started so many diets since childhood I couldn't even estimate how many I have been on.I was thin only one time in my life. When I was 15 years old I went on a very low calorie/stravation diet.I got very thin cause I liked the way people were treating me after I lost my weight.Like I mattered.Boys were paying attention to me and they never did that before only when…

Hello everyone. I just want to say what a great site this is! It has helped me so much understand the band and has gotten me answers when my doctor couldn't answer them! About me: I had the band surgery on 12/12/02. Yes, more then a year ago! I did it in Haiti and lived in Washington DC. Therefore i only had it adjusted twice withing that year and i only lost 15 pounds of the 110 pounds i wanted to lose. Now i am back in haiti for good and i just had the band adjusted yesterday. Wish me luck as i hope that this time it will work

HI!!! I really need to talk to someone who may have had lap Band done at Cori in michigan. I am trying to figure out how I am going to get time off of work for the fills and surgery. I already plan on taking 2 days off - do you think it's possible to have surgery on a Thurs or Friday? (thinking of taking a long weekend) I live about 4 hours drive from the dr. - so I will probably have to take at least 1/2 day vacation days for the fills - but I guess what i was wondering is, does anyone know if CORI does fills on weekends or after hours? I just thought I'd check since they're so well known. If not, I'll just eat up my vacation time and deal with it. Anyone c…

Hi, I am yet another recruit from across the pond.....this time England!! I am 43 years old, and this time last year I was housebound, retired from work due to my failing health, weighing 383lbs and waiting to die. I am epileptic, have degenerative arthritis in both knees and hips, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands, and depression. I have a wonderful husband and the two best sons in the world who have loved me no matter what state of health or weight I have been in....to them I am me......I just want to be me!! Like nearly all of us, I have tried many diets over the years, I must have lost over 700lbs in total, only to put back…

I'm looking for a doctor in Ohio does anyone know of a doctor in Ohio?

I am new at this site. I am curious about the banding. I have been reading others threads, and am wondering what is a fill, that everyone is mentioning. what is it? why is it done? How long after surgery til you go back to work? eat foods? Does anyone regret having the surgery?

Hi again, Well i had my first post op.. I am doing great.. I have to go back to WORK!!! UGH! I knew it wouldn't last.. I had lost 23lbs, so I was pleased by that. Alot of liquid!!! LOL. I have my first FILL Feb. 9th.. I can't wait.. I am still on Full Liquid until Monday and then i go to cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, fish, pureed food, i guess whatever is soft and goes down easy, but since i haven't had a fill, i don't really know what i should feel like.. Hope everyone else is doing well. I have to tell you.. I am loving this site.. I love to read all the stories and how we are all different.. At least this way , you definetly do no feel alone.. thanks for bein…

does anyone know this doc? Would you reccomend him ( even to your sister)? He is out og Nacodoges,Texas i saw his ad for a seminar . Hope to hear from someone. AVery

i am new to this site and I am looking for information on surgeons in Tacoma that do banding. Anyone out there that has info please let me know.

Ok Yall I have been approved! I am glad now the wait is almost over with. I am just waiting for a date. I go for pre op on jan 8 and 9.

Hello All, I was banded on Dec 11, 2003 in NYC. I have went through the general pain post surgery and the terrible acid reflux/gas pains but now I am having pain around the port area and mid section of my stomach. Is this normal? The pain is tolerable and I plan to speak with the doctor soon. Most of my pain is from sitting up. My surgery was also done laproscopic. I have transitioned myself to soft foods/mushy. I am gettinga little nervous, I have no problem eating and think my band slipped?.....Does anyone know what that feels like....Please help..........Thanks :straight

Hiya Chucks, I am new to this e-mail business so bear with me. I had my Lap Band fitted on the 5th Nov 2003, and so far I have lost 10kg, most of that was lost in the first 3 weeks. My doctor here in Australia fills the band to the maximum in surgery, so I have no fills to look forward to, is this usual? My doctor has also said I should lose around 2kg a week! (which I am obviously not) so I am obviously a little bit concerned. Am I doomed to failure again. Also like some of the other people on these sites, I am still hungry (or maybe I think I am), and also some people expect me to not want to eat beacause of the band (perhaps they think I have had some of my brain s…

hi, I came across this site via www.wlsinfo.org.uk which is a similar site to yours. I recognised a few of the uk members here!! hi guys!!! I had a swedish lap band fitted on 24th O ctober 2003 my start weight was 16 stones and now weigh 14 stones and 1 pound. I had a lot of problems at first but had my firsdt fill on December 12th and am up and running now!! May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy new year and lots of weight loss for 2004 !!!! Joolz xx

I'm new to the board and planned to be banded in Mexico in March or the latest June. I was wondering if anyone else planned on being banded during this time and would like to go together. I'm 28 yr old female student nurse and live in FL.

Hi I'm Claire, I'm 29 and live in Oxford in the UK I had a Swedish lapband fitted in Spetember 03 and so far I've lost 29 lbs. Having a bit of a hard time of it at the moment, have had 2 fills but am still waiting for the ilusive sweet spot, hopefully it should get sorted soon. Look forward to chatting to you all Claire x

Hi Thought I had better introduce myself, seeing as I have eventually joined I have been browsing this site now for about 2 months and have found it very useful. I'm 32, and have been overweight for aslong as I can remember. After having tried all kinds of diets, pills and potions, I eventually had weight loss surgery on the 9th Sept 2003. I have had a Swedish Adgustable Gastric Band and currently have had 2 fills, one of 4ml and another of 2 ml taking me to very near my sweet spot. To date I have currently lost 64 lbs which I am over the moon about, my starting weight was 429lbs. I see a few of my fellow members from the website that I am a moderator on h…

I really love having people from places which deal in the kilogram and the stone. Any system of measurement which allows me to divide my weight (in pounds) by any number greater than one is clearly superior! For any math challenged who wonder how to "compare" their stats to our friends from the EU or other locations in the former British Empire... --for kilos, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 --for stone, divide your weight in pounds by 14 Close enough, Sue

Hi there everyone, I'm Margaret and I am presently living in Nottingham, England, the home of Robin Hood but I am a Kiwi from the North Island of New Zealand. I was banded on August 29th this year by Mr Beckingham with the Swedish lapband. I have had five fills and have 8nls in my band. I was 275 pounds on surgery day and now am 233 pounds. Not as fast as some but I am happy with my progress. Since my last fill two weeks ago I feel well restricted eating about a cupful of food before I have to stop. I love my band and it has given me a new lease of life. I am 55 with a few health problems and honestly didn't think I would make it to sixty. But These days I feel like I wil…

Hi there ! Glad to meet you! Hope you all had a lovely Christmas... I thought I would introduce myself... ... My name is Audrey.. im 32 & from Glasgow in Scotland. I was banded 26th August 2003 in Gartnavel General Hospital, in Glasgow, by Mr Galloway... I was "done" on the NHS. I'm 5 foot 11 inches (180cm) I was always bigger than everybody else at school (hit that height at 14)... My mum is obese & the rest of my family suffer from overeating. I was always getting a sweetie or something from my mum to eat, if I fell outside as a youngster or if I'd had a bad day at school... "cupboard love" my dad calls it. Thats probably one of the reasons why.. if …

Hi all Im Sheilagh from Falkirk in Central Scotland. I was banded using the Swedish band on 5 December by Mr Basil Ammori at the Manchester Bupa hospital. Im due my first fill on 2 Jan. Im one of the little people at 5ft 1in and am truly as wide as Im high at 21st 7lbs. I havnt had my first weigh in yet as Im trying only to get weighed monthly and not be hopping on and off scales all the time. Ive had a weight problem all my life and for the first time I see a light at the end of the tunnel with it. Along with Audrey and some others who Im sure will soon introduce themselves here too I am part of the Scottish support group. Looking forward to chatting to yo…

Greetings All!!! I had my Lap Band installed on 12/11/03. The recovery was relatively quick. Now I have a million questions about what is right, so I'll need help from all of you. Thanks in advance. I'll try to offer my help to others as we go along.

I am Dizzy and I hail from Detrot. I had surgery on Sept. 8, 2003 and looking fpr a community of people experincing the same. Details: I started @ 379, now 320, and my only hope at this point is to hit the 200s. I am 5'11 and a former athlete, so finally finding the key to my weight loss has been a blessing from God. Any questions feel free to ask!!

Hello, I have been over weight all of my life; I have tried everything all of my life as far as I can remember I have been doing something to control my weight. I am the perfect case of yo-yo syndrome. I have lost and gain weight many times. I have tried it all .. lost the weight be gained it all back and then some.. Dexatrim, Grapefruit Diet, Weight Watchers, Atkins Diet, Slimfast. I have tried it all. Now I'm looking into WLS.

am scheduled for surgery next week. i am scared that something will go wrong or that the band won't work. pleeeeze reassure me. i weigh 210 and have 60 to drop.

Hello I'm Roberta I had the band in June 2003 and I've lost 100 pounds in 6 1/2 months. I'm very pleased with my progress. I'm still about 50 pounds from my goal but I was wondering if anyone had to get a tummy tuck? Just looking ahead for the new year I guess. Good Luck to everyone.

I was told by one doctor that he didn't recommend the band for me.. and thought that the bypass surgery was a much better way to go. His reason was that I was too heavy for the Band and thought i would find other ways to eat. I am 5'7" and weigh 330. He didnt feel I would be happy with the weight loss from the band. has anyone else encountered or heard that you need to be under a certain weight to have the band?..And thank you all for the information everyone posts on here its been so helpful.

Hi, I am new to LapBankTalk. I am in the process of getting approved for theh LapBand. I hope to beable to proceed in February or March. My daughter has had the band since September 2003 and is doing great. I am excited!! Kathy

Hi everyone, Heard some nice things about this forum so decided to come over and visit.Recognize alot of you from spotlight (can I mention that here LOL)anyway just wanted to say hello.

Well folks, I'm back in the saddle again. A few months ago I gave up on having the lapband done after I discovered that my insurance compnay wouldn't pay and there wasn't anyway I could pay for the surgery myself. But then a new light opened from the heavens.One day my husband walked into the kitchen and behold,in his hands were new insurance papers his employer had switched to last month! Now, I have heard great and horrible things about this compnay: United Health Care. I'm not sure if our plan will cover the surgery. But I have researched lapbands surgeries that have been covered by the company and so I am aware that it can either be a pleasant expereince or a disaster…

Hi all, Am new to site, which was recommended to me by a U.K. based weight loss surgery website. Looks like I am crossing over the pond and will be moving to the States (Atlanta, GA) next year. I am scheduled to have the Lap band in England in January 04 and am not sure what to do. Am considering now having the banding in the US and it looks as though will have to foot the bill myself although I haven't a clue what the cost is approx in the States. Can anybody shed some light or maybe a link? Do you think it is possible I just have fills in the US and the surgery in the UK? Anybody know the cost of a fill everytime you go? Your help is greatly appreciated. …

Ma whatsa matter fo youz. Da old gang in da old nayberhood keepsa askin -- Werd she go -- Der alla brokn hartd -- Youz gotta chek in now an den. C'mon give da old ganga call ! Yore Bigga Fatta Goomba JimmyC

I was convinced I wanted to have the LapBand surgery until logging on to this site last night and reading so many scary stories about "feeling the band or the port" and problems with the fills (I never even thought about that!!). I'm 62 years old and am desperate to lose weight. I'm tired of being tired. I've just begun the process - have submitted my paperwork and waiting for some word from the insurance. I got a bill from a medical records copying place, so something has been happening, though I haven't had a call from the doctor's yet saying I've been approved. Is there someone out there who can convince me that it's all going to be OK? I need someone to hold my…

My surgery was Tuesday 25th of Nov and it all went great. Dr.Kuri is the best! He came in to see me 3 times yesterday to see how I was doing and then discharged me this morning around 9 am and the came back once again to say good bye.Very caring man! I stayed at the older facility he uses in TJ and I had to admit I was scared of the place but all fears are gone. The hospital staff was great to me and very acomodating to my mother who stayed with me a room that had 2 beds in it. I am more sore today than yesterday but I think it is because I won't sit still and I still have some gas pains going on. It is so weird to think I have not eaten anything in 2 days- well I g…

I am new to here. I'm in oklahoma and was denied for an exclusion for my insurance company. I am going to have to self pay and I am looking to find a cheap, but good dr. Any ideas anyone? thanks.

I am in the process of getting the prcedure I have done blood work and psych eval got clearence from doctor just waiting 4 a date I am in slidell, La and looking 4 a friend or friends support !

Hi Just Found this awesome site! Next week I have my Dr. appt with Emma Patterson, hopefully will get a date but heard that my insurance company is being a real stinker.

Hi losers! Im new to the losing scene and wanted to check this site out. My name is Adriana Hernandez and I had the AGB on Ocotber 29,2003 and I am 3 weeks and 6 days post op with a 21lb weightloss. Im from Houston, Texas and am very eager to meet other bandsters. Have a great Tuesday!!!!

I am off tomorrow at 5:30 am to the hospital in Mexico to be banded. My surgery is scheduled for 7am. If all goes well I shoud be home late Wednesday afternoon. Wish me luck (= I am getting nervous but am VERY excited. Caroline 235/150 My surgeon is Dr.Kuri

Hi Everyone! :wave: Misty is a name I've made up. I've been around the boards before, but feel the need to remain annonomous for now. I've been reading and researching various procedures for 2 years roughly. It's been a difficult decision for me to make, but I'm please to have finally made it. I'm 29, married, mother of 2 children. I'm 254 lbs. on a 5'4" frame. I have finally come to the decision that the lapband is the best option for me. I need to lose weight for health reasons but just can't bring myself to the methods of weight loss/maintaince I've used in the past (excessive exercise and starvation). The problem is... My husband is unemployed …