mmccracken

Hey! I had my lapband surgery in 2008 in Nov. I had lost about 50 lbs in a year and a half. I think that's slow! Anyway I then lost about 75 lbs. by the summer of 2010 and had a penniculectomy(more than a tummy tuck) as I had a lot of hanging fat! I weighed 236 when I had lapb. so at the time of the stomach surgery probably weighed 160(can't remember exactly). I had many, many stiches across my lower abdomen and drains on both sides. I had virtually no pain, just discomfort trying to sleep and etc. After about 1 month the swelling was gone and I then lost about 25 more lbs. During the time b/f the stomach surg. I had may 4 or 5 fills. Then about a year ago in this coming up April, my band seemed to tighted. I was having indigestion almost constantly and I would throw up my food, etc. I went to my surgeon and he took almost all my saline. I then gained about 20-25 lbs. Very discouraging!!! Then I began to get a little at a time put back in and I have lost about 10 of those 25 lbs. So I went from being in a 6 to some 8's and mostly now 10's. That is great considering I was wearing a 22 at the beginning! But it was also very depressing for me. I loved the 6!!! MY friends and family thought I looked too thin and sick though and think I look much better and healthier now. I am trying to exercise each day doing something. Also in the last 2 or 3 weeks I think my band has tightened again b/c it's very easy for me to get indigestion if I don't eat just about a palm full of food at one time. I'm trying to live with this though b/c I don't want to have saline taken out b/c I know I'll eat again too much a gain weight. I think from talking to friends that had the surgery after me that it's just going to be a struggle all the time. I'm trying to live with it. I do know I would not change the fact that I had the surgery. I don't ever want to be big again. like right now I have indigestion adn I've only had to eat this morning about 1/4 cup of sugerless cereal and about that much milk and my vitamins. Usually when I start out with indiges. I'll have it all day long. It's miserable!!

Hello Lacy, I had my lap band surgery in Nov. 2008. Since then I've lost 95 lbs. Gone from a size 22 to between a size 6 and an 8!!! I am 61 yrs. old. It was the easiest surgery I've ever had. Of course all i had had prior to that was a hysterectomy and a tonsillectomy. I was feeling great in about a week. I had no pain, even after the surgery! BUT in about 3 weeks out from the lap band procedure, i got pancreatitis. I felt pretty bad then. I ended up having my gallbladder removed which my doctor determined that it was the cause of the pancreatitis. After that surgery, I have been great. It took a while to recover from that since I was already sore from the banding and the gallbladder as you know, is in the same area as the band was put. Anyway the lap band has changed my life. I feel better and I know I have to look better, too. I am a teacher and I have more energy and can bend, stoop and do all the things that were always so uncomfortable for me before. Since I'd lost so much weight and had a lot of fat hanging from my stomach I decided to have a penniculectomy to remove the stomach fat. Now that was very uncomfortable for about 4 weeks. The 2 drains I had were really not fun!!! But believe it or not I had no pain even th ough I was cut from one side to the other! The plastic surgeon that did mine was fantastic. You can imagine the difference that surgery has made in my appearance! Hope this feedback has been a help to you! margie