Lilium

Congratulations! You really do give the rest of us encouragement and hope. Thanks, and keep up the good work.

I can't answer your question about the sleeve, but I started out at 324 and am now 244 after 4 1/2 months with the lapband. It is slow and steady progress. I plan on losing the weight and I'm willing for it to take some time. I had to pay most of it on my own and it is worth it to me. I hope this helps.

I too drink a protein drink every morning. I'm too tight in the morning to eat, and would not get in the recommended amount of protein if I didn't. I use the powdered Muscle Milk Light with soymilk. I buy it at Costco and it isn't too expensive.

Congrats, just let your body heal from the surgery and don't worry about losing weight for a few weeks (my surgeon said 6 weeks). Good luck.

I started out heavier as well and only people who know about my surgery have commented on the weight I have lost. It will probably take another 30 pounds before others comment. I'm just happy that I'm fitting into smaller sizes. I don't have to go shopping as I have so many sizes available in my own closet. I was banded April 28th and have put on my largest pants each month bandiversery to notice the inches I have lost. Celebrate your body changing and eventually others will notice.

I agree with everyone else. I would not ever let that doctor perform surgery on me. The whole setup is not professional and the cameras make me think that they have been accused or sued for some improper behavior. The doctor you choose will be helping you on a regular basis to determine your fill level etc. You will need a professional and trusting relationship with him/her. You mentioned that you live in the SF/Bay area and so you should have several options available. Good luck and keep us informed.

My insurance would only cover part of my surgery, and both the insurance company and my doctor asked me to do the seep study. I too, use a cpap machine and have been sleeeping a lot better and no longer am fatigued. Just like bobrocky I use the nose pillows mask which isn't tight or uncomfortable like the full mask. I agree with many above that to be safe you should tell your surgeon. I didn't have to use my mask after the surgery, but it was important for them to know I might need it in case I had difficultly on the day of the surgery. Good luck, and I hope you can have the surgery soon, as I know it is hard to wait once you have made a decision.

Congrats! I'm looking forward to the time when I won't have to think about whether I will fit or not. It would be nice to just make the decision to go to an amusement park without any worries.

Congrats on your NSV! I too rely more on how my clothes fit than the scale.

That's impressive. Keep up the great work.

I plan on keeping my largest pair of pants and a large blouse for comparison. I'm going to put these clothes on once a month to really notice the lost weight. Already with about 30 pounds lost I'm swimming in those pants. My goal is to fit into one pant leg one day. I hope this along with the pictures will really help my head to catch up with my body. Congratulations on losing 50 pounds.

Congratulations on getting your surgery day. With as hard as you have worked to lose those 46 pounds I predict that you will be very successful with the lap band. Good luck.

After my fourth fill I started having trouble with my calcium, magnesium and vitamin D capsule, so now I take it at night instead of the morning and it goes down fine.

Thanks for the suggestion I will try it. Since my fourth fill I have barely been able to eat anything and been getting stuck too easily. I am chewing well, but maybe I do need to take more time between bites.

I rarely drink alcohol, but I wouldn't want to sign a document agreeing never to have alcohol again. One reason I've hardly ever had any alcohol is because of the empty claroies and so that hasn't changed with the band. I don't have more than one drink when I do drink and so I will just try a small amount at those specail occasions now that I am banded. I just think your doctor went too far with that request. It seems as if these doctors sometimes go too far into our personal lives, especially because they often aren't our primary care physicians.I was troubled by my lap band surgeon demanding that I get a pap smear and a mammogram on top of everything else he requested because my primary care physician and I already have that covered and I didn't think it was any of his business or had anything to do with the banding surgery. They know that they can ask us to do almost anything because we really want the surgery and so these types of abuse of power happen. Enough is enough.