Jim1967

Sounds like you're doing your homework which is fantastic. I went through that period while preop of reading too much especially the negative stuff. It is good to be aware of possible complications and 'what ifs' but don't let it fester or deter you. My only advice (in which you didn't ask for ) is to be patient. You will have moments of frustration, even perhaps the feeling of failure but one thing you need to do is keep your eye on the goal and keep moving forward. If you stumble that is OK but just keep going. Best Wishes!!

@@chasingadream I remember the conversation like it was yesterday and I hope what he saw and read gives him at least the motivation to look at options. All it takes is 1 hour at a seminar and you will be in a room with people who face similar challenges and before you know it you'll have that realization that you're not alone and that there is hope. I know it's not easy heck I spoke about WLS with my Wife for a good year before attending a seminar. Sometimes that first tiny step can lead to the path of a new future. For me WLS was quite simple. I was either going to make it work or I was going to die a young man. This may sound dramatic to some but for a 5'6 guy heading quickly toward 500lbs running out of breath walking down a set of stairs it sure didn't feel that far off to me especially at 44 years old with a family history of heart disease. All you need is the want power. More importantly there are people there to help you along the way. I was so worried about people judging me for being so big and letting my weight get so out of control. Funny thing I was the worst judge of all. In all of my experience not once through this entire process did I once feel like someone was judging me. I remember so well that very low place I was at in the beginning. I felt incredibly hopeless, helpless and the feeling that no one cared (except my wife) but really it was all me and the place I was mentally. Some people have WLS and want to move on and act like it never happened. Not me. I want to remember it all. Good, bad and ugly. Getting to where I am now was not easy however getting to where I was originally was pretty darn easy. thank you all for the kuddos, support and friendship. Jim

Patience.....change takes time and not just physically but also mentally. Fall down 4 times then get up 5 times and keep going.

I have 9.6 in an 11cc band. I have been in the sweet spot for quite a long time but I did have a lot of false positives along the way. I thought I had just the right restriction after a fill only for it to disappear a week later. Took me about 6 months to find the right spot.

Disney World is already booked for the first week of December! I set that as my reward two years ago and I am excited to go.

I have a ton of loose skin but it sure beats the alternative. I am just now getting around in investigating options but it will really depend on whether or not my insurance will cover any of it. I am willing to bet I would easily be down another 10lbs if I were to shed this loose skin.

I had often told myself during my journey that even if I were to ever possibly hit goal I would never post a success story. Maybe I was being modest or perhaps just really hard on myself or…just not able to forgive myself for ever letting my weight get out of control as it had. I guess a lot of it no matter how you sum it up is really just embarrassment. Well I had a change of heart. That change of heart came because I can remember so vividly the feeling of the hopelessness and despair. At times I felt I was knocking on deaths door and that there was nothing I could do about it. So I am writing this tonight in hopes that if I can help just one person even if only one tiny bit then it is my responsibility to do so. I believe in paying it forward and giving back. If it wasn’t for the people before me that helped me then where would I be? It would be irresponsible for me not to do the same. You are not alone and there are people out there, really good decent people who can help you but YOU have to want it and at some point you need to swallow your pride and ask for the help. Help will not come to you. YOU have to seek it out. I have told my story several times and you can read it on my profile. I lost 170lbs doing Atkins between 2003 and 2004. I went from 393 to 220 and felt great…and then I got sloppy and let my guard down and weight started packing on. I went from 220 to 488 in 8 years’ time. At 488lbs doing day to day activities was quite a chore. My knees were taking a beating carrying so much weight on a 5’6 inch frame. I developed arthritis and serious sleep apnea. Walking from the parking lot to my office was a real task and that was even with the use of an elevator. I had to sit out in the car and have my Wife do the grocery shopping because I couldn’t last more than 10 minutes on my feet. I had to sit and fold laundry sitting in a chair. This list could go on and on about the limited mobility. My amazing Wife stood by me and encouraged me to make a change but we both knew until I was ready to commit to change it would not happen. I am not sure how many other women out there would have put up with what she did. My weight affected us both physically and mentally. I did not feel like much of husband at times and I am sure there were plenty of times she felt more like a caregiver than a wife at times although she never said so or complained. Something had to give and it finally did and in September 2011 with my wife at my side I attended a local seminar for WLS. We listened to the Doctor discuss all the surgical options available at the time and being new and somewhat naïve we decided Lapband was the way to go. It was reversible and probably the least invasive of all procedures. I signed up for a one on one consult with the Surgeon that night. October 2011 I met with the Doctor and told him I ready to make a life change. He told me he wanted to see me lose 24lbs and work on shrinking the liver. Insurance required me to do a 6 month monitored diet so instead of losing 24lbs preop I lost 38lbs. My Surgeon was impressed and after completing all the preop requirements I finally got a surgery date of April 16, 2012. I weighed in on surgery morning at 450lbs on the button. So there I was April 17th and getting discharged from the hospital and all that went through my mind is why the hell did I do this? There was no way it would work and I will be known as the fat guy who couldn’t lose weight with WLS. As much as you research and prepare for this new life it seems at some point you say OK well I had the surgery why is the weight not coming off?? This is so frustrating!!! Well apparently I had never heard of bandster hell. Bandster hell is that time from when you have the surgery to the time you actually get the necessary fills to get the need restriction to control your portions. Some very few people are lucky they have the surgery and automatically get that restriction. Not me, it took me 6 months. 6 months of frustration. Probably one of the most difficult pieces for me to learn was patience. Lack of patience made this road even longer. I stepped on the scale almost daily these last 2.5 years waiting on a large drop in numbers that never happened. How on earth could you possibly see a large drop if you’re stepping on the scale daily? Do yourself a favor and don’t do it. To this day I still step on it daily but now it is about accountability not so much weight loss. Always look for other measures to success. We call them Non Scale Victories or NSV’s. Losing weight is not just about numbers. For a while I was buying new clothes every other month because I was shrinking so fast. I went from a size 62 waist to a 34. I went from squeezing into theater seats to have padded space on each side. I could go on and on here rambling about all sorts of stuff weight and band related. If you’ve read this far then thank you and thank you to those who helped me get here. I would like to especially thanks @@Alex Brecher without him I wouldn’t have a home here and I perhaps would’ve remained lost. If anyone has any questions or comments or just need someone to talk to don't hesitate to message me regardless how personal you think your question may be. My name is Jim and I am junk food addict. I have lost 300lbs and the lapband saved my life. 2yrs and 8 months 488 to 188. Peace!!

Congrats!! I find NSV's more rewarding than a number on the scale.

Hi there and congratulations on your upcoming surgery.. I think it really depends on your company policies as to what action you take. My company only offers 5 sick days per year and anything beyond that needed is to be short term disability or vacation. What do you do for work? I sit at a desk all day and bang away on a keyboard. I took a week long vacation but really I could have worked by day 3 post op from home. Physical pain was not bad at all but my energy level was really lacking so I just took the full week off and took my time. Good Luck!

Same here Bud!! I think most of us who need the fills go through that frustration of bandster hell but really slow and steady with the fills is the best way to go. Last thing you want is to be overly aggressive and end up being too tight so then they have to remove Fluid only to find you are toloose again. You chance of starting a see-saw effect and it could end up taking even longer to find that correct balance. It took me 7 months to get to the right spot and my Wife who had surgery 8 months ago is now just hitting her stride with "restriction". @@2muchfun here ya go... http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/141137-when-are-you-full-and-how-do-you-know/ Here's my 'bitch' session in the form of a blog entry. It is great to go back and see how far you've come. http://www.bariatricpal.com/blog/6505/entry-22718-expectations/

Congratulations Gowalking!! Such an amazing accomplishment.

Hi Terry, Glad to hear they caught it early and your on track for a great recovery. I have been getting mine checked yearly as well since my Uncle died from it many years ago. I started early (if there is such a thing) and had my first when I was 35. I make sure to stay on top of it since my Father had prostate and bladder cancer. He had to have his bladder taken about 3 years ago and top of it had lung cancer as well. He's a fighter indeed. Cancer has taken a lot of familiy far too soon. Great advice

Already been said but larger folks tend to lose quicker. That said I was 450 on surgery day and I am 192 today. My average is 10.32lbs per month but I can remember when that average was up around 13 so it definitely dropped as I lost. I would like to offer a piece of advice to anyone new who reads this thread. ***DO NOT compare your weight loss with someone else*** I promise you it will lead to nothing more than frustration. Every persons journey is unique.

CarolinaGirl you talk some serious truths.....common sense is huge. Don't let lack of common sense convince you your band doesn't work. On a side note,,, My Father asked me last week if I need an intervention. LOL. "You need to stop losing weight soon". I said that is all nonsense. Plenty more can be lost loose skin aside. I am 5 foot nothing 192 pounds. Not even in the normal BMI range. Slow down comments are coming fast and furious from various people. I know they're just concerned but it is completely unnecessary and borderline annoying.

Congratulations! Fantastic progress.

ith your weight loss you've clearly gained a lot of self confidence and you're carrying yourself differntly overall. Physcial change and a change in attitude it is not suprising some wouldn't recoginize you. As someone who has also lost a large amount of weight I am still going through the identity crisis at times. At times I look in the mirror and all I see is the 500lb man. I also notice the behaviors of others around me. I notice even the smallest of things such as going into a coffee shop to have the person behind the counter engage me in conversation rather than just giving me my coffee without the slightest amount of eye contact. Lets face it fat people make other people uncomfortable either because they're afraid of making you uncomfortable or they're just plain ignorant and are passing judgement. But again maybe it's not them and maybe it's me. I go in with my head held high and I make eye contact where as before I would look down and avoid eye contact. I don't think people are purposely acting a certain way to me but yet reacting to the way I present myself. I certainly do think that this journey is not all about physical changes. There are a lot of mental adjustments that come with it. Two questions for you... Aside from being unrecognizable at times are you happy? Are you healthy? OK three... What does your Therapist think? If you answer yes to both then I would say you're in a pretty good place. For me I was embarrassed when I was 488lbs but now I get embarrassed to tell someone how much weight I actually lost. I actually lied to my Barber a while back. He had asked me how much I had lost and I told him 120ish when in fact it was 250! I have grown tired of the weight loss questions. As for off the cuff remarks I have heard them all with my favorite being "Oh you're face is soooo skinny"

Success can be gauged and measured in many different ways. I guess the real question is what would you personally call success? For me it is finally being husband my wife deserves. It is about being able to take that long walk on the beach without having to sit down every 10 minutes because my legs were killing me. I put a lot on her over the years because of my poor physical health and I am doing my best to make up for lost time. Being able to finally ditch a CPAP machine that I wore nightly for 4 years. Going from a size 62 to 34 waist. Being able to participate in 5K cancer walk and walk it effortlessly. List could go on and on as to what success means to me but in the end it means...health and happiness!!

WLS is a very personal decision and only you and your Doctor can come to a consensus on which option maybe a fit for you. Success with all WLS is depends on the commitment of the patient. I will tell you from my experience that the band requires a lot of attention and follow up care but I thrived on that and I continue to thrive on it. I chose the band for the following reasons: I did not want my anatomy altered in a way that it could not be reversed if an emergency came up I was very much afraid of not waking up given the fact that I was 450lbs Figured my best shot at recovery was the least invasive procedure. I did not want to worry about Nutritional deficiencies I did not want to trade in one problem for the possible risk of several others. THAT being said, I am far more educated now about all procedures then I was when I chose the band. My Weight Center was not even offering the Sleeve when I was getting banded two years ago. Also, want to point out that some people have said "Oh with that much weight to lose you should get bypass or sleeve". That is all rubbish!! I started with a BMI of 79. It's all about discipline and commitment and a good support team behind you. Good luck and research every single option

Plan it out far enough Kelli and I might be able to make it. Bariatric Pal Cruise 2015!!

I have learned that "on your own" is far more than just weight loss. If you told me I needed to lose 150lbs and would never have to worry about it again then I'm your guy. I dropped 170+ pounds about 10 years ago doing the low carb thing (gained it all back plus another 90 something). I was very successful at losing weight but I never actually adopted a lifestyle change. This band of mine has helped me learn so much about myself. It is far more than a weight loss tool to me.

Hi All, I can understand the overkill of compliments. I get asked daily by at least one person if not more how much weight I have lost so far and how much more I intend to lose. Unfortunately for me it was quite impossible to hide the fact that I had WLS. It can get quite tiresome at times but I on the flipside I remember when I dropped my first 50lbs I was disappointed that no one said anything and then I thought well hell I must be so damn fat no one notices and that entire attitude was just counterproductive. I have a pretty thick skin not to mention an incredible sense of humor but I have heard my fair share of off the cuff compliments that could easily been turned around and taken as an insult. I just pass it off as a skinny person who have never had a weight problem in their life and does not know any better. My favorites are: 1. You're head is so much smaller now....awesome happy I was able to let some air out of the beach ball head for you. 2. You're face is so skinny now..... My favorite: Female co-worker telling another male co-worker who happened to be a close friend : "Oh Jim is going to be so handsome once he loses all the weight" Great I must really look like shit...thanks At the end of the day I brush it all off because you know what...THIS is all about ME and nothing and no one else matters. I am healthy, strong, mobile and quite happy with this new lease on life. I can recall how embarrassing it was to be that big and even now I get embarrassed when someone asks me how much I've lost. Last time I was at the Barber he asked how much I had lost and I told him 120lbs because I was too embarrassed to say 275....

R.I.P.

Hi Darlene, I have to agree with your husband. Maybe you should talk to the Doctor. If it has been a long period of time since you've had a check up than it would be worth it for the sake of your health, especially band health. Maybe they can do a Fluoroscopy to make sure all is well along with a barium swallow to see how things pass through your band. On the days you have issues what are you eating and how quickly are you eating it? Is there a specific food causing issues? Or can you eat something one day and not be able to eat the same thing the next day? It does not sound to me like you are too tight but my speculation is based on your information. Sounds like maybe you are not chewing enough and eating slow enough at certain times. Stress could also be a factor. If I am stressed my band tends to be a little tighter. Also, I am one of those who are tight in the morning fresh out of bed. Some foods I just cannot tolerate and will not pass through my band. Steak is very tough for me and rice..forget it. I get stuck every time I try and eat rice so I gave it up. Hope you figure it out soon so you can get on track. it is a process but getting stressed will not help your situation....I know easier said then done. Good luck!