lorena st

Financially...the surgery cost me about $17,000 CAN plus about $1000 in travelling expenses and about 2 weeks off work.
Physically...My blood pressure is now normal (and I won't be needing any meds), my cholesterol is normal (I have been taken off those meds, saving about $100 per month) and I have no risk of diabetes anymore. My knees don't hurt and I am not as tired anymore. I have a lot more energy and walk everywhere. My doctor visits are very pleasant, no more lectures about losing weight and she is very proud of my accomplishments to date. Value...priceless!

Financially...the surgery cost me about $17,000 CAN plus about $1000 in travelling expenses and about 2 weeks off work.
Physically...My blood pressure is now normal (and I won't be needing any meds), my cholesterol is normal (I have been taken off those meds, saving about $100 per month) and I have no risk of diabetes anymore. My knees don't hurt and I am not as tired anymore. I have a lot more energy and walk everywhere. My doctor visits are very pleasant, no more lectures about losing weight and she is very proud of my accomplishments to date. Value...priceless!

I can't wait to get into those Size 8 to 10 clothes in my storage closet. Who cares if they are 15 years out of date! I'll wear them anyway as a celebration and make my husband take me out in them. Maybe, people will think I'm retro, not just odd.

My doctor gave me a really good book. It is called "The Lap-band Solution: A Partnership for Weight Loss" written by Paul O'Brien, MD (2007). It is published by MUP (Melbourne University Press) and The Centre for Bariatric Surgery, Melbourne Australia and the American Institute of Gastric Banding. Well written, easy read, easy to find information and interesting stories. I can highly recommend it. I don't know if it is available on Amazon, but hopefully it is.
PS...I just checked, it is on Amazon and apparently there is a 2011 edition as well.

Great post! My ah-ha moment happened last September, 2011 at my full physical with my doctor. I was considered morbidly obese, by the BMI charts (I wept in her office over that news, I knew I was fat, but I didn't realize it had gotten that out of control). I had been on cholesterol medication for about 6 months at that point in time. My doctor also informed me that my blood pressure was very high and I would need medication for that. As well, my blood sugar was very high and I was pre-diabetic. We discussed the options at that point in time and this surgery seemed like it might work. I had the surgery in October, 2011 and I think it literally saved my life! I am now off the cholesterol meds, my blood pressure is normal and my blood sugar is normal. I also just transitioned from obese to overweight on the BMI charts. Life is now good and I look forward to becoming normal weight in the next few months.

The quick answer is NO, the weight just not fall away. You have to work at it. What the band does for me, is allow me to stick to a diet for the long term. I stll have to watch what I eat and drink. I keep a daily food log and count my calories. If I want to lose weight, I have to stick to around 1000 calories per day. When I plateau, it is usually related to a period of higher calorie intake (I am on vacation or travelling for business). I have just come off a 2 month plateau (I was travelling a lot!) and the amazing thing about the band is I didn't gain any weight. That is a first for me.

I echo many of the thoughts expressed here. Keep track of your daily calories and mix it up a little (low calorie one day, moderate the next and so on). Some people go back to the post surgery diet for a week or so to get the pounds moving. I just finished a two month plateau and I felt the same as you are feeling now...frustrated! If you are hungry and can't wait 4 hours between meals, then you may need a fill to kickstart the process (that is what I ended up doing) and I am losing weight again. Good luck.

Complications...you should know about them and be aware of them and get yourself to your doctor/hospital, should you experience any of them! It is important that you understand what you have done and it is obvious that you are concerned about your decision. We all make decisions, daily, that have multiple best and worst case outcomes. For me, doing something about being morbidly obese, outweighed many of those other issues. I am one of the many best case outcomes on this site, I am losing weight, I am no longer obese and I am headed towards my goal weight. Good luck with your journey and keep asking questions.

Complications...you should know about them and be aware of them and get yourself to your doctor/hospital, should you experience any of them! It is important that you understand what you have done and it is obvious that you are concerned about your decision. We all make decisions, daily, that have multiple best and worst case outcomes. For me, doing something about being morbidly obese, outweighed many of those other issues. I am one of the many best case outcomes on this site, I am losing weight, I am no longer obese and I am headed towards my goal weight. Good luck with your journey and keep asking questions.

Excellent news. I've lost 65 pounds and I carried (more like dragged) in a 40 pound container of cat litter the other day...I couldn't believe that I carried that much weight and more on my body! Keep up the good work, it is worth it.

Excellent news. I've lost 65 pounds and I carried (more like dragged) in a 40 pound container of cat litter the other day...I couldn't believe that I carried that much weight and more on my body! Keep up the good work, it is worth it.

Financially...the surgery cost me about $17,000 CAN plus about $1000 in travelling expenses and about 2 weeks off work.
Physically...My blood pressure is now normal (and I won't be needing any meds), my cholesterol is normal (I have been taken off those meds, saving about $100 per month) and I have no risk of diabetes anymore. My knees don't hurt and I am not as tired anymore. I have a lot more energy and walk everywhere. My doctor visits are very pleasant, no more lectures about losing weight and she is very proud of my accomplishments to date. Value...priceless!

Financially...the surgery cost me about $17,000 CAN plus about $1000 in travelling expenses and about 2 weeks off work.
Physically...My blood pressure is now normal (and I won't be needing any meds), my cholesterol is normal (I have been taken off those meds, saving about $100 per month) and I have no risk of diabetes anymore. My knees don't hurt and I am not as tired anymore. I have a lot more energy and walk everywhere. My doctor visits are very pleasant, no more lectures about losing weight and she is very proud of my accomplishments to date. Value...priceless!

I had my surgery done at the SWLC clinic last October by Dr. Mitchell. I've got to say, it was a very good experience. I assume you can have this done in Vancouver, if you are willing to pay for the procedure,. If you are going throught government healthcare, then you will likely be restricted by the regulations in place in that province. I paid for the surgery ($17,000.00 CAN), but it was worth every penny. So, you may have to decide if it is worth it to pay for the procedure or go to another province for the surgery. PS...Dr. Mitchell is great.

Congrats on your success. I am 54 and I still have about 60 pounds to lose (I was banded in October 2011). I am sure those last 20 pounds are going to be difficult for me to lose as well. You look great and good luck on those last few pounds. I have had to give up bread, as it is one of the foods that I get stuck with (no matter how much I chew it). Luckily, I can still have toast occasionally and only if I am very careful.

Glad to hear that you are back on the program! Everyone falls off the wagon at some point (and plateaus or gains some weight back), and you just have to get back on the diet and lose the weight! Good luck.

Glad to hear that you are back on the program! Everyone falls off the wagon at some point (and plateaus or gains some weight back), and you just have to get back on the diet and lose the weight! Good luck.

My husband supported me through the whole process. He even did the pre-op diet with me and has lost 30 lbs over the last year. In Canada we are self pay and the cost is $18K so I needed to have his support. And still today he is my biggest fan! Good luck in your decision.
K

Sorry, this is going to be a bit of a lecture....Actually, you need to worry about your weight and your goals and not spend your time obsessing about other peoples issues. I have a hard time understanding why you would be angry at anyone who wants to lose weight and the methods they use to do it. Surgery is ususally a last ditch effort for most people on this site, having failed at most other diets (and doesn't really matter what their starting weight was as long as their surgeon feels that this procedure is warranted). So I would hope you would be understanding, not condemn someone for being at a starting weight you have a problem with. And the band is not the easy way out, the process is long, difficult and time consuming and has risks associated with it. The lapband is not for someone who is unmotivated, lazy or weak. Try to remember that and maybe your attitude will change.

How you feel is totally normal. The first couple of weeks are all about healing. With each passing day, you should start to feel a little bit better. You have lost 22 pounds and that is amazing. Try to focus on that and not what you look like in a mirror. It took me about a month to feel completely normal again and the weight is coming off (I don't mind the mirror now, as much as I used to). Drink a little, walk a little, take your pain meds when required and get lots of rest...and you too, will feel better. Good luck and keep us posted.
PS..Bread and Peanut Butter are two things that I have to avoid or I get stuck, but toast is okay. I can eat pretty much anything else, just not large amounts of it.

I had similar issues...I used to consume large volumes of food...that is why I am fat! With the band, I can no longer eat those volumes and the weight comes off. I also have to chew things very thoroughly. Slow down when you eat, cut things into small pieces and chew, chew , chew. When you feel the warning signals of fullness (hiccup, deep breathing, tightness, etc), just stop eating. Sounds easy, but it isn't. It becomes a habit with practice. This isn't a race and you have made great progress so far. Teaching yourself how to approach food differently and listening to your body is a difficult process and takes time.

I'm sort of surprised that you wanted solid food the first week after surgery. I felt so horrible at that time, that even Water was difficult. What you are likely experiencing is "head hunger". Are you an emotional eater? When you feel bad, do you eat to feel better? Talk to your doctor and be honest about what is going on, but eventually you will have to work with the band and let it help you lose weight. That "head hunger" does diminish with time, but you have to follow the doctors orders and give it time. It took me a couple of months to start to recognize the difference between "head hunger" (eating to feel better but not really hungry) and "real hunger" (eating for nutrition, grumbling stomach, etc). I hope this isn't too rambling/confusing and good luck with your journey.

If she is a true friend, you should be able to agree to disagree. Your weight loss and goal weight are between you and your doctor. And perhaps you should just not talk about the lap band and weight loss with her. But telling you that you will look decrepit, is just plain mean. This journey is hard enough work on it's own without those sorts of comments! If you have to stay fat to be her friend, then she is not much of a friend.

If she is a true friend, you should be able to agree to disagree. Your weight loss and goal weight are between you and your doctor. And perhaps you should just not talk about the lap band and weight loss with her. But telling you that you will look decrepit, is just plain mean. This journey is hard enough work on it's own without those sorts of comments! If you have to stay fat to be her friend, then she is not much of a friend.

I've lost 48 pounds and I still think I look the same. My clothes are a different size, but I don't see it. I think this is how ignored how big I was, but it also works in reverse. I hope this changes with time.