pussnboots

For me? No, this is much better. I have had two c-sections and the pain from this surgery is much less. While I am still sore (muscle wise), I was in much more pain after the birth of my kids. I think it also helps that after this surgery I am not waking up every 2 hours at night, breast feeding a baby and experiencing the baby blues too! Lol!!

This is my journey after WLS.
As you can see I don’t post on the message boards. However, I have been an avid reader of the forum for over a year. I have learned so much from other people’s experience and advice. I thought it only appropriate to share mine.
I’m a 41 year old woman and 5 foot 3 inches tall. I have a husband of 16 years and a 12 year old daughter. I was sleeved on October 25, 2010. My weight before I walked into surgery was 227. I had surgery in San Francisco. My surgery went fine and I stayed in the hospital for 1 day. The pain I experienced was in my shoulder. I was told it was from gas they pumped into me at surgery. All I know is it hurt. I went home and had a restless night. I couldn’t sleep in the bed because it was uncomfortable to lay flat. So I slept on the couch in an upright position. Not much sleep. I nodded off from the pain meds here and there. The next 3 days is kind of a blur for me. I remember taking my pain meds and tracking my Water and Protein intake. I also remember doing laps around the house because I was so worried that I would get a blood clot. On day 4 I stopped taking the pain meds.
Day 5 is the day that I started to get excited about my journey ahead. Sipping Water and Protein shakes was definitely a learning process for me. I did the post diet – liquids, soft Protein, protein, protein and more protein. I drank and still drink nectar protein. I like chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and Cappuccino. I tried tropical and orange and they were ok but I didn’t buy again.
Below are my weight loss stats:
October 25, 2010 – 227lbs. Day of surgery.
November 1, 2010 – 210lbs.
November 15, 2010 – 203lbs.
December 6, 2010 – 200lbs. 6 weeks post-op lost 27lbs.
December 13, 2010 – 197lbs.
December 25, 2010 – 192lbs.
January 25, 2011 – 185lbs.
February 2, 2011 – 182lbs.
February 9, 2011 – 179lbs.
March 1, 2011 – 178lbs.
March 15, 2011 – 173lbs.
March 31, 2011 – 167lbs.
April 25, 2011 – 160lbs, 6 months anniversary - Lost 67lbs
May 16, 2011 – 159lbs.
May 30, 2011 – 155lbs.
June 13, 2011 – 153lbs.
July 2, 2011 – 159lbs.
July 14, 2011 – 148lbs.
August 2, 2011 – 147lbs. – 80lbs. lost
August 25, 2011 – 145lbs.
September 6, 2011 – 147lbs. - gained 2lbs. yikes!
September 25, 2011 – 145lbs.
October 25, 2011 – 145lbs – One year anniversary Lost 82lbs.
November 12, 2011 – 142lbs.
December 6, 2011 – 139lbs. – 13lbs to goal!
Ok, so that’s my weight loss history. I’m so glad I had the surgery. I love my new stomach. It gives me a freedom from food that I never had. It worked for me and I would do it again. Thanks for listening and I wish everyone a successful and rewarding journey.

I'm sleeves! Still groggy and have gas pain but it's not terrible. Little nauseous from anesthesia but so far so good. - been up walking several times

I am sleeved sleeved sleeved!!! And feel great. Little bit of gas discomfort but that's it!! I am getting to chew ice cubes and swallow them,and chewable gas x from nurses-gas x strips from home. Took my first walk and it went much better thann I had expected. NOW I CANNOT WAIT SEE HOW THE OTHER SLEEVERS DID TODAY!!!!!!

Hi Guyyysss !!! I've been a lurker on this site for a while now. I decided that I'd post something since the surgery is no longer a pipe dream but a reality. I've been approved!!! Surgery date is February 1!!! My emotions run the gamut right about now lol.
But I must admit this ain't my first weight loss surgery rodeo.
My mom and I had a bands put in Jan 2009. She shelled out $20,000 just like that. It worked...in the beginning. I went from 208 to 159. Looked pretty friggin hott too. But I was miserable with my band. I was losing weight and following the rules to a T but I knew the band wasn't for me. I NEVER felt any restriction so my weight loss in my opinion was a result of militant calorie restricting and exercise bulimia. Then complications lead to loss of effectiveness which lead to weight gain and ultimately removal. I gained all the weight back and then some.
But now I've been approved, via insurance this time! No strict pre-op diet, no red tape, and a BMI that barely met the requirement. I've been thanking my lucky stars every day.
Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself and thank all of you guys for your informative, helpful, and inspiring posts that made and will continue to make me want to take control of my health. I hope the surgery brings me much needed success and I'll def be updating regularly.
Thanks for reading )

Hello all..everything went great yesterday morning. I'm glad I spent the night. I'm home now resting and watching the boob tube. walking is no problem and pain is easing up some.
Thanks for all the support.

Tomorrow morning I go in at 8:30am. I'm so excited I can barely relax. I've read so much on this forum and realized some people range from little discomfort to major pain post-op. I really hope I fall in the "little discomfort" category lol. I found out last week I definitely have to stay overnight due to sleep apnea I am beginning to think that is going to be a great thing..round the clock medication haha.
It's weird, I'm not worried about any steps of the surgical procedure but I am about post op pain. Go figure.
Keep me in your thoughts and prayers..

Hello everyone! I posted a hello to all the fellow Texan lapbanders a couple of weeks ago and even got to meet a few of you at the true results meeting (nice to meet you!) . This hello goes out to bandsters and prospective bandsters accross the country! Every day is one step closer to the big day (Jan. 27th)... I am really looking forward to it.
Please check out my blog, I will be writing about the experience there often. Looking forward to going through this journey (as I know all of you are) Best of luck.
http://gerryslapband.blogspot.com/

Well I have made it through one week and one day since my LapBand. I feel great. I had some pain the first 4-5 days but after that I was up and doing my normal routine. I also had a hernia repair done at the same time.
My husband has been so wonderful and supportive. He has stuck with me all the way through the pre-op diet and he has actually lost 20 lbs by just being on the low carb diet with me. At this point I have lost 45 lbs !!! My surgeon put 1.5cc of fill in during the procedure. I have an appointment next week for my first check up. We'll see if I get more fill. Have I been eating solid foods for several days and I have had no problems.
Good luck to those of you on this same journey

Best Wishes Mish1908! I start the next phase of my life next Tuesday. I can relate to how you're feeling 100% Keep us updated.

May 21st was a long day, but I think it went well.
We were supposed to get there at 7 a.m. for a 10 a.m. surgery slot. DH was worried about being late, so we got there at 6:30 a.m. We checked in, and were taken to a small walled-in room where the nurse went over my vitals with me. I changed into the ultra-fashionable gown, opening to the back, as well as the socks with the tread design. Once I laid down on the gurney, they put the massaging things on my legs, and connected the air.
A scopolamine patch was placed behind my ear for possible nausea. It's supposed to last three days.
The IV of saline was started, and we waited. Julie, Dr. Clark's Physician's Asst, came in to check on not long before 9, and said that they were getting ready to do a bypass, and that I was next after that. She also gave me a goody bag.
The goody bag had several items from On-Q, a pain moderating apparatus. I had it when I had my last intestinal surgery, and wondered if I would have it for this, since this was going to be laproscopic. She said no, it was just some goodies she wanted to give me. On-Q is an IV type set-up where thin lines are run on each side of an incision to deliver morphine right to the incision, instead of having the morphine affect the whole body. I really liked it how it worked, but I'm glad I didn't get it for this surgery, and I don't think I needed it at all.
The items in the goody bag were a pedometer/FM radio combination and a set of pens, and a Water bottle, all embossed with "On-Q".
The nurse gave me a shot of Heparin in the leg. That stuff burns going in! It's not unbearable, but it does sting.
The IV was turned up pretty high to really pump in the saline, and I got up at about 9:30 to pee. The nurse said that they do this so that the patients will void their bladders, since they want empty bladders for surgery. After I got up, they turned the drip rate down.
Dr. Wong, the anesthesiologist came in, introduced himself to me, and he told me what would happen once we got to the ER. I've been operated on before, so I wasn't worried about that part.
I ended up getting wheeled into surgery at 10:52 a.m. Dr. Wong put a strap over my forehead that held monitors for my sleep rate, and my arm was stretched out to the side. An injection was made in the IV, and I could smell the taste (if that makes sense). He said that most people just comment that they can taste something in their mouths once they get that injection, but I felt that I could actually smell what it tasted like since the taste seemed to be right up at the top front of my mouth.
The oxygen mask went on, I was instructed to take deep breaths, and the next thing I knew I was back in my little walled cubicle. I think I recall being in a recovery room, and getting my mouth swabbed, but I couldn't swear to anything that happened there.
After I was more awake, but still groggy, I was taken down to radiology for the barium swallow so they could check the placement of the band. Once we got there, I sat up on the edge of the gurney, and sat there for a while because I was light-headed and felt nauseated. The nurse waved an alcohol swab under my nose to help with the nausea. I finally felt ready to go in for the swallow, and they handed me a large glass full of thin barium. I almost dropped the cup, but was able to warn them before hand, so they took it from me, and gave me another minute to stand there. I finally managed to get a few drinks down, and they decided that it would be better to by-pass the standing x-rays.
They put the x-ray bed down, and I laid down on it. Then the meanie doctor made me roll over a couple times. I told him that I was going to moon him for revenge for making me roll, and he just laughed. The rolling was uncomfortable, but I managed. Everything looked good, and I even got to see the screen to see what the band looked like on an x-ray.
I was then taken back to the cubicle, and could definitely feel every bump when we crossed the elevator threshold or any doorway thresholds. I didn't feel them on the way down.
My throat was really dry, so I was able to have ice chips and a popsicle, and that really helped. I was also given a dose of the liquid lortab, and was really happy to have that popsicle as a chaser to get rid of the taste.
I was given my choice of what I wanted to try to eat. Out of the cream-of-wheat, scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, cream of chicken Soup, mashed potatoes, and pudding, I chose the eggs and potatoes. No problem getting that down. I was allowed 2 medicine cups full of food.
I was finally let go at about 4:30. As I was getting into the wheelchair, I told DH that I thought he should drive home. The nurse looked startled for a minute, and then she realized I was joking!
We're looking for a car for our daughter, and since we were in Indy where there are several car dealerships within a few miles of the hospital, we decided (I insisted) that we not waste the opportunity. DH stopped and got me a bottle of Fiji Water to sip on for the drive. He drove through several lots so we could see what was available. If we saw anything that looked like a possibility, he got the details from the salesman, but no test drives. We just wanted to see what kind of prices are being asked. I had no problems being in the car for that extra hour that we spent driving through the lots.
Anyway, I slept most of the way home. We stopped to fill my prescriptions on the way home. I was given liquid lortab, Ursodiol (to prevent gall stones), and Protonix (for acid reflux). The pharmacy had to make the liquid lortab, so that took a little while. Not that I really noticed, because I was asleep in the car.
Once I got home, I took another dose of lortab, and then rested a while. I went to bed at 11, and had to make a wedge to recline on using my pillows, since lying flat was not comfortable. I woke up at about 9:30 this morning.
I'm still sore, coughing hurts even with a pillow against my abdomen, and it's a bit painful to take deep breaths. It's definitely bearable though. I am planning on wearing my binder for at least one week, since it feels good to have that support.
Good luck to everyone else!

I'm not sure what the original posters reason is for not telling everyone, but I have also made the decision not to tell certain people. However, MOST people do know. There are two key people that I have decided not to tell because they have expressed their negative opinions to me about other people who have had WLS. I just did not wish to have the negativity in my life. I went with my gut and told people who I knew would support me, and they have. I think it's a personal decision for all. Not all people are kind and/or supportive and I believe it's smarter to just not include them.

Hey everyone! My name's Alison, I'm 21 and I was banded on December 29th, 2011! I started the whole process by going to the info session at the end of august, got my paperwork turned in end of September, had my first round of appts middle of Oct, second round two weeks later, finished my 5 phone calls with HP December 5th, consult with the surgeon on Dec. 14 and the rest is history! (Sorry for the run on sentence, I'm typing this on my phone) I'm 11days past surgery and have lost 21lbs so far! I'm so ready for the rest of this adventure I've started and am looking forward to sharing in it with all of you!

That's awesome news! Non-Scale Victories are what I am looking forward to most with my band. I can't wait to be able to fit into a size 16 or even a 12, or to run again or to be able to play basketball again or to just be ABLE! LOL Congrats on your success and keep it up!

Hello everyone! Im Marcela, or Marcie as everyone calls me. Im 22 years old and im getting banded on the 20th! I started at 248 and since ive started the whole journey im down to 243. Im sooo excited yet nervous about the whole thing.
Does anybody have any tips that could help me calm my nerves before this surgery?? Please and thank you!

So! I am so excited I found this website. I was just banded on the 5th of December...I started out at a ridiculous 346 pounds, and after the diet and band I am down to 323 today ....I am really thrilled to start this new venture of life...I am 24 and looking forward to all that will come with this change I have opted to make. I am looking for new friends, support, and whatever else that comes my way--Thanks for reading, hope to hear from you soon
Deanna

I had surgery on March 8, 2011. I have been working my a** off (literally!) I am so proud of myself - I will say it because I deserve it! I have a good restriction right now. I watch my calories but, honestly not too strict with it. I eat low carb, high Protein, don't do bread or Pasta at all. I don't deprive myself, if I want something I have it. A small portion of it. I started working out about 8 weeks after surgery. I work out 4-5 days a week, two of those days with a trainer. I love it. I went from a tight size 26/28 to a 16 (!!!!). I started this journey at 371lbs and now weigh 256lbs. I want to get under 200 and then I will decide on a goal weight.
I wanted to share some pictures to show my progress. I love my band! Sorry if the pictures are huge - I was having trouble resizing!!!
Before (02/2011)


During (Thanksgiving 2011)

Hey everyone, new to this site. Two words to describe me and my life.....Bridget Jones!! If you have ever seen the movie, I promise that is exactly my life to a tee. Always have the best of intentions but something always goes wrong!! Anyways, my name is Kerri, I'm 32, no kids, not married, 2 dogs. I am an RN and spend my days helping families and patients deal with terminal illnesses, go through the grieving process, and learn to not let it rule their lives. I was going to have the sleeve in Mexico, but chickened out on both Mexico and the sleeve and after some careful deliberation decided the lap band is more for me. Just looking for some great friends and lots of support. I recently moved to Houston, no family here and don't really know anyone. Can't wait to meet every one of you!! Thanks for reading! (and if you have any tips please send them my way!)

I just wanted to share with someone, anyone really, that today is my 6 month Bandiversary. Go Me!

I was banded on May 4th, 2011.
I have lost around 77 pounds and I feel amazing.
I haven't had any fills yet and I will go in for my 6 month check up on 11/10/11, but I will most likely decline my fill at that point as well. The band is working for me exactly as I wanted it to because I am a bulk eater and not a grazer, so with the band, I can't eat non-stop like I used to, even with no fill.
I still have a long journey ahead of me, but I'm not really in a rush. The day I reached Twoderville was one of the best days I could remember because I have been over 300 pounds for more than a decade. Any weight lost from here on out is icing on the cake.
Anyway, since I haven't told anyone else, this is the one place I can share about these things, so I'm so glad this board is here. I have learned so much and gained so much support and advice from you guys. thanks for providing a place for people like me to come and share our experiences and stories. You guys rock.