Sony369

The picture on the left is my wife and I, May 2012. The picture on the right this past weekend a combined 160+ pounds lighter. I was banded the end of Feb 2013, my wife had bypass the end of April. So much in our lives has changed... 4 mile walks/jogs, 7 miles hikes, 15+ mile bike rides. And the bedroom... HOT!!!
Getting married, having our kids, and making this change... best things we have ever done!

Well the day has finally arrived and the nerves have kicked in. Couldn't sleep a wink. Off to Toronto in an hour. See you all on the banded side.

I was banded on May 6th. I have had two fills a total of 5.5 in a 10cc band. I have only lost 20lbs. I did not have to do a pre op diet. I am however wondering why I have not lost more. After the second fill, I tried to eat rice and got stuck so bad. The pain was unbearable and then I thrwe up and felt fine. It scared me so I chew very well now. (I have not tried rice since) I see in my clothes they are fitting me better or are loose. I am thankful that I have not gained weight... so like you all say slow and steady wins the race... I cannot wait to get to the finish line!!!!!!!

Here's a short video ( I took with my phone after the fluoroscopy ) of what my restriction level looked like today during my doctor visit. He was pleased with the "pouch" size. Said everything looks good... almost 4 years post op. I now have 9 cc's in a 14 cc band. In the video, about 4 seconds in, you can see as I swallow the contrast liquid and it flows past the band.

Well I had to come back to tell everyone about my journey..luckily for me it was not as hard as I thought.
Was banded 2 years ago..weighed 311 pounds before the surgery..got down to 303 the day of the surgery..and now I have stabled out today @ 178 pounds....yup..133 pounds gone..along with my Type 2 Diabetes and a much lower blood pressure.
Did I think I made a mistake at first...duhhh..you bet..those first few long weeks were both scary and
humbling but I was bound and determined to make this work for me.My main reasoning/rationale was
not only my health issues of course...but I was a self pay and every day I told myself not to mess this up due to all the money that I shelled out..lol..it helped!!
This forum was also a lifesaver...I was on everyday scouring for bits n pieces of any info that I thought would help me thru this journey.The main piece of info I would like to share is that..as we have all heard time n time again..IT IS A TOOL..not a miracle cure...you also must shift thru all the info and find what works best for you.WE are all individuals thus we are all different..what worked for me will not always work for you!
We all now know that different clinics have different sets of rules/guidelines..drove me bonkers at first reading about this Dr said yes to this...but this Dr said no..wow!! I shifted thru alot of info and it can be so frustrating and confusing!
Case in point..how long to wait before consuming liquids.The first year I stuck with what my Dr told me..wait at least 45 minutes to an hour before having liquids..set my alarm after every meal..stayed busy until I could drink!!Now I only wait 20- 30 minutes and have no problems at all.Will it work for you..I cannot answer that..but I experimented with everything that I read til I found a solution that I could live with.
I want to tell the newbies to stay focused...it can and will be difficult for some but the outcome is worth all the frustrations and self doubts!!
Do I know the band is still there..of course..I still follow some simple rules/guidelines...but it has become such a daily part of my life and I refuse to go back to the way I was before surgery.
I wish all continued success on your life changing journey!!

I totally agree with Mis.....
Keep in mind, the more Fluid you have in your band, the less it takes to tighten it. If you're already at 5cc's, 1 cc can make a huge difference. If you pass green and go straight to red, you will regret it. It sounds like you DO have a good surgeon; one who has your best interest in mind. Try & let the money issue go. You're already deeply invested in this, and if you jump quickly, it will cost you, too.
Good luck.....

Heard exercise helps stress, and I had one heck of a weekend, so last night in the dark, at the high school track, I took a step. Then another, then another....
Three miles. No partner, no ipod, just unwinding my head. It helped.
Tonight, three miles again. Ipod this time. Kinda proud of myself for a change.

I was banded 12/3/13 and had revision 2/8/13 due to kink in tubing. I am happy to say I'm 58lbs down. I am having trouble seeing the changes just yet but I can feel the changes. My knee hasnt hurt in awhile, I have more energy, and NSV was when we went to Disney 2 weeks ago and kept up with my 5yr old daughter without even breaking a sweat. This is the first time I have attached before/after pics and I am nervous about doing that lol.   

Just have to tell. I made it. I made it!! I'm at my goal weight!
It took 2 and 7 months to lose 178 lbs.
I'm not skinny by anyone's standard. I'm normal. Normal! HOORAY!!
I can shop in the front of the store, I can walk great distances.
I can leap tall buildings with a single bound.. oh wait. Can't do that just yet.
But give me a couple of months! Haha!
You guys helped me all along the way. Thank you so much for all the support.

I am 9 days post-op (5-15-13 Surgery date). I also had the "What did I get myself into" mind set. I have to admit I still do...mainly when all the people around me are eating, but it has gotten easier, as I hope it will continue to do. So glad you are feeling better!

Thanks for the support! This site is amazing I love being able to talk to people with the same issues and experiences!

Well, I've made it 1.5 weeks with my band, and I'M IN LOVE WITH IT !!! It's everything I was hoping it would be. I would like to talk about my first couple of days though, in case someone is in my shoes and can find hope in it. I kept hearing that you could "have your surgery on Friday, and go back to work on Monday". Well I was skeptical, so I took Tuesday and Wednesday off as well. Friday after my surgery, I was numbed up pretty well, but then came SATURDAY. I got a little cocky and tried to eat Jello, then go outside to do my walking that I was encouraged to do. I felt like I had to burp, but couldn't, and it hurt so bad. Then came the nausea. I kept thinking, "No, no, no, no, no, I cannot throw up!!", but I did... and boy did I. Dry heaves, and it wouldn't stop. I was terrified I was messing my band up. I took my medication for nausea and it knocked me out for the entire day. Then came the gas the next day. Excruciating pain!!! It wasnt the surgical gas. It was the GI kind of gas, and it wouldnt move up or down. I have to admit, I had a few thoughts of, "Crap! What have I gotten myself into?". If anyone else is there right now, behold.... IT PASSES (and I mean that more ways than one) hahahaha. Come Monday morning, and some GasX, I was a new person!!! I had no desire to eat and felt like I could conquer the world. Now 1.5 weeks out, I have lost 16 pounds (counting my 1 week preop diet), and I can't believe I'm not hungry!!!! I am so excited about the future!!! Here's a good tip.... buy a pretty little appetizer plate (4 or 5 inches) and a good oyster fork to eat with. It's just so cute, and it makes it exciting to eat when I look at the new tiny portions, not depressed like you would think. Yes, I miss my old friend food, but the future looks bright!! I'll get over it!!

That's amazing! Congratulations! Great job! I am 5 days post op, and finally feeling better. Reading your post really inspires me! Keep it up!

yes i did and didnt even know i had one much less what one was..
it hurt to take deep breaths (and using that little blue machine for a week hurt like a bit*h)
but it will gt better each day that passes...eating too fast or too much at a time will cause discomfort (even early banded as you are still very swollen)...go slow and heal.....best of luck hon

I'm down 25 pound from April 28th!!!

Thank you so much ladies. I've seen you two on here helping so many people. You two are truly inspirational and I feel secure and so optimistic about this journey, knowing I have such an amazing support system.

I felt the same way. Im 5 days post-op now and feel 20x better than the second day. I think it could be the anesthesia. I was nautious and dizzy for a few days and it eventually passed. Hope it gets better for you

I was banded feb 8th, 2013.. Down 60 from my pre-op which started jan 28, 2013
And this morning as in my morning weigh in
But anyway thanks everyone !

I am 9 weeks post op, and I have lost 43.4 pounds!!!!! I am so excited and even started riding my bike this week! I am loving my band....

Day 6 post op and feel sooo much better!!! The first 3 days were tough! Thanks everyone!

The first 48hrs is the worst. Every day after that gets better and better.I did think that the port was going to stay tender for as long as I was banded, was very bummed. It took the full 6wks for the tenderness to go away. Thanks to great friends here, they kept me reassured.

I love this. I have recently (within the last 10lbs) been able to cross my legs as well and FINALLY sit like a "lady"! Mind you, not as easily our as comfortable as it appears to be with my dinner counterparts, but it's doable! !!! This is a huge accomplishment! !! Congrats to you!

I thought maybe I was the only one! I'm 6 days post op and I get hiccups daily... And they hurt!(prob because I'm still a bit sore plus still have some gas pains) I googled it literally 2 minutes ago and the person said that's how they know their pouch is full OR it happens whenever they drink too soon after eating... I know I'm guilty of the drinking too soon part bc I'm so nervous I'm not getting enough liquids. So maybe that's it?

right after surgery when I was not very hungary but needed the Protein and calories I used the "New whey " liquid Protien ( i got mine at Walmart) they are only 3.8 oz so if you are no very hungary are perfect BUT have 42 grams of protein as well as 180 calories.. I used these to fill in the gaps at first.. hope that help. it will get better though. I m 7 wks out and Lovin it!!!!

You've had surgery and your insides have been considerably messed with- it's very normal to be tired and weak. It'll likely take you 4-6 weeks to recover totally.
Have you tried cream Soups with no chunks? V8 makes some great ones and they have a full serving of veggies. And, if you use a blender to liquefy it, you can blend cottage cheese, sour cream, or yogurt into it for some extra Protein.
Hang in there, you're doing great and it only gets better!