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I'm with you! Today is day 2 of my 10 day Pre-op liquid diet (my surgery is scheduled for June 5th). Cooking dinner tonight for my family was the first time I felt really challenged - though I was kinda tired and somewhat hungry before that even but I'm hoping tomorrow will be easier. Hang in there everyone - we can do this! Just think about where we're headed

Hi, I am new to the chat room. I was banded on 11/19/07 and have lost 45 lbs so far. I have had 2 fills so far and am having some difficulty recently. It seems for the past 4 days no matter what I eat, it is not staying down. I am hoping it is a temporary issue and possibly just a phase. Has anyone else had this isue? HELP!

Today is 2 weeks since my surgery and I lost exactly 10 pounds

Wow I am a day away--tomorrow is finally my big day. I am more than excited I am over the moon. It has been a long struggle to get here and I am so ready! They did change my time from 7 am to 11 am. Bummer --- but at least they did not change the day! I am so happy. Been on my liquid since Thursday the 10 th...... My the weight is falling off -- I have been dropping 1pound a day so far. Since Thursday down 4 whole pounds -- go figure. I will keep everyone posted on my progress. Wishing all my May sleevers great success and looking forward to an uneventful recovery for us all !!! Hugs and prayers to us all, also.

I was just banded on August 26, 2011. My insurance paid for everything and required the 6 months of pre op therapy. I have never had any type of surgery before so i'm healing very quickly but my appetite is also coming back fast. I'm not due for my first fill till sept. 20th. I'm not eating very much when i eat, i'm just eating more frequently. Is that normal? I've been eating pudding, cream of wheat, yogurt, soup and protein drinks. Today i'm allowed to start having bananas and strawberries. I'm craving something more solid but am afraid to try anything in fear of being miserable or throwing up. I haven't thrown up even once, but people have told me that happens sometimes when you first start out on solids. Is this true? I've lost 20 pounds and am so happy to finally have my band.

So I know my doc told me to wait 30 minutes before and after eating to start drinking again, but should I be waiting longer after I eat? I still feel full in the bottom part of my stomach but am also thirsty. Sleeved on 10-13-15

Poor bb! I'm sorry you're hurting, but you definitely just answered your own question! I understand how it can be impossible to avoid picking up a child mid-tantrum, but you shouldn't be lifting anything over 10 lbs until after 6 weeks post-op. I found this out the hard way, myself. I went back to work within 2 weeks after surgery and lifted a series of "totes" filled with prescriptions to get them ready to be delivered in vans to local long-term care facilities. Big mistake. The next morning I hurt so bad I felt like I'd been hit by a bus and I literally could NOT go to class. Luckily, it was only the second day of classes or something, so I wasn't missed and they hadn't started to count attendance.

So, today marks my 10 day preop. I start my liquid diet today in preparation for my sleeve. I'm getting really nervous and excited all at the same time. I'm nervous because I have 2 young boys ages 6yrs and 8 months old. I'm getting excited because this is the start of my new life! I've suffered from hypothyroidism and PCOS for years. And I am 130 pounds overweight on my 5 ft 2 in frame. I can't believe my surgery is right around the corner…

To me the most daunting part of this whole experience was going to be the 2 week pre-op diet. Here's the scary part. My surgery is August 26th. That means as of this morning I am starting the anxiety invoking, terrifying, I hope I can do it, I have to do it 2 week diet. In these 2 weeks I am going to wean myself off of coffee (my taste of heaven every morning, noon and night). I plan on making it weaker and weaker by adding more fat free milk. Until it is more like milk with a splash of coffee vs. the other way around. I do self medicate in the sense that I use caffine to prevent my migraines. For those that don't have migraines, just imagine a headache 10 times worse than a caffine withrawl headache with a sinus infection during a very stressful time on top of allergies. I am afraid to be hungry. I get headaches when I am hungry. I have prepared my self for this diet for weeks now. I have tried practically every bariatric Protein drink available and have purchased the ones I like (yes, there are a few that are really, really yummy). I have stocked up on diet pop-cycles, diet fudge-cycles, crystal light, diet gatorade, fat free milk, cream of wheat, cream of rice, diet syrup for the cream of rice and wheat, diet Jello, diet pudding, cream of tomato Soup, cream of chicken soup, I even bought yogurt (which I detest but gonna try anyways). This is probably gonna be one of the hardest hurdles I'll have to jump in my life. I've got the CAN-DO attitude, I need to do this. I would appreciate as many words of encouragement that I can get.

I'm not single, but I would say that by 6 months out your eating should be mostly stabilized, and you should be able to buy some nicer clothes you can wear on your dates (without worrying about them being too big on you very shortly). As for drinking, I drank my face off last weekend, and it went about the same as it would have prior to the surgery (with the added bonus that I had a lot more energy and wasn't yawning by 10 pm).

Excited, nervous, slightly scared, but READY!!! I am blessed with a wonderful support system. My husband is on this ride with me and it helps make this process easier. Blessed with awesome kiddos who made me a " Go Mommy!" card for encouragement : ) Spent 3 yrs getting to this point in my life, and I couldn't be more prepared, open and dedicated to this journey! Shout out to Lil' Miss Diva for her support and kind words : ) Sara

Wow, thanks everyone for your kind and encouraging words I've got 10 days til surgery now, and I am doing lots better with the pre-op diet. If I keep myself busy and distracted, I can go w/out being hungry. I know it's not really right, but I went a long time yesterday without having anything from my list. My cousin's husband passed away and I went over there an hour after I got out of bed, so didn't have time to really do much, and got busy so I didn't think about food. I flubbed up and ate MAYBE 1 cup of popcorn at the basketball game, and that was just to get SOMETHING in my stomach to stop it from growling so bad. I then went to a friend's house and had my protein shakes and applesauce cups I had brought with me and hadn't had time to eat (they don't allow outside food or drinks at the school) And ate one more time when i got home and was under calories for the day when I went to bed.

New to this site! Had surgery 5/12/14. Feel pretty great. Woke up feeling good much better than I thought I would:) been getting all 70g of protein in lost 10 pounds! Over all feel amazing! Today was a lil sore which is unusual. Had to take a pain pill today which is a first since I left hospital. Thinking I may have just walked too much. At least I hope:) see dr. Tomorrow for my first visit!

:001_smile:I am penciled in for July 13th with my surgeon, Dr. Mitchell Roslin at Lenox Hill Hospital here in NY. At this point I am just waiting for final insurance company approval which I hope to have this week. I've been a little frustrated with the process, but that seems mainly to be because I think the surgical coordinator in Dr. Roslin's office is relatively new and I am not so sure she knows what she is doing. Anyway, some of you may remember me from my introduction. I am 44 and the widowed father of three kids 15, 10 and 9. I've battled my weight my whole life, but gained about 25-30 pounds in the last few years as I coped with my wife's illness, death and the aftermath of all that. The good news is that I've told the kids and they are 100% supportive of my decision to have this surgery which is important to me as I really feel that I am doing this for ALL of us. Anyway, I'll keep you posted. Thanks to all of you, especially you Tiffykins, for being such a great source of information, support and inspiration. Brian

It's been a year this week. I am headed to the beach. It's also my husband and my 5 year anniversary. My surgon never set a goal and my personal goal was based on bmi. I haven't technically hit reached that personal numbers goal yet but here are some goals I have met: I can now run 20 minutes comfortably without walking so I jog 40 mins 5-6 days a week. Couldn't even shuffle quickly forward (what jogging used to look like) for 3 minutes pre surgery without gasping like a fish out of water. I had to buy all new clothes. All new. Bras undies and shoes too! I sleep naked and walk around naked IN FRONT of my husband. I used to be too ashamed and would change clothes quickly hiding in the closet. Extra details probably belong in the ladies forum but you can imagine there have been other improvements... No more fat girl waddle. I feel pretty. Out and out pretty. Men smile at me. People are nicer. That goal is harder to explain but it impacts every facet of my life. I have low blood pressure. I am no longer pre diabetic. I don't snore any more. I am not dreading the bathing suit part of the beach. Not wearing a two piece, but even at 19 I wasn't a two piece kinda girl. Goal is a fluid concept. Would do this sleeve again every time.

There are a lot of different opinions on calculating Protein needs. I am 266 and was told to target 60 each day. Not that you need extra stress, but you may want to wean your daughter in order to get her ready (and yourself) for the life change you are about to make. I was with the leleche league (pro breastfeeding) and I can tell you you have done so much for your baby already that 2 more months will not matter immunity wise. Most people don't make it past 2 months breastfeeding. You are 10! You could always try to wean and pump as much as you can for her rainy day fund. Good luck!

It takes about a year. I received my referral June 09. I finished Options the first week of April, and received my surgery date in June 10. It's a long process but I'm thankful for all the information Kaiser gives us. Do you know of another Kaiser patient who received their surgery within months of the referral:confused1:?

Ten years of weight creeping up and here I am-- with a BMI of 36 (go me!!) with 2 co-morbidities. Tired of losing and gaining the same 10 lbs five times a year, I decided to take a step.,,or rather a leap. And here we are 8/29-- WLS seminar 9/11 -- first visit. Have Anthem BC of CA so hope I get approved And now I'm working though my list Primary care letter of clearance -- check Blood work-- check Three years of 35 + BMI -- check again (another go me moment!) Doing sleep apnea study tonight To do: Cardiac clearance (required if you're over 50.. And I'm 50 and 2 weeks.) NUT appt Psych eval ( wonder how that will go) So I'm hopeful that I get this all one quickly and get approved ( holding my breath ) Anyone else out there with Anthem BC of CA? Any tips. Oh and I'm an Alabama gal

I can't believe I actually just wrote that, let alone that it's true. I never thought I would be able to get sleeved, but did some homework and found hospital Jerusalem in Mexico who would perform the surgery on me. I started at 220 and am down 14 pounds on day 8. I'm shocked. I was very excited at first but had a rough time afterward. I had tremendously, really bad acid reflux the first few days. It hasvot much better just some here in there and when I drink cold. I stayed in Mexico for 5 days, 2 too many. The nurses we're not really nurses and no one seemed to know what they were asked a question. The biggest thing was that they didn't understand, even when they say they do. It was really bad. Back home now and trying to figure things out .

Hi, Can you elaborate a little on a few of your points? You said sometimes the sleeve is not the best surgery for someone with metabolism issues and that a different surgery may be more appropriate... why and which one? I have been very concerned about this issue. I lost 160lbs 10 years ago on low carb ( I was still overweight -- size 14/16) and managed to keep the majority of it off. I've gained about 60-70 pounds over the last 5 years even though I still adhered to a low carb diet ( just maybe not as strict). Ok, so I'm thinking that maybe my body is immune to the low carb at this point so I tried Weight Watchers.... I GAINED WEIGHT ON WW. That is how I ended up here. I felt surgery was my only hope.... Let me add that I had Thyroid Cancer and my thyroid was removed, but I take Synthroid so that should not be the issue. I also have Multiple Sclerosis but cannot think of any reason MS would affect weight loss. You also said that if you only had 1 protein shake in the morning and 1 protein bar at lunch you would faint... But isn't that close to what we're supposed to be doing. Lets say a protein shake has 200 calories, so far so good right? A protein bar has 200 calories. So we're at 400 calories before dinner. My impression was that staying around 600-800 calories is optimal to keep losing? Help! Now I'm concerned that I will be failure at this!!

Hello all! I just had surgery on 10/15/13! SW 342lbs. I had an ileus post surgery, but Thursday night, I had a major "breakthrough" lol. Now, I'm dealing with chest pain....especially when I breathe and lay down. Not sure if it could be from my boobs (42h) or something else. Anybody else having these issues? Any other October surgeries? Any suggestions on getting comfy on the couch or in bed with the scars?

Hi, I am having lb with plication on 8/10. I was scheduled for the 8th and the surgeon r/s me. I'm nervous! I only have to do liquids the day before surgery but he required me to lose 10 lbs. I have 2 to go! Good luck to you!

You need a fill. That will get you back on track. Don't worry too much about being overfilled. You will know when it is time to stop. You can take that 10-15 lbs off in no time. Good luck.

Hi Amy! There's actually a thread in the specific age group 'banders in their 20's' can be found. I'm 25 & was banded 10days ago. I too have been overweight (obese) for well over 10-15yrs soo pretty much my lifetime! I don't have children either yet. But with the band the key is that its reversible & adjustable unlike gastric bypass for instance. When/if you became pregnant they would simply adjust your band and empty the saline from it and you'd be able to eat normally with no problem. The band does not have to be removed unless for some reason it causes a problem such as it slipped, eroded or was leaking. These complications are the exceptions not the rule. Even if/when you reach your ideal weight & don't desire to lose any more you leave the band in place you can have flluid taken out again to lose some of the restriction but feel confident that you still won't be subject to overeating & thus regain your weight. The band is definitely not a quick fix & still requires a lifestyle change to better eating habits & increase in activity level to see the results you'd desire. I think its best for someone our age because it doesn't tamper with the anatomy of our digestive system so it won't pose as many complications nor will it hender our future of reproduction. It really requires & helps change your relationship with food- for me so far its enabled me to see the difference in my head hunger & actual hunger. Its also showed me my distortion with portions I never in my life thought a cup of soft food (cottage cheese or refried beans) would be too filling! Understanding the disease helps you stick to a plan & me always psyching myself out before that ' id never get full off so little food at jenny craig or in a lean cuisene meal' was part of why they never worked for me. Now I realize I truly do recognize that I eat when I'm not even hungry. The band helped me see that. At our age its the perfect time to re-train our bodies & mindset related to food & health for that long life we have ahead of us! =) And the other reason its good for our age group is that if for whatever reason it didn't work for you, you'd always be able to take it off & choose a diff wls option. Everyone is different & in my opinion this option requires still a lot of self control & will power and if you read through the forum you'll see the results really vary. But I started simply by changing the kinds of foods I ate before I started preop diet- I lost 15lbs, in my 1 week pre op liquid diet I lost 5 more lbs and in one week post op I've lost 5 more lbs. I hope to continue the pattern. I may not... it may go slower eventually or I may hit a plateau or get lazy about excercising. But for once in my life even if I don't lose as much as I want... for once I know that the pounds I do lose will not come back as long as I have this tool inside me curbing my appetite. A lot of the older banders (no offense) speak of gaining most of their excess weight after having kids & a time they remember not being fat, the things they did & wore. In our case we've never experienced that! I only dream about being average size because I really don't remember a time that I was. So why wait until middle age to start living?! You deserve those same experiences, confidence & happiness that most people in their 20s get. That's what makes it worthwhile for me at 25! Best of luck! ~Shay

Guess who's getting sleeved January 25th?!?! THIS girl<-----Woot! Insurance approved my sleeve on the 20th of December!!!!! I am so excited! I was originally instructed to start my pre-op diet on the 11th of January,but since I already lost 10 pounds they told me not to start till the 18th of January. SO SO SO excited! I haven't been on in a while bc I have been dealing with the health issues of my 2 yr old but I am back now and so excited to share my journey with you all! Any tips on how to be successful at the pre op diet? Gettin a lil jittery now,not scared of the pain,I survived 3 C-sections....Just afraid of not waking up AND afraid of vomiting afterwards and injuring my staple line!! ((HUGS)) to you all! Who else is a January sleever?????