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On here I set my goal weight. I think for my height and BMI number, the weight I want to reach is a good milestone for me both physically and especially emotionally. By surgeon however has this expectation that I should be about 40lbs lighter than my goal. I think it could be doable, with additional factors into play such as skin removal surgery. The problem is that I honestly don't know if I'll ever want to go through that surgery. This last surgery was very rough for me, and I did have some complications. I was under in that surgery for almost 4 hours. From what I've read and seen online, the skin removal surgery is an almost 8 to 10 hour procedure, and the recovery is long and very painful. Mentally I know right now I am not ready for that. And therefore I kinda have already known in my head that 180lbs might be only realistic to me if another surgery is involved. Do I want the other surgery??????

hi sue i havent had pain like you describe but....i just started working out really hard last week. (ie. abs, kickboxing, etc) and my stomach is swelling alot the day after...like i'm pregnant. i called the doctor's office and they said it is just strain due to newly working out. my stomach underneath my skin does feel really tight like a girdle. i guess that's good because when i'm not swollen my stomach is flat. but it's weird maybe can you call the doctor just to see if it is normal? hope you feel better....josie

Yeah, I had a major allergic reaction to the steri strips. Itched and stung like crazy and the skin on my stomach turned bright red and hot to the touch. Doc told me to not scratch it and take Benadryl orally and use Benadryl cream.

I srarted out at hw 225 & guess I need to get used to the idea of skin surgery.

I have a list on my desk top I actually found a few months ago on the net, which is pretty darn good. I'll try to cut and paste it. I try to look at it at least once a week to keep me focused. Rule 1: Eat only when you are hungry, and no more than three small meals a day. Your new small stomach pouch can hold only about one-fourth of a cup of food. If you try to eat more than this at one time, you may become nauseated or vomit. If you routinely eat too much, the small stomach pouch may stretch. Frequent vomiting will cancel the effect of the operation and can also cause certain complications, such as stomach slippage. To avoid this, you need to learn to listen to your body and stick to your plan. Rule 2: Eat slowly and chew thoroughly. Food can pass through your new stomach only if it's been chewed into very small pieces. Always remember to take more time for your meals and chew your food very well. Rule 3: Stop eating as soon as you feel full. Once your stomach is full, your body receives a signal that you have eaten enough. It takes time, though, for you to become aware of this signal. If you rush through your meal, you may eat more than you need. This can lead to nausea and vomiting. Take time to enjoy every bite of your meal. Try to recognize the feeling of fullness-then stop eating at once. Rule 4: Do not drink while you are eating. The LAP-BAND®® can work only if you eat solid food during your three meals. You should not drink anything for one to two hours after a meal. This allows you to keep the feeling of fullness as long as possible. Rule 5: Do not eat between meals. After a meal, do not eat anything else until the next meal. Eating Snacks between meals is one of the major reasons for weight-loss failure. It is very important to break this habit. If you have proper "fill" levels (you eat the right foods, slowly) you will not feel hungry in between meals. If you are still feeling hungry, this may be a sign that your LAP-BAND®® System is too loose and you should tell your clinician. Click here for more information on information on adjustments and "The Green Zone", which ensures that you will stay satisfied and full! Rule 6: Eat only good quality, nutritious food. With the LAP-BAND®® System in place, you should be able to eat only a small amount so the food you eat should be as nutritious as possible. Follow the nutrition guidelines in the previous section and specific instructions from your surgeon and/or dietitian. Also, ask your doctor or dietitian before you take any Vitamin supplements. Click here for more information on nutrition and what you should be eating. Rule 7: Avoid fibrous food. Food that contains many fibers, such as asparagus, can block the stoma. That's because you can't chew this food well enough to break it up into small pieces and your saliva can't break it down. Fibrous food should be avoided. If you would like to eat asparagus or other fibrous foods once in a while, then be sure to cook them well, cut them into very small pieces first, and then chew thoroughly. Rule 8: Drink enough fluids during the day. Drinking enough fluids is essential for staying hydrated and for flushing waste products out of your body. Individual needs will vary, but you should drink at least six to eight glasses of liquid a day. Remember: Drink only non-carbonated/zero calorie liquids such as Water, tea, or coffee (without milk, cream, or sugar). Also, keep your food and drinks completely separate during the day. Rule 9: Drink only low-calorie liquids. Drinks, including those containing calories (milkshakes, sodas), simply run through the narrow outlet created by theLAP-BAND® System. If you drink liquids high in calories, you will lose little weight, even if you follow all of the other dietary guidelines. Rule 10: Exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Since physical exercise consumes energy and burns calories, it is a very important part of any successful weight-loss program. Obviously, exercise can also help improve your general health. In addition to adopting a routine exercise program, you can increase your activity level in your everyday life. For example, stand rather than sit, walk rather than stand, be outside rather than inside, walk rather than drive, climb the stairs rather than use the elevator. If it's too hot outside to walk, go to the mall. It's as easy as finding a parking space away from the entrance to the mall and using the stairs, not the escalator! If you don't have time before or after work, take ten minutes out of your lunch break and walk then. Remember that you should always check with your doctor about the amount and type of exercise that is best for you.

I am in Western Washington with a BMI of 35 and very few/no real co morbidities. I am self pay, there is a direct exclusion in my insurance, and I feel very supported by my doctors. They didn't even balk at my weight - they told me not to loose any before the date of surgery ( which beleive me won't be a problem) but they never hesitated. My doctor (says ) he is one of the first doctors that did this surgery in the us under I think Ortiz in Mexico, they have been great. Hope you find out - ask them if thier policies are in stone? Maqy be they would reevaluate your situation. Jen Scheduled June 16 th YEEHAW!

Thanks! I am still not able to wear jeans yet!! and I am sooo excited because they will be loose! I just wonder if this isn't going to be a chronic problem because the port is there for life...and it didn't hurt per se, just felt weird. I hope that I can forget about the port...it freaks me out that I might kink it or something LOL. Anyway, thanks for responding and HOORAY for SPANKS!

Like I stated in my previous post, I did start the liquid diet again this week and much to my surprise I've lost about 4.5 lbs. I am very happy with that, because I haven't seen that type of weight loss in a while. I will continue on this diet for about 12 more days and see what it get's me. I need to figure out a plan for after the 12 days though.... My plan is to work my sleeve as much as I can in order to meet goal before my August 31, 2012. I realize that stalls happen, but that one (which bTW I did loose 7lbs over 8 weeks) was a bit much. I am 5 months out today and after seeing the scale move for me, I am much more motivated then I was before.

I'm finding it difficult to find my size now. Seems like everything starts at XL now and I am loose and comfy in a L. Had to paw through a bunch of slacks last time to find a 36, most were 40+. Great "problem" isn't it?

Yesterday was my 1st encounter with this and I was upset all day. I wore sleeveless and I could see a nice little shoulder and bicep muscle starting from working out. Felt good leaving the house and then in my cars mirror I saw all this extra fat hangin under my arm. Maybe not fat, but skin. I still have another 30-something until my goal so that's only gonna get worse. Same with my upper thigh. Didn't think that would be an issue and yuck! Also I now have stretch marks from my upper thigh down to the middle of my calves. I was so excited for summer losing all this weight and now I'm gonna still be self conscious.

Well - you sound determined which I think is great. I agree with what Debby said. The other to keep in mind (EVEN THOUGH ITS MEANT 4 LIFE) is that the band is a reverseable operation. So at least you can have it for as long as you want & than if you wished remove it. Which you probably wouldn't ;0) I think you'll have GREAT SUCCESS with the band & the meds & loose a boat load! Good Luck

Ok, I haven't been banded yet but I have a couple questions and thank god for this thread! 1) The port, my surgeon plans to put it up almost between the boobs, does this bother any of you or your partners during sex? I mean as you loose weight I'm assuming you'll be able to feel/see the port more. 2) Gagging - we're supposed to avoid vomitting in case of slippage, what happens if you gag, from say... oral can you cause the band to slip? I would hate to be limited sexually in any way after being banded and like many of you, I look forward to meeting new men, trying new positions, wearing sexy lingerie, and having more confidence, oh and of course... a drive, I think I still have the desire, but not the energy - LOL

I know the feeling. I was nervous when I was going through the process, but was oddly, completely calm the night before and the day of surgery. Surgery day to me was a blur. After getting checked in and blood work done I remember sitting in the pre surgery bays with my mom and just talking. When they took me back I was talked through everything and even joked with my Dr. The anesthesiologist told me to count backwards from 20 and I got to 17 and then I woke up in recovery. My pain was non-existent post op. I was up walking several times through the day and night. I wasn't able to drink anything until 1 day post op, so I had an IV at first. I was scared to try anything but took my time and was able to tolerate some broth and Protein Gelatin. I went home to my mom's for a day and then back home with the husband and kids. Day 2 i had incision pain but it was controllable with medication. It took me about 2 weeks before I didn't feel like sleeping all day, which is normal because your body just went through a major operation and is trying to heal. All in all, I don't regret it. I tried to eat bread and got sick, so I don't even crave it anymore. I have hit a slight plateau due to a small case of dehydration and I'm lifting weights in the gym now, so I'm not expecting the scale to go down as much day to day. I'm in Oklahoma, where it was 102 a couple weeks ago and I walked outside a lot since that was the only exercise I could do, so my Dr. thinks the dehydration was due to that. Other than that episode, I have had no problems getting my fluids in and just remember to sip, sip, sip! Big gulps hurt! I hope this helps! Best decision I've made! Sending well wishes for you and just know that you'll make the right choice for you! Thank you! It can be tough, I had 2 bites of banana cream pie on my stepson's birthday, but my tastebuds are different now. I don't binge on sweets, I try to enjoy the taste and take my time. It's still odd to my brain, but it's working so far! How are you feeling since surgery? So far so good! Except for one minor case of dehydration (see my long response above), I have never felt better! Already having to find smaller clothes and lifting weights 3-4 times a week. I really want to make a concerted effort to tone, so that maybe it'll help with skin firming in the future, but we'll see what happens! I'm down a little over 31lbs and keeping on! I had my post op and my Dr. was very happy with where I was! How are you?

Thanks for responding, I also heard that live skin couldn't be used, but my friend is the universal blood type, I think it is O+, and she got all this info from her sister who got it from one of the horses mouths. She is one of those people who talks forever about nothing at all so I am hesitant to call her for more details. I tried doing research on it, went to the thinnertimes forum and saw a threat that they don't use living people skin, but my friend said that the burn unit here was desperate for skin donations so they might be trying something new!?!

My PS said that the skin is too thin and stretched to be a good quality to use for any type of skin grafting. Of course, this is only one Doctor, you could call around to see if anyone was accepting skin from a procedure like a LBL or TT. I doubt they would take it but what do I know?

Good day! I haven't been here for awhile. Today marks six months since I had Gastric Sleeve Surgery. I've lost close to 80pounds and still loosing! From 237 to 159! The loosing has slowed down though. I go to the gym at least 4-5 times a week. Always hungry, but a little bite here and there gets me satisfied. This is the best thing I've ever decided to do...I feel great, all my lab test are great, and look good too! I'm not afraid to go out of my house anymore...I enjoy being with people...more outgoing! Good luck to those that are about to have surgery and to those in the coming months. Congrats to those had surgery...you should feel as great as I!

Yes i have because I was low I'm energy. But the weight loss is slower. Being on the pre op it will allow you to loose 4 kgs a week

My husband of 34 years just hurt me in the most hurtful way ever. . . he has seen me go from a slim beautiful young woman at 18 to gain tons of weight.. . he saw me at 360 lbs and he has been there for me in thick and thin. . . he went through this surgery with me and has seen me loose 150 lbs! 150 lbs guys! Today he announced to me the following "You look like you've gained a lot of weight" Jeez, no i haven't and if so, it's between 5 -7 lbs! He told me that i look like i've gained and he just is telling me because the surgery cost soooo much he doesn't want it to fail . . omg, i'm so hurt. . . i feel like i used to back in the days when i was hugh. . . i'm so hurt i can't even cry, but inside i'm yelling like a crazy b===ch. . .I can't believe he said this. . . i just started texting my daughter and "talked to her" . . . now i'm on the defensive and will probably go stupid and starve myself til I get to about 180 or 170. . . i'm so going to get sick. . . but he'll be happy won't he? Dumb a$$ hole. . . . sorry guys i'm just really hurt now. . . I got to my doctors goal and even surpassed it. . .maintained between 200- 210lbs and now after 3 years am being told How incredibly fat i am. . . . my god! I could so go on, but then i'd start cussing and that is not good. . . ugh. . . well freaking severe diet here i come!

I'm so sorry that you are hurting right now. I can only imagine the emotional pain those words have caused you. I'm sure he does not even realize how deeply he's hurt you and you should definitely (when you've have a chance to calm down and vent) talk to him about how it made you feel to hear him say those words. I'm sure once the light bulb goes off he will apologize and realize that the best way he can help is to be possitive and supportive and not tear you down. A few weeks ago my boyfriend of 3 years tod me that on of the reasons why we are no longer as sexual as we had been in the past was because of my 40 lb weight gain since we've met. I met him when i was around 250 (not thin by any means) and am now around 296. To hear that it was hard for him to be physically attractive to him hurt beyond words and I thought that i would never get over it. I did though and after many talks have learned that even though his delivery could have been better he did not say it with the intention of hurting me but rather wanted to work on it to get us back to where he knew we could be. It took alot for me to try to see it that way but we are now stronger than ever and as I get closer towards my surgury date I trust that he's got my back no matter what. I wish you all the best trying to get rid of the few extra pounds that you want to loose but please make sure you are doing it for you an no one else. At the end of the day your health is the only think that matters...not money and certainly not numbers on a scale. XOXO Cat

I have to agree with what someone else said. Find another doctor. I lost 29lbs since my surgery on Oct. 23, 2009. I got my first fill yesterday (12/3). The doctor didn't ask me if I was hungry between meals and didn't care if I was losing weight either. I just got the fill. Honestly I started getting hungry the day before I got the fill. Up until then it was strictly will power and keeping to the portions that I was told to keep to, and eating higher protein foods. If we could do this on our own we would have never spent the $15000 to get the surgery in the first place. The band is a tool. A tool is supposed to be used. I could possibly understand them saying for your 3-4 fill that you don't need a fill right now because you are loosing weight on your own. But NOT your first fill. That's insane. Some doctors are just in this for the money. Others (like mine and I'm very thankful) are in it to help you reach your goal.

I was about 10 days post op when I had a minor family emergency. I essentially OVER DID IT and my port site was actually more painful than it was immediately post op. I rested and used cold packs on the area. Note I said "cold packs" such as rice bag that has been in the freezer. Ice bags are great, but if you use Ice don't put it right next to the skin or leave on too long...my opinion cold packs such as rice bags, cherry pit bags etc. are cold enough to give relief without being too cold and uncomfortable or messy. HOPE you feel better SOON!

Hi all, I have mainly been an observer on this site, so this is my first post. I was banded April 7th 2009, so I am about 3 1/2 weeks post op. I was progressed fairly quickly through the food stages, and now I am on solid foods. I am getting a little nervous because I really do not feel any restriction now. For the first few weeks I did, but now I do not. I am purposely not eating large meals, but I think I could if I kept eating. I am working out and doing my best to watch portion sizes, but I am hungry all the time, and I have stopped loosing weight. I have lost 34 pounds so far in all. I won't be seeing my doctor until 8 weeks post-op to maybe get a fill. Is this normal to feel no real restriction? The doc said he did fill the band during surgery a little, but I don't know how much. Is there a chance that the band has come loose and slipped? I called the doctors office and they told me to watch my portion sizes until I get the first fill, so maybe I just need to be patient. Would it be appropriate to try and move that appointment up 2 weeks, or is it too early in the healing phase? Sorry of all the questions. Any help would be much appreciated! Sam

I will be 6 months post op on 10/9 and finally feeling fantastic !!! I had to have gallbladder surgery 10 wks after my RNY so that put me back a bit. Then healing from two major surgeries was tough. I did sall thru both surgeries without any problems what so ever. My weight loss has been slow and I am at a standstill right now. I only lost 41 lbs. so far and have 40 lbs to go, now that I started jogging I feel my clothes getting loose but the scale only moved 1 lb. either way what just fit is now fitting great or loose. This was the best thing I ever did !!! what a great tool to assist in your weight loss.

yes I am going through the same thing now. They are just keeping a eye on my levels. they said its from fatty liver (imagine that. lol) but the only way to cure it is loose weight but if its not slowly it dont have time to catch up so it takes longer and sometimes even makes levels a little higher because putting stress on it. my doc will not let me take anything with tyleno at all. Dont stress about it..

I had a great post op visit with my surgeon this morning. It was so nice to find out if everything I was feeling was normal! I was banded on 3/28 so this is day 10 post op! He told me the pain I have been having around my port is natural since they do sew it to the abdominal wall! They sew it to the muscle with sutures so as you heal and you are moving it takes time to heal but it does heal fine and it is sutured in tight enough not to flip or move now days! I was also worried about band slippage (the nurse practitioner also came in and answered some questions) she said that slippage usually occurs within 5 days post op and happens because the sutures the band is sewn in with become loose (usually 3 - 6 sutures) because of violent excessive vomiting or a traumatic event like a car accident. After 5 days the sutures are usually healed enough to anchor the band in place. Saying that she said it is still important to stay on full liquids for 14 days post op to ensure continued healing then slowly progress to soft diet. I can start the soft diet Monday and she told me to choose soft meats and instead of pureeing them I can cut them to the size of a pencil eraser, which I think I will try instead of pureed meat! Regarding hunger eat Protein first because that fills you up faster and try to eat/drink every two hours. I told them I was starting to get hungry! It is normal for most to get hungry after the swelling goes down. I will be getting my first fill in 4 weeks! (I think I might stick a tblsp. of Peanut Butter in my Protein shake which is ok) I can exercise, but only walk on treadmill or outside. I can resume normal activity after 6 weeks checkup, which is what all surgeons say! I feel so much better knowing that everything is ok! Hope this helps for all those waiting to see their surgeons, but this is just and FYI, letting you know what my surgeon says is not what all surgeons say!! Peace, Joleen