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Hello everyone, I am a new to the whole idea of lapband. I overheard something about it on tv but I did not get the whole story. If someone could fill me in on all the pro's and con's about it. Like how much does it cost, is it easy to find a Dr., how would I even start to find a Dr.? I'm 27 single mother of two (6yr and 2 month old) I'm 5'7 and 265 lbs. I want to have energy for my kids and be there for them when they get older. I hardly fill full and when I do I'm hungry less than a half hour later. Would I be a good canidate for the whole thing or should I try something else. I was thinking about the bypass surgey but I dont really like the chance of lossing my hair, (it's getting thinner everyday anyways). So if someone could help me make sense of it all I would really appreciate it.:rose:

RNY is gastric bypass Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using BariatricPal mobile app

I am having the exact same problem. He has removed all fluid and they think I might have something called Achalasia - my doctor wants me to consider revision to gastric bypass but I have an insurance policy (different from when I was banded) that is going to give me problems because my BMI is 37 and the only co-morbidity is PCOS which he says they don't really count. And if I have achalasia he said he cannot do any surgery. so I have to see a specialist and go from there. This band has made my life a living hell.

I FINALLY got up enough nerve to call and schedule an appointment for a consult! My consult will be April 9th, 2007 a 4:00. I hope I don't chicken out and cancel:phanvan !! I called 3-26-07, I was hoping that I could do a phone consult, but Marilyn said he will only do consults over the phone with out of state patients...boooooo! When I told my husband, he was okay with it. I think he just wants me to be happy. My children too. My oldest son said he thinks I should go for it because it will make me happier! Their support is awesome! I have been talking about having it done for a long time(years and years). I chickened out about four years ago. I was going to have the gastric bypass. My insurance even said they would cover 100 percent, I would just have to pay the $50.00 co-pay! Oh well, I chickened out and now I am going i to talk to Dr. K about the lapband and my insurance will not pay for anything now, so I will be self paying(I hate the sound of that). One week away from the consult, I log onto the website every chance I get to read, read, read. This site is so inspiring and infomative. I don't want to chicken out this time, so I am looking for all the support I can get!!

I thought that was only for Gastric Bypass. I could be wrong of course.

My wife has fibromyalgia. And has had knee surgery on both knees from a fall she had which caused her to gain allot of weight..and allot of pain from the fibro and knees...she had the gastric bypass done..and she feels great..i hardley ever hear about pain she has. Her knees feel fine and she is on zero meds after surgery. She was diabetic. And on meds for pain from the fibromyalgia..she had the surgery over a year ago and i think she has only had 1 or 2 flares from the fibro but nothing bad at all..and im actually typing this on my phone. While i wait for her at zumba!!

Let me just say, while the holiday season has been wonderful with my family, it has been horrible on the scale. There was one big obstacle to my goal weight/size this December and that was a stupid fall I had in my kitchen. I turned around and stumbled backwards after tripping over an open dishwasher door and BAM, concussion. I waited 9 days before going to see the doctor, but the headaches and general fuzziness was just too much and I had to get myself looked at. Don't you know I had a moderate concussion and was told to stay home from work and was put on "brain rest". OMG, so boring and going to the gym was completely taken off of the table. The concussion on top of the never ending food parade in our family, I guess I should be happy I only put on 3 pounds. I was supposed to wait until 1 January to start working out, but I am feeling MUCH better and I have been doing light workouts for the last three days and I feel fantastic. I guess I'll just put my nose back to the nutritional grindstone and keep hitting the gym. Basically, get back to do what I need to support my healthy living goals. I had my first fill at the end of November and I felt absolutely NO restriction so I'm going back on the 22nd of January to have another fill, hopefully this one will put me back on track because honestly, I'm damn hungry. I'm craving crunchy anything. Does anyone have any suggestions for crunchy Snacks. I'm turning orange, no I'm not really, from eating all of the carrots that I'm eating. There is a lot of other stuff going on, just like everybody else's crazy life. The one big thing is that the Army has chosen to move my husband from Ft. Campbell, five hours from home, to Ft. Lewis, Washington, which is a stupid long plane ride away. He has been at Ft. Campbell for almost three years now and I've been spoiled and frankly don't want him to be so far away. I'm struggling not to fall back into old habits like eating because I'm sad, it is sooo hard not to eat, especially since I'm hungry. Arghh. Thanks for letting me vent, time to put on my big girl panties and go on with life.

I'm more concerned about my boyfriend than myself for the intensity level, haha...I used to box competitively, so I'm used to very challenging workouts. We haven't started it yet because I got an awesome discount for an unlimited one-month bootcamp, so we've been going there instead. Lots of plyometrics, we did 2 days in a row and today I'm pretty sore! But I got us resistance bands, weights ranging from 3 to 20 lbs, a chin-up bar, and yoga mats, so I'm excited to start P90X in November once the bootcamp's over.

Yes, first be proud of your accomplishments. You have come a long way in a short time. You're edging in on halfway to goal and yes, every pound you've lost is one gone forever. That said, I get it. We all do! I'm at goal, I'm quite small and there are still days (particularly when I'm emotional or moody) where I feel like a fat person. Why? Because we've gotten in the habit of being mean to ourselves, we're incredibly hard on ourselves and sometimes, we have unrealistic expectations. I lost 108 pounds and yes, I hate looking in the mirror and seeing all that skin. What? Did I honestly expect to shed all the weight and still love my abused body? I'm at goal. I'm small. It's amazing what our damaged self-esteem can make us feel - I'm in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and I'm considered plus size here. I can look in the mirror and know that I'm small - but still feel BIG in comparison to the local ladies! When people stare at me here, I always feel self-conscious all over again, even though I know in my head that they're staring at me because I'm obviously not Central Asian or Russian, and because I have visible tattoos! It's weird the way our brains work and it takes a long time to get over some of these things. Hang in there. I was right where you are now in November of 2010. I was a few months out from surgery and down about 50-60 pounds. Yes, I was thrilled to be the size I was but honestly, I was stalled out for nine weeks around that time and felt like I'd never get smaller. It was right around this time that I was just starting to have people notice the loss, too, and it wasn't all the time, either. The reality here is that it really does take a lot of loss to start seeing size changes when you're plus sized. For me, I didn't lose the first pant size until about 30 pounds off - and then another after 20 more pounds. It wasn't until I was in non-plus size clothes that I could lose a pant size after dropping only 10-15 pounds. Once you start seeing a real difference both in the mirror and on your clothing tags, I'm sure you will feel a little better. As for whether or not people are considering you that large person I wouldn't be so sure. I was horribly self conscious when I was larger and always felt that anyone laughing or smiling near me was laughing at me. I hated going out in public and I felt like the fattest girl in the room every time. I was always looking around for other girls my size so I'd know how I measured up to the other women. After I shed a lot of the weight, I realized that it was all me. Nobody else had the issues with my size that I had. It was actually kind of egotistical of me to think that everyone was looking at me, anyway! I can say that if you hang in there and keep on working at losing the weight you'll recover some of yourself. You'll start to feel a bit more confident each time you see your successes and you'll hopefully shed some of the self-esteem issues. It might help you to talk to someone like a counselor, too. Take care, ~Cheri

Yep. I just got mine removed 5 days ago and so glad I did. I had so many problems with GERD and initially wanted to revise to sleeve, but based on my history of GERD, my surgeon says that the sleeve would cause me to continue to have the same reflux and heartburn due to the high pressure of the sleeve so He recommended bypass and after thorough research, and I am an RN with several friends who have had both sleeve and bypass..... and numerous conversations with my surgeon, I will be revising to gastric bypass in November. The removal of the port has been the most painful. I stayed the night in the hospital due to pain control because he also removed the scar tissue around the band as well. Adhesion removal can be painful. I was on IV Dilaudid every 4 hours, IV Toradol and Norco in the hospital. They switched me to percocets and I have been fine on those. Take a pillow with you to hold against your tummy to splint the incision so you can cough. Also get a start on taking some over the counter miralax to help with constipation because pain med can cause things to slow way down, on top of the anesthesia. I have asthma so I needed breathing treatments and I used my incentive spirometer every hour while awake to exercise my lungs which helped me greatly! They leave the incisions open to air and seal them with Dermabond, a type of glue. I am healing quite fast. Here is a pic of my incisions. He did a total of 3. The biggest was where the port was. Make sure your decision is yours and also listen to your surgeon and what will be best for you. The next few months will be the hardest, however I still feel restriction post op.

Good luck in your journey - I haven't had the sleeve yet so can't answer most questions. Call your insurance to see if they cover the sleeve. As for weight loss, I have heard it can be comparable to gastric bypass.

Thanks for the response. My guy is on the heavy side, but unfortunately weighs less than me:eek His weight goes up and down. When I first started to look into WLS this past summer, he decided to go on Optifast. He lost 30-40 lbs, and had more to go. He told me afterwards that he went on Optifast to show me that weight can be lost without surgery. As much as I've told him that I have faced the fact that I can't do it alone, he claims it can be done. (He was furious at me when I was considering gastric bypass. But then I met a bandster at a surgeon's open house, and decided that this was the way to go). P.S. My guy has since gained all the lost optifast weight back.

I have Aetna POS, I started the process in November and just had my surgery 3/4, my doctor had an outline of appointments, etc. and they seem to know the insurance inside and out. Luckily everything seemed to flow through for me.

Yeah for you !!!! I've been reading your posts and I think if your dietician told you that you're eating the right things (you didn't lie to her, did you?!?!?!?) then you are what this surgery was thinked up for---hee hee...as your fills progress, your noticable "full feeling" will become sooner and sooner and GRADUALLY you will eat less and therefore lose the weight. Remember, this is a slow process, you didn't get here overnight, and getting down to your goal overnight has it's consequences...that's what bypass is for...I say, be glad for the earlier fill, it's gonna help get you where you want to be...but, be patient with your band and yourself. I just had my 2nd fill -1cc- for a total of 4 cc in a 10 cc band. I am noticing some restriction, the total amount of what I eat in a day has decreased, but it's not like I only eat a meatball and I'm full. A word of advice, take it for what it's worth---I buy those 3 ounce protein bullets from GNC (42 grams of protein in each test tube)...the grape ones...and add 1/2 of it to a litre water bottle with an equate grape drink bottle mix...the protein helps to curb my appetite while the water is a MUST...maybe this will help...drink between meals to help with the starving feeling...hope it gets better.

Anyone have revision from sleeve to bypass? I would like to hear your story? Ups, downs, how it is working for you?....any information you are willing to share with me... Thank you

This surgery was the best thing I did for myself, and I would do it again, without hesitation. I have been given a second chance at life! I have lost 157 pounds in 12 months... And I workout three times weekly, and have gotten my life back. I have Lupus, and had many health issues. My lupus is now currently in clinical remission, and I feel better than I have in years! It wasn't easy, and you have to be ready to make a life change, but it is so worth it, once you do!

I'm on day 3 of my 2 week preop diet. The slightest smell of food is making me want to back out of surgery. I'm on 3-4 protein shakes and 3ozs of lean meat and a serving of veggies per day. I'm scheduled for gastric bypass on December 19th. I really need this surgery, but I'M STARVING! Any suggestions on how I can curb or ignore the hunger pains? Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi there. My name is Rachel and I'm 23 I live in Queen Creek AZ and was banded on November 5, 2007. I always like meeting new people and having someone to talk to who knows what I'm going through is even better! Later!:redface:

Also check out this website Weight loss surgery site for info http://www.trueresul...-loss-surgeries It will give you a pretty unbiased chart comparing band sleeve and bypass I've only been banded 4 1/2 months so my opinion may not hold weight but so far I love it !! And have list 43 lbs .Choosing weightloss surgery is a hard decision ! Good luck in your journey no matter what you chose.:-)

Keep in mind one issue. When people have bypass many (most?) lose a LOT of weight quickly. The thing that doesn't come out is that within about 5 years the body starts to compensate for the loss of intestinal tissue and it makes MORE! Not all malabsorption is forever. The body replaces SOME of the "removed" tissue. So within a few years you'll be back to diet and exercise. With the band if you start to gain later, you get another fill. No big deal. If I could lose weight and KEEP it off via diet and exercise, I wouldn't NEED any type of WLS. But maybe you are different. The first few inches of intestine absorb Calcium and Vitamin B12. Does it make sense to you to have to take a great deal of suppliments since your body no longer absorbs it naturally? If that makes sense to you, have bypass done. Look at the stats. When people have revision surgery they aren't typically going from band to bypass. But they ARE typically going from bypass to band. Perhaps the 2nd question you need to ask yourself is how many weight loss procedures you want in your life?

My best friend had the gastric bypass...She was about 500 pounds. Her health was in serious trouble and she needed to do something YESTERDAY to help herself. She had a young child at the time, hes a big boy now.....and you know what they say, Despirate times call for despirate measures. In my opinion, I feel that the RNY is just that...a despirate measure. Do it if you are 300 + pounds over weight. Do it if your health can not hold out much longer. If you have 100 pounds to lose, it is TOTALLY "do-able" with only having the band....I say only like I take it lightly, but what I mean is that your intestines do not need to be rerouted....My girlfriend lost her weight quickly. She now has over 40 pounds of extra stuff, skin, cellulite to get surgically removed.......another surgery.....another risk. Granted, some of us get reconstructive surgery too..but there is a better chance at our skin reforming around our newly found muscles due to the slow weight loss! I am 32 years old. I am holding on to that hope for dear life! I dont want a tummy tuck, but if it comes to it, I will. I do however want a boob job!! That is my two cents on the subject. Good luck to you and please let us know which way you deside, and eventually how your surgery goes......

20 lbs. a month is great. Don't compare yourself to other peoples #'s. Its healthier to lose the weight more gradual over this 12 month period as opposed to dropping the bulk of it right off. You'll have less lose skin and always remember everyone loses at their own pace. Stick with your plan and you'll do fine...also set realistic goals and have realistic expectations. Bypass patients are actually expected to lose the weight over a one year period of time...its not a race. Patience is a virtue also congrats on the 20 lbs... Sent from my Nexus S 4G using RNYTalk

Yes I'm from Ct. My surgery is November 4th at Hartford Hospital.

As of now, my surgery is scheduled for November 20th, the Monday before Thanksgiving. I really hope that the surgeon can stick with this date b/c it will really really work out well with my and my boyfriend's school and work schedule. I find it hard to believe that it is just over a month away...I have done so much work to get to this point and now I am facing the 10 day liquid diet... I am not sure what I am actually feeling at this point...when I think about it, for the most part I am excited and anxious...honestly I think that I am trying to bury any other negative thoughts at this time b/c it would be so easy to get scared. I am changing my life and that is such a wonderful, yet nervewracking process to go through. I feel that few people in my life actually understand...in ways I think they are nervous too about me being different, I have been overweight my entire life and I do belive that it has helped define (or limit) who I am today...