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I am so torn about how to feel right now. I am 2.5 weeks out and have dropped 30lbs, personally i feel like that's a lot. However my complications may explain it. I can't eat or drink anything besides water without throwing it up. It's awful, sometimes it's right away sometimes it's hours later. I've also noticed I'm going .. Going to the bathroom.. At all, does it seem like there's an issue with my digestion? I'm getting worried because it's not getting better. Any advice?

No complications... sometimes I wonder if I even had it done but the small incisions let me know it happened LOL

Hi Dannylu My wife and I were banded at the OCC last year. Their facility looked like a complete OR. I imagine they can handle most situations on the table then get you stable for transport. One of the positive about banding in general, is that the surgery is alot less invasive than other wls. I'm not sure what the complication rate is but I doubt many patients die on the table. But definately check with the OCC, you need to be very comfortable with the decision. Good luck.

Please...3 months is rabid overkill, especially for a sleeve, band, or bypass. These are simple, minimally-invasive laporascopic surgeries. My sleeve was a same-day procedure: I was operated on in the morning and sent home that night. Those with no complications and sedentary jobs often return to work in 1 week. Those with complications, slower healing, and/or laborious jobs usually return to work in 2 to 4 weeks. But 3 months (12 whopping weeks)? The bariatric coordinator who said that is living in La La Land among the ivory towers and unicorns who fart rainbows.

a lot of women experience screwed up cycles the first few weeks or months after surgery because of extra estrogen (or so they say...). Estrogen is stored in fat cells, so it's released during rapid weight loss. For most people, it'll eventually stabilize. However, with your medical history and various meds, your situation may be more complicated than that.

Our @Matt Z is, unfortunately, very knowledgeable about this complication. "The Band had become totally encapsulated in scar tissue, it took my surgeon and her team more than 3 times longer to remove the band than what's normal. My 3-4 hour surgery, lasted over 6 hours. Who knows what would have happened if I didn't revise. The band is gone. My insides have been rearranged. And I'm working my way down to my goal. One day at a time. " --https://www.bariatricpal.com/profile/120901-matt-z/

Your hearsay info is totally incorrect. I was given a very detailed food plan and post-op diet requirements from my Mexican surgeon. I selected a very qualified surgeon that provided excellent info and support pre and post surgery, and I’ve had no complications. As well, my surgeon spoke great English.

Hi all I was wondering if any of you that have had compilations had any problems with going back to work or missing work after?

My only concern is that you haven't stated if you really wanted the surgery and if your heart and mind are not into it, doing things for other people is a noble endeavor that cannot be taken lightly, but you are about to undergo a life and body altering event that can't be taken back whether you fail or succeed, I am trying to be respectful and tactful because of your age, but at 51years old I learned many years ago that even people who may love you sometime unwittingly push things on others due to their own failures and shortcomings, a car or a ring is a nice present for a college student, this gift is more complicated, I in no way want to dissuade you from having your surgery, but if you are not ready mentally and emotionally you will not meet your goals, I had major reasons for doing my surgery and at 388lbs many problems attributed to my weight, but my incentive was to do this to be here longer for my wife and children, my wife is very loving and never pushed me in any way until I said I was ready to have it done, she stood by my side, advocated for me, worked out payments, and took great care of me after the surgery, take a step back and look at who you are and what you want from yourself, ultimately you have to live with and by this decision, not anyone else, it requires a change in diet, lifestyle, and many hours of learning about nutrition, exercise and limitations, it is a sort of rebirth, and just like learning to walk again can be trying at times, whatever your decision I wish you the best, if you ever need an ear or just wanna ask questions you may inbox me anytime, there is a lot to cover about the surgery and what happens afterward, I waited two years after I wanted the surgery to be sure I was informed and was absolutely sure that I would stick with it, BTW I have exceeded expectations and I ahead of schedule, I had surgery on June 10th and will hit 299lbs in a couple of weeks and may hit my goal weight of 198 by February............ But I WANTED THIS!!!!!

What will you be doing for insurance after this one is gone? Personally, I think that having the band inside you without having the security of insurance is scary, so I hope you have plans to get it. Even once you have the surgery, there could be complications down the road. We all pray there won't be, but that's one of the things insurance is for, is the unknowns. I hope this all works out well for you. Good luck.

I'm sorry to hear about your appendix but aren't you glad it happened BEFORE your Lap Band? Better to happen now and heal, than have complications later, right? Wishing you a speedy recovery Eliz! Now I don't remember anyone setting defined rules for being a "Springer." I think it's more a state of mind for me and everyone else in here. OF COURSE, you will remain here. I, for one, value your friendship and would be disappointed if I didn't see your posts! Get well soon Ladybug! Your banding will happened when it's supposed to! hugs, j~

Are you afraid of an unhappy outcome of your weight loss surgery? You're not alone. Use your fear to conquer obstacles rather than letting it conquer you For most of us starting a WLS journey, bariatric surgery is vast, uncharted territory, full of unknowns. We long for a happy outcome – maximum weight loss with minimum problems. We listen to stories told by other patients with a combination of hope (to be as successful as they’ve been) and fear (that we won’t experience the side effects or complications they talk about). No one wants to be haunted by the specter of anxiety and dread, but I think a little bit of fear is a good thing. I don’t want fear to dominate my life, but without it, I’m likely to become complacent about my weight loss success and/or revert to the old, all-too-comfortable ways that made me obese in the first place. In small doses, fear keeps me on my toes. Like pain tolerance, fear tolerance varies from one person to the next. Perhaps I’m able to tolerate and use fear because my childhood and adolescence were so full of fear-provoking experiences. By the time I was in my late 20’s, I actually got a little thrill out of fear, possibly because it stimulates adrenalin production. There’s nothing quite like a knife coming at you to activate your fight-or-flight system, causing a perverse fear “rush”. At the same time, prolonged exposure to fear has also taught me to respect it. I don’t play with fear the way daredevils like Evel Knievel did, risking life and limb for the brief thrill of jumping 14 buses at a time with his motorcycle. But I do like the way fear can clear my mental field, forcing me to draw a line between important and unimportant. When the choice is survival or surrender, I’d rather choose survival. I’m not a quitter. When challenged, I’m going to fight back, especially if something precious like my health is at stake. If fear tends to paralyze rather than mobilize you, you may have to use your own compass to navigate a problem, or play follow-the-leader (provided you have a trustworthy leader) instead. Whatever you do, don’t give in. Giving in turns you into a victim (click here to read an article about victim mentality: http://www.lapbandta...-of-obesity-r79), which is not a position of strength in any battle worth fighting. And your health is worth fighting for, isn’t it? So, how can you make fear a working partner in your WLS journey? Let’s take a closer look at two of the more common faces of fear. FEAR OF FAILURE Somewhere between my first, mandatory pre-op educational seminar and my pre-op liver shrink diet, I became uncomfortably aware of a shadow that followed me everywhere. It was dark and scary, and even bigger than I was. It was my fear of failure. After decades of struggle – diets, weight loss, weight gain – I felt that WLS was my absolute last chance to be healthy. And after slogging through all those pre-op tests, evaluations, consults and procedures, I danged well was not going to fail this time. Since I had to admit that my weight management skills were sadly lacking back then (as amply proven by the number on the scale and the numbers in my medical files), the only option available to me was to become the most compliant patient my surgeon ever had (click here to read an article about patient compliance: http://www.lapbandta...g-deal-abo-r112). I had to believe that he and his staff knew what they were doing and would guide me well. I’m a very curious and often mouthy person, so I asked a lot of questions and did my best to understand what was going on in me and around me, but I spent very little time trying to second-guess the instructions I was given. That approach freed up a lot of time and energy that I was then able to devote to changing my eating and other behaviors in ways that helped my weight loss. FEAR OF COMPLICATIONS Compliance served me well I this area also. I can’t claim that I was never tempted to cheat on my pre or post-op diets or to test my band’s limits. I can’t claim that I believed I’d be forever exempt from the side effects and complications I heard about from other WLS patients. But when my dietitian told me (for example) that I’d be mighty sorry if I accidentally swallowed a wad of chewing gum and had to have it scraped out of my stoma, I quickly lost my interest in chewing gum. When I observed that many bandsters experienced certain types of side effects and complications after engaging in certain types of risky behaviors, I resolved not to follow them down the road of no return. Eventually I discovered that life after WLS can deliver some unpleasant surprises, just as in every other aspect of life. I had to learn some things the hard way, like: If you swallow a large antibiotic capsule that can’t pass through your stoma and slowly dissolves into a corrosive mess, you will end up in the ER thinking you’re having a heart attack (and end up with a big unfill). And no, liquid antibiotics don’t taste good, but they taste a lot better than the weight I regained after that unfill. Most of the mistakes I made were the result of impatience or carelessness, but I did my best to learn from those mistakes and keep moving on. A handful of mistakes was about all it took for me to decide not to challenge the validity of my surgeon’s and dietitian’s instructions, and that kept me trudging along the bandwagon trail, getting ever closer to my weight goal. And once I reached that wonderful place, I was determined to stay there!

I had 2 csections. My last one was 7 weeks before being sleeved. To me, the sleeve was worse. My csections were no problem and people were shocked that I had just had a baby. But I had no complications. I just had to care for a 7 week old when I got home.

Everyone is different, and there's always the chance for complications, but by the time I got home, I would have been ok to take care of myself if I had to, but I was so tired that I needed my hubby to wake me up to take my meds and drink my drinks. Maybe a friend would be willing to stay overnight for the first night or something just so you know if it's something you can handle.

Today was a hard day. I thought I had low blood sugar but it checked at 122, so it may be low blood pressure. I drank a bottle of Special K water and felt better, and made sure to take my multi and iron today. I see Dr. Teng Wednesday for my followup visit. I feel like I am doing everything right, so no fears. My post surgery weight is back to my presurgery weight (swelling is going down) and I hope to see losses again soon, but I am so happy to be 30 lbs thinner and to have come through the surgery with no complications, that all I see ahead of me are positive things. I cooked chicken for my daughter tonight but asked her to take it out when it was done and put everything away so I wouldn't be tempted. I had my chicken broth but added a little ramen seasoning, which increases the calories but tastes so satisfying. I did a load of laundry tonight for my daughter, who is going to LA Weds. am with friends and is overwhelmed and exhausted. The only hard thing for me is bending to pick up laundry out of the hamper, but I am doing squats the best that I can. When I do lean forward, it's no longer the stabbing pain that it was 2 days ago. I talked to my boss today and said I expect to be back at work after the holiday. I know the first week back will be tough, but you recover faster if you get up on your feet. Just losing weight and being lighter will make it easier every day. I don't have to pack a lunch either. I'm required to use a boxed protein drink in week 2 at lunchtime. Hope it tastes OK. I may try a short drive to the store tomorrow. I don't see why I can't drive if I feel up to it. I want to start doing WII Fitness this week. It's easier than going outside into the 110 degree Las Vegas heat. I look forward to feeling cooler but it hasn't happened yet. Another bandster says she isn't hot all the time. That would be great.

That’s awesome ❤️ my dietician’s full-time job is working with folks that have had major complications after WLS. She’s definitely a diamond in the rough. Very sweet, helpful and knowledgeable. Even though we only meet once a month we actually email and text frequently. She told me I have unlimited coverage for our visits pre-op and post-op with my new insurance which I’m so thankful for BUT I told her to brace herself because I’m a question-asking machine. She may want to kill me before my 6 months are over! LOLOLOL

My surgery is scheduled for December 19. I've never had surgery either and am scared, too, but to remind myself of these things: 1. My doctor absolutely knows what he's doing and will be able to handle any complications that arise. 2. My doctor will choose an anesthesiologist who is just as good. 3. He will make a few incisions and place the band around my stomach and then place the port. There will be no "rearranging" of my insides ... there should be very little cutting! (Especially if I do my part to try to shrink my liver.) This is fairly minimally invasive procedure. I'm just really trying to focus on trusting my doctor ... that's why I chose him! Being nervous is normal, though. Just know I'm sure you'll be just fine. :grouphug:

Thankyou very much. I try not to listen to the bad things that people say. All I know is that no matter how bad any complications may be, they will never be as bad as the gastric bypass. I know I will be fine. Are you excited??

My surgeon will not operate on smokers because of bleeding. He said he's responsible for outcome and he's knows smokers will have complications. If you can't follow the diet, see if you can move surgery back a week or 2. The best thing they did was ease me onto a liquid diet before surgery. I did 1200 calories a day on a restricted diet for 4 wks, then 1000 cals a day for 2 wks before surgery, nothing but liquid for 30 hrs before. I don't think you're ready and you don't want to start off with complication. I had my gall bladder removed also. I was back to work in 2 weeks and off pain meds by then. Minimal complaints. I mean I can't exercise yet but it went well. Don't set yourself up and certainly be honest with your surgeon if you're smoking.

Pain in conjunction with fever cold indicate a serious complication. Please call your doctor immediately. I'm so surprised by just how soon people progress with food. I personally think people are rushing things with trying to eat foods when they aren't properly healed yet.

Hi everybody, I've been lurking on the boards for so long that I felt it was time to come out of hiding and say how much inspiration you've all given to me without knowing it. You are a great source of information, comfort, and camaraderie -- it feels wonderful to know that I'm not alone. My real name is Michele. I'm originally from St. Louis, MO but I've been living in the Houston area (The Woodlands to be more exact) for 14 years. I'm 49 years old and I have a host of problems that I hope are going to be greatly improved by the surgery -- diabetes, high blood pressure, low thyroid, high cholesterol. Diabetes is the main one. My mom was about 100 lbs. overweight and died when she was 62 from the complications of diabetes. It's taken several of my friends too, and I just don't want to go out that way if I can help it. It's funny, I'm a conservative Republican but I tell everyone "Thank you President Obama!" If it weren't for Obamacare I don't know where I'd be. Because of the PCIP program which is part of the Affordable Care Act, I am able to get insurance and I couldn't afford it previously. I was turned down for other insurance and the Texas Risk Pool insurance was twice as expensive as what I pay for deductibles now. Anyway, my insurance covers bariatric surgery. I had to be on medically supervised weight loss for 6 months, then they approved me. Because of previous surgery I had on my ears this year, I've already met my out of pocket maximum so this surgery is free for me. I have been truly blessed. This past year has been an epic saga trying to get to this point. After doing everything I needed to do for six months and gaining approval for the surgery on the first try, I found out my surgeon was out of network because the medical group he was a part of fell apart and he joined with a new group and my insurance couldn't find him on their network anymore. Finally my insurance suggested that I find a different surgeon so I looked around and found one who has a lot of good reviews online -- and this is going to be my hero - Dr. Dexter Turnquest. My surgery is scheduled for Monday the 19th at 1:00 pm. I'm so excited that it's finally happening yet I'm feeling more nervous and I have more trepidation than I thought I would. My surgeon allows only Clear Liquids for the first week (yep the week of thanksgiving - maybe i can find some turkey broth). Then after that I go on the soft diet. He said he wants his patients eating their Protein, not drinking Liquid Protein, so I'm glad I won't have to be on the Protein Shakes -- I'm sorry, they're mostly awful. I worry what it's going to be like to be at home and not chowing down. I wonder what it's going to be like not to eat certain things, not to eat as much as I used to eat. I wonder if I'll get really depressed because that's been my coping source all these years. But I know that God is on my side and He has brought me to this and He'll help me get through it. But I can't help wondering and worrying a little if it's going to be really hard. Can anyone recommend things I should have on hand for that first week when I'm home that I would regret if I didn't get? My friend is going to spend the night with me the night I come home (which will be Tuesday afteroon) but after that I'm mostly going to be on my own sitting in my little apartment. Please let me know if there were things, medicines, food items, that you were really glad you had around. Anyone else live in The Woodlands area? I would love to go to a support group and make some new friends. I think it would help me get out of myself and help me take the focus off ME. There's so much more I could say so I'll just leave it at that for right now -- thanks again to all of you for being here!

Interesting article, but I think it barely scratches the surface on the minor complications. Soooo glad for my band to be gone!!! You know I rolled onto my side in bed this morning and it didn't hurt. For the first time in almost 4 years. Sweet!

I am just in the beginning stages of this process and looking for a surgeon in the Atlanta area. I have researched several, and now my brain is simply boggled! Dr. John Daly performed a rather complicated surgery on my husband that went really well, but I'm not sure he does sleeves. I have also looked into Dr. Macik. I would love to hear about others experience with their surgeons or any suggestions you might have. Thanks in advance for your advice. I must say I have been extremely pleased with Dr. Macik. My surgery went well and I was up the same day walking. He sets you up for a great post op for eating and even gives a day buy day. I would be have pick a different Dr! Good luck with your surgery

I thought he was very pleasant however you don't need a surgeon who can be your best friend. You need a skilled surgeon who you trust can handle any unforeseen complications that could crop up while you are on the operating table and I could not be any more convinced that Umbach is an outstanding choice!

I understand the urge to eat off of plan, but please don't do that. Strawberries have seeds. Even if it was mush, those seeds can lodge in your staple line. The post-op stages are designed so that you can get in enough nutrition while you. are healing from major surgery. It may not be fun but it is for your benefit: to heal successfully without major complications. As my NUT reminded us, it is only temporary. We can do anything for a short time. Please have patience and follow your program and it will be over sooner than if you do something to cause complications. Just focus on getting in all of your fluids and Protein and following your program. You can do it!