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i wouldnt say ps was inevitable, but probable.. congrats on your weight loss, that is amazing. your skin may shrink a little, but doubtful back all the way. that depends on so many factors, age (which you do have on your side), how long you've been heavy/obese, where you carry the weight, etc... after just going thru an extended tummy tuck and lipo, i cannot determine which was better for me - the band or the PS... best of luck to you.

Exercise wont shrink them, time might to a small degree. At your age, I'd go for it, you've got lots of years to be young and show off your body and why waste them being sad about a part of you that you can change? I feel a lot differently about it for myself because the reality of sagging, wrinkling skin is a lot closer. I need a boob lift, but I kind of figure, what's the point. The rest of me will be heading south faster than I can blink!

No matter what part of the body is undergoing surgery, the process of healing is the same. Surgically “traumatized tissue” (skin, muscle, bones, cartilage, tendons, etc.) does not just magically heal; rather, the body has to rebuild and repair tissue on the cellular level. This involves energy and nutritional building blocks to support the healing process. Healing efforts surround the rebuilding of collagen, the main component in many tissues — such as skin, muscle, blood vessels, and bone. Improperly-formed collagen is associated with healing disturbances. Healing occurs in three overlapping phases. Most of one's healing occurs in the first few weeks. Inflammatory phase (up to 5 days): The body’s first response to injury involves forming a localized blood clot to stop bleeding. Infection-fighting cells (neutrophils) and debris cleaning cells (macrophages) are recruited to the traumatized area. Proliferative phase (2 days - 3 weeks): The body starts building tissue with specialized collagen-forming cells called fibroblasts. This new tissue is called granulation tissue and special growth factors to stimulate skin formation (epithelialization). Remodeling phase (3 weeks - years): The body transforms and replaces the collagen that was placed during the proliferative phase into a stronger collagen to support structure and function over the long term. It is a good idea to be as healthy as possible and nutritionally balanced before surgery to support healing. Certain vitamins and minerals are known to support the normal response to healing, and to support the normal immune system response to infection. Vitamin C: Necessary to build and rebuild collagen throughout the body. Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant that supports the immune response. Vitamin A: Supports immune system functioning and aids collagen strength. Also required for bone development. Zinc: An essential trace mineral used in enzymatic reactions involved in tissue and wound healing, regeneration, and repair. Vitamin K: Aids the natural blood clotting response and is important for bone health. B-Vitamins: Cellular metabolism, tissue repair and immune support. Vitamin D and Calcium: Important for bone health. Magnesium: Mineral involved in approximately 300 biochemical reactions. Amino Acids (L-Arginine, L-Glutamine): Two key amino acids for wound repair and immune function. Dietary Supplements to avoid before surgery: Vitamin E and surgery do not mix because Vitamin E is associated with increased bleeding, and this can lead to a collection of blood (called a hematoma) that could result in serious complications. The Vitamin E applied to scars is different from the Vitamin E taken orally. Vitamin E for the skin is okay. Herbal supplements, in general, should be avoided before surgery because they can cause bleeding or other operative complications. Some herbal supplements to avoid: Ginko Biloba, Garlic, Ginseng, Ginger, Dong Quai, Ephedra, Feverfew, St. John’s Wort and/or Omega 3 fatty acids. http://www.surgerysupplements.com/pre-operative-supplements-recommended-supplements-before-surgery/

I'm totally worried that I'm going to have flappy skin - I am not going to undergo more surgery - thats how I feel now anyway. At 31 does anyone know if I am doomed to have excess skin after weight loss, or are there techniques to help firm the skin?

Lila- I Too Pb Daily. There's Times I Throw Up And It's Like The Kind Of Throwing Up You Would Do If You Had The Flu. I Hate It! I Think I'm To Tight. I Got My First Fill Of 2.5cc And Wasn't Loosing Any Wt And Was Still Feeling Restricted All Day Until Supper. Then It Seemed Like Everything Opened Up And I Could Eat A 6in Sub With No Restriction. After 3 Months I Decided To Get My Second Fill Of 0.8cc To See If That Would Help Me Start To Loose Wt. It's Been 1 Month Now Since That Second Fill And I'm Still Trying To Get Pureed Foods Down. I Have A Serious Hard Time Drinking Fluid Or Attempting To Eat Mush Until Late In The Afternoon. And I Can Only Eat 1-2 Bites At A Time And Sometimes That Doesn't Seem To Stay Down. I Think I Need To Get Some Fluid Removed But I'm Now Looseing Wt Like 3-6lbs A Wk And I Have To Pay Privately Every Time I Get Something Done So That's What's Keeping Me From Having Some Removed. I Just Pray My Band Doesn't Slip!! I Plan To Have Some Removed But Not For Awhile Until I Get Down At Least Anither 30 Lbs. I'm Just Affraid That If I Get Some Taken Back Out I Won't Be Able To Loose Any Wt Again?!?

I will be getting banded March 27th in Mexacali by Dr Aceves. I need to loose about 90 lbs. I want to be down 50 by July. Wish me luck. Dawna 36 BMI 40.8 245ish Goal 150ish :w00t:

I would love to. I will check my husband's schedule to see if he can get the kids. It may be tough since it is the last day of the month but I will see. Thanks for the info. Please keep me in mind if anything else comes up too. I am glad that you have had a good experience so far. Congrats. How much weight do you want to loose? I have about 90 or so. Take care & please keep in touch. It is so nice to know someone is out there who has already experienced what i will soon...

Even though you're not a fan of drinking and walking, give it a try till your tiny tummy can take more water. After a while you will be able to gulp water again but in the meantime, you need some way to keep from getting so thirsty. Just a little sip here and there on the walk will help. I had that issue too and I carried a water bottle everywhere and sipped, sipped, sipped. I still take water most everywhere, but I can now take a nice long walk and then drink a full glass pretty quickly when I get back home. Congrats on the exercise! For me, it's really been key to continued weight loss as I approach goal and to giving some nice form under the looser skin I now have. Lynda

Short for fluoroscopy, a method used to see what's going on in the body. Like my extremely non-technical explanation? :eek: Think of it like xrays, only real time -- like filming someone with an xray camera so that you can see through their skin into their insides. Filling under a fluroscope - I've never had it done, but I would assume they use barium (some tissues won't show well on the fluoroscope so barium is used as a visual aid to show what's going on -- e.g. the esophagus isn't terribly clear, but you can see the barium that's sitting inside of it) and either fill to the point that the barium can't get by, then release until it trickles through OR fill gradually as the barium flows until restriction is acheived. They would also be able to see the hardware on the fluoroscope image (...think of an xray of a hand, and how it can be really hard to see what's going on with it, but if there are pins or other devices that show opaque, you have no trouble making them out.) Here's a description of a fill done with fluoroscopy.

Did anyone else go through changes with their skin after being banded? I feel really good am getting plenty of nutrition but..... I normally get a bit of a rash on my face when I get really stressed out, but I look like I have the chicken pox!!! AND...the skin on my fingers is peeling...:help: What is that all about?????? Skye

Well, I have always had clear beautiful skin all my life until a few months ago. I haven't lost a significant amount of weight (only 16lbs since banded May 24th), but for some reason back in October I started getting really bad bad acne breakouts - but these are not regular whiteheads - these are large red painful cysts that take weeks for them even to ooze let alone a few months to completely go away. Just when I get one cleared up - another will pop up literally overnight and its been ongoing for several several months now. It makes me feel very very ugly never having skin problems before. I use mineral makeup and have for years - never had problems with it before - I tried every over the counter product - no luck - I even switched to everything all natural products and don't use them in combinations with others and still not luck. I don't have the money to see a dermatologist and I've tried everythins possible - I hate it! My boyfriend says it has to be from all the changes my body has gone through - but what changed? I haven't lost that much weight, i'm taking a mult-vitamin - I'm getting plenty nutrtion and I'm excercising. I also became lactose intolerant a few months ago but only with milk - these are 2 things that have never been problems before being banded but if they are band related then why did it take 6 months to show up?

I was banded in September 2008. My starting weight was 433 lbs. Even at 5' 9", my BMI was over 60. I was wearing size 34-36 clothes, and they were tight. If I gained any more weight I would have to wear mumus! Before my decision to get the lap band, I thought I would never be able to lose the weight and I would die morbidly obese. When my sister-in-law was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and I thought of her children growing up without a mom, it made me realize that my children could easily face the same fate. So I vowed to do something about it. I chose the lap band because it is reversible and adjustable. I knew that I am young enough that if a better bariatric technique comes along I want to be able to take advantage of that. Whereas if I had a gastric bypass I might not be able to do so, since part of my stomach and/or intestines would be cut away. I had to wait 6 months from the time I made the decision to the surgery date. Waiting was hard, but it gave me time to prepare and get other health issues (undiagnosed Type II diabetes, high blood pressure) under control with medications. My lap band surgery went smoothly, and recovery was not difficult. Afterwards, sticking with the liquid diet for several weeks afterwards was a challenge. And waiting four weeks for the first fill, and two weeks in between fills, and four fills before I got to my sweet spot was a BIG challenge. I was so anxious to get the weight loss going, that it was hard to wait so long to get this tool in my hands after I had made the decision to do it. The nutritionist I met with before my surgery told me that the lap band is not a panacea, it doesn't do the work for you, but it gives you a great tool for you to use. It's like I had been trying all my life to dig a hole with a teaspoon. I got frustrated and gave up, who wouldn't? Getting the lap band is like trading in your teaspoon for a backhoe. I still have to do the work, but now I have a great tool for the job. I found this analogy to be extremely true in my case. Once I got to my fourth fill, and the lap band really started working for me, then the weight really came off. Although the rate fluctuated, over time my weight loss was a pretty consistent 2 pounds per week. Basically, I lost 200 pounds in the first two years. Those were two years of amazing changes in my life. I did a lot of work on the inside as well as the outside to get to know myself better and learn to love myself and accept myself, faults and all, even as I strive to make myself a better version of me. I did a lot of exploration, pushed a lot of personal boundaries, and even changed careers. I do believe that this internal work is a critical part of the weight loss journey for anyone, in order to be successful in the long run. Backing up a little bit, I had a pretty severe pannus even before I started losing weight. Once my weight loss got going, all my health issues got better (Type II diabetes and blood pressure came under control without medication) but the rashes under my pannus got worse! As I lost weight my pannus kept dropping lower and lower! Finally I sought out a plastic surgeon and we got insurance to cover a panniculectomy. He cut off 14 pounds of skin and fat! I had lost about 80 pounds by this point, so we knew that the band was working for me. The recovery from the panniculectomy was initially easy, but later I developed some pretty severe seromas, that required my surgeon to go in and pull Fluid out several times a week. But after the first month I was very glad I had the panniculectomy. No more rashes, clothes fit me better, and it was a lot easier to exercise! I have to admit, though, that I did not exercise regularly at first. I'm not proud to admit it, but most of that 200 pounds lost was through diet rather than exercise. After losing 200 pounds my weight loss stalled. I spent about a year and a half between 220-230 lbs, wearing a size 18-20W. At this point my life was already transformed, I had already achieved and exceeded the goals that my doctor and I set out for myself (my initial goal was to get into the "low 200s" which I later defined as 249 lbs.) and I thought that was all the weight loss there was for me. I was satisfied, but I still longed to go lower, to get out of plus sizes, and to be eligible to have a full set of plastic surgery procedures to transform me into the beautiful woman that I felt myself to be inside. I set a new goal, 199 pounds. So a little over a year ago I finally decided to get serious about losing the extra weight. First of all, I went in to have my band tightened. I discovered that my band wasn't holding a fill very well. After a series of tests, my doctor discovered that I had a leaky port, and I went in for port replacement surgery. That surgery was a piece of cake, and after I got my port and tubing (it was actually leaky tubing) replaced my band worked as good as new. So getting a properly working, properly adjusted band was the first step towards getting back on track. The other thing I had to do was get serious about exercise. All my life I had hated exercise, and had only ever done it out of obligation or guilt. But some friends were raving about a small yoga class, including one friend who also struggles with weight and body image issues, and I thought going to yoga with friends would be more fun and make it easier to stick with it. I struggled mightily with voices of self-doubt at first, but eventually I really started getting into yoga. At first I was going only once a week, then twice a week, and now I am going five days a week M-F. Now I love yoga! I have learned so much about myself as well as greatly increased my strength and flexibility through yoga. I can't recommend yoga highly enough. I only wish I had gotten into it sooner. Oh, and weight loss! In the last year I have lost another 50 pounds or so. As of this writing (2/25/2013) my weight is 185 (size 14-16), making my total weight loss 248 pounds. My current goal is to get down to 180, then have plastic surgery. I figure that will take me down into the 160s. Currently I am consulting with plastic surgeons in my local area (San Jose, CA) as well a few in Los Angeles, CA and Tijuana, Mexico. I am looking to have a lower body lift (probably with fleur-de-lis/anchor incision), liposuction, breast lift with implants, brachioplasty, and medial thigh lift. I still working out how I will pay for all of this, as well as find the time for these multiple surgeries and the recoveries from each. But it is a priority for me! I have been more than thrilled with my weight loss journey. The lap band has been an incredible tool for me to help me achieve my goals. I wish everyone similar success in their weight loss journeys. Before lap band: After lap band (I've actually lost more weight since this picture was taken. I'm not HOLDING my old jeans, I'm WEARING them!):

Lap band has many possible complications, if there is a choice to be made choose between bypass and sleeve not the band. Bypass is for someone looking to loose 100 lbs and sleeve if you are looking to loose 60 or 80. Sent from my SM-G550T using the BariatricPal App Thank you so much. I hope you had a good new year. Sent from my SM-N910T using the BariatricPal App

Try taking the Vitamelts Hair Skin and Nails. They dissolve in your mouth berry flavored. I take them daily

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes six years ago. The oral meds I took for this time contributed to a 20 lb weight gain over those 6 years. In January 2011, my doctor broke the news that my A1C was too high at 8.4%. I was going to have to increase my meds again. After I balked at the idea of more meds, my doctor suggested that I consider lapband. My wife was banded 5 months earlier in Mexico, so we went off to Mexico again, this time to get me banded. In 5 months, I have lost 60lbs, A1C went from 8.4 to 5.8, BP from 120/75 to 95/60, triglycerides from 335 to 133, cholesterol from 180 to 135. I have much more energy now. I can't believe that I may have to figure out how not to loose more weight in the very near future. That will be a great problem to have. My doctor believes that I can go medication free at my next visit in September.

Mine shrunk significantly. I was 42-44 dd, I am now 36 d. I have been measured as 34 c or d, but find I prefer my underwire 36 d brs, so even buy new at same size. It was excitiing for me to go to Victoria Secret to purchase them. I haev lost 100 lbs, but noticed the size change start at about 30 lbs. Good luck, Karen (kll724) PS: I have worn good bras from Victoria Secret since starting to loose weight, I had gotten 3 for Christmas in 2009. I wore them all for 9 months, until they were way big, them gave them to Salvation Army as a donation. I didn't feel too bad about that as I got a lot of wear out of them.

I've been watching the Biggest Loser, both the American one and the Australian one and I have noticed how 'tight' the contestants' skin looks... especially their upper arms. O know they work like hell in the gym and that they spend most of the day working out and getting physio etc... but why don't they have sagging bat wings like me? I'm thinking the belly area is tight due to good underwear but the arms...? Any ideas?

Hey guys. I'm sure this has come up but was wondering about people's experience with loose skin and the stretch marks (mine are faded not red). I'm sure the stretch marks won't go away but any suggestion on how to tighten up this skin??? I'm 24% body fat now and I'm sure I still got a lot of fat to lose but still it's bugging the heck outta me Thanks everyone

Thanks fore replying ...meg, ain't it frustrating!! Hey Nancy, if you could find the info that would be great.. perhaps I could email him as I am in the Uk...? I do exercise and specific exercise for m arms and beneath the small layer of fat and a lot of skin there is muscle definition... but the bat wings ain't pretty!!

Oh, Crosswinds, I've been doing the exact same thing this week! My goal of 190 is completely arbitrary-- I set that for myself because I remember weighing that in grad school (I'm 6'2" and that's near the top of a "normal" BMI for my height). I hit the 190's back in November, I think, and I'm STILL HERE. I've been bouncing back and forth between 191 and 194, panicking a bit when I was 195 this morning.... yet I haven't changed my eating habits or anything else. I'm starting to worry that "this is it," and when I say worry, that's kind of a relative term--I'm in a size 12/14 and get tons of compliments daily--I feel great. But now I'm wondering if this is where I'm going to be and what if I should aim lower and if so, what do I need to do differently to get there, etc. etc. etc. And I'm checking my body and not liking what I see all that much--still have weight that could go, you know? I am so much smaller than before--I definitely was HUGE at 306. And some of what I hate is loose skin, but some of it is definitely NOT just skin.... ICK! I have never been good at "diets," which is why I ended up where I was, and I absolutely hate having to think about what I'm eating. I have had to eat mindfully for the last few months because of my picky small sleeve, and I just do it because I have to, but I've gotten into a groove with this eating plan--and thinking about adjusting it again to continue to drop weight (and all the hassles that involves with new foods/possibly not acceptable to my sleeve foods) gives me serious pause. I don't know; I just don't know. It's so strange to try to rationalize and plan something like this.

Did you even ask him what he meant by that , we say words and mean different things , when I read flabby , i was thinking you had extra skin , not being fat , I never saw a fat person and said they look flabby , but when I see people with extra skin I will say flabby , I just reread your post , go ask him WTH he meant by that

I don't think I have really had any hunger since I was sleeved. I am 12 weeks out now, and I do have head hunger, but as far as actual hunger pangs, I don't have any of that. I know some days I will come home from work (I work over nights, from 7:00 PM to 7:30 AM) and go to bed without even eating breakfast. When I get up, I'm not really hungry, and I rarely eat at work. Before I was sleeved, McDonalds was my first stop on the way home! I couldn't even get home without almost perishing (or so I thought) from hunger. I usually have something to eat when I get up, because I know if I don't, my body will switch into starvation mode, and I won't loose anything for several days. And of course, I know that I need to eat to nourish my body. My hardest situation is making healthy choices. Since I can consume such a small quantity of food, I know it is essential that I make wise choices, and choose protein over empty carbs. Not always an easy choice. I have been reading on the internet about foods that help to keep you satisfied, and many sources suggest being sure to eat enough lean protein foods, high fiber foods and foods that contain a high content of water. All of these are supposed to keep you feeling more satisfied than some of the other things that are out there. Hope you can work through this!

I guess i can start with getting banded right, I guess that is where most start. I was banded on September 2,2011 its a day that you don't forget. I remember feeling scared, nerves, and completely terrified (to say the least). I guess i can also go back to the start of the weight problem right. Well here goes. Believe it or not i wasn't always a big heavy person. I was 165 in high school and it was all muscle but at the time i just thought it was all fat, and being big boned didn't help my way of thinking or my mothers. She saw big boned as an excuse for fat. Even at my skinniest in high school i was 145lbs. Eating at home was a battle, My mom kept a metaphorical lock and key on the fridge and everywhere in the house that there was food and sodas. I was allowed three meals a day and forget about seconds no matter how hungry i was. And sodas where a no no except to my mom and dad. They could have all the sodas they wanted. She didn't really start to come down on me until high school when i started lifting weights and the weight wouldn't stop coming on little did i know it was muscle not fat. She really came down on me hard and so did my dad. I was playing all the sports i could and ran like crazy everyday. She started me on all the diet pills i could handle until i couldn't eat any more. My sophomore year of high school she thought it was best if i drank slim fast for all meals. I was embarrassed to take the can of slim fast to school so in the morning i would drink the nasty drinks and show her that i was taking one for lunch and head out the door. She didn't give me money because that would only mean that i would eat something from the school. So there i was at lunch time and my only choice was to either drink the slim fast and look like an over weight dork or just not eat. So i chose not to eat. At dinner i would drink my slim fast and after everyone was asleep go to the kitchen and sneak a quick snack and hope she wouldn't know that it was gone in the mornings. That was mostly fine during volley ball season because you don't really run to much. And at school there was always someone willing to give me 50 cents for a soda so i didn't really feel very hungry. But basketball was a very different story. I had a game on a Monday night out of town on of the few games my mother had time to come to, I was playing hard and before i knew it i was on my floor in the gym with my coach and everyone around me. I didn't know what had happened i just remember someone was shooting a free throw and i was ready then i woke up on the floor. I was sitting on the bench and my coach asked me what i ate that day looking at my mom i said nothing really. I told her i drank a shake for breakfast and didn't eat lunch. She asked me when the last time i ate was i said i don't remember. Right then she told my mom i could stay for the game but couldn't play until i was eating again. I don't know what else she told my mom that night but i remember my dad telling my mother that it was enough with diets that if i didn't want to stick with them i shouldn't have to if i was going to go and do things like this. I felt like i had let them down i felt the need to deal with it myself. So from that year until my senior year i had eating disorders like not eating or eating till i thought my stomach was about to explode but i didn't eat at home. I would go to my friends house where her mom knew what my mom was doing to me and would fix me all kinds of food. Im not saying what i was doing was right but i didn't know that at the time. When i left for college i found a whole new life where i couldn't be controlled by anyone because i made all my own choices and food was my number one obsession. My boy friend was excited that i was eating and never stopped to let me know that i was gaining weight like crazy. Before i knew it i was about 240lbs the heaviest of my whole life. Other traumatic things had happened but ill save that for another story. I moved back in with my mom and that didnt help only now i could go to a fast food place and eat as much as i could and then come home. by the time that i moved out again i was a big 265 and i found it hard to loose the weight once it started. little did i know i have polytheistic ovarian syndrome and it makes it hard to loose weight. I met the man of my dreams in 2008 we got married in 2009 where i was 275. I wasn't happy about the weight and it would go down and come back i was tired of trying and i didn't care any more i thought well if i cant get past 240 then what is the point. I just didn't care any more. My mom had been on my about weight loss surgery but i didn't think that it was possible and i didn't think that it would work i thought i was a lost cause and i would forever be "The heavy girl". I wouldn't take pictures with my kids or my husband i didn't want to look like a big whale next to small children or a whale next to a man. They are my step kids i don't have any children of my own. I was trying diet pills and all kinds of things but at the end of the day i would just eat and eat and eat. One morning woke up and just hated everything my feet felt like they where going to explode from all the pressure that i was putting on them and my back was killing me. I was at the end of my rope i wanted to be skinny and i wanted my life back. I didn't like they way people would look at me and i didn't like that i felt so ugly. I hated the way that people would look at me when i went out to eat and the way that i felt when i would eat in front of people. I didn't want to go any where or do anything. I hadn't worn a swim suit in six years or more. And my whole wardrobe was basketball shorts, jeans, and XXX L t-shirts. I felt like a cow and i didn't see an end in site. August 2011 my mom came and got me and told me i needed a change and she was willing to help me no matter what the cost. I was offended of course but i wanted to change i wanted to show everyone that i was more then just "The fat girl" i was someone. I agreed to lap band and it all started. I didn't know what to expect i was scared and thought they might tell me i was under weight or to fat to have it done. Or later i would hear them talk about how fat i was. But when i walked in to the office i was greeted real nice like i was a real person (something i didn't expect at all) considering all the times i have walked into a doctors office and had been treated like i looked. I met with the nurses and the doctor and they where so nice and caring. And i decided i had made the right choice. I cried because i was scared every time i met with the doctor to be honest I knew i was going to be cut on and that scared me more then anything. My husband didn't want me to do it because he was just as scared as i was but i did it anyways. The night before the surgery i was so scared i couldn't even sleep. I felt like i was going to summer camp where i didn't know any one. I thought about my doctor telling me that i was going to be beautiful and love the way that i looked and i was going to be happy. It made that day a little easier that and i had lost 20lbs in two weeks that was a boost to. When called to the waiting room i was so scared i couldn't stop crying and i hate crying. They sent many people in there to talk to me to tell me what to expect even a nurse that met me the day before came in to check on me when she didn't even have to. Just to make sure that i was going to be ok. Now i wasn't loud and crazy lol i was just quietly worrying my self to death. they came in and gave me meds to calm me down and man did that i was happy and laughing and making jokes. When i woke up the pain was ok the gas however sucked. i dont remember much of that day or the next to be honest i was moving around and not eating because my tummy wasn't ready for food but i tried. I know that the gas was gone from my stomach and that was much better. Getting rid of the gas from your stomach for me it was like im about to throw up and all that came out with this horrible burp see they don't tell me that you have to learn how to burp again. Any ways I went back to the Dr a week later and lost another ten pounds i was happy and i didn't cry when the doctor said im happy to see your not terrified of me any more i said well your not trying to cut me he just laughed. Since then i have lost a total of 80 something pounds with my ups and downs which i will get to more later, but in the end it is all well worth it. And im so happy that i when through with this. Still six months later.

Hi bigdog What does that mean, no restriction. I have read that alot on this board. Are you still on liquids? Loosing weight? How long did you take to feel "better"? After surgery, how long was it before you went to the market or walked around the block? Do you go to support groups? How well did you do on you pre-op diet?