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I had surgery in Novemeber of 08. I started by telling just a few friends and co-workers, including my boss, who I had a close relationship with. I told my coworkers (there were a total of 8 of us who worked together) just before I had the surgery, mainly because I knew my eating habits would be so obviously different when I came back to work, and we all ate lunch together as a group. As far as post op complications: if you are having your surgery in Mexico, I assume your insurance did not cover bariatric surgery, so most will not cover any complications that can be directly related to your surgery. Be sure that you have someone lined up at home to follow you post op, whether it is a local bariatric surgeon (you will ususally have to pay a "transfer fee"), a general surgeon, or your primary care doctor. There are lab results that need to be monitored about every 6 months for the first 2 years, then yearly after that, especially if you are having the sleeve or bypass. Be sure you are compliant with your multivitamins, B12, and calcium post op. Best of luck!

That is a personal choice. I'm telling very few people because I've learned that a lot of people view this very negatively. As for insurance, your plan may cover NOTHING, including complications, so you need to be aware and informed on that.

Hi Cheryl! Best of luck on your surgery tomorrow. I am feeling great - better everyday. I didn't go through any complications so far .... but I will tell you that when you first wake up from surgery, it is the toughest part. They will give you painkillers right away, and the first 2 days is second hardest. But I was able to get through it far better than I thought! Anyway, I am very excited for you. I was nervous too - but just remind yourself that the first few days are worth having a new life.

Oh, thanks so much for replying -- I'll be sure to request Dr. Foster for my fills if that's the case! My mom will be visiting for the surgery and after. I'll let her know she can stay with me. I might need my mommy all night, even though I'll be 48 by March 5. I haven't been in the hospital since I got my nose broken in high school... When you left the hospital did you feel you had all the instructions you needed? It seems rather complicated all in all. How soon were you able to drive, and return to work? I'm hoping not to miss more than a week. :eek:

Hello friends, I am still awaiting my psych appt., nutrition, consult with doc, and hope to be banded mid November. OK, I have a totally new fear I am hoping someone can help me with. My insurance does not cover this operation or any complications that may arise. That is scary enough but then... I heard someone say that they had lost 100 pounds and had to pay an enormous fortune in plastic surgery to fix all of the loose skin! I don't have an enormous fortune, In fact I am taking out a loan for surgery! Does anyone know anything about this? K

:confused:I have had trouble from the beginning with my LAP-BAND®, I was filled up to I think almost 4cc's and did lose about 35-40lbs in the first six months or so, my surgery was June 2007. But I started having a lot of problems with acid reflux, pain, vomiting, nausea, so they began unfilling in August of last year. The Dr unfilled a little at a time about .5cc at a time, and I was so disappointed because then I felt hungry, but still had the symptoms. In July/August last year, I started waking up aspirating from acid reflux in the night, which was soooooooo scary. I didn't want to lay down. I called and the Dr wanted to unfill more. He did. We did a Upper GI he didn't think anything was wrong. But then I started developing pains, sharp pains like heart attack pains in upper chest/stomach area seemingly either with empy stomach, like first thing in mornings, or after meals. Very scary, hurt to breath. I also went through a couple bad bronchitis episodes due to the aspiration affecting my lungs and still have wheezing in my lungs. Have gone to respiratory Dr for that, and they haven't given me a good explanation as to why I am having problems with wheezing. They have ruled out asthma. But in Dec the Abd pain got so bad I went to ER and they did a CAT scan. The ER dr called my LAP-BAND® Dr and advised they thought I had a pretty significant band slippage they could see. The stomach has slipped up through the band. The ER dr referred me back to the Lapbad Dr. However I have been more and more discouraged with this Dr for feeling like he just keep blaming me for my lack of results stating I was eating too much sweets, and not exercising enough. I kept telling him I wasn't eating that much, my fiance and now husband even backed me up on that. I am bad at exercise, but I was having so many complications with food it has almost become impossible for me to want to eat. Food wouldn't go down, either too chunky or I think I ate too fast because I waited till I was hungry, and it came back up immediately. So I am sure that added to it all. Anyway, so now in late December my LAP-BAND® Dr decided to totally unfill me to help with pain and reflux. It has helped. He has told me based on the latest CAT that he doesnt' think the slippage is too major, but he gave me the option to have it repaired or removed. I really hated coming to that decision, because the whole two years has been such an ordeal, and full of disappointment. I don't know how much is from the LAP-BAND® slipping, how long ago that happened, and the combination of symptoms not helping me loose the weight. I am basically back to my original weight. Having spent much money and time having the original LAP-BAND® placed, and going to all the Dr appts, having the Upper GI's done, and now CAT scan. Even with insurance, not a cheap endeaver. Now I am trying to decide what to do. My original goal was to loose weight. I am soooooo disappointed to not have any of that happen and to be back to square one, feeling helpless about the situation. I wished it would have worked for me, and I even asked about maybe switching to a full gastric bypass. But he said he wouldn't do that at the same time he removes the band. There is no guarantee that fixing it will work, or I won't run into the same problems in the future again. So I am opting for removal. Any other insight or opinions as to what to do? I almost feel like getting a 2nd oppinion. But here in CO there are not too many Dr's that even know about LAP-BAND® it seems. Plus I don't know if the ins will help pay for removal, or how much that surgery will cost, and time off work. Ugh!!!!!

I was banded in 2005 and revised to sleeve in 4/2014....So far I have no regrets and No complications. I am 20 pounds down and have been feeling normal since day 3 of coming home from the one night stay at the hospital...We are all different and we will all have different results and different feelings. I really like my Sleeve and its nothing like the band, no throwing up,no stuck food, no fills and unfills, no being too tight at night. Good luck with your journey and decision.

Hello All. This is my 1st time here. I have been to other boards here before, but I havent been completely happy. I am going to have my band removed in 2 wks. Can anyone tell me anything about the surgery PLEASE. I'm very nervous! :confused2: Compared to getting it put in.... Was the hospital stay longer? Was there more pain? How long were you out of work? Any complications? How long till you felt better and eating like regular etc. Thank you for listening and sorry for so many questions. I am so nervous.

For me at nearly 40 years old it was my mother that was the most vocal critic though many people in my family were against it. They all thought I could just buckle down and do it myself like all the other times I had (then gained it back). They thought it was just laziness and a lack of will power and that sugery was some sort of cop out. My mom cried, begged, offered to pay for other things like (fat camps, hypnosis, Jenny Craig...) for her what it really boiled down to was she was scared of complications from the surgery. She still saw this as a dangerous procedure like RNY and was convinced I could die from it. I showed her several studies done on the band and invited her to come to one of the seminars as well as a support group meeting. She was never willing to give me her full "blessing" before the surgery but now 2 years out she is so proud of what I have accomplished and has actually had several friends and co-workers of her call me for advice on how to start the process of getting thier own bands. My advice - bring her to a seminar, take her to a local support group meeting where she can see and talk to people who are already banded, find the case studies that have been done for her to read. But in the end, tell her you lover her but that you need to do what you know is right for you.

My surgery was scheduled for 8:30, but I was asked to get to the hospital two hours a head of time. So, I got there at 6:30 a.m. and went to the admissions office, where they processed my paperwork. Then I was taken to a room and asked to put on a gown and cap. While waiting for them to pick me up, I had an EKG (because I have a heart arrythmia) and the nurse went over EVERYTHING with me. Then I was wheeled to the pre-op room and my husband accompanied me. That's when the anesthesiologist introduced himself and we talked about the procedure and pain management/nausea concerns. He started an IV in my hand (didn't hurt at all) and he gave me several anti-nausea medications and antibiotics. Then my surgeon showed up and other nurses came in to ask me who I was and why was I there. I must have been asked that question at least a dozen times. The anesth. then gave me a mild sedative, I said goodbye to my husband (while trying not to cry) and I was wheeled into the operating room. They put a blood pressure cuff on my arm and put massaging cuffs on my legs to prevent clots. I was pretty relaxed at this point and I remember them giving me oxygen through a mask and telling me that I was going to go to sleep. A few seconds later, I felt myself being moved over to another gurney, and that's because the procedure was over. I also remember them telling me that the surgery was over. Then I must have been in the recovery and I remember taking my oxygen mask off because I had a bad taste in my mouth. They put it back on me and told me it was because of the anesthesia. I asked for more anti-nausea meds and they gave them to me, and I just kept drifting in and out of sleep. I remember thinking that I should hurry up and wake up so I can go home -- almost as if I was taking up too much time, but they let me sleep in recovery and didn't rush me at all. One issue was that my oxygen saturation was kind of low, so they kept telling me to take deeper breaths. After about two hours in recovery, I was moved to another room where I met up with my husband and again kept drifting in and out of sleep. I was given Water to sip and then eventually juice. About an hour later, I got up and walked to the bathroom, and then told the nurse I was ready to go home. The worst part of the experience was the bad taste in my mouth. I tend to be a little claustrophobic, so the oxygen mask was bugging me, but then they eventually gave me a canula, which was a lot better. I wasn't in a lot of pain at all. I only took liquid tylenol, and that was only for two days after the surgery. Now, everything is great and there have been no complications. I'm so happy I had it done. I know you must be very nervous, and it's normal. There's nothing that we can say here that will take all of your nerves away -- that's just the nature of having a surgery! But it is a fairly non-invasive and quick procedure. I was told that most complications don't happen during the surgery. The best thing that you can do is to feel completely comfortable with your surgeon and ask a lot of questions. The more you know, the less mystery to make you nervous. If you have any questions, PM me! Take care!

Hi, I am from the Twin Cities and had RNY on June 25, 2013 at St. Joe's in St. Paul. I have had a wonderful, complication free experience. I just celebrated 10 months and am down 186 pounds (40 was lost pre-surgery), The lead up to surgery takes time and patience, but can be done. The life that is waiting for you on the other side of surgery is SO worth it! If you have questions, please feel free to ask. I am on this site frequently. I have recieved so much support for the people on this site and would love to pay it forward. Congratulations on taking the first step! Carol

My pre-op is two shakes a day, and salad with 2oz. Lean meat with fat free dressing. I don't have to technically start until Wednesday, but I started on march 3. Yesterday my family went to five guys. I ordered a burger, thinking what the hell. Last time, right? Let me tell you. Your tummy will actually get used to the shakes or liquids. I was in so much pain from the burger I could only bend over the counter top and not be in pain. Awful. Woke up looking forward to protein and salad. You cheated? So what. Don't do it again. And they will still sleeve you, just make sure that you are being careful from here on out. My Dr. told me, "plenty of people have emergency surgery without the shakes and such, but they are the ones with complications. If you drink your way to surgery day, you will be great." GOOD LUCK!!

Saying "don't ever believe what some people say here" kind of pisses me off. Are you calling those of us with no complications liars? I hope not. I had no issues at all. I never vomited, was able to walk around freely, and had very little pain. I am sorry you had issues, but not everyone does.

I too have kaiser and they informed me of all the possible things that could happen that you mentioned. I'm sorry you had to experience them all. I'm on my 5th week no complications and I was up walking around the same day as my surgery. I have some nausea right after eating but other than that the hardest part for me is drinking 64 oz of fluids a day. I'm glad you're doing better.

That is a symptom of being too tight. If he put saline in your band during surgery, I would go in and have him take some out. If he didn't, I would still call because there could be other complications occurring such as obstruction. You shouldn't be having this difficulty.

i was band Oct 08. my experience has been a learn as i go process; i did not attend an extensive educational class prior to surgery. Since Oct i've lost 25 pounds. i am proud of this accomplishment (started at 200 pounds) but as i read many of your stories, i think this is nothing and prehaps i should be farther along. The fact is, my journey has not been all peaches and cream. maybe this is the result of not having gone through an extensive education process, maybe not. this is what i want to know from you. i love my lap band, but it is not the quick fix i'd imagined it to be. i have to work at losing every pound and inch! i have 5 cc's. daily exercise and good nutrition are at the top of my daily to do list. some days i'm on it and other days i'm not! anyone relate? recently i realized i am most successful at weight loss and getting on with my daily life (i'm 57, female, type A working professional) if i consume a diet consisting primarily of vitiman and protein rich liquids for two meals a day and a balanced third meal. doing so seems so much less complicated. i would appreciate hearing from those of you that have been band for several months, have very busy schedules and consider your weight loss journey successful, but not w/o its challenges. how so? whats working for you?

Hi all I am totally freaking out! My surgery is one week away and i am so tempted to cancel. I am really scared and nervous. I am not new to WLS, i had the band for 6 years, had complications and had it removed 12 months ago, so i have been through this process before and have an idea of what to expect kind of. I keep asking myself the following... - Cant i just continue Optifast to loose weight. - what will happen 20 years down the track. - is it necessary since i am not that big and i hold my weight well - why go through this and get loose skin when my body is not that flabby now. - will this cause me to have no social life as eating is a form of social and cultural get togethers. - my hair is already falling out.... will i be bald. And so much more. Ive researched for months and still can't imagine how much I will be able to eat n drink. Please help... i am seriously tempted to cancel my surgery as i am petrified that ill end up with complications that I had with my band 6 years out. Did anyone else go through this so close to surgery?

How Do You Know When You Hit a Plateau? Simply enough, a plateau is when you stop losing weight even though you want to. It’s not just a day or two without weight loss. It’s a period of a few weeks or more when you keep trying to lose weight, but the scale does not budge. You think you are doing everything you can and should be doing to lose weight, but still you do not see results. That is a plateau. It can be frustrating and discouraging and seem to be unfair. Stay Positive Plateaus can be maddening, but the absolute worst thing you can do during a plateau is to give up. If you decide that your diet is not worth the effort, you are almost certainly going to gain weight. Going back to your old, pre-surgery diet habits, taking oversized portions, and eating high-fat, high-sugary foods will not just make you gain weight. These bad habits can erase your health gains. Worse, they could cause some of the weight loss surgery complications that you already know about, such as the following: Stretching of the sleeve in vertical sleeve gastrectomy Dumping syndrome in gastric bypass Esophagitis with the adjustable gastric band (lap-band) Feeling nauseous or having diarrhea Another reason to stay positive is to keep up your motivation to continue all of the other healthy behaviors in your lifestyle. Don’t fall into the trap of “all-or-nothing,” in which you decide to give up all of your healthy efforts just because your weight loss isn’t quite what you want it to be. These include: Taking your daily vitamin and mineral supplements Getting enough protein and fluids each day Following your regularly exercise routine It Could Be Worse And it will be worse if you give up. It may sound strange, but you can stay positive by thinking about how much better your weight is now than where it could be if you gave up trying. If your careful diet is not leading to the weight loss you had hoped for, it is still preventing weight gain. If you give up, you will gain weight, and probably be pretty disappointed in yourself. Measure Success in Other Ways Another way to stay positive is to stop focusing on the scale. Find other ways to measure your progress. Tracking your body measurements, for example, can let you know that you are shrinking and building muscle even if your total weight is not decreasing right now. Tracking behaviors instead of measurements is another strategy. For example, you assess your success according to whether you eat well, such as hitting your protein goals or sticking to your planned menu. Other successful behaviors to be proud of yourself for are planning and preparing meals ahead of time and making sure you drink enough fluids at times other than meal times. Be Honest and Go Back to the Basics “Why me?” That’s a natural question when you hit a plateau, but most people don’t ask it seriously. However, if you think seriously about what is causing the plateau and how you can fix it, this question can actually help you break through the barrier and get back to losing weight. In many cases, you can figure out “why me” by asking yourself these questions. “Am I logging every single bite that goes into my mouth?” “Am I following the meal plan my nutritionist or surgeon gave me?” “Am I measuring – not eyeballing – all of the foods I eat?” “Am I exercising as much as I am supposed to be?” “Am I getting in my protein each day?” “Have I been too busy or preoccupied to plan my meals and snacks in advance?” If you answer these questions honestly, you might discover that you have slipped up and are not keeping up your good habits quite as well as you thought you had. Go back to the basics of meal planning and nutritious eating, and you are almost sure to see the scale move again within weeks. You’re in Charge! Plateaus are frustrating and nobody wants to experience them at some point, but almost everyone does. These steps can help you when you notice that you are in a plateau. Stay positive and keep up your healthy behaviors. Focus on other measures of success besides the scale. Assess your diet honestly. Make any necessary changes. You can get over your plateau, and you will be stronger for it! Just be patient and do what you know is right for your health.

I have 130-140lbs that I need to lose. I didn't like the fact that I would have to get fills and all that PLUS I'm insulin resistant with having PCOS and I know the Lap Band isn't the best for that which is why my last surgeon switched me to gastric bypass but I didn't feel comfortable with that. I got July 10th to the first seminar. I'm nervous because of all the complications that can happen but I've had 10 surgeries so far that also had complications but I never had a second thought of having them done. I just need to keep my anxiety at bay

I had some complications with surgery so I was not cleared for exercise until week 5. The last three weeks I have been working on cardio. Today I did 40 minutes. Besides the help with weight loss there are general health benefits as well. Strengthening and toning helps burn calories and if you ever are concerned about excess skin, start exercising now.

According to the internet: Nausea and vomiting are the most common complaints after bariatric surgery, and they are typically associated with inappropriate diet and noncompliance with a gastroplasty diet (ie, eat undisturbed, chew meticulously, never drink with meals, and wait 2 hours before drinking after solid food is consumed). If these symptoms are associated with epigastric pain, significant dehydration, or not explained by dietary indiscretions, an alternative diagnosis must be explored. One of the most common complications causing nausea and vomiting in gastric bypass patients is anastomotic ulcers, with and without stomal stenosis. Ulceration or stenosis at the gastrojejunostomy of the gastric bypass has a reported incidence of 3% to 20%. Although no unifying explanation for the etiology of anastomotic ulcers exists, most experts agree that the pathogenesis is likely multifactorial. These ulcers are thought to be due to a combination of preserved acid secretion in the pouch, tension from the Roux limb, ischemia from the operation, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use, and perhaps Helicobacter pylori infection. Evidence suggests that little acid is secreted in the gastric bypass pouch; however, staple line dehiscence may lead to excessive acid bathing of the anastomosis. Treatment for both marginal ulcers and stomal ulcers should include avoidance of NSAIDs, antisecretory therapy with proton-pump inhibitors, and/or sucralfate. In addition, H pylori infection should be identified and treated, if present. After my surgery, my surgeon put me on Omeprazole [Prilosec OTC) which is a proton pump inhibitor for the first year to help my stomach heal properly. I did not experience recurring bouts of nausea. After the first year, I discontinues and all was well. So if you are not taking any NSAIDs such as aspirin and if you do not have an H pylori infection, then perhaps you have an ulcer.

It's tough to cook for others when I can't eat myself. I only barely taste a tiny bit for flavor and it's tempting but I know better... Another thing I've realized, it's strange but I had an easier time staying away from food and ignoring and not craving so much during my pre-op diet. Could be because the protein shakes kept me full. I was on liquid diet and NPO (nothing by mouth) for a long time after surgery due to complications and even that I could handle. Now is when I'm starting to miss food more, weird.

I've heard some stories of RNY being "taken down" (reversed) but only due to severe complications. I researched all three major procedures and for me, the risks of malabsorption were enough to steer me to the sleeve. If I had NO self-control, I might risk RNY or DS, but if I had no self-control those would ultimately fail as well. I've seen it with friends who've had RNY. I CAN lose weight, as I'm sure everybody on this forum can, but the sleeve will be the tool I need to help KEEP it off, while retaining the benefits of absorbing all my nutrients (just fewer of them!) I too thought about, "What if I really need the extra calories?" A) I seriously doubt I WILL, and it would be very easy to get in WAY too many calories with liquids or grazing. This surgery can ALSO be defeated by bad habits, but starvation is extremely unlikely. Best of luck on your journey. Whatever you decide, believe in yourself; that's the biggest key to success.

That's really flawed logic. In all procedures other than AGB, something is removed. So replace "stomach" with excised anatomy of choice, or naturally occuring tissue connection of choice, and every single permanent WLS out there would be created equal (in terms of not getting rid of X because you might need X some day). No, this surgery cannot be reversed. But is I said above, AGB is the only truly reversible procedure that I'm aware of (using my own definition of reversal anyway, i.e. return you to your original state), and even it isn't completely reversible: you're always going to have adhesions and/or scar tissue, at the very least. It's a pretty common pre-op fear though. Something like, "What if I get cancer, and they'd be able to fix it IF I still had that part of my stomach that they could use to..." It's a comittment, for sure. And it's smart to question any comittment. The chances of needing the rexcised portion of the stomach down the road are... well, I dont' know the odds, but I'm reasonably confident they are N/A. I guess we'll see. RNY retains the stomach, but honestly - my severed stomach just sorta pinned over into my abdominal cavity, and sealed shut, creeps me out WAY more than "what if I need something in that 80% of my stomach some day..." RNY "reversals" (not per my definition, but per a functional definition) are possible, but success is never guaranteed. The stomach may or may not be viable. There's going to be a TON of scar tissue and stuff to deal with. It would probably be pretty hard to find a surgeon who would be willing to do it, and I imagine it would require a significant complication/reason.

Me too! It was scheduled before I even thought of WLS. I breathed into a tube, was out within seconds, and then awake again before I knew it. No complications. I arrived at 9:00 am and left not more than 2 hours later. Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine!