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Hi everyone! Hope all is well. I was wondering if there were any Bypass vets out there who's highest weight was the in the 400's. Mine was 437LB and I just want to know how much weight have you lost and about how long did it take you to lost it after surgery? Im curious because I am 3 weeks out and have only lost 5LBS. But I am not eating hardly anything. So just curious. Thanks.

It's best to take anything someone says in one ear and then right out the other! You're doing what's best for you and it's not anyone elses decision. I'm having the same problem with peoples negative comments. Especially my sister. Oh she knows 10 people (yea right) that have had surgery and they all gained weight back! I just laugh. I'm being banded on April 10th! That's one day after you. I'm excited! I've lost 46 pounds since November doing the treadmill everyday and LA Weightloss. I'm still doing the lapband so I have a tool to help me lose the rest and help keep it off. I've lost weight before only to gain most of it back. My husband is getting gastric bypass soon also. Just waiting his visit with his surgeon. We'll be eachothers support. Don't need peoples negative comments! Good luck to you on your surgery! Take care. -Dawn

It's official it has been one month since my surgery, October 18, 2012!!!! I go for my first fill on November 28, I'm a little scared and anxious at the same time.... I have not been on a scale since I went in for a follow up a week after my surgery. Should I be concerned if I've gained weight, I feel as though I have lost a few more pounds.... I still have some discomfort where my port is... Sent from my iPhone using LapBandTalk

You will find people who've had either surgery who aren't happy with the choice and others who are thrilled. Bypass wouldn't have really helped me with the GERD. Overkill. I don't want to lose weight really really fast as I don't want all that hangy skin. I also don't want my innerds messed about. With the band, I can have a fill, unfill, or have it removed with no real damage. I am suspicious of anybody who flat out poo poo's anything. That usually means they've met that one guy who also doesn't believe in seatbelts.

Hey everyone, I'm new to this site and just starting the WLS process. I went to my informational seminar, set up my consultation appointment and decided I wanted the Sleeve. Called my insurance only to find out they won't cover the sleeve. So I'm left deciding between the Bypass or the Lap Band. I'm looking for your real life experiences with both and suggestions. Most of my friends have received the sleeve and love it, but since that is no longer an option let me know what you recommend. I know someone who has had the lap band and had to have it removed and someone with the bypass who needs Iron transfusions. I do plan on asking my PCP and surgeon for their recommendation as well. Thanks for your help!!

I have a good friend who had Lap-Band about five years ago and I have a co-worker who had Lap-Band two years ago. Both of them have not only had yo-yo'd weight loss but horrible complications due to the Band. When I mentioned to either one of them about my decision for Bypass, they both acted like I sprouted second head. They didn't understand why "I'd choose something so extreme, when the band has worked for them." I am glad that I could see through their denial and overcome my fear of doing something much more permanent than the Band.

I'm so sorry for everyone who has trouble with the pain meds! My doctor gave me an anti-nausea medication with every dose of either moriphine or liquid lortab--God bless him! Also, I received an anti-spasmodic while I was in the hospital, which settles down your stomach a bit. Now that I'm home (had surgery May 11th), I'm still on the liquid lortab (don't need quite as much though), the anti-nausea med, and am taking dicyclomine ("Bentyl") for digestive spasms (a drug I've taken for years for IBS). I read somewhere to try Gas-X strips, and those have helped with my rumbling tummy a bit, too. I had surgery in a hospital that does a high volume of batriatric surgery, and at least one nurse I had for two nights in a row had gastric bypass about 5-6 years ago. She was a real Godsend. She gave me lots of tips and suggestions and was incredibly sympathetic. Even the young skinny nurses were very supportive & did their very best to get me relief from my pain and discomfort.

I had Lap-Band removal on November 27th and hernia repair. For 2 weeks I followed the the hernia repair diet which was mushy foods no citrus no spices. I am scheduled for Vertical Sleeve on February 23rd.

I have people in my life who run the gamut. My sister had the surgery several years ago, and has been harping on me since that I just *HAVE* to have it. I was on the fence about it until an appointment with a specialist yesterday who said unequivocally, the surgery would have a direct positive impact on my health. Won't cure my situation, but will make it a lot more likely that the meds can work. My mother sees some of the complications my sis had (mostly related to the skin surgery later) and is worried about complications, and thinks I can do it by myself if I just work at it. Like I haven't' been for 30 years, Mom? One of my best friends is anti-surgery and argues against it with reasonable arguments, but doesn't go so far as to criticize me for the decision, and will support me in it. Most of my other close friends are super-supportive, some have already had bypass and are grateful for it, others probably need surgery but aren't in a place to really consider it yet. The one that surprised me is my boss who I talked to about it this morning. She's a very fit person, runs marathons and such. She's sorry I'm having to deal with this, but is super supportive of whatever I need to get healthier. Just telling her what my pulse rate was at the doc's office yesterday after walking less than 5 minutes was enough for her to realize how serious this has gotten for me. I'm a super open person, and will likely disclose to everyone. Bottom line is they aren't in my position. They don't know the months of research I've put in, or what advice my doctors have given me. They don't know all the pros and cons. They can judge all they want. Sometimes it will be hurtful, I know. But this won't be the first controversial decision I've made in some of their minds, and it won't be the last. They're welcome to their opinion, and if they make it too uncomfortable for me, they lose the benefit of my presence. I do wish people could be more supportive and understanding in general, though.

Hi Doddie, Thanks for asking. I have lost more weight, I don't know how long ago that was, but I am almost to the 50 pound mark. I decided to prove her wrong. However, I seem to have a schedule with my body and it is lose nothing for two or three weeks, then lose 3 pounds, then gain 1.5, then stay the same then lose that same 1.5 then maybe one, and then nothing again and then 3 and so on. Very frustrating, as I feel like I'm in a dance called One step forward and two steps back. However, like you, I am getting there slowly. I had hoped that I would reach the 50 pound mark by my birthday, but as that is the week after next, (and I now, after a gain for no reason went from 48 to 46.5) I'm not expecting miracles. But I am aiming for 60 by Christmas. I don't have any goal for my bandiversary in November as I don't want to get depressed. I just looked it up. I saw my doctor the end of July, or beginning of August and I've lost four more pounds. So I say to her "In your face!":tt2: I've added pilates to my busy exercise schedule this week and I ache all over. That should have been rewarded by a loss! But I'm used to it now. Take care, Mary

Thank you for your reply! I have said I would never have gastric bypass after my brother-in-law passed - have gone to two different seminars with two different doctors. One was for gastric bypass and the last one for lap band - I was terrified at the gastric bypass one and was pleasantly surprised by the lap band seminar, the doctor giving the seminar was Dr. Grooves from Albertville and he actually had the band inserted about one year ago by his partner Dr. Britt and he looked great and had lost over 100 pounds. Just knowing that he had the surgery made me really feel so much better, but he is young, probably in his mid to late 30's and they all look great at that age! lol Good Luck to you and everyone else here! Patricia

I'm not sure about the three-month thing. I also have Aetna... for us I believe it is 3 month supervised OR a "Multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen" which my surgeon does anyways. But, do you know if Aetna covers the band? I seem to be getting mixed signals from them. I read somewhere that they will approve the band or bypass and then sleeve if you don't qualify for bypass because it is "experimental"... As for your three-month thing. If you have been seeing your PCP for that long and they have been keeping thorough documentation I don't see why that wouldn't work for Aetna. They do seem to be pretty lax about that. Good luck!

Ok, so here it is. I honestly haven't posted this because I have been procrasinating for so long due to the potential length. I figured though that daily my situation could happen to someone else and if my words of experience might help some one it would be worth it! I arrived for my surgery at Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) at 7am with my husband in tow. We did all of the pre-op check in and went into the waiting room. I had found out that my friend through all of the pre-op stuff was actually going to be my surgery buddy that day. She was the surgery before mine. Our surgeon is Dr. Stan Zagorski at TAMC. He is a great surgeon, I was his 5th Lapband surgery at TAMC, however, he did a 1 year fellowship of lapband surgeries as well as he has been doing gastric bypass for many years at TAMC. After quite a few hours due to surgical delays, I was told to change into my gown and ugly socks to go back to the pre-op room. From there it was busy, busy, busy! I got my IV, got to visit with all the proper people, chit chat with my husband and put on my fancy (ha, ha) hair cover. Then it was my time, they gave me this little shot size cup of what they called "liquid zantac" and boy does the smell not match the taste on that. She told me I could wait until they gave me my happy medicine to take it in hopes I wouldn't rememeber it...ummm WRONG! I remember swallowing that and nothing else. Surgery Over I remember waking up and saying "gonna throw up" and "i am in pain" and that is about it. The next time I woke up I was in my room and my friend was right across from me. I slept off and on for the next couple of hours. My family came up to visit and my friend and I chit chatted through the afternoon. I was able to immediatly start drinking fluids, however, that is where the "newness of the surgery at TAMC started to kick in". They started trying to switch me off of the morphine and onto other pain meds to get me off of the IV. Well smart people were insisting that I take Roxycet pills!!! They were nice and cut them up for me...I did this and asked for more morphine until the morning. The next morning they wheeled my friend and I down for our Barium tests, she went first. When she came out she was the color of death! She didn't have the chance to talk to me prior to me being wheeled back but I knew something was wrong. Once in the room the gentleman explained how I would be drinking these two things and swallowing this "pop-rock" type stuff that expanded my stomach! My immediate answer was NO! I don't think so! So they gave me my test, all the while telling me to swallow faster, etc. I did what I could do and that was it! I get back to my room and my friend is all packed up and ready to go. She told me the look was from the fact they made her take the "pop-rock" stuff and it was extremely painful. She was going home. I gave her a hug and sent her on her way. I still had a couple of hours before I could leave. I rested and got dressed. I was ready to get out. Dr. Z came up to visit to tell me he was sending me home with liquid pain meds..the nurse pointed out that is not what the orders said. He said well she can't take pills. I told him about the night before and he was extremely mad. I immediately called Becky and told her about the pills vs. liquids so she could get hers switched. I left and went home to recoperate. It was a little harder than I thought, I was sore and spent too much time in bed. The 3rd night was the worse. I started to dry heave and didn't know why. It was scary but I made it through it. The story only gets better...or worse depends on how you look at it! Soup and noticed that I had strange orangish spots all over my shirt. I initally thought that I had spilt something on me and I sat up to find out what it was... It turns out after a few moments of stress that the incision over my port was leaking a clear liquid with a slight pink tinge. I immediately called the "oncall surgeon" who insisted that I go to the ER immediately. Six hours and many tears later I finally am in a room begging the residents to call my surgeon or the bariatric coordinator before the cut me open. They want to slice open the incision to test the Fluid. I am terrified and they didn't want to call. I ended up giving in to their "idea" in fear of thier worst case scenarios. Now I have a 6 cm lenth wise by 2 cm width and 6 cm depth incision above my port. They pack it and tell me to come back the next day for another packing. This is EXTREMELY painful!! I go in the next day and then to the wound clinic on Monday where I am packed and measured and told my port is now exposed but it is NOT infected. I had what was a seroma of liquid. (a seroma is a pocket of clear liquid that forms when there is a open tissue your body tries to fill it up). They are going to continue to monitor it and watch for infection, at this point they need to let it heal from the inside out. There is no telling how long that will take. Oh my god! I am terrified...it is 11 days post op! 9 weeks after my ER visit So posting here has been depressing! I have spent the past 9 weeks getting poked, proded, measured. The first few weeks I went to Tripler Army Medical Center every day for dressing changes. After that I started changing my dressing my self. It did not feel good but it kept them from poking more often. Fast forward, I am now 9 weeks out. I am struggling with the last little bit of a hole to close. There is still drainage. The hole was much smaller but there was fatty tissue that was bubbling out and the hole wouldn't close. I have been extremely patient through all of this and I hit a wall. I finally requested to see Dr. Z and see what he thought because I felt that I was going in circles. He came up with a plan that started this past Tuesday. I went into see him, his resident silver nitrated it three times and sent me home to come back to the Wound clinic on Friday for them to repeat and back to see him on Tuesday. Hopefully on Tuesday we can discuss getting my first fill. I can only hope! Other than the surgery part statistics... So I lost 30lbs in the first 3 weeks. I gained 4 lbs back and then at about 6 wks post op went back down to the 30lbs. Since then I have gained 6 lbs back. I have NO restriction at all and I am hungry all the time. I am really trying to monitor it on my own but I hope that I can get my first fill on Tuesday or shortly after. I still have the hole in my stomach and some draining but hopefully it is on the healing side of things.

Hello I've been reading the posts. Amazing things are going on!! I had my nutritional and medical eval yesterday. The Drs think I'm a good candidate for the lap band. I've studied everything, I know people that had the gastric bypass. I'm a bit nervous. Its a huge change. I hope it will be a good change. Currently I have diabetes and sleep apnea. I hate that CPAP machine. It's just awful. I havent told my mom that I'm having the surgery. I mentioned once to my brother that I was considering it and mom called that nite crying her eyes out. So I wasnt going to tell her. I think I will have too. My daughter says she will be too hurt if I don't and I can see that is true. I just dont want the extra guilt. I think this is a good choice for me, I need to get healthy and I cant do it alone. so the question is How do I tell mom? It looks like my surgery date will be in July 08 Woo Hoo!! So I have to tell her soon.

I hope I am only in this infamous stall phase too...... I am 4 weeks out today.from band to bypass revision.... and have lost a total of 1stone 5 1/2 pounds... but of that only 1 pound this week and 1 pound last week... I have a shake for breakfast.... a small low cal high protein lunch and dinner... around 60___80 protein... not quite making my fluid target... but very disappointed the last two weeks..... recovery wise I feel fine...

Yes, I also have Healthnet HMO. I am 55 years old and about 150lbs overweight. My biggest health problem is Hypertension. My legs and feet have been killing me for years, I had knee surgery about 5 years ago. Last November my PCP put me on disability because I could no longer walk around and do my job. He put the request in to my insurance and I swear within a few days I got the approval. My problem was the doctor was so far away. I called Healthnet and found that he was the only doctor contracted with them in SoCal. Since I had no other choice I went to meet with him. After having the pre-tests he wanted done, EKG, Chest X-Ray, Blood work, (Healthnet never asked for any evaluation, it was only the doctors office) I called the doctors office and scheduled my surgery for 3 weeks from then to give me time for the pre-banding diet. I was banded on 4/20 and feel really good, except I am really hungry. I go for my first fill on 5/12. The only thing I had to pay was $150 for things not covered by insurance. As far as I know I am covered 100%. Boy was I rambling?!! Anyway, I hope I answered some of your questions. Good Luck!!

Hi, I have a bmi of 32,off on holiday next week so it is bound to rise over the two weeks away, my question is this,is there any way I can get a sleeve with this bmi, Ive been offered the band but really don't want it as there seems so many complications and horror stories Would it help my case if my mum and two sisters have developed type 2 diabetes and my dad has had to have a quadruple heart bypass? Anyone had the sleeve in uk with lower bmi and who did you go with? Any advice greatly welcomed x

Anthem here also and I started the process in November and am having surgery Feb 22nd!

My pre-op diet is some what flexible in that I can have three small meals that are high protien low carb and low fat with two small fruit Snacks. OR I can have two protien drinks at 42 grams each with a protien meal for dinner. I have not cheated yet. But I am so hungry. When I get real hungry, I start drinking chicken broth and that helps. I am really trying to make this work and I have lost 10-pounds so far. But I need to lose 15 more pounds before the surgery, which is November 11. :biggrin:

Veggestyle, I think your doctor was reacting out of ignorance of the band. She is thinking that you're considering RNY, which indeed has significant risks long term. The pouch-stretching she talks about doesn't happen in the same way with the band, and it's by no means a "drastic" procedure inappropriate for "someone so young." Is she aware that the band can be removed with virtually no ill consequences if there are problems? This is not the case with RNY. My doctor was similarly concerned when I first broached the subject with her four years ago. Though I wasn't young I was healthy, and she felt I shouldn't take the risks inherent in bypass surgery. I agree! I told her about the lap-band and she's changed her thinking now, recommending it to other patients struggling with morbid obesity. Give your doctor the patient handbook from Inamed. See if she still feels the same way.

I've been very busy this last few weeks, and haven't been able to visit here, and now it's taking me hours to catch back up with you all! My daughter and son-in-law just gave birth to my first grandson, Dylan Riley on Tuesday November 30th. He was 7 pounds, 20 inches, and beautiful. :Bunny His skin is gorgeous, warm peaches and cream. From the moment he was born he's been calm. As soon as his head was born he opened his eyes and started looking around. He's been alert and observant ever since. He's only cried when he's hungry. If we can call the sweet little mew's he makes a cry. We've been busy painting and carpeting and preparing for the baby at the new house they bought, trying to get it all done before he got here... we were finishing up while they were in the hospital, but we got it done! Now we're going to follow Penni's tradition and have a tree trimming shower My SOL bless his hard working heart, fell off a roof a month ago while working, and crushed both his heels. He'll be off work for a couple of months, and has lots of pain, but he's being SUCH a trooper. He wouldn't leave my daughter's side, slept in a hard old chair for two nights... even though his feet were killing him and he really needed to be in a bed with them propped up. He's realizing now what a blessing that fall is. He gets to be with his wife and new son 24/7 for a while. Before the fall, he worked all day, then worked on their house or a side job til bedtime trying to get ready for his new baby. Now they can relax and enjoy the baby and each other... Unless I steal him... with the SOL gimped out, and the Dtr too sore to run, they couldn't catch me... unless the SOL happens to be in his wheelchair.... Then it will be "grandma got run over by a wheelchair, running home from our house christmas eve" :bandit

Ah, makes sense then. I have GERD too, have you tried Prilosec? The generic form is Omeprazole, I've had a prescription for a few years so all I pay are co-pays. Re: The revision - have you looked into some type of support group or counseling to work on underlying issues? If you "went back to old habits" after the sleeve, the same might unfortunately happen after a revision. I know a few people personally who have had bypass surgery, lost a ton of weight, and put it all back on a few years later.

This is why I told no one prior to my sleeve surgery. Best thing i couldve done. After the surgery, I did tell some close friends when i went on a girls trip and boy did the judgements flow!! Now that I'm considering sleeve to bypass revision, i told my mom i was "considering" it and she called me a few days later and told me i was gonna die on the table, yada,yada,etc. Told my boyfriend i was "considering" the revision surgery, he flipped and went on a "join the gym" rant. So back to dont ask, dont tell for me. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using the BariatricPal App

i just got back from lunch with my friend that had bypass surgery...i don't know what she ate that triggered her to dump...but i didn't see anything good about it...pretty scary that ur body reacts that way if u eat the wrong thing....

Stuff is no joke. Been up for past two hours with stomach cramps. Ugh Every so often with caution .... you can say that again! HW 242, SW 236- (Bypass 12/20/17) GW#1- 199 [emoji736] (2/11/18) GW#2- 180 [emoji736] (4/2/18) GW#3- 160 CW 175 5’6”