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Thank you all so much! I cannot express how grateful I'm to your consoling and kind words. I've decided to go ahead with the surgery - Gastric Bypass as per my surgeon's advice. Since I've started a strict diet and exercise regime, I'm confident I'll be in a better position to continue the routine post-surgery. I shall remain in touch with you and seek further inputs as I embark on the bariatric journey / adventure

How fantastic that you are both going on this journey together! You will have each other to support and encourage one another which is great. I am not getting sleeved until late October or early November and I cannot wait! This is a fantastic forum for support and advice so don't hesitate to ask any and all questions.

How fantastic that you are both going on this journey together! You will have each other to support and encourage one another which is great. I am not getting sleeved until late October or early November and I cannot wait! This is a fantastic forum for support and advice so don't hesitate to ask any and all questions.

I had my gastric bypass on 3-13-13. My weight on the 12 was 280, current weight 5 days post op is 269. Pain was also minimal but that GAS is a mother. My doc sent me home on full liquids, was only on clear liquids the day after surgery. The only thing that pretty much sucks is that i have a drain coming out of my tummy

Hi Angi, I was also banded in November. I have lost 36 pounds so far. Not stellar, by my own standards but I am not complaining. I have a 10 cc band that was primed with 5 cc and have had one adjustment and received 1/2 cc for a total of 5 1/2 cc. I feel as if I am very close to my sweet spot. Right on the bubble. Some days I think I need a tiny push more, others, I think I don't need any more... I don't know, at this point! LOL Anyway. For me, I don't feel "restriction" I feel balanced, satiety for hours after eating, I get satisfied on about 3/4 c. of food, stop eating and that is it for me for at least four hours forward. I eat a couple of times a day. Rarely three. I am just not interested in "three squares". My band doesn't hurt me, it doesn't fight with me, I don't fight with it. I don't get stuck, I don't PB, slime or feel pain. I can eat the foods I choose to eat with reasonable exceptions. I choose to exclude soft, doughy breads, steak and pork chops and so forth from my diet for obvious reasons. I also avoid celery, woody stemmed veggies and so on. Other than that, nothing I want is off the table. I eat Pasta, rice, popcorn (as a treat) I just had clam chowder for lunch. The clams went down just fine with plenty of chewing. I was a famous volume eater before my band. I could put away huge quantities of food in huge bites, in record time. Plug me in and call me Hoover. I could suck it down like a vacuum. Empty my stomach and go back for more. Yep. Epic eater. That was me. My band has freed me from that nonsense. It hasn't "cured" my head hunger but it has given me the physical stop that helps me remember not to push past the point I must not exceed. And I just don't do it. It's bloody marvelous! I am free of food jail. I am not obsessed. I forget about it until I get so hangry that I have to stop and feed myself my little bandster meal then I get on with my day. I love my Little Silicone Friend. I have named her Draca. She is my dragon. My guardian, my power center. My companion in this battle. I couldn't do this without her.

Hi i just had grastic bypass surgery on Tuesday is it normal not to go to the bathroom since Monday night I've been peeing perfectly fine but that's it and my stomach feels bloated and my other question is can someone please give me idea's on puree foods what to eat because i feel like stuff is turning my stomach idk if it's because i haven't been to the bathroom in so long Please Help Sent from my LM-Q710(FGN) using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi. I couldn't exactly 'place' mine initially but then I suppose I didn't want to touch it incase I unsettled it. I'm over 6 weeks post op now and mine tends to sit below and to the left of my scar. As I'm sitting now, it feels it's only an inch below.The port is stitched to your muscle so won't seem to go far but as we're losing weight/body fat, things will shrink and reposition slightly. My port does sit slightly tilted so that could give the impression of moving but it was no problem when I had a fill. Before I had my band, I joined my local support group for banders/bypassers and sleevers and had a feel of 3 peoples ports. They all felt very different and the positions varied.

@@Big Opie, your a fighter I love it! Always put that spirit to positive use and don't give up. I saw your other post and I have had reflux and my surgeon wouldn't do the sleeve and instead did the bypass. I know it's something else to add but you don't want to go through an additional surgery. I wish you the best of everything.

Hi, I'm new here. Female, 49. I have been lurking since I started my journey, in September. Since that time, I have been making many changes, awaiting a date for my surgery. (Gastric Bypass). I had my surgical consult a week ago, and everything went very well. I feel very confident about my surgeon. He seems to think despite my having previous colon resection surgery that I am still a good candidate for what I believe he called a low limbic Gastric Bypass. I have made a lot of changes, which I notice everyone else has too. I just hit my 1 year smoke free anniversary I stopped drinking diet soda, gave up caffeinated coffee, I am drinking about 100 oz. Water daily, passed all my psych evals. I am recording everything I eat, and I'm losing, a small amount of weight. I'm on 2 types of insulin, so that's not an easy task, but I am working on it. I eat Breakfast, and I haven't done that since I was a kid. I still worry about one thing, I still have a craving for something sweet after a meal. I don't bring bad things into the house which helps. It still doesn't change my cravings. Maybe that in and of itself is a problem, thinking foods are bad or good. I have my last dietary meeting at the end of the month. They told me about 6 weeks from that appt. will be my surgery. Anyone else have issues with specific foods, or sweets? I have done so much work, but I know I have to tackle this last craving to be successful. Sorry if I seem like I am rambling. It's just a lot and I hope to make some friends here, and work through some of these fears and doubts with others who may be having the same thoughts. Did anyone else have to have an endoscopy because they have GERD? I do. My surgeon is doing it though, so I'm glad of that, he should be able to tell me right away if there are any issues that would prevent surgery. Thanks so much for reading. Gahhhhhhhhhhh I'm really doing this. Maybe that's why it took so long for me to actually get up the nerve to write here. It's getting so close, there is no turning back, and I am happy, and ready, but I could use the support of others who are going through this and have gone through it.

FrankiesGirl, Thank you for your post. I actually do eat healthy - I only brought up chicken wings, because I love them and I would still on occasion like to eat them - baked, fried, whatever the case. I also brought them up - because I often see people trying to find healthy versions of the food they love on forums like this like pizza for example or trying smaller portions of the food they love to see how their body reacts. I am not looking to eat crap, but I think it's reasonable to have an ice cream cone during the summer or a slice of pizza without puking outside of all the healthy food I am eating generally. Just like it's reasonable for a healthy person to splurge on something and work it off the next day. I plan to work out as well as have the surgery, so I know there is more to it than just having the surgery. I don't think it's a twisted view at all. Life is all about indulging in moderation. It's not about reward or pleasure, but simply experiencing and enjoying life. There is a reason why there are 50 million different cook books and cooking shows - because food is a wonderful thing and you shouldn't have to deprive yourself as long as it's in moderation. My problem is moderation - even with healthy foods. Keep in mind as well that my wife had gastric bypass, so she was obese as well - which means we were like two crack addicts getting high together constantly, so that contributed greatly to us both getting so obese. We enabled each other. She has lost all her weight now and is doing great. I feel that I will do great as well - but I will need to have some things in moderation and I don't think there is anything wrong with that. I don't think it has to be all or nothing for one to be successful after surgery and many patients have proven that. And if I no longer crave my favorite foods after surgery, then great - no problem. Like I said, I may determine that the sleeve is not for me and I will have to lose weight another way. I am looking to see what's best for me for now and long term.

I am definitely on the moderation band wagon. I eat pizza and wings and drink alcohol and have cake and bagels and ice cream cones in the summer. I eat crap from convenience stores and fast food places. But I do so in moderation while eating healthy, bariatric friendly food 80% of the time. Too much sugar or fried food or alcohol or coffee will give me gastritis and carbonation is impossible. But I didn't do any of these things until I was under my goal weight. And although I don't track or count or measure my food I am mindful of what I do eat and how it affects my weight. I get 60-80g of Protein everyday, at least 80oz of fluids, I take my daily Vitamins and I have my bloodwork checked regularly. If I pop even one pound above my bounce range I go back to strict protein and veggies or even the preop liquid diet until I am back down. You should also know that after a years or two your restriction will lessen and you will not be able to rely on your sleeve for portion control. Anyone can learn how to eat around their sleeve and if you don't address and change your eating habits early on then you WILL regain. You will likely have a harder time than your wife because of her malabsorption I have a couple friends that have had bypass and if I ate like they do I would be right back where I started. There are many ways to be successful after WLS..... VSGAnn and I are nearly identical in our starting weights/heights, final goal weight and maintenance success. But the details of our success are different in a lot of ways. And I'm sure there are a hundred other versions of success out there. But there are also a hundred ways to fail. There are common denominators in the successes and failures, and only you can figure out what works for you if you decide to have surgery. In the end, postop life is about choices, not rules.

I have heard of that happening but with gastric bypass peeps only.

So today my mom tells me that my dad is afraid to have the surgery. He won't tell me because he knows I'm gonna do what I feel is best for me. He's never been one to tell me how he really feels about things because he respects my ability to make my own decision. Has anyone ever had this problem? What do you say to someone who cares so much about you and will support you no matter what to help them know that it's gonna be fine? I think he's afraid because we know some people who had bypass and had a lot of problems after....almost died kind of problems.

Had bypass yesterday, still in the hospital today. I'm sore, but keeping down water and juice. Sent from my SM-G930V using BariatricPal mobile app

I am starting the process of getting the gastric bypass surgery. I take meds for panic attacks. I take 100 mg of Zoloft daily. Reading your posts about how angry I could get etc really makes me wonder if I want to go thru with it

I am 8 days post op for BYPASS and I am just exhausted/ weak. Everytime I am trying to do stuff - cook for my family , laundry, take a shower I just feel so drained. My surgeons office said it's normal but.......Ughhhh lol!!!! Had anyone else had this to ?

Hi I had my surgery July 2nd 2018 it has been a month and I still can't eat and drink I get nauseas and feel so sick does anyone else have same problems I had the gastric bypass Sent from my SM-G530T1 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hey sorry, I posted a question on the intro site; new to this, lol. Okay I had lapband last November and am loving it. I have lost about 41 lbs now should have lost more but had a little problem finding a fill location that was in network with my insurance, along with looking for a house so I got behind four months no big deal. So look for your fill place before surgery so you do not have this problem. Be blessed, Dana

so sorry that you had a terrible experience. i am also an ICU nurse and have been a nurse for 22 years. i have to agree with pccindy that this does not sound like a reaction to versed. however.... for any future surgeries you may have, you should tell your health care providers about this situation. so that they can be take extra precautions and observe you in the far chance you have a abnormal response from versed or other medications they may administer. i do recall many years ago taking care of a post cardiac bypass pt that woke up post operation freaked out. he told us that he was awake during surgery and could not move to tell anybody.... he was freaked out!!!! the doctors were telling him that this was not possible until the patient was able to tell the doctors what they discussed during his case, what music they had playing in the or and where they were going for dinner that night..... well then everyone believed him. yes this happened in the good ole USA. this said... i know that this can happen.... was it a mistake? more then likely. could this have been a rare unknown response your body had from a particular drug..... possible. again so sorry that you did not feel supported. i do not believe that i ever saw your post...... but i am glad that i saw this one so that i could let you know that i am thinking about you and hope you are able to recover soon. kelly

I had my official consultation yesterday and will be having my surgery sometime in November. My insurance requires a 6 month supervised diet and because I can't see a dietician until May, everything was pushed back. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I too am a band to bypass revision! My surgery date in 8/11/14! I AM PUMPED!

Hello All, just found this site, I am changing from a band to a bypass , have my date it is Oct 27th. I am excited and anxious to finally get it, I have had the band since 2006 and don't think I will miss it, I lost about 55 lbs with, wish I had lost more and dr.said I was a good candidate for the Bypass. so now getting the rest of the labs and preop testing The sooner the better, I would love to get all the support I can, so please feel free to email me or contact me here, probably email would be better to get it, My name is Donna , I am 64, live is Maine, and I would love to hear from people who have or have not had the same thing, Thanks so much and my email is Mammysm@aol.com thanks again, and look forward to the emails and support and good luck to everyone here and their journey,

Sometimes we forget what a "real" portion size is. I know you were freaked out because you ate an egg and a piece of toast. An egg has about 70 calories, and a piece of toast, depending on the size of bread of course, has about 45 calories. Butter and jam add to the calories of course. So, if you have an egg, a piece of toast with a little butter, your meal will be under 200 calories, and a typical meal, assuming you are sticking to 1200 calories, should be at least 300 calories. We get this weird idea that we should be satisfied eating a few tablespoons of food for an entire meal, when in reality that rediculous for bandsters, unless they are super tight. Clementine, I am so sorry you are having a difficult time getting your band just right. It very well could be that you have a leak, or your fill person didn't have the experience. Or it could have been that you were imporperly fitted with the wrong sized band. And I agree with Kelly that just because a person weighs X that they should automatically get Y band. The one size fits all fits none theory applies here. You must get over your being shy because you are the only one that can speak for you, the only one that can push for you. You must take control of the situation, and if you don't feel restriction, then you ask to make sure there is no leak. The band is all about making a lifestyle change. We have to work it, not the other way around. 30 pounds since November isn't bad, but I don't know how long this plateau has been. You've been working out, so undoubtably, you are changing your body composition, muscle weighs more than fat. Have you dropped inches? Many people report that when they are not losing pounds they are losing inches. Nataly, you've been banded about 6 weeks, most people dont' get their first fill until their 6-8 week mark. It is too soon to know if it's not going to work for you. You've been banded 6 weeks, and have lost 12 pounds. What are you expecting? You have hit the top of the 1-2 pounds a week lost. You had the band and not a bypass, so your loss is going to be "reasonable" instead of having it fall off of you. Additionally, many people don't lose anything until their first fill, and some don't find it working well until their second or third fill. If you feel like you don't have much restriction, then get another fill, by all means. If you find you are a Turtle, then go to your doctor and demand answers. Do not let them push you off, saying "eat less" or something else equally rediculous. Push to have your thyroid checked. If that comes back "normal" then push to have your cortisol checked. PUSH, PUSH, PUSH for answers. No one else will fight for your health. No one else can, if you are able to speak for yourself.

Thanks for the replies. I’m scheduled for my second EGD in three months to check on my Esophagitis. Earliest I could be approved for WLS would be October/November so trying to learn everything I can. Knowing it would disappear is reassuring. I have a call into my surgeons office but have not received an answer yet.

Hi everyone! This is my first time in the forum and my very first post! My journey has been long and hard and I have had to overcome more than my share of heartbreak and ache and loss, but I am still HERE! While I have spent my last 9 years raising my incredible and amazing little girl, it seems that I also forgot to remember to take care of myself through it all and that brings me to where I am today. I am 31 years old and I weigh 274 lbs... Just typing that number makes me ashamed and sort of sick... So before I go back and delete it, I will ask for words of advice. I know that most of us have our own stories, both good and bad that have brought us to the point which we are- here and today. We each have our own story and struggles that have caused us to reach out and take this huge leap into the gastric bypass world. Before last month I had never considered weight loss surgery, but at the end of my last dr appt, the form they gave me said MORBIDLY OBESE... The moment I saw it, tears filled my eyes and I walked to my car and had a good cry while trying to figure out where I had gone wrong... Was it my parents divorce when I was 16?, was it being pushed by my parents to a college I didn't want to attend?, was it my abusive ex husband? Was it baby weight still? Where did the 135lb 17 year old cheerleader who had a never ending smile go? When I stopped crying and wiped the tears off my face I realized that I was the ONLY person in my life who could change the way I feel and that in order to fix myself, I also needed to learn to love myself again. This is the beginning of my journey to find out who I really am and who I aspire to be.... I am NOT the fat girl in the corner who hides in baggy and black clothes, so I won't let that be me any longer. Tonight I took my first step in my new journey and attended a weight loss seminar through the medical group I will be using for my RN-Y gastric Bypass surgery... I am excited and nervous and apprehensive all at the same time!! The referral has been put through and I should be receiving a phone call within the next week to schedule my first visit with the surgeon, psych eval, nutritionist, etc- from there it is just a wait for the actual date!!! I am excited for my journey and I can't wait to find myself again along the way!! I know that I have the strength to get through this and get my life going again!!! Thanks so much for reading my story, and please please please, share your stories and triumphs and your journey with me as well! I think that having a support group will make the whole process that much more wonderful!!! Heidi - age 32 P.S. I can't run right now, my body hates me if I try... But I promise myself that if I get through this and I get healthy, I WILL learn to run each morning as the sun rises over the mountains in the town I live in!!!! Please help me reach these goals