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Im kinda think me getting the lap band instead of the gastric bypass for many reasons! The main reason is because I had it done at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit MI and there service and appointment scheduling is horrible. I didnt get my 2nd week checkup until my 6th week out of surgery. My doctor didnt give me a fill during surgery. My first fill was scheduled for September 18th and they cancelled it and moved it to October the 2nd. So instead of getting a fill 6 weeks out of surgery i wont be getting mine until Im 13 weeks out of surgery. I have already hit a pataue and if I could loose the weight on my own then I wouldnt have gotten the surgery. My surgery was July 13. I was 299 and im 269 now. I think if i would have just gotten the bypass then I wouldnt have to worry about appt. being canceled for fills.

Wow, Mary, that is terrific news! So now you're comfortable and not gaining! And you're only 5 lbs from your goal? Wow!! Congratulations on getting through a nerve-wracking time. You're great inspiration! :confused:

Hi Blownaway, I am another one who was done by the TLBC gang, the folks who will soon be working on you. Have no fear. This is a very kind and competent group who will be involved with your care. The stitches do dissolve by themselves. I believe that they use surgical glue. Over the incisions they place steri-strips and these will fall off in due course over the next month to six weeks if I remember correctly. I found that the pain from the surgery was easily controlled by the pain medication which they prescribe and I ended up only using half of my prescription. The worst pain came from gas! I spent the three days following the surgery relaxing in bed, reading and napping with the cat. This was a very, very pleasant time for me. I loved having a good reason to lie in bed, I love reading, and the demerol made everything just that much more luxurious. On the fourth day I got up, had a bath, put on day-wear, and was a more or less fully functioning old bat! As for the post-op diet, I found it surprisingly easy to stick with this even though I did go on a pre-op farewell dining tour! I think that one of the things that made it easier was that the regimen called for so many little snacks. It seemed as though I was always hoovering down a little soup or broth or whatever because it was either mealtime or snacktime. Certainly the weight began to come off during those post-op weeks. It was my husband who first noticed and said something to me. I do think that it is a good idea for you to take your mother down to TLBC for an info session and hopefully this will ease her mind about the procedure. Should your mother remain opposed to the surgery you may find yourself between a rock and a hard place. Good luck, girl.

In 2002 I got the lap band and lost enough weight by 2005 that I decided to get a tummy tuck. I was treated completely different by men and women. Men seemed to really like me before even knowing my name or anything about me. I have been overweight my entire life and I guess used to people knowing me for me and not judging me right away by how I looked. My band stopped working in 2005/2006 and I gained all of the weight back. I felt so beyond guilty and disgusted with myself, how could I out myself through all of that and gain everything back??? I think back and I was much younger and was not prepared mentally. I did not feel comfortable in my body. I hated that type of attention. It was do fake and shallow. I liked when people got to know me for who I was and not cause I'm skinny and what society expects you to look like. Fast forward to 2012. I got up to the same weight I was before Lapband in 2002. I was diagnosed with diabetes in April. I got my Lapband removed and converted to the sleeve. I learned so much from everything I've gone through. Now I'm determined to be healthy. I am doing this for the right reasons and I know what to expect as far as treatment and judgement from others.

I just hit my 4 month surgeriversary, and I have had the most wonderful experience so far, and I believe it all started with my choice of surgeon, Dr. Scott Laker out of West Bloomfield, MI. I've never worked with a physician who is so kind and caring, and he will stay and answer your questions, no matter how many or how long. He genuinely seems to care about his patients. The pre-op diet was fantastic; instead of quitting everything immediately and trying to eat healthy, he had me change one substantial thing a month. I can't tell you how much that really helped. The first month was to eat a pound of veggies a day, the second was to eliminate sugars and artificial sweeteners, the third was removing processed foods, and so on. It just made it so easy! Although I was a big girl (259 pounds, BMI 42), he wasn't worried about any weight loss in the 6 months prior to surgery. All I had to really do was focus on following the particular change for the month while continuing to incorporate the prior months changes as well. I did have to do a very mild liver shrinking diet the week before surgery, but even that was no problem. A shake for breakfast and lunch, a sensible dinner, and there was a whole list of veggies I could eat to my heart's content. I love veggies, so that was perfect for me. The day of surgery came and he visited me beforehand, very relaxed and ready to go. My surgery was done exceptionally quickly and he spoke with my husband afterwards at great length to let him know how everything went. Only had to stay the night in the hospital and then it was off to home. He came in on Saturday to visit with me as well before I was discharged. Again, he was in no hurry to leave and only did so after he was certain that all of my questions/concerns had been answered completely. I was eating/drinking before I ever left the hospital and continued to do so at home. No nausea, no gas pain (he did a really good job getting it all out of me)... I have had absolutely no problems of any kind. I never thought it would be this easy. No problems transitioning through the food stages, and I've had no problems eating anything. And to this day I still follow the guidelines that I learned in pre-op; no bad food has re-entered my life and I'm on track. As of this morning when I weighed myself, I'm in onderland at 198 pounds!! Yay, me! I've been back into see him for my 6 weeks, 1 month, and 3 month appointments. And every time I've been in it's always been the same... we talk for a very long time, he completely answers any questions I have and is in no hurry. His main goal is to make sure I'm happy and good. And I most definitely am!! There are no words to tell any of you how wonderful he is. Yes, I know it's a joint effort. He did the surgery and the rest of it is on me. But because he is the kind and caring surgeon that he is, and because he has answered so many questions and provided so much knowledge, my success is absolutely hingent upon his participation. I have no doubt if I had seen a different physician that my success would be different. Maybe better, maybe worse. But I wouldn't hesitate to go through this journey with him again, and if any of you are pre-op, in this area, and looking for a fantastic surgeon, please check him out. You won't be disappointed at all.

October the 13th, a Friday no less. Good thing I am not superstitious! I decided yesterday to go ahed with the Lap-Band surgery. In the end, I felt that the risks involved with having the surgery, and hopefully escaping obesity, outweighed the risks of not having the surgery and remaining miserably obese and of deteriorating health. I decided on Dr. Rumbaut in Monterrey, Mexico. Dec 19th is the date! If my insurance would pay for it, I probably would have stayed with a local doctor in Texas. However, as I am a self pay, I might as well go with the best as the costs are about the same. Rumbaut is $10,600 and I will need to pay my own travel expenses, now and for followup care. Self-pay in Austin comes in at $12K minimum. Even though Rumbaut is less, I am sure it will end up more by the time I consider travel and other expenses. However, the difference in cost, when considering the overall expense, is negligible. For me, it came down to what I thought would provide the best odds for a successful surgery with minimal complications and best overall opportunity for reaching the desired outcome. Rumbaut seems to be undisputed as the best. So, given the opportunity to have him perform my surgery, I almost feel like I have a responsibility to myself and my family to use him. It cracks me up, about the people who jeer about going to Mexico for surgery. Their opinion is based on ignorance at best, racisim at worst. My goals for te journey are clear and simple. 1. Lose weight. 100 pounds would be great. 140, while unimaginable today, would be beyond my wildest dreams. 2. Get off the CPAP machine! I estimate I will need to get down to about 240 to meet that goal. 3. Feel Great. I feel like shit now, so any improvement would be welcome. My knees hurt, my back hurts, amy ankles hurt, my hips hurt. I get winded walking up a single flight of stairs. Well. That is enough for today.

This was the 4th fill. I think I was about 2.0ccs and he put about .8 or .9ccs in the port. He said I was close to 3ccs . I feel like I did when I first got banded. I told him I wanted the same restriction that I had when I was banded cause the weight loss was steadier. That may have influenced the amount of fill. I also had to confess to drinking sweet tea! I love the stuff, but now I have to stop. I do use Equal now but it is just not the same. Pray for me!!! LOL When you get to around 2.7cc I bet you will feel it. They say it is different for each person. Maybe you may need less than 2.5 but more than 2.2. I think they like to sneak up on it. I am loving it. I went to a buffet with my sister and her fiance and I wasted their money. Went up twice to eat oysters on the half shell( about 8) and a handful of boiled shrimp. That was it!! I was stuffed and didn't eat over 4oz. Finally Restriction :cheer2:

I'm a firm believer in journaling, here is an interesting article on that very subject. I hope this helps you with your struggles, it sure does help me. Write Your Way to Weight Loss Find out how keeping a journal can keep off those pounds. By Madeline Vann, MPH Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH Writing down what you eat can double your weight-loss success and help you keep those pounds off permanently. After all, maintaining your weight can be harder than losing it, so you need all the helpful tools you can get. Keep Your New Weight: Why Journaling Works A study of 1,700 overweight men and women showed that those who kept a regular food and exercise journal, along with eating a low-fat diet and exercising 30 minutes per day, lost 18 pounds in 20 weeks, compared to a nine-pound loss among those who did no journaling. Researchers believe food journals work because: They make you accountable. They help you identify where extra calories are sneaking back into your diet. They can act as a deterrent — if you know you have to write down that you ate a second generous wedge of double fudge chocolate chip brownie pie, you might not eat it! They provide a concrete record of your success. One of the lessons many people take from their experience of food journaling is the difference between a serving size as printed on a nutrition label and the amount of a food that they consider to be a helping. For example, a serving of Pasta is about a half a cup, so you may be surprised when you start keeping your food journal that your usual helping of spaghetti could be as many as four servings. Keep Your New Weight: Find Your Best Journal Format Be creative with your weight journal format if that also helps keep you on track. The word journal may conjure up the image of a leather-bound diary tucked under your pillow, but 21st century dieters can get the same benefit with a high-tech twist — texting. An eight-week study of 31 families showed that tech-savvy teens were nearly twice as likely to stick to a diet plan if they could text-message about their diet and exercise choices. The study's authors concluded that an immediate response from a nutritionist helped keep them motivated. You could achieve the same results by texting a diet buddy. Another option is keeping a log of your dietary choices online, which may also give you access to interactive tools such as calorie counters and weight trackers as well as personalized meal and exercise plans. Keep Your New Weight: What to Journal Whether you're a next-generation smart phone texter or a spiral notebook traditionalist, you need to keep track of specific details for the best results. Here is a general guide for what information to track in your log: Your weight at the start of maintenance and at your regular weigh-ins. Your goals and any specific guidelines for your meal plan. Specific measurements you are tracking, such as your waistline. Portion sizes of foods — remember to make it servings, not helpings — and food groups. Nutritional information associated with the servings you are eating, such as calories, salt content, fat content, Fiber, and carbohydrates. Minutes of exercise expended, plus any other exercise data you record, such as heart rate. Any other habits that you believe are relevant to your weight, such as the time you spend watching TV or playing video games. Any other details about your eating experience, such as where you ate, who you were with, and how you were feeling emotionally at that time. Write down everything that you eat or drink, including Snacks and Water. And another success tip: For greater accuracy jot down what you ate right after you eat it. By keeping a food diary, you'll be able to see if you're about to go over your allotted calories for your current weight on any given day, as well as if you're eating too many or too few calories over the course of a week. Since it's important to shake up your exercise routine periodically to keep your body challenged, your journal will also allow you to review past workouts and alert you when you’re due for a change. Journaling is a great motivator, keeping you on the straight and narrow and preventing you from slipping back into old patterns that caused your weight gain.

This is a very impressive pace. Don't get upset if in a couple pounds (in Onederland), the numbers get a little sticky. It's normal, and it's for the better, and will make your weight loss better quality in the long run. My current stall is about two weeks old and I am learning to love and embrace it for what it means.

I was banded 4-14-08 and am getting my fifth fill tomorrow. I still have no restriction and I'm pretty sure my weigh-in tomorrow will show a gain. I've been gaining and losing the same 3 or 4 pounds for the last 5 or 6 weeks now. I know it can take several fills to reach good restriction, but I'm getting a bit weary. I can eat WAY more than I should, and I know I have to work at this, but if my self-control were all that good, I wouldn't have needed surgery in the first place. Thanks in advance for prayers and support. I'm glad this forum is here. Jan from KY

i alwasy have said either u have sex appeal or u don't... like ur born with that inherent nature to 'work what yo' mama gave u' or not! The problem is when ur a bigger curvier women- like most of us here - society doesnt ALLLLLOW u to explore that side of urself. They basically make anyone who is curvy or overweight seem and feel unattractive and unsexual...which is OBVIOUSLY NOT THE CASE. And while it might be IN YOU (like u said u have always wanted to be) for whatever reason - psychologically- u have stopped urself from thinking that anyone would even consider u to be sexy and flirty and womanly bc u are 'heavier'. Its not abnormal to feel that way!!!! Im sure that the attention that ur getting now makes u feel AWESOME and SCARED all at the same time bc ur not used to allowing urself to feel good about urself. The thing is that u need to STOP urself from being ur worst critic... alot of times people react to US the way we react to THEM. So all these years that u have been thinking that ur friends have treated u like 'just one of the guys' might have just been bc u were reluctant and insecure about urself and thus putting up a front. One of being seen more as "friend" then as something more! do u get what im saying here? The second that u start believing in urself and having confidence people are going to instantly be attracted to that... whether or not ur 300 lbs or 120 lbs. Believe me there are mannny men that find plus size women attractive and would pick them over a skinny annorexic arm charm anyday (im guessing ur husband is supportive of u and has been thru the best and worst time of ur weight). i never had a problem picking up men even when i was at my heaviest (not to sound like im bragging bc im tooootally not) but it was alllllllll about my attitude and personality...not about how i looked. I mean i just tried to work what i had and not constantly dwell on what i didnt like about myself. That was something my parents instilled in me at a young age- they alwasy made me feel like i could conquer the world not matter what. And that just proves to me that u have to be comfortable in ur own skin in order to really allow that side of u to come out... In my opinion i get PISSED when guys that i have known for a while all of a sudden start complimenting me and saying im hot or this and that after i have lost a few pounds. I basically want to punch them in the face and ask them what the hell was so wrong with me in the first place? THAT annoys me and i think i'd rather NOT hear it then hear it...bc it just confirms the fact to me that society is filled with a bunch of superfical loosers. HAHA wow im not bitter!

:eek: I am new to this site too, Andrea. 47 - year old female, married, two teenage boys. I am scheduled to go to an "Informational Meeting" with a doctor here in Buffalo on January 6th. I have been on a waiting list for one year just to get into this meeting. I guess after that, it goes quickly. I canceled gastric bypass surgery for last summer - just couldn't do it. I feel as though the lap band is a better tool for weight loss. I wish you the best of luck!! This seems like a wonderful site for support and information. Hope to hear about your progress! Mary

Kudo's for your 100lb pre surgery weight loss. I understand what you mean about getting tried after something as little as taking a shower. Take it slow and rest when needed. Congrats on your surgery and new begining.

It'll be 6 weeks tomorrow & I haven't lost any in 2 weeks, GRRR !! I know we all go through it, but it's so frustrating . Going to start the gym tomorrow , hopefully that will help, at least there's no weight gain. Just had to vent .Any tips would help , thanks

Surgical Weight Loss 5 Day Pouch Test

I didn't have fibro, but the doctors called it chronic pain syndrome (or something like that). Within a week, I had stopped taking the Cymbalta they gave me (cause it was making me sick) and not too long after that, somebody grabbed me by my arm and I didn't start whining cause i hurt so bad. I'm finding that the more weight I lose, and the more I work out the less pain I feel and just generally feeling better all around. My best guess would be, yes. The surgery helped.

Hello everyone I had some questions I had my Surgery on Oct 25th 2010 I was 256 before my surgery and day of Surgery I was 246 today I my weight is 199. I feel like I am losing weight very slow. Should I have lost more weight ... I need to make a little better choices eating or I should say eat more and I have a hard time remembering to drink Water I know that is horrible . Any suggestions I have also drank a little and I know that is bad so I am cutting that out . I am just a little scared at this point . I need to go in to over drive or something .

1. My port is actually LESS visible as I lose weight. I think it's because the fat behind it is disappearing. If you wear underwire bras, you might want to ask your surgeon not to locate the port in the center where your bra hits. It does get uncomfy at times. My port has tilted, and I wonder if that's why! 2. I think I answered that in number 1.........I always try to be ahead of the game! LOL 3. I would say eating ice would be good because you're not gulping water.....just getting a slow intake. I have heard that craving ice sometimes indicates a vitamin or iron deficiency. Might want to ask about that. 4. Here's an answer to a question you didn't ask. It takes some people FOREVER to actually fell restriction. I've had 3 fills and just now am feeling a tad bit restriction! I am NOT patient. I had surgery on Aug. 24, and I've only lost around 35 pounds. I will have my 4th fill after Christmas, and hopefully that'll be the charm!! GOOD LUCK!!!!!!

I received the low profile port after getting the regular one at first. I asked him to move it upwards because it was in my waist band area and the pants were bothering me. Now the low profile port is above my waistband and still sticking out like crazy. He said I have no choice because of how thin I am. What ever that means... If he knew it was going to stick out because of my weight loss then he could have suggested some place else, don't you think? Josephine

Thanks both of you for your answers. Ok so the port is higher then I thought. I have been reading about restriction taking some time getting. I am also impatient but I guess if I am seeing weightloss and not gain I will be happy. I have heard that crazving ice is because of an iron defency(sp) which I am anemic (better start taking my iron huh?)

The weather is so gorgeous today, warm and sunny. I've been feeling really flabby and wanted to get some exercise in. I took an exceptionally long walk today (relatively speaking) since my walks have been short the last few days. I also got permission from my nurse to do 5 pound weight exercises. Wow, what a difference! I feel so good right now it's not even funny. Considering this past weekend I was crying over intense acid reflux, today it a total turnaround. I know I have nothing to add for people who are looking for better fitness advice months out, but I wanted to share how my baby steps today have really helped my gas, my mood, my energy, you name it. Can I shout this out? Please? I FEEL FANTASTIC TODAY!!!!!

Yesterday I met with the surgeon. As I sat in the waiting area with other heavy ladies, I wondered where they were in the process. How much had they lost? Were they in for a fill? I noticed one lady look another up and down as she talked to the receptionist with her back to us. We were all checking each other out - how silly! I suppose it is natural. We want to see results, if not on ourselves then on someone else. After a bit of a wait I met with the doctor. He was friendly and apologetic for the wait. He gave me some info and talked a bit about what to expect. He put his goal for me at 141. I haven't weighed that since I was 14 years old! He was very encouraging without being sales pitchy. I asked him to show me where my port would be and he drew a line on my belly. He made some reccomendations for a few more tests and got to the final question. "So, I think this surgery would be good for you...do you want to move forward?". And I said yes. His demeanor really put me at ease. At one point, when I said I was nervous, he said "you know, I could do this surgery this afternoon, it would only take an hour. But I want you to get your pre-op work finished and get this covered under your insurance, and in the mean time, you'll feel less nervous" So now I wait...and try to get all my info in order. I had initially accepted that I had a good chance of being self-pay. But now, as I learn more about how the surgeon's office can help me get approval, I'm willing to do whatever I can to get coverage. I am meeting with my PCP on Monday to try and fill in the blanks in my chart. I wasn't technically on a supervised diet, but I was coming in every few months complaining about my weight. So if we can get that more complete I may be able to show my 6 months or more of diet under supervision.

Hello to all I am Glen. I had lap band 17 days ago and am new here. I have lost 25 pounds then gain back 2 already so I am stressed out. I thought it was gone forever but see it is a thing to work on. I am greatfull to have found this place as there is no support group here in my town so I was alone untill now. I hope to talk to you all in the chat room and would be happy to share my experiance with anyone that wants to know about it. Glen.

My surgery date is Jan 22nd and I've been wondering what will happen to my loose skin as I lose weight. My plan is to get a personal trainer to help me tone up. Will this really work or is it wishful thinking?

Anne, I cannot tell you how much better I feel! Yes, the arthritis doesn't really disappear....however, it is soooo much better. I walk (sometimes run) all over school, with very little pain now and wish I had gotten a band years ago. I used to think you had to lose all the weight before any benefit.....wrong! And I still have a LOT to lose, but I don't really care how long it takes. As my doctor says, it will come off exactly the way it is supposed to, as long as you follow the plan carefully. Good luck! You will be so happy in a few short weeks! Nancy