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So here's the thing, Steve. We are all traveling the same "journey" -- we simply have different ways of getting to wherever our goal might be. One thing I can say with almost absolute certainty about this board is that we've all been fat, many of us most or *all* of our lives. We've all had our share of issues relating to and unrelated to our weight. I'd almost bet that we are all looking for better health, healthier relationships, love, friendships, acceptance, maybe online, maybe not. Many people here have had MUCH easier lives than you, I'd bet, and many people here have had much harder lives. Something my grandmother used to tell me when I was complaining about whatever was happening in my life was that there is always going to be someone smarter, dumber, prettier, uglier, richer, poorer than you. We have no choice but to work with what we have been given and do the best with what we've got. If you want to be here, I want you to be here. If you want to contribute and talk and chat and vent and Celebrate, fabulous! If you don't, if you think that this is an unhealthy place for you to be, then don't be here. What I don't want for you, and I say this with all the sincerity I can muster, is for you to continue to tear down the potential to build some really great relationships. Do you know that I have met *in person* at least 10 people from this board, one of whom I consider one of my closest friends? I belong to an outside group with 50+ people from here, a group that I would not trade for the world as they are my closest allies in this struggle towards better health. These fabulous people that I can call friends (and yes, there are about 10 guys in that count) are the only people who can really understand what I am going through. They understand the fears, the joys, the struggles, the accomplishments... They understand how it feels to be constipated for a week and then have poop Soup for three days straight, to be able to eat chicken one day and then heave it up no matter how it's prepped for the next three. They get it when I am excited about a new pair of jeans or a new recipe. They get how great skinnier sex is and how I might feel about my loose skin flopping around when I Zumba. My non WLS friends are happy for me, too, but it's not the same. I do not want you to lose that option here and I am afraid that you are working really hard towards that very end. It's OK for you to be on your journey just as it's OK for me to be on mine. Our goal is the same, but the path we are taking and the things we will see and experience along the way may or may not be the same. I won't judge you if you don't judge me and I won't be offended if you disagree with me as long as you agree to the same. It's not OK to call names. It's not OK to tell people to "F off". It's not OK to tell people they are WRONG!WRONG!WRONG! and it's not OK to think that your way is the ONLY way. It is ok, however, to share your experiences, your triumphs and your disasters. Make friends, Steve, I know you can.

I had the sleeve in 2011 and lost 88 pounds. Then I gained about 40 and had really bad acid reflux and could not lose the weight. So I went back to Mexico in March 2016 and had the revision to mgb. I will say the sleeve was a breeze and I felt like I didn't even have surgery. The mgb was not bad, just a little discomfort. The main difference I noticed was with the sleeve I had plenty of energy and with the mgb I was really tired for about 2 or 3 weeks. I'm a police officer at a hospital/university and I walk several miles a day and frequently have to fight or restrain mental or drugged out patients. I took 3 weeks off with the mgb and I was fine. If you have an office job you could probable take 2 weeks off and be fine. My starting weight with the sleeve was 257 and it was 199 with the mgb. I'm currently about 160. My goal was 150 but I work out a lot and I've went from a size 16 to a size 8/10 since the mgb so I'm pretty happy if I stay where I am.

I am starting to get a cold...sore throat....My surgery isnt till January 18th, but It still worries me. I am getting on a 13 hour plane ride in a week and REALLY don't want to be coughing and miserable... perhaps I'll try the Zicam..... I have been making this jelly concoction made with a sugar free metamuciel mixed into the emergenC. I mix it, then let it sit for about 10 minutes before I eat it with a spoon. Its kind of yummy and full of fiber and C. Trying to kill two birds with one stone.

HI Cyndy, I live in Calif..central valley area. I live in the country too, actually it's more like farm area dairy land. I love it so much more than the city. I live on 10 acres and have know idea what to do with all that acerage. Oh well... I had my surgery (self pay) in Monterrey Mexico. My doc was so wonderful. His Name is Javier De La Garza. I wasn't real nervous until the actual day of surgery. You know, you just get to the point when you say enough is enough. I have obesity in my family, my dad had gastric bypass lost so much weight. Then I just started researching and lapband was the least invasive.. I have a feeling you will love the band.. I do. This forum is the best. I've never been in chat rooms before, but i here i go to lots of different threads and just meet and learn and talk. Keep us posted . You will do fine. Kelley

Just received call that surgery is May 10th. So scared I won't be able to do this week of liquids only!!!!

I will have my band surgery on Feb 10, 08, all being well. I need to loose 80 pounds to reach my goal of 135. I don't have any pre-op diet requirements, and that concerns me somewhat. Nevertheless, I am spending the weekend prior to the surgery away exploring Medain Saleh, in Saudi Arabia, where I live for the time being. At the moment, I don't know how much time to take off work.

I am actually feeling pretty good. I have been able to get my Protein shake in and drink about 10 oz of Water. I have some minimal gas pains that seem to go away with walking or burping. I will be taking a shower in a few to finish getting the iodine off my belly. I tried to wipe off most yesterday, but did not feel like a shower then. My port area is good too, just sore getting up and down, as well as turning when I am sitting. I am actually surprised I am feeling so good, since I have read that others feel like hell after.

we all tend to be hard on ourselves..it's just a fact of life. For me nothing will ever be good enough until I hit my goal. I dropped a 170 pounds in 19 months just to turn around and pack it all back on in 5 years time plus an additional 90 pounds. I went from 393 to 220 and 5 years or so later I was in the 480s. Am I punishing myself? You bet I am.

I am all set for today at 10:30. I'm down 17lb from my all time high of 302. Holding on to the knowledge that I will never worry about crossing 300 again is one of the big things that comforts me. I got an unexpected gift with the hurricane , 2 full days at home with my family. We had such a lovely time, and I'll come home to a much cleaner house than I would have otherwise. I'm pretty nervous, but I hope to have great things to post very soon!

scratch the High desert and even Ca. I don't care where you are, i just need someone i can relate to and who also needs support. so here is a bit about me: 35, married, 2 kids age 10 and 13. have lupus, pcos, fms, degenerative disc disease and other health issues. my main purpose for having surgery is to reduce my pain level. I also really want to be healthy as possible for me and my family. I am waiting for approval and expect an answer this comming week. i am on the Protein shake twice a day and small portion of lean meat and veg for dinner. i have 6 more lbs to go to get to my pre-opp requirement. i am home almost all day and can chat on here or where ever. I just really would like someone to talk to that understands. If you can relate to me at all and need a buddy too, PM me or reply here.... Kat

I view my lap band as a little cop in my tummy. She stops me when I eat too fast, forces me to slow down, and firmly tells me "That's enough" when I'm full. If I don't listen to her, there are unpleasant consequences. Whereas before, I was a fast eater and it takes a good 20 minutes for the brain to register satiety. So I would eat a lot, very fast, and overfill my stomach. I've always been fine with eating the "right" foods - my problem was volume. The band prevents ~90% of my overeating. The other 10% consists of pure sweets and high-calorie liquids which I find easy enough to avoid so it's been working well for me.

Thanks. The first pic was taken shortly after surgery. I had surgery on February 12, 2016. The updated pic was taken yesterday, March 10, 2017. So a little over a year between them. Around 100 pounds down. [emoji3]

Last night I really need a night out with no kids, we have 4, so I asked my oldest 14 to stay with the kids so me and my dh could go out to eat. I have been out to eat several times and I have been loser so I can usually eat more. Well now that I am so tight and can't eat as much I asked the waitress for a side salad with blue cheese dressing and a cup or French onion soup with no croutons in it. She looks at me and says “that is it that is all you want”. I reply “yes, that is all I can eat” she then says “o I am so sorry you poor thing”! I was so embarrassed because she said it loud enough the next table heard which was full of old classmates that have no clue that I had the surgery! :thumbup: My husband loves it because are bill was only $19 and he loves that I am a cheap date Do you guys get this when you go out to eat?

I had surgery on April 24th. I had a 4 year old and a 10 month old at that time. Both Csections and recovery from the band was way easier... I had help for about 4 days after surgery, but found myself quite capable to do pretty much anything pretty quickly...I just had to adjust and do it a little slower. I have found the band really really helps with snacky kid foods that I can't eat...and honestly...now I see stuff like goldfish and have no desire to even put one in my mouth. If there is a snacky food that you really love...don't buy it...snacky foods go down pretty easily and its easy to end up "eating through the band" with them. Sometimes mealtimes are hard. My hubby is deployed so its just me and the kids. Often I make them a meal and have a Protein drink for my "dinner" then after I put them to bed make a "lapband appropriate" dinner for myself that is real food. I find that if I don't eat real food instead of just Protein drinks I'm hungry by 9pm. I had surgery on a Wednesday and went back to work on Monday. it was too soon. I also work from home and sit at a desk at home...it was still too soon. I wish I'd taken a full week at least. Hope that helps!

I am a vegetarian so most of my protein sources have carbs in them. I eat around 90-150 carbs a day, mostly from good clean sources with a few chocolate chips thrown in for good measure! I keep track of calories, get in my 65+ gms of protein a day, and try to get in variety for the rest of my 1100-1400 cals a day. I have 6 pounds to get to "normal" weight and have eaten regular food mostly the whole time. I think of myself as losing slowly, but 82 pounds in 10 months is NOT that slow. The 10 more pounds I am shooting for will come off eventually... while I am eating good whole grain, garden grown, home made carb including food in small doses. I love my sleeve! ...the only "phony" food I eat is hi quality vegetarian protein foods, like protein chips, bars, cereal and drinks... to help me keep my protein up and keep my hands off of junk like candy bars and chips. You have to figure out for yourself what you can live with for the long run.

I think it's a great idea. When I had mine done 4 years ago, with an excellent surgeon, I did have respiratory arrest about 12 hrs after surgery and ended up on a ventilator. They implemented some additional monitoring procedures after my experience! I would do it all over again in a heartbeat! I am down from 260 to 170 lbs I'd like to lose another 10-15; hopefully in time. I think your surgeon is very wise and obviously has policies and procedures for good reason. Who knows, I might be the reason! Best of luck to you, just follow every single rule and you will do great!

I'm 61, but my bypass isn't scheduled until August 19. I have back problems and a knee problem like yours. I am a little anxious as I have other medical problems, but I am an optimist and can't wait to get started on my new journey! Will be more than happy to keep you updated on how it progresses... Peggy

You are not alone, I've come across a simple technique that is working for me, since my whole system is still adopting to the new life I'm having I choose to let my sleeve do the work for now, I can't medically explain it, but basically whether I take 3 bites or 10, my toy sea to say through feeling that it's full, so I stop, my mind is still catching up, and takes me back to a not so good place, "finish your food" "Your wasteful" and " you don't like my cooking?", I only kept going once since my sleeve and ended up throwing it up, I've also came to the decision to have 1 cheat day per month, but if I go with my wife to a restaurant and I like her dessert because it looks delicious, my safety plan is to not order it and instead get a taste of my wife's, and not every time either, we are creatures of habit so the whole "eat to live, don't live to eat" is hard to stomach ( pardon the pun), but if even before we start to eat we can rationalize, it can be an easy pleasant experience, if I have an 8oz sirloin I need to be content that no matter how delicious it is, if I full after 4 or 5 bites I can put it aside, we are programmed early on to eat by what things taste like to us and how tasty they are, but if you look around the world some of the healthiest cultures that have long life spans only eat what they need to eat, don't torture yourself though, I've learned to cook for myself and I've made some awesome meals, try buying tools to help you cook

I have IBS. I was sleeved 10 days ago. I had diarrhea for the first 7 or so days but I was consistent in the way that I would go once every morning but it just happen to be diarrhea. After about a week, I've been having more solid movements. Still extremely soft but not diarrhea which I kind of expect because I'm on liquids only. My stomach/bowl movements are no worse off than they were before surgery so I'm not upset about it. Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

That is awesome!!! I was banded on 10/25 & felt the same way when the scale went below 250 for the first time in 4 or 5 years!! Congratulations :)

I am going to Dr. Gail Wynn here in Newark, DE. I have heard nothing but positive responses from those who have had her do their surgery. I am looking forward to 3/19 for the next chapter in my life..a change for the better, healthier life

I am now 1 of 8 women that I have met on here that have gotten pregnant after at least 10 years of infertility. So I am telling you now....if you want it, it can and will happen and I wish to sprinkle you with a bit of baby dust today....GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!

I didn't feel like myself until about day 10.

Wow! I had the same experience! Went on a girl's trip and now I'm paying for it! How far out are you? I'm 10 months out.

It took me to get to week 4 almost before I was comfortable with the mush foods. Just be patient. Sleeved 10/24/12 Sent from my iPad using VST