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I am 26 years old, 5"10 and I have a desk job. I am not very active. I didn't have a pre-op diet and I weighed in at 343. A month after surgery I weighed 318. Totaling a 25 pound loss. I followed my liquid/jello/sugar free pudding/protein drink diet for 2 weeks. Around day 9 I had about 1/3 of an omelette and some mashed potatoes, then I progressed and had yogurt, cottage cheese, Soups, etc. I have my first fill next week. I bought a nutrabullet and downloaded the "my fitness plan" app- they are some useful tools. Good luck!

I was sleeved 11/19. I find when I talk alot I fill up with air and am miserable after, sometimes for hours and i cant eat or drink anything. I take gas x thin strips but it doesnt always help. Anyone else experience this??

Just saw where the surgeon who performed my lapband surgery will be in Texas soon. This man is truly a blessing from the Lord as ... well, look at my ticker. I'm a size 10 now going into an 8. No complications as the surgery was performed by a surgeon with the greatest skill. To find more information visit our Website Houston Lap Band Seminar :: Huacuz Surgical Center Houston, TX 713-269-1686 LAP BAND SEMINAR with One of the top Surgeons Nation wide performing the LAP BAND surgery DANIEL HUACUZ, M.D. ALLERGAN Certified Surgeon LAP BAND SEMINAR Take back control of your life with the safest weight loss solution available. If you've struggled with your weight and no amound of dieting and exercise has worked, the LAP-BAND System may be for you. It's the only weight-loss surgery that is completely reversible and adjustable for life. December 1, 2007 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm No Admission Fee Marriott JW Marriott Hotel Houston 5150 Westheimer Houston, Texas 77056 Phone: (713)961-1500

I was banded on 3/1/2011 and know exactly what you are going through. I hope my answers to your questions will help put you at ease because everything you are experiencing is perfectly normal. 1. You feel pain here because that is where the attached the access port below your skin so they can make adjustments to the band by filling or removing Fluid throught his port. The majority of the pain here will be gone 1 week after surgery if you take the hydrocodone as perscribed (every 4-6hrs). You will have soreness if you do heavy lifting for about a month however it is not bad. 2. Growling is perfectly normal. The pain you are feeling is mainly gas. When they do the surgery they have to inflate your abdominal cavity with air so they have room to manuever. The stomach will absorb the gas and pass it through your system. It takes a couple days and the pain can be uncomfortable. One thing I found very helpful is walking. Walk around for about 15-20 minutes and you will actually feel the girgling make its way out. Pushing it out is hard and painful but walking will help drastically. 3. The reason you feel good on the reclining couch is because the port is attached to your abdominal muscle on the left side. When you recline your body is not completely stretched so you do not feel pain. When you lay down on your back in bed and are flat it stretches your abdominal muscles resulting in pain. One thing I found that helps is sleeping in bed with a big pillow behind me so I am almost sitting up, your reclining couch is perfect. I would however stand up as straight as you can and walk so that you do not heal hunched over. 4. Recup time is about 1 week and you will be 90% healed. The other 10% takes about a month. I was back to work in 2 weeks and was fine, however everyone is different and your doctor will probably see you 2 weeks after surgery and let you know your progress. The main thing is taking the pain meds and resting. 5. Everyone is different and will advance at different rates. I felt ok but went throught the outlined intake process the doctor assigned to me. I found the first week I could barely eat anything. I never felt hungry and I got lots of gas no matter what I ate. The body will heal and the gas will go away. The only advice I have for you is stay strong, you can do this. It should be much better within a week. Remember gas gets better with walking. You should be back to eating all food within 4-5weeks. 6. The doctor/nutrionsit should have outlined a diet plan for you and progression timeline. I would check with them to make sure you are on schedule. 7. I did not have heatburn meds. 8. I am not sure what you are feeling. I would try drinking very slowing and never through a straw. Never drink more than a sip at a time. Its hard to get used to but you can do it. Within a month itll be second nature to you. Even if the weather is horrible, its crap here as well. Walk around the house, even if its slow. You will feel so much better. Do not over do it. Slow walking for 15 minutes and you will feel tha gas subside. Hope I helped even a little. Good luck to you.

I'm 4 weeks today post surgery. Lost over 40lbs but not having a fill is so hard! I feel like I didn't do anything and am fighting will power, which is why I'm here in the first place! I want nachos, sausages, wings, and pasta! I'm totally healed and appetite is roaring' I'm not making those choices but its so tempting! Did I mention I work in a restaurant!!! Ill hit the treadmill for the third time this week tonight but I needed to vent! First fill is June 4 so I've got 10 days!! Ugh. Help! Advice?!?!

I was filled 4cc at time of surgery (10/24/12). I'm going for my first fill on 12/12...

I was banded in 11/08 and up until recently only lost about 20 lbs. Restriction up until very recently was hit or miss. I just had my third fill in 7/09 and am finally experiencing a good deal of restriction. I have 5 cc's in a 10 cc band and I'm definitely seeing more weight loss now. Here are a couple of questions now that I'm finally seeing some progress: 1. Is it normal for restriction to "kick in" or feel more pronounced after a couple of weeks of getting a fill? At first I definitely felt the restriction, but it feels even more pronounced a couple of weeks later. 2. How much is a typical amount of food to eat in one sitting? I'm finding that I can only tolerate say a few spoonsful of tuna salad. (Of course prior to having this great restriction, I could eat a lot more...and crackers....so I feel that these "basics" are sort of new to me 9 mos. later.) Thanks in advance for your insight!!

Hey there. I am new here and not sure about posting but I feel like I am all alone. I had surgery 10 years ago, I didn’t ever lose that much weight with it and ended up getting sick and not being able to keep up with my running which I miss more than anything. Anyway, I am 20 lbs over the weight I was before my surgery. I am always so tired and I could sleep anywhere at anytime, although the test said I didn’t have sleep apnea. My BMI is a shameful 45. I wasn’t sure who to contact so I contacted my Bariatric Doctor’s office. I am unable to go to the one that originally did my surgery. I’ve been dealing with a NP (which I really adore) that told me no to a revision, but she’s put me on phentramine and they don’t even give me energy and I never had a problem with over eating I have a problem with forgetting to eat 🙄 All of my pills I have to take now makes me sick, I feel nauseous all of the time, zero energy. I have been checked for depression (of course vitamin levels) I take those even though they make me nauseous. This dr is 3 hours a way we’ve only been able to do telemed visits. I would like another opinion but I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes and get in trouble with dr shopping or have anyone mad. I wasn’t sure if people start out with their PCP or surgeon. sorry I rambled I’m nervous and so confused! Idk where in the world to go from here. Lol thanks for listening to me.

Hi everyone! I have a couple of questions for people regarding Water intake after VSG. 1) How many months post-op are you, & how much water can you drink on an empty stomach? 2) Were you able to drink enough daily recommended water the first month after surgery? How hard was it on a scale from 1-10? 3) Have you guys ever drank water while eating? Were you able to eat more or less? 4) I've heard people say, even the taste of water changes after surgery, have you noticed this yourself? 5) Overall on a scale of 1-10 how hard is it to get in the daily amount of water in NOW? Ahhh, sorry for all these questions, but I genuinely love drinking water :] I would prefer a ice cold glass of water compared to a soda any day, so I really was curious of how water drinking behavior changes after surgery. Any questions that you guys would answer will help me a lot I thank you for your time!!!

I was sleeved 9/19 - and I have only lost about 25lbs. 5lbs in the month after I was sleeved. I feel like this is failing too. I literally had my guts rearranged to not have success. Does this really not work for some people? Could I be that small percentage that I destined to remain fat?????

My surgery was performed in a whirlwind. I didn't really have the time to research what to expect post op- short term or long term. Now 11 days later here are my reflections. My experience may be markedly different than yours. Hour 1-4 in PACU: Hell on earth. My pain is 8/10 at my "stab wounds" with nausea and repeated dry heaves. I am drugged up and groggy. I am also scared to absolute death that all of the dry heaving is going to rupture the staple line of my sleeve. I basically am refusing pain meds for fear of more vomiting. I feel like a portion of my stomach is in my throat, literally, just sitting in my esophagus creating a strange pressure. Hour 4-24 admitted: My pain and nausea gradually resolve after I request my nurses to bring my 2 Lortab (narcotic) and Zofran and/or Phenergan (anti-emetic) every 4 hours on the dot, not "as needed" as was ordered by my surgeon. I also had a Scopalamine patch for nausea that was continuous release. By 24 hours post surgery I was done with narcotics and anti-emetics and only needed Toradol (Ibuprofen) and had the Scopalamine patch for nausea. I cannot take even a small sip of anything yet. My stomach still feels as if it is in my esophagus. Hour 24 morning after: My IV fluids are stopped and I am wheel chaired down to my swallow test. It is one of the most awful experiences of my life. I have not yet swallowed anything, and this Fluid is disgusting. I can barely perform the test and of course I throw it back up. My stomach is in my esophagus. I am nauseated, and now I am hurting again. I cannot figure out why I have chosen this. Hour 36 discharged home. Walk from my room to the car. My pain is very manageable and nausea resolved again. Hour 36-72 at my folks house: I slept poorly but basically continuously. I could not arouse to watch TV or read. I was uncomfortable, but only required ibuprofen for pain and the Scopalmine patch for nausea. At 72 hours I take out/off the pain pump contraption that was sending a pain medication directly to the wounds via a very small catheter and remove the dressings. My stomach is in my esophagus. Hour 72-96 at home: I feel good. I still cannot figure out why I did this without more research. I force myself to be up and about, with some lounging in between. I go to the health food store to get my Vitamins and waste some money on Protein I won't like or use. My stomach is not in my esophagus any more. Hour 96 and beyond: I feel better and better. At 96 hours I cannot figure out why I need to be off work for 4 weeks. That seems very excessive. I can totally function. At day 10 I feel as though I NEVER HAD SURGERY. I feel normal and great, pain free, not nauseated, and my energy level is about the same as pre-op. Lessons I have learned: 1. It is 72 hours of hell folks. That's it. 72-96 hours. Anyone can do that. 2. This is dumb for anyone who already has researched this major surgery prior to having it, but I had not so here goes: you have 1/4-1/2 cup of space in that new tummy. You can fill it with some variety of high protein nutrient dense item, or just as easily with ice cream, jelly Beans or anything else. This surgery did not take away a single craving or desire. Each 2-3 hours that I put something in my sleeve, I have to make a choice. I didn't fully grasp the level of denial that I would experience, much like every diet I have tried in the past. I have denied myself many dozens of times through this Christmas season. It was hard, just like every diet I have embarked on. True, I do not have hunger pangs, but the desire to eat and eat poorly is ever present. 3. My surgeon has a totally different food schedule than every other surgeon in the U.S. and Mexico I guess. At day 6 he advanced me to chopped foods. Chopped chicken, tuna, hamburger, scrambled eggs etc. I am so grateful as I hate, hate, hate any artificial sweeteners and Stevia. That pretty much eliminates all Protein shakes. It also eliminates anything sweet for now because I know my head and tongue are just as addicted to sugar as they were 11 days ago. Part of me is reveling in the victories so far, and part of me is kind of missing the normalcy of dining with my family and eating what they are eating, having ice cream etc. 4. I am realizing more and more every day that this is a wonderful tool, but tenuous at best. I am fully aware that I could actually have this procedure and not lose weight or change my life, and it would be easy to have that outcome. This is indeed a lifestyle commitment and opportunity to change my life for the better, but it is fragile, and I really could blow it. My sleeve can tolerate anything I have thrown at it, no problem. I know that I could jam 3,000 kilocalories into this pouch tomorrow if I allowed it. 5. Just like previous times dieting, I have to have enough calories or I feel weak and out of sorts. The My doctor has not encouraged 400 calorie intake, but rather 1,100 plus. I am hovering around 1,000 most days since day 4 and feel good. On the days I was closer to 600 I felt very poorly. My protein intake is high, carbs and fat relatively low. I am eating 100% real food, no shakes. I hope that this helps someone.

I will be 6 months out on 4/21 (surgery was on 10/21) and I have lost 42 lbs post-op (rest of the weight was pre-op). It's coming off a little slower now, but I am very happy with the results! Please remember everyone is different, so while you are getting a benchmark from all of us, remember you have to do what works best for you :-)! Good luck!!

Hey! I am about to hit my 6 month mark on the 14th. I was banded on 10/14/09. Started at 240 and am now and 208...my goal weight is about 150-160. I am at 32 pounds lost right now...very slow and frustrating..especially when I compare myself with others. Moral of the story.....try not to compare and beat yourself up over it. I am doing what I need to do and living life. As someone said before...this is not one of our previously failed diets...this is for real a lifestyle change. Hang in there and good luck!!!

10 days post op and they are kicking my butt! I try to drink slow and that doesn't seem to be working. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

Here's some steps of things I did and I was using Insurance to pay: 1. Schedule and attend free doctor/hospital bariatric program orientation session to learn about their programs, doctors, etc. 2. Usually they give you a packet of information to fill out and mail in to them to see if you are a good candidate for surgery. 3. Check with Insurance company and find out specifically if they Exclude Bariatric Surgery including Adjustable Gastric Lap Banding and/or Gastric Bypass/RNY, etc. and what the qualifications are to get insurance coverage approved. What BMI and what co-morbidities do you have to have to qualify - i.e. sleep apnea, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc. being co-morbidity examples. 4. Many of the Insurances will require: Surgeon consultation visit to see if you are a candidate, 5. Cardiac clearance - most of us are overweight enough they want to make sure you are okay. 6. Sleep study/clearance - if you haven't been cleared for sleep apnea 7. Psychological study/clearance - its pretty basic but they want to be sure you are mentally and emotionally ready for this life change. 8. Diet and nutrition counseling - at least 1 pre-op session with the doctor/hospital 9. Primary Care Doctor supervised weight loss effort - as noted in other posts - sometimes 6 months consecutive evidence in the doctors' progress notes - not just that they weighed you but that you discussed weight loss issues. Some get by with 3 months - varies by insurance. 10. Any other 'hoops' to jump through the particular doctor gives you or their bariatric program for that hospital.

Tomorrow is my last weigh in for my 6 month supervised diet. In the beginning of my diet I gained about 10lbs and then lost the weight I put on. So 6 months later I think I'm only about 2lbs less than my 6 month diet starting weight. I did however lose 60lbs on my own before I was being medically supervised, and that is reflected in my 5 year medical history. My question is will the insurance company deny my surgery because I didnt lose 10% of my 6 month starting weight? Should I do another month of dieting to try to lose more weight before submitting my paperwork to my insurance? I have BCBC of Texas...I'm really nervous about this.

Does your insurance compay require you to lose 10% of your weight during the 6-month diet? I have never heard that before. I was told I would need to lose 10% of my weight during the pre-op diet, then that was switched to 10% of your excess weight. I was not given a set number of pounds to lose during the 6-month diet. I was told not gain weight during this time and not to go below a 40 BMI.

Photo Egor:photo: and I just turned 51. I am asthmatic, arthritic, bi-polar, pre-diabetic, and FAT (100lb. more than when we met 34 years ago).:drama: His BMI is 45, he has to sleep with a machine for apnea, and take two insulin shots a day, in addition to medicine for clinical depression. We are both being treated for high blood pressure and cholesterol problems.:eek: We first went to AIGB-Dallas November 14th, and are working through all of the time and tests Aetna requires before banding :thumbs_up: (hopefully March for me and April for him:pray2:). We have become more aware of the lifestyle changes we have to make, including walking, portion control, chewing thoroughly, and thinking about when, what, :tea: and how much we drink. So far, we have lost about 10 pounds each :scales:, in spite of :pray2:Thanksgiving , FOUR family birthdays,:party::cake: :party: :happybday: and Christmas! :present: :)Banding seems to be a great tool for people like us, who want:pray2: :pray:to lose the weight that is making our other health problems worse. :gluck:

Hi All! I was banded by Dr. Spiegel 19 months ago and I LOVE my band! I have lost 62 pounds as of yesterday. I am not the most active person in the world, but I did go to the YMCA last summer and start water aerobics. It was great. Then I had to stop so I could help my pregnant DIL with my little 13 mo. old grandson. I have lost steadily since I started running after him! What a way to lose! Yes, we older bandsters lose more slowly, but my skin looks great. I just had an adjustment to my band after several months and the Nurse Practitioner told me that my band was really loose because I had lost so much weight!!!!!Now I have good restriction again. It is like I was first banded. I have been looking for great banded recipes on this website. I had kind of let things go before, but now I am back on the horse!!! Ladies, we are SO much better off with the band! Good luck and Happy New Year and New You to all of you! Calanne:whoo::clap2:

My Kaiser experience is a little different. I was banded in Mexico in Dec. 2006 while I was living in the Pacific Northwest. My initial fill management was done by a nurse practitioner in the area who was affiliated with the surgeon. In June 2007 I moved to the SF Bay Area and sought out a surgeon to do fill management for me. I found a GREAT surgeon -- Dr. Husted -- who went into private practice about the time I got Kaiser insurance at my job, so I sought fill management from Kaiser and to my surprise they were willing to see me (not many US docs are keen on Mexico patients). By the time I saw the doc I was 14 months post-op and had lost about 40 lbs, but was beginning to regain, and I had never had a satisfactory fill (that lasted more than 10-12 days). I questioned whether my band was leaking. The doc's treatment plan was to have me keep a food diary and talk to the dietician. It's all in my head, he said. What I probably needed was education and portion control Really. If that worked, Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers would have been the answer 20 years ago. At a followup appointment, I had my obligatory counselling session with a young woman who clearly has never had a weight problem in her life, and who told me it's all in my head. I just need to practice portion control. The doc told me that 20% of all band surgeries fail and clearly viewed me as a "failure" on a number of levels. He did seem appropriately concerned however when he checked my fill level after adding a small amount and didn't get the same amount back. Gee, maybe there is a leak. I should also mention that this surgeon -- Dr. Im -- has the WORST technique for accessing my band which left me so physically exhausted after that appointment that I literally fell into bed and couldn't get up for 14 hours (and it takes a LOT to take the wind out of my sails). I remember thinking this must be what I felt like post-op except that they give you pain meds to mask the discomfort. So I have been reluctant to pursue another followup with this surgeon. Has anyone else had a better experience with another surgeon at Richmond? At this point I'd almost rather pay the $350/visit for my non-Kaiser doc.

I don't want to sound discouraging and everyone is different. I had my surgery 06/10/2014 and there was no way I could have gone on vacation three weeks out. I went back to work this week and I'm exhausted. I had stretching and pulling pain on my left side around two incisions until last week.

This is what I eat each day. (I'm the kind of person that can have the same thing everyday.) Meal 1: 1 scrambled egg and 2 pieces of bacon Meal 2: 4 oz cottage cheese with 1 T sugar-free strawberry preserves Meal 3: 1 string cheese, 5 ParmCrisps, and 2 oz of chicken or salmon Meal 4: 2 oz salmon with 1 oz green Beans Meal 5: 2 oz hamburger steak with 1 oz green beans Meal 6: 2 oz chicken or salmon with 1 oz green beans Meal 7: 4 oz cottage cheese with 1 T sugar-free strawberry preserves That comes out to about 1000 calories, 19 grams of carbs, and 100 grams of Protein. I have 112 oz of Water as well (32 oz between Meal 1 and Meal 2, 32 oz between Meal 2 and Meal 3, 16 oz between Meals 4 and 5, Meals 6 and 7, and after Meal 7). It takes about 12-14 hours to get it all in and to allow the proper wait time before and after drinking water. I hope this helps. Good luck!

i was banded a few years back too and had it slip and needed it removed. to make a long story short, I regained the 75 lbs i lost plus about 10 more over the past 5 years without the band. I have been on the fence about getting sleeved too only because I hear its still the same amount of work to lose the weight as before being sleeved. if thats the case then why risk myself and have another surgery? If there is no benefit on having the sleeve done then why do it? i hear so many people say they work just as hard after being sleeved as they did before the sleeve. This all confuses me and just makes me think Ill keep trying at it on my own. Im feeling so hopeless...

When will I feel normal again. I had a smooth surgery July 29th. I had some scar tissue that was stuck to a lot and they removed a bunch but nothing really hurts horrible except drinking. I can barely get in 25 oz of Fluid. And that was only today... I had half cup of skim milk and half a cup of my premier Protein drink and that's it for protein. Its so heavy on my tummy. Along with my liquid hydrocodone. And I CANNOT take my liquid stool softener it makes my throat burn and I start bawling. I feel totally run down and I cry every night. I heard after the first week is so much better but I am terrified I'm not getting enough of anything in. I love ice chips and sf Popsicles but I'm only supposed to have 1 sf Popsicle a day... I'm so weak and tired but afraid to take naps because I don't wanna miss drinking fluids.. Please someone who has been this way I need to know this is going to pass. I can't cry anymore my 10 yr old is so worried about me Please give me some advice please!

Hi everyone! Just had surgery on 11/10 and am in liquids until Wednesday. Overall I’ve just been very lethargic but wondering how long other peoples bloating and general swelling from the surgery last?