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All I know is I was the most skeptical out there. I finally did it on June 5th and have lost 30lbs in 5 weeks. Oh my god how my life has changed. I am 5'10, 270lbs at time of surgery. It's the most amazing thing I could've ever done for myself. Go for it! :thumbs_down:

Well I didn't really talk to anyone about it seriously until after I'd made the decision. This is something I had been "dreaming" about for several years, started thinking seriously about when a friend went through it about 18 months ago and lost really well and just kicked around in the back of my mind until about mid last year. I went back to my GP for "one last ditch effort" on a new weight loss drug, but after about 2 weeks on that, I was easily able to eat past any effect the drug had. I was feeling really low one afternoon thinking about how my weight was so out of control and had been for so long; how my new job on the mines was giving me everything I wanted in terms of material things but was putting me into temptations way so badly with the camp food that I had gained nearly 50lb in 18months. Last October I searched on the net for weight-loss surgery and stumbled over this site and spent the next several days furiously reading everything in it! My decision was made on the first day - I wanted the band and I wanted it right NOW! I made the decision, called my GP to set up an appointment to get the referral to the surgeon and that was that. I didn't tell anyone until I had the appointment set with the surgeon (Nov) and since then I've been telling anyone and everyone! My surgery was in Dec and I am loving what I have done for myself. My suggestion would be to read, read and read some more. Talk to people, preferably those who have had some experience with it. Yes, the surgery has an element of danger - read the Complications threads and become familiar with them. Think about how the chance of complications compares with the chance of ill health as a result of your weight - which is more likely? Yes, it can be expensive if you are self-pay (I am), but what is the cost of good health, both physical and mental? How much will you save in the long run? For me, it is absolutely worth it. Yes, it takes effort to maintain and work the band. I've not had a lot of success in the past with anything that requires a long sustained effort. However, the beauty of the band is such that even if one "falls off the wagon", you can pick yourself up later and get another fill and get back on track. I'm very confident this time round that I have made the right decision. Good luck in making your decision.

I eat what I want... but that doesn't include the things I used to crave. After being banded I have no desire for fast food, pizza, chips, etc. I'm diligent about getting to the gym and I feel like a "normal" person. If I want something, I have it - although I had to swear off the evil halloween candy except for one day a week. I swear, it's EVERYWHERE! As for my meals, I try to eat my protein first but damnit - sometimes I want the potato, or the salad. I'm eating the right foods but know that I still need to get my protein intake up. I'm kind of in a weird place right now because my band is too tight during this time of the month (sory, boys) so it's nearly impossible for me to eat what I normally do and am existing on soup. I think one of the biggest things for me has been the change in my lifestyle. I don't eat if I'm not hungry and just plain old don't care about food anymore.

Hi Butterfly, I simply missed this message because I was in Mexicali on the Hospital bed recovering from my band to sleeve revision. The fact is the band is not for everyone. I was one of them. It's so easy to say, well you have to work your band... well excuse me... and how did the band work for me??? Better yet, WHEN did the band even help me at all? No, I lost all the weight I did post op all on my own, period and end of story. Once I realized I'd gone through a surgery for no reason I just let it take me down a road I'd rather sooner forget!!! I'm three days post op sleeve now, and so far so good. I feel great. Was it worth it? Well being as I'm so fresh and new I'm liking it. I still have a lot to look forward to, and in great hopes that this time, this surgery will give me the assistance in all I was looking for with that band thingy (that now sits in my suitcase... lmao -- what good it's doing there now right???) All the best!! It's not an easy decision to make. It took me a year to come to the conclusion that I still needed help and had to finally make that plunge. Glad I'm on the other side now though! :scared0:

You definately need to plan ahead but it is doable. I personally use premier Protein ready made shakes. They have 30 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar and are 160 calories. They will fit nicely into a lunch box and are a great source of protein when you are starting out. For me, I lived on Greek yogurt, 1% cottage cheese and Protein Shakes for nearly the first 4 weeks. I still eat those items daily for Breakfast and lunch. They are great protein and fill you up. I also added fresh fruit to this line up at 4 weeks. Strawberries and watermelon, apples....you name it. Also I leveraged Protein Bars, 1 oz portions of cheeses and 1 oz. portions of nuts.

I was told to do one week preop I use advantedge shakes Sent from my XT1585 using the BariatricPal App

Awesome! Love the puppies too! pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4

Welcome to the family! We are a great bunch of friends here. I'm glad you are home and resting. I think for me, I was off the pain meds by the fourth day. I was tired and not quite myself for about a week. Then I started feeling better. I drove by myself one week post op. Get plenty of rest, drink your fluids, and take it easy! Keep in touch....

Just an update, I have devices to move forward with NWWLS, I have my psych evaluation and nut apps the end week of March. Thanks for the input, it really helped.

Thank you for the words of encouragement. BAJAGAL1 I am at the almost too late stage also. I am 57 and have two knees that need replacement but doctor won't do it until I lose 90 lbs. I am at 275 now. I have asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure that thankfully is under control. I realize there are always hidden fees, just that I am unemployed at the moment, but this is not a 'OK we'll do it next week deal' so by the time surgery comes around hopefully I will be gainfully employed again! Well, they say life begins at forty, what they don't tell you is it's with doctors and not the ones who are looking for wives!! Thanks again, ladies. I will keep you posted.

...That's what I feel 13 days post op. WLS id life changing in so many ways. For the first several days post-op I focused only on the negative - what I was giving up for the rest of my life. Now I feel a sense of freedom from the never ending cycle of food dependence I once had - constantly thinking about when, what and where I'd eat - thinking about having to hide my eating habits from others, hiding trash, receipts, wrappers...you name it. Always with a sense of feeling out of place and abnormal because of my relationship with food and my weight. Now I feel peace--maybe it's because I've cut out all of the processed garbage, or because I have found a way to eat better that I am not white-knuckling through, or because I'm sleeping better because I haven't had caffeine in weeks--I don't know. But I'm hopeful and optimistic about the journey ahead. I wanted to post this in the pre-op area because there's a lot of anxiety leading up to surgery and the immediate post-op can be unpleasant to say the least. Just hang in there and know it can feel really good to get past those first hard days. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I showered the next day and my packet said it was okay to, just not to lather up the incisions. And no getting into baths or hottubs, etc for two weeks after surgery. My surgical strips didn't come off in the shower either. Trust me, those suckers are stuck on there pretty good. He probably gave you internal stitches that dissolve.

I am 1 week into my 2 week pre op diet! My diet consists of 4 Protein shakes a day plus 6-8 servings of chicken/fish , raw veggies, yogurt. I have not cheated at all but today temptation was showing its ugly face! Just left surgeons office for pre op visit. My test results showed increased liver enzymes ( of course I have a fatty liver). As I was sitting waiting it hit me!! THIS IS REAL!!!! This time next week I will be sleeved!!!! Oh my I never had a real "food funeral" and it hit me like a brick!! The food porn was going crazy thru my mind!!! I actually stopped at wawa!! But NOTHING inside the store was appealing to me! Not even their mint iced coffee that I used to live on!!!! I grabbed 2 hard boiled eggs and a bottle of Water and was on my way!!! What happened to the old me??? Is she gone forever???? Thank goodness!!!! I have no real cravings!!!! Already??? Wow!!!! I'm in TOTAL SHOCK LOL Sent from my iPhone using VST

Hi everyone my pcp sent a referral for me to start the process to have the sleeve done. I am 34 years old 5'2 310lbs.The bariatric center called last week and said i have to go to a seminar before i can get an appointment with the surgeon. So i go on the 5th to the seminar. After i do the seminar do they call me or do i call them and let them know i went and then we can schedule my appointment? I am in nevada and on medicaid if anyone can give me an idea of how the whole process works? Sent from my LGMS631 using the BariatricPal App

I went back to work today after being off since 6/3. I could have went in earlier but I wanted to make sure that I was going to be okay during this horrible humid, hot weather we had last week. Since I am a teacher this was a very hard time to take but I needed to to it now since I will be running a half day camp once school is let out for six weeks this summer. My daughter is also going to have her banded on 7/8. My class was very excited to have me back. Alot more of my collegues knew I was banded than I wanted to know. I should have kept my mouth shut. I only told my lunch mates but this didin't stay at the table. I heard that some of these teachers were jealous and bitching that I took the time off. It is none of their business!!!!!! Most of them were happy to see me and said I look great. I feel grea for doing ths life change and will contiue the journey!t and had lost 11 lbs in 2 weeks! After lunch on of my students said that i look different, I told him that I put up my hair. He said no it is not that , I think you lost weight!!!!!!! That made my day that my students notices the change in me! I am happy to be back but i have alot of work to do to get the end of the school year to a close. Thank goodness I have 5th graders that love to help the teacher! I did feel hungry today during lunch for the first time since surgery. Once I smelled the cafeteria food, (which is absolutely gross) I was straving! What a head game that is to crave that food. I went out ang got grits. I had to start muchie stage a day early. Tomorrow will be an easier day. Good luck to all that are going back to work. The only regret I have is having work know what I did. I am still on cloud 9 and will contiue the journey strong.

Im 3 weeks post op and could not TOLERATE broth since day 1 :/ Ewww! .:Never been plus size... only size SEXY:.

Shopping! I just had to buy new clothes because I am headed to Florida next week and none of my summer clothes fit. Yippie!

Did the surgeon tell you which method was used to anchor the port? I remember how painful my port site became mid-2nd week post-op, doc said it was encapsulation. Hope all goes well with your procedure. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using the BariatricPal App

Yesterday’s surgery went very well. I can’t say enough about Dr. Oliak, his PA Ally and the staff at Chapman Medcial Center. The whole thing really was a good experience, but didn’t go off without a hitch. As you may remember, this whole thing is a secret to everyone but DH, even the kids. My kids are only 5 and 7, so I didn’t think it would be too hard to keep them in the dark as long as I got home from the hospital before they came home from school. That didn’t happen so they ended up coming to pick me up with DH after 5pm. I told my son that I had a hernia repaired (not a lie), and that is was private and I didn’t want him talking about it to anyone. I think he’ll forget the whole thing in a couple of weeks. Anyway, back to the actual surgery. I got there at 7 for a 9:30 surgery. I had the beginning of a cold since Monday but I didn’t have a fever so they didn’t even notice. They gave me a breathing treatment for my asthma and took me in right on time. I was surprised to wake up at noon in recovery. They took extra time to fix my hiatal hernia, which I was sure that I had going in because it caused me pain every now and then. They even gave DH before and after pictures. Trippy! I willed myself to wake up quickly and was transferred to my room by 12:45. My nurse told me that DH left to get DD was school I knew that I wasn’t going to make my goal of getting out before school. My nurse was great, she herself had gastric bypass seven months ago and has lost 100 pounds so far! She didn’t think I looked like I needed surgery, probably because we weigh the same right now. Anyway, I had to walk, pee, drink from medicine cups, drink broth, drink shake, see the physical therapist and then go home. They really seemed like they wanted me to stay, and told me that I could stay for 23 hours as an out-patient. I just wanted out of there, besides, the whole family was downstairs waiting for me. I faded in and out all the way home and went to bed when we got there. That’s when the gas pain set in. HOLY MOLY, that hurts! It still does actually. I regretted leaving the hospital because I could have been pressing that pain med button instead of suffering all night. I did find that laying on the shoulder with the pain sent the pain up to the other shoulder. While this transfer was happening, I was able to catch a few winks. I bet that I got up to go to the bathroom 15 times over night. My mouth was so dry I kept sucking on ice chips all night long. This morning I called in sick. I supposed to be there tomorrow and I’m organizing the company BBQ on Saturday but now I find myself with a 101 degree fever. I called the PA Ally and she wants me to come see them tomorrow if I’m not better. I don’t feel too bad, just tired and wishing that the gas pain would be gone for good.

Hi Kimberly, I am right there in the same situation as you are, I am counting calories, eating right, drinking a lot of liquid, walking at least an hour a day and still stuck in that same number on the scale as I was at the end of first week!! so frustrating. Looks like we had the surgery around the same time, just keep working at it and it will all come together for us soon. I am hoping after my first fill in ten days the number will start moving faster. Hang in there.

Your not alone...I've been starving for 3 weeks & 2 days & I could bore you with the hours & minutes..lol My Dr. said it's because our stomachs didn't swell like most peoples do after banding. I'll tell you tomato soup in a mug has saved me between meals. I don't have any other tricks...but whatever you do don't watch commercials..too much food! Hang in there we can do this!

IMO it's because our bodily tissue is not made of plastic; it's living tissue and reacts to increased pressure in various ways. I have the exact same experience with fills kicking in weeks later; I think my stomach tissue "retreats" or thins out directly after the fill in response to the pressure, and then "returns" to its pre-fill thickness. THAT'S when I feel the increased restriction. I have no medical background but I've shared my theory with several surgeons and they all think it's as plausible as any other explanation.

mamareid I know what you are saying it's a catch 22 you need the pain meds but between those and no calories you feel like you are walking around in a fog. My pain lasted a good week! I still 20 days later have discomfort but it's manageable. Now it feels like a muscle strain. When I went to my surgeon 6 days after surgery crying from weekness he told me to add calories by having at least 1 fruit smoothie a day and I drank Kashie GoLean Protein shake made with milk at the advice of another bandster and it made a world of difference, maybe I would have lost more than I have but at least I was living and not the walking dead!!!!

So, I found out what a NSV was.. and its cool.. But lately I was wondering.. How far can that go? I mean, where something is happening to your body most definately but your just not losing any weight on the scale. I have been stuck around 350 pounsa.. for Months. I dont measure anything. But its UNDENYABLE that my body is changing. (I am single, I date and I just know.. ok) When I lost the bulk of my weight, I noticed some things.. But since then, since I stopped loosing, its been changing even more. So, Can this mean that My Hanging Flab weighs alot in itself.. OR I gained some muscle (I dont see how, I am not active) OR I am retaining Water (I have never retained water in my life and have no symptoms of it) I DONT KNOW.. Does the fat Keep drooping and changing with gravity, even though I lost the bulk of the weight months ago? I am kinda hopeing I am NOT stalled at 350 pounds and I am still having productive changes and that counts for something.. My right arm is so much smaller and the fat is collecting (or flab??) at the armpit area. My stomach used to have ONE problem area. I mean an area that I had to wipe with a baby wipe to keep clean ( I would do this every time I went potty) .. this is a non private area.. just an area suseptiple to uncleaness cuz it was so flabbish.. Once in a while it got a rash (it could be cleaned and soaked and gone in 24 hours) NOW.. my stomach has FIVE of those areas..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All my steachmarks are turning wrinkly.. I exspected that to happen.. BUT NOT when I am not loosing any weight.. At this point I have only lost about 65 pounds and I have lost 50 and 40 pounds many many times.. and NONE of this ever happened!!!! Sorry if this gets gross.. I find it very gross too. Then my leg.. the inner thigh.. it has this big dent in it.. It looks very nasty when I lift it to shave my legs.. I mean it ALWAYS looked nasty.. But this dent thing is Crazy.. AND all the pores in that area.. the inner thigh area are like wrinked and hold (or seem to hold) MANY MANY more pores.. I mean its all bunched together and No matter what i do, I cant stand to feel it... Its like I need a MASSIVE exfoliation that I never felt I needed before... HOw can you exfolite skin that isnt taught (without help, at my size) Ok... SO I had my first discusting.. LIKE serious BEd sore/ rash?? episode. I took pictures it was so bad. It appeared one day OVERnight, NO kidding.. It only took 2 days to get rid of, but none the less I was freaked OUT!!!! I am going to bring the pics to my doctor to show him. I guess I want a record if my body is gonna start doing this. Sooooooooo I brought up two issues here... sorry.. I am getting very scared.. I havent lost much weight and my body is INSANE changing and flabbing out and NEW to me and causing pores and rashes and seems like if I lose 50 more pounds I would have so bathe 4 times a day to keep clean,. lol anyway. thanks for listning I love you guys

I don't mean to scare you at all - but someone posted on here a few weeks ago about their dear friend who just went to get the lapband - and died from a heart attack while undergoing anesteisa - again - just wanted to be honest with what I know - I will try to find the link - it was very sad.