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This is a really touchy subject for most people, but I'm going to stick my neck out.... We researched weight loss surgeries for ten years. During that time, I learned a LOT about the Roux-en-Y (also called R-Y) Gastric Bypass (also called simply, Gastric Bypass), Mini-Gastric Bypass, Lap Band, the Fobi Pouch, Vertical Gastrectomy, Duodenal Switch etc., etc... I also learned a LOT about weight-loss drugs, methods, exercise, the science and treatment of obesity, ad nauseum. Here's my conclusion: chronic overweight, in many cases, acts more like a disease than anything else. Think of it as a Syndrome: a collection of symptoms, conditions, actions and reactions that culminate into a similar pattern of result we call Obesity. If you are at the point where you are considering surgery to treat your overweight, please, please, PLEASE do your research. Ask all the questions. Verify the answers. After exhaustive research, I have to say that the two most effective procedures BY FAR are the Vertical Gastrectomy, and the Duodenal Switch. The mortality, morbidity, and overall success (of losing excess weight and KEEPING IT OFF) rates blow away every other surgery being offered today. This biggest 'pros' are that your valves and structures stay in place - so afterward you can have a cheesburger, a beer, a soda, pizza, nuts, chips, whatever. You just can't have that much of it. For the rest of your life you only absorb 10% of the fat you consume (so go ahead and eat that rib-eye steak). The 'cons' are that is is a more technically demanding, and more expensive surgery - your surgeon must be skilled - versus the R-en-Y, Lap Band, etc. For instance, a typical R-en-Y patient is in-and-out in about an hour. A Duodenal Switch (or DS) patient takes on average 3.5-4 hours. From an economic standpoint, it's no wonder relatively few have heard of the DS. A less-skilled surgeon can do two or three R-en-Y's in the same time it takes a more-skilled surgeon to do one! I could go on and on about this, but here's my point: weight loss surgery is a very serious life-changing decision. Do all the research so that at the end of the day, you choose the right procedure for you. To read more, go here: Weight Loss Surgery in San Francisco. They have a pretty exstensive site the explains a lot about the weight loss surgeries offered today. They are a doctor's office; they do specialize in DS. So far, the DS patient I know has lost 280lbs in two years, been cured of diabetes and high blood pressure, and both he and his wife are very, very very happy. Good luck!

It was a urinary tract infection due to being dehydrated. Spent 10 days on a nasty liquid antibiotic, but otherwise have had no problems since.

I had surgery 8/15 and had been doing great until the last 2 days. I am on full liquids and I haven't eaten anything that I am not supposed to. I have been walking quite a bit and have pushed myself into walking 2 miles at once at least twice a day. I have been having this sharp pain on the left side of my abdomen which is no where near the incision. It is pretty sharp and I have had to take pain killers today, which I had stopped taking at 5 days post op. is this normal? Or did I pull or tear something with all the walking? I will be calling my surgeon tomorrow morning, but wanted to see if anyone here had any ideas. Thanks!

I encourage you to look through this site. You are going to find so many answers and even answers to questions that you didn't know to ask!! 1. I was self pay, so I don't think I can help you here. Since I was paying, I didn't have to wait. My cost was $10k for the surgery and a full year of after care. 2. My pain was worse than I had anticipated for the first week. However, I had esphogeal spasms because of my swelling which I'm finding out is rare. Plus, after a week, it faded and I was great! 3. The Lap Band doesn't work like Gastric Bypass, so the weightloss is lower at first. However, through good aftercare and getting fills, you get to a good restriction that allows you to control your hunger. I lost about 12 pounds on the 2 week preop diet and I lost about 10 pounds in the month following surgery. I also encourage you to research your surgeon. Even better, if they offer support groups, see if you can attend one prior to being Banded. I think aftercare is SO IMPORTANT. If your surgeon focuses a lot on that, I think it is a good sign. Good luck to you!!

Im on day 10 of mushies and feel like i can eat more and morr every time. Does this mean my sleeve pouch stretched? im so scared to have messed this up

Scutles happy you are doing so well, nothing wrong with being tired after WLS many people are tired after MAJOR surgery might take a week, 2 weeks et al to get your strength back - all of us react differently your physical & mental well being should gradually improve rest up per "MY STORY" you have 4 kids - age 10-14 - ooops i mean you have 3 kids plus one DH common on guys, attempt to show my silly sense of humor - no offense intended, ok ??? -still friends, ok kids aren't TOO young anymore 10-14, hubby can/will help you by helping/taking care of the kids - what a guy, he's a keeper!!!! Scuties - give yourself "permission" to take it slow and easy you'll need all your strength/ energy as you start and continue this wonderful journey into sleeveland with improved health and happiness for the rest of your longer life!!! take care speedy recovery

today was a very good day. i had eggs at breakfast and lunch, bbq chicken wings for dinner. i walked for 10 minutes at 0 incline andd 1.5 speed. i finally got call from bob deyoung for my psych eval he ants to do it soon 1/5. GREaT i told gman-he was soo excite for me11! i couldn't believe it. i am so excited. he just wants me to be healthy.:whoo:

Hi there, I completely understand where your coming from. I was sleeved on 4/21/10 and everytime I eat something I throw it right up. I've tried eating slower, going back to mushies and last week, I was in the hospital for 5 days because my blood pressure was so low and I was so dehydrated. I'm praying that I didn't make a bad decision by getting sleeved. I hear all these great success stories and I feel so far away from them. I'd love to hear some motivation from some of the older sleevers. Thanks in advance, Daisy

I have lost a total of 81 pounds since my surgery June 4, 2010... I'm 10 pounds to my goal weight.... weight loss has crawled to a stop and I admit that I have gotten a little lazy in my eating a high quality diet. But still working at it!!

Has anyone, men in particular, suffered with bladder retention since lap band surgery? I am at goal (180 pounds from 305) and surgery was 5/19/07 but this past March I went to the Uroligist because going to the bathroom was really becoming a big problem. The doctors say my bladder is streched and the result is that I have to self catherize to empty my bladder 3 to 4 times a day. This problem of a slow and dwindiling urine stream started a month or so after the lap-band surgery and now has resulted in my not being able to go on my own at all. Part of me believes that the band has something to do with my problem but the doctors say no but yet they can't really tell me why I am haveing this problem.

Alright, how long does this "gas" stuff last. I still have very painful pain in my shoulder that comes and goes. Also have a lower left pain way down in the lower part of my stomach. It comes and goes too. They are both very painful when they are present. I have been walking and up and about when I can stand it. Also I can't eat much, which I know is a good thing, but I've only had about 400 calories today and fill totally full. I'm worried I won't get enough food. I start mushie foods next week, hope I can eat some more by then. I just want to feel healthy and I tire easily now. It has just been 10 days since my band. Other than that no problems with the actual incisions or pain in or around them. Just wondering if any of this is normal. Just need some reasurring. Thanks:smile2:

big hugs to you sweetie, I can totally relate to you! I'm 1/2 native american indian and 1/2 german (go figure???) anyhow that makes me a really big boned, tall (6'0") person. . .my dad was 6'8 and weighed nearly 400 lbs and my german mom is 5'8 tall and about 200 lbs. . . at 12 years old i weighed 222 lbs (always the biggest girl anywhere) and at my heaviest i weighed 350 lbs and after i had my surgery and lost 150 lbs i don't have that much loose skin. I actually look 10 - 15 years younger . . . no wrinkles at all (and i'm 50) my daughter's friends asked her if I was her sister????? my daughter is 21. . . what a compliment that was. . . the only really loose skin i have is my apron, ahhhhh but it's nothing that a little duck tape couldn't help out! :lol: . . . you'll be ok hon, don't worry about it now. . just get your exercise in and do what your told to do and you'll be ok. . . the plastic surgeon told me that what is to be expected is to loose all your weight first, then maintain for about 1 year and then think about plastics because the skin usually shrinks back up some and what doesn't is then taken off. . . . good luck! Your going to do just fine!

Between my surgery date and 1 month post op appt I lost about 10 pounds. I was just starting to eat regular foods. On my one month bandiversary we went to an amusement park and ate a raw carrot. I didnt chew well and slimed like crazy. I have not eaten a raw carrot since, even though i know my lack of chewing caused it. Lol. I was just starting to get my energy level back. J Banded 9/22

Hey, Just wanted to introduce myself. I am a 28-year-old full time college student finishing up my degree in Elementary Education. I've been battling with my weight since I was about 10 years old. My weight has caused many problems in my life and I see it getting worse as I get older. I come from a family were both of my parents are morbidly obese. I've been thinking about getting the Lap Band for about a year now but wanted to try other options before I went with one that is so drastic. Like almost everyone else on this forum I've tried every type of weight loss pill, exercise, program, etc. out there. In the beginning of March (2013) I hit my highest weight of 225.6 lbs. I am only 5'3" so this is A LOT of weight for my size. I can barely squeeze into a size 18 pants. That day I said, "I've had enough!" I quickly went to Innovative Weight Loss Solutions at Geary Community Hospital and learned about my weight loss options. After deciding that the band was the right option for me I learned that my insurance (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas) wouldn't cover the procedure. This quickly put a damper on my decision. Fortunately for me my grandparents are loaning me the money to cover the surgery. They know that this new, "tool" will help with my weight loss. I've paid for the surgery, completed all of the paper work, attended a mandatory informational meeting, and met with a psychologist and a nutritionist. The next step on my journey is to meet the surgeon and set up a surgery date. As the days go by I have quit several of my bad eating habits. This includes my daily large sweet tea from McDonalds and my daily fast food lunch. These changes as well as going to the gym on a regular basis have helped me lose a few pounds. Ideally, I would like to go into surgery weighing around 200 pounds. My goal weight is 125-130 lbs. or a size 6 whichever one comes first. The weight loss and size is important but most of all I want to be happy and healthy. Thanks for taking the time to read my introduction post. I’ve been checking out these forums for about a month now and have learned a lot about the band. I hope to gain more knowledge and some friends along the way.

OHHHH dear one- the conversations we've had today on this forum about stalls!!! I am in one as well. Mine started at...guess when....three weeks!!! Yes, it's referred to around here as the "three week stall." I found a great explanation for it today from one of our seasoned sleevers. Check it out: (This was a post on another thread by "Tiffykins.") This is why you are in a stall. It's normal and expected. Your body will never go into a stall as long as you have body fat to burn: Weight Loss Stall or Plateau A weight loss stall or plateau is an extended period of time during reducing efforts where is there is no weight loss according to the scale and no loss of inches according to the tape measure. This is why it is so important to take your body measurements before surgery, so you'll have a reference as your weight loss progresses post-op. We suggest you take measurements of your chest, waist and hip, neck, upper arm, thigh and calf. Be aware it is very common for your weight loss to "stall" shortly after surgery. Diana explains the reason for this below. The Inevitable Stall By Diana C. A "stall" a few weeks out is inevitable, and here's why. Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet. As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a saber tooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored. Breathe, and fuggedaboudit for a few days. What You Can Do About a Stall or Plateau If you are experiencing a post-op weight loss stall or plateau further out there are a few possible causes. First, check that are you really in a stall. If the scale has stopped moving you may be losing inches, so check your measurements. Too Many Carbs? Carbohydrates can start sneaking into your foods without you being aware of how quickly they are adding up. For more information on carbs, see our section onCarbohydrates. If you are struggling with your weight loss you may want to examine your daily carb count. You can try to keep your carbs under 50g a day and see if that makes a difference in your weight loss. Do not eat carbs before bedtime as it triggers insulin and initiates fat storage. There are some great web site resources you can use to keep track of what you are eating.

Below is the 2009 tentative support group schedule for Northshore University Health System aka Evanston Northwestern Healthcare's Bariatric Surgery Support Group. Each session is 7-9pm and is either patient facilitated or discussion guided by specialist. The groups are free to anyone - you do not have to be a Northshore patient to attend. Locations are: Vernon Hills - 225 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Vernon Hills (Near Kohl’s and Sam’s) Glenview - 2100 Pfingsten Road, Glenview, Conference Room A on 2nd floor Highland Park - 777 Park Avenue West, Highland Park, Meeting Room 1B Evanston - 2650 Ridge Avenue, Evanston, Meeting Room G954 Schedule (through April): January 2009 Jan 5 Vernon Hills Jan 14 Vernon Hills - Lap Band Group Jan 15 Glenview Jan 26 Highland Park February 2009 Feb 2 Vernon Hills Feb 11 Glenview - Lap Band Group Feb 19 Glenview Feb 23 Highland Park March 2009 Mar 2 Vernon Hills Mar 11 Highland Park - Lap Band Group Mar 19 Glenview Mar 23 Highland Park April 2009 Apr 6 Vernon Hills April 8 Vernon Hills -Lap Band Group Apr 16 Glenview Apr 27 Highland Park As I find out more info on these sessions, I'll update this posting.

I had surgery 4/10 and my port flipped. It hurt for weeks after surgery - I don't mean sore, but actually hurt - muscle ripping. I found out on 5/22 (1st fill scheduled) that it flipped. It was corrected this past Friday with outpatient surgery. I was under general anesthesia. It is so much better now - much better than the first time around. I just left my follow-up appointment with my doctor. All is looking well now. You can PM me if you have any questions.

hi my name is samantha. im 19 years old and i live in nyc. i just got my insurance approval and will have my surgery sometime in august. im so excited! well i just wanted to introduce myself. good luck to everyone!

I dont have pics sorry but I need the brachioplasty (surgery) each arm has about7-10 inces of loose skin- my docs think it is at least 5-15 lbs that I will/would loose- just saving money at this time for the procedure- then I will have before and after pics.... My arms don't really bother me- they bother others though- I am not afraid to go sleeveless or tank top etc... I am comfortable in my skin-

I want to go to bed! Unfortunately I still have 4 pills left from my pile to take . . . staggering 10 minutes apart . . . crossing my fingers they all go down. GRRR. So the meds I take for my colitis are capsules, which doctor says are OK but I have to stagger them 10 minutes apart. I take 8 pills a day - so I've split them up 4 times throughout the day. I also was getting massive heartburn from the Calcium crystals I got, so I have switched to the citracal petites (CVS brand) but I have to take 6 of those a day. Then I have my 2 softgel Multivitamins a day, and my BP pill in the morning. HOLY CRAP! I feel like I am constantly taking pills. For those of you who are at least 3-6 months out, do you get to the point where you can take more than 1 pill at a time? Pre-op I could take 4 of my colitis capsules at once with not too much Water . . . I could get down my morning Vitamins in a gulp or two.

Hello Banders, My surgery is 4-28-10. My biggest fear is being nauseated and vomiting. :frown: Is this a daily occurance if you eat correctly and do not over eat? What exactly is PB and what causes it? How long did it take you to figure all of this out? Also, is it difficult at first to keep up your nutrition when returning to work. I need lots of brain power at the office and when I don't eat I can't think straight. The unknown is what is scary. I know its a learning process, but I don't want to feel sick. I look forward to your replies.