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Howdy, I just thought I'd make a "hello" post and see who I can meet here. I'm just starting this lap-band journey, made the appointment for the consult today. My current BMI is 38, so I'm not really sure if they'll consider me. The main reason I'm thinking of doing this is that I've struggled with my weight since age 15 and diets (Weight watchers mostly) have maxed out at 20 pounds lost every time. I like all the healthy food, but I just eat too much and I'm always hungry. Was this anyone else's reasoning? My mother died at age 41 of diabetes complications and weight 350 pounds. What really scares me is that I'm spot on track of her weight at my age. My concerns though mainly have to do with the fact that I'm so young. What kind of changes has everyone experienced after the surgery? Is there anything you can't do anymore? I guess it just freaks me out that I'll have this for the rest of my life (even though I know that it can be removed if something really bad happens). Who here has had a baby after the surgery? How did that go? If anyone has anything they think every "newbie" should know, I'd love to hear it. I guess I'll update after my consult, which is at the end of Nov. because the doc is out of town. Jennifer in Texas

Many people over this last year have asked me what I did to prepare for my weight loss surgery. There were many things that I did and not one was more important than another. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that your preparation heading into surgery and especially the liquid diet the week or two prior will be the hardest and most important thing you do as a part of your journey. You will work hard to prepare your mind, your body, and to some degree your spirit to go though the surgery. Once you do have the surgery the hardest part is over. If you can survive the months before taking the plunge then everything you do after will be a piece of cake in comparison. I am here to tell you that anyone who says having a weight loss surgery is taking the easy way out is someone who will never understand what it truly takes to go through this process. To some degree I feel sorry for those who don't get it. They will never understand the joy and excitement that comes with going through this transformation. To be honest, even though my wife loves me and has been an amazing support through this whole process, she will never full know or understand what it is like to make this decision and prepare for the surgery like I do. This is part one, in a series of three posts, detailing my preparation for surgery. The first aspect of this preparation I will cover is how I prepared my body. This was pretty simple for me really. I was in bad shape and was huffing after just sitting up from a chair; as my transformation video in an earlier post has shown. I was miserable! I would practically crawl through my front door after just my first night back to work. I work as a pharmacy technician at a hospital and walk 8 to 12 miles a night. I was living off of Tylenol and Bengay. Honestly I smelled like I was probably 90 years old. Looking back I find myself completely disgusted that I ever let things get that bad. Since I could not really do much working out because of the toll work was taking on my body, what could I do? The answer came from my brother. He is a nurse and knows a ton about medicine. I honestly think he should have became a doctor, but he didn't want the added responsibility. Before I had fully decided on having the bypass surgery and long before anyone knew I was even contemplating that option my brother came to me, as serious as I had ever seen him. Those that know my brother know he's a bit of a joker and very lighthearted. His demeanor kind of scared me, but in this conversation would be the answer that would help me prepare my body for surgery. He explained to me that he wanted to see me healthy, that he wanted me to be able to be the cool uncle when he had kids, and how he wanted his brother back. He was scared that I wouldn't be around much longer and didn't want to see me die. Looking back I really think he was right. Then he did something that floored me and provided and amazing answer to how I would physically prepare for the journey I was about to take. He explained to me that he wanted me healthy so badly he would pay for my gym membership if I promised to go three times a week and swim. On a side note; He religiously checked up on my progress with the gym manager to make sure I was going and even went so far as to meet me at the gym and swim with me. I swam on a team in junior high and he explained to me the benefits of working out in the Water. Water has the ability to take all of the pressure off of your knees and other joints. It can keep you cool if you are prone to overheating and provides an amazing about of resistance if you find ways to take advantage of it. He set up a plan and told me just to come three times a week to swim and do what I could. So that is what I did. I did not want to let me brother down and I would hope he would agree it was the best investment he ever made. So that is what I did; I swam. I swam freestyle, I swam breast stroke, I saw backstroke, and when I was feeling particularly squirrely, I swam butterfly. Butterfly was my specialty when I was on swim team but man it is a butt kicker. I started out with 10 laps, which was a lot better than I had thought. I found I could move more freely and with less pain in the water. From there I just simply added one or two laps each time I went. Before I knew it, I was approaching my surgery date and I was swimming close to an hour non-stop! Why should I work out prior to surgery? There is a very simple answer. To prepare your body. You need to prepare your body for what you are about to put it through. This is major surgery and not something to take lightly. You also want to work out to build up your cardiovascular and pulmonary endurance. Strengthening the heart will make you strong for surgery because your body will be stressed, because of this your blood pressure will spike for a short time after surgery and it is a lot to put on yourself. Strengthening your lungs will help keep you from a common post surgical complication which is pneumonia. My goal in preparing my body was simply to be able to survive the surgery, keep my complications down, and my hospital stay short as should be your goal as well. I want to tell you right now that preparing my body worked out well. I had no major complications and I left the hospital three days later, which was the minimum hospital stay my doctor required for his full bypass patients. What if I can't swim? The key here is to simply get moving. If you can walk, then walk. If you have access to a pool, then you can water walk or water jog. If you love biking and can do that, then do that. You just need to move. Your goals with this are simple. First, you want to make sure you are panting a little from being out of breath when you are done. This will show you that your lungs have been pushed a little and if that is true then your heart will have been pushed also. Second, each time you work out, just add a little to it. If your taking laps on a track, add a lap or a half a lap each time. If you are walking your neighborhood then walk for another 30 seconds or a minute. If you do this early, as soon as you begin contemplating surgery the further along and better prepared you will be, come surgery day. As always, if you have any questions, or if there is anything unclear, please post your questions and comments below and I will work to answer them all as soon as I can. Also check again soon for part 2 of the series about dealing with the psychological aspects of preparing for the amazing journey you are taking.

I was terrified of the surgery. I was shaking and wanting to run away. I had many excuses that made a lot of sense to me. But I did it anyways. I am so thankful also. I didn't have to do a leak test the next day and I have had no complications at all. You will be so thankful and proud of yourself when it's done an over and you will learn healthier eating habits to live by. you will be so skinny at the end of the trail. I would do it again in a heart beat.

My surgery took 6 hours. Lots of complications with the hernias. I ended up with a collapsed lung and surgical emphysema (crackling skin chest neck face). Had a chest tube to allow space for my lung to reinflate, it worked. Had a rough first few days. Made it work. Lots of swelling and almost a week post op. One day at a time. It is improving. Tylenol is my friend.

Hi Abe, Welcome and congrats on making the decision to change your life. If you really read into this site, most people do not have those complications, just a few. You could get those same issues with the lap band I believe. I myself , had no complications other than feeling nauseaus coming out of surgery ( common I guess) I believe if you go into this with a clear, positive mind set, you will be just fine. I would do it all over again 10 times to be where I am today. I will be 5 months out on July 9th and am down 72 lbs, 57 since surgery and cant remember the last time I felt this good. Good luck on your decision, keep us posted!

I had surgery on 3/25/13 but lost 30-25 pounds in the month before that. I've lost a total of 101 pounds as of this morning. I had my gall bladder taken out on Monday but other than that, I've had no problems/complications. I have really got to get some pictures linked in here to show some progress. My weight loss has really slowed down over the past month but seems like it has picked up since my gall bladder came out. Hopefully it will continue on down. I'd love to be below 200 by Christmas. I guess we will just have to wait and see how it goes!

Hi- New to this forum. I was banded last Wednsday, so I'm about a week in. With my return to work, I've started to experience a good amount of anxiety trying to learn my new body, deal with complications, ect. I've been having a rough time with things like constipation, but I also feel hungry, a lot. I'm doing the liquids, and drinking quite a bit (having protien) but I still often feel week, tired, just out of it... Is this normal?? I know a lot of other people on here have asked similar questions, but I can't help but feel as if I could have made a mistake? I knew these weeks of liqud/puree only would be hard... but this is much harder than I expected. Any words of encouragement?

I got sleeved on Oct 8, 2015 and everything went well... Two and a half weeks later I started getting really nauseas and sick. I went to the ER twice and they said it was just side effects of surgery and I'll be fine and sent me home with nausea meds. Well fast forward two weeks I was still really sick and the meds weren't working so I went back. A fever told them I had an infection somewhere but they just had to find it. Long story short, I've been in the hospital for over a week now with a leak and an abscess and on so many meds I can't count. I'm not upset that this happened, I understand complications happen. I'm just struggling today, I am impatient and having a hard time waiting for my body to heal itself. The Dr said its a small leak and it should close itself and they'll put in a stent if it comes to it. But it looks like another 2 weeks of waiting and hospitals... Also I really miss drinking. I'm NPO and really just want to sip on some apple juice... Ok I'll end my rant. Just looking for some encouragement

I really don't have advice on the surgery itself because I'm going through the pre-process. I will tell you how I came to my decision....I'm turning 40 this year. I've been struggling with my weight for 20+ years. I'd lose 40-60 pounds to gain it all back plus more. I had a son at age 37 and now that he is so active, I decided I needed to get this done. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. I want to be around for my son, I don't want to be an embarrassment. I've stopped and started this process probably 3 or 4 times and was originally going to go with bypass but the whole idea of them cutting my stomach and reducting my insides, freaked me. Permanent freaked me out. The band is such a great tool, I think. Am I worried about complications, yes. BUT, what about the complications from our weight issues? Am I worried about death? Yes, but what about dying from a heart attack at age 45 (for me). I think the risks are worth it. I have really changed things about myself just preparing for this surgery. I know if I would stay on track with the changes I have made for myself, I could probably lose the weight alone but I know it would come back on quickly and the lap band will help me maintain control.. I am a frustrated dieter/life changer. I am able to diet and lose but I get so frustrated when I'm living off of raw vegetables and lean cuisine and not seeing that scale move. I get mad and quit....and the cycle continues. I'm hoping this band will help control the hunger so I'm not "starving" and getting frustrated. I've researched, and weighed my options. I can remain overweight and risk the chances of diabetes, heart disease and cancer to name few or I can gain control of this weight and gain control of my life. I want my son to be proud to call me his mom. I want to take pictures with my son so he has memories of me, but I wont' do it now because I'm humiliated with my appearance. I'm done living in the shadows and I want to be healthy. I'm not saying I want to be skinny...healthy. I've told my surgeon....If I could get to 165 and stay there, I would be thrilled. I want to be able to shop in the normal clothes section and not have to shop in the chubby chic section where they only sell clothes with big flowers and fish on them! In my opinon, you have quit smoking....great move to improve your health and kudos for your decision. Losing weight will only add strength to you and make you feel better, inside and out. I am excited about my decision and will eventually look and feel on the outside like I do on the inside. Do the research.. try www.lapband.com - I got a lot of information there. Go to the surgeon and ask tons of questions. I probably call the nurse at least once a week with a new list of questions and they gladly answer them for me. There is a lot of information here too, just don't listen to the horror stories, because they are with every situtation. Some people have horrible pregnancies, gall bladder removals, perms.....but it doesn't stop other people from have successful perms and births....

The lap band is supposed to stay in for life, unless you have a complication that requires its removal. The generally accepted thoughts on it is that if you remove it in the future even after losing lots of weight, you will gain it back, even if it is slowly since you would be able to go back to eating the volume of food you did prior to getting the band. Hope this helps, Stacey

I am 10 weeks post sleeve surgery. I love the support meetings I attend. I am actually going to one this evening. There are people in the group who report on the complications they may have had but for the most part the meetings are really supportive.

Thanks everyone for the welcome & support! @Geno- my recovery was very fast but I hadn't any complications. I did good on drinking & pureed foods. I had taken two weeks off, but I could have gone back after a week. When I was in the hospital for that day, all I did was walk. I walked almost the whole night, the nurses joked that I was wearing holes in their floors. But I think that's what helped so much too. On the second day after surgery I became very nauseous & dizzy. But the next day (day 3) I could start the food. Once I did, and drank more, I was gold. I have to say though that the smell & taste of protein shakes made me sick to my stomach after surgery so Isopure drinks saVed me. I try to keep a positive attitude, keep it in my head that I will have to roll with whatever comes because in the end, this is better for me than the quality of life I was living. Unhealthy & unhappy.

:: I just knew that somehow my commitment would be questioned. I hesitated to ask this. I have been seriously looking into wls for a few years. I am an adult, I understand the idea of commitment. If anything this forum has made me even more cautious since the official literature doesn't give the honest information that the veterans on this list have given me. I don't go into this easily or with the idea that the band will not be extremely hard work. It is a tool. I want to live and not die of complications of my weight. It has held me back for too many years to discuss. However, I want to live. The tour I am referring to is a geneology vacation with my Mom. We will be visiting relatives we have never met in very very small towns in Sicily. It is once in a lifetime. And...more than a year away since I am hoping to get banded by June. I don't have any intention of putting off the surgery due to this possible trip. I was really sincerely hoping not to open up a pandora's judgemental box. My question was about eating, dorky yes but cavelier no. I was wondering how one feels after a year of being banded, being successful at losing some weight and then being unfilled for an extremely short period of time. ::scared:: Thanks for answering though. I do sincerely appreciate it. And again, this group is truly terrific. Love, Diva

Why must they know the exact surgery you are having? Did you do all your pre-op testing? I have a hernia and adhesions and 2 polyps that need to be removed. I've had previous surgeries and my insides are a bit of a mess. I'm going in to have those removed. Enough said. I'm not telling anyone but my parents, husband son and ONE friend. 3 week liquid pre-op diet...I started a Protein shake diet, my doctor thinks I should lose weight before I have surgery, enough said. You will not know if you can or can't have a family until you lose the weight, so you have to look at what is right in front of you, the immediate. Life is scary and we are all afraid of things but fearing something that you have no control over right now, is not worth the anxiety (and binge eating or overeating because of fears it brings on). Take one thing at a time. I have a lot of fears, my fears are ridiculous, will I poop during surgery, will the drain make me want to gag, will I be able to afford new clothes once I lose weight. I have big fears too did I remember to pay the bills that are due this week while I'll be gone, do I have enough money to pay the bills. Will there be complications? My husband is an eater and a muncher and our relationship has changed over the past 7 months. He needs to keep up with me a bit, I can't just sit around, I need to move, he needs to move with me. He's accepted me and loved me at this weight, but I haven't loved myself. He needs to adjust to the new me, just like I have to adjust, and life has to change for the family. I can't take care of them, if I can't take care of myself. His habits will change because I have been cooking different and I am making him and my son become more active. Your relationship with your husband will change, but it doesn't mean it will be for the worst. That's another fear you need to let go of, and take it one step at a time. Long term fears, will I lose all this weight to end up still feeling insecure. Will I still have this pleasant disposition (hahaha - i'm quite the cranky person) after I lose weight. Will I do all this to end up having a stroke or kidney failure due to the lupus. These fears....I have zero control over right now. I let it go. What happens happens... I'm taking one step at a time, fear will eat me up. I spent since 1999 sick with one thing or another and battling my weight, I was embarrassed by my weight enough I refused to shop on weekends because I might run into someone I know. Take one step at a time, spend each day working on giving yourself some positive feedback, and figuring out where you have issues with food, if you don't chart your food, do so now, chew slowly, get your 64 ounces of Water in, and realize you are worth it, you can do it and you will take each thing as it comes. Get your husband involved with the new you, make changes together and the transition won't be so hard. I wish you nothing but the best and there are so many people that share the same fears as you, and there's so much support here, I'm sure others can relate to how you are feeling too. I just had to give it up because it was eating me alive.

I would be careful if I were you. Gall Bladder attacks are nasty, and make you very sick. You can only tolerate a few of them before you cry uncle! If you doctor recomends you to have it taken out, I would listen to him. Gall stones getting stuck in the duct is terrible and can lead to some serious complications.

Sunday, August 30, 2009 Educating Primary Care Physicians about Lapband As with all surgeries, lapband can result in complications. The band can slip, infection can occur, some people are so good at eating around the band (using slider food) that they gain weight back, or they never go in for their fills. Some Dr.s don't seem to give very good advice to their patients about sticking to higher density proteins and not turning them into slider food by adding things like gravy to them. Some actually recommend that people "prime the pump" with liquid before they eat. Some Dr.s take forever to give their patients a fill that actually acheives restriction. Not all patients make sure they get the kind of support system they need to achieve success nor do their Dr.s The lapband is a tool not a cure. Other issues need to be dealt with simultaneously. If they're not, the band isn't as successful. So some primary care physicians seem to only be aware of the failures and are unwilling to recommend their patients for the lapband. They also don't distinguish between gastric bypass which is much more drastic and has many more severe complications and the lapband. They confuse the statistics for the two. I think a lot of these Dr.s really don't understand the nature of compulsive overeating. They keep thinking that if their patients just listened to them and followed the diets they hand them and had better nutritional education they'd lose the weight. But time and again, nutritional information and closely supervised diets don't help their patients. Over the years some have prescribed drugs that haven't helped and have actually harmed overweight patients. When I think of the money and time I spent on Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Tops, OA, Atkins, and some wierd combination of thyroid and speed one Dr. put me on, it makes me angry. I had a Dr. who didn't believe in the band. She thought I could do it myself. I knew I couldn't. I had to go to a new Dr. anyway because of insurance so I tested the next Dr. to see if he recommended the band. With two co-morbidities he took it seriously. He had Dr. friends who did lapband surgery with great success. So he went ahead and recommended me for the surgery which started the year long process of jumping through hoops to get the band. I'm blessed that I had the persistance to get through that year and that I had a cooperative Dr. My insurance company also sent me to a top-of-the-line specialist. Some insurance companies won't cover the surgery at all. Although I have access to a nutritionist at my surgeon's office, I've found even greater support on lapbandtalk, especially on a thread called I'm here to help...This blog has also proved to be an invaluable ally in my recovery. A lady at my church who is in much worse shape than me has not been able to get her primary care physician to recommend the lapband. Meanwhile, the meds she's on for her co-morbidities have made her gain even more weight. People need to explore the risks, the failures, and the successes of lapband surgery before they make a decision. They need to know that its still hard work to lose the weight and keep it off. Their Dr.s should be helping them explore their options and get set up for success if the option for lapband is chosen. I think the primary physicians need to get more educated, not only about lapband surgery, but about compulsive overeating itself. It is an eating disorder, an addiction, with genetic, biological, emotional, psychological, and spiritual componants that all need to be addressed. The band helps relieve the person of enough of the addiction aspect to let them work on the other aspects. I had worked for years on all the other componants with counseling, 12-step meetings for food addiction, 12-step meetings for codependency issues, not to mention prayer and Bible reading and Bible study groups. I'd come to pretty good terms with my ADHD/ADD and still I could not succeed in losing and keeping off the weight. I had a medical condition that needed a medical solution. I hope the woman in my church gets the help she needs. I hope the lapband, if she gets recommended, proves to be the tool she needs like it has for me. She's a precious soul and very much loved and appreciated in my church community. I want her to be around yet for a long time.

So sorry you had a complication. I hope you're feeling much better very soon.

Yesterday morning: 235 and im in my TOM too! woo! my clothes are dropping off me. I was a size 24 in the stretchy jeans and now, i can wear a 18 or 20. I need new clothes and a haircut, badly. Im a little concerned though, and i hate to admit this having been smoke free for three years (after 23 years of smoking) but ive picked it back up again. I KNOW its not good. I dont know how it complicates the band, but im sure it does somehow. Also drinking a good chunk of wine a few times a week! i know these arent good. but i am riding the loaner bike now (mine got stolen the day after xmas) and walking a lot. People are noticing. When i got on the plane to come out to come to Dr St Laruent's seminar, i weighed a hundred lbs more than i do now. im only about fifty lbs since rebanding in may though. I do supplements. multivitamin is chewable centrum, bcomplex drops, chewable calcium, biotin and i take these daily. im LIKING ALL THIS very much.

Yesterday morning: 235 and im in my TOM too! woo! my clothes are dropping off me. I was a size 24 in the stretchy jeans and now, i can wear a 18 or 20. I need new clothes and a haircut, badly. Im a little concerned though, and i hate to admit this having been smoke free for three years (after 23 years of smoking) but ive picked it back up again. I KNOW its not good. I dont know how it complicates the band, but im sure it does somehow. Also drinking a good chunk of wine a few times a week! i know these arent good. but i am riding the loaner bike now (mine got stolen the day after xmas) and walking a lot. People are noticing. When i got on the plane to come out to come to Dr St Laruent's seminar, i weighed a hundred lbs more than i do now. im only about fifty lbs since rebanding in may though. I do supplements. multivitamin is chewable centrum, bcomplex drops, chewable calcium, biotin and i take these daily. im LIKING ALL THIS very much.

Ok, the darn chest worry is over. You are young and strong. You will not have complications. You will do just fine and begin a wonderful new life. Go for it!! Say your prayers and get through this preop diet. Mine was a horror, but I did it and you can too. You will feel proud and have a sense of accomplishment when it's over. Good luck to you and God bless.

So happy to hear that you got the "all clear"!!! Now, you're going through the biggest challenge, but you can do it girl!! Just keep praying and take it one day at a time!!! You will get there and keep your eye on the prize. You're not going to have any complications, you're young and healthy and in God's favor...it's all going to turn out just fine!! Keep us posted!!

I am Only 2 days post op. feeling okay. Not great but no Complications and I am Grateful for that. I am Able to drink Fluids. Broth too . I just feel weak. I am still in MX. Still sore. Of course I worry about not Being able to eat again. Or not being healthy. But I keep ready everyone's post journey and it is amazing and gives me hope thank you for that

I had mine on Friday and took one week off but went in the Wednesday after surgery for a few hours for a meeting. Other than being tired no reason you can't get through the day at your desk. Unless you have complications or a really long commute which may tire you out before you get there. I'm surprised people take 4-5 weeks off. Minimal pain. Mostly just discomfort and you're tired. Try not to go back before Tuesday or even Wednesday. Monday definitely too soon. Good luck! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Is there anyone who experience weight stall after you had baby, yes I got pregnant after I had sleeves bypass surgery then I was still losing weight as I lost close 70 pounds off and notice my appetite changed after birth and am trying to lose more weight, I had surgery back in April 2014 and had birth back on March 20, 2015. I weight at the same but would like to lose more weight, any tips? SHould I restart on liquids or eat smaller or what? ALso is there anyone who experience to have still high blood pressure ongoing after surgery it was low but got highter after birth very complicated, yes am still seeing doctor to adjust on meds until they get in control.

I think for the most part a lot of us sit online Pre-Op reading all the information we can get our hands on and we see that there are people post-op who put up posts about not being able to tolorate certain foods and complications so we just assume at some point during our journy we'll have the same experience and when we don't it becomes worrisome. I myself am 3 months out -48lbs and I have had 0 foods that i've had issues with and I am also able to drink protein drinks and water just fine.