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Hello, My name is Bryan P Townley and I am morbidly obese! I was an athlete in school, football, basketball and track. When I got married in 1989 i weighed 140lbs with a 26" waist. I could eat anything I wanted and never gain an ounce. After I got married and was not as actived, and a smoker, I went up to 175lbs, which for my hieght was the perfect weight. Then I quit a 10year smoking habit! I jumped 100lbs in a little over a year and 17 years after that I hit my highest weight of 346lbs. I tried it all to lose weight and in 2007 did all the steps to have the gastric bypass done to be shot down by my insurance. Now three years later it was approved no questions asked and my surgery is now 13 glorious days away! I quit smoking for my daughter and my other kids too, but my daughter is alergic to cigarette smoke and this young lady of mine is getting married in october on board the Disney cruise ship and with lots of hard work, her dad gets to walk her down the isle the man he was when he quit smoking for her!!!I started my preop diet yesterday and its hard! But I have the willpower and desire to see it through because of what lays ahead for me! I am hoping with this tool and LOTS of hard work at the gym, I can lose 100lbs by october. If you are reading this, please send me any tips you have with your sucesses and if anyone else has had sucess in getting the loose skin in the stomach area to tighten up without having the surgery, please let me know how you did it. My insurance will cover the cost if I loose over 100lbs but I would prfer not to do that.

i feel the same as lipsticklady. i had 3 friends who had bypass... a 50 something year old friend, a 29 year old friend with 4 kids and an old boyfriend who is in his late 40s (like me). they all have had excellence results and are very glad they had the surgery. so i asked myself... what risk was i willing to take? after working with my doc for 3 years, all i managed to do was gain 15 pounds and my blood pressure was dangerously high. my father died young from a heart attack (he was fat with high blood pressure). 3 years ago my 48 year old cousin dropped dead in front of me from a heart attack. i needed to do something. when i read about the vsg, i knew it was the choice for me. (2 of my friends have issues with anemia). bottom line, what did i have to look forward to with being fat and sick? was it a bigger or smaller risk than this surgery? i would not discuss this with family members or friends. i would talk with your doctor about it. my doctors were both very supportive and my surgeon was very upfront about possible complications, side effects and how my life would need to change after surgery. i felt fairly well prepared.

My VSG Story PRE-OP: Two weeks prior to my surgery date of April 10, 2013, I had a check up with my primary care physician and tipped the scale at 343 pounds, 5-10 in height. I researched the VSG procedure and doctors in Mexico due to my insurance not covering bariatric surgery in the US for several months. All my findings led me to Dr. Fernando Garcia in Tijuana, MX. I went through the coordinating company, Ready 4 a Change. I chose that company because the response was instantaneous and I never waited more than a couple of hours for a response to my questions via email, even on weekends which is unheard of in the States. All in all, I would definitely recommend this coordinating company again. Also, I travelled alone, which went extremely well, and I guess would depend on the circumstances but I would not hesitate to do it alone again. On 3-27-2013, I started my two week pre-op diet which consisted of all liquids, protein shakes, and small salad for dinner. I did fairly well on the diet but cheated a few times very minor like one bagel bite, or a small bite of my wife's burger. Anyways, the diet sucks nonetheless but after day 2-3 it's really not that bad. The protein shakes I used were syntax nectar strawberry kiwi, and the chocolate/vanilla premier protein. I would advise to start some type of workout regimen during this phase. This pre-op diet is meant for shrinking the liver to provide a safer surgery, not necessarily weight loss. Again, all in all the two week pre-op diet went well and it went by fast after the first couple days. DAY OF SURGERY: On the day of surgery, I flew out from Dallas, TX to San Diego, California. Upon arrival to the airport, which I was 15 minutes early, I called the driver with R4AC, and he said he was just around the corner and showed up in 5 minutes flat. He even asked me on the phone if I wanted him to remove the company sign from the outside of the van, which I though was courteous. I told him no need, I'm not ashamed! So the driver picks me up and we head across the border which was uneventful and easy. We make our way to the hospital, as I elected for same day surgery so I would stay two nights in the hospital, and three nights in the hotel. Upon arrival to the hospital (Hospital was Florence Health System/Oasis) I was immediately checked in and taken to my private room with hospital bed with nurse call button, TV, an extra bed for a support person, etc. pretty much anything you would find in a hospital in the states. Now, this hospital is in the process of renovations with state of the art operating rooms as in the states, but the rooms are a bit older but nothing to gripe about for sure, and very clean. So I make it to my room and put everything up, and I am greeted by Melissa from R4AC, and she starts going over paperwork and answering any questions I had. The nurse comes in with a hospital gown and says to take everything off, including the underwear. So during the next 1-2 hrs, I have blood drawn for labs, an EKG done, chest x-ray, and an IV put in (first try,) and given a happy pill to relax. I also meet with all of the Dr's at the hospital including Dr. Velasco who is a bypass patient herself. Dr. Grafias who is a sleeve patient. Dr. Cabrera the anesthesiologist, Dr. Luna who is a bariatric surgeon as well, and Dr. Fernando Garcia, my bariatric surgeon. Pretty much all of the Dr's ask about medical history and prior and current health conditions so your basically checked 4-5 times to make sure your clear for surgery still. At about 5:30 or so, I was wheeled in to the operating room. You have to scoot over onto the operating table but no biggy. Dr. Luna took my wife's number down on his phone to call and let her know once surgery was done and everything was ok, which he did according to my wife. I remember one of the Dr's asking me if I had anymore questions as he was pulling out the left arm rest. I said just make sure I wake up and I was out like a light. I woke in what felt like was just seconds after going out. I sat up with minor pain in my abdomen from the incisions, not gas pain. I looked at the clock and it said 7:30. I'm not sure how much of that 2 hours was surgery time vs waking up, etc, and I didn't really care. I immediately stood up when I woke up and started walking the halls. All of the nurses looked at me like I was crazy and asked if I was ok. I told them I was because several speak pretty good English to communicate. They said most people are not up and walking that quick after waking up from surgery. I guess I was the exception. So that first night was pretty good except the minor pain in my abdomen from the incisions which basically felt like I did too many sit-ups, not unbearable in the least. POST-OP DAY #2 So I slept off and on mainly because the nurses come in every 2 hrs or so to check on you and give meds, check BP, etc. The nurses were AMAZING! No complaints whatsoever, and if I pushed the call button, the longest I waited for a nurse was maybe 25-30 seconds. This day was pretty much the same, walk, rest, meds, repeat! I also had 2 leak tests done, which went good and no leaks detected. One of the leak tests was odd as you lie down on the x-ray table and drink some liquid while laying down. It didn't hurt to drink but was just an odd feeling. While walking the halls, I met 3-5 other people from various online forums and FB who had the surgery and became friends and exchanged info to keep up with each other and our progress. POST-OP DAY #3 I had my drain out this morning. it was WEIRD, like a snake in your tummy. it did not hurt at all, just awkward. I got copies of my lab work, x-rays, etc and was discharged. Then around 10 or so, I was picked up by the Hotel Marriott shuttle and taken to the hotel. It was extremely nice and the same as you would get in the US. I got checked in and taken to my room. You get 3 free bowls of chicken broth, 3 free Popsicles, and 2 free bottles of water daily. I would not eat the Popsicles, but there is a small shop in lobby you can buy Popsicles which were awesome. The broth was ok at times, and way to salty others, but then again it's broth...boring! The first day I relaxed mostly and went out by the pool and lounged around and didn't really do much. Still no pain really except for abdomen from incision sites. POST-OP DAY #4 Today I lounged around again and walked a bit around the hotel. I ventured out and took a can to the local Walmart as I started feeling some acid reflux, which is common with VSG, and bought some omeprazole which helped a lot and it was gone in 2 days. Dr. Luna came by and removed the staples from the incisions, which did not hurt, and cleaned all the sites and put steri strips on them and covered up the drain hole. I was given medicine before leaving the hospital which included antibiotics, disgusting liquid acid reducer, and pain meds, which I didn't take any of it. I had dinner with some new found friends and co-sleevers and got some sleep. POST-OP DAY 5 Today was the same as day 4 pretty much. Lounged, went out with some new friends, had dinner, etc. I packed up all my stuff and got ready to leave in the AM. I got a call around 8:30 by the driver who gave me the option of leaving at 6 am or 9 am. My flight left at 1:20 pm but I was ready to get back to the states so I opted for 6 am. POST-OP DAY 6 I woke up and was checked out of the hotel and in the lobby by 6, when driver promptly arrived. Myself and 2 other sleevers headed back to the US. It took us about an hour and a half to make it across the border, it was very busy but an easy process as we all had our passports. Made it to the airport, caught my flight home, end of story! All in all, I would say the level of service and care in MX was equal to and even greater in some areas than that in US. I would highly recommend Dr. Garcia and his team, R4AC, and Florence/Oasis Hospital. I would do this whole over again and look forward to taking some of my family members and/or friends to MX for this procedure. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me and I hope to help others with their journey if I possibly can. Johnathanw1988@gmail.com

My spleen was scarred by the lap band and was nicked. Couldn't stop the bleeding so they had to take the spleen too. So got a bigger scar and annual vaccinations with my bypass. Talk about freebies. Still in hospital. May leave tomorrow or the next day. Sip, sip, sip!

I have struggled with my weight since I was 22. I had always thought I was over weight, looking back I wish I could smack my younger self... I has healthy and beautiful and had no idea. I am not a self loathing person. I do not look in the mirror and hate myself. I look in the mirror and realize I am slowly killing myself by the weight I have put on over the years. I feel tired most of the time, I have back, hip, and knee problems because of my weight. I am 5'6 and 270lbs which my body was not built for. This is the heaviest I have ever been. My weight has always fluctuated...I lose weight, keep it off for a while, then it comes right back on, usually bringing extra friend pounds with it. Anyone else who has experienced this, knows how depressing this can be. It has gotten to the point that I not longer care to work out, I don't really want to do anything, I have become lazy and sedentary. My boyfriend is an outdoor person who loves to hike and fish and move around and I want to do those things with him but I have a really hard time keeping up which makes me feel crappy. I had looked into gastric bypass surgery a long time ago, but the side effects were not worth it to me. Then my best friend had the gastric sleeve and told me how much better it was. She had her surgery in March and I have waited to see how she reacted to the surgery, how her body handled it, what she went through, her struggles and her successes. She has lost 90lbs since March, looks amazing, is happier, healthier, and more active. So I sat down with her and talked about the process she went through and all the steps that she had to do. I contacted the same doctor and have already met with him, set up my support group meetings, set up my dietician appointment, and will be calling to schedule my psych evaluation. I am so excited and anxious to get this ball rolling. I am ready for a new healthy life. I am ready to learn how to eat to live and not live to eat. I am excited about how this will effect my energy levels, how I can lose enough weight that I will no longer have chronic back, hips, and knee pain. I am also excited about how I will look. Anyone who says looking better is not part of why they want to do it is lying! LOL. It should never be your main reason and you should never do it for someone else. My boyfriend did not encourage or talk me out of it when I was making my decision. He told me he would support me either way but would not sway my decision. Now that I have decided to go through with the process he is with me every step of the way. He will be going to support meetings, appointments, and anything else I need.

Hello all, my name is Erica, my reborn date was Sept 19 2010. I started at 236, went down to 137 and now in at 146... I stalled after a year but was happy with it. Now I am worried because the weight is creeping back on me... suggestions ? Help? Oh. I had a bypass..

Jade, There is no easy solution. It's a misperception to believe wls does the job for you. No matter what surgery you get, you will have to abide by the rules 100% to reap the benefits. Revisions are great when you are suffering true complications and one surgery is not working out for you. But I know my doc wouldn't qualify someone who just doesn't want to put the work in. They'll predict it'll be the same scenario under another procedure which requires just as much diligence and compliance. Getting wls and getting results takes dedication and work. The difference between pre and post op is that these procedures can help you with things like hunger management, portion control which in the long run will be critical for maintenance. Also, counting calories and understanding how much you are putting into your body allows you to get an understanding of what it means to be on target or to overindulge. It took me years of counting to finally get to a place that I can estimate with accuracy and no longer count. But the reality is, if I consume more than my allotment, I will stall or gain. Weight loss has a very simple formula that cannot by bypassed- weight loss= calories consumed - calories burned. You either workout or you limit intake. No wls changes that.

I agree it seemed less invasive and more straightforward my doctor also said the risk for complications is higher in bypass then with sleeve also my aunt had gastric bypass about 10 years ago and has been really sick also I didn't like the malabsorption Factor the dumping syndrome and the fact that it seemed like I would have to watch what I ate even more closely with gastric bypass like what if I'm at a new restaurant and it has something my new couch wouldn't agree with dumping syndrome byterrified me and the thought of my intestines being rearranged I didn't like that I am higher BMI patient BMI 52 but I love to workout so I don't see this being an issue but that is what led me to my decision.

Here's a link to the forum on obesityhelp.com that talks about it. ObesityHelp - Gastric Bypass, LAP-BAND® System, DS and Other Surgical and Non-Surgical Weight Loss Options. - Forums - Mini Gastric Bypass Surgery (MGB) There is a lot of controversy about it, lots of negative, some positive. Not many surgeons do it. The "Father" of the procedure, Dr. Rutledge, in Nevada does not have the most stellar reputation amongst bariatric surgeons. Take some time, research it well. Good luck!

My doc made me wait 6 months between band removal and bypass cuz he said if he'd done it when he did the band removal he would have had to have made a bigger pouch. Ack!!! Fingers crossed its just a flue and all is okay!!! HW 312, pre-op (lap-band) 294, pre-op (RNY) 255, surgery date 2/11/13, goal weight 154, current weight 231.4

Clean the junk food out of the house. Leave and go for a walk when your family eats. Your staple line is still healing. Food particles can get lodged in there, cause a severe infection, and possibly lead to a leak. Speaking from experience, a leak is not fun at all. If you think you can't live without food right now, get a leak, and postpone your healing even longer. I wasn't able to consume anything, liquid, ice chips, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING by mouth for 21 days due to having a leak after my revision from band to the sleeve. **Edit to add** I developed the leak because of the damage the band did to my stomach. I was only 2 days post-op, and still was not able to eat or drink anything when the leak was found on my 3rd and final leak test a couple of hours before I was discharged. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, and tell that everything will be okay. Surgeons have post-op diets for a reason. It isn't to punish you, or make you miserable. Your body, mainly your stomach has been through a traumatic experience, and you have to allow it proper healing time. Find a nutritionist/dietician, and a counselor/therapist if you aren't already working with someone to work on the mental aspect of this huge lifestyle change. I was not willing to "cheat" and risk another leak, or further complication because I couldn't keep crap food out of my mouth. It just isn't worth it especially considering you are a self-pay patient. I agree with the sugar-free popsicles, Protein drinks, try the Special K protein Water packets and SF Jello. Also, Edy's NO sugar-added fruit bars are wonderfully yummy, and help me stay off the sweets.

Welcome! I'm having my revision on the 21st!

:help: I'm the nurse who developed the list of questions to ask your surgeon and reminded you to post the article on complications. I'm determined to have bariatric surgery and, after extensive research, had decided on a Lapband. I had my initial consultation yesterday at the University of California, San Francisco bariatric surgery center (the only one my insurance will cover in Northern California). Really liked the surgeons but am troubled by the number of Lapbands they've done. They've done hundreds of lap bypasses but very few Lapbands -- about 50 among the 3 of them since they started doing Lapbands a year and a half ago. I remember you posted some time ago that a given surgeon should have done a minimum of 50 Lapbands. So here's my conundrum:confused: : Is it wise to have a Lapband, even though they've done so few? Or do I have a bypass even though I'd prefer not to? Any advice will be appreciated! NancyRN

Hi Nancy, I know you posted this to Dr. C, but I thought I would drop in as a 3+ year post op and talk about how important aftercare is with the lapband. I had a great surgeon, but once he got too big for his britches having done over 1000 lapbands, his aftercare sucks and he has turned into a money making machine billing 700+ for fills in his office with flouro and just funnels people in and out of his office with no personalized service. Since you are in the medical profession, you know how important aftercare is and practices like the one you are describing seem to be pro bypass and only do the lapband as an afterthought. If it were me, I would find a surgeon that only does lapbands, but if that is not possible and this is the only in-network provider, just remember that you may not get the support you need both emotional and post op fills which are critical to your success with the band since it requires so much more compliance. You may want to organize post op care or get more clarity on their post op care before making a decision. The problem with having surgery with one surgeon is that many other surgeons dont want to touch other surgeons patients and this is a problem that you may encounter if you dont agree with their post op methodology. Babs in TX 334/180 ish -150 ish 6/23/03 Banded 8/04/05 full abdominoplasty/medial thighplasty

sometimes all the fluid is removed for a time and the band will go back into place it's self, if not surgery is required - if the band is slipped badly then it will have to be removed, replaced or you opt to have a revision to a diffent type of WLS.

I am also 22 and had gastric sleeve on April 5th. I actually posted concerns like this on here about a month ago but have had not one complication since my surgery. The only thing that happened after was I threw up from all the pain meds and anaistesia. I don't do well with pain meds. I will be straight honest with you that it will be a very big challenge for you in the beginning but I am 3 months out and struggled terribly in after but am now doing better and do not regret my decision. I did horribly the first couple months but I truly know I would of ate myself to death if I did not choose this option. The struggle is all mental and I still deal with anxiety and depression but I have always had it but masked it with food. I am now forced to face my demons head on and not hide behind food but I feel like that I really did need that. I have lost 35 pounds so far and already have so much more energy and no pain in my back and neck. It will be scary at first but I promise you will make it through. 4 members of my family had gastric bypass and are 10 years out with no complications. If you ever need someone to talk to you can message me ❤ Sent from my 0PM92 using the BariatricPal App

I made the decsion As I had serious health issues and I am wheelchair dependant. Being morbidly obese with a BMI of over 60, my independance was at imminent risk, for me that was a bigger issue than early death. may seem strange, but I think that I got desensitized to the message that fat would kill me, sure something will kill me! so for me, forced dependancy was far worse. Quality of life stuff. I knew that WLS was my only real option and dd not like the thought of the more invasve procedure like RNY gastric bypass. I knew someone who had gastric bypass- she lsot the weight and kept most off but has had to deal with severe nutritional imbalances and anaemia since then and probably for the rest of her lfe. She s happy wth the decision but I guess I liked the idea that as the band is adjustable it could be fine tuned over my life- even removed if needed and the underlying anatomy basically is back to square one. None of us know what the future hold so I did not want to burn any bridges with permanent anatomy changes if I could achieve what I needed with less invasve surgery. my surgeon is one of the australian pioneers, he has been doing band surgery since the early 90's and has been doing wls in generla for longer. He is Professor of bariatric surgey. He has not done anything but the band for over 6 yrs as he said the long term stats show better success rates for the band and far less complications, the rsk of death from the procedure is as high as 1 in 200 for the other surgeries and less than 1 in 2000 for the band. One of the biggest units doing this surgery in Australia for the longest time has said that they have not had a single death from the band that was attributed directly to the band surgery. thevery small number of deaths that have occured have been related to the co morbs or completely unrelated stuff. same long term results with far less rsk was the final piece of the puzzle

Im kinda think me getting the lap band instead of the gastric bypass for many reasons! The main reason is because I had it done at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit MI and there service and appointment scheduling is horrible. I didnt get my 2nd week checkup until my 6th week out of surgery. My doctor didnt give me a fill during surgery. My first fill was scheduled for September 18th and they cancelled it and moved it to October the 2nd. So instead of getting a fill 6 weeks out of surgery i wont be getting mine until Im 13 weeks out of surgery. I have already hit a pataue and if I could loose the weight on my own then I wouldnt have gotten the surgery. My surgery was July 13. I was 299 and im 269 now. I think if i would have just gotten the bypass then I wouldnt have to worry about appt. being canceled for fills.

You're not alone. I hate the band and wish I had gotten a bypass or a sleeve.

Hi Blownaway, Welcome!!! Your mom will probably feel better once she asks her questions at the consult. Give her any literature you may have, and you may want to print up anything on the net you find explaining just how safe, easy and reversible the surgery is. Make sure that she knows that your not getting your innards rearranged (i.e. bypass or stapling). Tell her that this surgery is the gold standard in europe. Tell her about all the happy, happy people who post here!!! I had internal stitches that dissovled (i think), and just steri strips over the actual incisions. Let us know how things go, ok?

The band can stay in for lie, but there is always the option of removing it, which was a comfrot to me when I was first considering it...as opposed to gastric bypass, which disrupts your body's normal functions, and would be very difficult to reverse. Now, after almost 4 months, I think I"d be nuts to have it removed. I call it my "brake." Good luck at the dr.'s!

Good morning CynthiaK. I watched all of his videos and he gets great reviews!!!! If I were you, I may think of taking a shuttle to the airport and then one home as well. That is if you don't find someone else to take you. My insurance covers the sleeve, but makes me go through a 3 month medically supervised diet program. I started that on Friday, so by early May we will submit my paperwork to BCBS Federal and once we get approval, we will schedual the surgery. We always go to teh beach in early June so I am trying to figure out when to have it, before or after. I feel we are making the right decision. Did you consider the Gastric bypass? I did, but, something about my intestines being re-routed is terrifying to me. I know it is the best in terms of success but, I don't like the possible side effects of the malabsorption..etc.....Do you have any co-morbidities? Well, I think you should go to your party and have some fun! How is the weather in TX? Cold and rainy up here in Nashville. Have a wonderful day!!!!! H

I detest cottage cheese. Always have. Probably always will. Also.....I didn't trust myself during the puree stage.....didn't like the idea of returning to foods that I'd already learned to abstain from since pre-op......didn't want to have to start and stop 'em again. As a result.....I bypassed the puree stage by simply staying on the Protein shakes for 4 weeks and then advancing to soft Proteins. It's all about implementing the strategy that will work best for you. You hit on something, too....with the spicy foods. I avoided them for the first three months....then slowly tested the waters. All was well. Now I enjoy hot sauces and jalapeños quite often. The key to the whole diet is realizing that it's broken down in phases that coincide with the stages of weight loss we are targeting. As long as I keep this in mind things went well and I never felt like I was having to give stuff up....simply delay it for a while as the weight is coming off and I'm learning more about what I can enjoy later on within reason.

I had my EGD on March 5. It wasn't bad at all. They give you sleepy meds and you don't even know what's going on. By the time I woke up I had no clue anything had happened other than I was groggy. Some people get a little throat irritation but I didn't even have that. My doctor ended up finding a hiatal hernia that he said he'd fix when he went in to do the VSG. I'm wondering if it would matter where the ulcer is as to whether they would do the bypass rather than the sleeve. My simplistic mind thinks that if it's in a spot they are going to remove anyway maybe that would be okay?? I'm not really sure.