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I chose this surgery so I would not fall off the wagon. Falling off for me wasn't just a meal or a day, it was a month and wasn't just a few pounds but 10-15. I was so tired of the yo-yo dieting and weight gain/weight loss. No matter what restrictive surgery you choose, you will still have to watch what you eat (more quality than quantity) and exercise.

I was banded sept. 25th and I now have 6cc in a 10 cc band. I was finding I was still hungry after I ate most of the time but knew I could'nt eat another bite. I asked my doctor and she did say it would take a few months but that would go away! I'm still waiting lol, but find if I keep most of my meal protien, I do not feel as hungry. Good luck with everything!!!!

Hey All! I was sleeved on 3/18/19 and have had a really rough recovery. I’m only able to get down about 8oz of liquid a day. I figured out that reflux meds help, but only enough to help me get maybe 12oz of liquids down a day. Protein20, Premier Protein all upsets my stomach. I can get down small sips of water and a popsicle if I eat it slow. I’m post op day 5 and ALLLLL FOOD LOOKS DELICIOUS!! I haven’t had more than a total of 4oz of protein in one day, (today actually), since Sunday, 3/17/19, the last day of pre-op. I talked to my doc today because I was worried about malnutrition and hydration. He just asked me to keep working on clear liquids and would check on me Monday and if I’m still having issues, he would have me in. Has anyone been through this where only water will go down easy? I feel like I just want to eat something!!!! Ugh :(

I went from 262 to about 175 in less than 1 year, gained 10 back and stayed planted there for years. Now I barely diet (and my band is quite loose) and maintain. I would love to get from where I am now (185) to 162. I probably look best at 150/155 but I am 44 so a little weight looks better now AND I just like the fact I would be 100 pounds less. Such a beautiful, round number! Should I get the band tightened again? I am so hesitant as I feel like I went through that already and my surgery was years ago. Has anyone done this years after the surgery?

I bought the book "[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Weight-Surgery-Dummies-Marina-Kurian/dp/0764584472/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275236132&sr=8-1]Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies[/ame]" LOL and it is actually really helpful about how to make the transition into solid foods and there are recipes in it too. It has lots of good info in general. (ooh and in looking it up to link to it I just saw they also have a whole [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Weight-Loss-Surgery-Cookbook-Dummies/dp/0470640189/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275236132&sr=8-2]recipe book[/ame] available!) I'm still quite a ways from getting on solid food myself so I can't help too much personally, but there are some great blogs of post WLS people who share recipes and examples of what they eat. My fave is The World According to Eggface - she is 3 1/2 years out though so you can't eat as much as her right away of course! Here's what I do know from all my research and from the nutrition classes at my surgeons office. High Protein, low carb. For the first 3 months you're supposed to eat 90% protein and only 10% complex carbs (fruits and veggies), no simple carbs (bread, Pasta, etc) ... after that time frame, 75% protein and 25% complex carbs. I have purchased some diabetic cookbooks - I am not diabetic but the recipes seems to be up the right alley as far as high protein low carb. Another tip that I've been getting is, the denser the protein, the longer you will stay full. Meaning, choose chicken over cottage cheese. It takes longer to digest and leave your stomach so you will feel full longer. In our nutrition class we also learned about this little protein math to do. You want your protein sources to be under 15 calories per gram. For example if a serving of something has 200 calories and 20 grams of protein, it is 10 calories per gram. Most of your protein should come from lean sources such as meats. The middle ones are things like cheese and other diary, and the higher ones (which you should have the least of) are things like bacon, nuts etc which are higher in fat. I hope this helps!!

Your initial couple weeks or so of loss includes a lot of water weight, as you body gets used to the large caloric deficit and struggles to get used to operating on so little (that initial loss is primarily glycogen - stored carbohydrate - which comes off quickly and includes a lot of water that keeps it in solution. Once that has burned off and the body gets the idea that you are serious about this caloric deficit thing, it finally decides that it needs to get serious and start drawing on your fat stores, which comes off more slowly. So, yes, it is normal to lose a lot the first couple of weeks, and also to stall a bit and not lose anything for a week or so, and then start losing again, but more slowly. Long to intermediate term, figure on 1-2 lb per week (5-10 lb per month) as a good sustainable loss rate, with some weeks or months being above or below trend. For instance, my loss, starting from a bit under 300 lb, was 32 lb the first month, followed by 15, 15, 10, 10, 10, by which time I was within about 10 lb of goal weight and started ramping up my calories to slow things down. Also, figure on your loss rate declining over time - it simply takes fewer calories to move your body around 24/7 when you weigh 250 vs. 350. This trips up some people, particularly if they increase their intake after a few months - increasing intake meets declining calorie burn and you reach stability, whether you are at goal or not.. So try to maintain a fairly low intake at least until you are within sight of your goal weight. Good luck!

I have uhc through my job, I work for the city i live in. I had to wait 6 months, and have been approved to have the surgery. We scheduled it for 10/26, hopefully nothing changes. I am also getting cigna (I'll be double covered) through my husband's job, but his plan says cigna doesn't do bariatric. That's why I'm keeping my uhc coverage. Anyway, I'm still so nervous that somehow uhc isn't going to cover it even though I was told it was approved.... I guess it's just jitters, this is my first time having any kind of surgery, other than a cesarean section...

Can anyone recommend a reputable consignment store where I can take the clothes I've "under-grown" in Southern California, specifically in the Orange County area? I have 10 bags of new (most still with the tags on them) 3X 26/28 clothes that I would like to sell. I gave away 21 bags of clothes for donation and it felt wonderful! Thank you! Deann

Hello, I'm on day 4 of soft foods and just want to get some input, since some of you report very small stomach capacity. I know there is a bit of a learning curve here. For Breakfast the last couple days I have been having egg salad. 1 - 1/2 eggs (1 yoke) and 1 ts of light mayo. It makes about 3.5 ounces of egg salad. When I finish, I'm just starting to get the "Pressure" just under my ribcage that was described to me as full. for lunch and dinner I have been having about 2 ounces of lean hamburg meat, a little broccoli (maybe 4-5 small pieces) , and maybe a bite or two of re-fried Beans. There was one time where I had that constant pressure under my ribcage, it disapated after about 10-15 minutes when the food started moving. I just want to know from everybody whom as been through the mush stage what they think cause I really don't want to start any bad habits.. I am feeling hunger, but it's quickly gone as soon as I eat something. I am sticking to 3 small meals a day, no Snacks. When I drink fluids I can pretty much drink unrestricted.

I am only 10 days post open and my family wants to go swimming. Think it would be safe for me to go? Seems my incisions are closed up but scared to take a chance

Hello all, I'm 7 days post surgery...I'm so happy I'm feeling better but nobody told me that I would have terrible shoulder pain from the gas inserted into my stomach during surgery would be so painful. It was more painful than childbirth..LOL my shoulder still aches but the pain is manageable because I'm active and walked daily. I slept on my back for 5 days straight because turning on my sides just hard so bad and I could fill my port moving. I really did not drink or eat much Soup for the first 5 days because of my shoulder pain. After the 6 day, I decided to eat kid cup of sugar free ice cream and had no problems. I also made some devil eggs on Sunday and was able to eat two devil eggs minus the relish with no problems . Well its Monday, 11/10/14 and I had my first post surgery appt. with my doctor. I jump on the scale with my shoes off:) I was so surprised that I lost 18 lbs. I'm so happy:) my doctor told me that when he placed my band he added 4cc of Fluid. I was shocked because I thought I would not get my first fill for several weeks? maybe that's why I did not want to drink much and felt content? I don't know. My doctor told me that he would not add any more fluid into my band if I continue to lose weight. I'm scheduled to go back for my 2nd doctor appt. on 12/08/14 I'm nervous because I plan on exercising and limiting my calories intake to 1200 or less but I really don't feel any restrictions? Any thoughts? Thanks Cindy

Hello, my name is Julie. I am a wife and the proud mother of 3 wonderful children. I am also a Lucky patient of Dr. Thomas Byrne at MUSC’s Bariatric Surgery Program. My journey truly began in 2010; I weighed in at 226 pounds. I had spoken with my general physician on several occasions about my weight and the attempts that I had made (weight watchers, Jenny Craig, etc). My doctor suggested that I call MUSC’s bariatric surgery program for a consultation. I went home that day and researched weight loss surgery. I called that same afternoon for a consult appointment. My first sign that I was doing the right thing should have been the caring voice of Lisa Jackson. She helped get my consult set up and all of my questions answered. My consult went awesome. Dr. Byrne made me feel so welcome and most of all I felt that he cared about me, I was not just another fat chick in his office telling him "I am fat, please fix it". We went over the three different surgery options available, along with the risks and benefits to each. We discussed my goals and expectations as well as spending a great deal of time going over my health history. I also got to meet with one of the Registered Dieticians on staff. After consulting with Dr. Byrne, we decided that the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy was my best option for me. I felt so prepared after this appointment; all I needed to do was to set the date. After several months of research and red tape with my insurance I had the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy surgery in August of 2011. I had a slight bump in the road during recovery but nothing that Dr. Byrne and his amazing staff could not handle! I had developed a small blood clot in my abdominal cavity. Dr. Byrne and his physician’s assistant Diana quickly had me on the mend with the utmost care and compassion! Every day was better and better! I am now 7 months post VSG; I must say that I have never felt better! I wake up every day thankful for Dr. Byrne giving me this amazing "tool" to help me to become a healthy ME. This "tool" has worked so well for me with the help of Dr. Byrne’s team of registered dietician’s as well, Debbie and Nina. I have learned how to make healthier choices at home as well as at the supermarket (thanks to the supermarket tours and monthly support group meetings). I can’t say thank you enough! Thank You!!!! I am so happy to say that I have lost 70% of my excess body weight! I have lost 75 pounds and feel amazing. I am riding my bike at least 3 times per week, I go to an awesome Zumba class (Zumba with Alma) two to three times per week, and I am doing the 10 minute trainer videos at home. I try to stay current with support group meetings and other activities when I can. They are so informative, even for non surgical folks. I will tell anyone that asks me; Dr. Byrne and his staff (Diana, Debbie, Nina, Lisa, and the amazing nurses) are the best!!! I have seen other surgeons talk about weight loss surgery so I can truly tell you that I would send anyone to see Dr. Byrne! I actually did send my mother and my sister in law. My mother had Gastric Bypass in July 2011 and my sister in law is planning to have VSG in the next couple of months.

Only 10 weeks congratulations you are doing great!

Apparently LapBandTalk is wondering where all of it's former members went and why us "old timers" no longer post. So far the first 4 pages, to my surprise have been "I'm doing great, lost my weight and enjoying my new body" type posts. I was the first bust thy bubble with complications. I figured those who had bands prior to VSG would at least enjoy the read if not want to share your story to prevent another poor soul from going through what we have. I did NOT go looking for this thread of LBT, they sent an email out asking where some of the "Old Timers" were and I figured perhaps some of you who used to post there may have changed your email address but would still LOVE the chance to be honest with what the band did to you and your body http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/126044-any-old-timers-still-around/page__st__60#entry1584321 is the link. Enjoy!

The easiest way for me to break down the surgeries for you is: RNY and DS both malabsorptive. DS is the most complicated, and most drastic with a true switch in how your body metabolizes food, fat, calories. High fat intake is necessary, and the Vitamin regimen is on average of 20-30 Vitamins per day, and this is not an exaggeration. RNY had too many long term complications, and far too many people looking for revisions due to stoma or pouch stretching and high incidence regain. DS was a no go for me. You could not pay me to have that surgery. Sorry, but the malabsorptive rate on DS is far too much for me to accept. I know it's a great surgery for some, but honestly I figured if I couldn't lose and maintain with a restrictive only procedure then I didn't need to be having WLS to begin with. All of the others you've listed are, would not be an option for me, nor did I do tons of research on them. The mini GB is a waste of money. So many people have revised to the full GB because of lack of weight loss. RNY with ring or band is just wasteful and most end up revising, most good surgeons won't In my blog, you'll find my reasons for choosing VSG over RNY for my revision. Google : DS long term complications and vitamin regimen Check out obesityhelp.com and look at the revision board, and RNY board so you can get a good view of other people's experiences. I know more people with complications with RNY and DS than I care to count. Also for me, I found great comfort in doing research on gastrectomies performed for stomach cancer and ulcer patients. Gastrectomies have been performed for over 30 years, and I found a lot of people living very full, healthy, with either most or all of their stomachs gone. The sleeve has actually been performed as the first stage of the DS for around 20 years. It was actually started as the first step for patients with BMIs over 60 as a safety precaution to get them down to a safer weight to either revise to DS or RNY later after losing some weight. The techniques have now been standardized after the first studies came out showing a higher incidence of slight regain (10-20% bounce back) was seen when bigger bougies were used in the stand alone procedures. When the standard size dropped from 50-60fr to 32-40fr bougies, the numbers for complications, weight regain, hunger returning, all decreased. The bougie is the measuring tool they slide down your throat that the surgeon uses to guide the stapler while dissecting the fundus away from the "sleeved" portion of the stomach. The VSG became a noted successful stand alone procedure when those same super morbidly obese patients didn't need the 2nd stage surgery to DS or RNY. Results were that good, that they started offering to lower end BMI patients, and it's since gained in popularity. New research results will be out next summer from 2 of the pioneers of VSG. Dr. Cirangle and Dr. Jossart. I could seriously go on and go on. And don't want to overwhelm you. I think being informed is great, but make sure you get the good, bad and long term ugly on all of the options. The vitamin regimen, and personal friends in real life I have that have dealt with RNY kept me from having it. Neither the DS or RNY fit my lifestyle, and I wasn't willing to have a surgery that would not last a lifetime since I had already had one that failed me miserably.

One of the reasons laparoscopic surgery is done so often, and for so many different procedures, is because the risk of a hernia is so much smaller because of the incision size. In an "open" procedure, the incision is often 8-10 inches long. Such a long incision does come under stress and the internal edges can separate and allow the bowel to intrude. It's highly unlikely that a laparoscopic incision will herniate. Not impossible, just rare. If you did have one, they are surgically repaired and the weakened area strengthened with sutures or, sometimes, surgical mesh. If nothing is bulging out of your incisions, if they are not red and swollen, and you do not have a fever, you probably don't have one, and if you did it would be tiny. Really, this is not something you need to worry about, but if you need convincing, go to your doctor and ask them to palpate your abdomen. They can feel a hernia.

thank you so much for this tip. I have severe allergies to dust mites (IgE antibodies came back at 20x the normal limit). Shortly after starting full liquids abt 9 or 10 days post op my post nasal drip got really bad, and it was deep in my throat not something I can blow out or even hack up, whenever I blow my nose the pressure from doing so gives me a headache. I think what may have made it act up initially is my much higher than usual dairy consumption. I do not like any Protein shakes, so have been eating fat free yogurt, milk, FF SF pudding, cottage cheese, creamed Soups, my entire diet is pretty much dairy which I have since read is a HUGE culprit for PND. I also have an air purifier in my room, which I set to high every night, is has helped with the dust, but I can tell the humidity in the room is VERY low. SO I am thinking of getting a humidifier. I am also sensitive to drugs and don't like taking too any antibiotics cuz yeast acts up, so I prefer natural. Thank you for telling me about neilmed, I am def going to try it. Tried the neti pot, and it works, but you are right it is annoying and takes practice to get your head just right, holding your head at the wrong angle it will come out your mouth haha.

Oh Kristina! I am so happy for you! I have been researching and trying for 3 years to switch from my lap band to the sleeve! I have been banded for 10 years now and at times have felt so badly that I just was meant to live life as a fat woman. I have battled insurance and only came to brick wall contract exclusions. Starting a year ago, I decided on Mexico and even picked a surgeon, but we live on one income while I stay home with our young kids. So 2 months ago, decided it was time to get healthy, no matter what it took!! I saved, begged & borrowed and came with the money and scheduled for May 11th. After 10 years and a roller coaster of weight issues stemming back almost 20 years, it is finally time and I have 100% faith that this is my time and I couldn't be more excited. You are so very right!! NEVER give up hope!!!

Your 19 lbs loss is great Once you get into a routine you will see a steady weekly loss of anywhere from 1 lbs to 3 or 4. It all depends on how much you have to lose... I believe RNY you will lose 70-80% of your weight where the band and sleeve is something like 60% only.

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I don't think there is a normal or not normal for VSG. Everybody varies. I've found that if you just keep doing the right things through the stall...your time will come. I'll have weeks where I don't lose a thing, but when I look back over the months I have consistently lost between 10 to12 pounds each month after the first month (20lbs the first month). Sometimes it's frustrating to see that some people lose 100 pounds in 4 months, but you know what...this is me. Gotta say...I'm QUITE pleased with my 67 pound loss! I've gone from a size 20 pants and 18/20 shirts from Lane Bryant to a size 8 or 10 depending on the fabric pants and medium or large shirts depending on the cut from Old Navy. If you do what you're supposed to do...it will happen. It might not be as quickly (or as slowly) as someone else, but you will be successful! Chin up.

Kimber Lilly - To me it helped to stay on Disney property, Not a disney hotel, but one close. There is a Hilton, Wyndham palce that is nice. I stayed there for a week with my daughter. Great pool and walk right across the street. We drove from IL. I drove straight through each way. My daugter slept while I drove at night and I took my laptop so she could watch movies in the back. I took lots of food and drinkings with us. I even have a cooler back pack we used for the day at Disney with ice packs. This really did save a lot of money( even just on bottles of Water and snacks). If you are going to go to disney for more then two days I would go on line a pre buy your multi day passes you will save a little bit of money doing that. Also if you go to sea World when you go in go right to the left. You can have your photo taken and added to your ticket and you will get a second day for free. You will also be able to avoid parking by taking the disney shuttle. There are tons of places to eat right around the hotels the should not be more then a 10 cab ride - lots of places for kids. Hope this helps, also if you travel at all and have any "Hotel Points" you can use for at least one night that helps as well. also check the hotel rates everywhere. like - travelnow.com, expedia.com, and the hotel's website. Also make sure you call as you never know where you will find the best rate. Also of course try to avoid the "Hot Dates" when the rates are really high. One other tip if you ave a daughter and plan to eat in Cinderella's Castle for lunch call now and make your reservations. When we got there they could give me one in two weeks. I laughed walked away and waited for another lady and thank god someone did not show up and she got us in. It was great cause Cinderella was there and my daughter got her picture taken and all that fun stuff. Good luck and have a great time.