Let's get to know each other before our surgery...I'll go first.

My name is Amy (37 years old). I live in central FL with my husband and two kids, 3 yo DS and 4.5 yo DD. I work in IT doing technical writing and operational readiness. I love photography and have a small side business, and when I'm thinner, I really enjoy running and spinning.

I was banded in Nov 2009 at 374 lbs. From my banding until Dec 2011 (2 years), I lost 198 lbs. I was thrilled! Despite the occasional vomit and inability to eat certain foods, I was still 99.9% happy with my band. Right after Christmas this year, however, I got a terrible upper respiratory infection. I coughed and coughed and coughed. I coughed until I puked, which caused a slip.

I got a complete unfill in early January. Once the slip was fixed, I started getting fills. But then my band developed a leak and slipped once again. Since the surgeon I was seeing was less than helpful, I found a new surgeon, Dr. Domkowski, who finally treated me without acting like I was crazy, as my last surgeon did. Based on his recommendations and test results, we decided to do the removal and sleeve in two separate surgeries.

Dr. D removed my band on August 3, 2012. Because of the extent of damage done by the band, including scarring and pulling the fundus through the diaphragm, I am waiting around four months to be sleeved. I'd love to be banded on November 25, which would have been the three year anniversary of my band.

I've gained about 70 lbs since December. Sigh. The good news is my surgeon is not at all concerned about my weight gain. He is 100% convinced that I'll lose it all once I'm sleeved, since I was so successful with the band. I'm a bit of a goody two-shoes, and I followed the rules to a "T", and I intend to do the same with the sleeve.

I hope the next four months fly by!

I'm two days post op still in the hospital. I Go home tomorrow. I Haven't weighed yet can hardly wait to do it. It's hard being in the hospital on Thanksgiving but probably best for me so I don't smell and want to lick spoons lol. I've been walking a lot, Definitely more pain today than Ive had in the past. Looking forward to going home tomorrow and starting My whole new life. And we're off Novembers we're done it's almost over Decembers about to come. Best of luck to all of you stay in touch please

Two days post-op here. My belly is gurgling and trying my best to manage my pain. They weren't kidding when they said one side hurts more than another. It's e right side for me. Oh well.

Happy thanksgiving everyone. Sleeved or still waiting...I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday.

Tally, I had the same issue with pain on my right side (drain was on my left side)....I took 2 Tylenol today and feel so much better! I also walked a lot...although I think the Tylenol worked even better! :-)

I just completed day 1 of the preop diet. I'm hungry and have a headache. I'm keep telling myself I'm in the homestretch. My NUT said this would be the hardest part of the journey. I certainly hope so. Chicken broth isn't so bad, but too much of a good thing is still too much.

Go Freja. You can do it!!!!

I'm on liquid loratab...tastes horrible. And I have to take benadrylwith it cuz it makes me itch so badly. I've done a lot of walking today. I just have a lot of gas that is making it feel like a pressure in my chest. I usually just thump my chest and it comes up as a burp or just dissipates. Just muddling through for now. Which is all any of us can do since none of us know for sure how our bodies will react to the process until its our turns. One second at a time.

To all you newly sleeved hang in there! Things will get better, the pain will go away. I'm 8 days out, had a rough time in the beginning but I feel awesome now! Just a little soreness left in my middle incision but I'm back to my old self and you'll get there too. It will get easier when you get to full liquids and then puréed (only a few more days for me! Yay) And when you step on the scale you'll realize this has ALL been worth it! Hang in there, we're all pulling for you!

Happy Thanksgiving to all !! May God bless and keep you all

Lol...pardon my french...but this sh*t sucks...im grinding thru watching everyone else eat Thanksgiving dinner...im holdin out...and im surprised how easy it is actually...but everything smells great...stay tuff everybody...my surgery is this tuesday the 27th...

Lol...pardon my french...but this sh*t sucks...im grinding thru watching everyone else eat Thanksgiving dinner...im holdin out...and im surprised how easy it is actually...but everything smells great...stay tuff everybody...my surgery is this tuesday the 27th...

Lol...pardon my french...but this sh*t sucks...im grinding thru watching everyone else eat Thanksgiving dinner...im holdin out...and im surprised how easy it is actually...but everything smells great...stay tuff everybody...my surgery is this tuesday the 27th...

Thanks for the update. I was just thinking about the smells and what we would eventually get to eat soon. Stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberries, sweet potatoes just all in super small portions. In the end we have just been given a tool it's how we choose to use it that matters. Happy thanksgiving everyone

Lol...pardon my french...but this sh*t sucks...im grinding thru watching everyone else eat Thanksgiving dinner...im holdin out...and im surprised how easy it is actually...but everything smells great...stay tuff everybody...my surgery is this tuesday the 27th...

I am so there with you. Made it through dinner. The food smelled delicious, but it didn't bother me as much as i thought it would. I really enjoyed talking and laughing with my family. Relaxing with fam watching the game, now. Then we are going to get the tree and shopping.

Wednesday is my day and I feel so fortunate to have found this site. I feel more confident because of the information I gained here. It's good to have people who have gone through it talk to you about it. Thank you and happy holidays!

1 week today and I got on the scale at moms. down 13 lbs from surgery

Happy thanksgiving everyone! God bless each of you as we begin this new phase of our lives.

Made it through Thanksgiving, thanks to my wonderful surgeon who said I could eat anything soft and mushy: mashed potatoes, yams, stuffing and turkey chewed well. My family is so supportive, they all encouraged me as I placed 1 tablespoon of this and that on my plate. I have never had a Thanksgiving plate that was so sparse! I'm proud of me and all sleevers who made it through this wonderful day.

Made it through Thanksgiving' date=' thanks to my wonderful surgeon who said I could eat anything soft and mushy: mashed potatoes, yams, stuffing and turkey chewed well. My family is so supportive, they all encouraged me as I placed 1 tablespoon of this and that on my plate. I have never had a Thanksgiving plate that was so sparse! I'm proud of me and all sleevers who made it through this wonderful day.[/quote']

How long since your surgery?

How long since your surgery?

8 Days! Back to pureed tomorrow!