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!

Sleeved on nov. 6. I am eating a pretty good variety of things a 1/4 cup at a time. One thing my sleeve does NOT like is scrambled egg. Comes back up in 5 minutes. Maybe try creamy peanut butter. You can lick it off a spoon and it seems to go down well.

Does any one know when we can incorporate abdominal exercises back into our routine?

My Dr. Told me I could start back to full exercise at 6 weeks. That just happens to be tomorrow !!

My dr. Also says at the six week timeframe we can do any exercise

I'm also from Maryland!! I live in Charles Co. Hitesh Amin is my Dr. How about you?

Hi I live in PG County. Do you know where any good support groups are?

I'm also from Maryland!! I live in Charles Co. Hitesh Amin is my Dr. How about you?

Hi @lovinjacobe are you having surgery @ southern Maryland, I work there and didn't realize Dr Amin did the sleeve, I was sleeved 9/12/12 at Howard.

Broke my stall with your advice!!! Seems I needed more calories. Super excited about it because I'm down 50 pounds from my high weight.....feels so good!

Merry Christmas Fellow Sleevers

Merry Christmas Fellow Sleevers

Same to you..enjoy..

Happy holidays. Sleeve family. Quick update yesterday while finishing up some shopping I opened a scale and to my amazement from the start of this process until today I am down 85lbs and 65lbs from my surgery date. As of last week I have started eating more items and drinking more. I think a lot of it was my personal fear of eating but now eating like 4 small meals a day and a few cups of juice & water a day.

Help!! I'm stuck. I have stalled and can not get it moving again. I've been lingering at the same total loss for 2 weeks. I have increased protein, exercise etc to no avail. Getting really discouraged. I know that there is a common stall at week 3, but for how long? I feel like I've lost all I am going to and of course since numerous failed dieting attempts, this does not feel good.

Help!! I'm stuck. I have stalled and can not get it moving again. I've been lingering at the same total loss for 2 weeks. I have increased protein' date=' exercise etc to no avail. Getting really discouraged. I know that there is a common stall at week 3, but for how long? I feel like I've lost all I am going to and of course since numerous failed dieting attempts, this does not feel good.[/quote']

I was stalled for just over three weeks.... I increased my caloric intake and the scale started moving again.... Not sure if it was related but it happened right away. :-)

Sometimes you can carb shock yourself into losing again ... Just load up on the carbs for one day and then give it a day or two to work.

I stalled for a while too. I was at the same weight for several weeks and it drove me MAD. Then all of a sudden BAM dropped 7lbs in a week! Right now I think I'm in another stall but I'm okay with it. I gained two pounds (THAT freaked me out) but I know it was mostly water weight caused by eating take out one night which was full of sodium (chicken and chinese veggies, but man chinese food always makes me bloat!) I'm not going to weigh for a while- hopefully I can last until after the New Year- because I'll drive myself crazy. I've lost 56lbs (well 53 minus the water ugh) and I feel great- not gonna let body fluctuation weight piss me off!

Hope all my fellow November sleevers are doing great!

I think there are two things to remember about stalls. 1- they are normal & 2- they are temporary. If i understand the biology right, if you follow the plan, the weight has to come off, there are no other possibilities short of some other medical issue. So don't let stalls bother you.