kychick1294

The band isn't for everyone and I strongly suggest that you really research your options and what surgery would be best for you. I've lost about 20lbs in 2 years!! I'm completely annoyed with myself for picking the band so quickly. I lost 10 the first week and from there on its been a lose/gain battle. I worked the band to a tee for about 7 months.. If lose 3-4 lbs one week and gain it back plus 2 lbs the next. I was mentally and emotionally drained after it and just have up. Got all my fills and had good restriction but the weight just wouldn't come off.. Could not get lower than 320. I'm the kind of person who needs to see the number on the scale dropping.. If it doesn't I lose motivation. I'm trying to get approval for the bypass or sleeve as we speak. Now my neighbor lost 100lbs in 6 months, never has gotten a fill and eats all the fast food she wants... She doesn't exercise but her smaller portions did the trick. I have a serious food addiction so I need that fast weight loss to keel me going! Everyone's different so just do your homework!!!

So I had fallen off the wagon and went back to my stupid eating habits. Luckily I hadnt gained anything but I had only lost 18 lbs since Sept 19th. On that day I got my first fill (3cc's) and everything kind of stayed the same. I have been able to eat just about anything I want and rarely got sick unless I swallowed something or drank milk right afterwards. I went back to the doctor this past Monday and he said he was going to bump me up some more. He filled it up another 3 cc's and sent me on my way. I followed the liquid/mushy stuff for a day..but on day 2 I had made some egg salad and was literally only able to eat maybe 2 or 3 bites of it before I felt it right at my throat. Mind you, I have never really felt any restriction before except when eating too fast. Today I brought some scrambled eggs with bacon and cheese and was able to eat 3 bites of it, and lunch was pretty much the same way. Do you think this is too tight? Or should I give it a few days and see if it loosens up a bit? I'm not hungry, tired...nothing. Just worried that I may not be getting enough in everyday. But after seeing those pounds stall for so long, Im actually happy to be feeling the restriction on a cup of food. Any suggestions?

I was banded about 6 months ago, and 3 months later my hair started falling out by the clumps. I literally was cleaning the drain everytime I showered because it was full of hair.. my hairbrush was the same way. I have thin hair anyway and it has never held a curl or anything...but I eventually got to the point where I had to start scrunching it just to make it look decent. (I've NEVER been able to do it before, but somehow I made it look presentable) I had a friend who had the gastric bypass done and the same happened to her. She told me to take B5 and Lysine. I started taking it immediately and my hair is almost back to normal.. I noticed an immediate difference! I got it cut to make sure there were no more dead ends, and now I can wear it straight again since its layered. I notice new hair coming in everywhere (although its gray, thats ok I'll take it!!) Give these a try and hopefully they will work out for you!!

So...I was banded on July 29, 2011. For my insurance I had to do a 6 month dieting period before getting my approval. During that time I lost 30 pounds on my own by just doing low carb. So I had my surgery, lost 10 lbs in the first week and then went back in September for my first fill and was down another 8lbs I think...but since then, its all been down hill. First of all, after surgery the protein shakes made me sick..I would literally gag and throw them right back up. It wasnt the taste, it was the nasty gritty taste they had. I tried to do the pre-made things and they were either too expensive (yea Im a cheapie) or they had too many carbs for my preference. So needless to say in November my friggin hair starts falling out, and I mean by the clumps. I had to start scrunching my hair everyday because if not you could see thin patches everywhere. Then my weight loss just stopped.. I know it was partly my fault because I wasnt following directions exactly, but compared to my old ways I figured I was doing a pretty good job. I was 325 in September when I had my fill, and had been eating the same foods and stuff but the weight just stopped. This went on for the next 6 weeks, which lead us to Thanksgiving. I finally just gave up and said forget it. I had been doing reasonably well with my food choices, but I just went all out and have been eating whatever Ive wanted since then... and here it is March and Im still 325. We had a weight loss challenge here at work for 6 weeks in Jan/Feb and I really buckedled down when it started. I was working out all the time, eating perfect and the scales said I had lost 7 lbs in 3 days. So I was 318, so the following week I go to weight myself and all be danged it I wasnt back up to 322. It just seems that no matter how hard I work out, how good I eat... I just cannot get out of the 320's!!!! I have been embarrased and havent went back to the doctor because I dont really wanna hear them.. I am hard enough on myself as it is. I dont understand whats went wrong..its like I lose motivation and then just give up ( like Ive done my entire life, hence the reason Im fat lol) I know I need another fill, and I hear all these stories about the green zone...but when I eat right now I never feel restriction unless Ive eaten a good portion of my meal. (I actually get full on normal amounts of food, Ive always overeat my whole life...so when I can have food leftover on my plate then my mind tells me Ive done a good job, even though its more then I should be able to eat) Im just tired of the friggin mind games Im playing with myself and need some kind of motivation. My brother had the same surgery in Dec and has lost 40 lbs so far...my neighbor lost 100 in 6 months! So Im feeling like a failure, like Im doomed to be fat forever. Anyone have any suggestions to get back on track??

Sorry you're not feeling well Holly! I was banded on 7/29/11 and it was a real rollercoaster for me too. As soon as I woke up from surgery I can remember gagging on the tube they had down my throat, and I had the worst back pain I've ever had in my entire life. I was given 3 different doses of Dilaudid and it wasnt even coming close to kickin the pain. I had to get up in the PACU dept and stand against the wall while my mom and husband rubbed my back. The first night really kicked my butt. I couldnt lay on my back or on my sides in the bed because when my belly would flatten out it felt like I was gonna rip open. So the only comfortable way I could sleep was on the couch, with 2 pillows behind me and I leaned my head up against the back of it. I think I slept like this about a week. I finally got to the point where I could lay on my side with a pillow propped right up next to my belly..but I could only get maybe 4 hours at a time in before I would hurt. I went back to work 4 days after surgery,, and I wish I had taken more time than that. I got tired and very cranky really easily. I remember being a week out and I was in bed crying like a baby because I thought I had made a mistake. Even though I knew this was the best thing for me, I felt miserable and was just hurting, tired, hungry, uncomfortable etc..and I finally just had to break down. After my crying episode I was fine lol.. Best of luck to you!

Hey there! Welcome to the site..it has been a life saver for me. I was banded on July 29th 2011 and I started out at 375lbs...lol so dont feel bad! I had to do a 6 month pre-op diet and I lost 30, and Ive lost about 30 since the surgery. Should be a lot more but I kinda fell off the bandwagon, and still am not exercising!! I know, its ridiculous! Good Luck with everything!

So I had my lap band done on July 29, 2011. I loved the protein shakes before that, but afterwards the texture literally made me vomit. I tried to put them in soups, shakes, puddings, etc..but nothing was working. I even tried mixing the concentrate stuff with water and that didnt go well either. I dont know if it was the texture or the taste of them..but I couldnt tolerate them. I went to the doctor a few times and told them what was going on and they kept recommending different things, and I tried them with no luck. So eventually I got fed up and just stopped doing them ( I know, I know so stupid, believe me I am kicking myself now). I dont know if I got a terrible case of the "stupids" but I just didnt take my vitamins or anything.I felt great after surgery and kept telling myself I didnt need all of that. Well fast forward 4 1/2 months and my hair is coming out. Everytime I take a shower I have to clean the drain out. Didnt really notice anything too bad until this last month...so naturally I am in panic mode. I know I shouldnt have been so hard headed (scary thing is I'm a nurse and I know better! I know I am sooo stupid, you can all yell at me later!) So, I am forcing myself now to drink these shakes. I literally hold my nose and drink 8 ounces at a time and then wash it down with some water to get the gritty taste out of my mouth. I am taking my vitamins and even went and got some B5 and Lysine ( I have a friend that had the bypass and this is what she took to help with her hair). I call the doctors office again and tell them and she told me she didnt think my hair loss had anything to do with my surgery..??? She said that she had never seen anyone losing hair with the lap-band before so unless it was a protein deficiency then she had no idea. So..my question is.. has anyone else went through this? And any pointers on how to stop all this hair loss so I'm not bald within the next few months???

Thanks for all of the help guys! I have put all my pills in my purse so I wont forget to take any of them. My hair has never been super thick, and I mean it doesnt look terribly bad now but I am freaking out. When I put it back in a ponytail I can tell that its thinning around my temples. I really hope this passes because I dont know if I could handle wigs and all that stuff. I like to shower, scrunch my hair up and go!! Fast and easy! I dont know what the problem is with this protein stuff.. I can stand the carnation IB, but I get really tired of eating and drinking. I know that sounds crazy, but Im just not into food like I was before. I can take a few bites of something and just be done with it. The shakes I was drinking before were like 32 ounces in one bottle but they had 3 scoops of powder in them and I drank it throughout the day which equaled my entire daily amount. I do eat alot of protein, but had fallen off around the holidays with all of the carbs and desserts. I had gotten into the habit of eating my meat first then moving on to something else...but I was putting little spoonfuls of nothing but carbs on my plate!! I swear we know better, so why do we do stupid things like that?? If I could kick my own rear, I really would lol..

Sooooo... I had surgery July 29, 2011. I should have been working out for a few weeks now, but with 2 jobs Ive been lazy and just havent. Im a nurse and I feel like I walk 100 miles at work, so when I get home I just wanna sit down and relax before bed! I went and purchased this video at Wal-Mart called "30 day shred" by Jillian Michaels. It looked like a very good routine and the video is only about 20-25 minutes long..I figured it would be a good way to jump start my exercise routine. Boy was I wrong!! I did the video, which consists of strength training, cardio and ab work.. you do little intervals lasting 2-3 minutes. There are 3 levels, and of course I started out on Level 1. I can honestly say that in those 20 minutes Jillian got cussed about 8 times and called everything but a milk cow. When it was over..I was laying in the floor..hair soaking wet, panting like I was gonna die. I have also cussed her for the past 2 days because I am forced to waddle around like a penguin because my thighs are so sore!!! I was seriously thinking I had hurt myself because the pain was ridiculous. It hurt to stand, sit, walk...you name it. Woke up this morning feeling a little better, but my thighs and butt still feel like Ive been beat with a baseball bat. This video is no joke!! I am starting to think that Jillian Michaels was sent here to earth, by Satan himself..to torture little fluffy people like me !!!!The doc told me to take a few days off and then try to do it again..so those are my plans. My mistake was..trying to go from being inactive, to being a super buff fitness expert lol! My advice to you is..buy the video, the workout will really kick your butt...but if you dont exercise, then try walking for a week or two just to get your body used to it..if not you will be left with a case of the "waddles"like Ive gotten!! I went back for my 6 week checkup ( was supposed to be a month, but I had to reschedule)..and I had only lost 7 lbs Doc said I was doing great and no reason to be discouraged..but I still find it a little disappointing. .I was hoping for atleast 10-15. I did get a 3 cc fill, and Ive had no problems from it. It was done under fluroscopy and was actually painless...I didnt even know he had stuck me.. repeatedly. He couldnt get it straight in the port because I had a seroma ( Fluid pocket) that had come up around the port..so he had to go through it..so about 10 sticks later ( and again I didnt feel anything!) he finally got it and filled me up! Had no soreness or bruising afterwards either..so it was a pleasant surprise. He took the needle out and tons of fluid came right behind it...which he said was a good thing. So most of it drained out this first time, and he said if I have to get another fill then it will probably drain out again and I would be ok. Hope everyone is doing well!!

I also had a NSV today..I am buying my nephews class ring, and he had all of the sizers there at home..when I got married in April 2008 my ring was a size 10, I put the size 9 on and it fit perfectly...so one ring size down!!

So, I had my surgery on July 29th and I go in for my first fill on Spet 12th. I am down about 50 lbs, but 30 of that was from my 3 month pre-op diet. I am able to eat small amounts, about a cup full and Im full. I know I shouldnt have, but I have tried different foods..veggies, fruit, bread, etc to see if I could eat them and everything has went fine. I havent really eat anything terribly bad, and Im sticking to my protein for the most part. My problem is, is that Im stupid and try to eat too fast, or swallow bites that are too big ( Yea I know, I wanna punch myself in the face all the time lol ) I havent gotten stuck (Thank You Jesus), but if I do eat fast, then I can eat more and then I feel stuffed afterwards...but if I sit down and take 20 minutes for each meal, then a cup will do me. I dont think its the band that needs the adjusting, I think its my brain. Im still goin to eat and thinking I should order these huge portions..and one cup of chili does me just fine if I just follow the directions. I have started to eat some, and then put my food down and wait 5 minutes then eat a little more..and this seems to help. So, should I get the fill, or just slow the hell down and start following directions?? Sherry

I was banded on July 29th, so I am almost exactly 2 weeks out myself. I am feeling the same way as you Alan.. If I chew correctly and take my time then I am full on a little less than a cup. I know since I have started real food back that my weight may go up some..but I feel that I am satisfied right now, and if Im feeling this way on my next appt then Im not going to get a fill.My problem is trying to eat too fast lol.. its hard to break old habits, and if I do eat too fast then I end up eating too much because my brain doesnt get the signal fast enough..My big thing is gonna be working on these habit changes..as long as the scale is moving down, then Im ok! Good Luck!!

I was banded on July 29th. I went back for my 1 week follow up and I had lost 10 lbs!! I had to have my staples removed ( all 32 of them, wasnt really expecting staples for laprascopic surgery, but actually I liked them better than stitches!) Some of the staples pinched a little when they came out, but it made sleeping in bed alot easier because I felt more "held together" than when you do with stitches. My doctor has always said that I could advance my diet as tolerated. I did mostly liquids and soups and stuff for the first week but Ive been on solids this whole week. I have no fluid in my band, but still feel really good restriction on it. The only problem I have is that I want to eat too fast, and my brain is still bigger than my belly. I went to Steak n Shake with my husband last night for dinner and I sat down and was thinking of all of the things I wanted to order, and I had to step back and make myself realize that even if I wanted to eat all of those things...I actually couldnt. I did order a cup of chili with cheese and onions, and a side order of cottage cheese. If I eat fast, then I dont get the signal to my brain and I end up eating way too much and feeling sick..but if I chew everything and take atleast 15-20 minutes then I can clearly tell when I am full. I ate that one cup of soup and had to take my cottage cheese home with me ..it was actually my breakfast this morning. The first week or so I was kind of regretting my decision because I was sore, couldnt sleep very well, wasnt working and was on mostly liquids.. I would go and try to walk around places as much as possible to relieve the gas pains, but my family would stop and eat and I would just feel so down in the dumps. I wasnt mad at them for eating, and I told them it didnt bother me..I wasnt hungry..but emotionally it was devastating to me. I finally called the doctor and told him I was going back to work (4 days post-op) and I started eating the soups, and progressed into regular food from there.. Now I am happy I made this decision. Althought the scale did say I had gained a pound since my weigh in 5 days ago...but its ok. Ive started my exercising this week and I am commited to making this work... I think my head is my biggest enemy, and the games it can play on me are ruthless. I was on a 3 month pre-op diet and lost 27 pounds, along with the 10 Ive lost post-op makes me right at 37 lbs... Im ok with that. I was alot bigger than most of the readers Ive seen. I was 375 on my first consult appt.. now I am 338 pounds. I still have a loooong way to go, but theres nothing better than getting out of the 370's, 60's, 50's, 40's and eventually the 30's... I used to think 100 lbs seemed impossible, but now Im almost half way there... Good Luck to you all, and all my love!!Sherry

I am 2 days post op. As soon as I woke up from surgery I remember this terrible pain in the middle of my back..it has stayed with me since going home. It has gotten better over time..but now I am having these pains in my chest. Right around the breast bone area...it sort of feels like I need to burp, but then again sometimes it feels like my belly is growling?? I have been doing the shakes and stuff and I just pureed some tuna salad...i took 2 spoonfuls and it was wonderful! Im just afraid of vomiting and I dont know what to do?? Also , how much are we able to drink at one time? I have thi 32 ounce bottle and I fill it with different things and it feels like it takes me forever to get it down if I just "sip" on it. I am off work for afew days, but when I go back Im a nurse and wont have time to sip on this thing all day long.. I can understand being able to do 4 oz at a time, I would be good with that... but really can we only handle just sips?? I wish I would have clarified this with my doctor before going home..but I had so much on my mind I forgot to ask!! If anyone can help with this I would appreciate it.. I feel as though I have broken ribs in my back at times.. its not comfortable at all..Im tryin to cough all I can, but I think my spine is gonna come out lol!

I called the office this morning and they told me if I was handeling the full liquids then I could go to the pureed meats..The tuna could literally be sucked through a straw. I took an ice cube tray and filled it and left it in the fridge. They told me the pain is probably from the gas..I was finally able to go to the bathroom tonight and it helped a little. I ate some creamy soup and drank my shakes today but this pain in my chest is the worst..I cant even describe it really. I am going to stay off my meats for a few days and try to get my liquids in..I made the tuna because my head was telling me I wasnt getting enough to eat, and I think Im just trying to rush myself into feeling better. It also doesnt help when I have to sleep sitting up on the couch, but its the only way I can get comfortable. I bought some creamed soups and pudding mix so Im going to stick with that until the end of the week when I get my staples out.. Im trying to be positive, but I really feel rough. Hope you all are feeling better!

Hi Amy! Last night was the absolute worst for me. The pain was literally putting me in tears. I had my husband and my mother both putting muscle rub on my back. I could lay on either side, or my back..so needless to say there was no sleep for me. I finally sat up on the couch with my feet up and got comfortable. I woke up after about 4 hours and alot of the pain in my back was gone. My incisions are a little sore today but not too bad. I got up and ran a little Water in the tub and washed myself off, I felt so nasty but I knew I couldnt get the dressing wet...so after bein cleaned up I am feeling much better. Now I can feel this tightness in my chest and belly, and it moves around so I know those are the gas bubbles..Ive been walking and moving around more.. I only drank about 16 ounces of Fluid yesterday and was worried about bein dehydrated, but today Im able to get more in. I only had the dilaudid in the recovery room..he gave me like 3 different doses, but it didnt help me at all...and that Lortab still isnt going much for the pain. Im hoping things keep getting better from here on out.. I was really kind of regretting everything last night because I felt so bad..but Im ok today.. !

I finally made it!! I was banded this morning and made it back home around 2pm. I took the gas X stuff like someone mentioned but I have the WORST pain in the middle of my back. I couldnt lay on the stretcher, i wasnt comfortable in a chair and I attempted to sleep for a few hours but it literally feels like my spine is gonna pop out. My surgical sites arent hurting that bad, but this back stuff is killer! Nothing seems to be helping, the Dilaudid, Lortab..notta. I'm able to hold down liquids ok, and I think I remember gagging and stuff in the post op room..so maybe thats contributed to the soreness as well. Im going to try and lay back down and get rid of some of this pain... no gas or belching yet..so we will see!! Thanks guys for the prayers! Sherry

Hey Guys, I was reading through the posts and my diets are different from any of yours. I was required to do a 2 day liquid diet before surgery..I am just finishing up day one..my surgery is Friday morning. Afterwards it says that I will do a Clear liquids diet for 1-5 days..The nutritionist told me that as soon as I am handeling the clear liquids then I can move to full liquids. She said that if on day 2 I am doing well then I can move on..after full liquids I go straight to Protein.. she basically said "If you can kill it, you can eat it" so that will be meat, eggs, cheese etc..2 months out I start incorporating fruits and veggies, and then 6 months whole grains.. I think every doctor has their own preferences about how they want the diet to go. As for me, I had to do a 3 month supervised weight loss period before surgery. I had to do low carb, but after the first 2 months I was burnt out. I flat out told them I couldnt live without fruit or the occasional bread. They said it was all about moderation..so I continued to fix dinner for my family , and if we had carbs of some sorts then I would take 2 spoonfuls and then not eat anymore of them. I lost 30 lbs...so I was pretty stoked. I believe in listening to your body..if you're hungry, and its real hunger than eat. These liquids are already making me feel very tired and stuff, so I cant wait to advance to fulls and then right on to my meats!!

I'm sure there are alot of others out there that feel the same as me, but you people on here have been a tremendous help to me the last 4 months. I joined after my first weight in back in April..I was required to do the 3 month diet before surgery. My surgery date is fast approaching, only 5 more days!! I had looked forward to this forever, and tried to schedule it around my work schedule..so after approval I had 5 weeks to wait and it seemed like it would never pass..but here it is and I am scared to death. I've read the articles, watched a live procedure on youtube but I dont think anything helps with the nerves! I also have never had any kind of surgery either, so its all a first for me. I cant thank all of you enough for all of the support that you have given me. I have been overweight most of my life and I never thought I would find a "family" that would support me like some of you have. I never have to lie about my weight, my struggles or disappointments..and everyone is just as excited as me for my accomplishments. I want to wish everyone going in this week good luck and I hope you have a safe and smooth surgery..for all of those recovering I hope the days continue to get better for you! Also, if anyone wants to add me, I'd love to keep in touch with everyone..my computers VERY slow and it takes forever to load the pages, so please add me!! Sherry

Thanks so much Amy!! Yea I am guessing its my nerves setting in. I think work is trying to drain me of everything I have before my actual surgery, so I think the stress on top of lack of sleep/exhaustion is getting the best of me. I have to work the next 6 days before surgery so I am actually looking forward to a few days off!! Thanks for all of your alls support...this website has helped me tremendously and I am so thankful to have others going through the same thing as me!

So I went to my final appointment today. I had to meet with the surgeon, do my pre-op paperwork, attend this Bari-Bootcamp program that we have ( they just tell you what to expect with pre-op, post-op and the diet) and then I had a nutrition class to attend. I was there from 9am until 6pm, and had to be at work at 11:30p..so needless to say 8am cant get here fast enough. I just wanted to share some feelings I had about my visit today. I was the only one in my sessions that was getting the lap-band done. I am a nurse and have spent tons of time researching both the band and the bypass. I chose my band because of the long term success rates, and the fact that I know I am an overeater..I dont graze, and I really didnt like all of the cutting and malabsorption with the bypass. I have never second guessed myself until today?? I dont know if it was because I was around everyone who was getting the bypass, or what? I saw men and women that were much smaller than me and all of them had chosen the bypass..I just kept thinking to myself "Wow, Im bigger than some of these people here and they are choosing the bypass". I know people have their own reasons for choosing which particular procedure they have, but I just felt really weird today. The staff was nice, and the people were all wishing me well and were talking about how successful they had been...but when I mentioned I was getting the band they were like "Oh, I had the bypass done"..I'm sure I'm just being paranoid or reading into so much..but I felt as if they didnt think my results would be as good as theirs. Dont get me wrong, I know I probably wont lose as much as them, or nearly as fast as them..but I am confident I am going to do well...so why am I having these feelings? Maybe its just pre-op nerves, or my food addiction trying to talk me out of it lol! As I type this I can only imagine how stupid I must sound lol..Anyway, I guess Im just looking to see if anyone else ever doubted themselves?? I have lost a total of 27 pounds on the 3 month low carb pre-op diet..and I have made the commitment to follow through with this, so I think I'll be fine. The closer my surgery date gets (July 29th) the crazier I become???

Wow..its been a few weeks since I've been on here. I finally got my surgery date set, I go in on July 29th!! I have done well on the pre-op diet. I'm down 23 lbs as of 3 weeks ago. I go in on the 20th to get all of my pre-op stuff done, meet with my surgeon and do this little Bari Bootcamp program they have. I also dont do much of a liquid diet..Just 2 days before surgery.. this could be because I have been low carb for almost 4 months now and I know that helps to shrink the liver as well. I couldnt wait for my surgery date to come..but as it gets closer the nerves are starting as well. I have never been put to sleep, no surgeries or anything. I think thats the only thing I'm afraid of. I'm a nurse and I think we tend to freak ourselves out at times!! I have well with the low carb stuff. It was hard as hell when I first started, I was moody as could be. Now its just like second nature, I really dont even think about it anymore. I am just hoping I have good success with the band...its hard to get on here and read these comments about people not losing weight, or regretting the surgery..kinda makes you second guess your decision.. Hope everyone is feeling well and loving their bands!! Good Luck to you all!

Im getting banded sometime in July as well! My insurance required a 3 month pre-op diet period and my last appt for that will be June 23rd... she said all I have to wait on then is the insurance approval so it should be in July!! Ive been on a low-card diet for the past 3 months and lost 17 lbs..but I havent been exercising like I should. I'm actually glad my insurance made me wait 3 months and try the diet because I dont think I could have quit my carbs, soda and sugar cold turkey along with eating healthy. The first month I thought I was going to die without my bread, but now its soooo much easier to deal with. I still have my cravings everynow and then but I can take a few bites now, instead of wanting to eat the whole pan of macaroni! Its a work in progress, and I just joined the gym, so my new goal is my exercise!! I read some things on here and it makes me nervous and I start second guessing my decision...but I think some of these horror stories are from personal choices that are made. Even without a band, decreasing consumption size, eating healthy and increasing exercise will produce results. I'm 100% commited, so I am praying that I do well! This is my last option seriously. Good Luck guys!!

So I am currently doing my required 3 months of supervised weight loss. I started the end of March and as of April 22nd I was already down 10 lbs. I had my mind set on getting the band done, but it seems I constantly hear great things about the bypass. I know I want the band because my problem is portion control, Im not a grazer ( and hope I dont become one! ) I just read all of these stories about people not losing any weight, or having these terrible complications! I cant imagine going through all of this and only losing 15 pounds in 10 months!! I get very discouraged easily, and I dunno..I just have a MILLION things going through my head. Ive been watching on youtube about the port fills and some of them dont look bad at all. They use the huber needles...but then I saw another one that was done with a regular syringe and they just kept poking and poking and poking..Im a nurse and I got a little ill! I have read alot about the pros and cons of both, and dont get me wrong..Im ready, but at the same time I nervous as can be. I guess I feel that this is just the final option for me. Im 27 and dont want to live the rest of my life like this. I feel that alot of things pass me by, and I sit out on alot of things due to my weight...if anyone has any good advice, or encouraging words then they are surely appreciated. My surgery wont be until the end of June at the earliest..so just more time to sit and worry!

I have been doing alot of reading on here and I am certain the lap-band is for me. Its just very hard to read stories about failed surgeries! I have the will power, and will do what I need to do...but then you come on here and read about how this person was following the diet and exercising but only lost 20 lbs in 2 years! I'm kind of skeptical, maybe there was some cheating going on, or maybe the band wasnt fitted properly for that person...but either way, it kinda rustles your nerves. I wouldnt want to do all of this and not lose anything. I have several friends who have done it, and have done fine with it. They look amazing. I know they say you lose weight gradually, maybe 50 lbs a year..but my friends lost a pretty good amount fairly quickly..Id say 100lbs in a year. But, they stuck to the diet, and exercising thing to a tee. I wish my banding was sooner, I think the "sitting and waiting" is what makes my nerves so bad. My brother is getting his band done at the end of May, so I am excited to see how it works out for him. Hoping the pain after surgery isnt that bad, because I really want to get back to work. I'm a nurse, but my job isnt that hard...I work in a PTSD/Substant Abuse program, so we basically sit there and watch them take their medicines, and conduct group therapy...I could take it easy there, and still not miss out on any pay! I was thinking of going back maybe 2 days after surgery!! Everyone says this is crazy, but honestly I could sit around at work just as well as I could at home. My boss says shes willing to work with me because she knows Im hard headed and wont take a lot of time off! Anyway, good luck with your band and please keep in touch. Id love to hear how everything turns out for you!!