MaryE

Girly girl I got my band in November of 2005. I had the same experience as you. At first I did very well. Lost about 90 pounds but band was very tight lived on protein shakes. In pain just drinking. Then I got stuck once on broccoli and thought I was having a heart attack Never got to that sweet spot. Miserable. I decided to get the band removed and sleeved in one procedure scheduled for April 1. It is a hard decision to make but the years go by so fast. I was also angry with myself. But I know that I can't do it without the sleeve. Do some soul searching. We have all been through the endless diets, pills . I don't want to let any more of my life slip away. I know it us a huge decision. You know what you need to do. Good luck in your decision making. We are here for you.

Surgery date April 1 . Nervous, excited looking forward to new beginnings. I had lap and placed November 2005. I will be having band to sleeve in one surgery.

I am meeting with my surgeon again tomorrow. All my tests are done unless they need something more. I am hoping to get my surgery date tomorrow. I had the lap and done by the same surgeon in November of 2005. I did well in the beginning. I lost about 90 pounds. Bit I had the smaller band which didn't give to much room for fills. Hard to get to that sweet spot. To loose it extremely tight. Little by little I put back 70 pounds. I was so miserable with the band. Looking forward to having band out and sleeved same surgery. I'll post again with surgery date. I'm hoping for sometime in March. Thanks again for the ap. it really is inspirational. Thank you.

Thank you so much for this post. You look great. How inspirational. I downloaded the app. I'll be getting my sleeve soon and after seeing your pics I want to document my journey also. Keep it up you have come so far and look so good and happy.

I agree. It is very hard working on an office where people are always bringing snacks, candy and enough of the birthday cakes. It's like that Seinfield episode when Elaine wants to loose weight and it's always someone else's birthday and she tries to boycott and they treat her like she is unsociable. Food is and has always been social pressure. It's hard to just participate in the socialization without the food. But we try to sometimes we fail. We just have to try to focus on the future and on our longevity. Good luck to us all on our journey.

Hot butterfly. I was born and raised in the Bronx. Stop and frisk does save lives. If you live in a black Latino neighborhood who do you think is going to get stopped. I don't want to argue just watch any news channel pick one. Every time a child is shot the outcry where are the cops. What are they doing. People like you and our new mayor are hindering the police. You wake up open your eyes. Yes it's sad. Unnecessary violence. People in the neighborhoods most time know who did the shooting but don't want to snitch on their friends. So what needs to be done?

Wishing you all the best on your weight loss journey. It's great that you have such a great support systems. My prayers are with you.

Apparently I had something to add.

What's the proper way to say black person ? African american ? I am sorry for not using the proper term. Sheesh!!! sounds like you sure could use a puff! The NY cops will stop and frisk anyone that's dark skinned. That includes spanish people. I can't wait until they legalize pot and make stop and frisk illegal. We live in the USA people. There are rights and freedoms guaranteed by our constitution. That includes lighting one up in the privacy of my own home if I want to. What your post says about you is that you know absolutely nothing about the NYPD. Smoking is illegal in NY so no matter what your ethnic origin is your getting a ticket. No one gets arrested unless your dealing. Stop and frisk saves lives. Just watch any news report since the police are not getting the support they and we deserve shootings are happening even more. thank God yes I said God we live in the USA we do have rights but not the right to break the laws just to get high. We are obese because we have addictive personalities so food pot whatever. Stop leaning on your crutch work with your sleeve. Get educated.

I don't think I can take another talk show idiot donning a fat suit to understand what it feels like to be obese. They always wear sweat pants or the most horrible of outfits. Of course obese people are tacky dressers. As if wearing 100 pounds of rubber for an hour makes them understand our daily existence. Even dr Oz who I thought was an informative intelligent person also did this show. Rating whore.

Having band removed in March with and my new sleeve on same day. Tried working with the band for 8 years. Lost in the beginning but so many complications. Gained almost all of my weight back. Looking forward to new beginnings.

Great progress. You look so confident. Keep it up. Inspiring

Apparently you missed my point. As a US citizen who pays my taxes because I work Im entitled to a child tax credit so says our tax law. I support my children without the help of the government. Im sick and tired to paying for people who continuously spit out kids so They can collect more welfare. The ttax payers shouldnt be providing for people whose only job is to spawn. Also if you want my money take a drug test from time to time just as I am expected to take random drug tests for my job.

When are you democrats going to stop blaming Bush and come to terms that you elected Obama for all the wrong reasons. A man with no experience, just wants to spend as much of the taxpayers money. I am so tired of supporting all those generations of families who think Welfare is a family business. Stop having kids you cant affort and stop complaining. Obama really cares about the poor and middle class. Look where he is spending his vacation and with whom he is spending it certainly not with the poor..

Help! I am just getting started. I have Aetna Insurance and live in upstate NY. I have been told by the surgeons office I wish to use that Aetna never approves the lap band surgery. My BMI is under 40 (38) and therefore they want me to have some comorbidities. If Anyone can help please.

I Have used Xenical pre surgery and one of my many attempts at loosing weight. I got minimal results. You need to monitor very carefully your fat intake. If you eat too much fat the unpleasant complications are bowel leakage, urgent trips sometimes not making it to the bathroom, nausea and stomach cramping. It was not worth taking for the minimal results.

I am from Upstate New York and have used Dr, Kwon in Port Jervis. He is great and runs a great office with knowledgable and helpful caring staff. I was banded on 11/9 and would recommend them highly.

Sorry to hear your news. Don't take your stress out by overeating. The revenge is in looking good. Stay strong.

I have just been approved by my insurance company with no surgery date yet. I keep reading in the posts mentions of PB's. This may be a stupid question but what are they????

Tell them that you are on a MD supervised liquid diet. No one needs to know you had surgery. If it helps you can still go to weight watcher meetings. They discuss portion control and you can benefit from that too.

Good for you. I agree. I do not come to this sight to discuss politics and religion. I want to read more about every day life (this includes sex) with the Lap Band. How it affects us every day. If I want politics I'll watch the news. And when I want religion I go to church.

I also have Aetna. I live in NY. I will not take no for an answer. I was told by my surgeons office that Aetna will never approve the Lap Band. It is covered by Aetna. If your BMI is over 40 you will have no problem. If it is between 35-40 It gets a little trickier. You need to have comorbidities. If you can afford it (some visits are not covered by aetna) such as the Psych exam and the visit to the dietition aetna will cover all the other tests. Just speak to your primary physician and put causes such as shortness of breaty for the pulmonary dr and the cardiologist. I wont give up I am going through the tests. You can also appeal. Move ahead if this is your last option for a new life as it is mine.