Cleach

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Hi there Scotland. I've always wanted to visit. My grandfather was from Glasglow. Maybe some day I will. Don't be worried I am almost a year out and have lost close to 60 pound. It is well worth it. You still have to work at it but it's alot easier to stay on a program with the band than without it. I know I would have gone back to my old habits if it weren't for the band it keeps me in check. good luck ( I'm in The Los angeles area)

I also had a total hysterectomy in 2001. I was banded March 24 2008. I have lost 50 pounds so far with about 25 more to go. I am 51 it has been slow going but it is worth it. I do not exercise because I have a pretty buzy job and by the time I get off work I am just to tired. And I hate to exercise. I know thats a bad thing but it's me. If I liked to exercise I wouldn't have needed the band. I know when you get older weight loss is harder but it can be done. Find what works for you running marathons was not my thing. But I now can only wear junior's size 11 and I haven't been this size since my 20's.

I think everyone has a bad day or a bad week or even a bad month. That is the good thing about the band it is always there whether you have will power or not. The holidays were hard for me because of course all the bad stuff goes down with no problem but that piece of chicken gets stuck but not that herseys kiss. I wish I was allergic to chocolate it would make my life so much easier

I am 51 and lost 55 pounds I do have more wrinkles than I did before But I rather be healthy and wrinkly than the best dead looking person. I didn't consider myself a vain person either but all of a sudden I find myself looking in every mirror. I figure I don't have that many good years left that anyone would be looking at me regardless of how much I weight. Face it when you are in your 60s you are just a skinny old person or a fat old person. you will never look 40 again. So enjoy

Congratulations, I was banded on march 24 2008. Same doctor and same hospital. It was all a great experience. I have lost 55 pounds so far with about 20 to go. It gets a little harder the less you have to lose. But it was so worth it. I haven't been this size since my early 20s. I am now considering some plastic surgery due to sagging skin and I have a dr. in tj that is great. I still go to tj for my fills and they due fluro everytime there. I have NEVER had any pain at all and dr. Carmen is wonderful and it only cost 100.00. I read about some of the problems people are having with their fills and these American Doctors can learn a few thing from south of the border. I live in the L.A. area so it is easy for me to go down there. I know not everyone has that option but if you do it is worth it. Good luck and don't get discouraged when the times get a little tougher.

Even if you have medication if you have a virus it won't stop the throwing up. I had the same thing happen to me. All I did was eat liquids for a week afterwards and let everything rest. When I felt better I went for a fill. I have a fluro done everytime I have a fill and everything was still in place and it all looked good. So don't worry to much it should be okay. But just take it easy on what you eat.

I think this totally is an individual experience. I think it depends on you pain level of tolerance. I did not personaly have any pain meds even in the hospital. But I handle pain extremely well. But people like my husband have little tolerance, he passes out when he has pain. He is not a baby about things its just his bodies way of handleing things. So do what feels right for you. You want to be comfortable not drugged out, because you will need to walk as soon as you can . I was up and walking within 10 minutes of them bringing me back from recovery. Good luck on your journey they will give you what you need. Just remember no matter how you feel the day of your surgery it will feel better the next day and even better the day after that. Colleen

I had my surgery on March 25 and I had a great experience. I liked doctor Corvala he came and a saw me 3 times in less than 24 hours. I have read so many pros and cons, but for me I had a wonderful experience and so far everything is going great. I have my fill there too and that was a great experience also. There was no pain at all... I can only speak for my self but its a thumbs up from me cleach

For me it is portion control. I always liked the food that was healthy I always ate far to much of it. This helps me eat smaller portions. that has always been a big problem for me. I have cut my calorie intake in at least half if not by 2/3. that is a big bonus for me. cleach

I have had friends that had to gain weight in order to qualify for the WLS. it was either that or their insurance would not pay. some time desperate times call for desperate measures. and face it we are all good at gaining weight

I live in the los Angeles area. I had my surgery done in Mexico and I also go back there for my fills. They are great. They do it all under the fluro and there is no pain what so ever. they can see the port. and the band. she made sure I had good restriction. she had to remove some because it was to full. It went perfect. I would never have a blind fill and thats what most doctors do here in the United States. It only takes about 1 1/2 to get there so Its worth it to me. She also made sure everything was in place and working well.

If you really want to compare just go to a gastric bypass forum. These people have some big problems. Many of them continuously throw up no matter what they eat. Many also have to take all kinds of meds just to keep there digestive track open. Yes, they do lose weight faster, my friend has gastric bypass and within 2 months she looked terrible her skin was saggy on her face she looked a good 10 years older. With the band you should only lose 1-3 pounds a week. It gives you body and skin a better chance to recover from all the stretching. I can eat anything I want but only in moderation. She still has to eat some kind of protien bars and she still throws up and she is 2 years post op.. She is now in desperate need of plastic surgery. And also all her meds she has to get as a rectal suppository because she can't absorbs the required amount through her digestive track. So before you decide, do all you home work and see what works best for you. Cleach

Today is 1 month since surgery. My total loss is 14 pounds no pre op diet. I have no restriction on band. I can pretty much eat anything. But I don't. My first fill is May 16. Until then I am on my own as far as what I put in my mouth. This is where the will power and commitment comes into play. I will succeed. cleach

my moment came after my infant grandson died and I spent 2 years helping everyone else in the family cope with all the stress. Everyone gained at least 20 pounds. I gained about 40. I have always been able to loose weight but as soon as I stopped the diet what I had lost and more came back. I was so tired I did not have another diet in me. I learned the hard way how short life really is and how you never know what tomorrow will bring. I didn't want to waste anymore todays. I was always going to start my next diet on Monday. Well many mondays came and went and I just got fatter, had less energy, I didn't want to socialize. My life was just passing me by. So I made the decision. It was the first thing I had done for myself in 2 years. I am self pay so I didn't have to jump through all the hoops the insurance companys make you do. Nobody takes this lightly and I did all my reasearch. It gave me great comfort to know I would not be fat my whole life. I have only been banded for 3 1/2 weeks but I will never look back. I am in control, food no longer has the power over me that it once did. Life is to short to be unhappy. I know this, you don't always have control over what happens to you in life but I will always have control over what I put in my mouth. cleach

I lost 12 pounds the first 2 weeks without even thinking about it. Now this last week I haven't lost anything. I have been watching my calories and I eat between 700 and 1000. a day. My daughter is on weight watchers and she eats twice as much as I do and she has lost 24 pounds. She says I am not eating enough. She is 25 and I am 50 maybe thats the difference. She is not very active and I work all day on my feet. What's the problem. Any suggestions. thanks Colleen

I was banded on 3/24 no pre op diet. Lost 12 lbs so far.. Colleen

The one thing you will notice when you sit around that big family table and everyone is eating, you will notice how MUCH everyone else is eating. Then you will understand how you got to be here in the first place. You will look at portion control differently. My first family dinner I was amazed at the quanity that everyone had on their plate I was really a little shocked. Colleen

I was banded in Tijuana Mexico on 3/24. Everything was great. You will always find that 1 or 2 percent of people who have trouble. There is no doctor in the world who has a 100% approval rate. This is a surgery and sometimes it has complications. Good luck with your quest. It has been worth it to me. The U.S. is not the only place that has good Doctors. A lot of practicing Doctors in the U.S. didn't go to medical school here. They went in different countries and many went in Mexico.

I had a cold the day of my surgery 3/24 they did not reschedule but I did have some breathing difficulty during my surgery. the anesthesiologist said I had bronchial spasms. I had to have some breathing treatments post op. And Also it hurt like hell to cough and sneeze.

Hi I am new to this board. I was banded on 3/24 so I am 8 days post op. I am still very sore my stomach still fills swollen I can't stand any pressure to my stomach yet. I was just wondering how long this will last. I am afraid to get on the scale. I don't think I have lost much. Has anyone felt this way