Search the Community

9/1/06 - 10/22/06 Change Neck 14" 14" 0 0% Bust 50" 47.5" -2.5" 5% Upper Body 54.25" 52.5" -1.75" 3.2% Upper Arm 18" 16" -2" 11% Below Bust 40.5" 40" -.5" 1.2% Waist 45" 43" -2" 4.4% Wrist 6.5" 6.25" -.25" 3.8% Hips 53" 51" -2" 3.8% Thigh 26.5" 25" -1.5" 5.7% Knee 16.5" 15" -1.5" 5.7% Ankle 9.5" 9" -.5" 5.3% Totals: 333.75 319.25 :clap2: -14.5" :clap2: 4.3% smaller!!

Well the pbing has stop so that I am so greatful for. I was really worried that my smoking had done some damage but as of now Iam fine (other then my dam teeth hurting) I did a light work out on the wii system but I havent been working out like I should be but thats ok my personal training begins tomorrow I hope I really stick with it I am excited. Lets see how excited Iam after the work out that is my true test. I dont have that same go get it attitude that I had a couple of weeks ago I want that feeling back. I have been working alot and all I can think about is getting home and jumping in the bed. I havent been hungrey at all thank God and I havent been drinking my water like I am suppose to. I just cant seem to get it all together at the same time. I am not smoking so I guess thats a start now I will conquor one at a time untill I have a sed. I can deal with. I just admire those women that do it all with LB take care of a family and still have time for themselves. I feel over loaded and all I have is me hell I dont even have a cat a plant and my son he is on this I am 19 and grown kick I only hear from him when he needs money. I say that just to say have no valid excuse why I cant get it together other then I lost that spark I had. I love my band I just want the same love for it like when we first meet. I need that spark back:tongue2: Michelle

You go gurl!! I know you will succeed as I will too. Can you answer this for me? I am still not 100% on the lap band or gastric Bypass. I know that this is a decision I have to make for myself. but can you tell me why you opted for the lap band and not the other? and why was UC davis so against the lap band? I told myself I would concentrate fully on getting rid of the 10% weight loss before worrying to much on which procedure to do. But I really would like to know more from other peoples opinions. Thanks

YAY! That's wonderful! Bet it felt GREAT to see that 10 pound loss, way to go!!!!!

I just got sleeved on 5/20. The minute I woke I felt terrible. Now it's the second day and I am slowly feeling better. The gas pain and nausea is still here. I aldo am having massive headaches but I am also nursing my 6 month old so that might be the culprit. Hang in there. I am here with 10 other patients and some people are doing great and others worse.

Hi.i had my gastric band on 26/1 14.feeling excited and so well after suffering for so long with the excess weight my body couldn't cope with.i dieted 2 wks pre op on milk diet Which was hard and then a wk 1000 cals including no more than 100 g carb a day.a wk after surgery and I had lost 181b!! Haven't weighed since.a day post op suffered badly with trapped wind causing chest pain and back and shoulder pain and luckily after 2 days it went.wasnt nice and I had a little shoulder pain on occasions but this has gone for over a wk now.i am on sloppy diet now and enjoying it.wasnt hungry for 10 days post op But have hunger at times now.not severe but I know a good sign my stomach has healed well.got my first fill on3/2/.havent drank alcohol since new yr, love diet coke but will struggle with a nice mixer to go with vodka.even if u don't drink alchohol pubs don't offer a lot of low cal non fizzy low cal drinks! I would recommend anyone who has had the weight struggle I have had for 30 years.i am an expert at weight loss but even better putting it on lol xxxx

http://arthritis.about.com/b/2006/10/30/turmeric-shows-health-benefits-for-arthritis.htm http://www.livestrong.com/article/490526-how-good-is-turmeric-for-pain/ I use it for simlilar probs , joints and back

Hi all - I have been taking some hydrocodone (5/325) over the last month for some chronic back pain that developed a long time ago and has increased recently post surgery. There may also be something else going on with my back (ala the movie 50/50) that I am scheduled to get looked at next month by a specialist. I try not to take it unless the pain is bad, but have been increasing the dose to several times a day when I am unable to tolerate the pain. Please do not judge me for increasing the dose on my own. I know it is not the right thing to do. After fearing I was getting addicted to it only after a month of use, I got rid of the remainder of my prescription 2 days ago because the last thing I need is a dependence on it. Today I woke up with the wore case of total body soreness, like having a flu without all the flu symptoms. Is this normal from stopping pain meds cold turkey? How long does it take for your body to be clean of the hydrocodone after taking 10-20 mg a day for back issues? By the way, Tylenol does not work and I am now about to take an anti inflammatory next month( already have the prescription ready to use). Next month, my surgeon said I could start on a slow release anti inflammatory as it is my 6 month post op. the name of the prescription is Etodolac and it will be my first time on it. I used diclofenac pre surgery for several years, but it is too rough on the sleeve (according to the surgeon) to use any longer. Thanks for your advice.

Hi, thought I would chime in with my story. I too have been overweight most of my life, definitely since high school - LOL 33 years - wow time flies. I have dieted, lost some, gained back more - the usual story. My wakeup call was ending up in the hospital with Atrial Fibrillation. I have had HTN for 10 years, borderline diabetes, not too much joint pain luckily. Since the hospital last October, I really had to look at things for real. My cardiologist basically told me I needed WLS or I would probably die. My heart valve is enlarged due to the weight and if it gets much bigger it will mean uncontrolled A Fib. My PCP suggested a Lap Band, but I am Miss Allergy personified and I felt that having a foreign body left inside was a really bad idea. Besides I did a lot of research, I am a Medical Technologist and I understand all of the medical jargon etc. So, I decided on the VSG. Lo and Behold, my insurance has an exclusion for WLS. I did not even get my sleep study done in a very timely manner as my cardiologist wanted it in Nov, and I had to wait for Feb - it was excluded under last years policy but allowed this year. The sleep study results were if anything scarier than being in the hospital. I have complex sleep apnea - stopped breathing 34 times an hour and oxygen saturation dropped to 66%. My brother went into respiratory arrest with a Sat of 80 - he has very bad asthma. I really did not expect the sleep study results to be that bad, I don't even snore unless I have a cold!! But, got put on a VPAP Adapt, and have actually gotten more than 4 hours of sleep at a time - YAY!!! So, I knew a girl at work who had gone to Mexico for a Lap Band, and I talked to her about her experience. I have lived overseas, so the prospect of going to Mexico was not too daunting. I did some research on doctors on this site and at Obesity Help, and decided on Dr. Kelly. As I am self pay (am going to use my FSA) I knew I needed to go outside the US. So, saved my tax refund money, and with that and my bonus from work I am scheduled for 3/25/11. I am going alone because my options for travel comapnions, brother and father, both hate hsopitals. My mother was not an option - she can darken a room with her negativity. Last thing I need at this point, she knows I am having the surgery - but has so far not commented. My brother and his daughter live with me, and he is very supportive. His girlfriend had RNY maybe 5 years ago. She lost the weight, but also a lot of her hair, and is constantly struggling with the whole vitamin deficiency thing. She has been a really good example of why you do not overeat after WLS - I have seen her in misery after too much consumption. Unfortunately, my atopic dermatitis has been going crazy - and I have been on prednisone since March1st. So, decided to just deal with very little weight loss on the pre-op diet - probably will lose a ton of water weight when I am off the prednisone, but I need my skin - especially the belly to not be rashy and inflamed before the surgery. It is looking good right now - everyone keep their fingers crossed for me - only 5 days to go. You know, the weight kinda creeps on and you think - well I'm doing OK - I will get around to dealing with it - at some point in the future of course. Then you get that wake up call - I was really mad at myself for a while. But I am going to counseling and need to focus on the positives - this is a tool that can help me acheive better health. The pre-op diet (2 weeks) has not been too bad. I rarely get hungry now, so hopefully my liver is nicely shrunken, and the surgery will go well. My PCP, is in favor, but a bit leary about the Mexico aspect. I saw her last week and she was supportive, but concerned that she would get to deal with the complications. I told her I did not plan on having any complications, I know she is watching to see how it goes - maybe they will refer people. I did have to educate her about the VSG, and she understood my reservations about the band. So, my journey has begun. Highest weight 335, current weight 315, pre-op loss so far 9 pounds - with no excercise beyond work at the moment. If I get hot I get itchy and start scratching...bad bad idea. But, the skin really is much better and I will start excercising again post surgery. I am trying very hard not to stress, because that can cause the itchies as well. Got to have a very quiet week - it is spring break ending here and my brother went to his girlfriend's and my neice went down to her Mom - they are back tonight. I should be able to cope, am off tomorrow - work Tues and Wed, then fly on Thursday. Have an appt with Rorry (counselor)on Wed before I go. Sorry I know this is long, but the venting has been good. I have really enjoyed reading about everyone's stories so here is mine. I will keep you posted on progress.

Libby, I had a Vertical Gastric Sleeve 7 months ago today. I weighed 258 pounds prior to surgery, and today I weight 160 (and struggling to loose the last few pounds!). I love my sleeve. My cousin is a bariatric surgeon, and he was the one who convinced me to do the VSG instead of a Roux N Y procedure. He has had bariatric surgery, he had a Roux N Y about 10 years ago at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. After his surgery, he did a fellowship at Mayo Clinic and then started doing bariatric surgeries himself. He lost over 100 pounds and has maintained it very well. He was my inspiration to do something. I went to see him in consultation, and he convinced me that the VGS has far less complications than RNY, less problems like dumping syndrome that many with a RNY experience, no malabsorption problems, etc. So i went with the sleeve, and wouldn't trade it for anything. The day of surgery, I wore a size 26/28 top and 22 or 24 pant size. Today I am a size 8! (I love saying that, so I'll say it again "I wear a size 8." Gee that makes me feel good!) I don't have words to say how happy I am that I had my VGS. It is a non reversible procedure, so you need to be sure of your decision if you go with a VSG. When we crossed the boarder back into the United States (I had my surgery in Mexico) one of the gals riding in the van responded to the boarder guards question of "do you have anything to declare?" with "No, but I left my stomach in Tijuana!" So funny! No matter what you decide, Best of luck on your surgery!

ok here's how it went the reader's digest version 1. My husband locked the keys in the truck but we had a friend to call and my daughter grabbed mine..that was the start 2. Surgery went without a hitch so said the Doc so that's a great thing 3. I could have been home by 4-5pm but I couldn't because for the life of me i couldn't PEE 4. went walking around nurses stations and drank 3 apple juices to "wake my bladder up" and then go sit on the throne and several times I feel asleep in my IV pole table 5. called Doc about what to do, he wanted to admit me I was like no way, I gotta pee 6. now on top of my co2 bloat from the operation it self.. I also had the most horrific gas ever from the apple juice; my poor hubby, we both watched my belly blow up even further I was about to ask my nurse Karen for a pin! 7. nurse Karen was so wonderful too...she said let's do a french foley.. i was like oh joy 8.we found out that I was dehydrated and could go home with the instructions that if I hadn't peed by 7am this morning I was to call him back 9. when I got home I grabbed my half gallon water jug and went to town on it.. only to find out what true tummy rumblings are 10. I finally peed like forever and did 3 more times that night.. so I got to call the Dr's office and report successful results so other than that, I did learn I love to belch although feeling like a Macy's Day parade air float completely powered by methane gas admitting from the down side..wasn't so great all and all it went really well could have been a heck of a lot worse I am still sore but it's DONE and I'M SOOOOOO HAPPY woot I am banded

I do. This is the reason my plastic surgeon recommend I gain weight cuz I have extra skin and only enough fat to fill my boobs. In other words I don't have enough fat to transfer to my butt & places to curve me up. So come April I have 4 months to gain 10/20 pounds you won't notice since it will be sucked out.

Give it time, i also thought i had too much skin , but as it turns out i went from a size 24 to a size 10.... I had surgery 10/3/12........ Only time will tell.....

So I'm only 10 weeks post op however I've lost a total of 77 pounds so far, I feel amazing. How is everyone else doing? HW: 363 SW: 358 CW: 281 Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I too am a food-aholic. I've always enjoyed eating. Large portions were my down fall for sure. Since being banded a week ago, I still have my food cravings, my mouth waters like crazy when the family is eating and I'm either drinking a protien shake or eating extremely tiny amounts of yogurt. Right now, I'd say it would be a 10 for me to break my food addiction.

All my clothes over size 20 (up to 24) that is 6 weeks out, down to size 18 - thankfully can shop in my closet! Got rid of the clothes like I did the weight. Made me feel like I lost 10 more pounds, lol. Will NOT go back!

Went in to get a lapband 10/07 302 lbs Surgery 12/31/07 290.2 Today 1/9/08 279.2 Hope I still loose when Im on solids again.

Running....ugh....more power to ya.....I'm not running unless a lion is chasing me. . I was never much for running and now with two titanium knees.....I do what I can to preserve them. (hence, low impact exercises only) So, I swim. (like a fish, pool, snorkeling and scuba) As much as I can. I also ride my bike at least 10 miles every day. And even drag myself to the gym too. The sleeve is a great asset, but still gotta do that exercise.....

great work. I just started running (pretty much first time ever) have my times down to a 10 minute mile. heart is no longer pounding through my chest. I can imagine in a few months I will be doing even that much better. great work. keep it up!!!

I'm 10/18! Congrats!

At week 3 it is probably real hunger. It took me 8-10 weeks before my band started to do what I was expecting it to do. Week 3 I was on mushies. Different Soups, chili. scrambled eggs, quiche, mashed sweet potatoes. and on and on. At this point it is not about loosing weight or controlling hunger. It is all about fully healing before they can get down to real business.

I'm just on the 3rd week post op but I'll tell you about the change after the surgery. I have no longer hunger but I know I MUST eat for energy and the amount of food that I can eat is 2 tablespoons. I have sleeved in France so the restriction post-op for diet is a bit different, my doctor said I can eat anything I want but blended. The first two weeks it has to be only Fluid (but I can eat yogurt) then the 3rd week I can start eating pureed food like potato smashed. Oh, yes, but no candies no soda, all sweet stuff. Eat a little at a time (4 times a day) on the fix hour, I'm not hungry but I just eat on the meal time. Eat very small amount and slowly and the most important thing is at least 1 L of Water everyday 20 minutes before and after the meal. After the research I'd done on my own, like you, I asked him about Protein shake and he said, no need, no supplementary diet of any kind is necessary at the moment. He told me to eat only small amount of natural food. Seems like he needs me to get used to my new stomach first and learn that I can live on a very small amount of food Personally I try to eat as much as protein as possible like eggs, purred fish, Greek yogurt with purred fruits, cooked brocoli purred, mainly protein, fruits and vegetable. One time I tried Pasta purred with salmon and I felt sick, so no pasta at the moment. My doctor said I have 3 years post-op to learn to eat right to maintain the weight for life. I guess that at some point the hunger will return, I will be able to eat more than 2 spoons per meal but at least the experience of being obese for 20 years and receiving the second chance should remind me to pick the best choice of food and move my (hopefully smaller) ass to exercise to keep this gift for life. And I know I can do it because during the pre-op I tried the low carb diet to see if I can make it after the surgery (my surgeon never asked me to lose weight before the surgery) and it worked pretty well actually, I wasn't really too strict because I ate small amont of carb only for lunch or Breakfast but not for dinner and I lost 13 lbs in 2 months before the surgery between my first consultation with my surgeon and the date of operation. What's different is I've lost almost 19 lbs in 20 days post-op woo hoo!

Idk I have a 10 cc band , I haven't heard of anything other than that

Hi there...I am a secretary and would love to find 12/14 work clothing...possibly even 10's. I am going on a cruise next month...so I would welcome anything suitable for that. I have 16/18/20 business clothes for anyone who needs it. A great lady sent me Misook brand clothing that is now too big for me. I didn't know it at the time...but Misook is a really great brand. Let me know if you need them and I will send clothing your way. Let's keep the cycle going!