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Hello, not to scare anyone but just my experience. Sleeved July 31... No pain or meds since released from hospital. Woke up yesterday with pain on left side and around big incision site. Called Dr and was adv to come to er( only bc never felt this type of pain)... Got to er and was admitted bc of high blood cell count. My body had a reaction to the gtube. Had xrays to verify no leaks and gtube was removed immediately.. was told some people bodies cant handle objects inside( glad i didnt choose the band!) But I feel soooo much better today! Good luck to all

I dont quite get you. You post a rather inflammatory question and then you say that you meant superior in terms of newbies not being allowed to view the R&R but the way you're talking definitely makes it sound like you mean exactly what I initially thought you meant and reacted to- that you're fed up with oldies who've lost all their weight thinking they're all that. Actually, there's quite a few points in Green's post that I can identify with. I've not been a perfect bandster by any stretch of the imagination and I've often said the first six months were so easy, I lost so much weight without even having to try, it just fell off. Since then I've had to battle. But I've never dieted, I dont count calories, I dont count protein, I eat what I want when I want and its just, well, worked. I run lots becuase I bloody love running, not because I've got superior willpower and determination. I've never said otherwise. I've been really lucky becuase I"ve lost weight on about 1500 calories a day, so its certainly been easier for me than it has for others. I've certainly learned a few things along the way and I've shared them. But I can think of about a thousand posts where I've mentioned my pretty slack and easygoing approach to weightloss and where I've told people that a binge is just that, and that you can simply get back on the wagon, but dont waste time beating yourself up over it. I just dont really understand what it is you're getting at. So you think oldies do think they're superior and that gets up your nose? Or you dont? If you do, I really dont think you've read enough of this forum.

In all fairness to oldies, it's not bs that at a certain point we're out living our lives. For awhile (I think year 4?) I actually on a regular basis FORGOT I was banded--my weight became something I didn't think about for the first time in my life. After my battle with reflux started that all changed, but I guess my point is...don't discount the "out living life". It happens. ~Robin in my 8th year :hungry:

Thank You !!! And why is my gas over $3 a gallon NOW. I agree... we should have been investing in alternate sources of energy vs a war that has messed up so many young soldiers and their families and our financial future..... STUPID DECISIONS THAT HAVE COST OUR NATION DEARLY. I expect to see many more vets of a much younger generation on our So Cal streets begging..... this is how we thank our military for their service. So where are the WMD.... bunch of BS And do ya'll realize WE the USA are not the ones who found Sadaam hiding in the hole... it was set up to make us look like the heros. LOL

We won two world wars, our government gave us several programs that are socialism that have helped keep the elderly out of poverty: social security and medicare. Try getting the elderly to give up these two much loved programs. I know that financially they are in trouble but that's because there are fewer wage earners paying into them and more recipients. The only solution to that is to increase payroll taxes or reduce benefits. Why do you not hear anyone proposing this? Because while the public apparently doesn't object to paying higher and higher health care premiums, they do not want increased payroll taxes. Another solution would be to make 100% of wages/earning eligible for social security taxes instead of the first $105,000. That means that almost all of us pay social security taxes on 100% of our wages but people like Bill Gates only pays it on his first $105,000. I support a bill to change this. Our government is responsible for safe working conditions in our workplace, food and drug safety, a 40 hour work week, child labor laws, government loans for students and higher education, clean water and air laws, safer cars, disease control, flu shots, medical research dollars....and the list goes on. Bill Clinton balanced the federal budget and left with a surplus but bush spent that surplus and increased the deficit to historical records, at the time, but I didn't hear all the outrage about spending then. I didn't hear cries from the right about all the borrowing from China to finance an unnecessary war in Iraq. I didn't hear anyone complaining about blank check after blank check being given to bush for this war. With little oversight. I'm still waiting to find out where the missing $18 billion went that Halliburton couldn't account for. bush was given a free pass. Not once from March 2003 until January 19, 2009 did I hear one person ask bush where he was getting the money from to fund the Iraqi war. NOT ONCE. But now we have a democratic president who is CLEANING UP BUSH'S MESS AND ADDRESSING IMPORTANT ISSUES NOT ADDRESSED BY BUSH and suddenly all the conservative right is concerned about spending. It's easy to ignore important issues, like healthcare, that need to be addressed. Then you just pass the problem on to your successor. bush did that. Obama, thankfully, isn't afraid to take the bull by the horns. This smacks of the partisan BS it is. It rings hollow and is nothing more than a smoke screen for the real issue, that I, too, have said before: PEOPLE WHO NEVER SUPPORTED OBAMA, DID NOT VOTE FOR HIM, HATE HIM, AND DON'T ACCEPT HIM AS PRESIDENT ARE NOW BASHING HIM IN HOPES THAT HE FAILS. That is the real agenda and any attempt to divert from this with this phoney outrage about spending is insulting to those of us who know the truth behind all of this.

I understand BJean. You've heard the saying that the bible can be used to support or deny any position, so I submit this: If you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. Isaiah 58:10 NSRV Happy are those who are concerned for the poor; the Lord will help them when they are in trouble. Psalm 41:1 TEV If you refuse to listen to the cry of the poor, your own cry will not be heard. Proverbs 21:13 TEV God always keeps His promises; he judges in favor of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. Psalm 146:6-7 TEV What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has not works, is dead. James 2:14-17 NRSV Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Defend the rights of the poor and needy, Proverbs 31:8-9 NSRV Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Isaiah 1:17 He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord and he will repay him for his deed. Proverbs 19:17 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:9-11 "For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.' Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? And the King will tell them, 'I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'" Matthew 25:31-40 NLT More… When you gather your crops and fail to bring in some of the grain that you have cut, do not go back for it; for it is to be left for the foreigners, orphans and widows...When you have gathered your grapes once, do not go back over the vines a second time; the grapes that are left are for the foreigners, orphans and widows. Never forget that you were slaves in Egypt; that is why I have given you this command. Deuteronomy 24:19-22 TEV ...do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor... Zechariah 7:10 RSV “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?'” Micah 6:8 Jesus said to him "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." Matthew 19:21 RSV "But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just." Luke 14:13 RSV "Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me." Luke 18:22 KJV Begin using your hands for honest work, and then give generously to others in need. Ephesians 4:28 NLT "Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." 1 Timothy 6:18-19 Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us. James 1:27 NLT

Yep, the iron. Much like taking too much vitamin Bs make your pee more yellow.

Hi Shaydi.Laine, Thank you! I appreciate all you've said. I'm also going to take your advice very seriously. I live in Victoria. BC and was sleeved in Mexico. I lost 10 pounds on the pre-op liquid diet before I went to Mexico. My surgery went very well, but the trip home was very very long and I wasn't ready for it. When I got home I slept and was pretty out of it for about 3 days. When I felt alive again I found I had developed Thrush which made eating and drinking difficult. Since that got cleared up I've been feeling great. I'm full of energy. I think I should have been more explicit when explaining my circumstances. Eating is torture and that's why I feel as though it's something I wish I could avoid. After I eat the meager portion that I do it I feel tremendous pressure in my chest and pain in my shoulder blades. The only thing that alleviates it is burping...something I've always had difficulty doing. I walk after I eat to aid in this. Over the past 24 hours I've read that pain in the shoulder blades could be a sign of gallstones. I've booked a Monday morning appointment with my GP. I am committed to doing my program as prescribed as diligently as possible. I definitely don't want to lose my hair!!! Sent from my SM-N900W8 using the BariatricPal App

Well SHOOT!! I typed all of my stuff and lost it!! I have heard people say that my WLS didn't work. I don't totally agree with this. But like was said it is the choices that we make. Now the Lap Band failing I have 1st hand in knowing about. As you see my hubby had his for 13 years. He lost 100#'s with it but never met his goal. Yes, he did eat around it but it also was damaged during a fill, more surgery. Then in 2013 he went in for a revision to a RNY. It had eroded into his liver. Failed surgery. Then he got abscesses. Was deathly sick for 9 months 3 of which he doesn't remember. His Surgeon dropped him in the middle of his treatment, told him to go to his PCP or the ER. But hubby was so desperate he went back to this Dr again. Then he told him that he was a PROBLEM CHILD and he wouldn't do the surgery. He referred him to Portland, Oregon OHSU one of the best Bariatric Centers. They said they would try to do the RNY but he needed to lose 25#'s and get his A1C down to a 7 or 8. Which doesn't sound to hard right. He couldn't do both, if his Blood Sugar was good his weight went up and the same for his weight down BS up. In the mean time we find out he has Kidney Cancer but there is nothing they can do until he loses 150#. So down to Mexico self paid surgery. When they get in there he couldn't do the Rny because his whole right side is solid scar tissue so he gets the SLEEVE. This was June 3, 2016 to this day he has lost 60#'s. So pardon me when I say it isn't always easy to get another WLS. It makes me so mad when I hear someone say well, I'll jus ge a revision if it doesn't work out. We don't always get what we want. Now I'm not saying he did everything he could to lose his weight but darn the problems his weight has caused us!!! So I guess I'm saying in some cases yes a revsion is in order but if it is just because THE WLS didn't work, then they do need to go thru more counseling to make sure that their mind is on what needs to be done!!

I have been thinking about Lap Band for several years, but can't seem to convince my husband that it is safe. He freaks out each time I mention it. I have an aunt that had the gastric bypass and has done very well. And he has seen this, but is still very closed minded to the surgery. I have signed up for an seminar and am hopin he will attend with me. Any suggestions? Also, I have BC/BS of Texas. I have inquired in the past about coverage. They told me if it was medically needed, it would be covered. I have checked and a local doctor with high recommendations is a provider. Is there anything that I need to do with my primary doc to start documentation. Any advise is greatly appreciated.

How far out are you? I am 5 weeks out and honestly I haven't kept a strict count on anything bc I know I'm not eating near enough to do any damage. I am pretty much living on protein drink and water. :/ Sorry I couldn't be of much help,I would ask your nutritionist how many carbs you should be having.

I told my family first and than told everyone I can tell . Bc I was so excited to get it done .... And I can careless what anyone thought because its my body and Im the one that had to deal with it . not anyone else

I'm going to Mexico! Surgery is April 28th with Dr. Alvarez. I liked the idea of being able to drive from Dallas rather than fly to San Diego (and it would actually take less time). Not that it was a primary consideration, but a nice benefit. Now I need to get going on the Protein samples, finding out what to bring to hospital, what to have ready at home, etc. I think I may need to get some meals cooked for the fam before i go, too. Keeping a family of ten fed is a challenge on the best of days...may be Herculean for the first few days, weeks (months?) after surgery! Glad to have decided on a sleeve vs. RNY, though, and to have found this forum. Great info! Sooooo hoping for a decent weight loss in the first couple of months, as i am going to a high elevation in both late June and early August. Don't want to be huffing and puffing like last year. Soooooo happy to think those days may soon be behind me for good! Now to figure out how to tell my parents I'm going to Mexico for surgery....wish my dad would come with me and get it done, too...even at 68 I think he would be great! Grinding to a halt from all this rambling....Jill

Thanks Jane - that is my main worry as well. Where it seems with Bypass I will have more 'incentive' to not have that feeling bc the types of food I would eat would make me so ill. If i understand correctly, most that have the Sleeve can eat whatever they want?

* I am in the same boat as you! I had my first fill...nothing.. second fill I got Monday, was on liquids Monday and Tuesday and today, I could barely eat a few bites of scrambled eggs without getting the stuck feeling. I was told to hold off bc I may still be a tad swollen and things may feel better in a couple days. I have 5.5cc in a 11cc band. I can drink no problem.. but if my eating continues to be 'tiny' than i may have to get a bit removed... Keep us posted how you are doing after the unfill!!

I may be misunderstanding but I find it interesting that many of you (I think ) are assuming I started this thread because I was eating crap. Interesting. .. actually I ate one slice of Turkey, about a tbls each of stuffing and mashed potatoes and a few green beens. I was really good and still got all the comments and scrutiny. Oh yeah... I did have a little piece of dark chocolate too. So what? I'm a big girl, aren't I? I only got fed up and said something because this has been going on for weeks and I was sick of it. I tried talking to my family about it nicely and it didn't work, so BAM! now they get it. I don't mind honest curiosity and questions about my diet but I don't need to be policed.

Weighing yourself during the day is a no no. I fluctuate during the day. I only count my morning weight after Ive been to the bathroom. All other times of day are invalid as far as Im concerned. Right now weight loss isnt the focus. You need to heal. You need accept this foreign object into your body. You need to turn your attention to your hunger and patterns of eating. The weight will come off. LATER. Slowly. I found it came off in chunks. NOthing for a week or so, then one day I wake up and 3 kilos are gone. Im in a country where kilos are used, but that's almost 7 lbs! This band is a 10-15 year solution. Its not a quick fix. I know we are all in a hurry to get this fat off of us, but i think those that shed the weight without being aware of how your body FEELS and how your hunger is present and driving you, will put the weight back on once you learn how you can CHEAT! ANd there are ways to cheat with the band. its only a tool. Im sure everyone is different but you will find ways you can intake calories when youre not hungry. When youre eating bc youre bored or tired or emotional. There is no fill that can prevent milkshakes from going down. You can slurp tons of high fat and calorie drinks down all day if you want. But whats the point? Why get a band? Why go through all this just to sabotage yourself? Relax and make peace with the band. It will do its job. I love it. I can eat almost anything I want, feel full most of the day which means then i forget about eating, and the weight just comes off slowly and naturally.

1. Running at least 5 times a week 2. Shopping in any store I want to and not worry if they carry 'plus sizes' 3. Wearing a pair of heels longer than an hour without putting flats on 4. Travel without being wedged in a seat on the plane fighting to keep the armrest down because its rising bc of my hips 5. Walkin confidently in a room lookin good in my skin and clothes without pulling and tuggin tryin to hide my love handles

It's much easier as time passes. No one comments to me anymore now that I'm near goal. I guess it just seems normal... Although I do still get questions from waitstaff which makes me a little self conscious. The other day I left a rather large tip and wrote "thanks for not making me feel crazy" on the ticket bc I was so happy to not have my wants questioned. Lol.

Ok so I've been MIA for a minute, I needed some time to think about everything that I'm going through, is this what's really right for me. Two of the people I respect most in the world have voiced their opinions on my surgery. My mother has voiced the same and so forth. They all say the same thing "Do what you want to do, but you can do it on your own, so you don't really need to do this." I went from 430+ down to 287. The plus is because I couldn't weigh myself for a long time before that. So I lost that weight and have kept the bulk of it off. I got into a long distance relationship for 2 yrs and he was jealous of me going to the gym, hearing the guys make comments, saying, hi, flirting, etc...So I spent 2 yrs of my life on the phone, laying around.. and packed weight back on reaching back up to 330lbs. I started to diet and got fed up with the up and down losing the same 30-35lbs, especially when I can gain and lose 15lbs in just a weeks time. So I decided to make yet another appointment to go see about the lapband. I've been researching this for 5 yrs...on and off, back and forth. Listening to everyone else's opinions and thoughts on it, wait til you have kids, you can do it on your own, etc... Thing is, I'm tired of waiting. I've been a size 14 or bigger since I was 8 yrs old. Yes 8 as in eight, not a typo. And yes I know people look at me and they think "Oh you're not that big." fact is I am, the numbers don't lie. I'm mostly muscle and I'm solid, which is why most people guess me anywhere around 200-250lbs if they guess my weight. And I'm wide front to back, not side to side. At my pre-op visits people always comment on how they thought I was post-op and would say things like "wow I would like to have your shape/figure when I'm done." - Umm k that's great and I appreciate the compliment. However, I'm PRE-OP. So all of that being said, I had to take few days to get my mind right, and not be here and caught up in all of it. My Pastor voiced his concern and doesn't think I should do it. His wife (also my Pastor) said the same. My Mother, my friends, etc... So now I feel like I'm being forced to lie, well not lie, just not tell anyone. Which I wasn't really doing anyways. I think I told 5 or 6 people total and 4 out of those 5 or 6 have said something negative about it and tried persuade me not to do it. So I sat and thought, ok do I really want to do this? Less than a week from surgery, do I really want to walk away from this? I couldn't really bring it here until my mind was made up. I know there are so many people here who are waiting, trying to get approved, etc..and here I am approved, scheduled and thinking about walking away. My mind is made up, I'll be doing it on Friday. No more, no less and more importantly nobody's business. I'll have church on Thursday and see my Pastor, Friday is Surgery and then I'll see his wife on Sunday. I'll have friday and saturday to recoup and nobody will know the difference. I'll see my mom Friday after surgery. She knows I'm doing it, even though she thinks I should wait she's supporting whatever it is I think I need to do. But everybody else doesn't need to know. I'm sure some of you are like well just miss church or whatever...but I can't. I'm the church administrator and assistant to my Pastors so I have to be there. Be available to pick them up from the airport, check them into the hotel, etc..whatever needs to be done. I'm pretty sure I can pull it off without anyone noticing, the only issue I may have is luggage, I can't lift anything over 15lbs for the next 3-4 weeks. I think I'll be ok for this week, as the only trip before the end of the year is this Sunday and she'll be coming from San Diego with just a carry on...for an hour or two... By the time I see them after the new year, I'll be healed up for the most part. In the stress of this I ended up cheating on my pre-op diet 2 days in a row ok well more like 1.5.. sunday morning I had a bagel AND a cheese danish with a yoplait and some fruit. Then yesterday I had supreme croissant from jack in the box with the intent of just eating the egg and meat out of the center.. yeah no, ate it all oh and tacos.. I wanted to have those greasy best thing you ever at at 2am after you've been out drinking all night tacos. But oddly enough they don't taste as good when you're sober and it's it's 12 in the afternoon lol. Then I had the weirdest craving for chicken salad, which isn't too bad, but the box of wheat thins I ate the chicken salad on, umm yeah that was kinda bad. So anyways - that's that.. That's where I've been. But my mind is made up, I'm on track.. basically 2 more days, 3 more sleeps and it's here. WOW. Father I thank you for the opportunity of new life, best life. I thank you for rapid recovery and healing. I thank you for a solid mind and unwaivering spirit. I thank you for all you've done for me in the past and all that you will do for me in the future. You are Alpha and Omega and I give you all the Glory. Amen.

I was also a slim girl and now I'm at 280 and really depressed. I don't know how too dress. I hate going around people. I even hate eating in front of people. My daughter is two and I don't even have that many pictures with her because I don't want to look at my body. My husband asked for sex every two weeks sometimes longer. He never says I'm fat but actions speaks louder than words .I have my sleeve on the 21 st. I hope nothing doesn't get on the way bc I will be extremely depressed.

@@bigbit Congrats. Can you tell me the process? Did you have to have to follow a doctor supervised weight loss plan for a specific amount of time, or did you have to involve a primary care physician? My daughter has an appointment today with a surgeon, but this is her first step since leaving Kaiser and her new insurance being Anthem BC.

I started by researching VSG on RealSelf. The Dr. I used caught my eye because he was a frequent contributor and answered a lot of questions, and was super local. I figured only passionate surgeons would spend their time answering questions for free. And to me, I figured that was a good sign. He also had good reviews on RealSelf. I next looked up the status of his license, and it came up all clean, no issues at all. I looked at his CV. He went to excellent schools, for his BS and his MD. He then did a Fellowship in Bariatric surgery. That was really important to me, as he took the time to educate himself in this specialty. He is a member of ASMBS. Finally, he is on staff with some of the best local hospitals. Prestigious hospitals do not allow bad Dr.'s on their staff. He also is the Medical Director of Bariatric surgery for the hospital I had my surgery, which is a Center of Excellence. So I took all those pieces together, and I concluded that a surgeon with a poor record would have a red flag, somewhere. Since I found no red flags, he was local, he was in network, that this was the best surgeon for me. I would agree with this, if I were having a more complex surgery. Or if my treatment was for something chronic or severe. But honestly, VSG is in the scope of things, a simple and routine surgery. There really isn't a lot of variable my surgeon would have to know me personally to decide. I get what you are saying though. I'm going to have plastics later this year (hopefully!). For that surgeon, it will important that they understands exactly what I want. It will be important that we are able to communicate clearly to one another, and that I am definitely not a statistic. But plastics has so many variables, where bariatric surgery has few in comparison. I'm fine with my surgeons standard VSG operation, but I don't want a standard boob job!

A wave to you Diana!!!!! Ditto what she said!! I have kept my surgery a secret, only my niece (who had the surgery), my godchild, my hubby and now my 2 sisters. I was worried about telling them but since I was able to have my hernia surgery in Dec I wanted them to know. Turned out they were both very happy and have been my biggest cheerleaders. They also agree that I don't need to tell anyone else. So far I have lost 42lbs. 6 mo. It's been slow but the benefits are, skin has a chance to catch up and no one looks at me and says, oh wow you must have had wls!! ( with that very smug disgusting disapproval look) I just credit my loss to having been strict bc I needed the hernia surgery. Now that I have had the hernias repaired I am cleared to workout like a champ. I hope to knock off another 50lbs by July 2018, my 1 yr mark. If you are thick skinned and don't mind being scrutinized, then tell everyone, just be prepared for the "oh you took the easy way out comments along with the rest of the b.s. that comes along. One-day maybe I don't know, if someone makes a shitty remark, who knows what I might say. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Right now, this is for me, to get my life back and man I am loving it!!!!! Between the support here, my few family members and my Instagram buddies it's enough. I love sharing my little milestones and struggles with those who truly care and understand. Everyone else can go ....well you finish it....lol if you are like me it's the expletives!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 As the Lady Gaga song says, "so happy I could die" HW 274 SW 263 GW 125 GASTRIC SLEEVE 7/21/17. Height 5'1" instagram: K_aane_VSG

Hi all, My sleeve surgery is scheduled for May 8th. When I met with the surgeon last week to schedule the surgery, the first thing he asked me when he walked in the room was "so why the sleeve?" I answered him and he proceeded to tel me that he thinks bypass would be better for me because on the sleeve, I will most definitely get heartburn for the remainder of my life, also that bc i have a family history of diabetes, that with the sleeve I am more likely in 10 to 15 years to still develop diabetes, and lastly that with my height and weight and getting the sleeve, I will only ly lose about 5 lbs but with the bypass, i will lose around 60 to 80. I have foe a lot of research and found that the sleeve is the best option for me and I stuck to my guns, even as he stared me down waiting for me to change my mind. But now I second guessing my sleeve decision and thinking the bypass would be better for me. Anyone have any experience with this dilemma? Thanks in advance