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Thank you Sallyjo. It seems I just read and read about all the problems on this board and it kinda scares me. I keep thinking that these problems won't happen to me. PBing scares me to death, mainly because I work in a high profile job and am scared that I will upchuck right in front of my department while I'm giving a meeting or something. So I'm nervous about that. Plus, my DH is against any type of WLS and tells me all the time he will take me fat, he still loves me no matter what I weigh, and if I am pbing, I know I will never hear the end of it from him. The thing my DH doesn't realize is I'm doing this for ME and not him or anyone else. I need to love myself and feel good about myself. I just wanted to know from all the Lap Band guys & gals, even with all the complications they come across, is it worth it. You answered my questions - thank you - I guess I really just need to know that I'm doing the right thing. And I think I am.....

You're probably just keying in on the negative stories right now due to nerves. Totally normal response, but there are lots and lots more good stories than bad. Go back to the statistics on complications if it will help remind you of the risk of complications and settle your mind. Hang in there, and good luck!

I'm agree with you , about my menu. But he said to prevent complications . I'm aloud to have 4 to 6 oz of soup, and with that I feel full.

Just to be clear, I did NOT have my surgery with any of these Dr's, however, I know of people who did seek out all 3 of these Dr's and proceeded on to a normal healthy life and had no complications. No, since that has not bee written, I would like to bring to the table that there is a handful of people who do end up with complications for various reasons. Some maybe due to preexisting conditions, while others maybe due to not following a Dr's protocol exactly, and some maybe due to downright bad luck. Remember, it is highly likely that there are MORE successful surgeries coming from these 3 Dr's than unsuccessful ones, and many of those very successful cases may not be advertising their success on these boards. Usually half of the people who will post have questions or complications and the other half are diligent members. We do NOT know the circumstance surrounding those who had infections, nor do we know if each of us fits that's person's medical profile to a "T", either.... we may never fully know. The bottom line is, Don't get too worked up on stuff like this. There are so many factors that contributed to those cases. If you do exactly what your Dr. says you will be fine.

I had my operation on 10/11 - Yom Kippur. I called it my own personal day of atonement. Things are going very well, way better than I expected. Since I began the program the first week of June this year, to today, I am down 109 lbs. I am back to eating regular food. I had no complications and no side effects worth mentioning. I figure I pegged the needle on the Good Things scale, and am very grateful for that. It is hard to say if I have more energy yet. I am pretty sure I do. My wife says I do. But, I keep pushing with more and more exercise, etc, so I am pretty well whupped by the end of the day.

I am new to this web site - a friend recommended it when she heard I was getting the gastric lapband. Well, that time has come and I will be admitted to the hospital here in Italy (we are military stationed over here) on Wednesday. I am at 5'6" and 252lbs and I have a goal to lose 100 lbs in a year. If you have gone through the process allready, please tell me what to expect. I have the added complication of being a Mom with 5 kids from ages 12 to 7 months, and the 7 month old I am still breastfeeding. Should be a fun adventure!

Wow- what an interesting and well needed post. I have to say my surgery was January 24 and I have had a successful recovery with no complications. We all know that there are complications with any procedure big and or small. It is nice for all those out there pre-op to hear the successful stories. There are just too many uneducated people out there bad mouthing WLS when they have NO clue what they are talking about. So for all of you that are getting ready to take the plunge always know there can be complications that is just part of life. For many of us this was the BEST decision we have made to get healthy and live our new lives. I feel it is important to research your surgeon find out how long he/she has practiced, talk about complications and risks and do as much research as possible to make this a positive change/event in your life. Best advice is to follow your surgeon's program. Each program is a little different and that is okay as long as we get the end result and live out the rest of our lives healthy and happy!!!!

Ok so we'll go with the bad news first....I am asking for many many prayers because my family is having a VERY bad week. My 22 year old cousin was just diagnosed with ALS or Lou Gherig's Disease (sp?) The whole family is taking it very hard and the poor thing can't even go outside or walk up and down the stairs do to all of his complications...please say some prayers for my best friend...he hasn't been given a time line, usually 3-5 years but some people live as long as 10 i've heard...If you guys have any information anything is useful at this time...we are all searching the net high and low for any information, treatments, that kind of thing...he has great doctors and we're being very optimistic!! Ok now for my good news..i took my 4 month measurements just to see how I have been doing...I've been a little down cause i've lost 22lbs so far but feel like things arent going so well...anyway i've lost 15 INCHES!!!!!!!! Holy crap that's a bright spot in the darkness of the family crisis for sure! Seems kinda petty to be happy about something like that when we have such a big deal on our hands but hey, be happy where you can right?? OK thanks for letting me get it all out there, I appreciate it more than you know! Katie

/rant on Uughhh, just need to get this off my chest. I am about three weeks post op and my surgeon has a four week liquid phase requirement prior to moving to purées. Add that to a two week pre-op phase and I am getting close to the end of my tolerance for liquids. I have not cheated and I will not, but man I am ready for some refried beans!!! I have had a complication free journey so far (knock on wood), no problems with liquids of any kind. I know these weeks are such a short amount of time in the grand scheme of things but man did I mention I want some refried Beans?? With cheese and sour cream maybe, oh and guacamole. I can make it one more week, but d****t I want something other than liquid! (Have I mentioned that Mexican food is/was my favorite thing in the world...) Ok, I feel better. /rant off Sent from my iPad using VST

Hey everyone I will start with my story- Banded aug 2010, my doc is really conservative with fills and crazy busy so i didn't start feeling a bit of restriction or real weight loss until march 2011.... now i am 80 lbs down. Start 300, currently 220. As soon as i started getting fills i realized i have what is called first bite syndrome. It sucks. As soon as i eat anything my throat starts contracting, i develop a rediculous amount of thickkkk mucussy saliva and i feel pretty intense pain. Usually lasts 10 minutes, and then i can eat pretty normally. Smaller bites and pre-drinking hot Water hasn't helped. My doc says that i am just one of the unlucky few that has this problem. I have dealt with it over the time and became use to it. The problem is that i have trouble defferentiating between feeling full and the pain from the FBS. There are some meals where i just stop on the third bite just because the pain isn't worth it, but i usually just wait the 10 minutes and eat. Well, currently i keep having feelings of heartburn/FBS problems when i am not eating. Sometimes i feel like my body goes crazy on the anticipation of a meal... like driving home from work. I hear everyone say that if you are having heartburn you are probably too tight.... my problem with this is that i don't feel like i am. After i get over the FBS and 10 minutes i can eat pretty large portions before i feel full. Most food goes down easily (bread is main exception, that stuff is bad) meats like chicken, beef, pork i can consume decent sized portions before feeling a full feeling. So i feel stuck, here i am with heartburn... probably needing to unfill, but reluctant to because my portions are pretty large still and i want more fill. I know my situation is unique with FBS and maybe i am not really having heartburn, but just more complications with my body reacting poorly due to FBS. Does anyone have any comments, suggestions, advice? I am making an appointment with my doc as it has been like 5 months and 30 lbs since my last fill. Thanks everyone

If your surgery goes as mine did, you have nothing to worry about. Obviously you'll be sore afterwards, but I was home in 3 days with no complications. Just don't try to rush things. As many on this site will tell you, it's the best thing you'll ever do. You won't look back. God bless.

@Truth&Guts... u are so very right. Im so sorry to hear about this complication you are having. Praying they find out whatbit is and for a speedy recovery for you.

It's natural that our cravings will still be there- it's why you often see so many forum posters talking about after surgery being the part that requires the most hard work. 50lbs is fantastic- when was the last time you dropped this much in 3.5months? It's incredible and you should be super proud of yourself! I think of making comparisons as a bit like school. At school there was always the kids who read the book the night before and passed with A+. Frustrating for those (like me!) who were trying to keep up day to day but still didn't get the results of the other kids. But it didn't mean I hadn't developed as a person. It's the same with anything. There will always be other bypassers who have lost more at the same stage, some claiming it's easy, painless and weight is falling off. They're lucky and best wishes to them but there are so many different factors that we can't compare and must instead try to make the very best of our journey. Don't be hard on yourself, and please don't feel ashamed. I believe shame is the most damaging of all emotions and makes us feel alone. We have enough of that in our lives from being big and exploited. You are doing great. Lastly, I understand it's not cheap but perhaps book to see a dietician again. I find them surprisingly non-judgemental. There whole job is to help people with issues around food. Think of it as a refresher and a chance to be open and honest because they can act like a second conscience and carefully and kindly guide you away from bad choices. I am seeing a dietician, psychologist and psychiatrist to 'hold hands around me' ensuring that when I can't eat the way I used to due to the bypass, I can deal with the psychological complications of suddenly not having food to turn to anymore. I'd really recommend it as what you have done is brave, challenging and rewarding but sometimes we need a bit of help reminding us of that! Wow! Sorry for the essay! Xx

unless there's something mechanically wrong with your bypass, it's sort of pointless to revise it. Other than the DS, it's the strongest surgery out there at the moment. If the problem is behavioral, revising it to something else isn't going to help you long term - you have to tackle whatever the problem is, or you're eventually going to have the same issue with the next surgery. revising from RNY to DS is a complicated and supposedly risky surgery that only a handful of surgeons are qualified to do. There are no other surgeries I know of that you can revise to from RNY other than DS.

I was sleeved on the 17th too. I have one week of clear liquid diet then ten days of high protein full liquid diet. At this point I am not going to give up because I don't want any complications. Yes, it's hard to drink broth when my family is eating pizza and whatnot, but I keep telling myself I've been given this opportunity and I'll only hurt myself if I cheat. If you're able to do blended soups, Pacific Organic makes some that are delicious. I plan on adding protein powder for an extra oomph and keep dreaming of my first day of soft foods! You can totally do this!! Check out theworldaccordingtoegghead for recipe variations!! So much great info!!

Cream of Tomato soup and a grilled cheese is my and DH all time favorite comfort food choice. Great anytime, but really good on a chilly night when were too tired to fix anything more complicated. Terry

Update: I had my RNYGB yesterday. Surgery went well. Things took close to 3 hours, but turned out very good. So far, no complications or complaints. I'm trying to breathe deeply since my lungs are still coming back. I've been walking too. It's tender and tight, but I have been moving! Nurses and staff have been great as well. No nausea/vomiting (I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one). Dr. Started me on liquids and I kept them down no problem. Heading home from hospital now. Thanks to everyone for al the love and support!

It has been a long while since I have been on VST. I always thought I would stay involved and "pay it forward" but as time went by, life took over. I thought I would post my story for the newly sleeved and/or those considering the sleeve. I know reading others stories helped me when I was starting my WLS journey. I had my VSG July 7. 2009 with Dr. Aceves. I haven't regretted it one bit! I am 5'4 and started at 201 lbs. I set my goal at 145 lbs and reached it in just 6 months. I changed my goal to 135 lbs & reached it a few months later and continued to lose. Today I am happily (and easily, might I add) maintaining around 120 lbs. I went from a size 18/20 to a 4/6! Now that I am nearly 2 years out, I can eat a little more than I could in the first 6 months but I am still very restricted (but isn't that the point of the surgery? ) I feel completely normal now....better than ever! The only complication I had was having to have my gallbladder removed about 6 months post op. I can't believe that I am nearly 2 years out already! There are still times where my sleeve reminds me that she is still there. For example, if I eat too quickly or take too big of a bite I will still feel the discomfort. Instead of being annoyed with the discomfort I am thankful. VSG is what changed my life & with the discomfort, I realize my "banana tummy" is still doing her job to help me maintain my weight loss. The one thing I did not expect from losing weight was how much I would begin to love shopping! PreOP I hated shopping. It was tedious & disappointing and I never left the store happy with myself. Now I am almost addicted to shopping for myself! I love trying on clothes & shoes and I love buying nice things for myself. Thankfully, I have a wonderful husband who likes to spoil me so he tries to buy me everything I want. He even surprises me with gifts! Anway, that's my update. Life is good. My VSG is great. I would recommend VSG & Dr. Aceves to anyone considering WLS. It was the best decision I made!

Hi!! It is so nice to meet you! My name is Stacie. I have between 130 and 150 to lose. I am also going with the sleeve! I have a friend that had it in Nov. And she did great! My best friend had gastric bipass and was in and out of the hospital due to complications. I feel more comfortable with the sleeve. I'm so glad you responded! . I love this app and I'm so glad my friend told me about it! Where do you live? I am in IL!

I understand what you're saying. But, we as adults have to make our own decisions. If someone decides to eat 5 donuts than that is a decision that they have to live with. There are risks to any surgery. And you know as well as I do that not everyone has or will have complications. Everything we do in a life is a chance we all take. Even if surgery wasn't involved. Ulcers can happen even if you don't smoke. No one is ever guarenteed 100% perfection. We all have our vices. I do appreciate your input though.....

I stayed one night, but my surgery went super smooth with no complications.

Accidentally posted this under the wrong forum earlier...woops, i'll try it again. I remember many years ago going through these forums reading about the success of everyone post op. I'm sure if anyone will understand my post its people here. I liked reading stories that i could relate to, it gave me hope. Here is my story pre-op to present and what ive encountered as good and bad effects of the process: I grew up a big kid, the biggest in my class of course, bigger than grown men by the time i was in 7th grade. i was 6 foot tall and I tipped the scales at over 300 at the age of 12, and graduated high school around 318. After high school i ballooned up to 330, yoyo dieted for a few years, losing some weight then gaining it back plus some extra every single time, finally hitting my all time max of 388 by the time i was 27. I don't think i need to go into description of what that feels like but its a horrible life living that way. I was blessed enough to get a job that had insurance that covered the procedure and in late May of 2010 at the age 29 of i started my path to weight loss. The weight loss came slow as i would drop pounds here and there, never gaining but hitting many many plateaus along the way. By 2011 I was steady at 330, which while a huge improvement, was not exactly where i wanted to be. I read on here about how people dropped massive amounts of weight over 6 months and i wished i could do the same but i guess i just wasn't built that way. Working out was still hard because of my size and eating right was like pulling teeth but like all of you i pressed on. By the time 2012 hit i was back at my high school size of 315 and while i noticed the difference people started to judge me. See to your friends and some family they think this is a miracle procedure that will take you from morbidly obese to Brad Pitt over the span of a year max....wrong.....its a daily struggle and only your true loved ones and real friends will be there for you throughout this, some of us learn this the hard way. See once you start doubting yourself and think everyone is silently judging you it gets twice as hard and because I elected to let everyone know i was getting the lapband i couldn't make excuses - i had nothing to hide. To me it actually gave me motivation to keep with it to feel better that i would accomplish this and to make the doubters in my life see anything was possible. 2012 was probably the hardest year in my life, i had many outside complications in my personal life that changed me and my family. It was the most devastating 12 months I hope I ever have to go through. That being said it drastically slowed down my weight loss progress, I never gained a pound but stayed steady at 315 all the way until November/December where i finally hit a milestone of 298. I was under 300 for the first time since my preteen years. In February of 2013 I went in for a adjustment, this was probably my 5th or 6th once since surgery and i had around 6.5cc in my band (large "vega" band). When I went to lapband meetings and read older posts people always talked about the "green zone" which is like your magic spot where it all starts to fall in place, well, I had FINALLY reached mine. Finally under 300 i started doing kettle bell workouts and choosing more active assignments at work. I started eating healthy, salads, high Protein meals, no cokes, no more sweets. I still indulged but in moderation. I lost 45 pounds by anniversary date in May and now sat at 249. I felt great, my clothes didn't fit, and finally...FINALLY...people asked if i had lost weight. I thought that was the strangest part so far. I had lost 88 pounds t get to 300..and it was like no one noticed, hell I barely noticed, most of my clothes still fit at that point and i was so discouraged....i mean really 88 pounds and i barely notice a difference, then i lose 50 and its like I'm a new person. You see yourself everyday so you'll never notice the changes, small or big. Take pictures, it will help to show your progress, that's a big regret i have. I was so disappointed with the amount of time it was taking I lost interest in a diary/journal, i wish i would have kept with it. I kept losing weight throughout 2013 until i hit my goal weight of 235 and continued a past it down to 225 by September 2013. Here i have stayed bouncing from 220 (my low was 213, didnt feel right at all) to 230. I did it and i've kept it strong for 16 months straight. It can be done, and you can live happily. I know this was long winded for a first post but i'm working graveyards and i wanted to give a snippet of what its been like for me. I willing to answer any questions you have, there is of course more to parts of this story than i feel like writing so feel free to contact me if you'd like. I tried to attach a picture of different times in my life from pre op and post op but i'm new to this site so i hope i did it right. The Good: buying clothes you never could get before playing with my daughter without having to sit every 5 minutes no more knee pain not sweating ALL THE TIME Better sleep Feeling more active and not wanting to be locked in my house 24/7 from embarrassment The Bad: My wife's reaction once I hit my goal weight. She wasn't used to me looking like i did, and she was concerned with me leaving. Her thought was if i finally feel good and have lost weight i was going to sew some wild oats from my youth. This still causes problems today. This one will sound arrogant, and i don't mean it to be, just simple truth that I'm sure a lot of us have noticed after successful surgery. People look at you different, you will garner some unwanted attention at times. This causes jealousy in your home life with you significant other. It happens a surprising amount, and while its a ego boost it can really hurt a relationship, even if its out of your hands. Learning your body, and when to say enough is enough can and will cause you to became sick at the most inopportune time (out to eat with family or friends). I have had at least 5 incidents where i had to quickly excuse myself to go to the restroom because i still struggle with eating slow and proportions. I'll probably always have to deal with it and it can be very aggravating. Take the good with the bad though. Not having anyone to go through the struggle with. If you can find a weight loss buddy do it. I was basically alone my entire time, its not easy.

In clothing terms, it's called a french seam. It's not that uncommon but his naming it and claiming it might be. My surgeon (Jeffrey Landers) does that with all of his Group Health sleeve gastrectomies too. I was glad to hear it! BTW, no complications or problems at all, and I'm now 3 months out.

Hey all...Im going in on monday as well...Good Luck to all of you...Praying we all come out the otherside with no complications and a future of healthy lifestyles!

I also have my surgery scheduled for September. September 25, 2012. I started my journey April with a seminar. First dr appt with Bluepoint medical group dr Moazzaz april12. Started my three months of classes 4/24 because traffic was so bad I missed my 1st appt the 20th. I had some complications with my appointment schedule because the regular scheduler was out on maternity leave. I was very upset with the office staff but they made it up to me on my final weigh in. I got my " second" md/np appt that very day and they gave me a surgery date of sept 25. That was July 24 2 days before my 51st bday. I actually do not have official insurance approval but they are confident they will get it this week. My doctor wants me to lose 45 lbs before my surgery day so I started seriously getting a handle on my eating by data entering everything I eat in myfitnesspal. Then I did a few days of optifast last week to jump start my low carb diet. Now I am low carb only no sweets. I have lost 8 lbs but I do not have a scale that can weigh me so I don't know if I have lost anymore. Will drop by my drs office and use their scale Monday. So let's start a september surgery group. Anyone else interested?