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I totally understand wishing you'd had the surgery early. I've always been a painfully slow loser due to PCOS and it's so frustrating to see people losing 25+ pounds the first 2 weeks while I lost 15 and am hitting the 3 week stall early. If one more person says something about "well people with a higher starting weight lose more" to me I will scream. I was 282 on the day of surgery. That's a pretty damn high weight. I had someone tell me my weight loss on the pre op diet was "slower than keto" and I laughed because I've never had rapid weight loss on keto and my pre op weight loss was exactly the same to the amount I lost on keto in the same time. I wish I'd had surgery at a lower weight so my goal didn't seem so far away.

Gosh, that sounds like an unusual problem - most people seem to report increase gas at both ends! But if the food is going in and staying down, you're clearly not obstructed... Congrats on the continued weight loss. F.

Hi everyone, I guess I'm just looking for some encouragement -- I have an appt with my surgeon on Thurs. and I have to make up my mind once and for all that having the surgery is the right choice for me. I have struggled with my weight my whole life but have been obese for the last 20 years. I have been successful a few times with losing a large amount of weight but I have never been able to keep it off longterm. Then of course when I gained it back I always gained a few extra pounds to go with the ones I had lost! I have recently reached my highest weight again and have to do something to get going in the right direction again. I have been having a hard time getting started again -- I think because I can't imagine it being a permanent loss and I don't want to be disappointed again. I believe that the band could make the difference - but it is a little scary to me. Any advice would be appreciated!!

I wanted this badly! All this time I've been so concerned about insurance requirements and whatnots but I've already failed at loosing the measly 10lbs my surgeon asked me to loose before surgery....For 3 months now Ive been through NUT visits. The 2nd visit I was down 5lbs. Tomorrow should be my last NUT visit and Im still at the same weight I was before less 1 stinkin lb!!!...why? well trust me...I've been getting in my Protein, Water, and veggies. But after doing that for 5 days straight, I tend to head towards the junk side of food on day 6, then back to 5-6 days of clean eating....then another day of junk. I cant seem to stop this pattern/cycle. When I last visited my surgeons office, the NP told me I needed to go strictly on liquid now and said "Its time to get serious" (Mind you, I was told to do this when I don't even have a surgery date) I'm sure she was thinking "YOU'VE ONLY LOST 1 LB???" Needless to say for the past week ive been drinking Protein shakes, water and tea, with little steam or grill veggies...and yet, Im only down 1lb since my last NUT appt. Ive also began walking during my breaks at work (30 mins, 3 days). The Dr didn't seem concerned with my slow weight loss and actually gave me hope, but the nurse practitioner was...Plus I am afraid that my Nutritionist will be too on tomorrow. Im so embarrassed to even go in there tomorrow. I was hoping to have this surgery approved and by end of Spring, but by the looks of my lack of success I don't think I'll get that far. Ive completed all of my insurance and surgery requirements, have had all testing and required procedures done...yet Im feeling like a total failure and wondering if I should just give it up.

Hey Guys, Well I AM NOW A BANDIT! OR A BANDSTER..whatever. LOL Surgery went well; I was in at 7:00 am Wednesday and out by 12:30 pm that day. I will give you all the details from a guy’s point of view, I haven't read that many men's stories, more women's stories than men. Okay, here goes: I arrived at 6:45 at the hospital. Was told to sit in the waiting area in the lobby until the pager thing they gave me buzzed. About 5 mins later it buzzed. I walked to the desk and they took me to my room. The nurse handed me a gown and told me to go to the bathroom and change, she said I was to take EVERYTHING off! I tried to bribe her with a 10 spot to let me leave my boxers on, and well she was not having it. Oh well, I changed into the gown and tied the back. I came out and she said, "Sorry, you need to leave the back open, you are going to be moving on and off alot of beds/tables." She then said she was going to give me a shot in my stomach, Heparin, and that it might hurt a bit, a sting while going in. I must say it was the most painless shot I have ever had, I didn't even feel it, just a warming of the injection site. The nurse then found a good place to poke me on my arm, it was a pretty big needle, she also said, "I'm sorry this is going to hurt alot!" It didn't though; she drew three vials, and started me on an IV. Also I got the BP done too. It was HIGH, must have been nervous. It is normally, 129 over 68. It was 159 over 90! I chilled out in my room, watched some TV and waited. Next a man came in, older guy with slicked back hair. He had a blue jacket/smock on and said, "Let’s take you on down to preop." I said, "Sweet, I am ready to go" So he pushed my bed all the way down to the preop room. It was COLD AS ICE in there! But I like the cold, I guess because I am so fat I am hot and sweaty all the time, the cold was nice. The guy parked my bed, and asked me if I needed a blanket, I said no, this is nice. I sat in the room there for a bit and got to listen to the preop staff talk all about politics, and much I did not agree with, and I started getting pissed. I wanted to jump into the convo, but hey, if I piss them off it might not be good; they are after all the ones going to be changing my IV. LOL A male nurse came over introduced him self and said he was going to start the IV antibiotics, I made sure it wasn't the penicillin derivative, that it was in fact the erythromycin derivative; I am allergic to penicillin. He already knew that and it was all good. My doc came by and spoke to me, he was very nice and I told him that I was looking forward to the surgery because my nuts are turning into ice cubes, he laughed pretty hard. He told me that I would not be getting the average band, that many men require the "large" band and that is what I am getting. I told him I was used to having to have large everything, clothes, seats, etc. He just shook my hand and said see you in the O.R. Next the anaesthologist came over with his assistant. He asked me if I had ever been put under before. I recounted my list, wisdom teeth, appendix, 12 times for ECT. I told him I had violent vomiting when I had the appendix out. He then said, okay, we won't use those drugs then. He put a motion sickness patch behind my ear. Then he said he was going to start some versed to make me relax and feel good. He injected it into my IV and I started feeling awesome!!! I hate to admit this but for some reason I was sexual aroused, and started saying some not so innocent things to the nurse, she just laughed. Then he injected me with more drugs. At this point I was higher than I kite! I never felt so good and sleepy too! They rolled me in the OR and made me move. I was so sleepy at that point it was crazy. The nice nurse from the bariatric center came over and held my hand. They then placed a mask on my face and said, breathe some oxygen and I was out! Next thing I knew I was being rolled down the hall, my eyes really would not open, I started talk and they it was okay. I fell asleep again, and woke up in recovery, yelling! I needed to piss badly!! I told them I need to walk to the restroom, they said no, I had just had surgery, they handed me a pee bottle and I filled that thing up! The nurse there said, well you have already urinated, you are almost ready to go home, just rest a bit and you can go. I told her, "I demand to sit on the edge of my bed." She said okay. So I sat there, and they asked me if I was ready for x-ray. I said yes! So they took me to x-ray, that went quick!! Before I knew it I was back in recovery and walking around. They said I was the third to have that surgery that day, and the first to leave! LOL They gave me my clothes, went into the restroom, and changed. They went over all my instructions with my parents while I sat in the lobby. I got in the car with my dad and headed home. BOY I WAS SORE! MY port area especially! The next days were a blur...of pain meds and lots of sleeping. I could barely eat!! LOL I am drinking the EAS drinks, some CIB, Lots of tea! I am also into cream soups as well. I don't eat much though; I am burping much and farting alot too. I didn't have a BM for almost four days! The longest time in my whole life! Here I am on day six, still feeling a little weak, sore, but I am at work! Don't want to be here, I could use a day or two more off.

Sorry but I snuck into the mens room. Congratulations on your banding! I hope you are feeling better. Tell your wife congrats on her loss at well!

I was lucky in that my hair dresser had a sleeve 2 years before my RNY. I, too, lost hair from months 4 - 6 but she told me be sure to take in a lot of Protein and wash with a protein shampoo (Bain De Terre Keratin Phyto-Protein). My hair is starting to thicken up but she is keeping my hair on the short side until gets fuller and not so straggly on the ends. I also took Biotin for a year and gained a mustache. Not cool. So I quit the biotin but can't quit the mustache.

@@Bjordan2 your reasons are exactly the same as ours. I know he worries about my health after the surgery, malabsorption issues, surgery complications, etc. He is worried I will regain after spending the money, AGAIN. He went to my initial Dr consult & was impressed with what he saw there & learned, but was still against me having it. But he said that maybe he should be the one to be having the procedure, due to his sleep apnea which he is unable to use the mask b/c of severe claustrophobia. And finally I feel he is afraid of losing me after I lose the weight. I think he subconsciously keeps me fat for that reason. I need his help financially & emotionally for this. I can't do this alone, especially if he is sabotaging my weight loss efforts. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Biotin does not help and taking it could impact lab work so best to not use it. The hair loss associated with bariatric surgery (and other surgeries, acute illness, and trauma) is called telogen effluvium and has to do with the normal hair growth process, stress to the body, and hormonal changes. It often starts abruptly and doesn’t usually last longer than 6 months. Not much you can do to prevent it from happening or shorten the process.

Thank you for the help. I will be doing a list as we'll to get me started, I am excited to have a new tool to help me loss the weight. Yes please keep in touch with me and I will do the same, good look guys!

Sultana ~ I can totally understand what you are saying. I will be banded on November 25th and there are a lot of things that are running through my mind........a lot of what - if's. But then I think of all the diets that I have tried and failed and then I realize by being banded I have nothing to loose trying this......but weight. For every one person that you hear that isn't loosing weight there are 5 more that are. Granted, the weight loss is slow but I would rather loose it slow and HEALTHY then to do it fast and become sick. I am 5'5 and weight 303 and if I loose 5 pounds in a month then that is 5 lbs that I don't have and are gone forever!!! As long as you follow the rules you too will loose weight!!! Don't worry about that part cause it WILL work for you. But if you aren't sure of it then I would say (and this is my opinion) don't do it until YOU feel confident in your decision.

You can definitely notice a BIG loss in the after picture. You look great.

Did you get a diet to follow from your surgeon or the NUT?????????? I know that each surgeon has different ideas on what their patients should be eating at each stage and mine goes out for a year. I am following it very closely. I figure if I start cheating and eating things that are farther out then I won't have anything to look forward to when I reach that stage. Also some of the food that they make you wait for are not good for your sleeve until that point. Congratulations on your weight loss success. If you are having trouble getting your protein in with regular foods you can always add a protein shake. I still have a protein shake every morning with my benefiber for breakfast. I am a little over 3 months out and have no trouble getting all of my protein.

Hi Michelle, Congratulations on your banding and your weight loss thus far. You've hit on some key truths about the banded life and sound like you're really on the ball with it! It's nice to have you here and I hope we'll get to know you better. :D

I HAVE BEEN TRING TO GET APPROVED FOR MY SURGERY SINCE AUGUST 2003. MY SURGERY IS OCT 6 2004. I FINALLY WAS APPROVED SEPTEMBER 8 2004. THEY DECLINED ME ONCE. YOU JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR HEALTH PROBLEMS ARE SO SEVERE THAT YOU WILL NEED TO HAVE THE SURGERY. I HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, HYPOGLYCEMIA,( OF COURSE-MORBID OBESITY),HEADACHES,NAUSEA,VOMITING,LEG AND FEET PAIN. JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF. I JUST COULD NOT NAME THEM ALL. I WENT TO TALK TO A PSHYCOLOGIST SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THEY THOUGHT THAT I WOULD BE APPROVED FOR THE SURGERY. THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE BEING HONEST WITH YOURSELF AND NOT JUST WANTING TO LOSE THE WEIGHT TO LOOK GOOD ONLY. IN MY OPINION I FELT LIKE I NEEDED TO BE COUNSELING MY PHYCHIATRIST BECAUSE SHE TOLD ME MORE ABOUT HER PROBLEMS MORE THAN I. I SPENT ALOT OF MONEY AND TIME TRING TO GET THE SURGERY APPROVED. SOMETIMES IT MADE ME CRY BECAUSE I LET MYSELF GET SO BIG. EVERYONE THINKS IT IS SO EASY TO LOOSE WEIGHT BUT IT IS NOT. I HAVE TRIED ALL THE WEIGHT LOSS pills OUT THERE. I HAVE EVEN TRIED TO STARVE MY SELF BY EATING 1 BITE OF food. I TRIED EXCERSIZING UNTIL I WAS EXHAUSTED. NONE OF IT WORKED FOR ME. THIS IS ONE REASON WHY I AM HAVING THE SURGERY. I AM ALSO TIRED OF WALKING TO THE BACK OF THE STORES JUST TO LOOK AT PLUS SIZE CLOTHES. (AS IF WE NEED TO WALK ANY FURTHER . I'M READY FOR THE CHANGE. I READY FOR A HEALTHER LIFE. I READY TO LIVE LONGER AND BE A STRONGER AND HAPPIER PERSON. HOW ABOUT YOU? __________________ OCT 6TH IS MY LAP BAND

O.K., I have pm'd my dr. website to you. I'm not advertising for him. But he has an excellent pre-op questionnaire that asks you all about previous attempts at weight loss. I'm sure there are things on there that you have done and have forgotten. Have you pm'd Betty (Iluvharleys) and asked her for info.? She is great at collecting info. Best of luck to you!:cool:

Pretty much, from all the vlogs and blogs I've read get used to the cold until you reach your goal and your weight stabilizes. The weight loss throws everything out of wack for awhile. I have been freezing since surgery too, it is normal.

hi denise, nice to "meet" u! Wow, you must be thrilled with your weight loss so far! I am due to be banded on the 28th october in France, so will be asking lots of questions when i get back.....! take care

You look wonderful and I think your loss is nice and steady. Congrats to you.

Mom always told me to wear clean underwear....and now we know why. LOL Congrats on the weight loss so far. But a job in a bakery = torture

Hello all, New to the forum here. I had a gastric sleeve done back in 2012, the first 2 years were great and I was happy with my weight loss. After that, for the past few years I've been putting weight back on, so far nearly 50 lbs. I am seriously considering going to Mexico for the sleeve to bypass revision. Has anyone else had this surgery? What was your experience? Were there any hidden fees for revision surgery? Thanks all!

One of my main issues, since I had the surgery is horrid acid reflux, and even vomiting (the acid) in my sleep. While my weight loss hasn't been great, and I would also like to address that separately, fixing the reflux/vomiting problem is top of my list. I have talked to a few people who had the same problem and said that the bypass had fixed it with no further issues.

Remember also they pump you full of gas during surgery and lots of IV fluids, it takes a while for all that to disperse also. I encourage you to stick to your plan exactly, get moving as much as you can and walk a lot. I think you will find that your weight loss will resume. Everybody loses differently, though. From here on, your sleeve will be a "tool" - not a cure. You will have to work at it too. Good luck and keep us updated!

Muscle does not weigh more than fat, it just takes up less space. A pound is a pound. The drastic inch loss shows that you are doing what you're supposed to be doing and the scale will eventually catch up. I think you're doing great.

Hi, I am having surgery in 8 days but I am sure I can answer a few of your questions... I have not read of anyone dying because of the surgery, I have heard of a few people dying from underlying illnesses, mostly heart problems that were not caught in time. Before the surgery they put you on an adtkins like diet- 2 - 3 weeks before. Now I have heard that some have had no pre- surgery diet. But this is to help shrink the stuff around the liver and make it easier to work around. Right after it will be Clear liquids for up to 2 week so your stomach can heal. You will slowly work you way up to solid food. About a month to 6 weeks later you will most likely be able to eat solid food. You will get full a lot faster, and you can overeat, but then you will just end up throwing up or PBing. You can do serious damage if you do not listen to you stomach when you are full. After about 6 weeks of no weight loss and more critera of no loss of weight you will go in for a "fill" in which the band will be filled with saline to make you have restriction. This might take a few fills to hit what they call the "sweet spot" this is when you can eat very small portions and still lose weight. The band is permant unless there is complications or you wish to remove it. It took me 3 months to complete all of my appointments, sum 30 appointments total..It was stressful, but at the end well worth it. There are so many people on this board and you will get a wide variety of stories and opinions, so here is mine. Also here are the differences (in my opinion) of what the procedures are and why I chose the one I did! I have done some extensive weighing of the options, I found out that once you do the gastric bypass, you can not do anything else. The gastric bypass is a "quick fix" which is you lose the weight quickly. But once your body recovers and 3 or 4 yrs down the road if you have not changed your eating habits you will gain a lot of the weight back. I have read some recent articles in people magazine of people gaining all the weight back plus more 3 to 4 yrs later and they can not have banding or any other surgery. I have heard so many sad stories of complications and deaths that it scared the crap out of me. With the band it is a continuous life time changing procedure. It is reversable, and yet while you are learning to eat right 3 to 4 yrs down the road if you find yourself gaining, you can go in for a fill to get yourself back on track. Yes the weight loss is gradual, but it helps your body adjust as you learn better eating habits. I have heard about complications, but most are relatively minor and can be quickly corrected. I have heard of no deaths that are directly from the surgery. And only 2 that were because of underlying illnesses that were not caught before the procedure. And this is why I chose the procedure... Good luck in what ever decision you make... Baileym Hope this helps! Baileym ____________ June 14th