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I saw my PCP on April 29, 2010 to discuss the option of LapBand for me. She agreed and prepared the referral to the IPA. I had my referral on May 3 and saw my doctor intially on May 5. Did my psche eval on May 11 and was submitted to Blue Shield for approval on May 19 and just received my approval on May 24. YAY!!! My surgery is already scheduled for June 4! This was the complete fAST TRACK!! I think i just got lucky .. so if you stay on top of people you might be lucky and get the process moving fast. It was all pretty easy. Hang in there.

Holla fellow bandsters! Hope you all had a fabulous Independence Day! I sat here and tried not to watch myself and boys have simultaneous combustion from the heat- alas we were all saved that scene. It was a strange holiday in that there was no BBQ to attend, here or otherwise, I didn't even go watch fireworks! I can't decide whether it was just too hot, or I'm just getting freaking too old to "OOOHH and AWWWW" about fire in the sky. Boys weren't interested either so I just listened to the neighbors pop it like it was hot til around midnight. My dogs didn't even seem to care. So the boys had Subway and I had the normal protein shake and cream of chicken soup but as an added bonus, I put strawberries and bananas with some Greek yogurt, 1 pkg Carnation sugar free instant breakfast and skim milk in the blender! Boys had smoothies I froze mine and had strawberry banana "ice cream" around 10 last night. Delish. So as you know, I have been thinking today I was scheduled to have my first fill. Thanks to this forum, I now know that the receptionist misspoke when she said "fill", what she meant to say was "Post-Op" visit. Regardless, I was excited to go pretty much anywhere at this point. I scrubbed up, brushed up and put on a comfy sundress to wear, good choice because I didn't have to worry about buttoning and or zipping anything, I'm still slightly swollen and all I had to do was put it over my head and Voila! I really had no clue what was going to happen at this 1st appointment and lucky me, I got a nurse who was clueless as well. The regular Nurse that takes care of such appointments was on vacation this week (HOW DARE SHE) so I don't know if she was brought up from another unit of the clinic/hospital or if she was an agency person, or if (Lord I hope not) she works there and I just never seen nor heard of her before. So kids this is how it went down. I was ushered into the examination room and sat on one of the chairs. The nurse says "Ok, so what have you been eating, and sorry, but I have to look at your incisions." Umm, Ok, I hope you're going to look at my incisions (DUH) and I told her protein shakes, yogurt, chicken soup, yada, yada, and then I said "Um, am I going to see the Dr today or what's happening here?" she said "Oh no honey, you won't see your Dr until after your 1 month check-up with the regular nurse who's on vacation, then 1 or 2 weeks after that appointment you will have 1 with the nutritionist, then the week after that you will have a fill" My head was spinning off my neck at that point. I decided it was best maybe not to ask not too many questions to this particular person at that particular time, besides, I have this forum if I want to know something right? Well you guessed it, I couldn't resist, I started asking because you know, I brought a small list. (Well I didn't want to forget anything ya know?) I looked at my little list and immediately mentally crossed off things that I assumed only the Dr would know, or I only personally wanted the Dr to answer. So I asked about vitamins I think, something along those lines and she excused herself and brought in a booklet and said "Did you get one of these?" Uh, I don't think so, it doesn't look familiar. So she handed it to me and then said she needed to look at my incisions, I said Ok, and she basically lifted my dress up and said those have to go and RRRIIIPPP off came the first one! HEY, I said. I don't know if I'm- RRRIIIPPP- well screw it guess I'm ready to release my surgi-strips. Look I know it sounds like a nightmare and it pretty much was, I could go on and on, but my point is I went to my post-op appointment and basically expected Ashton K. to jump out of somewhere telling me I've just been "Punked" although that didn't happen, I did get a a wink/half eye roll from the receptionist when the nurse was explaining to her the upcoming appointments I needed, especially when she called her Stephanie and she said "My name's Ashley" (insert half wink & eye roll) giggle. I guess I was pretty calm about the entire thing because when she took my blood pressure it was only 107/62. My temperature a chilly 97.3, and guess what? She never weighed me, and I didn't ask. I guess what I'm trying to say is that none of that really mattered. I already knew I wasn't going to be getting a fill today. I pretty much assumed that they were just going to check on me after surgery. I've survived the ripped off strips and now that I think of it, I'm glad she did it because I babied them so much and would have worn them as a badge as long as I could have and I need to move on. The receptionist, Ashley, and I agreed she would just call me on Monday and we would go from there, sounded great to me! On the way home I thought to myself, I'm not restricted at all. I could eat whatever I want right now and it would be fine with my twisty and my stomach. Maybe I'll just have a salad, that's not such a big deal. I thought like this for about 10 miles until I snapped out of it. Girl you better check yourself, for Christ's sake this is exactly why you had this done, if you don't start using it now, instead of thinking like a food addict, your road shall be even longer. I came home had a yogurt and a Crystal Light, I still wasn't even hungry, not really. I picked up the red booklet she gave me and it was "All you need to know about your upcoming gastric bypass surgery" I just laid it on my chest and laughed hysterically. As always, onward and upward and Lo & Behold....Velvet

I’ve been wanting to do a blog entry, but then the website went all wonky. I’m going to try this today, and decide if I want to continue blogging or not. So far I’m not a real huge fan of the new site. I chose VST over the “other” WLS websites because it was specifically for VSG people; now bariatricpal mixes us all together again. Yes there is a certain amount of segregation, but now I find it difficult to navigate. I don’t really like the name even! I know people do not like change & I am one of them. I find myself less involved in the message boards because of the change. I am grateful that the change to the site took place when I was 5+ months out. I can’t imagine having gotten to where I am without the old board. Perhaps I’m ready to fly on my own now anyway. I am down 85 lbs since the start of 2 week preop diet, and down 75 since surgery. I am wearing clothes from the back of my closet, and people are finally really starting to notice I’ve changed. Amazing to me that it’s taken this long for them to see! BUT in a way, I would rather not draw attention to myself in this way. I am ready to be at goal weight and having people just know me as a girl of a healthy weight so that they don’t feel the need to compliment me on my loss. Some days are easier than others with the weight loss. I KNOW at this point that I could eat whatever I want. I have been very diligent thus far, and I am averaging a loss per week of 1.24%. I am occasionally tempted by the wrong stuff (i.e. “treats”) but I haven’t given in, and it is SO much easier since surgery to stick to a healthy plan I’ve devised for myself. I contribute this largely to having gone through detox in the time immediately after surgery. I’ve never been able to eat this clean for this long, and it feels good! I don’t look at it like a diet – that’s so cliché, but I have always WANTED to have a healthy lifestyle I just never had the control before. Now I know I have the control if I work it right. If I am hungry, I just have to make sure I eat dense protein first so that I can feel restriction. If I do not do that always, I will have a hard time getting to goal. I can’t say that I track my food anymore regularly, and I don’t count calories, etc. I stay away from bread, rice, pasta, except for one or two days per week. I have for the most part foregone sugar and processed food. I don’t stress over things being low fat. My breakfasts are coffee and protein drinks, then I have a green shake (spinach, fruit, protein, avocado, almonds) mid morning, then some lean protein for lunch, then a chike protein drink mid afternoon, and a “lean & green” dinner – but it’s mostly lean protein and just a spot of green vegetable. I feel my green drinks keep my veggie intake up. Routine is key for me. I take my vitamins daily, and drink as much water as I can. I enjoy sugarfree popsicles in the evenings. More than one. Sometimes I wonder if that’s a problem. They are essentially frozen crystal light, but am I playing into old behaviors by going back for several per evening? Yes I am still seeing weight loss but I want to change 40 years of bad habits, so I wonder about eating several of ANYTHING. I will ask my NUT tomorrow when I talk to her. I had bloodwork done and saw my endocrinologist yesterday. He said my iron is slightly high and my blood pressure is slightly low. The episodes of feeling worn out can be blamed on the low blood pressure. Even when I was 85 lbs heavier my blood pressure was on the low side, so you can imagine how it is now. I’m a bit of an anomaly in that way. So I get to indulge my salt cravings, and I need to make sure I stay hydrated even that much more! I fully intend to get to goal. I have yo-yo’d in the obese range for several years now. I’m now beginning to enter territory weight-wise where I haven’t been in 10 years, so I am really beginning to feel different. It’s fun and exciting and a bit scary. But I want to do it anyway – I want to lose about 59 more lbs.! And, 2 lbs from now and I will be merely overweight and no longer obese. That’s cool! I never lost hair, and I figure I’m in the clear. I’ll say it again: I never had hair loss! I will be at the 6 month mark in a week, so I pretty much figure I’m in the clear!! Yay! I had accepted that as a side effect long ago, but lo and behold it didn’t happen to me. I am thankful, but I would have dealt with it. I just didn’t want to cut my hair, because I’ve been growing it out for years. I got my claories up to 900 to 1000 fairly early after starting real foods, and I think this helped me hang on to my hair. I have half a small avocado in my green shake every day, as well as almonds. These things are high calorie but are “good fat”. And good fat is good for the hair and skin. So far excess skin isn’t horrible, but I know I won’t know until I get there how much of an issue it will be. I won’t get plastics though – it just looks too painful! And I hope that after years at a healthy goal weight perhaps the skin will go back to a reasonable shape. All in all I am very happy with how this is turning out! I knew immediately after surgery that I just needed to get on with living a new lifestyle and that as time passed I would see results. And I am! Onward!

Hi - I have about 7 or 8 ccs in my 10 cc band. I have been moving along nicely - about 11-14 lbs per month. Last month I did not get a fill because I was still struggling a lot to eat slowly and keep things down. Now I am okay as long as I am VERY SLOW and if I drink something warm before I eat. But I have noticed in the last 10 days, that my weight loss has slowed and I find I am hungry more frequently. I work out a lot and I actually contemplated cutting back a little for a week just to see if the hunger stops. I have a fill appt on January 25 but I am kind of confused and wonder if the experienced out there could give some guidance about these later fills. If I am hungry and the weight loss has slowed, that says FILL, right? But if I often have issues eating at all or keeping things down, I am scared about being any tighter. I try to remember that my surgeon says that PBs are because we make mistakes in eating and chewing, not because the band is too tight (I tell myself this every day when I sit down for one of my hour long attempts at eating). So do I get a fill? In what kind of increment? I am sure my doc will have a recommendation but I wanted some input from the experienced masses Thanks

http://www.zetacap.us/ I can't imagine this being for obese people. If I only had 10 lbs to lose I might try it.

It is perfectly to be nervous this close to surgery. You are anxious to have it done since it is so close, and also nervous because it is an unknown for you at this point. You know your life is about to change and it will be forever. I wrote down the exact reasons I had the surgery in case afterwards I was having a case of regret. Putting it all in writing also helped put my mind at ease that I was making the right choice. I was a revision lap band to sleeve on 10/25/13 and I have not had any problems at all including pain from the CO2 gas and nausea. Good luck to all with your upcoming surgeries.

Hi everyone! I had the lap band in 2015 and thought I would be completely different within a year. I initially started to lose weight but even at the beginning felt like I shouldn't be able to eat as much as I could. I was constantly hungry and felt like I was starving all the time. I had several adjustments and even got to the max allowement then had to have it drained because I couldn't even drink Water.. It was aweful! My heaviest weight was 289.7 and I didn't even realize it! I seen a picture of myself and had no idea who that person was. I am 5'8 and have always been told that I'm curvy and look "good" so it never occurred to me that I was actually that big since I carry my weight well. Don't get me wrong, I knew I was a big girl but still felt like I wasn't that bad. My horrible motto and cop out was, "You can fix chubby but you can't fix ugly!" How horrible right?? Smh.. Well, I had pain, brusing on my belly button and could no longer hold down real food. But let me tell you that chips and candy went down super easy. I ate the big Reece's cups everyday! I felt like a complete and total failure and started feeling like everyone who loves me was being nice to me and telling me I was beautiful because they knew my heart. I am currently 33 and was 17 when my beautiful mother died and 19 when my amazing father died. I raised my 2 brothers and 1 sister when that happened and worked 3 jobs to make sure we had a roof over our heads. I sang in a band for many years and always felt like the fat girl. I even had a miscarriage 5 years ago that devastated me to the core. I was tired, and tired of being tired. Last week, October 19th I changed my life!! I had the revision to sleeve!! Let me tell you the honest raw uncut truth... I NEVER EXPECTED THIS! My amazing, supportive fiancé got me a scale yesterday as a surprise. I almost felt like maybe my doctor didn't actually do the sleeve since I don't notice any changes. I went into surgery at 281.7 and I weighed myself this morning at 262.4!!!!! I AM IN AWE!! I go to the doctor today for a follow up and am honestly in pain (mostly super tenderness) and man oh man do I want a cheeseburger.. Lol.. But this has been all worth it! I know that if I stay focused, stay connected, stay honest and give my all.. I will have amazing results! This site has been so inspirational. I have literally been reading stuff all night!! Haha.. I had to tell everyone a part of my story and really stay accountable. Thank you for reading my extremely long story. I hope that someone out there can relate and feel encouraged. My new motto is, "Live the life that you want to live and live it well!" Bee Sent from my LGMS550 using the BariatricPal App

For me this has been one of the biggest surprises of all! I went through this process to get healthy, it was never about getting thin. Well, I got healthy very fast. Then it became about losing the weight and getting to goal. I am currently 1lb overweight and 10lbs from my ideal weight although I would argue that I am literally Boney in places and I have a lot of loose skin after losing 135lbs. If I don't lose another pound I would be happy where I am, knowing some day soon I will have several pounds of loose skin removed. Now, I cannot believe I am saying this but I love clothes! I can shop wherever I want and normal sizes fit me! I wish I would win the lottery so I could have a giant closet full of beautiful clothes that were meant for me. Shoes too! They never mattered, now they do. I am currently holding off assuming I have another 10lbs to go and I am in between a size 12 and a size 10. If I have all this excess skin removed I would likely be a size 8. I own two pair of jeans that are becoming too big fast. Several pairs of yoga pants which I wear all the time. 2 long sleeve tops for winter, a couple of sweater dresses. A couple of tanks and a couple of sweaters that are too big but I can still wear them over my tanks. That is literally my whole closet. My husband hangs my pjs in there when he does laundry just to make it look better. LOL! I have purged so many times in the last year! It is the best part.

3 of mine opened pretty wide and deep 10 days post op. I kept them clean, dry, no band aids, and kept a close watch for infection. They healed on their own in about 4 weeks. Don't close it with steri strips because it could trap bacteria in there.

Yea! I got a new bra too recently and its the bra I always dreamed of. The old gals look 10 years perkier I haven't shopped in a brick and mortar store for years. I figured if I could fit in it that was good enough and putting on makeup felt like decorating a gourd. Now that I've dropped some weight I find I do care about fit and color and makeup etc so i went out shopping last weekend. And it was a blast!. Enjoy your new attire!

I'm having surgery Nov 19 and I feel like all I do is cry lately...big changes coming and I feel overwhelmed:(

I've been past goal for almost a year now and my craving for food has hit the roof. I constantly think about food. Yesterday at church- food was on my mind. I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about food. I eat 7-10 times a day, so I am eating constantly! [few bites here and there] My weight is not suffering because I have the band, whew! But, I think I'm going off the deep end. I have been thru many life changes this year, especially the past few months: mother's death 2 daughter's moving away-1 military move quit nursing school [moved] -I'm sure there are other things- thyroid problems just now diagnosed(although suffer for years-family history) So it's no wonder I'm suffering....but food is the way this is manifesting itself.

Quick mention, I was at WW onthe day after Christmas and down another 3 pounds. I hit my 10% and got my keychain too. Small milestones! Another 10 or so pounds and I will be lower than I have been in about 10 years!!!! Happy New Year to me! I cannot believe I am starting this year without the dread of another "diet" looming ahead. I don't have that major "last supper" mentality that I would normally have now in preparation for the diet that would inevitably start tomorrow (and fail by Tuesday). This is going to be an amazing year. This year I will become the healthiest I have been in a long time AND I will finish school. What could be better? I am very excited at my prospects this year. Sadly, I am couch bound this eventful night. I could not handle another get together and another food event that I would have to suffer through. I have had 5 of them in the past week and I havehad enough!!! I will say, I have done very well. Christmas Eve, I didn't eat a thing, Christmas day I had about a half cup of very runny mashed potatoes, Friday I had 2 crackers and my soup at my aunt's house saying I had a sore throat (again-I am sick of that lie!), then yesterday at Dad's. I had about 6 wheat thins over the course of the day with some cheese spread and totally skipped the dinner. It was tough especially since I have to be sneaky. I made up a plate and fed it to my husband like scraps to a dogand no one noticed. Hubby has no problem eating 2 meals anyway. haha. Today was a liquid day because I am feeling guilty for having the crackers. I have no problem at all eating them, since I chew them to nothing before swallowing, but I technically am not supposed to be eating them. I took my scar pic today. Since then I showered and my last bandage came off. I will take another pic later. I think the scars will heal well. The big incision looks a little pink and scary but otherwise I look like I have scratches. I am pleased. Off to ring in the new year with DH!

First picture is the morning of my surgery, 2nd picture was 10 months out. Love my new body and hope it inspires you that this CAN be done.

I take Protonix RX for 6 months now. this is a new symptom....long history of complications. I am asymptomatic which is good and not at risk for esophogeal issues at this point. not eating - tube feeding, which my body is handling just fine. who knows?? it is just yucky.....(10# to go, but i might change it from 140 to 135 when i get healthy.)

Last summer I got a couple of things on clearance that I thought I might be able to wear this summer. I got some 10/12 and now this summer they fit perfect. Although the 12s are a little big, but still wearable. I did the same thing for the winter stuff. So I should be pretty set come fall. Congrats!!

Here's what amazon came up with for me when I typed lap band in the book search - [ame=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/ref=s_b_rs/002-6452256-0337656?page=1&url=ix%3Dstripbooks%26rank%3D%252Bsalesrank%26fqp%3Dlaunch-date%2501-1y%2502newrelevance%25013000000-%2502keywords%2501lap%2520band%26nsp%3Dscore%2501proj-unit-sales%2502bin-fields%2501none%2502post-process%2501docid-ve%2502search-type%2501ss%2502fpn%25011%26sz%3D10%26pg%3D1&fpn=1&rank=newrelevancerank&x=8&y=10&results-process=default]Direct Link[/ame]

Iv had testriction from day one but the doc also put 2 cc in at time of surgery! 4 weeks out got my first fill now im due for another and i can tell my band is ready! And so am i! I go in friday! Thatll put me at 6cc in my 10 cc band! Good luck! ' FEELIN IT '

Hey there! I'm having mine surgery on nov 1st too. At true results too! Struggling with these 10 lbs. but I'm trying. How is your pre op diet going?

Since my surgery, well I should say since I have started eatin, I have to immediately go to the bathroom within 10-20 minutes after i eat???? All I had was 1 strip of fajita chicken meat and 1 strip of fajita beef meat and serving spoon of mashed potatoes and I am full! I have not had a fill yet I am almost weeks post op. I can definately stop eating and say im done! I love my band ..I wonder how it will be when I get my first fill?? And I feel like I have to go to bathroom....this morning I hap my protein shake for breakfast with a little dry lemon pepper tuna (not blended together)...just trying to get extra protein in.. oh and big cups of cystal light water through the day Is this happening to all you bandsters too?

I had my 1st fill 9/4/09 and have not lost a lb since. I am trying not to get discouraged. I walk eveyday for a hour. I am still drinking protien shakes every morning, sometimes 2x a day. My next appt is not till 10/15/09.

Your are singing my song. I was sleeved on 11/01 and able to drink anything and as much as I wanted. My doctor cleared me to foods also on day nine. I learned that we are always supposed to measure and weigh our 4 ounces per meal and eat that. Sometimes you will feel fuller before finishing in which case of course stop eating. I feel the same way. I wonder if your Dr used a larger sized bougie and maybe you have a slightly larger sleeve. My Dr used a 40f which is on the larger size. No worries though all the science shows that we lose as much if not more than our smaller bougie counterparts. I also can eat half a large size Wendy's chili. I think that is because it's in a liquid base. Liquids will go right through our sleeve. It's more dense Protein that will sit against the pyloric valve and cause fullness. I'm hoping their are people like us who have been successful in their weight loss. If you hear of any keep me posted. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Became a banded chic 8/19/11 yay!! Still having slight discomfort. What were some comfortable ways to sleep? I generally sleep on my stomach but feel the port and some pain if I do that now. I have gas issues right now too. Maybe a way to alleviate some gas while I'm sleeping... Any and all suggestions

I went to have my first fill with DR Nottle. When I was called in the room it wasn't DrNottle but some other Technician I have never seen..he tried to fill it but couldn't find the port. He told me that the first time was always the hardest and it would get better in time. After 5 trys and alot of pain later he gave up and called dR Nottle in telling him he couldn't put the needle into the port. Then DrNottle tried and after about 10 try's and swapping a big needle to an ever bigger one he had no luck!! He told me that this happens and that he would need to do it via xray. I went to get it done with the xray and he still had no luck. He was baffled and told me this was very rare and that they almost always have luck with the xray. I had heaps of questions and by the time the nurse bandaged me up he was gone!! He quickly spoke to my fiancee saying that he would get his receptionist to arrange for me to see him as he is going to have to cut me open and see what is wrong. I am so scared..I don't know what is going on, I feel like I am left high and dry with no answers. His receoptionst didn't get back to me so we had to chase them up..When we finally got through she told me that it could be a faulty band and that we had to spend a further $1100 to get it fixed and god knows how much if it is really a faulty band!! We already paid over 12k and there are still more bills coming from the hospital, anethisist!! I just can't believe this..I didn't think that I would have to go through all this stress!! It's even more stressfull when your own doctor won't tell you what is going on, we had to find out through his receptionist!! Sorry for rambling on..I just needed to vent!!

Yes, walking starts almost as soon as you wake up from surgery. You'll be on some level of restriction for a while, I couldn't lift more than 10 lbs for 6 weeks. Afterwards I was cleared for certain levels of exercise, and then more shortly thereafter. It's subjective and personal based on a number of factors. But always listen to your doctors!