Search the Community

November 19, 2018: My lovely wife took this picture of me right before they whisked me away to surgery. I wanted to memorialize this last point before my surgery.

Almost exact same scenario here! I think everyone still had the mental image imprint of the larger size, with the break from seeing each other it takes them aback that suddenly you look much smaller than they remember. Also, I think the closer and closer you get to goal the more difference the loss makes. Just yesterday my mother said "Good Grief Lee, how much more have you lost since last time you were here?" And yep, it has only been 10 lbs. I swear this last 10-15 lbs has made more difference than the first 30 lost... which is a good thing : )

I really started this journey 2 years ago, I set a goal that I would weigh under 200 by my 50th birthday. I weighed @265 at the time and hadn't changed that weight in years of trying. I worked hard, I ate right (I thought) and exercised as much as I could. I lost 10 lbs. I went to my Doc for help. She put me on Meridia. I lost another 20 lbs. But I never got under 200. After I came off the Meridia, I gained the weight back. Last summer when I started my Vertical Sleeve journey, I weighed 265 again. I thought I was destined to weigh that much forever. My diabetes was starting to go crazy and so was my blood pressure. Since my surgery on Sept 5th, I have lost 66 lbs and I'm off my medications. I feel great and I have energy. Sometimes I forget that I had the surgery but after a few bites, I figure it out again. Best of all, I now weigh 199!!!!! I haven't seen Onderland since high school. I love my sleeve!!

I'm a sixty year old woman with Afib. Had a heart attack about four years ago and my doctor has been trying to get me to loose weight. I've tried believe me I've tried them all in the last 30+ years with no success. I just can't seem to stay on a diet longer than 4 months so cardiologist is recommending the lapband. I have heard good things and I have heard bad but no real information as to what you can eat afterwards. Do you loose weight so fast that you end up needing plastic surgery to get rid of the rolls of loose skin? I've also heard that many people gain their weight back in about 10 years. This all scares me but having another heart attack frightens me more. So if anyone has any information or advice please send it my way. I have to make this decision before Oct of next year when my husband retires and our insurance changes. As it is I'm hoping our insurance will cover at least part of this since it is for a life threatening reason. Thanks. Deb

23# in a month! that's amazing!! When you said the weight would come off slower, I was thinking maybe 5-10#, That's great. I went today to fill out my paperwork just to get an appt w/ the dr. in my area. I go there on 5/21/07. NOT SOON ENOUGH!!! But w/ the request that IF there is a cancellation that I be called immediately - YEAH, right!! Anyway, the first hurdle is over. From what I understand, they wont give you an appt if your insurance is questionable. Evidentally mine is pretty good.:clap2:

10 pounds in four weeks (it was 14 pounds, but I gained after week 2 and have been stuck ever since).... So if this is a competition for who is the slowest... I win

Hi, I should have joined a support group a long time ago. I'm 22 years old and was banded in Jan, 2009. I come from a family of overweight people. Both my parents plus my uncle have had the lap band surgery with success. It was an easy decision for me to get the lap band at a young age because I didn't want to grow up obese like my parents who had diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attacks, etc.....Although I only started at around 190 lbs before surgery, on my small 5'1" frame it was a disaster. My BMI was high and physically I was an overweight mess. Emotionally I was upset that I would never get to play sports or enjoy life! After being banded I lost about 30 lbs in the first year. I don't remember exactly now, but I got a fill sometime in the first year. Since then I have had about 3 or 4 fills with about 7.5cc in a 9cc swedish band. I have since gained back almost 20 lbs. I am getting a fill tomorrow from a new doctor that I have never seen before that will give me the support I need. I have not received a fill in almost a year so I KNOW that is why I have gained a lot of weight back. Also my current boyfriend is amazing and never criticizes me when I am eating a carton of ice cream or bags of popcorn that go down so easy. I guess all I am looking for is someone to help enourage me to lose the weight again and get back on track. Every bander knows it can be tough. I feel like it has been tougher for me because I don't have 100 lbs to lose. I would like to lose about 40 lbs to get to my goal weight. It doesn't seem like much but it is so hard. Also, besides my boyfriend and immediate family, no one knows I had gotten the surgery. Since I was only 19 it was hard for me to face the fact that I was getting a life changing weight loss surgery. I had tried every diet imaginable since I was about 9 and it was all "temporary" weight loss. I am just looking for support and people in my situation.

I was banded on 4/10/06 in Mexico with Dr. Kuri. Great experience, however, I did get the gas pains in the shoulder that lasted about 10 days. The most helpful thing for me was the heating pad. It is nice when they go away. As far as how much liquid, my Dr. said that as soon as you feel any discomfort or pressure to stop. I generally have one more bite in my mouth when I feel the restriction and I just stop when that bite is done. Good luck. Elaine

I am 21 months out from surgery and have gotten pretty comfortable. I have fallen back into old habits and have gained about 10 pounds back. I know it is not much but I am scared it will spiral out of control if I don't get it under control. BUT, I am struggling with getting back to basics and getting the weight loss rolling again. Any advice on how to get back to basics and restart is appreciated. The bad thing about being almost 2 years out from surgery is that you can eat more than right after surgery and you are not as diligent and focused. I know I just need to do it but don't even remember where to begin, what to eat, what to do, etc. It feels so foreign to me... Please help!!!

Somebody posted this link in a thread and i couldn't find it again - so thank you! I think it is a great article and should be read by people considering WLS. I am 2.5 years out from a revision band to sleeve and that article made so much sense based on my experience. Band (when filled) - I had a very small food capacity but I couldn't tolerate the reflux. I also honestly couldn't tolerate the very small capacity either and it drove me toward sliders (my responsibility not blaming the band). When I revised to the sleeve I was surprised that eating was so much easier say 3 months out then it ever was with the band. I didn't think about it that I could eat more quantity /capacity then I had with a filled band but it is true. I think for me that is one reason I have been so much more compliant with the sleeve, I can eat salads and veggies and dense Protein without feeling discomfort or pain. I get an "absence of hunger" sensation after pretty small quantities, but still more than I could consume with a filled band. I had the band for 10 years, most of that time with "no fill" due to my issues with it. I think that might explain why some people do really well with the band and struggle with the sleeve after revision because you can eat more. Anyway, there is alot more to the content of this article, but that particular piece fit my experience.

I read through the whole article and found the research on the band to be kinda vague compared to the sleeve and bypass. Seems like they are making assumptions due to lack of specific research on the band. From my limited experience... I can say my cravings and tastes have definitely changed with the band. I am still able to eat meats and raw vegetables with a 5cc fill. I find myself wanting healthy food as opposed to junk. I have more energy than before. Perhaps I am an exception with this experience? I've read studies where the weight loss with the band matches the sleeve and bypass patients long term...meaning it takes band patients a little longer to lose, but in the end we all end up at similar goals. A lot of these studies only look a year out. I honestly think it is an individual preference...one surgery might be better than another depending on the person. Hoping more long term studies are done to help people with their decisions on all forms of surgery. I found it all confusing and contradictory when I was researching my options. Bands have been redesigned, techniques on all the surgeries have improved. So I went with my gut...no pun intended...and so far, I feel I made the right decision. I also think the surgeon, and support system afterwards make a big difference, as well a person's attitude going in. It's surprising they can't analyze more human subjects and have to resort to rats...I mean, how many people have had surgery in the past 10 years? I'd be willing to answer questions about my diet, carvings, etc...give blood samples, or what ever else, if it would help them understand how to best tackle obesity. I kinda feel we are all guinea pigs right now, anyway.

Phat Journal Entry; Starting Weight: 325 lbs (March 10th, 07) Highest Weight : 340 lbs Curent Weight : 304 lbs Banding Date : MARCH 27TH, 2007.... 8 DAYS AWAY!!! I have lost 21 bls in 10 days of being on Optifast and excercising 30 - 60 mins/d. THE GOOD:angel: : Lost 21 lbs in 10 days....made it through first 3 days of intense carb hunger!! I am less nervous about surgery after chatting and reading enteries in this bulletin boards. I have decided that the best thing I can do to increase my chances of a positive surgery is to stick to my pre-op diet, remain positive and include the family in all steps. THE BAD : Hello my name is CanadianMacDaddy and I am an addict. I am addicted to Coke. Especially the Zero brand with its great taste, carbonation and sleek black label. I usually have 6 cans/day and have been warned that after banding carbonated beverages may be a NO NO! I quickly felt a stroke coming on as that also meant BEER... I am freaking Canadian and from East Coast... Beer paid my way through university (returned empties) after house parties. Anyway I am down to 4 cans of crack a day... even worse we just moved to Calgary and 4 houses down there lives a Coca-Cola service technician...Crack Master himself. The temptation is all around!!! THE UGLY :painkiller: : I have 3 young kids and Dad's quiet time was in the washroom with reading material or laptop. (A laptop in the washroom... is that a bad thing?) Now after being on Optifast I have no reason for the frequent bathroom breaks... "Terd No More" saw dust... so in a frantic search for fibre I have added lots in past few days and things are getting back to normal...well at least once a day regular! Pre-Op Meal of the Week: Ingredients: 1 - 10 oz Albertan Filet Mignon (pronounced MIG-NON) 1 strip of Canadian Back Bacon 200 grams of fresh raw mushrooms 5 grams of hot banana peppers 2 large white onions 1/2 bag of McCain's Tator Tots (any flavour) 6 Keith's Bottles of Beer 2 Carrots (for decorative purposes) 2 tbl of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Extra Virgin...yeah right) 6 large strawberries 1/2 a banana 1 package of Vanilla Optifast 8 cubes of ice Consume 1 beer. (Do not go to washroom) Wrap filet with bacon strip. Secure using toothpick as you will need this later. Bring frying pan to high heat with Olive Oil and place filet in pan to sear... count to 9 (for those of you in Ontario just count to 3 three times) and turn over. REPEAT. Consume 1 Beer. (Do not go to washroom) Remove filet from pan and cook onions, mushrooms, banana peppers and tots in the remaining cow meat gravy. Add some beer for moisture. Cook for 2 minutes...or for 1 TV commercial period between hockey game. Consume 1 Beer. (Do not go to washroom) Cut Carrots length wise and place on plate with potatoes. Place mushrooms, peppers, onions and sauce on filet. Consume 1 Beer (Do not go to washroom) Place optifast, strawberries, banana and ice in a blender. Mix and pour into glass. Consume 1 Beer (Do not go to washroom) Now take filet with side dishes and throw in garberateur. Drink Optifast and curse any family that may have contributed to metabolic syndrome heredity traits. Drink last Beer (try not to get any tears in the beer) Use washroom now... laptop optional. CanadianMacDaddy... wanting to be 1/2 the man I am today !

La Bella were you referreing to me?? It has taken me a long tim to lose the weight because 8 months after my band I got pregnant so I also have a band baby that is 16 months old and it took me after he was over a year old to want to start lossing again, its harder than when we first have the surgery because its all by will power and the motivation is gone because of the weight gain with the pregnancy. I went back in July (7/19) to get a fill and I was 191 and as of today I am 177 I am starting all over and feel great. I am also happy about my separation because it was just full of problems and I was unhappy for a long time before I made my decision. Thanks for the support everyone.

I with the Artic bald that came thru central Ohio, my kids have had 2 snow days this week (after a 16 day winter break!) and I'm going crazy! They're 3, & 5 (girls) in preschool, 6 yr old girl and 10 yr old boy in elementary school, and 16 and 10 yr old hs girls! They're fighting, arguing, and nonstop bickering has been off the hook!! Then just when I think I can't take anymore... I have 1 Water line broken in 3 places! That means the landlord, his helper, and my (eye roll) husband have all been standing in my kitchen tracking muddy snow all thru it! Seriously!?! I am ready for a nervous break down! Oh and did I mention that I am also logging my every meal and trying to lose weight on my own before seeing the surgeon again!? Yeah I'm a tad past cranky!! I can't take much more!!! Ty for allowing me a safe spot to vent without going smack ass goofy on this "fantastic" husband (eye roll again!) of mine! Tho if I had maybe he would go find setting productive to do besides hold the couch down!!! Then again prob not just makin me more annoyed!

I got mine 2/3/10. Love love love it. No issues except for operator error sometimes. Lol

I've never been under a size 16, I've dealt with my weight basically all my entire life, I've always been the biggest one in my family. I would try all types of diets, including seeing a physician, I would lose 10 to 20 pounds and gain that, that I took off plus 20 more. Lets cut to two years earlier, I was temping at the university of Miami as a medical assistant back in June 2010, then I was contacted by a physician that I knew and respected and trusted, we use to work together. This doctor was getting ready to open her own practice and ask me would I work for her. Cut forward I was going to be her office manager. That did not happen I worked for her for six months and then terminated. I was hurt I started eating then I couldn't find work. I search for a year no work. Now 2012 signed up with the agency worked for 3 months, April 29, receive a call get To the hospital Shon clasped ( my daughter) got to the hospital she is on life support, she coded 4 x's i was right there i never left her side she died the next day my world up side down now, April 30, a day before her birthday. I craved sugar I ate anything sweet, I had just lost my oldest and only daughter. Food became a way of comfort. I went into depression state I didn't want to talk to anyone, I was MAD. Mad at everyone and mostly mad at God. I felt like he didn't care about me anymore he took my child, my baby. I gained a long of weight and didn't care, my husband started to drink more, when I say in was tension in the house it was tension. I'm better now I ask God to forgive me for being angry with him. Know I've got work do. I'm 285 ponds for the last two years its been one thing after another. It has been hell. Now it's time to work on me. Sorry I was so long wined.

I am about 19 days post-op, and I'm having A LOT of trouble getting my protein in. I am super picky first of all, and I have a horrible gag reflex to textures and tastes. I have found that I really enjoy the NAKED PROTEIN ZONE drinks; however, after I drink even half, my heart starts racing, and for about 4-6 hours I feel like complete poop!?! I feel nauseated and exhausted, etc. Anyone else have this problem? Anyone have anysuggestions? I don't feel like this any other time except after consuming a protein drink... Thanks

I too have had two fills on 5/29 and on 6/26. Total of 6cc's. So far have had very little discomfort with or after the fills. Did not lose much weight the second month but look forward to this next month. The first fill did not have much affect, I was able to eat anything I wanted as well as practically as much as I wanted. Granted, I didn't want as much as I did pre-surgury. As stated before I didnt loose much but I did loose inches, between 10-12 inches in the waist. All good and I also would do it again.

dont feel too bad I thought I could have a last meal closer than what actually happened. I am on 2 Protein shakes a day one protein meal for either lunch/dinner. I was thinking god I would give ANYTHING to have 10 wings the night before my surgery.

I know many pre-op patients have questions about the process. Each one of us is different but I thought I'd share my experience around the surgery and recovery in case it is beneficial to anyone preparing to undergo VSG. Based on my BMI, my doctor put me on a one-week pre-op liquid Protein diet. This consisted of three Protein shakes a day and otherwise Clear liquids. The first couple of days were tough, but by day 3-4 my system had gotten over its carb withdrawal and I tolerated the diet fairly well. I also used this time to wean off of caffeine since my surgeon didn't allow any for 8 weeks post surgery. During the pre-op diet phase I dropped 8 pounts, from 285 to 277. On my surgery day, I arrived at the hospital fairly early. The nursing staff prepared me (IV, gown, support stockings, etc.) and I met briefly with the surgeon and anesthesiologist. I was wheeled into the very cold operating room. Shortly thereafter I was given the IV anesthetic and was fast asleep. I woke up in the recovery area. This was easily the most uncomfortable part of the process as I was coming out of general anesthesia, hooked up to everything and now had a wonderful (not!) urine catheter placed. As I came out of the fog, I remember trying unsuccessfully to negotiate with the nurse to remove the catheter as it was very uncomfortable. After 20-30 minutes in this area I was moved to a wheelchair (a surprisingly challenging endeavor) and was wheeled to my room. Once in the room the PCA pump was attached. This helped greatly with my comfort level. I was also allowed to start sucking on ice chips. I did experience some gas pains but they were manageable. The nursing staff got me up to walk within a couple of hours. My particular facility was absolutely wonderful. It is a small satellite surgery facility of a large hospital and is in the same building as the surgical practice. I think most of the patients are part of the weight loss surgery program. On my particular surgery day I think my nurse had two patients, so I was able to get as much attention as I needed. One key item they were monitoring was my blood sugar which was running low. This was surprising as prior to surgery I was a Type-II diabetic with a normal glucose of 115-120. They gave me IV glucose a couple of times and were monitoring it closely. I progressively felt better throughout the day and evening and walked a few more times. There wasn't much sleeping as it seemed like every 10 minutes someone was in the room to do something. The day shift nurse had been bringing me ice chips in a small medicine cup. The night shift nurse brought a large cup of them with a spoon (what an angel!) By about 3am I was able to get myself out of bed and move to a nearby chair, managing all of the lines and connections carefully. I found that the more mobile I was the better I felt. At 5am I was told that we needed to begin preparing for my discharge. This involved giving me a glass of ice Water which I sipped on. It also involved removal of the catheter and the surgical drain, both of which were momentarily painful. I did feel better after that though. One more walk, a visit from the surgeon and his assistant, and I was discharged a little more than 24 hours after arrival. We stopped at the downstairs pharmacy for the liquid narcotic pain medication. At home, day 1 post-op involved mostly sleeping and relaxing. I had to sleep in a recliner for a couple of days to limit suture pain. I used the narcotic pain med a couple times that day. I began sipping and walking, encountering a little pain but nothing unbearable. By day 2 post-op I was feeling much better. On day 2 I stopped the narcotic pain meds and switched to liquid Tylenol. I had been told I could drive as soon as I was off the narcotics, so switching to liquid Tylenol meant I wasn't tied to the house. By that evening I felt well enough to drive myself to a meeting of an organization I'm involved with. Moving slowly but without much pain, it was nice to get out a little. I noticed I had real challenges with capacity of my new stomach for the first couple of days. It seemed like it would only hold a couple of sips or maybe a teaspoon of broth. On day 3 this got better, and by day 4 I was able to drink liquids and even broth and Soup without much restriction. I think this was the post-op swelling going down a little. My surgery was on a Tuesday and I came home Wednesday morning. My first venture out was Thursday evening. I returned to work the following Monday without any real issues but I have a fairly sedentary office job. I have to say that my recovery was quicker than I expected with relatively few issues and no complications. I know this isn't the rule for everyone. I think it helped that despite weight and Type-II Diabetes I was in generally good physical condition which probably made things easier. I'm now about 10 weeks post surgery. I successfully transitioned diet from liquid to pureed to soft foods and then to regular foods. I've experienced two stalls (one early and one now). I've dropped two shirt and pant sizes and am almost ready for a third. I'm still learning how to manage my weight loss and diet while traveling extensively for business. I have yet to get locked into an aggressive exercise regimen but am trying to do so. But overall this has been a totally positive experience and a decision I am 100% happy with.

I’m scheduled for Wednesday, 12/19!

no change of heart either (a little nervous), my only regret i too wish i had this done 10 yrs ago :crying: good luck with your surgery

Thank You all.. In the original post I had talked about how I was having pain in my left shoulder "above the left breast, bellow the collar bone" and how it was down in my left ribs. I had called my surgeons office about it and they said it sounded like normal excess gas pains from surgery "They have some patiants that complain with gas pains 3 months out" They told me to take it easy and if it didn't get better in a few days to call them back. That was Tuesday that I was finally able to talk to them. Friday I called back because I couldn't take them pain any longer. It was to much for me to be comfortable with, and I was already a big cry baby that day because I was hurting all week. Anyway off subject I called the surgeons office back and they told me that if its hurting still then I need to go to the nearest ER and get it looked at it didn't sound like it was gas pains any longer. The first hospital I went to was in our home town. We sat there and waited for hours before finally getting called back and after they took me back they stuck me twice to put an iv in. Finally i went back for what I thought was a complete CT Scan of my abdomin "boy was I wrong" They scanned my heart and the top part of my lungs for blood clots said everything was clear and perfect and that I could go home. The following night "Saturday" we had dinner with hubby's boss and co-workers. I felt ok "still in pain" so I sat back and listened to everyone chat around 8 I couldn't take it anymore we had to go home. By the time we left the restaraunt and got home my temp was 103.2 I took some tyelnol and a cool shower and went to bed. All night long I ran fever as high as 104.7 and as low as 102.9. Finally hubby was able to get ahold of my surgeon and thank goodness for that. He told hubby to bring me straight to the hospital he was calling ahead for test, but he wanted me here asap. That was around 9:30 we live an hour away so I got here around noon. Got checked in and the test started. First on the list was the chest x-ray which showed pneumonia 2nd on the list was blood work which showed elevated white blood cell count. 3rd on the list came around 10 that night and that was the Contrast CT Scan of my abdonimal area all the way down to my pelvis. That is what showed the fluid build up around the diaphragm and the absess on the outside of the lung. It was from that ever so scary OMG What if It happens to Me Leak!! I never knew I had it and never felt any pain in my stomach/abdominal area. It was always in my chest/shoulder and down my ribs all where the pain from pneumonia presents. I am not pleased with the hospital in our home town and will probably never use them again simply because had they found this Friday Night I would probably be typing this at home instead of in a hospital room over an hour away from my family,,