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I haven't started a fast weight loss diet yet? But I really don't eat right. Hopefully the Vitamins will solve the problems. I pray that I will be able to have the surgery. This is my last hope of getting rid of my sleep apnea. I have no energy to walk too far so I cannot exercise very long so I won't lose too much weight at this point anyway. Thanks for replying. Cheryl

Hi I'm Leigh married with 2 teens 45 from Texas I'm 4'10" and 235# I've got my pre-op set for 5/21 and surgery set for 6/2 this is what and where and the who is at the bottom of the link Trinity Mother Frances Health System This helped me... DO NOT WATCH IT IF YOU ARE EASILY GROSSED OUT [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds_nwlgQztE]YouTube - Lap Band Surgery[/ame] Suggested reading from my Nutritionist The Success Habits of Weight-Loss Surgery Patients by Cook, Colleen M. and The Emotional First Aid Kit: A Practical Guide to Life After Bariatric Surgery by Alexander Cynthia L I'm excited nervous happy scared hardheaded and ready to go I should have done this 3 years ago I'm a hardcore gamer computer mainly but PS2 and 3 also WoW BF2 9Dragons MOH lot of mmorpgs and 1st person shooters I do graphics, OE scripted stats, tags, all kinds of different stuff mostly with Paint Shop Pro 9 I have 10 but blah..lol ~sigh~ yes i'm a GEEK :tongue2: and I LOVE it can't wait to get banded~

Hi! I'm a newbie here. My name is Susan and I'm 61 years old. I've been on the diet roller-coaster since I was 18. Usually I'd lose 30 pounds. Then gain it back plus. Up and down up and down. I just can't go through another diet only to 'fail' again. I needed something to help me keep it off. I started to read everything I could on weight loss surgery. Thirty years ago I remember thinking to myself that if I had the means I would definitely have opted to have it. Now that the means are available I am looking forward to it. Currently I am 250 pounds with a BMI of 30. I am 5'5 with a large frame. My goal would be perfect at 150. I am on day four of the liquid diet and I feel crappy. I have caffeine withdrawal headaches because I had to stop diet coke. Are there others like me who are having the same problems? How long will they last? I don't want to get discouraged but when I think of eight more days of this I'm not sure I'll make it. Thanks for listening.

My surgery was on the 18th. I'm starting to hit the hungrier phase and the rapid weight loss from the special pre and postop diets has come to a screeching halt. But I will persevere because I realize I chose a WLS with a slow weight loss. Keep up the good work!

I am only five months out but I was dry heaving until last week when I posted how I was feeling and was advised to take prilosec. I have to take two but I have not had not been sick since. I still have a problem eating, it hurt when I try to eat solid food. I am glad you are seeing your PCP, it sounds like you may need to have an upper GI to see what is going on. I feel that anyone who has had weight loss surgery should stay in close contact with their primary care. I see her once a month because of post op issues. I hope you feel better soon.

I am also 6 days out and have lost 8lbs since having surgery. Not that this is a bad thing. I just get discouraged seeing all of these high losses. I lost 3 pounds in the first 17 days postop. Now I'm five pant sizes smaller and 2 pounds from my surgeons goal...do not despair and do not obsess over the numbers on the scale!

I'm a mom, grandma, and wife who has weighed over 250 for about 18 years. I'm 48 and now weigh 265. I chose that lap band because I don't want to be unhealthy when I loose weight. I want to continue getting all my nutrients from the things I consume. I have several co-morbidities such as, diabetic for the last 15 years, high blood pressure, proteinuria, probably sleep apnea, (haven't been tested yet), high cholesterol (when I don't take meds) to name a few. I'm really tired of taking meds and I realized that I could stroke out, or have a heart attack or something and I want to be around for my kids and my grandkids. So that is the gist of my reasoning for the surgery. I hope to loose at least 70 pounds. 80 or 90 would be great. I would jump for joy. I don't want that skin hanging thing though, but I'm 5-8 so perhaps it will be minimal with the exception of my tummy. I think that's unavoidable. However, I will do what I can to alleviate as much as I can. I don't care how fast I loose, except at first I would like to quickly knock off a chunk of my desired weight loss at least 40 of it, then 1 to 2 pounds a week would be wonderful. I'm going to try my best. I have mononucleosis right now so hope that won't hinder my surgery date. I'm pretty well over the main outbreak so I'm just weak and tired all the time. That slows your metabolism, and I can't exercise without getting a sore throat and fever. Weird I'm a music minister/Psalmist. The Lord gives me songs and I sing them all over the place. My music is on www.breadsite.org in the mp3 section. Free downloads. I need to loose some weight so I'm not so reluctant to go and sing places where they ask me. Most of the time right now I think, "I'm so tired". I want to be able to keep up and LIVE!!!!! Garden, decorate, paint, sing, pack my keyboard (musical) and go wherever, chase after my two toddler grandchildren!!!. That's my goal. More than numbers my goal is to LIVE! Blessings

I can't wait - I am so excited - I keep trying to visualize myself thin again....I can't wait! I really hope it works - part of me has this feeling like I will fail at this because I have failed at so many different weight loss attempts - I didn't tell too many people. I work with 200 women and I only told 3 of them. In my family, it's just my oldest daughter, my mom and my sisters that know. I am so happy that I am working until Sunday afternoon - I hope the time flies - I just got my time...1:00!!!! UGH! I don't have to be at the hospital until 11:30...I will go stir crazy..... ok - bye bye - say an extra prayer for me - thanks Amy

I am only 6 weeks post op...so I really remember that feeling: excited AND nervous! This surgery is the best thing I've ever done. I have done EVERY diet and gained and lost the same 20 lbs for the past 20 years. My surgery went really well...and I healed very quickly. Some of the things I did (not necessarily on my surgeon's list...but I did them anyway!) I drank organic aloe vera juice 24 hrs post op and continued for 30 days. It's VERY healing. If you buy the EXPENSIVE brand, which is George's (available at health food stores) it tastes just like water. I also started taking arnica immediately after surgery. Great for healing and not bruising! It's difficult to get your water in, but it's very important. I couldn't handle the broth (yuk) but I ate sugar free jello and popsicles that were fruit...with no sugar added. It was good to get my first meal 10 days post op!! Now, even if I try a bite of something I'm not supposed to have....I know how limited I am for space in my new small stomach, so I can't try much more than a bite of any forbidden food!! I'm eating breakfast: either an egg, or a protein shake, or a half skinned apple with peanut butter. I LOVE soup for lunch and I make a chicken tortilla soup with lots and lots of beans and some salsa and spices (great protein) and for dinner I usually have fish, or chicken or turkey with a little cooked veggies. In between, I'll have a small amount of protein shake or some peeled fruit. My clothes are getting baggy....which I love. My only worry is because I'm in my 60's I'm already noticing some extra facial wrinkles and sags I've lost 39 lbs in 6 weeks (no required loss pre-op). Good luck to you....I know it will go well!

Hey all! My boyfriend and I normally have a very healthy sex life about 3-4 times a day. Since starting the liquid diet I feel good but I just haven't felt "erotically charged". Have any of you experienced this?

Now that I am "approved" for surgery and this is becoming a reality, I figured NOW is the time to post my story so far. I am 49, 5'7 and 235 at my highest weight. (Can't believe I actually wrote that down for public consumption!) That made me a BMI of 36.8. I had considered weight loss surgery off and on throughout the years of yo-yo dieting. My last good weight loss was about 30 pounds back in 2009 and I was lighter then. So that means I have put on about 40 pounds in four years. (Less than a pound a month, not too bad, right??!! Ha!) I have some lung problems, high blood pressure (if you would only lose weight, you wouldn't have to take these pills anymore....) and hypothyroidism. Too much for someone my age I decided and started considering the lap-band. I am a nurse and considered that to be "least invasive" and "easiest" to have done surgically. On November 28, 2012, I signed the hubby and I up for an informational seminar. While hubby wasn't interested (I'm hoping to change that), I listened to the doctor present the band, sleeve and RNY options. To his credit, he didn't try to sway anyone to any one procedure, but I had changed my thinking from lap-band to sleeve. I submitted my "insurance verification" form and left. In lateDecember/early January, I was contacted by the doctor's office and told that my insurance (CIGNA) did provide WLS benefits. I had started a post-holiday "kind of" diet about mid-January with Weight Watchers. I saw my surgeon for the first time on January 28, 2013. We discussed all the usual things and agreed that the sleeve was a good procedure for me. My only beef with the process was that the coordinator told me "All your insurance needs is the evaluation and 3 months of diet history. Just print out Weight Watchers and it will be ok." More on that in a minute.... From there, I had: EGD (endoscopy) on 2-4 and found to have a small hiatal hernia. Psych eval and nutrition eval on 2-13. In the mean time, I had researched CIGNA's bariatric policy and found out that I needed a lot more than "Just 3 months of Weight Watcher history." Rather than chance it, I went and got clearance from my PMD and met with a nutritionist for 3 months of a supervised diet. (2-20, 3-16 and 4-20...boy am I glad I started that "kind of diet" back in January!) Am now at 222 (fluctuating pounds.) My coordinator submitted my packet on about May 10th with a comment of "everything looks great...should be no problem." On May 17th, I was notified of denial...based on two points. My physician had failed to state that he BOTH recommended me for the surgery AND cleared me (he only recommended me....despite the fact I had asked him to do both.) The nutritionist did a summary report that detailed all three visits, with all of the components required, but CIGNA wanted it in three separate notes. At least it wasnt because of medical criteria! So...my coordinator got all that together and on May 21st, she submitted again, stating it could take up to 90 days, but probably not that long. The waiting is the hardest part!!! Well, today I got the news I was waiting for...APPROVED! It took 7 business days for the appeal. Now we are in fast-forward mode: 6-10: Pre-op meeting with surgeon to sign consents, etc... 6-15: Start of pre-op diet! (Not looking forward to it....) 6-17: Pre-op lab/x-ray work at hospital 6-25: Surgery I travel for my work (I am a healthcare consultant) and will be out of town three weeks between now and then, so it will fly by! I am so excited. I think now that it's a reality, my husband is concerned. I got the "If it makes you happy, it makes me happy" but I am not convinced. I know he is supportive of my decisions, but probably a bit insecure at the same time. food has always been a big part of our life and I have been slowly withdrawing from that over the last few months. Thanks for listening! I am so darn excited I just needed to share it with someone. I have told very few people. I will update after the surgery.

Hello I'm a young 32 year old woman who's battled weight my whole life. After starting a journey towards weight loss surgery in 2008 I have finally achieved it just past a week ago. Got RNY, laparoscopically, finally getting back to feeling human again. I'm down 5lbs so far and feeling good. I've had a difficult time healing due to a hysterectomy and bypass in the same surgery. So ready, and happy to have finally started this chapter my book of life!

Special K~ Congrats on your weight loss!! :sneaky: I am sorry about your dad. :sneaky: My "LemonPOPTart" user name is a U2 reference. :thumbup: I went to go see the band U2 in 1997 and it was the "popmart" tour. Their bassist wore a tee shirt that said, "poptart", and they had a huge "lemon" spaceship. LOL I know it sounds really stupid but it was really cool at the time. :eek: I have used Lemonpoptart ever since I've been online. :bored: Trust me, there are no obsessions here with Breakfast pastries! LOL

CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Liquid diet prior to surgery help shrink your liver. Up until March of this year my doc didn't require one, but after seeing patients with swollen livers and not being able to preform the surgery BECAUSE of them he started requiring one...... the length of time depends on your BMI. I started a LowCarb liquid diet ONE month prior to surgery without his prompting.. It jump started my loss and it ensured that my liver would be fine.

The sleeve won't fix the emotional eating but it will make it impossible to do for at least 2 years, I plan to learn new coping mechanisms before my honey moon is over. At least with 2/3 of the problem at bay, I will have a fighting chance to finally win this time. Not that I have not before but the cost was so high (under eating and over training is hard to maintain). I copied this reply from where you first posted. Congratulations on your upcoming surgery! I would like to comment and let you know that it will not be impossible to emotional eat for the first 2 years. Emotional eating is what most overweight people deal with. This is something you will have to work on but I wanted to let you know that it will most likely be a struggle from the start. You may not have much hunger but emotionally you will probably still want to eat. Your sleeve will help you by not letting you eat the same amount as you used to eat. After a couple of months, emotional eating can take over and you can eat the wrong foods and hinder your weight loss. I could eat chips, ice cream, candy and many other foods all day long. I can fit a lot of them in my sleeve and they don't stay in there very long, this is something you will quickly learn. I have to make a choice every day about what I put in my mouth. As long as I stick to Protein first and make sure I get in my fruit and veggies and drink a lot of Water I am ok. I know that eating healthy makes me feel good and being thin makes me feel good and that's what keeps me on the right path. Is emotional eating still an issue? Yes, at times it is. But, with this wonderful tool, I have learned to deal with my emotions in other ways and usually I succeed in this. I am almost 2 years out so I can't comment on what will happen 3-6 years out. I can tell you that I have learned a lot and I plan to continue this because it is my new way of living and I love it! In light of this I am wondering what the best middle ground might be. I am discussing this with my doctor but would like to hear more about real people with actual life experience. Has anyone here had a large bougie 40 and up ? I have not so I cannot comment on this. I haven't heard of many people using a bougie that large but I am sure they are out there. I do have some acid reflux issues since surgery. As long as I take my PPI I don't have any problems. I try going off of it every week or two for a day or two but the reflux is still there so I will continue to take it. Best of luck to you

Hi, I am going to my first consultation tomorrow, and am meeting with Dr. Laker. Has anybody gone through this doctor? Dr. Laker is with The Great Lakes Weight Loss Center, and any info on this place would be greatly appreciated. I am self pay and was wondering if I have to go through the same process that ins. patients go through? Is it typically shorter for self pay? I am really looking forward to tomorrows appointment. I'm nervous, but excited. Thanks

As if the several thousand I spent on 2 weight loss surgeries isn't enough, I just shelled out almost a thousand dollars on a really nice pilates reformer for my home. I love doing the reformer exercise, but I have problems getting to the studio because of work and other commitments. Also, the price per class is completely ridiculous. So, I am a little nervous about the money, but QVC has it on 4 payments (yay!), and I REALLY need to do something about my saggy butt (which has completely disappeared) and my bad posture. Sitting at a desk for all these years has made me into a sad case. Here's hoping I make the most of it!!

Hi everyone, I am scheduled for surgery August 15. I am very excited but also a bit jittery. Planning to be stoic about all this. I am looking forward to getting this extra weight off me. My doctor is John Debarros in Phoenix/Tempe Arizona. He specializes in both types of weight loss surgery. Bryn:smile2:

I posted a few weeks back because I couldn't keep anything down. This has been progressive and it been going on for over 6 months. I went to the surgeons office three times with issues and all the Fluid taken out. The last visit in July I requested the appointment to be with the doctore (Atkinson) and still, when I went for the appointment I was seen by the PA. The PA said she would talk to doctor about the band slipping and check with my insurance to re-position or remove the band. I didn't hear back for a few weeks. I called the office and they said that because my insurance was now Aetna, not Blue Cross, Dr. Atkinson would not perform the surgery, even out of network. As you can imagine this was very frustrating. As the months went on, my symptoms kept getting worse. I dedided to start calling other bariatric surgeons in the area and no one would take me as a patient since they didn't perform the surgery. Long story, but I finally went to my regular doctor because I couldn't hold liquid or food down for several days. She contacted a bariatric surgeon and he told her to get me an upper GI. I still wasn't sure if he was going to take me as a patient. Anyway, I got a call from the surgeon's coordinator and she couldn't believe my upper GI. It was the worse slip they had ever seen. She explained that the doctor usually take other doctors patients, but my condition was very severe. My entire stomach has slipped through the band. The band is now located between my stomach and intestines. This can be a life threatning situation. So I was told not to throw up any more until I coudl see the doctor. My appointment is Tuesday and my surgery will be scheduled. Sorry for such a long post but this has been such a bad experience for me and needed to vent. I have a few friends that have the band and it works great for them. But for me, the band has to be removed and can't be replace. I have learned alot with this band and hope to continue my weight loss with other means. If anyone has had this type of band slippage I would love to hear from you as I don't know what to expect with the surgery.

I still have it after a 100lb loss, but much less than I did have My buttocks and the backs of my thighs are dimply, but I can hide most of the dimples in a bikini bottom (fairly full cut). It used to be that even shorts would show a bit of it.

I went through something very similar at about 1 year post banding. I was doing everything right (so I thought) and following all the rules, but I'd feel nauseous after eating small amounts of nearly anything. There were days when even liquids made me feel sick. It took months of very fast weight loss but also some trial and error (and talking to my doctor) to figure out that it was all in my head. It's almost like I had become so addicted to the weight loss that I didn't want to eat. I still struggle with it sometimes (long recovered anorexic, so makes sense). Yes, obviously you need to talk to your doctor and make sure there is nothing wrong physically, but it very well could be "all in your head." I would never think that possible if I hadn't gone through it. If it helps at all, a strategy that worked for me was to give up the 3 meals a day plan and focus on getting in just 1 or 2 bites at a time and keeping that in for a few hours and trying again. I counted calories and not meals and still eat more that way on a daily basis. Hope you feel better and good luck!

I had the same issue of thinking that I should be 30lbs lighter a month after my surgery. The truth is that we can not compare our weight loss with others. Don't worry if you are working with the band it will do its job. Set a goal for minimun of 4lbs a month. That is the way the band works. Like the other post said its your body wondering what the hell is going on! And remember some people have more weight to loss than others so the beginning weight loss for them will be more. It has really only been a month believe me you will loss.

sleep apnea is one of the comorbidities that qualified me for the surgery. I was diagnosed about two years ago with severe obstructive apnea. I have religously worn the mask on a nightly basis since. Even taking it with me to travel The anesthesiologist was very interested in this issue. I am not sure of the particulars but it was obvious they paid special attention because of it. They kept me in surgical ICU during recovery because of the apnea and I wore an oxygen line during my first day. I had to wear my CPAP the night I spent in the Hospital and they hooked an oxygen line to the CPAP overnight. They also closely monitored oxygen levels the entire time I was there. Surgeon told me I should continue to use the CPAP for awhile until I could be tested after some significant weight loss.

Hi b. No, I did not have to have it supervised nor documented, just a historical of different weight loss attempts. Hang in there. Once you realize the end is near, the adrenaline will kick in and you will be on the road to a better lifestyle. Things happen for a reason (I truly believe that) - so maybe the time you are spending for the supervised weight loss will be the time needed for something else to take place in your life... I see doc tomorrow and anesthesiologist at hospital to go over last minute prep.

I'm 38 days post-op sleeve and for about a week, no loss. Dr said this normal until my body adjusts from the rapid loss. Anyone else going through it?