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I have booked everything. My date is April 27 in TJ with Dr. Kuri. Anbody have him as a doctor let me know. I have so many emotions right now. I have not been able to lose the weight by myself and keep it off. All that I read from the Lap talk the lap band is the same. I have a bm of 34. And I really want to have a healthy BM. I have been down once before in my life and it felt great!:thumbup: Does the Lap band work? It sounds just like a diet. Only with a regular diet your hungry with a lap band your puking and spiting.:thumbdown:

Hi everyone, My story in a nutshell is I started my process in October 2009 and everything is complete. I expected to have my surgery in May 2010 however my health insurance put up a road block to make me wait until January 2011. I have a follow up with my surgeon on January 4th and they will submit it back through insurance at that point and I should hear back within that week. I have no other road blocks they can put up so it should be a sure thing! I've been waiting and counting the days down until now and it's FINALLY HERE! I've been mentally prepared and managed to maintain my weight and drop 5 additional lbs since my last appointment in May. I've heard maintaining your goal weight is one of the hardest things after everything is said and done. I'm ready to get the show on the road!! :-)

The skinniest I got was 130 (too skinny for me) then I jumped to 140. I was drinking up to four cups of coffee each with a spoonful of sugar (4spoons of sugar a day!) so I switched to splenda, now I'm down to 135. I go on sugar binges but now I try to stop myself by telling myself that I like the way I look better than the sugar (or chocolate) tastes!! Just wondering how others have faired with their weight down the road!

From my first weigh in, I have lose 37lbs to have the surgery and I am already down 6lbs. 31lbs to go...it's time to get really serious. I want to drop the weight plus an extra 10lbs before I go on vacation at the end of October (want to have a cushion) and I want to have the surgery in the beginning of November.

I too have facial hair. It does not go away with weight loss. I go to an electrolysis and have it removed. I waited to long before I went to have it taken care of. It has been over 2 years and I am still going every 3 weeks.

Hi there danielbyhalf and welcome to the site. I pretty much am in the same position as you statistic-wise, except a bit shorter. Just weighed myself this morning and I'm down to 290 having started a self-imposed sort of diet after weighing in at my initial meeting with the weight loss surgeon (302-lbs.). I have Type-ll diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure and sleep apnea. I attended several seminars and walked away in most cases unimpressed, except for Dr. McMahon from Swedish Hospital in Seattle, WA. There seemed to be a 'connection' established with him while making inquiries at the seminar. So at this point I've gone through most all the hoops and this Thursday I'll be going in for some additional blood tests & an endoscopy. Providing nothing negative is found, I'll be another step closer to surgery. I'm going through Medicare and the doctor assures me that he doesn't see any problems with approval. He did insist that my blood sugar levels be below 150 and would require me to bring my meter in to verify such. I've been doing really well watching my eating habits and practically cutting out carbs completely. I'm not having second thoughts about the surgery at this time, but I have been doing a lot of thinking about the diet prior to and post surgery. I'd like to think of myself as a mentally strong individual, but changing my entire lifestyle/habits is going to be challenging...at best. Been raised my entire life with the attitude of "eat everything on my plate at each & every meal". That's got to change and what I'm working on now. Best of luck on your journey and wish you the best. Stay in touch & I'll do the same.

Hi all, Like most of you, I'm a veteran of the weight loss wars! I joined Weight Watchers for the first time when I was 13. I've got the books (Covert Bailey, Jean Nidetch, Susan Powter, Dr. Phil), I've got the exercise tapes and DVDs (Gilad, Tae-Bo, The Core), I've got the pants in six different sizes. And all because I haven't been able to get the upper hand in my relationship with food. Fortunately, I think I'm now on the right track. I started attending a hospital-based clinical weight loss education program in September 2008. I met with my surgeon for the first time that November. I did my consults in December and January, submitted to insurance in February, and got approval in March. I had my lap-band placed on April 8, 2009, spent one night in the hospital, was off work for one week, and so far, so good! I haven't been perfect, but I also haven't fallen into the all-too-familiar trap of beating myself up when I don't make the best decision. I have been attending a local weight-loss-surgery support group that meets monthly (mostly gastric bypass patients, but a lot of the same issues) but I'm thrilled to find this forum, where I can get answers, support, and camaraderie 24/7. I want to change my life. I am so committed that I let someone cut into my body to help me change. So hello, and thanks for letting me join the party.

Hello everyone. I am new here. I have been reading all of the success stories and it really gives me hope that I have found something that can actually work for me. I have been overweight since I was 17. I have had three children and never really lost the weight from pregnancy and somehow through the years food became my best friend. Well I think it is time I found a new best friend. I look forward to this journey and I love reading other's comments and am anxious to learn about this wonderful process. If anyone out there has any tips or suggestions for me, please do not hesitate to contact. I have just begun, only been to the seminar and have an appt. with the surgeon on 6/4/09. Can anyone tell me what to expect with this first meeting? Thank You.

Welcome Congrats on your new journey this will be the best decision you have ever made. Don't let this scare you but this will also be the hardest thing you have ever done. The weight will fall off after surgery then you will hit a stage where you won't lose any weight for days or weeks no mater what you do. This will pass. There's more advise I could give but if you have been reading post you already know most if it. If not just ask there are a lot of very smart people here that are living the life after WLS. Good luck on your new journey and keep us posted

I drank a lot of cafeine free diet coke on my pre op diet to keep me sane. I have three girls, too - but luckily for me during the week they get most of their meals at the sitters...so that saved me. But after the first few days I found I wasn't hungry anymore - so then it was easier to keep to it...that and my fear of having a fatty liver and the doc getting in there and having to back out and reschedule kept me on the straight and narrow! LOL It's hard as now my girls comment on how "skinny" I am and that they want to be like me when they grow up...I try and focus on being "healthy" and not being "skinny" - as they are 20 mos, 6 and 8 yrs old and very impressionable. I am big boned and tall and I explain to them that when you are tall and muscular you will weigh more - they aren't ever going to be stick thin as they are built like me. (though I was a lot chunkier as a child as I was not as active) I don't want to send my kids the wrong message and have them worrying about their weight in grade school! (though the 6 yr old had a rotten girl call her fat on the playground...I am telling you kids are just horrid to one another!) Anyway...you will make it through - keep your eyes on the prize! Kim

I'm a single mom and I took one week off from my stand up job. It was enough time off. The main reason I had surgery was my fear of all the health problems I was sure to get from being so over weight. I kept thinking what was going to become of me in 10 years? I knew there was no way I could stand on my feet and continue to run my business. So I figured maybe having complications from surgery was a smaller risk then knowing I was definitely going to have complications from being so over weight.

I was excited to go to the gas station today...my morning weight and the gas was the same price....289!!!!! I am down 16lbs now since surgery on the 30th of May.....I hope the gas prices keep coming down with my weight.... Congrats to everyones losses.....

Is it TOM? Watch your sodium intake and make sure you are getting your fluids in. During PMS, I hang on to weight and lose it once my period starts.

Hi Mare, I have heard of a band being placed after a failed RNY; however, the sleeve wouldn't be an option. I wondered though, have you checked out a procedure called the ROSE procedure? I will copy and paste what I found below: ROSE Procedure, Restorative Obesity Surgery, Endolumenal, obesity surgery, gastric bypass, Albany, Macon, Columbus, Dotham Restorative "Incisionless" Obesity Surgery Even the most successful gastric bypass patients occasionally regain weight [/url]New surgical technology now allows surgeons to treat one of the potential sources of this weight regain. The ROSE procedure (Restorative Obesity Surgery, Endolumenal) provides an incisionless surgical option to restore gastric bypass patients' anatomy to closely match original post-surgery sizes Dr. Bagnato performs the scar-free ROSE Procedure (Restorative Obesity Surgery, Endolumenal) entirely through the mouth without making any external incisions into the body. Eliminating incisions means less risk than traditional open or laparoscopic surgery, minimal post operative pain, fast recovery time and no scarring. Patients generally report minimal or no pain after the procedure and many of them return to work and normal activities the next day. Who is eligible? Patients who originally lost significant weight following gastric bypass but who now find themselves regaining weight may be ideal candidates for this procedure. After an initial screening, you will undergo a series of evaluations including nutritional and dietary counseling, a full medical exam, and endoscopy to determine if you are a good candidate. What does the ROSE procedure entail? The ROSE procedure is performed with the patient under anesthesia using a four-channel tube and special Incisionless Surgery tools. The bariatric surgeon advances the flexible tube and a small endoscope through the patient's mouth, into the stomach pouch. The surgeon will then insert the surgical tools through the channels of the tube. Tissue anchors are used to create multiple tissue folds around the stoma to reduce the diameter. The surgeon will then use the same technique to place anchors in the stomach pouch to reduce its volume. Are there other treatment options available? To perform the initial gastric bypass, the bariatric surgeon creates smaller stomach "pouch" and then bypasses the top portion of the small intestine. The procedure leaves a significant amount of scar tissue behind. This scar tissue makes traditional or "open" revision (performed through an abdominal incision) surgery far riskier than the original surgery. The most feared complication of gastric bypass - a leak, an incomplete tissue connection that allows the stomach contents to spill into the body - is four times more common in revision procedures than in the original bypass. Most surgeons don't perform open revisions today because of the risks. In recent years, many medical device companies have developed new tools that allow surgeons to operate through the mouth. We've chosen a set of tools known as the EndoSurgical Operating SystemTM (EOS) because the system's sutures and tissue anchors distribute holding force across tissue, leading us to believe that they will hold longer than other tissue fasteners. The EOS is also unique because it allows us to reduce the size of both the pouch and the stoma. How long will you need to stay in the hospital? Hospital stay is determined on a case-by-case basis. You may be discharged the same day if the procedure was done early in the morning or Dr. Bagnato may want you to stay overnight. Your surgeon will make the determination following your procedure. What are the benefits of an Incisionless procedure? By eliminating skin incisions, the new procedure may provide important advantages to patients, including reduced risk of infection and associated complications, less post-operative pain, faster recovery time and no abdominal scars. What type of side effects can I expect? It is anticipated that patients will feel little or no discomfort from the procedure. To date, the only noted side effects have been short-term sore throat, swelling of the tongue or lip discomfort from the insertion of the instruments into the mouth. These issues usually go away in one or two days. Is it safe? As with any surgery there is risk involved. This less invasive approach should reduce the likelihood of many of the complications associated with the other open or laparoscopic revision procedures. ROSE is a new procedure, however, and long term outcomes are unknown. What is the success rate? As with any weight loss procedure, results vary with each patient. The ROSE procedure has been well tolerated and most patients immediately lose weight as they eat less - with the return of the early feeling of "fullness" due to the restriction of the new, smaller pouch. The ROSE procedure is new and long-term data are not yet available. What is the recovery process? Typically, patients return to normal activity within a few days of their procedure. Dr. Bagnato will give you specific instructions. In addition, you will be required to follow a post-procedure diet and exercise plan, similar to the regimen prescribed following your initial bypass surgery. This generally means that patients will need to consume only liquids for a day or two after the surgery, and then slowly add soft, pureed foods for about two weeks before resuming a regular diet. To help you on your journey, follow-up appointments with Dr. Bagnato and regular visits with our bariatric support staff will be required. Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery LAP-BAND System REALIZE Band Advantages of LAP-BAND LAP BAND Adjustments StomaphyX procedure ROSE Procedure Weight Loss Procedure Videos Weight Loss Surgery| Meet Our Team| LAP-BAND System| REALIZE Band| StomaphyX proced

I attended 4 different seminars with 4 different surgeons. I felt overwhelmed at all of them to the point of tears. Feeling horrible that it had come to this point. Left the first two feeling like I could do this on my own, that surgery was too extreme and then struggled with yet another attempt to lose and of course....then regain weight. You will know when you are ready and when you find the right surgeon. Although still feeling sad that it has gotten to this point. I am now looking forward to a new healthier me with the help and support of my lap band (my soon to be new best friend) these forums and my local gym!!!!

Thrilled, thrilled, thrilled. Saw the post-op bariatrics team last Wednesday. Kaiser defines a sucessful bariatrics patient as one who has lost 50% of the excess weight within one year following surgery. I have lost 81% in 7 months. This forum is a wonderful resource, with many people who are very successful with the sleeve in the long-run. I want to add my experiences to the pool of information. I plan on being one of the long-runs. To keep losing weight, I have to eat fewer than 50 grams of carb a day, and stay under 1200 calories. No, I usually don't get all my Water in. I also drink coffee, with 2% milk. This is the source of most of my carb. Eating too much is as bad as eating too little. Doing either one can make my weight loss stall. I can't snack anymore. The surgeon told me that, after 6 months, it's three meals a day, period. He's right. I still use baby bowls, a baby spoon, and 5-inch plates. I plan to use the small plates forever. I like my baby spoons, and the bowls are still portion-perfect. Too much Protein triggers insulin, and I gain weight. At my weight, 166.6, I only need 65 grams of protein a day, according to my NUT. If I don't eat enough fat, my weight stalls. Fruit = stall. I cannot lose without low-intensity exercise. 3 - 5 sessions a week, 30 minutes, on a treadmill that keeps me at a pulse rate of 107 (based on age) is the key. I also lift heavy weights twice a week. Throwing a 20-pound weight around does nothing for me. I use as much weight as I can lift for 5 slow reps. I am almost to the point of being able to do a real pull-up. I have loose skin. I am a shar-pei. But I am a proud, getting-healthy shar-pei. It doesn't bother my Best Half. Why should I care? I wore a bathing suit in Hawaii, and no one reported me to the Skin Police. Yes, I lost hair, starting at 3 months and it has slowed almost to normal. I ate my protein, took my Vitamins, and I still lost hair. It's based on hormonal changes, just like after childbirth. I still look like a girl. If you are scared to have a sleeve because of the potential hair loss, you aren't a good candidate for the surgery. You don't want to lose weight badly enough to be successful. I did not have a "food funeral" before my surgery, and I followed my surgeon's pre-op diet to the letter. I've spent years eating crap. Two weeks crap-less wasn't going to kill me. I don't miss any foodstuff. I don't cry over crap not eaten. I pull my vintage sized 14 Liz Claiborne clothes out of the closet and rejoice that I no longer wear a size 26, like I did back in 2000. If I really, really want it, I eat one small bite. Most sweets that I used to crave now taste terrible. One sweet potato fry satisfies as well as a bag of gingersnaps used to. Soda tastes like chemical-salts-bilge water. Yuk. I goof. I screw up. I eat too much. I still emotionally eat. That doesn't make me a bad person. There's always the next opportunity to make a much better choice. Veterans, please feel free to add on. I'd love to know what is down the sleeved road!

Banded April 13,2011, (it wasnt a Friday thought I would be ok) Surgery went well, after my 7th fill the doctor decided I had a leak, Had port replacement surgery Sept 6th and my first fill Monday, bad thing is..... they dug around so much and did an overfill so had to go run back in and they dug around alot more, so now I am affraid they poked another hole in it : ( .............so today my weight is 3 pounds less then they day I walked into 1st surgery, and I have no restriction I am scheuduled for another fill Sept 10th ..............Im so freakin bummed! and I am soooooooo tired of being stuck!!!!!!!!!! Im sooooo tired of having to ask for coverage to take off work (2 surgeries and 8 fills in 5 months) Im tired of the copays and Im tired of the bills that keep rolling in, and most of all I am tired of standing on the scale and it not moving. someone please tell me this gets better........

The big question is what nutritional standards your doctor wants you to keep. You mentioned not being allowed to have fat free milk. That can make a huge difference to the flavor. Adding ingrediants like sugar free pudding powder and sugar free syrup can really help as well. There can be a wide range of nurtritional values of Protein powder depending on style and brand. I second the Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard I buy the double chocolate flavor (at Vitamin shoppe). I would compare the stats of the protein your doctor wants you to use to the Optimum Nutrition and see if ON is equal to or better than the doctors. Perhaps you can get the doctor to approve a different brand. My doctor wanted me to do HMR 500; 5, 100 calorie shakes a day. They ended up giving me an alergic reaction and I was not loosing weight. If I am doing an hour of cardio a day and only consuming 500 calories I had BETTER lose weight.

My surgery is next week (Oct 20th) and I wasn't told to drink any shake. However, I'm drinking them anyways as a meal replacement for my breakfast right now to help with the pre-surgery weight loss . I used to workout a lot and have tried a ton of different shakes and the one I take now is by far my favorite. I bought it on amazon.com, it's called Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard. Check out the ratings, 4.5 stars with over 600 reviews. I got the Extreme Milk chocolate, I blend it with 1 banana, 1 cup of non-fat milk and some ice. I'm telling you it's really good. Plus it's 24g of protein and only 1g of sugar and 3g of carbs. I'm telling you, just compare the nutritional fact to other proteins. Anyways, just thought I'd add my .02 cents.

So far from what I've heard it depends on the person, of you don't mind me asking how old are you? What's your weight? And where are you from?

My name us Lori. I am 5'3" - SW 262lbs. I am two months out from surgery and have lost approximately 38 lbs pounds. I weigh in tomorrow at my doctor's office on the official scale. I am happy about my loss but see others who have list 50-60 lbs in the same time frame. I am concerned as to why I'm losing weight so slowly. I lost several inches but have not truly dropped a whole dress size yet. The pounds still seem to trickle off me and not literally fall off like other people. Help! Has anyone else experienced this? Frozen in MN.

Heading south tomorrow (Sunday)! Packed my super tiny light weight suitcase (10 lbs packed!) so no lifting issues for me and nearly ready to go. I live by myself and am going solo so I've been in a cleaning frenzy today. Yard work and laundry done and everything sparkling clean. Now my distractions are done and it's time for me to just be anxious! Only downside is the border crossing into Mexico is at a high alert and is taking lots of time due to the horrible manhunt we have going on in Southern California. Ex cop killed several people and is on the loose. Uhm, so yeah, it's safer in Mexico. Looking forward to being on the other side!

I started this Journey officially on January 12th 2016 and was approved for the surgery on February 8th! I'm scheduled for March 8th! I've been overweight all my life and I've reached my peak weight of 358! I do eat healthy but I just eat too much sometimes! I'm mostly nervous because I haven't told anyone besides my mother and one of my coworkers! I'm just glad to be able to kick start my healthy lifestyle! If anyone has any pointers of suggestions please feel free to leave them!

1. Your health and medical choices are your business, not your co-workers. Tell them as much or as little as you want. But be prepared, they will probably, sooner or later, guess at your having had weight loss surgery. You need to be prepared about what to tell them -- either that you are going to lie (I don't advise it, not for anyone but specifically not for you since they may well hear about it via work and it will make you look like a bad, untrustworthy person), tell them you don't want to discuss it, or be open about it if/when they ask. Whatever you choose, don't let the reactions of people around you determine whether you are going forward with surgery or not. This is YOUR life and choice, and other people can go pound sand. 2. You will be able to eat and drink at your son's wedding. You may not want to have more than a couple bites of cake or sips of wine, but it will be up to you. Hopefully you will come to a place where your enjoyment of celebrations is measured by the fun you have with people and activities rather than by how much food you can eat. And believe me, I am not judging, I have definitely walked many miles in your shoes! Imagine yourself thinner, happier, with more energy at his wedding, dancing and receiving compliments from friends and family. Doesn't that sound better than eating three slices of cake and slugging back glasses of wine? Imagine shopping for your Mother of the Groom outfit in a brand new size and all the options you will have to pick from! 3. See above. It's a big change but a positive one. You can still enjoy football and spending time with friends without over-eating, I promise. None of these things are as important as your physical and emotional health -- and for most of us, things improve drastically on both fronts via this surgery. I worried too about missing out on things like big family dinners -- but trust me, I look back at my worries and have to laugh at myself a little bit. My life is so, so much better now, in a multitude of ways. Good luck in your decision.

Yes I was banded on April 1st. I think I am doing pretty good and my doctors office is happy with where I am at. I am down 44 pounds and have not needed a fill yet. Scheduled to go back to doctor on June 26th. I have not been exercising because I broke my ankle 2 weeks ago when I was moving into the solid food phase. So with no exercise and new foods I think my weight loss is slowing down a little. Still not overly hungry and satisfied with a small amount of food. Trying new things every day. How are you doing?