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My sleeve surgery was April 15th last year but I went to Mexico for the first time last February when I was at my highest weight and I wasn't even looking forward to my trip. Fast forward to this February and I'm down 96 pounds and super excited for Mexico in less than 2 weeks!Last years swimsuit - size 20. This years swimsuit just a plain old size large!!!! Sent from my iPhone using BariatricPal

I would give it some time...sounds like it might be inflammed from the pokes..After fills with my doctor they tell me to stay on liquid for 3 days and then 3 days of soft food..maybe you started eating too fast.. I hope your doing better..and you were able to keep your fill and get some food down..KUP :cool:

Thank you for everything...now u said u did self pay and I'm just curious I'm 19 and my credits not too high. Did you have to have good credit for that carecrdit? I think that sounds like a great option for me I just need to know what hoops I have to jump through for each option. Are payments pretty high up there? Did that include airfare? Also about the procedure did you loose pretty fast ? Thank youcomfortable and full faster but able to swallow w/o vomiting- when u reach it that is when It all begins life changes as u know it! This has truly changed my life.... No more tv for me..... now I love to play basketball with the family, ride bikes, go to the beach , live life without being afraid b/c of my size. No more back pain either!!!!!! And also since I was self pay I didn't have to do any pre surgery visits I just called and 2 weeks later I was having the surgery.

I'm sorry it took me so long to get back to you, if you haven't found a way to finance please look up the care credit. I wouldn't say its the lowest finance you could get - i do have a great credit score but I wanted it fast and it was the fastest route- I knew i would be able to pay it off in a year. Don't let lack of credit detour you from trying though. If you call them they will answer your questions about how much your monthly payment will be and so forth. It took me matters of minutes to be approved. Airfare is not included. I live in Michigan about 4 hours away from detroit. Did I loose fast? ok I'm in constant loss of weight but in the beginning it was a struggle because I didn't have the restriction so its not like you wake up and pounds just drop off. When I finally got restriction.......wow they fell off. Now my body is totally different therefore my mind is different (I feel so much better about myself) and I do sooooo many different activities (exercise does not mean u have to b at a gym it can be riding bikes, play ball ect.) but I want to do those things. I started out at 264 and I am now 182 (and still losing its been a year 2mo.) I'm 5'5" tall and am not a skinny minnie but I feel great about the skin I'm in now. I can go into a store and try 10 outfits on and they all fit-now its trying to decide what one to buy instead of just hoping one will fit right! If there is one point of advice I can give you is please get your fill every 6weeks until you reach your sweet spot. I didn't and I could've been further along a lot quicker. We are what some may call lap band orphans I've learned throughout the journey and a lot of my info comes from this site. I've fought my whole life with my weight losing many times each time gaining more than when I'd started. I would keep it off for 2-3 years then balloon up. You are so young I believe you would be so happy! I wish I had done it sooner. I researched it for 2 years b4 I made the commitment. Same reasons as you the finance. My husband and I stayed at the " hospital motel" I want to say it costs something like $14 or $17 under 20 anyway. I wish you the very best in this journey!!!!

It really depends on what type of work you do and how well you recover from the surgery. I recovered relatively fast but I'm a RN and work Pediatric Home Health, which means I do a lot of lifting. I took 2 weeks off and when I went back, no lifting by myself. The boy that I take care of weighs 96 pounds. I also think that the time off helps you get a routine down with your Post-Op eating regimen and any "bugs" you need to work out. The pain meds constipate me so I had to deal with that as well as the Optifast or Protein shakes and getting my water in. I would definitely try to take a week off if possible.

I am 30, and I try to pull a fast one on my doc just to get some tuck, he laugh at me very loud . I got no skin issue at all. Look at my pic. My skin rebounced very well, thank you cocoa butter and brushing...

I can press on my port and feel it, but other than that, I can't feel that I have a band. The only time I can tell I have a band is when I've eaten something a bit too fast or didn't chew well enough. Once you have healed, you will feel totally normal. The best thing is you will begin to feel lighter and lighter and lighter.......

I had them a few times before surgery--and now will get it I eat too fast/too big a bite. THEY HURT. Seriously, the first time I had one I thought it was a heart attack. Total pressure/pain in the chest area. For some, I think it radiates to the back. They usually pass (for me anyway) after about 20 minutes. I literally have to leave the table if i'm in public and go to Ladies room...can't hardly talk or walk. Here's how Web MD describes symptoms: Most people with this condition have chest pain that may spread outward to the arms, back, neck, or jaw. This pain can feel similar to a heart attack. If you have chest pain, you should be evaluated by a doctor as soon as possible to rule out or treat cardiac disease. Other symptoms include difficulty or inability to swallow food or liquid, pain with swallowing, the feeling that food is caught in the center of the chest, and a burning sensation in the chest (heartburn).

I was banded a year ago and have been doing great. I recently have side pain (at my port area) and ear pain when I get full after every meal. Does this mean I'm eating too much?? Does this mean I need to get an un-fill...maybe too tight? Like I said, I haven't had a fill in several months and been doing great but lately something has changed. Plus, since my side pain and ear pain has started recently after a meal, I get full way too fast. I can't hardly eat a few bites and then the pain begins - so I stop eating. Has anyone had this problem??

I starting losing right away and dropped 17 FAST. But it has creeped up again and now I'm at a total of 14. I haven't been cleared to exercise yet, so I'm hoping that will get me into a more predictable losing pattern. To this point all I have done is walk with my doggies and just be active in daily life. I think getting back to work will help me get into a routine again, which I am looking forward to. Have a good week!

Yes the protein shake, milk, etc stay in the sleeve longer than clear liquids but not as long as food. Although I can't drink plain water as fast as Crystal Light

I saw my surgeon yesterday and we decided on lap band instead of gastric. I just wasn't at peace with gastric. I am so afraid I made a mistake . My BMI is 56. I had lost 115lbs. on a liguid fast 2 years ago. I put it all back on plus 20 lbs. I am so afraid I won't lose enough. I guess I will just have to be patient. Thanks for listening. Kathy

I've always felt like I was a big guy but "not that big" I mean I can take pictures and Selfies and if I do the right pose, stand a certain way, I look in the picture, to me, like how I think I look. which is a big guy that "not that big". But every once in a while, I will be in a store, say a gas station and I'm waiting in line to pay. I happen to look up at the security monitor and I see this huge guy that is bigger than everyone else around him and I'm like "wow, now that is a big guy" then I start to look for me in that monitor to realize that the person I was looking at was me. I have surveillance cameras at my front door at home. I still remember when I first set those camera's up, I had them set to where I would get an sms message when the motion detector triggers. so I leave my house one day and about 5 minutes later I get the SMS message saying that my motion detector triggered. I pulled over and grabbed my ipad and logged into my system to see what triggered my motion sensor and I see this huge guy walk out my place. my heart started beating real fast for a second till I realized that it was me. now I don't even look at the recordings anymore because I get that feeling every time I see me coming or going in those cameras. I imagine I will probably have the opposite issue once Ive had surgery and have lost weight, where I will really be "not a big guy" but still see a big guy in pictures and in the mirror etc

Yeah, it was easier when I was very strict for the pre op and post op diets... now I feel like its a free-for-all and I'm going back to my old ways... maybe I should try every other day fasting or something just for discipline....some way to get back on track....

I'm from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Thankfully I was able to move fast! My husband and I went in all prepared to finance the whole surgery because we didn't think insurance covered it. We tried in 2008 and were denied. We were told that not only did they cover it, but the only prerequisite was a physical!!! Super blessed. So now we're both on schedule for Feb 1st!

Nerves are a normal part of the process, I think, especially for a irreversible procedure. My feet got so cold, I cancelled my surgery before it was even scheduled. LOL I went to the seminar, met the coordinator of the bariatric program and the next day doctor's office started to call scheduling the preop tests, cardiology, pulmonology, etc. (such cooperation from the insurance company is not the norm from what I hear). Anyway, I went into a total panic, everything was happening too fast. I decided I needed to spend some time in therapy to find out where the panic reaction was from and so I am not going to be sleeved for at least six months. If you were not nervous, I would be worried that you hadn't thought it through enough. Extra socks and a few of those hot packs hunters use and you will be fine. Best to you and your husband. Robbie

Lap Band 9/2007 by Dr Spivak in Houston: 20 lb weight loss immediately after band. Lost another 60 with running, boot camp, exercise and benefit of band as tool to eat less. Reached weight of 135 and felt great, but intermittent episodes of severe restriction, vomiting. Dr Spivak had moved out of the country and his website directed his patient to the physicians at TLC Surgery in Houston. Made an appointment with Dr Sherman Yu. Found out in July that my esophagus and pouch were dilated and i had reflux esophagitis (asymptomatic). All Fluid had to be removed from band and I returned to bad habits. Gained 50 lbs back and felt miserable. I was approved for band removal and revision to sleeve right away, but I chickened out and canceled my surgery in February thinking I could do it on my own. Wrong! i rescheduled and had my revision on 5/12/14 at Park Plaza Hospital. In the hospital, I received IV acetaminophen, dilaudid PCA and the On-Q painbuster ball. I walked 4 hrs after surgery and went home around noon the next day. The staff at PPH was amazing. Dr Yu gave me prescriptions for pain and nausea meds at my preop appt so it would be available when I got home from the hospital. He also is using new compounded lotions/creams for scar, nausea and pain which I am using as well. It is pod#4 today and feel great!! Of course, I have some incisional pain, but I really cannot complain at all. The last time I took pain meds was 2 days ago. I was sent home with the On-Q pain ball and removed it myself on pod#2. No nausea or vomiting, able to drink without problems. I drove myself to the movies yesterday and walked 2 miles today. I hope I'm not speaking too soon and jynxing myself, but I really don't think so. I just wanted to put a positive experience out there for those folks who have heard the horror stories. Best of luck to all!

My pre op diet is a 14 day diet with liquids and authorized bowl or can of soup, only restriction stay away from creamy Soups and basil. I’m scheduled for my Gastric sleeve on 07/29/2013 I’m currently on week 2 day 10 OF 14. A few things I have noticed during my pre op diet Day 1,of my actual diet was quite easy because the day before I started, I ate several large meals that consisted of a bunch of Protein and salad type veggies, with very little carbs for example I had taco salads with no tortilla(s) or chips. So on my first day of liquids I spent a lot of time in the Restroom taking care of business because of the large meals. Day 2-4 I found myself battling with the temptation of cheating with cheat meals, only to then start battling with myself on what type of cheat meal to eat. I was goggling every web site and ad I could find on how many people cheated on their diet, what they ate, did their surgeries go ok, and etc. The majority of information I found that people were cheating and still made it successfully through their surgeries. No one that cheated badly even reported they didn’t have their surgery. Some people had binges and ate like the surgery was a funeral for food. I did cheat on my 6th day; I gave in to my mental distress of not having what I wanted. For my cheat meal I had a light chicken salad instead of dressing I had salsa to replace it. At this point I figured hey I really need this because I’m oh so hungry and I can’t go on. Well this couldn’t be farther from the truth in reality I only wanted to cheat because I’m an emotional eater. I was bored stuck at the hospital with my wife the night before and the stress of everything was piling on top of me. I also found out by goggling in different states various surgeons were requiring little to no pre op diets. So how dare they put us on this crazy diet (lol)? I wondered with me drinking a bunch of fluids and having no solid food for 2 weeks really that healthy for me, in my opinion it’s no more healthier than the taco salad I ate, and it’s no healthier than the guy or girl who has that binge meal every night because the depression of being overweight, and their dissatisfied with their quality of life, I included. So my food addiction like so many others have made us seek out a surgery that lowers the appetite, our intake of food, strict guidelines on when we can advance our diets. So why was I so shocked and paranoid about a simple diet, lord knows if someone told me that I would need to eat a medium pizza, drink several beers ,and eat various sweets like cakes or ice cream for 2 weeks straight I would be like you’re crazy. Why would I eat all that unhealthy food on purpose. So the pre op diet is not that bad in my opinion, is it hard hell yes, can someone really do it yes you can, why, because your new life depends on you, and the food choices you make. The pre op diet in my opinion is more mental than physically damaging. I believe this because my ego, my man hood was challenged because I had to be told what I could eat and drink , this just can’t be right because I’m my own boss right (lol)? Not so fast remember I’m the guy who got me into these bad eating habits and I was the one who was so quick to look for an excuse to blame my mental health, my work conditions, the bad news I got, and that failed promotion that didn’t go through. At the time these excuses seemed to make so much sense to me. But 10 days later now my Food detox is complete , my caffeine detox is complete but I’m not cured by a long shot. Since day 8 I have removed my soup and just made it with all liquids and Protein shakes. So it was and is all in my mind that I just couldn't do this 2 week liquid pre op diet. My starting weight was 316 lbs and day ten I’m down to 289 lbs, with only light walking as exercise. 4 more days to go and I’m actually looking forward to it. I have had a lot more energy than I have had in years, my head is a lot clearer, I even have more patience with people than usual. This by no means is something I (us) could do for life, but two weeks no problem. I’m excited about changing my life in a positive direction and welcome the new relationship with food. So stay busy and don’t stress about the diet just take it one minute, one hour, one day at a time. I’m doing it and you can to.

I just got my first fill of 3cc and I still don't think I have restriction I get hungry so fast I mean I'm still eating soft food hopefully when I start eating more dense food ill feel full but is this normal?

Morning everyone! Revised 5/27, feeling great, had post surgery visit yesterday - all is well, besides the hematoma - posted a topic the other day - but all is well .... surgeon isn't that concerned. Yesterday morning, I was woken up by this weird feeling in my chest, sat up fast and boom - acid vomit - light green bile looking. Didnt think anything of it till today --- same thing - this time I didn't vomit but the acid/bile or whatever it is - is horrendous. I thought, or I was hoping, that the revision would take care of this - and this is worse than before the surgery -- fluke? I'm on Prilosec, but normally that doesn't work for me, so the surgeon gave me Protonix yesterday, which I love... always worked, as did Nexium. What could it be? Could it be lack of food? should I maybe eat something before going to bed - even if protein shake? Thanks - hope all is well with everyone!!!

To get your protein up while not hungry, you might want to try protein drinks. You could try something like the slim fast optima which is supposed to have more protein in it, or just buy some protein powder and add it to what your are drinking. You have to get something down to build up your strength. I hope you feel better soon, and welcome to the September forum!

I am self pay, went to my primary doctor out of courtesy to inform him of my decision and he tried to talk me into Gastric Bypass. He just 'knew' of another doctor who 'did' the GB and that this doctors surgery somehow made it so you never had dumping syndrome. I was like, "seriously??" did you really just say that to me? He went on to tell me the same thing your doctor said to you. Fast forward to now: MY DOCTOR EATS CROW EVERY TIME I SEE HIM!!!!!!!!! Each weigh in the nurse is like: "wow you lost more weight.." It is hilarious! Would you go to a foot doctor for your teeth? No. General doctors are just that. General. Primary Care Doctors only study one tiny chapter of WLS for their doctorate! That opinion she gave you was extremely damaging.

Maybe you are taking too large of a drink and drinking too fast. Try smaller sips and waiting a while between swallows. If you're not able to keep Water down at all, don't wait, dehydration can come on pretty fast.

I've had pain from drinking too much too fast. Sometimes I forget and fall back into old habits and gulp my water.

Nothing that anyone can tell you without seeing you and knowing more about you before and after surgery can substitute for seeing your surgeon. On the other hand, the left side is where most of the work was done and where things are hooked up. It isn't unusual to hurt more there, and it sounds to me like your surgeon's office gave you sound advice. Since you are a few months out from surgery, I am wondering if this is coming as you transition from liquids to solid foods? That was the trickiest time for me. Your pouch is adjusting, the opening is tight and being challenged by solids, and nausea can come easily from eating too fast or too much (as well as from doing everything right!) I would encourage you to keep working on getting down what fluids you can, take the pain medicine, and wear the binders. Consider whether part of the issue could be constipation. If you start taking pain medicine like recommended, consider taking something proactively to prevent constipation. You can get through this and it will be well worth it! Please post updates so we know how you are doing!