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I was banded... 10/31/2006.

Hi Boudala! I have had 10 surgeries in my life, and this one was by far the easiest, next to having a cyst removed from my hand. I was self-pay as well, but ended up having to stay 2 days in the hospital....the reason was because I had a hard time coming out of the anesthesia, so they kept me another day just to be safe. But in regard to the pain, it was very, very minimal in the surgical area. I had some gas pain in my shoulder, but it was bearable. Just make sure you walk, walk, walk. I had to walk 20 laps around the hospital floor before I could be discharged. I definitely recommend the walking about every hour...it helps tremendously with the recovery. I also have a two story house, so the first night home, I decided to sleep downstairs in my recliner. But my butt was starting to hurt from being in the chair too long, so the second night home, I went up the stairs and to my room. It wasn't bad at all. I just took them slow and held a small pillow to my abdomen. You will do great, and I wish you the best luck!

many of us "gain" weight from the IV fluids they pump into us at the hospital. Some people have reported "gaining" up to 10 lbs from the fluids. However, it's not a true gain - it's just water (and water with sodium in it, I might add, which makes some people retain it for awhile). It takes a few days for it to work its way out of your system. I'd stay off the scale until your first post-op appt (most of us have our first post-op at two or three weeks out). Your weight should be on a downward trend by then.

Hi everyone! Happy Holidays!! I am looking to start a topic with bandsters in the Grand Rapids area. My surgery is scheduled for Dec 30 with Dr Beane. I am starting my liquid diet this Thursday. I had to go through the 6 month diet with Dr Beane and I have lost 19 pounds since May 2010. I'm very excited to get to this point and can't wait to begin 2011 with a new me!! Check in and introduce yourself and say hello! Chris

I "fit" better in the car and in movie theaters - I am not embarrassed to go clothing shopping anymore and can shop in the regular stores... even bought size 10 jeans at GAP last week... My three kids are proud of me... and finally... I AM PROUD OF MYSELF!!!

Or.. the canned crescent rolls. I've always been partial to them, I have a billion recipes using them to make something a hand-held food. I use them to make a mini-quiche thing for family cook outs. Would make a good pizza too! I make it with swiss cheese and pieces of ham. But you use a mini-muffin pan, squish pieces of crescent roll into the bottom of each, then top with whatever you want and bake for 10 minutes. Could put a spoon of marinara, pinch of mozzerella and ta-da!

Today is my first day of my two weeks liquid fast, my surgery date is 10/23 too! I am drinking Optifast I purchased from my surgeons office. The already made shakes are good, but a little more expensive. The shake powder is not that yummy. But I will only be doing the Optifast for two weeks, then after that I'll probably go back to my EAS or unjury.

I only have 1cc in my band and I had my surgery in may 2012 and its a good restriction for me. I also had the plication with mine. I've been steadily losing about 10 pounds a month.

I was banded on Oct 10, 08 since then I have lost 87 lbs. Since I started on this journey I have tried to not eat emotionally. When I get hungry, I ask myself "Are you really hungry or is something else going on?" Since I started this process another "appetite" has developed... for sex. Is this normal?

Happens on Youtube too. They lose their weight and then disappear. A FEW people stick around to try and pay back the support they got when they were new. There are a couple of channels (Back to basics, ProofWLS works) but for the most part, a lot of people that I was following in 2009/10/11 have stopped updating.

I went through gastric bypass surgery with my daughter 3 years ago. She lost 100 lbs. the first yr. and wears a size 10 (down from a 24) and looks wonderful. She still has trouble keeping some foods down. Can't eat mashed potatoes at all. She cried for 2 weeks after her surgery....so depressed at the big change in eating. I'm convinced a lot of it was because she simply loved food (whereas I just eat to get full) and she knew it was permanent. I think with the band you always know there are choices and adjustments that can be made. I hope I'm not as depressed as my daughter was. I have no idea what to expect. Hope the seminar fills me in, but they are only going to tell me the good things. I want to know real life experiences.

Hi my surgery was 10/31/11. Nine weeks after surgery I lost 23 in 4 weeks, 6 lbs in 3 weeks, and 4 lbs in 2 weeks. It did get discouraging the second month because it is coming off slower. The scale is moving weekly but not very fast. I know it took years to put on and in 2 1/2 months I am down 33 lbs so I am still happy.

My sleeve is scheduled for 8/19/15 my nerves are really kicking in. I found this and I'm excited there's more people out there going thru what I'm going thru. I start my liquids for preop on 8/4 any recommendations on decent tasting proteins?

"It ain't over till the fat lady sings" So, I think I'll write a song about this struggle and drama and love/hate relationship with food and my experiences with being obese....errr, I'm FAT...then I'll sing it and it'll be OVER. Ha ha ha... well, maybe not. Maybe I'll change the saying to "It ain't over till the fat lady sleeves!" There are so many things I can't do, or choose not to do because of my weight. It's like a prison in ways (weighs)..and self-imposed sometimes, other times because of things I can't control. Some things are just literally impossible to do. Like running, fitting into a roller coaster seat, etc. Other things I won't do because it embarrasses me to do it or I'm afraid of being judged (wearing shorts, having my picture taken) Silly and sad and vain at times, but true. Singing is one of those things in my life that people say I should do more of. Why don't I? It's because of my weight. I absolutely LOVE to sing, and I believe I'm pretty good at it. My husband even bought me a guitar last Christmas and I attempted to learn to play it three or four times till it made me cry trying to hold it and play it with nearly no lap and a belly that looks like I'm about 7 months pregnant. Then, of course, I feel guilty because it looks like I didn't totally adore him for buying it for me - he loves me to sing. Of course, being overweight doesn't prevent me from singing, physically speaking, other than I seem to have more limits on my lung capacity. There is, however, the lack of energy, and being depressed about being unable to lose weight without WLS and be healthy and realizing how it affects my family and my goals and our future... all add up to mean I don't feel much like singing these days. I admit the way I look affects my self acceptance and esteem. What's there to sing about? Yeah, and the occasional pity party. So, WLS is my "swan song"...lol. I'm gonna be the fat lady singing that my losing battle with FAT is OVER. I'm gonna use this WLS tool to kick the BUTT of obesity in my life! And, this got me to thinking about all those "little things" and "big things" I will be so very happy to do again, or things that will be different (in a good way), whether it's because of the physical limits, or because I choose not to because of my weight and size and my feelings of guilt and frustration for not keeping myself healthy and fit. So, the parts of my life or things that will change or improve when I am at my healthy goal weight --- (from 295 to 150-ish) Energy - Hugs - Clothing - Shoes - Less pain - Marriage - Travel - Sleep - Pictures - Singing - Swelling - Exercise - Activities - Social life - Family get-togethers - Summertime - well, here's some detail...in no particular order and by no means complete: 1. I can walk into a "normal people" department store and find a cute dress that fits me. How happy I will feel... because I will always remember what it was like before, at 300 lbs.... (No more crying in the dressing room, I have to get a bigger size? good grief, how hard it is to move around just to change clothes because I'm sweating and it's a small space and the mirror is mean to me.) 2. I can wear cute shoes. I can wear strappy sandals. I can wear heels. I can put shoes on without holding my breath. (No more "supportive" shoes for plantar faciitis-hopefully, so no more heel pain and knee pain, hip pain that presently prevent the heels and cute shoes I want to wear) 3. I can sleep.. fall asleep for a nap anywhere... spend the night anywhere. Sleep will be good. (No more CPAP needed. Sleep Apnea cured.) 4. Climb stairs, walk fast, walk all day shopping (No more getting totally out of breath to the point I black out or wheezing like I am dying) 5. Fit in things/seats.... - be it plane, train, roller coaster... or restaurant booth, movie theater, desk chair, swing, stadium seat. (No more fear of breaking a chair, not fitting and being told I'm too heavy, no more pain in chairs that are not big enough for me, no fear of the terribly judgmental looks from passengers on a plane or train as they see me get on - hoping I'm not sitting next to them...uugghh) 6. ENERGY ... Oh my, that one applies to so many areas - or every area of life. 7. Sex ... I'll leave the details unsaid - but this is a priority. It's gonna be better than my present weight allows it to be. 8. Mom & Grandmother things - My grown children are close to marrying age and in serious relationships which means upcoming weddings and not too many years till they'll be having kids, too. The thought of being healthy, energetic and active for the future is great motivation here too. 9. Long life - My husband and I have been married three years this July. It's not our first go-around, and we have a LOT of things to enjoy as we grow together and we want a long, enjoyable future - not one filled with pain, health problems and limitations. 10. I'll SING - I have committed to pursue this talent in a way that will be personally fulfilling and hopefully inspirational. It's not that I can't sing now, while I'm overweight... but I feel as though losing my excess weight will be like a curtain lifting to reveal the "me" I've been all along, but finally I admitted needing help to find again. So many more... but for now, that's what I'll remind myself of today. This is why the surgery will be worth it. The pain, the challenge, the new habits, the struggles, the day to day choices, the realization and commitment to the lifestyle changes, and the milestones that may come slowly. Flutterby (it's gotta be what butterflies were really called first... there it goes, fluttering by) and I'm coming out of this cocoon too... soon!

I also had surgery 4 weeks ago and have lost 19 lbs. I noticed the weightloss slow down the 3rd and 4th week. Im guessing its just my body reacting to all the changes. As long as your protien and calories are on point, weight loss should resume. I also started exercising last week to help my metabolism along! Good luck. HW 276 SW 257 GW 165

I am a few days from surgery and have the same worries. I love good food. I have eaten countless meals in exotic places in every corner of the world and hope to do it all again (in small bites). I could be a producer for Anthony Bourdain. If it wasnt' for the sleeve procedure I wouldn't have considered bariatric surgery. My wife had a bypass 10 years ago and I would not have opted for that will all the dumping and such. I am banking on the idea that this surgery will get me to a better place and help me maintain a new balance for the rest of my life. As for my preceding existance....It was a Hell of a ride. Every pound has a story. Time to turn the page. We are going to be OK

Another benefit of Bariatric Surgery. A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report shows that 40 percent of all U.S. cancer diagnoses can now be linked to overweight and obesity. Out of all cancer diagnoses, nearly 55 percent of female cases and 24 percent of male cases were linked to overweight and obesity. These cases statistically affect older adults, mostly between the ages of 50 and 74-years-old. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2017/10/04/cdc-40-percent-cancers-linked-to-obesity-overweight.html

My wife is about 10 days post op and she was notified by the surgeons office. Then we received written notice from our insurance some days later. I got my approval letter in the mail on Friday, but have not heard from the surgeons office. I'm hoping to be banded by the end of May.

I'm in the same boat ladies I called my insurance company and they haven't received anything from my doctor yet so hopefully Monday when the POC that is due to submit it will be back and hopefully time will whine down I talk to my insurance company and they said that once they receive it they have 3 to 5 business days. To process it so I'm just as excited myself I've carried this weight for the past 19 years and I am being as patient as I possibly can with GOD's help.

I did the same even though my NUT didn't recommend it LOL I was at the 9 week mark (10 week with preop) and I kept bouncing between these 2 pounds. It's finally coming off and I've lost those 2 and another 2. It took two weeks though. The stall happened as soon as I bumped up my cardio and started jogging.

I see a lot of questions about what people eat, so I thought I would post my usual menu selections. Breakfast is usually 1 of 3 things. 1) 1 egg and 1 piece of bacon 2) EAS low carb Protein Shake 3) Jachut's Green Smoothie (1 cup water, 1 cup fresh spinach, 1/2 banana, 1/2 apple, 1 scoop Unjury unflavored protein powder pureed in blender) Snack, If I am hungry I have either 1) 1 Cheese stick string cheese 2) Laughing cow light cheese wedge with 6 crackers 3) Greek yogurt 4) EAS shake Lunch 1) A piece of fish (4 Oz by weight) 2) Leftover meat from the night before, (2 Oz if beef) 3) If I am busy at work, Starkist Lunch to go or a can of sardines with 6 crackers. I add a veggie to one of the meats above either leftovers from the night before or canned that I can heat up easily at work. Afternoon Snack I choose 1 from the snack list above Dinner (usually cooked on the grill) 1) Beef 2 Oz 2) Chicken 4 Oz 3) Fish 4 Oz 4) Pork 2 Oz I measure my meat by weight and my veggies by measure cup. We cut up fresh veggies and put them on the grill too. I make sweet potato's in the microwave and eat 1/2 of it with butter. I usually have 1/2 cup veggies and 1/2 cup carb. I try and keep my breakfast, lunch and dinner at 250 calories and snacks under 150 each, this gives a grand total of 1050 per day max. Plus anytime I am trying to see if a snack is appropriate, I use the rule of thumb of 1g protein per 10 calories. I hope this helps someone, I will be happy to answer questions. :w00t:

Im a teacher and didnt take any time off. My co teacher (controller of students in my class at the time) knew of my surgery and I went back to work on Monday (surg was sat left hos on sunday) and "took it easy". I taught at the front of the class so on my feet all day but she got the students to help ie handing out papers so I wasnt running around. I spent 4 hours on my feet 4 hours at my desk so it wasnt that bad. Post op my biggest challenge was stairs and the 10 walk up and down the hill to my house to and from work. My doc said I should take a few days off ( actually I had so much gas in my lungs he wanted to keep me a few days but I went home against his wishes, since im still here 3 years later things worked out ok) but turned out ok. Now most of his patients follow my lead and go back to work asap helping with recovery because moving = gas going faster I would suggest 1-2 days off work and then when back at work walk 5 mintues every hour and 10 deep breathes every hour