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Hello, I'm new to this site. I wanted to know if someone else is having the same issue as me or if it's normal. I had the gastric bypass done April 30, 2019 at the time of the surgery I was 287 lbs. I am now 4 weeks out and I am at 269, I've lost only 18 lbs and 1 to 2 inches. Are 18 lbs good? I see post of other patients that have lost a lot more, I know everyone is different I just want to know if others have lost that amount or close to that amount 4 weeks post op.

I'm scheduled for tomorrow 8/19/15 at 10:45am. I'm so nervous about everything tomorrow that I've cleaned my apartment twice. I'm so ready to get this over with but still scared at the same time.

I said I wouldn't weigh myself until the doctor's office and then yesterday, I was following a thread that said you are supposed to lose 20 lbs the first two weeks post op. Unlike some people, my doctor and Bariatric Center allowed me "full" liquids the first week (meaning milk-based products) and cottage cheese (which can be chewed). So, I was never on clear liquids post-surgery. My walking has consisted of using a tread mill a few times (at my neighbor's house) and real-world walking (shopping trips, etc). I haven't pushed myself harder because I DO FEEL IT when I am done on the tread mill or shopping. Overdid it grocery shopping. Didn't lift anything heavier than 10 1bs, but the stretching, bending, etc...It added up after an hour.

I just went for my first fill on 10/20/09 and the PA told me that my surgeon placed 3cc's the day of the surgery so the 2cc fill I got that day put me at 5cc in a 10cc band. I guess I thought that the band would be empty when it was inserted and I didn't know there was any Fluid in it... I was on liquids for 48 hours and finally ate real food for dinner last night, chicken caldo that my dad made, yumm... anyway it wasn't too solid and I didn't eat much because I was a little nervous but a few hours later I was hungry again... I just had Water and a SF popsicle since it was late. Next fill is scheduled for 11/18/09 so I'm going to try to eat a little more food today although it will be tuna which isn't too solid... if I don't stay full for 3-4 hours, should I let my doctor know since maybe I need more restriction. How much food should I be eating after the first fill?

You should not do the same thing for the same reasons with the sleeve...if you eat and drink at the same time, you will not get the nutrients that you need to get from food....plus if you drink and dont wait the 10-30 min you should before eatting you will not get the sense of "fullness" that you should get...this is what I was told by my NUT at my session....

I tried juicing pre-op but it made my husband's and my blood sugar go up by 10 points in one month, so I had to stop. But I think there are people who do juice. Hopefully one of them will answer this thread. What did work for me initially was to make high Protein soups with a blend of chicken and veggies, or shrimp and veggies, and puree them. I have some of those on my blog and they can be found if you search for "full liquids". For whatever reason, I don't seem to make them that much anymore. Maybe that's a thought.

Thanks for this!! I was wondering if the two procedures could be done together. I got approved a few weeks ago and am scheduled for May 23rd. I've suffered from GERD for 10+ years, off and on but the last 2+ years the pain made me question if it was something else.. and after explaining the symptoms to my nutritionist she suggested it might be my gallbladder. The pain has just progressed and I've even had clay like stool. I'm having an endoscopy on Thursday and will request my gallbladder be checked as well... hopefully it can all be cleared before May 23rd!!

I had my surgery with Dr. ATkinson on 12/20/08 and am to goal with losing 90 pds. Good luck and you are in good hands with Dr. Atkinson. I was very pleased with the Dr and his staff and never regretted the decision. I go on this website very single morning and have been for the last 2 1/2 yrs and I can't seem to find anybody that has the band for over 10 years. I guess I should not have to worry since I am 58 but if I were young, you might want to ask these questions before and decide on what surgery you want after that. I never had any fills and I have read that the life of the band is somewhat extended from not getting it filled/unfilled. I have read that getting too much of a fill over time sometimes causes slippage and I am not sure what actually causes that. Regardless, I am thrilled to have the band but if I was younger I would certainly weigh the pros and cons on permanent surgery that cannot be removed or eroded down the road. Good luck on your choice and you are starting out with one of the best doctors around.

High blood pressure - gone. Type 2 diabetes - gone. Cholesterol - normal. sleep apnea - gone. Back and knee pain - gone. Weight loss - 120+ lbs. (actually 126 at today's weight). Waist size - Pre-op: 48" - 50". Post-op (11 months): 36" 95% of Prescription meds - gone. Dealing with the psychological aspect - it starts with "finding your why". I found mine. Health - Obesity is a progressive, degenerative disease that is the second leading cause of premature, preventable death in the U.S. The links between obesity and heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea and a dozen other serious diseases are well documented and virtually undeniable. Options - Diet and exercise as a treatment for folks with a BMI of 30 or greater is a myth. It is a statistical virtual impossibility with a failure rate approaching 100%. And science is just now beginning to understand why - http://www.drsharma....or-obesity.html . For more information - "Medicare's Search for Effective Obesity Treatments - Diets Are Not the Answer" - http://motivatedandf...s_dont_work.pdf . Bariatric surgery is the single most effective weight loss option known to medical science - by a very wide margin. The September 19, 2012 Journal of the American Medical Association reported the results of a study done with 1,156 surgery participants 18 - 72 years old, along with two control groups totalling more than 700 participants. One key aspect of their findings: "At 2 years, 99 percent of surgical patients had maintained more than 10 percent weight loss from baseline and 94 percent had maintained more than 20 percent weight loss. At 6 years, 96 percent of surgical patients had maintained more than 10 percent weight loss from baseline and 76 percent had maintained more than 20 percent weight loss". Read more at: http://medicalxpress...higher.html#jCp Quality of life - The ability to go into any store, anywhere, anytime knowing that there will be endless options for the new you. The ability to walk up a flight of stairs without being out of breath. The ability to play with your children (and grandchildren) for more than five minutes. The ability to take a long walk in the woods with your black lab and actually enjoy every delicious, pain free moment of it. The thrill of looking in the mirror every day and thinking that you look pretty damned amazing. The knowledge that you almost certainly will live a longer, happier, more fulfilling life. The ability to comfortably sit in a restaurant booth. Or an airline seat. The almost limitless energy that you had long since forgotten. Just plain feeling good about yourself for the first time in a long time. Living your life free of the "obesity stigma" - that only those of us who have been there can really understand. The absolute elation of knowing that you did it. That it's sustainable. And that you are finally in control. Complications - zero. Would I do it again? - If I had it to do all over again there is one thing, and only one thing, that I would change. I'd do it twenty years earlier!

My body has never been thin and I've been OK with that. I'm 5'3 and the last time I weighed what I am supposed to was in the 5th grade. Size 10-12 is perfect to me. Towards the end of high school though I started to slowly gain. I didn't know it at the time but bipolar disorder was settling into my bones and I wouldn't be properly diagnosed or treated for 10 years. So I did what any insane person needs to do to slow things down: drink myself into oblivion or Ambien. Two problems with these choices. With drinking you can drink too much and the next think you know your cooking a 5 course meal in the kitchen or you've decided to order takeout. With Ambien you do all of the above as well as eat ALL.THE.SNACKS but you won't remember any of it. Manic? Sure you eat less but again if drinking is involved so is food. Other people go on expensive shopping sprees when manic. I would go to expensive eating establishments, especially sushi and bring 3 friends. Finally get diagnosed. Get put on a med that caused me to gain 20+ lbs in a month. Dr's response to my complaint? "Learn to close your mouth" Drug almost kills me. Find my miracle drug but at a cost. A slow process over time. I would never feel full. I was always feel hungry. The few times I lost access to this drug this sensation goes away. Unfortunately another drug will not do. For a long time I though I had two choices: fat or crazy. Insurance doesn't pay for wls if it's drug induced. Finally in the 250s I developed sleep apnea and qualified. In the time from my sleep study to my referral for wls I developed psudotumor cerebri and gained to my highest weight of 277. During my search for treatment of the psudotumor I was put on topamax and currently it completely counters my psych meds hunger effects. I don't want to be on topamax forever tho and it's not enough to get me to a healthy weight. Years of antipsychotics and dieting have proved that. Currently I weigh 245 and am hoping the sleeve will bring me down another 100 lbs!

Christy-- GREAT JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO impressed!! I bought the Yoga Booty Ballet.... a TON of DVD's came....I've started teh beginners....have worked out like 10-15min....was DRENCHED in sweat....just a reminder of how out of shape I was/am!! I walk 2.5mi each day.....so I WILL GET THIS DOWN!!!!!!!!! I want inches gone too!!!! GOd Bless, MElody Banded 3/20/06 -47lbs

Go to the forum on one year surgiversary; Sleever drank a soda 6 months out; IT RUINED HER SLEEVE. in over a year she has only lost 39 lbs; the carbonation expanded her stomach. She kept drinking too. My advice; never drink soda again! I too was addicted to DIET COKE! Here is how I kicked it; Crystal light "ENERGY" It contains caffeine ; On 10 pre op: I started replacing one DC with this and drank less and less DC each day ; only on CL ENERGY A DAY. day 6 DC was too sweet. Day 7 till now NO DIET COKE! I don't even miss it like I thought I would.( and with no withdrawals ) Remember- these addiction and bad habits are just that BAD HABBITS. All other diets I have every seen say; NO soda, bread, bad carbs, or sweets This is the same way no different; we have to change our brain HABBITS and our hand to mouth; and exercise HABBITS . Please don't go through this surgery without committing to change for life. And. EAT TO LIVE; not live to eat! Trust me this is the hardest thing I will ever do!

I am doing well, been making it to the gym regularily. Seriously, I was HURTING for several days after my first round of weight lifting. Feeling better today and thinking I might go for the arm weights again tomorrow. DH has been gone since two weeks after the surgery. He is a commercial diver and has been on a job out of the country since the middle of January. He will be home end of this week! I have been hush hush about the success of the band so I hope he manages to notice. LOL, that would be a man for you to not mention anything. I have had 4 fills total and am at 6 or so cc's in my 10 cc band. Currently, this level is working out really well for me.

Prior to surgery, I was a broken down Chevette. Now I'm a Ferrari. Took a while - like 10 months.

You'll be resting and learning to get out of a bed with fresh incisions. They'll have you on an IV and you'll have self administered pain medication which you can inject every 10 minutes or so. They'll have you walk. Hopefully, you can sleep.

so i asked the rep at my insurance co all the questions i was suppose to and i got really excited cause it does cover lap band and i am eligible but its for people 21 and over. I'm only 19. i hate that!!!! I'm only 19!!!! aw so she told me that if my Dr write them telling them that i have been obese for the past 5 years and such and that i cant wait i must have it now then i can but my Dr sucks and he wont do it. my Dr's office is like a clinic, they rush you in and around and back out and don't even bother with your name. I'm pretty sure he isn't going to understand and isn't going to let me do it. i feel so let down. i really don't know what to do. i have had my heart set on this and now i don't know what to do.

If you can beleive it, I'm a different boat. I had the gastric bypass 10 years ago and have gained back all but 30 pounds. I will be having a lapband placed over my gastric pouch on 6/29. My advice, whatever you choose, just treat your WLS tool well, and it will do the same to you. I wish I had done it right the first time around, but will now take care of this new tool and investment :thumbup:

My first was to be able to buy non plus size clothes - check that one- I wear a regular 16 or a plus size 14. Big goal get into a regular size 10!! Get to my goal and get a boob job- the girls have been down way to long. To be able to wear shorts and short sleeves with out feeling self consious. Hopefuly this summer!! For my BMI to no longer be in the obese range!

I'm down another pound! This just thrills me to no end! The bad news is....I'M STILL HUNGRY!! :smile: I've upped my protein intake, but it seems like I need to eat about every 3 hours. So I've been snacking on grapes or a meal replacement bar. Well...something kicked in as far as the weight dropping off again. I dunno if Doc's advice (no fill last month and calorie counts) worked or if my body just figger'd it's time to dump again...either way... YAY ME!!:tt2: Started shopping for my "gym" accessories. Found 2ft x 2ft rubber interlocking mats (6 for $19) to put on the floor of the basement and thinking of the style of elliptical I want. Right now getting basement organized is a work-out in itself!! LOL:tt2: Can't wait until Monday for my check-up. I sooooo need that fill! Hugs to ya all! Tina

Hi Dntsnt, Have you tried looking on the website ObesityHelp.com It can also give you some information. I use sleeve talk and OH daily to get information on pre op and post op stuff now that I'm a few days from surgery. Anyhow, there is a tread on Dr. A. I'm putting it on this one so you can see it. It's just the first one that popped up when I googled his name. My best advise is to do your research and trust your heart about what you think is best for you. There are too many folks saying the same kind of stuff about Dr. A to ignore. It goes back to that saying about if it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck....etc. Its not to say that he hasn't had good comments too, because he has and that should not be discarded either. Just make the right choice for you Dntsnt. Good luck to you. www.obesityhelp.com/.../Complications-from-my-sisters-surgery-Dr- Almanza-Reyes/ This is from someone named Prissy4115. Post Date: 6/1/10 8:55 pm Well, my sister had her surgery 3 weeks ago today. She is currently in the US in ICU and has been for 16 days now. She is in really bad shape after she was left with a leak in her stomach which formed a hole into her stomach and everything was leaking into her that she was taking via her mouth. After having her surgery on a Tuesday, then having to sit on a non air conditioned van so others could shop and then saying she was okay to fly home on Friday (4 days after her surgery). While in San Diego on Thursday she was very ill, my mom called the coordinator and was told "oh its normal, just gas pains"..How many of you have heard that? Well, she flew back home and felt so bad. Then Sunday morning at 4am where her drain was she started spitting out fluids like a Water fountain from her incision, it was watery, then bloody looking. She soaked her night gown and 2 towels and was in sever pain. My brother in law called an ambulance for her and she was rushed to the ER. Her heart rate was low, blood pressure low & had a fever. After several test they finally realized what was wrong (hole in her stomach) and rushed her to emergency surgery to repair this. She also had a severe case of pneumonia in her lungs, was severly dehydrated, and her kidneys had temporarily shut down. Now here we are 16 days later, she has had 4 surgerys to "wash" out the infection and she is still running fever, still on a ventilator to breath and they can not sew her up b/c of future surgeries to clean the infection. She is being fed through a tube directly in her veins. She is so swollen and has so much Fluid on her that she has gained 70+ lbs. She has to constantly lay on a cooling blanket to keep her temp from raising to dangerous levels. They have her in a medical induced coma and we have not been able to talk to her since the day in the ER. She will be in ICU for at least another month and the hospital and additonal 2-3 months. The doctor said it will be a year before she is completley better. This is a very scary experience for us and our family. My mother had the same surgery last year in July but this was when they was not doing the whole "rack em and stack em", "get you in and get you out". Thank God, her surgery so far has had no complications. When you are pushing 6 + surgeries a day and your "housekeeper" is removing the drain tubes something is not right. I hope you all know that I am telling you the honest to God truth about our story. My sister is laying in ICU with a huge opening in her stomach right now b/c the doctors are trying to fix what went so wrong. We have pictures if anyone needs to see the pictures of her. Please pray for her, we have our family and church praying for her recovery each and every day. I pray that nobody else ever has to go through what she is going through. She chose to do this in Mexico becuase yes it was cheaper BUT in the long run she is spending so MUCH more money now to take care of this. Supposedly the coordinator was fired because she was not telling the doctor about everything going on with my sister. I really think the coordinator got a conscience and realized their is some issues going on that she did not want to be a part of. Please keep Beverly in your prayers. Thank you! from her lil sister & best friend

Hello Sorry to hear you are having problems with your liquids! If you can't get your Protein down, focus on your Water. With only 11 oz you will become dehydrated. For me, "small sips" were so small I could barely tell I had anything in my mouth. What I was taught was "an ounce every ten minutes"... because that's 6 an hour, times 10 hours a day= your min. To do this the straw was just about attached to my mouth! It took me a good couple weeks before getting my water in wasnt a struggle. Also, are you drinking everything cold? Cold is generally bad for sleevers. Cold KILLED my sleevie. Do warm liquids, broth, bouillon, decaf coffee (IF you are allowed), tea (again, IF you are allowed).... warm tends to go down MUCH easier. Some people use a candle warmer to keep their drink warm since it takes us so long to drink them. Good luck!

After the adding of the cc today puts me at 4 cc total...I *THINK* I have a 10cc band, I may have 14 they're supposed to send me that information as they didn't have my paperwork back from the surgery center yet when I asked. But I'm pretty sure it's 10.

Hey You Guys !! So glad to see someonelse is going to go thru the same thing on the same day !! I guess it's true, misery does love company! My Dr. makes his people lose 10 lbs. before he will do surgery and I'm down 5 lbs, and we have to keep it off until our surgery date. The 1st 3 days were AWFUL! The headaches , being hungry, and couldn't sleep but doing better now!

Thanks on the congrats, Crimson! I'm super happy about it too. I had my pre-op classes today from 8-12 and then met with my surgeon for my final appt before surgery. It all seems SO real now! WOW! Only 10 lbs!? That would've been nice...I would've had surgery a couple months ago if that was my situation. Kaiser has us lost 10% so I had to lose about 30 lbs and am now down to about 37 and am feeling SO much better already, I can't imagine what another 80-90 down will feel like. :w00t:

If misery loves company, I'm right there with you. I just saw the scale and I'm up a lb again from yesterday, even though I ate well and spent an hour at the gym. I never care if its higher the day after a party or something, but doing everything right and gaining is so unfair. And to top it off, I'm in the middle of a plateau right now and I haven't lost anything for about 10 days. I, too, know this is normal, but I don't have to like it! Cindy