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Hi All! My name is Melissa. I am in the very early stages of wls. I have my initial consultation appt. in two week. I will be having the surgery (hopefully) through Duke University Hospital. I have struggled with weight all of my life. I go from a size eight (160 lbs) to a size 18( 220 lbs) every 2 years or so. I am a fantastic dieter and exerciser! I am horrible at sticking with the plan. I recently compiled a timeline photo from the past 7 years which really helped me realize that wls is the right decision for me. (the bottom right was taken Christmas 2012) I have a bmi of 36 with several comorbitities. I want to share the photo for anyone who has been through a similar situation. I hope that everything pre-op does smoothly. I have found this site very helpful in my decision.

Hi all, so I am exactly one month out today and am down 21 lbs., which is what I was down on 1/10/13 at my follow-up with my surgeon...soooo apparently I hit the dreaded 3 week stall. I did take my measurements and have lost 8.5", all from my waist up! It needs to switch to below the belt next month.....keeping my fingers crossed. lol

I love my parents weight watchers scale, the one they have saves 4 profiles, with age, height, and weight. It figures BMI, Water, and weight. I weigh myself when I stop over to check on them so at least once a week. It's a really nice scale and they got it for around $30 at Walmart.

I get a pain in my left side when I am full, instead of feeling full. Feels sore. Today it's just hurting. Tomorrow when I overeat (a bit) it will hurt again too. I also feel some pain on the right side every once in a while. When I go in for my check up in a couple weeks, I am going to have them point to exactly where my band is, as I've never thought to ask that before. I used to freak out thinking I'd slipped at every ache and pain, even though I've never had a symptom of a slip. I am amazed by the variety of places I can hurt with the band. I am told every time that it is all normal. Let us know what the doctor says.

Kynekke - There is lots to choose from but, like anything else it all gets boring. Here are some of the things I have for lunches: Cottage cheese Soups seafood salad chicken salad tuna salad meatballs (either from subshop ordered without the roll or leftover) meatloaf (left over from dinners) Stouffers stuffed peppers (insides are really easy to eat) omelet rolled lunch meat with cheese cheese and wheat crackers Boston Market turkey with squash those are my usuals. Oh and if you own a crockpot that will help you get more Proteins in that won't get stuck. I made chicken cacciatore in mine and had that for lunches last week. The chicken was super moist and shredded so it went down easy peasy. Good luck!

Patti... Welcome to the boards... I had my surgery feb 21st... Hard to believe I'm this close ... My dr actually wants me to be at 170 and I'm secretly hoping for 150 but realistically shooting for 165. It has been a wild ride. How are you feeling? It took around 3 weeks before I felt some semblance of normalcy... Again welcome to the boards and good luck to your friend as well

Hi my surgery is on 5/14 and I am looking for folks having their sleeve done around the same date as I am. I have my pre-op appt with my surgeon tommorow. I will find out how long my pre-op diet will be ad well 2 or 3 weeks. I really can't wait to get weighed tommorow. I will also post starting pics before my liquid diet. I am excited and scared at the same time but am looking forward to my new life.

Plain Greek yogurt and tons of Protein supplement! I'm in my second week post op and am finding that in the liquid stage, pretty much the only way I get protein is through supplements. It also takes forever to drink one. I've found that if I blend chocolate, vanilla, or banana with ice and plain greek yogurt, I'm getting tons of protein in one glass so I only have to drink one in the morning and one at night to get my protein in. The rest of the time I'm eating Jello, pudding, popsicles, or broth. Good luck!

I do not know if this will help you or not. But I am 3.5 weeks out. I used to love Gatorade and Powerade, but now I have not found a single flavor I can tolerate. They nauseate me now like they are too sweet. So I don't know what to say about the eating, but maybe try another drink. Good luck!!

We are going to have another coffee group next week... we had to leave early last night due to a power outage. Lapband Coffee Group – Brampton Monday, July 15th – 7:00 p.m. Second Cup (Located in the Longo’s Plaza) 7700 Hurontario Street, Building E, Unit 504 Brampton, ON The Lapband Coffee Groups are open to EVERYONE who has had Lapband Surgery or if you’re looking into the lapband process, recently banded, or a long time "Bandster". This is a great way to find out about the lapband from individuals who have had the surgery and to ask questions or just listen to individuals share their lapband journey experience. No need to sign up… just show up and if you can’t find the group ask for Tom at the cash register. If you have any questions before the coffee group please contact: Tom – tomander@bell.net Let’s all “band” together for a cup of coffee!

There is a restriction on lifting for 4-6 weeks. Be sure it is listed on your release. Other than that, I am not certain. I am sorry you are having that kind of trouble. I just had to do the formal extended medical leave form and fmla letter due to my recovery from my hysterectomy. Now, THAT takes a while to get filled out, but the letter you want they should have. It is just a permission to return to work/school form, with a section for restrictions near the bottom, that EVERY surgeon should have.

Congrats i had my rny on may17th i was281 pre op i was258 day of surgery now im 235 have my one month appt next wed. Im just now able to eork out walk but once u get calories up u will lose more the first week u barely gettin in 3 to5 hundred im still trying to get mote then5 are6 they want me from8 to1000 its hard but u will lose more.. its best lose as much as u could since janbi lost55 so that helped each week u get try new food to good luck kerp in touch

Welcome back! I was thinking this same thing last week, get caught up and then get back in here!

My surgeon said decaf for the first few months. But he also said that if I do have caffeine again to limit it to 1 cup a day. To be honest - after surgery, some of my taste buds have changed! I couldn't even handle the smell of coffee for up to 5 or so weeks afterwards! I have had a few cups of coffee since but I never actually finish the cup. I don't even enjoy it anymore. I have switched to an espresso shot but only because I think I still crave something warm first thing in the morning. But I can't handle how that makes me feel! I'm so frickin' jittery and my heart races. I always thought that there was more caffeine in actual coffee than espresso.... (Someone jump in here to clarify, if you know!) I was actually thinking of not having anything and see how I do. Working at 0700, 5 days a week - I might need SOMETHING tho! I guess I could try decaf.... hmmmm there's an idea.. you never know, maybe you'll come out of surgery cured from your caffeine addiction!

I was active about 2 weeks out but I didn't do missionary because my lover boy is on the heavier side and didn't want to add any pressure on my tummy

Did you miss me? Or are you saying, Who is this newbie??:sad: I intended to be away for about 12 days…12 weeks later, here I am. So many posts to respond to, so little time. But to give you a significantly abbreviated update on my life… Went on a short vacation. While there, a good friend died. 53 years old. Dead. I got to spend some quality time with her in the hospital, but it definitely was not the holiday I had planned. Did see my ex; in fact, because of the circumstances of my visit, I ended up staying with the ex and the new wife. As my ex and I were always friends, this isn’t as ‘trendy Hollywood Pamela Anderson-ish’ as you might think. We (myself, ex, and new wife) are adults and we act like them…no issues. I flew to and from my holiday/vigil. My observations for what they are worth: small flights (lower altitude) no impact on band; longer flights/higher altitude – great restriction for a day or two after!:smile2: Speaking of restriction: had a small fill (1cc) end of June. Fine in the clinic and for 2 days then suddenly I couldn’t swallow spit…2 hour trip to the clinic for a small unfill (1/2 cc)……ahhh, relief. 2 hour drive back home. Last week, 1/4cc back in…and that lovely feeling of restriction is back. I love my band. Nurse really wants to ease me back up, and I ceded to her experience rather than my ‘fill ‘er up’ whim. So far, so good. The good thing is that I am no longer morbidly obese, am in wonderland, and have hip bones (there was some doubt about that!).:ohmy: My mother has been spending a few weeks every couple of months with me…I love to have her stay, but she drives me nuts!! How ungrateful/bad does that make me??? But as I am reluctant to leave her alone for any length of time (she can’t open the exterior doors as they are too heavy for her, and I’m terrified she will trip over a cat as she sees only out of one eye now, and very limited vision with that one) so it means being really creative with how I get my 8 hours a day at work done! And of course, this is at the same time we are trying to do minor renovations in the house and it is in total chaos. Oh, and I received a promotion ()…need to put in lots of extra hours to ‘learn the ropes’ (rats) and figure out what’s going on before I change everything! And I have upped my exercise variety and frequency…albeit I still have a long way to go to match many others. Nevertheless, I have increased my exercise, and it is helping – if only because I have less time to sit in the house and hear the refrigerator calling to me… OK - now on to reading and responding to all of your posts....

I just had my second fill and im ticked off and not sure i should be. they use the flora. when i was being sat up in the chair after the needle was inserted I felt a pop. the girl got a discussed look on her face and said it popped out...the assisstant looked surprised. i said "hey that feels wierd what happend? I got completly ignored after that and she put me half way back down to adjust i guess, she held onto the needle, I was then sat back up and she did the fill. I felt it. not pain but. exactly like when i was pregnat 22 years ago and the baby kicked. I commented that this was totaly differant then the first time. she did not reply. All the way home I thought to myself, does this happen alot. could i get punctured inside? I have only had one fill and it was really great, just no restriction for more than a week. This lady did not ask how the past three weeks had been and if I hadn't asked she wouldnt even of told me what she had put in. Im disscussed and will request she not do my fill again. has this happen to others? wondering????

Hello, all! I am getting ready to schedule my surgery for sometime in October. I started my "journey" (actually feels a lot like the road to Hell!) in May, 2005. It took a long time for my insurance company to finally deny me for surgery. I will be going to the Mid-West Institute of Bariatric Surgery (Lenexa, Ks.) next week to make my appt. with Dr. Jessie Lopez. Does anyone have any experience with this Doctor or his office? So far, I have had a lot of trouble getting them to return my phone calls when I was trying to make the appt. I will be paying for the surgery on my own---it seems like a LOT of money! BTW-I am 215lbs., 5'4', hoping to get to 130.

Just saying thanks to the replies i got when i was stressed about my band, i wrote last month. I did go and see my surgeon, he had no explanation for my lack of restriction. So i got a fill. At the moment i have a 4ml band in place. And when i had my fill, he said once withdrawn and put back in that i had approx 3.4mls in band. i went back in a week as the restriction was the same even after .2mls had been put in, to make the 3.4. i had another fill and to his calculations i now have 3.8 mls in a 4 ml band. I was nervous to take a drink, as i new this was pretty full up. Water went down ok, i had half a cup of mince for tea, that went down ok, i was very careful though. i have lost a furthur 2 kilos in this last 2 weeks, but i train at the gym 5 times a week, i do work and have a family. The restriction is still there but i can eat a toasted sandwich if im careful, and last night i had half a chicken breast fillet and crab meat for dinner, took a while but got through most of it. Im still concerned, i have an appointment on the 19th of march with my surgeon, i will get him to check how much is in the band. Any comments are welcome. I was banned 14th Feb 05 (weight)116kg Today i weigh 88.6kg and have lost 89cm's in total all over. Im not sure how to put up photos on this thing otherwise i would. I live in Australia in the Hunter Valley.

No I do not get satisfaction after a small meal at this time. I can eat more than the 4oz that is recommended. That's also why my MD gave me the fill initially. I felt great after the fill, my appetite was under control and I felt I was in the green zone but it lasted so shortly. It was only a small fill because I had one two weeks prior. But it also worked only for a short time. It makes sense the swelling is starting to subside so maybe in a month my MD will give me another fill and that will do the trick. Now is time for more will power to maintain my appetite. Thank you everyone.

I am almost one month post op from gastric bypass and been adjusting nicely. However, the last couple days I have been having an annoying pain right right beside my incision site. I'm hoping I am not developing a hernia or an infection. I've had a couple weeks pain free... is this normal? Sent from my SM-S920L using the BariatricPal App

I don't even know how to post given the iPad system is so disjointed, but I hope you read this. I love the people here, but I hate the Internet site on my iPad and the app sucks. I it her get too many notifications or none. I'm giving it a week to be fixed and then I'll find another site.

Seems normal. I'm also two weeks out. April 9. Today was the first day of my two weeks of puréed foods. I am not allowed yet to have solids like chicken. Unless its a chicken salad puréed. I had one egg this morning and was able to finish it no problem. This afternoon I ate a few ounces of tuna salad. Felt satisfied. I would think half a chicken breast would make u feel full. Everyone is different though. Be grateful you can eat that. Some ppl can't seem to get the chicken down. I can't wait to try!!!

I had my surgery with Dr. Wilhelmy at Mexicali Bariatric Center. I am very happy, it was a GREAT experience, the hospital is impeccable and the team wonderful! I have lost 40 lbs in 7 weeks so I couldn't be happier.

Hi there. Contemplation and research are you friends! :-) I'm just over 5 weeks out - I can tell you with all honesty, I don't think about food like I did before surgery. If I crave something, it goes away very quickly - like a fleeting thought. The first few weeks, the drinking of Water, shakes and, if you're allowed, food will consume you. Because you're trying to figure out the balance - when you should have Breakfast, then incorporate a shake, and getting in the water. I have finally hit my stride and it's much easier now - it's just my new normal. Cooking for a family up until this week has been a challenge and I relied a lot on my husband to figure out what he and my son were going to do for dinner. Now that I'm on a somewhat "regular" diet, I don't have to cook two meals. Last night I made roasted chicken and vegetables. We were able to eat the same things. We've even gone out to dinner a few times and I either ate off my husband's plate or had the inside of a taco. I'm also finding some great recipes that are healthy and sleeve friendly that my family enjoys! I bet your family will adapt to the "new" you, whether you tell them about the surgery or not. You're taking your health in your own hands and that's commendable - whether they agree with the decision or not. Just don't fret too much! Happy holidays!