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Hello i am now a friend. Don't think i ignored you, i don't get on that much anymore. I had a lap-band placed by dr schuricht at pa hospital last march. To date i have lost what you see below in 10 months. Not that it is easy but easier than doing it on my own without any tools. I like the band around my stomach. Let me see, my initial consultation with dr schuricht was dec 4th 2008. That day is a meeting with the dr in a meeting room with other clients going to have surgery too. Dr s explains everything in detail to you over 3 hours. Also nutritionist and nurse practitioner there introducing themselves and answering all your questions. Then you will see the doctor privately in his office.he makes it a fun meeting.he is very nice man. After dr schuricht you will see the surgery scheduler and she gives you paperwork with everything you will need to know and when to do it, she tells you the insurance stuff.. My insurance(personal coice) said i had to see a nutritionist for 3 months(and try to lose weight,like i haven't tried this before lol) before i had surgery so dr schuricht's office set it all up for me and so my paperwork wasn't submitted to insurance till i was finished with those visits(i lost a pound). I had to set up appts with a psychiatrist, my primary (to write a letter stating why i needed this surgery),cardiologist,upper gi to see if everythg is normal, i already had a sleep dr so he had to write letter too sometimes you have to have sleep study.i had surgery march 23 2009. So in answer to your question it took me 14 weeks from my consultation to surgery day. I will tell you it does seem overwhelming after you go home from the consultation but you are committed at this point and it works out. Dr schuricht knows me as the open lap-band if you want to mention me. I started to bleed so he had to open me up but i was fine after(he also is very blunt so don't get your feelings hurt if he calls you fat etc). I was in recovery room after surgery and he comes in to see me and and tell me how surgery went, he said loudly that i had more belly fat then he thought that i had and it was more like "man fat". I just laugh at him. Good luck!!! Let me know how you make out.

Quest bars. Nuke it for 10 seconds and it will be awesome. DOS:358 CW:270 SD:1/28/13

I am on Medicare because of a disability. I had no trouble at all with them paying their 80%. I had my surgery on Nov 19 of 2004.

Hey Everyone I'm New here and I'm getting my Sleeve on 9/19 I'm a bit nervous , but I have been planning and going to class's, support groups and changing the way I eat, the way I think about food and my exercise routine since February of this year. So far I have lost 25 lbs since Feb, and thats just cutting out sodas, changing my foods and working out. I'm excited to find this site and learn more , make friends and get help if I need it.

For full DSers, we don't count calories. Ever. I haven't looked at a calorie since I had my DS in 2005. Just sugar and simple carb. grams (and, of course, Protein grams). Plus, you malabsorb. This renders a calorie count (e.g. say it's 1000 calories for a 10 oz. piece of steak [i made this up. I have no idea.]) incorrect. There are posts around regarding DS math, malabsorption & calories. I don't follow them bc I don't count calories. But I could direct you to them, if you want.

All of this is a learning process, and very personal. I think as healing continues it's likely that you'll feel LESS restriction until you get an adjustment. During this time you'll start wondering if you even have a band at all. Just take it slow, though, because it's there even if you don't feel it all the time. It's a good idea to try to take a good 10-20 seconds between bites. I know I hardly ever manage that, but it's a very good practice.

Copied from a post I left about depression: Hello all, I just wanted to chime in on the subject, I too have a history of depression, and found myself feeling really depressed after surgery, even though the recovery was way better than I expected. I think part of the depression is directly related to the surgery (as in many people suffer a little depression after major medical procedure) But i also think some of the depression is because of the lack of weight-loss after STARVING yourself for three weeks. I was banded on 4/3 after being on a 10 day liquid diet. I started back on the liquid diet after being on a clear liquid diet yesterday, I have consumed less than 1000 calories a day and I have only lost 11 lbs. I too, am hungry, and the last two days I have indulged in foods i shouldn't eat (telling myself If i chewed them to mush, what 's the difference) then I panic about the possibility that I may have messed up my lapband somehow, vow to stick to liquids, only to do it again! what is wrong with me? I paid out of pocket $14,000 for this surgery and I am messing it up. Someone please tell me that if I don't stick to the diet i will ruin my surgery. Maybe if I hear it from someone else I will believe it. I was so gung-ho on this, and I keep messing up. This my friends , is why I think I am depressed. (duh...) Maybe confession is good for the soul and after sharing with all of you, I will be better. I don't know what I will do if I don't make this work...

MedicVSG, Don't worry about your wife. Once she sees how well you are doing she will probably want to do something herself. I'm foodie as well, I even write food reviews on occasion for a local publication. I'm just going to have to let that part of my life go. In fact I've been thinking rechanneling it into a healthy lifestyle blog or something we will see. I love to go on cruises and cruises are ALL about eating... but I have decided that the first cruise after surgery will be on where I make it a challenge to eat as healthy as possible, seek out small, healthy meals. 8 years ago I lost 100 pounds and I went on a cruise and lost 7 pounds while on the 10 day cruise!!! So I know I can do this if I put my mind to it and so can you. Hang in there.

Just received call that surgery is May 10th. So scared I won't be able to do this week of liquids only!!!!

I like dress barn for work appropriate dresses and check out if there is a store called "Clothes Mentor" in your area. It is the grown up equivalent to Once Upon a Child and Platos closet. They are very picky about the clothes they accept and their pricing, while not cheap, is definitely better than buying items new. You are going to be on the loser's bench soon so it doesn't have to last 10 years. Good luck at your interview!

I am not the OP. But oh how I wish I was a candidate for something like that. Regretfully I get blood clots from BC pills. I got them when I was only 19, was only about 15 pounds over weight and was never a smoker. I just can't take the chance with my history. OP- I have read that since the body stores all kinds of hormones in your fat cells that you can wind up with heavier periods during your rapid weight loss phases. I have read of people that were newly menopausal when they had WLS surgery getting Aunt Flo back for a bit.

I was banded on 7-10-08. In the first two weeks, I also experienced some back pain. I didn't even say anything to my doctor cause I thought it was normal. Now I'm in my third week post-op and I haven't had any pain for a couple days. If you are that uncomfortable and can't sleep, that definitley sounds like a red flag to me. :confused2: I would get checked out. Good luck to ya and hope your feeling better soon!

I was having a really hard time for a couple weeks after I got the band. I was losing like crazy immediately after the surgery but ywo weeks after my post op my weight loss started to trickle off. I am happy to say I have not gained anything, but a I haven't lost anything additional either. I'm having some troubles with my doctor, I really need a fill so I can get started and they never call back. I was banded 6/30/08 and my first fill wont be until probably 10/14/08. My main problem right now is that I can still eat the way I did b4 I got banded, I don't allow myself to, but its scary! Since I don't have any restriction yet, I have taken to just plain old starving myself and taking these organic appetite supressants so I won't let the food get the best of me! But it was quite a shock to my life

Hello everyone! Been watching this forum for a while but this is my first post. Had my VSG on June 28,2018 and had a terrible ordeal (enlarged liver, surgeon found a hernia and had to repair it, extreme vomiting for 2.5 days straight in the hospital, and severe dehydration because I was too afraid to swallow anything but my own saliva). But I made it through! 7days post-op today and I've been on nothing but broth, Jello, ice chips and popsicles and I'm sick of it! I also have a lot of the air/gas they put in me for the procedure and it's like a every 10-20mins painful surge that goes thru your stomach and chest, like contractions or something, and I just have to brace myself until it passes. Can't wait till all the gas is out. Other than that I don't have much major pain, but if I do, codine is right there next to me to lend its druggy hand.. But! As you know it was July 4th yesterday and they were BQQing on my block, so my friends and BF came over. And the way my mouth drooled over those ribs, hot dogs, burgers, and MAC AND cheese, you would've thought I was a rabid animal lmao. But nonetheless, I just rolled my eyes at each scrumptious plate passing my face and drank my dinner and followed up with my strawberry and lemon jello to make me feel better. And I all kept saying in my head was "You're gonna look better than all of them one day, so don't worry and keep going." Lmao! That leads me to the bright side of all these pain and struggles-- 17lbs downs as of today!!! Whoop whoop!!! ((HAPPY DANCE)) Now I'm sure it's mostly due to the clear liquid diet I've been on, but still what a difference a week makes! My current struggle is getting all this water (64oz) down in one day, i barely finish a 16 oz bottle in one day, but I'm trying because dehydration is SCARY!!.. Keep going guys we can do this!!! [emoji4]

So my primary care physician is a very nice lady in her late 50's or early 60's. I have been going to her for many years and she's wonderfully kind and supportive about just about everything under the sun except my struggles with weight loss. For years she has given me bogus advice. Once she sent me to this super-crunchy-granola nutritionist friend of hers that made me answer a 10-page survey about my poop and pooping habits. Then tried to tell me I was 80 lbs overweight because my gut flora was all out of whack and all I needed was hundreds of dollars of her special-order supplements each month. Thanks but no thanks. Then my doctor recommended going to Curves. While I'm sure that is a fabulous suggestion for many sedentary fat people, I am and have been for several years a regular runner. Periodically I get involved in some other kind of activity too-- flag football league with coworkers, a couple months of boot camp, lifting weights at the gym, etc. In other words, her recommending that joining a gym is my solution came across as kind of insulting. I kinda have that angle covered. For years I have begged her to prescribe me medications to help me lose weight, to no avail. She is, for a standard-issue medical doctor, awful conservative when it comes to such things. She'd never agree, for example, to Xenical or Meridien or anything like that for me. I knew she'd never, ever countenance the thought of recommending a lap band for me either, but I went and got one in spite of that (in Mexico, on my own dime). She got really, really judgy when I went to see her in December for my regular "well woman" exam and told her about the lap band. I expected it but was still kind of hurt by it. In any case, I think it is time for me to move on and find a better doctor. One that will be a little more understanding than she is, and possibly one that will explore the possibility of some kind of appetite suppressant medication for me, at the very least. Any ideas of how to perform a search for someone like that? I live in Atlanta, so if there are any Atlanta-area folks that have a fantastic doctor they'd like to recommend, I'm all ears.

I had 10 day post op follow up with doctor today. I was told that I could move onto the Mushie stage early. I've not been having any problems with the liquid phase, and have been hungry the past few days.

Mayasgram said it all for me. Im down from a diabetic stage. Was taking medicine and taking blood sugar levels 3 times a day. All this just post op 10 days

If by "size 10" you mean the VG band with a 10cc capacity, the answer is the same as with the 4cc band. The number of fills any one person needs for good restriction is...the number of fills that person needs for good restriction. I know that's not much help, but it is the answer. With the larger band the size of each fill is going to be larger, but the dynamic is the same. The first fill probably won't result in a significant increase of restriction, while fills # 2, 3, 4 and beyond probably will result in restriction. As you lose weight, your restriction will decrease and another fill (or, more properly, "adjustment") will be needed. Everyone's experience is different. So there really is no answer to your question.

I was banded Feb. 10, 09. I've had 4 fills and am now at 5.6ccs. If I'm not at my sweet spot, I'm very close! I have another fill scheduled for June 15, but I'm not certain I need it. Will wait until then to see. Realistically, starting with my pre-op diet through now, I've lost 59 pounds. We'd all like to lose FAST but that's pretty darned fast if you think about it. And I know if I'd been dieting on my own, I would have long since falled off the wagon and gained it all back, LOL. I'll admit that I don't journal, I walk as often as I can and if I did those things I'd probably lose a bit faster but I'm happy with how I'm doing...very happy!

I just want everyone to know today I received my surgery date which is 10/29/12. I have serveral appointments to make, prep for a 2 week fast and shopping for essentials after surgery. I am excited. I have bcbs insurance and after all paperwork was submitted it only took 3 days for approval. I want everyone who participates in responses and post thier journeys (good or bad) how informative and extremely helpful it has been to me. Truly if you are not a participant in this journey, most people can never understand where we have to go mentally and physically. For you pre and post sleevers I congradulate and honor your presence for truly you are people of courage, insight, preservance and you dared to dream that your lives count! I will be posting various aspects of my journey! I welcome your comments.

My insurance had a 6-month requirement, but I wasn't given a date until almost 10 months after my initial consult, and my surgery is tomorrow, which is 11-months since my first appointment. I had a lot of stalls in the process, though.

OMG ( gosh ) you get your band and you show your husband -- it is not easy - but you can do it- the first week I wanted to tear the band out -- ha ha - glad I did not do it -- you get used to not drinking while eating--- takes a few weeks but you will adjust -- the best thing, to me, about the band is that I feel like I will not regain the weight I slowly lose -- you know you lose 10 and feel good and then gain it back - plus a few lbs - I have to repeat this is not easy but I love it - I still need to get used to not ordering too much food - I bring a lot home in boxes and either eat it at another time or treat my cat and dog --- my children are not home anymore and my husband usually does not like what I order -- YOU CAN DO IT

I don't think I've ever had this many compliments from total strangers as I had just now. I was in the ladies' dressing room at my gym before i worked out, and the cleaning lady stopped me to say, "You have lost so much weight.... I just wanted to tell you." When I finished my 65 minute elliptical workout, the woman next to me said I INSPIRED HER! Then, as I was sitting in the lobby, waiting for my husband to finish his workout, another woman came up to me and said, " I've been wanting to tell you this for a few weeks, but you rock that elliptical workout." I was in such shock bc you would have to understand where I came from when I started exercising last June. I really couldn't do 10 minutes on that elliptical. The day I went 30 minutes, I went into the dressing room and cried. I pushed myself to get to that 45 minute mark, and for the past three months, I've been working out an hour a day on that machine. I'm inspired by so many others in that gym, and today I inspired someone else! My husband put his arm around me as we walked out of that gym together today, and I felt proud of myself for no longer being, Tammie, The Couch Potato!!!!!

Hi casinocat, I'm sorry your having a tough time. It sounds like you're suffering from mild depression in addition to disillusionment! I don't know if my post is going to help or hurt. Maybe a little bit of both. I hope you understand as you read my response that your post hit a nerve with me and I felt like I couldn't turn away without trying to help you out. A couple of things first. You don't say how long you've had your band or how much fill you have in what size band. All these things are critical if you want us to be able to support your decision. 19 pounds of weight loss in over 4 months may seem like a small amount to you but if you lost 19 pounds every 4 months that's close to 60 pounds in a year! 60 pounds in a year is great - and that's without exercising and while eating things you know to be counterproductive. You're being too hard on yourself and, I think, unrealistic about what your weightloss tool is capable of accomplishing without your participation. You say you haven't been on LBT talk for some time. Do you have other sources for support? Meetings or a Nutritionist or anything? I hope you'll be more consistent and visit LBT more regularly, make some friends or at least acquaintances whom you can lean on when you need support or motivation. Are you logging your food intake? There's a great website www.fitday.com which is free, easy and very motivating. Like you, I used to be a secret eater. I'd eat alone so no one would know what I was doing. Hello! They only needed to see me to know what I was doing. Who did I think I was fooling? With food logging, even if you secretly eat you still have to be accountable to yourself. There's something about seeing it in black and white that makes you start caring about what you eat and trying to stay within certain limits. Best of all, on FitDay YOU set your own limits so you don't have to feel like you're trying to live up to someone elses standards or expectations. You decide and then try to stay within your own goals, which is very empowering. Dont give up yet. I agree with TriciaK about RNY - it's just not a wise decision, IMHO. Like most people nowadays, I know someone who had RNY. She lost a lot of weight very quickly but unfortunately, LIKE MOST RNY patients, she has started to regain the weight. In the last 6 months she's put on 30 pounds. She only had the surgery 2 years ago, she never reached her goal weight and was only close to her goal for a few months - maybe 6. Then it started creeping back on. I understand that this is a very common problem with RNY patients. Along with malabsorption, sugar dumping, hair and bone loss, tooth decay, and, shall we say, unpleasant bowel symptoms. I hope you'll reconsider, or at least delay your decision, if only to give yourself and your band, a chance to succeed. Talk to your doctor, talk to a Nutritionist, talk to us here on LBT, maybe even talk to a therapist. No matter which WLS option you ultimately choose YOU WILL HAVE TO BE A PARTICIPANT, IF YOU WANT LONG TERM SUCCESS. There is no magic pill, no breakthrough cure. Choose an option you can live with and remember, with RNY you have no choice, you HAVE to live with your decision forever. At least with the lapband you have the luxery of choice. I'm so sorry to carry on, I didn't intend to preach at you, I really do want what's best for you, and I guess my definition of best includes options. Whatever you choose, visit LBT and we'll always support your decision. Good luck on your weight loss journey.