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Surgery date was October 8. Had been using a CPAP for 10 years. Had another sleep study mid January and was told that I no longer have sleep apnea and could stop using it. Was down about 70 lbs. at that point. Haven't used the CPAP since. But, I would suggest that you see a Sleep Doctor if you have questions. I went in hoping to just get me pressure adjusted because it had become too high. My goal was to be off it by this summer. Was pleasantly surprised after the sleep study results. Although losing weight can certainly help get rid of OSA it doesn't guarantee it. I know plenty of slender people with it as well. Good luck.

I was told 30 min before and after and don't drink during meal. The reasoning I was given is that you want time before the meal because the liquid will still be in your pouch and cause the food you eat to swell and make eating difficult. For not drinking during or with in 30 min after, that is because it will cause the food to push through faster and you may eat too much. That all said, like most, I don't follow that 100%. I wait 10-15 before and after meals. I typically don't drink during because for me, the liquid actually makes the food get stuck. I don't have to wait before but I definitely have to wait a few minutes after or else the liquid will come back up.

Hey all! I don't come on the forums hardly EVER anymore. But I do blog. I wanted to post my most recent blog entries in here to update on life at almost 10 months. My current loss is 102 lbs and I weigh 208 lbs. I'm eating too many carbs so that is gonna stop. I have taken up snowshoeing which is a great activity Those are the basics, but thought you guys might be interested in these blog posts. Feel free to comment either here or on the blog, but I will be more likely to see your comments on the blog My most recent entry: Current Struggles at 10 Months Post Op Other recent surgery-related entries from my blog: Weigh-In and Exercise talk (Feb 25th) Things I've Been Eating (Feb 16th) The ARM ISSUE! And Shopping (Feb 15th) 8 Month Progress Photos (Jan 29th)

Thanks everybody!!!! Here is what I did: 1. April 27-Initial surgical consult (visit #1) 2. May 24-Met with dietician (visit #2) -Lab work & EGD done -Psych eval done 3. June 27-PCP (medical necessity/clearance) -Met with dietician (visit #3) -Final Nutrition consultation 5. July 24- Got approval You only need 3 visits, and the first visit counts. I tried to streamline the process as much as possible by using the surgeon's dietician on staff just to save time with fewer delays. I did use the psych through my insurance, since their psych was cash only. I paid my $25 co-pay instead of their $215 cash fee. I lost 8 pounds and gained back 3, so I don't think it matters. I expect to lose at least 10 pounds on the pre-op diet. It was very frustrating at times, but it was worth it. My surgery, hospital stay, and all associated fees are covered at 100%. Woohoo!!!!

I was banded when I was 35 and it did nothing for me to improve my fertility or to lose weight. 10 years have passed and I did finally have a baby through IVF and carried full term with gestational diabetes and borderline high blood pressure. My son is now 3 and I am now 45 and were we're not able to go for a second due to my weight which up until 2 months ago hovered at 257 for an entire decade. I would not waste any time with the band, really. Go straight to sleeve or even bypass if that is your preference. The weight loss will help you get pregnant.

I had the band for 7 yrs lost all my weight then started getting not feeling well for over a yr. had the band removed over 2 yrs. ago because it slipped without me knowing. I gained all my weight back an going 3/19 for the sleeve. I pray the sleeve helps me get healthy and keeps me that way, but I didn't have it yet so time will tell. I can only tell you about the band from experience. Good luck!

Oh dear, please, do NOT go with the band!!! :-/ I have had two of them now! Please take a minute and read my story on my profile. The band gave me some up front success but then nothing but problems and multiple surgeries on top of all the maintenance!! It's taken 10 years, but I am finally getting this thing out of me! There are so many people with stories just like mine. I wish I had never messed with the lap band, and wish even more that after I did and had it taken out, that someone had told me about the sleeve before I tried it again (though it wasn't near as well known in 2006). There's a board here called "Lap Band to Sleeve Revision" ... Go read up there and also on lapbandtalk.com under the complications section. There are definitely risks with either, but the long term (2+ years) complications of the band far outweigh that of the sleeve! Good luck with your decision though. I know there's nothing easy about it. And I certainly understand the appeal of the band... but it's a trick

Hi Mickey527, I understand how you feel - I was banded Nov 08, and I'm now down 69 lbs. The real losses started in January, after I was completely recovered. I fought my band in the beginning, and was "rewarded" with slow weight loss. Since I started following the 'bandster rules', I am doing much better. Couple of suggestions - if the Isopure Protein is too "thick" initially, Water it down a bit to help it go through. I love the Isopure, but I can imagine for a newly banded person with more restriction because of swelling, it might be a challenge. Keep up your activity, but listen to your body - take it easy! I was told no serious physical activity for 6 weeks, and actually was a walker before, but eased up for a couple of weeks after surgery. If I'm calculating correctly, you are only about 10 days out...take it easy on yourself. There is plenty of time to ramp back up to your pre-surgery activity level. You are on the road to a new and healthier life - just hang in there! It may feel more difficult right now, but everyday it will get better - keep telling yourself that. If you notice severe symptoms, don't be afraid to CALL YOUR DOCTOR. Better to call them and be reassured that what you're feeling is "normal" than to let it go until it becomes a real problem. Hang in there - and post again to let us know how you're doing...:thumbdown:

I was just banded on 03-25-10, and Im still trying to get used to everything. I was very confused about what I should or should not be eating at first, and I kind of got off track by eating soft foods too early, so now Im backtracking so I can do this right. I sooo want this to work! One question I had was, do you lose a lot of weight prior to your first fill, or does the weight start coming off after the fill? I have only lost 7 pounds, and I feel like maybe thats too little? Any help would be great!:)

I just did a wicked workout doing sit ups in a ball 5 reps of 10. Then leg lifts straight up on a bar ouch. My fitness pal says I should see ab changes in two weeks, also low carb.

My name is Melissa and I am 39 years old. I have two children ages 17 and 10 and I run a daycare in my home, which I've done for over 10 years. I had surgery on July 5, 2006 and my surgeon was Dr. Oldham with Bluegrass Bariatrics. I've lost about 40 lbs. and know that I need to get serious and follow the band rules because sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. I'm going Friday for another fill. I made the mistake of staying too tight and had to have most of it taken out. I'm now starting to get restriction again. Good luck to each of you wherever you may be on your journey!

Well, this is my first posting. I was banded Thursday 4/6/06 after a year of researching. I am now a BMI of 29 (was 31 last week). I am very glad of the questions and answers on this site as I am sure I will have many and at least now I know where to go to find the answer. First question, as I am in 1 week post op, can I have sugar free fudgesicle or will this cause enlargement as well. Is this really a liquid if eaten prpewrly? I have hung tight to broth and jello and apple juice, but was getting sick of that and needed a little something. Also, should I still have shoulder pain? I am taking tylenol but about every 6 hours it comes back. Nothing too bad just alarming. I am also walking treadmill at lowest .09 (lol) speed about 4 times a day for 5-10 minutes. I appreciate any and all answers, this was a scary but positive step for me. Godd luck and God Bless all of you....

HI there I am new to the group. I was banded june 1st. My doctor has gruated me to anything i can take off a spoon , applesauce, mashed potatos ect... as of today. Along with the full liquid diet. I have already lost 10 lbs . My concern is that does 2 tabsp of small curd cottage cheese count mashed up with a teaspoon a applesauce??ANd is evryone else at this point eat very tiny amounts??? like 3 or less oz ? Thanksa bunch

So I am officially 2 weeks post-op today. Thought I'd share my experience for those interested. We'll start with the stats. I've lost 18 lbs since the surgery, and 64 lbs since I started this process 8 weeks ago tomorrow. The surgery apparently went very well, doctor said it was one of the smoothest he'd had. There was awful pain post-op that lasted about 5 hours. It really was bad, probably the worst pain I've ever experience. It quickly subsided after that, and I have really had a pretty easy time with it since. I went home the day after surgery, and began adding Protein shakes and Water on day 2 post-op. Things went well, and I was able to get my required 60 grams of protein and 64 oz of water almost right away. The afternoon of Day 8, for what seemed to be no reason, I started feeling very nauseated, and extremely tired. By Day 9, I could not stomach the thought of Protein Shakes of any sort (which I absolutely hate since surgery BTW). Day 9 consisted of me just basically just getting in my water, and even that was a struggle. By mid afternoon I was feeling so horrible, and I thought I was having the beginnings of a panic attack. I was sweaty, dizzy, and felt like I was going to pass out. I decided to take my blood pressure out of curiosity, and it was 98/45. I was obviously a bit freaked out, and called the doc. He speculated that it was most likely that I had lost so much weight so fast that I was probably over-medicated now for my high blood pressure. I was taking 10mg of Amlodopine and 100-25 of Losartan-HCTZ. He had me stop the Losartan completely, and take half of my Amlodopine starting the next morning. I felt better (but not great) on Day 10, but by Day 11, I was 100% back and feeling great again. I had started a tiny bit of applesauce on Day 9, tried yogurt, but could not stand the taste. Day 11, I added in cottage cheese, and Day 13 started with some roasted sweet potatoes. food has been absolutely no issue whatsoever. With the exception of the BP issue, nothing has made me nauseous, and while I have no sense of hunger, I also have no sense of feeling full. I actually find the process frustrating as I feel I am trying to sort out quantities, frequencies, etc by myself. And while it's going very smoothly, I have a lot of self-doubt about rather I'm "doing it right." My doctor does not give quantity guidelines as he feels it varies so much from person to person. He also does not give calorie guidelines as he doesn't care about calories as long as people are putting the "right" foods in their bodies (I know this is VERY different from most). I reached out to the BariatricPal community and asked to see what their doctors recommended in regards to quantity, which has been helpful. I saw that there were recommendations not to exceed 4 oz per meal, so I have been sticking with that, but I can definitely eat 4oz of cottage cheese with no problem at all. Never get a sense of fullness (again, I'm also never hungry), never feel back pain/pressure, or pain/pressure in my chest or any of the other symptoms I hear about. All in all, I consider myself very lucky. Things have gone as close to perfect as possible. Even the blood pressure issue, while unpleasant, is exactly what I was hoping to get from the surgery. And while the food re-introduction is stressful for me, it couldn't be going better. Just thought I would share my experience to-date for those who maybe going through the same thing, or about to be! EDIT: Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention, I'm only about 7 lbs away from not being morbidly obese for the first time since I can remember (probably at least 15 years). He's to being severely obese (for now)!

I can't work out that ticker thingy either lol! You're probably best in getting your 10 year old to sort it out for you! Glad you're back home and now on the losing side. Get plenty of rest xxx

So I am 10 days post op. I was drinking my protein shake and must have taken too big of a sip. I ended up with a gas bubble. Tried to burp it out but it came up with the protein shake. Not quite vomiting more like spit up. Ugh. And I still feel the burp in there. Maybe gas x?

First I want to say the first 3 months were not easy. Once I got used to the change it became a new way of life. I still struggle with head hunger and know this is a life time problem I will always deal with. Sweets were and still are my downfall. Right now I have a bowl of Cheerios and milk 1/2c each for Breakfast. Snack about 10, a Protein bar or a protein smoothie, for lunch a half turkey and cheese sandwich, 1/2 piece of fruit, snack around 3 another protein smoothie with fruit, supper a salad made with chicken breast and all kinds of vegetables and fruits with raspberry balsamic dressing. Snack at night 4 Ritz crackers with a little Peanut Butter and sometimes a sugar free ice cream. Of course this varies. Calories 1000 to 1200 a day. I walk/run 30 minutes 3 times a week on my treadmill and do aerobics 2 times a week for 30 minutes. Another note I can eat anything I want and I can drink Water or tea with my meal and it hasn't bothered my weight lose or my hunger level. I didn't start this till I was a year out from surgery. So please do what your Dr. advises. My life is full of energy, and I have began to leave my house after years of shutting myself in except to go to the grocery store or out to eat. Now I am involved with a local church teaching the youth of all things! I can play basketball and volleyball with them...almost keeping up with them! I feel alive for the first time in years. If I could have only done this 20 years ago. Couldn't so I am grateful that I could do it when I did. Wouldn't go back even if I could.

I'm three days out and starving. I'm on a liquid diet for 10 days then I can add some small things - my whole plan is in food and Nutrition under post plans. I've been getting 40 grams of Protein guaranteed with Isopure, Jello made with IsoPure 8 grams of protein per serving, I've had broth, some ice cream for calories and sugar since everything is sugar free and I have naturally low blood sugar. Since I can't add any actual food for another seven days I imagine I'll stay hungry. I'm down 3 lbs since surgery and it's unlikely it's Water weight as I've been drinking over 60 oz a day. Prior to surgery this was a main issue for me. I'm always hungry even just after eating. I'm hoping the band will help with some of that, though it's not known to depress hunger much despite applying pressure to the vagas nerve.

Hi I have complete sympathy. The two weeks post op were the hardest for me but I am very glad I stayed with the clear liquids. It seems there are lots of differing opinions from doctors about what types of foods you can have and when you can have them. My doctor said clear liquids only -- for two weeks post op. (the nutritionist, however, said clear liquids for 2 days, full liquids the rest of the week, then move on to mushies, etc). I did what the doctor said and was extremely hungry. Scary hungry. The hunger pangs seemed to course thru my whole body at times. I drank a lot of water. I thought of the time as a kind of purifying and cleaning out period. It was the worst time for me and luckily I was off work (I took 3 weeks). When I got to the full liquid stage, it was heavenly. Mixing unflavored protein powder into different foods was very helpful. I have heard some people mix a little bit of sugar free pudding mix into their protein drink to make it thicker -- though I have not tried that yet. The best I can say is hang in there. It is wise to stay with what your doctor ordered and anything else that gives you the best foundation to be successful with the band. Do everything you can to help your body to heal before adding or experimenting with different foods. I was miserable for two weeks after being banded, but have never regretted sticking to clear liquids during that time. I believe the new drink muscle milk makes, Protein H2O, would be considered a clear liquid. It has 10 grams of protein. It helps with hydration as well. Hang in there!!!! This too shall pass. ~hiddn

My highest BMI was 34, currently 32.5 and my surgery is on 10/22. I start my preop diet on the 14th.

I was sleeved 7 June 16. Starting weight was 140kg or 310lbs, current weight is 86kg or 190lbs. I was worried about loose skin as well and I defs see a tummy tuck and breast lift or augmentation in my future. But when you drop 10 dress sizes to a size you never remember being as an adult you stop worrying about it so much lol I'm lucky with regard to my arms, I notice the loose skin but no one else seems too and I'm still comfortable wearing short sleeves. Loose skin or not this was defs the best decision I've ever made for myself and I feel amazing I'm now able to play competitive sport again and kill it at the gym. I'm also able to shop for clothes anywhere I want and they're not super expensive. All the benefits far out weigh the loose skin and exercising will help a little if you set up a routine and stick to it as soon as you're cleared by your surgeon. Hope this helps

Thanks both of you! Good ideas. I'm cut-pasting in here @@CowgirlJane so I can answer your email. We both think towards the same things, clearly! -------------------------------------- I assume you just started the strength training....when you first start lifting your body can hang onto Water. It isn't really a problem except for that b#tch the scale.I started weight training when I was first approved to after surgery, so well on my way now, and I do like it. Hope you measured when you started because wouldn't it be exciting to see tape measure improvements! It will be eventually I hope, but to compare now to where I was 25 pounds ago is pretty depressing right now. It may be a little while before I can measure how bad it is--but I will, if nothing else for reference point. Good idea. I found that high intensity interval training jump starts the metabolism. I do sprints on a spinning bike since my knees can't take running. Kick boxing (at least my class) was a HIIT routine too. I was doing that for a while with a treadmill, and I think didn't keep it up long enough. I'll put that back into my routine and see if it helps. This probably won't fit with your trainer's plans, but intermittent fasting really works. I think one reason is it keeps the body guessing, but that is more my own idea than any kind of fact. There are downsides to intermittent fasting for some people.it took me awhile to figure out, but it was triggering anxiety. I do a modified version that doesn't seem to do that. I think I remember reading a post of you doing the 5:2 plan in modified version, no? It's a good one to pass by her (trainer) and see. She does some switch up days as she preps for competitions, which seems a similar principle. I'd sooner do that than go back to sub-800 calories per day. That was awful. I'll read the link you added, @OKCPirate - thanks. So I am 4years out and last year I did get 10# over goal. It took forever but I am under goal again. I have noticed that lately my weight jump alot more than it used to...either that or my scale is going wonky. Could it be your scale? I noticed the same thing, so got a new one a month ago--didn't exactly qualify as 'retail therapy' but I like being more sure of it's accuracy. I'm better weighing daily usually, but she's convinced me to try doing it weekly for a while and see if it helps me feel less lousy about that number every day. I may have to hide the blasted thing to keep from using it though! Thanks again - I really appreciate your knowledge and willingness to think things through and post.

I used to suffer from sinus and upper respiratory problems *constantly*, as did my youngest son. Then, about 15 years ago, I discovered that eucalyptus essential oil kills airborn bacteria. So I bought one of those little potpourri crocks...looks like a crockpot but only holds about 1 cup of Water. I put half a cup of water in it and about 10 drops of eucalyptus oil and the water warms up just enough to give off the aroma but not enough to burn off the oil quickly. I also put some straight oil into a mister bottle (you can get them in the hair care aisle at the supermarket) and when I change the bedsheets, I mist the mattress pad and the pillows. I do this in the morning so by night it just smells fresh. The purpose is to kill dust mites (yep it does that too) but the bonus is that the smell will go through the whole house and kill airborne bacteria. I'll put about 1 Tbs in the rinse water when I wash the sheets to do the same thing (kill dust mites). I can't remember the last time anyone in our home had a sinus or respiratory problem. Oh, and my son and I are both asthmatics and don't have a problem with the aroma from the oil. Since you already have a sinus infection, you might try putting a few drops of the oil in a bowl of warm water (warm enough to give off steam (but don't boil the water!), put a towel over your head and the bowl and breathe in the vapors through your nose...assuming you can. Most places charge an arm and a leg for this stuff, but you can get a 16 oz bottle at Rainbowmeadow.com for about $14. Last time I priced this at a health food store, they wanted $8 for a little 1/2 oz bottle.

Walk away the pounds dvd is a good one if you are just starting out. Also the biggest loser dvds are great. Lok on craigslist and amazon for used copies. Also check out your local library dvd section. I would recommend getting a 5, 8 & 10 lb hand weights too...2 lbs is not going to be enough very soon!

I'm dealing with some issues with my pouch now, 9-10 months out. I was eating chili (that I made myself) almost every day for the last 6 months or so since surgery. Now I think it was too spicy / the tomatoes too acidic. My lesson for the week is "Variety". And I've yet to find a pre-packaged meal that has a good level of fat, carbs, sodium, and Protein for what I want to eat. I have purchased pre-made meatballs, the small ones, (turkey or beef), and they are great to pop into sauce for a meal. I have also done well with the Green Giant just for one veggies with cheese sauce - they work well with a protein. Or the pre-cooked chicken or steak strips for on top of salads. So you can do convenience food, but not all in one package. Kathy