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thanks Bonnie i needed a pep talk, am going to call the doctor next week...in the middle of selling my house and moving...could be the stress of everything! But again thanks!

Just want to add my two pennyworth about bodily aches. I'm 59&1/2, ex ballet dancer, have osteoarthritis in both my knees, have had my right hip replaced and my lower back is knackered. I would post the MRI pic of my back but you'd all probably post that I should be shot like a decrepit old mare. I WAS taking so much medication before having my sleeve done but now I am onto minimal amounts and that is just to maintain the minimal amount of pain that I sometimes have. I walk for miles with my dogs most days and rarely do I get any back pain from doing that although there are days when my left knee really plays up. My (newish) hip is wonderful-I don't even know that I have got a man-made object there. I still get a bit of recurring plantar fasciitis in my left foot but I cope with that. However, before the op, everything hurt for the majority of the time. Now, having shifted 50lbs of unwanted lard in the six months since my surgery I can breeze along with the best of them. In fact, I can out walk most of my dog walking pals easily. Can't wait to get the next 30lbs off to get to my goal to see how that feels! I liken my journey to having managed to throw off a particularly clingy toddler who was clamped to my frame. Either that or three paper sacks of Costco Maris Piper spuds!!!!!! I love my weight loss and am so glad that I bit the bullet and just got sleeved. Just wish I had done it years ago.

I am 2 months post op... I'm only going about once a week.. I am not having any types of pains or cramps.. Is this common with any of you guys?

Dang. I used to be so regular. My morning constitutional. I miss you so. LOL. Now if the trains don't move down the tracks by Day 3, I'm blasting them out with either MOM or 3fl oz of Mag Citrate. I'm taking 2pills daily of Colace, taking Miralax 17g daily...le sigh. I think a week is too long. My instructs are to call my doc if no BM by day 4.

my fiancee is using DeWhitt and he seems to have a really easy pre and post-op program. I used Weinstein in Mobile and his was pretty hard on my will to comply (darn McDonalds) DeWitt's program was low carb starting at 10 days before and clear liquid at three days prior. Recovery was also faster at 1 week of puree food instead of my doc's recommended two weeks. I'm sure everyone is different. Down side to Dewitt (for me) is if I want to use him when I move back to Montgomery, he charges $100 and doesn't file any insurance for fills. btw, I'm new too. banded 5/1

hi[emoji3] well first id like to wish you a lot of luck !! this is the first day of your new life!! i was sleeved a week ago, 2/10. im gonna be completely honest with my experience.. so here it goes. i got to the hospital at 545am.. did all my final paperwork and they put me in a room to wait for doc. they hooked me up to IVS and asked me questions.. blah blah blah.. i was feeling so nervous- i almost wanted to back out. but i told myself that ive wanted this for so long and come so far in this process so there was no turning back! i went in and doc told my family itd be a 1 to 2 hour surgery.. but it only took 40 min because everything went perfect! (so blessed) so i woke up in recovery all drugged up.. not knowing where i was lol. all that was on my mind was where was my family.. i was told i had to wait.. i felt tired and nothing really else.. fast forward to an hour and i was wheeled to my room with family right behind me. still drugged up and sleepy- i didnt know much of what was going on. i felt like i was in a fog. i started getting nauseous as heck.. so unbearingly nauseous. i demanded meds and after a few diff ones the nausea went away. i tried sleeping but they kept waking me up every 3 hours to walk. the first time i was thinking there was no way i could walk after surgery. but it wasnt bad! i took it slow and by the next time i got up i just wanted to get it done with to go back to bed lol. the first night wasnt too bad .. i had plenty of pain meds and slept mostly good. the next day i woke up and was told i needed to drink 10 medicine cups of fluids in order to go home.. piece a cake.. or so i thought. it took me 8 hours to drink 5 cups so needless to say i didnt go home. it was so hard for me to keep liquids down. it felt tight and it felt like the fluid was the girl from charlie and the chocolate factory and my digestive system was the chocolate tube she got stuck in. lol only way i knew how to put it.. so the 2nd night for me was hellll.. i woke up every 10 minutes. the oxygen i had to wear was annoying.. i just wanted my own bed. the next morning i woke up determined to drink those ten cups! it took me 3 hours to drink 5 medicine cups so i was determined to drink those last 5.. and i did! i definitely made progress from the day before. so i go home.. ride home is a bit bumpy so bring a pillow to hold against your tummy.. for me that was a life saver.. so i get home and my bed was waiting for me for the past week ive been sleeping a lot lately. no stomach pains really my incisions are healing nicely. just a little sore. i was frustrated because everytime id drink liquids i would have to use the bathroom and then id be hungry. im still hungry often but its because im not consuming food. honestly the first few days i had about 4 breakdowns a day. i cried and cried and told my family i regretted getting sleeved.. it was SO hard to meet my fluids and protein goal. but that feeling of regret it gone. im doing better everyday.. and it gets easier everyday. all i can do is try my best. and make sure i get my walking in. i was instructed to wall 10-15 min a day. on valentines day (four days post op) i checked in with doc.. 16 pounds down!! he says im on right track.. ive had some shoulder pain..thats normal. gas x strips helped a lot with that. i wish you the best during your journey. youre gonna do fabulous !! make sure you take your vitamins. very important! dont stress - take it day by day and if you have any questions please feel free to message me. also im not too far ahead of you.. id love to hear about your experiences too sorry for the book lol happy sleeve day!

My doctor told me anything that would go through a straw I could have, it's amazing what you can get through a straw those first two weeks. Good luck and congratulations on your new journey.

I'm a little over 1 week post op. I feel like a giddy kid. I went today and had my hair cut and styled, something I never would have done before. I have a whole new outlook on life. It is an old saying that today is the first day of the rest of your life, but I really feel like it is. I have been fat my entire life and been on anti-depressents for the past 15 years. I just can't describe the feeling you get when you realize that there is going to be life and out there and you are going to live it. I am not fooling myself thinking that the road is going to be easy, but I actually laughed today and it felt so good. My bubble may get busted soon, but I am going to enjoy it while it last.

Hi, had my lap band done a week ago. Still very sore where the wound sites are, otherwise all seems to be going ok. Have lost half a stone already, but that maybe because I felt quite poorly for a few days. Anyone else out there had their's done recently? would like to hear how other's are doing.

Hi, I am 5 weeks post surgery and I am starting to worry that I made a mistake getting banded. I have lost 18.5 pounds only because of the liquid diet post surgery and being on liquids three days after my first fill. I am not scheduled for another fill for another three weeks. I have been watching my carbs and cannot seem to lose anything. In fact I have gained a pound and a half in the last week. I have been on low carb diets and had some success at losing some weight. I am doing what I used to do with no results. Until I get to a sweet spot on my band I guess I will have to diet just to stay where I am. I do not feel any restriction yet so I wonder if I should walk in and ask for a fill or am I being too anxious. I also understand banding is not a magic cure so I am not expecting miracles but so far I am disappointed. Any advice??? Thanks for letting me vent.

Congratulations! Your story is so encouraging, because I was thinking (when I ought to be sleeping), that my latest stall has just made me an utter failure, even though my team says I am right on track. That negative self-talk can really do a number on us. But your experience is a beautiful reminder that our success happens way before reaching our goal weight. You are a success for taking responsibility for your health. You are a success for following the instructions in your plan. You are a success because you are paying it forward by encouraging the rest of us and those at the University of Missouri who will come after you.

My surgeon did an extensive hernia repair on me when he did my VSG, so....guideline were: 2 weeks no exercise, walking as tolerated only and very light housework, no bending, lifting, twisting, pushing, pulling over 20 pounds. 2nd-4th weeks no lifting over 20 pounds and aerobics only. No weight training, strength training intensive workouts until after one month follow up.

I went to an "herb" remedies guy about two weeks ago. Some people call him a quack because he believes in herb instead of medications. As soon as I sit in front of him, he drew a picture of my legs without me saying anything. He asked my name and I explained the drop foot. He instantly drew 6 dots on the picture. Thee on my leg leg inside calf and 4 on my abdomen. He said I have 6 Vitamin E oil..they are in a get cap and I bite into it and spit out the gel caplet. He said it would dissolve the blood clots. I've been on the Vitamin E for two weeks and can lift my drop foot up and down when I'm not putting weight on it. He said it could take up to two months. My doctors back home are skeptical but everyone that goes to him say he has always been 100% on the nose and corrected their problem. He told my mom she had internal bleeding....next week, she went to the dr and has a bleeding ulcer which they fixed that week. His name is Bruce Joneshill from Rosebud, Arkansas. I do believe he is the real thing. He prays before he tells you what is going on. He is a Christian. My BP still runs around 85/55. My family dr thinks its dehydration. So, I'm taking the advice of both, taking the Vitamin E and drinking more Water.

I would wait until after the tape/glue dissolves from your incisions. I think mine took up to 4 weeks.

I would not worry about it. Many times when you see people struggling with eating it is sometimes because the don't get all their Protein in and they are healing much slower. Or they have a stricture. From what you described and your weight loss, you are right on track. Everyone is different and heal at different rates. I was like you, completely healed and able to pretty much eat anything at 7 weeks. I have lost nearly 100lbs in 7 months. I have never gotten sick although I have eaten too much on occasion and come close. Good luck with your continued journey!

Hi mikee, I read your profile, you and I are very close in age and height. Im almost 56 and im 5' 3, and 160 lbs. As I calmly explained to my lap band surgeon 2 weeks ago during a 6 mo checkup," I think im done losing weight as ive been at this weight for a year now. I would love to get to 140 lbs, but im 55, had a child and at the end of menopause, so im not expecting to have my teenage body back, because things have changed !" He calmly looked at me and said " You can do this if you really want to, just cut back a few more calories and exersize a bit more! " I love him to death, but seriously ? Did you not hear my reasons ? Anyhooooooo.......... I think you have to listen to your Dr, but just as important, listen to YOUR body ! You' ll know when your weight is "right"!

So I've been doing the pre-op diet for about the past two weeks and tomorrow I go to sign all the consents and have the pre sugery blood work done and then thursday is the day but not till 12:30pm. When I started this process over a year ago I never thought I would eventually make it here. I feel very lucky to have insurance that will pay their part and a 401K plan that I can borrow against.

Renek my 3 weeks away from my scale broke my addiction, now I'm on a 2 week schedule and I like this idea because we all know how our hormones can sneak in and sabotage us so I figure things would even out more after 2 weeks!

I did not have the belly bruising. Soreness from the incisions yes and OMG the gas! lots of walking and gasX. Took me over a week to be able to drink an entire protein shake in one day. Congrats to all of us on making the decision for a healthier lifestyle!

My endo isn't scheduled until Thursday, sorry! I'll keep y'all posted. The good news is that the Prevacid I got last week seems to be helping, and I'm feeling much better. I'm no longer convinced I have an ulcer or worse, just think I had a nasty bout of gastritis and/or esophagitis, plus ongoing, really bad reflux. Since I'd never had any of these things before, I pretty much thought I was dying. Thanks for thinking of me, Kathy! I'll let you know what the answer is...

Going in for repositioning of the band in couple of weeks myself at the Vancouver false creek Center. I am within the 5 years. Am completely difilled but has not helped with the slip.

I should add that my husband who is also my best friend is also a big support! We are doing this together as he was sleeved just 2 1/2 weeks before me. He has been the best. Walking and exercising with me. We've done new thing together like going on a hike too. We eat basically the same foods and he does 99% of the cooking for us. I couldn't do this without @@Fatty McFatster !!!!!

This is my first major holiday with my new sleeve ,,, I am 6 weeks post op ,, i am on all regular foods ,,, So I am looking forward to see how I do on a holiday...Wish me Luck!!!!!!!!!! Wishing everyone a wonderful day,, and just wanna say i appreciate this site and all of you that are on it. May God bless us all on this new journey we have chosen for a happier and healthier lifestyle....

Are you taking your vitamins and getting your water and protein in? Its very importamt that ypu do. It will help in your recovery. Have you tried electrolytes to help with the lethargy? During the first week or 2 after surgery I found that to be a big help. I found powdered electrolytes at the pharmacy. You just add the powder to water and it doesn't taste bad. It took about a week out for me to stop feeling tired and needing naps.

My doctor put me on two weeks of clear liquids which I am wrapping up today. I have lost 17 pounds in those two weeks. I am shocked but happy. Tomorrow, I start full liquids. I have been worrying about that move because while I am excited to eat something different, I don't really want to deviate from my current path because I don't want to go back to old habits - eating just to eat or because I want food - not that I need it or am hungry for it. I have been reading about people not being succesful or gaining weight. I don't understand fully how this happens. If your stomach is smaller, how can someone eat beyond what they are supposed to eat?? So, last night, I had a dream that I was able eat just like I used to. I felt that I was a fool for having the surgery thinking of course I lost 17 pounds in two weeks I am only drinking and barely taking in any calories...when I can eat again I am in trouble and this won't work. Someone please tell me how somenoe gains weight after having the sleeve. I want to make sure that I don't do that.