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I am not a spoiled brat, but I have a hard time wearing someone else's clothes. Maybe because I grew up forced to wear my sister's hand-me-downs. I highly recommend Old Navy. They just had jeans for $10 and it tons of different fits and styles. ALso Macy's has great deals right now with 40% off their clearance. I bought a pair of Calvin Klein cargo capris for $22. They were originally $60. Look for sales racks or clearance sections on line.

i have not had the surgery, but will have my first consultation this month. i have diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, fibromalagia, depression, and am 100 pounds over weight, plus i am having a very hard time with the smoking. I have been a smoker for 40 years. I am scared. my sister and my Aunt are telling me stories of how this person and that person died after surgery. Infections and so on. these people had theirs over 10 years ago, surely this has been perfected. what if you do not have a good support team? does it make it harder? how much help do you think i will need? i want to try the chantix i have heard this is a mind altering drug. i take so many drugs now how will this effect my other meds? i am truely frightened. i have 4 years before i have to purchase private medical insurance. with the obama care being so weird i probably couldn't afford the price with all my current aflicktions. Smokers immediately have to pay 50% more than anyone else; let alone having all the other medical issues.

At age 19, I would eat out of boredom. I had tried every possible weight loss program out there and nothing worked. Maybe because I didn’t stick with it long enough to see results. Having surgery to place the LapBand inside my body was a huge decision. My family stood behind me the entire way, in fact my parents paid for me to have it done. Seeing the doctor was a tragic moment. I was warned that he would try to break me down, try to make me cry… This is a way of showing how strong a person is, if they are emotionally stable to go through with this surgery, for my entire life would be different afterwards. I was prepared for the visit with the doctor, mentally and emotionally. My sister went to the appointment with me. He asked me, “Why do you want to get the LapBand?” My response, “Because I need to lose weight, I have tried everything and nothing seems to work. I’m afraid that I will die at a young age. I have already had some pre-cancer scares, from a sun mark and in my female reproductive system.” His comeback, “Well I could lose a few pounds myself.” Then my sister spoke up, “I don’t want my sister to die.” I started balling. The next stage in the process of getting the LapBand was seeing my healthcare provider for an in depth physical examination and a physiatrist. The ten days before the surgery was yet another test to see how capable I was of receiving the LapBand. Ten day liquid diet! Nothing but beef broth, protein drinks, and water for ten days. After day five, I just didn’t feel hungry anymore. I lost 12 pounds in those ten days. Sitting in the hospital bed waiting to go into surgery with my mom and best friend, I realized that my life was going to be completely different when I woke up. I was going to be sore. I was going to have to learn how to eat all over again. I have had the band for going on 5 years now. Last July, it slipped and I had to have emergency surgery to correct the band. It was horrible and painful while it was slipping (took about 3 months to fully slip, and I had no idea why I wasn’t feeling good). Once the band was fixed I felt 110% better. However, I gained nearly 3/4 of the weight back that I had lost; mind you I had been at a stable weight for 3 years! Now, the band is working correctly again and I’m starting to lose weight again. I do get sick if I eat too much or eat too fast or let myself get too hungry, and I throw up (sometimes more than once in a sitting). With all that being said, I would do the LapBand ten times over again. It has some issues, but I really feel like it is mind over matter. You know what you can and cannot eat, and the amounts of foods you area able to handle. Once I get back to a steady weight again (hopefully sooner than later!) I plan on getting extra skin removed and a breast lift.

She is just precious! I missed your questions too My oldest is a very responsible kid. I was very lucky to have him as my first driver. It went well and he is a really good dirver. Probably better than me...I am a leadfoot! ha ha. I grew up in Bham but not a fan of the place. I left when I was 21 and have not been back to live. Its beautiful and I have a couple close friends who are still there. Not much to write about. I have been super blessed with a great husband and 2 wonderful kids. We broke the "cycle" with regards to the way we grew up in the NW. We wanted different things for ourselves and children. Sometimes improving ourselves makes others feel uncomfortable and one day there is nothing in common anymore. Thats what happened to us with our families out there. We chose not to live the lifestyle that so many in our poor neighborhood fell into. I was from the wrong side of the tracks growning up and just wanted a different life. I have no regrets or complaints about the past because its what made me who I am today. My father, who was a good man, couldnt get out of his slump and took up drinking again after 15+ years sober. He couldnt take his situation anymore and put the bottle to his head and pulled the trigger. Drank himself into passing out and death 9/27/10. It was a choice he made. I had seen him 7 months earlier and when I flew backto DC I knew it was the last time I would ever see him. He was 400+ lbs and uncontrolled diabetes. He lost feeling in his feet. He was a very depressed and sad man. If I had stayed in WA my whole life I would be no different. I have never cried for my dad. I smile always.He made a decision and he is somewhere bass fishing now as we speak. I do not talk to the rest of my family. So I guess thats my story. I lead a very happy and blessed life but through a learning experience. I feel I can help others because I have gone through the hard stuff that put me in a physical and mental good place now. Hope I didnt bore you Ray

I think I may have a problem! I am 10 Days post op and I am in my purée/protein shake phase and have been dabbling with food to see what my new baby sleeve can handle and such! Well I haven't found anything it don't like yet except bananas. That somewhat scares me!!!

It is good that she is checking. At least you know what you have. Something odd happened to me a couple of Friday's ago at a dinner party. We had steaks on the grill, some veggies (I skipped the rice and corn on the cob). We had variations of pies and ice cream for desert. Well, the steak was medium cooked but it was the best steak I have had in a long time. It was moist and soft and perfect. I swear I ate a couple of bites of veggies, but over the course of about 40 minutes or so, I ate the entire steak (maybe 10 ounces) and I was comfortable doing it. It felt like not being banded. Most days I can't get but maybe 4 ounces down, a bite of potato before I get uncomfortable. I also had a small sliver of pie with a spoon full of ice cream an hour or so after dinner. Anyways, this did not make any sense to me. How can I eat so much at one sitting out of the blue and not other times? At first I was worried about my pouch being stretched but I have watched closely how I felt after. I still have good restriction 90% of the time and I don't tend to overeat since I stop eating when I am still comfortable. Is it possible that we can just have an occasional fluke where the band is extra open? Steak is not a typical food that I could possible overeat without paying consequences for it.

I had RNY on Feb 5, 2019. My hair loss started mid May and ended about mid July. I already had thin, fine hair to begin with so the loss was very noticeable (to me at least). Now here I am in October, 80 pounds down, and my hair is growing back! The pictures are of my bangs because it’s so noticeable there, but I have inch long hair all over my head. It makes my cowlick more obvious so I’ve been wearing a lot of ponytails to try to control it. My hair looks pretty awful with the little hairs standing straight up all over, but I’m thrilled it’s growing!

Ok here it is, no scrambled eggs, and no kind of potato! I had two episodes of being stuck after months of reading about being stuck, it finally happened to me. I went to Denny's with husband and ordered a veggie omelette after one bite and chewing and chewing with more chewing I swallowed and lord.....I though I was having a heart attack! I could not hardly take a breath and my chest right between my breast felt like something big was "stuck". The scary part was not really being able to breathe, then I started to get hiccups and felt like I was going to throw up. Next episode I think was a few weeks ago I had just one teaspoon of potato salad....same thing I was banded 12-01-2011 and I have a 10cc band. I have had 5 fills, and now have about 7.5cc in band now and I think Im good for a while. Never really experienced untill I had my last fill last month. But the scale has started to move finally...I was losing inches but no pounds. now im losing pounds

It took me 10 years and many, many, many failed attempts of dieting on my own before I was finally willing to have the surgery, but I am glad I did. Could I do this on my own? Maybe. Would it last? No. My deciding factors were simple for me (when I finally go there!) - two people lose the same amount of weight - one with surgery, one on their own - both are seemingly healthy. However, the person who DIDN'T have the surgery is still at a much higher risk of weight related diseases than the one who had the surgery. That was pointed out to me by a physician and the decision was made for me. I am just a week post-op, but no regret whatsoever!!!

Hey Lee and PNW I guess I was one of the lucky ones, I saved a bunch of my "skinny" clothes!! I had my levi's in size 14, 12, 10 and an 8!! I have blown thru all of the sizes except the 8! I can get them on and I could wear them but they are a bit snug. I'm so happy that I saved them, and a bunch of shirts. I have given away 18 bags of clothes so far!! I need to go through my closet again! PNW congrats on the size 12's!!!! I keep losing inches, but not a whole lot of weight. It is totally fine with me!

Thank you everyone!! I'm finally post-op. Wasn't as bad as I imagined at all. I'm feeling pretty okay. Anesthesia has had he sleepy and groggy most of the day. In terms of pain, incision pain in minimal. Just feels like I did lots of push ups. Oh boy, but that has pain is a killer. It really hurts. Walking is the only solution. I've walked every chance I got and I'm going to continue to do that. Also, peeing every 10 minutes! Lol So happy I did this and I'm excited to start this new journey of my like. Thank you all for your kind words, well wishes and encouragement. [emoji173]

i am doing some wt training but it depends on the machine how much i lift. i mostly do 3 sets of 10 reps. my arms are weak and i am restricted on how much i can lift while i am healing (6 wks post). i am doing btwn 15 and 40 lbs on most arm exer and 30-45 on my legs. my exer physio at the clinic told me that lifting may not burn as many calories as cardio but that it would burn inches so thats not bad. can you ride a exer bike? that may be one way to get some cardio in. i also have a GREAt pilates dvd that gets my heart goin but most of the exer are on the floor on your back and side, it's the Marie Windsor set and the 20 min workout is fabulous!

My OBGYN was the same way when I told her. But, I researched my doctor and also talked to two of his patients, so I did not have the same concerns. I had my surgery on 10/23/08 with Dr. Roberto Rumbaut. He is also banded, so I felt like he had a great perspective. He has also done more than 6,000 of these procedures and is well respected in the field, and I found that very reassuring. Dr. Rumbaut was able to hook me up with the doctors at NYU who wrote Fighting Weight with Mohammed Ali's daughter. I arranged my first post-op appointments before I even had surgery, which made me feel much better. The hospital he uses (Ortiz probably goes here as well, though I'm not 100% on that) is amazing -- brand spanking new and state of the art. I was really impressed. Also, since their business thrives on private pay patients, the level of care was OUTSTANDING. I never had to wait even a whole 60 seconds after pushing the nurse call button to have someone there to help me. They also made up a bed in my (private, brand new, gorgeous) hospital room so that my mother could spend the night there with me. I can't speak highly enough about Dr. Rumbaut or the care I received. If you aren't set on Ortiz, you might consider him as well. BTW, I put photos of the hospital on my blog (at the very beginning), so feel free to take a look if you are interested! Catherine

So, 19 months post op, after an 85 lb loss and very successful surgery (I have been at goal weight for 9 months), I decided to have a breast lift in both and reduction in one. That happened a week ago and all is well! I posted my story on my blog, so take a look. Most of you know I did a weekly blog for the first year of life after the sleeve and posted faithfully every Sunday. I stopped after a little over a year, but thought this was worthy to share. I thought I would need implants but after some research, found out that a lift and reduction would be best and I am so happy not to have implants! I am almost 60 but for the first time in my life I now have nice breasts! My blog is www.queenofcrop.com I have more details of what happened there and yes, there are photos (that I couldn't post here). Haven't been on the forum for a while so I'm sure there are lots of new people here....hope everyone is having a very successful time of it. The forum was so helpful for me in my first year!

65 here and I lost 8-10 a month until I got 20 lbs from goal and some illness...keep moving and track you intake and everyone is differant...

From your description of the event, I am wondering if it really was midazolam that was given. It is not technically a paralytic. It was either not the medication you were told or it was an ungodly dose. I am just glad you are doing well physically now. I know it will take a while for you to overcome the emotional trauma, and I imagine your mom is still very gun shy, too. I do hope you will reconsider the sleeve at some point. From reading here, it seems to a positive life change for many people. My daughter was sleeved by Dr. Aceves on 7-1-10 and I am scheduled for 8-12-10. Maybe letting more time pass and doing a little more research during that time will help your confidence return. At any rate, I wish you good health and happiness. Kathe

I am super busy this time of year (as is everyone) with school activities and my business, and the shorter days seem to really make me feel the crunch. Plus, the chillier it gets, the more I want to snuggle on the couch with my pup and a trashy novel. My family still wants to eat, so it's time to pull out the crock pot! The more elaborate the meal, the more prep I do at night. Today's recipe is seriously an open and dump but a family favorite: 3-4 chicken breasts 2 cans pinto Beans rinsed 1 jar of your favorite salsa 1 can of Rotel 1 can of corn drained. Dump it all in and cook on low 8-10 hours. Shred chicken with two forks. Serve with chopped onion, sour cream, cheese, chopped avocado and chips as toppings. SUPER easy and low carb friendly! Please share your favorite WLS recipes!

I lost 8 lbs in 2 weeks and my doctor said that was good so 10# in 10 days is fantastic.

I felt GREAT the first week after surgery...euphoric! Lol...then my body was like oh no you will not make me move! I was super tired weeks 3-9.... just ended week 10 and finally got energy back!

I was scheduled for 8/19. Received a call Monday and they asked me If i was willing to switch to 8/16. This is my first time having surgery. The amount of anxiety i'm having I haven't slept in about 5/6 days

I am 37 (soon to be 38) and I hope to be banded in the next 2-3 weeks. I have been toying with the idea for about a year. I only wish I done this 10 years ago. Better late than never.

Hello, I have been banded since 10-06-08. I started having trouble keeping food down the last few days and was wondering if my band has slipped. I was having stomach trouble like a stomach ache so I thought maybe it was a virus or something. Any info would help.

Whats my motivation!!! I am tired of being fat point blank period!!! I am tired of working out and getting frustrated when I only see 10-15 pounds and give up t gain 30 back..I have clothes with the tag on them when I lost 40lbs but I gained 40+ back... I want to cross my legs.. I want to look down and see my vag jay jay..lol.. Without having to hold my stomach... I want to look sexy in panties and bras.. I don't want to be ashamed of my body... I want to work and wind m damn hips during sex and not be tired after 5..lol.. Sent from my iPad using VST

I have this horrible fear of eating out and dumping in public places. Does anyone else have this fear? I am 4.5 weeks post op and have not experienced dumping syndrome yet. I hate having this fear! Will I get past this? I don't want to live in fear of going places for the rest of my life [emoji53]. What do you do when you travel? My son lives a 10 hr drive away from us and we usually make this trip 4 times a year. Then while visiting him it always involves site seeing, eating out and always on the go....As of right now I feel like I'm not going to enjoy this anymore [emoji53]. One of the reasons for having this surgery is so I can enjoy physical activities while visiting him. Thanks for any input [emoji4]

My recommendations: 1. For stress and insomnia...Do you have a good man? Sex is good. :-) Great stress reliever. Good exercise: if done right, you can burn 200 calories and you'll get a good night's sleep. 2.To decrease anxiety, I recommend books that encourage calm: Some of my favorites: The Wonders of Solitude [Dale (somebody); blue cover...] How to Sit [Thich Nhat...] A Manual for Living [Epictetus. A small little book that I often reread] The Four Agreements 3. For sleep, I sometimes drink hot chocolate: ~ 6 oz. skim milk with unsweetened high % cacao dark chocolate [NOT milk chocolate]. I add a sweet & low, drink it ~ 10:30. Most times when I do that, I'm out all night. 4. Step away from the tech devices, especially at night in your bedroom. The gadgets, emails, texts, will be there in the morning. They are NOT that important. Rest your mind. 5. Set boundaries. I have one lawyer-friend (in the central time zone) who loves to pontificate and b**** about everything. I've asked him to NOT call me after 9 PM my time, cuz I don't need to hear all that crap as I'm winding down my evening. he doesn't like it, but too bad. 6. If you have someone you need to cuss out...maybe do it :-). Also write. Journal. Write poetry, etc. Make audio journals. Sometimes hearing yourself back weeks/months later can help you see that some stuff you might worry about isn't even worth it. 7. Music. Dance. Listen. Feel. Move to it. Not this modern-day mess. But some old R&B, etc., with words and beats you can "feel." Good luck.