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Welcome to the RNYTalk Gastric Bypass Surgery forums skanvasuath! Stop lurking and please introduce yourself in our introduction forum! Don't be shy!!!

Welcome to the RNYTalk Gastric Bypass Surgery forums LowadabatoLob! Stop lurking and please introduce yourself in our introduction forum! Don't be shy!!!

Welcome to the RNYTalk Gastric Bypass Surgery forums shiegesy60! Stop lurking and please introduce yourself in our introduction forum! Don't be shy!!!

Welcome to the RNYTalk Gastric Bypass Surgery forums marmushkin! Stop lurking and please introduce yourself in our introduction forum! Don't be shy!!!

Welcome to the RNYTalk Gastric Bypass Surgery forums Mordcoows! Stop lurking and please introduce yourself in our introduction forum! Don't be shy!!!

Welcome to the RNYTalk Gastric Bypass Surgery forums Dokepichexoke! Stop lurking and please introduce yourself in our introduction forum! Don't be shy!!!

I'm starting from scratch again. Just found out the new surgeon, Dr. Harry Meyers, does not do lap band - only bypass and the sleeve. I'm very bummed. I really thought I finally had the right surgeon.

-Start excercising right away...it helps with weight loss, gas pain, etc.

-Really chew slowly...if you get stuck on solids, it will hurt

-You are not alone....I haven't shared my surgery with many people and often felt very alone....go on here...it will help!

-Your hair might fall out at alarming rates. My doctor told me that this only happens to bypass patients....so not true! Make sure to get your protein, buy biotin, and remember that it will stop, and will grow back. Mine started 4 months out, and still falls out (less though), but it is growing back in everywhere too!

As far as workouts, I usually do 30 minutes on the elliptical or 30 minutes jogging and power walking. I also do abs and arm weights.

Keep up the good work, and please feel free to write back if you have any more questions...we are all here for each other

I had my surgery in June of 2008, was ok then the port seemed too big, hitting my ribs and causing horrible pain. I had a port revision done in November of 2008 and they put a low profile port in...all was well until a few months ago I started having pain again and port was sitting correctly. We think that perhaps the scarring inside from two ports being placed there (plus I had tumor removed from pretty much the same area years ago) was pushing the port out. So this past Monday (July 20th, 2009) they removed the low profile port from my right side and put a new one in the left side...doing pretty good overall, just tired a lot - but that is too be expected It is funny because some people I work with have asked me if I regret having my surgery (because of the additional surgeries) I always laugh...I love my band, I can finally cross my legs, I can sit in normal size chairs, I feel sexy and beautiful and I am so much healthier

I don't have much experience b/c I was just banded 2 weeks ago, but please: Go back and get the fill! Don't worry about being embarrassed...you only have to worry about what you think, after all this is your weight and your body.

I have a lot of friends who have had gastric bypass and they have lot's of problems. There are nutritional issues. They have hair loss, bone density issues, and often gain the weight back. It is a painful surgery. YOU already have a built in power tool to help you lose but you have not turned it on yet.

How about if you try the preop diet that you went on again. This will kick start your diet and make the fill seem easy. Then go tell your doc that you never came for a fill and you want to really take advantage of the band. If you don't lose that 30 again right away then increase your exercise. I know you can do it. The hard part is already behind you. I'm praying for you. Good luck

i decided that if the band wasnt going to do it i would. so i got gym membership and started swimming. yes its emabarassing to be in a swim suit, but i promise nobody is going to say anything! i started swimming 3 - 4 times a week, and walking everyday about 2 miles. i cut the mash potatoes and bread, and started making myself soups, with veggies, lentils, beans, any protein sourse, i cut meat, and started making fish, and i have not had a bite of bread since march, once i started doing this the pounds shed off. heres my last piece of advice. DONT weigh yourself everyday! its not steady. and it only made me feel depressed. weigh only once a week, or once every 2 weeks. i have lost 94 pds. but its been hard work, and dedication.gastric bypass is the easy way out, give this a chance you can do it! may God bless you on your journy.

Hey Lyndsay! I'm Sophia! Nice to meet you:) Yes I am considering lap band as a choice for WLS. I'm in the Pre-Beginning stages! lol I'm thinking of getting banded in Mexico, because my insurace does not cover ther cost, and there is NO way I'll ever get it here in the states with how hight the pricing is. It's so much cheaper there. The only concern I keep having is "What happens to me if something goes wrong and I'm here in Colorado?" What if I need a revision or a somthing goes wrong... what do I do... go back to Mexico, Try to see a surgeon here. It's confusing on the after care part... and that seems to be the most important part of the process. I need to get my band at the right place and pressure so that I can lose the weight optimally, ya know. So ya that's where I am. Not so scared to go to Mexico for actual surgery... I'm just thinking post op, what are my options. Where were you banded? Do you like it so far?

Thanks for the support! I need it:-)

Sophia

Janiece I keep burping too! My girlfriend had the gastric bypass and is going to stop by and let me sample the vitamins she uses..I believe their called Optisource..she said they help to keep ur hair from falling out. Which vitamins are you using? Glad to hear your home and everything is okay!

thank you so much for ur reply...please let ur co-worker know that this PROUD BANDSTER loss just as much if not more than some1 with the bypass....and i know ur results will be just as good!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello Alice, I am trying to decide for sure between the band and bypass. I have to make my final decision by Monday. Surgery scheduled for the 11th of Nov. I am not comfortable with such a drastic measure such as bypass. Would you do it again? Is it comfortable. How do you like having the port? Mary.

I am so happy things are working out for you! In retrospect, sometimes I feel jealous that I didnt get the gastric bypass because I would prolly arealdy be to goal weight. On the other hand, the surgery risk weight was just so high with the gastric. I felt more comfortable with band knowing they wouldnt be removing parts from my. Just adding one! ...and the fact that it can be removed if necessary was a BIG plus. I dont plan on that, but you never know what could happen down the road, right?

Hi! I didnt have my surgery at Del Sol. I had mine done by a very rude dr. in Lubbock TX. I waited 6 mo's for my first fill cuz he wouldnt do them in office; only in the lab. My ins. wouldnt cover lab and he flat out told me he doesnt make enough $ doing them in office... so I switched drs. I see Dr. Lara at Del Sol. He is great. His recept. is a little ding-y, but his nurses and dietician are wonderful. Do you live in NM? I use to travel to El Paso, but he opened an office here in Albuquerquer and comes every 2 months. Sure is nice not to have to drive 8 hours every few months! Are you getting the lap band? I meet many of his patients and very few are getting banded. Most have the gastric bypass. When I went to the orientation with the pre-op patients (I was a new patient, even tho I was 6 months post-op), they really pushed the bypass. My surgeon in Lubbock didnt give me the choice. I was happy that I was approved for anything! Ha!

When is your surgery scheduled?

I would like to find out if the band is effective tool for weight loss kaiser is more for the gastric bypass, or the sleeve i'd rather have the lap band since it has less complications any suggestions?

Hi Shasta1

I feel much better now that I have lost over 100 pounds in 1 year. I started looking into weight loss surgery over 10 years ago but my insurance would never cover it. Once I had a BMI over 50 they finally did. I was 5'6" and 375 pounds. I still hired beliteweight.com to get me through all the red tape with bc/bs insurance. There was a lot more of a wait for the gastric bi-pass surgery. I was in a hurry and opted for the gastric lap band. I was chicken for the drastic bi-pass. There was less of a wait for the band. I could always opt for the bi-pass later if the band didn't work. They put me on a liquid protein diet for 3-4 weeks prior to surgery to shrink my liver.

The lap band and gastric bypass has a diet to stick with so it is not easy and dieting free as I thought it would be. I automatically eat smaller portions of what I did eat before. It is a lot like the South Beach one with mostly protein, vegetables, low carbs and no "slider foods".

toosywoots

Hi, Thanks for the sweet comments and Bandiversary Wishes. I feel so blessed, and I love this site. Ya'll really inspire me!!! I just turned 58 and sure wish I had done something in my 40's too. The band was not available in the US and I did not want the Gastric Bypass it was so dangerous at that time. I would love to have enjoyed more activities with my children, that being heavy prevented me from doing, or I was too ashamed of my body to do with them. I was an active Mom with them, but reserved. I feel so glad that I have a chance to do some of those things with my grandchildren, they will think I am a silly granny, but fun here I come! Have a wonderful day!

OK...the TT in 2007...It was easily the hardest in terms of recovery, because the abdominal muscles are involved. I had a lower body lift last summer, and that one is supposed to be the roughest, but it wasn't, in my opinion. The summer in between (2008) I had a breast lift. With all of these surgeries was miscellaneous liposuction, except with my TT when he also did a scar revision for something unrelated to my weight loss. A few weeks ago I had an arm lift (shorter scar) and a revision to the medial thigh lift from last year. I'm still pretty swollen from that, and the arm lift is not a pleasant surgery for recovery. The scars are ugly right now and my arms look thinner but they are nowhere near their end result. Same with the thighs. I go through this every time...I have a post from the past on the Dr. Schulman thread on this site where you can see my anxiety!! More to come...

Hey! I just wondered... when you were having those chest pains last year, what did it end up being? I was banded 12/28/09 with port revision 2/2810. In the last week I've started having this completely random dull achy thing in the center (slight slight slight left) of my chest. Literally feels like it's in my left breast almost! I'm just curious. Does this seem like what you had? Did it resolve? Did the dr. intervene? It seems to have no pattern... can happen a few times a day or several... doesn't matter if I'm full or empty... lying down or standing... morning or night... nada. Completely random.

Yes medicare covers revision, but you must have a bmi over 35 with one co-morbidity, or over 40.

good luck with yours

Hi there,

I'm sorry to hear you are also having issues with your port. My port kept flipping on me, so I finally insisted on the revision to RNY. I have to say the recovery after having the band removed I feel SOOO much better. The recovery time was really quick too. Within a week I was off all pain meds.

Now I'll be having RNY done on 2/23 and I can't wait

Hello - I never thought I would be wanting this ...been on the million different diets all my life which of course have all failed - or, have I failed ?

I am in so much pain that I have to get the weight off because I want to live my life full - and it is not full right now !

I also have Crohns disease - so I don't know if anyone will do this sx - I know I cannot have the bypass - which is disappointing because I think it works better - but I will take what I can get - I welcome conversation with anyone else that has Crohns; who has had or is getting this done : ) BUT I welcome conversation with anyone too!