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Hey Laura, I had surgery in Mexico b/c I am self pay and they wanted $19,000 in my area. I did a lot of research and found a good doctor the cost was $4700.00 plus 2 plane tickets.It was a total of $6030.00. I arrived on Wednesday had my surgery Wednesday I was discharged to a very nice hotel on Friday and left Sunday. I wanted to leave earlier but I was at the mercy of my plane ticket. Why do they need you to stay in the area so long? And why do you have to leave the drain in so long? I have 3 girls 25, 23, &13. I also have 2 grandchildren girl 7 and boy 6. My family is very supportive but that doesn't keep them from eating whatever they want in front of me. LOL. The weight I have lost is pre-op and post-op. I have lost 8 lbs since the actual surgery. I am excited for you. Please keep me posted after surgery. I know you'll do great! Talk you soon, Lisa

I weigh everyday and log it in a monthly calendar. I try not to let the daily weights bother me, I look for a pattern of loss and calculate my loss monthly. I measure myself monthly and I haven't been good about taking taking pictures. Good Luck with your plan.

Well everyone....I am in the land of the living...I was banded yesterday. It was so funny as I was watching Big Medicine the night before my surgery and saw a lady that was doing the lap band surgery...I love that show. Listen anyone who has not done this surgery...It is probably the best thing that could have every happened to me. For many years I suffered from an eating disorder and it got out of control. For anyone out there that may feel that binging and purging can make you loose weight (trust me there are people out there that feel that way). You will not you were looking at at a previous bulimic that gained 50 lbs! It's better you do what you have to do and get this band. I know this journey won't be easy but now I am in control of ME and that is the most important thing. Here is the low down: 1. I waited until 1:20 p.m. a lady met with me and brough me to OR I was put in a waiting room. 2. The nurse told me to put on a robe that could finally fit me. You know the hopital gown that you have to put two on or you will be ass out..yeah...that can't happen there! lol. I also got a took to put on.The nurse came in asked a few questions. She weighed me and to my suprise I lost 15 lbs.:whoo: 3. The anestigolist (mind my spelling) met with me to explain what he would be going and asked what meds I am on and if I am allergic to anything. 4. Then I met with Dr. Cobourn for a while. He answered all my questions. He told me he loved my touqe and not to start without him.lol. I told him I would try not too! 5. I was then taken to OR they strapped me up to the machines and sent me to lala land. 6. I woke up. The post op nurse Francine was amazing. She came me all sorts of cool drugs lol. I got some demerol and codine. 7. Dr. Cobourn met with me breifly and told me that I had a bit of a hernia and he fixed it! HA...I went to Peel for the same problem and they turned me away saying nothing was wrong. 8. I had a lot of gas pain in the shoulders which I think was the worst. 9. Got home and put a hot Water bottle on the shoulders took gas X and went beddie bye. 10. One thing that helps with the gas I found was a nice message. My hubbie gave me a message it helped move around the gas. 11. I slept on the couch for the evening as my couch has a lot of pillow which was very comfortable. 12. Woke up this morning to some gas but now soreness in the tummy. I guess the stiching is making me sore. The gas is starting to come out (gross) and is litterly a byatch to come out lol. All in all ... everything went well. I am very happy and that each and everyone of your for your support along the way. If it wasn't for you all I would be in the dark as to what to expect. At least by reading your experiences I now know what to expect. You all are amazing! Thanks again for all your support.

hi all i get my first fill 4-19-06 very excited can wait to see how it feels and what i will lose congrats on all the weight loss i will log in on wednesday and let u all know what is going on with me thanks for your support

Thanks everyone for your advice, and I will be back on the wagon now. I do realize that I cannot do this post-op and am really serious about this. I have gone from many cokes a day and eating fast food everyday to this is my first time to screw up in two weeks. And like I said, I don't know what came over me. But I am proud of my 12 pound weight loss

btw - I was looking forward to not having to deal with the loose skin setting the scanners off after I had plastic surgery (because oddly, that DOES set it off for some of us), but I STILL beep, even though all the excess skin is gone. I don't know what it is. I know surgical staples don't (they're made of titanium, which MRI machines don't pick up - so maybe that's why airport scanners don't, either), but maybe the clips I have in my abdomen from plastic surgery do - I'm not sure. But for whatever reason, I still beep. Grrrr. P.S. earlier in the weight loss phase I didn't beep - because I didn't have all the loose skin then. But I DID have the staples then - so they aren't what sets it off.

My-o-my you are right in that it was VERY wrong the way I was treated by him, and the fact that my mother didn't believe me (why would I make that up) was very wrong. I have a 13 year old, and if (and hopefully never) she ever tells me anything of this sort you can bet that I will believe her and do as much as I can to help her emotional over it. I would also have major issues with the person who inflicted anything like this on my daughter (even if they are similiar in age), it would NOT be swept under the rug. I don't think I can blame all my weight related issues on it...obviously there is some over eating and exercise issues too. But the more I have thought about it this week the more I have wondered if it did some how give me persmission pyschologically to gain weight. I mean I had a great bf (now husband) that believed me and was plenty mad on my behalf. He has loved me from 135lbs all the way to 260lbs. He is always the one that gives me the pat on the back, puts up with my emotional episodes and all the baggage I brought from the relationship with my mother. I'm so thankful he came into my life when he did, he truelly saved me. Melissa

I'm not sure how to explain this but am going to torture you all by trying to muddle through. I recently heard a speech or whatever you call it on Sexual abuse and harrasement. Now...I have never thought of myself as being a victim of this, but this person obviously has triggered something. I can't stop thinking about what she said and this one moment in my life keeps poppingin my head when I do. When I was 16 my moms boss at the time grabbed at me and tried to kiss me....he said something about if I wasn't careful that I would end up as fat as my mom. His teenage son came in and kinda kept anything from happening. I remember telling my Mom, but she didn't believe me and said something to the effect I must have been mistaken. Now here is the interesting part...or the part that has started making me thinking I'm mental. Looking back through pictures and videos of myself, I wasn't heavy at that time. I won't say I didn't have a weight promblem, because I did...I was dieting almost constantly...and in the typical teenage fashion doing it in not so healthy ways. But sometime around that time is when I slowly started gaining weight. I mean it wasn't sudden, but looking at my pictures you would think thats when my weight promblem started, because thats when my attempts to control seem to have started failing. Now I have lost weight over the years...and to be honest I haven't thought about that incident in my life for years and years. But since hearing the speech its been tumbling around and around. I have a pysch evaul in August, and I really don't want to delay the surgery at this point....but think I might benifit from some type of body image counsiling as I loose the weight. Anyone else want to psycho anaylize me in the mean time . And if I talk about this now with the psych will it jeapordize my approval? I have never before thought that my weight promblem was all that emotional, since my weight gain was slow except for the weight gained and not lost during my pregnancies. Melissa

I am 6 weeks out - how many calories are you guys consuming and how's is it affecting your weight loss ? I see the average is 800 or so, if you work out should you up your calorie intake .... As suggested on my fitness pal ? Any thoughts ?

I almost weigh one hundred and something... Going to be a great week! STATS UPDATE April 17, 2014 - Weight 298 lbs. (45.6 BMI) Surgery Day August 13, 2014 - Weight 200.4 (30.4 BMI) TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS- 98 lbs in 4 months Waist Size Pre-Surgery- 46 in. Waist Size August 13, 2014- 36 in Shirt Size Pre-Surgery- XXL Shirt Size August 14, 2014- L (Maybe a Med. if i stretch it out.)

You lost all that weight once, you can do it again. Don't give up on yourself! Make tomorrow into a new day and just start fresh. Go back to the basics and take it one step at a time .Yes, you'll have to undo some bad habits, but it can be done!

Seriously, I know what I need to do but I’ve lost my umph. Maybe it’s the holidays but I just can’t seem to get back into my groove of low carb, controlled eating. I know I’m eating too much food and not the best choices and I can honestly say it’s having that addictive affect on me. That can’t stop eating, all day grazing, late night snacking. Old habits are tormenting me. I know if I could just get back on track that would go away for the most part but I’m in a rut. Haven’t lost anything in 3 months. Haven’t gained either though. Losing and gaining the same 3 lbs over and over again. Just needed to vent. I know I can do this. Just feeling disappointed in my self. Banded 3/2010 Revised to sleeve 4/2017 Total loss since pre op 38lbs [emoji22]

First thing to keep in mind is that weight does not equal fat. Unless you're going WAY WAY WAY overboard (which you probably even can't) you did not gain 4 pounds of fat overnight. Just between morning and evening, the body can easily fluctuate as much as 8 - 10 lbs, and more or less, by adjusting its own Fluid reserves. I've fluctuated as much as 15 lbs in one day. Are you female? If so, perhaps you've started retaining Water. If not, perhaps you've started retaining water anyway. Lots of things can impact water retention: environmental temperature and humidity, high sodium meals, physical activity, and on, and on... Things will reach an equilibrium and take care of themselves. When you are retaining fluids for whatever reason, they tend to come off just as quickly as they came on, though they may stick around for a few days.

You should see them come off pretty quick. I weigh everyday and somtimes I can see a 3 or 4 lb swing. I think it is Water weight more than anything and you body is adjusting to something. Chris

Thanks so much for all your words of support. I hope you are all right, it's Water weight or I'm retaining or something. I guess I just live in fear that my body will suddenly outsmart the band and I'll quit losing weight or even worse- gain it all back. And thanks to your advice, I put the scale away for awhile so hopefully when I come back to it I'll be back down. tHANKs a TON!!!

Let me tell you what happend to me. I was down to 237 per my scale. Happy as a clam. I then weighed in again one morning and I was up to 245. Needless to say I marched my ass right into the doctors office to weigh. My home scale was off! I had gained 5 lbs. I have been struggling ever since to take that weight off. I would try and weigh at the doctor's office if you can. Scales are the devil!

I weigh every day. That way I can keep track because I never want to gain my weight back again. I have this happen all the time. Make sure you are wearing the same thing to weigh each time. Some clothes weigh more then others. I know if I have a lot of salty things the day before it really shows on the scale. It will probably be gone wothin the next couple of days. It is frustrating though. But it looks like you are doing good. Keep up the good work.

Was just on the 'Livestrong' site and saw an add for this plate. I would think it is probably easier to use than the other 'portion' plates I've seen. Have no connection with this company, just thought some folks may find it of value. EZ Weight Plate, Portion Control plate, weight loss, food measurement, diabetic plate

I'm having the opposite problem. The people I work with know that I had the lapband and lost half of the weight I needed to lose (that part they don't know). Now that the band had to be removed and going on to have RNY, they are asking why am I going through another surgery, I'm looking fine and don't need to lose anymore. What they don't understand, is that I am not yet healthy. Has anyone else been told they are looking good and don't need to lose anymore, when in fact your not near your goal or still battling health issues related to the extra weight?

I have only gone to one restaurant 7 weeks post-op, but I just want you to know that if you've lost 52 lbs since August, your co-workers PROBABLY know you had surgery. It is almost impossible to lose that weight non-surgically in that amount of time. I find myself telling more people now than I thought I would. You tell who you want, I'm just guessing that they've probably suspected already.

Isn't this surgery amazing. Totally way easier than I ever expected. Surgery is surgery I guess but I thought I would be in excruciating pain for days afterward. In reality I think I took maybe 4 pain pills from the prescription the Dr. gave me. Thats it! Even the gas pain was tolerable. Thank God we have such technological breakthroughs that can help so many of us in the weight battle. Good luck to you!

Eating is very important. I've heard great things about Smooth Moves tea for constipation, also I've had good results with Benefiber and sugar free fiber gummies. All bodies are different, sometimes diabetes is completely resolved after surgery, sometimes not, sometimes only after a certain amount of weight has been lost. My friend was insulin dependent for 10 years before surgery and was completely off it and any other meds within 6 months of surgery. Try to get your walking in, it will help prevent muscle atrophy (you need your muscles to process glucose properly) and help move things along in the downstairs as well. Have faith, follow the path, and trust that a healthier you is going to be the result. Getting on meds now does not mean you'll be on them forever, and ending up on less meds in a healthier body is not a bad option for a result.

I read in a post a while back that this person had a "Low Profile Port". I assume from the name it is smaller and thus would probably be less visible when you get to your goal weight. Has anyone ever heard of this or have any more info?

I had lapband surgery in 2009 in Phoenix with Dr Terry Simpson. Fast forward to now, where I am happily married, pregnant and suffering miserably from the lap-band! I did not feel comfortable going back to Dr Simpson with my issues...his office turned into a 'cattle call' with too many patients and little to no time for questions. You virtually lined up to be seen. I was also offended on two occasions, once by a fellow patient who snickered at me and said 'why the hell are you here?' and a staff member that told me that my minimal weight loss (from 200 to 185) was probably because my body was comfortable there...huh? The last straw was my attempt to go in two weeks ago for the pain, reflux, rapid weight loss....and they said sorry, he's on a family vacation...you were self pay years ago so you should find someone else to help with your 'issues'. After a week and a half of an inability to swallow food or Water, I was desperate and was referred to Dr Jason Reynoso at Scottsdale Health Care. Wow! Talk about a caring, compassionate guy that knew I was in trouble and wanted to help me ASAP. Losing 25lbs when you are 5 months pregnant is not normal and he started the process immediately. An Upper GI indicated a slipped band and little to no liquid or food able to pass through. I was scheduled for surgery and had it done yesterday. There was a lot of scar tissue that had to be removed and it appears the band wasn't originally installed correctly as the buckle essentially disintegrated. Obviously being pregnant and having surgery is the last thing you would ever think about but I knew it was becoming a matter of life and death for myself and my unborn child. I am sore but home and can eat like a human again! I decided to write this to encourage anyone pregnant with a band and suffering to reach out to your Dr as soon as possible. I have cried many tears...mad at myself for ever putting myself and my child in this position and 'waiting it out' over the past couple of years when I was obviously having issues. Sorry for the rambling rant but I needed to get it out! Best of luck to you all!

I tell everyone!! Someone shared it with me to get me started and I've had 1 person I personally motivated. I share to hopefully inspire others who were in a never ending weight battle. I can't focus on the haters. Sent from my iPhone using RNYTalk