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Do Not over pack. One bag should be fine - carry on size preferred so you don't have to fuss with baggage claim or walking around larger airports with a bunch of stuff. Call the airline beforehand to ask how wide their seats are (usually 17-19 inches wide) and how long their belts are. You might need to buy a 2nd seat or request a belt extension. Bring chewing gum (at minimum for on the way there) to help pop your ears when you're reaching altitude. Bring a soft pillow to hold in your lap on the plane. Turbulence won't feel good after surgery. Don't wear pants if you can help it. Just a dress. You don't need the band digging in. Bring earphones and music or earplugs. If you don't hear the noises as it's preparing for takeoff, it will help your nerves. Ask your surgeon for an extra dose of nausea meds for the trip home. Use your incentive spirometer on the plane during the process. It will help focus your breathing and calm your nerves. Smile and be nice. When you're a doll, they'll all usually be much more accommodating for anything you might need. HW: 328 (02/21/17) SW: 271 (05/24/17) CW: 262

I was banded on 12/19 I bought a treadmill been using it, but I need to tone my stomach and my arms bad so I took the first step and called to set up an appointment(they will go thru all the equipment and set up on excises for a good workout on your problem areas) today for a wellness center, I go next tuesday at 4pm want to go at least 3 times a week. I am down 27 pds so I am happy about that.

I had all my pre-testing done Friday afternoon and was running a low grade fever. I'm recovering from a bout with bronchitis and not completely over it evidently. My PCP put me on 2 different inhalers. Her comment when she came back in the room after checking my chest x-rays was..."Well, there's good news and bad news...the good news is, it's not pneumonia, the bad news is, if your not significantly better by Monday, you need to contact your surgeon :phanvan. Anyway, that's where I am today, and kinda bummed out. However, I know it's definetly for the best as far as my health, don't want to take any chances! UPDATE: Surgery Rescheduled for DEC 20! 11:00 a.m. Have found another lap band patient and 2 rny bypass patients at my Church!!!! Back on the liquids and down to 234!....Thanks for all y'alls kind words and encouragement By the way, on a scale of 1 to 10, how BAD is the pain after surgery?.. such a wimp here, I'm all for the miracles of medication....

my last meal was the 18th been on liquid seems like forevery lost 10 pounds so far i am with on the 26

Hey, everybody! I am 5 weeks post-op, and have had absolutely no problems since surgery, aside from doing so well, that I felt like I never had surgery! With that good comes the bad, though. I have had no restriction it seems, whatsoever. I won't bore you with that part any longer:notagree , but only mentioned it, as it might pertain to my first ever issue: Yesterday morning, I was enjoying mostly just the inside of a ham/egg/cheese Lean Pocket for breakfast. I did eat a little of the crust, but not much. About 20 minutes or so after eating. I began to feel queasy, broke out into a sweat and felt a little pressure. Then, it went away. Then, it came back. This went on all day. I never did vomit because it just never reeached that point. Then, later on yesterday, I began to feel very gassy. Tons of belly gas, intestinal gas, pretty noisy, too! Never any pain, though. I was able to get fluids down just fine, to stay hydrated, but I didn't dare eat anything else all day, for fear of doing any further damage. Last evening, I felt better, and a bit hungry. I ate 3 or 4 saltines, and had no problem. I continued to feel queasy, gassy, and some pressure (just a little) in my belly - but alway got relief as I heard the air move, and belched. I went to bed last night. I felt perfectly normal when I laid down. I slept fine all night. No problems. i woke up this morning feeling better. My cup and a half of half-caff went down just fine. I then ate most of a scrambled egg, and was fine until about 10 minutes after I ate it. Then, the same thing as yesterday. As I type this, I can feel gas pressure building, the noises in my belly and intestine, the pressure, etc. No pain, though. I am keeping on the fluids. I had two cups of decaf herbal tea - no problems. I am concerned if I have a blockage or slippage. Maybe I'm just paranoid, though!:violin: Then again, maybe this is just restriction after 5 weeks??? Can that happen? Any advice, or similar experiences out there would be helpful. Thanks!

Same here as jenbaby. I was on a 10 day pre op diet and was constantly hungry. But now, 2 days post op, food is the last thing on my mind.

I had an ulcer about 2 weeks or so after surgery and had to go back in the hospital for four nights due to internal bleeding. No pain, though. Then 7 months later I had another one. Just stayed overnight one night for that one. It’s been almost 10 months now with no other ulcers thankfully! Hang in there!

I too am a band (2012) to bypasser (9/19), and the thing that I have been most amazed by is the need to fight the “head hunger”. I am not hungry like I used to be, so my head starts playing tricks on me, like hey you should really be eating something, don’t get too hungry. It is definitely a different lifestyle than being banded and at 6 weeks out still trying to figure it out, but good luck.

@bgtribble We have almost the identical stats. I am also 5' 6" and my heaviest weight was 259 pounds. As an adult I had always maintained a healthy weight for my female frame - about 145 - and was a lifeguard, canoe trip instructor, avid backpacker... never a 'small' person but fairly 'trim' and definitely healthy. I got married and had a baby and then the weight started to creep up on me... 10 pounds heavier, 20 pounds heavier... and over the past 15 years, I ballooned up to 259. Now that I'm back in 100's again I feel I have regained my 'old' Self. I'm not at goal weight yet, however I am feeling SO much better even at this interim stage of the process 65 pounds down! Like dear Bandista above (she is a guru - listen to her!) I also love food and cooking, and am able to still enjoy beautiful food and meals out... but in smaller portions. The best thing is having the background of satiety constantly there. The "Hunger Monster" that derailed my weight loss attempts in the past is no longer there. Now I have a can of tuna & mayo or a small piece of tender steak or 5 Tbsps of egg salad and that's it. Give me three slices of roast duck, a few spears of asparagus and no starch (potatoes, rice and breads are out for me) and BOOM. I'm sated. No desire for anything more. Happy for you, jiggyjiggy120 - you are about to embark on getting control back and feeling better. It's a tremendous thing!

I had my Banding done by Dr. Fernando Miranda at Twelve Oaks Hospital in Houston. I chose this doc and this hospital because they are both certified by Bariatric Centers of Excellence. Dr. Miranda is awesome. He told me ahead of time that he takes his time during surgery (mine was over an hour) and has a liberal fill philosophy. I did have to do a 10 day liquid pre-op diet to shrink liver, on which I easily lost mucho pounds. The only thing I did not like about Dr. Miranda's procedure is that immediately after surgery, they woke me up and wheeled me to an xray room where I had to swallow barium and then stand in front of the xray machine... with no meds. I was beggin for meds, but they told me that I needed to be awake enough to stand. So much pain, almost unbearable. I had to do TWO barrium swallos and TWO xrays before they gave me a shot of morphine and took me to recovery. For this reason, I cannot reccomend this surgeon. But maybe if you talk to him about this (I didn't know this would happen) you can work something out so that it is done a different way. No one else I have seen on this board had to do such a test immediately after surgery without any meds. As for Twelve Oaks Hospital. In no way can I reccomend it. They messed up on everything from pre-op to discharge. When I was there for pre-op testing, I had to wait for HOURS because they had no orders from my doctor, who was not in his office that day. Then, I overheard a nurse telling the addmissions people that for Bariatric patients, there are standing orders, so no individual orders necessary. I was furious! Getting all the testing done was a huge hassle- no one was ready for me in any department. The nurses during my overmnight stay for surgery were great. But when it came to discharge, I had to wait HOURS because they misunderstood the orders. This hospital is a dump. The rooms are dumpy, even the OR was dumpy. Again, just to clarify, the only problem I had with Miranda was the barium swallow. He is an excellent doctor and such a great bedside manor! This guy needs to get to a real hospital though! There are so many nice hospitals in Houston, I cannot understand why he goes for Twevle Oaks. Please PM me if you need more information about anything I have written here.

I'm only 10-15 lbs from my goal, down some 100 in just over a year. I fit in a 34 waist jean, medium shirt. I -still- think of myself as fat. When I see news reports about obesity in America, I identify with the MO crowd. I'm not sure what will finally fix this. I know my current discomfort lies in unrealistic expectations and media images (ever seen a cover of "Men's Health"?), but I'm not sure what the next step is. I too blog, and belong to a WLS group over at livejournal. This apparently isn't an uncommon issue at all. Most recommend therapy, but I don't think a normal counselor would do. You'd almost have to find one that specializes in post-obesity trama. Good luck!

I'm almost two weeks out (banded 10/30) and just in the last day or so I feel like I've been able to eat more than I have been. Tomorrow is my first post-op appt and I'm wondering if I can go ahead and ask for a fill. I'm not eating anything that's not on the post-op diet list, I can just tell that I've over-eaten once or twice.

Sure, here is the recipe. It makes a whole pie or quiche dish. 8 oz crab 1 cup shredded natural Swiss cheese 1/3 cup chopped onion 2 cups nonfat milk 1 cup bis quick baking mix 4 eggs 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease ( Pam) 10 inch quiche dish or pie plate, 10x1.5 inches. Sprinkle crab, cheese and onion in plate. Beat remaining ingredients until smooth, 15 seconds in blender on high or 1 inure with hand beater. Pour into plate. Bake until knife inserted between center and edge comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. This serves 6 servings for normal folks. It would probably serve 10-12 for those with sleeve. Plenty of left overs if you are eating by your self or small family.

Genepro doesn’t claim to have 30g of protein, but it claims to be equivalent. People often call it a scam yet fail to mention that part. I will say this, while some may be completely against it, my doc has followed the lawsuit and still highly recommends it. I know this may be coincidence too, but I recently ran out and tried to get my protein by food alone. As I am only 10 weeks out, my protein levels dropped and I immediately saw a huge increase in hair loss. I decided to order more and started taking it again, and within about a week, the hair loss lightened up. It didn’t stop and I don’t expect it to, but there was a huge difference. Now that may be coincidence, but I am listening to my body first. By the way, there are several currently lawsuits pending that claim many of the protein brands we drink don’t actually have the amount of protein they claim. That comes with the industry, it is not regulated enough for any of us to really know. So my point it, find one that works for you and listen to your body.

It’s been a busy two days. Yesterday morning I had my Psych pre-op visit. Now, I’ve been a little nervous about this one…probably because I’ve never been before…or maybe it’s because of that somewhat dysfunctional family (or was that fun family?) I grew up in. Anyway, I Map Quested the directions downtown and I set the GPS up in the car. Even with all this technology I realize I need to start asking for landmarks. I turned on the final road, which happened to be a one way square with four lanes of traffic (about a block long on each side). The GPS is yelling at me that my destination is on the right, I’m looking for the address to no avail. About the third time circling around the square I’m feeling like a lab rat in a maze…is this part of the Psych test? I’m not going to find it…so I call (fun to do while you’re in the giant circle of traffic). Landmark “church”…NOT on the right…stupid GPS…and NO address on the front of the building…it’s on the side facing the parking lot…OK, by the time I know which parking lot to pull into, of COURSE I know I’m at the right address…stupid signs. Glad I cushioned my time to get there…my Psychiatrist looks like he stepped right out of a Psych book…Brown hair with a beard, dressed all in brown with a brown tweed coat...all he needed was a pipe. Yes, he had a couch, but I chose the chair. We signed a few forms, he showed me the form he’ll send to the surgeon, I waited while he filled some more forms out (are you asleep yet…maybe that’s what that couch is for?). He asked me a list of questions for about 20 more minutes, I answered honestly (luckily he didn’t ask too many hard ones) and we were done…it probably would have been quicker, but I tend to babble when I’m nervous. Piece of cake…whew! It was ALMOST disappointing that he didn’t bite on anything, not even my labels in the pantry, apparently NOT OCD. I think it’s good you now know someone to call if you’re having issues after the band, especially for someone like me who wouldn’t know where to find help. Today was the surgeon consult. Mr.SA took the day off to go with me, and since they rescheduled it, unfortunately it was a noon appointment. We arrived early and by the time I was done completing paperwork and waiting it was 45 min. later. Mr. SA noticed that most of the waiting room had loveseat size chairs, and many there needed them…I count myself lucky I’m getting help while I can still barely squeeze into a regular chair. More deadpan nurses (Does no one enjoy their job these days? Better than 'bedpan'! Ha!) and I’m on the scale…wow…it’s a huge scale…whoops, I’ve lost a few pounds, I’m only 5# from the minimum BMI, with shoes on. I didn’t lock my knees completely and I made the 5’8” easily (I’m shrinking in my old age). More waiting in the exam room…I took this opportunity to babble endlessly to Mr.SA, as I do when I’m nervous. He asked me how they fill a band that’s already in you…Was he not at two of the three seminars I attended? Maybe he was just trying to keep my busy…so I humored him and explained the port…then I explained how it feels to be heavy…imagine someone strapped 10, 10# bowling balls to you and asked you to carry on. About that time the surgeon (Dr. Colella, which was good, so now I’ve met both of them), the woman (Susan I think) who runs the pre-op class (I’ll need to attend a few weeks prior to surgery) and the head resident came in. After a few greetings he asked what questions I had about the surgery…the woman commented on my typed and highlighted sheet of questions (a little OCD…I’m telling you) and that she liked it. I rapidly went through my questions and he confirmed I could chose the LB, and we confirmed my port site being slightly to the left, between my ribs and belly button line (the default, if you don’t care, is the right)…he acted a little surprised that I cared (I’m right handed, I sleep only on my right as my left shoulder is bad, I care), but he had no problem placing it anywhere as long as it’s not too far from the band. He listened to my extreme nausea with anesthesia issues and will give me preventatives as I had with my last surgery (actually, the resident will handle this with the anesthesiologist). He’s asked me to do a cardiology MRI and then I’ll see the cardiologist for clearance, so two new things to schedule (I’m not sure if this is routine, or if it was because of all the heart issues in my family history). I just realized I forgot to tell him about my allergy to surgical tape (the adhesive actually) so I’ll have to call about that. It was a good, positive meeting and he gives you complete confidence that everything will go smoothly. If you’ve made it this far without falling asleep, I applaude you my friend, as I wanted to remember the major points. So now, for the great part!!! The insurance lady, Patty came in next to go over my questions. I asked if I could lose more than the 35 BMI min. and her answer was "If you weighed less than the 35 BMI then you wouldn't need the surgery now would you?" Got it...nuff said. Apparently Highmark PPO Blue is the ‘cadillac’ (her words) of the insurance companies in our area. She confirmed that my insurance will cover their percentage of everything, and my doc even includes 6 fills (I think ins. will cover them as well). When I discussed all the extra work I’d done with my PCP; my own form, education every month, and then asked if I could supply a personal letter to the insurance co. she told me if I had another ins. co., that might be needed, but all I needed to do was have the PCP fill out the very basics on their form and it would be fine for Highmark. She said they usually get back to her with approval within 72 hours. Then she confirmed my wildest dream that I truly only have to do 6 visits with my PCP, not 6 months/7 visits. That means if I can get all the cardio visits done I could have everything into the surgeon by early April. She said I might even be in for surgery by the end of April! Hooray!!! With two kids graduating (college and H.S.) this spring, an earlier date is so much better! Hey, I might even make my original goal of having this done by my 49 7/8 birthday (yes, and holding) on the 27th! Whoot!!!

Okay, According to this list, I've lost an air conditioner and 2 guinea pigs! What have you lost so far? 1 pound = a Guinea Pig 1.5 pounds = a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts 2 pounds = a rack of baby back ribs 3 pounds = an average human brain 4 pounds = an ostrich egg 5 pounds = a Chihuahua 6 pounds = a human skin 7.5 pounds = an average newborn 8 pounds = a human head 10 pounds= chemical additives an American consumes each year 11 pounds = an average housecat 12 pounds = a Bald Eagle 15 pounds = 10 dozen large eggs 16 pounds = a sperm whale�s brain 20 pounds = an automobile tire 23 pounds = amount of pizza an average American eats in a year 24 pounds = a 3-gallon tub of super premium ice cream 25 pounds = an average 2 year old 30 pounds = amount of cheese an average American eats in a year 33 pounds = a cinder block 36 pounds = a mid-size microwave 40 pounds = a 5-gallon bottle of Water or an average human leg 44 pounds = an elephant�s heart 50 pounds = a small bale of hay 55 pounds = a 5000 BTU air conditioner 60 pounds = an elephant�s penis 66 pounds = fats and oils an average American eats in a year 70 pounds = an Irish Setter 77 pounds = a gold brick 80 pounds = the World�s Largest Ball of Tape 90 pounds = a newborn calf 100 pounds = a 2 month old horse 111 pounds = red meat an average American eats in a year 117 pounds = an average fashion model (and she�s 5�11�!) 118 pounds = the complete Encyclopedia Britannica 120 pounds = amount of trash you throw away in a month 130 pounds = a newborn giraffe 138 pounds = potatoes an average American eats in a year 140 pounds = refined sugar an average American eats in a year 144 pounds = an average adult woman (and she�s 5�4�) 150 pounds = the complete Oxford English Dictionary 187 pounds = an average adult man 200 pounds = 2 Bloodhounds 235 pounds = Arnold Schwarzenegger 300 pounds = an average football lineman 400 pounds = a Welsh pony

Well for me it is a little different each day. I work nights so my schedule is a little crazy. So I wake up with water, maybe a cup of coffee with creamer. Then my lunch is dinner with my kids. Tonight I had about 10 pieces of popcorn shrimp and 1/4c of lettuce with a teaspoon of light ranch dressing. Then at work I ate 1/2 a cuban. and then before the morning I will eat the other half. I never drink after I eat, which was really hard to get used too. However, I do drink before I eat. I had cupcake today, my first since surgery in July. It was terrible it was so sweet it made me sick, I never thought in a million years something too sweet would make me sick. LOL I love sweet tea, so I limit myself to 1 every week. Bread I have been afraid to eat, because the stuck feeling really sucks. Although I have had it a couple of times and had no problem. But when I go to subway , or firehouse subs I order my sandwich without bread... Why waste it? I will just throw it away and then the temptation is not there. I don't have a consistent thing i eat everyday I have to change things up a lot, because I get bored with the same thing and then eat the wrong things if I have the same old stuff in the house. So do really answer you question. I eat whatever I cook for my family only eat 1/4 or 1/2 cup of it. I always use a saucer. When I eat out I get a box as soon as the food comes out and put half the food in the box and set it on the other side of the table. If I go through a drive through I take the meat out, throw the bread away and go on. Although not eating crappy food in a while is something I want to keep up, I really can't finish eating crappy food without having to run to a restroom and crap. The hardest thing for me is the road trips. Good Luck

I couldn't stand taking the chewables because they were so chalky and sweet tasting and strong. So, I did some research on liquid Vitamins (which I was afraid I was going to regret because some of them are so nasty tasting). But I discovered some interesting facts about liquid vitamins and their potency in your bloodstream. I started taking a liquid Vitamin that even my husband takes and loves! I think mainly he loves it because not only does he feel great on it, but the San Diego Chargers' trainer has a lot of the football players taking it and DH is a HUGE Chargers fan. Anyways, the vitamin is called Passion 4 Life liquid vitamins and I love that it not only takes care of your multi-vitamin for the day, but it also takes care of your minerals, anti-oxidants, and other health goodies (like CoQ10) in one shot (one ounce) per day. This stuff is off the charts in what it contains . . . but I know if I tried to get all of this stuff in separately, I'd be taking at least 10 pills. Very cool.

Not really a question more of an observation and to see if anyone else experienced anything similar. So 10 days ago I got covid it wasn't to bad but I got a really sore throat lost my appetite and desire to drink mostly because it hurt so much but now I am having a hard time getting back into it. I can't stomach my morning coffee any more if fact I don't feel like drinking anything I feel nauseous most of the time and quite weak lack of food and drink. I am trying not to stress and I know it's still early days and most likely I am still recovering. I guess I am having a pity party but I want to feel better and get back to drinking and eating to help me feel better. On the plus side I have dropped 2 kg . Anyone else have covid effect them like this ?

I'd have to say a 10. I had surgery 53 weeks ago and I've lost 200+ lbs so I think that's a 10. It's pretty been what I expected.

I would totally say a 9. If I didn't lose a ton of hair I would say 10!! Super happy and I know I will make goal in the next 6 months!

hi everyone I need support I’m really drained and tired as I write this I’m in the hospital I’ve been in here now for two months Dr put a clip on the leak first it didn’t work then a stent it slipped down my surgery was April 11 2019 on the 23rd of April I had a 103 fever pain in shoulder anyways I’ve had two up tubes put in a double pikk line IV ive had nothing but ice chips and the TPN Intravenous feedings but lab work showed I’m still malnourished so yesterday they did a endoscopy to insert a feeding tube down threw my nose into my gut and intestines I’m a 58 year old lady who look like 40 people can’t believe that I have a child that’s 40 but I was so over weight and needed to get my body back in shape for health reasons and to tell you the truth I’m starting to wonder how all this is gonna turn out they sent me home with the TPN SAID I COULD DO IT AT HOME I live alone no help I got so sick was readmitted turned out I had gallstones so I had that removed the next day please if anyone know if this will heal on its own or give me any kids of advice or a uplift thank you for reading my message

I had a lot of weight to lose, and I had clothes in many sizes. So at first, for probably the first 60-70 pounds, I had things I could wear. As all of it got to be too big, I watched for sales and bought super inexpensive but high quality items. I was lucky and needed things as they had big winter sales. Seriously, like $10 for shirts and pants. I found that I could find lots of things in the "normal" people sized in XL like that. So I bought things a little snug, and wore them until they were a little big. I don't look good in dresses so that was not an option for me. I always made sure I had enough outfits for a 5 day work week, and one decent pair of jeans, and a couple tops. I honestly didn't spend much even though I shopped perpetually. I never had much in the closet, but I did have enough to get by on and feel good wearing.

@@kclessofme I would say my swelling seemed to stick around for about 5-10 days total. It really started going down during that range, and I'd say it was pretty much down by day 10. I would say to walk as much as you can tolerate to keep that blood flowing and get rid of any excess gas you may have as well. You have plenty of time before your new job. Congrats, btw on the surgery and the new job! Best of luck to you!

Posted June 16, 2010 - 6:48 PM hi everyone! i have read so much in this forum and want to say thankyou to every single poster! ive learned so much and sincerely appreciate verticalsleevetalk.com. im a 47 year old male living in brooklyn, new york. i currently weigh 305 lbs and have been overweight all my life. ive been hovering around the 300-315 mark for about 10 years. before that i hoovered around 280-300 for the prior 10 years. my high weight was 323, which was in 2004. the most ive lost dieting and exercising was about 40lbs on a few occasions, but i always put it back on. in 2004 i decided to have wls and was going to have gastric bypass done. after being approved by my insurance, i went to the hospital and was put in scrubs for the operation. then i was told by the nurse that the doctor had a family emergency and had to leave the hospital immediately. so my surgery was rescheduled for 4 weeks later. during these 4 weeks i ate plenty and went on a "goodbye to food" tour! this tour took me to all my favorite buffets and i ate like it was my last meal, even though i knew i shouldnt be doing that. then i again went to the hosptial and was put in scrubs and before my surgery the doctor said he couldnt operate because my sugar level was unexpectedly through the roof. i begged him to go through with it, but he said he couldnt and i needed to lose some weight and not do what i did by gaining weight and eating everything before surgery. so it was again cancelled. now i was determined to lose weight before i went back in 6 weeks for the eventual operation. in those 6 weeks i ate perfectly and lost 30 lbs. the day came and i went in a 3rd time to the hospital. again i was put in scrubs and this time all the tests, including my sugar were normal. but the doctor was surprised that i was able to lose 30lbs in 6 weeks. he sat me down and said the operation was a serious one and if i was able to lose 30lbs in 6 weeks, maybe i should give losing weight on my own another try. he convinced me to not have the operation. so i actually went on to lose a total of 89lbs in 7 months and got my weight down to 234 and felt great. i was actually running on a treadmill for a few miles non-stop and was in the best shape of my life. a year later i was again at 310lbs. i never considered wls surgery again because i honestly in my heart didnt want the bypass portion done. and im thankful that even though i was in the operating room 3 different times, i never had the bypass done. later in life i researched the lapband as it became popular, but again i didnt want the band either due to all the complications of it. only a few months ago i discovered the option of the sleeve, and it seemed like exactly what ive been waiting for. a tool to limit my intake, with no bypass and nothing permanently inside of me that needed followup adjustments. so im now in the process of going through everything i need to do before my dr. submits for approval to my insurance. the only thing left is the psych evaluation, which im in the process of completing and ill have it done shortly. then i meet with my dr. again on june 30th for the final time and he will submit everything to hopefully get approved. so thats my story. its seems that bypass just wasnt for me. and ironically back in 2004 i was all for it. now today, i wouldnt do a bypass ever. im thankful it never got done and i believe it wasnt meant to be. especially being in the operatiing room in scrubs 3x! i do have one fear/question that ill post in a separate thread in the post op forum as i believe that is where it should go. again, thank you to everyone who has ever posted in this forum. you do not know how much it helps, even the people like me who only read and never posted before. best of luck to everyone on their journey. UPDATE AUGUST 6 2013: back in 2010 after completing all the steps and requirements with dr. mcginty, I was denied by my insurance as the sleeve was considered experimental by them. they did offer me the gastric bypass or the lap band, but I refused both as I was only willing to have the sleeve done. so dr. mcginty said he believed that in a few years all insurance companies would be approving the sleeve as readily as they were approving the gastric bypass and lap band. and he was right! in jan 2013 I found out that my insurance now did cover the sleeve and I went back to dr. mcginty. I went through all the steps again and in march 2013 I finally got sleeved! today, august 5, 2013 I have been sleeved 4.5 months. in jan I weighed 291.5 lbs. today I weight 210 lbs. I lost 18 lbs before surgery and 63.5 lbs since surgery. this is the lightest ive been in 25 years and my goal is to reach 180. im finally on my way after waiting 9 years! so don't ever give up! the sleeve was meant to be for me...it just took me 9 years to get it done!