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Hey, Just wanted to introduce myself. I am a 28-year-old full time college student finishing up my degree in Elementary Education. I've been battling with my weight since I was about 10 years old. My weight has caused many problems in my life and I see it getting worse as I get older. I come from a family were both of my parents are morbidly obese. I've been thinking about getting the Lap Band for about a year now but wanted to try other options before I went with one that is so drastic. Like almost everyone else on this forum I've tried every type of weight loss pill, exercise, program, etc. out there. In the beginning of March (2013) I hit my highest weight of 225.6 lbs. I am only 5'3" so this is A LOT of weight for my size. I can barely squeeze into a size 18 pants. That day I said, "I've had enough!" I quickly went to Innovative Weight Loss Solutions at Geary Community Hospital and learned about my weight loss options. After deciding that the band was the right option for me I learned that my insurance (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas) wouldn't cover the procedure. This quickly put a damper on my decision. Fortunately for me my grandparents are loaning me the money to cover the surgery. They know that this new, "tool" will help with my weight loss. I've paid for the surgery, completed all of the paper work, attended a mandatory informational meeting, and met with a psychologist and a nutritionist. The next step on my journey is to meet the surgeon and set up a surgery date. As the days go by I have quit several of my bad eating habits. This includes my daily large sweet tea from McDonalds and my daily fast food lunch. These changes as well as going to the gym on a regular basis have helped me lose a few pounds. Ideally, I would like to go into surgery weighing around 200 pounds. My goal weight is 125-130 lbs. or a size 6 whichever one comes first. The weight loss and size is important but most of all I want to be happy and healthy. Thanks for taking the time to read my introduction post. I’ve been checking out these forums for about a month now and have learned a lot about the band. I hope to gain more knowledge and some friends along the way.

It takes about a year. I received my referral June 09. I finished Options the first week of April, and received my surgery date in June 10. It's a long process but I'm thankful for all the information Kaiser gives us. Do you know of another Kaiser patient who received their surgery within months of the referral:confused1:?

I've never tried any of the DVDs in the Tae Bo series that Billy Banks does but I've got a friend who loves them. I bought one today at Wal-Mart for like 10 bucks that I'm going to give a try. It's celebrity fit cardio but I must admit the selection wans't all that great. I'm finding it increasingly hard to find out work out DVDs.

I am getting sleeved at 1:10 PM EST tomorrow. I bet that your anesthesiologist will give you a patch either way. I met with mine. He told me of the drug cocktail I will get when i arrive. The patch was one of the items in the mix. Good luck to you!

I am having gastric serve surgery on 10/21/16 and I'm very scared. I thought my BFF was accompanying me but she is unable to at the last minute so I will have to go alone. I'm terrified. Dr Fernando Garcia is my doctor. I'm just lost right now. I leave on 10/20/16 from louisiana and I'm so overwhelmed! Was so excited but so scared to go alone

So, just weighed in at the doctor’s office for my medical clearance -I loss 13 pounds since 10/11!!! These small changes are going to aid in my recovery for after the sleeve procedure! Excited !

While everything that has been said previously is true and, I too have had a fairly smooth journey. I think it is important that you look at this from all sides. Plain and simple, the band requires a certain level of maturity. You say that you do not want to feel a lot of pain. Many of us suffer very little pain - myself included. But pain is subjective, my pain threshold may be higher than yours. This is surgery and there will be incisions that will require time to heal. Hence, there will be some pain. The good news is, the doc will give you meds for the pain. More good news, many people do not suffer shoulder pain, although almost everyone has gas to one degree or another. My shoulder pain was quite painful ... I didn't know it was gas, I just thought they had laid me on my side during surgery for too long. LOL I used moist heat for a few days and started walking and voila! the pain subsided. Taking Biotin should help with the hair loss, but mostly, if you get the proper Vitamins and minerals, Protein, etc., you should be okay. And yes, there are exceptions, you can read about it on this forum. The most important thing to remember about the pain/gas is that it is TEMPORARY. Can you go through a little physical pain after surgery to stop the neverending emotional/psychological pain of living "fat" in a society that discriminates against the "overweight"? But more importantly, can't you get through a little pain to ensure that you have a healthy future? A future without diabetes meds, high blood pressure med, cholesterol meds, sleep apena machines, etc.? The band is not a miracle cure. It is not a cure at all. It will require hard work and committment to reach your goal. Some, but not many, go through this jouney with relative ease. At 18 you are the BEST candidate PHYSICALLY. Your skin still has a lot of elasticity. What I wouldn't give for your youthful skin elasticity. (sigh) But, some, at 18, 19, 20 are not ready mentally. Some cannot/will not give up bad eating habits long enough to reach goal. You sound like a very smart person because you are honest about your fears; and you question whether or not you will be able to make the changes necessary to be successful with the band. Keep reading this forum and do your research. You are 18, and if you are not ready, you are not ready. This is for you to decide. There are other 18, 19, 20 year olds here, you should chat with them about their band experience. As to the answer to your initial question: "Is it worth it?" YOU BET! I have never worked harder to lose weight -- but I love every minute of it. I love the exercise (this was NEVER me), I love not overeating anymore (you KNOW this was not me or else I would not have become obese), I love ME and the way I look in my "new" size clothes. I love the confidence I have in myself. I understand that thin or fat life is not a bowl of cherries, but at least being obese is not one of my problems anymore. I wish you the best, and if you decide to take this journey, remember we are here for you with support, suggestions, and even a reality check when you need it. Make the choice that is right for YOU. ~Fran

Hi! I am 6 days post op and my glue is peeling like crazy as well! I see my Dr. Tuesday and planned to address it then. I have been trying to resist the urge to peel away...but... . I would think at 10 days out you should be good but I would definitely check with your Dr's office to be certain. Good luck to you!

I just had to share - I'm down 6.4 lbs! I weigh daily, but do my "official" weight each Sunday. I weighed last Sunday & was 267.0. That was the day before my surgery. Today I am 260.6!!!! I'm down 6.4 lbs in 7 days! This also brings me down 19 lbs in 3 weeks because I lost 12.6 lbs during my 2-week pre-op diet! My husband just asked me "So, do you feel almost 20 lbs lighter?" All I can say is that I am SO happy with my decision to have this surgery done!!! I will post new pictures & measurements later this morning on my blog!

I tell you what has helped me keep motivated with my walking and exercise. It is being able to see the calories I burn during every workout. I purchased a Polar Heart Rate Monitor (Model F55). It's was very easy to set up and it calculates everything for you automatically based on the information you enter and a self-test that is run on your resting heart rate. As an example of yesterdays workout. I did 30 minutes of weight training and 1 hour 10 minutes of cardio (tredmill & eliptical) at the fitness center. Total workout time, 1 hour 40 minutes, total calories burned 930, 50% fat. Max heart rate 138 and average heart rate for the workout was 122. It is amazing to see some of these weekly totals running between 5,000 and 6,000 calories. Sure keeps me motivated.

Thank you so much for the list and the words of encouragement! I'm about 10 hours away and due in the hospital in 8 hours.... I'm anxious but feel ready.

2 years post op and lost nearly 200 pounds. I have been in a stall for almost a year. I fluctuate about 10 pounds (gain and then loss) but I cannot get below the 190 mark. I have tried everything! I workout 5 days a week, try to stay at 1200 canals although with the excercise calorie adjustment it is usually around 1500c. I feel EXTREMELY guilty when I put anything bad in my mouth but then there a days ( usually once a month) when I will go on a mini binge and have little snacks throughout the day that are completely unhealthy. I love the way I feel but I still have fat brain and I am EXTREMELY frustrated that I can’t drop below 190! Btw...this is my first post, I usually just troll

im getting banded on the 11th also....and also nervous. My goal is 10 lbs a month. if i lose more thats great. But if i think about it that way it is 120 lbs in a year. Good luck!

I'm on day 10 of my all liquid pre op 1000 calories and I'm so exhausted at the end of the day after school I almost can't drive home...anything I can do? We only have two days left!!

Wow... what an interesting topic to think about. For me, I wish I had travelled more before I had kids (Europe this summer will be fun - but it is gonna cost more with the kids), I wish I had done my PhD when I had the chance, I wish I had relaxed more about the little things and pushed more about the big things, I wish I hadn't listened to the doctor during the birth of my first son ( he would have been 10 last month) and I wish that I would have forgiven people more often as I have learned the hard way that anger eats at you. (BTW Lila I beat you,,, I was 20!!!!!) On the less profound side of things... I wish I had kept off the weight the first time I lost it when I was 20, I wish I had saved more money, I wish I had not been so serious all the time and had a little more fun, and I really wish that the Arctic wasn't so far from a Tim Hortons!!! Banded April 4th 2006 (Montreal) Fill June 9th 2006

So we are officially 1 week post op. How are ya'll doing? I am pretty darn good, and going to work tomorrow for the first time since surg. Still am having a little feeling of stomach swelling from time to time, but overall way less sore. Lost 13 # on my less than 2 week high protein, low carb diet and have lost 3 more since the day of surgery. I'm happy about that, still on full liquid diet, I think for 1 more week. Good luck to you all and I wish you a speedy recovery and great success.

I like the gnc also. I joined the gold club and the first week of the month they give you 10% off, and if you go to a rite aid, you get their discount also. Good luck

I wondered about that. I need help with getting my Protein in. My doctor is one who says no liquid. My frank opinion is that when I can hold more than 3 ounces of food, I'll jump right in line. Until that time, I am using the liquid shots and it's the only "rule" I break. I use 1 a day and at the end of every meal, about 10 minutes after I've finished eating, I take a swig of the protein shot. I do it that way specifically so that it absorbs into the food I've eaten and stays longer in my stomach. I have no idea if it helps and I didn't start this until 2 weeks ago when I was certain it was "safe". I can't tell any impact of doing it in terms of the evil "liquid" with meals issue. It's just one swallow, the tube hold just a bit over 3 ounces of liquid which is mixed with 5 meals. If I could eat 60 grams of protein (minimum) I would. The "unflavored" stuff mixed with my food just doesn't stay down for me. So for a while at least this is my solution. I'll know it worked or not when my hair either completely falls out or doesn't.

I just got on the forum to see if I could find out anything about periods and stumbled on this post. I was sleeved on 10/23, and I'm down 50 pounds :-). I'm also in ketosis, but I'm having the opposite problem with my period. I've had three periods in the last month and a half. Any input would be great because I've always had normal monthly periods. It's frustrating because I'm breaking out with pimples on my neck and back, and it stalls my weight loss. Thanks for your help!

Can I get a fourth on this!! It is HARD!! Not only for my family but for me also. Our lives have always been about eating. My hubby and I have been married for 45 years coming this Aug. Everything is or was about food!! On our Anniversary's, our Birthdays, every pay day was a celebration with food. It has been really hard on my hubby and my daughter because we found any reason to do lunch. I don't care to go out. The fear of getting sick and stressed about what to order. Now my hubby has had his Sleeve and he is still (after 2 years) missing the amounts of food I think he is actually mourning!! But kind of finding it nice about the amounts he now eats. He says Man I still feel like I can eat 10 tacos when in fact he eats 2. We marvel at how cheap we can eat out now and how much we know what to eat but our tummys say no when our brain says YES!! It defintly is hard on everyone. Even tho I am over 4 years out every once and awhile I think I want something that I know might make me sick, but I will risk it. WHAM, I will NEVER eat that again. LOL Just one bite and I remember why I don't eat that. Thank you for sharing part of your journey with us. Take care and I look forward to seeing more posts from you!! BTW HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!! There is more to life than CHOCOLATE!!!

How are the Feb 2012 sleevers doing now at 10 months out? I have been in a major stall, but I can't exercise because of an unrelated issue. One of the reasons I got the surgery was because I couldn't really exercise anymore and was gaining weight so fast so I knew I would be a slow loser. I haven't gained so I am happy for now. I am a size 12 to 14 depending on the brand and in large tops. This is down from tight 22 and XXXL shirts. Going to try to get more active so I can at least get to onederland by the end of the year. I wanted to be at goal by my one year, but not sure that will happen.

From reading the forums, there is a wide variety on should and should nots. I agree with the elimination of old habits but I also recognize we are human beings. I have had pizza two bites or so... do I have it daily? Noooo. I want to be successful. I definitely don't do carbonation. I make sure to aim for the protein and water requirements. My biggest lag now is really getting exercise. I am at week 10 and just now getting energy levels up. We all have to find what works for us... and yet not make us miserable. For me, that means occasionally two bites of "eliminated". I log it on my fitness pal and I stay under calorie goals. We still have to support each other in spite of our differences. We got this!

It's gonna happen to most people. Get your protein in as directed, but I took in 100 grams and still lost hair. I didn't start losing it until about 6 months out. It never fell out in chunks, just one dang hair at a time. Luckily my hair was already too thick, so most folks don't even notice that it's thinner. I do though and I can't wait to get my thick hair back. At almost 10 months, no sign yet of regrowth. I take biotin and all my other supplements, and still get lots of protein, so I trust in time it will come back.

I learned the hard way (I usually do) that hydration is seriously important post bariatric surgery! I am 5 months post-op and my job involves walking a lot in a big county hospital. I just recently changed my work shift from swing (day-evening) to deep nights and my workload increased significantly overnight. I did not take the time to stay hydrated and over the past month, I would go as much as 10 hours without even needing to urinate. This is not a good thing. Segue to this past weekend as I was just discharged from the hospital on Sunday following my first, and dear lord hopefully last, episode of kidney stones. I cannot even begin to describe the pain involved with this lovely endevor but suffice it to say, I now prioritize fluids over everything! Fortunately, I was able to pass the buggers without surgery but I am here to tell you, this was not my idea of a good time! We are told to prioritize Protein as far as macronutrients, and this is still very important, but recognize that because we make this alteration to our diet, fluids take even more priority...you would think as a medical professional I would have not been such a knucklehead and remembered this little tidbit of data It took 7 liters of saline before my urine started to lighten up so I know this problem did not happen overnight. For those of you struggling to get your fluids in very early post-op, that is normal and it will take time but continue to persevere. For those of us a bit farther out, I hope this information prevents you from dealing with this in the future!