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Congratulations!! VSG 10/11/17 HW= 360 SW= 292 CW= 224 GW= 220 (6'5") [emoji256]

I'm also getting sleeved on 11/10! I have a two week "liquid" diet prior to surgery. I'm supposed to replace all meals with a Protein shake, but I can also have really thinned out oatmeal and cream of wheat, strained 98% fat free cream based Soups, sugar free applesauce, sugar free pudding and sugar free popsicles. Bad thing is I have to start the last day of a trip I'm going on in a week and a half! That should be fun!!

Ive told no one but my fiancee,my 2 best friends and 1 sister who is my biggest confidant-she never tells anything-lol.My 17 year old daughter doesnt even know...and she lives in the house!!!!Im a very private person and never tell people anything and the 2 friends have no ties to my employment so no one will ever know-works for me.I have hated the comments people make about my weight gain-I gained 80 pounds in 10 years and people who hadnt seen me would freak out.I have my 20 yr high school reunion next year and Im totally gonna be there since I didnt go to other ones because of the weight gain.

Yeah! I'm 10 days post op. Doing ok so far -- latest issue is back pain, middle of back, right around where the bra line is. The shoulder pain from the gas is better now, did it move to my back? any input is appreciated! :-)

About my 4th week or so. I started making my own homemade chili. It definitely helped in my weigh loss. My HW 340 SW 320 CW 195 GW 185. I was sleeved 5/29/15. Those last 10 pounds are hard since I'm weightlifting and building muscle.

i was banded a week ago... i got to the hospital at 630 am, went into surgery at 715am, and i woke up from my anestethia (spelled wrong, sorry!) at around 9-930. i made two trips the the radiology floor (shoulda been one, but it was two due to the incompetence of some "doctor" who didnt even no what he was looking for om my floroscope...*sign*) took a nap in recovery for 2 hours, and left at around 5pm. it was a one day deal, but o man.. i still feel it! yesterday and today are really the first time ive felt even remotly normal again. got up, walked around, drove a bit.. the first week will be rough, but after that every day you will feel better and better. ...just make sure you have someone to help you get up when you need to, your going to be sore. on a scale from one to ten, one being effotless, 10 being a major what the hell did i just do pain in my ass, id rate my surgery and post op week at a 7. coulda been worse, also coulda been alot better.. hope this helps, and dont be scared!!!! the first day is the worst, once you get through that, youve gone thru the worst part (pain wise) and remember, the doctors give you pain pills for a reason! no point in suffering when you can just sleep the pain away. thats what i did o, and good luck!

Hello fellow realizers! This the real deal!! I have posted a few times but never really did give you any information about myself so wanted to send out an introduction Here are my stats: 35 5' 206 highest weight ever 01/08 Went to more than one surgeon before choosing the one that did my procedure 39 BMI 199 06/12/09 188 07/01/09 I was banded 6/25/2009 - the day Michael Jackson died 5 incisions Hiatel Hernia Repair I did not do a pre op diet Insurance paid after 6 mo supervised diet (i was already doing this at the Joslin Diabetes Center prior to even thinking of the lap band and was also going to weight watchers - so it was easier to provide the documentation for me than others), Letters of Recommendations from PCP & and in my case, my diabetiologist who was extremely supportive of me, I had to a go to a couple appointments to see my surgeon, see a psychiatrist, see an additioanal nutrition, and go to a couple seminars. Plus, show a 5 year weight history, proof of type 2 diabetes, proof of sleep apnea, & several boold tests/choloestoral results Married to a great man who was once very heavy but lost at least 100lbs in his 20's so he totally understands weigh issues - we have know each other 12 yrs, been together 10 yrs, and married 4 yrs. No kids. 2 Cats. We live in Baltimore City. I am a Medical Library at a local university and am basically the School of Social Works librarian so I have approx 1000 people I serve as a librarian. I truly love my job. I was born and raised in Pratt Kansas. Moved to Tulsa at 19, the to Port Aransas Texas, then to Topeka Kansas, then to Portland Oregon, then to Kansas City Kansas, then Emporia Kansas, then back to Kansas City Missouri, then landed in Baltimore MD and love it here! I love to travel, be the center of attention, take care of others, listen to music, socialize, and help others to be happy. :redface: I am SO READY TO DO THIS -- ready to look the way I feel in my mind!! ready to not be dependent on medication! actually I have a list of 100+ reasons why i want this!!!!!! I will be figuring out the rules of the board as I go. <3 Anna

I had to go to lunch, and run errands for the boss! 1. What is your first name? Betty 2. How long have you been banded? 6 months 3. How much weight have you lost? 56 pounds 4. What was your favorite food pre-banding? Mexican - pizza - Crawfish 5. What is your favorite food now? Mexican still but eat it different and crawfish 6. Are there any foods you can't or don't eat? I don't do bread, rice, or as many potatoes but only because I choose not to. 7. What is your favorite snack food? Apples/Popcorn and Ice cream when I can work it in! 8. Has your SO changed towards you in any way since you were banded? No, but I catch him looking at me and smiling more. 9. What are some of the things you can do now that you couldn't do before? Walk as much as I want, climb stairs w/o feeling like I need oxygen, bend over and tie my shoes, just be a normal person. 10. Do you have any pets? What kind? I have fish in a pond outside the front door 11. Wht would your dream vacation be if you could go anywhere you wanted? I have always wanted to go to Hawaii 12. If you won a million dollars, what would be the first thing you would do with it? Pay off all my bills so I could quit work, help the rest of the family with their bills. 13. What are your favorite books to read? Health books, romance novels. 14. What is your favorite TV program? ER and CSI

1. What is your first name? Kelly 2. How long have you been banded? Nov. 8th, 2004 3. How much weight have you lost? 31 lbs 4. What was your favorite food pre-banding? pizza 5. What is your favorite food now? Chinese Food (Healthy version) 6. Are there any foods you can't or don't eat? No 7. What is your favorite snack food? Cucumbers with reduced fat Tomato & Basil snack dip 8. Has your SO changed towards you in any way since you were banded? No 9. What are some of the things you can do now that you couldn't do before? Get down and play with Dylan on the floor for a greater length of time, bend down and touch my toes without great strain/effort, fit comfortably into booths at restaurants, greater desire to keep my house clean, desire to strive for more in life, run up the stairs without feeling winded. 10. Do you have any pets? What kind? No. I wish we still had our precious doggy Enrique. I loved him so much. 11. What would your dream vacation be if you could go anywhere you wanted? Probably to Scotland/Ireland to meet some of my distant relatives. (That's my selfish answer) To Mozambique area of Africa to distribute clothing, food, and love to those who so desperately need it. (That's my unselfish answer) 12. If you won a million dollars, what would be the first thing you would do with it? Pay off my existing bills 13. What are your favorite books to read? Books that enhance and uplift my spirit 14. What is your favorite TV program? It's a tie between Stargate SG-1 and Joan of Arcadia

This is what you get with a bored 911 Emergency Medical Dispatcher when there are no calls going on - I'm digging through way old threads and gonna bump some because I love this site but there's only so much new stuff on here to occupy my time so I gotta go diggin......so bumpity bump bump 1. What is your first name? CandySmoocherrrrrrrr 2. How long have you been banded? 5 months 3. How much weight have you lost? 10 lbs and I've had to fight for it so I'm proud!! 4. What was your favorite food pre-banding? 5. What is your favorite food now? 6. Are there any foods you can't or don't eat? Mozzerella sticks - they scare the crap out of me - and now I'm staying away from cheesburgers since the I Puked On Myself Thread. 7. What is your favorite snack food? Why is this one all about food? LOL 8. Has your SO changed towards you in any way since you were banded? Ok these questions are too complicated for my simple little mind. Was just lookin to pass some time. 9. What are some of the things you can do now that you couldn't do before? 10. Do you have any pets? What kind? I have a 9 year old basset/beagle named Tucker - he is the light of my life even though he mostly sleeps. 11. What would your dream vacation be if you could go anywhere you wanted? A private secluded spa resort on a huge lake with my own private jacuzzi and male massusse 12. If you won a million dollars, what would be the first thing you would do with it? Buy some land and start building a dream cabin on a lake! 13. What are your favorite books to read? Trashy romance novels, true stories, & murder/mystery 14. What is your favorite TV program? My Name Is Earl - finally a true sitcom to laugh at

I actually had the sleeve in 01/13 and had restrictions but not real progress so Tuesday I'm have the bypass. I never even lost 75lbs and I was 365 and now I'm slightly over 300. My doc actually chose for me and I trusted him, which I still do and he's doing my revision Tuesday. My friend who was about my size had hers right before me and was successful as well as maintained it with the same surgeon. I have PCOS, depression, anxiety and a few other things that factor in obviously but I think I'm just one of the people it unfortunately didn't work for. I still eat so little and got absurd reflux from the sleeve but no other real complaints. Sometimes I think it's a crapshoot and genetics but your goals are a huge factor. Good luck to anyone still deciding! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Congrats on your banding! I got banded 10/13. I was actually happy to go home the night of the surgery as I was self pay. I can never sleep in hospitals! However, I think it would have been nice to have had the IV pain meds overnight, but the pills were fine enough. Hope you continue to do well each day!

Not sure. I'm at 140 now, I'm 5' 5" and my plastic surgeon says he'll take about 10 pounds off my fat, hangy gut. Not sure how tall you are so I'm not sure how that compares. I do find that I don't have to work at maintaining in the least. If I put forth effort I lose, if I don't I stay the same.

I am so glad I read this thread. I have been going back and forth with my anxiety. First I was anxious because I have no restriction and I can pretty much eat anything, but when I do and I get that old familiar stuffed feeling, I feel terrible about myself and life in general and I can't wait for the fullness to go away. I feel hungry often, this scared me to death at first, now I actually really like it. I realized that I have been overweight and over eating all my life, so before getting banded it has probably been more than 15 years since I actually felt a hunger pain in my body. Sure I would say I was hungry, just as an excuse to eat, but I really couldn't even recognize what hunger was once I got banded and started feeling it again. I am long over due for my first fill, and I desperately want one now becasue I don't want the knowledge lurking in the back of my mind that I can actually eat whatever I want, PLEASE TAKE THAT ABILITY AWAY FROM ME, but I actually like being hungry, to me it kind of signals I didn't over eat yet. So far, since being banded I have gotten all the way up to 29 lbs lost, but, with no restriction, one bad weekend put back on almost 10 lbs. I have been trying to set mini goals for myself, but they are so hard to achieve. I figure if they were easy, then I wouldn't have needed the band in the first place. Anyway, I have an appointment for a possible first fill on 10/14/08 and I am nervous and anxious, but really looking forward to knowing what the restriction actually feels like, I am longing to know what not having the ability to over eat (because I have the desire) feels like!!! BANDED 06/30/08 Starting Weight 339 Current Weight 310 Goal Weight 155

GOOOOOOOOOAAAALLL!!!!! 18 MONTHS AND 14 DAYS LATER I FINALLY REACHED MY initial GOAL... 85 lbs lost Started at 221 and today the scale showed 136:thumbup: I'M NO LONGER MORBIDLY OBESE, OBESE OR EVEN OVERWEIGHT. I HAVE A "NORMAL" BMI AND I'M AN "AVERAGE" WEIGHT FOR MY AGE AND HEIGHT. (which is old and short) I want to lose another 10 lbs. but I'm in no rush. It's the journey, not the destination. I run/jog/walk 6 miles, 6 days a week. I'm only taking 1 Rx a day (compared to 8) before the band. Life is good:lol: I can't imagine where I'd be without this gift. Love and Luck to all the Merry Losers.

Hey there - I'm in need of someone to talk to , and share idea with. Someone in my area, preferably, but i'm not opposed to a " long distance Mentor" either lol I'm 45, had surg on 10/14/08, and i'm down approx 45 pounds. I've had MANY fills and Un-fills ... cant seem to find a good spot. I guess i'm not sure what "it" is supposed to feel like. I mean, when i'm tighter, I drop weoght more quickly, but i have problems with almost everything i eat. When its looser, i can eat whatever i want - almost. Hence a few pounds finding their way back. :sad: My Surgeons PA who does the fills got upset with me on the last visit. We went over some of my food choices. I realize some of them arent the best choices, but , right now, I'm really strapped for money, so I eat up what I've already got on hand. Anyway, someone to chat with would be great :-) I have approx 100 more to go. Thanks ! Bobbie

Seems that way! I go back on Jan 5 so just after the holidays my goal is to not gain back more than 2 lbs of the 10 I lost in the two weeks of the overfill. To be honest I would do it again if I had to get a boost on the weight loss. I dont' care if I am on liquids for a bit (problem is you lose muscle too). Also long as I'm not waiting up choking but that seemed better congtrolled by not eating or drinking anything 2-3 hours before bed (which i find hard to do). When do you go back?

I've been on "DIETS" since I was 15yrs old, I'm now 31. I failed at every diet I've ever been on, I believe the main reason for this was deprivation. I'd quit all the "bad" foods cold turkey only to lose my mind while losing large amounts of weight only to "slip" and devour everything that was deep fried or covered in cholocate. Then I'd just give up on myself, and gain all the weight back and then some. I did this over and over again for as long as I can remember.. I've been banded almost 10 months, I do not deprive myself of anything. I've been losing consitantly, slowly but consitantly, and it works for me. I cut out alot for the most part. But the foods I have cut out are mostly carby filler foods that just take up space and keep me from eating my Protein, and to be honest I hardly even want to eat them anymore anyway. When it comes to my cravings (or my old habits coming back), I feed them, but in very small amounts. If I feel I need McDonalds, (which was my drug of choice, that and any other fast food) I'll have it, but maybe only a few chicken nuggets or just the meat off a cheese burger and 4 or 5 french fries. This will kill my craving, I physically cannot over do it because my band keeps me from it. But I do have some days when my band is easier than other days to "eat around" so I have to know how to limit myself. I do not keep junk food in my house, if I feel I need to eat crap like chips, chocolate or ice cream I'll buy a small bag or just a serving of it, have it and move on and continue to exercise and eat well the majority of the time. I understand everyone is different, and this may not work for everyone, but I am a true believer in having everything in moderation. Thinking back, deprivation was what got me to my heaviest weight, it caused me to lose my mind and over do it when "cheating" on diets. Now I'm satisfied, I can control my craving and I'm still losing weight. My advice to you would be not to beat yourself up about having some "slips" , it's ok to enjoy "bad" food on occasion, just not in outrageous amounts and not everyday. Stay motivated, exercise as much as you can and never forget why you got banded.. Good luck!

Actually my surgeon has banned me from protien shakes or smoothies. He says you need solid food and that anything you can eat with a spoon is a no no.. I like the zone bars pretty good. They are tasty almost like eating a candy bar. Also even though i am not suppose to have any liquids calories I have been drinking Special K drink mixs. One pack has 5 grams of protien and only 30 calories. So if i do 2 of those a day its an extra 10 grams protien and only 60 calories. I tend to have trouble getting in all that protien.

Oh i could have written your post, was banded 11/10! Lost 10lbs on liquids post op and since then nothing... My family and friends now i had it done so i feel like a failure known there looking at me weekly I also have 4cc's, due for another fill i 2weeks. At the moment i feel like im on a hard diet, im calorie counting and its hard to deal with the hunger, esp when im getting little results. I lost the plot with my weightloss consultant whos also my nutritionist on the phone the other day... I know it all takes time but its very frustrating

I had surgery on Tuesday. OMGOSH i was so darn nervous... I'll explain as much in details as i can. When i was in bed waiting to be taken into surgery, i was greeted by different people from the surgical team. The anesthesioligist (however you spell that) told me i would two tubes down my throat, one was an upper endcopopy and the other has something to do the the anesthesia. i went into surgery woke up had a little pain but not too much. Was told i will be give me enough pain meds to control my pain. It was hard to take deep breaths. All i wanted to do was sleep. I had something strapped to my calves that massaged me which later i found out was to help circulate the blood in my legs. I also realized i had a catheter down there. The most advice i can give you is to take any pain meds you can. I was attached to a machine that with a press of a button i would get a dose of morphine every 8 minutes. Also as soon as they tell you you can walk. WALK... WALK like there is no tomorrow. That will help release the gas pains. Walk around the hospital hall for about 10-15 minutes every hour while your awake. Hospitals are annoying because when your trying to sleep a different staff member will come to see you etc. whether to check your vital signs or to see your incisions. They will probably have you do breathing exercise with a breathing tool. Use that every time there is a commercial on tv while your in bed. it helps you breath better and it also helps to prevent you from getting pneumonia. My greatest frustrations were the gas pains. Yesterday mom took me a store and i walked for about 2 hours straight and i am so grateful cuz i feel so much better today. Please walk as much as you can. I helps for a speedy recovery. I thought it was bull when the nurse told me because i walked a lot when i was in the hospital and i still had gas pains. (i felt it in my chest and made it hard to swallow). Walk walk walk. and good luck! Everything will go great!!!

CA started approving it as of 11/18/10. I was on the phone with them forever and a day today to find this out. I was planning on self paying for my surgery and now I am rushing to get in a pre-auth for a Dec 15 surgery!!!!

My surgery has been a personal journey. No family, friends, work are aware. Only my husband outside of medical staff. Therefore, I cannot share pics but wish I could. I started out in a size 16, BMI 35. Now I am able to get into some 10s, 12 very comfortably. As you must be aware, this choice is not exactly main stream accepted...yet! It comes with criticism about being lazy and just not trying hard enough, or taking the easy way out. This far from the easy way out. In one of the pre surgical meetings another patient said I didn't need the surgery. Granted her bmi was much greater than mine. An attitude I dealt with from many others during the pre surgical process. According to every weight chart I did qualify and I was the one willing to take the necessary steps to admit, and correct the fact that I was unable to lose and maintain weight loss on my own. Humbling. Having had enough, I looked her in the eye and told her it really wasn't a very fair judgement since I did not judge why it took her so long to make the decision for surgery. Borderline BMI or under 40 BMI patients face criticism from society and are not as supported for their decision both socially and by some medical staff. We tend to have to keep our choice for surgery hidden. Not fair, but true until care givers become more supportive and less judgmental. This surgery is becoming a very healthy cash cow so I anticipate a major attitude change in the next 5 years or so. Hopfully you are getting all the support you need and the criticism is minimal and easily ignored. Some criticize because they do not have the courage or the ambition it takes to do this. If you face any of those people, consider them jealous and stay on track. We have to stay diligent for the rest of our lives for lifelong success. I did this for a better health. If it is a choice for me between improving my health or someone else's opinion...they lose!! My almost 30 lb loss includes the lbs lost pre surgery. Post surgery it has been 20 & climbing. Stay off the scale daily. I was just stressing myself out. Once a week now. I have stalled in the past week but I know plateaues are to be expected. Eating all foods now. You will find what works best for You. Immediately following surgery egg drop Soup worked best. Goes down easy & high in Protein. I had trouble this week with chicken and pork tenderloin. Both came back up. Cooked the pork in the crock, shredded and chewed a lot but just too dense. Chicken was dry and just got stuck. I accept responsibility that I have to eat much more slowly. Lesson learned. Don't be scared to try things when it is time. Everyone is different. Even if it comes back up I is not like when your are illness sick. It comes back up, you feel better, done. Those 2 times are the only 2 times. Are you thirsty? I am and so was every other VSG patient in our post op group meeting. I believe this is different than the other bypass surgeries. Keep up the good work! I am thrilled I had it done. Hope your results are similar.