Search the Community

I havea good friend who is interested in lap band surgery. I have been telling her about my lap band journey. She recieves dialysis 2-3 times per week for kidney failure. She told me that her kidney doc said it was ok her to get banded as she needs to lose a certain amount of wait to get on the donor list for a kidney. This doc is just her kidney doc and I am not sure how much he knows about weight loss surgeries. She is on fluid restriction and I would think that the amount of fluids we are supposed to drink daily is way over her limit. Not to mention I am sure that she would have some dietary issues. Are any of you aware of any dialysis patients being banded?

A couple things: first, you have a limited window (1 to 1.5 years) to work with where you need to get off all the weight you can because outside of that window it could be as difficult to lose weight as it was presurgery. This fact alone should make it a priority in your life. Two, you need to find an activity (ideally activities) that you enjoy. I discovered running. I have friends who bicycle and that would bore me to death. Running bores them lol! Third, I found that setting goals kept me motivated to continue. For me it was being able to run continuously for as long as possible without walking. This was too vague of a goal so I started losing interest. Someone mentioned doing a 5k (which I had never done) and I started training for it. I finally worked up the ability to run 3 miles without walking. The first time I did it I was on the treadmill in the middle of the gym crying lol! The next goal was to be able to do 10k without walking. Accomplished that! Now I am into week 4 of working on a half-marathon training plan. I'd like to do it without walking but the first one will be all about finishing (and getting one of those silly 13.1 stickers to put on my car (and possibly a tattoo of the same!). A frequent question at this point is whether I will ever do a full marathon. I refuse to consider that until I've done a half marathon or two (don't want to get discouraged by overreaching). Lastly, it's said that it takes 21 days for an activity to become a habit. Find your activity and keep doing it until it's something you do as a necessity without thinking (like brushing your teeth or putting on deodorant ever day). It could take you less than 21 days or maybe more, either way keep at it. Weight-loss surgery gave us a second chance - it's up to us to squeeze everything we can out of it.

Hey everyone I'm Arcana I recently just got finished with 6 months of nutrition classes I've seen my psych Dr I did blood work I did the EKG I did the swallow Barium test and so now I am just waiting on a approval because my first surgery request was denied so this is the second attempt I'm hoping I get approved this time I'm 31 years old I weigh 320 lbs and my BMI is 49 I desperately need the surgery but I'm also very nervous I don't have that much support from my family everyone thinks I shouldn't get it because I could die on the table but I told my family that I'm already dying lbs because I'm severely overweight and I'm not saying that weight loss surgery is my only option but I feel like this is the only option for me that's gonna work for sure I've been having second thoughts because of my family making me feel like I'm going to die if I have the surgery smh has anybody else felt that way before I just feel so upset because I don't have any support at all and I know for sure its what I want to do I have tried dieting and it never worked I never lost any more than 10 pounds in my Life I'm tired of feeling miserable and having low self-esteem about myself it's not fair to my daughter that I feel ashamed about going out to fun places where I know we both will be happy and enjoy ourselves the only thing we do is go to the movies get and go home I'm tired of living like this I have always been very self-conscious about my body and the way I look and I know I shouldn't be so self-conscious but I was never this heavy in my life i recently gained all my weight within the past 10 years I just want to become a better version of myself and feel more confident and most important get more healthier my family doesn't understand that I'm not as healthy as I should be

Ok.. When I first saw a dr put on my med chart " obese stomach" ..I was in shock. This was about 12 years ago. This comment stayed stuck I'm my mind for years to come at the meantime getting larger year to year. Of course..I would lose tons of weight between that time I saw this term and prior to sleeve surgery. For some reason that word "obese" pierced my heart. I had to talk through myself that it is only a word that the med profession uses for excess weight. But what I was really doing to myself ..I was in denial about my excess weight.. Only when I saw pics of myself ..I looked "obese". When I started having high blood pressure, high cholesterol ..it was a sign of my health condition..but even with these bad symptoms. I was still in denial about my excess weight. food was my best friend that I could not conceivably ever give up. I could not even fathom this concept and certainly did believe I could in myself to even consider this option. Flashback to Sept , 2013.. I heard that a friend of mine lost tons of weight with the sleeve..and finally keeping off her excess weight reheat she struggled to do for years. I was a classic replica,of her weight loss journey. Lose, gain, lose gain. After losing 65 pounds two years ago, just to gain it back immediately, I was literally exhausted with getting on diets.just to gain it all back. I had liposuction twice, I had the lapband, and went on too many diets to count . I was still no better in Sept 2013 ..improbably spend over $75,000 On weight loss efforts. (Could of used that money for a world cruise). I never , ever considered invasive weight loss surgery till Sept 2013. The gastric by pass, in my opinion, was too extreme, I researched the sleeve, spoke to my friend who had the surgery, and went to a consult with my dr. I vacillated whether to have the surgery. Changed my mind several times. I was also seeing a psychologist at that time for my "emotional" eating. This turned out to be invaluable and a real added plus to my current success. I still see my psychologist every two weeks. I knew deep down that getting on another "diet" of food deprivation was no longer a solution to my weight problem. I was completely exhausted to deal with my weight ..on to dec, 2013'. I had the surgery. I remember that 7 days after surgery, my reality that food can and will no longer be my friend was very humbling to me. I knew that my life changed forever with my relationship with food. I cried, I mourned..but I prevailed. To me that day was a turning point.. I could now accept that food was no longer my best friend. I cannot explain how profound that day was for me. Sadness , mixed with hope ..5 month later, today, I am living such an energetic life, with great joy. I don't obsess on food.. My tool, the gastric sleeve, has helped my in curving my hunger, big time. Head hunger still appears in my life.. But through my psychological sessions, I have more tools to deal with this. I now have connection between my head and my stomach..I had lost,that for years.. Never, ever checked,with my stomach to see,if I was truly hungry ..I would just eat and eat and eat and never felt full. Even though I had years of struggle with my weight..I have to accept that my struggles has brought me to where I am today. Getting healthier, and seizing what life has to offer. Eating to live not living to eat. I have greatly reduced the "all or nothing attitude " I do enjoy on occasion my favorite foods..but he difference now..the guilt feeling nah as dismissed. I don't binge because I had one bite of a "bad stuff". Eating in moderation what I do now. No more deprivation. To those who are considering wls..I would suggest to get help if you are an emotional eater. You need the tool of the sleeve or by pass to help you get to your healthy goal, but just as important, you need to deal with your relationship with food. I am now considered overweight.. I accept this term without harsh judgement on me. I accept the weight I am today.. I know I will slowly reach my goal ..I decided to set a goal of 150 pounds at 5'2". 60'years old. I am in a size 8 .. Which I am very proud of. 13 more pounds to go. I am grateful where I am today.

Hi Guys, I just got home from my dinner. I told my friend and not only was she extremely supportive, I found out that she has had several family members and friends that have had some type of weight loss surgery. Some have had success and some haven't. She is going to put me in touch with 2 friends that live near me that had the surgery within the past 2 years and are doing well. I've only known her for a couple of years so she was kind of a test friend. I've told 2 out of 3 of my really close friends and they have been really supportive. I do tend to be really good at convincing people of things. I've been told more than once that I should have been a lawyer. I am good at stating my case. The other 2 friends that i told were against weight loss surgery in general until I explained why I wanted to have it and talked about the whole process and the procedure. Now they are on my side. I only have 1 other close friend to go. She is one that I am kind of worried about but now that I have so much other support, I actually don't care.

I am 5'8" starting weight was 211. I just had it done 4 days ago and down to 205- spent most of my life in the gym and eating relatively well, with portion control issues. Looking forward to losing the weight for sure!

I am four weeks as of this past Wednesday. I was at 30 pounds then when I weighed I was at 29..is it normal to gain or hold at that weight for awhile? Time of the month makes it hard also I guess. Still finding it hard to get 64oz of liquid daily only getting around 30-40oz...will this cause a stall?...so frustrated at this point

Well I dont know if im setting myself up to just get knocked down but im 33yrs and I have been over weight all my life my bmi is 36.8 and I have Gerd,High Trigyecerides,Edema,Artheritis,and severe backpain.I have Cigna OAP INS. My question is do you think I have enough co-morbid conditions to be approved or do I have to have a BMI of 40 or more? Any info would be great.

I am type 2 diabetic. Purpose for surgery is to help control. I've had it for 18 years so any hope that it will completely go away is little. Keeping it controlled is my goal. I was told anesthesiologist will not do surgery unless my bs is 200. I was told not to lose any weight so I was eating whatever. After being told this I'm no sugar no carb. Hoping to get my numbers good for Nov 4 surgery. I'm trying to be so obedient to all the rules and the rules keep changing. I really want to hear from other diabetics and their journey! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

When I graduated from high school I was a size 13 and thought I was fat. Now 26 years later, I am in a size 14 pants and I couldn't be more thrilled. 99 pounds gone and healthier than I was in high school. just over 2 weeks until I run a 10 mile race! (my first - although last weekend I ran more than 11 miles) Happier and more self confident than ever. I even started teaching again this week. (I left teaching 9 years ago, not related to my weight, but...the time was right and I am now teaching ESL once a week. Can't believe how much I missed it.) I'm not sure I would have had the confidence or energy to try teaching after working a full day if I had even thought about it a year ago. I even interviewed last week on the phone for a more teaching focused position. I am just waiting to hear if I am being asked back for a second interview. Getting the job would mean moving 150+ miles to a small town, albeit near where I graduated from high school, and essentially starting over. The thought thrills me! I've stayed in the job I have now for 4 years, about 2 longer than I should have, because it was safe, but now... Is this all related to my WLS? No, but do I have the confidence and energy to even pursue these big dreams because of the surgery? Yes, most definitely. pam

Hello everyone, I realize there are several threads comparing the band to the sleeve, but I am still trying to find more information from people who were unsuccessful with the band and have had the revision done for a significant amount of time. I have been morbidly obese since childhood and was banded in 2008. I lost a significant amount of weight in the first 2 years but have gained half back in 4 years since then. I am so tired of the constant obsession and shame I experience regarding my weight and food. I just wish there was some way that I would be able to better control this struggle and live a more healthy and productive life. With the band, even when it was filled to 7-8 cc, the dieting has always been much harder than I have been able to live with long-term. If I am really putting full effort into religiously controlling my intake, the band seems to lessen my hunger to a moderate degree. However, I was surprised at how subtle the feeling of restriction is with the band, and I am still able to eat large portions in one sitting without any difficulty. Right now I just need to do something drastic about my weight, either suffer through more strict dieting with the band or possibly revise to the sleeve. What I am wondering is how much of an advantage does the sleeve give you compared to the band in controlling the urge to overeat? I know that the process of surgery, with liquid diets and the novelty of a different procedure, would cause me to lose a lot of weight initially. What I want to seriously consider is whether the long-term weight management efficacy of sleeve compared to band makes this revision surgery worthwhile. Does the sleeve give you much better restriction than the band? Does the reduction of ghrelin make the constant desire to eat much more controllable? Does lowering the weight "set-point", which a surgeon I spoke with claims occurs with sleeve and bypass but not band, really help you? I would greatly appreciate hearing all thoughts and experiences.

Good for you, thinking about this before it's a lot more weight to lose. I have no experience with this but will be interested in what people have to say. One of the support people at the center I went to for WLS did have to use diet pills to lose what she gained and lose some more. She went back to basics and talks about it a lot to us newbies. It can be any one of us a few years out.

I recently stepped mine up because I had a slight gain over the holidays. I'm doing weights 2x a week and cardio 3-4x a week (usually water aerobics or some kind of dance cardio - like Zumba or WERQ. Although I've even done 30 minutes on the stationary bike when I'm not in the mood to do anything else. Anything is better than nothing...)

Enjoy it while it lasts you're in the very active weight loss portion of your journey. In time like the previous poster mentioned you will eat more.

Funny, I thought the same thing when I couldn't eat squat. Now that I can eat considerably more (about 8 oz), I am thankful for those early meals that were very, very small. It gives our stomach rest and recovery and jump starts our weight loss journey. You'll eat more in time, but nothing (thank goodness) like before.

I healed a lot faster from my revision to sleeve than I did with the band. With the sleeve you don't have the same problems you have with the band. You just can't eat as much. It get's to be the new normal. The grehlin did return for me after a while but it's like normal hunger. I lost 118 lbs after my revision surgery and wear a size 6 now. The freedom is so much better. The only down side is I still struggle to get in all of my Protein and that can hinder weight loss. I've had some muscle wasting and I hit a long plateau because I wasn't getting my protein in and lost muscle so my metabolism went down. I am also hypothyroid and was vit d deficient. It's a balancing act sometime but I revised 2 years ago and I'm still chugging along. I only have a little bit more to use. Wish I had done the sleeve first.

Statistically, this is the time when regain happens. The ability to eat a lot more at this point is also common. The hard reality is that it's really up to us, at this point. I am also coming to the same realization. I am going to need to increase my diligence and really watch it, or I'm going to gain. I also have not gotten all the way goal (within 5-10 pounds and had plastics) so I don't have any wiggle room. My surgeon does not do revisions for regain. His coordinator openly said that at the last support meeting, stating that if you didn't do what you needed to do to keep weight off, a second surgery probably isn't the answer. He had also told me previously that they are finding areas of ballooning in sleeves which is probably the reason capacity increases, though there is no evidence to support that it causes gain, and the risk is higher, so not worth an unknown benefit. I always knew regain was possible. What I didn't know is how EASY it would be. I thought you'd have to really be going out of your way to eat wrong, way too much, etc. My harsh truth is that it only takes a little indiscretion, for a very short time, or those pounds pack on. Every veteran sleever I know who has regained says it's harder to get it off the second time, also a disappointing thought. However, I do know what it takes to lose the weight and maintain it, so that's what I've got to do. I saw some statistics @AlexBrecher posted, and I think it said revisions accounted for about 11% of all WLS. It didn't say what the revisions were. So while my surgeon doesn't support that, obviously, it is being done. I suspect some of those numbers are band to sleeve, or sleeve to RNY for complications. To answer your question - I'd be trying to go back to basics before I would undertake another major risky surgery to combat a regain of 20 pounds. You know what to do, you've done it before. Good luck to you.

Just started contemplating this whole lap band thing recently...I been losing weight every year only to gain it all back. I hate the idea of giving up (atleast it seems that way) but just maybe, my body just doesn't do something right. I've been battling my weight since I was 18 going in the military and am still battling now. It's getting old! I can remember starving myself for a month trying to make weigh-ins in the military. Working out in Sauna's to lose Water weight. I've done a lot of stupid stuff to get pounds off, this has to be safer than a lot of things I have done. I'm going to the seminar about the lap band next Wednesday. I wish you the best in your upcoming decisions and probably am going to be right there with you in mine. I had a friend do the surgery 9 months ago. He lost 30+ prior to surgery and another 60+ since the surgery. He looks great. He was around 360 and now is around 265. He's a big body builder looking guy so he looks awesome now. So I know first hand it works and I know he was busting his butt trying to lose weight before he decided to do the surgery. I think this surgery will give me the ability to feel full faster and recognize that I don't need anymore food. I eat and don't feel full for over 45 minutes sometimes... I wish you the best and good luck!

SOS hey bud, so nice to see you again i have missed you but................you are busy with your new healthier, happier life right?? you have always been so amazing, with weight loss too!!!LOL keep up the good work, i know you will i do like cottage cheese - 21 gr of protein, sounds great truth is i like my FAGE yogurt more than cottage cheese i put in some blueberries and granola - mmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmm good but gonna give the cottage a chance - taking your always good advice btw - i turned 60 years young today!!!! look at me now - still cute as a button!!!!! (really i am)

Thanks so much, looks like you're doing awesome on your weight loss. I see you live in Virgina, how is it over there, are you in the way of any of the storms?

At your height and weight you should be approved. Good luck!

I'm sorry to say I've become a lurker. .... Life has become so incredibly busy that it's getting harder and harder to relax!! In February 2011, I headed down to Mexico and had my sleeve done. Since then I've lost 100 lbs. I lost the weight in about 8 months and have had no trouble keeping it off!! A huge reason I can keep it off is due to being VERY active! I've become a long distance runner- tomorrow I will do my 4th half marathon. I have another half marathon in September, and my first full marathon in October. In January, I'm traveling to Disneyworld to do the Goofy Challenge. I get up Saturday and do the Donald Half, then go on Sunday to do the Mickey Full. If I complete both in the allowed time, I get a Goofy medal!!! In march my fiancé and I are finally getting married in Hawaii!!! - and yes, there is a half marathon tied in 6 days after : ) My biggest changes?? To do what I CAN do! When I was big, I'd give up on everything- including myself. Now? I've had a running injury for the last 2 races. My second half, I ended up walking the last few miles. My third? I got injured 3 mile in and WALKED the next 10 miles!!! I won't give up!!! Eating wise? I still do Protein first and I still do not eat and drink at the same time. I still carry a drink with me everywhere and get 3 liters liquids in per day. I still stay away from popand slurpees like it's the plague as it's just too much of a slippery slope for me. Since having the sleeve my attitude has changed so much. I'm enjoying life and the people around me. I've gone onto a major fasttrack at work ( I've had 4 promotions since surgery, 6 raises, and 3 bonuses) Life is good My biggest recommendation for new sleevers? CHUCK YOUR SCALE!!! I only lost weight one week a month. It majorly f$cked with my brain! One more thing- get active! The trick is to find something you love. Running for me gives me time to myself ( which I very rarely have), and it allows me to think things through and clear the cobwebs. I also like hiking and do it multiple times per week right now. Now I'm off to pack my gear! Have a great evening!!!

Hey Kitty! I am fairly new to this too but I have done similar research using my top notch Google search skills! I do have a surgery date - June 22! Excited! I do have 3 children, mostly grown...2 in college & one graduated from college last year. Also, 2 'almost' step-sons...19 & 21. I have been very very selective in who I talk to about WLS. I have a job that is fairly high profile and they don't need to know anything other than I am working hard to lose weight & get healthy! Would love a few WLS friends to 'chat' with!! Moe

People say they notice I am loosing weight. When I tell them I had lap band surgery, you would think I just told them I walk on water. Their so in AW of this surgery. Is there anyone in my area who has had this surgery?

Just walked in the door from a week in Mexico and couldn't wait to weight myself. OMG OMG OMG... I'm soooooo excited I've lost 20 lbs. since starting Pre-Diet & I'm now 5 day Post-Op. Thank you Dr. Garcia, Hanna, Rosie, Samual Sr. & Samual Jr. This was the best gift I've ever given myself. Great experience!!!