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I'm going to be banded Nov 2 by Dr DeBarros. He is so nice and goes over everything with you. My first visit he spent at least an hour or more talking to me and today another hour! I'm on the 2 week liquid diet now. I'm so excited to get this done. My insurance approved me in one day! Diane

I'm still on soft foods and still trying to figure what foods I like to eat

I lost 140 lbs. doing a basic Weight Watchers plan. It worked for me and even now that I'm more than three years banded, I still measure my food at home to make sure the amount isn't creeping up. Good luck and see if this works for you too.

Hello Everyone! I'm Michelle but many of my friends call me Angel... Don't let the Dark Angel part scare you, I'm not satanic or anything like that, it's actually a nick name my father gave me when I was little and it just stuck... I'm 39, widowed almost 3 years now and the mother of 2 wonderful young men, 15 and 8 My husband passed away from an accident while trying to learn how to skateboard to spend more time with our boys back in March 2008 and since then, the reality of me being all they have left really hit me hard when my youngest said, "Mommy, we don't want you to die too, please" and it was cause of my weight. I've spent my whole life battling my weight, the roller coasters and emotions are too much and I just know that once I get banned, there will be no more battles, only a war that's been won once and for all. I will be starting my preliminary doctor appointments the first week of Sept and just know that my husband will be on my side guiding me through this from above. Thank you for making this forum available and allowing me to educate myself more before my actual banding comes.

Those who have had your second fills, are you noticing any difference? I have my second one next week and I'm really hoping for a big change. I can eat as much as I could before the band most of the time. What makes me mad is that when I eat junk food (chips and such) these things fill me up quickly but when I eat the stuff that is good for me and that I am supposed to be eating such as oatmeal, protein, etc, I rarely feel full. What's up with that? Well, I was just wondering if your second fill helped more than the first for any of you. Thanks.

I had a 2nd fill in Nov. and lost the restriction with in 2 weeks. I go for another fill at the end of the month. Hope that this time it will last longer. Doc feels it will. Chris

I haven't had a fill yet. I am still loosing 1-2 pounds a week which is fine with me! We are going to re-evaluate 12/28 and see if I need a fill then. I can eat whatever I want, but stick to the bandster rules and fill up on protein first- very little carbs. I have only had 2 episodes were I ate a little too much and had some chest discomfort (should have stopped with half that stuffed bell pepper!) Unfortunately, my eyes still think that my stomach can hold more that it does.

Hey everyone! Had my surgery on September 4th. I'm 37 years old and I weighed 445 lb 2 weeks before the surgery. Lost 11 lb by d-day. Surgery done, doctor said my kidney was so far from my stomach so much so it all went perfectly well. Now, come to day 4 and I still have pain in my upper chest it feels like someone is stabbing me. it's not constant, it comes and goes but when it comes it's painful, not extremely severe but pretty damn painful, ESPECIALLY WHEN I BURP which is happening quiet a lot eventhough I'm regularly releasing wind (aka farting) is this normal 4 days after the surgery? I read in most cases the pains will go by the second day or so. Also, the wounds where the cuts were made feel oddly itchy today which wasnt the case before, could it be that they're healing or did I not clean/dry them well after my first post-op shower today? And lastly, what's up with sleeping? does anyone else who did the surgery in my weight feel like they're unable to lay down anymore from the discomfort of their big belly? I feel like not only is it painful to sleep on my tummy or sides but even when I sleep on my back I feel an enormous pressure from my tummy pushing towards my inner stomach and way to my back which gives me the feeling of choking and I'm unable to breathe. Let me know what ya'll think. Thanks!

Yes, if the pain is troublesome definitely call your doctor. It would help to know when you were banded, I had various pains for about 1 1/2 -2 weeks which is normal. For the first few days, incision pain while changing positions is very normal. Port incision pain will be the worst and last the longest.

Welcome Congrats on your new journey this will be the best decision you have ever made. Don't let this scare you but this will also be the hardest thing you have ever done. The weight will fall off after surgery then you will hit a stage where you won't lose any weight for days or weeks no mater what you do. This will pass. There's more advise I could give but if you have been reading post you already know most if it. If not just ask there are a lot of very smart people here that are living the life after WLS. Good luck on your new journey and keep us posted

I second the heating pad and getting anti nausea meds, such as Zofran. Ask your doctor for advice. I had nausea and vomiting for weeks, and at first had very little protein. I just focused on fluids to avoid being hospitalized again. Eventually I found an unflavored protein powder I could tolerate, and at some point was able to drink Crystal Light again. I never could drink shakes again. GL and this will pass!

Hello new friends, I am probably on here super early. I don't have a doctor, surgery date, or any of that yet. I can only tell you that about 4 days ago, I got to a point where I was disgusted at the weight I've gotten to. I began crying to my mother (who by the way is 100 pounds and tried to tell me she understood) and I haven't been able to stop crying since. I hate that I can't bend over to tie my shoes, I hate that I can't keep a pair of jeans for longer than 4 months without getting holes in the crotch from the rubbing, I hate that I can't cross my legs, I hate having rashes and the way I smell, and most of all I hate that my poor kids are always bored because I never want to get up as I don't have the energy to do much more beyond getting myself to work every day. You would think that all of this would give me enough motivation to just take the weight off but it doesn't. Instead I get even more depressed, and I eat even more. I know it's wrong yet I keep eating and eating…3 helpings sometimes and then I proceed to eat what is leftover on the kids's plates because I can't bare to waste food. I'm sick. I don't know why I can't stop but it's really spiraling out of control and I need to do something. I got to talking to a couple of friends both of whom I've known for many years. One has had a lap band with much success and the other has had gastric bypass with much success. They both recommended the sleeve ironically. I'm trying to read up on all the surgeries and I guess I feel it may be the right one as well. I've been reading non stop for 3 days now and my next step is to see a doctor. What are the opinions of others on the differences between the three surgeries? My other dilemma, and I know I've read this already from others on here, is am I taking the easy way out or should I just do it with diet and exercise because I have done it before? I've struggled with weight since I was a child. I come from an Italian family where everything revolves around food. I remember my grandmother would make ravioli and at the young age of 6 years old, she would encourage me to eat 10 of them. Then when I ate 10, she would encourage me to eat another 2. Then there was dessert…and never just one choice. It went on like this for years until finally I moved away from my family and decided to try and see what I could do to lose the weight now that food wasn't around every corner. I did everything from good old diet and exercise to fasting. I could never keep it off longer than a month or so. Finally, around the age of 25, after my first son was born, I took most of it off and got down to 125 pounds, which is still heavy for a 5 foot tall woman. It took so much effort that my life had to revolve around diet and exercise. I took Xenadrine, which is now off the shelves (hmmm, I wonder why), I walked to and from work, was on my feet at work teaching all day, ran 4 miles or more each day on top of that, ate absolutely no dairy and very few carbs, ate 5-6 tiny meals each day, and never ever ate after 4pm. I followed every diet tip known to man and was still considered overweight for my height and build. All that work and all it took was me taking a desk job for it to all go to crap. I had lost my teaching job and began working in an office that I couldn't walk to, sat all day, and immediately the weight gain started and I was back to 180 in a matter of months, even though I kept doing most of the other things. Xenadrine was taken off the shelves and there went another 20 pound increase. My lifestyle now would not even allow for part of that. I have three children, barely have time for myself, and I work at a desk for at least 10 hours each day. I get home at 7:00pm starved and just start shoveling the food in. I am really just doing a lot of venting here and would love for someone to tell me I am looking in the right direction with the option of surgery. I plan to make an appointment here in the next few weeks with a doctor but it always helps to have the support of others who understand. If someone thinks I should just suck it up and get myself to diet the normal way again, please say so Thanks for hearing me out and I will be around reading more and more and educating myself as much as possible. I will keep everyone up to date on what the doctor says once I get the appointment.

All of the gummies made me so sick! As soon as I was able to, I started taking pills. I just skipped the Vitamins until i reached that point. You are not going to get deficient in a few weeks. And your Protein shake if it is worth the milk you are putting it in will cover the vitamins you need until then. My whole entire life I never took vitamins, and never had a problem, but I figure now that I am not eating nearly as much real food, I better supplement. So, I found these on HSN and I have to tell you that my hair and nails have never looked better. I no longer get that LCN crap on my nails and they are just as long and strong naturally. I also feel really good when I remember to take them every day. I do forget some days, but hey I am human and have 3 kids running me in circles in the morning! Hope this helps! Patti

I have tried amost every kind of vitamin available in retail stores, including GNC and Vitamin World. Every single one of them made me sick. I finally talked to my primary care physician and she suggested getting spray vitamins. I ordered them off the internet from Vitamist, and have been using them for a couple of weeks now. At least they don't make me throw up!

I was able to swallow pills bigger than an M&M at 4 weeks post-op (check with your dr tho). At that point, I started taking Centrum, it is complete and has everything you need, including iron. For the next couple weeks, just get a gummy. THey do not have all the nutrients that we need, but it would do for a couple weeks if the others make you sick. YOu will not become deficient in two weeks. But, don't stay on them, as they are not right for us. Kelly

Be patient with yourself, I get regular stalls, even early on and each time I get down myself. Then the scale moves again and I feel my confidence return. Almost 65 pounds in 4 1/2 months, I may not be the fastest loser but I could never have done this without my sleeve.

As Others have said you are most likely just in the normal stall that occurs around 1 month post op. It is very important to try to get enough fluid and protein in, without those 2 primary things your weight loss will slow down. Good Luck.

YOU LOOK MARVELOUS!!!! WOW!!!!!! I noticed you did not begin at a very high BMI. Did you exercise before you were banded? Not to steal anybody props, because EVERYONE has done a fantastic job, however, your photos are exceptional. :clap2: Do tell......HOW DID YOU TURN OUT THAT FIT.....EXERCISE???? TUMMY TUCK???? BREAST IMPLANTS??? GOOD GENES???? DO TELL PLEASE!!!!! I will be banded in May and I work out 3-4 days a week for 30+ minutes each session. I am much larger than you were before being banded, but if I can do something NOW to help later, please tell me. THANKS, Joyful1

And I feel great! I have read so many posts saying they regretted their decision for the first week but not me. Yes there's the expected pain but I'm 36 hours out of surgery and can get in and out of bed with esse and can walk comfortably. So excited for the rest of my life ahead of me!

I get Botox a couple times a year and love it. It feels like a sweat bee sting. Just kind of a like annoying poke. No pain really. You have red spots for a few hours and that's pretty much it. The total effect take a about a week. Besides its amazing work on wrinkles it will pretty much resolve any migraine issues too.

I went ahead and ordered a box of the patches, which is supposed to last a month... yes you put a patch on for 24 hrs then you are good for a week, but because of the requires nutrition post op.... they are not the best choice. Each pach has 1000 mcg of b12. The info I was given by my nut said that we need 1000 mcg every other day.

Everything DaleCruse said is so right! I'm afraid I can't speak to long-term results because I only just reached a month post-surgery, but my father-in-law (who has been awesomely supportive) had a bypass with my surgeon a little over 10 years ago and has done very well. I was also worried that people would see this as the "easy way out" and that I was failure for needing surgery or just too lazy to "do things the right way". It turns out, that was really all in my own head. Those were my own doubts that I was projecting onto people who love and care about me. I haven't had a single negative reaction, and if anyone felt otherwise they had to the good sense to keep it to themselves. And honestly, just telling people made the whole thing so much easier. Things get hard to hide. There will be points where even before surgery you're eating tiny portions or nothing but liquids - people notice. After surgery, in those first few weeks, weight just sort of falls off quickly. Even if you don't see it in the mirror, they will. My coworkers asked me a million questions every step of the way - not because they were nosy, but because they care about me. They wanted to know what to expect so they could know how to help and support. It felt amazing. I'm 27 and have an office job and I expected to take a week off. I ended up just a little bit over at 10 days because I ended up feeling incredibly fatigued. I tend to have low iron to begin with so between surgery and getting my period for the first time in years - I just wanted to hibernate. It could be totally different for you. Eating stuff... I can't really do more than 1/4 to 1/3 cup at a sitting right now, which is totally normal. I'll work up to 1/2 cup over time and eventually, a small meal. My father in law usually doesn't finish a full plate, but what he does eat would still be a healthy, balanced portion size.

I am about a month out. And for the past couple weeks I haven't been losing much (if anything) which completely went to a stop and now I have gained a couple pounds. I am working out and tracking everything, but I wanted to know if anybody had any advice to give on how I could lose weight quicker (or actually at this point lose weight at all!) thanks so much

I went in for a fill today and found out the reason I'm so hungry and could eat larger portions was because my first fill dissipated. Anyone else else have this happen? I was put back up to my 1cc and I can return in 2 weeks if I'm not feeling restricted. Nicole

Hi Michelle, I had the same diagnosis as you. I think they called it (and I'm going to butcher the spelling here) chondromalasia. I think that word just means generalized knee pain. But the orthopedic surgeon sent me to physical therapy first. The physical therapist showed me how my knee cap was not tracking in the right groove any more. It VERY common in women because of the angle at which the thigh bone meets the knee. Anyway, she expalined that basically, there is the quadricept (one of the biggest, toughest, strongest muscles in the body) pulling on the outside edge of your kneecap. While the only thing counter balancing it, to keep the knee cap in line, is this teeny tiny skinny little muscle called the VMO pulling on the inner edge. I went to physical therapy three times per week for six or eight weeks and they (and I) worked on strengthening my VMO. At the end of the sessions, it was like magic. Pain GONE. And I mean COMPLETELY!!! See if you can look into some physical therapy before you opt for surgery. I don't know why the weight loss would make it worse, but it can't hurt to ask. Good luck. LizzyD