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went to my family doctor the other day. He said he was shocked at how fast I healed. I have no scabs or bruise left they are all gone. I was bruised pretty bad. I seem to heal quickly. Even when he was pushing around on my tummy it didn't hurt at all. He said I had lost 30lbs and was doing good I did have to get some blood work done he said he wanted to make sure my blood was keeping up with the weight loss. I have not heard anything so i guess there is nothing wrong. I am doing good not wanting to eat the food I make for hubby and the kids. i am still trying to have the shakes but don't really like them too much. Hoping to start losing weight a little faster. But happy at where I am going :tongue_smilie:

Good luck!..im not patient at all so finishing this isn't coming soon enough. It'll go so fast though

I had an aggressive fill yesterday. I drank a hot slim fast for dinner around 7:00. I went to sleep about 10:30 and kept waking up, coughing and choking. I did not pb or slime but I ended up sleeping with lots of pillow at my back so I was somewhat sitting up. The coughing scares me. Today i had small coffee, and a cup of tea. I also have been drinking a warm slim fast over the last three hours. Since i just had the fill, I would like to tough it out and see if things loosen up. However, that coughing...I am going to have nothing to drink after 6:00 tonight in hopes I won't repeat last nights experience. My chest is pretty tight right now. Any advice?

@@JamieLogical, they did say in my surgeon's office that both have minimal recovery time, which is why I decided to have them done together. I am having surgery on December 28th and am scheduled to go back to work January 4th. @@Djmohr, you are getting really close to your goal!! My surgery fell into place really fast. I got an itch one day, researched the financing, knew I was off work between holidays and they had an opening, so I went with it. I would like to get my last 8 pounds off before the 28th, but I hurt my back a couple weeks ago and have not been able to exercise for the past two weeks, but oh well, I'll be close :-) Good luck at your consultation!

My friend had the bypass back when it first came out... It was really dangerous back then... but she was life or death... Anyway - fast forward 10+ years and she's put on at least 60-80% of her weight... but her health is alot better. Also, when you have the bypass, you can't ever drink again! You need to research any surgery you are thinking of having. And ask alot of questions to your doctor.

Hi everyone, I just joined this forum to see what options are out there. My husband and I struggle so much with weight and for me it is been a lifelong battle. We went through a six-month OPTi fast program at our local hospital, and we are both back to our starting weight. The good thing about that is that my insurance requires a six-month program as part of the conditional approval; however, I am not sure what else has to be done yet. I have an appointment in a week and a half to discuss options available to me. The only people I know in "real life" have all had the RNY surgery. I have not talked to anyone who has the sleeve. So many questions come to mind... Differences in nutrient absorption, recovery time, long-term outlook, etc... I am sure all of these things have already been addressed, so I will get to looking around the site! It is good to be here, and I look forward to reading of your journeys as well. ~Laurie

Yes...it is hard to believe sometimes looking at where I came from...it seemed to take so long, but in hindsight it went pretty fast, too! I have struggled off and on as I need to exercise more in order to lose....I am on a plateau and unfortunately am rather complacent there! I am hoping that spring and the good weather will help me with that....as I would like to lose more - and tone up quite a bit. As a working mother with three kids it is hard to find time for me! Kim

I am new to bandland as well. I did liquids for 2 weeks after the surgery and have to do another 2 weeks of liquids. My doctor will not do a fill for 10 weeks from my surgery date. I am soooooo sick of liquids but my 2 weeks did go by fast and I am hoping the next 2 weeks are even faster. I am ready for some pureed foods. Good luck on your weight lost journey. Get plenty of Protein, rest, Water and excercise. SW-240 CW-225 GW-150

Its day # 9 post op, had a rough day yesterday but much better today. Got up early this morning and took my first walk. Did a 1.5 miles in 40 mins, I think thats pretty good for me! Still have 5 more days on the post op liquid diet, then go see my surgeon and move up to a full liquid diet! Woohoo! I can have pudding, and sorbet, sugar free of course, and my Opti fast shakes, ugh cant wait! Hope everyone has a wonderful day! Thank you to my family, friends, and co workers for such great support!

I too had my surgery on February 10, 2009, and have never been stuck. After my last fill I've had increased discomfort from eating too fast, but that's all. Debbie

My dr recommends no eating 2 hrs before a fill. The last time I had a fill, I fasted the whole day tho. My husband had a good point. If my stomach is totally empty, they can adjust the band better than if there was food in there. Don't know if thats true or not, but I did it anyway. Call your drs office and find out what they recommend. Good luck! Marci

dont rush your fills it can cause band erosion if you go too fast and your stomach cant handle the pressue. You stomach is healing for the first 6 months after being banded. Good things come to those who wait

I am going tomorrow for my chest X-Ray and bloodwork. My orders say they are testing a lot if things in my blood labs---CBC, thyroid, glucose, insulin, a nutritional workup (what ever that is!), and more that I can't remember. Mine is definitely fasting though. I should lose a pound just from the blood they are going to take hehehe. I did my EKG today.

Hello fellow bandsters, ex-bandsters, and bandster wannabes. I am not posting this to beat anybody up or anything like that so please don't take it that way, but I'm just writing because I can't understand why so many people feel as though the band has fell them. So I'm ranting basically. I have been reading many posts in which people who have had surgery around the same time as myself and even after me are having or has had complications with their band and I can't understand that. Grant it, I do understand that many have had success and because of other issues with their body they had to have their fluids removed for either pregnancy or other surgeries and for whatever reason, the band is selfish. It doesn't apparently want us to have babies or other surgeries that we need for our continued overall good health. Okay, I get that and the band stops working and needs to be removed. Okay, cool. However, I have read other peoples stories and apparently funds were not available for aftercare to get the proper adjustments needed to stay restricted. I keep reading posts that state they never achieved the "sweet spot" and all I can say is I'm sorry. If you are self-pay, again, I'm sorry that you weren't able to keep getting your fills because proper fill capacity is the key. Yes, I realize many of you also have to drive miles and hours just to get that and believe me, I understand gas and money these days. But at the same time, you should have been given the guidelines to follow in order to successfully lose weight (types of food to eat and avoid and amounts) and if your bariatric team did not do that, then shame on them. The band can't say, however, "Don't put that ice cream in your mouth. Don't drink this or eat that." Only you have total control of what goes in your mouth. I have also read many people's journeys in which they didn't even need fills and have lost impressive amounts of weight. To you I applaud and congratulate you because I was not that fortunate. I had to get my fills and unfills when I was too tight. That's another problem I keep reading about over and over. If you are too tight, you will not lose weight you are in the red zone and are setting yourself up for failure. I hated that I had to get an unfill or two or three because I loved that tightness and I wanted to lose weight so bad, but I'm so glad that I listened to my professionals because it paid off in the end. So what am I saying, the band does not fail. YOU FAIL, I'm sorry. There are some unfortunate souls that well your body just doesn't want as you say something "foreign" in you. Well, God bless you and I hope you have found another way to lose weight. For you new people, IT IS NOT EASY!!!!!! Even in maintainence, it's not easy. Again, if you have the proper restriction YOU WILL NOT OVER EAT PERIOD. Can you eat anything you want? Yes for some of us but not everything. After being banded, some foods and drinks we just can't do and that is a plus for many of us because we don't need them in the first place. Why is it still hard in maintainence? Because you have to still be careful about not eating too fast and chewing your food really good so that you don't get stuck. For me and I'm sure for a few others, that is a daily struggle. So all in all, the band is a great tool to help you lose weight if YOU REALLY WANT TO, but YOU have to do the work. The band is just placed around your stomach and that's it. It doesn't think for you. Again, I'm not trying to disrespect anyone but just clarifying the fact that the band doesn't fail by itself. Best wishes to all of you.

No such thing as a dumb question. Your weight loss has been AMAZING, congratulations! Just my two cents, but I think the problem might be that you were not living "real life" before now. In real life, you have BBQ and ice cream and you miss a day of exercise. It is very difficult to keep up the pace you were doing. On a birthday, you are SUPPOSED to eat birthday cake. Not the whole cake, not a slab, but a PIECE. That IS part of the rules. You've been dieting for 2 months but you have to find a place in between dieting and living, otherwise I feel you are setting yourself up to fail. If you beat yourself up every time you have a bite of bbq chicken, you're not going to get far. Moderation is what you have to learn now. Because when motivation goes out the window, and it usually does eventually, moderation is what keeps you on track. Restriction is one of those things that when you have it, you know it, but it's hard to explain. You just get full really fast. Don't worry about slippage or erosion ,if you are following up with your surgeon he'll catch it. Listen, it's just my two cents and I'm sure many will disagree but my opinion is that you are doing the right thing to ask whether it is head or stomach hunger, you are eating your Protein and you are drinking your Water. If you are truly hungry, you should have a fill. If not, you should work on head hunger - maybe with a group or a therapist. But you have to stop obsessing because you can't maintain that attitude for long and I fear you are setting yourself up for failure. Good luck and keep me posted. Cyn

Same, sleeves on 6/13/2016. I called the doctor today and was told I may be drinking too fast. I'm constipated as well so I am taking Miralax. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I posted this in the Insurance forum too, but thought I might get more input by posting here too. I was full steam ahead with a surgeon in Dallas, did all the hoops, had a surgery date set and then found out they are engaged in insurance fraud. So needless to say the brakes went on fast and hard.... I am now going through another surgeon and having to get re-approved through Aetna. They haven't changed their policy bulletin, and waiting for them to re-approve it. This Dr. is in network and such, so I would think it should be just a formality, but still worried I guess. Anyone have to get re-approved? Had any problems? Anyone who could share their experiences or people they know would be greatly appreciated. Aetna has had my information since Monday and waiting...... Waiting once was hard enough...

IT IS very frustrating, especially when you hear about people losing 30-40 pounds in 2 months. I'm still stuck at 27 since surgery, but that includes the 7 pounds of just swelling. The day I went in for surgery, I lost 18 pounds. When I left the hospital, it was only 11, because of the swelling. Do I count that? Sure, for a total of 37 pounds, before and after. But since my surgery, I feel like I've only lost 20 lbs at 6 weeks and I'm at a hard hard stall. I work out 4 times a week and the scale is just STUCK. I know I'm older, I've had a hysterectomy and I will lose slower than most. And I don't drink enough water. I have to do that, it's just super hard. Tomorrow, on the advice of my nutritionist and doctor, I'm going back on the liquid fast, protein shakes and water for 2 days to kick start. I hope it helps. LOL I admit I weigh myself daily and I shouldn't. And, at the gym, I'm 2 pounds lighter, and I like that. LOL I know this is a process, but I see younger women shedding pounds like dog hair in the summer, and I'm mad jealous. (LMAO!!) It's a process, and I'm on board for the whole thing. Good luck to you. We'll get there. And may I say, 34 pounds pre-surgery? WOWSA!!!! WELL DONE!

If you are feeling "stuck", it probably is just too big of bites, not chewed well, & eaten too fast. The other explanation could be a stricture, I guess. But I would guess you'd not be able to keep things down. Have you talked to your surgeon about this? If not, perhaps you should call to see what he says. The other thing to consider...if you feel sick after eating, it could be you are lactose intolerant. Unfortunately, I've heard it's quite common. Either way, if solids aren't working right now, go back to mushies. It could be that your tummy just hasn't healed enough to be ready for more solid food.

Also I have found that the more processed a food is, the more my sleeve hates it. UNLESS it's loaded with sugar. Sugary drinks from Starbucks go right down. Milkshakes from any fast food place however hurt my stomach.

I really have the same pattern. I must swell after fills, I come home from each fill and within a day or two I'm thinking "this is the one" and I lose a kilogram or two within that first week. After that, the restriction reduces very significantly and I can eat virtually normally (with restriction on certain items and pain on eating too fast) for the rest of the month and dont lose anymore. So the last four months has been one to two kilograms a month off and thats it. In between I feel I have ever so slightly more restriction than I had last month so I am inching v-e-r-y slowly towards perfect restriction. My surgeon says one to two kilograms a month is great, very healthy weight loss, but its frustratingly slow, I'm so close to goal weight and it'll take over a year to get there at this point. I dont want to lose 8kg in a month, just perhaps 3 per month! I think though that despite naturally getting impatient its important to just inch your way there gradually, you will get there eventually.

Hello everyone! Very frustrated.... WARNING... Curses coming... So yesterday my insurance co (UMR) called my surgeons office and told them that I needed 3 more nutritional visits (May, June, July) before I could have my surgery..WTF!? The info was faxed to the insurance with plenty of time & now, just before surgery she wants to pick up the damn file & review it. Can I please know WTF she was doing all this time? My doctors office faxed the letter to her & today she says she needs 3 detailed letters with a bunch of other details ????. I'm waiting for my doc to come in and approve this so they can fax the letters over to the insurance lady & see how fast she can review my documents & approve my surgery. What pisses me off is whyyyy did she wait till the freakin last minute??? Ughhh... I'll keep u all updated!

j-rod - Get the lap band removed...? Absolutely bloody not! I've never felt better in my life. I am 4 weeks post surgery, 27 pounds down, and feeling like I am making amazing progress. The lap band is a tool, not a solution. You have to work WITH it, in order to make it work. The band is the teacher. I have avoided vomiting and 'sliming' by taking small bites (no larger than 2 blueberries). I chew everything to a paste, and only then do I swallow. I eat Protein first, then veggies, then tiny amounts of carbs. I have learned about "First Bite Syndrome" and how to avoid it. I have invested $16,000 in this procedure, so it will ABSOLUTELY work - I have a financial obligation (and an emotional one, too!) to ensure it does! I have had an excellent (no... SUPERB) surgeon whose follow up program for me with a nutritionist and nursing team and webinars has been incredibly helpful and supportive. No one should vomit with the Band. Getting food stuck (on occasion) and having a sliming episode once, twice or even a few times, is, I've learned, to be expected when you forget the rules. I expect that I will forget at some point, lose my focus and eat too much/ too fast and have an episode. I will learn the lesson when the lesson is ready to be learned! In my learning and research I have learned that regurgitation at night is often caused by acid washing up through the esophagus because of a stretching of the pouch above the band. So what happened with "Your Guy"? If he was in the habit of pushing his band to fight back by taking large bites or eating the wrong foods, then he needs to change his habits. "Pouch dilatation" is something that needs medical attention to correct. You even said in your post since then he's been "super careful and it hasn't happened since". Well - we all need to learn new habits after being banded. If he wasn't ready to make the changes and begin a new relationship with food, he wasn't ready to be banded. I hate to judge or say he did anything wrong. Not my place. Hell, I am new to banding myself. I can tell you what I've learned - that is that the band will NOT work and is CHEATABLE and can/will FAIL if you do not follow the rules. The Rules: No bites over the size of 2 blueberries. Everything is chewed to a paste - anything not dissolving down gets spat out. Average about a bite a minute. About 20 bites makes a meal. No more than 20 minutes per meal. No crap food. (Really, does this need to be said?) Move your body, even if its just walking. No drinking calories (pop, juice, booze). Stop eating before you feel 'full'. Understand the difference between "fullness" and "satiety". Serve meals on a side/dessert plate. Eat with small utensils, like an oyster fork, to prevent big bites. Please do not caution anyone against the band. You are not in a position to do that. The band has changed lives and improved the health and well-being of thousands... THOUSANDS... of people. I am one of those people, and even though I have just started my journey, I am well on my way to losing 100 pounds and improving my health. I have reclaimed my life and would recommend this minimally-invasive, effective procedure to anyone, provided they are willing to LEARN ABOUT and IMPLEMENT the changes that are required for it's success.

That's what I was afraid of...Yeah my husband just thought that maybe since I lost that weight kind of fast that maybe it caused it...thank you though...I'll try to get in and update when I can :thumbup:

About me, I turn 49 in 2 hours. I realize I will hit 50 next year. I am 6'5" pushing 400 lbs (yes I am big) but its hit a point where life is pretty flat line- I keep seeing things I don't do due to my weight. Cleaning (hurts to pick up stuff), trim my toe nails, pick of dog poo (I have a 15 1/2 year old basset mix and a 1 1/2 year old scottie just 'found' me- I want to be around for the new pup. I don't go out, am single and am embarrassed to go out. I have built so many walls. i am a hopeless romantic who is cynical and jaded. I am a gay man. I am loved by my folks but have few 'socializing friends' I don't want folks to get close. I think part of it comes from the pain of obesity. I am tired ALL the time. I look forward to my lunch naps. I am now type 2 diabetic. I take 3 shots of fast acting, 2 shots of slow acting and 1 shot of victoza a day. I take testosterone (I have no sex life). I take 2 anti depressants (seems to be a high coralary (sp) with depression and diabetes. I have sleep apnea (LOVE the cpap!). Oh, former chef, wrote a healthy cookbook, etc- but found food is my best friend/worst enemy. My mom was startled when I told her food 'calls' to me (yet I talk to other fat folk who know what I am talking about!!!). I grew up in a crazy family- food was the invisible drug. When you are fat you can 'hide'. I have lost and gained- EVERY time I hit the magical 299 something goes nuts in my brain.... "when I am 299 I will be...HAPPY' and then, it doesn't. so the weight creeps up, and down...and back up. I think I am hitting my bottom. A former culinary prof got lap banded....so I saw his experience (the funny thing in my mind- he was already amazing looking and had EVERYTHING going for him, looks, personality charm, money, career) isn't that funny? now he has lost 100+ lbs. I just want to be able to sit for an hour and not fall asleep. To not always want sugar or carbs. To not be bitter and angry (or jealous). I want ot be able to walk and laugh... so- my appt with surgeon is Dec 1. I have an appt with my primary care next week. My oncologist is already behind this. My folks are warming up to this. I am exploring.