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I have alot of family in Midland, MI !! I used to live there, but am in Arizona. Was a surprise to see Midland come up. Are you having any complications with your surgery? I am having mine in June, and am getting the jitters. I am hoping i am not making a huge mistake. Great job on giving up the carbs, i know how hard that can be...

I never tire of the stories, they keep me motivated. The negative stories are just as important as the positive ones. I think it's important to hear from people who have had complications and how they were dealt with, as it could happen to any one of us. Bad experiences brought on by poor choices are just as educational, too. All these things can help a person decide if weight loss surgery is right for them, and if it is, they know what to expect when things don't go as expected. In all my research I had the hardest time finding veteran stories from people five or more years out. I wanted to know if they had continued success, health issues, unforseen problems, how they handled the life-style changes long-term, etc. Whether on not they'd do it again. Please include some of these stories in your book. For my part, I would like to see a book made up ENTIRELY of personal stories, good and bad, inspiring and informative. Reading about other peoples experiences helped me to make an informative decision.

I have a 32fr, and have not had anything close to a stricture. From what I've read, the strictures were seen with smaller than a 32fr. It seems the most "popular" sizes are from a 32fr to a 40fr for most stand alone sleeve procedures. I haven't read about many strictures, and from what I have read that it's not a common complication. Apparently, it's when scar tissue grows and interferes with the passing of food/liquid into the stomach, or a twist in the tubular shape of the sleeve. I'm not sure what the percentage is on patients that experience them.

For what it's worth...I am an RN who has been banded since March 2012. I'm just a few pounds shy of my goal and will probably revise it downward another 15 pounds. My experience with the band has been nothing but positive. I credit that to having an experienced, skilled surgeon in a highly accredited bariatric program, and my compliance with follow-up. As a nurse I researched my options exhaustively! There are naysayers to be sure, and people who have not been successful (often due to noncompliance in my opinion). A thorough look at the literature will show the band is a great option with the lowest mortality rate. And while there can be complications, they are minor relative to the complications with the other surgeries. Best of luck to you, whatever you decide.

I am three weeks post op. I have loved reading the forums. Following this site has prepared me for many things:, intolerance to Water, intolerance to certain temperature of liquids, constipation, diarrhea, throwing up, changes in smell, changes in taste, changes in emotions...to name a few. I am pleasantly surprised that I have. It has one single issue or complication. Again, I'm only 3 weeks out and I suppose things could change at any time. I wanted to post this so that other newbies know that things can go smoothly, as there can also be complications and changes. Not everyone has the same recovery. It's just less common (and maybe a little boring) to read posts about everything being peachy! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Get some gauze from Walgreens and tape over it. The meshy kind of gauze you get at the hospital is going to stick to the wound, it heals into the mesh. You want something more like a pad, with some absorbency but so that it won't stick. Now, if you are seeing halos of yellow/greenish color on the bandages and see anything yellowish if you press on the areas around the wound, or notice that there's a lot of redness around the wounds, you have infections and that is why you're not healing. Surgeons don't like to report infections in incisions because it's technically a complication, and it has to be reported. Nobody wants it on their record. So you may want to see your primary care physician about it, to get satisfaction...but I'd go have them looked at, ASAP. You should be scabbed over by now, as long as your Protein intake has been up to snuff.

I have finally reached my first mini goal of getting out of the 200s and into the 100s. I am 5'8, 22 years old. Starting weight was 235 and today I weigh 197!!!! I'm very excited to finally be back in the 100s! My bra size has gone down from a 40D to a 38C. Pant size from a 14-16 to a 10! Overall I am loving my sleeve! I have been lucky to not have any complications or pain. I am able to eat normally and nothing really irritates or upsets my stomach. I'm not sure if at 10 weeks and having lost 38lbs is a good pace or not...how is everyone else?

put simply the best advice on this is no advice. you have to find what will work for you. For me it was simply a lot of what has been restated i didn't want my digestive tract rerouted, i didn't want the higher risk of dumping syndrome etc. I eliminated the band based on complications and the fact i couldn't get past the implant part of things and also did not want to make a change that is only temporary and could easily be reversed. I needed that stability of knowing i could sabotage myself simply by having the change undone. But as I have said, these are all personal choices, you have to make them for yourself. Good luck with whatever you decide, its not a contest or battle, its all about you.

Hi-- I have read a little bit about some WLS being done robotically and wondered if they do lap bands with robots-- or just the more complicated surgeries? Has anyone had a robot performed surgery instead of the more traditional surgeon hands on surgery? And if so, would you kindly share your experiences. Thanks

Nurse Sophie I'm only trying to make people aware of potential problems. Your right my blood thinners and medical history only complicated the surgery. I just thought that I'll be out of work for a week and everything will be fine. Most people will do fine. Just keep the fact that surgery is not always cut and dry. Thanks for your comments.

If you choose to look for the rain cloud in everything, you can find it. I am also one of the people to whom a complication will occur if possible. I went in for a quick procedure on Arpil 6. Doc said if mid -week, I'd be back to work the next day. Procedure on Friday, feeling weird by Sunday, Monday night fevere of 103.8. Tuesday at the ER. Turns out, a simsple catheter went to a bladder infection to a major blood infection (sepsis) that fast. While a UTI is common after a catehter, it is uncommon for it to go into sepsis. No one's fault, listed as a possible complication of the overall procedure I had done. Just had to happen to me. This was NOT band related. Bands are meant to be in place forever, the fact that some are not doesn't really matter at this point. Your GF has a band, she should use it to the best of her ability and deal with complications if they crop up. There is no sense in agonizing over what could happen. Do appropriate aftercare, see her surgeon once a year at the least, and have everything checked. If something doesn't feel right, she should call and be seen. That is what it boils down to. iV Fluid retention wii be gone in a few days. Hope she is feeling better soon!

I'm having a horrible time with my protein! I'm 6 weeks out and on full food. whey Protein makes me sick, so I have not had a shake in quite a while. I'm running about 40-50g protein per day. My NUT wanted me at 85g/day. I read somewhere yesterday that taking in too little protein could result in a stall/slow-down, and I'm worried about that. Has anyone heard of that? Last night I sat and worked out a schedule for meals/snacks, but I'm not sure I'll get all my Water in with the 30/30 rule and eating so often. This is no longer as easy as I have been making it!..... or am I making the eating plan too complicate?

I had dr Scarborough from the same office, and didnt have those complications. I'm so sorry. I was sleeved on July 2nd and doing great. Tlc is awesome.

I had my own room. 5 day stay due to complications- previously had a band. So glad I didnt have a roommate as I wouldn't have wanted to be judged for a rough recovery with catherers, vomiting for 2 days and constant bladder scans. My 2nd and 3rd stays- from complications I also had my own room.

Mine was open. My Dr also does only open less complications. I am 4 wks out and can't believe how easy it was. Very little pain, more just uncomfortable.

1. Are you satisfied with your lap band? Are you happy you chose the band over vsg? 100% satisfied, but vsg was not an option in 2006 so it wasn't a choice as such. 2. I'm afraid of the unkown. Do you feel normal...like just living and being your normal self and don't know it's there? Totally normal. Don't know it's there. 3. Do you get used to eating little portions? Do you feel deprived? Yes. No. 4. I work on a team, and we eat lunch together and chat daily at work. I don't want to tell anyone at work. I'm afraid I won't be able to do this without them and or me having eating issues in front of them? Do you think I will be able to? What are your experiences? I told very few. But you have to find a reason for being on liquids for the post-op stages. I said it as a medically supervised diet. True! 5. I've heard many people say "oh, the band is only 25% of the help...It's really me." I'm hoping the band is A LOT of help, not a magic wand, a GREAT help...more than 25% else wise, what's the point! What is your opinion/experience? How much help is the band for you? ALL the band does is dim hunger. You can always eat round it by eating soft foods or by grazing. 6. I need appetite suppression... Does the band actually do that? What exactly does the band do you for you? n How would you describe it? As we eat, the narrowing caused by the band makes the oesophageal walls move more - this tells the brain we have eaten maybe three times as much as we have. Our brain thinks we are full. If I am busy, it doesn't occur to me to eat, if I am bored, it does. I haven't felt stomach rumbling hunger for nine years. 7. Looking back, do you think you could have lost your weight without the band? Possibly, but not as much and never have kept it off, 8. I hear a lot about eating slow and small bites...I am very afraid of this! I don't want to be a spectacle in front of others or feel weirded out and miserable having to eat with baby spoons and pea size bites. I want to eat normal. How is this for you? You will learn. No-one I eat with would guess I am banded 9. Any personal testimonies, advice or warnings? There is quite a high complication rate further down the line. Studies vary and figures cover a wide range. But some studies show re-operation rates (slips, leaks, removals) as high as 30% or more. Some doctors no longer implant bands because of this. I am not in the US but am told that the Mayo Clinic is a major centre and no longer does bands. Please share and

Not lame at all. Sounds like you're in the right place to me! If your band is used correctly and you tune in to your body and modify your eating the band will work for you (now when I say this I do NOT mean "going on a diet" or "giving up all the foods you love".) There are no bads foods, just bad portions. Poor portion control is the single worst offense we commit. The band will take care of that for you. Do ask your doctor how many bands he has done. I hope you are in or near a large city to have a thoroughly experienced surgeon do your procedure (mine has done THOUSANDS). You don't want someone who hasn't done a LOT of surgeries like this. There can be complications with any surgical procedure, but putting yourself in the most capable hands mitigates that risk substantially.

Thanks to all of you over 50 for this blog. I'm seriously thinking of having this surgery but have been afraid because if my age. I'm mostly healthy except for being overweight(189lbs & 4'11" tall) and high cholesterol. I don't care about being skinny--I just want to be healthy, move around better, have people treatment with more respect, and see my wonderful grandchildren grow up. I need to lose 50-60 lbs. some of you may say you can do that on your ownbut losing weight after 50 is daunting if not almost impossible. My metabolism is dead. I don't have time for an hour or more a day of exercise due to the long hours I put in at work. And when I do a diet and exercise, I'll get maybe a 5 lb loss after 2 months of working on it. I' ready to make a life altering commitment but I'm scared because of all the horrible complications I've read about on other blogs here--I guess that's the risk we take for this surgery. I have a desk type of job so how long do you think I need for recovery? Thanks to all you brave after 50 sleeves.

:ohmy: I'm at the earliest steps of enrolling in a program that encompasses the lap band surgery. (pre/post behavioral, nutrition, exercise programs...all of which are accessible for life) (they even have cooking classes) My surgeon performs lap band and gastric bypass's exclusively and his practice is based right out of the clinic. I am one step away from signing my name on the dotted line. the only reason i have stopped??? My neurologist has concerns about the possibilities of internal complications/injury if i were to have a seizure and fall. I have been falling for many, many years and though I'm not conscious when I go down, I'm pretty sure that my face usually breaks the fall, and I am "well endowed" so I have my own airbag system. (:smile2:) I'm genuinely not as concerned about this type of complication but, I so genuinely respect my neurologist. If there is anyone out there who has had complications due to any types of falls or better yet.... if there's anyone out there with Epilepsy that has had the lap band implanted. :confused: I'll take all of the positive and negative feed back that I can get. (accept for my punctuation:rolleyes:)

I completely understand, I'm down 100lbs since surgery 6 months ago, I feel like I don't know who I'm looking at in the mirror anymore, and with all my complications after surgery, the constant pain and everything it feels as if my weightloss is going to continue rapid.. It's worrisome and scary ! Original Weight- 257 pre-op : 240 CURRENT WEIGHT :163lbs GW: 125lbs

I never met him and like you, I never met the other surgeon's either. I'm happy with her and have had no issues or complications. I haven't needed any fills so I don't know how that goes..I don't even know if the doctor does them or if someone else does them.

The band was my option of last resort, I WW, exercise and phentermine were no longer keeping the weight at bay. I was back up to 299, and I had sworn to myself I would never see my weight start with a "3" again. Why the band? I have a real bias against re-routing my plumbing. The complication rate was one tenth of the more drastic surgeries. And the most important part, I was chasing something that had happened to me when I first started taking phentermine. One meal, I pushed away a half eaten plate of food, because I simply wasn't hungry any more, the first time in my life that had ever happened. So far Mistress Band has been more than I could have dreamt, I am 4 weeks out and I may never need a fill, based on how I feel about food right now. I know that may change, but I want to go out on the front step of my house and scream at the top of my lungs "I AM NOT HUNGRY!" This is what I have been searching for all my life in my relationship to food. Based on what I have read I truly don't think that the Dr.s understand the mechanism, but I don't care. It works for me.

-Im so fat right now That's why you are having this surgery. You are doing something about your health, be proud that you are not sitting back doing nothing but complaining about it. -I just wish July 11th would hurry up and come It's coming! Get busy take on one more project at home you can finish before the surgery. Give your bathroom a make over, rearrange your living room, paint the guest room, go to a movie, volunteer somewhere, that will help kill some time -How will I make it through the Pre-op? One day at a time. Don't focus on how much longer you have to go, focus on how far you have come, it will be over before you know it. Seriously don't count down until at least the halfway point -Im so fat right now Me too -What if this surgery doesnt work for me? Don't sabotage yourself before you even start! Do you have a good plan in place that sets yourself up for success? Exercise plan is equally as important as food. -What if Im always going to be this size? Your not. Stop thinking like that. Seriously -How did I let it get to this point? Probably the same way as most of us did. By over eating, comfort eating, poor diet and lack of exercise. You can't change the past, it's already done. You can make the future better and you are taking steps to do that. It's ok to reflect on the past and learn from it but don't beat yourself up, move forward! -Im so fat right now Not for long! Woot woot! -I hope I wake up You will. Most people die from complications not on the table.

Oh Abraham, I'm so sorry you are going through this.. I've been extremely fortunate in my recovery, so I'm of no help.... except to direct you to the section of the forum that is specifically frequented by those who are enduring complications.. Just go to the main page and scroll down, there's a "complications" subforum.

I had surgery April 27 and I’ve been doing well no complications so far. Anyways I’m feeling hungry a lot more now but of course I still can’t eat very big portions(2-3oz at a time) I’m getting my proteins in and my water. I absolutely HATE the soft food diet and can’t wait to have real food. Anyways is eating 2-3 oz about 5-6x a day ok? I see my team on Wednesday but I’m just curious what everyone else is doing/did.