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I need some inspiration...I've had this love/hate relationship with food for the past 25 years! I've always been a stress/emotional/bored eater. In 2013 I had the Lapband...day of surgery weight 319. After 2 years, and for the first time in my adult life I saw 199 on scale. That was absolutely the most amazing feeling I'd had (weight related) in my adult life! A couple of months after that, things changed drastically, I began having complications with the band and ended up in the hospital for a week...discharged with all the Fluid removed from the band. Frustration and anger set in and the weight began to pile back on. Today I am 1 week and 1 day post op from band to sleeve revision. The original plan was band to bypass...during surgery, due to extensive scar tissue from the band and complications with my intestines, my surgeon went with the sleeve...which he had discussed with me prior to surgery, saying that could potentially happen. I kept my hopes up for a successful band to bypass...#1 reason being that I felt like I "needed" that restriction! I don't remember feeling hungry after the Lapband! I'm only a week post op and I'm hungry! I don't know what to do! I don't remember feeling this emotional after the Lapband! I read and I read and I read...I know that everything says follow your Drs post op diet to the "T" or you could damage your "new" stomach. Last night I made the mistake of getting on the scale. Morning of revision surgery I was 302...last night my scale read 297...I was devastated! Per dr recommendations, full liquids are to start today...in my hungry, desperation, feelings of failure...you name it...pity party, party of 1 ????...I ate about 4 teaspoons full of low fat cottage cheese. Now I'm beating myself up and I'm terrified that I'm not going to get this right! Can anyone offer me some advise on how to deal with this emotional roller coaster I feel like I'm on and how to deal with wanting to EAT, not drink?! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Just for a different perspective... my doctor (very highly regarded, Center of Excellence, not a quack!!) allows her patients to start eating on day 4 (surgery day is day 1) I was allowed soft proteins... chicken, turkey, eggs, refried beans, low sugar yogurt, low fat cheese and cottage cheese. I had no negative repurcussions, my doctor has a very low complication rate, and it made me very happy because I really didn't feel hungry. My friend did feel hungry, and she called the nutritionist and was allowed to add soft fruits and soft vegetables. The thought of being on liquids as long as some people are makes me nuts! I don't know how you guys do it.

I am self-pay and my surgeon has an insurance policy that he requires all self-pay folks to buy (its basically a warranty) to cover any complications that would not be covered by insurance. I wouldn't even consider the surgery without it. Your surgeon probably has info about it but I did find the company's website here http://www.bliscompany.com

There's no way to know. The odds of needing a revision whether it be complications, reflux, etc. is fairly low, but it still does happen. Can't avoid the risks. Just do what you can to mitigate any complications that could be caused by yourself. I have moderate reflux (GERD) and am going with 3 surgeons' advice to get the VSG done, with a revision option a year down the road (I believe it would be more like 2 or 3 but we'll see) to RNY. I too worry about getting worse reflux and the staging of esophageal damage but generally people can also take PPI's to help mitigate this by default.

I came very close to talking myself out of the surgery! In fact, I started my "surgery" journey with the hope of having to do a 6 month diet but my insurance didn't require it so I took 6 months myself to try to lose the weight on my own but didn't get very far. I cried the day I got my surgery date and I'm not sure they were tears of happiness but more like tears of fears. The day of the surgery I was hooked up to the IVs and I started crying and aplogizing to my husband for having to resort to such drastic measures to lose weight. When my surgeon came in he asked me how I was feeling and I told him scared and nervous, he wanted to cancel the surgery until I felt more comfortable and that's when I realized that I was more scared not to go through with it. While I had a complication in surgery it was nothing compared to what I have gained now that I'm 8 months out and only 14 lbs from goal.

My surgery is tomorrow morning and until today I had all the same fears. I spent hours researching complications making myself aware. I finally came up with this..... do as my doctor instructs me and I will be fine And sometimes complications just happen due to nothing you or your surgeon did. If a complication does happen it sounds like its a rough recovery but in the end you will meet your goal. TO BE HEALTHY

This post is for my dad. He had the sleeve procedure about 3 weeks ago amd developed a leak. He was in immense pain and the Dr. Had to then make a 10 inch incision on his stomach, go into his intestine and place a bag there which he would be fed into and he had to disconnect his stomach from his intestine while it heals. The fluid from the leak is now (3 weeks later) starting to reduce but he will not be allowed to eat or drink through his mouth for about 2-6 months. Once they check his leak has healed. He will then have surgery to remove the bag and reconnect his stomach. Has anyone else had such a complication and of so what was the outcome? Its so stressful as i recommended the surgery as i was very happy with it and now my food loving dad is nil by mouth till further notice

I have scheduled my surgery for March 18 in Mexico - I live in NE North Carolina, not too far from Virginia Beach, so returning to TJ for frequent fills is not a good option - not to mention the need for quality after care to monitor for other potential complications. I dont mind driving a few hours for good care - does anyone know of a good after care facility in the area between D.C. and Raleigh, NC ??

Welcome back! I am glad you are getting your health issues sorted out -- these bodies can be complicated sometimes. I have had my gallbladder out and am waiting for a date for LB surgery. Best wishes to you -- thank you for posting!

Questions that I asked: How many of this type of surgeries have you completed? What common complications have you seen? What serious complications have you seen? What is the pre op diet like? What is the post op diet like? What % of you patients go home the same day as surgery? What requirements do you have? Do I meet those requirements? What lab work do you order? Then there were more that I can't remember. My surgeon took me into his office and we discussed the procedure for over an hour!

First let me say Thank You for all your prayers. My surgery was Friday 9/16. Here is my story and I'm sticking to it. First I am still very sore and still alot of gas. My surgery had a few complications. I have a hypo-Thyroid so this played a little issue with the surgery but not bad. Then they discovered that I was bleeding under the skin and had to put a drain and bag on. I only say this so everyone knows that not every surgery is perfect. That being said I do have to say that outside of the complications it really was a wonderful experience. The people from Belite were there with me all the time. They were great and compassionate and honestly caring. JoAnne from Belite was actually there and when she came to see me after my surgery, she immediately ran to the Dr's and told them that I did not look well. I had every Dr and nurse in my room. I tried to get up severval times after surgery to walk to relieve the gas but as I sat on the end of the bed I fell back and passed out. They were there to fix the situation and since I had to stay in bed...no walking,,,hence a slower recovery. Belite was there to pick me up, transfer me to the hospital in Tijuana for pre-op then take me to the hotel for the night. We met with the surgery team that night at the hotel and they answered every question we had. INT hospital is one of the cleanest hospitals I have ever seen and I was a little hesitant of going to Tijuana. We felt very safe. I actually felt more safe there then in some of the US cities. And we were full-time RV'ers for 10 years so I have seen alot of cities. Dr Rodriguez and his surgical team were the tops in their field. We are now thinking of going back in a few months for my husband and will not hesitate to use Belite and Dr Rodriguez. Any questions I haven't covered pleas ask. Everyone else that had their surgery done the same day as me had no problems. I think my problems were a result of a combination of a 58 yr old women 5'0 245 lbs and with a Hypo-Thyroid problem. I really can't say enough good about, INT Hospital, Dr Rodriguez and his team, and all my new friends at Belite....Thank you especially JoAnne, Jamie, Amy, and Alberta (driver) Good Luck to all approaching their surgery and my prayers will be with you all. Janet

yes I have the rings haven't had any problems can eat pretty much anything lots of research about the rings the rate of erosion and complication are very low I'm happy with it I'm down 57# in 4 months

Ok I'm a newbie and I just got my date on Thursday. Its july 20th. I have been researching this since January and I'm positive this is the solution 4 me! I have some questions that maybe y'all can help me with. Ok if I want to know more about my surgeon, like how many sleeves he's done and how many leaks or major complications he's had, can I just call his office and ask these questions? I really want to know these things. Will they be truthful? Also how long does this surgery take? I'm using Dr Wade Barker in dallas texas if anybody know of him. Would reeeally appreciate some input.

Sunday, August 30, 2009 Educating Primary Care Physicians about Lapband As with all surgeries, lapband can result in complications. The band can slip, infection can occur, some people are so good at eating around the band (using slider food) that they gain weight back, or they never go in for their fills. Some Dr.s don't seem to give very good advice to their patients about sticking to higher density proteins and not turning them into slider food by adding things like gravy to them. Some actually recommend that people "prime the pump" with liquid before they eat. Some Dr.s take forever to give their patients a fill that actually acheives restriction. Not all patients make sure they get the kind of support system they need to achieve success nor do their Dr.s The lapband is a tool not a cure. Other issues need to be dealt with simultaneously. If they're not, the band isn't as successful. So some primary care physicians seem to only be aware of the failures and are unwilling to recommend their patients for the lapband. They also don't distinguish between gastric bypass which is much more drastic and has many more severe complications and the lapband. They confuse the statistics for the two. I think a lot of these Dr.s really don't understand the nature of compulsive overeating. They keep thinking that if their patients just listened to them and followed the diets they hand them and had better nutritional education they'd lose the weight. But time and again, nutritional information and closely supervised diets don't help their patients. Over the years some have prescribed drugs that haven't helped and have actually harmed overweight patients. When I think of the money and time I spent on Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Tops, OA, Atkins, and some wierd combination of thyroid and speed one Dr. put me on, it makes me angry. I had a Dr. who didn't believe in the band. She thought I could do it myself. I knew I couldn't. I had to go to a new Dr. anyway because of insurance so I tested the next Dr. to see if he recommended the band. With two co-morbidities he took it seriously. He had Dr. friends who did lapband surgery with great success. So he went ahead and recommended me for the surgery which started the year long process of jumping through hoops to get the band. I'm blessed that I had the persistance to get through that year and that I had a cooperative Dr. My insurance company also sent me to a top-of-the-line specialist. Some insurance companies won't cover the surgery at all. Although I have access to a nutritionist at my surgeon's office, I've found even greater support on lapbandtalk, especially on a thread called I'm here to help...This blog has also proved to be an invaluable ally in my recovery. A lady at my church who is in much worse shape than me has not been able to get her primary care physician to recommend the lapband. Meanwhile, the meds she's on for her co-morbidities have made her gain even more weight. People need to explore the risks, the failures, and the successes of lapband surgery before they make a decision. They need to know that its still hard work to lose the weight and keep it off. Their Dr.s should be helping them explore their options and get set up for success if the option for lapband is chosen. I think the primary physicians need to get more educated, not only about lapband surgery, but about compulsive overeating itself. It is an eating disorder, an addiction, with genetic, biological, emotional, psychological, and spiritual componants that all need to be addressed. The band helps relieve the person of enough of the addiction aspect to let them work on the other aspects. I had worked for years on all the other componants with counseling, 12-step meetings for food addiction, 12-step meetings for codependency issues, not to mention prayer and Bible reading and Bible study groups. I'd come to pretty good terms with my ADHD/ADD and still I could not succeed in losing and keeping off the weight. I had a medical condition that needed a medical solution. I hope the woman in my church gets the help she needs. I hope the lapband, if she gets recommended, proves to be the tool she needs like it has for me. She's a precious soul and very much loved and appreciated in my church community. I want her to be around yet for a long time.

It is completely natural to be scared at this phase. Most of the possible complications are not likely but they have to list them because it has happened on rare occasions and they don't want to get sued. The most important thing to do is focus on the reasons you are doing this and decide if for you the benefits out weigh the risks, odds are if you are like most of us they most definitely will. Good Luck, enjoy the journey it is rough sometimes but gets better as time goes by.

Today marks 14 days since my sleeve surgery and I am happy to report I have lost 20 pounds! I started this journey 12 months ago when I was weighed by my doctor's office during a routine check-up and weighed 288. I am 6 feet tall. That was the most I had weighed in my life and I decided it was time to take action. I was referred to a local sleeve surgeon who immediately put me on the South Beach Diet to lose weight pre-op. Because of insurance I was required to wait a certain time and follow certain guidelines. Well, two weeks ago I had the surgery and despite some complications afterward that required a second procedure I am home now resting and recovering. I am pain free and adjusting to my new body. I would like to meet other people here and share experiences. By the way today I weigh 245 pounds!

Hi everyone! I'm getting very excited about my upcoming lap-band surgery on 12/19/06! What a Christmas gift I'm giving myself! Believe it or not, the only person I've told about this so far is my orthodontist, because I don't want to hear anyone's negative comments before I have the procedure done. I'm hoping that my teeth will be straight at about the time I've lost all of my weight (I'm only two months in to a 28-month treatment plan). I went out and bought some high protein powdered drink mix, Tums for calcium, and a chewable multivitamin today. I also stocked up on sugar and fat-free Jello and Jello pudding, tomato soup, chicken broth, and sugar-free popsicles. I think I'm just about ready! I'm not especially worried about the surgery, but I'm just hoping I won't have complications and have to stay at the hospital for more than a day. My new year is going to REALLY be a new year!

To me it means your golden year is your best time frame for weight loss. Weight loss surgery restriction is fantastic in your first months. Your surgery restriction will become less over time and weight loss slows down. “Taking advantage” means don’t waste this time frame. Follow your surgeons’ plan/instructions. Log your food, hit your calories and macro goals for the day, hydrate, exercise/activity and make behavior changes for the long term. We cannot control the “luck factor” Sex, age, medical issues, medications, complications, hormones and body physiology. What you can control is “working your plan” Decide how lax or strict you want to work this. Decide what you want out of your first year.

I think this forum is great for us all to share out thoughts and concerns about this surgery. I have to say that I wasn't concerned at all about any of the risks. I have read horror stories on here as well, but I've also read many more success stories. When I was at the hospital, everyone (even my doctor) kept commenting on how calm I was. I think my head was on the end result, learning to eat better and being thin again. I think if you follow the doctors instructions to a tee, then you reduce the complications, which is what I did. I was sleeved 02/11/13 and started back at work today. I could have gone back on Friday, but decided to take it off since Monday was a holiday for me. =) I got on the treadmill today and was able to do half the workout that I normally do. Besides following the doctors instructions, don't push yourself beyond your body's limits and I think all will turn out well.

Call your doctor or coordinator to clear up the confusion. Different doctors have different requirements. Then, ask your questions to the doctor since they know you best. They may tell you that a sensible dinner would be ok for you, and they may have a reason for wanting you to follow a liquid diet for a full two weeks. Ultimately, you want absolutely no complications while you are on the table in the OR. People do slip up on their preop diet. It happens. If it happens to you, don't beat yourself up over it. Get back on track as soon as possible, and be honest with your doctor.

I took 10 working days, which wound up equaling (sp?) 16 days off for me with regular days off in the middle. I was going to go back sooner, after the first week. But I had a complication, my body decided it didnt like the dissolvable stitches. So you know how when you heal, it itches? Well, I thought thats all it was at first. Then it got insane! I went in and they gave me a short few days worth dose of prednisone. My job is sitting on the phones all day, so it's not like it's physically strenuous. But mentally... it can be from time to time. 911 calls, you never kow what's on the other end of the line.

There have been lots of posts that discuss why we chose VSG over other procedures, so you might want to do a little light reading of the site for additional info. However, my reasoning was pretty basic. I decided against the band because I didn't want a foreign object installed in me that had to be tended to constantly (filling and unfilling) and as the years have progressed, more and more people are having complications from their lapband and having it removed/having a revision surgery to another option like sleeve or bypass. I didn't choose bypass because of similar reasons to yours. After doing a lot of research, I could see that the sleeve appeared to be less intrusive to my digestive system (no re-routing of the system, thus malabsorption problems are not typical). While short term complications are slightly higher than the band, long term the fact seems to be that there are less complications. There are other reasons, but these are probably the most obvious ones.

What happens to food after you eat it is extremely complicated (taking up most or all of a semester in a university biochemistry course). I'll try not to get too scientific here. I CAN tell you that the main way your body is powered is via aerobic respiration which, through a complicated process, takes glucose (sugar) and oxygen and turns them into energy (ATP), Water, and carbon dioxide (this is why we need to breathe in oxygen and breathe out CO2). Your body can take building blocks from any type of food and use it to make glucose (this happens in the liver), so in a way, the answer to your question is yes. However, unless you are on the Atkins diet or have not had a meal in a day or so, probably most of the glucose in your body comes from carbohydrates in your diet. Your body can take any carbohydrate and break it down more or less directly to glucose. Proteins and fats, on the other hand, must be broken down and then rebuilt into glucose (it is "easier" for your body to use carbs for energy). Plus, your body's cells are constantly growing and dividing and producing hormones, etc., and they need amino acids and fatty acids to do so. Thus the proteins and fats you eat are more likely to be broken down and used for these purposes. These are more or less the theories behind high-Protein, low-carb diets. When your body is carb-depleted, it is forced to use fat and protein for energy. This may cause you to lose weight, but is not the way your body is meant to work and thus can be dangerous. It can lead to a condition called ketosis (which can cause nausea, dehydration, headaches, light-headedness, irritability, bad breath, and kidney problems), and also causes loss of muscle mass. Plus, the high fat and cholesterol content and low-Fiber content of these diets can lead to heart and digestive problems. I know that is probably more than you wanted to know but it seems like most people, when asking questions such as this, would be wondering about the implications of different diets. so everything we eat eventually turns into sugar to fuel the body in one way or another....Look at what a potato can give you as far as nutrients and Vitamins...... My advice is to try everything and eat what suits your makeup and limit the carbs...as they are the ones that your body does not have to work hard at turning into glucose... I eat a little of everything I want....10 months out and 160 lbs. down I think it is working!!

Hello! I have been approved and I think I have decided to have the LB surgery. I am going on vacation to Mexico with my DH and DS June 9th-15th. The soonest date I can get my LB is May 16th. Is this too close to flying to Mexico?? Will I be completely recovered? What if there are complications? Please give me your suggestions. Margo

Well, on the 28th I will have surgery!! I start my pre-op liquid-only diet tomorrow night (5 full days). I am really excited and only a little nervous (but more excited than nervous). I'm worried that I am too excited. I've had 2 c-sections (13 & 18 years ago) but never been in any other kind of surgery. I read everything I can about what to expect and do for my new life so I know I'm ready for the "after life". but this 6 week post-op pain and nausea and fatigue are the only things that worry me. I have about 75 Protein powder samples from a bunch of different sources - so i think I'll be okay with that. really really really want to minimize my post-op complication rate and get back to work/life asap. Suggestions? Anyone else just have or are having surgery soon? I'd like a buddy to compare notes and get/give support. thanks for reading my post. I just have so much pent up energy and don't know how to channel it at the moment.