Nov 23,2009

Having reached my 60th birthday and given in to self-medicating with food all my life, I am considering the Lap-Band thing. Just read the Dr. Oz book You - Controlling the Waistband and learned that the morbidly obese have only a 7% chance of success with diet and exercise. So far I have managed to control all by body's signals with drugs: 1) for diabetes, 2) for high cholesterol, 3) for high LDL and 4) for low LDL. It’s been a life of hating exercise and even the word "diet". Everything that defines Metabolic Syndrome. Everything, that is, except high blood pressure.

A few weeks ago, even that started to increase. I think that was the wake-up call. What happens when the drugs are increased until they no longer work? I can't afford to retire; waited too long before I started my 401k account. Can't afford not to have insurance... Medicare benefits suck. With the lousy drug benefit, I would go bankrupt or be unable to take prescriptions that would just hasten my death. I really have no passion in life, even to the point of saying that dying from a disease would be fine. But perhaps that is just an excuse not to change my lifestyle.

I've half-heartedly tried diets since I was a teenager; always gained back the pounds and then some. Food is my best friend, my nuturance. Vacations are remembered. not by the Eiffel Tower, The Coliseum, The Leaning Tower of Pisa, but by restaurants and memorable meals. My honeymoon in Hawaii is remembered for coconut pancakes, plum pot soup, and Pina Coladas.

To be perfectly honest, a while ago I told my therapist I was not willing to give up my food and now I am re-considering. The Lap-Band is not magic. It is just a tool to help your will power; just keeps you from eating too fast or too much without barfing. Instead of reaching for a cigarette, I reach for a connoli or a creamhorn. How am I going to fill my spare time, my boredom, my need for nurturance? How am I going to get started exercising. They say these are the hardest habits to break. Am I truly ready to make the change or am I just fooling myself?

My therapist and I will need to pull all this apart and use a microscope to peer in to every corner of my being. I need to make every attempt to change before getting banded; to prove to myself that I really, really have the strength to choose a different path in these, perhaps my last 15 years of life. Do I want to suffer and continue down this self-loathing life of mine? or do I want to stay around and make a difference, somewhere, to some one?

Hi Corspenc: I also am on the fence about the band surgery. Went for my first consultation and got some negative feedback from patients in the office. Does this mean find another dr.???? I don't know. I am also early 60s with high blood pressure. My life is good, work, watch grandkids, happy with marriage, go away alot but I'm not happy being the size I am. Should I go for it? Only I can answer that question. Dont want to live the rest of my good years being fat.....but also dont want to be unable to enjoy socializing, which is with food. Dont want to keep vomiting or spitting up. My question is whether you can live a comfortable lifestyle with the band. I know I have to give up some foods but can you live a "normal" lifestyle. I guess I'm afraid to make the commitment.....but without commitment it wont work. Need to keep researching this before I make my ultimate decision. I must say that the thought of being thinner is very exciting to me. Not too much makes me excited these days. Hope it will be all that I expect. cat lady

Hi there. I was banded in May this year. I am down 42 lbs. I don't know if I had found this site first and know what I know now about band surgery would I have gone through it, probaly not. You really can not eat certain foods. I can not eat steak without getting sick.

You have to be really informed before u go thru this.

Talk with other patients that went through this. MANY, many people develop GERD. You can not eat and lay down - the food will flow back and it is nasty. I lost my hair for months after the surgery and thought It would not happen to me. Really really think this over. It has been hard but I am following the band rules. I stick with soft foods and lots of fat free soups. do alot of reading before u agree to this. this site is great.

all the best, Eileenmary