running_scared

I really hope they don't do that. Have you had counselling, to find out why you have a problem with food?

I haven't had the surgery yet, I am booked for April.

I'm not saying that it won't work, it probably will. My point is more that this is a serious, life-altering surgery, and I wouldn't even be considering it, if I was your weight. In fact, if I get to your weight, I would be super happy. I am fighting for my life, and I fear that I am going to die way too young (just like my Mom). I just feel like getting weight loss surgery at under a BMI of 40, is like blowing out a candle with a fire hose. Have you considered the gastric balloon? It is way less invasive, and it gets removed after 6 months. SWLC also does them in Ontario.

I only have the phone number for the main office in Ontario. Sorry. I might get flamed for this, but I don't think the lap band is really for the regular overweight, but for the morbidly obese, such as me.

A few days ago, along with my DH, I made the decision to get a lap band. My BMI is over 50, and I've got a lot of joint pain, but no other, more serious complications (yet). I've had my consult, and have a surgery date booked for April 20th. But now, I'm freaking out a little bit. I feel like I've failed myself by needing to have surgery, when lots of my friends from weight watchers have lost their weight with diet and exercise alone. I know that this is foolish though, since I've been doing weight watchers on and off for 5 years, and I've never been able to keep the weight off (or lose more than 30 pounds). The more I google (and read the forums), the more cases I see of people not getting much out of their bands, and I wonder if I'm just doomed to be fat forever, no matter what I do. My Mom died when she was 50, from an obesity-related side effect, and I've worried since then, that I'm heading there. Then I thought that maybe the lap band would be the tool that I need to get things moving in the right direction. I don't know what I'm saying here, other than I'm scared. I want to make the right decision. If I work at it, and journal food, and follow the surgeon's recommendation, I will lose, right? Thank you for your support.

That is so ugly. That is one of the reasons why I won't be telling anyone.

Also, I have this irrational fear that when I go for my EKG next month, that they are going to find something seriously wrong with me, and that I'm not going to be able to have surgery, and all my family will know (and talk about) how sad it is, that I gave myself some sort of heart problem. I know it sounds so irrational, but that's what is worrying me at the moment too. I guess I just feel like if I'm really unwell, that I'd rather not know. Anyone else concerned about that?

That is good to hear Lorena. He seemed very caring when I had my consultation. He answered every one of my questions, and he said that I actually asked him more questions than anyone else, but he happily answered all of them for me, without rushing me at all.

The name is sort of a joke. I only run when something is chasing me, but at some point, I'd like to learn to run for exercise, and actually enjoy it, as some of my friends do. I'm all PMSy at the moment, and I'm craving junk food. I've overeaten at every meal for the last two days, and I just can't seem to get myself back in line, which makes me wonder how I'm going to cope, once I do have the band. I paid my surgery deposit, and it is non-refundable, so being as stubborn and cheap as I am, I'm not going to let that money go to waste

I am having my surgery in Vancouver with SWLC in April, but with Dr. Mitchell, so I can have my aftercare at home with him as well.

Thanks Shauna. I'm beginning to worry again, but I just keep telling myself that I need more help, and this is going to help me.

A friend of mine is getting banded a few weeks after mine. We got together to talk about it, but I'm worried that he isn't going to be able to make those changes as well. He likes to drink a lot, which is where a lot of his weight comes from. He said that he lied to the doctor about his alcohol consumption, and he doesn't plan to tell him about it.

Maybe that's all the recovery time he can get?

Do you realize that you are bumping up a rather sensitive thread, for the OP?

Maybe you should start your own thread?

Sorry, what chat are you trying to find?

Sounds like you need a good nutritionist.

I am having surgery with Dr Mitchell in April in Vancouver. He is very skilled, and I have no doubts in selecting him.

Thank you Laddie (and everyone else)!

I've told my DH (obviously, lol), my BFF, and a friend who is having a band installed 2 weeks after my surgery.

Thank you everyone. Last night, I told my best friend about my plans, and she told me that another acquaintance of ours is having a band put in a week after my surgery is scheduled. We are meeting for coffee this afternoon to talk about our 'journeys'.

Thank you Southern Belle. I'm feeling a lot less hesitant today.

I'm 5 foot 4, and at the end of high school, I wore a size 18-20, and I weighed 230ish pounds. When I broke my nose in Grade 9, I was a size 14-16, and I weighed 200 pounds. Hope that helps a bit.

Thank you very much for responding Glove, it's nice to know that I'm not alone in doubting myself. Lellow, you look fabulous, thank you for taking the time to reassure me. B-52, I also appreciate your take on who to tell, and who not to tell. On that front, what did you tell people, when you had surgery? I have to travel for mine, and I'll be gone for 5 days. I'm also going on vacation 3 weeks after, to Hawaii, and my Mother-in-law is coming with us. I should probably tell her, but she is the worst at keeping secrets. My naturally skinny inlaws just wouldn't understand, and I don't want them to know. I also don't think my Dad and sister would get it.

Hello, This is my first post. I just made the decision last week, that I needed to make a big change, and that some sort of weight loss surgery was what I wanted to do. I've done a lot of the diets out there, but I'm not able to lose more than about 20 pounds. DH and I want to start trying to have kids next year, and I really don't want to be pregnant at 300+ pounds. I am also self employed, and I'm finding it harder to work at this weight. DH and I discussed it, and I did a boatload of research, and decided on the Allergan lap band. Yesterday, I contacted the surgical centre, and they had a consultation opening with the surgeon in the evening. I was on the phone with him for over an hour, and he answered all of my questions. Due to my work schedule, I don't have the time off until April, so we settled on a date of April 20th. I will have 2.5 weeks off after, and then we are off to Hawaii for 9 days. I will be travelling for surgery (about a 1 hour flight), so we're also going to make a mini vacation out of it, by going a few days earlier. I am planning on staying on nutrisystem until I have to do my pre-op diet at 2.5 weeks beforehand. My DH is wonderfully supportive, but I am unsure about telling other members of my family. I have learned that everyone is watching, when you tell them that you are on a diet, and I really don't want any more pressure on myself. I need a little positive reassurance, that I'm not wasting my hard-earned money. My Mom died at the age of 50. She was probably more than 350 pounds, and died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism. I have always assumed that I was doomed to the same fate. I think it will take a long time for it to settle in, that I might not have to live the same way. However, my pessimistic side is telling me not to expect much, and then I can't be disappointed if it fails, like everything else. running_scared