Hi....My name is Trudy and I live in a small town on the coast of North Carolina. I had been heavy for most of my adult life. I have been as high as 300 pds. I started my lapband journey at 227 and now I am at 149. I was banded on August 7, 2006 and have lost right at 80 pds. I have never been so pleased in all my life. It has been a struggle at times, but certainly well worth it. I would do it all over again in a second!