angelsoul

Everyone on this thread inspired me to call my doctor and set a date BEFORE my pre-surgical visit. I'm scheduled for May 13th. :wink2: Ummmmm, yikes - I'm scheduled for May 13th!!!!! Michele

Mum, You should be proud of yourself. You really look fantastic. I'm proud of you and we never met!!!! Keep up the good work.... of course, it doesn't need to be said, but you KNOW your family is proud of you as well!

Don't forget about me!!!!! I'm on...well.... OK, I don't have the EXACT date yet, but I've gotten my approval and I meet with the surgeon on the 23rd of April to set the date. I am told that I can still get a day in May so I can be a MAY FLOWER too! April showers bring May flowers everyone! Anyone on this thread from Georgia???

Kala - I'm not banded yet (hoping for May), but the ONLY thing I experience was a little upset stomach for the first day. After that - everything was fine.

Thanks fab! Honestly, I decided to return it and get a bodybugg (I haven't done it yet tho....). I read on their site there is a 15% restocking fee for the Actitrainer!!! I did call the company and they weren't much help. I'm surprised that they had not heard that complaint too often from others. I figured that it hurts to pay a restocking fee but it would kill me if I lost it and was just out of luck and $200 bucks!

I'm in the same boat as a few of you. "Preparing" for the band. And now, I have stopped eating and drinking at the same time. But I learned something really interesting in doing this. I think I was drinking while I ate my food in order to pack the food in more!!! It sounds crazy, but now that I don't drink with my meals, I get full faster and I instinctively look for something to "wash it down". I used to be able to drink 3 or 4 good size glasses of a beverage while eating. Drinking helped me get rid of that "you've had enough" feeling. I can't believe I trained my body to do that! Well, all that to say, I hope getting the band (hopefully in May) will open my eyes to more disturbing habits I have developed over the years...

Kayala, Byetta is the best thing since sliced bread. I've been taking it for a few months now and my diabetes has never been better. I actually have morning fasting #'s of 90 and 120 no as opposed to the 250's I used to have. And yes, it does curb your appetite some. I'm only taking 5MG now, but it really is great.

My dear friends, I have a silly - yet very real question about banding. Do those of you that have the band still get the "butterflies in your stomach" feeling at times? You know.... like when you had your first kiss? It seems like such a silly thing to ask, but I don't want to lose those types of feelings. I know there are nerves that are involved with the banding, so... please share your experience.:shades_smile::wub::success1:

I'm with you on the Wal-mart brands. They are WONDERFUL! (I was surprised)... my favorite is cherry and pink lemonade!

Thanks Losingjustme... I Thought for a minute that NO ONE was going to answer me!!!

Hope2be, Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. My doctor had suggested a bypass for me as well, and I was really set on receiving the lapband. Your response was EXACTLY what I needed to see. There are so many reasons (for me) why bypass is not ideal, and ultimately, that is all that matters.

Hope2be, Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. My doctor had suggested a bypass for me as well, and I was really set on receiving the lapband. Your response was EXACTLY what I needed to see. There are so many reasons (for me) why bypass is not ideal, and ultimately, that is all that matters.

Dearest forum friends, I need your help with figuring the lapband out in my head. I had my first appointment with the surgeon yesterday and it didn't go as well as I had hoped. (I've done everything I need to due to get insurance approval). Here's what happened. We were talking about the band, and he said, "I don't mean to be blunt but I've seen it too often. If you're not willing to change your lifestyle, the band won't work for you." Now, I fully understand that the lapband is just a tool, but my concern is that I've TRIED - I mean REALLY TRIED to change my lifestyle before I decided to get the band, and was unsuccessful. Sometimes at night, I cry because I haven't felt "good" in a very long time, and I know changing my lifestlye is one way to feel better. Question is, I'm afraid that after I get the band, I WON'T be able to change my lifestyle - that it will be just as hard as it is now to change it. Maybe I'm not ready for it yet (even though I was sure that I was). Can any of you shed some light on this for me?

Thanks losing it in me. That is VERY good advice. The LB program I am in comes with support group meetings twice a month (or more I think) and I will definately use them. I tend to want to think I can do this on my own, but I am slowly coming out of that mentality. Support (like my dear friends here, who care enough to post passionately) is priceless and is critical along with exercise and re-thinking what food means. Thanks again, to all of you....

Socialbandit, Thanks for your words. They hit home with me. I hate working out, but it will be something that must become automatic with me. Honestly, I've tried to keep an exercise routine before and failed. I don't want the same thing to happen again after I'm banded and then I end up not doing well. Believe it or not, I'm afraid of failing here because up until now, nothing else has worked for me. But, the journey to a healthly place needs to start with the first step, and I chose to step here and now. Thanks for your encouragement.

Anita, Haven't been banded yet, but I STRONGLY suggest you mention this to a doctor before you do it. There may be a reason why they kept you on liquids for so long. It sounds unusual, but still, I wouldn't make that decision all on your own without talking to a professional about it first. (Just my two cents...) Thanks again everyone for responding to my concerns. I feel better about the choice I made to receive the band. Hopefully, I should hear back from the insurance comp. soon.

Wow, Thanks Annie, Ellisa & Luvmyband. Reading your replies have calmed my concerns a bit. To be honest, Ellisa, I do love sweets (and of course I'm a diabetic....) but I know that I have allowed them to control my life and I fight with it every day. As a matter of fact, I gave them up for Lent! The struggle hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be. But, I know I am really ready for a change and I think the band can help me. I'll admit, I don't see me as the "I gotta get to the gym" type, and I think the struggle to exercise 4-5 times a week will be really hard for me, but I've got to try. I know it will be a life long struggle, but all I have to do is remember how lost and out of control I feel now, and that should be all the motivation I need to keep on moving.... Thanks again everyone to giving me your feedback.

Hello everyone! I've got a problem that I can't believe is an issue. I plan on having my lapband done by Emory surgeons near Decatur, GA but when I go to meet the surgeon for the first time, IT IS MANDATORY THAT I BRING SOMEONE WITH ME!!! This in and of itself seems ridiculous, but it is their policy. My problem is that I've chosen not to tell anyone about the procedure. My family would be critical about it, and my good friends don't live in the Georgia area. Can anybody help me? I'd be happy to be your surgery buddy if you would be mine. It is a shame that I have to ask, but I'm left without a choice. If all goes well, surgery will be sometime in February... Even if you can't help, thanks for listening

Thanks 4jin, I really appreciate it. Why did you switch to Northside? Was is a rule that you had to have someone be with you on your consult with the surgeon?

Does it make sense that I can't lose weight because I'm afraid of the attention that it will draw to me? I am going to the lapband seminar tonight and was wondering if anyone else felt this too. One part of me desperately wants to lose the weight to walk faster, feel better, etc. while another part of me is saying..."People will start to notice you"...and that makes me a little uncomfortable. I want the attention, but I don't want the attention. Now that you are convinced that I've got some serious issues, am I the only one? Has anyone that's got a lapband struggled with this? With being noticed??? I know I don't need to tell you how it feels to be noticed when you're 120 lbs over weight. Most days, I just want to blend in with everyone instead of sticking out in a crowd. How do you feel now about being noticed. Did you always feel that way??

Hi everyone, Just wondering if anyone knows of a place I could receive the new AP Lap Band in Georgia? I want to have my insurance pay for it, and neither Emory or DeKalb Medical offer the AP Band. Any information offered would be SOOOO appreciated. Thanks!:help:

Hi gapeach. I'm from east GA, and hope to be banded early next year. Where are you from?

I'll eat it! I am guessing that most people in this forum have had this problem at one time or another, or else you would not have a lap band. But I'm concerned that my need for the lapband won't help the underlying problem that I have. I didn't realize it until someone brought it to my attention, but for many years, I've been over-eating as a form of accomplishment. There are SO many things in my day to day life that aren't the way I want them to be, and it makes me feel like I don't have control over my life - but eating was/is something that I can do and complete, just the way I want to! (Sad but true). I can eat A LOT and feel "content" because I completed my task. Does anyone understand what I am saying? Anyway, here's where my questions about the lapband come in. I understand that it makes one feel full faster, but what if it doesn't work for me because that desire to "complete and control" takes over? Are those desires still as strong with the lapband? I've heard so many people on this forum say "You've got to make a physical AND a mental change", I know I want to, but what if it doesn't happen??? Not to harp on the negative, but I've tried before and my thinking didn't change... is there a lapband for the brain too?:sick

and take you with me everywhere I go! Thank you so much for replying to my concerns. I have already decided that I am going to get a lapband (just waiting for ins. approval), but it is nice to know that people who have the band feel my "control issues" are not impossible to overcome. I don't want to set myself up for failure, so it's comforting to know that the lapband will help. I know I've got a long road ahead of me (I want to lose about 100 lbs.), and it will require a good deal of effort on my part..but I am optimistic that my life will change for the better, with the help of the band and my forum friends!

Thanks socal, You know - just having this forum to give me support is a great help. I live in the Atlanta area and went to the seminar at Emory University. I did meet a few people at for seminar (and got a few numbers so we could all share our experiences). I'll think about contacting one of them, but it's still the principle that I must contact one of them that I just can't understand! Really, thanks everyone for your suggestions and support. I am so glad I found this forum!