Paulax

Oh you adorable girl you...I am so happy for you and to see that you are doing this at such a young age. I am glad for you that you never had to suffer 20 some more years of obesity before you actually got help. Like me, 42! You look so happy. Keep us in touch with how you are doing.

Which is why, I am not telling the world about my plans. I don't want to hear everybody's 2 cents :huytsao

Oh great, I read this thread and now all I can think of is getting 'beeped' at the airport next time I leave the country and having to explain to some guy, why I am beeping!!!!!!!!!!! Can I just say it is my underwire bra without getting stripsearched or x-rayed??????????

Good topic, I have wanted to talk about this. I have a very loving husband who loves me just the way I am. He doesn't want me to have this surgery but won't stop me. I honestly don't know why he feels this negative about it. I think he just wishes I could do it on my own. You know, if you don't have the problem it is hard to understand kind of thing. I feel really bad that he is not supportive, but not enough to cancell my surgery July 14th. I told him I also wished I was one of the 1% who could lose significant amount of weight and keep it off. That if it was as easy as eating a little less and exercising a little more, I'd have done it and kept it off YEARS ago. I too wish I didn't need to have a device planted in my internal organs to achieve what has escaped me my whole life, but this is the best option out there. I am 42 years old now, if I don't do it now, when am I going to do it. I told him that I feel I will be a healthier person down 90 pounds. I have heart disease and diabetes in the family. But still, it hurts me that my life partner wishes I would cancel. I have been with him since I was 18 years old. Really, he has seen me struggle an gain, struggle and gain. That is what is hurting my health. I have just gotten progressively heavier with each child and now as I enter premenopause, it is getting even harder. I hope he comes around. PS, my dh 'fights' with about 10 - 20 pounds. He seems to lose it as easy as giving up a few beers and playing hockey a few more times. So I guess he thinks that if I took exercise more seriously, I could control my weight better.

Hi, I am new here, just wanted to pop in and say your story is amazing. Thank you for being such an inspiration......hugs

Tough one, in Canada, it is all self pay. If I could get an earlier date than my July 14th date by paying more, I would. I look at it as an investment in my health. Still, it is a tough one. Good luck with your decision.

I am addicted to one thing only food. I could care less about drugs, alcohol, gambling, just food and I believe it is all in the brain.

or we could start our own free cycle:) another board, I am on did this, for the cost of shipping we share clothes and anything.

mind if I vent? Every year of my life that I can remember, I have DREADED bathing suit season. And EVERY SINGLE YEAR, I have secretly dreaded going to the beach, putting on a bathing suit, swimming with my kids at the public pool, wearing shorts, going to BBQ's in hot weather, basically, showing what I really look like. Well, it is coming. And this year I dread it too. My surgery date is July 14 and it can't come soon enough. I pray, that this is the LAST year, I dread the activity that I love the most, swimming. I just spent a few hours over the last few days, looking for just the right bathingsuit. Straps have to be just so, body has to be just so, legs have to be just so. I only bought one, because I hope next year I will be looking at a different size.

I live in BC, Canada. Lap band isn't huge here yet and the only doctor in Vancouver at the moment is booked up until then. Even at that, I could EASILY be bumped.

I am preop. I don't know about goal, I don't think I ever got to goal as how it is numbered by the doctor or weight watchers. If I lost 50% of my weight and stayed there for the rest of my life, I WOULD consider it worth it. What I am doing now, are your exact age, Murphles, is stay the same and each year gain a little more and that stays. As I enter menopause, I fear even more that weight will be easier and easier to hang on to. I am going for it.

When you eat banded, and I know it is around 1/2 cup. Are you full? my assumption is yes, but Are you satisfied? TIA

I too would not consider any other procedure. I am looking forward to being banded in July.

I would like to hear where you planned or did get banded. This procedure, so far in Canadan is self pay and there are very few surgeons who have been trained in this procedure. So, I'd like to hear where you are from, and who is your 'bandit':D I live in British Columbia and the ONLY surgeon at the moment is Dr. Wai Leung in Surrey. I understand there is another surgeon in Richmond, but haven't heard his name yet. You?

Don't be specific. Just say surgery. If they are nosey or rude enough to ask, just say it is personal. Then they might assume is is 'girl' surgery. lol I had a breast reduction 3 years ago. I didn't give any specifics, but when someone asked, I just called it 'girl' surgery and they NEVER asked more, probably assuming it was gynecological....ha!

When did this forum begin? Because I'd like to know the experience of a bander who has had their band for years and years.

Awsome post Josephine. Very inspiring.

It's all in the brain........ http://apu.sfn.org/content/Publications/BrainBriefings/weight_control.html http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/pubaf/pr/2002/bnlpr062002.htm http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/pubaf/pr/2001/bnlpr020101.htm There is no lack of research......it is comforting somehow, I am not a failure, I am not stupid, I am not lazy....

I have to add that obesity is such a complex issue. Maybe we will never find 'the answer' for all of us, whether it be purely psychological, or behavioural, or chemical. I pray one day they do.

Sorry, I think he was right on the mark. Phen Fen 'fixed' my brain chemicals so that I didn't obsess of food. I only ate when I was hungry and stopped when I was full. For the first time in my life, and unfortunately only for 3 months before Phen was taking off the market, I felt what some 'normal' brains think like. Even my obese medical doctor made comment one day about a message being sent to the brain telling us to eat. Ours is overactive. Someone please find a way to turn it off. I wish I knew more and could explain myself better, but this is my story. I hope that your surgeon meant it only in the most helpful of ways, otherwise, I'd say he was a smart ass. lol

I SO understand this feeling of failure. I have not failed at anything in my life except losing and maintaining my loss. I really feel as though my genes, my brain chemicals work against me, or I'd have this solved. The ONLY time in my life I have felt 'normal' was when I was on Phen Fen. I didn't obsess on food, I didn't eat unless my body told me I was hungry. I really feel i t is all in the brain chemicals. My obese medical doctor agrees and I love her for that. I feel as though the lap band will physically restrict our intake, but we will still need to work hard on our behaviours and brain messages. Probably not a popular belief, but I feel it is true for me. Also overweight all my life, also have many women, mother, aunts, grandmothers who just could not attain a healthy weight and maintain it. I really think it is time we stop torturing ourselves and feeling like failures and accept the help offered to us.

Newbe here, and preop. I have been reading and reading and looking at all your successes. I am so impressed by the results from your hard work. I have read many positive things but am curious to know all the negatives. What are the negatives you have experienced since surgery? Does anyone regret getting banded? especially those who experienced erosion and had the band removed. Thanks in advance.

Me, me, I live in British Columbia, Canada. I found a doctor in Vancouver, the fee is 13,000 some. I have a date in the first week of July. I am excited, I dream of donating each and every item of clothing in my closet as they get too big and buying at goal, 3 new pairs of pants, a few shirts and that is all I want. (other than summer wear of course) I have so many sizes in my closet, I shoudl be OK until I get to goal. My fear is not being able to stop my emotional eating. I fear erosion, slippage, etc. I also really want to keep this to myself and not tell everybody. I fear 30 days liquid diet that Dr. Leung in Vancouver suggests. But still, I am just so excited to be rid of this weight I have carried around for a lifetime and my surgery date can't come quickly enough.

Hooray for you for sure. Contratulations on all your hard work. hug

Can't be me either, I am new. I just wanted to point out though that I couldn't get on the site for 2 days last week. Didn't know if the site crashed or if I was banned or what....