abrouill

I thought it would be easier to get a loan than this. I am a 39-year old professional women, never without a job, own our home, no car payments, no credit card debt, high average FICO score, and you would think that I'm living on the streets panhandling what with all the red tape I'm jumping through. I am very determined and my poor husband knows this! Poor guy! In the end, more often that not I get my way! I hate the way that sounds but it's true (red face) We are moving some money around in regards to refinancing our home and combining an existing home improvement loan to lower our payments. We figure we will free up about $300/month for a payment for this miracle procedure (better be!!!!) 15 minute lag here (phone) Wow! You must be good luck! I just got a call from the bank that my doctor deals with. I am going through the pre-approval process! She (loan officer) said everything looks good with my credit and she sees no problems! YEAH! Can't stop smiling!!!

I am older than my sister. She has had no problems thus far and I am struggling not to be jealous as every time I see her she looks better and better. Tell me the hoops you have had to go through for the self-pay thing (if you don't mind) That is what is driving me crazy!

My sister got the lapband last March 2007; three weeks later she got pregnant. She had a beautiful girl; 2 months premature but healthy. Since getting the band she has lost approximately 65 pounds. She looks beautiful! She is looking to lose 50 more. I was with her for the surgery and recovery, so I got a first row seat to the process. She has always been heavier than me so I thought I would not qualify for the procedure. I rode with her to her first fill appt after the baby and I admit kind of took over the appt with all my questions for the doctor. I asked him if he would consider banding someone with a 31-32 BMI. I about jumped out of my seat when he said yes. Consequently, I have my first official appt with him for myself on Friday. YEAH!

Hi, count me in for this group! I have my first consultation on Friday, no surgery date yet, but excited to begin the process. Are both of you self-pay? That's been my biggest headache throughout this whole process. Just when I think I've secured the money, another issue comes up! Pardon my ignorance with the weight-loss ticker, but I can't figure it out; I'll just tell you that I'm currently 187 and want to get down to 125 before my beautiful daughter graduates from high school next year! Looking forward to chatting!

Hello All! I am a self-pay potential lap-bander. We tried to refinance our home, didn't work out. Now I am looking at a personal loan through a credit card. It would be approximately $330/month for 60 months. Is it worth it? I am telling my husband that it is similar to a car payment. I am willing to drive my chevy until the wheels fall off to pay for this procedure. Any words of persuasion to tell my husband would be much appreciated! Thanks, Angie

Thanks for the reply hopeful mom. My husband is supportive but hesitant because of the money issue. I completely understand his point of view but I can't help but be desperate for this weight to be part of my past. I feel so selfish. We have one daughter who will be leaving for college next year and two boys at home. Money is always a consideration. I know all will be fine. Wish me luck

From what I understand, when a person reaches a plateau he/she goes to their doctor for a fill. What happens when the band is full and you haven't lost all your weight or you have reached your goal but your stomach adjusts and you are able to eat more after a time? I don't completely understand.

Juliec I bet you are from Grand Island! Just a guess (you mentioned you were 100 miles away!) I am going in for my consult on June 27th. My husband is going with me for moral support. I am a self-pay as my BMI is on the low side, but I am so looking forward to a better life physically, emotionally, the whole nine! I am so happy to hear your glowing report! My confidence in this decision increases with each post I read! Thanks for taking the time to reply!

What has been your experience with telling friends you are considering/having wls. I am not severely overweight but I am tired of losing the same weight over and over again, only to have it return plus 10 extra pounds. I know my friends will roll their eyes and think that it's an extravagance that wasn't necessary. What has been your experience and how do you handle the negative responses?

I was hesitant to tell my husband too. I started off with saying that women's bodies are predisposed to holding onto weight what with having babies and all the hormones associated with that. It is not a coincidence that a larger percentage of women are overweight than men. We are fighting millions of years of evolution! I also stated that men get more "distinguished" as they age where women just tend to put on more weight and their "set point" weight-wise increases. My example is 5 years ago I could eat or not eat and still weight 175, now I can eat or not eat and my weight is 184. In five years it'll be 192. One last thing to add to your argument in that as we age our metabolism slows and the weight creeps on, not to mention the problems associated with menopause. The lap band is a wonderful tool that we are fortunate to have. We are refinancing our home to enable me to have this surgery. Oh one more thing.....tell your husband that you don't want to be a spectator in your kids' lives; you want to participate and be a part of your family's memories, not just standing on the sidelines. Hope this helps some!

I am planning on self-paying for my lap band surgery. I have minimal health problems and a BMI of about 32. How quickly can I have this done?

Thanks for the reply.

There was a discussion thread like this one on the "Alli" website when that was the newest thing. Needless to say that drug was/is like every other weight loss lie. I posted something like this... I want to turn heads when I walk into a room and have the men ask each other "WHO IS THAT?!" I want to wear a pair of jeans and a body hugging white T-shirt and feel HOT! I want to go rock climbing with my family. I want my boys to be proud of me. I want to share clothes with my 17-year-old daughter. I want to order my clothes from Victoria's Secret. That's all for now, more later