i have recently been thinking about the possibility of having a band to help me loose weight. It was great to come across this site to hear from REAL people REAL situations. I seem to see mostly positive life changes on here and that gives me great hope! My weight has only mildly begun to effect my health (i have PCOS, fast heart rate, experiencing heart palpitations due to hormone imbalance, and most recently a scare that i beleve to be an episode of sleep apnea-even though it felt more like a dream) So even though these symptoms have not become a MAJOR problem as my doctors have said, it is a precursor of what is to come since i am only 30. Thank you all for telling your hearts here... it helps people to know they are not alone... and for people who are thinking about this type of surgery, someone to learn from...